“Anathema: destroy works of art or allow one to be destroyed except to save a life or in pursuit of greater art, refuse to accept surrender, strike first”.
Ambiguous anathema text. “Refuse to accept surrender” Does that mean the cleric of shelyn refuses to accept surrender from their foes? Does it mean the cleric refuses to surrender? Or (as I believe) the cleric cannot refuse to accept surrender from a foe.
I’m hoping through the playtest that we can catch all the ambiguous text, otherwise we’re looking at the next decade of table/forum arguments about interpreting a deities tenants.
I love flavor text, but Paizo, please be as clear and concise as possible for all codes, rules of behavior, etc, just to keep everyone on the same page and minimize conflicting interpretations in the player base.
We usually have GMs for that sort of stuff, but...
And how many tables have you sat at over the years that devolve into arguments of how to interpreted a phrase in the game. Doesn’t bother me much, as I primarily run home games these days, but I can see anathemas, like paladin codes, creating headaches if not carefully worded. As I said, with a thousand pairs of eyes on the language during the playtest I hope it will all get ironed out before hitting final print form.
The thing that worries me most is this:
“Anathema: destroy works of art or allow one to be destroyed except to save a life or in pursuit of greater art, refuse to accept surrender, strike first”.
Ambiguous anathema text. “Refuse to accept surrender” Does that mean the cleric of shelyn refuses to accept surrender from their foes? Does it mean the cleric refuses to surrender? Or (as I believe) the cleric cannot refuse to accept surrender from a foe.
I’m hoping through the playtest that we can catch all the ambiguous text, otherwise we’re looking at the next decade of table/forum arguments about interpreting a deities tenants.
I love flavor text, but Paizo, please be as clear and concise as possible for all codes, rules of behavior, etc, just to keep everyone on the same page and minimize conflicting interpretations in the player base.
I've always enjoyed customization, but adding a slew of class options as "feats" to each class makes my eye twitch a little. Sure the customization is great, but its not very friendly for new or casual players. I run a lot of new players of all age groups, and in my experience they often gravitate away from the Oracle or other classes with a smorgasbord of choices, and go for the simpler classes. Its a lot easier to get started when you have a class table that says "at level X you get y" than At level X, select one choice between A and Z". Feat selection for new players is difficult enough, and they currently only get 1 every few levels. Making that an every level task can be quite daunting.
Also will the class feat descriptions be included under the class entries? I personally am not a fan of twenty page entries per class. Perhaps place a table with a list of feat choices per level, then load the feats into their own section like spells? Otherwise I feel flipping through the class section of the book will become quite tedious, as you thumb through 30 pages of feat descriptions to find the class title page your looking for.
((thumbs pages, "cleric feats, cleric feats, cleric feats" Grumbles", 'Druid feats, oops, back up, nope more cleric feats. Oh finally the druid splash page"))
I for one am excited to see what the staff at Paizo can do with a new edition. I've been playing roleplaying games in some form or another since the advent of 2nd edition. I turn 40 this year, and honestly its been the quality of Paizo's products that's kept me in their stable. I heartily enjoy the D20 system, but lets face it, the system can still use some improvement. Paizo did a nice upgrade from D&D 3.5 to P1E, but were limited at the time by having to keep the game recognizable enough to attract 3.5 ed players who were unhappy with 4th editions changes. Its been 10 years, its time to iron out the rest of the kinks. Over the years we've seen new rules dynamics, classes, and optional rule sets introduced, lets take the best of them and craft a new edition. And yes, ill be sad that the immense library of 3.5 & Pathfinder books that I've amassed is no longer directly correlated to the newest edition, but hey, it sounds like there's enough similarities that it shouldn't be too hard to convert.
Even better, Paizo is giving US, the players, a FULL YEAR to play test the new system and provide commentary and suggestions. Its not some sealed product designed behind closed doors. If you've enjoyed their products so far, lets give them the benefit of the doubt and see what they can do. And if you end up not liking the results, well 3rd edition is still under the open gaming license, there will always be publishers out there who will produce those products if there's a genuine demand.
First you take a pile of charcoal. Then you cast fabricate to make it a pile of diamond (fabricate doesn't care about heat requirements for metals, why should it care about carbon?). Then you cast disintegrate on the pile. You now have a pile of diamond dust.
Any DM who allowed this travesty of the fabricate rules would find his campaign economy (and any pretense of WBL limts) completely shattered, just like the above diamonds. Don't go there.
Not necessarily,
Perhaps the diamonds created through the fabricate spell are low grade diamonds. Not the crystal clear ones used for fine jewelry, but opaque muddy diamonds suitable only for use as an abrasive on modern industrial saw blades or grinding wheels. Perhaps 5000 gp worth of low grade diamond dust equates to a wheelbarrow full of the stuff, which makes it a lot less practical, or desirable for anything outside of spell casting.
Cursed items, trapped items, strange/wierd effects are part of the game. We players tend to forget this as we plot out our "perfect" character advancements, but unexpected stuff does happen, and its part of the game. We also don't know the full backstory, did hte party ever try to identify/legend lore, or otherwise research the object in question? The burrowing effect may have been preventable, or even predictable.
The suggestions by the previous posters are probably your best bet. Having the ability to use wands/scroll is always nice, and as a monk, combining that with touch attack spells can be fun. Its always nice to deliver touch attacks through a punch, and remember you can always hold a charge if you miss. Some spells may even allow you to set off multiple touches through utilization of flurry of blows.
Lastly, perhaps you could cinvince your DM to let you take a level in any arcane class. Bloodrager or Magus could work, especially if you wish to fool around with unarmed combat and spell strike.
As a DM I've spent the majority of the last 20 years staring at the back of the Gm screen, but I do have a soft spot for some of the older GM screens that depicted a dungeon delve, battle, or other dynamic scenes. The Paizo Iconic GM screens, though beautiful and interesting to look at, to me just don't evoke the same level of intrigue and mystique as some of the older generation D&D screens. Has there been any talk about creating a deluxe GM screen which shows the Iconics in a larger scene? Something along the lines of the artwork for the cover of the Beginner Box, or the chapter opener artwork for the hardcovers? Paizo has fantastic art, and keeps a very high standard across their products, and I feel a DM screen is a fantastic opportunity to showcase that.
Besides, who doesn't want to see a diverse bunch of the Iconics joining forces to overcome some terrible trap or horrific foe spread across 4 panels?
I'm looking for a pathfinder scenario which takes place in an urban environment and deals with a thieves guild. I'm short on prep-time this week, and essentially I'm looking for an adventure I can adapt to my pathfinder home game to fill one 4-5 hour session. The Players are all set up to investigate/infiltrate/invade a guild, and I figured I may be able to save myself some design work if I could find a pathfinder society adventure that I can tweak to fit my campaign.
I read that as no stupidly re-leveled wizard spells.
I figured that, but 'originally intended' by who and when? It's an odd wording that implies that the APG spell list was an accident or oversight. Which has been unaddressed for 4 1/2 years.
I mean, if it wasn't the intended spell list, there have been opportunities to errata it. This isn't rewriting the Stealth skill - rearranging a spell list fits on the same page.
I don't know if this is what the section on the Summoner was pointing to, but I'd really like a Summoner who doesn't have a spell list of their own and instead gets a very specified set of spells depending on the nature of their eidolon.
Oh! That'd be a neat idea. Now that you have to pick an eidolon type, you can attach baggage to that choice. Summoners are Spells Known casters, so you can give them bloodline/mystery-like bonus spells known related to their critter.
Angel summoner? Have a searing light! Devil summoner? Darkvision! Demon summoner? Rage! Protean summoner? Entropic shield!
I wonder if we'll get standardized eidolons? Remove the crazy evolution mechanics. Personally I don't mind them, but most of my players take a look and their eyes glaze over. Something akin to animal companions where you get a base "form" (like demon, protean, angel, etc) and them apply level dependent benefits.
I totally understand, and appreciate the suggestion. I've been meaning to delve Shattered Star for a while, so I'll pick up #65 and check out the Lissala article. That, combined with a refresher read through of Into the Darklands, should generate plenty of ideas.
On another unrelated note, have you ever seen the movie Red Cliff (directed by John Woo), or read Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the ancient Chinese novel on which its loosely based?
Razor Coast is indeed on my radar, as is Skulls and Shackles. Though considering it took us 2 years to get through Runelords, 1.5 years for Crimson throne, and my current arc of adventures should span at least another year, we probably won't get to some piratical misadventures until 2016/2017 or so.
Fragged Empire also looks intriguing. My group runs occasional sci-fi adventures in the Star Wars universe using the old West End Games D6 system. We've been mulling about trying a different system, just for a change of flavor, so i'll have to pitch Fragged Empire at our next session and see if I can get the other players on board.
Sigh... I really need to become independently wealthy so I can find more time to game :) . Between family and work, there's not enough hours left in the week.
Hello James,
I’m looking for some suggestions for the main antagonists for a dark lands based adventure, and I thought you might enjoy spinning up an idea or two. Here’s a bit of background, I’ll keep it brief and spoiler free.
So here's what I’m currently mulling around. To paraphrase; during a past session, the party located an ancient Thassilonian shrine to Lisalla. The shrine had been recently modified by a group of stone giants who had carved some new chambers, and interred the remains of their leader, a deceased stone giant wizard (transmuter). My party explored the shrine, solved the riddles, bypassed the traps, dealt with the tombs denizens, and reached the burial chamber. There they were suddenly plagued with a rare bout of common sense, and decided to leave well enough alone. Worried about possibly unleashing some new horror upon the unsuspecting world, they re-sealed the burial chamber, reset the traps and left, with the intention on returning someday, better prepared to face whatever's inside.
Now I’m looking to plan the adventure for their return. The party will be level 10 or so at that time. I'm leaning toward something burrowing/tunneling up from below, possibly to get at the giant’s remains, possibly to get at some magical "Macguffin" entombed with him. As all of this is located below a Shrine to Lisalla, antagonist(s) linked to the goddess would be fun. I’d get to explore some of her lore, delve into the darklands, and play in ancient Thassilion’s sandbox. I'm leaning toward Seguthai/Neothelid involvement as it would really appeal to the party's tastes and I do have the Gargantuan "Mashaaf, Great Old One" miniature from the Reaper Bones 2 Kick-stater i've been dying to use....
As you’re the resident expert in all things that slither in the dark, is there anything you would suggest?
-Edit-
I guess this became a bit more long winded than intended. We'll if anyone has a dungeon to suggest, or plot points they care to pitch, I'm all ears.
Hello Everyone,
I'm looking to adapt a good dungeon crawl for my current home campaign. Basically I'm looking for a "decent into the darklands" type adventure that pushes the party deep underground, and would run in three to four 4-hour sessions. A man-made structure on the upper levels is a plus, with the deeper chambers and passageways more natural in origin. Don't worry too much about the overarching adventure plot, as I'll probably re-work it, and toss in an appropriate Maguffin to fit my group. The target level is in the 8 to 10 range, but I can adapt/adjust a lower or higher adventure accordingly to bring it into that range.
So if you have any suggestions for Published adventures, 3rd party adventures, older 3rd edition materials, Dungeon magazines, Pathfinder society scenarios or anything else for that matter, please feel free to chime in.
Oh and if you're curious about the specific flavors of the campaign, and what i'll probably base the dungeon on, see below.
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So far this is the progression of adventures I've stitched together for my party. The Campaign takes place in Varisia, and the players have played through Runelords and Crimson Throne, so they get a kick out of tie-ins and references to those past events. The current set of adventures takes place 12 years after Runelords, 10 years after Crimson Throne.
The party consists of 2 men and 2 women [Characters: Elf witch of the Great Old ones, Elf Wizard (conjuration), Kitsune Inquisitor, Aasamir Ranger]
Adventure Progression
Homebrew 1 Magmidaar Intrigue /Pathfinder society induction(lvl 1-2) - Completed
Feast of Ravensmoor (levels 2-3) - Completed
Homebrew 2 Lissala Shrine/Wilderness exploration(lvl 3-4)- Completed
Carnival of Tears Levels (4-5)- Completed
Homebrew 3 Windsong Abbey/Seafaring (lvl 5-6) -Current Adventure
From Shore to Sea (level 6) -Upcomming
Carrion Hill (upgraded Levels 7-8)-Upcomming
Homebrew 4 Dungeoncrawl (somewhere in the level 8 to 10 range)
Dungeon Tie-in:
So here's what i'm currently mulling around. During the second homebrew session, the party located an ancient Thassilonian shrine to Lisalla. I'll spare you the back story, but to make a long story short: a group of stone giants 12 years ago entered the shrine, carved some new chambers, and interred the remains of the deceased stone giant wizard, Mokmurian. My party explored the shrine, solved all the riddles, bypassed the traps, dealt with the tombs denizens, and reached the burial chamber. There they were suddenly plagued with a rare bout of common sense, and decided to leave well enough alone. Worried about possibly unleashing some undead horror upon the unsuspecting world, they re-sealed the burial chamber, reset the traps and left, with the intention on returning someday, better prepared to face whatever's inside.
What I'd like to do, is have the dungeon crawl be their return visit. I'm thinking that something burrowed/tunneled up from below, possibly to get at Mokmurians remains, possibly to get at some magical "Macguffin" entombed with him. I'm leaning toward Seguthai/Neothelid involvement as it would really appeal to the party's tastes and allow for some really creepy underground encounters, with lots of weird and strange minions.
The caverns under the shrine could be natural in configuration, or possibly the remains of the shrine itself, perhaps some hidden lower levels that the party failed to find on their first visit. As all of this is located below a Shrine to Lisalla, a villian (or group of villians) linked to the goddess down below would be fun. Perhaps Seguthai (minions) are trying to awaken a Neothelid that's been asleep since the fall of Thassilion? I do have the Gargantuan "Mashaaf, Great Old One" miniature from the Reaper Bones 2 Kick-stater i've been dying to use....
So over the last few years I've had the pleasure of running Rise of the Runelords and Curse of the Crimson Throne for my weekly group: a motley assembly of men and women who enjoy complex tales with adult themes. My groups newest foray involves the stitching together of various published modules. Recently the bruised and haggard party arrived back in Sandpoint after finishing The Feast of Ravensmoor, where they decided to visit their favorite NPC's, enjoy some downtime, and stick around for a carnival that they noticed setting up outside of town....
That is where we discovered the pure joy that is Carnival of Tears. My players were so entranced, so creeped out, and so thoroughly drawn into the tale I had to actually physically close the book and push them out the door after our standard 4 hour session turned into an 8 hour extravaganza. And for a bunch of professionals with full time jobs and kids, an adventure with that much draw is really something special.
So after they left i looked a the cover. "Hmm.. Tim Hitchcock & Nicholas Logue" I thought to myself, I've seen Logue's name before. Flipping back through Runelords and Crimson Throne, I find that he wrote one of our all time favorite adventure, Hook Mountain Massacre, AND Edge of Anarchy, the gritty anarchic tale that got my party hooked on the Crimson Throne AP.
So Mr. Logue, I tip my hat to you sir. May your strange and twisted mind continue to spin all manner of sordid tales of horror and woe, for as long as you choose to continue to wield the pen. My friends and I will continue to explore your other offerings, and look forward to your future endeavors.
Sincerely
Duane Choquette
P.S: A quick perusal of these forums for other fan favorite works by Logue brings up a project referred to as "Ebon Shroud", apparently a joint venture between Mr Logue, and Richard Pett (who's works I also heartily enjoy). It seems to have been released about 5 years ago, but I cannot find a PDF for sale on this site. Does anyone here know what Ebon Shroud is, and if its still available? My group would love to see what these two authors could do when combined.
Then again I guess it could be so horrific, so mind-bending twisted that even the merest glimpse of those ink stained pages results in an insanity so complete that all copies have been burned for humanities sake? :)
On the plus side, last night I showed the sample page to my wife and a few friends who happened to be creating characters for a new campaign we're starting. My wife and 2 of the group really enjoy Pathfinder, but find character creation a bit overwhelming. I have to say all three loved the new layout, and I'm looking forward to adding the book to my gaming library
There was a similar plot device used in the Dragonlance War of Souls trilogy. Not to be too spoiler-ific, but one of the gods of that world manages to steal the planet and move it to a new location in the multiverse, and effectively hide it from the other gods. The result? All connections to god-provided magic is lost (in that world divine and arcane are god provided).
You could pull a similar maguffin. Perhaps Rovagug decides that instead of escaping his prison, he attempts to pull Golarion inside of it, effectively using the prison built by the other gods against them, and blocking their access from the world. Of course if Rovagug's agents actually succeed, Golarion would be destroyed by Rogagug, which would free him from his prison, and unleash him on the multiverse once more.
EDIT: additionally, you could perhaps utilize the star towers scattered across Golarion. They are anchors to Rovagug's prison, built by Zon-Kuthon. I imagine that if you built a ritual and expanded their area of influence outward, you could use the field generated to effectively cut golarion off from the rest of the multiverse. It would even give you a bunch of handy locations, where the party has to stop the ritual from occurring, perhaps a dozen towers scattered across the entirety of golarion? As each tower falls to the ritual, regions (perhaps continents) of the planet are isolated, and cut off from divine influence.
Hello James,
So now we have Skald and bloodrager to add to our Norse themed toolbox. We've had a Land of the Linnorm Kings campaign guide, and touched on the region briefly in a few AP's, and 1 novel (skinwalkers). I was wondering, is there anyone in-house working on some more Ulfen goodness? Perhaps another novel or one of those nice stand alone adventures?
Or perhaps a better question is, who among the Paizo staff (if any) is the largest proponent of a Land of the Linnorm-centric Adventure path, and what gods do I have to appease to grant him/her thier wish?
So now we have Skalds, Fighter (vikings), barbarians, bloodragers, warpriests, druids, rangers, shaman, and witches as playable classes. So at paizocon this year were there any rumors of a Pathfinder module set in the Land of the Linnorm Kings appearing in the near future? A dedicated AP would be best, but I'll settle for one of the quarterly modules. The campaign guide was good, but I'm itching to see what the Paizo staff comes up with for that region in terms of an adventure.
Hook mountain Massacre set such a great precedence, that since that adventure Pathfinder Ogres have essentially replaced hill giants in most everything I've run since then.
After finally finishing Gm'ing Rise of the Runelords (2+ years) for my weekly group (Amazing series in my opinion), I was a little disappointed in Giant slayer, but only because I just spent a few years with my PC's battling them in Runelords. That said, I like the premise and I'm looking forward to Giantslayer. I like classic tales, and the Paizo staff/writers always do a great job in updating the classic tropes, and adding unique twists. Besides I have yet to be disappointed by one of their AP's, and I've wanted to peer into Belkzen for quite a while. It would be nice if we got a taste of Janderhoff as well.
Perhaps I can find another player to GM Giantslayer. I'd love to take a break and sit on the other side of the table for once, and I do love dwarven PC's, so this may be the AP for me.
Well now my group is off to Crimson Throne for a bit of Urban shenanigans. As a DM I must be a glutton for punishment, because I keep running all the 3.5 version AP's (was in book 5 on runelords when the anniversary edition came out). Before I dive into the conversion work for Crimson throne, has there been any whispers/hints/rumors of an anniversary edition in the near future?
I never understood the aversion to slings. They are really cheap, everyone can use them, and you get to add your strength bonus to damage. As a melee type, high strength character, a sling is the best ranged weapon to start the game with. Its portable, easy to conceal, ammo is abundant and with a 16 strength it does better average damage than a long bow (1d4 +3 for 5.5 damage vs 1d8 for 4.5 damage). Understandably, once your characters get to a high enough level to afford mighty composite strength bows, a sling's utility goes way down, but I still find just about every fighter I create still has one stuffed into his back pocket even after I get a good bow.
The slings beauty lies in its simplicity of use, light weight, and abundance of ammunition.
In pathfinder society (and RPGA)events ALL my characters carry 5 extra slings in their backpack. Over the years its mind-boggling how many characters I've run across that have no way of combating a flying opponent, or one who is more than 30' away. Wizard out of spells? have a sling. All the sorcerer's spells short range? hand him a sling. Mighty Bigbash the fighter only bothered to buy a greatsword for his character? hand him a sling. What, the villain sundered the ranger's bow? hand him a sling.
Also, depending on your GM, there's all kinds of great improvised uses for a sling.
Party member dying and need to get a potion across a battlefield in a single round? Throw it from a sling as an improvised weapon, and hope your buddy standing over the body is good at catching.
Need to safely lower your toad familiar down a hole? Tie a sling to the end of a rope for a handy cradle.
Need a belt that can be used as a weapon? A sling is your best friend.
Need a ranged weapon to sneak into a fancy ball or political meeting? a sling is your best friend, especially if used as part of a supportive undergarment!
So don't always deride the lowly sling, like rope, I believe its something that every adventurer should carry.
The fact that this immunity is defined in the Bestiary entry for the cockatrice and basilisk rather than the weasel entry makes this an interesting question. The fact that the immunity is in the Ecology section rather than the rules for the ability makes it an even more interesting question.
I'd say yes, but a GM might rule otherwise. For that matter, not that it's relevant to a general rules discussion, but does PFS honor the rare ecology text that with direct rules implications? I mean, apart from the terrain entry.
Along the same thread, is a druid who wild shaped into a weasel, immune to a cockatrice's gaze?
"the cockatrice's strange ability to turn other creatures to stone is the creature's greatest defense, and a cockatrice lair is invariably littered with petrified remnants of foes. In an ironic twist of fate, however, weasels and ferrets—the creatures most likely to slip into cockatrices' nests and consume their eggs—appear to be completely immune to the effect."
Personally at my table, I'd say yes. Having the familiar possibly become the star of the encounter would be a nice play dynamic. And if a druid player knew enough monster ecology to take advantage of that little known fact, then more power to him.
So im not 100% i got the right thread category for this but i find myself in a small dilemma. I will be relocating to Maine shortly and have been looking for gaming stores and/or society meetups but I've been coming up short on findings. Does anyone know of anything going on around the Lewiston area i may have missed? Or anything for Maine really at this point. I'll appreciate any info i can get.
Yamidracul, my wife and I moved to portland, Maine back in january and we're wondering the same thing. From what I've found sofar, there's not much of a Pathfinder Society presence, but there are a lot of people playing the adventure paths. Your best bet in the area is Dirigo comics in North Yarmouth, about 20 minutes south of your location. Theres also a large faming store in Windam and anothet in augusta, but thier player base is smaller. Dirigo is going through a change in ownership, but the new owner has expressed interest in getting pathfinder society games going at the store. The biggest problem has been forming a GM pool. I've volunteered my services, and await to see if we can round up a few others.
As of right now, the store does host a few home games, and I know of 2 additional groups running AP's in Portland. I'm looking to start up a home game group for Dragon's Demand come September/October once my summer travel for work ends for the season.
Anyhow, once you get settled, feel free to send me a message here, and perhaps we can put our heads together and get something started. My wife and I are always looking for a few more good players :)
Actually I love the cover, and think its a brilliant play on the core rulebook cover. Same Iconics present, same dragon, but now everyone, including the dragon, is "Mythic Flavored" for your enjoyment.
We're getting closer to the external alpha test, probably going to open that up in the next few days once Paizo staff has had a chance to bang on it and make sure any obvious showstopper bugs have been fixed.
We now have a preliminary logo that isn't a dog, and some maps and tokens built-in.
This version doesn't have all the features we plan to include, and it's got a bunch of debugging code in it so it's not as snappy as it will be later, but I'm pretty excited about the progress we're making.
So after getting the masses salivating in anticipation, any updates on GameSpace?
I was going to post this as a reply in another thread, but as I got into it, I decided it would be better utilized as its own topic. A nod to Pendagast for getting me thinking about the subject. Also with Ultimate Campaign on the horizon, this type of play style may get a bit more common. Does anyone else run adventures this way?
Pendagast wrote:
So like I was saying, long wilderness campaign? Deep dungeon delving? Why not bring some peons? Establish said base camp, adventure, pull back to camp, move the camp up to the next 'strong hold' and venture forward again. In cases where the mission relied on stealth, perhaps the base camp would need to be set up farther away. No reason it can't be on level 1 while the PCs are exploring level 2.
I usually see this type of thing coming in around 8th level, where PC's start to consider taking leadership. Its not unusual in my play group for the PC's to attract a large following of camp hirelings (everyone wants their own "castle", right?). Its actually a great way to adventure, and I support it as a GM. It gives the players a mobile base camp, allows for NPC's hirelings to craft items for PC use, removes the need to go back to town regularly, and gives Cohorts something to do. Also it allows the PC's time to use those Item Creation feats if they want, and the player can still participate through the use of one of the second stringers.
My players voluntarily try to keep the PC party at or around 6 PC's, we find that more than that and the game really slows down for us (action economy and DM overload). Cohorts fill the gaps when real world people cannot make it, or for really epic battles where extra muscle is needed.
Also, having a base camp nearby means that when a PC dies (my players rarely raise dead, as we think character creation is one of the best parts of pathfinder :) ) , we can easily introduce a new character into the mix. One of the Cohorts becomes a new PC, or perhaps one of the "Hirelings" steps up to the plate.
This worked amazingly for us in the Jade Regent Adventure Path. Gave us an entire pool of characters to work with, and we often switched out our "A-team" PC's for the "B-team" NPC's and Cohorts, to tailor the party for specific missions. Going to explore a cemetery? Leave the charm specialist sorcerer behind and bring the Paladin cohort instead, etc. It was an interesting approach, kind of like having a character pool, and picking which characters to play from week to week. Added a bit of variety to the game. We kept the Pc's/NPC's at camp 1 level behind the average party level (advancing them as necessary) and rationalized it by saying that "while the party was away, the caravan/base camp was attacked by X, fended off Y, and while foraging encountered Z".
It turned out to be one of the more interesting campaigns I had the pleasure to play in, and we all got to test out new character ideas from time to time. Solved the old dilemma of "Ohh this awesome book just came out, I wish I could find the time to play X". Now If I wanted to try out for instance a Magus, well John Q Magus could make an appearance for a few sessions, then go join the character pool at base camp. Or if I really liked him, possibly replace my normal PC.
My PC's tend to find bolt holes, use well hidden rope tricks, or find a relatively safe location in a dungeon to hole up in. On those days they can't, or when they are pressed for time, they suck it up and run on empty. Those are the days I find them actually dipping heavily into the reserves of potions and scrolls.
RotRL specifics:
In my RotRl campaign, the Pc's killed the chief, and then used it as an intimidation tool on the remnants of the tribe. Also ,since goblins hate writing, having the wizard use a Silent Image spell to create a huge glowing, obviously magical words "The Chief Is Dead" was a big help (even if the goblins couldn't read it). Between the Fighter brandishing the chief's head, and the big glowing words floating above the PC's, the goblins demoralized and broke, streaming back across the bridge to the mainland. The party celebrated, until they realized the panicked goblins had just cut the ropes, and watched helplessly as their only way off of Thistletop plunged into the sea..
Fun results:
1) PC's are able to rest, but are trapped.
2) remaining goblins rally behind druid on mainland, and can create problems later,
3) Lower levels are alerted by the commotion and have 8 hours to fortify their positions (and/or send spies to learn about PC's. Enemy familiars are great for this)
As a Dm, all fun situations to exploit and expand upon.
Remember a caster needs a minimum ability score of 10 + the level of the spell to actually be able to cast it. Simply use Bestow curse to lower the sorcerer's charisma below 10. Then he can't cast spells at all. Sorcerer's have notoriously low skill points, just chain him up and toss in the brig. Done.
Hmm.. lets see. Based on my experience running 2 AP groups of experienced players at high point buys, this is how I would break it down. Level 3 party (CR 3), 6 PC's (+2 CR), High stat buy (+1 CR), and "Highly Experienced" (+1 CR) for a total of CR 7.
So Base CR of 7, up to CR 10 if your looking for a highly challenging single encounter. This gives you lots of wiggle room. If your looking for something memorable, and out of the ordinary I'd start with a campaign appropriate locale that imposes unique and interesting challenges. At level 3 the PC's will not have readily available flight options, so perhaps something like:
A region of knee deep water with deeper holes (up to 15' deep), and if your feeling generous, perhaps a small mound or two of slippery mud projecting above the water. Now they have to deal with movement issues, and the possibility of falling into deeper pools where they have to swim. Think of a swampy Moor, an underground grotto or a flooded warehouse (where flooded stairwells act as holes to the level below).
Now shroud the area in Fog, limiting visibility.
After that, just seed with your favorite baddies. I'd probably aim for 3-4 heavy hitters and a horde of CR 1/2 mooks to liven things up. make sure the monsters have movement abilities that take advantage of the terrain, to frustrate and outmaneuver the PC's. Swimming, amphibious, swamp-walking and water breathing are all key. Then go for a theme. Undead perhaps? Trolls and other fey creatures. Lizardmen perhaps?
Personally I'd populate it with an Aboleth (CR 7) and a bunch of its Skum Minions ( 3-4 minions at CR 2) and a dominated Scrag (CR 5) Which should be around CR 9 or so, a really tough and memorable fight, but not impossible if its the only encounter the PC's are facing that day.
Have the scum start things off, then perhaps have the troll burst up from one of the deeper pools, grab a PC and dissapear underwater or into the fog. (think Luke skywalker in the trash compactor). Nothing worse than hearing your buddy scream for help, but unable to locate him. Save the Aboleth for round 3, after a few minions have died to really terrify the PC's. Works especially well if the PC's cannot see the enemies coming due to the fog.
I have a paladin that is useless in a ranged fight with one exception.
He has taken the Iomedaean Sword Oath. His only ranged option (since we are up to our eyebrows in the Abyss at the moment, it's not a bad option) is Alignment Channel (Evil).
I'm not complaining. It's been a little frustrating a few times, but the flavor of the feat felt right for the character. If the GM puts us up against flying foes, that's just intelligent design on his part. And my character is very effective in melee, so ranged foes give others a chance to shine.
I do wish, having spent the feat for the Oath and restricting my options, that there was a way to improve on the benefits of the feat - work my way up to taking Greater Weapon Focus, for example. To make this a question, how would you adjudicate such a request, James?
A paladin in this situation is well-advised to drop a handful of gold on a bow and arrows or something like that. Smite works perfectly well with ranged weapons, remember!
In your case, if you're a paladin of Iomedae, I would point out that she's all about swordfighting, not archery. If you want to be an archery-focused paladin, Erastil is a better themed deity.
The feat I referred to restricts the character from using any melee or ranged weapon other than a longsword in exchange for qualifying for feats as though he has four levels of fighter. That makes Weapon Specialization possible. The GM also let use a 3.5 feat that required Focus and Spec. I just wish, since I have agreed to restrict my options so much, that the feat would allow me to continue with the Focus/Spec/Grt Focus/Grt Spec chain.
Do you think that is reasonable?
Not really. you're getting value for your oath in whatever four levels of fighter will qualify you for. The feat is really intended to give mileage to Iomedae's clerics, who would get the most bang for...
Get a second longsword with the throwing and returning enchants. Problem solved, now you can still smite evil in the name of Iomedae, even if they are pesky flying demons. Or get the feat Throw Anything, and carry extra swords.
Well, its an interesting case, isn't it? Yes the revolutionary war and civil war are now part of history, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen again. I always believed the spirit of the second amendment was intended as a check against the government. A way for the people to rise up, if necessary, and put aside a corrupt system.
Vive le Galt!
I shudder to think of what the modern day equivalent of the Grey Gardeners would be .
Democracy is the people wielding the power to check a government, you do not need guns to protect your self from your government.
The British are not going to make you part of the empire again.
It may be a surprise for some but the US Civil War is over.
You have massacred the Native Americans and taken their land and they are no longer a threat.
Mexico is not going to take Texas or California back.
There are not enough Hawians to challenge your illegal annexation of their country.
The Canadians aren't going to invade, even though you invaded them and failed.
Why the f&~# do you want to have guns if you don't need them.
Growing up near farms I can understand the need for farmers,I also understand hunting ( I don't agree with it but I understand), target and sport shooting fine, but casual gun ownership why?
Well, its an interesting case, isn't it? Yes the revolutionary war and civil war are now part of history, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen again. I always believed the spirit of the second amendment was intended as a check against the government. A way for the people to rise up, if necessary, and put aside a corrupt system. Or to defend ourselves vs. an invasion, whether foreign or domestic (such as another civil war). True, the chances of either of those events happening right now in this country are very small, but none of us can predict what will occur down the road. Look at congress, Last time I checked they had less than a 10% approval rating by the US populace. The founding fathers warned against career politicians (and even instituted house and senate term limits, which the house and senate eventually voted to remove). I'm not saying we should take up arms against them, on the contrary I hope the american people never have to do such a thing, but the option SHOULD be there, just in case.
As for the whole assault weapon ban. The question is what is an assault weapon? The media throws the term around, and they seem just as ignorant as to what one is, as a good amount of the voting public.
A few facts:
1) Automatic weapons are illegal in the USA. [ there are a few exceptions, primarily you can obtain a special government issues permit to own one for special circumstances. Like a civil war reenactment company owning a Gattling gun for display purposes. The permits are insanely hard to get.]
2)"Military style weapons" We all watch television and the movies, everyone knows what an M16 looks like. Well here's something you may not know. Due to the high number of american vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, there is a demand for military style weapons for civilian use. Interestingly I can now go out and buy a deer rifle that's made to look like an M16 (ie AR-15). Why? well because Vets are used to using that style of weapon, so it has created a demand for rifles that "feel" like the ones they used over seas. Most of these sporting models would not qualify as an assault weapons. But they LOOK terrifying, and the average John Q public seeing one at a sporting goods store would not know the difference.
3) Semi-automatic weapons. I.E. weapons that discharge 1 round of ammunition with each trigger pull. As opposed to fully automatic which continuously fire rounds for as long as the trigger is held down. As I already mentioned, fully automatic weapons are illegal. Semi-automatic weapons, on the other hand, have been the norm for about a hundred years now. My shotgun (made to fire a spray of pellets) that I use for duck hunting holds 3 rounds (the legal limit in my state) and is semi-automatic. The small 22 caliber rifle (a lead bullet about the size of a pencil eraser) are commonly semi-automatic. They are also the quintessential target gun, small game gun (rabbits, squirrels, etc) and farm gun for shooting varmints and tin cans. "Semi-Automatic" does not automatically equate to "Assault Rifle"
4) So what is an "Assault rifle"? Most people probably equate it to a semi-automatic, or automatic rifle that shoots larger, high velocity military caliber ammunition and has a large capacity clip. Funny thing though, many of the "sporting calibers" (like the ones i use for moose hunting) are much larger, and deadly, than the military rounds. I can buy a small 22 caliber rifle with a massive magazine (50+ rounds), yet the rounds are very small, and are not considered to me military type ammunition. So where do you draw the distinction? Who makes the call as to whats an "assault rifle" and what is not?
I'm not an NRA member ( I find they have drifted away from their founding ideals and now lobby for political issues). I support reasonable gun control and legislation.
I think there should be criminal and mental health background checks in all states.
I think that "Gun lock" and "Gun Safe" laws are pointless. Those are common sense issues, that people should already do inside their homes. Passing laws that require gun locks in peoples homes won't change the fact that people who don't keep their guns in a safe manner, won't suddenly do so because a law was passed. And its almost impossible to regulate what goes on inside someone's home. For the record I keep my firearms locked in a safe and my ammunition in another. No law required me to do so, its just common sense.
You want to streamline the system? Create a federal gun ownership license that's good in all 50 states. Everyone has to go through the same system of checks and balances. This will remove the loopholes in states like Vermont and Florida that have a lenient system in place. It will also make things a bit easier and streamlined in states like New York Massachusetts, and Illinois which have a large pile of overly strict and redundant laws.
There are many options out there on how to make things safer, and to do so in a logical and cool headed manner.
Well i'm going to try and present this and be as open-minded as possible. From my viewpoint, the issues revolving around gun control are many and varied, with there being 3 main separate issues to contend with
"Gun control for violent crime". "Gun control for crimes of passion" and "Gun control for accidental shootings".
There are lots of violent crimes in the US every year, and many of the perpetrators use firearms. The problem is, the majority criminal element who usually perpetrate these crimes do not walk into a sporting goods store and buy a legally obtainable gun over the counter with a permit. They buy it illegally on the black market. Banning all legal gun sales in the US would not stop these types of individuals from getting guns. Look at chicago, its almost impossible to obtain a legal permit to carry a pistol in that city, yet it has the highest gun murder rate in the country. Obviously an outright ban is not really effective there. Something else needs to be tried.
Ok so banning all guns doesn't stop criminals. Hmm well what does it do?? Well it would cut down on the accidental shootings, where a child finds his parents gun and accidentally hurts himself or a friend. Then again, that's more of the fault of the parents not storing the weapon properly than the fault of the community for letting the person own it. Children die in pools every year, yet we don't restrict those, do we?
It would cut down on crimes of passion, where someone grabs a gun and shoots someone in a fit of anger.
That's really about it. hard core criminals will always find weapons through illegal channels, so an outright ban only really effects the smaller subgroup of gun crimes revolving around accidental shootings and crimes of passion.
So whats the answer? I'm all for a reasonable level of gun permits and background checks when purchasing firearms. I happen to live in one of the most restrictive states in the US in regards to gun control laws. I happen to own a few firearms for sporting purposes (hunting and target shooting), and I had to go through a year's worth of paperwork, background checks, and interviews with my local police chief before my permits to won them were granted. And here is where I think a major improvement in the entire gun control controversial can be made.
The secret I think is education. Most of the US population now dwells in urban environs. For most states, long gone are the days where a kid grew up on a farm and was handed a small caliber rifle at the age of 12 so he could go shoot a rabbit for dinner. Instead, thanks to movies and the media, people are terrified of guns. The mere thought of guns sends shivers up the spines of some of my closest friends? Why? well mostly because of ignorance. Humans fear what they don't understand. We view these tools with fear, because we've been brought up this way, disconnected from a culture that regularly uses firearms. When was the last time you saw a high school with a shooting team? They were popular all the way through the 50's and 60's, but have been phased out in modern times.
Lets educate people. Lets let them know about the laws that are already in place. Let's allow people to understand what a gun is and what it can be used for. Lets give people the knowledge necessary to make an educated decision on the topic at hand, and to discuss all the options in a logical manner. Its really hard to hold debates when only one side has all the facts.
A real world example. As I mentioned already, I have lots of friends who, like many Americans, we're terrified at the "concept" of a gun (my wife included). Yet they we're open to the idea of learning about them. After a few show and tell session with an unloaded gun, some time shooting a bb-gun at tin cans (for the uninitiated, a toy guy that shoots a small copper bead through the means of air pressure), and eventually a trip to a rifle range to shoot an actual firearm, my friends came away with different views of guns. Sure, some were still for banning them, but none of them we're terrified of them anymore. They were now familiar with what a gun was, how it worked, and found themselves no longer afraid. Now, some years later, some of them own guns. Some do not. Others occasionally come and shoot recreationally with me, but do not own firearms of their own. Heh, my wife is now a better shot at the shotgun range than I am.
But across the boards, a small bit of education, helped ALL of my friends understand, exactly what a gun is, and not to be afraid of the object. We now have informed debates, with pro-gun and anti-gun people in the same room, and can actually have a discussion as sane individuals :) Like a knife, or a car, a gun is simply a tool that can be used for many purposes. Sadly some people use them to commit terrible crimes. I say take out the fear of the unknown, then we can all sit down and talk about what the options for gun control are.
P.S. For those curious as to what it currently takes to buy a firearm. I've lived in Massachusetts and New Jersey. For those of you who don't know, In those states you have to have a permit to buy a sporting firearm (like a shotgun, or a rifle you'd use to hunt deer). You need a second permit to buy and carry a handgun. The permits involve: criminal background checks, mental health checks, fingerprinting, and an interview with the local police. A process that takes 6 months to a year. If the police choose to grant you a permit, you can now buy a gun.
Of course to buy a gun, you have to have the appropriate permit type. Then the clerk calls the state police, who run a new background check on you to see if you've done anything bad since your permit was issued. If you pass that check, you pay for your firearm, then leave. In 10 days you can return to pick it up. This "Cooldown period" is to prevent "crimes of passion". And of course the make, model, and serial number of whatever I just bought is logged in a national database. In jersey they add more steps, including 2 more trips to the local police department to confirm what you purchased.
Looks like I got a bit long winded. Oh well, I feel its a topic that needs discussion from all sides.
Hmmm...are there any magic items that are expressly for Small creatures? Or that at least synergize very well with smallness?
Not finding anything on a quick look. Just that items that give the wearer natural attacks do less damage for Small users. And the Cap of Human Guise was originally used mostly by Small users, but the description indicates it works equally well for Small and Medium users. Hmmm...
I know you have published plenty of adventure materials regarding the Thassilonian Runelords already in your adventure paths, but has there been any consideration for perhaps writing a stand-alone adventure that focuses on any of the Runelords not fleshed out such as Xanderghul or Zutha? A high level adventure would be nice for this (hint hint).
I do have plans for the runelords. A stand-alone adventure is not big enough for those plans.
It's been announced that starting next May with "A Dragon's Demand", that the Pathfinder Module line will become bi-monthly and expanded to a 64 page adventure. Is that perhaps large enough? If not, what themes would you personally like to explore in the new, larger format, standalone modules?
Also, after 2 years my gaming group finally completed the delightful odyssey that was Rise of the Runelords. We'd like to thank you and the rest of Paizo for a fantastic gaming experience, and look forward to more great products in the future. My wife and I are huge Linnorm King/Irrisen fans, so I guess its time for my players to break out the snowshoes because Reign of Winter is looking positively irresistible right about now.
A throwing amulet might provide an entertaining NPC in the form of a Troll monk. THen you can tear off whatever parts of yourself you'd like, and just grow a new one for later.
I agree with the poster above, if a player really wanted to push the issue, id just describle the effect as a Hadouken. Something like a force effect that strikes out from the wielders hands or feet. We've seen it time and again in Kung Fu flicks, anime and video games. You know the scene, some martial artist channels his ki, strikes, and hits a guy 10 feet away, throwing him into a wall. Thematically I don't see a problem with it.
In fact, I applaud the original poster for bringing the idea to my attention. I'm always looking for ways to make combats look and feel more cinematic.
Oh I forgot that one. The giant tree ferns of Hawaii (Cibotium glaucum) have a massive curved spore head that would indeed work like an improvised falchion, and would certainly work as a mace.
Touch question, as most common flowers are ephemeral and rather deliacte, so they tend not to need the protection and hence to be less damaging than the more permanent parts of a plant. As a biologist, here here are a few candidates off the top of my head. Google them for pictures:
If your looking for a spiny bludgeoning weapon i suggest any of the flowers in the Thistle family (try Cirsium vulgare) or a teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)
If you want a 2 handed weapon, I suggest a cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus) as the stalks can be up to 12' high and the flower heads weighing upwards of 10 pounds.
Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) grow upwards of 10' tall, and their sap causes a photo-reactive chemical burn. In other words, if you get it on your skin, you get horrid blistering burns when exposed to sunlight. The more UV rays, the worst the burn. Oh and you can't wash it off with water.
Flowers of the family Bromeliaceae are comprised of very thick pointed, sharp leaflets which can easily puncture human tissue. Think of the leafy top of a pineapple for a common member of this family.
I saved the best for last. The flower sheath of the traveler's Palm (Ravenala madagascariensis)is a hard, woody, dagger shaped sheathe that you could realistically stab someone with. Picture an 8 inch wooden spike with a groove down one side where the pollen is released.
I use a spray adhesive or rubber cement and a paintbrush to mount my map packs on heavy art-board stock I buy at Michael's crafts. The final product is durable and the same thickness as the WoTC Map Tiles. Between the map packs, the various WotC map tiles and gamemastery flip maps, I have instant terrain settings for almost any scenario.
Though I do mount larger map pack pieces together, such as ships, into one large map prop.
But I've already fallen in love with them, now your telling the final runs will be even better? Awesome! I'll add that to my ever growing list of reasons that I love Paizo.
So I haven't seen these miniatures yet previewed on Paizo's site (unless I missed a weekly update), but I thought the community here would be interested in seeing them. Over on www.icv2.com there are pictures of 5 Shattered Star miniatures posted:
New Mini spoiler:
The 5 miniatures are Koriah (PSS043), Lem (PSS039), Runelord Sorshen (PSS047), Troll Champion (PSS055) and Xin (PSS058)
Growing up, were you a fan of the old Thundarr the Barbarian cartoons of the early 80's? With their post apocalyptic mix of super-science and sorcery it seems like a world that would be right up your alley.
Just tell him to stop applying his Improved Critical Feat. Just because you have a feat doesn't mean you need to apply it all the time. If its a keen falchion, have him take out his non-keen backup version.
There also used to be a weapon enchant out there called "Merciful" that allowed a weapon to deal subdual damage. I don't have my books in front of me, but i think it was in the APG.
