Minorelementx's page

Any feedback is greatly appreciated :)

Mirror Sphere of Inevasible Evocations
Aura faint illusion; CL 5th
Slot -; Price 1,800 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description
This small silvered glass sphere is a boon to individuals fighting enemies with the preternatural agility to dodge spells. By focusing on this sphere while casting a spell, the user can bewilder its enemies. When using the sphere this way, extend the casting time of the spell to 1 full-round action. When an individual uses this item, the sphere hovers in the air, rapidly rotating before shattering to pieces. For a few moments, targets affected by the spell see multiple illusory figures of the caster and visualize the spell convexly emanating from these illusions. Roll 1d4+1 to determine the number of figments that materialize. Targets of the spell are considered to be interacting with the illusion (figment) effect and may make a Will save (DC 13) to disbelieve it; this is resolved before the Reflex save. The Will save DC increases by +1 for every image present (to a maximum of DC 16 for 5 images).

If the target fails its Will save, it loses the benefits of evasion and improved evasion against the spell that round. If successful, the spell resolves normally.

The sphere can instead serve as a focus for spells that create illusory figures of the caster. When used this way, the sphere floats around the user like an ioun stone. When activated (a standard action), the sphere cracks slightly. For the next hour, all spells that create illusions of the user (i.e. shocking image, mislead) are cast at +1 caster level. The sphere can be used this way twice before it shatters completely. A cracked sphere cannot be used to produce the item's first effect.

Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, daze, mirror image; Cost 900 gp

haste, summoner 2, sor/wiz 3

+1 attack on a full attack action at highest bab.
+1 attack bonus,
+1 reflex bonus
+1 dodge bonus to AC.
increase base modes of movement by 30ft up to double.

blessing of fervor, cleric/oracle 4
choose 1 benefit / round:
* Increase its speed by 30 feet.
* Stand up as a swift action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
* Make one extra attack as part of a full attack action, using its highest base attack bonus.
* Gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves.
* Cast a single spell of 2nd level or lower as if it were an enlarged, extended, silent, or still spell.

Blessing of fervor states "Blessing of fervor does not stack with haste."

so the question:
can you cast both spells, and then get all the benefits of haste, and choose one of the blessings granted by Blessing of Fervor?

ex. +1 attack in full attack, +2 reflex, +2 dodge, +30 ft speed up to your base speed, and +2 to attack rolls?

Or do you not get any effects of haste when you're under the effects of blessing of fervor?

The text from blessing of fervor just seems to rule out getting 2 attacks extra in a full attack action, and getting +3 to hit, dodge and reflex, etc.

I had this question before. I've ruled basically what you mention here. If someone has both spells on them, they can only use Blessing of Fervor to gain the attack, AC and reflex bonus, the metamagic spell, or the stand as a swift.

Some people may rule that someone with Haste cannot gain the AC, attack, and reflex bonus from Blessing of Fervor but I allow it since dodge bonus stack and the other bonuses are not specific types.

Minorelementx wrote:

You bring up some good points. I'm still not sure that this wouldn't work on an undead or construct, especially depending that some the Time Oracle's abilities do special things to undead and constructs.

I can't do anything about you being unsure it would work against undead or constructs ... I'm just pointing out the rules of the system.

If you're the DM, you're free to ignore the rules, but your players may have some serious questions about why you are doing so.

If you prefer following the rules, then the rules are clear: this ability requires a Fortitude save, and certain creature traits (undead and construct) render those creatures *immune* to anything that would require a Fortitude save.

I know the rules quite well and am not planning on ignoring them at all (they work in my favor in this case, actually). I was looking for clarification on this particular ability, given the context of the Time mystery.

I think I share similar views to Bobson. This ability isn't going to screw PCs over very much (and will likely just end up with one player being bored for an hour+). If one of my players makes a Time oracle and chooses this ability, I will have to make sure that my low Fort save enemies are rarely, if ever, alone.

I'd love to hear from people who have used this ability/seen this used in their games.

Not worse than the Witch's Slumber hex for example, which actually lasts twice as long, and is just a save, not a touch attack as well.

Except that it's a sleep effect to which many creatures types are immune. Also, others can rouse the creature as a standard action or if the creature takes damage, it wakes up.

That Slumber hex is pretty great but not as bad as this ability, in my opinion.

Minorelementx wrote:

I'm not really sure where you are getting will save and SR? (and how does one boost SR again?) Erase From Time is a Fortitude save and no SR because the ability is a supernatural ability.

Correct. No spell resistance involved against supernatural abilities.

Minorelementx wrote:

Erase From Time, as written, works on any kind of creature.

Can't agree at all.

This ability is supernatural, and requires a melee touch attack and a Fortitude save.

Because it's supernatural, it won't work in dead magic areas or in an antimagic field.

Because it requires a Fortitude save, all undead AND constructs are immune to this; they are immune to any effects that require such a save.

It is also possible for a monster, or a "boss", as you put it, to bolster touch AC enough to cause the Oracle to miss. Also, a bad guy facing a level 11 Oracle AND his buddies *should* have some spell or item that can allow him to be nowhere NEAR the Oracle with this ability, and get away each time the Oracle gets close, or simply keep him away.

And you can only try it once or twice a day. If the bad guy makes his save, that's it for you.

If you think it's overpowered, and you're the DM, pit the good guys against a bad guy with this ability, and let's see how great it is for the bad Oracle to get within touch attack range with the heroes. :) Oh, and watch them roll a 20 on their Fortitude save.

I am a little turned off by the fact that every Time Oracle ability is (Su), because in an antimagic field, the Time Oracle is basically just a powerless character with rogue BAB but absolutely no cool rogue abilities ...

You bring up some good points. I'm still not sure that this wouldn't work on an undead or construct, especially depending that some the Time Oracle's abilities do special things to undead and constructs.

Also, raising touch AC is generally pretty difficult to get significantly high in a short amount of time and most Oracles will have the BAB and buffs to hit with a touch attack. Plus, I wouldn't allow the enemy to buff against such an attack unless they knew of the Oracle's power; if every enemy tried in every fight, that bordering meta-gaming.

In addition, you are ignoring the Time Hop ability of the Time Oracle that lets him/her move around fairly easily. Yes, enemies may have means to move around with great ability, but Oracles are fairly good at that as well.

In my opinion Talynonyx is right, wizards have plenty of spells that could remove an ennemy from combat. They sometimes even have a few options for saving throw, and Fortitude is often a weak choice.

So you got 2++ times (and mid levels) a day, will save + SR (both can be boosted quite a bit) against 2 times a day at mid levels against fortitude save. Okay your DC is a bit higher.

All in all you might come up a little ahead, but that is because yours is not a spell out of a dozen others.
It's a fair ability that would befit a wizard, and therefor is not on your spelllist, but a mystery.

I'm a little confused by your comment.

I'm not really sure where you are getting will save and SR? (and how does one boost SR again?) Erase From Time is a Fortitude save and no SR because the ability is a supernatural ability.

Effects like petrification (from Flesh to Stone) or say Finger of Death ( a death effect) are high level spells that certain creature types are immune to and also there are options to undo or resist those effects.

Erase From Time, as written, works on any kind of creature. It removes them completely and gives PCs plenty of time to buff and ready attacks for the creature's return. It may not seem too bad, but in practice it seems quite powerful for a mystery. That is my big concern.

No different than any of a number of SOL effects anyway. Actually less effective than say... Flesh to Stone.

But Flesh to Stone is a 6th level spell (not supernatural, so no SR for Erase) that can be reversed by a few options. Also, there are a number of enemies that are immune to petrification. That makes it pretty different from this ability, at least in my opinion. Plus, this is a mystery that can be taken at any level and eventually can be used twice a day.

Hello All,

Reading through the Time Oracle's abilities/mysteries (all of which are fairly strong), I'm thinking that the ability Erase From Time is very overpowered. I know that there is a touch attack and a save involved, but I'm thinking that any fight against one enemy (or even two) is essentially over if it works. For example:

--Erase from Time (Su): As a melee touch attack, you can temporarily remove a creature from time altogether. The target creature must make a Fortitude save or vanish completely for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your oracle level (minimum 1 round). No magic or divinations can detect the creature during this time, as it exists outside of time and space—in effect, the creature ceases to exist for the duration of this ability. At the end of the duration, the creature reappears unharmed in the space it last occupied (or the nearest possible space, if the original space is now occupied). You can use this ability once per day, plus one additional time per day at 11th level.

*Enemy is removed from time for, let's say, 5 rounds.
*For 5 rounds people buff and ready for enemy's return
*Characters' ready actions to attack/cast spells at enemy upon return.
*Enemy is either dead or gets one action before getting pummeled by PCs again.

There was an ability like this in 3.0 and I remember many people using this tactic for those characters. I just hate that this ability can basically become the center for every boss fight when it is used.

Here are my questions:

1)Is this removing from time a teleportation effect? If so, that would limit it to some degree.
2)Has anyone encountered/thought about this issue yet?

Thanks

My group is currently at a place in a Pathfinder campaign where they want to transport an incorporeal spirit using a bag of holding. According to the bag of holding rules, there is nothing that would prevent this from happening that I can see.

Aura moderate conjuration; CL 9th

Slot —; Price see below; Weight see below
Description

This appears to be a common cloth sack about 2 feet by 4 feet in size. The bag of holding opens into a nondimensional space: its inside is larger than its outside dimensions. Regardless of what is put into the bag, it weighs a fixed Amount. This weight, and the limits in weight and volume of the bag's contents, depend on the bag's type, as shown on the table below.
Bag Bag Weight Contents Limit Contents Volume Limit Market Price
Type I 15 lbs. 250 lbs. 30 cubic ft. 2,500 gp
Type II 25 lbs. 500 lbs. 70 cubic ft. 5,000 gp
Type III 35 lbs. 1,000 lbs. 150 cubic ft. 7,400 gp
Type IV 60 lbs. 1,500 lbs. 250 cubic ft. 10,000 gp

If a bag of holding is overloaded, or if sharp objects pierce it (from inside or outside), the bag immediately ruptures and is ruined, and all contents are lost forever. If a bag of holding is turned inside out, all of its contents spill out, unharmed, but the bag must be put right before it can be used again. If living creatures are placed within the bag, they can survive for up to 10 minutes, after which time they suffocate. Retrieving a specific item from a bag of holding is a move Action, unless the bag contains more than an ordinary backpack would hold, in which case retrieving a specific item is a full-round action. Magic items placed inside the bag do not offer any benefit to the character carrying the bag.

If a bag of holding is placed within a portable hole, a rift to the Astral Plane is torn in the space: bag and hole alike are sucked into the void and forever lost. If a portable hole is placed within a bag of holding, it opens a gate to the Astral Plane: the hole, the bag, and any creatures within a 10-foot radius are drawn there, destroying the portable hole and bag of holding in the process.

So can this happen? The incorporeal creature is willing, by the way.

I know a bit of sign language and have done something similar before. What's really great about it is that the DM I had also knew sign language so we would sign the spells and the rest of the players would have no idea (in game or out of game) what spell was cast (unless, of course, it was something like Meteor Swarm).

Love the idea and can speak from experience that it really adds a neat element if you are into roleplaying.

Have not played it, but I did get the pdf. If you have the Grey Citadel, this adventure complements it well, but Grey Citadel is not necessary to play this (but GC does provide helpful background).

Without giving spoilers away, Eamonvale is a semi-sandboxy type of investigation/intrigue adventure. There is a definite start and a definite end, but there is a great deal of latitude for the pcs to proceed inbetween.

If you like to have an area that you can use as a springboard for further adventures, Broadwater and the Eamon River Valley have enough detail that you can use the area for further adventures after the module is over.

The adventure features a great deal of wilderness traveling and while having plenty of combat, leans towards more the deduction/intrigue side. I found it a welcome change from the usual types of adventures I've seen published, but this adventure will not fit every play style.

Thank you! This is the first bit of feedback I've heard and it's certainly helpful.

One question: I know the summary says it starts at around level 7. At what level does the campaign end?

Hey Stuart. I would love copies of those pdfs. One of my players is going to be playing a druid soon and these will be very helpful! Thank you.

Send to stbernar@hotmail.com

Hey everyone,

I'm interested in buying this adventure but I cannot find any reviews on it. Has anyone played/bought it and, if so, could provide some feedback? Anything at all is appreciated.

Thank you.

Wall of Thorns was overpowered in 3.5 and it hasn't changed any. I had a high level druid in the Living Greyhawk campaign and one of her preferred tactics was to dump a wall of thorns to enclose the enemy. In tiger form, she shared freedom of movement with her dire tiger animal companion and you just rip stuff to shreds while it's trapped. With reach, you aren't even at risk from creatures that don't have reach.

Someone compared it to a 5th level entangle and it's the same sort of annoying spell that tends to frustrate gamemasters.

My group used similar tactics (there were 3 of us). Once our druid got this spell, he'd cast the spell, we'd all have freedom of movement somehow (through rings, spells, and eventually a wand) and we'd just walk through and destroy the enemies. Seriously, from about 9th level on it made us virtually unstoppable. Even against most bosses, this ended up being a terrible tactic.

I think that the spell is fine if your PCs come across an enemy druid once or twice and the enemy uses it, but this spell is totally abusive in the hands of a PC druid. Take it from someone who used it in almost every fight from 9th to 20th level.

Summoned monsters are a viable main combat strategy in very low levels (1-4 or so), and quickly tail off into meat shields and buffers after that. A level 10 caster (as an example) casting a summon monster spell is likely to be summoning a creature that's 4 or 5 CR under the one he's fighting. Really, summoning is NOT a terribly viable strategy in the long-term.

As for limitations, there's no real need to enforce any that aren't already in the game. For example, the first few levels of summon monster and summon nature's ally contain very few if any creatures that can understand speech. That means they cannot be given orders, which means the only thing they'll do is attack the nearest enemy. Also keep in mind that, at level 1, summoned monsters don't even get a full attack (they last for 1 round and only get a standard action in the round they're summoned), and even at higher levels, their duration isn't long enough to allow summoning a whole bunch of them before a fight starts. Another thing to remember is that they're a full-round action to cast, so they're very easy to disrupt with a little damage in combat.

The one thing I WOULD require of any would-be summoners is that they have their summoned creature stats already prepared BEFORE they summon the critter. In other words, they need to have an index card stack of potential summoned creatures, so they aren't slowing down the game by constantly borrowing the Bestiary and trading it back and forth between themselves and the DM.

Thank you for some good insight. It skipped my mind that speech could be a big problem with this strategy. I think the player is planning to get extended summoning (through meta-rods or the feat) so he'd have a bit more time to let his creatures fight. And again, I think my big issue was that 2 players were looking to focus on summoning so even at higher levels with the time restrictions there would be many creatures present before the fight started.

I definitely agree with your last point. That player will be require to have all stats ready when the creature is summoned and be pretty familiar with the choices available to him.

Perhaps I'm worrying a bit more than I should. I may just have to see how their ideas work out in game before making any decisions.

What level are you starting at? Summoning monster really has a pretty small "sweet spot" where it's effective; at level 1 it's pretty useless, and likewise the usefulness tapers off at high levels as well.

My two cents: it couldn't hurt to have a gentleman's agreement not to summon too many monsters at once.

We are starting at level 1. I know it's pretty bad early on, but I think the big draw was to surround an enemy and provide flanking for a rogue at all times.

Thank you for your two cents haha. I think we may have some sort of agreement, possibly after I see exactly how things pan out in the adventure.

Hello everyone,

I'm not totally sure if this has been discussed elsewhere and if so, I apologize for the repeat. I'm starting a new campaign soon and I know that one of my players wants to be a cleric that focuses on summoning monsters and I believe another player wants to be a druid or wizard that specializes in summoning as well. They have instructed another player to create a rogue, which (I'm guessing) is for flanking/sneak attack purposes; essentially, summon a bunch of crap, have those summoned creatures surround enemies, and have the rogue go in "guns blazing" with sneak attacks. While I understand that the idea is good, within all the rules, and that there are certainly ways to thwart this plan, I'm still worried that this takes any excitement and danger out of the adventure. If 2 out of 3 players are just sitting back summoning creatures, I fear for a "rinse and repeat" campaign.

I'm thinking about letting the cleric use summoning and telling the potential wizard player to go a different route. Furthermore, I'm thinking about limiting the number of summoning spells active for the cleric at one time in an effort to limit this situation: "Ok guys, the big boss is in the next room so I'm going to summon a bunch of fodder and when I complete this last spell, you bust open the door."

Any thoughts? Has something like this come up in other games? I'm thinking about limiting the active summoning spells to 2 at any one time. For example, the cleric can have Summon Monster IX and Summon Monster VII active with any combination of creatures allowed (such as 1 creature from the IX list and 1d3 creatures from the VI list). This way the cleric can do other things (such as healing) and I don't have to worry about enemies in the adventure just being overrun by a bunch of summoned creatures.

An Item that allows you to swap places with an enemy for one round, while you both appear to be the other one.

Or slightly different:
Dominate one enemy for one turn, in which he dominates you.
And to one up it:
An item that does either one or the other, but you don't know which when you activate it.

lean back and watch Chaos ensue.

It's funny you should mention the item that allows you swap places with someone while you appear to be the other....BECAUSE THERE IS ONE! In the War of the Burning Sky Campaign (book 9, I believe), there is a modified ring of evasion that does just that: whenever you successfully evade a spell/effect, you switch places with someone and appear to be that person (if I remember correctly, it's with the person that cast the spell/effect). Indeed, chaos often ensued.

Hi Folks,

Round Two is being processed by the Judges and so I have a little down time to get back to people. I know I said I was going to wait till after the contest was closed, but many of my colleagues are discussing their items now and I’ve decided to risk joining them. Ha!

I say risk, because no one wants to be considered arguing with the judges or the folks generously offering their feedback. On the other hand, I’ve gotten so much great feedback that I wanted to demonstrate my appreciation by at least offering some sort of thoughtful and personal reply.

First, I wanted to thank the following people and let them know I read their kind words and encouragement. I don’t have a specific reply to them, but I think anybody who takes the time to write me something deserves to be thanked by name.

Eric Hindley, taig, Patrick Walsh, Jason Nelson, Adam Daigle, Benjamin Bruck, Nicolas Quimby, Curaigh, terraleon (aka Ben McFarland of Open Design), Gr4ys, Andrew Black, Lief Clennon, the esteemed Wolfgang Baur, Telhuine, Dennis Baker, Darkjoy, Matthew Morris,guest judges Neil Spicer and Kevin Carter and our official judges Sean K. Reynolds, Clark Peterson, and F. Wesley Schneider.

Secondly (but not secondary) I wanted to thank guest judge Eric Bailey, and Charles Evans 25, Demiurge 1138, Steven T. Helt, Minorelementx, Chris Mortika, Jared Goodwin, knowman, David Fryer, and Catmandrake. Furthermore, all of *you* fine folks have an individual reply from me underneath the spoiler tag. Otherwise this post would be a mile long. :D

If I didn’t mention someone by name (like Joel Flank or Ki-Ryn), it’s only because I think I replied to you directly already. But heck, thanks again!

Round Two may be underway, but I’d still love any feedback you have!
** spoiler omitted **

Hey, no problem dude. You're welcome. I hope my little nugget of advice pushes you into the Top 16 (though I doubt it has impacted your monster much).

Below are my thoughts on page 3.

Sanctuary of the Vampire
** spoiler omitted **...

Thanks for your feedback! Yea I kinda felt like my item could be received as more of a set piece (or even an artifact). Although, to be fair, many of the items accepted this year feel based around a specific encounter or as a set piece for a certain situation.

My thought was that most vampires would keep undead cohorts so that's why it says living creature. Plus, I didn't have the vampire getting served breakfast in mind when designing this haha. I feel like the unlimited use for the possible light absorption probably turned judges off, but I did this because the 0-level spell Light can be used infinitely in Pathfinder; I didn't want players to be like "okay wizard, bard, and cleric use the Light spell to completely drain the coffin's main ability." In the end though, I think worrying too much about possible mechanic and meta-gaming issues hurt the overall design of the item.

Anyway, thanks again for your feedback.

When I first read the name of the item, I felt compelled to dismiss it right away because I thought there was going to be some cheesy way to gain +X to AC as an immediate action. I just want to say that I'm happy you did not go that route.

I agree with everything said here already. It's a cool item that can really help a party if they are ambushed somewhere. I immediately thought of adventures where characters had to leave armor behind because of certain events (i.e. weddings, fancy parties) and how cool it would be to pull this out and be able to use armor in that situation. Full plate is very hard to hide, but not if I put it in this little gem!

Also, I like that you included a really dangerous idea in this item: if the gem is destroyed, the armor is lost forever. I don't think it's been pointed out yet, but I appreciate that you included that sentence. That little sentence could certainly create big trouble for an adventurer that places his magic (or worse, artifact) armor in the gem and has it broken. That event right there could springboard into a whole (side)adventure.

Congrats and I look forward to your work in the coming rounds.

Hmm. This is a neat one. You took the strategy of silencing spellcasters and gave them a way to fight back. There's nothing too new about the idea; I feel as though I've seen feats and spells in various books that counteract silence in one way or another. However, you keep it interesting by making it a magical candy. It does run the risk of having players meta-game, but it also gives the opportunity for easy role-playing. I can imagine bringing mints to a game and actually popping one in my mouth every time I use one of these items. As a player that really enjoys role-playing, it's that little extra that helps make the game come to life.

Nice job. Good luck in the future.

I think this one is my second favorite of the bunch. There are some obvious mechanical issues, but the item is innovative and doesn't feel like other items I've seen. This one immediately gets you thinking of creative spells uses for certain situations and that's really nice. Furthermore, much like the Waters of Transfiguration (my favorite this year), it's one of those items that will serve any spellcaster at any level.

I'd also like to point out that I'm glad this item's hardness and hit points are included. For me, that's a fantastic thing to include. I'm now imagining the neat encounters you could have with spellcasters who would recognize the hourglass and try to destroy/nullify it somehow before the spells went off; in a sense, try to diffuse "the bomb."

It's not perfect, but this is certainly unique and flavorful. You haven't (re)invented a spell-in-a-can item; you've created the can.

Congratulations! Good luck in future rounds.

SmiloDan wrote:

Minorelementx wrote:

DM: *dice roll* Natural 20, possible crit.
DM: *dice roll* Possible double crit
DM: *dice roll* Confirm crit at AC 28?
Player: Yes, that hits...but I'm going to use an immediate action to make myself invisible!

.

Even then, there's still a 50% chance of hitting, even if the DM allows the immediate action to be declared after a threat was rolled, but before it was confirmed. Just before the attack roll, sure! But afterwards isn't going to save you from the damage roll at my table!

I also think this is a nifty item. I really like "trump card" items and abilites, like single use magic items or unusual uses for swift actions.

Ditto here. You can do your immediate action before the attack, no problem, but once the attack roll is made the rest of the rolls are all still resolution of the first roll.

Notice above, the player wants to turn invisible AFTER that crit confirm is rolled (I see you're using some kind of double-crit house rule) - that's fine, but it won't happen until AFTER damage is rolled. You've already rolled the confirm; rolling the damage isn't a separate event they can interrupt, it's just finishing the action they already chose not to interrupt.

"Immediate action" is NOT "retroactive action." Even if you were to allow a player to use an IA in the middle of resolving the crit roll, they'd have to do it before you threw the dice. Once the roll is rolled, no take-backs (unless they have a metagame immediate action ability like "make an enemy reroll a die" type of thing).

If the monster had a second attack, sure they could immediate action in response to that.

So, immediate action cheese apart, I like this item okay. I like the concept of a "stealth paratrooper" item, though them being relatively cheap no-slot items does open up pathways to abuse (rather like the Dazzler item in 2008). I understand the need to use immediate action to facilitate the feather fall, but otherwise it seems odd that...

As I've said above, I agree with your statements. I would not let a player do so after the fact. My point is that other people may interpret an immediate action in a different way. Keep in mind that the definition we have for immediate action is "an action that can be performed at any time during a round, even when it's not your turn." Sure, I would argue that the spirit of the rules dictate that an immediate action couldn't be used after an attack roll is made; however, another gamer may read the rules and interpret them in a different way. For example, one could argue what exactly does "any time" mean? Does that mean in-game time or out-of-game time? Or both? The entry does not explicitly say. Again, I'm not saying I do - I'm just claiming that others might.

As for the crit thing: my game group's games are an amalgam of rules from 2nd, 3rd, 3.5, Pathfinder, and house. I actually don't remember where the rules for crit "stacking" came from, but I know it came from something: it might have been borne out of something in 2nd edition, but I don't have the books in front of me at the moment so I'm not totally sure. Basically, we claim that if you roll to confirm a crit and, on that next roll the number you'd get would be considered a threat (usually 19 or nat 20), we say that it's a double crit - sometimes you get really lucky and can get a triple crit! While most game systems went with making crits less deadly, we kept ours deadly. I apologize for not making that clear in my previous post.

hi Clark, once again thanks for doing this. I had some great feedback last year and hope to get some again this year.

Palanquin of Glorious Sightseeing
Aura Medium Transmutation; CL 10th
Slot -; Price 62,300gp; Weight 1lb
Description
This intricately carved miniture jade throne will, upon a command word, become a green palanquin 12 feet long, 6 feet wide and 8 feet high, resting on two long stout poles. It has seating for up to 4 medium sized humanoids.

Silk cushions, exquisite rugs and fine hangings bedeck the seats and carriage. 20 oiled and bare-chested bearers (equivalent to 1HD humans but exact appearance can vary) will be summoned to lift and carry the palanquin to every whim of the person speaking the command word. They can only move at a slow walking pace and will not cross any uneven or dangerous terrain. The bearers cannot be ordered to attack or move more than the 5 feet from the palanquin and will not defend themselves. If more than half the bearers are killed the palanquin will revert to its normal size.

Passengers on the palanquin will appear to any observers to be regal and important people dressed in the latest local fashion and wearing rare and expensive looking jewellery. Passengers can also see the surrounding area with great clarity. They gain a +5 bonus to Perception checks.

Speaking the command word a second time will dismiss the bearers and revert the palanquin to its normal size.

Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, fabricate, disguise self, clairaudience/clairvoyance, summon monster I, a piece of jade worth 10,000gp, 5 Ranks of Craft: Sculptor; Cost 32,150gp

Haha! My back-up item was a palanquin. I'm glad to see that they were represented this year.

This one is pretty decent. It's one of those items that could be really useful over the course of an adventure.

My biggest problem with this is where you say "you instantly know the name of the spell you have just seized." My understanding of this item is that any class can use it: if this is true, then a fighter wearing these knows the name of a spell but doesn't necessarily know what that spell does. One could argue that some spells are self-explanatory, but there are many that are not. For example, if I'm a fighter wearing these and I absorb a spell named dimensional anchor, I know the name of that spell but don't necessarily have any clue what the heck dimensional anchor does. Does it summon a big anchor from another dimension to come crashing down on the enemies? Obviously, this isn't an issue for spellcasters wearing the bracers, but it is for other classes that have no knowledge of magic (such as the aforementioned monk using the shuriken). Now I'm not suggesting that you should have written "you instantly know the name of the spell and exactly what that spell does" because that would come off as forced and clumsy. If I were to use this item in a campaign, I'd definitely require spellcraft rolls for finding out what something does.

I get what you were going for here and I'm looking forward to what you do in future rounds. Congratulations!

This is a neat item. I like the mechanics and, if I was playing a bard, I would totally appreciate finding this item. The actual name of the item sounds great, but the name worked into the item is really bothering me.

There is a Castlevania game named Aria of Sorrow. The fact that it's the exact name leads me to question if you ripped this from the title of that game and/or if you took anything else from that game. You may have no knowledge of this Castlevania game but it does exist. My advice for future rounds would be to toss names and titles into Google real quick. It takes 5 seconds and you can see if there is something out there with the same/similar name.

Other than that, congratulations on making it through!

Good imagery, but it seems really cheap for what it does. It's also very similar to a non-core spell (dark way from the Spell Compendium), but that could easily be a coincidence.

I also immediately thought of Dark Way (which I believe is a second level spell?). Although Dark Way does exist, I can see this item being used in plenty of cool situations. I imagine a group of elves ambushing people using these items and it working well. The item can set up a nice encounter without going too far.

Congrats! The more I think about this one, the more it's growing on me.

Thank you for taking the time to review these items! It is most appreciated.

Sanctuary of the Vampire
Aura strong transmutation and abjuration; CL 13th
Slot --; Price 98,520 gp; Weight 2500 lbs
DESCRIPTION
These iron coffins are a boon for any vampire (or eccentric individual) who can find, create, or steal one. A sanctuary of the vampire can be crafted into any desired shape (for example, hexagonal or octagonal) though each patron usually contracts the creator of the coffin to customize the design in one way or another. Aside from the iron, which certainly provides some defense, a sanctuary of the vampire grants an individual other protective benefits as well.
First, a sanctuary of the vampire is always under the effect of an arcane lock spell. Second, whenever a living creature attempts to come within 10 ft. of a sanctuary of the vampire, the individual inside the coffin is immediately affected as though a repulsion (10-ft. –radius, Will DC 19 negates) spell had been cast; if no individual is in the coffin at that time, the effect does not occur.
In addition, a sanctuary of the vampire can hinder light magic cast nearby. Whenever a spell with the [light] descriptor is cast within 50 ft. of a sanctuary of the vampire, the coffin attempts to absorb the effect. Treat this as a dispel check (1d20 + 13) against the spell or effect. If the coffin is succeeds on this check, the spell or effect is harmlessly absorbed by the coffin; if this check fails, the spell or effect goes off as normal. There is no limit to the number of times a sanctuary of the vampire can attempt this per day.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, arcane lock, repulsion, spell turning, creator must have at least 5 ranks in the Craft (coffin making) skill; Cost 49,260 gp

Interesting, I think it depends on how you define immediate interrupts.

I usually use the 'result announced rule' seen in a lot of abilities in 3x.

To flowchart...

DM rolls to hit

If Player announces he's using the item then the invisibility affects the to hit roll. Else:
DM announces it's a possible Crit:

If Player announces he's using the item then the invisibility affects the crit roll. Else:
DM announces result of the crit roll

If Player announces he's using the item then the invisibility affects the damage (which doesn't change the damage rolled, but you know what I mean).

So for a Sneak attack, the only way to 'negate' the sneak attack damage is to use the item before the DM rolls or after the DM rolls but hasn't announced the result.

Or to use a football analogy, the Coach can throw the challenge flag at any moment prior to the next play.

You are right. And that is certainly how I run things. My issue is that not everyone does use this method. Furthermore, I feel as though this is one of those items that can lead players to meta-game (i.e. oh this rogue is going to 'sneak attack' me because I'm flanked so I'm invisible). Keep in mind that in game, your 3rd level character doesn't necessarily know what a 'sneak attack' is and, if the rogue hasn't attacked yet, does not know if he/she can even do that.

A player COULD (according to the rules) wait to see how bad the hit could potentially be and, before the DM rolls damage, turn their character invisible; according to immediate action rules, that's perfectly legal. I'm only saying this because I am currently playing an illusionist who prepares quickened invisibility to negate hits on himself or others. I would not let someone hear the damage and turn themselves invisible after the fact; that's my personal take on it.

The more I thought about this item, the more I realized how much I liked it. The thing I like about this one is that it can be useful at any level during a campaign and can be used by players in creative ways. Could it maybe break a dungeon? Sure. But so could a well-placed passwall spell or lucky roll to break through a dungeon wall. For me, I don't immediately think of how I could break a dungeon; I'm more inclined to think of creative uses for my first level fool all the way to my epic level fighter. Many of the items this year feel geared towards a specific class, encounter, or situation. This is one of those items that can be useful for every player, every class, and at every level.

The only negatives I see could be the price and some of the requirements. Maybe the Brew Potion feat as one of the requirements as well?

Congrats! This is definitely my favorite of the 32. Looking forward to your work in future rounds.

Minorelementx wrote:

DM: *dice roll* Natural 20, possible crit.
DM: *dice roll* Possible double crit
DM: *dice roll* Confirm crit at AC 28?
Player: Yes, that hits...but I'm going to use an immediate action to make myself invisible!

.

Even then, there's still a 50% chance of hitting, even if the DM allows the immediate action to be declared after a threat was rolled, but before it was confirmed. Just before the attack roll, sure! But afterwards isn't going to save you from the damage roll at my table!

I also think this is a nifty item. I really like "trump card" items and abilites, like single use magic items or unusual uses for swift actions.

According to the rules an immediate action may be taken at any time. That may be your call as a DM to rule that a player could not use it then, but the rules permit that they are fully able to do so. Yes, there is still a 50% chance of taking that crit, but what if it's a sneak attacking rogue? In that situation, that immediate invisibility would totally negate the chance of sneak attack damage being applied (as it states under the conditions for invisibility). Furthermore, I'm arguing that players use it BEFORE damage is rolled, such as when they are suspecting a huge amount of damage.

I think the problem for me is the immediate action. If it had been swift instead, I would probably like this item more.

I will say that the name is working for me and I could certainly include this in an underwater adventure to make things exciting. However, I'm not sure how I feel about this one. This entry was obviously influenced by AotC, though it does do things a little differently. My problem is that it is essentially a slightly modified giant squid you can ride in with various issues that would come up in play. For example:

-What happens if someone severs a tentacle (a very popular tactic for destroying giant squid)?
-What are the hit point totals for those tentacles?
-Do enemies get attacks of opportunity if the squid uses the Jet ability?

I completely understand the appeal and the flavor of the item, but I'm finding that every question I have is going to be answered with "refer to the giant squid entry." Therefore, there's nothing really unique or exciting to it, other than the fact that you've turned what was once an animal into a machine (with very similar stats).

Pretty good item for certain situations. The detect magic part and the descriptions feel a bit forced and could honestly be cut. With regard to my previous statement, I'd cut those descriptions because the idea is to fool the other person. As a player, I would argue that my wizard, who possesses knowledge about magic items, should get appropriate Perception and/or Knowledge checks to recognize the bracelet (since the bracelet certainly has some defining characteristics). I think this item would have been better if you dropped those descriptive sentences and just said it was an innocuous silver bracelet.

Other than that, congrats!

Pretty cool item. Definitely think this would help make a band of goblins much more interesting.

One small thing: mage hand would not work on the bomb, as the spell mage hand can only be used on nonmagical objects. Watch those rules in the future rounds.

Overall, good job!

I like this one. When I started reading, I immediately thought of ways players could abuse this item. As I read on, the item grew on me more and more and dispelled some of the abusive issues I thought up. I also really like that it can replace material components - I've been on adventures when I run out of diamond dust and DMs make it impossible to procure more). In addition, I appreciate the little negative penalty you included at the end. It works for the item without seeming forced.

Great work.

I'm really inclined to agree with Neil here. This feels like an item that an adventure would use to make one encounter slightly more interesting (i.e. crazy assassination attempt in the woods). I can see these items being abused, especially since they don't occupy the neck slot. Does this mean I could buy a bunch and wear multiples, turning myself invisible anytime it looks as though an enemy is going to get a nasty hit? I can foresee something like this happening:

DM: *dice roll* Natural 20, possible crit.
DM: *dice roll* Possible double crit
DM: *dice roll* Confirm crit at AC 28?
Player: Yes, that hits...but I'm going to use an immediate action to make myself invisible!

For me, the Featherfall effect seems like a clumsy afterthought. Furthermore, the immediate invisibility brings up a wealth of game issues. The name is cool and the price is fair enough. I'm sure this item would make for a cool encounter in a wilderness and/or reconnaissance adventure.

In sum, it's a spell-in-a-can-for-that-one-encounter-in-adventure-X.

Minorelementx wrote:

I really like the Folding Boat. One character I had found many uses for this item, one of the uses being as a ranged weapon. He had some cool feats and would launch the folded box at an enemy while yelling the command word; soon enough, enemies were being smashed with a boat. From time to time, smaller enemies would get stuck under the boat and my character would use the second command word to turn it into the larger vessel. I recall taking out a team of drow in a small cave with great ease.

Dude. You're like my hero. Seriously.

Haha. Thank you!

I really like the Folding Boat. One character I had found many uses for this item, one of the uses being as a ranged weapon. He had some cool feats and would launch the folded box at an enemy while yelling the command word; soon enough, enemies were being smashed with a boat. From time to time, smaller enemies would get stuck under the boat and my character would use the second command word to turn it into the larger vessel. I recall taking out a team of drow in a small cave with great ease.

I also remember hiding a special dagger in the box form. The enemies could not find it on us (they were interrogating the group for some reason) and had to eventually let us go.

Oh and you can use it for sailing too.

YES!!! females painting other females... [drools]

Haha...actually she did have female assistants. One was a disgustingly deformed fey, but I can't remember others.

Mongoose did the body "paint armor" thing in their Drow War Campaign (it shows up in The Darkest Hour, which is the 3rd book). Though this deals with epic play, the principle is there and isn't bad. The "paint" is used by this female ruler and it gives her about a +10 armor bonus to AC for the day. I remember that it took a fair amount time to apply and required the assistance of others for applying the body "paint armor."

Just some advice for further reading.

I'd actually be very interested in campaigns from Pathfinder that went all the way to 20th level. I'd probably buy all of the adventure paths pathfinder has put out if they went to 20th level.

If anyone has played through the Drow Wars released by Mongoose, they found a great way to make a campaign that went from 1-30th level. Even at the higher levels, they kept things interesting with traps and various diplomatic situations. As for the monster and CR issues, they ended up making their own enemies and traps and releasing them in separate books.