Mike Bohlmann's page

As I've been jumping headlong into Starfinder Society GMing, I'm looking to mix things up down the road a bit more. How soon might we be able to expect 2 SFS scenarios per month? It would be super awesome to get to that frequency, hopefully no later than Gen Con 2018.

Thanks, having a lot of fun running Hell's Rebels!

Close beneath the shrine of Kro’akoth lies a serpentfolk stronghold currently in the clutches of a mutant serpentfolk priest. A three-way struggle for dominance is developing between the rival sects in this level and the level above.

Warhorn sign-up: https://warhorn.net/events/mike-b-online-pfs/schedule/2015/06/12/sessions/7 7434

Between 24 and 48 hours before the game begins, you will receive an email that includes the Roll20 link to the game and that requests the following details.

Character name and level
Character number
Faction
A picture to use for your character token

If you do not respond at least 12 hours before the start of the game, you may lose your seat to one of the waitlisted players.

In the ruins of Xin-Bakrakhan—seat of power of the Runelord of Wrath—the Pathfinder Society stands on the verge of a great discovery, but first the brave agents exploring the ruins must survive ages-old dangers and contemporary threats to return with the knowledge and wealth they’ve unearthed.

Warhorn sign-up

Roll20 link will be sent out once the table is full to the first six players (one spot saved for someone I'm trading sessions to GM/play). Each of those players needs to provide the following at least 12 hours before the start of the game. Waitlist players will be asked for the same information if one of the other players does not respond by that time:

Character name and level
Character PFS number
Faction
A picture to use for your token in Roll20
Any special abilities that are always active like the trap spotter rogue talent

Previously after selecting Emerald Spire for a session, it would let you pick which specific level. After the changes with RPG and PFC, it doesn't give you those options anymore. Anyone else experiencing the same thing? Was that intentional?

Emerald Spire Level 2, The Cellars, by Ed Greenwood (1-3)
The foundations of the tower are a confusing maze of vermin-infested chambers and clever pit traps. A dangerous undead spellcaster known as Gorloth, the Bone Priest, ambushes adventurers who blunder into the pits and spiderwebs.

When: Saturday, January 10, 9am CST (GMT-6)
Warhorn signup: register here

Roll20 link will be sent out once the table is full to the first six players. Each of those players needs to provide the following at least 12 hours before the start of the game. Waitlist players will be asked for the same information if one of the other players does not respond by that time:

• Character name and level
  
• Character PFS number
  
• Faction
  
• A picture to use for your token in Roll20
  
• Any special abilities that are always active like the trap spotter rogue talent

I'm running the Tower Ruins of the Emerald Spire twice over the next two days via roll20 and G+ Hangouts.

Registration here: https://warhorn.net/events/mike-b-online-pfs

This level is replayable with 1st level characters (once with a 2nd level character) so you've got nothing to lose. :)

I played a new Occultist in Black Waters at our PFS game day today.

Armor class and saves
In tier 1-2, I was not getting hit very often at AC 19. With the Shield spell to pump to 21, there was not a lot that could hit me regularly. This was without using Combat Expertise. The saves seem to make sense. I made some and failed some.

Melee combat
Even though the difference is only 1 from a full BAB class, I definitely felt the difference. This was especially so with d8 for hit dice. One round a ghoul managed to get two hits on me and brought me to 0. It seems if the implied melee build of the class is going to be viable, it needs to have d10 for hit dice.

Resonant and focus powers
The d6 acid damage was great...when I managed to hit. I did use Psychic Weapon in one combat with my trebutje, but it didn't make a huge difference. The bashing ability of the shield was good for charges when the trebutje wasn't drawn. It even became a useful two-handed weapon to make me think about making the shield my primary weapon.

Mental focus
With so little room in mental focus points, I did not feel like you get enough at 1st level assuming occultists should be encouraged to use their mental focus points. If the idea is for mental focus to be a more dynamic resource spent throughout the day, it should be a little higher, perhaps 5+level+Int or 3+2/level+Int. Another idea would be to set things like Aegis and Legacy Weapon based on the points invested. If the idea is more than an occultist does not spend his focus points throughout the day, then they should get a couple more spells per day.

So my group is currently at Ascanor Lodge, and they've managed to make Estovion pretty paranoid an angry. One of them told him that they are following the trail of a friend's murderer but that the trail ends here.

Is there any reason he wouldn't try to find a way to sell out the Whispering Way so long as it can't come back to him? I'm thinking about having him tell them to go find the Prince's Wolves. They have a similar interest and will get the party out of his hair. He just wants to keep the Lodge safe, and that's more likely to happen if Mathus has more enemies and he gets a reputation for not being allied with Mathus.

Thoughts?

I originally level-dipped to be able to take an axe beak mount, but I'm starting to think that the value of such a thing isn't much at 8th level. I'm sitting on my Gen Con GM boon trying to decide what to do with it (elemental race or rebuild).

Cavalier (Order of the Star) 2 / Cleric (Milani, Liberation and Restoration) 6
Cavalier levels get +2 to attack, save, skill check, and ability check each once per day as well as an axe beak (Boon Companion) with a good chunk of hit points. The main advantage is combat mobility at this level - 50ft move - as an AC that does 1d8+7 damage is only marginally helpful.

Cleric (Milani, Liberation and Restoration) 8
The 8th level Liberation domain power is huge. A 30-foot aura that removes confused, grappled, frightened, panicked, paralyzed, pinned, and shaken. Combined with the 1st-level Restoration domain power, there aren't many negative conditions the character can't remove which was my original objective.

I felt a bit weaker than I should be in Bonekeep 2 and Waking Rune, and I think there's a lot that two more levels of Cleric would help.

Thoughts?

The original bySwarm concept was to collaboratively build a Pathfinder RPG campaign setting and to then create products where much of the revenue would go back to the writers. We've had some good success creating the raw content, but there's still a lot of work that has to happen to turn it into products that can be sold.

To overcome the hurdle, we've launched a Kickstarter project to produce a fully-featured e-module for Pathfinder. The e-module will not just be well-written text with awesome art, but it will also include interactive elements like encounters with multiple CR options to support different party levels as well as sound effects for ambiant noise and NPC dialog. We're also working on more advanced features to potentially use including stat block-based rules references and campaign website integration and much more.

We're already up above 37%, and we'll be starting to share more teasers about the module specifically in the coming days. It will be usable within other campaign settings with some minor tweaks. There are multiple reward options as well as some reward add-ons like printable character stand-ups and USB memory sticks.

When things go horribly wrong, they sometimes end up somehow right. It's those situations where two characters are blind, the wizard with Teleport is Feebleminded, the cleric dies, and a whole town of naga is angry that make up the stories we remember. At least they are when we all somehow live.

In honor of our friend Mike Litchford, his gaming group is putting on a game day to raise money for his family. Mike was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer this past April. We thought we would have several months with him to roll lots of d20s and share more time with our friend, but his treatment was unable to slow the cancer down. He was lost to us in July. There are others who miss him even more than we do though - his wife Ariana, 4-year old son Moses, and 1-year old daughter Zoe. All funds collected for event entries and raffles will go to the family's fund.

Details and registration

Events
12pm
Blood under Absalom - Register on the Armored Gopher event listing by leaving a comment. The first 28 players will be guaranteed a seat. Alternates will be seated at 12:30 for sign-ups who haven't arrived at the event.

6:30pm
Midnight Mauler - This special Pathfinder Society module can only be run by Venture-Captains and 4-star GMs. We are lucky enough to have one willing to run this special event for Pathfinder Society characters level 1-7. A silent auction will be held all day with the six highest bidders at 6:15pm getting a seat at the table.

The Distractions of Dakeyrus - The dwarven wizard Dakeyrus is known for his occasional jaunts away from his cliff-face lair to witness the end of a multiverse, but it seems that he has actually gone missing for quite a while this time. One of his rivals by the name of Antinnia has begun offering uncountable treasure to any adventurer willing to raid Dakeyrus's lair. Being an adventurer who never passes on an opportunity, you have found a few compatriots to take on the challenge. Be careful though, because you aren't the only ones trying to earn a fast one. Bring a 12th level Pathfinder character, created using the Pathfinder Society character creation rules plus 100,000gp in magic items and other equipment. In fact, bring multiple. $1 entry fee per character with prizes. Players will be rotated as PCs meet their untimely demise so there will be multiple chances to play.

Raffles
Tickets will be available for $1 each, 6 for $5, and 25 for $20. You'll be able to put your tickets towards whichever prizes you would prefer to win. The drawing will be at 10:30pm, and you do not have to be present to win. We are still adding to the prize list, so be sure to check out the event page at Armored Gopher for the latest information.

Food & Drink
We will be selling pizza slices to satiate your gamer hunger, so be sure to come hungry. The Armored Gopher also sells drinks and snacks in case you need something and want to stay on site.

These are the first four products planned for release from bySwarm. The two modules will explore the Dark Golden Age of a world recovering from the Collapse of magic just three years prior. The characters will explore ancient tombs in search of what magical items remain and find themselves in the middle of Beastfolk and human schemes alike.

While the modules are set in the Dark Golden Age campaign setting for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game System, the Beastfolk Races and Godless Divine products will be suitable for any setting utilizing the Pathfinder system.

Module: Into the Dark Golden Age
This module will be a free download to introduce newcomers to the Dark Golden Age campaign setting for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game System. It is intended to take a party of 1st level characters to 2nd level.

Target release: February 2012

Beastfolk Races
This product will include Beastfolk, feats, traits, and other Beastfolk-specific things. They must be well-playtested by then. Paizo will be releasing the Advanced Races Guide for Pathfinder in April 2012. A playtest for Advanced Races Guide will begin in the fall of 2011.

Target release: May 2012

Module: The Bandit Kings of Halag
A group of 2nd level characters set out to influence the bandits of Halag, a lawless place liberated by Beastfolk from human masters. While set in the Dark Golden Age, it will be usable with other campaign settings as well.

Target release: July 2012 / Gen Con 2012

Godless Divine
This product will include alternative systems for divine magic and god-less realms for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game System. New material includes our system for Cleric Domains and deities, Domains, spells, archetypes, and more.

Target release: December 2012

Once upon a time, I found a web page somewhere that listed the PFS Scenarios by their geographic region. My search fu has failed to divine it's location though. Does anyone have a link to it or have better search fu?

The Pathfinder Society Field Guide has some new prestige awards that are interesting. While titles are a dime a dozen in Taldor, has anyone else taken one yet?

- Viscount Grikmet Grandovalna
Pathfinder Delver Extraordinaire
Proprietor of Grandovalna's Vast Devices (No, it's a security business, not a thieves' guild)

When: 7pm, May 21, 2010
Where: Armored Gopher Games, Urbana, IL

I've had two people I had lined up to GM realize they will be unable to GM for this event, and I am in need of at least 2 table GMs, preferably 3. If you have played this event and would like to get a GM credit for it, here's your chance!

If we have 3 GMs, there is currently space for at least 10 more players. So grab your friends and make a road trip.

Registration as GM and players is handled on the Armored Gopher website:
http://armored-gopher.com/node/2144

Paizo event listing:
http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety/events/v5748mkg09yn6

I'd like to cancel my maps subscription, but I can't figure out how to do that. Could you cancel it for me, please? Thanks.

I would like to start an online Pathfinder campaign set in the Dark Golden Age campaign setting for Pathfinder RPG. We will use MapTool and Skype for our virtual game table and communication. Most likely, game sessions will be on Tuesday evenings from 8pm to 10:30pm CST. The campaign will start at 2nd level with all Core, APG, and bySwarm rules available.

The Dark Golden Age is a high fantasy setting but with beastfolk taking the place of the traditional demihuman races. Three years ago, it was the golden age of magic in Gondal. Humans rode about on flying carpets, had golems and animated tools that did the majority of their work. In order to keep the masses from becoming bored, the arcane schools created magical beasts to fight in gladiatorial combat to entertain the people. Owlbears, chimera and more were created in their experiments. Some even ventured into magically crossing human and animal stock, resulting in the beastfolk.

All of these creatures were enslaved through the magic of the School of Domination. The danger with this kind of control arrived when magic ceased functioning about three years ago. Imagine a society as dependent on magic as we are on electricity, and then remove that core component. It would be chaos. Since the initial Collapse, some have found new ways to work magic. Some have even managed to make a connection to greater powers in the form of divine magic, something that did not exist before the Collapse.

The main objectives for the PCs will depend on the players. If you are interested in joining, leave a comment here including what theme(s) interest you. Some themes could include:

Our community - the Swarm - is working hard on creating material for our first product to be published this fall. There is a lot of opportunity for writers, artists and designers to still get involved, so don't wait if you're thinking about taking a stab at contributing to a published product. If something you created makes it into the product, you'll get a share of the revenue from that product.

Our first product will be an adventure module in the setting we call the Dark Golden Age. The Dark Golden Age is a fantasy setting where magic reached a point that it was available to anyone - humans traveled on flying carpets and used golems and magically enslaved creatures to do their work. For yet unknown reasons though, magic stopped working three years ago. The world fell into chaos. After a year of research and experimentation, some individuals figured out how they could still use their magical abilities. They also found that magic that was well below ground at the point of Collapse sometimes were unscathed. While the total chaos immediately following the Collapse is over, things are far from stable as magocracies scramble to maintain power, beastfolk seek vegeance with their newfound freedom, and magical beasts rampage the wilderness.

Find out more at byswarm.com or have a look at the plans rising up around our first product.