Malastra's page

If not the abilities or the feats or the spells to combat against outsider baddies, openly roleplaying your hatred against them expresses a lot more of your hate for them.

One thing also to remember about firearms is they are not very Stealthy as they make a big boom so everyone around knows you got a gun.

Maybe someone has made a makeshift silencer for their guns.

That would be cool to have.

I'm trying my hand at writing up a proper adventure module, with a fairly complex story, interesting encounters, etc. I'm wondering what people think defines a truly awful adventure. What should I avoid? With both the story and the statistics, what are the worst mistakes a writer can make? As players or GMs using a module, what drives you crazy?

For me, this is sort of an attempt to approach my campaigns differently. As a GM I normally run a loose, open-ended story where I improvise pretty much everything.

Any adventure is bad if:

You cannot really predict on how the players will personally react to the adventure until you start it and play a few sessions with it.
If you start to see some loss of interest in your players, then you need to improvise to keep them interested.

...just drop an encounter out to get it to fit 3 hours.

Agreed.

Unlike bows and arrows, guns are more problematic.
You need a forge to make those bullets.
Gunpowder requires chemical know-how and equipment, you just cannot make it in the wilderness and miraculously find charcoal, sulfur, potassium nitrate and so on.
Unless the gunfighter keeps his weapons dry, rain and water will make powder and wadding useless.
Not saying to screw the players around with that, but weather was very problematic for the colonials in times past.

If a gunfighter keeps his gear at his belt, his powder and wadding in leather sacks that are not water proof, and he jumps into a swamp or river, he will face some problems with his firearms.

Title or rank does not mean actual ability level.

Depending on the player, some powerful ones can be humble, while others can be boastful.

It really depends on the player.
However if you are looking to incorporate potential power level in the your game.
You can always do some sort of skill roll that will simulate reading a person's power level (kind of like Dragonball Z or how the Jedi and Sith sense the potential force on each other)

Blue meth anyone?

*humming the Breaking Bad theme*

Kung fu bears.
Karate apes.
Now I have seen it all.

Personally I would stick with druid IMO.
Do not multiclass.
Druids with their wildshapes, buffs, and animal companion are already lethal as is.

Monk-assassins are pretty good.
Living weapons requiring not too much gear and only 3 rounds to one-shot-kill.

No one would suspect that humble monk or farmer to be a silent cold-hearted killer.

Since he is a monk.
Perhaps he adopted an asian name.

Saizo
Hanzo
Jubei
Shin
...and so on

DR is a good defense.
Against creatures or mobs that have multiple small-dmg attacks, you are god.
Against mobs that do one or two huge damage attacks, it can still help you.
Against magic spells and effects, you are like anybody else with your saves.

I wouldn't change anything to ensure this player gets to use his charge.

Agreed with Touc.

Outside of using glitterdust spells, if you suspect an invisible assailant(s) attacking you in melee.
Economically, chalkdust or flour works well in terms of locating where they are.
You still have the auto-miss chance but a bit easier than guessing the square/hex using visual senses alone.

This of course does not work if they are of flying sorts.

In the homebrew game I'm playing, we have a persistent enemy who likes to fly around and hit the party with a magic missile massacre.

Any flier can be brought down with ranged attacks, both magical and mundane.

Any flying swarm, small or large, can or hinder spellcasting.
Most spells are line of sight, hinder the enemy's sight and he cannot direct spells.

Hello all!

My character is a Varisian Male who is a fighter (phalanx fighter archetype).
Thanks!

People will either name their character based on:

Varisians reminds me of gypsies when I read into their background and stuff.
Have you thought of looking up for some gypsy names to use?

Better to ask with wishes on how to help your quest than to ask for the item itself to shorten the whole planned storyline.
If the GM really wanted an efreeti to solve the ordeals so easily, he would not have placed a wish-granting opportunity in the game.

Bringing the bard back is a generous thing.
Hopefully you have the original body intact.
Takes 2 wishes if the body was destroyed.
The bard will also suffer a permanent loss of level.

The wish does not specify the spontaneous creation of matter (mundane and magical) as one of its 'normal' functions.
It does however say:
You may try to use a wish to produce greater effects than these, but doing so is dangerous. (The wish may pervert your intent into a literal but undesirable fulfillment or only a partial fulfillment, at the GM's discretion.)

So doing a wish involving bypassing the defenses of the vault without the scepter, or to outright have the necklace or scepter may not be so safe to wish for.

The wizard that wants a magic items or regaining memory or immortality is again beyond the "normal" functions.

I'm running a game centered in Cheliax which has a significant amount of interaction with devils. What tempting offers might a devil offer a PC that the PC would consider?

The Beastiary 2 has a Contract Devil which will exchange a persons soul for either a wish or the service of a devil. While I like those, I don't think any of my PCs would ever consider making such a deal.
What lesser deals might still interest a devil. As I understand it devils are interested in long term investments and are willing to work on corrupting a person over time in hopes of eventually owning his soul.

Devils are subtle exploiters.

What are the goals and desires of the PCs?
How much is it desired or wanted?

I'm playing in an upcoming game that has the limitation that none of the PCs play a class that has the ability to cast spells (Archetypes that replace casting are acceptable, SLAs from class or race are acceptable). Enemies won't have casting abilities either. So here's my question: If you were put under these rules what would you choose to play?

Assume that no information is known about other party members, all races are available, stat array is 18,16,14,12,10,8, and a starting level of 3-4. Terrains are varying (essentially we're climbing a tower of baddies with skill based puzzles and each level will be a different terrain type.)

Essentially in a low or no magic game, I assumed that technology could be more present in this world.

I would play a more modern type of character.
This of course depends on if technology has flourished due to loss of magic.
Alchemy is now a science.
Gunslingers are more prominent.

I'm writing out some potential future events for a Kingmaker game I am running (dragging it out to cover at least 50+ years of in-game time).

What cosmic event could cause the gods to go silent for a time? Something spanning months, or years.

Gods feed on the life force of its worshipers through their faith.

A newfound discovery which prompts an increase of the technology level that evolves into a utopian society based on this discovery.
A utopian society that provides the wants and needs of its people.

The gods are tired of its mortals and decided to do planetary genocide.

A new deity has come forth, more powerful than the existing gods, its sends its messengers to spread its words among the populace.

pfrpg rd-- I like this one cause it is the pRD in an app. it even has links for spells and SP's and other abilites.

I also have this app as well.

LOL picturing a goblin gunfighter reminds me of the Looney Tunes character of Slow Poke Rodriguez.
No cat goes after the slowest mouse in all of Mexico because he carries a BIG GUN.
The gun is literally bigger than him.
How he keeps it hidden is unknown.

Thank you for all of your suggestions so far.

Further information to note:

I will come in level 5.
I have 10500 gp to spend in whatever fashion I desire.
It is a 20-point buy for stats.
No third party books.

I see Erastil cleric, an archer ranger and druid being most mentioned.

Open to your suggestions on builds.

Thank you again in advance!!!

I have been asked by some of my gaming group to DM/GM Pathfinder game. I have been a AD&D DM/GM and Player for sometime. My question is what books are absolutely need to DM/GM a game of Pathfinder.

P.S. I will be DM/GMing Rise of the Ruinlords Anniversary for the group. Also take it as I know very little about Pathfinder other than it's pretty much D&D 3.5 (which I have also not played) with some things changed from what my players tell me.

I would suggest the Player's handbook, Bestiary and GM Guide for starters.

What books are allowed is up to you as a GM to decide.

Recently while salvaging valuables from defeated bugbears my Half Orc Ranger used Survival skills to render several pounds of rations from his defeated foes. I considered this good roleplaying for a true neutral ranger of monstrous ancestry raised among mountainous barbarian tribes. While I attempted to hide this action from other party members the players in my group considered it an evil act. I dont quite understand the Alignment system in spite of my many years as a player.

If the party is starving, and the only sustenance is flesh from the dead, I do not see cannibalism for survival as bad.

If the humanoids are being sought for their flesh to be consumed, then that is different.

Agreed with Kakitamike.
I see no reason it cannot be used in that fashion.

However it is the GM's call if its possible in his/her game.

I agree with those that suggested the falcata.
Used one in few sessions and managed to do well with its good damage and crit threat-range.

The group has three characters:
1. human male witch
2. elven female bard
3. human male cavalier

Typically I would play anything I desired to make at the time.
However, I would like your suggestions on what would compliment this small group to benefit the party the most.

Thank you all in advance for your help!

Malastra wrote:

Aha...I forgot...magic alters the physics of the world.

Good luck in getting armor to fit you.
There is always a price to some bonus.

There's no such price unless it specifically says so, which it doesn't. So the DM could rule that he needs to pay extra for custom-made armor, but that'd be a house rule.

The price is meant to address both monetary and prejudice.

If you looked different from the normal type, would you be widely accepted in all places you go?
Money is nothing if no service is given.

Invulnerable as in withstanding any damage that can hurt or kill you.
BOOM, you are a pile of ash.
Cannot take more damage and cannot be killed if you are already dead and cremated.

If you want to go into more detail.
Reduced to subatomic particles.

Aha...I forgot...magic alters the physics of the world.

Good luck in getting armor to fit you.
There is always a price to some bonus.

Personal experience is the worst judge of these things. You could be a better player than the others, for example. If you are good at making characters and everyone else is bad or even just average, you will outperform them regardless of class.

My previous response here is based on the OP statement.

Sneak Attack is a weak damage mechanic. It's only, effectively, 3.5 damage every two levels, and only in very specific circumstances. It doesn't multiply on a crit, and Rogues have trouble hitting, as they are the only 3/4 BAB class (other than monks) that don't have a built in mechanic to raise their attack bonuses.

True, however it still works and it still kills mobs.

Not my intent to flame you or start something.
Just giving my 2 cents.
Thank you.

Malastra wrote:

In 20+ years of my experience, rogues do not suck in combat.

Unless time-travel is involved, you haven't been playing Pathfinder for 20+ years. Believe it or not, different systems are different.

Malastra wrote:

Also, better to stick to one class or at most two classes to gain a decent progression in saves and BAB.

Jumping to new classes is like re-starting the BAB and save progression to 0 again.

Wait, what? BAB and saves are two of the only things that aren't reset by multiclassing. It's all the other high-level class features that you miss.

Love the avatar of yours.

With enough levels, you can get the high level features even if you multiclass, unfortunately you might have to play for a very long time to get them.
I did not say that the BAB and saves the ONLY things affected.
I just stated two well-known things in the comment, where did I say they are the ONLY two things?

If you had a tiefling with large sized arms, could he dual weild mithril greatswords at no extra penalty?

Large arms with a medium sized body will not alter equilibrium and balance of the body when using a large inertial weapon.

You are the GM
You say what goes

He is a player
He is responsible for rolling and upkeeping his character including rolls, ranks, feats and math.

If a game is played and events takes place based on actions by the players, then it happens.

Make a general ruling.
If there is a mistake by a player, it needs to be corrected and brought up within the same game session.
Give too much time and players will have too much time to think up a good excuse or reason.
You are the GM, it is your game.

At any time, the player could have re-checked his dex and bonuses during the event. I re-check to make sure if I am going to be suffering massive damage.
Seems this player did not do so and accepted it.

Unfairness is showing favoritism
Unfairness is giving no chance for any player to make his appeal.

This player is just mad that she did not spot the error in time
Now he is whining about his screw up by blaming other instead of his calculator.

Once you give chances to people like him, he will continue to do it again seeing that you can be pushed that far to give.
Others may follow his example.

So do a general ruling of appeals in same game session, stats and actions are on the player's responsibility not yours.

The problem I'm having is that the dungeon goes well, until the boss. He has a perchance for these ridiculous bosses that we can't hope to beat. We had to fight a level 5 paladin, who was half dragon, using full plate and a tower shield, and had a large weapon. we are level 3. We had to roll a perfect 20 just to hit him, meanwhile he has +17 to hit and can nail us on a 6 or more for nearly 20-25 damage a pop. We should have died but he redid the boss mid battle. He is telling me that it was an epic fight and we should have been able to win because he was party level +4 and that is what the book said to use but I have no idea where he is getting those numbers. Is he right? If the number is EPL +4 then yes I suppose he would be but I don't think templates work that directly with class levels.

1. Like previous posters stated, maybe there was something that your party missed that would give you people an equal footing vs this boss.

2. Most armor does not protect vs magical attacks or splash weapons.
Use spells to damage him, buff party members, heal wounded, etc.
Oil and fire works.
Acid as well.
Thunderstones and tangle bags exceptional.

3. A hand to hand combatant is good as far as his weapon and his reach.
Ranged attacks works well.
Rogues climb walls, perch on a ledge or something high, and fire arrows.
Mage and cleric case spells offensively once defensive ones are cast.

4. The most powerful characters are not melee, they are the magic-using classes...make sure the casters know they can do the most against a melee boss.

In 20+ years of my experience, rogues do not suck in combat.
Rogues do not fight like warriors so of course no extra feats like fighters.
However they have sneak attack and debilitating effects like slowing, bleeding and so on.
I have taken down many foes with blade and bow using sneak attacks.
They do not suck.

Also, better to stick to one class or at most two classes to gain a decent progression in saves and BAB.
Jumping to new classes is like re-starting the BAB and save progression to 0 again.

Rogue/Fighter: keep it at two of them
Continue to play fighter if she likes more in your face combat style and more feats.

No, you have a 10'x10'x100' deep pit with a Gelatinous Cube at the bottom. The round after that pit opens, a trapdoor in the ceiling opens dropping a second Gelatinous Cube into that pit, sandwiching our heroes between them.

Old but good tactic, had done that sandwich pit combo when I GM'd AD&D over 20 years ago.

Like any land-based mob, barricades are used to slow down a creature.
Multiple barricades, falling back to the next one after ranged attacks are loosed, then repeat is an old tactic handling foot soldiers against cavalry.
Cubes are naturally slow, I assume it is at least difficult terrain to travel over the barricades to really slow them down depending on how it is built.
Other than acid, cubes can be burned with oil and fire.
Spread the oil on the floor, wait for the cube to come, light it and watch.

Magic circle vs evil
Heroism
Magic vestment

Level 3 spells that can boost fighting prowess and defense

There was a villian in an early X-Men comic called UNUS.
He had the power to erect a force field that made him invulnerable to harm.
He eventually died because he was not able to deactivate the field to eat, drink, breathe, etc.

Same principle.
Because he has a uber powerful force field around him, this character cannot touch anything to eat, drink, use touch spells on himself, remove his armor to sleep, cannot be touched by others as in heal spells, and so on.
He will eventually weaken and die (unless the wish ends before it)

With the amount of buffs through spells, stats and skills, one domain is enough.
Inquisitors are subpar paladins without the lawful goodness.

1. There are campaign rules on firearm technology in the main book.
I assume that firearms are unique and not common weapons in your game.
So long as **you**advised**this stipulation to the player, you are not at fault if he decides to accept that "challenge" of playing one any way.

2. Gunfighters are good characters depending on feat and skill selection.

3. Adding ranks in Knowledge skills to increase his monster lore would be helpful. Sees monster, does his monster lore, knows weaknesses.
Chooses one from his ammo collection: silver, adamantite, cold iron, etc.
Bet the other players do not have different metal weapons, gunfighters only need bullets of different metals.

4. The other alternative route would have been if he chose Spellslinger which is a mage that buffs his gun or shoots spells through his gun.
Drawback is losing 4 schools.

5. Rogue levels add sneak damage to his gun damage.

6. Treat gunfighters like archers in terms of feat selection.
Archers are bada** with the right feats.

Recently I started a homebrew game with my closest friends and out of the blue the my friend, lets call him "D" decided to play an evil monk. He did this with full knowledge of the party configuration.

Which goes like this:
LG Half-Elf Ranger
LG Human Noble
CG Human Bard
CG Human Alchemist
LE Human Monk

I've tried to convince him to alter alignments slightly or make a more cohesive character but he politely refuses and says he knows what he is doing. He hides his alignment with magic (they are 4th level) but I think his luck will soon run out and get kabobed on the Rangers Arrow. What should I do, just let things play out?
Sorry for the rant.

This monk player needs to think before he acts.

His method may not be widely accepted or liked by his teammates.
However so long as does not hinder the group in any way, should be OK.

Eventually he may need to leave the group at some point in time because of his convictions.

So one of my players, two of his characters died in pretty rapid succession, and he hit the internet and found an amazing Paladin build. Problem is, ever since hes made the character, the combats have literally been him just one-shoting everything that I've thrown at the group. On top of that, hes able to cure every disease and anything else that I can throw at them, and its become rather problematic. I don't really know how to deal with the situation, because I don't think he means to break the game, but he has.

Any suggestion with how I should deal with this situation?

I would not increase the number or power level of the mobs against the party or the paladin.

The rest of the group is not super-powered like the paladin so they should not suffer overwhelming challenges because of one player.

To handle the OP, you need to utilize challenges that will challenge the paladin without killing the rest of the party.

Paladins are both combative and spiritual/moral characters.
Hence challenge the paladin through his spiritual/moral side.

A charmed mob are not evil despite the mind controller's alignment.
A paladin cannot just chop his way through farmers and folk to get to the caster and remain lawful good.
Even worse are mobs of charmed children.
Atonement spells are for minor infractions to alignment and conscience.
Atonement will not absolve cold blooded murder of innocents.

Discover weaknesses.
What does he want?
Forsaken him of that.
What does he cherish?
Destroy or kill it.

Framing a paladin for a false crime is heavy.
Paladins are lawful.
If the villian uses the law against the paladin, then all of his gear and super powers mean little against the law.
He will need to surrender to it meaning be disarmed of all that he owns, or stand trial meaning waiting out an unspecified amount of time till his trial is set (imprisonment until trial date).

Guile and subtlety will kill all sorts, even broken characters.

At 3rd level:
6 1st level spells
4 2nd level spells
Judgement 1/day

magic weapon = 3 minutes for +1 enhancement to hit and damage
divine favor = 1 minute buff of +2 luck bonus to hit and damage
shield of faith = 3 minutes of +2 to AC
justice judgment = +1 to hit for entire combat

With a set of nonmagical weapon and armor:
+4 to hit, +3 damage
+2 AC

That is a pretty decent buff for a 3rd level

1. "Captain" is a openly-disputed rank, does not make one a leader of the group unless the party agrees to listen and to obey him without question.
Power tripping captains often suffer mutiny if the power goes to their heads.

2. Captain needs to realize people do not listen because he has not shown enough to have his men respect his authority and judgment.
Respect comes from how he treats them and how he is open to listen to them as well.
Example: Captain Kirk and Captain Picard are not tyrants, they listen to the opinion of the men and women under them in the conference room and makes a decision.

2. Game is about roleplaying...not personal

3. If intimidation, bluff and diplomacy rolls are used to affect PC to PC interaction, that defeats the roleplaying part between PCs.
These skills should be for NPC interaction.

Since you are an arcane archer, you have access to spells including some fun cantrips.
Prestidigitation is an incredible 0-level spell that is often used as the practical joke spell on someone.
Read up on that spell and go creative.

I played the spell and humiliated some PCs with it.

We are looking for folks on the windward side who are up for some Friday after-work Pathfinder.

We have a group of three right now in Kailua, but we are looking for a few more folks who want to play to help round out the party.

[location: Kailua, Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii, HI]

Hi Zeta:

My wife and I would be interested in joining a good gaming group.
We have some experience in Pathfinder and few other RPGs.

Please let me know.
Thanks Dean.

Have yet to play Pathfinder, this weekend will be my first session.
I am not a noob to D&D, been playing this game for over 20+ yrs...

I am looking at different options to get into Shadowdancer.
1. straight up Rogue-5
2. 1 or 2 level dip into Monk, then Rogue
3. 1 level dip into Bard then Rogue

Straight rogue will give me 3d6 sneak dmg.

A level dip into Bard gives me unlimited cantrips and a few 1st level spells that can compliment my rogue skills.

Monk levels can help me out on saves and give me a few extra feats that I can use for the rogue.

Opinions on which way to go?
My style of play will be versatility, not just stealth, not just sneak attacking....