Mark Chance's page

Thanks for the kind words. I've passed the link for this thread off to Man-Day Adventurer Eric, the author of the rules at the link in the OP above.

Who knows? He may grace us with his presence. :)

What this shadowdancer is doing, is he's moving, attacking and losing his stealth, and then moving and making a new stealth check in the shadows as part of that movement.

I get that, but I demur from assent. The shadowdancer's tactic is an even harder scenario to justify than sniping from cover, and yet it incurs not penalties beyond those associated with movement?

That is not something that "rules totally support", regardless of whether considering the letter of or the spirit of the rules. Instead, it is an interpretation, and it's one that would never fly at my table with me as DM.

Before the shadowdancer's attack gets to land, he must move into position. This may very well impose the -5 penalty movement penalty, and would certain permit a Perception check before the attack is made.

All of that aside, a class ability that can be defeated by a light spell is far from being the greatest thing since sliced bread.

As already mentioned, there are any number of rather simple ways to make the shadowdancer feel the pain.

Which is better in your opinion and why?

Which ever fits the character's concept is better because that would be option that better fits the character's concept.

As already noted, the ready action is your friend. Use it. Concealment via magic is easy to get. A potion of blur, for example. Bright light ruins hide in plain sight.

Remember: "It's impossible to use Stealth while attacking, running, or charging."

Leaping in and out of hide in plain sight via Spring Attack could certainly count as sniping, and thus incurs the -20 Stealth check penalty in addition to penalties associated with movement. And that's being generous, IMO, since the sniping rule is meant to apply to ranged rather than melee attacks.

IOW, use the rules you already have. Enforce the rules you already have. Nothing more is needed.

Because some people just gotta have rules for everything, including love. :)

Love Rules

Man-Day's "We're Not In Arkansas Anymore!" campaign takes five ordinary 21st century men and plunges them into a Pathfinder-rule world of fantasy and adventure. My most recent blog post at the Spes Magna site talks about the influential Recondite Order.

"My bard yells, 'Cut!'"

For a limited time, you can receive Spes Magna's Latina Facta & Versatile Performance Redux for free. That's a hard price to beat for a PDF that offers 15 new feats based on Latin sayings and an alternate Versatile Performance class feature for Pathfinder bards. Hop over to the Free Product Offer page to take advantage of this offer.

Man-Day's "We're Not In Arkansas Anymore!" campaign takes five ordinary 21st century men and plunges them into a Pathfinder-rule world of fantasy and adventure. My most recent blog posts at the Spes Magna site talk about some of the major geographic features of the Four Communities region as well as the influential Recondite Order. Click over for a tour, but watch out for the monstrous spiders.

Are you not a Quid Novi? subscriber? Do you want to check out a Spes Magna Games product without having to pay for it? If you answered "You bet!" then check out this link to see how you can receive the Latina Facta & Versatile Performance Redux PDF.

I'd use the DM Says So mechanic. :)

That would be a direct lie. A paladin doesn't lie.

It's only a direct lie if the paladin's knowledge of the situation is a certainty. If there is room for doubt, it's best not to speculate.

The paladin's most obvious option is to simply refrain from answering.

A brief summary of the Four Communities region's major geographical features has been posted here.

"I don't know for certain, and I would be remiss to speculate. We can hope and pray that she sought and received forgiveness for any misdeeds she'd performed."

It is a fundamental principle of moral philosophy that an unjust law is not a law. Not obeying an unjust law is a right and a moral duty.

All I suggested are already within the rules. .... But stuff which can be used by players and GMs alike.

As is what I and other folks have suggested. Unless, of course, it is your contention that adding to or changing the rules in creative ways is somehow not within the rules. The majority of posts in here have been about special BBEG rules, including some in which people decry such rules.

BTW, is the requirement that all rules be used by players and GMs alike actually in the rules? Or is that just one of your house rules?

More information about Man-Day's new "We're Not In Kansas Anymore!" campaign has been posted at the Spes Magna Games website. This new campaign takes five normal, 21st-century people and transports them to the fantastic land of the Four Communities.

On site, you can now find...

...a summary of the first session.
...a rough map of the Four Communities.
...a summary of what the PCs have learned about the region's major factions.

In other news, Spes Magna Games will soon have its own storefront at Paizo.com. The initial paperwork is being processed. Look for the announcement of this earth-shattering event in a future blogpost. More hyperbole may also be included.

I've also completed another column for Game Geek, this time looking at some common defenses against the supernatural that can be included in just about any d20 System game.

Moving over to non-game stuff, I've posted Secrets of Marriage Men (Part 3) and continued with my Houston Religion & Politics Examiner series of articles.

Enjoy!

More information about Man-Day's new "We're Not In Kansas Anymore!" campaign has been posted at the Spes Magna Games website. This new campaign takes five normal, 21st-century people and transports them to the fantastic land of the Four Communities.

On site, you can now find...

...a rough map of the Four Communities.
...a summary of what the PCs have learned about the region's major factions.

Enjoy!

I can't agree with special BBEG powers.

Okay. What's your suggestion?

Give them max hit points, a +X Profane Bonus for "dealing with the devil" stuff already possible within the rule set.

So, instead of no special BBEG powers, you recommend...special BBEG powers.

Here're the solo rules I use (taken from Rewarding Roleplaying):

Solos
Solo creatures are the most fearsome monsters the PCs will ever face. Solo creatures, by definition, must be encountered alone. Solos have abilities specifically designed to allow them to overcome the “economy of actions” and compete against a party of adventurers. If allies arrive to assist a solo creature, downgrade it to an elite. To create a solo creature:

* Multiply its hit points by the number of PCs it is facing (e.g. four PCs, 4 x hit points)
* Start the creature with 2 Action Dice per PC it is facing. These Action Dice function as described above.
* Do not adjust the creature’s CR.

Just as with elites, creatures can gain or lose their solo status as you see fit, depending on the needs of the encounter. Certainly, if a solo is not fighting alone, you should reduce it to elite status.

When you create a solo by increasing its hit points, create one normal hit point pool for each PC, with the creature’s normal number of hit points in each pool. If a PC drops, scratch off that entire chunk of bonus hit points unless doing so will render the solo unconscious or dead.

The Action Deficit
Even with the modifications above, a solo creature still faces one major disadvantage: the action deficit. The creature gets two actions per round compared to two actions per round per enemy that the solo faces. You can help offset this disadvantage with the following special ability:

Extra Action (Ex) Once per round at initiative count minus 10, the solo gets a single extra standard action. If the adjustment reduces the initiative court for the extra action to zero or less, the solo forfeits its extra action that round. For example, if the solo's initiative roll totals 15 it gets to act normally at 15 and then gets an extra standard action at 5.

The new PDF Gazae et Monstri is on sale for $0.99 US.

This product contains 6 new magic items and 5 new monsters inspired by Greek and Roman myth. Arm your fighter with the cesti of Eryx. Quest for Pandora’s box. Trade blows with the mighty Antaeus, or match wits with the terrifying Python.

Remember: Quid Novi? subscribers get one-third off the cover price on all Spes Magna products, and everything we sell has a money-back guarantee.

Visit the Purchase Page today!

The first session of "We're Not In Arkansas Anymore!" is done. Awesome summary at this link. Enjoy!

<grumbles about the lack of a 'like' button>

Head over to the Spes Magna Facebook page and click every like link you see. That should help satisfy your thumbs up craving. :)

That's the title of the new Man-Day Adventures campaign that kicks off tomorrow with yours truly taking over as DM after Man-Day Adventurer Wes oversaw our failure to save Oerth from the fell forces of Tharizdun while returning to the Temple of Elemental Evil.

This new campaign will strive to be the opposite of Monte Cook's Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil. In other words, WNIAA won't be a grueling, blood-soaked trek through sprawling complexes guarded by a bewildering assortment of baddies while searching for MacGuffins galore in order to thwart a diabolical plot so Byzantine that it would baffle an alternate universe amalgam of Umberto Eco and J. R. R. Tolkien.

The initial premise of WNIAA is that each Man-Day Adventurer plays the role of a normal, 21st century person who's won a two-night, three-day, all-expenses-paid bus trip to gamble in Louisiana. Along the way, Something Goes Very Wrong, plunging the bus and its passengers into a strange world that largely conforms to Pathfinder rules. To start with, each Man-Day Adventurer submitted a short PC bio and ability scores. I then used d20 Modern to cobble together a basic stat block.

Our first session tomorrow will include a short, introductory adventure followed by a group PC crafting session. Collaborative conflict mapping will happen during the group PC crafting session. I've got eight factions printed on 3-by-5 cards, a 10-page house rule document, and a 5-page overview of the Four Communities. No Man-Day Adventurer has seen any of this material yet.

Keep an eye on the Spes Magna Games website for future updates about this experiment in sandbox-style campaigning. If nothing else, you can shake your head in mute wonder at our antics.

Yes, you too can enjoy Spes Magna Games PDFs in the privacy of your own home!

Two Products in One!

Purchase two PDF products in one for $0.75 US. Latina Facta includes 15 new feats based on Latin sayings. Versatile Performance Redux introduces an alternate Versatile Performance class feature for bards.

Here's a sample feat from Latina Facta:

Lux et Veritas (General)
Light and truth.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast any spell with the light descriptor.
Benefit: When you cast a spell with the light descriptor, you gain a +4 bonus to Perception and Sense Motive checks as long as you are in the area of effect of the spell.

And here's a sample bit from Versatile Performance Redux:

Faking (Ex) Faking is a term used when someone actually does a legitimate move, but does not understand what took place. A bard uses Faking and 1 round of Bardic Performance to feint in combat with a Perform (dance) check instead of a Bluff check. A 6th-level bard can use Faking as a move action rather than a standard action.

Caveat: Latina Facta and Versatile Performance Redux were previously available for free to Quid Novi? subscribers. If you're one of the lucky ones who've already downloaded these, there's no need to purchase them.

Help Your Players Be Better Roleplayers!

Spes Magna Games also offers Rewarding Roleplaying for $1.50 US. This add-on works with nearly any d20 System game. Rewarding Roleplaying links player-defined roleplaying goals with a robust Action Point system.

Rewarding Roleplaying has received nothing but positive feedback so far (visit here for examples), including this review (excerpted from this thread):

A no frills, but excellent written release I must say. I've always enjoyed using Action Points in a game (originally introduced to them via WotC's Eberron Campaign). This product offers an alternate solution by using action points to reward players for roleplaying instead of XP.

It recommends certain social contracts between the GM and the PC on a per session and also at the campaign level and if met, APs are awarded. It offers a twist on the the way it is expended and regained that is a variant of what some of you may be accustomed to from other settings that use them.

When I say there's no frills, it isn't meant to be disparaging. Simple b/w artwork, single wide-column, but aesthetically readable font-type. Mark has a writing and presentation style that is polished and concise. After a good introduction, you get the feeling that you're really learning something (I picked up a few new words in latin based on their etymology) as well as examples and a couple of footnotes. If you make a Perception check, you can notice that there's a (sl/dr)y sense of humor subtly peeking through the contents.

You can tell that the author has an editorial and teaching background easily upon the first read of this release. Once you've finished it (11 pages, but 8 being the main context), the concept he proposes is easy enough to comprehend and worth giving it a shot.

This is primarily a release directed toward GMs, but if you're one of those individuals that have been frustrated by how a campaign (whether from the position of the GM or the PC) has been going based on XP awards being slanted toward certain types of players, then this is the release for you to acquire and perhaps even build on from it.

.... It's a five star from me.

Visit Our Purchase Page Today!

Both PDFs can be purchased at the Spes Magna Games Purchase Page. Remember: Quid Novi? subscribers get one-third off the cover price on all Spes Magna products, and everything we sell has a money-back guarantee.

Update:

Gazae et Monstri: Treasures & Monsters from Greek & Roman Myth is being ruthlessly proofread by ruthless proofreaders. Upon release, it will follow two paths:

1. Quid Novi? subscribers will receive a copy for free via broadcast email.

2. Other folks can purchase their copy for a mere $0.99 US.

The PDF includes 6 new magic items and 5 new monsters, plus 3 in. by 5 in. item "cards" for the magic items. (They're not really cards until you print them and cut them out.) Each monster is formatted to fit on a single page.

Also, often it is impossible to know if a publisher is "screwing up" their OGL or they meant it to be that way.

Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence. :)

The real big question here, does a listing or a ranking like this promote good feeling to the gaming community? Or is it a form of needling to publishers who don't subscribe to the open philosophy.

Good question. If I'm screwing up my OGL stuff in Spes Magna PDFs, I'd prefer polite, private correspondence. If I'm doing a good job with my OGL stuff, I'd prefer public praise.

Criticize in private; praise in public: It's almost always good advice.

Do you have the price for it yet?

Not yet. It's going out free to Quid Novi? subscribers. Beyond that, I've not made any hard decisions. How much are six magic items and five monsters worth?

Also, here's one more preview.

This PDF should be available by Sunday. Monsters include Antaeus (CR 10), mares of Diomedes (CR 3), Nemean lion (CR 8), Python (CR 15), and Stymphalian birds (CR 2).

Maybe, Ken. Maybe.

And here's some more preview material to further whet the appetite.

Here's my take on this tempest in a teapot:

I like d20pfsrd.org. I use it regularly. I hyperlink to it in Spes Magna PDFs. Whether my association (as limited as it is) with d20pfsrd has had any impact on my sales, et cetera, I cannot say. To be honest, it doesn't really matter to me. As was mentioned above, I'm not publishing OGC because I expect to get rich doing so.

My opinions about John's personality (or lack thereof) aren't relevant to d20pfsrd's utility. ;)

Just finished statting up Antaeus, a CR 10 giant of near Herculean might.

Nice bard! Is his last name Killmonster? :)

This new PDF is under development. You can read more about it by clicking here.

Thanks, Your Majesty! I like the golems, and may have to yoink! them.

I like the *idea* of Versatile Performance, but its execution leaves a bit to be desired.

Agreed. Versatile Performance is the one area where I feel the PF bard falls flat. I retooled VP as follows:

Versatile Performance: At 2nd level, a bard can choose one type of Perform skill and gains one Art associated with that skill. He also gains a bonus skill point. Each type of Perform skill has several Associated Arts. Arts are special abilities that cause various effects. At 6th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the bard can choose select an additional Associated Art and gains a bonus skill point.

I further detailed various Associated Arts, such as:

Accelerando (Su) When used in conjunction with Inspire Courage, Accelerando lets the morale bonus apply to Reflex saves instead of to saving throws against charm and fear effects. When the bard reaches 5th level, affected allies gain a +5-foot bonus to base speed.

Monster. Villain. Toe-may-toe. Tah-mah-toe. :)

Thanks for sharing, Fel!

In an effort to post more actual game content, I asked the Swift Storm to make an appearance in a Spes Magna blog post. She agreed upon condition that I hand over two humans for her and her flight to hunt. Consequently, I'm currently looking for volunteers to help me hold up my end of the bargain. Meanwhile, you can cautiously check out this harpy menace by clicking on the previous link.

So, what about you? Got any villains you'd like to share?

There're still a few days left in the 17th Anniversary Sell-a-Bration! Here's a sample feat from Latina Facta:

Lux et Veritas (General)
Light and truth.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast any spell with the light descriptor.
Benefit: When you cast a spell with the light descriptor, you gain a +4 bonus to Perception and Sense Motive checks as long as you are in the area of effect of the spell.

And here's a sample bit from Versatile Performance Redux:

Faking (Ex) Faking is a term used when someone actually does a legitimate move, but does not understand what took place. A bard uses Faking and 1 round of Bardic Performance to feint in combat with a Perform (dance) check instead of a Bluff check. A 6th-level bard can use Faking as a move action rather than a standard action.

There're still a few days left in the 17th Anniversary Sell-a-Bration! Here's a sample feat from Latina Facta:

Lux et Veritas (General)
Light and truth.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast any spell with the light descriptor.
Benefit: When you cast a spell with the light descriptor, you gain a +4 bonus to Perception and Sense Motive checks as long as you are in the area of effect of the spell.

And here's a sample bit from Versatile Performance Redux:

Faking (Ex) Faking is a term used when someone actually does a legitimate move, but does not understand what took place. A bard uses Faking and 1 round of Bardic Performance to feint in combat with a Perform (dance) check instead of a Bluff check. A 6th-level bard can use Faking as a move action rather than a standard action.

I use the aforementioned Rewarding Roleplaying. I award Action Points for:

(1) Players meeting their own defined roleplaying objectives.
(2) Successful completion of a significant part of an adventure, with significance and part both being defined by me.

This Saturday, May 15, my wife and I celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary! You can share in our joy with a Special Anniversary PDF sale!

For one week starting today, Tuesday, 11 May, both Spes Magna PDFs are on-sale. The discount code is happy17. Here's the purchase link.

You can get Rewarding Roleplaying for $0.75. Here's a short review of this PDF product originally posted at the Paizo boards by Urizen. You can read a bit more about Rewarding Roleplaying over at Alzrius's blog in his post about "Positively-reinforced role-playing" as well as at the Spes Magna Games site.

You can also get Latina Facta & Versatile Performance Redux for $0.50. This PDF includes two separate topics. Latina Facta offers 15 new feats based on Latin sayings. Versatile Performance Redux introduces an alternate Versatile Performance class feature for bards that draws upon terminology from acting, dance, and music.

Caveat: Latina Facta and Versatile Performance Redux were previously available for free to Quid Novi? subscribers. If you're one of the lucky ones who've already downloaded these, there's no need to purchase them.

One-half of sales from Spes Magna products are donated to help the Mission of Yahweh, a faith-based shelter located in Houston, Texas, that empowers, enriches, and restores the lives of homeless women and children and provides outreach services to low-income families in our neighborhood.

Remember: Everything we sell has a money-back guarantee.

Veneficus is latin for magic.

"Veneficus" is Latin for "mixing poison". With different endings, it can mean "poisoner" or "witch". It pretty much always has an evil meaning. Latin for "magic" (without the negative connotations) is "magicus" or "ars magica".

Mark Chance's Magic Channelings. Of course, I'll insist on generously accepting only a small percentage of sales for using my name.

:)

Purchase two PDF products for $0.75 US. Latina Facta includes 15 new feats based on Latin sayings. Versatile Performance Redux introduces an alternate Versatile Performance class feature for bards.

Here's the relevant link.

Caveat: Latina Facta and Versatile Performance Redux were previously available for free to Quid Novi? subscribers. If you're one of the lucky ones who've already downloaded these, there's no need to purchase them.

One-half of sales from Spes Magna products are donated to help the Mission of Yahweh, a faith-based shelter located in Houston, Texas, that empowers, enriches, and restores the lives of homeless women and children and provides outreach services to low-income families in our neighborhood.

Remember: Quid Novi? subscribers get one-third off the cover price on all Spes Magna products, and everything we sell has a money-back guarantee.

Two more days until the Mother's Day discount on Rewarding Roleplaying comes to an end!

Urizen - your review has inspired me to pick up this gem when I get to my home PC. :)

Excellent, Jagyr!

When you get the PDF and have time to read, reflect, et cetera, let me know what you think. I'm always looking for constructive feedback.

Thanks, Urizen! :)

Until midnight on Mother's Day, Rewarding Roleplaying can be purchased for 75 cents instead of the normal $1.50 cover price.

The discount code is mater. Click to visit our Purchase Page.

I was up at about seven this morning. I did the dishes. I started the laundry. I sat down and started writing. By eleven, I had Quid Novi? IX finished and in the email queue for early Sunday morning. I got an email telling me that Game Geek #5 from Avalong Game Company is now on sale for $1 US. Among other things, it features my second regular column, this one about using real world history as a starting point for a sandbox-style campaign.

It seemed like a good idea to take a break. The wife had gone to the grocery store. We put away groceries. Giant Boy and I climbed into the car to head to Target to purchase few other items, including a small book shelf from Giant Boy's room. While were gone, the girls started working on lunch. Christopher and I got back. We put his shelf together. While my daughter was slicing an apple, she cut through the meaty part of her right thumb's tip. In an instant, the day went from pleasant to craptacular.

Christopher and wife Katrina performed admirably under pressure. When an emergency hits, I can bark orders like nobody's business. I discovered that, yes, my aging Toyota can hit 80 miles per hour on the highway. Adrienne's cut's a bad one. She and Katrina are still at the ER after nearly four hours. Katrina just told me the doctor is seeing them.

At the ER, when we were told it would be two hours before a doctor would see Adrienne, Katrina inquired about getting something for Adrienne for her pain. In a hospital full of highly trained medical personnel, there wasn't a single person we could find qualified to make the weighty decision to give my daughter a couple of Tylenol.

If bureacracy has an alignment, it's closer to lawful evil than anything else.

I hit a nearby gas station and bought a bottle of water and some Tylenol. Back in the ER, I gave the Tylenol to Adrienne, who worried that I was doing something wrong. How quickly people can accept the senseless limitations imposed on them by others. Before leaving the ER to head back home, leaving Katrina with Adrienne, I told Katrina:

"When you see the doctor, tell him I gave Adrienne some Tylenol. If he doesn't like that, tell him that your husband said, 'Kiss my ass.'"

Of course, I doubt seriously Katrina would do this. She's the filter on my too loud internal monologue.

The bottom line is that further progress on Spes Magna projects has been derailed for at least today. Of course, there're still some points of interest. Rewarding Roleplaying remains on sale. If you're not subscribed to Quid Novi?, you can sign up for our newsletter. If you get that done early enough today, you'll not miss Issue IX being emailed to you. Visit the site for more information about Rewarding Roleplaying and Quid Novi?. You can also become a Spes Magna Facebook fan.

Slowly I'm getting back to work on the Lab. I've added Aengus the Wanderer. With luck and adequate time management, I can get my two "under constructions" done this coming week.