I just dropped in after a long while to see what's been happening in Paizoland, and whoa! This is the campaign I've been wanting to see since forever! Whoever is responsible for coming up with this, you've found my Awesome Button and this might be, after so many years of role playing, be what finally pushes it. I guess all I need now is a new gaming group... -Matt
My auto insurer won't insure me anymore because my daily commute "frequently includes CR20+ encounters" (his words). #level20problems
No one will play darts with me, because I only miss the bullseye 5% of the time. #level20problems
My calves hurt because I had to take the stairs. There were no windows on the eighth floor for me to jump or fly up to. #level20problems
I've been receiving morale bonuses for so long that I can't imagine going through life without magically-induced motivation. #level20problems
I look Leadership. Now I have more followers than Asmodeus, and he's jealous. #level20problems
My 20th-level PFS character has Rumormonger. -Matt
If it were a feat, it would fall into the same trash heap as Jawbreaker or that feat from Ultimate Combat, the one inspired by Fellowship of the Ring. I think a good rule of thumb here would be "if you liked this one-second shot from a movie, don't make a feat around it." Also, this is Ultimate Intrigue, the book about skills and how to make extensive use of them. It would be silly if the book were full of classes, archetypes, feats, and spells. -Matt P.S. If you want to start addressing the martial/caster disparity, stop making so many feats! Feats for everything only contributes to the problem!
Unrefined thought here... The Free Parking Fallacy This fallacy refers to the notion that a game is poorly designed, when the perceived problem occurs as a result of using house rules. An example would be a GM who claims that the Stealth skill is poorly designed because opposed Stealth vs Perception rolls are too swingy, when that same GM disallows taking 10 on Stealth checks. -Matt
It would be nice if the Ultimate Intrigue book itself has expanded uses for existing skills. Uses like this one. Isn't this sort of thing what the Ultimate Intrigue book is for? -Matt
A witch? Oh. I just assumed that she was a Mythic Bard/Rogue/Ninja/Pirate/Witch. It is comforting to learn that Her Majesty is a merely a normal Witch. -Posted with Wayfinder
It's okay. Having an evil character in the group means I have someone to pin things on. -Matt
I am still looking forward to Pathfinder Second Edition. -Matt
People who check out after their turn is over. These are the people who don't know about buff spells until their turn comes up, who don't know how the combat has changed since their previous turn, and who have to be notified individually that they need to make a saving throw against a party-wide effect. When information has to be repeated multiple times, that multiplies the time those information-generating actions take. When four players have to be told, individually, what Haste does, the game slows to a crawl. Also, bonus stacking really slows things down. -Matt
There is a third possibility. Paizo could start releasing material for Pathfinder that is also 5E-compatible. Like the APs. It would only grow the potential audience for their products. -Matt
Indeed. My games involve being good as a difficult road, with commensurate benefits. Problem is... the Pathfinder Society campaign makes being good unsatisfying and un-beneficial. And then there's the problem of needing the whole party to be willing to go down that road with you. -Matt
You're right, Koujow. I recall, actually, very early on, having the same visions of Indiana Jones. Funnily enough, one of Paizo's freelancers, who was active all the way back in 2008, told me that the PFS are more like Dr. Belloq than Indiana Jones. And it's true. It got a bit old after awhile, largely because I found it pretty silly to see, over and over, absolutely zero negative repercussions for the Society's shady ways. In Golarion, just as in the real world, crime does pay when you or your bosses have enough money and influence to make the consequences disappear. Anyways, I reacted by having my character take her growing resentment of the PFS and act on it. It was pretty fun, but I agree with the observation that the other players were perfectly happy to follow the criminal railroad (my Eyes of the Ten group was a notable exception. Wow, that was great). It's amazing to see what lengths players will go to justify that Prestige Point. It's kinda weird (and misleading) how Paladins are OK and Evil characters aren't, isn't it? -Matt
Speaking of, the Rules Questions forum really grinds my gears. That board is where good questions go to die. Searching it is a waste of time. -Matt
*grindgrindgrindgrind* -Matt
Six Degrees of Bash the Rogue. -Matt
It's a start. What would be nice is to have a set of reference points for these sorts of stats, so players can, with a quick glance, see where their PCs are falling behind. Such a table would be great in a guide to 8-9 and 10-11. Also useful would be a second set of reference points, this one showing stats beyond which a PC starts to trivialize content. The space between, perhaps it could be called the Fun Zone? -Matt
I would hope that my tablemates enjoyed having me around while I was moving up the levels with my unoptimized socially-focused PC. Just when did this idea of "playing suboptimal PCs is a troll behavior" start propagating, anyways? Also, I would suggest adding "embrace teamwork" and "think outside the box" as tips for 8-9 and 10-11 play. -Matt
Does a PC with an SLA still qualify for, say, Craft Wondrous Item? "Able to cast x-level spells" and "caster level x" are two different things. The FAQ only appears to address the former. -Matt
Trying to tumble round something like a purple worm is a virtual death sentence for most rogues. Well, all I know is that I managed fine back in 2010, so I should be able to manage fine this time around. It's not like the Season 0-3 scenarios got powercrept as well! Also there are ways around the high-CMD problem. Purple worms, for example, don't have Combat Reflexes, so there is no Acrobatics check needed if I delay until after another character takes the AO. They also have a low Will save, making them susceptible to Glitterdust. There are ways to deal with the issue beyond Acrobatics vs CMD. In the Core environment, teamwork might actually become a thing! -Matt
Will I? Or will the druids I end up with be reasonably-powered, just like the ones I actually played with before? And if Druids really are that nutty, Core PFS will be a great forum for testing that assumption. It'll make for great feedback going into Pathfinder 2ndEd development. -Matt
I am tired of the rotating editions. I am happy to address the problems and challenges of the game as it exists... I see. So what you're saying is that the Core rulebook is becoming an obsolete product, but that's okay, because we can rely on the veterans who own everything to support the game, and because new players are perfectly capable of purchasing everything required to have a "fixed" game? And they'll just magically figure out which rules materials are included in this "fixed" game and which aren't? -Matt
Starting up a quick game of Six Degrees of Bash the Rogue seems to be a common response. Perhaps followed by finding the nearest dead horse and thwacking it over and over with your trusty sap. -Matt
There are traps in PFS? hehe, j/k. That 7-Str Rogue did encounter a single trap in her career. Point being, no need to be a hater. It's PFS. Any one of the other players can easily build a hyper-efficient killing machine which can solo the module by itself. Heck, the Easy Mode players should be grateful to have a tablemate who isn't a threat to their combat dominance. I'd even go so far as to say that intentionally-underoptimized characters are a gift to the Easy Mode players at the table. So why the hate? -Matt can totally see himself doing a 9-Int Wizard as a part of a weird melee build that eventually goes to 11 Int to constantly cycle Heightened Awareness with Pearls of Power.
Wow, Six Degrees of Bash the Rogue was completed in one response. Is that a new record? I've always been a big fan of the Rake archetype. Maybe Swashbuckler if you need another combat feat to make your idea work. -Matt
If he doesn't know about the DC of your locks, he won't perceive them as a challenge. Why tell him OOC about your locks or their DCs? Perhaps you could instill positive behaviors by presenting challenges that you want him to overcome. Just point him in the right direction OOC, and don't tell him about the paths you don't want him to go down. You can turn this around by harnessing his desire to overcome challenges. -Matt
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