Knight_Druid's page

The Ragi wrote:

So far kept to the official stuff, but I'll definitely add the Psionics Guide and Bestiary when Dreamscarred Press publishes them.

Well I just released Starships, Stations and Salvage Guide by Edward Moyer, art and deck plans by me.

21 new starship frames, including anthropomorphic/zoomorphic ships, living bio-hybrid ships, necroships, and salvage ships, all with full color multi-deck deck plans.

47 new expansion bay options, even several arcane bays for giving ships arcane weapon attacks, and special shields (invisibility, gr. inviso, limited blink, holographic image (like mirror image)).

Dozens of system upgrades from AI to weapon systems.

New options - shadow drives, satellites and probes, space hazards, salvage rules, optional cargo bay and tonnage rules based on ship scale (goes around the 25 ton cargo bay rule), and others.

A one-shot module using the new rules.

A 10 Space Monster Bestiary.

25 custom starship deck plans and a 3 deck colossal space station.

It's not official, but might make your game better!

Hey thanks for derailing my post with your product advertisement!

I'm curious to here from the community how they are using Starfinder for their campaign? Are you going straight from the book and using the Pact Worlds, creating a homebrew setting, or perhaps using your favorite movie/book/video game as inspiration.

I'm just now putting the pieces together to run a Starfinder campaign. There's plenty of movies that I adore and would like to pull ideas from, namely: Alien/Aliens, Blade Runner, Dune, and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

What's your campaign like?

Knight_Druid wrote:

In a nutshell Pathfinder became the exact game it tried not to be; 3.5 D&D with it's rules bloat and unnecessary library of books that add nothing to the game except more rules.

I'm not sure Pathfinder ever tried to avoid becoming this.

Paizo has to make money so I can't blame them, but after awhile it seemed like they were just rehashing material for the sake of calling it a book and selling it. Even still, I bought most of them and now they sit on my shelf not being used in lieu of 5e.

I hope P2e is a success, in fact I've pre-ordered everything that you can pre-order in print. But at this point I think 5e is just a much better game, and it's super easy to find people who want to play thanks to the numerous streaming shows available.

Basically, Paizo is going to have to bring their "A-game" to the table; not only do they have to win over the old-heads who still play Pathfinder/3.5/3.75, but somehow convince NEW players to come join the fun too. Either one is an immense challenge unto itself, let alone trying to do both with one product.

Pathfinder = too many books, too many rules, and too many people who play for system-mastery.

5th Edition D&D = streamlined rules (advantage/disadvantage is a game changer), and brings new people to the hobby.

Really that's what it boils down to; very few people new to the hobby will cut their teeth on Pathfinder, but give them a 5e book and it's like watching a kid say their first words.

Pathfinder will always have a home on my shelf, but the days of me actually running the game are over. I have no desire to try and put together a group of players who want nothing more to do than to eek out every +1, feat, and archetype possible.

In a nutshell Pathfinder became the exact game it tried not to be; 3.5 D&D with it's rules bloat and unnecessary library of books that add nothing to the game except more rules. Even with the update it'll be hard to pull people away from 5e, especially those who follow the Critical Role show.

But like many others I'm willing to give P2e a shot, if nothing more than to satisfy my curiosity.

I would LOVE a Kingmaker hardcover.

lot's

lots

Wouldn't this be considered grammar?

I'd love to hear what you all are doing for current and future Starfinder campaigns. I'm thinking of running a game which starts in a domed city that has survived an apocalypse, but due to age and overcrowding, is starting to fail. The adventurers are part of an expeditionary force sent out into the wasteland to search for supplies, other survivors, and anything else that can save the domed city. I'm not sure yet if I'm using Pathfinder races, or sticking to Starfinder core. Either way it sounds like a fun idea.

Blade Runner 2049 - best movie of the year.

Just got out. It's not a great movie. But it's a good movie. My issues weren't as much with the overall pacing, but with the individual scenes pacing. Every major sequence should or could have had a few minutes cut, and the movie would have remained just as good.

6.5/10

To each their own. I loved the movie, but I also loved the original Blade Runner (so much so I bought the soundtrack). I saw it on an IMAX screen which I highly recommend. The movie tells a story, and it's a good one to boot. If you like hard science-fiction go see it. If you are looking for a Transformers-like experience you'll be sorely disappointed. For reference I also loved the original Dune movie, which Sean Young was in too.

Have we heard anything regarding Starfinder coming to Hero Lab?

I always felt the entry barrier was lower for Roll20 than FG, but after you learned FG the payoff was greater. Like my realtor said today, "you get what you pay for."

I have to say I am little disappointed with both design concept and art.

The paradise dragon should have had feathered wings.

Crypt(Boneyard)

Havoc(Elysium)

Infernal(Hell)

Paradise(Heaven)

Rift(Abyss)

So no maelstrom or axis based ones, that is beyond disappointing.

I'll have to agree with you on this. The artwork doesn't fit the stated concept. Don't get me wrong, the artist is definitely talented, but I think the dragons presented should be more representative of their planes. I'd love to see a feathered dragon like a toucan, or scales made of bone. Look up the void dragon from Kobold Press.

I agree with the points made inflation and development cost. I would point out that when Pathfinder first came out the company/Paizo was not as big as they are now. They have the huge hit in Pathfinder and established relationships with printers and better understanding of the staff needed to get a major rpg to market. Despite that Pathfinder rpg was 576 for 49.99 and continues to be that price to Paizo's credit.

Starfinder is 528 for 59.99 people are going to want to know why that is. They may say something like inflation and development should be offset by the experience they have with Pathfinder. If anything it maybe should have been Pathfinder 528 for 59.99 and Starfinder for 49.99 and 576. That being said I am still going to get 3 copies.

I think this could be compounded if something feels left out of the rules such as ground vehicle weapons and combat. It may be said that the 10 to 12 pages should have been included that cover ground vehicle weapons and combat especially with the lower page count and price increase. Let me clarify by saying ground vehicle chase rules. Military ground vehicles (plasma tanks) would be an extra supplement in my opinion. I hope chase rules are included. I will also say that no one said they have not been included.

I also think that one of the staff indicated that the presentation of the book has advanced. I think something was said that they have learned allot since Pathfinder.

Another to thing to remember is the sheer amount of material that is compatible with Starfinder. Even at the $59.99 price point we're still getting an incredible value.

John Roberts 909 wrote:

That cover... waiting until August will be difficult.

For us too.

I want to HOLD this book!

Starfinder

Aethera http://www.aetherarpg.com/

and Interface Zero https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/821979583/interface-zero-20-cyberpunk- action-for-the-pathfin

There's a lot of goodness coming down the pipe for Pathfinder.

8/10 I was wondering where my Pathfinder books disappeared to...

The cover alone makes me want this book. \M/

The URL is a dead link.

Factions, NPCs, monsters oh my! Keep up the good work, Paizo. There's a ton of great games on the market, but for my money and time I always go back to Pathfinder. I know what the expect and the product is quality through and through. I'm really looking forward to this book!

The 4E seeker is an archer who sometimes makes trick shots, like a ranged trip or a tanglefoot arrow. So any class that can handle a bow could be a seeker.

If you want a character that casts spells and uses a bow, your main options are Magus and Warpriest. This is because these classes can do both in the same round, whereas other classes can either shoot or cast a spell. The Magus has several ranged archetypes (one of which is commonly considered overpowered); the Warpriest just requires a deity that likes ranged weapons.

Warpriest seems to be the class I was looking for, thank you.

Seeker uses elemental spirits to augment his arrows for extra damage, creating difficult terrain, etc... that's what I'm looking to do if possible.

Hello!

I'm creating a character for a 10th level campaign. I'd like to play a ranged character who uses composite bows, but can also cast spells (ranged magus?). If possible I'd like to pattern him/her after the 4e seeker class. Thanks in advance for the advice.

Sound dont travel.

Feel do.

Actually sounds does travel, which is why you can hear people speak and the sirens of emergency vehicles.

There isn't anything that prevents your GM from allowing polar bears, megaraptors, or anything else for your druid to shape-shift into. In the end the decision is up to you and your GM.

Well my GM has stated that the Unchained Rogue is too powerful, so in order to not cause any undue stress on his part I was trying to keep it basic. And to be honest I'm trying to take every single optimized feat/skill/ weapon that I can. All I want to do is play a rogue and have fun with him. Again, the feedback is very much appreciated.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Looks like I'll be changing my weapons too daggers, and perhaps carry a short-sword for back-up.

Can a rogue dual-weild rapiers? I'm playing an 5th level rogue (core book) and wanted to make sure I was doing it right.

I find this thread by the OP hilarious. In essence no one forcing you to use errata; it's your game, do as you wish. Also, if Paizo didn't publish errata people would complain about that too. I started gaming in 1988 using Palladium Fantasy and Rifts. We never got errata or updated books, and there was plenty of power-creep for new releases. If we didn't like a rule we changed it and moved on.

Consider yourself very fortunate that Paizo spends time correcting mistakes. If you buy the PDF the update is FREE. In fact as far as I can tell all erratta is free. It's like you're looking for a reason to complain. It's not that serious, my friend. Either use the updates or don't.

I've been encountering this a fair bit lately, the idea that a GM is basically incompetent upon the slightest mistake or smallest deficit in understanding of a rule or rules. And in some cases the slightest misinterpretation of (or disagreement with a player over) a thematic issue.

And I have to ask this general question, to what standard do you hold your GMs to?

At one extreme do you expect GMs to have a perfect recollection of the entire Core Rulebook (and perhaps the accompanying books like Ultimate Combat, APG, etc etc) and how every single rule could potentially interact with others in other books? And would you expect them to agree with you on every single thematic issue (even the Goblin Orphanage)? And would you be unwilling to forgive even the first mistake?
Or do have incredibly low standards and willing to excuse just about any problem?

Or are you somewhere in the middle? Obviously most probably go on a case-by-case basis but some may have a hardline set of standards.

Speaking as a GM who has made his share of mistakes, I'm usually quite forgiving even when the GM is wrong so long as they aren't a dick about it. (Though as both a player and a GM I prefer to keep all but the simplest and most urgent of disputes deferred post-session to minimize disruption).

I'm also interested in hearing anecdotes about disputes with GMs, both resolved positively and not so positively.

I GM and don't pretend to know every rule. With that being said I try to rule in the player's favor if possible. If I can't that's ok too because my players trust me. They know I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt. I know how much effort most players put into creating their characters so I never try to screw them over, but I also don't hesitate in making a ruling that could kill their characters. Basically I'm like that boxing referee: "firm but fair."

Are you asking with regard to Pathfinder Society?

Make it a variant of the magus. Restrict the spells to healing and elemental magic, which should weapon enhancement too. Add the ability to summon elementals at higher levels and you should be good to go.

World of Warcraft is a great setting (not to mention a pretty cool game). I've often thought of using it myself for a basis of a campaign, or at the very least stealing of few ideas.

As far as totems here's my idea: use the Summon Elemental spell, but reskin it to Summon Elemental Totem. Once summoned the totems grant access to that elements' spell list.

What do you mean by science-fantasy? Star Wars? Barsoom? Those settings that are so far in the future, they've returned to Dark Ages technology, but there are still ancient artifacts scattered around, like bomb shelters and guns and holograms and cell phones?

Something similar to Rifts or Numenera. I like the far future science-fantasy settings.

I like running Eberron using the Pathfinder rule-set; it's a great world with plenty of room to campaign in. I've run Forgotten Realms too, but lately I've grown bored of the Realms. I'm still looking for a science-fantasy setting but haven't found one for Pathfinder just yet.

The Ultimate Psionics book is a great addition to the Pathfinder line, but every time I read it the same thing sticks out like a sore thumb; the artwork. It's the Achilles heel of the book for me. I find it inconsistent and subpar with most other third-party publishers, and it's the main reason I bought the book in PDF form only. If the artwork had been close to the other Pathfinder books I would have gladly paid the asking price of $79.99.

How would you use it with PF? Would you replace all the little +1 and +2 bonuses you with PF? Or just for some things? How would it work with other PF rules, like ability damage/drain and the different conditions? How does it work without Bounded Accuracy?

I really like 5th Edition, but miss all the class options from PF.

Exactly, which is why I intend to go back to Pathfinder; 5e is a good game but the classes are very generic and there's too few options for them. However, I really enjoy the Advantage / Disadvantage mechanic and wanted to implement it in my game.

Is anyone using the above mechanic from 5e for their Pathfinder game? I'm running a 5e campaign but eventually plan to switch back to Pathfinder. I want to include it if possible but want to see how other groups handle it.

Just for a little technical clarity here... Wizards released their SRD 5.0 using version 1.0a of the Open Game License, which has been around for 15 years and is the exact version of the OGL that we've been using all along. Which means if our designers see anything in SRD 5.0 that they think would be a good addition to our game, they can put it in. (I'm not saying they will—I'm just saying they could... and assuming Wizards is going to put the OGL into their future 5.0 products, it's just as easy for Wizards to use any Open Game Content we've created.)

That said, I don't expect any major changes to come out of this for us. Our focus is the Pathfinder RPG, and we don't currently plan to create content for 5E.

Thanks for the reply and clarification!

Signs point to doubtful. It would be a mine field to try and cross over all the rules. But that's just my opinion.

Do you think it changes the direction of Pathfinder since it was originally based of the d20 era SRD?

I'm a fan of Pathfinder, and have a lot invested in the game, but I wonder if Paizo is considering working with the 5e OGL. Perhaps a conversion document? I wanted to get other player's opinion on the matter.

If you're running Mythic games as a GM, I strongly encourage picking up the Mythic Mania trilogy:

-The Hero's Handbook offers feats, class abilities, and fixes for problems that appeared in the original book. Your mythic games will be unquestionably better if you use it.
-The Spell Compendium is JUST a collection of mythic spells. These enhanced powers offer new ways for existing villains to challenge mythic heroes, and your players probably won't expect most of it. It's also good for players who want to do mythic spellcasting and aren't sticking solely to, like, CRB spells. XD
-The Monster Manual is a bestiary with mythic versions of many existing monsters. Also good for challenging mythic heroes.

Aside from these important supplements, be sure to talk to your players and encourage NOT trying to break the system by stacking absurd numbers. If the players go more for thematic abilities than higher numbers, I think it'll go better for all of you.

(Also, try to set up situations where they can't retreat and be fully healed anytime they want. This helps with players going 'nova' and stomping all over every challenge.)

I've picked up the Mythic Trilogy by Legendary Games. The books are great and offer a lot of useful advice. The next step is to figure out how and when I want to add in the mythic tiers during play.

Are there other evil Iconic character out there? This is the first I've seen of them.

Why don't the characters hire an NPC lawyer to represent them? Who knows where it could lead...

*1. Every fight feels like a boss fight.*

High level combat should feel epic, however, too many fights during the game can water down their impact. Make the fights matter to the story and most importantly the PCs.

*2. I need to be constantly reminded of PC abilities.*

As others have stated it's up to the PCs to track their character's abilities, not yours. If the PC's didn't add a bonus or a save to roll then they didn't get that particular benefit. Player's should be prepared and ready to play when they come to the table.

*3. I announce things but not all players hear me, sometimes no one hears me and they deny I ever said it, making me question if I said it at all.*

This one is easy; when you speak everyone else should be listening, not talking, not joking, etc... This can be hard on Roll20, but you have to set the expectation up before play begins.

*4. I forget abilities of my own monsters.*

This part is solely on you, and again goes back to being prepared and ready to play. Read the abilities of the monsters before hand. If possible make a few cheat sheets. This also goes back to my point above where you have fewer combats but make the ones you do have matter more.

*5. I hide all of my rolls, sometimes I roll for a PC and they don't like it.*

Hiding your rolls is fine, but most players want to roll for their character if possible. Think about it this way; would you want someone to roll for your character that you spent hours putting together? Most likely not.

*6. I'm too slow.*

This one I don't understand; what do you mean by being too slow? Does this pertain to combat, or the game general? I'd like a little more clarification if possible.

*7. If I create my own monster, or create my own ability they feel cheated.*

Creating your own monsters and abilities is fine, but just be sure to be consistent, and try not to make up an ability on the fly just to prevent the players from defeating your creation.

Being a GM is a constant learning process. My best advice is to make sure you sit on the other side of the table as a player. This will give you much needed perspective as a player, and will allow you to see how other GMs handle the same issues that you encounter while running games.

can't get enough!

Couldn't you use the D20 Modern rules?

1. Eberron
2. Forgotten Realms (3.0/3.5)
3. Dark Sun
4. Rokugan
5. Golarion

I could only come up with 5 :)

I'm creating a campaign world which uses mythic rules for character creation, think Exalted but for Pathfinder. I'm reading the Mythic Adventures book to get a better understanding of the rules, however, I also want to hear from the community too. Is anyone running a campaign, or have run a campaign in the past, have any insight as to what I should expect? I've been in the gaming hobby since '86 and have a pretty decent grasp of the Pathfinder rules.

Thanks!

She ran away

I suppose this is an opportunity to expand my skills as a game master. I do realize that I have unlimited license to make the game as easy or as challenging as needed. After my initial post and reading the responses, I guess I am overthinking it. I can't really make any decisions if we haven't played any of the campaign yet.

Basically, what I wanted advice on from the community, is do the types of gamers that make these characters do so because they want to be able to breeze through the content, or because they want the challenge of seeing what they can survive? I guess it could be both, or something else entirely. Either way, thanks to the folks that actually contributed something meaningful to the thread.

The best advice I can give as a GM for many games (including Pathfinder) is don't be afraid to throw out your pre-made notions on what your game/campaign should be. Think on your feet and be flexible when running the game. Pathfinder can be intimidating, but like most things it's only intimidating if you allow it to be. No matter what happens in the game you have the ultimate say-so. Good luck and welcome back to fold!

Dotting for interest.