Mikael Sebag's page

This is all I could find to address your point, Ravingdork:

If you succeed at a saving throw against an effect that has no obvious physical indications, you feel a hostile force or a warning tingle but cannot deduce the exact nature of the attack. Likewise, if a creature specifically targeted by one of your effects succeeds at its saving throw, you can generally tell that the creature has succeeded. You do not sense when creatures succeed at saves against effects you create that don’t target a single creature.

That being said, a creature that fails its save is conversely unaware, as far as I can tell.

Thank you for bringing up keen observer as that led me to look at the rules for Sense Motive more closely, which somewhat answered my question.

So, when it comes to mind-affecting spells, it seems like it would take a Sense Motive check after 1 minute of interaction for somebody to know that something is up (with the envoy ability seeming to be a specialization in the more general use of the DC 25 Sense Motive check that all characters can perform).

A person affected by hold person may be obviously paralyzed to an onlooker, but that paralysis isn't accompanied by visible glowing chains of force or anything like that (though the ongoing duration of the effect would mean that it could be detected with detect magic).

Because Sense Motive specifically calls out the detection of a mental effect on somebody as something that requires a DC 25 check after 1 minute of interaction, we must assume that these effects aren't immediately noticeable after the spell has already been cast. (That is, it's only the casting of the spell that's obvious and immediately noticeable.)

Is that right?

I'm currently building my first Starfinder character, and I'm thinking of an overlord-connection mystic who works in corporate espionage.

Now, on page 330 of the Core Rulebook, the text states, "A cast spell always has obvious effects that are noticeable by nearby creatures; it
is not possible to clandestinely cast a spell."

So, clearly it's impossible to conceal the act of casting a spell, but once the spell has been cast, are the effects noticeable?

If this is the case, then spells like invisibility and disguise self are self-defeating, but what about spells like detect thoughts or zone of truth?

While these spells are in effect do they have "obvious effects that are noticeable by nearby creatures"?

After casting detect thoughts in the empty break room, will my corporate spy have a visible halo of psychic energy pulsing around his head as he maintains concentration on the spell while strolling through the office?

I'm also the god of thread necromancy because I want to see how other people respond to this fascinating prompt.

A bard seems like a fitting choice for an aid worker, if that appeals to anyone. Healing the spirit and the psyche are just as important as healing the body, after all.

I've got two questions before submitting:

1. How do you want us to calculate our hp for the second level, roll or take half?

2. Also, are all the various favored class options permitted?

I've decided that when recruitment begins, I'll be submitting a character whose background is in investigative journalism. Maybe he was a correspondent during the Last War for the Sharn Inquisitive or the Korranberg Chronicle? Not sure yet. I'm leaning towards a human psychic (abomination discipline) whose ancestors were immigrants from Riedra; maybe his psyche is the prison for an evil quori spirit that manifests itself as his dark half...!

Let me know if that is too far afield from the tone that you're interested in.

Mikael Sebag wrote:

If you're still accepting applications, I would LOVE to be a part of this

Recruitment is closed, but I have one player I haven't heard from in a while. I'll consider you first alternate.

Great, thank you! ^_^

Definitely interested here, been a longtime fan of Eberron (in fact, my first time in the DM's seat was running an Eberron game using the Alpha playtest rules for PF!). A psychic or psychic detective appeals to me (maybe a human with Sarlonan ancestry or a kalashtar), but so does playing someone with ties to Arcanix or House Lyrandar (maybe a raincaller?). Can't wait to see the recruitment thread go up!

If you're still accepting applications, I would LOVE to be a part of this; maybe as an occultist or some sort of arcane caster that won't be over the top, like a witch or something to preserve a darker, less fantastic tone. I can post multiple times throughout the day, so I can be very invested if you like.

Let me know if I should whip something up. :)

Titles: The Great Delver, The Hidden Philosopher

Alignment: True neutral

Portfolio: Books, study, learning, self-expression, critical thought

Domains: Knowledge, Luck, Magic, Protection, Void

Subdomains: Memory, Imagination, Arcane, Solitude, Stars

Worshippers: Students, storytellers, wizards, contemplatives, stargazers

Symbol: Stack of five books

Favored Weapon: Unarmed strike

Sacred Animal: Snowshoe hare

Ethos: Take nothing at face value; find time for reflection and contemplation; never presume that you're simply better than the past, but prove it; protect your voice and give a voice to those with none.

I think it's important for us to bear in mind that, for different people, the invocation of wuxia can conjure very different sorts of ideas about fantastic martial combat (especially as the term is so often misapplied to encompass all kinds of Chinese martial-arts narratives). While I might be thinking of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Hero, someone else might be thinking of Stephen Chow's cinematic adaptation of Journey to the West (two completely different kinds of martial arts movies).

In my mind, addressing the C/MD would likely require a two-pronged approach that reined in the versatility and narrative impact (dominion?) of casters while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of what we deem within the realm of possibility for non-casters in a fantasy setting.

For my taste, fantasy as a genre isn't simply "Add magic and stir".

An example: One thing I've always wanted to see for fighters especially would be some sort of infamy feature, where the fighter's talent for combat without the need for magic is so prodigious that he carries far greater social clout than a caster could muster. (Or at the very least, he gains social benefits that rival the impact of such effects as cause fear, charm, dominate, etc.) Naturally, this could also work for barbarians, monks, cavaliers, et al.

Hey everyone,

While I'm fairly experienced playing Pathfinder in private games, I'm planning on dipping my toes into PFS in preparation for GenCon. I've been looking through the materials and while I originally wanted to play a spellslinger wizard, I see that the archetype is not permitted.

Would a gunslinger/myrmidarch magus/eldritch knight be a viable alternative? Or are society play and advancement too restrictive to make that tenable in practice?

Also, if you would like to offer more general words of wisdom to someone like me—moving from exclusively playing private games to participating in organized play for the first time—I'm all ears. :)

Thanks!

I get the sense that where the coryphae would shine the most would be as part of an encounter that included other dark fey creatures as well, like redcaps, evil satyrs, and the like. While very evocative and unique in its own right, this critter seems like it would 'play well' with other enemy monsters, so to speak.

Definitely has my vote. :)

...so close now!

Scott, while your map is admittedly a little difficult to parse, yours is certainly among the more inventive and ambitious of the Round 2 entries. With more buildings (and the consequent narrow passages between them), this town could make for a very interesting chase scene locale. For future map-making, I would suggest using materials with finer points (archival pens or mechanical pencils, perhaps) as they'll read better once scanned.

Fortunately, while your execution suffered, I'm a sucker for a good idea...!

Admittedly, this map visually fell a little flat at first, but the time elapse dimension is very interesting. You certainly have my vote, however, by attempting such a bold and clever idea. Well done!

Gotta say, I'll definitely be voting for this one.

Very polished, nicely detailed, and demonstrates very clearly what your intent is. Well done!

Having been in the Top 32/16 last year, I speak from experience when I say this: never did I feel like there wasn't enough focus on those of us in the competition or our entries. The revelation of the Top 100, the discussion of the personal keep lists, the Critique My Item thread...none of that ever felt like a distraction from my accomplishments or those of my competitors. While I appreciate the desire of the Paizo staff and judges to keep the focus of RPGSS on the Top 32, I doubt that the members of Top 32 worry about the diffusion of their limelight; they're too busy working on their designs for the next round (I know I was). We should give the Top 32 competitors the benefit of the doubt and assume that they will exercise sportsmanship and professionalism in encouraging initiatives on the part of Paizo to continue to engage those who didn't make the cut.

I have no personal stake in whether or not Paizo decides to reveal the Top 100; I'm objective about my skills as a designer and I know that I took several missteps in my Round 1 item this year. For me, the ranking of my item is immaterial if I'm not in the final Top 32. I would, however, urge the staff and judges not to withhold the list on the grounds that the emphasis should be kept on the Top 32. At the very least, I encourage the judges to give thought as to whether or not such actions truly serve the best interests of the top competitors because I don't think members of the Top 32 care. I know I didn't. :)

Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed my item! As always, I'm touched by the level of sportsmanship, selflessness, and honesty that this competition engenders.

Well played. EVERYONE.

I may be a little late to the party but here it goes.

Staff of the Imperials
Aura Strong Transmutation ; CL 11
Slot none; Price 60,000; Weight 5 lbs.

This ivory quarterstaff is inlaid with carvings of four pristine imperial eastern dragons. An onyx underworld dragon , an azurite sea dragon, an opal sky dragon, and a jade forest dragon coil up the length of the staff locked in an ancient, almost forgotten battle from before the time of man.

The Staff of the Imperials acts as a +2/+2 quarter staff. Additionally, if the user has a ki pool they may activate any of the listed abilities if they meet the prerequisites to do so. Activating an ability is a standard action and causes the corresponding carving to shed light equal to a torch for the duration of the ability.

Magma staff- The underworld dragon carving spews magma from its mouth coating the ends of the staff the weapon counts as if it had the flaming enchantment on both ends. This ability functions as long as the user has at least 1 ki point in their ki pool.

Water Breathing- By spending 1 point from his ki pool, the sea dragon carving grants the user water breathing as per the spell with a duration of 1 hour per character level.

Flight- By spending 2 points from his ki pool, the carving grants the user fly as per the spell with a duration of 1 minute per character level.

Petrification- By spending 3 points from his ki pool, the forest dragon carving bestows it's awesome ability to turn an opponent to stone. This ability functions as a flesh to stone spell with a save DC = 16 + user's wisdom modifier.

Construction Requirements Craft Staff, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Dragon's Breath, Water Breathing, Fly, Flesh To Stone Cost 30,000

Woody, I said this elsewhere, but now that you've come forward, it bears repeating: this was my favorite item that I saw during voting. It has some small issues, but I really thought this was a beautifully designed item and demonstrated real finesse on your part in well executing what could have been an otherwise lackluster weapon.

Most of my complaints are with formatting (don't put spaces after semicolons; caster levels are denoted with numeric suffixes "-st", "-nd", and "-th"; it should be +2/+2 quarterstaff [italicized and as one word]; ki is always italicized; don't capitalize spell names, spell schools, aura strengths, or the name of the magic item, but always italicize both; names of ability scores [like Wisdom] are always capitalized), but there were some other issues that might have gotten in your way as well.

Since it runs purely off ki and had no meaningful interaction with spell slots, this weapon would likely have fared better as just a magic weapon and not a magic staff-staff (that is, you could have left Craft Staff out of the item creation requirements, in my mind). Also, weapons are wielded, not used, so their bearers are wielders, not users. Instead of character level, the caster level for the spell effects could instead be something like "with caster level equal to the number of levels the wielder possesses in classes that grant ki pools" or some such. These are all relatively minor complaints and could be easily fixed (heck, this post addresses most of the formatting issues and this has taken me less than seven minutes).

I loved this item more than any other during the voting period and I was really sad that it didn't make the Top 32. Tighten up the writing a bit, keep a close eye on the details, bring the same level of mojo again next year, and I'm sure you'll do great moving forward. Thanks for designing an item that may show up in one of my home games!

I'm in! Thanks for doing this!

I'll wait until the official thread opens to talk more about my favourites, but so far I see a lot of the items I really liked

If you mean the "Official Critique My Item Thread", then you'll be pleased to know that Mark unlocked the thread earlier today, just before 2 pm PST. :)

What a great resource, thank you!

The staff of the imperials was perhaps my favorite overall, though there were many strong contenders this year. To me, that staff was one of those rare moments where a four-elements theme was not only executed well, but also done in a way that kept me from rolling my eyes. The imagery of the item was quite beautiful as well. Even if the designer chooses not come forward, to you I say, "Well done, well done."

Enlightened Jian
Aura moderate transmutation; CL 9th
Slot none; Price 29,335 gp; Weight 2 lbs.

Description
Swirling, cloudlike engravings run the length of this slender, almost weightless +2 mithral longsword. A monk who attacks with this elegant blade may use his Wisdom modifier instead of his Strength modifier on attack and weapon damage rolls. A monk also treats the blade as a monk weapon for use in his flurry of blows.

As part of a regular move action, the wielder can spend 1 ki point to gain the benefits of air walk (as the spell) until the start of his next turn. He may spend 1 additional ki point at the start of each turn as a free action to maintain the effect, up to a maximum number of consecutive rounds equal to his Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).

Construction
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, air walk, spiritual weapon, creator must be a monk; Cost 15,675 gp

I'll confess, this was a rushed entry; I was going for "Wuxia-in-a-can", but in retrospect, I see the lack of originality. Either way, I think it's well crafted, even if it's uninspired.

Having finished my PhD in early modern history recently, I'm striving to become an archivist.

So THAT explains your reference to the primum mobile...! This competition (and hobby) never fails to attract some of the most erudite people. Gabriel, if you're willing to relocate, I am continually bombarded with emails looking for archivists in California. It may be worth considering...! (Though our collections likely can't compare the richness of those found in Europe!)

Salvete, discipuli linguae antiquae! Sis, dimittite errores meos; anni octi elapsus sumus ab tempore quo Latinam didici. Oblitus sum omnia...

Haha, in all honesty, I was totally going to correct you about "oblitus sum", but then I remembered obliviscor is deponent...! ;P Glad to see more classicists join the ranks of the Top 32!

And to all of this year's Top 32 and alternates, I echo previous sentiments when I say that—no matter what happens—I hope you find this competition to be an enriching and positive experience. I know I did!

@Scott LaBarge: A lot of my graduate research has dealt with Renaissance Neoplatonism, but I've had trouble locating good introductory materials discussing its Hellenistic roots (with Porphyry, et al.); any suggestions? I realize your philosophers are somewhat earlier, but I'm not above exploiting my previous Top 32 status to break into the Guildhall to pursue a lead. :)

4 Top 32, 1 Alternate, for me I believe. We'll see what the Top 100 holds... :)

I got to see this item a whole ONE time during voting, but it had my vote then and I'm happy to see it (and its designer!) in the Top 32 now! The sickle is, to my knowledge, a fairly underrepresented magic weapon, so well done in finding some vacant design space in that respect. I like everything about it save for the final ability, as I agree with Owen that natural spaces like gardens, barns, et al. can be somewhat fluid in description (which could be easily exploited by rules lawyers...like myself).

With such an evident sensitivity to the role of the environment in combat and gameplay more broadly, I expect to see a compelling map from you in the next round, DQ! Good luck!

This was definitely one of the few items that I always found myself upvoting. Of all of its many strengths, the breach barrier's capacity to create really exciting storytelling experiences is what caught my attention most. Both narrow escapes and valiant stands come to mind when I see this item. Coupled with the fact that its price point is low enough to satisfy the board's PFS players, you've demonstrated great Superstar potential! Good luck moving forward!

Congrats on making it into the Top 32! There were a number of items this year that exhaled/vomited/spewed forth various liquids, gases, and/or blasts and this one was among my favorites! I agree that hero's breath is critically underpriced (which, truthfully, is an easy fix), but it was the imagery that really grabbed me (whenever this came up during voting, I kept envisioning the bearded faces of the sewer passages in Diablo III).

For what it's worth, cloud effects have come up so seldom in my gaming experience, as both a player and a GM, that it doesn't read as game-breaking to my eyes.

I only saw this staff 2-3 times, but I upvoted it at each appearance. Big ideas, big flavor, big design: a successful swing for the fences! For me, this staff felt like it would fit especially well in a Renaissance-themed campaign settting (since the Neoplatonists were big on astrological magic, which this staff implicitly oozes). As a spellcaster, this staff is also particularly attractive for opening up new combat options, which is always nice. Well done, Gabriel!

I can't begin to say how happy I am to see this item in the Top 32. I always upvoted the keyhole stiletto for its creativity, tight design, and imagery. I love that it reasonably circumvents force effects in a way that, while powerful, nevertheless demonstrates your capacity for restraint. I look forward to seeing what you will bring us next, Scott!

I just added the 255 in column E that I've seen post cull. I can't use google calc well enough to merge the lists.

Sweet, thanks!

Thanks to everyone who shared your lists with me. I just responded to each of you with my suspicions of which items will make it into the Top 32 from your respective lists. We'll see soon enough if I'm right...!

And feel free to keep PMing me lists; I'm rather enjoying this. :)

Is it weird that even if I do not make top 32 or top 100 it would soften the blow significantly if I made a few of my favorite poster's top 32 lists?

Like if I made Meepo, Ferros, Angry Wiggles, Mamaursula's, Jeff's, and like 2/3rds of the Jacob's I'd still feel like a winner.

Not weird at all. We are, after all, the ones actually purchasing the games. :)

Plus, they all have immaculate taste.

I haven't been compiling a keep list (as I try not to get too attached), but I would selfishly ask to see the list of any who would (privately) share.

If anyone is feeling particularly altruistic, I too would love to see others' lists. The most I could do is send a reply with which of the items on your list I predict will be in the Top 32. Not much, I know, but it's something, right? :)

Ugh, I see my item on the post-cull list, but I'd feel a lot better if I got a chance to see it myself.

In other news, I think I encountered the awesome rod everyone keeps talking about.

Hmm, the writing on this staff could be tighter, but I'm certainly digging it conceptually. Well done, designer!

Honestly, I really like my item, though I suspect not everyone will. I set out for this year's Open Call with a sincere and specific goal in mind and I believe that I achieved it, regardless of whether or not I make it into the Top 32. :)

Yay! Finally saw my item.

The formatting was exquisite.

Hmm, the line between "cultural idiom" and "direct reference" is not as thin as this item's designer believes...

I don't care who this item is "for", I want it. Thank you for restoring my faith in this competition, designer.

Finally, a staff I like! And here I thought everyone else was just lying when they spoke of awesome staffs...!

And aww, my first marriage-themed item. It would seem I'm finally getting a glimpse of what everyone else has been seeing this whole time. No more ring-purgatory for me!

Bad joke item vs. misspelled joke item...

...ugh.

Hmm...fart joke item.

That is all.

So many weapons, shields, and armors that are priced to craft at exactly half the purchase price...

There was even a thread about this last week...! -_-

Mikael Sebag wrote:

pH unbalanced wrote:

I mark down for making assumptions about the gender of the user.

Well, aren't the genders determined by the iconics in the case of class-specific items?

Yes, but that's not what I mean. It's not pronouns, it's assuming that only individuals of one gender would desire or require a particular item.

Then I agree: perfectly valid grounds for taking off points.

I mark down for making assumptions about the gender of the user.

Well, aren't the genders determined by the iconics in the case of class-specific items?