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Hmm, I thought I would simply fix that and make this my account name instead of an alias (I didn't understand the implications when I set this up). But it won't let me change my account name to that because the name is "taken." So...I tried to delete this as an alias and couldn't seem to pull that off either. *grrr* Is there any way the great powers that be could make this my official name and not an alias? I could bribe you with shiny good-good...
Me either. *shrugs* But then again, I also don't get how the whole "hide" button works, so...
Hmm. I see the "Charter Subscriber" tag when I type my message, but it doesn't show when I post under this, my preferred pseudonym. Can that be fixed?
*Raises glass* To the end of an era. Well done, guys. Very well done. I've been a fan of the magazines for many, many, many...MANY years. The Paizo years were probably the best. I've been reeling ever since the announcement a few months ago. For now, though, with hope and excitement for the future, I join you in bidding farewell to that great publication.
Awesome!!! Will Paizo be producing Map Packs or Flip Mats for Rise of the Runelords as well? I think if there were a key location in a Pathfinder adventure that could be re-used in the future (as in, possibly a non-Pathfinder homebrew), then I would be interested. I'd probably have more interest in a flip mat than a map pack, but as usual, I guess it depends on the execution.
I would have to vote for Blair Witch Project. I don't even want to admit how much that movie scared me. Interesting thing about Zombie movies like Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, etc.--I don't really find them that scary, but I *love* them. I've never seen a bad zombie movie. I love the scenarios and situations they pose. As a gamer, particularly, I like picking apart the protagonists' decisions and thinking how I might handle the same situation. And 28 Days Later was scary, too. But not technically a zombie movie, in my opinion.
Mevers, please don't take this the wrong way, but for some people there is a lot more to the game than coming up with the most uber, most optimized, by-the-numbers characters. Some people, myself included, create characters because we think the *concept* is cool. Let's take Valeros, for instance. One of your criticisms is that he is human. Another is that he is a two weapon fighter. You say that a dwarf halberdier would be superior. Now, by the numbers you may be right. But (and I'm really not trying to sound snarky), what if the person playing Valeros wanted to be a human fighter with two weapons and a lot of feats? And for no reason other than he or she thought it would be cool? Why not go for it? I know, I know, Ranger seems more attractive for that build, but what if the player had a different character concept in mind? I would submit to you that not only is it okay to choose races, classes, feats, etc. that are sub-optimal, sometimes it is a lot of fun. The rules have such depth that one can come up with all kinds of character concepts and play them. And no, they are not all created equal. And as for the cleric spending a feat so she can use a scimitar...well, that's her deity's weapon of choice. I'd call that a great roleplaying choice for a feat. Maybe it isn't as good as a mace, maybe it is comparable. But it is cool and fits the character.* I don't know. I'm just kind of surprised that you are surprised. And not everyone who plays the game approaches character creation as a chance to create the most powerful character possible. I know these pre-gens would fit in just fine at my game table. Oh, sure, we have one guy who always tries to make characters that are over the top powerful, but the rest of us see our characters as more than a combination of attributes, feats and skill points. They are characters in our collective story. And they have powers, to be certain. But they also have flaws. And goals. And hopes. And fears. And dreams. And we wouldn't have it any other way. *Edit* Ack! Beaten to the punch by Eyebite.
Choosing which one is my favorite is tough. Even though it is pretty generic, I might go with Elf Stalker. (Though the medium black dragon and original carrion crawler are up there). As for what I'd like to see:
I'd like to see some Racial items as suggested above like Elven armor and swords, dwarven armor and axes/hammers. Normal, non-ornate weapons and armor. A desert themed set would be cool. Normal clothing. Animals, animal companions, Paladin mounts, familiars, etc. would be cool. And I second the idea of putting in new stuff from Gamemastery modules. I'd love to see a card with a Razorcrow!
The key to winning the Game is to realize that there *is* no Game. You've got to get into a Zen-like state, and...crap...I lose. Contemplate shrews, lose one turn.
If the purpose is to give the characters a chance to demonstrate their committment to a particular alignment (or whatever the purpose, really), I think it would be much easier to give them separate choices that have them decide between law/chaos and good/evil separately, rather than deciding between good/chaos or evil/law. The reason being that someone might choose Chaos over Evil every time without having any real proclivities towards Chaos--he might just really oppose Evil. Take a Neutral Good character, for example. He will never knowingly choose the Evil option, but that doesn't mean he thinks Chaos is so great. So I think the best route would be to let them demonstrate their positions on each axis separately.
I think the actual adventure is important, too. If it is too weird it can make it harder for the new player to get a handle on things. Sure, if you've been playing D&D for years then things like extra-dimensional travel, sentient golems, mimics and half-warforged/half-dragon Dromite power-ranger/ninjas might be old hat, but to a new player, I suspect these things would be too weird and make it hard to really feel immersed in the setting. (I've played for over two decades and I still can't get into things like this). I'd recommend starting with an adventure that is logical and internally consistent and that pulls in elements of fantasy that carry an almost storybook feel. Say, something like D0, Hollow's Last Hope. Roleplaying, Problem solving, wilderness travel, small dungeon crawl. It's got it all. That would be a great introduction to the game, IMO.
Yeah, I would reconsider some of the things you are associating with the alignments. Chaos can also mean favoring independence and freedom and free will and individuality over conformity. And Lawful can mean honorable, but it can also indicate a stubborn adherence to tradition or valuing the letter of the law over the spirit of the law. At the risk of falling prey to Godwin's Law, I will point out that Nazi Germany is a good example of Lawful Evil. They had rules aplenty, but loads of Evil, evil bad stuff, too. And many stormtroopers followed the rules and adhered to their duties while being Evil b@st@rds. Ghandi might arguably have been Chaotic while also being Good. Hitler was arguably Lawful but still Evil. So, as noted above, I would be careful about ascribing virtuous or villainous attributes to either Law or Chaos. They have more to do with rules and freedom and so forth than they are about weal or woe. Too much of either could be a recipe for Evil--too much Law invites oppression and totalitarianism and too much Chaos means anarchy and strife. Of course, these are my biased opinions and may reveal something about my own alignment...
Did anyone else see the first two episodes of Codemonkeys on G4 this past Wednesday? As someone who first started playing videogames in the 80s, this show really took me back. And the humor is irreverent and (admittedly) sophomoric, but I really enjoyed it. And I really like the theme song. If you google "codemonkey lyrics" you can hear the song for free. It really seems like a show for gamers of all types. Anyone else see this?
I just like how the folks at Paizo were initially nice about it, but when everything is said and done they don't take any crap. That's how they roll. I can think of another company that 1) probably wouldn't actually respond and 2) if they did it would be so filtered through the PR department that it would be vanilla and non-comittal. Yawn. I admire those who know when to be nice and when to take the gloves off. Paizo for the win!
I can't believe all the drama I missed when I was sleeping. Wow. I'd just like to observe that even if the cover is arguably confusing, accusing Paizo of intentionally misleading people seems a bit over the top and Troll-like to me. And this is probably not the time or place to attack Paizo without a good reason. They probably have more goodwill now than ever before, and rightly so. They've done a great job with Dungeon and Dragon, their new Gamemastery products are unparalleled and Pathfinder looks extremely promising. Oh, and they happen to care a great deal about customer service. If I am a fanboy, it is only because they have earned the respect. And I suspect others feel the same way. And Erik is my hero for his earlier post. :-)
I dont remember seeing anywhere that you have to pervert the soul of someone to create a skeleton or zombie; where is this information? Flesh golems as less evil; that is funny; either you are evil or not; less evil; is that like a flesh golem is a quart low of evil juice ") I think, both in real world philosophies and in the Rules As Written, there are degrees of alignment. I'm thinking specifically of the Book of Exalted Deeds and the Book of Vile Darkness. A lot of heroes are "Good" aligned, but very few live up to the difficult path of being "Exalted." And I think the intent is pretty clear that "exalted" is supposed to be "more Good than Good." The way I explained it to a friend of mine is that Exalted is "Good" turned up to 11. By the same rationale, it stands to reason that some acts and beings might be more "Evil" than others. A cruel brigand who waylays little old ladies for a few coppers is evil, and so is a cultist who performs human sacrifices. Surely one is more evil than the other?
The addition of three flavorful new base classes would enhance anyone's existing campaigns, IMNSHO. :-) I'm actually pretty fond of the Shadowcaster and Truenamer, at least conceptually. I've never played either one, but I hope to soon. The Truenamer in particular is just oozing with flavor. The very idea of Truenames and the power inherent in knowing a truename just has all kinds of potential for a DM. True, they look a bit underpowered, but I would play one just because they are cool. One might have to tinker with some house rules on making truename checks a tad less difficult, but overall I think the whole book is well worth it. To answer the question you actually asked, as noted above, there are some prestige classes, but I think there are also some feats and a *few* spells that other classes could use. Oh, and some of the artwork in this book is wicked cool. There's a picture of this shadow spire thing that just rocks.
That would be my advice, too. Put them in a situation that they *could* solve with violence, but which they would much prefer another way. Make it an alignment delimma. And don't be subtle about the fact that maybe talking *can* work. Maybe they have to pursuade an NPC Paladin that he's being lead astray somehow, or a good aligned NPC priest must be pursuaded to reveal his misgivings about his superior's recent suspicious behavior, or the PC's favorite bartender is implicated in something unsavory--maybe he's gotten into something over his head. That kind of thing. In other words, make the opponent someone the PCs really *really* don't want to hurt. Not because they can't but because, well, they just don't.
Does anyone know if there are 3.5 rules for 0-level characters, and if so, which book they are in? My brother called me with the question, and as I don't have my books with me right now did not know an answer. Yeah, I was going to say, Goodman Games Gazetteer of the Known Realms (Dungeon Crawl Classics #35) box set has rules on zero level characters. I don't recall them being NPC classes, but they could be. I know that the rule contemplates character's starting out as neophyte adventurers and then graduating to first level after a certain amount of xp. At that point, the character is exactly like a regular first level character (so it isn't like you have to take a level of an NPC class to enjoy playing a level zero character). Hope that helps.
I noticed that they did do an homage to the cartoon version of Bumblebee. It was parked next to a yellow VW Beetle in the used car lot (and it banged it with its door). Oh, and did you notice the bee airfreshener or decoration thing hanging from the rearview? Not sure if I can repeat here what it said, but it made me chuckle.
At the risk of sounding obtuse, what is the purpose for these cards? I understand that they have cool artwork, but does it really make managing inventory easier than just writing things down? How are they intended to be used? Darnit. Now I've got to get a pack or two and try them out for myself. *shakes fist*:-)
I am curious to know when the campaign setting book for the Pathfinder & Game Mastery Module series will be coming out. Does anyone have any info? I don't think there's going to be a campaign setting book (at least, not for a long while). I think the plan is to develop the setting slowly through the Adventure Paths and the Game Mastery Modules. At least, I think that's the plan.
At the risk of sounding obtuse, what is the purpose for these cards? I understand that they have cool artwork, but does it really make managing inventory easier than just writing things down? How are they intended to be used?
I'd like to see a flip mat that features a small keep, with courtyard, dining hall, armory, etc. That's one that would get re-used a bit I would think.
What do you mean by "throwaway" setting? I mean, both D0 and D1 are set in and around Falcon's Hollow, so it makes sense that it should have some depth. Or did I totally misunderstand what you're saying? (Entirely possible). :-)
It sounds like demihumans are in good hands. I'd hate to see elves and dwarves (and halfings and gnomes) genericized and made mundane. They are unique races with unique cultures and points of view. Personally, I enjoy the traditional fantasy schtick...that's probably why I like D&D. If I liked the idea of elves and dwarves just being shorter or stockier humans that the PCs bump into while riding the "magic" subway on the way to work, I'd probably play a different system altogether instead of injecting cyberpunk or steampunk elements into an inconcruous setting. I like how Pathfinder and the Gamemastery modules so far seem to be respecting the traditional tropes while still putting a unique spin on them. I wouldn't mind seeing an Elf kingdom portrayed similar to the Wood Elves in Tolkien's The Hobbit. To me they seemed different from the elves portrayed in the trilogy. They were less perfect, yet equally alien. I liked that. And it seems likely that a group of people who live for hundreds of years and don't have to sleep probably would seem very alien to us. Oh, and I don't think they've been *officially* called demihumans since the pre-3.0 editions. I used the term with a younger player recently and he had no idea what a "demihuman" was...
I picked up a copy yesterday for Free RPG Day, and I just read it today. All I can say is "wow." Okay, maybe I can say a bit more. This adventure rocks! I love low level adventures, but I think they tend to be harder to do well in terms of keeping it interesting without being too tough. Hollow's Last Hope may well be the best low level adventure (or "module" as we called 'em back in my day) I've ever read. It has everything. High production values? Check. Great artwork? Check. Old school feel and a cool story? Check. A chance for the PCs to act like heroes? Check. Decent and appropriate loot for the levels involved? Check. A variety of encounters? Check. Cool, traditional fantasy without any weird extra-planar half-dragon half-warforged Dromite power-ranger/ninjas? Check. This is *my* kind of adventure. And if you're reading this, it's probably your kind of adventure, too. This thing is dripping with flavor. The whole area actually seems like an interesting place that would be exciting to explore. I especially liked the Razorcrows, the Firefoot Fennec, and the whole sidebar section on "Forest Fauna." Those Razorcrows are creepy and wicked-cool. If this is the type of content we have to look forward to in Pathfinder and/or the other GameMastery modules, then I am one very happy camper.
No contest...Larry Elmore. He's the king, in my book. I have great respect for many others, but he's the one who draws it the way my mind sees it.
I can't seem to view that link from work, but I've seen pictures of them before. I do find it odd that one has to go to websites *other than* Reaper to view them. I think they look like great minis and if I were Reaper I'd have some great pics on the site to entice folks to buy them. I'm not sure why they're being so subdued about the whole thing. I'm definitely getting several of each. I'm pretty sure these are based on sculpts of their metal minis, because I'm pretty sure I already have the metal versions of all but the Ogre and Minotaur. I'd say they were good choices. The only ones I'm not totally sold on are the Orcs. For some reason I prefer my Orcs to have grey skin, whereas the Reaper Orcs are green. I'm not sure why they went that route. Maybe I'll still pick up a pack for random "generic" humanoid monsters...
I've been a fan of Reaper for years and I'm really looking forward to their new Legendary Encounters line of pre-painted plastic minis. But one thing I think is odd is that they are supposed to be released this month, and we're getting close to the end of the month and so far they don't even have a single picture of these new minis on their website (as far as I can tell). Anyone else find that odd?
Shouldn't the title of this thread be "Cuthbert, Who Art Thou?" Just checking.
Chalk me up as another person who would've voted for Bargle the Infamous, if I'd had the option. Instead I went with Warduke, who is a close second. He's wicked-cool, IMNSHO.
Hickory, dickory, dock,
Has any of you guys ever shot one of them mongolian death worms? Hmm...not sure... Do they sometimes show up in tequila bottles? Cause if so, it's quite probable...
I once shot the Chupacabra just to watch him bleed. True story.
I'm not much into hunting myself, but I ran into an ancient and grizzled thesaurus at the library once. As you can imagine, I checked out of there pretty quick. Wow. Wasn't that the giant reptile that used flowery language to get out of dangerous situations? I thought it was extinct...
I don't have any experience with Amerikilt, so I can't say how good they are. I wasn't crazy about the design. I *can* recommend Sportkilts, however, for those looking for something a bit less expensive. They're a good deal for the money. And Bearkilts are a bit better, but I'm not sure if they are still in business.
I can't recommend an alternative, because I really like the Factotum class, and I think they are a bit weaker than many other base classes already. I would recommend discussing it with your DM and looking at it in a different way. Is this ability extremely versatile? No question. That's what the Factotum is all about. But is it overpowering? Hardly. Sure, he can pick any spell of the appropriate level, but look at how many times a day he can cast it. And compare that to a Wizard or Sorcerer of the same level. The Wizard or Sorcerer can do much much more in terms of spells, and rightly so. I think the Factotum is fine as is. Maybe you could suggest playing for a few sessions to see how it works in play? And then possibly scaling it back if your DM thinks it is overpowered? As a fallback position, perhaps you could agree to limit your spell selection to those in the Player's Handbook? Maybe that represents the generally known spells and stuff from the Spell Compendium is a bit more arcane...err, obscure?
Utilikilts rock. I have five of them. Its the combination in ultimate practicality, comfort and fashion statement all wrapped up in one. I've been a fan for years.
I have a small question regarding the treatment of trademarks and similar stuff. Let's say you wanted to incorporate a class like the warlock into the Pathfinder setting, how much would you have to change from the original WotC concept to not get into any trouble. I expect it would have to be different enough to arguably be a new thing on its own and not just a warlock with the serial numbers filed off. Now, I think this is a good thing for us as players. Those of us who want to use warlocks in our games have no reason not to use them. Intellectual property is a restriction on publishers, not players. But, this means that the creative staff at Paizo are more likely to come up with new classes that are *really* new and interesting, giving us even more options than before, which I find really exciting. I'd much rather see something new than simply a rehash of an existing class that is "just different enough." And I'm confident that they will deliver.
On this same trip -- I got through security with scisors and two compasses (the math kind that draw circles with the pointy metal bit) in my carry-on. They were worrying about his pants while I got through with pointy objects. Don't you feel safe now? Wait a minute, wait a minute... They let you on a plane with weapons of math instruction? *ducks*
Well, it's hard to articulate. I guess it is sort of a two-prong problem for me. First, I don't usually have bona fide "banks" in my D&D games. The closest would be jewelers or money changers, I guess. Most wealthy NPCs protect their own wealth, it seems. I think the other thing is that my first impression was that this mission required a certain moral ambiguity. The purpose of the mission is laudable, but it requires retrieving the item from its Lawful Neutral guardians, and possibly having to combat them. I guess I should view it as a roleplaying challenge, or as a chance for the PCs to seek an alternate solution. Maybe I just lack creativity? I don't know. Like I said, it is hard to explain. It just doesn't *feel* quite right.
*Jumps on bandwagon* Yeah, I also own the boxed set of the series as well as the movie. I think Firefly was the single greatest television show in the history of television shows, and that's an understatement. Funny thing is that I often watch Fox, but I had never even heard of Firefly until after I saw Serenity and a friend of mine told me it had been a show. So then I got the DVDs of the series and watched them all in a couple of days. And then I got angry at Fox...just a couple of years too late. Since then, Fox has cancelled a number of other shows that looked to have potential, like Tru Calling, Justice and Drive. In fact, all of my favorite shows (with one exception) were cancelled in their first season. Of course, my favorite band was a one hit wonder, so go figure...
It has been a couple of months since I saw it, but I heard that there is reason to suspect that it was *not* totally imaginary. I don't know how to hide spoilers, so I'll just say ***POSSIBLE SPOILER*** At the end of the movie the little girl is locked in her room in the basement. With no apparent way out. After she runs off (with the baby? I forget), her room is shown and you can see that there is a chalk outline that suggests she used the chalk to make a new exit. So I think they wanted it to be left up in the air, but there is certainly room to argue that it wasn't all in her head.
My initial impression? I think it would be fairly difficult to translate into a standard D&D campaign world. Although the intro says "can be easily adapted to characters of lower level or other settings" I'm skeptical. It looks like an Eberron-flavored version of a modern bank heist. I could more easily imagine adapting it to a Firefly type RPG than standard D&D. But I also prefer lower level adventures, so I'm hoping others here will prove me wrong. :-)
I've always said that any Zombie plan that starts with "I go out and get some weapons" isn't much of a plan. That's going to be the same "plan" as all the others who find themselves unprepared. In the first 12 hours the greatest threat will come from other living, breathing people. There's no time like the present to arm oneself against the hordes of the undead. At a minimum, one should have a firearm and a good melee weapon. I prefer a good, stout mace for crushing zombie skulls. YMMV. A small selection of firearms is best: a shotgun for close quarters battle, an assault rifle for sniping at greater distances (say, up to 200 meters), and a good pistol for those times when you need a free hand. I also prefer a .45...I'm old school like that, I guess. It is also good to have a place in mind and have an agreement that some reliable friends will try to link up with you there. Personally, I think a shopping mall or grocery store would be a bad choice because they would be very hard to secure--ultimately, they're getting in. What you need is a place that already has provisions and medical supplies, not a lot of people, and some means of shutting out the dead. The Zombie Survival Guide is a good book, but I don't agree with everything Brooks says. It is a great place to start, though. But the most important thing is to have a plan. Because there are two types of people: those who have a zombie plan and those who are food.
I'm a lawyer. I work in civil litigation. But I'm not a "rules lawyer" in the game. I figure Rule 0 is the most important rule. I'm not sure why anyone would be interested in tax law, but I'm glad you guys are out there. I didn't even study tax in law school other than estate and gift tax. *shrug* But yeah, I'm a huge Paizo fan. Even more so in light of recent events.
Nope.
Main reason no new system has been implemented like the Lottery that Micheal Brock purposed which got turned down by the vocal minority of the community...Buyer's Remorse. Its honestly human nature that is getting in the way of anything nice being done for the community as a whole. Buyer's Remorse being part of this. People want to feel validated that the money they spent to go to that convention to get that race boon. Yet if that is the primary reason they went to the convention in the first place, to get a race chronicle sheet, then its honestly pitiful and the investment seems not as worthwhile if that was their primary reason for going. If anything viewed as an easier means to obtain a chronicle sheet for a specific race is ever brought up, its shot down. Unless its in the boon trading thread, then its fine. What is deemed as "unfair" by the community as a whole when regarding race chronicle sheets: #1) Lottery system is considered "unfair".
I honestly wish that Paizo just put their foot down and did it. Sure you still get a vocal minority complaining but its usually the silent majority that would actually be favor of positive changes.
Its a shame there was no lottery of sorts for chronicle sheets. I personally would be a fan of more adventures having unique perks. I am in favor of three-part adventures that gives you access to something unique and out the ordinary. Like the one where you can get an axebeak. That was a fairly unique yet rewarding perk in my opinion. Like in PFS how about a 11th level adventure, 3-parter, when this trio of adventures is completed it gives you access to a race that is hard to get normally. Like an incentive to get you to make a new character so you could enjoy your reward and continue playing PFS from scratch. After all reaching 12th level as a player or getting to run that 3-parter adventure as a GM in PFS is an accomplishment in itself as its actually fairly rare. Many video games give a player a reward in their playthrough for going the extra mile so their next playthrough feels more enjoyable. So what better thing for PFS then a rare/exotic race chronicle sheet for the player's hard work and dedication to reach level 12. It is would be accessible to all members of the community. Yet it would still be rare at the same time as not every player can reach level 12 which can be a challenging task. Even GMs would have a challenge reaching this as they would first be able to have a full party of players that have reached level 11, then hope that the party succeeds in the 3-parter adventure. As it would allow for players to become more focused and dedicated to actually try and rise to reach such a goal instead of just making their 795th 1st Level character and their highest level character is 3rd Level. As there wouldn't be an "IF" or "MAYBE", there is an actual reachable goal that wouldn't require going to a convention. However this wouldn't step on the toes of conventions. As the 3-parter reward adventure could be for say the access to make ONE character that can be a Ratfolk. While you also have the chance to obtain a Ratfolk chronicle sheet at a convention. It might be said that it would be stepping on the toes of conventions, however would it? There is no denying that going to a convention gives you a better shot, yet that also means your your more money rich as you can afford to go to a convention. Sometimes not all of us want to make that tenth character that has reached level 8 but tragically died, again and we would be again denied reach the 11th level 3-parter adventure. For the community with those like-minded individuals, a convention offers that chance to get such a chronicle sheet. The second option is for the person who is more time rich rather as opposed to money rich. The 3-parter adventure at level 11 would be the reward for the players who not only stuck with a character till that character's retirement, but the fact that character survived against so many odds. Even if it took thirteen characters to reach that goal. So when they finally get to play that Ratfolk or Ifrit or whatever, it will feel rewarding. Since it would be a fairly big task to reach such a chronicle sheet to begin with, it wouldn't be like "SUDDENLY, RATFOLK ...THOUSANDS OF THEM!" like it was with the Aasimar/Tiefling. ...
At least that is my 2 cents on it.
"You know you're in trouble when you get to the table and..." Each of the players at the table have a slave and they are going to be working for an NPC that is part of Liberty's Edge this evening.
When it turns out the Barbarian is the healer of the party and the cleric is the rogue of the group. |
