So the great news is that I just got my Starfinder Limited Edition hardback today (and earlier than I thought I'd get it)! (^-^)
The not-so-great news is that my book arrived damaged. It appears that part of the styrofoam bracing for the top left corner was broken off and lying under the book, and the top of the spine was partially crushed during shipping.
I figured it would be best to let you know immediately to see if we can do anything about this. I have pictures of the packaging and the book and I will send them to the customer service email as well.
Thanks, as always, for the help with this!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman "Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
I seem to have 'broken' something with a purchase I tried to make last night (12/25/12) with a Visa gift card.
The items currently in my shopping cart are the items I tried to purchase (using the Paizo holiday discount, if that is a factor). The transaction was declined here at Paizo, but my gift card shows the exact amount of the order ($63.25 with shipping) has been charged and removed.
Is this just a 'pre-authorization' charge since Paizo was closed for the holiday, or is there something else going on? I am great with confusion here... (o_O)
Thanks (as always) in advance for any help with this.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman "Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
My failing search-fu has not turned up any answer to this, so I thought it best to just put the question here and be done with it... :)
I ask because I can't remember if the cover image for Land of the Linnorm Kings is supposed to be of White Estrid fighting Boiltongue (which looks like an Ice Linnorm) or not.
Contrast that with the picture on Page 2 of that book which shows what looks like White Estrid sitting on her throne with Boiltongue (which looks like a Crag Linnorm).
My personal assumption is that Boiltongue is indeed a Crag Linnorm (with his name making reference to his magma breath weapon), but I also know that assuming usually gets me into trouble. ;)
Many thanks, as always, for the help.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
My poor search-fu this Monday morning has led me to just post and see if this question has been asked before. As is my luck with these things, I need to try and figure it out before the Land of the Linnorm Kings supplement comes out next month. ^.^
The question is basically this:
Can a non-Ulfen become a Linnorm King if he or she follows the Ulfen tradition of slaying a linnorm in single combat and brings its head through the gates of a city that has no king (like Trollheim, for example)?
I know I can tweak this to personal taste, but I would be interested in a 'canonical' answer, if one is available.
Many thanks, as always for any help with this.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
For some reason, I thought the Beginner Box was going to be a non-subscription item...I guess my thoughts were off a bit. (;_;)
With everything else coming out in October, I won't have the funds for this one. I will need to cancel my Pathfinder RPG subscription until after this ships please. I will then post a note to resume it for the Bestiary 3 release in November.
Many thanks (as always) for the help with this.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR
I don't know if anything can be done for something this old, but I figured I would ask and see...
Over the weekend, my hard copy of Gods & Magic separated on me when I opened it - a cluster of pages near the front just slid out from the rest of the binding and onto the floor.
As I said, I'm not sure if anything can be done for a book from a 3-year old order, but the Gen-Con order has hobbled my funds for a while. :)
Thanks in advance (as always) for any help that can be spared on this.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Thanks to the 'slow & steady' pace of my Runelords campaign, I've been able to take advantage of new information in other products, and all the choice ideas on these boards. It is in that spirit that I come here once again...to ponder the ramifications of the Library just discovered by my party under Jorgenfist.
I've already started to feed information to my PCs, and have hinted at (through conversation with the clockwork librarian) the existence of the Therassic Spire in Kaer Maga. My hope is that I can get the party to go there to get additional information about Thassilon and Runeforge specifically (history and function, but no location of course).
I intend for the party to have to pay a hefty sum to the librarians in Kaer Maga to get the information they want. However, I am left wondering what the librarians would do if they were told about the existence of the main library, and whether or not they would try to do anything to the party once they found its location.
On a side tangent, what would the Cyphermages from Riddleport do if they got wind of this place? Granted, they tend to focus on the monuments of Thassilon, but I would think they would love to get their hands on some of that information too.
(Oh, and one of the PCs is a Pathfinder who has already notified the Lodge in Magnimar about the place. Needless to say, they are bringing in folks to start a major cataloging expedition once the area is more 'pacified').
I guess the bottom-line question is: How much attention (and trouble) should a party get from these various groups?
Thanks, as always, for your thoughts :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Wow....No love at all for the Mother of Monsters here, huh? ;P
Well, after digging through material a bit, here are my own ideas:
* At the moment I've statted out some advanced yaenit inquisitors and a pack of advanced yeth hounds that will ambush the group as they try to ferry Black Magga's body to Magnimar. Or I may have the argorth do that while they do something else suitably vengeful instead.
* As the ranger/wizard of Sarenrae is planning to build a temple to his goddess around the farms closest to the ruins of Foxglove Manor, I may also retask the rebel werewolves in the area (as described in Classic Horrors Revisited) in order to give him grief later on in the winter.[/i]
* The ebon acolytus from the Bestiary in PF#30 really clicks with me too - the altar in Hook Mountain may get a divine 'makeover' as well, and start all kinds of trouble in the back country ;)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
My intrepid players have just about finished The Hook Mountain Massacre, and have decided that one of their group will take over responsibility of Fort Rannick from the Black Arrows. They decided unanimously that they didn't want the Hellknights setting up shop here, so it was a pretty easy decision for them ;)
Something that was inferred but never spelled out was whether or not those people would be invested with a minor noble rank by Lord Mayor Grobaras and the Hall of Ushers. The loss of the Foxgloves in The Skinsaw Murders does leave an opening in their ranks, so to speak, so I was going to sweeten the deal of taking over the Fort with an investiture.
The rank of Baron or Baroness would make sense. As the Foxgloves were barons (if memory serves), it would make sense to fill their specific rank in the Magnimar hierarchy.
However, the fact that Fort Rannick was built specifically to pacify the Hook Mountain / Turtleback Ferry region really makes this area seem more like a Border March to me, and would confer the rank of Marquess or Marchioness in such a case. The higher risks justify the higher rank, I think.
Has anyone else gone this route, and if so, did you just knight the PCs or actually grant them stewardship of the Turtleback region and give them a higher title?
As always, thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
My intrepid band of heroes has just liberated the three Black Arrows from their imprisonment, and have returned to Turtleback Ferry to recoup and make plans for retaking Fort Rannick.
In frantically skimming through PF#3, I can't seem to find the exact number of Black Arrows that manned the Fort (and my players asked, of course). Does anybody know what the original complement was? (I told my players 36, but I think that may be too low, though the Barracks shown on the map don't look like they could hold many people unless they rotated out when the patrols were being run).
As always, thanks in advance for the help!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
I just got my latest subsriction package in the mail today, and noticed that my copy of the Bestiary is damaged. The back cover has been torn to the binding on the spine, and the last cluster of pages (starting from page 299 and going to the end) looks like it didn't get glued to the spine on the bottom.
I figured I would check in and see if anything could be done for this. Thanks in advance (as always) for the help! [bows humbly]
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR
I just got an email letting me know about my next subscription order (1245510). It is including replacement copies of PF#24 and the Qadira PF Companion that never made it to me (from Order# 1196571).
The Qadira book is showing up as a $0.00 charge, but PF#24 is showing up as a $13.99 charge, even though I already paid for it back in July. Can someone check into this for me?
As always, thanks in advance! :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
I'm sorry to ask this in the middle of moving weekend, but it appears that I never received my books that were in Order# 1196571 (PF#24 The Final Wish and Pathfinder Companion: Qadira). I checked my account to verify the charge, and I have been able to download the PDFs.
Once all the dust has settled from the move, could someone check and see if this order shipped out?
Many Thanks as always! :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Good morning all. I haven't done one of these rambles in a while, so be warned.. :P
Spoilered to save space:
Spoiler:
As some may know, I've been running my RotRL campaign as a gestalt-option game (first in 3.5, now converted over to PF Beta with 3.5 splatbooks). My PCs have just finished the fight in the Sawmill, and are about to stumble upon the information that will lead them to the mysterious 'Wanton of Nature's Pagan Forms'.
The 'boss-fights' so far have been challenging, but my PCs have managed to win the day each time. With this last battle looming, I'm considering doing what I've done to all of the major foes in PF2 - giving the gestalt treatment to Xanesha.
I've been using Joey Virtue's excellent notes for changing the AP to fit a six-person party (it works quite well for a five person gestalt party too, BTW), and have made these changes to the encounter:
1) The Scarecrow was at the Sawmill instead of the Shadow Clock, so he will not be present;
2) I have four faceless stalkers at the Shadow Clock instead of three, and they are gestalt-modified with 5 levels of PF Rogue (the PCs already fought three of these things at Aldern's townhouse, so will know what to expect when they see them again).
I've read the horror stories of what Xanesha has done to parties, so I was initially hesitant to modify her. Having seen the improving tactics of my party, though, I think they can handle it (and know when to cut and run if things start to go bad for them).
With that in mind, I'm fishing for some ideas on what to add to Xanesha. Here's what's rattling around in my head right now:
- Adding levels in Rogue (which is what I've done to most of the foes the PCs have fought in PF2 so far) could work, though Bard (or Beguiler) might make better thematic sense, given her mission in Magnimar;
- I think Fighter would make her just too strong to beat, though an Urban Ranger variant would fit her 'predator' vibe nicely;
- Since she already has 8th-level spellcasting ability, I don't think I want to give her levels in a casting class (but a prestige class could work). I also need to settle on a bloodline for her;
- I've also been considering just using a template to modify her. Apart from skimming the Advanced Bestiary last night, I have no firm candidates here yet.
I wanted to get some outside perspective on this to see if I'm missing any other potential ideas, or if I'm signing my party's death certificates. I have until Saturday to hammer out the details, so any constructive thoughts are welcome.
As always, thanks in advance! :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Well, it looks like my players have thrown me another curve ball :)
Spoiler:
They have finished the Misgivings, found the letter from "Wanton of Nature's Pagan Forms" and have just returned to Magnimar to follow up on the rumors of similar 'Sihedron killings' in the city.
They made contact with the chaplain of the church of Iomedae in order to find settlers to take over the farms that were depopulated in the ghoul outbreak, but then hit upon the idea of talking to all of the major churches in Magnimar to see what information they could get on the murders and who could be behind them.
They also intend to request access to city records in order to find any more references to the Brothers of the Seven. I have already given them a little bit of information about Vorel Foxglove's possible involvement with the Brothers, and that they were an informal merchant league of sorts (which they found out through a contact in the local church/brothel of Calistria I introduced to my version of Magnimar), but that's the only other information they have besides the note.
They have not gone to Foxglove's townhouse yet, and (due to a RL schedule conflict that will postpone a full game session), they will not until they have done this research as a 'sidequest' of sorts.
I don't want to give away info that would make them bypass the townhouse and go straight to the sawmill, but I also don't want to just say that the searches and conversations are all fruitless either.
I am thinking about having the public records either missing or pulled out (by Justice Ironbriar, as part of his efforts to maintain the secrets of the Brothers), but I have to leave some information available to throw off any suspicion.
Speaking of that group - are there any other surviving members of the original Brothers of the Seven besides Ironbriar? Were any other merchants inducted (as the text implies it was more than one person Aldern was hanging out with when he first came back to Magnimar)?
Apologies for the rambling thoughts. I have until Friday to hammer something together, and I could use a few outside opinions to make sure I set this up correctly... ;)
As always, thanks in advance for the help!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
My industrious PCs are currently in-between Burnt Offerings and The Skinsaw Murders. They have been dispatched to Magnimar to deliver Tsuto Kaijitsu and Lyrie Akenja to the Justice Court for their crimes against Sandpoint. They were also escorting Ameiko Kaijitsu as Sandpoint's representative in this matter (and so she may help deal with the 'red tape' of bringing a noble to trial).
The PCs just arrived at the end of our last session, and tomorrow night we pick up with them testifying to the Justice in charge of the trial regarding the events in Sandpoint. They will then have a chance to go shopping for new gear and explore the 'Big City'.
My questions are:
1) Where is the Justice Court located in Magnimar? Is it part of the Usher's Hall, or is it part of the Pediment Building (and if so, where is the Pediment Building)?
2) Where would the Kaijitsu holdings in Magnimar's Summit area be located (what district, specifically)? Would it just be a townhouse or something larger, as Ameiko is supposed to have some family here (presumably in the jewelry business)?
Any official word on these would be most helpful. Also if there are any other questions that could help flesh out Magnimar a bit more for DMs out there, or any homebrewed content anyone would like to share, please post them as well.
Thanks, as always, for the help! :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Can a store credit be applied to a scheduled Pathfinder subscription purchase, or just to manual purchases through the Paizo store? I ask because I have a store credit that I would like to apply to my latest order (#1068178) if possible, but I don't see an immediate way to do so myself.
Thanks again (as always) for the information!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
I made a cursory search through the messageboards to find this, but I haven't found it yet and I need this info for my game tonight (as always).
Has there been any mention of what the vertical distances between each of the levels of Thistletop are - specifically between the second and third levels? I need to make a second route to access the third level, and this distance is key to whether or not I can believably do it. The points of connection will be D7 (the Tentamort lair) and E9 (the Transmutation Room), and the connection will be a fracture in the stone.
The top of Thistletop is approximately 80 feet above the surf below (if the distance below the rope bridge can be used as a baseline). The third level has sea access, according to the entry for the sunken treasury in E7, (which appears to be about 30 feet below the water line). That's roughly 110 feet of vertical distance from the fort to the bottom level.
As always, thanks in advance for the help! :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Would anybody happen to remember what book has information on putting a 'Wand Compartment' into a weapon? I thought it was in one of WotC's "Complete" books (either Adventurer or Scoundrel), but I have not been able to find anything in two days of intermittent searching...
I'm officially waving the DM's 'SOS' flag - any help would be appreciated! :D
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
I just got Order# 1040868 in the mail today (thanks for getting those out so quickly!), but I may have a problem. I ordered a Demonic Gnoll Archer miniature from the War of the Dragon Queen set, but it was not in the shipment. I did get another miniature though - a Chimera from the War Drums set.
I checked the Paizo store and noticed that there is no longer stock in either one of these miniatures. Did I accidently get someone else's Chimera by mistake? Please advise.... :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
In another marked lapse of common sense on my part, I forgot an item when I placed Order# 1040868 on Saturday (I placed Order# 1042451 on Sunday to get this other item).
Is there any possibility of getting the book from 1042451 shipped with the miniatures from 1040868? I don't know if the shipping charges I paid for both orders would cover adding it to the faster shipping for the first order or not.
No worries if these orders are already locked in - I've got more than enough Pathfinder material to catch up on anyway :)
Thanks, as always, for the help and info!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
On August 8 I placed Order# 1012335 for a bunch of miniatures. At the time of the order, everything was listed as being in stock. The order is listed now as pending, and while I am hoping it's just because of the pre-Gen Con / Beta craziness that it hasn't shipped yet, I found that two of the minis now show as 'unavailable' when I clicked on their links:
The Drow Cleric of Lolth from Harbinger (WOC96580-61)
The Drow Wizard from Dragoneye (WOC96583-50)
Are these unavailable now because...
A) they are part of my order now and I got the last ones (and the delay is due to the Gen Con / Beta shipments)?
B) the last ones sold out before I finished placing my order, and I'm now waiting for more of those two minis to come in?
C) I messed up something on my shipping options for the order? :)
As always, thanks for any info you can give me on this. And apologies for a multiple choice question so early in the morning! :P
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
A comment in another thread just got me wondering something. When I go to my Account page and look at Order History, the only preorder I show is for the Pathfinder Hardback Rules in August '09. My preorder for the Beta Print is not there. If I understand things correctly, it should be showing up there as 'Pending'.
I went and looked at the Product Schedule page, and the Beta lists as being in stock - but I haven't received an email regarding the order for it yet.
Could someone check and verify that I still have a copy of the Beta Print on preorder? If something happened, I'll put one back in my shopping cart, but I don't want to 'double up' the order if it's already in there.
Thanks for the help!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
I'm in a bit of a weird situation here. I have a member of my gaming group who is an avid D&D Minis collector. I've been steering him here to Paizo for the last several months to buy his minis (and expose him to the other high-quality game stuff too, of course).
He has, unfortunately, had some errors in the last few orders he placed, most recently in Order# 905930 (regarding the shipping, as I understand it).
He has been in touch with Jeff Alvarez regarding this, but has not received any news since June 18. As his work blocks access to these forums, he asked that I post a quick blurb here to see if he could get some news on this issue.
I wouldn't normally get involved in something like this, but I feel some responsibility in suggesting that he get his game products through Paizo. As a loyal customer who's never had any major problems with my orders or subscriptions, I've been trying to convince him that this is not considered the 'norm'. Despite my reassurances, he is considering not buying from Paizo in the future. Suffice to say that I don't want him leaving if I can do anything about it.
If it is at all possible to update him on the situation, I would be most grateful. And please accept my apologies if I have stuck my nose into something I shouldn't have - again, I just want to keep my group shopping at Paizo (they're already sold on Pathfinder for the most part, so I don't want them straying too far).
Thanks for your time, and sorry for rambling (again) :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
I think I may be another "Missing Gazetteer" guy. It was supposed to ship out with my Pathfinder #9 (Order #935318). I just realized that only PF#9 showed up - my Gaz did not make it. I think the only reason I didn't notice this is because I read the PDF front to back before the package arrived, so I just focused on reading PF#9 when it got here.
Is there any way to check this...? Many thanks for the help!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
I just realized that my first post on this went into the Alpha 1 Skill thread. I guess I should post something about it here to to keep current. :)
I wanted to throw my cowl in the ring to bring back Concentration as a separate skill for the PRPG. I've been trying to come up with a powerful, moving speech that would rally folks to this cause, but I haven't had enough caffeine yet for that to work well at all... ;P
Instead, my best argument to keep Concentration separate must come by way of example (something used in my games with much success): in Mongoose Publishing’s Quintessential Monk. They have a chapter on new uses for skills, and Concentration is used to introduce a great mechanic for ‘body kungs’ (think of all the real world chi-based things the Shaolin monks have been documented performing and you’ve got what I’m talking about).
(As an aside, and expanding on this thought, you could even argue for Rogues having access to Concentration - because opening a lock or disabling a trap counts as an action requiring their full attention, especially if combat is going on around them).
Folding Concentration into Spellcraft effectively cuts off access to these other potentially great uses for the skill, because those classes don’t need all the other things that Spellcraft does (and they shouldn’t have them).
I do agree with DracoDruid’s observation in the Alpha 1 Skill thread that Concentration makes more sense if it is tied to Wisdom rather than Constitution. If I had to guess why Constitution was used, I would say it was in order to use a stat that was non-primary for both arcane and divine spellcasters, and therefore favored neither.
With the revised Monk still on the horizon for Alpha 3, I hope Jason and the design team might consider breaking this skill back out for it. If not, maybe they can create their own mechanic for the Monk to do these kind of things (perhaps an ability called ‘Discipline’ or 'Chi Kung', using the mechanics for the Druid’s Wild Empathy check as a model for a ‘class-exclusive’ extraordinary ability). With Nick Logue's knowledge of the martial arts, perhaps he might have some ideas for this as well.
Sorry for the ramble folks. I hope there is a good idea in there somewhere worth considering... :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Why do my posts taste so good to these boards? Must be the permanent cookie-flavored Everscent that pixie wizard cast on me....
ANYwhoo...I just got my hands on a Harrow Deck, from my FLGS, and I am going to try and use it in my Rise of the Runelords campaign. I noticed in Edge of Anarchy that each adventure in the Crimson Throne AP had an associated suit of cards associated with it. Has anyone come up with a similar association for the Rise of the Runelords adventures?
Since I am only three sessions into Burnt Offerings, I would like to have some stuff ready in case they PCs go to Madame Mvashti for guidance. One of the PCs and his NPC sister are Varisians, so I think they will do so. As the AP goes forward, I want to try and make the Harrow available as a resource for them. I might even let one of those characters acquire a deck of their own.
As always, all ideas and suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance! :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Having just finished my first read of the Alpha rules, I thought it might not be a bad idea to post some first impressions/theories about them, then come back after playtesting to see what has changed for me and why. It’s my hope that posting a ‘Before’ and ‘After’ report will help me wrap my head around this and enable me to contribute effectively to the project. Apologies in advance for the length, and I hope this information will help out a little at least :)
I’ll try to go through this in the order written…
Races:
I hadn’t thought about further mechanical definition of the various core races, other than what was published in the “Races of…” books, but I like this information. Like so many others have stated, the half-elf and half-orc needed this badly, and it looks good.
I appreciate the addition of weapon familiarity to most of the races. It just makes sense to do it, and makes the inclusion of these weapons much easier and more appealing to players.
--------------------------------------------
Classes:
I really like the idea of different experience charts for different campaign styles. I would be interested to see how you would convert a character from one to another though. I’ve ‘imported’ PCs one campaign to another many times, and this could be an issue if makes the final rules cut.
I just now noticed the change in the feat progression. It’s a simple thing, but it makes the progression look cleaner. Everyone will appreciate an extra three feats to play with, but it shouldn’t overpower the characters either.
The Hit Dice modification is something I hadn’t really thought about. I really like the idea of tying it to BAB – simple but elegant (and an easy formula for converting other classes too!)
Of the starting Hit Point options listed (other than my standard of max HP + Con mod at first level), I really like the idea of the racial hit point bonus. My only want for that option would be a standard of some kind to convert other races from other books, but that’s all.
The new twist on Orisons and Cantrips is great. My gaming group has always tried to find ways to make good and fun uses for these spells, and now we can have even more flexibility with them.
I like the modifications to the cleric domains, and I am head-over-heels for the new version of specialist wizards! I’m plugging these changes into my Rise of the Runelords campaign, make no mistake about that :)
The changes to the rogue just put a smile on my and my game groups’ faces – the change to sneak attack alone would have been enough, but with the talents and other high level abilities, it’s just sublime…
I wish I could say the same for the fighter. I really could. Let me quantify that by saying that I do like the initial changes - I just feel (like many others do) that it doesn’t open the class up quite enough.
This has been my perception of the fighter. To paraphrase a certain Marvel comics icon, fighters should be ‘the best at what they do, and what they do ain’t pretty’. The concept of the fighter feat in 3.0 and 3.5 went a long way to make fighters into that image. However, any other character could pick up the same feats if they really wanted to and do similar things (BAB not withstanding, of course). The addition of the combat feats is an interesting idea, but I think all the requirements in order to use them might not facilitate smoother, faster battles. (I won’t know that for sure until I get a playtest battle set up, but that is my gut feeling right now.)
Instead of making new, separate feats for fighters (and, technically, any other class) to take, maybe there can be a more elegant solution. What about taking the fighter and combat feats that are out there now, and add to their description? Add more features to the feat, another level of things you can do with each one. Then, make those added features only available if a fighter takes those feats. This could solve multiple issues:
1) It helps cut down on the sheer number of feats out there, since it just adds on to existing ones;
2) It saves the heartache of having to convert 3.5 fighters over and not have immediate access to any of the new feats by ‘upconverting’ what they already have in many cases;
3) It truly gives fighters something that nobody else can do as well as they can, without killing game balance.
-----------------------------------------
Skills:
I like this version of the Skills for DM use, as allocating skill points on major NPCs is a true time-killer. However, I don’t think it’s necessarily the best fit for players. Most of the people I game with value the ability to customize their characters via their skill selections. It can be a great source of backstory and roleplay, and I don’t think that should be cut down at all. Maybe the format can be kept, with a sidebar that allows for the use of the 3.5 version as well.
I think the problem I am having is with setting up a playtest. Many of us have active campaigns going on - and many of those are the Pathfinder APs, which is as it should be ;)
This skill system does not seem conversion friendly in that regard, and I think that is why it causes me such concern. I want to be able test this out on full-fledged characters, not quick pregens made just for testing. It would seem to be the perfect field test for backward-compatibility to me, but I know I may be oversimplifying things a bit.
I am all for the skill consolidation idea – I think everyone has been waiting for a Perception skill to become official. That said, I’m not 100% sure on some of the other combinations. I need to look at this more closely before I go into details with that.
--------------------------------------
Feats:
I like what I see for the most part. My main concerns are in reference to the fighter, and have been noted above. Many profuse thanks for folding Track into the Survival skill – I am so tired of my druids not having any clue what to do with tracks on the ground :)
--------------------------------------
Combat:
The Combat Maneuver Bonus is going to save my sanity. One mechanic to cover all of those wonderful maneuvers, and simple enough that players will want to try using them more often – I love it. There probably needs to be some fine-tuning, but this is going in the right direction. I can’t wait to try this out in playtest.
The Broken condition is another nice addition too. I wish I had thought of that ;P
--------------------------------------
Spells:
I want to see some of the other spells that are to be updated before I weigh in on them, but so far they look fine to me.
--------------------------------------
Running & Playtesting:
Not much needs to be added to these. I hope to have results in the next few weeks!
As do all of us posting here, I hope this will help to generate some ideas and constructive debate.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Having just finished my first read of the Alpha rules, I thought it might not be a bad idea to post some first impressions/theories about them, then come back after playtesting to see what has changed for me and why. It’s my hope that posting a ‘Before’ and ‘After’ report will help me wrap my head around this and enable me to contribute effectively to the project. Apologies in advance for the length, and I hope this information will help out a little at least :)
I’ll try to go through this in the order written…
Races:
I hadn’t thought about further mechanical definition of the various core races, other than what was published in the “Races of…” books, but I like this information. Like so many others have stated, the half-elf and half-orc needed this badly, and it looks good.
I appreciate the addition of weapon familiarity to most of the races. It just makes sense to do it, and makes the inclusion of these weapons much easier and more appealing to players.
--------------------------------------------
Classes:
I really like the idea of different experience charts for different campaign styles. I would be interested to see how you would convert a character from one to another though. I’ve ‘imported’ PCs one campaign to another many times, and this could be an issue if makes the final rules cut.
I just now noticed the change in the feat progression. It’s a simple thing, but it makes the progression look cleaner. Everyone will appreciate an extra three feats to play with, but it shouldn’t overpower the characters either.
The Hit Dice modification is something I hadn’t really thought about. I really like the idea of tying it to BAB – simple but elegant (and an easy formula for converting other classes too!)
Of the starting Hit Point options listed (other than my standard of max HP + Con mod at first level), I really like the idea of the racial hit point bonus. My only want for that option would be a standard of some kind to convert other races from other books, but that’s all.
The new twist on Orisons and Cantrips is great. My gaming group has always tried to find ways to make good and fun uses for these spells, and now we can have even more flexibility with them.
I like the modifications to the cleric domains, and I am head-over-heels for the new version of specialist wizards! I’m plugging these changes into my Rise of the Runelords campaign, make no mistake about that :)
The changes to the rogue just put a smile on my and my game groups’ faces – the change to sneak attack alone would have been enough, but with the talents and other high level abilities, it’s just sublime…
I wish I could say the same for the fighter. I really could. Let me quantify that by saying that I do like the initial changes - I just feel (like many others do) that it doesn’t open the class up quite enough.
This has been my perception of the fighter. To paraphrase a certain Marvel comics icon, fighters should be ‘the best at what they do, and what they do ain’t pretty’. The concept of the fighter feat in 3.0 and 3.5 went a long way to make fighters into that image. However, any other character could pick up the same feats if they really wanted to and do similar things (BAB not withstanding, of course). The addition of the combat feats is an interesting idea, but I think all the requirements in order to use them might not facilitate smoother, faster battles. (I won’t know that for sure until I get a playtest battle set up, but that is my gut feeling right now.)
Instead of making new, separate feats for fighters (and, technically, any other class) to take, maybe there can be a more elegant solution. What about taking the fighter and combat feats that are out there now, and add to their description? Add more features to the feat, another level of things you can do with each one. Then, make those added features only available if a fighter takes those feats. This could solve multiple issues:
1) It helps cut down on the sheer number of feats out there, since it just adds on to existing ones;
2) It saves the heartache of having to convert 3.5 fighters over and not have immediate access to any of the new feats by ‘upconverting’ what they already have in many cases;
3) It truly gives fighters something that nobody else can do as well as they can, without killing game balance.
-----------------------------------------
Skills:
I like this version of the Skills for DM use, as allocating skill points on major NPCs is a true time-killer. However, I don’t think it’s necessarily the best fit for players. Most of the people I game with value the ability to customize their characters via their skill selections. It can be a great source of backstory and roleplay, and I don’t think that should be cut down at all. Maybe the format can be kept, with a sidebar that allows for the use of the 3.5 version as well.
I think the problem I am having is with setting up a playtest. Many of us have active campaigns going on - and many of those are the Pathfinder APs, which is as it should be ;)
This skill system does not seem conversion friendly in that regard, and I think that is why it causes me such concern. I want to be able test this out on full-fledged characters, not quick pregens made just for testing. It would seem to be the perfect field test for backward-compatibility to me, but I know I may be oversimplifying things a bit.
I am all for the skill consolidation idea – I think everyone has been waiting for a Perception skill to become official. That said, I’m not 100% sure on some of the other combinations. I need to look at this more closely before I go into details with that.
--------------------------------------
Feats:
I like what I see for the most part. My main concerns are in reference to the fighter, and have been noted above. Many profuse thanks for folding Track into the Survival skill – I am so tired of my druids not having any clue what to do with tracks on the ground :)
--------------------------------------
Combat:
The Combat Maneuver Bonus is going to save my sanity. One mechanic to cover all of those wonderful maneuvers, and simple enough that players will want to try using them more often – I love it. There probably needs to be some fine-tuning, but this is going in the right direction. I can’t wait to try this out in playtest.
The Broken condition is another nice addition too. I wish I had thought of that ;P
--------------------------------------
Spells:
I want to see some of the other spells that are to be updated before I weigh in on them, but so far they look fine to me.
--------------------------------------
Running & Playtesting:
Not much needs to be added to these. I hope to have results in the next few weeks!
As do all of us posting here, I hope this will help to generate some ideas and constructive debate.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
My party just wrapped up a session last Friday, and we left off with them accepting Aldern's offer to go on a boar hunt. One of the PCs is none too trustworthy of the noble set, and wants to do some investigating on him before they leave. I think he actually suspects Aldern of having a hand in the goblin raid, which will be great fun to play around with. >)
One of the other party members grew up in the Sandpoint area and spent a few years recently in Magnimar. Having the advantage of being able to access the background information on the Foxgloves in The Skinsaw Murders, how much of that information would be accessible to a Gather Information check?
Going by the wording in the text, certain things would be either common knowledge or a low DC to get (Foxglove Manor being called 'The Misgivings', Aldern's whirlwind marriage to Iesha, the general bad luck that the family seems to have had over the years). Would this be a reasonable assumption, or am I missing something?
I would love for Mr. Pett and Mr. Jacobs (...that sounds so MIB) to weigh in on this one, but (as always) all thoughts are welcome. Thanks in advance!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
(This will be much briefer than my original post which got eaten by the boards, with neither pity nor mercy....sigh ;P )
As in my Savage Tide AP before this, I am running Rise of the Runelords as a Gestalt campaign. While most of the major NPCs throughout the AP will be fairly easy and straightforward to modify, I think I need some help with Karzoug.
James Jacobs said in the Foreword to PF#6 that he really wanted to keep Karzoug "just a human", and I want to stay true to that intention if I can. While I don't think that slapping bunches of templates on The Claimer would feel 'right', I don't think that just randomly slapping on fighter or rogue levels would either.
Since I received so much good help and counsel on my revision of Rowyn Kellani in Savage Tide, I once again come before you to ask for your assistance. How would you revise Karzoug to be a Gestalted BBEG for the end of Rise of the Runelords? Here are my initial thoughts:
I can't think of any templates offhand that would work with Karzoug's image of being a simple human who, through drive and ambition, turned himself into what he is now, just like the PCs who will face off with him in Xin-Shalast. I think a combination of classes, prestige classes and racial paragon class would be best, but I could be wrong, which is why I am willing to look at any idea, from any source out there.
Sticking to the classes I mentioned, I would probably give one side a full 20 level Transmuter progression, and have a full 5 levels of Archmage and 3 levels of Paragon Human on the other to start. This is not set in stone for me, but seems to make sense for the character of Karzoug as of right now.
I know there are a few others who are running RotRL as gestalt, so hopefully this will help them as well. I plan on posting what I can of my final revision of Karzoug here (without violating copyright of course) for any to use or modify as they need.
As always, I would love to hear the thoughts of the Paizo staff and the AP authors, if they have a few moments to look at this. Thanks in advance to all for your help in this. Let the brainstorming begin! :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Due to running a group with new players (and knowing the the general views of my others already), I have some concern about the flow of things in the second half of HMM. Specifically, the awarding of Fort Rannick as 'payment' for the PCs' services. We have just started the AP, so I have the benefit of time to deal with this.
I've seen the suggestion from James for a cash payment for their services, but that still leaves an unanswered question - if the PCs don't take ownership of Fort Rannick, and responsibility for safety of the Hook Mountain region, who is left to do so?
The surviving Black Arrows, as written, want nothing more to do with the place (and rightly so). Shalelu, even if romantically involved with a PC, is slated to winter in Sandpoint (and provide warning of the approaching giants in the next adventure) - though I remember reading a suggestion to use her if she became someone's cohort via the Leadership feat.
Has anyone gotten this far in the AP and had to deal with this issue? Any suggestions that would not mess with the continuity and flavor of the AP? All suggestions are welcome - thanks in advance!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
A quick question for Mr. Logue. In the Savage Tidings article for Dragon #352, you wrote up brief descriptions of the seven Olman tribes that the PCs could possible ally themselves with for the coming pirate attack. The Usi tribe was not included in the printed article - would you by any chance still have any notes on that tribe's cultural traits and beliefs? Enquiring 'Tiders want to know! ;P
Many thanks in advance sir - my PCs are visiting the tribes now, and they've only got two more villages to go before they get there!!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Hmmm....something ate my thread. Let's try this again:
My party has once again thrown me an interesting curve ball. They go to Tanaroa to try to win the Olmans over to their side, and the scene with Zotzilaha plays out as expected. They head to the shrine, return the stolen idol, and Zotzilaha rewards them.
My heroes then drop this in my lap - they feel so bad about the danger the Tanaroans were put in (as well as angering one of their gods) that they leave offerings from their own magic items gained thusfar in the AP. Granted, they are not their most powerful items, but they could still have been possibly used to equip the defenders of Farshore.
At first glance, it looks like the PCs have shot themselves in the foot. I, on the other hand, think that showing that much respect and giving back to Zotzilaha is worthy of some recognition when the attack on the colony comes.
Rather than just give some extra Victory Points that they won't know about until the end, I would also like them to witness something as a reward for their charity and respect. Any and all ideas are welcome - thanks in advance!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
The 'Rowing to Farshore' Thread just got me thinking of some problems I may be facing at the beginning of HTBM...
My party has an artificer in its ranks, and they had the good sense to acquire a Folding Boat to use as an emergency launch. They're also trying to get the artificer to make a second one so they can ditch the regular launches and free up some deck space (I give them credit for being smart and practical with their resources at least).
When the Wyvern gets grounded, it has enough damage to not be repaired onsite, but is still salvageable. However, does having a PC who can cast 'Repair' spells derail the whole idea of having to leave the Sea Wyvern and salvage it later?
Also, would the Folding Boat (in its ship-size) be big enough to handle the trip by water, assuming that all the survivors could fit aboard? The Mashers are still bigger (by about 6 feet), but the PCs might be crazy enough to try.
I don't want to ignore the fact that the PCs have made good choices and planned ahead for disasters, but I also really want them to have to hike to Farshore and go through the adventure as written. It's just too good to avoid ;P
My thoughts so far -
1) I read the Ecology of the Isle of Dread to my players, so they could get a feel for what was in Larissa Vanderboren's journals and get a taste of what the IoD has to offer. They know about the Mashers now, so that may be deterrent enough to avoid the waters and stick to land.
2) The Sea Wyvern may be so firmly grounded that it would require another ship to help tow it off the rocks so it can sail again, thus encouraging the PCs to hike to Farshore to get help.
Do these ideas seem too heavy-handed? Does anyone else have ideas that might work better all around? Any and all help is welcome...
Thanks in advance! :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
I am glad that the STAP adventures have been coming in faster than I can run them; being able to foreshadow events is a good, good thing for fleshing out my storyline :)
The latest questions to stick in my mind, though, regard the mission to Farshore and some of the people populating it when the PCs arrive in TOD. I don't remember it being mentioned in SWW or HTBM, but shouldn't some people in Sasserine know about Farshore's existence (since many of the colonists came from there)? Does Avner know that his uncle is there? Would the elder Vanderborens have spoken to the Dawn Council about setting up the colony in the first place? Would Larissa's journal have any entries concerning the colonists?
My first thoughts on this were that it was kept quiet since there was no guarantee that the colony would be viable, which made sense to me. But I also know my players are going to be asking why nobody in Sasserine remembers this place after only a year's time has passed.
I'm about to start SWW probably within the next week, so I have to hammer this out soon. There has to be something in the adventures or the backdrops that I have overlooked - what am I missing? (I knew I should've gotten more coffee this morning before thinking about this....)
Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks!!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
A few humble questions for you sir:
What was your process for creating Gut Tugger? I don't have TINH with me, but I recall that more was done to him than just adding levels in Rogue; his ability scores were bumped as well. Was this just the use of the Elite Array, or some other formula?
I ask because I am using felldrakes in one of my sidequests (albeit an amphibious strain raised by aquatic elves), and was thinking about augmenting one myself.
Thanks in advance for the info!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
As some may remember from an earlier thread of mine, Rowyn Kellani has become a slightly different NPC than originally written in my STAP campaign. She became friends with the leader of my party, and the final confrontation in the Lotus Guildhall was more roleplaying than combat (though no less difficult or traumatizing).
As suggested in TINH, my Rowyn has escaped her incarceration in Sasserine (she publicly faked her own death), and is now set to make her reappearance on the Sea Wyvern in SWW. However, she is not out to kill the party. She is actually going to try and join them (and try out her friend's way of doing things, since her way ultimately failed).
Now - my party was created using the Gestalt variant rule from Unearthed Arcana. While I left all of the foes in TINH 'as is', I am modifying all major NPCs going forward to be more of a challenge.
I want Rowyn to be 'Gestalted' when she reappears as an 8th level character in SWW. So here's the question:
If you decided not to go the simple route and make her straight Rogue/Bard, what would you do? If you could advance her all the way to 20th level, what classes/prestige classes do you think would suit her? (Bear in mind that her alignment will probably shift to true Neutral as she continues to work with the PCs.)
I have an idea on paper now, but I'm not convinced it's the right way to go, and would greatly appreciate some outside perspectives on this.
And James - needless to say, I would love to have your thoughts on this if you can spare a moment for a fan of this lovely NPC you created! :)
Thanks for the help everyone!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Because I know my party will try this (having both a druid and ranger in the ranks), I offer these questions up for thoughts and observations:
Does anyone think a druid or ranger could use Wild Empathy to convince the T-Rex to not attack them? Does his hunger make this impossible unless the PCs somehow feed him? Would their only chance to avoid combat be to use Charm Animal or Dominate Animal?
I am torn on this issue. I want to reward ideas that accomplish goals without bloodshed, but at the same time I want the first encounter on the Isle of Dread to be nerve-rattling.
Thanks in advance for the help!!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
I am about to start running my party through The Bullywug Gambit, and I noticed a possible issue that I need help with :)
In Vanthus' letters found at the end of TINH, he details his plan to set the ships in Kraken's Cove on fire and then collect the treasures from the harbor of the cove once the ships sink. When the PCs arrive, the ships are still burning, but will be gone an hour later (except for the Sea Wyvern).
My question to Mr. Logue and Mr. Jacobs - were all of the valuables on board the ships taken ashore before the fires broke out, or will the harbor floor be littered with them once the ships burn down (and if so, what are they)? Also, wouldn't there still be valuables onboard the Sea Wyvern, since it was undamaged and unoccupied?
Thanks for your help on this!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
An observant PC in my party asked about the abandoned properties above the Lotus Dragon guildhall, since they have now gone "on the market" due to Rowyn's defeat. My question: What would the gold piece value of that land be? I am trying to create an alternate award for the PCs' heroics, but want to have a ballpark idea of what they would be worth with it (I thought it would help them put down roots in Sasserine, and want to defend it as the events of the AP unfold).
Thanks in advance for the help!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
I've only seen a few sailors' superstitions listed on the boards, so I thought I would look around for some other colorful ones to give to my players (and share here, of course).
I found these at the following website:
http://pacificoffshorerigging.com/nautical_superstitions.htm
- A stolen piece of wood mortised into the keel will make a ship sail faster.
- A silver coin placed under the masthead ensures a successful voyage.
- Disaster will follow if you step onto a boat with your left foot first.
- Pouring wine on the deck will bring good luck on a long voyage.
- Throwing stones into the sea will cause great waves and storms.
- A stone thrown over a vessel that is putting out to sea ensures she will never return.
- Flowers are unlucky onboard a ship.
- Don't look back once your ship has left port as this can bring bad luck.
- A dog seen near fishing tackle is bad luck.
- Black cats are considered good luck and will bring a sailor home from the sea.
- Swallows seen at sea are a good sign.
- Sighting a curlew (a wading bird) at sea is considered bad luck.
- A comorant sighted at sea is bad luck.
- Dolphins swimming with the ship are a sign of good luck.
- It is unlucky to kill an albatross.
- It is unlucky to kill a gull (they contain the sould of sailors lost at sea).
- Handing a flag through the rungs of a ladder is bad luck.
- Losing a mop or bucket overboard is a sign of bad luck.
- Cutting your hair or nails at sea is bad luck.
- Church bells heard at sea mean someone on the ship will die.
- St. Elmo's Fire around a sailor's head means he will die within a day.
- When the clothes of a dead sailor are worn by another sailor during the same voyage, misfortune will befall the entire ship.
- If the rim of a glass rings, stop it quickly or there will be a shipwreck.
- Never say the word 'drowned' at sea.
- A ship's bell will always ring when it is wrecked.
- A shark following a ship is a sign of inevitable death.
- Avoid red-haired people when going to a ship to begin a journey (it brings bad luck to the ship, which can be averted by speaking to the red-head before they speak to you).
- Avoid flat-footed people when beginning a trip (they also bring bad luck to the ship, which can also be averted by speaking to them before they speak to you).
- Women on board a ship make the sea angry, but a naked woman on board will calm the sea (this is the reason for naked figureheads).
Feel free to add to the list (and make any corrections where needed - apologies in advance if I got any wrong).
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
Here's the scene:
My STAP party just finished the Parrot Island encounter, it is the night after old Keltar Islaran met his grisly end, and they have gathered some preliminary info on the Lotus Dragons.
Now - one of the PCs is the daughter of Arwyn Arabani, representative for Merchant District (the player sold me on a cool idea involving this family, so we changed some info from the Player's Guide).
This PC has just had a knock-down, drag-out fight with her mother about the information suggesting noble involvement in the crimes/accidents that have hit Sasserine in the last month (mom thinks the other characters are trying to build a conspiracy to undermine the Dawn Council basically). The PC storms out of the manor in the middle of the night to take a walk along the shore and clear her head (yes, by herself).
She is walking through an alley when tanglefoot bags fall and block both ends, effectively trapping her. On top of the two buildings are three junior Lotus Dragons, who had orders to deliver the 'warning letter', but who thought to have some 'fun' with her first.
As this is going on, a good Samaritan was walking by this alley when the tanglefoot bags were dropped. Hearing the conversation (and the hooligans' intentions), she proceeds to render aid as the PC uses her magic to blind the baddies. Two of the three are slain outright by the Samaritan, while the third ran away.
The PC was grateful to her savior, and took her to the Rusty Pirate for drinks and some good conversation about how Sasserine is going to heck in a handbasket and needs some young, action-oriented people to take the reins and get things under control. They head back to their respective homes after several hours, a fast-friendship already built.
And who is the good Samaritan, you ask? One Rowyn Kellani....
She had sent these three to deliver the message because they were flunkies who weren't good for much else (they're so low in the organization they haven't even met her yet). When she saw them disobeying orders, she seized on the opportunity to "take out some trash" and to get in the good graces of one of the adventurers investigating the Lotus.
The plan went off perfectly. The one thief who got away will be eliminated upon his return for 'botching up the mission', and the PC is none the wiser. The only possible twist is that Rowyn does like this PC, which is why she will try to recruit her (and the others) into the Lotus when they finally storm the guildhall.
Sorry that was so long-winded, but this idea just came to me yesterday, and was played out last night in game. Does anyone think this idea is workable, or is it maybe stretching a bit too far?
I'll take all the counsel and feedback I can get on this one. Thanks!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
