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Congratulations to everyone who was picked! Have fun with the adventure!
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How about I take a -2 penalty to Dexterity, GM? I like the roleplaying aspects of it, and it wouldn't really affect the character mechanically since I purchased a breastplate for armor. I updated my character sheet in case you're okay with it. Thanks! Just have a few more things to clean up, but the sheet is almost complete. Eagerly awaiting decision day on Monday! Lol
Hey Niles, Definitely interested in throwing my hat in the ring here as well! I'm brand new to 2nd edition too. Bought the core rulebook about a year ago and created a couple of characters, but it never really went anywhere. I know you were just looking for basic concepts, but I got kinda inspired and created a whole alias! Lol Here it is. The sheet is about 85% complete. If selected, I would need to clean up the formatting a little bit and buy gear. Also had a question for you after reading my concept. Question for GM Niles: In my backstory, I gave Massimo an affliction for desecrating the grave of a priestess of Calistria. I was thinking his clubfoot will give him maybe a -4 penalty to Dexterity. I would still want the character to be viable for the long term and not become a liability to the rest of the party. Do you think redemption would be possible relatively early in the adventure? Would that fit the personality of Calistria who's a very vengeful goddess? I'm certainly open to any suggessions or advice you may have in this area. Thanks!
Dotting in. I'm definitely interested! It's been way too long since I've been in a PBP game!
Congratulations on everyone chosen! Good gaming!
My submission is complete!
I will say yes on a case by case basis, usually in favor of. This one I am certainly good with, Modulok. Lots of good RP potential too! Okay, cool. I was hoping you would see it my way! Submission is almost finished. I should have it up by tonight or tomorrow at the latest.
Hi GM Tempest, I'm putting the finishing touches on a rogue submission. Just one quick question, would you allow standard archetypes to be used with the unchained version of the class? I'm leading towards the counterfeit mage archetype. Thanks!
I have a simple question about the Heal skill that just came up in our tabletop game. If two characters both make Heal checks on the same wounded person, do the results of the checks stack? In this instance, they were using the Treat Disease aspect of the skill. RAW say that if the Heal check exceeds the DC of the disease, the character receives a +4 competence bonus on his saving throw against the disease. Would two successful checks give a +8 competence bonus or since they're both competence bonuses, they by rule cannot stack with each other? Thanks for the input!
DawnForgedCast channel I'll definitely second that suggestion! Go to YouTube and search DawnForgedCast. You'll find a plethora of videos about Pathfinder, including a ~ 10 part series introducing the game. You might find those videos particularly interesting as Andrew, the proprietor of the channel, teaches Pathfinder to his then girlfriend and now wife. Happy Gaming!!
Hi James, Here's a rules question I've seen debated on these message boards over the years, but I can't seem to find a definitive answer. The scenario plays out this: the party's sorcerer would like to take the Brew Potion feat at 3rd level and use it to mainly craft cure light wounds potions. Since he casts arcane spells, he obviously does not have cure light wounds on his spell list. Can he work in concert with the party's druid to brew these potions? I see three possible answers. a) No, since a potion functions as a spell completion item
Thanks like usual for your input!
I would be very open to a slow progression adventure path as well. I'm currently Serpent's Skull under slow progression, and I think it really gives the characters a chance to immerse themselves in their new abilities and equipment before moving onward. I equate it almost to sports, football specifically. Any fans of the game will constantly hear new players talking about "playing slow, thinking about the playbook rather than playing instinctively, etc." Well, I think roleplaying games are the same. If you're constantly learning new rules and powers for your character, how can you ever play instinctively and really let the roleplaying aspects flow? Of course, this is completely my opinion, and I'm not slamming anyone else's preferences or gaming styles. :)
Hey James, Any internal talk of expanding the druid weapon list? In my opinion, the terbutje thematically fits the class especially well. Any official rulings on this weapon in particular? Thanks :)
I'm currently playing in a Reign of Winter PBP, and speaking from experience, I agree that fatigued is the best mercy. My character has been fatigued for about a third of the game due to cold effects, so having this mercy in a comrade would have been very helpful.
I'm afraid the lack of gold pieces or any other kind of personal wealth was intentional for Yagello. I spent the entire budget on his equipment, leaving him completely penniless. Hopefully, this will change soon in the course of the adventure... :)
Hey, I also wanted to pop it and introduce myself to the group. Echoing some of Sarya's questions, I'll wait on Yagello's first appearance until the GM posts their preferences. As for real life, my name is Frank, and I live in West Chester, PA (one of the western suburbs about 30 miles outside of Philadelphia). I'm married and a father of two kids (5 y/o and 1 y/o) and also have 2 dogs. I've been roleplaying since about the age of twelve starting with the red Frank Mentzer basic set. I cut my teeth on those sets playing exclusively in the Mystara D&D setting for quite some time. I've played in a Jade Regent PBP game which ended very prematurely on these boards last year, so this will be my second PBP game. Since moving to the Philly area in 2010, I haven't had the time to find a new tabletop group, but I'm involved in a one-on-one Skype game with my brother playing Serpent's Skull. Look forward to meeting all of you and having a great time tackling Reign of Winter!!!!!
Thanks for choosing me, GM! It looks like a great group, and I can't wait to get started!
Good luck to everyone! This really looks like a fun adventure path to play!
GM, I've updated Yagello's character sheet and switched out the law enforcer trait for the campaign specific trait, vigilante witch hunter. I've also made a minor addition to his background to explain the mechanical changes. I'm posting the change below to save you the trouble of having to reread his entire bio! Background Edit: Conversely, he has a hard time attacking female opponents and prefers using nonlethal tactics against them. The exception to this rule would be the winter witches of Irrisen. He doesn't have exact proof but believes the men who attacked his mother were working for a winter witch and now holds the whole lot of them as undeserving of womanhood.
Ditto on your conclusions, Sloanzilla. I've been playing the morale system exactly as written, and everyone except Sasha has moved up to normal. She's gotten stuck in that exact same scenario you desribed above, swinging between fearful and panicked on consecutive game sessions. It's gotten so ridiculous that I threw the whole system out durng my last prep session. I've decided to emphasis role playing instead of mechanics. Logically thinking, why would a 2nd level ranger with obvious combat experience be so frightened to be shipwrecked anyways?
Congratulations guys on your successful submissions! Hope you have fun with the Snows of Summer!
Looks like I'm a little late to the party but definitely interested in this campaign! I've finished the fluff for my character, Yagello, a skirmisher ranger and hopefully will have his crunch finished by tomorrow. I'll have his alias up by tomorrow or Thursday at the latest. Here are my rolls:
Yikes, that's pretty bad! GM, want me to stick with these or switch to 20 point buy? My memory fails me, but wasn't there also an old rule from 3.5 that you could reroll if your scores were particularly bad?
For some reason, the players in my group and myself have never really used the invisibility spell much, so I have a basic question from our last gaming session. The PCs were engaged in melee with an opponent whom they were beating pretty badly. On his turn in melee, he attempted to escape by taking a 5-foot step and then drinking a potion of vanish (same effect as invisibility except just lasting 1 round.) The party's sorcerer was next and guested correctly that the opponent has become invisible and what square he was in. The sorcerer wanted to cast daze against the opponent, but I ruled this wasn't possible since you couldn't see him. The player argued spell casting should follow the same rules as a melee attack if you guess the correct square (full concealment=50% miss chance.) Did I rule correctly? Thanks for the input!
In my campaign, the PCs are being intentionally hardheaded in regards to our resident pirate ghost captain. They suspect showing him the locket will allow him to finally rest but have steadfastly refused to do so. They've given two reasons for this behavior: 1)they think he's of evil alignment and don't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing the locket and 2)they're worried he will make off with the jewelry, and they'll lose a 500 gp chunk of treasure in a pretty sparse campaign so far. Even though I use the slow experience track in my campaign, the PCs just reached 3rd level due to some precursor adventures and a lot of additional encounters I've written on the Shiv. They've fought the captain twice now, and he didn't pose much of a challenge either time. The party is pretty well optimized with a paladin, urban ranger, cleric, and sorcerer in the group. I want to give Avret Kinkarian justice with the rich back story James Jacobs wrote, but I'm at a loss at what to do next. I hate to just have him disappear without reaching story resolution, but running encounters is becoming a waste of time now. Any suggestions or experiences from you own campaigns would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Here's my item. Any pointers/criticisms would be greatly appreciated. Monkey’s Paw
Aura faint transmutaton CL 5th
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, eagle’s splendor, owl’s wisdom
Hey James, I got a question for you about the zuvembie from the Bestiary 3. Its main method of attack is the corpse call special ability. Paraphrasing the stat block,"captivated victims within 5 feet of the zuvembie simply stand and offer no resistance to its attacks. This effect continues for as long as the zuvembie continues its call as a standard action each round." Now if the zuvembie is continuing the call as a standard action, how can it also attack its victims as a standard action?
I would recommend the Serpent's Skull adventure path as something to consider. The first adventure, Souls for Smuggler's Shiv, is very well written by James Jacobs, and I believe quite forgiving for new gamers. The theme of the module is exploration, so it's very easy to run a dangerous encounter and then rest for the day to regain hit points, spells, etc. My party has been in very few scrapes so far due to this feature. The whole adventure path is also very customizable. This could be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective. I like it because it allows me to add my own material to the published material. If you really want the adventures to shine, it does involve more work on your part, especially for the parts after Smuggler's Shiv.
Hi James, I originally posted this in the rules forum, but it quickly got lost in the shuffle. Since you were the principle author of Souls for Smuggler's Shiv, I thought I'd try it again here:
Serpent's Skull Volume 37 has an undead creature named the tuyewera in its bestiary. Its stat block lists "vulnerable to sunlight" as its weakness. Maybe the obvious is escaping me, but what does that entail exactly in terms of gameplay? I can't find any further mention of this anywhere in its description. Two other undead with "vulnerability to sunlight" have vastly different effects. For example, the vampire is staggered on the first round of exposture and destroyed on the second. A bodak takes 2d6 points of damage each round. The bestiary here was written by James Jacobs and F. Wesley Schneider so I wanted to says thanks for developing a great monster, and if you guys are reading, I'd appreciate any help in this matter.
Is anyone still out there? Do we close the book on this campaign once and for all?
Hey guys, I hate to say it but is the campaign finally dead? It's been almost a month since Hu5tru's last post, and we have yet to hear from her. I know Valcrim's had some health problems, so Hu5tru, if your head's not in the game,I completely understand. Family always comes first, but please let us know if you're okay.
Hey Valcrim, sorry to hear about the problems with the surgery. After your wife's last comments, I had hoped you were doing well and moving towards a full recovery. Get well soon,friend. :)
The campaign's been pretty quiet lately. Is everyone doing okay? I just posted in the hopes of getting things moving again... :)
According to the core rulebook, druids are proficient with clubs, daggers, darts, quarterstaffs, scimitars, scythes, sickles, shortspears, slings, and spears. The weapons list has been updated several times since then with releases such as the Advanced Players Guide and Ultimate Combat. Any official word on updating the druid's weapon choices? I was specifically wondering about the terbutje which themantically seems like a weapon a druid would use. We're sticklers for the "offical rules" in my campaign, so if any Paizo developers have an opinion, I'd love to hear it.
I mostly agree with the opinions listed above. I don't know about making it TOO easy to acquire exotic weapon proficiency, so I'm okay with either playing by the official rules or going with Treygan's suggestions.
That sounds lovely! Got room for a stowaway in your suitcases! :) (Though that would probaly defeat the purpose of a romantic getaway.) If the weather stays nice, maybe I'll try heading out to the beach with my son as well. (the 2 hour drive each way with a 4 year old in tow is a bit of a deterrent though...) :P
Hey Devon, Sorry for what you went through. Hope the hospital took care of you well and that you're on the mend. :)
Hey Hu5tru, Nice to see you back. I empathize with you guys about being a world apart and having to make the best of a bad situation. As someone who was separated from his wife and son for 3 months last year, I can definitely understand where you're coming from. It really puts role playing games in a whole different perspective... The campaign has more going great and you're a wonderful GM, so take as much time as you need. Like PirateDevon and Hamied said earlier, I'll always be around in the background when you're ready to restart things. :) As for the Patriots, I'm really torn in my allegiances! I'm a Dolphins fan, so I bleed aqua and orange and the Patriots are one of our chief rivals! However, I usually root for the AFC in the big game and like dynasties. Decisions! Decisions!
It seems like this PBP is dying a slow death.... I was really having a good time with it before, but it's hard to sustain a campaign when our posts have gotten this sporadic. What do you guys think?
Hope you feel better! :)
Hu5tru, thanks for the opportunity to play in your game! I'll create Broderus' alias later tonight when I get back from work. I second Valcrim's vote for a 15 point buy. I like the fact heroes become heroes through their actions rather than godlike stats. 5 characters should be more than enough to handle the adventure path as is, and anything that will diminish your workload will be good. :) I'm also good with everything working together and cooperating in the distribution of magic items. Heck, we're all trying to survive here!
Hu5tru's Questions: I see Broderus as completely welcoming the journey and seeing it as his path to redemption. He needs to get away from everything and anyone familiar to him. What can be more foreign from the jungles of Garund than the frozen wastes of the Crown of the World? Besides, he's a ranger with the guide archetype. He may be lacking in familiarity with the geography here, but it's his duty to protect his fellow travelers. From his earliest upbringing, he remembers his father's sworn oath to protect the Grand Custodian of Sargava. He failed this lineage twice now and vows to never let it happen again.
I don't really believe Broderus will have a problem with public displays of affection or other party members pursuing the NPCs. The caveat is as long as these displays don't affect anyone's performance. He strongly believes in love and Erastil's teachings about traditional marriage and family life. However, his spirit was broken by his loss, and he fears that type of love/lust that grips your heart and soul and blinds you to anything else. That type of love is dangerous for an adventurer in the field and probably fatal for the person you're serving. Now, I don't discount that time heals wounds, and I could see him eventually falling in love again. This time it would have to be with someone equal to him, someone who understands there's a time to play and a time to work, someone who could watch his back as much as he watches their back...
I know I'm kinda late to the party here, but I like your style Hu5tru and wanted to submit a character for the campaign. I'll work up the crunch as soon we get more info on the campaign specifics. Concept:
Broderus, 1st Level Ranger (Guide Archetype; Party Tank)
The haze grew thicker, and Broderus’ eyes began to lose focus. Simultaneously, his ears started ringing hideously causing him to steady himself against the tree trunk. The little girl’s body lay mangled a few feet from his perch, and now a crowd was gathering. The warrior was still screaming at him, but now the girl’s parents were crying horribly as well. Why was he feeling so empty inside? Isn’t this what he wanted when he joined the monks a year ago? His emotions had been completely purged, and he had been taught to worship the all-important balance. Moments earlier, he had seen the little girl run out into the clearing, fully knowing the dire wolf was nearby. Could he have made it off the tree in time to stop the carnage? Maybe, maybe not, but he was damned for not trying. Had the holy men lied to him about everything? A cold sweat ran down his back, and his hands shook violently. He had to clear his mind and get away from this place. He pressed his hands over his ears in an attempt to block out the sounds of the world: the curses of the fighter, the sobbing of the dead girl’s parents, the mantras of the monks, and most loudly, Abigail’s screams. Leaping off the tree, he landed just beyond the crowd and took one final look at the monastery and the people gathered there. He remembered where his cache of weapons and gold was hidden and set out immediately through the jungle. Yes, distance would be good, and maybe redemption still had a place for him in its bosom… Broderus has shoulder-length brown hair which he ties up behind his neck. He is moderately handsome but portrays a grizzled appearance from not shaving very often. He wears hooded shirts in muted tones along with trousers and boots. As a memento from his previous life, a woman’s ring dangles from a chain around his neck. He is not overtly religious, but his trusty longsword carries the elk antlers symbol of Erastil. History:
Broderus originally hails from the wayward Chelish colony of Sargava, specifically the capital city Eleder. His father serves as one of the personal guards of Baron Utilinus and was granted a noble title about a decade ago after an act of great bravery. With the title in hand, Broderus and his family were suddenly thrust into the world of nobility, and their perspective widened immensely. His father was the exception to this as the old warrior remained close-minded and overly suspicious from years of protection duty. He believed in the superiority of Sargava and saw everyone else as threats or beneath him. Broderus was first trained to raise a sword from his father but balanced this influence by incorporating other techniques from Ivory Cross mercenaries, foreigners such as the Pathfinders, and Mwangi tribesmen. He learned to love the jungle from his friends among the Kalabuta and Mulaa tribes, and a sharp divide began to grow between father and son. When he came of age, he decided to forgo the Sargavan Guard and train as a ranger instead.
The second major point of contention between father and son involved a woman. During last year’s end of year celebrations, he met a young woman of Varisian descent named Abigail. She was from a minor noble family recently relocated from Magnimar to promote her father’s trade interests. The nineteen year olds became instantly smitten with each other, and Broderus’ father was horrified his son would court an outsider. The Varisians supported Broderus’ courtship and also furthered his aspirations to become a Mwangi jungle guide. It was in this context that Broderus’ fall occurred. Abigail’s family romanticized the Mwangi Expanse, and her father, in particular, was completely oblivious to the jungle’s dangers. He would constantly have Broderus take everyone out into the wilds regardless of his inexperience or young age. On one such trip to the Bandu Hills, disaster stuck. Distracted from his protection duties, he sat with Abigail along the riverbank kissing and holding hands. The campsite was suddenly overwhelmed by charau-ka, ruthless chimapanzee-like intelligent apes. They ruthlessly slew most of the humans where they stood but saved their worst depravities for Abigail. Hit hard on the head, Broderus fell into the swiftly moving river and wasn’t strong enough to resist its raging currents. He could only watch in horror as the monsters pounced on his love and began their tortures. Her screams were the last thing he heard as the river poured him over a waterfall. Broderus barely survived the plunge and eventually crawled his way back to Eleder. Completely distraught, he locked himself away in his room refusing food or drink or anyone’s company. Eventually he agreed to see one of Abigail’s friends, and the tears flowed profusely as they comforted each other. It was she who suggested he go see Altori, a Varisian monk in Kalabuto, to ease his pain. Altori taught him the discipline of Pondera (the total surrender of emotion in favor of embracing balance). Such was his life until that faithful day in the monastery's gardens. Current Backstory and Campaign Trait: Broderus is a raging cauldron of emotions right now. One moment the sound of a monkey incites a furious rage in his soul, while later he is strangely stoic, even passive to events around him. His current alignment is True Neutral, but he is trying to regain the Neutral Good standing he had prior to the charau-ka ambush. After failing Abigail and her family horribly, he strongly believes in strength of mind and body. His morning routine is regimented, even to the point of being obsessive. He devotes an hour to physical training followed by an hour of quiet meditation. For breakfast, he gulps down an herbal tonic he makes the night before. Broderus refrains from drinking alcoholic beverages or doing anything else which would dull his senses. He always sleeps with a hand on his sword and is quick to awaken at the slightest out of place noise. His sleep is disjointed and restless, filled with horrific nightmares and phantom calls for help. He has a strange affinity for trees, believing them to be perfect representatives of life on Golarion. Strong and steady, they weather the tribulations of the world never wavering from pointing upwards. They are also long-lived yet finite in their existence, bestowing great beauty on the forest while simultaneously providing practical benefits for all. Broderus points to many instances when the power of a tree intersected in his life: the branch which saved his life when he was swept away by the river, the strong wood of his bow, the smooth timbers of his first training sword… He indulges in woodworking as a form of respect, and he enjoys making carvings as well as quality furniture. He came to Varisia seeking to put as much distance between himself and the continent of Garund as possible and joined Sandru's caravan. ( Caravan Guard campaign trait ) He knew he wanted to help the innocent and erase the taint on his soul. Twice now someone died under his watch, and he firmly believes Erastil is only keeping him alive to repay this debt of honor. Unfortunately, the relative safety of the caravan didn't give Broderus an opportunity for redemption, and he recently informed Sandru of his decision to leave. Suffering from a martyr complex, he believes salvation will only come from giving up his life for someone else. He seeks to align himself with likeminded companions who will steer him back towards good.
In the scenario I'm currently writing, the party will find themselves in a narrow alleyway where their enemies will drop a large net on them from the second story of a building. For the purpose of the attack roll, should I roll one time or roll multiple times against each character? I can almost justify either approach depending on circumstances, but I was wondering what the official word would be. Thanks for the help. :)
Thanks for the feedback guys! Scales of the Scorpion Made popular by the famed Chelish gladiator, Scorpios, this fine suit of scale mail was originally commissioned for its owner by Abrogail Thrune herself. Brushing aside rumors of a romance with the Queen, Scorpios retired with an unbeaten record in the arena and now copies of the legendary armor have appeared in his honor. Aura moderate necromancy; CL 7 Slot armor; Price 38,400 gp Weight 30 lbs This +1 scale mail is constructed in a style meant to mimic its namesake, the deathstalker scorpion. The plates are colored a dull yellow, the gauntlets shaped like claws, and a huge stinger rises behind the wearer’s head. Besides providing hot weather adaptation (alleviating the need for Fortitude checks), the armor confers two extraordinary abilities. Firstly, in lieu of the wearer’s regular attacks, the wearer may use the armor’s gauntlets as claw attacks (1d6 damage each). Secondly, the stinger can be activated three times a day as a free action, attacking with the wearer’s BAB and dealing 1d6 damage plus poison. Poison (Ex) Sting-injury; save Fort DC 14; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d3 Constitution damage; cure 1 save Construction Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, endure elements, poison; Cost 19,200 gp
With my campaign about to kick off, I was wondering how other GMs have handled the possibilty of romantic relationships between the players and NPCs. Granted, conditions are rough and not exactly "romantic," but that kind of adversity can also bind people together really fast. Aerys and Gelik could be a bit problematic in this area, but I could see Jask or Sasha being open to a relationship. Maybe not a deep spiritual one since the castaways lack good alignments, but something that works for each of them. Any good roleplaying stories out there? These "island romances" might also have serious consequences when sorting out the factions in "Racing to Ruin!"
Excellent idea about the flavor encounters! That'll be a nice way to expand the wandering monster table after the players have eliminated some of the threats. For all undead, once the curse is broken, then I'll scratch off the undead from the chart. Good thinking about the undead! Are you using an open-ended supply of undead or having the skeletons/zombies wander off some of the shipwrecks? I guess the same would go for the nonlair creatures such as giant centipedes, swarms, vipers, etc. I could come up with exact numbers or just use whatever the rolls dictate. I'll probably go the latter route with these monsters since a lot of the encounters will be noncombat in nature (i.e. monkeys, jungle goats, etc.)
I'm prepping right now to start the campaign and was wondering how other GMs have been handling the wandering monsters on the Shiv. James Jacobs writes in the Bestiary that many of the wandering monsters are in limited supply. This makes sense since the island is only 30 square feet and a self-contained ecosystem. Has anyone actually quantified the number of monsters on the island? The text of the adventure lists 22 Thrunefang cannibals, so we got that number. The winged chupacabra is also a special one of a kind opponent, so that's okay. We could also add up all of the predator dens on the island and get the figures for those creatures. Have you fellow GMs gone this route or just winged it? Thanks... |