I must confess I regret that the text about Iomedae loathing "fiend-spawn" remains uncomfortably open as to what qualifies for that term. :( Lets not forget the event in Wrath 5~ SPOILERS!
To summarize: GMs find more offense at the two pages or so of text about Iomedae punishing players for being creepy and or evil or just forgetful or something else. Upon hearing about this, I'm much, much more worried about why the editors felt such things were needed and had to be spelled out in such detail. For the first time, we have a module that allows players to interact with a god, to gain some personal insight on the goddess herself that would never be spelled out in non-social encounters... and we get more information about what to do with people and players that clearly won't have lasted this long into the game and a PC group kidnapping then ideas for how to RP the goddess.
Alright, lets get my give away thread underway! Normally I'd issue everything as raffles, but I'm not in the mood to set raffling things up. So straight up, ask for it and its yours. And please, one per person is all I can say. Items offered are... 1 item of Minotaur Games - Rule Zero: Underlings
I hope that everyone has had a happy holiday yesterday.
I have two examples. The first and latest was a sci fi game with no fluff what beyond 'yeah, this is deserty type planet' or 'welcome to the wookie home world'. I think we even stopped at Nar Shaddnar but I couldn't tell as there was no impression that this place was any different then anything else we've visited. The second one... lets just say that we were level 9 and still using our level 5 starting gear. Loot was hard to come by. Fun GM otherwise, I often mirror his approach to GMing when it serves my purposes. The road of the GM to become good is long and fraught with perils. I spent years being a bad GM, experimenting, trying to find my groove until I became the GM I am now. Just cut the new GMs some slack and offer input or ways to improve, when asked or when you're just talking with your GM away from the table.
Besides hoping that Magnuskn's comment is only for his game... I have a Paladin that took the trait with Iomedae and a cleric with Gorzeh. Not to mention how happy I am just to not GM for once! Am looking forward to seeing just what this trait comes to now that I've stopped b@!%&ing about the traits.
Silly Zerg, the question of which is better is always debatable! ^_^ But this isn't the thread for that.
A revised Downtime system that my players can look at and not break from just looking at it funny.
4th edition was easy to teach, easy to learn. It was completely scaled almost to perfection if you followed the rules corrected and knew what did what. I would play 4th edition, those times I did play, I was always entertained and enjoyed the system there.
! And Manimal sweeps the prize.
The Midwest has been hit by some rather freaky weather these past few months, but now its finally starting to feel like summer. So to celebrate and get my mind off of the heat, I've decided to reciprocate what Mikaze and Paul Watson did and I couldn't at the time. I'll offer up two sets of any two Abandoned Arts Class Acts or Feats. The Compendium is just a tad too pricey for this. ^^; One Alluria Publishing Remarkable Races book Those are up for those that ask. I will also be raffling off a single PDF copy of Paizo's own Ultimate Campaign between the first five people that ask enter to enter the raffle. Also, forgive me for not replying to anyone for awhile after posting this thread up. The humidity is horrible where I'm at.
There are pros and cons for each method of VTT deployment, not to mention each user has different preferences. As it just so happens, the main reason why Roll20 has been so successful, is that it has a team of experienced programmers that get along and are being paid (via the donation and ads) to create, maintain, and update the program and its servers. Last time I checked, OpenRPG and MapTools are completely free, are being coded by few people, and have no ad support. ~Not everyone wants to be on a cloud~
Can't complain about the cold this time... Name: Bosch
Spoiler:
The party fought hard and struggled their entire way through the forest, back tracking only when their numbers got low. But finally, they got to the lodge! They party knew, OoC, that this was only the half way marker! But it was an achievement none the less! They got the flavor text, they saw the map. The ranger of the group advanced forward, following the path to get to the rear of the building. The ranger stepped on a trip wire. Triggering a crossbow trap! The bolt flew through the air, hitting the ranger hard and true. The crossbow dropped from the lodge's awing. Followed by half of a kitchen's cookware. The bandits were roused. They were aware. The party paused, tried to figure out their options. The brave fighter, tired of the debate, advanced forward. Straight towards the front door. Opening it with a kick, the fighter screamed out for the bandits' surrender. The bandits, having had a minute or longer to prepare, were in no mood to grovel to the lone man that entered their hard fought lair. Opening fire with short bow, the bandits and fighter engaged in combat. The others of the group slowly rushing to their friend's rescue and aid. The fighter jumped up on a grand table of the hardest oak, swinging his sword around. Striking and dodging at everyone. Just as the bandits struck and dodged everything from the fighter too. The ranger appeared, just in time! To knock out an archer and block an advance of fresh bandits (wearing only pants and covered in a sick sweat) from joining the melee. The party's witch threw down Misfortunes everywhere, the bandits, even those drenched with sweat and were barely holding back their own biles, never failed a save. The party's sorceress sneak in through a window. Into a neat, orderly room prior to her breaking the glass. But soon, even she joined the fray with bolts of cold and fire magic a raging. During all of this, the party did hear shouts from the second floor of the lodge. Shouts of a bandit trying to rouse the boss and his skeletons. Said boss, did not hurry. Said boss, waited and grinned. Back to the ground floor, the battle had not ended. The fighter and ranger, suffered heavy injuries in their call of duty. Yet the bandits did fall. Mostly to the Ranger and her blood slicked falchion. Spells were cast! Spells were used! A bit of healing there, a bolt and burst there. Never did it let up. Hard fought it was against the bandits, hard fought against the dice. But soon... soon the ground floor was quiet. The bandits laid dispatched. But a racket was heard from upstairs. Even as the fighter succumbed to his injuries, collapsing to the floor. Said grinning boss from before, was coming down the stairs with more troops. Using all resources of healing left, the party did try to gather themselves. Even taking out net and rope. After several round, the party did wait. And soon from the railings, the group did spy the reinforcements. A bandit that was killed more from Readied actions then anything else. A skeleton that befell a fate worse then broken glass. For these weren't normal skeletons, no. These skeletons were made of bone and ice. And should they be killed, they explode in an icy barrage. Even standing too near them, alive and well, exposed the party to a cold worse then a blizzard. But shortly, the skeletons did fall and explode. The fighter again, fell to the floor... or in this case, he fell on top of the grand hall's table. And all throughout, the party did know, there was no boss. No necromancer. Where is the fiend leading this pack? Holding their positions down in the main hall. The party did wait, searching for healing sources where there was none. Searching for foes, they could not find. Continuing on, the party's witch did brush against something. Something that wasn't there. Fur invisible in the air. Giving a shout, casting a hex, the witch did inflict! For the invisible air, was soon filled with sword and ice. But lo, for naught. The invisible stepped up on to the table! He revealed himself in his terrible glory! And killed the fighter! With a single spell! A spell of which, the group did not expect. A knell of death. The Death Knell. And so did the blackened man did grow strong. Strong and powerful. Ego enforced. Taunt, he did. He taunted the party of heroes that did so much! Not even the Ranger, flying in a rage of berserkness, could kill him as he stood on that table. Gloating over the body of the dead fighter. The man saw the Witch for what she was, he say a means to a goal. And imprisoned her in a Hold. The sorceress was next, the ranger did prove unable to lay a finger on him, and was frightened nearly out of her mind. But this, this was to be his undoing. Having disabled the rest. Leaving only the ranger. The man found himself powerless against the rage, the hate, the unbridled strength of the ranger. One strike of her blade, the cleric did near die. Even so, his ego would not allow a surrender. Ego, it was, was what brought the man down. Having become stronger from the death of the fighter, having become wicked and delighted, having been insulted and cut into. The man drew his sword, and traded blows with the berserker. Even going so far, as to call out upon the powers of his god, to create illusionary copies of himself. Yet the man's blade found no opening. No opening at all as the ranger did slice into him a second time. Collapsing onto the floor, the sorceress did land the last blow onto the man! A ray of frost! That did kill the darkened man. Edit: For all you GMs with the book: Yes, I deviated from the path given by the book. I don't recall anywhere that it gives any sort of advice should the PC(s) do a Leeroy. I made plenty sure that the group knew what was coming (not when, but gave them plenty of time to prepare or run) and I didn't even touch the Half-Orc Rogue hiding in the back.
Sorry for the thread jack. But I'm reading the module again and got to the part that I was following.
Text right out of the module, page 10, last full paragraph:
The temperatures inside the winter pocket are considered cold (approximately 30° F during the day, and 10° F at night). Every hour spent in the wintry conditions requires a Fortitude save (DC 15, +1 per previous check) to avoid taking 1d6 points of nonlethal damage. Those who have taken nonlethal damage from exposure suffer from hypothermia (treat as fatigued), and if this condition is not remedied, they also suffer from frostbite (Core Rulebook 442). If the PCs secure cold-weather outfits before leaving Heldren, they receive a +5 bonus on Fortitude saves against exposure to the weather while adventuring in the forest. Double checking the page mentioned in the quote and the paragraph above. The Core book supports Pendagast, saying that in weather between 1 degree to 40 degree F, a character with cold weather outfit doesn't need to make a check. Below that, characters with cold weather need to make the cold check every hour. And those without cold weather needs to make such a check every ten minutes. Endure Elements negates everything that's written in the book in terms of environmental heat and cold damage (outside of lava diving... ). Cold Resist I can see as resisting the same, but wouldn't help with the worst/lethal cold damage other then resisting most of it. Interesting disconnect in rules. For now I'll keep up doing what I've been doing. At least until the Lodge, quoting human adaptability and the level up to start following the core rules over what is listed in the module.
This is actually just my whole list of house rules. Results have been mostly encouraging so far. Parry is still being experimented on and worked on though. Parry (Skill): When being attacked by a melee attack (weapon, natural, or touch) and you aren't caught unaware, you may try to deflect the attack. This is resolved by rolling a d20 and adding your modifier, versus the attack roll. May deflect one attack for every four ranks in Parry (1 attack at rank 1, 2 attacks at rank 4, etc) Skill is Dex based, and is a Class Skill for every class that gains proficiency in at least one Martial Weapon. Attacks of Opportunity: If you use a gun in melee, AoO. If you try to trip some fool, no AoO. If you run through a corner that a bandit is laying in wait behind, AoO and likely Readied Attack. If you try to grapple a bandit, no AoO. Any questions? Stunting: If you RP something and make it enjoyable to read, while trying to do something fun. Then I may grant you the ability to roll two d20s for each required check of the action and take the higher of each. If you do this and make the read so horrible that I'd want to read Oscar, you may be forced to take the lower of the two rolls. Crafting: 2000 gold per day in crafting. Regardless of where you're crafting, so long as you spend two hours a day on the art. Rogue Class: Add spellcasting from the Adept, adding +1 to all spell slots and changing casting stat to Int. Animate Dead on spell list is replaced with a single pickable arcane spell of 3rd level. Level 0 spells are treated like cantrips for every other spellcaster class. Will Save is a Good Save. Fighter Class: Reflex is a Good Save. Hit Die improved to d12. Barbarian: You start off with a Rage Power, then gain as normal.
I basically agree with your sentiment. The NPC Gallery was something I was looking forward to the most when I got the book, after looking it over and after a year or so passed by, I haven't used a single one of these stat blocks for anything other then examples to better make my own stat blocks. They don't fit the setting or type of games I run. Still a nice book, for nearly every other section.
About two months ago, I started a game of Kingmaker and watched as my players went about their duty of clearing out the Green Belt of bandits and other undesirables. At first things looked to be going great, my players got along, most of them formed immediate connections with Oleg and his wife, and they wanted to defend the fort and turn it one day into a shining example of frontier colonial power. The third session changed that. They TPK against the Bandit camp at the Thorns river. The reasons are varied, most of the blame can be set towards not splitting up enough and too much. Two characters went forward to scout, the others went away and found a safe place to hide a mile away. The bandits captured their still beating bodies and a player (that hadn't yet been knocked out) rolled a natural 20 on a diplomacy check to convince Kressle to let them go. Feeling sorry for what happened, I had the bandit woman let the party sans the character that rolled the diplomacy to go back to Restov to heal and train and get a new character for the one player. Under the orders that Kressle wants them to come back and assassinate the Stag Lord. I started the game in the middle of the summer season, it wasn't until the spring that the party returned to the Green Belt to see just how much it changed. Now this is one of the hard parts, just what would change during that eight month gap? Well, future predicting isn't my strong suit, but here's what I had happen.
Changes that I've done, don't really know if I need the spoiler tag, but better save then sorry?:
1. At player request, I had an Orc tribe move in and inhabit the Narlmarches. Forcing Kressle and her bandits to move... The orcs launch raids against everyone near them, but leave the fey and frog man whose name I can't recall alone. 2. Kressle turned traitor to the Stag Lord openly. As I have it, she took nearly a quarter of the Stag Lord's collection of bandits and captured Oleg's outpost. She now "rules" over the plains north of the Strike and Thorn rivers with an even larger force then what she had before the orcs ousted her from her old camp. 3. The Mites won their little war with the Kobolds and captured the former Gnome, feeding him to one of their pets. 4. The Stag Lord woke up one day and got attacked by Dovan, thinking that he could led the Tuskwater bandits better then the more experienced Ranger. Dovan was forced back by the hungover Stag Lord and then killed by Akiros, who used Lay on Hands on the injured bandit lord. Which was much a surprise to both of them. With the betrayal of two of his best lieutenants and the attack, the alcoholic Stag Lord*1 started to reform himself with help from the now Paladin 2/Barbarian 2 Akiros*2. *1. Alignment shifted to Lawful Evil by the time the PCs got to the keep. Advanced Template now permanently part of his stat block as he gave up alcohol, and a level in Druid as he tried to understand and learn from his father so he doesn't make the same mistakes. Thinking of having his alignment switch over to Lawful Neutral after the PCs help him with Good-leaning as the party is Good aligned. *2. Alignment shifting to Chaotic Good, and with help from the PCs, may one day be Lawful Good again and allowing a complete switch over to pure Paladin Hmm, I think that's all I've really changed so far. Last session the PCs finally arrived at the Stag Lord's keep and after some silly RP and good rolls, the PCs are currently allied with the Stag Lord to kill Kressle by bringing in the 'dead bodies' of the Stag Lord and his closest allies and then to kill the foul orcs. Two of my players have expressed interest in turning the bandits, making them citizens of their future nation and in the case of Akiros and Stag Lord, parts of the ruling council. Oh, and the PCs have only found the Gold deposit, the rickety old bridge, Thorns River camp, an orc camp, and the Stag Lord's fort. They haven't been anywhere else, pretty much a straight line from Oleg's to the fort.
Any suggestions for what else I should change or improve on? |
