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It is autumn somewhere in southern Avistan. An excavation team has uncovered the ruins of an ancient well beneath a hill on the roadside. Tools and carts dot the excavation area, seemingly abandoned. Dirt piles and the slope up from the excavation site to the hill are difficult terrain.
Caber Twig
When tossed into the air with a flick of the wrist, a length of twig suddenly releases a deafening crack as it transforms into a massive log at the apex of its flight. For every segment of twig used, this log measures 5 feet and weighs 300 lbs. No matter the length of the log, it is always 2 feet in diameter, and only one can be thrown at a time. The thrower may toss a twig at any creature, object, or space within 30 feet, and the resulting log always lands tip-first. The target must succeed at a DC 16 Reflex save and be forced into an adjacent space, or otherwise suffer 2d6 bludgeoning damage per twig segment used. Upon striking its primary target, the log tilts and crashes down in a direction of the thrower’s choosing. All creatures within a line the length of the log from the space of impact must succeed at a DC 13 Reflex save or else suffer 1d6 bludgeoning damage per twig segment used. Medium or smaller creatures receiving this secondary damage fall prone and suffer the pinned condition. Creatures pinned under a log must succeed at an Athletics or Escape Artist check to escape. The DC of the check equals 10 plus 2 per twig segment used. Created logs remain indefinitely. Construction
Hi friends! I'm working on a project. Basically, wouldn't it be great to see what has been made in the competition already? To sort that list by year, author, item type, or spell level? To search for key words in descriptions? I'm sure some folks have done it before for themselves (or maybe online and I didn't notice), but here's one for everybody! Stop in, click an item link, and get fillin'! Once we're done, you'll be able to just download it as an Excel Spreadsheet and filter and sort to your heart's content. :) I've locked the ITEM, AUTHOR, and YEAR/SEASON columns because they are done. Suggestions for improvement are welcome. Note: For small, slotless, rocky/crystally/charmish/not-really-categorizeable items, I am using the item type "bauble". Current Ideas
Wide eyes brimming with both curiosity and suspicion peek out from beneath the large, spiraling horn that protrudes from the brow of this miniature albino dragon. Wimblewyrm CR 5
Notorious liars and thieves, wimblewyrms are greedy even by dragon standards. When not burrowing through the bedrock of Nar-Voth seeking precious gems, a wimblewyrm will spend its time quietly stalking intelligent creatures through dark tunnels, hoping that it might seize valuable goods or precious secrets. If discovered, a lone wimblewyrm will usually make a single attempt to nab the object it most desires before disappearing into a nearby cavern wall. Larger groups become increasingly more daring, however, and will coordinate their jumble stone ability to distract and disable their opponents. They are also a vengeful species, and have been known to create miles-long tunnels simply to flood the homes of creatures that displease them. Unlike their larger cousins, wimblewyrms are eager traders of the gems, unusual objects, and information they have acquired, and often create extensive subterranean networks of commerce amongst themselves. An adult wimblewyrm measures roughly 2 feet long from tail to snout, and sports a single heavy horn extending another foot directly forward. The spiral grooves of the dragon’s horn drip with a powerful acid which it uses to bore holes and fend off larger predators. The creatures pale yellow eyes and scales match the appearance of their eggs.
Okay recruits! Great job getting your maps in on time, being super supportive of each other, and making this competition altogether worthwhile! Now restrain yourselves. Every year I think we get lured into a false sense of "it's okay to talk about everything!", due to the seeming immediacy of being allowed to respond to comments on our items. From this point forward, think before you post. Don't talk about why you did your map a certain way or what you would have done if you had more time. And when the entries go live and those urges to respond to comments on your entries arise, stomp on them like a pissed off elephant on a sneaky little snake. In the past few years, we've basically decided that even a "thank you, vote for me!" type of comment is pushing it. The best option is to just hunker down and work on the next round. Even so, every year there's someone who gets a little too glib and pushes the envelope. Don't be that person. I tell you this because I care. Now get out there and make some monsters! RAWR!
Treant's Crossing
This year I find myself:
Idea is king, followed by prose and readability. Much streamline. Very more fun.
Hide of the Vibrant Frog
Description
A virulent toxin oozes from the surface of the hide. Any creature that touches the wearer must succeed at a DC 16 Fortitude save or take 1d3 Wisdom damage every round for 4 rounds. A poisoned creature may attempt the save again at the beginning of each of its turns, and is cured after one successful save. Unarmed strikes and natural weapon attacks made by or against the wearer count as touching if they connect. The wearer is immune to his own armor’s poison, and may suppress or enable this ability as a standard action. The wearer also grows a frog-like tongue which he may lash at nearby targets up to 5 times per day. The tongue acts as a whip, except that it is a natural weapon with which the wearer is proficient. The tongue’s reach equals the normal reach of the wearer times three. On a hit, the attack deals no damage, but grabs the target. The wearer does not gain the grappled condition, and he may make a free combat maneuver check to pull the target adjacent to him if it is a creature his size or smaller. While his tongue is grappling a target, the wearer cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components. The tongue recedes back into the wearer’s mouth if the attack misses or if the grapple ends. Construction
Hi again everybody! This time around I've been putting together a skill system. Again, I know similar things have been done in the past, but I've been mostly doing this for fun and figured I should share the results so far with you. :) Please note that I'm developing this for my own system, so perceived holes and incongruities (the lack of Use Magic Device and Spellcraft, math possibly being incompatible with Pathfinder, etc.) might be due to my system handling those things a little differently. Class skill ranks received will need to be adjusted. —~:-:~— To make a skill check, roll a d20 and add the most relevant ability modifier as determined by the GM. While some checks may naturally use certain abilities more than others (such as INT for Knowledge checks), they are not expressly tied to any one ability. Most of the "Athletics" skills could likely be used with either Strength OR Dexterity, for example, depending on the situation. All skills may be attempted untrained. Skills are divided into 13 broad skills and 52 narrow skills (4 narrow per broad). It is entirely possible to use this system with ONLY narrow skills, ONLY broad skills, or BOTH. If using only the narrow skills, each rank put into them gives a 1d6 bonus to checks made. You may only have a single rank in a skill at first level, plus 1 additional rank for every 4 levels after that. If using only the broad skills, each rank put into them gives a +1 bonus to related checks. You may only have a number of ranks in a given broad skill equal to your level. ((I'm still working on how to integrate using both systems. Suggestions?)) —~:-:~— Acrobatics
Animal Handling
Athletics
Concoction
Crafting
Deception
Engineering
Knowledge
Literacy
Perception
Performance
Socialization
Survival
—~:-:~— Some skills deal with physical objects (Concoction skills, Crafting skills, Engineering skills, Composition, and arguably things such as Instrument and First Aid). Loosely, these skills are all crafting skills, and can also be used to identify, appraise, or use/manipulate related things.
Hey everybody! I know this has been discussed before, but I thought I'd try my hand at it. It may be too complex for some, but I've tried to make it as intuitive as possible. With this system, I could imagine there being a few more language-related feats or traits to increase the speed or effectiveness of language learning. Notes:
Tell me what you think. Feel free to use, tweak, suggest, or shoot down. -~:-:~- Begin play with a number of language ranks equal to your Intelligence score. If you have an Intelligence of 10 or higher, you must choose at least one language in which you are of Native fluency (5 ranks). At 9 INT or lower, you must assign at least half of the ranks to a single language. A very dull Half-Orc with an INT of 6 must have be least 3:Proficient in Common or Orc, for example. (See below for how to allot ranks.) Each skill rank spent on Linguistics allows you to also raise the rank of a single language. You may select multiple languages if you increase Linguistics by more than 1 rank, but you may only raise the rank of a given language by 1 per level. Languages learned are limited to:
Each language can have up to five ranks, resulting in the following categories of fluency:
-~:-:~- Checks
DC----Check---------------------------------------------------------------- ------------Language Rank Required
You may attempt a check requiring one language rank higher than your actual ability by using only half of your total Linguistics bonus. For example, a Wizard with +8 in Linguistics (+4 from INT, +1 rank, +3 class skill), could decipher an unknown language as if he had Broken comprehension at +4, or treat his Broken language skills as Basic at +5. You must have at least one rank in Linguistics to do so. Optional: Related Languages
If the language is more distantly related, or only shares features and vocabulary due to interaction between neighboring languages, you may still be able to eke out a form of communication. For example, if your campaign considers Elven and Sylvan as being distantly related (or unrelated but regularly interacting), then your GM might consider your Elf to have Broken or Basic ability in Sylvan.
I'm about ready to start writing for realsies. Here's a warm up! Other folks are welcome to post holiday-themed or joke items, but this thread is not intended to be a forum for reviews or advice, so please don't ask (although light-hearted reviews are welcome if anyone is generous enough to offer). It's just for fun and practice. Also, do NOT post or talk about your contest submission here. —~:-:~— Boogie Shoes (260 words)
Once per night as a standard action, the wearer may holla at a humanoid within 30 ft. and make a Perform (dance) check. The target must succeed at a Will save (DC 10 + the wearer’s Charisma score) or be forced to dance adjacent to the wearer ‘til the sun comes up. During this period, neither dancer may take any action other than one mandatory Performance (dance) check and an optional 5-foot step each round. Any 5-foot step must end in a space adjacent to the other dancer. If the dancers are separated, they must use their turns to move as close as possible until they are adjacent. Once the effect activates, it may only end prematurely if something forces one or both dancers to fall unconscious or otherwise become immobile or separated by a distance of more than 30 ft. Each other creature on the dance floor must make a Will save at the beginning of its turn each round (DC equals the last Perform (dance) check made by one of the two dancers) or be fascinated by the gleaming boogie shoes until its next turn. Fascinated creatures may dance if they want to. If they do not, the attitude of Ivan Doroschuk towards those creatures shifts to unfriendly. Construction
EDIT: Changed a few things.
Last year I realized that the most commonly recurring top 32 item was rather innocuous: gloves. No one made a fuss about it, no "Not MORE gloves. How unoriginal!" To the contrary, most glove items I've seen through the years have been among the most interesting and popular entries. I think this has to do with hands being very interactive with the environment and easy to marry with visuals. If you think of gloves as code for "I can make my hands do THIS!", it starts making a lot of sense. Hands are synonymous with action, and action almost always tops passivity in this competition. Anyway, it got me thinking that it would be interesting to do a breakdown of what all the previous items have been so far. I think it will help people when they choose their base items. You can either go safe (gloves), go big (submarines), or go crazy (ears on a string). Or maybe, use this as a list of things NOT to make, and try finding something entirely new? Please note that I have double-listed some items that straddled boundaries or had multiple components. Also note that I haven't categorized items strictly by item slot or alphabetically, but more by the "idea" of the item. Basically, it's sloppy, but I hope it helps some folks out somehow. Later, I'm thinking of doing another breakdown list that deals with the themes past items have used, like "ice" or "time" or "swapping out class mechanics". —~:-:~— WORN (72):
HANDS (21) Gloves 19 Gauntlets 2 SHOULDERS (11)
NECK (11)
LEGS/FEET (8)
ARMS (7)
HEAD (5)
FACE (5)
CHEST (2)
WAIST (2)
UNWORN (126): TOOLS/UTENSILS (15) Mirror 2 Key 2 Anvil 1 Shears 1 Drill 1 Knitting Needles 1 Grappling Hook 1 Chalk 1 Stirring Rod 1 Spoon 1 (But no forks!?) Comb 1 Skein 1 Thread and hook 1 Lens 1 Walking Stick 1 BAUBLES (14)
LIQUID CONTAINERS (13)
BODY PARTS (11)
PLANT (9)
LIGHT SOURCES (8)
RELIGIOUS ITEMS (8)
CONTAINERS (7)
SUBSTANCES (7)
INSTRUMENTS/PERFORMANCE (6)
FOOD/DRINK/MEDICINE (5)
VEHICLES/STRUCTURES (5)
MOUNTS/ANIMALS EQUIPS (4)
WEAPON-RELATED (4) (Be careful about straying into actual weapon territory.)
ANIMATED ANIMALS/TOYS (4)
DOCUMENTS (3)
TIMEPIECES (3)
Hey all,
Perhaps some of you in the homebrew forums have toyed around with this, so I was curious as to what you might have come up with! To start us off, I just came up with: Or the "STOoPID System", as I like to call it. :p EDIT:
Scallywag (Cavalier)
Class Skills: A scallywag gains Acrobatics and Survival as class skills and does not gain Handle Animal or Ride as class skills. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Scallywags are not proficient with heavy armor or shields. A scallywag gains proficiency with boarding gaffs, grappling hooks, harpoons, nets, and snag nets. Skiff (Ex): The scallywag possesses an agile sailing skiff which functions identically to a rowboat (Skull & Shackles Player's Guide, p. 25), except that it only holds 500 pounds of cargo or one additional passenger, only has one set of oars (Acceleration 15 ft.), and has sails (one mast, 3 squares of sails, hp 15; Maximum Speed 90 ft., Acceleration 30 ft., Sailing Check Acrobatics, Control Device rigging). As a standard action, a skiff may be turned 180 degrees, decelerating it by 30 feet and adding 10 to the sailing DC. The scallywag's skiff is carefully calibrated to his own sailing style, and he gains a +5 bonus on sailing checks when piloting it, while others attempting such suffer a -5 penalty. For a scallywag, his skiff counts as a mount for charging, cavalier class abilities, and mounted combat feats (except for Trample and those with Handle Animal as a prerequisite). He can pilot the vessel one-handed, wielding a weapon in his other hand and threatening spaces normally. Should his skiff be lost or destroyed, a scallywag requires one month to obtain a replacement through his associates. A scallywag who lacks patience or connections may opt for alternate means of procurement, but he suffers a -5 penalty to sailing checks with the vessel for one week as he calibrates it to his style. This ability replaces mount. Harpoon Mastery (Ex): At 4th level, the scallywag gains the benefits of the Charging Hurler feat (Ultimate Combat, p. 80), even if he does not meet the requirements. Additionally, the scallywag may wield harpoons as lances, using one hand and dealing double damage with them if charging with his skiff. This ability replaces expert trainer. Hoist the Colors (Ex): At 14th level, the scallywag's banner strikes fear into the hearts of his foes. All enemies within 60 feet who see the banner must succeed at a Will save (DC equals the scallywag's cavalier level plus his Charisma modifier), or become frightened for a number of rounds equal to half the scallywag's cavalier level. A creature cannot be affected by this ability more than once per day. This ability replaces greater banner.
(I hate to add to messageboard clutter, so let's use this for all technical questions that aren't quite related to the contest itself so much as the boards they take place on.) So I have a little question: I would like to use an alias I've made (It's a secret, no peeking!) to make comments on people's entries and some other threads, but on testing it out it seems to automatically revert to Chris Shaeffer (the same as it would for my default account name). Is there any way around this, or will I just have to make a second account for the purposes of cheeky fun?
Cloudwrangler's Gloves
The wearer treats creatures using gaseous form (or effects stated to be similar) as solid when touching them or making unarmed attacks and combat maneuvers. At will as a standard action, the wearer may seize with both hands any airborne accumulation of dust, mist, smoke, or similar substances within 5 feet as if it were a cohesive physical object. This includes both mundane clouds and the effects of spells or abilities whose names contain cloud, fog, or mist. Such effects must also target an area and have neither instant nor permanent duration. The gloves offer no protection against these effects. As long as the wearer grasps the cloud, it stops moving and any wind speed requirement for dissipating it increases by two categories. If the wearer succeeds at a Strength check with a DC equal to 12 plus 1 for every 5 feet of the cloud's radius, he may push or pull the grabbed cloud as a move action up to a distance equal to half of his speed. He may move with the cloud or remain stationary and move the cloud around him, but part of the cloud must always be within 5 feet and it cannot be rotated. The wearer may release the cloud as a free action. Upon release, the cloud will either stop moving or continue in the direction it was last moved at a rate of up to 15 feet per round, as determined by the wearer of the gloves. Construction
Hey everybody, Hodge here! I finally finished finagling a skill system I hope to test on my group in our next campaign. It's just a basic reworking of the skill space into what seems to me to be a concise and intuitive arrangement (meaning your mileage may vary. Feel free to disagree with my design decisions). I also renamed all skills to be in the form of a simple verb... except Acrobatics. I'm a little stumped on that one. Before we get started — Yes, I know Constitution is a hard attribute to assign active skills to, but I wanted a somewhat more balanced skill load across each of the six abilities. You will probably disagree with my placing Heal and Handle Animal there. While I'm open to suggestions regarding that, please help me work on other areas of my system too. For example, there are significantly less skills than in RAW, so I might have to tweak the number of skill points each class gets, among other things. Anyway, please have a read, and tell me what you think! This is a continuation of my skill system from a few months ago. Changes from the core skill list::
Strength Skills:
Force: Bend, break, budge, lift, and throw objects. Break bonds. Break or move magical force effects. Traverse: Climb, hold breath, swim, and run. Dexterity Skills:
Acrobatics: Balance, fly, jump, and tumble. Finesse: Contort limbs, escape from bonds, feint with weapons, and slight of hand. Sneak: Hide, move silently, leave no trace of passing, and shake pursuers. Constitution Skills:
Handle: Tame, raise, care for, and ride animals and similar creatures. Heal: Administer first aid and long term care, diagnose injuries and illnesses, discern anatomy, stabilize the dying. Intelligence Skills:
Know: Recall and utilize learned information in a particular category. Race or origin may affect subject familiarity in certain circumstances.(For example, subterranean nature is unfamiliar to most, unless one is a dwarf or otherwise has a subterranean origin.)
Wisdom Skills:
Intuit: Detect lies. Make logical connections. Understand body language, hidden messages and meanings. Use "sixth sense". Perceive: Actively or passively feel, hear, see, smell, taste, or otherwise sense one's surroundings or stealthy foes. Search: Actively and systematically follow tracks, forage for food and useful items, and search for hidden areas, clues, or objects. Charisma Skills:
Charm: Carouse, diplomacise, gather information, haggle, perform, or show proper etiquette. Daunt: Anger, confuse, frighten, or sadden individuals. Goad individuals into specific courses of action. Deceive: Disguise one's appearance, mannerisms, and speech. Put on a convincing act, or lie outright. Craft Skills (I haven't yet decided on whether to have ability score affinities for these.):
Craft: Appraise, create, disable/destroy, identify, and know about objects in a particular category. Also know about materials and tools as related to the category.
P.S. - Yes, this does mean that your Wizard who is a master of crafting rings of vast arcane power also has high ranks in Craft: Basketweaving. You know you love it.
Covered in wicked spines, this starfish-like beast hungrily flails its ten appendages. Each one ends in a beady red eye, fixated upon the creature's prey.
These opportunistic omnivores reside in moist, tropical climes throughout Golarion. They readily eat anything from detritus on the seafloor, to a fisherman's hard-earned catch on his own ship, to unsuspecting humanoids on land. They are fond of using their natural cunning to capture meals in novel ways. They often mimic wild fruit or flowers, climb trees, or bury themselves under loose layers of sediment and simply wait for prey to arrive. A bristlecraw strikes at the opportune moment, lashing out with its arms in an attempt to grab its prey. It will use its self-eviscerate ability on the foe, continuing to constrict it. If threatened while feeding, it will temporarily release its grapple and fend off those who would deprive it of its meal. Bristlecraws are often hunted, or even farmed, for their spines, exoskeletons, and edible roe. Despite this utility, they are seen as dangerous pests at best. They can produce sexually, laying polyp-like young, or asexually by severing one of their arms.
It seems we've witnessed the birth of a new descriptive tool by the judges: The "Glittering Generality" Besides being fun to say, it's a concise way of giving a critique. I think we should define/discuss this term and others like it that pop up in the critiques time and again, and add them to our collective lexicon. Got any other humorous or useful terms that have come up this year or in years previous (other than SAK/SIAC and the like)? Feel free to make humorous glittering generalizations of your own! EDIT: Also, if anyone can clearly define "gonzo" for me, I'd be much obliged (noob alert!). I've gotten the inkling that it means something akin to "goofy." I can only assume it's related to the Muppet character.
The Pure Line
Within the crumbling walls of timeworn keeps and mansions throughout southern Avistan, the once potent blood of the Azlanti grows ever thinner. Worried of what the future holds for their houses, many nobles of Cheliax and Taldor are on constant watch for the seeds of rebellion, lest the fate that befell the highborn of Andoran be cast upon them as well. The Pure Line is a group comprised of power hungry gentry who can trace their lineage back to the ancient Azlanti. They dedicate themselves to maintaining the strength of their bloodlines through careful interbreeding, and are not above kidnapping commoners who show obvious Azlanti heritage for this purpose. Structure and Leadership
Goals
Public Perception
Dear messageboards, (Disclaimer: I am both drunk and fresh off of watching "The Hobbit" trailer for the umpteenth time.) I guess this idea has been stewing for a while, but I am damn sick of humans being the center of attention for most fantasy worlds. Humans have all the great kingdoms, and compromise the bulk of adventuring parties while the other races are stuck on the fringes: under mountains, in forests, or relegated to great empires of the past. Well I say no more! Never minding Goblin-centric mini campaigns, I say its about time one of the "lesser races" steps into the limelight. I've picked Dwarves for this conversation because I believe they have the most to gain from it. They have a reputation for being ale-swilling, mountain-loving, greedy, short Nords or Scots, but I think they have the potential to be much more, with a deep appreciation for beauty both natural and crafted, and emotions deeper than any human could ever feel. No longer should races be pigeon-holed into certain roles while humans get the "well damn, we can be anything and have so much potential" label. In my next campaign, Dwarves will be the de-facto race, while humans shall be mere barbaric tribes with the chiding nickname of "Tallcousins". Dwarves aside, what other races should get a makeover? EDIT: Note that I understand that most gamers are indeed human, so I guess playing one has a certain "average Joe" appeal.
It's been my experience when playing and running games that a little bit of structure can go a long way. Especially in the time-saving department. I'm starting to trend towards having clearly defined "phases" of gameplay. I can tell the players "this is prep time" and they'll know what's up and can quickly get their bookkeeping out of the way. I know most people probably take a more natural approach, but it really helps me to have these phases in mind. Tell me what you think. Is this too rigid? Am I missing anything? Spoiler:
Narration: Pure story. The GM gives a cinematic description that isn't interruptable by the PCs' actions. However, PCs may make knowledge checks after the narration to have parts of it expanded upon. This is usually used as introductions, conclusions, or recaps to start off and end sessions, or as short descriptive transitions between other phases of play. Preparation: The PCs are granted a specific amount of time (in hours, days, or weeks) to buy or craft supplies and gear, prepare spells, train up, make plans, gather information, and/or rest. I'll often split days into (morning, afternoon, evening, night) and just go around the table asking people what they're doing with their time. Travel: Somewhat like preparation, but the PCs are traveling a great distance over a span of time, and make skill checks to survive and to travel in the right direction at a good pace. They decide marching order or ship duties, the setup of their camps, and watch duties, if applicable. Depending on how much down time they have, they might get some Preparation Phase in there. Conversation: The PCs are interacting with one or more NPCs and may have to ask specific questions, make convincing arguments, or succeed at skill checks to progress and get that item, info, agreement, or NPC patsy they were after. Investigation: The PCs are presented with an environment that requires the use of their skills. They must traverse a difficult obstacle, avoid a trap, solve a puzzle, or find a hidden room or object. Encounter: The PCs have a time-sensitive issue to deal with, and play is broken down into rounds with turns taken in initiative order. The players may need to fight monsters, disarm a time bomb, chase a villain, or escape from a collapsing cavern. The first three phases are more "Wide Scope", and happen over an undefined or longer period of time. The last three are more "Narrow Scope" and usually happen in a matter of minutes. Any of the phases can easily blend into another, often with a bit of colorful narration as a transition. Also worth noting, I generally treat all player knowledge as shared unless a PC specifically tells me that they are withholding information from the group. I'm also okay with players giving each other playing advice and discussing tactics, even if their characters aren't near each other, as long as they use PC knowledge and not player knowledge. It adds to the "group storytelling" aspect of the game and makes things less frustrating for the players.
Excuse my making a thread for such a minor question, but I couldn't see anywhere else to fit it. As I understand it, everyone's submissions are contained on a magical judge-only messageboard which the general public cannot access. Does it ever become possible to see your original entry thread and the comments made therein? I'd be interested in seeing what the judges' first impressions were for my own entry, if any (even if it was just, "Egad, this is horrible. Reject!"). I realize that every year there is a "critique my item" thread if you wanted get the judges' comments. So I'm assuming the answer is no. But I imagine that somehow enabling entrants to see only their own entry thread (maybe without the ability to comment) would save the judges a lot of work. :p
Hey everybody! Out of both boredom and an effort to make skills more useful, I've added to, subtracted from, and shuffled around the 3.5/4.0/PF skills (and incorporated a few skill ideas from GURPS 4.0). After tweaking it for a while, I'd like to try it out on my gaming group. All of the skills are broad in application, and I tried to give them maximum flexibility while still having only a little overlap. What I've listed next to each skill isn't exhaustive of what each could do, but it's representative. I've made a finite list of 10 Knowledge and 6 Craft skills (for a total of 30 skills total). I'm pretty sure they cover anything a player might want to know or create, but let me know if you think there are any gaps! Please also note the secondary abilities of some of the Knowledge skills and the expanded roles of craft skills. (For example, Open Lock/Disable Device is now part of Craft Device, the DEX-based craft skill.) So what I'd like to know, is:
Thanks everybody! And enjoy! SKILLS (organized by ability)
Spoiler:
STR Athletics: Swim, climb, run, lift more than normal maximum, endurance, hold breath, sports, related knowledge Break: Break doors, chests, weapons, bonds and other objects; find weak points (also incorporates strength checks) DEX Acrobatics: Balance, tumble, jump, fly, escape artist, flexibility Stealth: Hide, move silently, shadow, sleight of hand, camouflage, shake pursuers in a crowd or forest CON Heal: Diagnose condition, first aid, stabilize dying, surgery, improvise medical supplies, anatomical knowledge Survival: Track, fish, forage, make fire, find shelter, intuit direction, endure elements WIS Concentrate: Autohypnosis, control shape, mind block, mental endurance, meditation, psionics checks, combat casting (maybe, but I like how Pathfinder does it) Perception: Actively or passively spot, listen, feel, taste, and smell; notice important details and stealthed foes, (search is now under investigate) Intuition: Send, receive, and intercept hidden messages and lies in speech, body language, dreams, etc...; read lips Investigate: Gather info, research, analyze objects or areas to reconstruct past events, search areas for hidden things CHA Convince: Diplomacy, bluff, haggle, fast talk, hypnosis Daunt: Intimidate, taunt, confuse; instill fear, anger, shame etc... Handle Animal: Ride, handle, tame, calm, and care for animals and similar creatures Perform: Act, dance, sing, play musical instrument, oratory, etiquette, disguise KNOWLEDGES (all based on INT)
Spoiler:
Arcana: Dragons, magical beasts, magic, arcane rituals; use to identify, create, and use magic spells and items Cosmology: Outsiders, deities, major religions, astronomy, astrology, the planes, fortune-telling Economy: Markets, trade customs, currencies, commodities; use to appraise items Engineering: Constructs, math and physics, technology, architecture; use to intuit building layouts and find structural weak points Esoteric: Aberrations, oozes, undead, secret organizations, profane rituals, hidden lore, dungeons, the Underdark Geography: Locating landmarks, natural resources, and towns; use to navigate and for pathfinding History: World and regional history, wars, prominent lineages, legends, myths, folk tales Nature: Animals, plants, fey, vermin, geology, weather, natural phenomena Society: Humanoids, laws, customs, politics, fashion, art, common folk, the upper class, royalty Strategy: Monstrous humanoids, fighting styles, tactics, logistics, military training; use to gamble and help formulate strategies CRAFTS (each based on different ability) - Used to identify, understand, appraise, craft, disable, and/or use relevant items.
Spoiler:
STR It takes a strong arm to swing the hammer and stretch the hides. Armament: Most melee and thrown weapons, armor, shields, helms, gauntlets, etc... DEX A bit of finesse is required to get all those little moving parts in place.
CON Working with all these dangerous chemicals might make you sick.
INT Only a sharp mind can have this kind of attention to detail.
WIS A wise man knows that simplicity and function are among the highest of virtues.
CHA You can't make beautiful things without a bit of a creative spark.
Notes:
2: To craft magical items, one must have sufficient caster levels, and sufficient skill ranks in Knowledge Arcana. He may choose to use his Wisdom or Charisma modifier instead of Intelligence for Knowledge Arcana checks used to make items.
Hey everybody, there didn't seem to be a thread of this nature yet! Let's use this thread talk about our methodology, or lack thereof, would be for each round of the competition. For round one, creating a wondrous item, my approach was something along the lines of: Spoiler:
1) Walk around my house/neighborhood/local museum and keep a list of mundane objects that stand out as having potential. Narrow the list down to the most intriguing.
2) Create a notepad document and brainvomit all of my associations with each object as well as common, uncommon, and unheard of uses for them. Think up a general flavor for each: alluring? film noir? forest spirit-y? bestial? outer spacey? I choose the item slot and weight here. 3) Do research on Golarian lore for deities, famous characters, regions, locales, events, etc... that could be associated with the object's flavor. I feel like this step is important because this background stuff can lead you to expand your flavor/mechanical decisions and really cement your object as fitting in the context of the world. You don't necessarily have to refer to these things in the finished product, but it will add a sense of depth. This is also when I really decide what the item actually, you know, does. I come up with a tentative name. 4) Browse the spell lists for spells that fit functionally or thematically with the object. I'll pick anything that sounds like it might work, and then pare the list down to 5 spells or less. The finished object will ideally use three spells or less. 5) Write the item description. I like the balance of one mid-length sentence describing the object in terms of appearance and background. The rest is all mechanics with a bit flavorful elaboration. I feel like an item should have no more than four or so functions, and really, less might be desirable. Try to write it in a way that each function seems somehow related to the core idea, and to each other. 6) Based on flavor and mechanics, I choose ONE spell for each major function of the object, and apply them to the construction requirements (remember, alphabetical order! Spell names in italics!). Try to pick spells that are appropriate for the level character that will be using it. I pick the school of magic that most closely matches the function and spells of the object and apply that to the aura, I pretty much play the aura strength by ear. I base caster level on the lowest possible level to cast all the required spells, and balance that with whatever level the characters using the item are likely to be. 7) Price. Honestly, all I do is go to the Pathfinder SRD's list of wondrous objects and price it within spitting distance of an item that I would consider trading this one for. It's not TOO hard, I calculate the price as best I can using the CRB rules as well, just to verify. 8) Revise. Revise. Revise. Sit on it. Revise some more. Pick an actual name. And that's it for me! What about you guys?
Scent of the Savored Sting
Description
Up to three times per day as a standard action, the possessor may spray wasp pheromones on herself or another target. Against unwilling targets, she must succeed at a melee touch attack, or the dose is wasted. The effects of the pheromones last for one hour, but can be removed by negate aroma. When complacent, the wasps produce a sickly sweet pheromone which makes the target highly appealing to individuals of the opposite gender. Interacting with such individuals, the target gains the benefits of honeyed tongue and a +2 competence bonus to charisma-based skill checks. The target gains no benefits against individuals lacking a sense of smell. As a swift action, the possessor may shake the bottle. The agitated wasps produce attack pheromones for one round. If sprayed, a target must succeed at a DC 18 Fortitude save or be blinded and nauseated for 1d4 rounds as his eyes tear up and his throat swells. This is a poison effect. The bottle may be thrown as a ranged touch attack. Upon impact, it explodes with a splash radius of 5 ft. per unused dose. Any creature struck with the bottle or caught in the splash radius suffers the same effects as having been sprayed with attack pheromones. The destroyed bottle releases a wasp swarm with a +10 competence bonus on survival checks made to track creatures affected by attack pheromones. They pursue these creatures until they no longer perceive the scent, at which point the wasps disperse. Construction
Hey everybody! My group has started a new Pathfinder campaign with a few little twists. It's the first game I've ever been in charge of, so if you all don't mind, I'd like to use you guys as a sounding board for my ideas. Probably the biggest change is the near-total lack of magic in the game. There are still many fantastical creatures, and some mystical stuff such as dream-walking, undead, elemental spirits, and potion-like potables. Needless to say, several base classes are no longer viable. Classes like the gunslinger are now at the forefront. For this first post, I'm just going to explain the basic changes in battle mechanics that we've made. AC and DR
Spoiler:
We have decided to use an "armor as damage reduction" mechanic for this setting. Basically:
- Flat-footed AC is now equal to 10 + size mod. - What was touch AC is now "Dodge", and it is equal to 10 + Dex + dodge + shield + size (there is no longer a deflection bonus). All melee and ranged attacks now target Dodge. - Damage Reduction (DR) is now equal to armor + natural + enhancement + other DR bonuses. "Taking Aim"
Spoiler:
To balance this huge increase in DR, armor with a bonus of more than 4 is hard to come by. In addition, combatants may add a penalty to their attack roll in order to overcome DR. This penalty must be applied before the roll is made. We explain this as the combatant "taking aim" at the weak points in the opponent's defenses:
A goblin with a Dodge 14 and DR 3 is attacked by a rogue with +5 attack. The rogue can just make a direct attack. If he rolls a 9 or higher he hits. If the attack does, say, 1d4+2 damage, the rogue would have to roll at least a 2 to do any damage at all. If the rogue "takes aim", he may choose to subtract any number from his attack roll, thereby reducing the goblin's DR by the same amount (to a maximum of the goblin's DR, subtracting more than the DR does not do extra damage). This adds a fun level of uncertainty, as the players are seldom aware of their opponent's DR value: The rogue attacks again, this time subtracting 4 from his roll to bypass the goblin's DR. This means he must now roll at least a 13 to hit the goblin. If he hits, the goblin's DR is reduced to 0 (it cannot become negative), and the attack will do full damage. We've had 7 sessions so far, and the system is working fantastically for us. The players are taking maximum HP per level, and I've beefed up the enemies' HP a bit as well to account for the higher hit rates. Combat is very deadly and satisfying so far, and the players have come quite close to dying several times (One actually did. I pit them against a Spirit Naga when they were all still second level. It was awesome. They're lucky it couldn't cast spells.) Also, sneak attack is ridiculous now. Anyway, please provide me with feedback! If you think there's a way I could improve on this sort of system, I'd be more than glad to hear it. |
