Eagle Knight of Andoran

Mikko Kallio's page

Contributor. RPG Superstar 6 Season Dedicated Voter, 7 Season Marathon Voter, 8 Season Dedicated Voter, 9 Season Star Voter. * Pathfinder Society GM. 1,607 posts (1,700 including aliases). 1 review. No lists. No wishlists. 17 Organized Play characters. 6 aliases.



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What's this year's best Halloween adventure? It's Lost Revelry, of course!

So that GMs can run it smoothly, I'll try to answer any questions related to the adventure that you post in this thread.

Below are also a few notes of my own. Probably goes without saying, but here be spoilers.

Lots of Logs:
In the first part of the adventure, there are many log entries and events that are dated X days before Lulora's last transmission, i.e. the one the PCs saw in the briefing. If the players wish to piece together what happened, advise them to take notes of the events and dates.

Here's a complete, ordered list of events that are mentioned in the adventure. L-x (e.g. L-4) indicates how many days before Lulora's last message the event happened.

L-4: Lulora and her crew arrive. She is eager to uncover the Revelry's secrets.
L-3: Lulora is growing obsessed to figure out why they can't approach the ship.
L-3: As a test, Aurinkar fires the Vigilance's plasma cannon at the Revelry.
L-2: Aurinkar describes their strange visions to Lulora in a secret message.
L-2: Lulora starts designing her ritual. She mentions her crew is having strange dreams.
L-1: The ritual fails, but Lulora comes up with an improved ritual.
L-1: The adapted ritual works. Lulora's crew is preparing to enter the ship.
L-1: Rosm and Kelm want to replace the ship's capacitor array, but never complete the task.
L-1: Before Lulora's crew enters the ship, Lulora replies to Aurinkar's secret message, wishing them luck and warning them about the ship.
L-0: The crew returns from the Revelry. Pinjatar is severely injured.
L-0: The medical robot performs an emergency surgery on Pinjatar. Meanwhile, another crewmate washes her bloodied clothes in the washroom.
L-0: Lulora sends her last message to Ixthia. She has blood from Pinjatar's wounds on her face.
L-0: Lulora and her crew gather in the mess hall one last time.
L-0: Aurinkar leads their crewmates to the lower decks of the Revelry, where they make their last stand. Aurinkar makes it to the engine room, only to be captured and tortured.
L+1: Lulora's crew hasn't returned and she suspects they're dead. Realizing her failure, she attempts to launch an escape pod and dies a few hours later.

A3. Interlink Corridor:
The first door listed should read "the laboratory (A2)". It is not possible to access area A1 from the corridor.

A10. Escape Pods:
The pods are labeled as A, B, C, D, E, and F. On the map, pod F is the one at the bottom.

The Revelry's Decks:
The adventure mentions a number of decks and other areas on the ship. The order of the decks (from top to bottom) is the following: upper deck > middle deck > passenger deck > engineering deck.

The upper deck contains not only the welcome area but also some administrative spaces, the ship's bridge, and some of the higher-end accommodations.

The middle deck has the majority of the ship's entertainment venues and also many hotels and stores. The upper deck doesn't cover the middle deck entirely, instead forming a ring along the edges of the area, which gives the middle deck a spacious feel, like being in a city.

On the passenger deck, the corridors are narrower and the ceiling is lower. It's where the economy-class accommodations and many less glamorous stores and venues are located. There are also parking spaces for vehicles and hangars for smaller vessels.

Finally, there's the engineering deck, which is off-limits for passengers. Besides machinery and other technical spaces, there are also cabins and social spaces for people working on that level.

On page 12, the part that says "Out on the passenger deck, the situation is even worse" is not wrong as such, but at that point, the PCs are going to the middle deck, which of course is similarly overrun by the undead.

Grand Lodge Contributor

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Interstellar Species was released this month, and with it, many playable Starfinder species got new art, lore, and rules. Of those species, astrazoans and scyphozoans are very special to me--I designed them forPact Worlds and AP #5, respectively, and I also wrote the new entries for them in Interstellar Species.

If you have any questions about the strange shapeshifting starfish or the noxious, nidifugous cnidarians, let me know and I'll try to answer your questions here! Feel free to also comment on what you like / don't like about them. Or share stories about astrazoan / scyphozoan PCs.

Grand Lodge 1/5 Contributor

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Greetings, GMs! I just received my copy of #1-39, and if you have any questions about the scenario, please ask them here and I'll try to answer them as quickly as I can.

I hope you have fun running the scenario!

A humble request: if you run a scenario (this one or any other) please also consider reviewing it here at paizo.com. Receiving honest & constructive feedback is important not only for us authors but also for Thurston and everyone else developing the scenarios. Thanks!

Grand Lodge 1/5 Contributor

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This is the GM discussion thread for my newest scenario, #1-06 A Night in Nightarch. If you have any questions or concerns, let me know and I'll clarify anything that seems unclear. All feedback, positive or negative, is also welcome! I hope you enjoy running it!

Grand Lodge Contributor

Birmingham, England is just a few hours by plane from where I live, and I've been thinking I might go to PaizoCon UK sometime in the future, maybe this summer (July 21-23).

I wasn't able to find a lot of information on the con, though, so any information on the following things would be appreciated.


  • How many people attend the con? How many tables of PFS?
  • Are there any panels or presentations, or is the con mainly/only about playing PFS? Is there any interest for presentations (for example, about freelancing for Paizo)?
  • What accommodation options are available?
  • How's the location, is it easy to get there and find places to eat and such?
  • Other than PaizoCon, what's there to see in Birmingham?

Thanks! :-)

Grand Lodge 1/5 Contributor

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Gen Con is fast approaching, and it seems #8-02 Ward Asunder is now available for downloading. To ensure that Gen Con GMs can run it as smoothly as possible, I would like to offer to answer any questions you may have about the scenario, and if necessary, clarify anything that seems unclear.

To avoid spoilers before the scenario is officially released, please send me your questions in a private message (rather than posting them here). After the scenario becomes available to the general public, I'll post the questions and my answers as a FAQ in the scenario's GM thread so that all GMs have the same information available.

Lastly, thanks to everyone who is running PFS scenarios at Gen Con! In fact, I'll be playing #8-02 Thursday morning, and will be playing lots of other scenarios, too, so I'll see y'all there in less than two weeks!

Grand Lodge Contributor

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Heya, I would like to use my real name (Mikko Kallio) while posting on the messageboards. I nowadays mostly only discuss 3pp and Paizo products I've contributed to, so I think it's time to be professional and shed the Serpent skin. :D

I've used an alias for that purpose for some time now, but that hides my tag and is linked to a different profile page, so changing the main username would be great.

Thanks!

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

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Greetings!

In the fall of 2014, I organized a Pathfinder RPG monster design contest called Here Be Monsters. We got 40 submitted entries and selected 5 amazing finalists. The audience voted for their favorites, and Nick Wasko won the title and a huge pile of 3rd-party material donated by our sponsors.

Here Be Monsters is back! The second season begins on Thursday, and I'll be posting information about the contest on the A Sword for Hire blog. The first post is up:

If you're interested in monster design and would like to be published, stay tuned!

-Mikko Kallio, Here Be Monsters judge

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Last year and during last season of RPG Superstar, I posted a number of advice articles about magic item creation, and since people who haven't submitted yet may find them useful, below are links to the articles.

Some advice I posted shortly after making the top 4 in 2014

Some advice on turning a "spell in a can" into a magic item with mojo: one, two, three

Joe Kondrak's excellent article on how to check what words and phrases to use when in doubt

There's also a page with a complete list of advice articles that have been published on my blog.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

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Hey all,

I'm planning to write a number of articles about monster design on my blog later this summer. As is stated in the Bestiary, "creating a monster is part science and part art", and I'd like to crowd-source your opinions on the science part of monster creation.

Let's start with something (fairly) simple: hit points and how they interact with other things that keep a monster alive (such as AC, DR, and saves). Everyone who's designed monsters for Paizo or 3PPs (or home games) probably knows the Monster Statistics by CR table and that you should stay reasonably close to the target values if you want the CR to be accurate. However, it's ok compensate for low hp with a high AC, for example. But how much higher or lower should the AC be, mathematically speaking, if the hp deviates from the baseline by a particular percentage (if all other things are equal)?

* How much higher/lower should a monster's AC be if it's hp are 20% higher/lower than the target value? Does the amount change with higher CRs? If it does, is the change linear?
* What about DR? How many hp or points of AC is DR 5/10/15/20 worth and how does it change with the CR? How much are the different types (DR —/cold iron/silver/adamantine/magic/etc.) worth?
* What about saves? Or a miss chance of 20% or 50%?

Thoughts, opinions? If you can show some math (and graphs!) to back it up, that's even better!

Thanks!

-Mikko / A Sword for Hire

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

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Greetings! There's a lot of new stuff coming up on A Sword for Hire. Interviews with designers and 3PPs, guest blogs by designers and fans of the game, articles and photography by Joe Kondrak, and game design articles by yours truly.

Joe and I will be adding links to new posts in this thread so that it's easy to keep track of things. Feel free to also discuss and ask about anything related to the blog in this thread.

Recent posts:
March 24: Interview with a Designer: Jade Ripley
March 21: Miniature Showcase: Pathfinder Battles Minotaur
March 17: Archetypes, part III: Archetype length

Upcoming posts:
March 28: The Emerald Spire Review / Neal Powell
March 31: Interview with a Designer: John Bennett

P.S. the open call for guest bloggers will remain open until further notice. The same goes for the interviews. So don't hesitate to contact me if you have a great idea for a guest post or you know (or are) someone I should interview.

--Mikko / A Sword for Hire--

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

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Greetings! Lately, my blog has been focusing on RPGSS-related things, but since RPGSS is over soon, it's time to start planning new things!

* Open call for guest bloggers: One of my regulars is moving on to new endeavors, and instead of hiring a new co-blogger, I want to have a weekly slot for guest writers.

If you're interested, send me a pitch for a blog post. You can send it in a private message here on paizo.com. Basically, it can be anything related to the Pathfinder RPG, freelancing, RPG design, or the RPG Superstar contest. There are no formal qualifications; if your pitch is good, I'll publish your article.

Please note that A Sword for Hire is a non-profit blog, so I cannot offer any compensation other than exposure.

* New interviews: I'll continue with what I started last year: I'll interview more 3PPs and people involved in Kickstarters. What's new is that I also intend to interview more freelance designers than before.

If you are involved in / you know about a Kickstarter, 3PP, or designer that I should do an interview about, let me know.

Regarding the designer interviews, the requirement is that you already have at least some experience under your belt. Mainly, this means that you have a few credits in published products. Experience in design contests, blogging about RPG design, and similar experience should also make you interesting for the readers to read about. We'll talk about your past (how you got started as a designer), your present (recent projects or ongoing projects assuming you can talk about them) and your future (what type of freelance work you're interested in).

* Long-term plans: I'm planning to organize a second Here Be Monsters sometime after GenCon. I also have other plans that may be interesting to some freelancers, but more about that later.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

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Since this is the first time I'm on the judging panel for RPG Superstar, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on monster design. I also strongly recommend reading Adam Daigle's advice and judges' comments on monsters submitted in previous years of RPG Superstar.

Below is an abridged and edited version of monster design advice that I've previously posted on my blog. It's based on my experiences and observations as a former RPG Superstar finalist, a freelancer, and a judge on a monster design contest. This version reads a bit like a checklist, and I'm likely to answer the questions below in my Round 3 reviews.

If there's anything below that doesn't make sense to you, don't hesitate to ask me for a clarification or example. If you are a contestant, I'd prefer that you do so sooner rather than later so that the same advice is available to everyone regardless of when you submit your entry.

Name & concept

  • Is the monster consistent with the Golarion canon, while also being new and original?
  • Does the name sound interesting and fitting for what the monster is and does?
Tips:

To make a monster fresh and original, I generally recommend original creations as opposed to variant creatures (e.g. "elder treant" or "dark unicorn") or creatures from real-world mythologies. I think building a creature from the ground up tests your creativity more than statting up an existing concept or changing a few things around.

That said, a Superstar designer can make nearly any concept seem original. If you pick a mythological creature or a variant creature, I recommend changing it enough (but not too much) to make it something you created rather than a mere imitation. Furthermore, myths from cultures that haven't been explored so much in RPGs yet are usually more interesting than something from the Ancient Greek mythology, for example. In any case, the monster's concept should be consistent with itself (every part of it makes sense) and with the campaign setting (introducing the monster doesn't involve drastic changes in the status quo).

As for names, generally speaking, I think that any name in an RPG should be both informative and evocative. Monsters sometimes break this rule by using onomatopoeia, i.e. names that suggest malevolence (or other characteristics) through sounds rather than words. "Glabrezu" sounds very sinister to me, for example. Both approaches are fine; it really depends on the monster which approach makes more sense. Names are difficult, and usually you know a good name when you see it, but it's more difficult to put your finger on what makes it a good name.

Descriptive line

  • Is the descriptive line usable as read-aloud text regardless of when and where the monster is encountered?
  • Is the descriptive line dynamic and engaging enough to make me want to read more?
Tips:

To make the descriptive line usable as read-aloud text, avoid any references to time or location, or actions that depend on any particular circumstances. In other words, do not describe the monster climbing a tree at night, for example. You simply don't know where, when, and how the monster is encountered when you're writing a bestiary entry.

To make the descriptive line interesting to read, keep it concise and focus on a small number of interesting details about the monster. Describe the details using dynamic words without actually describing specific actions (e.g. "The eyes of this simian creature glisten darkly..." instead of "This simian creature has dark, glossy eyes.")

The details should be observable facts, such as its appearance, smell, or mannerisms (e.g. constant vocalizations, whirling, or heavy breathing). Do not describe subjective sensations (how it makes you feel or think); that is a cop-out. If your descriptive line is evocative enough, it will make the reader think and feel something.

Stat block

  • Does the math add up and are the numbers appropriate for the monster's CR?
  • Does the formatting and presentation match the Round 3 template and the style used in Paizo's bestiaries?
Tips:

This is the part of the monster entry that tests your attention to detail. Once you've got every detail nailed down, go through the whole stat block one more time. Check the validity and formatting of every word, value, and piece of punctuation.

Hitting the target stats for the CR may be difficult with some creature types (oozes and constructs in particular) and very small creatures. It's ok to compensate with other stats, but if you don't know what you're doing, stick to ”normal” creature types and sizes until you get the hang of it.

Getting the formatting and presentation right involves (but is not limited to) the correct use of the bold typeface and italics, Capitalization and lower case, the en dash – and the em dash —, the colon and the semi-colon as separators between the different parts of the stat block, terminology and abbreviations, and numbers and their units. The different parts of the stat block should also appear in the right order, and within the individual lines of the stat block, the items (such as feats, skills, ability names, and AC components) should be listed in the alphabetical order.

Some of these things are included in the template, but whenever you run into something that the template doesn't cover, compare your monster with similar monsters in Paizo's bestiaries. Don't make guesses, make informed choices.

Special abilities

  • Does the monster have new, interesting, and unique special abilities?
  • Are the special abilities mechanically fairly simple but elegant?
Tips:

In my opinion, it's important for a Superstar monster to have at least one wholly new and original special ability. While the ideas should be innovative, the structure and presentation of the new special abilities should imitate existing abilities. If any part of the ability functions exactly like an existing ability, use exactly the same words and expressions for that part.

Special abilities are read to be understood, so make the rules text clear and crisp, not vague or fuzzy around the edges. Make the mechanics reasonably straightforward because elegance comes from creativity rather than complexity. Also, special abilities should be quite light on flavor text. A little bit of flavor is fine, however, especially if it helps the GM understand the mechanics.

The abilities should make sense for the monster to have. To make the monster thematically tighter, consider having synergies between its abilities. It's also good to consider the utility of the abilities: if a monster's abilities are useful only in a very specific type of situation, it may mean that the monster will only be used in a very specific type of encounters, if ever.

Description

  • Does the description give the GM useful information that can be used in adventure and encounter building?
  • Does the description provide enough information so that every part of the entry (the monster's abilities, environment, behavior, etc.) make sense as a whole?
Tips:

Unlike the short descriptive line, the description is intended to be useful for the GM, and as such, it should focus on information about the monster that the GM can use in not only combat encounters, but also exploration of locales where the monster is likely to be encountered, social interaction with the monster, if applicable, and including the monster as part of an adventure. In contrast with the descriptive line, your style of writing should be more informative than evocative, though that doesn't mean the text shouldn't also be lively and interesting to read.

Include meaningful links between the description and other parts of the entry. For example, if the creature has a climb speed, it probably affects where the creature builds its nest or how it hunts. However, avoid repeating too much of the same information or just stating the obvious (e.g. "Portal cats live in temperate forests.") It's also a good idea to include references that tie the monster to Golarion. While doing so, respect the setting's canon and build upon it.

Find a logical order for presenting things in the description. See if there are natural links between the different subjects you discuss, so as to make the transitions from one subject to the next smooth and natural. For example: origin > appearance > physiology > dietary habits > predatory behavior > interactions with other creatures > communication. In other words, connect the dots!

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

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Disclaimer: I'm not one of the judges for round 2 (I only judge round 3) as such, I know nothing about round 2 rules this year -- the following is based on what I know about the previous years, when maps were part of the encounter round.

Over at the Freelance Forge, there's been some interesting discussion about maps, artistic merit in map design, and related subjects. While discussing maps with other freelancers, I realized that there are some interesting parallels between map design and rules design:

* Clear lines & map symbols are the equivalent of using the right formatting (bold typeface, caps in feat names, etc.) in stat blocks, etc. That's basic stuff -- but still very important, something every designer should learn early on in their freelancing career.
* Using interesting shapes, interesting terrain, variance in narrow and open spaces, and variance in elevation without making the map too complicated to read or draw on a flipmat (or turn into a professional map) is the equivalent of mojo, rules-fu, creativity and imagination.
* Creating a consistent, interesting theme for your map is the equivalent of making your magic items, monsters, etc. flavorful and evocative.
* Pretty textures, using colors for no other reason than to make the map colorful, and very minute details are a different beast--something a map reference doesn't need--the cartographer will take care of that part.

And lastly, knowing the people are visual creatures and often impatient, it really, really pays to make your map something that wows the viewer upon first glance. If your map takes two minutes or needs 100 words of accompanying text to figure out, you've already lost the game.

Comments, thoughts?

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

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Note: Please do not mention any details about the items being voted on that make it possible to identify which items you're talking about. Only very vague references are allowed--the same rules apply here as in other threads on the RPGSS forums.

In the previous two years of RPG Superstar, many people have compiled personal top lists to see how well they are able to predict which items make the Top 32. To encourage people to vote more (and more responsibly), I developed a set of standardized rules for how you can calculate your mojo rating based on your 20 favorite items. Detect Mojo is not a very serious contest, so I decided to make the rules as straightforward as possible.

Read the rules here.

Before the Top 32 reveal, feel free to discuss how many items you've put on your list so far, and what qualities an item should have to make your top list.

After the Top 32 reveal, feel free to post your mojo rating in this thread, along with your list of favorites. However, do not review any of the items without the author's permission--there will be a separate thread for that sometime after the Top 32 reveal.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

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In the first part of my magic item design articles, I discuss how you can create a very basic specific magic weapon and why it isn't Superstar.

In the second part, I show how you can use the same concept to make an item that isn't a SIAC.

Magic Item Advice 1/3: longsword of fireballs
Magic Item Advice 2/3: fire-blossom blade

Coming up tomorrow - part 3!

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

Though I'm not a round 1 judge, as a former contestant I thought I'd share my thoughts on the surprise twist anyway.

When I first learned about the change in item types for round 1, I immediately started thinking "what would I do if I were a contestant this year?" The most obvious idea (at least a viable plan B) would be to repurpose my boots, cloak, belt or .. box as a staff, ring, or something else.

My second thought was (if I were a judge in round 1), it would be quite easy to spot which items had been something else previously. Some wondrous item types wouldn't be quite so difficult to "port over" to another item type, while others may cause thematic disconnections.

Thoughts, comments? How do you think you will/would react as a voter (or judge) if you saw an obviously repurposed item? "Smart move" or "That's lazy"?

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

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Hi, I'm a freelancer, a former RPG Superstar finalist, and an RPG design blogger. I started my blog A Sword for Hire in March when RPG Superstar 2014 ended, and I've written a lot about my experiences and lessons learned as an RPG Superstar finalist (top 4 in 2014, top 32 in 2012, and alternate in 2011) and a monster design contest judge (Here Be Monsters). Below is list of different kinds of design advice and interviews that may be useful for both RPGSS contestants and aspiring freelancers. Please have a look!

In addition to these articles and interviews, I've assembled a team of writers to blog about RPG Superstar and related subjects throughout the RPGSS season. Jacob W. Michaels (RPGSS top 16 in 2014 & 2012), Joe Kondrak (Here Be Monsters top 5) and I will be updating the blog several times a week with posts both informative and entertaining. So keep an eye on this thread for news about updates. :)

Wondrous item design advice: Mikko's "recipe" for wondrous items

Monster design advice

General: Unwritten rules | Monsters aren't all that different from wondrous items
Descriptive line: Focusing on what makes the monster different | Observations from Here Be Monsters contest
Stat block: Observations from Here Be Monsters contest Part one | Part two | Part three
Special abilities: Observations from Here Be Monsters contest
Write-up, concept, and name: Observations from Here Be Monsters contest
Special: Designing scary monsters

Map-making advice: Making of: House of the Serpent's Son map

General advice for RPG Superstar: General advice

The most Superstar interviews - RPG Superstar 2014 winner & top 4: Victoria Jaczko | Mike Kimmel | Mikko Kallio | Robert Brookes

Freelancing advice

I've interviewed over a dozen publishers and self-publishers. Each interview includes a few questions about hiring freelancers and/or tips for new freelancers.

Third-party publishers: Adventure-A-Week | Dreamscarred Press | Flying Pincushion | Kobold Press | Legendary Games | Raging Swan | Rite Publishing | SagaRPG | Tricky Owlbear

Self-publishing: Eric Morton Presents | Forest Guardian Press | Four Dollar Dungeons | Gamer Printshop | Mór Games

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Hi! Until recently, the RPGSS boards have displayed my real name (Mikko Kallio) in any posts I write on there, but a few days ago I noticed my display name has reverted back to my alias (Serpent). My RPGSS tags still seem to be intact, so I don't know what's happened. Everyone else with RPGSS tags still seem to have their real names displayed. I don't think I've changed any settings recently, and the top pane still says "Hello, Mikko Kallio!"

Thanks in advance!

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Hi, it's Mikko from A Sword for Hire. I'm planning to increase the number of weekly blog posts during the upcoming RPG Superstar season, but can't do it all alone.

Read more!

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

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Since I haven't conducted any new interviews recently, I thought it wouldn't make sense to keep updating the "Upcoming interviews" thread anymore. Instead, I've been writing a series of articles on things I noticed while judging the Here Be Monsters contest. I'm currently in part 3 / 6. After that, I'll probably write about magic item design since RPG Superstar will begin in December. Here's a list of the newest posts:


Other

Publisher & Kickstarter interviews

Although I'm not currently doing interviews in my regular Saturday slot, I'll still publish any publisher or Kickstarter interviews on an on-demand basis. In other words, you can contact me about an interview, I'll send you a list of questions, you send it back, and I'll publish it a few days later.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

What feats and class features are there that you can use to wield a larger weapon than you normally should be able or to lessen the penalties for doing so?

A few options I'm aware of:
* EWP (bastard sword) + Large bastard sword (or dwarven waraxe)
* Goblin Gunslinger feat
* Titan mauler archetype (well, kind of...)

Anything else?

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

If you're interested in designing monsters, you might want to check this out - there are a lot of prizes and other interesting stuff.


  • Text-only version of the announcement on paizo.com. Got questions? Ask them there!
  • Full version of the announcement at the A Sword for Hire blog.


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A new monster design contest begins today, on the 23rd of August! We've got Sean K Reynolds on board as a guest judge. We've got five awesome sponsors and--you guessed right--a veritable dragon's hoard of treasure we'll give to the finalists! The finalists will also be interviewed on the A Sword for Hire blog.

Here Be Monsters

See all the details by clicking one of the links below:

RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

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A Sword for Hire and the Freelance Forge proudly present: Here Be Monsters
(View full version of this ad here!)

Sponsored by: Rite Publishing -- Legendary Games -- Raging Swan -- Dreamscarred Press -- Cartography by Tommi Salama

Saturday the 23rd of August marks the beginning of a new Pathfinder RPG monster design contest!

We've got Sean K Reynolds on board as a guest judge. He is best known for his many TSR, WotC and Paizo credits, and many people also remember him as an RPG Superstar judge. Sean also publishes RPG products under his own imprint and teaches wondrous item & monster design.

Besides Sean, the judging panel consists of three RPG Superstar (repeater) finalists, Mikko Kallio, Mike Kimmel, and Jacob W Michaels, each known for their monster-crafting skills.

Timeline:

Aug 23: The contest begins! The open call is open for three weeks.
Sept 13: Submissions are closed. Our judges (Mikko Kallio, Mike Kimmel & Jacob W Michaels) convene to determine the top 5.
Sept 20: Entries are narrowed down to top 5. Our guest judge Sean K Reynolds starts commenting on the top 5 entries.
Sept 27: The top 5 entries are revealed along with comments from Sean, Mikko, Mike and Jacob. Public voting begins.
Oct 4: The voting ends and the winner is revealed shortly after!

Contest Rules:
Rule 1: The word limit is 700 words. Each entrant may submit one monster. The monster should be presented in Pathfinder format, a template for which can be found below. Monster creation guidelines are given here.

Rule 2: The deadline is 2 p.m. PST (5 p.m. EST) Saturday, Sept. 13.

Rule 3: The monster must have been requested on the Bestiary 5 wish list thread on Paizo.com.

Rule 4: The entry cannot be or use a monster template (fiendish, lich, and so on).

Rule 5: Entry cannot have class levels.

Rule 6: Entries must be submitted via email to monster.design.contest@gmail.com. Include the monster's name in the subject line of the email.

Rule 7: All entries remain the intellectual property of their authors.


Prizes:
Thanks to our excellent sponsors, we have an amazing pile of treasure just waiting for the finalists to get their hands on!

The winner gets:

  • A print and PDF copy of The Book of Monster Templates, and PDF copies of 101 Not So Simple Monster Templates, 101 Variant Monsters and 101 Monster Feats, courtesy of Rite Publishing.
  • One of all of the following: a Mythic Monsters series PDF, a Beasts of Legend series PDF, and the Construct Codex, courtesy of Legendary Games.
  • A PDF copy of Scions of Evil, courtesy of Raging Swan.
  • A PDF copy of the Psionic Bestiary, courtesy of Dreamscarred Press.
Each of the runners-up gets:
  • PDF copies of 101 Not So Simple Monster Templates, 101 Variant Monsters and 101 Monster Feats, courtesy of Rite Publishing.
  • Any one of the following PDFs (finalist's choice): A Mythic Monsters series PDF, Beasts of Legend product, or the Construct Codex, courtesy of Legendary Games.
  • A PDF copy of Scions of Evil, courtesy of Raging Swan.

Our fifth sponsor Cartography by Tommi Salama designed our sweet Here Be Monsters logo—special thanks to Tommi!

In addition to the prizes, Mikko Kallio's A Sword for Hire blog offers to interview each of the top 5 contestants! Best known for 3PP interviews, Mikko's blog is something of a "Who's Who" of the 3PP industry. Get your name out there!


Frequently Asked/Anticipated Questions:
Q: Who's allowed to submit a monster?
A: Anyone! It doesn't matter if you've never made a monster before or if you're a well-known builder of beasts—you're eligible to enter. Also, the contest is international, so you're eligible to enter regardless of your location.

Q: How many monsters can I submit?
A: Just one. It's going to be hard enough to keep all the monsters from eating each other as is, and multiple monsters might overwhelm our holding pens.

Q: What CR can my monster be?
A: Your monster can be any CR from 1-20. Remember, though, that you only have 700 words, and higher-CR monsters may eat up all your words with describing special abilities, which could leave you limited space for describing it.

Q: Do I have to use all 700 words?
A: No. If you think you can make a compelling monster in just 500 words, that's fine.

Q: What sources can I use for my monster?
A: You may use any Paizo Pathfinder material other than Mythic Adventures (with so many rules and options, we want to have a common basis for judging and voting).

Q: Can I set the monster in Golarion or another campaign setting?
A: No. We do not have the rights to use anyone's intellectual property. Monsters should be developed to be setting neutral.

Q: Can I give my monster class levels or templates?
A: Nope; sorry.

Q: Where will my monster be published/shown?
A: The top 5 monsters will be revealed on Mikko Kallio's A Sword for Hire and Mike Kimmel's Freelance Forge blogs.

Q: Do I get to see the judges' comments if I don't make the top 5?
A: No; only comments on the Top 5 monsters will be revealed.

Q: What happens with my monster after the contest?
A: We'll be using hold monster spells to keep your monsters contained for judging, but afterward we'll be releasing them back in to the wild (i.e. you keep all rights to your creations).


Monster Template:
Copy-paste the following template into a Word or Open Office document for editing. You may send your monster in a file as an attachment, or copy-paste it directly into the email.

Before you submit, check that the formatting (bolded words, italics, etc.) matches the template and that you have replaced or deleted all the placeholder text (marked with [square brackets]) and placeholders for numbers (marked with ##). Also, remove any lines that you don't need (such as the Aura line if your monster doesn't have an aura).

Please do not include anything else in your submission. For example, explaining your math or design choices is not allowed.

[Description line of one or two sentences.]

[Monster Name] CR ##
XP ##

[Alignment] [Size] [type]
Init +##; Senses [sense], [sense]; Perception +##
Aura [aura name] (## ft., DC ##)

DEFENSE
AC
##, touch ##, flat-footed # (+## [modifier name], +## [modifier name])
hp ## (##d##+##); fast healing ##
Fort +##, Ref +##, Will +##
Defensive Abilities ##/[ability]; DR ##/[material]; Immune [type]; Resist [type] ##, [type] ##; SR ##
Weaknesses [type], [type]

OFFENSE
Speed ## ft., fly ## ft. ([maneuverability])
Melee [attack type] +## ([damage] plus [other effect]), [attack type] +## ([damage])
Ranged [attack type] +## ([damage])
Space ## ft.; Reach ## ft.
Special Attacks [type], [type]
Spell-Like Abilities (CL ##th; concentration +##)
At will—[spell name], [spell name]
1/day—[spell name], [spell name]

STATISTICS
Str ##, Dex ##, Con ##, Int ##, Wis ##, Cha ##
Base Atk +##; CMB +## (+## [conditional maneuver bonus]); CMD ## (## vs. [maneuver name])
Feats [Feat Name], [Feat Name]
Skills [Skill Name] +##, [Skill Name] +## (+## [condition]); Racial Modifiers +## [Skill Name], +## [Skill Name] when [condition]
Languages [Language Name]
SQ [type]

ECOLOGY
Environment [climate] [terrain]
Organization [type], [type], or [type]
Treasure [category]

SPECIAL ABILITIES
[Ability Name] (Ex/Sp/Su) [Ability description paragraph.]

[Monster description paragraphs.]

Got questions? Fire away! Mikko, Mike and Jacob will gladly answer all your questions!

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

1 person marked this as a favorite.

7!

As I've been hinting at recently in my blog, I've been planning something BIG. And it begins exactly a week from now, on the 23rd of August. Throughout the week, I'll be posting teasers here and in my blog!

Stay tuned! You don't want to miss this!

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Greetings,

In this thread, I'll be posting information on upcoming interviews published in my blog, so readers can see what's coming, and new interviewees will know how long the queue is at any given moment.

Since the queue is currently a few weeks long, it's not necessary to send me the answers many weeks in advance. Instead, you can pm me and I'll reserve the next available spot for you. I'll assign a due date which is generally 4 days before the scheduled publication date.

17 May: Frank Gori, Publisher, the Flying Pincushion [published]
24 May: Marc Radle, Art Director, Kobold Press [confirmed]
31 May: Richard Develyn, Publisher, Four Dollar Dungeons [confirmed]
7 June: Andreas Rönnqvist, Chief Creative Officer, Dreamscarred Press [estimated]
14 June: Steven D. Russell, Publisher, Rite Publishing [estimated]
21 June: [free]
28 June: [free]

Kickstarters are exempt from my 1/week rule -- because timing can be very crucial for the success of a Kickstarter, I'll post a Kickstarter interview whenever the interviewee wants it to be posted (though I'll try to space them as evenly as possible, and Wednesdays my preferred day of the week for them). So far, I only have one confirmed Kickstarter interview:

21 May: Mike Myler on the Snow White Kickstarter

I'll be posting updates on the schedule whenever new interviews come in.

Lastly, here are the standardized questions once more. I'm leaving this thing open until further notice, so if a 3PP wants me to interview them later, just contact me.

Spoiler:

A few notes to the interviewees, please read first!


  • Unless you are the owner of the company (or Kickstarter), please check with them that you are authorized to represent the company (or Kickstarter).
  • Only one interview per company / Kickstarter. The main purpose of these interviews is to introduce the 3rd-party publishing companies. Note: If your Kickstarter is affiliated with a 3rd-party publisher, you are allowed to do a separate interview for the Kickstarter even if your company is also getting interviewed. Also, I'm conducting interviews with individual designers and freelancers later this year, and I'll gladly interview several people from the same company. More about that later.
  • However, Kickstarters are more time-critical and I'm going to make an exception with them: I'll publish any Kickstarter interviews a.s.a.p. They won't affect the schedule for the other interviews anyhow; i.e. they won't push back other interviews in the queue. Instead, they're posted as bonus content in addition to the 1/week interviews.
  • Notes and placeholders are marked with blue. They won't appear in the published interviews.

[Questions about you as a person and publisher/freelancer]

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

How did you get into RPG design and what kind of projects have you been working on? What have been your best experiences?

In your opinion, what makes a good Pathfinder RPG compatible product?

[Questions about your company or Kickstarter]

When and how did [your company or Kickstarter] get started?

How did you join [the company or Kickstarter] and what is your role or position? [Note: this question is optional -- if you are a founding member, you can talk about this when answering the previous question!]

What can you tell about [your company's products or the Kickstarter]?

Can you give us an exclusive teaser about [a future product or the Kickstarter]? Note: Because NDAs may limit your ability to answer this one, the question is optional]

What are the best things about [your products or Kickstarter] and what type of players or GMs would you recommend it/them for?

What are the current goals for [your company or Kickstarter]? What are the biggest challenges?

Is there anything else people should know about [your company or its products, or the Kickstarter]?

[Questions for publishers that hire freelancers]

Note: While these questions are mainly about writer/designers, please also discuss illustrators, cartographers, editors and other freelancers if applicable.

How do you generally find new freelancers to work for you? What is the application process like?

What are the main requirements for a freelancer to work for you? What other skills and/or experience are useful?

Can you describe a typical assignment you give to new freelancers? What steps does the process typically include from the freelancer's point of view?

What advice would you give to aspiring freelancers?

[Questions for self-publishers and Kickstarters]

In your opinion, what are the most important things to consider when starting [self-publishing or a Kickstarter]?

What skills, tools or other resources do you consider to be the most important in [self-publishing or running a Kickstarter]? [Note: This question is more about skills/tools/resources needed over the long term as opposed to the previous question which is about the startup.]

What do you find most rewarding about [self-publishing or running a Kickstarter]? What about least rewarding?

Is there any further advice you would give to someone interested in [self-publishing or running a Kickstarter]?

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Greetings, 3rd-party publishers! I'm an RPG design blogger and a newbie freelancer. In my blog, I discuss RPG design, freelancing, and the RPGSS contest + other similar contests, among other things. Judging by the number of clicks they get, interviews are some of the most popular articles I've posted so far, and I'd like to do a series of articles about 3rd-party publishers in a Q&A format.

The main reasons for starting this series of articles are:


  • To help 3pps discover new freelancing talent
  • To promote your 3pp, hopefully increasing your sales
  • To help and encourage people to get started as freelancers
  • To have this information in one place, in a standardized Q&A format for easier referencing
  • (And for me, the benefit is getting a lot of interesting content for my blog!)

The following is a draft of the standardized list of questions. If you feel there is something important that ought to be asked, please feel free to suggest changes or additions:

Spoiler:

  • Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about the history of your 3pp company?
  • What products or product lines is your 3pp best known for? [This is where you can also promote any upcoming products people should know about]
  • How are your products different from Paizo's, or those of other 3rd-party publishers?
  • How do generally find new freelancers to write for you? What is the application process like? [E.g. do you have an open-call contest or
  • What are the main requirements for a freelancer to work for you? What skills and/or experience will also be useful?
  • Can you describe a typical assignment you give to new(ish) freelancers? What steps does the process typically include from the freelancer's point of view?

Because the Q&As will be posted in the blog, hyperlinking is possible. So you can include links to your products, etc. if you wish.

I'll probably be posting the articles 1/week in the order I receive them.

Thoughts, ideas? Sound interesting? Fans/supporters of 3rd-party products, please feel free to also discuss!

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

So, I'm playing through the Thornkeep module in a group of three PCs: two melee dwarves and my half-elven wizard. Because I wanted to try something entirely new, I took repeating heavy crossbow proficiency through an alternate racial trait and made it the wizard's bonded item, so I got a mwk weapon for free at 1st level.

The first session was loads of fun, the half-elf actually racked up more kills with his combo of mwk weapon, Dex 18, Point-blank Shot, the prescience power from the foresight subschool and gravity bow than the dwarven brothers got with their axes and Power Attack. I fear that his effectiveness will drop dramatically with the levels, and eventually there's no point in using the crossbow anymore. However, for flavor reasons, I want to keep the xbow his main weapon, with spells only providing buffs, battlefield control and other support. (Ok, maybe he'll have a backup fireball in his spellbook, just in case...)

Since Thornkeep consists of five dungeon levels and each level presumably nets you enough xp to go up one level, I expect that we reach level 6 before we encounter the BBEG. That's only bab +3 and 3 feats (the first of which is pbs and the second probably will be Precise Shot), so the optimization challenge is rather different from the usual campaign.

I'm actually debating whether Focused Shot might be worth taking, just this once. The wizard's Int is currently 16 but will go up to 18 later (headband +2). That's +3 or +4, actually better than what he'll ever get from Deadly Aim. Besides, Rapid Shot would mean that he'd have to reload much more often, so I'm almost convinced that Focused Shot is actually mathematically better in this particular case. At level 5, of course, he can cast haste which doesn't work with Focused Shot.

Anyway, what feats, spells, weapon enchantments, etc. would you recommend? Prestige classes? One-level dips? Remember, levels 1-6 only. :)

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

5 people marked this as a favorite.

Firstly, thanks to all who voted for me and supported me! It's been a very good year of RPG Superstar regardless of who wins. :)

Actually, I've got some news. I decided to start a blog about RPG Superstar and related subjects, please have a look and comment. The first post explains what sort of things I intend to write about, and the newer post is actually the first in a series of RPGSS related articles.

A Sword for Hire

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

4 people marked this as a favorite.

KNIGHT'S GAMBIT
--–––————–––--

When the Watchknights of Vigil cannot catch an elusive criminal, a knight approaches the PCs with a risky proposition. As undercover operatives, they follow clues through places high and low, and uncover a plot involving Vigil's ancient enemies. Time is running out as the PCs prepare to face a cunning enemy that seeks to plunge Vigil into turmoil.

Knight's Gambit is a Pathfinder adventure module for four 3rd-level characters. By the end of this urban adventure, the characters should reach 5th level using the medium experience track.

Adventure Background

In recent years, Lastwall has experienced a much welcomed spell of relative peace. Consequently, fewer and fewer crusaders have joined Vigil's cause to watch over the cursed Gallowspire and hold off the orcs of Belkzen. The leaders in Vigil are reluctant to change the situation, but there is a rising concern that complacency may bring about Vigil's downfall.

Lady Sirana Urholde is one of the few to give voice to the concern, but her appeals and warnings have been met with disregard. Although the ever-ambitious Watcher-Lord Ulthun II dreams of conquest, he will not go against the decisions of the Precentors Martial or the wishes of the Tribunes. Dismayed at the treasonous cowardice of Vigil's leaders, Sirana designed a plot to prove that the orcs of Belkzen remain a threat that demands immediate action. Any sacrifice would be acceptable if crusaders were to flock to the city once again.

Under the alias "the Rook", Sirana began tracking down and organizing Vigil’s underworld in preparation for an attack staged to look like an act of terror by agents of Gallowspire. Her position as an officer in the Watchknights allowed her to access information about criminal cases, and exploiting unscrupulous investigation methods, she found what the law-abiding investigators never could.

Meanwhile, her half-orc brother Torack infiltrated a motley tribe of outcast orcs, the Chimaera. Kragor, the tribe chieftain, thought himself smart for having a half-orc counselor and eagerly swallowed Torack’s lies and half-truths about Vigil's defenses. Kragor was particularly fascinated by revelations about an abandoned supply tunnel, which Sirana had uncovered while investigating a case. The plan to invade Vigil soon became Kragor’s obsession.

When Sirana’s plan comes into fruition, it looks like a highly organized, joint attack by minions of the Whispering Tyrant and a troop of orcs from various tribes banded together. The plan is carefully engineered so that Sirana arrives with her own troops just in time for her to lead the counter-offensive. In doing so, she emerges as the hero who saved the city. The attack will cause just enough death and destruction to provoke a retaliation.

Adventure Hooks

  • The PCs travel with a merchant caravan. They meet a Taldan merchant who tells them about a knight who seeks resourceful individuals for an investigation job.
  • The local Pathfinder Lodge sometimes lends its services to help Vigil. The PCs are chosen for their unique skills.
  • Arrested for petty crimes they did or did not commit, the PCs are offered a chance to redeem themselves by using their skills to help Vigil.

Prologue

The adventure begins with a meeting at Sir Erram's (old CG male human fighter 5) house, who wants to hire the PCs.

Sir Erram’s Speech:
”They say there is a new player in Vigil. They call him the Rook and say he’s some sort of a vigilante. Others say he is organizing the filth and I fear the same. Whatever he wants, Vigil won’t tolerate it.”

“The problem is, even though Vigil is a city of honest and lawful people, the sneaky bugger has somehow been able to elude the Watchknights. This is where you come in. Nobody except me knows who you are; you better keep it that way. The Watcher-Lord authorized me to use extraordinary measures, so do whatever is necessary to catch the Rook, but don’t get into too much trouble.”

“One more thing; be quick about it. Report back to me within five days.”


Sir Erram reminds the PCs about the Shield-Marks and Sword-Marks that many people have. Such marks, or lack thereof, give circumstantial modifiers on social skills depending on the situation. He gives the PCs 500 gp to spend on “provisions”, by which he means equipment needed for pursuing the clues, or for bribing criminals.

Bonus Location: The Hideout:
In the back of an unassuming storage room, a well-concealed secret door opens into a larger room with weapon racks, chests, and a few simple bunks.

Sir Erram lets the PCs use the hideout as their headquarters, where they can place traps and wards to protect their loot and evidence.

Act I – The Rook’s Flight

In any order, the PCs start investigating cases in which the Rook has recently been involved.

Halfling Smugglers: After squeezing information out of a rival gang, the PCs confront a gang of halfling smugglers in a large storage house. The combatants can use crates for cover or climbing. The sneaky halflings have arranged the crates so that the narrow spaces between them are difficult for bigger creatures to move through. Furthermore, iron hooks hang on chains from the ceiling and can be used to swing from one pile of crates to another.

Sirana found the smugglers before the Watchknights got to them. If the PCs let the halflings live, they tell them what little they know about the Rook: a magically disguised, faceless warrior cleaved their leader in half with a longsword and forced them to work as spies. The Rook also gave them a key, saying they would learn its purpose later.

Missing Persons: The PCs investigate crime scenes and find the victims dead and stuffed into a seemingly impossible places. Each victim was a classmate of one Minra Salias, who suffered a cataleptic fit after being bullied. She was mistaken for dead and subsequently interred in the crypts beneath the cathedral. She suffocated in her heavy coffin and rose as an immured (R2).

Sample Encounter: Missing Daughter:
The grieving mother opens the door to her daughter’s room. Various items still lie strewn about the floor.

Minra, a grudgeful immured, dragged the girl through the wall, watched her suffocate, then hid her body under the rafters in the roof. The mother heard screams which quickly faded. Nothing appeared to be missing except her daughter.

  • Perception or Disable Device DC 15: There are no signs of forced entry in the house.
  • Heal or Survival DC 20: There is no blood, suggesting non-lethal attacks.
  • Drag CMD 15 or Survival DC 10: She was dragged towards the wall.
  • Intimidate or Sense Motive DC 15: The mother remembers: all candles in the room were extinguished.
  • Perception or Knowledge (nature) DC 15: There is a faint smell of decay in the adjacent room.

Sirana defeated Minra and used a miscaster (R2) to cast arcane lock on the coffin, blocking the immured’s breach ability. Sirana had stolen the miscaster from a wizard and locked it in the burial chamber along with a special pocket watch working as a timer. The watch is ticking down to the hour the orcs attack, whereupon the miscaster is to cast dispel magic on the coffin. Sirana knew that the next person Minra would go after was the last of the bullies, the daughter of a councilman.

When the PCs unlock the door, the mischievous miscaster dispels the arcane lock. The immured immediately attempts to pull a character into the adjacent chamber, the door to which is locked.

Necromantic Lab: A wizard’s name on the pocket watch leads the PCs to a pet shop. The halflings' key opens a door to a necromantic lab in the basement. The owner, a curious but non-evil necromancer lies dead and decaying, and a veritable menagerie of skeleton and zombie animals is running rampant in the lab. The floor is covered in necromantic fluids and shards from broken jars. Each animal’s forehead is branded with a symbol in the shape of Gallowspire, one of Sirana’s ploys.

In a second room, the PCs encounter the necromancer’s masterpiece, the centianima. Sirana left it alone, planning to get it released during the attack. After the PCs defeat it, they find a diary that gives an account of the interactions with the Rook that ultimately led to the wizard’s death.

New Monster: Centianima:
This centipede assembled from the bones of numerous animals skitters forth sideways in an undulating motion, heads on both ends racing to catch prey.

This Large undead creature gains a second bite attack whenever it is being flanked. It can also shake bone fragments off its body to fill a number of adjacent squares with bone caltrops.

Act II – Keeping Vigil

The PCs and Sir Erram assess the evidence. Everything seems to indicate that something big and sinister is afoot. The PCs set out to investigate a few locations mentioned in the diary to find out more.

Foray into Belkzen: In a ruined tower in the Hold of Belkzen, the PCs encounter a gang of orcs who attack on sight. Their half-blooded leader, a draconic bloodline sorcerer casts enlarge person on himself before joining the fray. He has a letter which reads: “Join the Chimaera to sunder the Shield”.

The Traitor's Gate: The PCs visit the Pathfinder Lodge and other locations to find clues about the Traitor’s Gate, a tunnel thus named for a noble who centuries ago used it to escape during a siege. No-one alive except Sirana and Torack know the exact location of the entrance, and the PCs only learn which part of Vigil it is in. If the PCs dig too deep, a false clue leads them into a trap laid by an aranea.

Roof Runner: The PCs follow clues about a spy who works in the Drakkar, an Ulfen-built ale house near the docks, and get into a bar brawl. Afterwards, they can befriend dwarven crusaders who want to hold a singing contest. With new clues, they enter the spy’s heavily trapped apartment. He grabs a map marked with some key locations about the attack and escapes through a window.

A chase scene (GameMastery Guide 232) ensues. The PCs, for example, jump from roof to roof, splash through a holy fountain, climb a statue and barge through the singing dwarves who want to offer them drinks. Shortly after the PCs catch the spy or give up the chase, their role is reversed – the Watchknights pursue them for defiling the statue and fountain.

Sample Chase Card: Iomedae’s Statue:
Leap off Faith → Acrobatics DC 20
Adequate Handholds → Climb DC 15

Sample Chase Card: Drunken Dwarves:
Just One Pint → Fortitude DC 15
Sorry Lads! → Overrun CMD 20

The Chimaera: Sir Erram’s report to the Watchknights only prompts a few extra scouting runs – the evidence is deemed too inconclusive to warrant any larger-scale actions.

A few nights later, the wizard’s watch starts chiming. Sir Erram instructs the PCs to find the attackers and stall them to their best ability while Erram alerts the Watchknights. The orcs fan out to lay devastation on the unsuspecting city. Kragor mounted on his tiger, an entourage of orc raiders (orc barbarian 1) and Torack hurry towards Sirana’s ambush.

The more successful the PCs' investigation has been, the more accurately they can pinpoint where the attack occurs. Thus they can better choose where to ambush Kragor, gaining an advantage of terrain in the tough encounter. If the PCs steal the glory of killing Kragor before he reaches Sirana’s ambush, they have a better chance of dissuading the war council in the third act. If the PCs attempt to help Sirana kill Kragor, she tells them to stay out of the way.

Torack takes no part in the fight. His plan has all along been to use invisibility and leave when things get ugly. Regardless of how Kragor dies, thanks to Torack’s intentionally bad advice, his orcs only manage to kill a few dozen people, injure twice that many, vandalize a number of statues and burn a few flags. The ferocious, stubborn orcs, however, are killed nearly to the last by the angry, vengeful Vigilants.

Bio: Kragor Whitetusk:
Kragor (CE male orc fighter 5) seized control of his tribe by the right of the strongest. However, he quickly understood that physical might was no substitute for leadership. Paranoid and painfully aware of his shortcomings, he feared that his rivals would kill him in his sleep unless he could strengthen his rule. An opportunity presented itself when a renegade half-orc offered him the greatest of all trophies – Vigil.

Quirk: Kragor charges into battle with Wraith, a snow-white tiger captured previously from a caravan returning to the south from the Realm of the Mammoth Lords.

Act III – Endgame

In the aftermath of the attack, a war council has convened in Castle Overwatch to discuss retaliatory action. With Lady Sirana as their spokesperson, the faction that supports the war is gaining traction. The PCs present the evidence they have found earlier in the adventure to prove the attack was planned to provoke just this reaction.

Sample Encounter: War Council:
As the doors to the council room open, the sweeping voice of a woman floods into the hallway. "In times like this, we need courageous deeds. We – Vigil – must stand as one!" She stops speaking and slowly turns her piercing, intense eyes towards the doors, her expression demanding an explanation for the intrusion.

When presenting their evidence to the council, the PCs use Knowledge (history/local/nobility) to cite relevant laws and precedents, Perform (oratory) to appeal to feelings, Diplomacy and Bluff to prop up the evidence and Intimidate to warn about foolish rashness. The key to success is choosing the right skill when presenting each piece of evidence.

The PCs may also use skills not listed above if the players have convincing arguments as to why the use of the skill makes sense.


If successful, the PCs are granted one day to find more definitive evidence. If not, they only get two hours.

Saving the Enemy: Sir Erram tells the PCs about a captured orc raider whom Sirana wants to hang in a grand public display. The PCs sneak into the Urholde Manor and interrogate the orc, who reveals that he has seen Torack both in Kragor’s camp before the attack and after it at the Urholde Manor, talking to Sirana. The PCs fight paladins and Torack on their way out and escort the orc to Castle Overwatch.

Bio: Torack:
Torack (N male half-orc bard 5) is the unlikely son of a ranger-knight and an orc woman whom he took back to his countryside estate for interrogation. A year after her release, a little bundle appeared at his doorstep with a message written in Orcish: “Could not be”. Torack spent the days of his childhood locked away from the world with only his father's books, voraciously consuming each word.

Quirk: Torack uses Throw Anything with Arcane Strike to turn any object into a deadly missile. He prefers copper coins, often quipping “Let's see how much you're worth!” when attacking.

The Rook’s Nest: The third act culminates in the confrontation with Lady Sirana. The Watchknights surround the Urholde Manor, but hesitate to enter because Sirana has taken a hostage. Sir Erram urges the PCs to sneak in and convince her to surrender. Inside, the PCs fight trumpet archon statues (Medium animated object; additional movement, stone), and finally confront Sirana in a large ballroom.

Sample Encounter: Checkmate:
The screams of a hostage echo off the marble checkerboard floor and mirror-covered walls of this opulent room. In the far corner, a smiling, 10-foot-tall archon statue stirs, and its golden starknife starts spinning wickedly like a sawmill blade. Behind the statue, there is a circular staircase that leads up to a balcony overlooking the room, where Sirana is holding her hostage before her, sword in other hand.

Sirana is in no mood for talking. She uses the hostage as soft cover and casts spiritual weapon to harass spellcasters and archers, and hold person on the toughest-looking warrior. In melee, she switches from the purity judgment to justice and uses the bane ability and Power Attack on each attack. She fights to the bitter end.

The star archon statue (Large animated object; metal, slashing attack) edges onward, intercepting anyone trying to reach the stairs.

Bio: Lady Sirana Urholde:
Sirana (LE female human inquisitor (infiltrator) 7) is Torack's half-sister. Her mother died giving birth to her, and her father passed away when she was in her teens. She sold the property, had the Urholde Manor built in Vigil and settled there with her little brother. To protect Torack’s secret, they wove a story about a servant girl and orc raiders. For many years, Sirana was schooled in the War College, and eventually, she took the knightly vows in the Cathedral of Sancta Iomedaea.

Quirk: Although Sirana has fallen far from the Iomedaean ideals, she bears the symbol of Iomedae proudly on her armor. Her power comes from her devotion to her ideal rather than Iomedae, but she still detects as lawful good because of her misdirection ability.

Sirana is wearing an eye of vigil (new item), an eye-shaped crystal set on a chain. If she is affected by a sleep effect, blindness or paralysis, the crystal absorbs the effect and the eye closes. If the amulet absorbs a second effect, the eye bulges out from its socket and breaks.

Conclusion

The war is averted for now, but it is a bittersweet victory. The PCs are rewarded for their service, but there is no celebration. The Vigilants are shaken by the stark reminder that humans can be far crueler animals than the orcs. After a time, though, Vigil rises with new confidence, ever watchful and resolute in its purpose.

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The House of the Serpent’s Hand
==========
In the eastern reaches of the Brazen Peaks, the small town of Akinash lies in a secluded valley lush with spiny shrubs and tall grasses. A comfortable distance both from the gnoll holds of White Canyon and Pale Mountain and from the capitals Sothis and Katapesh, Akinash attracts people who seek a quieter life. The town center is dominated by a sandstone shrine built by local monks of Irori to venerate their late grandmaster Sahasranama, a Vudran guardian naga. She devoted her last decades to teaching local residents the arts of healing and a form of unarmed combat known as the snake style (Ultimate Combat). The shrine’s many serpentine motifs, just as its name – the House of the Serpent’s Hand – symbolize these arts.

With this building as their headquarters, the Iroran sect flourished for generations. However, breaking the “one law” of Katapesh by sheltering a number of escaped slaves brought the sect to a sudden, brutal end. The building lay abandoned for a long time, its history nearly forgotten. However, recently it has fallen into the hands of a cult following a mysterious figure called Musa’id, the Serpent's Son.

Musa’id, an imposter maw (R2) orphaned at birth, spent much of his young life traveling Garund to find the truth of his origins. A terrible hunger he could not deny followed him wherever he went. All he knew of his ancestry was that his adoptive mother, an Osirian caravan prostitute, had found him near a place where the great purple worms of the Black Desert occasionally surfaced.

His fortunes changed when Bakhta, one of the many self-proclaimed prophets of Katapesh's Lower City, witnessed him devouring a young calopus in one bite much like a large snake might. She fell to her knees in happy tears, repeating the words "the serpent's son". The enigmatic ravings of the charismatic woman convinced many people, including Musa’id himself, that he was indeed a prophesied descendant of Sahasranama. She gave him a charlatan’s symbol (R1), and Musa’id performed little miracles with it, believing it to be part of his legacy. His following grew quickly. Musa’id also grew into something truly monstrous, as there was no shortage of food for the false prophet.

Most of Musa’id's followers are not evil, just severely misled and cowed into submission. The rituals performed at the newly "reclaimed" shrine have become increasingly elaborate. A combination of prayer, pesh, displays of minor magic and gore leaves the followers awed and addicted.

Encounter Setup: The son of an important ally goes missing, and the trail leads to the shrine. As the PCs push through a throng of followers, they realize that the ceremony is about to reach its climax. The PCs must act quickly or the young man will die.

The Serpent’s Son (CR 5)
==========
In the flickering light of countless candles, people sway back and forth, and the air is thick with incense and prayer. Standing on a massive, hand-shaped ledge, a wild-haired woman feverishly recites incomprehensible syllables. Twenty feet below, a dark pool glistens with soft reflections. At the far end of this long hall, a serpentine statue looms menacingly. A young man lies bound and motionless atop the serpent's head.

The PCs start the encounter in the crowd-filled squares behind the dashed line. See Core Rulebook 436 for rules about moving through and influencing crowds. The PCs may attempt DC 15 Diplomacy or Intimidate checks to ask people nearby questions about the cult. However, after three attempts, they simply ignore the PCs. The followers are so euphoric and transfixed by the ritual that each successful check only elicits a short response. A DC 12 Sense Motive check reveals that their mesmerized state also renders them incapable of any violent reaction. A DC 20 Perception check reveals that the incense masks a second smell – pesh. However, a short-term exposure has no notable effects on the PCs.

The hand-shaped ledge resembles a variant symbol of Irori that the snake style sect used. The hand’s posture mimics the head of a snake (DC 15 (Knowledge (religion) reveals this connection). Monks would leap into the snake-infested water to prove their mettle. A Knowledge (engineering) DC 15 or Perception DC 20 check reveals the middle finger is badly eroded (see Hazards).

The water in the pool is 10 feet deep and calm (Swim DC 10). The surface is 20 feet below the hand-shaped ledge but nearly level (Climb DC 5) with the floor surrounding the serpentine statue and the narrow ledges on either side of the pool. These ledges can be traversed at half speed; full speed requires a DC 15 Acrobatics check. The walls of this hall are built from large sandstone blocks (Climb DC 15). The sconces on the walls are sturdy enough to attach a rope or grappling hook. The pool is teeming with vicious-looking but mostly harmless snakes (DC 15 Perception to notice; see Hazards).

The massive granite statue depicts the late grandmaster in a coiled, meditative posture. The coils require a DC 10 Climb check for Medium or smaller creatures to climb, while Large and larger creatures treat the squares as difficult terrain. Carvings at the base show the grandmaster biting and using her tail to strike, trip and choke her enemies, overlaid with images of humans imitating these forms. A DC 20 Knowledge (dungeoneering) check reveals that the creature depicted is a guardian naga, while a DC 15 Knowledge (engineering) check reveals a Vudran influence in the design.

Encounter Timeline

After three minutes have passed or the PCs spring into action, Musa’id enters and starts walking up the statue, following the spiraling path. Upon reaching the top, he does the following unless the PCs stop him:

  • Round 1: He awakens the bound man, who responds with screams,
  • Round 2: drenches him with pesh-laced wine, all the while reciting prayers,
  • Round 3: transforms,
  • Round 4: speaks a disturbingly inhuman, final incantation,
  • Round 5: catches the screaming man in his maw, and
  • Round 6: devours him in one bite.

When Musa’id transforms, read the following:

With sickening cracks and pops, the body of this man begins to grow and elongate. His white robes tear off his body, revealing mauve blotches that spread on his skin and harden into purple, chitinous scales. His mouth widens to cover the entire face, as hundreds of needle-like teeth burst from within the gums of the gaping, cavernous maw.

Creatures:

See the map for starting positions. As long as the PCs do nothing suspicious, the fanatics do not move. There are nine more fanatics posted outside, but the crowd makes it impossible for them to notice the PCs’ actions.

Bakhta CR —
XP —
hp 11 (Storyteller, GameMastery Guide 272)
Tactics Bakhta takes no actions besides babbling incoherently. She makes Swim checks if necessary.
Gear

Fanatics (3) CR 1/3
XP 133 each
hp 8 each (Foot Soldier, GameMastery Guide 286)
Melee Scimitar +3 (1d6+3/19–20)
Ranged Composite shortbow +2 (1d6+2/×3)
Tactics The fanatics defend Musa’id. They use ranged attacks as long as possible.

Musa’id, giant imposter maw CR 4
XP 1,200
hp 42 (R2, with the giant template, Bestiary 295)
AC 16
Melee bite +7 (2d8+6 plus grab)
Ranged vase +0 (1d4+4 plus difficult terrain)
Tactics Musa’id sheds his human guise at a tactically opportune moment to maximize the element of shock. Thereafter, he attempts to swallow a PC whole, or failing that, he snatches a vase in his maw and throws it at a PC or censer.
Gear charlatan's symbol holding a wand of cure light wounds (5 charges)

Hazards:

Falling finger (CR —) The part of the finger marked on the map falls down if more than 150 pounds of weight are placed on it. Creatures that fall into the water take no damage, but they may attempt a DC 13 Reflex save to jump into an unoccupied square.

Snakes in the water (CR —) Each creature that starts its turn in the water must make a DC 12 Will save or be shaken for 1 round. This is a fear effect. A successful save makes the character immune against the effect for 24 hours.

Special Terrain:

Censers: Knocking over (move action or attack vs AC 8) a censer creates a smoke cloud (as obscuring mist except 10-feet radius; duration 3 rounds). The pesh-infused smoke causes mild, pleasant hallucinations (fascinated for 1 round; Fort DC 11 negates).

Vases: If a vase is broken (AC 6, hardness 2, 1 hp), an adjacent square of the attacker's choice turns into difficult terrain. If used as an improvised thrown weapon (1d4 bludgeoning damage plus difficult terrain), a vase is a two-handed weapon for a Medium creature. If the attack misses, treat it as a thrown splash weapon to determine where it lands and breaks.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

There was some discussion about the use of class levels in the Guildhall thread and a contestant advised another to not use them, based on this part of the R3 rules (which is 100% identical to the corresponding bit in last year's R4 rules):

Quote:
Do not use customized monsters or hazards that do not already have a stat block from a Paizo source if the effects of the variation cannot be summed up by adding one line to the stat block (such as a half-fiend troll, a goblin rogue 5, or an advanced spectre)—normally you would include a complete stat block for such a monster, and you won't have room to do so within the 1,500 word limit for your entry.

However, it seems it is not a hard and fast rule -- Steven Helt applied the advanced template on Pedro Coelho's leechroot last year. (Other contestants may have also used it in the past, but I didn't read them all quite as many times as I did Helt's excellent Naga Temple so I don't remember). We all know he didn't get DQ'd for it. ;-) Quite the contrary, in fact:

Clark Peterson wrote:
You advanced the leechroot to pump up the encounter level, which is a good idea.
Sean K Reynolds wrote:
Nice use of the advanced simple template on the leechroot to bring its CR closer to the caryatid columns.

Steven included lines with updated stats for XP, hp, AC and melee (though not for saves or skills), so I guess the use of a template or other "customization" is allowed if you update the most relevant stats?

Please clarify, thanks in advance. :)

EDIT: This wouldn't probably work so well with class levels because the extent of changes would be much greater, but the effects of a template on a monster's stats could be summed up in a reasonably small number of words, as Steven aptly proved last year.

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For the benefit of everyone in the top32 + the alts, I want to check how the "keep quiet" rule works this year (and also to remind my fellow finalists about it so no-one says something that's against the rules just because they didn't know about it).

I remember how things worked back in 2012 when I was in the top 32, but last year I didn't pay so much attention to that particular thing. I remember it's acceptable to say "thank you" in your entry's discussion thread, but I do recall there was some discussion about changing that to make it really clear what's ok and what's not.

1a) Judges, are we still allowed to say "thank you, please vote for me"?

1b) Voters, would you consider it rude if a contestant didn't say anything at all during the public voting rounds, just to be on the safe side?

2a) Judges, is it ok to "acknowledge" any favorable comments in your entry's thread by favoriting them?

2b) Voters, would you consider this to break the spirit of the rules if not the letter?

3a) Judges, are the top 32 contestants or alts allowed to expose any perceived or real flaws in other finalists' entries during public votings? Would you advise against it even if it's technically allowed?

3b) Voters, would you consider this kind of conduct cowardly and unsportsmanlike? OR would you say it's fully within the rights of the finalists and alts to "help" the voters?

Personally, I don't have a strong opinion about 1) and 2) either way, but I'm very much against 3) even if it's just "Cool concept, but I don't think it would fit in my campaign".

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Through cracked, sickly blue lips, this pallid humanoid figure emits deep gasps as if struggling to breathe.

Immured CR 3
XP 800
NE Medium Undead
Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +20
Aura snuff (10 ft.)

----- Defense -----
AC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 15 (+5 natural)
hp 26 (4d8+8)
Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +5
Immune undead traits
Weaknesses bound

----- Offense -----
Speed 30 ft.
Melee slam +6 (1d6+4)
Special Attacks seize

----- Statistics -----
Str 16, Dex 10, Con —, Int 5, Wis 13, Cha 14
Base Atk +3; CMB +6 (+8 drag); CMD 16 (18 vs. drag)
Feats Improved Drag, Power Attack
Skills Perception +20; Racial Modifiers +12 Perception
Languages Common (cannot speak)
SQ breach

----- Ecology -----
Environment any urban
Organization solitary or gang (2–5)
Treasure standard

----- Special Abilities -----
Bound (Su) If an immured cannot return to the tomb or building it died in, it loses 1d6 hit points per hour, which cannot be healed until it returns.

Breach (Su) As a swift action, an immured can touch a non-magical wall to open a spatial rift that spreads like spilled ink to form a vaguely human-like shape. The touched 5-foot section of the wall, which may be up to two feet thick, effectively ceases to exist for two rounds. However, a dark, semi-solid membrane covers the rift, blocking line of sight through it. Because of the poor visibility, moving through the rift counts as two squares of movement. The immured can see, move, attack or even drag a target through the rift without penalties. Upon closing, the rift shunts anything still inside into the nearest open space.

Seize (Ex) When using its slam attack, an immured may choose to deal nonlethal damage with no penalty on the attack roll. If the immured attacks in this way and hits, it can attempt a drag maneuver against the target as a free action.

Snuff (Su) The agonized gasping of an immured displaces oxygen within 10 feet, which automatically extinguishes non-magical fires. Living, breathing creatures within the aura must hold their breath or risk suffocation. Speaking or casting spells with verbal components within the aura reduces the remaining duration a creature can hold its breath by 1d6 rounds, as do any successful attacks by the immured that deal nonlethal damage. The gasps of the immured are loud enough to be heard with a DC 10 Perception check, and it cannot voluntarily dismiss the aura.

The immured are undead remains of people who died of slow suffocation in a confined, lightless space. Their feelings of abject terror and isolation before death manifest as an ability to open temporary rifts in reality. Although they loathe the bright lights and open spaces of the world outside, they emerge to violently hush any sounds that disturb their repose. Some of them find the last gasps of a dying person so intoxicating that they seek out victims night after night. They discard their playthings in places that normal people cannot easily access, for which reason most victims are never found.

While an accidental live burial or the collapse of a building may trigger the birth of an immured, most of these unfortunate souls were walled in as a form of torture or execution. In cultures obsessed with undeath or the afterlife, however, living servants are sometimes bestowed with the honor of being entombed with their master. In Osirion, hollow limestone columns and statues created expressly for this purpose are called whispering pillars for the muted echoes heard from within.

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Deck of Falling Houses
Aura faint transmutation; CL 5th
Slot none; Price 5,400 gp (full deck); Weight 1/2 lb.
Description
This set of 54 cards is adorned with designs that are oddly skewed or tilted but otherwise similar to playing cards or Harrow cards. As a standard action, you can toss any number of these cards into an unoccupied space within 30 feet. In a flash of blue light, the cards transform into half-inch-thick, 5-by-10-foot sheets of opaque crystal with colors and motifs matching the original cards.

The transformed cards arrange themselves into a contiguous structure of your choice, such as a wall, tower or bridge, and become joined along the edges. At least one of the cards must merge with a permanent solid surface. The seams become magically hardened, allowing even the most absurdly imbalanced structures with improbable angles to remain standing indefinitely.

However, if a transformed card is destroyed (hardness 5, hp 15, Break DC 18), dispelled or hit by a severe wind (31+ mph), the magic starts to unravel and all cards in that structure become unstable. Each creature that starts its turn on or moves onto an unstable card must succeed on a DC 10 Acrobatics check or fall prone. One round later, the cards burst in a shower of crystalline dust and cannot be used again.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, mage hand, make whole, shrink item; Cost 2,700 gp

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

So, let's assume a spellcaster is using animate dead to make an undead skeleton from the corpse of a creature with more than 11 racial HD but fewer than 20. He is high enough level and/or has cast desecrate so that his CL doesn't get in the way. No problems here.

Now let's assume he wants to make a bloody skeleton instead. As per the rules (see below), it counts as double its HD per casting. I take it that this refers to the limit given in animate dead, not to the 20 HD limit mentioned in the skeleton Bestiary entry. In other words, as far as I can tell, a 11-20 HD bloody skeleton would be legit, you'd just need a high CL and/or desecrate and double the amount of onyx.

How're you interpreting it? Any official rulings? Relevant quotes are below.

Animate dead:

Quote:
Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, you can't create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of animate dead. The desecrate spell doubles this limit.

Bloody skeletons:

Quote:
The bloody and burning skeleton variants are created using the animate dead spell, but count as twice their normal number of Hit Dice per casting. Once controlled, they count normally against the controller's limit.

Skeletons in general:

Quote:
If the creature has more than 20 Hit Dice, it can't be made into a skeleton by the animate dead spell.

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Here's a list of things I'll be looking at (in no particular order) when choosing whom to vote. (What are yours?)

1. Formatting: No extra lines between paragraphs, correct use of bolding, italics, etc. Use (Ex/Sp/Su) when appropriate, don't use when not needed.
2. Replace abilities exactly at the same level: If the original ability gives you new options or power-ups every five levels, your archetype also should! List the new abilities in the order they are gained. Use appropriate titles and italics if you change something like gunslinger deeds which come in groups.
3. Maintain the same power level: Even though you may think a character class deserves a little more love and thus a power-up (or needs to be toned down), don't do that. It's not your job to fix a character class.
4. Break the mold in an interesting way: Give the class something it never had before without stepping too deep into another class's territory. Even if your archetype gives a totally new perspective on the class, make sure it remains faithful to the class it actually is. (Good example: Zen Archer)
5. No gonzo!: I like quirky, crazy, imaginative (and breaking the mold in an interesting way), but I don't like over-the-top wahoo crazy. No flying fiendish giant crab rider cavaliers! Understanding the fine line between points 4 and 5 is extremely important.
6. Awesome name: Something as obvious and boring as Tymonian Gladiator tells me you don't want to advance to round 3! Make me feel proud to write the name on my character sheet!
7. Cool flavor: Evocative intro text AND ability names. Make me able to imagine your archetype in action with your flavor text! Do not use something as boring as "Leaping Strike (Ex)" for an ability name. Abilities may have a bit of flavor text before the actual mechanics (but is not required). The names of your abilities and archetype, the flavor and the mechanics should all fit together. No part should feel like it doesn't belong.
8. River Kingdoms tie-in: While it doesn't have to be something as obvious as naming your archetype Tymonian Gladiator, there should be an explicit reference to how and why the archetype exists in the River Kingdoms. Does it make sense for the archetype to exist in the region? It should not conflict any existing OR future canon (yes Superstars should be able to predict that!) That said, the flavor should be interesting enough to use in other parts of Golarion, too, because people want to use your cool archetype elsewhere, too!
9. Meshes well with existing archetypes: While it's impossible to make it work with all or even most existing archetypes of the same class, it should be usable with at least a few of them. I know I love mixing and matching different kinds of interesting abilities when creating a character.
10. Clear focus: The archetype should focus on doing its thing well instead of being a collection of cool but unrelated abilities. Just like wondrous items, archetypes can be SAKs. Don't do that.
11. Last but not least: It has to be more awesome than what I would have submitted in round 2. If you got points 1-10 right, you may also have succeeded on this one. ;-)

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9 people marked this as FAQ candidate.

I'd like a clarification/errata on a few issues with the Reckless Aim feat (Pathfinder Player Companion: Blood of Fiends).

Quote:
Benefit: When you shoot or throw ranged weapons at an opponent engaged in melee, you can choose to take a –1 penalty to your AC and gain a +2 competence bonus on your attack roll. However, when you roll a natural 1 on a ranged attack roll made with this bonus, you automatically hit a random adjacent creature that threatens your intended target.

The following things are unclear:

1) How long does the AC penalty last? I'm assuming "until the beginning of your next round", but it is not mentioned. A RAW zealot might say it's a permanent penalty since its duration is not specified. ;-) Or that the penalty only applies while you're shooting, i.e. only if AoOs occur. I don't think neither was the author's intent.

2) Can you use this effect once per round or as many times as you like, or does it affect all your attacks in a round? If multiple "reckless attacks" per round are possible, is there a cumulative AC penalty or is it -1 regardless of the number of reckless attacks?

3) The feat says the target has to be engaged in melee, but it doesn't specify that it has to be engaged in melee with a creature other than you. Does this mean that you can make "reckless attacks" vs an opponent that you threaten in melee? And if you roll a 1 and you're the only adjacent creature, would you accidentally shoot yourself? :D :D :D I don't think this was the author's intent, but who knows.

(EDIT: In some situations) this would be useful for a Zen Archer with Point-Blank Mastery and Perfect Strike - you threaten even when you are wielding a bow, your bow attacks don't cause AoOs, and you have Perfect Strike which makes natural 1s more unlikely. And you don't risk hurting your allies.

A fun feat, but badly written... So please flag this as FAQ candidate, and discuss.

Grand Lodge Contributor

When I first saw the Arrow Eruption spell (rgr 2, sor/wiz 2) I thought "awesome, a neat AoE spell for gishes and rangers".

But looking at the description more closely, I noticed that you have to "kill" a creature: "You create exact duplicates of the arrow or crossbow bolt you used to kill a creature in the previous round and launch one at enemy creatures within a 30-foot radius of the corpse."

Creatures are dead only when they're reduced to negative hit points equal to their Con score. This means that you often have to keep shooting an already downed foe to be able to use this spell. Most GMs don't bother with calculating negative hit points for mooks (which are the most likely creatures to use to trigger this spell) so it's also more work for the GM.

And what about undead and constructs? Technically, you cannot kill them because they're not living creatures, and the game term "destroyed" is used, not "killed" or "dead" as with living creatures. ("Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less.")

So do you people think this needs errata or is it fine as is? Or does everyone allow players to trigger the spell when you reduce the target creature's hit points to 0 or less, regardless of creature type?

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Fellow finalists, I'm curious to hear about how you got into the gaming hobby, and what sort of a process you went through to get into the top 32. We already know the judges' side of the story. Now let's hear our side of the story. Please remember to keep mum about your entries for round 2 and beyond, for obvious reasons.

Rather than viewing you as just competition, I hope to learn from you. We all have different strengths and weaknesses as designers and when I viewed your items and read the comments, I learned many things about myself. I hope we all can learn from this experience. :)

Also, I hope our stories inspire other people. If you've never entered the contest, do so next time! If you did submit an item but didn't make the cut, do not despair! The first item I submitted (in 2008) was awful, and I'm still very far from being a professional RPG designer, but I hope to become one and I'm willing to work hard to achieve that goal.

This is my story: (Warning, a very long story, no word limit this time!)

Spoiler:

I was 8 or 9 years old when two friends of mine introduced me to D&D. Back then it was the red box, blue box, etc. edition. When I was the DM for the first time, I didn't quite understand the role of the Dungeon Master. I tried to kill their characters, yes, I tried to off their mighty dragon slayers time and time again. The players didn't appreciate it, but I swear I've improved as a GM/DM since then. :D

I tried many other RPGs too, but always came back to D&D, there's just something almost magical about that game, even back when dwarves were dwarves and elves were elves (and those of you who have played that edition know just what I mean...)

But around the time I was 15, I err... got interested in other things, especially the fairer gender. I had many other creative pursuits such as bands and digital art, but I stopped playing roleplaying games. Lots of teenage angst and denial, you know, and being a nerd didn't look very good because I wanted to be such a cool guy. I did continue to play computer RPGs (a closet nerd!), but it's not quite the same as the real thing. To me, the people with whom I play are more important than what rules system we use or which genre the setting is, though admittedly I love fantasy the most, horror/investigation being a close second.

It took me almost ten years to understand that I'm not too cool to play roleplaying games, and also that RPGs are actually really freaking cool and that nerds are really awesome people, my favorite kind of people! And when I say "nerds" I don't mean it as a pejorative; it is a badge I wear proudly.

When I got back to the gaming hobby, the game I started playing with my friends was... surprise surprise: D&D! By that time, D&D had evolved into D&D 3.5, I was glad to see that a lot of things worked better than before, though I must admit that things like THAC0 and the aforementioned thing about "dwarves being dwarves" carry a lot of nostalgic value.

Well, a few years later 4e came along and my gaming group faced a tough decision. Whether to continue playing 3.5 or move on to 4e? I was really open-minded towards 4e (please don't hold that against me!), but not happy with what they did with the OGL. Luckily, a company you all know well saved D&D for me and my friends. In your face, WotC! You can't take the sky from me! I'm curious to see what they'll do with 5e as there are so many difficult decisions they have to make... but I'm sure I'll continue playing Pathfinder. Though not 100% perfect, it's the best edition of D&D I've played and I love it that the company behind it has the "let's make a good game" mindset rather than "let's make profit".

2008-2010

So, 2008 was the first year of the RPG Superstar contest and I was really excited about it. I really didn't know what I was doing, and I submitted a wondrous item that was very much a SIAC and a lot of other abbreviations. Oh, and I also included a lovely bit of backstory, too. And I seem to have thrown in lots of passive voice. :D I guess it's not a totally hopeless item, but it's pretty obvious why it didn't make the cut. Here's the item for your perusal: (In fact, I'd love to see if the judges' comments were just "Reject. Reject. Rejected.") :D

---

Murderbloom

A drow sorceress, tales say, created the first murderbloom when her affection for a lover turned into jealousy.

The petals of this ordinary-looking rose open when a command word is spoken. If the rose is touched thereafter by anyone who does not first speak that same command word, it quickly withers and crumbles into a crawling mass of hairy, poisonous spiders. The spider swarm attacks and pursues any living creatures in its vicinity for 6 rounds, after which the spiders scatter.

Faint conjuration; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, summon swarm; Price 300 gp.

---

In 2009 and 2010 I didn't submit anything because I thought I was too busy with work and other stuff, or maybe I just forgot to. Decembers are always really hectic at work because everyone wants to wrap up their projects before Xmas and they fail to mention this to me until I only have one week left. In 2011 (or rather, in November/December 2010) I decided that it's time for me to make a comeback.

2010-2011

I remembered what mistakes I had made with Murderbloom in 2008, and decided that I'll never ever ever make those same mistakes again! So I read each and every one of the advice threads (I think I submitted the item a little before the end of December for that reason - I didn't want to miss any of the judges' advice). Invisible creatures have always been a major pain in the butt for low-level characters, so I thought I might create something to alleviate that problem without making it too easy to defeat invisible opponents.

I had just finished reading a Pathfinder novel that had Korvosan pseudodragons in it and thought that it'd be fun to make an item that imitates their blindsense ability, an item that allows you and your allies to see invisible creatures the same way I imagined pseudodragons see them. The flavor text includes many little nods at the cute little dragons, such as "silver" because imps hate silver and are enemies of the Korvosan pseudodragons. (As you can see, the references were too obscure for anyone to notice, however.) I went through dozens of iterations until I was happy with the text. I also had three other items I considered, but I thought this item, Whispering Watcher, was the strongest of them.

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Whispering Watcher
Aura faint divination; CL 3rd
Slot —; Price 1,200 gp; Weight 1/2 lb.
Description
This silver statuette, usually crafted in the shape of a crouching pseudodragon, quivers subtly when touched.

Three times per day as a standard action, when holding the statuette in hand, the user can mentally command it to open its mouth and emit powerful but inaudible vibrations in a 30-foot-radius burst. This is a sonic effect.

The air ripples around solid and liquid matter caught in the burst, making any invisible corporeal creatures and objects appear as blurred, indistinct shapes for three rounds. Affected creatures gain no bonus on Stealth checks for being invisible, but for all other purposes they are still considered invisible.

The vibrations do not affect visual figments like they affect real objects and creatures, and therefore, all creatures within line of sight receive a Will save to disbelieve any such illusions within the burst.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, detect magic, ghost sound, see invisibility; Cost 600 gp

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A few weeks later, I got an email from Ross that began with the words: "We have bad news and good news for you." They had selected me as one of the alternates!

As you can imagine, I was immensely excited and disappointed at the same time. 2008 had been the only year that any top 32 contestants had been disqualified or had dropped out voluntarily, so I knew that most likely it wouldn't matter if I submitted an archetype or not. January had been particularly tough for me emotionally, and I really needed good things to happen to me. What's worse, I fell seriously ill a few days before the deadline, so it was really difficult for me to motivate myself to give my best 110%.

Let's just say that round 2 was a really tough round for everyone. I'm quite sure the archetypes got more flak than any round in the history of RPG Superstar. There were good ideas in each of them and some of them were really outstanding, but the save for a few exceptions, the judges had wanted to see something different. However, the 16 contestants that got the chance to redeem themselves did so, in my opinion, and I'm sure we'll see amazing entries in round 2 this year.

In the off chance that someone had actually dropped out and that I had been #33 (of which I'm not sure, the other alternates' items were pretty good), I would have been the underdog, so I had decided to take a calculated risk and pick the wildest of my fever-induced ideas for archetypes. It paid off in the end. Neil didn't like my archetype, but Ryan loved it, giving it full 5/5 points, and Mark said he really wished I had been one of the top 32 contestants. But as you can tell, no-one dropped out and I didn't advance.

I was really bitter, personal life had been tough for me and I didn't need another disappointment. I feel ashamed for having been so bitter back then, but I got over it. Thankfully the folks at the messageboards were being really supportive of me, Sean McGowan in particular. Dankeschön, DankeSean. :)

(So, everyone who felt disappointed when they realized they didn't make the cut this year: Don't give up, keep on trying!!!)

2011-2012

This time I started brainstorming much earlier than in 2011 or 2008. Like Curaigh whose "nine blazing months" thread I presume you all know, I practiced writing wondrous items, though unlike him, I did it privately most of the time. I'm sure it would have been a good idea to discuss wondrous item design with other people because you're usually oblivious of many of your flaws. Even though I made it into the top 32, I now realize there are a lot of things I could have done better.

This time I made a spreadsheet on google docs where I stored all my ideas. Some of the ideas I never developed farther than just one sentence that describes what item type it is and what its core function is. And some of my ideas I fleshed out fully. As far as I recall, I had items with names like Unlight Dew Collector, Heart of Irrisen, Charnel Bell and Seashell of the Skies in my "Keep folder". The seashell was my favorite for a long time and I almost submitted it, but on the 27th of December I found out that there's a spell in UM that does almost the same thing as my seashell. I thought my other items were good but not Superstar, so I went back to square one.

Then I remembered and old idea about a kite you can guide with ki that had Asian/Tian Xia flavor. I'm a huge fan of Japan - I've visited the country a few times, and I do kendo and iaido (Japanese fencing arts), so I'm really excited about anything related to Minkai or Tian Xia. I also thought monks and ninjas needed new ways to use their ki, and I thought it would be innovative to have the item use a different resource than the usual 3 times per day thing. I changed the kite to a lamp with some dragonfly (not butterfly!) flavor because the dragonfly is a traditional and popular Japanese decoration motif and to me, dragonflies symbolize the fleeting nature of things. And these ki dragonflies have really short lifespans.

Unfortunately, the judges did not agree with me on the use of ki, but luckily the item had enough redeeming qualities to make the top 32.

Looking back at my previous round 1 entries, these are some of the things I really like (it's fun to analyze one's old items, it's so much easier to see the flaws once they've gathered dust on your hard drive for a year or two.)
* I like low-level items (this is something Neil generally seems to like about my items)
* I like it that the item gives some hints as to what its function is (the quivering statuette or the lamp being lit if you have ki points.) While it's a good thing that there are spells like identify, it's usually too easy to identify an item, which makes magic more mundane and items less mysterious. What if Gandalf had just cast identify on the One Ring? (Ok, it's an artifact and probably immune to the spell, but you get my drift.) So if you don't like campaigns where wizards auto-cast identify on everything, it's fun to have items like this.
* I like items with powers that build upon each other rather than being separate effects. (The light turns into a thing that draws AOOs, which in turn may trigger daze.) This, in my opinion, is a good way to escape the "SAK trap" as I call it.

Whew, this must be the longest messageboard post I've ever written. I hope it wasn't an awfully boring read!

Grand Lodge Contributor , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

Verdant Dawn
Alignment: CN
Headquarters: Viridian Grove, Wilewood, River Kingdoms
Leader: Chief Elder Adaytrea
Structure: militant protectors of nature
Scope: regional
Resources: numerous loyal creatures of the wild
To the Verdant Dawn, naturally occurring shapes and structures are perfect, beautiful, and sacred. Man-made, artificial things are an abomination, and creatures that have lost touch with nature are but soulless shells. Civilization is the source of these impure creations and creatures. Civilization disturbs the natural order of things. Civilization must be undone.
Structure and Leadership
The enigmatic and ancient Chief Elder Adaytrea (CN female dryad oracle of nature 14) supervises the efforts of the Verdant Dawn from her grove in Wilewood, letting the Elders – the local leaders – plan the individual operations.

Besides the Elders, who are often druids, shamans, or powerful fey, two operational branches exist: The Claws are large animals, giants, or other dangerous creatures that take care of tasks that require violence. The Eyes are small fey, mammals, and birds responsible for gathering intelligence and carrying messages. Moreover, a significant number of townsfolk ensorcelled with fey magic unwittingly work for the organization.

With such a diverse group of both supernatural and mundane creatures at its beck and call, the Verdant Dawn has one of the most extensive and efficient spy networks in Golarion.
Goals
Radical in their views and methods, members of the Verdant Dawn seek to cleanse Avistan of the taint of civilization and restore the natural state in which is was at the dawn of time.

Everywhere on the continent, they attempt to stop activities that harm nature, such as the Lumber Consortium’s logging operations in Andoran. In areas where their influence has grown enough to warrant more direct action, they systematically tear man-made structures asunder with magic and muscle, and kill anyone who opposes them. Entire towns have vanished as if they never existed, their crumbling remains hidden by nature reclaiming its territory.
Public Perception
The goals of the Verdant Dawn are difficult for civilized people to sympathize with, and therefore the organization is generally regarded with fear and hatred. However, sometimes their interests are temporarily aligned those of the locals and they may be greeted as heroes, though that notion is usually short-lived.

Grand Lodge Contributor , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

Vexing Spirit Lamp
Aura faint enchantment; CL 1st
Slot —; Price 1,200 gp; Weight 1/2 lb.
Description
This ornate terracotta lamp usually bears motifs of flying dragonflies. When held by a creature with at least 1 point in his ki pool, the lamp sheds a blue light as bright as a candle.

As a standard action, the user can spend a point of ki to mold the light into a fluttering, sparkling dragonfly-like shape and move it up to 50 feet as though it were a Diminutive flying creature that automatically succeeds on Fly checks. Unless destroyed mid-flight, the light winks out with a hiss at the end of the turn.

The buzzing and scintillating light is irritating to creatures other than the user, compelling them to make attacks of opportunity against it as it moves through threatened squares (Will DC 11 negates). The light has an AC of 20. If hit, it erupts in a shower of sparks, and a backlash of ki energy causes the attacker to be dazed for 1 round (Will DC 10 negates). Both effects are mind-affecting compulsions.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, compel hostility, dancing lights, daze; Cost 600 gp

Grand Lodge Contributor , Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9

Since no Top 32 contestants have dropped out, I guess it's "game over" for me. I'm curious about how well my entry would have been received by potential voters if it had been one of the Top 32 entries. Be as harsh or kind as is necessary.

I'll also post the comments I got from Neil, Ryan and Mark. I assume it's ok to do that, but please notify me if it isn't. There was a reference to a future product in Mark's commentary that got me thinking... or maybe I'm just being paranoid. :)

Naturally, I'll wait until the voting for round 2 is over before posting anything here, so as to avoid violating any contest rules.

I encourage the other three alternates to also post their round 2 entries (and at their option, the judges' commentary) here.

Anyway, to the Top 32 contestants: Best of luck! I hope to see really awesome villains in round 3!!! :)