PatheticWretch's page

Thank you.

@PW: Power armor and heavy armor tend to be pretty similar AC-wise. The fixed strength scores of power armor can be both a blessing and a curse, but should be pretty good for a vanguard. But as you saw in Dead Suns, power armor tends not to be available as widely as loot, so its a big investment in credits to stay up to date as you level up. They're pretty comparable to me. (As for Fleet, it doesn't work with heavy armor)

Okay, noted on Fleet.

What do you mean by a blessing and a curse for the fixed strength scores of power armor?

Just so I'm sure, if my Str score is 15 and the power armor says 20, my Str is 20 in the armor, correct? Do you just mean it's capped at that and even if my Str is 22 it's still 20?

Also, are we limited by item level or just the total credit value and limit on a single item's credit value?

Character is coming together--once backstory is further along I'll see if I can tie in with any of you.

On another note, I'm getting into gear purchases and I'm wondering if anyone has thoughts about maximizing AC. I am torn between heavy armor and shield vs. power armor and shield. Any thoughts about pros/cons? (I have a feat to either put in Fleet if I have heavy armor or Power Armor Proficiency if I go power armor.)

@PW: Theoretically, vanguards should be super tanky at high level thanks to their damage reduction mechanics, especially if they're bringing a shield as well. That said, I'm currently playing one in Ewok's Fly Free or Die, and my vanguard is currently on the brink of death in that game. It doesn't feel all that tanky at low levels.

I'm sure Ewok will spare you or his life expectancy in this campaign will be short. ;P

Okay, I think I'm rolling with the Borai Vanguard. I need to lock down way too many character ideas so I can start working on backstory.

I've spent a little time going through options. I'm willing to adjust based on what the group needs most.

So far, I'm liking the idea of playing a Borai trying to piece together how she died. I'm drawn to Solarian but know Arc is already playing that--I am also considering a Vanguard but can't find a lot of info out there on the class. I'm thinking of something tanky/hard to kill. Anyone see it played or otherwise have any thoughts on it? Or other class options that might fit that idea?

The character's personality would be similar to Laori from Curse of the Crimson Throne--an overly-enthusiastic character with an affinity for Zon-Kuthon who submits to pain to feel something--anything--in this new undead form.

Another question as I look at possible builds--what level do we cap at?

Just to be clear, can we play any of the Races/Classes listed in the link you posted then (including Other Races and not just Core Races)?

Hey all,

Just checking in after Spring Break with my family. I'll review the Player's Guide and everyone else's choices and weigh in on some ideas for my character.

Looking forward to playing with all of you!

-PatheticWretch

I own the simulator already and would definitely be interested. I just finished an epic run of Crimson Throne on the boards (all six books!) and love the whole AP runs.

I'd love to apply to either. Probably Kingmaker first, S&S second. But either would be great.

Wow! In typical Tarondor fashion, that is a literary work of art that will take some time to delve into. I look forward to it!

I love how in-depth your guides are, my friend. :)

Throwing my hat in the ring--I'd love to play.

This thread has put me in the mood to write "Tarondor's Guide to Pathfinder Adventure Paths." I was thinking of discussing each AP and noting various criticisms, praise and cool stuff I found on the Internet as well as my own observations and suggestions.

Whaddya think?

If it’s a Tarondor guide it will be epic!

I'll definitely be applying with a Human Bloodrager, and am just finishing up final backstory. Rolling for starting wealth:

starting wealth: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 3, 3) = 12 *10= 120 gp

Thanks for the consideration. I'd love to game with you again.

Of the options, I would definitely love to play a Pathfinder 2e campaign from the start. That's my A. That said, I'm currently in Tyrant's Grasp. :/ I could absolutely get behind another P2 game and could play quite a few APs.

I'd give Option 1 a B.

Though I do like LotR (and could probably give it a B), let's call it a B minus. :)

I do have some hesitation learning a totally new game system, and I really only know Pathfinder and Pathfinder 2e (which I've been starting up a home game of--finally catching up).

1. Carrion Crown
2. Strange Aeons
3. Hell's Rebels

Good luck!

Thanks for your consideration. I’m the event you need replacements, please consider the rest of us!

We are still short one PC and all three NPCs, so pushing back the start time until Tuesday morning.

Tuesday works better for me, given Memorial Day plans with the family. Thanks for that. Looking forward to the next round tomorrow!

PatheticWretch, checking in!

This has been a very interesting recruiting. I'm excited for it, especially given the heavy RP of this AP. I'm looking forward to this week.

Could you say when the deadline is for submitting a character?

I’d also apply as a new applicant if you open this up. Also, what role is most needed?

I hope that "PatheticWretch" is ok. They don't seem to have posted at all on Paizo since last Friday.

I'm alive and okay! And Roscoe Elring! :)

Welcome all!

I've also been watching for whether anyone can disable device. I can do this 1) when I'm in Trickster form OR 2) I've been thinking of taking a trait to train this skill. If one or two others have it, I wouldn't. I think Thamius was potentially planning a skills character.

Good info--thanks! Are we using background skills?

Also, I'd like to propose the Haunted drawback for my character. It's very much in line with this character concept.

GM Derek: Do we have any guidance on character creation? I'm guessing 20 point buy? What's starting wealth? Are drawbacks allowed for a third trait? Allowed races and classes?

I've been giving this too much thought. As much as I love playing wizards and like the idea of a three-wizard party, I think I'm going to go with my second choice, a halfling medium (assuming occult classes are allowed).

This character, for anyone who doesn't know how they play, actually fills a completely different roll on any given day. Rather than optimize this toward a specific role, I'm actually wanting to play it as a different class from day to day. This is definitely a roleplay pick over an optimized pick for me, but I like the concept I have for this one, especially on this Thassilion-themed story arc. I should have the crunch done later today (given some guidance on character creation) and then backstory incoming later this weekend.

PatheticWretch: Halfling Medium - WILD CARD
Thamius: Occulist? Investigator? - SKILLS
GM Engleaktig: McCoy - HEALER
GM Engleaktig +One: ??
Art: Aphorite Wizard - TANK/SUPPORT
Tarondor: Human Wizard - TANK/DPS

Any word on our last player? Still in?

ROFL!

I'd like to play a dedicated healer. Someone like McCoy from Star Trek--dedicated to healing, but not (manifestly) desirous of adventure. Of course, he'd never leave the party (his Enterprise) because he's super loyal.

Sounds awesome! Do you happen to know what your friend wants to play?

PatheticWretch: Wiz/Thassilonian specialist - CONTROL
Thamius: Occulist? Investigator? - SKILLS
GM Engleaktig: McCoy - HEALER
GM Engleaktig +One: ??
Art: Wizard/Chirugeon - CONTROL
Tarondor: Wiz/Transmuter - TANK/DPS

PatheticWretch wrote:

I’ve read your guide—it’s very good!

Thanks!

PatheticWretch wrote:

Which of the builds would you be?

Not 100% sure yet. Probably a Master Transmogrifist with levels in Eldritch Knight.

I have to admit, the hilarity of the Muscle Wizard is calling to me.

Either one of those would definitely be a strong front-liner even though it's a wizard.

@Arthur: Do you want to clarify what you mean with "wizard/chirurgeon"? Is this a wizard with alchemist levels?

Anyone else want to weigh in on what they want to play?

I’ve read your guide—it’s very good! Which of the builds would you be?

I don’t think Return of the Runelords is 2e, is it?

PatheticWretch wrote:

I’m leaning a bit toward a human wizard, a Thassilionian Specialist whose intense studies of this ancient magic has corrupted him, so that he exhibits the vices associated with the various schools as he uses his magic (envy, gluttony, wrath, etc).

The other possibility is a halfling medium (fiend keeper) that has become the keeper of some evil entity from Thassilon. He has to keep the villain at bay. This would not fill a specific roll, but be a 5th or 6th man that could fill lots of roles.

These are the two I’m most interested in now, though depending on what others are playing, I could switch it up.

Both sound pretty interesting. Keep in mind, gotta be non-evil. And this AP is, let's be honest, anti-Thassilonian. But a wizard who has dabbled too much and can feel the ink stain of rune magic spreading through his soul... lots of possibilities there.

Yeah, he wouldn’t be evil. The player’s guide does mention Thassilion Specialist specifically as good archetype. He would mainly be a scholar and fascinated by their magic, and would not fully recognize that it’s tainting him as he practices it. He would recognize the difference between learning of their powerful magic and opposing the rise of their political forces or villains.

I’m leaning a bit toward a human wizard, a Thassilionian Specialist whose intense studies of this ancient magic has corrupted him, so that he exhibits the vices associated with the various schools as he uses his magic (envy, gluttony, wrath, etc).

The other possibility is a halfling medium (fiend keeper) that has become the keeper of some evil entity from Thassilon. He has to keep the villain at bay. This would not fill a specific roll, but be a 5th or 6th man that could fill lots of roles.

These are the two I’m most interested in now, though depending on what others are playing, I could switch it up.

Sounds good! Thanks!

Could we please open the Gameplay for a ghost dot if I delete it? I like keeping all this in one place.

Haha! Now all my characters are going to be gluttons for tarts, like Harrow!

Yes! I'm in!

I'm so excited to do something long-term with this crew. I've loved how GM Englaktig has run us through so many scenarios, and have loved developing characters, but I think an AP has even more room for that. I've also loved Mareq's character immensely. This sounds great.

Since we're sharing, I live in Utah, and am a self-employed attorney neck deep in work problems that needs either therapy or RPGs as therapy. I have a lovely wife and four teenagers. No indoor pets, but we do feed birds. I like games, and after my real-life D&D group finally disintegrated after a very long time, I turned to PbP. :)

I'd be fine with swapping in as GM later.

I'll have to look at classes. Initially, I'm thinking either a Medium, Arcanist, Wizard, or Skald.

I've been watching for anyone running this campaign. Something about freak show circus adventurers really interests me.

Have you played Second Edition? I have only played some 2e Pathfinder Society games, so not extensively.

How comfortable are you with Second Edition? Fairly comfortable. I've read the Core rulebook and made a handful of characters. Though I'm not as familiar with it as I am with Pathfinder 1e, I have been playing D&D and its ilk since the Red Box days, and will adjust quickly.

How comfortable are you with the Play by Post format? Very comfortable. Though I've played plenty of tabletop with friends, our longstanding group eventually disbanded after several moved away, and I've been on the Paizo boards since then for my RPG fix. I have been here a good 6-7 years, and have over 21,000 posts. So I'm committed to the long-haul of an Adventure Path.

What kind of character are you willing to play? I am willing to play any character role if selected for this game. However, my top pick would be a half-elf bard (probably with Rogue multiclass dedication) whose schtick for the circus is that he is a former court jester/juggler/entertainer who now thinks he is the king after escaping from his evil tyrant king oppressor.

Tell me a bit about yourself as a player. I like to think about and create characters, as well as play them. I'm prone to playing casters, anti-heroes, and characters with a significant weakness to role play. I like inter-party banter and role play. I was an English major in college and like creative writing, especially in this collaborative format.

Tell me a bit about your favorite character ever. Aside from the character I'm playing in any given moment? My first character played with friends decades ago is pretty memorable, but light on the role-play back then. I may have to settle for a top three: a paranoid gnome illusionist who uses his magic to create every possible layer of protection, a human mesmerist haunted by some dark power forced to confront her own fear, or a thrill-seeking halfling ranger who insists on making everything as hard as possible because it will be much more spectacular.

And lastly, what do you enjoy most about Pathfinder? I love the options to create any character I can conceive of. I like the many different ways players can create the same character class. I like that the rules take a backstage to the characters heroically facing challenges.

Thanks for your consideration! To be clear, you aren't looking for character submissions yet, just information about us, correct?

Thanks. Is there a time zone on that afternoon?

I'd like to submit, but am curious if the deadline is the end of March 12. Do we have until the end of tomorrow?

PatheticWretch - that's quite the story for Magnus. It's hard to imagine from that experience and history, that the man begins as a level one arcanist. Part of my expectation is that your characters enter as novices, not having vast experience. Might have to tone it down a bit.

Fair enough. I’ll go ahead and withdraw that submission.

So for clarification, are you giving preference to the Core classes, so that a blood Rager, oracle, skald, or arcanist is less likely to be selected?

Definitely interested in gaming with Snowheart again, and am working on a cleric build.

I should have it up tomorrow.

PatheticWretch wrote:

Sounds like an interesting idea and I’ve been in GM trading groups before, but I’ve played two of the three. Sounds like a good time though!

Which one haven't you played yet?

I've played:

Curse of the Crimson Throne
Second Darkness
Kingmaker
Shattered Star
Iron Gods
Giantslayer
Ironfang Invasion
Tyrant's Grasp

We have started Iron gods and war for the crown. I have a giant slayer game ready to go.

Sounds like an interesting idea and I’ve been in GM trading groups before, but I’ve played two of the three. Sounds like a good time though!

Do you have any details in which campaigns are currently running with the other GMs?

Thanks for understanding--I'll dot to hide this thread.

Hey all, with apologies, I think I'm going to have to bow out of this run.

Learning PF2 was a bigger learning curve than I'd anticipated, and I'm going to have several days now where I won't be able to post with work and family obligations.

Sorry to apply and back out, but I don't think I'll be able to make it. With 5 characters still, I'm hopeful you'll have a safe and fruitful run!

Thanks for the ideas, but I think I'll hold out for customer service to delete the old one.

I'm going to make a goblin alchemist for PFS. Any objection to my using the goblin alchemist pregen for this run? I'm out of time and know we're ready to start.

What do you mean by "use that character"? Do you mean re-using the name (thus deleting the character you have first)?

Yes, I was wanting to delete a character with one post to reuse the name.

But there’s no delete button despite having one post.

I may need to just use a different character.

Does anyone know how to have a character deleted that has fewer than 10 posts but doesn't have a delete button?

I've got PFS 1e character with 1 post I want to delete, but there's no delete button. I'm wanting to use that character in 2e PFS for this game.

I contacted customer service a couple weeks ago but never heard back. Any ideas?

Went back and forth about the most germane subforum to post this in, and I hope someone hasn't posted about this somewhere else already, but...

Check this out -- fifth from the top on the pink side!

Amiri!

EDIT: Fourteenth down on the blue side, too.

When I click on Forums under Community from the home page, I get "Not Found -- We were unable to find what you were looking for."

(The "Please let us know" link says content is blocked.)

It works fine when you're already inside the forums. I got here from My Campaigns to a Discussion thread and then out to the main forums.

One of two tables I am running through Hellknight Hill has had two players bow out. We are looking for two replacements to join our game, which has been running since August of 2019.

The remaining PCs are a human fighter, a halfling rogue, and a human bard. The group has just retreated from a fight with skeletons that wasn't going their way and is heading back to Breachill to recruit reinforcements.

The party is currently second-level, with standard ABC character creation rules. I use maps, updated on every PC's initiative so we all stay on the same page; you can check the gameplay thread to get a feel for the group. We aim for a post per weekday when out of combat; in combat, I give 24 hours to respond before botting your character or putting you on delay. Weekends are more relaxed.

Let's set a tentative cut-off date for recruitment one week from today, whatever that happens to be in your respective time zones.

Please cancel my Lost Omens and Maps subscriptions. I am aware this will take me below the 4-subscription status to receive free scenarios.

Also, while you're at it, the vestigial Player Companion subscription is still active on my account. If you could detach that, it would make things tidier.

Thanks!

EDIT: Actually, you know what? I just looked at the December 2020 shipping thread, and I'm going to hold on to the Maps subscription at least through then for the Troubles in Otari flip-mat. Just cancel Lost Omens and Player Companion, please!

My subscription order was two items which shipped separately. My original shipping estimate was $4.61.

Yesterday, one of my items shipped by itself, and today the other shipped. For the two separate shipments via the same shipping method, I was charged $11.42 for shipping, more than twice the charge I was originally quoted.

Under normal circumstances, I suppose I should have noticed from the auth email that the system was unnecessarily separating my order into two shipments, but I haven't gotten an auth email reliably for several months now and didn't receive one this month. All I had was the order page that I took the above screenshot from*, which showed the shipping charge I was expecting to see.

In another thread, a community member reported Mark Moreland giving a hint about the next unannounced AP in a Know Direction podcast.

of more note was the next unknown AP tease (will be announced in September sometime) this was his hint

"The next AP has a NUMBER (Multiple whole Numbers) and and an ABILITY SCORE NAME in the title."

"Constitution" could be something to do with Andoran ... or Galt! :D

I've made GM reference threads for the component parts of the Agents of Edgewatch AP and would appreciate having them stickied when you get the chance. No hurry!

Devil at the Dreaming Palace
Sixty Feet Under
All or Nothing
Assault on Hunting Lodge Seven
Belly of the Black Whale
Ruins of the Radiant Siege

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Agents of Edgewatch Adventure Path, specifically for the fifth adventure, "Belly of the Black Whale."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Agents of Edgewatch Adventure Path, specifically for the sixth adventure, "Ruins of the Radiant Siege."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Agents of Edgewatch Adventure Path, specifically for the fourth adventure, "Assault on Hunting Lodge Seven."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Agents of Edgewatch Adventure Path, specifically for the third adventure, "All or Nothing."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Agents of Edgewatch Adventure Path, specifically for the second adventure, "Sixty Feet Under."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Agents of Edgewatch Adventure Path, specifically for the first adventure, "Devil at the Dreaming Palace."

In the utterly unimportant issues that you can think about fixing when there's nothing important going on category, as of today, my Cart is running over the top of My Account at the top of the page. I'm pretty sure it wasn't like that yesterday.

Screenshot

So I saw this article yesterday and was pleased to see both the P2e and Starfinder core books praised.

Today I scrolled past it and was struck by the first and fourth segments of the picture. Kyra and the Star Trek officer are in such similar poses! :D

Requirements The monster’s last action was a success with a Strike that lists Grab in its damage entry, or it has a creature grabbed using this action. Effect The monster automatically Grabs the target until the end of the monster’s next turn. The creature is grabbed by whichever body part the monster attacked with, and that body part can’t be used to Strike creatures until the grab is ended.

Using Grab extends the duration of the monster’s Grab until the end of its next turn for all creatures grabbed by it. A grabbed creature can use the Escape action to get out of the grab, and the Grab ends for a grabbed creatures if the monster moves away from it.

What happens if a monster makes a successful strike, but all the damage is successfully prevented with Shield Block? Does the monster Grab the PC? the shield? neither?

In the absence of any clear rules text, I'm leaning toward saying that the monster Grabs the shield itself and that the PC can automatically escape simply by Releasing the shield.

Is there something weird going on with flagging posts right now?

I tried to flag a thread as being in the wrong forum, but first, instead of the usual drop-down list I got one where they all started with "[FlagReason, id: #]," and then when I selected "Thread is in wrong forum," I got a pop-up error "Sorry, there was a problem adding your flag."

Let's say the PCs are in exploration mode in a dungeon, using the Avoid Notice activity. They enter a room with a mimic in it doing its Mimic Object thing.

On September 16th, I received an email with the above title, saying that my payment method had been declined.

I contacted my bank, and they said they saw two charges (my subscription order had been split in two for shipping) and that both had been approved. (I checked again today, and both charges have moved from pending to "real" as of the 17th.)

I called Paizo next and spoke to Virginia (I believe), and she said she saw nothing wrong with either part of my order, suggesting that perhaps the system sent the email as a glitch.

As of today, however, when shipping was supposed to be complete, I haven't received a shipment email for the Ambush Sites Multi-Pack flip mat, nor is the PDF in my downloads.

I'm not in any huge hurry for the maps (I'd be much more frantic if it had been my AP installment stuck somewhere), but could you take a look at this again? It appears that I've been charged for the map pack, but it hasn't actually shipped.

Thanks.

Because this has been brought up twice in the Lost Omens World Guide product discussion thread, and because we have been told to take the discussion out of the Lost Omens World Guide product discussion thread...

Why are Paizo PDFs so expensive?

Paizo prices their PDFs at approximately 30% off the print price. Always has.

However, when the Pathfinder RPG launched, Paizo heavily discounted the PDFs for what they considered "core" books: the CRB, Bestiaries, and other rulebook lines. Those were priced at $9.99, so that people could cheaply get into the game and see if they liked it.*

For P2e, the price has gone up to $14.99 for those core books. All other Paizo PDFs, from novels to maps to AP volumes, sell for approximately 70% of the print product pricing.

The one difference: in P1e, Paizo included the setting book, the Pathfinder World Guide, as core and sold its PDF at $9.99. This time around, for whatever reason, they've made the decision not to give the setting book the same discount.

Note that all the rules are, in fact, available online for free, and that you can get the PDF of any new book for free with the print edition by subscribing to the line.

Owing to its proximity to Breachill Town Hall, the Wizard's Grace tavern is the favored establishment of the many adventurers who wish to seek work from the council in the town's monthly Call for Heroes. Here, adventurers and municipal workers regularly mingle, exchanging stories and generally enjoying the atmosphere created by the diverse clientele.

Over the past few days, the tavern has grown particularly busy, as hopeful adventurers seek to make an impression on the locals, particularly any town officials who might have stopped by for a drink and a meal. Today at noon the Call for Heroes will be held, and Trinil Uskwold is presiding over the traditional meal of boar stew with lentils for hopefuls and spectators alike.

Owing to its proximity to Breachill Town Hall, the Wizard's Grace tavern is the favored establishment of the many adventurers who wish to seek work from the council in the town's monthly Call for Heroes. Here, adventurers and municipal workers regularly mingle, exchanging stories and generally enjoying the atmosphere created by the diverse clientele.

Over the past few days, the tavern has grown particularly busy, as hopeful adventurers seek to make an impression on the locals, particularly any town officials who might have stopped by for a drink and a meal. Today at noon the Call for Heroes will be held, and Trinil Uskwold is presiding over the traditional meal of boar stew with lentils for hopefuls and spectators alike.

Players selected for this campaign are:

Players selected for this campaign are:

Every hero has an origin story.

A lot of them start in Breachill. Unlike many towns, where so-called adventurers are met with rolling eyes, doors shut in their faces, jacked-up prices, and the epithet "murder-hobos", Breachill welcomes adventurers. After all, it was a wandering adventurer who rescued a group of lost folk and, out of the goodness of his heart and overflow of his purse, founded the town itself.

In memory of Lamond Breachton, the citizens of Breachill respect all wanderers and enthusiastically employ adventurers to solve problems outside the wheelhouse of the local authorities. Any unusual situation, from lost caravans to lost livestock, rats in the cellar of the local tavern or bandits on the highway into town, can be solved at the monthly Call for Heroes, where young locals looking to prove themselves or outsiders needing work are officially approved and hired to take on the task.

It may not be an easy way to earn some coin, but it's a lot more exciting than mopping floors or harvesting crops. And who knows? a life of fame and fortune, travel and acclaim might be waiting for you!

So, what's the deal? We're all excited about the new edition. This is the chance for all of us to kick some tires, take a test drive, and inhale a deep whiff of that new-system smell. I will commit to run book one of the Age of Ashes Adventure Path, Hellknight Hill; when we get done with that, we'll decide whether to continue on. My purpose in running this game is threefold:

Low priority here, but when y'all have made it through GenCon and finished shipping and have time to breathe, I've made GM reference threads for the component parts of the Age of Ashes AP and would appreciate having them stickied.

Hellknight Hill
Cult of Cinders
Tomorrow Must Burn
Fires of the Haunted City
Against the Scarlet Triad
Broken Promises

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Age of Ashes Adventure Path, specifically for the sixth adventure, "Broken Promises."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Age of Ashes Adventure Path, specifically for the fifth adventure, "Against the Scarlet Triad."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Age of Ashes Adventure Path, specifically for the fourth adventure, "Fires of the Haunted City."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Age of Ashes Adventure Path, specifically for the third adventure, "Tomorrow Must Burn."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Age of Ashes Adventure Path, specifically for the second adventure, "Cult of Cinders."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Age of Ashes Adventure Path, specifically for the first adventure, "Hellknight Hill."

My subscription order shipped today, but I didn't receive access to the PDF for this flip mat. It was ordered February 24th in order # 7533848, and I believe street date for the product was February 26th or 27th so it should have counted as a pre-order. (And I am a Maps subscriber.)

Like the title says:

The Dead Roads

Eulogy for Roslar's Coffer

Last Watch

Gardens of Gallowspire

Borne by the Sun's Grace

Midwives to Death

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Tyrant's Grasp Adventure Path, specifically for the sixth adventure, "Midwives to Death."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Tyrant's Grasp Adventure Path, specifically for the fifth adventure, "Borne by the Sun's Grace."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Tyrant's Grasp Adventure Path, specifically for the fourth adventure, "Gardens of Gallowspire."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Tyrant's Grasp Adventure Path, specifically for the third adventure, "Last Watch."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Tyrant's Grasp Adventure Path, specifically for the second adventure, "Eulogy for Roslar's Coffer."

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for GMs running the Tyrant's Grasp Adventure Path, specifically for the first adventure, "The Dead Roads."

Per the title, could this thread be stickied, please?

Shield Block says:

You snap your shield into place to deflect a blow. Your shield

prevents you from taking an amount of damage up to its Hardness—
the shield takes this damage instead, possibly becoming dented or
broken. See page 175 for rules on dented and broken items.

Okay, so the shield

The link to the 6 Pen Mat Marker Set is incorrect.

Session 0: Character Creation

I am running Doomsday Dawn for my family: my husband, with extensive gaming experience going back to AD&D, my 15-year-old daughter, and my 12-year-old son, both of whom have very limited experience with Beginner Box rules.

My daughter decided to play the same character she has played in Black Fang's Dungeon and so on: an elf rogue named Iris. My son wanted to play a goblin and ended up with a barbarian named Ratscum. My husband is filling in the blanks in the party with a dwarf cleric and a human fighter.

We found all the ability boosts in character creation hard to keep up with. It feels like you don't really know where you want those extra +2s until you've added all your fixed boosts, but then you have to go back and figure out where the extra boosts came from so you're not putting them into the same ability scores as the fixed ones from that level. Also, the character creation walkthrough on page 11 seems to skip over the four free ability boosts altogether. I only found them when I thought the scores we were ending up with didn't look as high as the characters I'd seen generated in some of the preview threads.

I let my kids distribute their boosts as they chose, with only mild reminders of what their classes' key abilities were. I was totally inwardly cringing at my son's decision to go with a 14 Cha and 12 Con, although he's thrilled with his first-level Raging Intimidation feat, and my daughter didn't put any points into Wisdom, despite the fact that she took the Keen Hearing ancestry feat. I view this as a chance to see if the playtest rules are more forgiving than P1e rules to non- (anti-?) optimizers.

We found most of the campaign backgrounds kind of boring. My daughter took Mind Quake Survivor because it was the only one that sounded dramatic enough to her. My son was happy with Goblin Renegade because he already wanted to be a goblin, but his character doesn't have Crafting trained so the Quick Repair feat is going to waste for now.

In all, character creation for two newbies took probably three hours from sitting down with character sheets and pencils to finalizing purchases. There was a lot of flipping around pages and PDFs around the ability boosts. I should note that my husband, experienced gamer and noted micromanager, is still flipping around the PDF as I type, trying to find exactly the right options for his PCs. We'll see to what extent the PCs that were agonized over outplay the ones that were put together on a whim.

My subscription order has been divided into two shipments, one of which is a single map. I would just presume that it's cheaper to ship two packages under 2 pounds than one over 3, but I see other people have reported similar issues that have been mistakes. Could you check it, please?

When I go to the Paizo Blog page, the datestamps for the most recent entries are off. For example, right now, the Player's Guide blog indicates it was posted "2 minutes ago" and the ACG blog "56 minutes ago." However, both were posted yesterday afternoon.

I've noticed this in passing before since the site update, thinking, "Oh, hey, a new blog entry!" when I see the "x minutes ago" and clicking before I realize I've already read that entry, but I just assumed that maybe I had read the screen wrong. This time, I double-checked to be sure.