I've got a local store doing it, but I haven't been able to make it out there yet and last year they made you buy something like $25 bucks worth of gaming books to get any of it. Which I get, it's supposed to encourage you to support the store, but 99% of my store's gaming book selection is either D&D stuff I don't want or Pathfinder/Starfinder stuff I already have, so I had to really dig through the bins and got some map tiles. (And even then the guy at the register said it had to be specifically books, and I had to talk him into letting the map tiles count.)
This is a great story. Love it and it's non-tragic origins. Have to wonder how old she is as an adventurer though. Something about taking a child into grueling battles makes part of me cringe...but then stories like Avatar the Last Airbender and Demon Slayer (and many other animes) make it work.
Last I checked, most Pokémon trainers begin their journeys at the age of 12 or so. She'll be fine.
We are working on it. I found out about this myself only yesterday, but I checked with folks above me in the chain and they already knew and were working on solutions. I know this is a hassle, but I really appreciate your patience. We got you fam.
Anybody else having trouble with the first FFoD volume? It's loading up for me with a lot of what look like layout artifacts, I guess? And I can't select or search the text.
And this is in addition to the ongoing issue of file size creep -- while not as bad as Devastation Ark, it's still nearly 80mb for the 64-page-plus-cover volume, which is almost twice as much as any of the Alien Archives or Armory and over half the size of the core book PDF, last I checked. Some of us need to find space for these on tablets.
"Present a problem without a clear solution in mind and let your players figure something out" has worked for me pretty well in the past in other games. The trick is having an open mind for any solutions they do come up with -- as long as it's not outright impossible according to facts already established in play, let them try it. If there are factors they have no way of knowing about about that would automatically foil their scheme, either have them learn about the factor or rework some notes. Nothing kills the fun more than "We spent twenty minutes working out how to open this door, and then were foiled by an extra lock we couldn't have known about."
Okay, it's possible I'm imagining things, or experienced some sort of bizarre reality shift, or...
Not gonna spoil Return just for a joke:
...Alaznist's history manipulations are Just That Good...
...but I vaguely recall reading on a blog or forum post about running all three adventure paths at once in some fashion. Like, if you had a group that hadn't played any of the APs yet, one of the writers or developers talked about having an outline in the works for weaving them together so it doesn't take you forever to get to Return. (I'm assuming something like the Machete Order, but with AP modules)
Am I imagining that? (feel free to tell me if I am)
And if I'm not imagining it, did that ever get posted anywhere?
They may have advanced the setting, but saying they advanced the metaplot implies that there's some ongoing story thread tying everything together. I don't wanna get pedantic on this, but it's not like we have to buy supplements every month or so just to follow a storyline hidden within flavor text and artwork, like some of the old World of Darkness stuff. (Not that anyone's saying that, but to my understanding that's what the word 'metaplot' would really mean in this case.)
I could be wrong, but I imagine in terms of letting people adjust for their home games, there were two fundamental options:
1. Assume a peaceful resolution and have a small hobgoblin nation that could be handwaved away if need be.
2. Assume a more violent resolution and force peaceful games to handwave an entire nation into existence.
The first option expands the setting a bit and adjustment requires less work from GMs. The second option simply reduces the hobgoblin population but otherwise preserves the status quo. I can see why Paizo would go with the former.
On a sidenote, I would like to suggest that for the Vigilante, any class archetype can work with any class, considering how versatile the class was in P1E thanks to its archetypes. The main idea for the Vigilante is to have 2 identities with technically 2 sets of abilities. At this point right now, pick your class, pick your archetype and "swap" between styles by putting a mask and a hoodie :P
Or just make a Vigilante archetype directly, and graft the alternate identity mechanics onto your existing class. PF1 has enough class archetypes that could be described as "The original class but with identify stuff stirred in," it would make sense for PF2 to just take that to its logical conclusion.
Forgive me if it's been said elsewhere, but I am curious as to where the art is from (and, by extension, where the pieces of art tied to the upcoming fictions are from). Do we know?
But for starters, it seems strange to me that they should describe the existence of class archetype feats and then not include any.
It sucks that they didn't have space for any class archetype fears, true. But if they didn't at least describe them in the core, then they'd have to include some form of that description in pretty much every future supplement that includes them (at least for a while), and that eats up word count.
Is perfectly fine for them to go quiet for a couple weeks.
The problem is if they go quiet until August, pop back up, and say "tada!"
Because in august, if there was some part of the rules that they thought was fine, but was actually a real hangup for a lot of people, but it hasn't been accurately identified, people will respond with, "Yeah, but what about..?"
The realities of the required lead time for printing are such that "a few weeks" will probably be too late for any further changes. They've gotta get proofs made and approved, then however many copies printed and shipped from the printer between now and Gencon with a little wiggle room for the inevitable thing that will go wrong in that process. That means final text, art, and layout (including things like spell and feat templates) have to be set in stone months ahead of time.
Just as we saw Starfinder and PF2 Playtest previews over the course of months leading up to release, we will likely see final version previews spread out over the course of months as well. But because of the aforementioned lead times and the need to accurately represent the final product, the odds are extremely good that by the time any previews hit the blog, it's already too late to incorporate any more fan feedback.
Yes, received confirmation to end the debate. No matter how we've each chosen to play it, correct ruling is 0/-4, which--most importantly--means Lem might just have a chance at showing Sajan up in a combat on the next blog. Hehehe!
Look at it like this, though -- you'll effectively wind up testing it both ways, and that difference could be useful data.
I haven't run/played this yet so I haven't looked at the surveys so they may or may not address this, but I'm curious as to whether the ancestry percentages take into account half-elves and half-orcs (since they're technically humans with an ancestry feat).
And yes, this is the book I've been most excited about so far. I just finished reading AP04 last night and I keep having to stop myself from checking my My Downloads page every 30 seconds in antici...
The comic itself is up for free online if you'd like to read it, this Kickstarter is solely for the Hardcover (the comic is VERY Not Safe For Work, in a good way ^w^).
Well, someone oughtta have you on commission or something because I just spent the last few hours binging the comic thanks to this thread and as we speak I'm tossing money at the Kickstarter.
I'm really looking forward to reading this AP, even if I don't get to run it in the near future (stupid finite hours in a day), partially because a couple of years back I ran my group through a homebrew adventure connected to Taldor's political situation that sounds like it would have made a good prequel for this one.
If it wants to keep using them, yes. If your stats later fall short of prerequisites for feats, prestige classes, etc., then you lose access to them until you qualify again.
Understood; which is why I said "We don't use it" and not "You shouldn't use it."
Unless you're writing for us.
:-P
And I just feverishly opened up the last manuscript I submitted to Paizo and did a search for "planetouched".
*SHAME*
I used it twice. Mea culpa.
You're basically the multiverse's greatest monster.
Not that this really had anything to do with that, of course. ^_^
Maybe... maybe Todd is the CR 30?
But back to actual stuff about the book... I'm aware this is primarily a setting supplement, but is there going to be any attention paid to established races (both core and core-adjacent) that originate on other planes and migrated to the Material, like gnomes and wayangs? I don't just mean mechanically, but also setting-wise.
Yeah, I was honestly hoping we'd see an Outer Planes powered Kineticist archetype with this book, or at the very least see the hardcover reprint of the Void element so everything could (eventually) be in the PRD.
It's only one Outer Plane out of a pretty big list, but there's an Elysium-powered kineticist archetype in "People of the Wastes."
However, Paizo is still attempting to sell it. Which is why I stand by the low rating I've given the book, and would encourage others to do so as well. This content is not worth paying for, and should not be purchased without a great deal of forethought.
(Emphasis mine)
Is it possible that it's not -- and shouldn't be -- up to you what reviews other people leave on the book? Your feelings should not get to decide how other people feel about a book or what they have to say about it.
Also, whether your intent or not, it almost sounds like you think Paizo should be punished for releasing the book.
Are there any living artists you wish could/would work on Pathfinder but normally wouldn't be available? (Whether it's because they don't do tabletop work, or they'd be too expensive, or they don't normally do fantasy stuff, etc.)
At the time of the trial I read an interview with Bernd Brinkmann, one of Germany's foremost forensic experts and founder of the Institute of Forensic Genetics. In this very interview*, he said about their examinations regarding such cases, that in 20% (not sure if I have the number correct, but I think it was 20 %) of the cases, they can prove without a doubt, that the victim was definitely raped. What really shocked me, though, was him also saying that in another 20% of the cases (again, not quite sure about the number, but it was definitely the same number), they can prove without a doubt that the allegation was nothing but a lie (the big share of 60% are cases where they can't find definite evidence about one way or the other). If those numbers are true (and I have no reason to doubt the expert on that), it's not true that 99% of all those reports turn out as facts.
With all due respect, I think the fact that his "20%" number regarding false accusations is substantially higher than other research (some of it already linked in the thread) is reason to doubt that particular expert. I mean, maybe all the other research is flawed and he's the only guy getting it right, but I somehow doubt that.
I'm extremely disappointed that Nocticula didn't make the cut, what with all the foreshadowing and hinting that she's trying to ascend.
Well, Nocticula and her ascension are kind of a James Jacobs thing. As he's not working on Starfinder, someone probably decided it would be best if her ascension happened in something he wrote.
Deadpool wasn't originally intended to be a parody of Deathstroke when they conceptualized the character, but Liefeld turned in the initial sketches and the writer was like "Rob, this is Deathstroke. You made an off-color Deathstroke. <beat> Screw it. He is now a parody of Deathstroke and his name is Wade Wilson. Done."
Please correct me if I've missed something, but if the adventure assumes the PCs are taking the riverboat from Tephu to the Parched Dunes, when/how does the 'outside of town' ambush go off? Just on that embankment between the city and the docks as seen on the map, with the risk of being seen from the city? Or do the PCs have to catch the riverboat someplace not clearly indicated?
Even if aboleth are not classified as mythos creatures, they were more then likely inspired by such things back when they were original created.
In fact, a LOT more of the game was inspired by Lovecraft than most folks think. Mind flayers and aboleths are certainly obvious ways that Lovecraft inspired D&D, but the Necronomicon helped to make the concept of wizards with spellbooks a thing. The way ghouls and ghasts exist in the game, particularly as closely related creatures, is directly out of Lovecraft. The presence of a monster-filled underground realm like the Darklands or D&D's underdark owes a lot to Lovecraft's writings, particularly the underworld of the Dreamlands (Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath) or the underground realm below North America (The Mound). Fish people (be they sahuagin or kuo-toa or skum or whatever) are pretty much blatant nods to Lovecraft's deep ones. Other elements, large and small, exist as well.
So when you look at it that way, every D&D and every Pathfinder adventure is in part inspired by Lovecraft! :-P
Also, if I may chime in, it's worth noting that a number of Great Old Ones and Outer Gods appeared in the first printing of the first edition D&D "Deities and Demigods" book, though they were removed on later printings when TSR found out someone still owned the rights at that time. (My roommate bought a second-hand copy at a local gaming store, quite the find!)
There's nothing wrong with being inclusive, but constantly drawing attention to a the fact that you are being inclusive makes it feel forced and no longer genuine. It's like the old "look at how not-racist I am!" routine.
Please don't complain about people being included. There is literally nothing wrong with medium including a group that is not often represented in a medium. You don't have to play an agendered android. Please don't start a sentence with there's nothing wrong with [blank] but... I like to think about it as the "Not [Blank] Rule". The rule is simple, if you say I'm not a racist but, or in this case there's nothing wrong with being inclusive but, the thing that follows will likely be offensive to a minority group. Including a minority is not the same thing as marginalizing a minority. Again, if someone's genitalia, or in this case complete biological lack or genitalia, bothers you in any way, DON'T THINK ABOUT IT. It's simply not necessary.
You may notice I wasn't criticising inclusiveness, but rather Paizo.
My point was that Paizo's inclusiveness feels like marketing. People who are really inclusive don't have to draw attention to the fact that they're inclusive, they just are.
As soon as this character's introduced, the first thing we're told about them is that they're agender, their rejection of gender is thrust to the foreground as their defining character trait, they're suddenly not just agender, they're "the agender one". That's not inclusiveness, that's tokenism.
You don't include people by being vague and letting them wonder if they belong, or make them drag it out of you. You include them by telling them they belong, that their presence is appreciated, that they have a place.
When you're told over and over you don't belong, you learn to assume you aren't welcome unless people go out of their way to bring you in.
Ah I see. I remembered seeing it listed on Amazon as November 29 but at Books-A-Million sometimes it shows release dates as the first day of the month and it is actually still showing the temporary cover that this book had become we got the actual cover. So I was confused.
But thank you for the info! I greatly appreciate it!
I can't speak for. Books-A-Million, but you basically can't trust Amazon's pre-order info as accurate when it comes to RPG books. Always go to the publisher if at all possible. Amazon's release dates for RPG books are often vague guesses based a few factors.
So my roommate and I had a thought about the evil alignments and how they could be represented by the villains of Luke Cage (assuming you've finished the series):
Luke Cage spoilers:
Specifically, our thought was that each of the three main antagonists can be taken as an example of a different variety of evil. Partially so I could use them as an example of the differences between them for explaining alignments to players.
Mariah Dillard is Lawful Evil. She wants to build a community where she's at the top, where her power comes from an establishment that she can exploit at will. She wants the influence and power that comes with being the head of a community, but despite some of her claims to the contrary she's more than eager to indulge in evil methods. She puts more than a little time and effort into trying to encourage her cousin to follow her path to 'legitimacy' rather than being just another crime boss. (You could also make a case that she starts the series as LN and follows a character arc to LE by the end of the season)
Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes is Neutral Evil. His primary motivation is personal wealth and power. He prefers his organization be an orderly one keeping with various criminal underworld traditions, but he's not terribly focused on imposing that order on others. And while he is a dedicated criminal with anger issues stemming from his upbringing, he doesn't revel in destruction and chaos. He'd rather have a self-serving peace than a war.
Willis "Diamondback" Stryker is Chaotic Evil. He operates through fear -- not simply intimidating people into doing what he wants like Cottonmouth, but making sure people are terrified of him. He has no qualms about hurting innocent bystanders and sees a terrified and ruined community as an ideal sandbox to play in. His motivations are driven by whim and petty revenge, and openly eschews well-considered plans. He'd rather have self-serving war than peace.
And while he's not strictly part of the explanation I've been crafting, for completion's sake:
Hernan "Shades" Alvarez is kind of a secondary antagonist, serving as a lieutenant to all three of the above at some point or another throughout the series, and if I had to fit him into the framework I'd peg him as Lawful Evil but more focused on the Evil than the Lawful. He wants power and wealth and prestige and does it through organizations and complex plans more as a means to an end. For Mariah, the organization propping her up is the goal whereas for Shades it's just a tool, if you get the distinction. Which makes their collaboration towards the end of the season a pretty good fit for the longer term.
It is even more difficult to find a Celtic analog in Golarion :-(
I couldn't tell you, off the top of my head, where I read this but I believe that most of that was in pre-Worldwound Sarkoris and can still be found among its surviving people.
