Kitsune Kune's page

*** Venture-Lieutenant, North Carolina—Durham 115 posts (994 including aliases). 2 reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 28 Organized Play characters.



Envoy's Alliance

Prior to the beginning of the module. Each of your characters, for one reason or another, strove to enter this year's Ruby Phoenix Tournament. However, unlike previous years, Hao Jin has returned, and decided to take a direct hand in this year's tournament. She decided to hand-pick each team that would get to participate and enter the preliminary round. As such, most teams discovered that getting picked was more difficult than just being good. Instead, it took a level of political maneuvering, and a lot of advertising, to gain the attention of Hao Jin.

Luckily, many wealthier citizens of the world saw an opportunity to grow their own political power and wealth, offering their resources to a team in return for sharing in the glory and prestige that team earns. Your particular Patron turned out to be an enigmatic, greying, old Kitsune who always appears in their fully normal form, humbly tucking his nine tails behind him. Always dressed in modest, almost peasant, traveling clothes, and carrying little else in the way of wealth. He introduces himself simply as "Old Man Loong" with a warm and friendly smile.

When he came to each of you in turn, and offered to bring you together as a team for this tournament, and somehow guaranteed he could get you in. You were each appropriately skeptical. Especially the more socially adroit amongst you, as none of you had ever seen or heard of him in any of the major political or noble circles, and he never showed much in the way of the wealth required. However, for whatever reason, he seemed oddly compelling, and would visit with you as many times as it took to slowly wear down your hesitance, and you each ultimately accepted his offer.

It has been a week since you all arrived in the port of Goka, and are staying at a small unobtrusive inn, your accommodations fully paid for by Old Man Loong, when a letter arrives from him. True to his word, he has managed to secure your team's entry as one of the 32 teams chosen by Hao Jin to partake in this year's Ruby Phoenix Tournament. However, the ship setting sail for the preliminary round leaves that very evening. The letter does end with an apology on the abruptness of this fact. He hopes you a safe journey, and promises to meet you when the ship docks at the preliminary location.
----*----*-----*-----*-----*-----*-----*-----*-----*-----*-----*-----*----- *----*----*--

This gives you all time to describe your characters to each-other, and how well, or little, you get to know about each-other, during a week's time. Confined to a small, but cozy inn, in an ardently expensive city. As well as how you take last-minute news. Enjoy the role play. I intend to get the actual game started once everyone says they are ready. :)

For those who plan to gm this AP in the future:
I've made several changes, including the addition of this Patron, in an effort to allow for more RP potential than the first book allows as written. Feel free to borrow/steal the ideas as desired.

Envoy's Alliance

Hello and welcome, those lucky winners of entry into this Ruby Phoenix Tournament. Some info I would like from each of you as we get ready to get started with character introductions etc.

1. As mentioned in the recruitment portion, Please post at least once a day on weekdays outside of holiday weeks. If you are absent for 24 hours I'll send you a PM. If you're missing for 36 hours I'll mark you inactive and try to follow any botting instructions that apply, otherwise your Player Character will simply delay - that's not fun!

2. Under your Alias, please add a stat block, so I can quickly find your stats and keep the game moving. I request at least to have the following.

- Hit Points
- AC
- Saving Throws
- Perception Bonus

3. Secret Rolls If I show the DC, feel free to make the roll openly and open up the spoilered info tag if you succeed. Otherwise, please say which skill and which bonus you want to apply. (Example: "I use Occultism +5 to investigate the skull's mystic origin.") I am doing it this way, because I tend to be open to skill suggestions. If it seems it logically could apply, or you can explain why it would, even if not what asked for. Feel free to throw it out and I'll simply adjust DC as needed. (Especially Lores, as if I agree they apply, it will often be a lower DC.)

Also, please post this information below:

Character name: (Put any acceptable nicknames in parentheses like this. I try to respect people's right to be called what they want, including full names.)

Pronouns: If there is a particular pronoun for you, or your character, you want used. Please post it here. (if you have different ones for in character vs out, feel free to put the one for your character in Parentheses.) Otherwise, I try to stay gender neutral, but sometimes old habits die hard and I revert to the apparent gender of your icon.

PFS number: Whatever character number you wish to receive the first Chronicle for. if uncertain, leave this blank, and just let me know when the book finishes.

Faction: The faction of that character. If uncertain, again, leave blank and let me know.

Initiative Bonus and preferred Exploration Activity: This way I can get Initiatives out of the way quickly when combats occur. As, since this is a fighting tournament, there are a lot of fights ;)

Envoy's Alliance

Hello all, starting recruitment here for a Play-By-Post of the entire Fists of the Ruby Phoenix AP. All players will get Society Chronicles as well.

A few rules for character creation: Ancestries will be limited to the Standard Available Ancestries for Society play. (In otherwords, all the core, and Kobolds.) With the exception that Tengu, Ysoki, and Kitsune will also be available. (It's Tian-Xia after-all).

Heritages will similarly be limited to Standard availability of Society play, with the exception that I will also allow Aasimar, Tiefling, Changeling, or Duskwalker characters.

Backgrounds, I am looking for people to use the ones specifically in the player's guide.

Starting Equipment: If it affects you concept at all, we will be using the first way mentioned in the guide. AKA: "select two 7th-level items, one 8th-level item, two 9th-level items, and one 10th-level item from any of the common items listed in Chapters 6 and 11 of the Core Rulebook or in other Pathfinder sourcebooks. You also start with 500 gp, which you can use to either buy additional common items such as consumables or which you can keep as currency to use during the game." All equipment is, again, Standard availability of Society play. The exception being, if choosing Tian Xia as your homeland, you treat Kusarigama, Leimano weapons as Common, and thus, have access.

Feats, Classes, Features, Spells etc. Once more, standard Society availability, no exceptions here.

Party Size: I will be sticking to only 5 players. (Sorry all). Just because PbP can take a long time to get through turns as is, and high level can too at times.

Time Commitment: Speaking of time, I will be expecting people to post at least once a day, every weekday. (Saturday and Sunday will count for either Friday or Monday for this.) I cut out the weekends, as I, personally, am often too busy on the weekends to ensure I can post, and will not have any expectations on others to be able to do so when I can't. If you are unable to post for a day, have basic botting information given to me. if not, we'll have to skip you, and nobody likes being skipped. (If you know you will unavailable ahead of time, I will happily also bot your skills etc. should they come up). Posts don't have to always be giant book-long posts though. Sometimes someone has little to say, and that's fine. Just help keep things moving.

Further, the week of Christmas and Thanksgiving, I will respond to posts and normal, but have no expectations for players on those weeks. (It's the holidays, enjoy your family time. :) )

I will be using Roll20 install of google-slides or the like, for the maps. (I have more storage space etc. in roll 20.)

All that said, for me to choose my four players, please provide the following information below.

Character/Player Name: What you like to be referred to as. Just so I know how to refer to you if chosen.

Character concept: The more information you can give, the better, but it doesn't have to be a fully decided character. After-all, party composition can affect some choices.

Good luck, and whether you are chosen or not, happy holidays.

Dark Archive

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Hello, I just now had a chance to come back around to my account and saw that I never canceled my subscription like I thought I had. Please cancel it for me. I know there are two pending purchases on there because my payment method had expired. If it is okay, just cancel those orders too, as I never intended to end up with them.

Dark Archive

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I am currently subscribed to both the pathfinder and starfinder society scenarios. I did so in order to better run games while waiting for my paperwork to become a VO to go through. Now that I am one, I have no need for the subscriptions any more.

Dark Archive 1/5 *** Venture-Lieutenant, North Carolina—Durham

I welcome everyone to Atomic Empire in Durham, NC on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday April 3rd-5th, for AtomiCon VIII: Story and Song. Three days of Pathfinder and Starfinder Society gaming for both new players and old alike. We're running fifteen different adventures across seven slots, ranging from rescue missions on Golarion, to corporate mercenary work on Absalom Station.

This event will also feature the newest Starfinder Society, Multi-Table Special, #2-00 Fate of the Scoured God; during Saturday's afternoon slot. Open for character's ranging from level 1, all the way through to level 12; come join the exciting climatic battle in the Scoured Stars.

Warhorn Signups Here

Players who prepay online can pay $20 for the entire weekend. Weekend passes purchased during the event costs $25 while single session passes are available for $7 at the door. Prepayment can be made by following this link

I look forward to seeing everyone there!

The Concordance

So, reading the Giant Instinct seems all sorts of fun for a small race. If purely from a fluff point of view. One thing I have noticed though is, as-written, small characters actually end up being nerfed on fluff without having any mechanical affect. Which, honestly, just feels bad to me, since fluff is where players should be able to have fun if it doesn't change the mechanics.

Let me explain:

The Titan mauler instinct first sentence reads "You can use a weapon built for a Large creature if you are Small or Medium (both normally and when raging)." This is a fun, fluffy, rule. Good so far. Then we skip down two sentences and we hit this hiccup, bold mine for emphasis. "You gain access to one weapon one size larger than you, of any weapon type otherwise available at character creation."

A small creature is never described anywhere else as being unable to use medium weapons. (At least that I can find). In fact, it looks to be intended to simplify things that small creatures can use medium creature loot, that way you don't need to specify as much in standard situations.

If that is the case, while your small character can wield a Large weapon, they specifically have to be given access to it. As the ability as written, does not. (Society characters, I sense this being a big pain point for all of you.)

On a different note, the specifics of the Titan Mauler giving you the ability to wield a Large weapon as small or medium... Is already written as the base rule in item sizes, complete with the Clumsy affect. As such, the instinct does two things: Medium creatures gain access to large weapons (never explicitly called out as can't anywhere I can find) and gives the base damage increase.

In short. I see nothing small characters gain from the instinct besides the basic damage increase. (which is great and I approve of btw.) The Medium characters (the ones you expect as barbarians admittedly) keep all the goodies. But the halfling/goblin/gnome who wants to use ridiculously over-sized weapons are out of luck. (Affecting fluff, but not the mechanics. thus, bad IMHO. Especially since they were allowable in the playtest and already come with the negative to Strength).

The Concordance 1/5 ***

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A question I feel is important. Will this years Free RPG Day module, We Be Heroes, be sanctioned for gaining playtest points? Asking, because it appears from the description to use the Playtest rules-set, only two months before PFS2 itself drops. As such, I worry there may not be much desire to run it, unless the Playtest Points are going to get applied.

As the Free RPG Day module dropping just before conversion to the 2.0, it feels important to me, that it get as much love as possible. As it will likely be one of the drivers for new players deciding whether or not to pick up 2.0.

The Concordance

My subscriptions for both Starfinder and Pathfinder society last delivered on March 5th... Scenarios 10-16 and 10-17 as well as 1-34 and 1-35 have shown as pending for several weeks now... I have had to go ahead and pay out of my own pocket, already, for 10-17 due to an agreement I made to run it, anticipating it would be finished before last Thursday.

At this point we are nearing the NEXT batch of releases, any word on when these will stop "pending" and if I am going to get double charged for 10-17? (Which, I will add, didn't get discounted properly for the pathfinder advantage subscription price when i bought it last week.) Further, can I expect to actually receive the next batch of releases, or will they also stay pending?

Dark Archive

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So, this debate is not actually as legendary as I made it sound. The only question I have, is if we are trying to get rid of the disparity. Then why does every single caster progress to Legendary in casting... Yet only the Fighter ever becomes Legendary with ANY martial weapons. (The monk only ever gets to Master with unarmed strikes even.)

Dark Archive

So, as I was going over all the rules interactions, I noticed that the Monk's stunning fist gets a massive increase in effectiveness when you crit. By massive, I mean that a Critical Strike using it, always forces the target to be flat-footed or worse. Even if the target critically succeeds on its save.

Let me explain; On page 292 the rules for Successes and Critical Successes state as follows "If an ability doesn’t specify a critical success effect, then the effect for a critical success is the same as that for a success."

The rules for stunning fist are as follows.
"Enhancement The target must attempt a Fortitude save against your class DC. If the target fails, it’s flat-footed for 1 round. On a critical failure, it’s also stupefied 2 for 1 round. If your attack was a critical success, one of the following outcomes occurs: If the target succeeded at its save, it instead fails its save. If the target failed its save, it instead critically fails its save. If the target critically failed its save, it is instead stunned for 1 round."

As Stunning Fist specifically specifies what happens for an opponents success should you Crit on your attack. "If the target succeeded at its save, it instead fails its save." However it never specifies a difference between Critical success and a standard success. As such, "the effect for a critical success is the same as that for a success", and thus in this case, treated as a failure

Dark Archive

So, something I noticed as an interesting rules interaction. Specifically the interaction between a Fighter's Attack of Opportunity reaction, and the Delay free action listed on page 307.

"You bide your time, waiting for the right moment to act. The rest of your turn doesn’t happen yet. Instead, you’re removed from the initiative order. You can return to the initiative order as a free action triggered by the end of any other creature’s turn. This permanently changes your initiative to the new position. You can’t use reactions until you return to the initiative order."

The above is the first part of the Delay free action, (bolded is mine.) What this means to me, is if the Fighter wants to delay for any reason (lets say he wants a buff from the cleric,) and an enemy has a turn between them. The enemy can move completely freely, cast a spell, fire a ranged weapon, etc. All without reprisal from the Fighter.

As this may be entirely intentional, and thus a tactical choice that fighter needs to make, I am putting it here in general discussion. I, personally, like the tactical choice inherent in this. However, I was never a fan of AoO's as a general rule. I suspect those who were a fan of them will dis-like this facet even more.

Dark Archive

To those it may concern, my subscription order in the title is still showing as pending, though it was shown as placed on the 8th. I am inquiring simply to ascertain whether or not there is an issue? I understand orders for the subscriptions are listed as posting until the 23rd. However I was planning to start running this for my group this coming weekend. The PDF is all I would require for the first game, however I would need more than a single day to prep it.

This is in no-way a request to "hurry or else," I am simply trying to determine if I will have time to run what was anticipated, or if I should defer to a secondary plan and simply wait until the following week.

Thank you for your time.

The Concordance

Hello All.

So, in reading over the Harrower PrC I noticed how it words spell level increases for the class.

"When a harrower gains a level, she gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that she adds the level of harrower to the level of whatever other spellcasting class she has."

Now I can see a couple different ways of reading this.

Option one: the Harrower just gains the spell slots per-day of the base class. nothing more.

This makes any spontaneous casters very sad pandas. As they will gain spell slots they have no known spells that can use them.

Option 2: As it specifically says "This essentially means that she adds the level of harrower to the level of whatever other spellcasting class she has." I can read that as meaning they gain all spell slots, and spells learned, as though the base class gains a level.

Additional backing of this interpretation, is that the actual table showing what a Harrower gains every level. says "+1 level of spellcasting class" which is fairly identical to how the mystic Theurge PrC words it in their table. However the Theurge specially calls out in its' class abilities that the Theurge gains new spell slots, and spells known, as though they gained a level in the base class/es.

So while it is pretty simple to talk to a GM in a standard game to decide. I am looking for the official PFS decision on this.

Dark Archive

Due to my earlier discovery of Druidic potentials, (a quick search can likely find the thread for those curious), I decided to delve further into Druidic powers and came across another little tid-bit of rules questions I want confirmed/denied.

The Set-up: Druid wild-shapes into an Air Elemental, we'll assume one who's reached the end of the wild-shape "tree" per se. (In other words, a level 12 Druid shifting into a Huge Air Elemental). The special attack has been discussed elsewhere multiple times, but a question I have yet to see be asked...

If a Druid such changed to a Huge Air Elemental uses its Whirlwind ability. The start-up costs a Standard action, maintaining it from that point on until his rounds-per-use end. (6 rounds for the level 12 Druid). In the mean-time, I find no-where that suggests maintaining the WhirlWind is anything but entirely free (not even the cost of a "Free Action" per se). And while the ability specifically prevents the character from gaining his normal attacks or threatening the squares around it... No-where have I found it saying the Druid cannot cast spells during the interim turns. (Assuming, of course, he took the Natural Spell feat, and many cases the Eschew Materials feat aswell).

This allows the Druid to effectively use his move action to "suck up" any character who threatens him, move out of range of anyone who doesn't fail their save, without incurring any AOOs, and cast up to level 6 spells (including healing spells to handle that pesky damage those picked up creatures are hitting you with). Am I correct so far?

If so I must ask another question. Do the creatures allready caught in the WhirlWind get AOOs on him if he doesn't cast defensively? While this seems entirely reasonable since they still get to make attacks (at a -2 to hit, and against DR 5/- all-beit, not to mention the -4 to dex. {However as it's only a negative, and not a complete "loses Dex bonus" can't call them flat-footed}) it also seems strange that a creature so caught in a whirling mass of wind, unable to extricate themselves without flight, and thus carried any such way that the Druid wishes. Can pin-point the portion of the Caster that is actually casting a spell. Especially since the creature did not recieve an AOO against it when first yanked up into the vortex. (Where the creature had more stable ground and view of what all was happening.)

EDIT: had a few spelling errors, cleaned up for ease-of-read

Dark Archive

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Okay, I know the title seems strange to show up in a rules question thread, but bear with me here, it'll all make sense soon.

First off, the set-up:

Druid Wild-Shapes into the Megafauna, Arsinoitherium from bestiary 2. (entirely legal rather early on in the beast-shape chain actually.)
This creature allready has an attack off the "damage by size" scale. 4D8... more than natural attacks of collosal creatures... but it's only one, so we can live with this (more or less).

Next piece of the set-up, the level 4 Druid spell, Strong Jaw. Here's a copy-paste of the descriptive part I'm about to question. (Bolding mine) "Each natural attack that creature makes deals damage as if the creature were two sizes larger than it actually is. If the creature is already Gargantuan or Colossal-sized, double the amount of damage dealt by each of its natural attacks instead."

And now we get to the question at hand. Clearly, the actual size of the Arsinoitherium is less than Gargantuan or Colossal, however it's one and only attack deals damage in excess of the Colossal so, my interpretation is to treat the Arisnoitherium under those rulles, and deal double of 4D8 damage . (Which, usually when you're doubling damage dice like this, I believe you get to roll twice as many dice? Or do you simply roll the 4D8 and then double that total? Either way, pretty harsh as it stands...)

If I'm wrong, please, tell me now, otherwise this is about to get even more rediculous.

Vital Strike.... You all know what it does by now... combining that, with this creature, with this spell.... Ouch.... Doubly so if my first interpretation of this is true. Cus that would mean for your one attack per turn, at 8th level, you get to roll a total of 16D8 + Strength without even getting a critical hit.

If my second interpretation of the doubling the damage is true, then I must call into question whether or not the dice provided by Vital Strike also gets its final rolled total doubled in this case, (which I would assume would be the original intention of Vital Strike in such a situation... Though this situation is most defiantely out-side of the original intention/balance of these class-features/spells) not that I could honestly complain if the double damage doesn't apply to vital strike.

So, in short, my question is this.... Did I read all this correctly and the Arsinoitherium get's to double that whopping 4D8 attack? And if so, how, exactly, would it, and Vital Strike, get doubled.... oppinions and/or points towards FAQs referencing this are both welcome.

EDIT: went back and fixed the minimum level for Vital Strike, so we don't keep getting responses about that mistake on my end.

Dark Archive 1/5 *** Venture-Lieutenant, North Carolina—Durham

Out of curiosity, since you perform a ritual to gain a new familiar when your old familar is removed in any way. (Killed, dissmissed, etc.)

Would the Imp familiar an Infernal Binder gets at lvl 7 count for the Diabolist' requirements of conjuring a Devil (imp via the ritual needed to recieve a new familiar) and having it perform a task lasting more than one day, (storing your spells for you)?

Dark Archive

I know there have been multiple threads in the past on how best to optimize a mystic thuerge. It's a prestige I've always WANTED to like, but never really could. You just gave up too much without getting enough back.

However, I was scanning through arche-types on cleric today for a game I'm about to start playing in, in the next few days, and low and behold, the Theologian. It may not fully make up for the losses incurred by going MT. But being able to cast your domain spells as though two levels higher, and able to prepare those domains in your usual slots.

Well, that combined with the Magical Knack trait (Wizard), and well, you may not be casting at your full potential as a single class. But you are casting your slightly weaker spells at ALMOST full strength. And that, I must admit, makes MT worth re-considering again.

I admit, you ARE giving up a Domain going this route. But as MT, you are allready giving up several of your Domain powers, might aswell try to focus on a single domain and get the most out of it. Also makes it easier to choose your God, just have to find the one you like the most with your Domain in it.

Anyone's thoughts?

(P.S. posted this in the Advice section, as I feel going MT, this route is potentially good advice. And if not, listing here why is Advice for those who noticed what I just did.)

Dark Archive

This is just something that occurred to me earlier today, and I'm trying to make sure I'm thinking correctly. I'm certain this has probably come up in a thread in the past, but I'm not entirely sure what key-words I should use to search for it, so I'll re-ask the question. I appologize to anyone who may ahve seen this question for the umptienth time.

Situational Example, (One of multiple I can think of): A musket-Master Gunslinger goes first in initiave, before his target has acted yet. he is close enough to move and then make his attack in the first range increment.

Question is as such, his attack will be a touch-attack. However, his target is flat-footed.... So does that mean the target is also denied his DEX from his touch-AC in this situation?

From how I see it, I'd have to say yes. Which makes having a high initiative as a Gunslinger paramount to achieving practically guaranteed successes.

Dark Archive

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Every time I have tried to click on the link to download my card to take with me to an upcoming Pathfinder Society game (it will be my first one), the download dialogue-box fails and tells me to try back later. It's been happening to me for a few days now.