Lia Wynn's page

So... had some second thoughts about THE LADY.

She's great. But boy oh boy... them leeches.

At CR 2, w/ 2 of them, their AC, w/ cover is NINETEEN.

That's just unconscionable, esp. while the PCs are dealing w/ the crab.

As I have ruminated on this a bit, I think it would be best if the WEAK template were slapped on them, reducing their HP to 22 and reducing their AC under cover to a still very high 17.

My party had no issues at all with the encounter. They took out both leeches without making any attempt to pull them out first. I called it 'hard mode'. They made ample use of Captivate Crab action and tossed heals on the Lady to show her they were trying to help her.

I think they were at level 2 when they took her on, but might still have been at level 1.

I would say yes and no.

Yes. You could store a bomb inside.

But, no, you would not get infinite bombs from that. The write-up specifically points out that items with Activations don't get it reset with a new copy. A bomb explodes, and I think that would count as not being able to be reused.

I'd go with option 1, but I agree with everything Finoan said.

The more builds I see, the more I think that this is an advanced class not intended for new players.

Yes, exactly. Neither class in WoI is really a new player class, which is good IMO. Not every class needs to be, and Exemplar is Rare on top of that. As a GM, I'd steer a new player away from a Rare class, though if they really wanted to try it, I'd let them.

This is an interesting question.

Here is how I think I would rule on it.

First, as pH Unbalanced mentioned, I would see if you could carry the ally in the first place. If you could not, then you could not fall while holding the ally.

Second, you would take no damage. Your wings slow you enough to avoid that.

Third, they would still take damage as normal for falling. However, I would give them a basic Reflex save to negate some or all of that. The feat does not mention allies, so I do not think that it would reduce for allies, unless for some reason, like a familiar or a sprite, you could put them in a pocket, or your pack.

The Calling is more of a who your character is and not a dice-rolling mechanical element thing. (Yes, it does have a mechanical aspect, but that is not the focus of the Calling). Why do you do what you do, and what your destiny might be.

For your example, I'd go with Hunter's Calling. You are destined to find and grapple some legendary beast. Maybe a massive snake, or a hydra, or something like that.

The Callings help the GMs and Players shape the kind of mythic story that you want to tell. A key aspect of the Mythic rules is that the whole group shapes the world through them, and the Calling is one of the first steps.

All of the Unarmed Ikons are clearly labeled 'Weapon Ikon.' Feats that apply to Weapon Ikons apply to them as well. The feats point to the type of Ikon, not how the weapon is defined.

In other words, what they are saying is: Your Spark needs to be in this Ikon for this feat to function. It is not saying your unarmed Strike is a weapon, it is pointing to the Weapon Ikon itself. I think people are thinking the feats point to the type of attack they are making, instead of 'is your spark in your weapon Ikon'

Yeah, calling IDs something as a Calling. It has the same usage as the Dedication trait, ie This feat is a Calling. It's pretty standard trait usage IMO.

However, it is defined on page 69 of WoI in a Key terms sidebar and expanded on in the 'The Calling' section on page 74.

I would say one.

Why should a one-action ability, that also provides some other bonus on top of the reload action, count as three actions?

That would be giving you the equivalent of 4 actions for spending one. In general, if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.

While I have not played a Magus, I did have one in one of my games, and I would echo Deriven. The Magus loved Expansive Spellstrike and got good use out of it.

I don't know if I would take it if I ever played a Magus, but I think it's a solid feat that gives the Magus more options.

I have run all of Rise of the Runelords, as well as some D&D 3.5 and 4E stuff in PF2.

A lot of the time monsters are the same basic level/difficulty, so just use the PF2 versions, I tend to cut money by 90 percent, and magic items often need some work, but it's not overly hard.

It takes some practice, but it is very doable.

When we get the book?

It's available October 30th on PDF, so I would guess that would also be the store street date.

Lia Wynn wrote:

Yes, the player should run something like an Eidolon, AC, or familiar.

For a summon from a spell, I've always run those as the GM. It is convenient if the caster has a stat block ready, but with something like Nethys, that's not really needed.

If one of my players does want to summon things, we sit down and look over the options, so that they can decide what they think would be best for how they envision using the summon.

I don't think either way of handling them is right or wrong. I think you should do what is best for your table/GM.

I'm curious to know why you view summon monster type spells differently from Eidolons. Since summoners can also cast summon monster spells. (Or at least the could in 1e.)

And yeah. I still have to speak with the Gm about it. If I don't like it I'll just shift stratagems. Part of why I play wizard is to have the freedom to do so.

As Hammerjack pointed out, they are different.

An Eidolon, AC, or familiar is a partner of the character.

A summon spell is not. Now, I do not play summons as being resentful of being magically ripped away from what they were doing, and being made to risk their lives for someone they do not even know, but that is what they are being made to do.

From a mechanical perspective, it's something I got used to in D&D and other games where summons spells could summon tons of monsters, and it was just easier on me as GM, and players in general, to have me handle the 6 wolves quickly rather than have a table discussion for each wolf each round.

In PF2, with one summon at a time, it could be easier to give player control over, but as I'm used to running them, and my players haven't expressed an interest to run them, I just handle it.

Yes, the player should run something like an Eidolon, AC, or familiar.

For a summon from a spell, I've always run those as the GM. It is convenient if the caster has a stat block ready, but with something like Nethys, that's not really needed.

If one of my players does want to summon things, we sit down and look over the options, so that they can decide what they think would be best for how they envision using the summon.

I don't think either way of handling them is right or wrong. I think you should do what is best for your table/GM.

This seems like a narrative question to me.

Do your players expect ash at the end? Then have ash at the end.

Does your narrative need an intact vampire body? Maybe for some clue? Then the body is intact.

Is it something in the middle, like the excellent examples Sibelius gave? Then do that.

@Finoan:

Do you do the same thing for Bless? If an ally starts in the aura of the Bless, leaves it (and loses the bonus), and then is back in it again, due to it growing or via the casters movement, does the ally still not have the bonus, or does he regain it?

This is just a curiosity question, it's not a criticism or anything like that.

I'm in. I'll get to work on Zaria's full profile later today. I want to thank everyone for making this a very fun recruiting process.

That said, if if the votes were tight, I'm still willing to slide into a reserve role since I do plan on still apping for SoT.

I've done this a lot. My IRL group is three people.

I have, sometimes, especially at low levels, adjusted encounters slightly. At high levels, it's been less needed, but it is a feel thing.

I have never had them a level over. In fact, they did AoA about a level under, as we were still using XP - I had not changed to milestone yet - and they felt they were leveling too fast to learn things so we slowed it down.

FA can be good, but it can also lead to a lot more complexity, so YMMV on that, especially with new players. I actually think FA is overused.

I've never had anyone use this ability in my game, so this is my first thought for it.

1. I would not have it trigger with Reactive Strike since it specifically says 'on its next turn', but I would have it trigger with things like Spellstrike since that happens on its own turn.

2. I do not think that it would trigger more than once, as it states that once the creature rolls the save against Forbidden Thoughts, it is immune for one turn.

However, if the spell was amped, and the creature did a multi-action attack - like Dual Slice, Frenzy, Whirlwind Strike, etc, I would rule that the Stunned 1 would disrupt that ability due to the action loss from the Stunned on a failed save.

Hi Dr. Evil.

I've also been RPGing since the start. On the boards, the Sky Kings Tomb game I'm running just hit a year. I can keep to the posting guidelines you outlined.

And, as much as I feel I play too many humans, and in an AP where other ancestries work so well, my application is for a human because it fits the idea best.

Iovia, who no longer uses her last name. She is Chelaxian. Her family was one of the many Chelaxian families that held slaves and controlled part of the Expanse.

However, Iovia joined the Vidrian Revolution on the side of the rebels. Not only had she come to realize that the colonization was wrong, but because of her interactions with the locals in her household, she had come to worship Tlehar, the Rising Sun.

When the Chelaxians left Vidrian, she stayed. She helped with the initial process of starting the rebuild, giving her former home - which as the last member of her family in the country was legally hers - to the new government to use as they saw fit.

She has come to the Magambya mostly to learn about her new home, and she considers that to be the entire Expanse. She expects discrimination until she proves herself to people. She is Chelaxian after all, and she does not hide that.

Class-wise, she'll either be a Cleric (which is where I am leaning), or a Champion of Tlehar.

I'm not sure about what background I'll use yet. I'm leaning towards Acolyte or Noble. Both are recommended in the Players Guide, and none of the AP specific ones seem to fit. I am open to other ideas.

I would go with the Druid archetype, and the Branches would be Tempest Sun and Emerald Boughs. I think in that order, but I might reverse it.

Zaria loads her crossbow.

"Go. I can cover from here, along with anyone else who is good from range. We can just smash the window and provide support."

"There are quite a few of us. We could scout both ways. If one group finds the missing people, it drops back, gets the other group, and we approach together."

Zaria has left musings on cults and the like for people who are better qualified for such things. She's been keeping an eye on both doors.

I don't actually think Dr. Evil would want us to split up during a RP test, but we have a large enough group of PCs at the moment where it would be viable.

"Red tends to mean danger, and we're following a trail of bug art. I say we go left." Zaria gives her opinion on which way the group should go.

I have been giving this some thought, yes.

I think, for me, the question has revolved around why Tuom had Jirelga tossed in jail. She has very few allies, why take one off the board?

What I've decided is that the destruction of Guldrege totally imbalanced Jirelga. If Thenur had lived, I think she would have put the reasons for the attack together and been able to adjust to it.

What if Jirelga could not figure it out? From her perspective, one day, out of the blue, the Avernal Worm, a legendary creature, just wipes out her village for, as far as she is concerned, no reason at all!

She is one of the few survivors and finds herself in Highhelm, and she becomes a conspiracy theorist.

She sees the worm everywhere. In the way that tea leaves fill her cup. In the way that grubs move, or mushrooms grow. In graffiti on walls. That's why she learns about the fey and wants to track the cult to the city.

It also explains why Tuom takes her off the board. When she is lucid, Jirelga is an excellent smuggler who knows plenty of secret passages in the Darklands. When she is not, she might just grab someone and spout nonsense at them - Tuom could worry that some of that nonsense might not be nonsense and decide to make sure that Jirelga can't give her away, but doesn't want to murder her. So, fake evidence, a bribe, and Jirelga is in the Broch, and no longer a liability.

It also lets me ignore the lack of stats for Jirelga. In combat, she screams and hides, and out of combat, she guides, and may offer advice, but isn't really coherent enough to use skills.

"It won't be hard to find them. We can just follow the tracks. Hopefully, we can talk the wizard down peacefully."

Zaria will stay towards the middle or back of the group, to better use her crossbow if needed.

"I think it would be best for us to stay together. Outside is one thing. Inside, well, it's best to stay together, so that no one gets lost. Zaria says.

Zaria had tended to scout ahead and then come back to the group to keep an eye out for threats, and she was used to tracking criminals through the wilderness.

Water beaded on her long jacket and off her hat. She didn't seem to mind the rain, she seemed pretty comfortable in it.

"If they are here, we will find them and bring them home. Remember that noise carries a long way inside caves and tunnels, so we should try and be as quiet as we can."

After speaking, she will check for tracks, as Phasetwo suggested they do.

DM DoctorEvil wrote:

Seth86 wrote:

White skinned orc. Druid with eventually going barbarian dedication.

as for the orc, i think any animal he transform into will be the Albino equivalent of the species

This seems like a fine idea to me. What makes him white-skinned? Is he true albino or just a strange mutation? Does that make him an outcast in his own society?

Do you mean full Orc? That may cause some acceptance issues in Torch just so you know. And why is he in Torch again?

I had a related question. Core ancestries preferred was mentioned. Core now includes goblin, leshy & orc whereas half-elf and half-orc were Core at the time the AP was written. Can you clarify core ancestries in regards to this adventure?

They still are. Aiuvarin (half-elf) and dromaar (half-orc) are in Mixed Ancestries, in PC 1. They were even adjusted to be more broad so that any species could be the other half of the elf/orc side, though it is suggested that you check with the GM before doing that.

Lia Wynn wrote:

The idea that I have is a local resident of Torch, preferably an Amruun (catfolk),

The idea is kind of Western-themed, since Numeria is a badlands with no real law in much of it, which reminds me of the old west. She'd have a job in town, something normal, but when there was trouble, she'd be one of the people who would be asked to look into it.

Class wise, she'd be a precision ranger, preferably with a firearm, since that fits the concept best, but a crossbow would be workable. Probably with Crafting skills, and more Cha than you'd expect, as she would try to talk people down before trying violence.

I think you may have to start out without a firearm, but who knows what you will find along the way? I'd lean against a catfolk character, but will allow you to present it if you wish.

Ok.

Looking over the Wiki entry on Torch, to see what the population is like, and I know your version might be different, but it is helpful nonetheless, I think I'll go with dromaar (half-orc) for ancestry, as they are the third most populous, as as much as I like dwarves in Golarion (and even with the iconic ranger being a dwarf), they just don't seem to add much for a ranger.

In addition, if I made the game, and the albino ord druid did, I could sort of be a bridge for him.

Would it be?

If someone doesn't know anything about magic, would a Hex look different from any other spell?

Bards cast spells. Karina posing as a Bard casts a spell. Why would it be automatically known that it was a witch spell?

I think the class posing as another class is a really fun-sounding concept.

I've been going around and around with concepts since I have so many I want to try. A few of the ones submitted are close to some that I came up with, which slowed me down some, but in a good way.

The idea that I have is a local resident of Torch, preferably an Amruun (catfolk), but I can go with other Ancestries, but not human since I play too many of them and want to explore more elements of Golarion.

The idea is kind of Western-themed, since Numeria is a badlands with no real law in much of it, which reminds me of the old west. She'd have a job in town, something normal, but when there was trouble, she'd be one of the people who would be asked to look into it.

Class wise, she'd be a precision ranger, preferably with a firearm, since that fits the concept best, but a crossbow would be workable. Probably with Crafting skills, and more Cha than you'd expect, as she would try to talk people down before trying violence.

@Codanous: I think an Andriod cleric of Brigh would be amazing.

I've liked all of the submissions so far. A couple of them have even crossed-streams with some ideas of mine. I should have a submission of my own up soon.

I don't think anything suggested has been overly crazy, and I like the fact that people are suggesting ideas for how characters may be linked if chosen. It shows a willingness, IMO, to work with other people.

On page 6, it says Jirelga rolls along with the PCs to get victory points, but I dont' see a stat block for them anywhere. I was just going to assume a +10 to all relevant skills.

Yes, this is an issue. At the end of Mantle of Gold, it's 'You'll actually get Jirelga out of prison and maybe bring down the corrupt warden.' in the next book. Book two starts with Jiregla leading the group into the Darklands, with no information at all about her, or why she is the guide, or anything like that. There is information on what she tells them, but nothing about why she has to - or even wants to - be a guide.

I don't know if the Book 1 and 2 authors didn't coordinate, or editing missing that, or it was cut for some reason, but it is connective tissue that needs to be adjusted by the GM.

I would give it the Fire trait, I think. I could not find any details on how/when to add a trait to an attack, but in general, when a damage type is added, it seems to also add the trait, so I would for consistency.

My prefs are a little more complex.

If Talindra applies to Sot, I'd prefer SoT as I would like to play in a game with her again. Otherwise, I'd prefer IG.

I'd be happy with either of the APs, though, in the end.

Dawnsilver is the new name for Mithral. It acts as if it were silver for the purposes you mentioned, which buffs it. However, it is not silver, so it works normally on devils.

Lia Wynn wrote:

You could just use any old cloth. Cleave gags are nice and simple.

What's a "cleave gag?"

It's a gag that's pulled between someone's teeth and not just placed over the mouth.

Ok, here are my answers.

1) I've been playing RPGs since the original D&D blue box. My first box set had chits instead of dice and had B1, the version of it that you had to stock yourself with the aid of random tables.

What draws me to RPGs? The combination of the social aspect, the storytelling, and the mechanics. The way they intersect is what I like the most.

2) I want to play. I took a long break, because of where I live, from TTRPGs. Two or three years ago there was a PF2/SF1 Humble Bundle. My second kid was curious about TTRPGs, so we grabbed it. I quickly fell in love with PF2s rules, and about the same time a small hobby shop opened nearly, so I ended up running PF2 there a couple of times a week. But, I also like to play, and living in the boonies, I don't really have a lot of other hobby options.

3) Currently, I would have to say Ember from Owlcat's WotR. Ember had horrible things happen to her, and has every right to be angry and bitter, and instead is cheery and hopeful, and optimistic, and just overall a joy. But, ask me in six months and I might have another answer!

4) I'm running Sky King's Tomb here on Paizo, and we're a couple of weeks away from our first-year anniversary. As far as playing, maybe one, but I think it died. I'd limit myself to playing in no more than 2 so that I can give any games I was in proper attention.

5) I'll give two answers here. From an overall perspective, PF2. I've played a lot of systems, and there is no overall system I like more. From the perspective of 'does the game mechanics play into the theme close to flawlessly', I'd say Earthdawn. Earthdawn wanted a cinematic feel, and the mechanics of the game allowed any class, even from level 1, to feel like an action movie hero.

6) Engagement. Both with the story and with the other players/characters. What I mean by this are things like: do you post on the schedule the DM sets? Do your non-combat posts give other players something to interact with? Do you participate in, and/or start, Discussion threads? I think that the more you engage with the other characters and the other players, the better and more fun the game is.

7) This is the hardest question for me, as in general, I don't like to even risk coming across as telling another GM how to choose players. But, that said, here is my answer. I want to start off by saying that I think however a GM looks for players can be effective. In SKT, I used a mix of who the character was, and because of the nature of book 1 of that AP, what skills the characters had. There are a lot of skill challenges in the AP, and I wanted to make sure that the bases were covered for my players.

I do think that the way you are handling the recruitment gives a significant insight into your thought process for the two games you plan to run. You are not recruiting characters, it seems to me, as much as you are recruiting players. I think that the approach is very interesting. I'm already curious to see how it works out in the end, and I may take notes on it for my own future games.

8) For the @GM part, I don't have a question. I've been in one of your games. I like how you GM, I feel your GM style meshes with what I like as a player.

For the @player part: I'd echo Seth. I think his question expresses what I would ask very well. I like it when the characters - as well as the players - work together to tell a good story.

That said, player meshing can take time, so I would also ask if someone was patient enough to let that happen.

I apologize, but I am going to have to drop before the start. Not because I don't want to play, or anything like that.

Yesterday was the birthday of one of my players in the group I DM for face-to-face, and he bought Prey for Death because he wants to see the story of the adventure and how it ties into WoI. I was not expecting that to happen or I would not have apped in the first place.

I'm going to be running it shortly, and I don't think it's fair to run and to play it at the same time. While I think I can keep player and character knowledge separate, it's all too easy to accidentally let something slip, and inadvertently ruin fun for other people, and I do not want to risk that.

So, thank you for selecting me, and I hope that the game goes great for all of you!

I would guess color since silver is not in the traits you listed. Special properties tend to be listed in traits when they apply.

All of the Pre-master bestiaries work just fine after the Remaster. Hill Giants were not 'axed'. Page space is a consideration, and if you need a hill giant, just use it from Bestiary 1 or AoN.

Not every monster from the three bestiaries will be reprinted. Nor do they need to be. Nor should we want them to be. New monsters are better than old ones that will not be changed at all.

Thanks for accepting me as well.

I'll get to work on my character. As I'm a wizard with a spellbook, how would spells that I may have added, outside of normal leveling, be handled?
Would there be some sort of allowance, or would that come from the 1500 gold, ie scrolls that I had scribed in the past?

I'm leaning towards alchemist for my FA for some added versatility.

I tell my parties that barring something unforeseen they'll get a single 10-minute rest guaranteed. I take that as being the same time in previous D20 games that we used to search the bodies and for secret doors.

They could certainly have more than one, but it's never assured, and they would typically not get 3 or 4.

I think if you give too many all the time players start to expect it, then you get that time when you can't rest at all - and those do happen when a story calls for it - players aren't prepared to deal with that.

I like checking the score each day, and pondering characters for application once the voting is over. It's been a pretty fun thread.

I think between Guns and Gears, its January Remaster, and SF2's playtest, there are plenty of resources for converting technology to PF2.

Talindra Ravenheart wrote:

It is such an incredible relief to see you're around, DM DoctorEvil! My votes mirror Lia's just because I had a ton of fun with her in your old CoCT game and I want those picks to win :D

I owe a few of you, Talindra and Lia included, an apology for bailing on their last game last year. No plans for that to happen this time.

IRL happens. I think the fact that we are both willing to re-app for one of your games shows there are no hard feelings. I echo others that it's great to see you back.

Hi DrEvil!

My votes are:

For Group 1: Reign of Winter. Not only because I really love Irrisen and the concept of the AP, but because I have a PC I've apped twice for RoW Games and haven't made into one yet. I'd be happy with any of the rest except for Rise as I've run that one, and my memory hasn't faded enough from it yet.

For Group 2, I think I'd lean, slightly, Kingmaker. I wouldn't want AoA for the same reasons as Rise, or SKT as I am currently running it on these boards.

As Dr. Frank said, use the creature creation rules. That's how monsters, even ones shaped like character classes, are designed in this edition.

You could just use any old cloth. Cleave gags are nice and simple.