Papa Chango's page

Just spam that "fighters can't have nice things and wizards are teh ebil!". Those are a fallacies.

Will see light of day sooner if you pledge in the Deep Magic Kickstarter.

I'm going to admit I am one of the people who was very uncomfortable and somewhat against this adventure volume but decided to see what it was like. I have to say I have rarely been happier to have been proven wrong this is possibly one of the best adventures I have ever read

A question for Brandon if I may

** spoiler omitted **

Where is that treasure found (page please)?

That is very specific on how it is not possible to teleport opponents in objects or over floorless surfaces.

I know I read something like this recently, but I can't put my finger on it.

It would be very welcomed if someone culd help me.

@Wolfgang: Will us early birds pledgers be able to add the adventure and Kobold's Guide to Magic has add-ons or will we have to switch pledge level?

Psychic magic. So ultimate psychic? Plus an entire AP in Vudra because of the psychic book. A smaller bestiary, like the inner sea one, for psychic monsters.

Maybe ultimate mythic?

If he is arrogant and prone to fits of rage, 1 level of barbarian can be useful. Just make him rage when he is a 25% or 50% HP, him yelling something like: "You miserable fools, you dare oppose me! ME!"

He will also get a bit of speed from that level even when not raging, and he will get a HP boost when he starts raging.

Give him a furious weapon and the rage will be even more potent.

So in the Zodia section it mentions villain points. Where did those appear?

There's a similar feat already for humans. It let's you take the skill point and HP for favored class. So, I don't think it's over powered to let you do a feat like what's been suggested. +1 skill point / level.

What is that feat?

Papa Chango, you may want to look at the 'Cosmopolitan' feat from APG and see if this will already do about what you want your new prospective feat to do.

Two new class skills and two languages. Not bad, but not what I want. Only one class skill is needed and just that is underpowered.

How about a feat that simply gives you an extra skill point per level? That'd be nice and in no way OP.

Not a bad idea.

How about this:

Merchant's child
Your parents were traders who taught you the value of goods and various merchandises.
Prerequisite: Can only be taken at 1st level.
Benefit: You get 1 rank in the Appraise skill. You gain 1 rank in Appraise each time you gain a level.

I'm guessing you wanted something more generic:

Factotum
You had to work various jobs when you were a teenager to support yourself and thus learn a trade.
Prerequisite: Can only be taken at 1st level.
Benefit: You get 1 rank in a skill of your choice. You gain 1 rank in that skill each time you gain a level.

Considering that it's a better feat than Skill Focus, yeah it's too much. There are traits that will give you a skill as a class skill, this is where first level only stuff belongs.

Traits are worth half a feat. So if a trait makes a skill a class skill, what would the other half do?

Here is an example of a feat that gives a skill:

Merchant's child
Your parents were traders who taught you the value of goods and various merchandises.
Prerequisite: Can only be taken at 1st level.
Benefit: You get 1 rank in the Appraise skill and Appraise is always a class skill for you. You gain 1 rank in Appraise each time you gain a level.

Is this trade off (one feat for one skill) balanced? It might not be for skills like Perception or Use Magic Devise, but for Appraise, Craft or Profession, it doesn't look too bad.

You might be on to something here.

Wiktor Zuzanski wrote:

What's the difference between this book and NPC Guide?

This book is formatted like NPC Codex or a Bestiary—one NPC per page (or 1 on a spread for a few of the more complex NPCs), and they all have art, and they're from a MUCH wider range of CR scores (from CR 1 up to CR 17, although that range may change). Furthermore, all of the NPCs in this book are non-specific characters. They don't have names. They're presented in the same way we do NPCs in the backs of books like Magnimar: City of Monuments or Lands of the Linnorm Kings.

So between 40-60 generic NCPs.

What are zodiac signs and what are there impact on mechanics?

Papa Chango wrote:

The AoO from Greater Improve Trip is only for the tripper, but yeah, if you have other attacks after the initial tripping attack, you still have them.

Greater Trip wrote:

You receive a +2 bonus on checks made to trip a foe. This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by Improved Trip. Whenever you successfully trip an opponent, that opponent provokes attacks of opportunity.

Unless I have misinterpreted this for many a year, this implication is that the person provokes an AoO, which means from everyone. So anyone within range of the person can make an AoO.

Moving out of a threatened square provokes an AoO, if multiple people threaten that square they each get an AoO against the opponent moving out of it. With Greater Trip a tripped opponent provokes an AoO, so same case.

Oh snap, you're right!

In general I would go with stun as a better effect than tripping. Not that both don't have their uses. Have improved trip and greater trip is nice. As a monk you could trip your enemy and then he provokes an AoO from you and all your friends (within range) with Greater Trip, you then proceed to use Stunning Fist on him while he is prone as your iterative attack (I think that's legal, right?). That enemy is probably out of the fight.

The AoO from Greater Improve Trip is only for the tripper, but yeah, if you have other attacks after the initial tripping attack, you still have them.

If you could choose between inflicting the prone and the stunned conditions to a opponent with a monk's stunning fist, which one would you chose?

Thank you for the PDF!

Channel evasion is simply brilliant!

I love the Graveling Master feat. Sense some fun with this one.

That is actually not what I was talking about. What I meant is this: the rules allow you to repace feat A with feat B which has prequisites you did not fill at the time you took feat A.

For example, say you are an elven rogue with one feat slot at level 1. You take Dodge. At level 3 you take Weapon Focus (Shortbow) and you retrain your Dodge feat for Deadly Aim. Now you have two feats that both have "BAB +1" as a prerequisite, and none of these feats would "legally" fit in your level 1 feat slot.

Interesting potential, no?

magnuskn wrote:

contradicts several decades of precedence

2000 was 13 years ago.

2000 to 2001, 2001 to 2010, 2011 to 2013. Looks like the rules existed over three decades. :-P

Unless the traps are portable or easy to set up anywhere.

Magical bear trap sounds great!

LazarX wrote:

Psionics isn't eastern, it's '70's New Age.

Oh, I disagree so very, very much.

Yeah, considering John W. Campbell came up with the word in the 50s.

so, how many NPCs are we talking about? 30?

Much more. 2 per page for low level NPCs, 1 page for higher level NPCs, * 60 pages (more or less).

Maybe 90 if half are low level NPCs and the other half is high level NPCs.

Papa Chango wrote:

Indeed, this sounds like the sort of bonus feat I'd give to players. I do not think they would choose those by themselves, at least at lower levels.

This sort of great feat is why I'd like parallel feat slots. Some slots for combat, slots for this sort of feat or Craft specialization.

Good thing you can't take this feat at lower levels; you need to be 9th level because it requires Leadership. ^_~

Are there no story feat that can be taken at level 1?

There is a compatible section right under this one.

But thanks, I liked Sean's alternative advancement.

Indeed, this sounds like the sort of bonus feat I'd give to players. I do not think they would choose those by themselves, at least at lower levels.

This sort of great feat is why I'd like parallel feat slots. Some slots for combat, slots for this sort of feat or Craft specialization.

voska66 wrote:

Does anyone think story feats will get used? I'm a GM so I can't see using them much unless it was an NPC with the party.

I'm not sure player will go for them. They use precious feat that players probably won't want to use on these. Some of the benefits are nice but not in place of a feat the player needs. Maybe at higher levels they might be taken once you have the feats you want. Personally I'd like to see story feats at 1st level in the games I run. I think I might just allow players to take one, if they want a second (after the first is complete) they use feat.

Many of those feats are extremely good. If your player wants to take one, then it is the GM's responsibility to make sure they get used. Example: Stronghold.

What does it do?

This thread has 200+ posts and I came in late. Meh.

What is it that people would want a fighter to do at high levels that isn't magic, just class based?

I was thinking about leafs and druids. There is no nature descriptor for spells, but when summoned creatures appear with summon nature's ally, they could appear in a puff of... leafs, instead of the classic puff of smoke.

Had an idea while working on another idea.

Here's how it goes. I'm wearing a crown. It's made of leaves. Joy.

I cast a fireball, but I burn a slot one higher to cast it. The extra energy feeds into my crown and BAM!, I also conjure these giant leaves, a number of them equal to the level of the spell slot used. They grant me partial cover for one shot each or until one minute has passed.

Would spellcasters enjoy items that allow the caster to funnel additional magical power into them to get two spell effects from one action?

Secondly, should items be thematically linked? Spell level + 1 leaves for a druid or ranger, for example.

Not a bad idea, but yeah, themes are important. If fire spells make the ground slippery with ice it doesn't make sense. A fire spell could produce smoke that reduces visibility. That make sense.

Alternatively, instead of using a higher spell slots, you could just reduce the caster level of the spell. -1 to -3 depending on the effect.

I think Papa Chango is referring to treasures that aren't exactly items - like secrets, rituals, chants, blessings, awards, status, experiences etc... Kinda like a feat really, but the design space is suitably unlimited. [EDIT - everything from mechanical spell effects to social "story effects"; these could "chain" like feats; be very specifically applicable (geo-, event-, chrono-specific or more generally applicable/broadscale]

E.g.

Technique of the Stolen Goddess - when you x you can y up to x/day. If in proximity to z your AC receives a +2 x bonus.

Kind of. Like feats or spell-lik abilities, but they have a gold value (like items) and take no space on a character or no "feat slot".

They are taught by masters and such. It is not something that can be found in a treasure (unless it is in a book).

Papa Chango wrote:

Anybody feel like this is PHBII for 3.5 and this means Pathfinder is at the end of its cycle? Mythic rules and other books make me feel this way.

I have never really understood this thought process for gamers. You (ie. gamers) keep telling them that you want certain things (because they were in older versions of the games) and they make them, and then you say they are at the "end of their cycle". Paizo needs to stay in business by doing things people want to pay for. People seem to want to have $40 books each year, so Paizo keeps making them. People want multi book adventures, so Paizo does adventure paths. Gamers ask for it and Paizo does it. Isn't that a GOOD thing? Companies responding to their customers desires? Personally I don't think Paizo need more $40 hardcover books, but the other fans are proving me wrong since they keep making more products. I will never understand why gamers assume that companies are at the "end of a cycle" because they are giving you what you want and ask for?

Better still there are several 3PP who make products based off of the rules and ideas created by Pathfinder and Paizo. Do you think they are at the "end of their cycle" of products? I can tell you that we at LPJ Design are NOT and we have more products and product lines for Pathfinder for years to come. Don't sell the creative people at Paizo and 3PP short. We get paid to be creative and innovative, and I think we are doing a pretty good job at it.

And I am not asking for Pathfinder 2.0. But desingers can have other ideas than what I want.

All I am saying it that there are similarities to the end days of 3.5 and even 4e with some of the products coming out. Like the Dungeoneer handbook.

Anyway, this seems to be a touchy subject...

Ever thought of doing techniques? Treasure that you can onl learn from a master, a book or something.

TriOmegaZero wrote:

Papa Chango wrote:

Kthulhu wrote:

Pan wrote:

4E came with a lot of change.

So did 3e.

No. Not really.

Neither did 4E then.

That doesn't really follow.

Not realy. 3e basically added stuff to 2e's structure, like feats, or expended them (like infinite ability scores or the ever growing ST). But it didn't change much. Once my players understood that now AC goes up instead of going down, 3e was understood. 4e was another beast.

It changed everything. Including the D&D feel. The most important part of the game.

Pan wrote:

4E came with a lot of change.

So did 3e.

No. Not really.

Yeah, I wonder why they didn't say that when you take a luck feat that you gain 1 hero point with it? Sort of like a one time thing.

Anybody feel like this is PHBII for 3.5 and this means Pathfinder is at the end of its cycle? Mythic rules and other books make me feel this way.

Would a feat that lets you cheat death for 1 point solve the problem and be worth it?

Sweet. Thanks for the answer, man.

Sort of like a reversed achievement feat.

What are story feats?

How often do players spend them during a sessions? Once, twice, more?

How did it go for you?

Are there lots of points moving around (some of the spells and items make me think it can)?

Are they unbalancing?

Any 3pp support?

What it means is that of the creatures you cast the spell in the farthest any two of them can be apart that are target of the spell are 30 feet. If any of the targets are farther than 30 feet from another target then they are not legally a target for the spell.

Wow. Such insight...

I suppose you could affect quite a few targets - but keep in mind that it's only PCs who get hero points according to the rules. NPCs, animal companions, familiars, summoned creatures, etc don't get them and so, I expect, wouldn't benefit from the spell.

That is not entirely correct. NPCs can get some hero points (via feats, spells, items or GM fiat).

The spell has no such limit, it is mass heroic fortune.