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If the enemy ship is further away that the speed rating of the missile (or torpedo), the missile will take more than 1 round to reach the target. If the Science Officer takes a Target System action, if the missile scores a critical it will affect the targeted system. Does the science officer need to make this check when the missile is launched? Or does the science officer need to make this check in the round when the missile will hit?
Subject says it all. What do you think?
Hi guys. Just finished my GMing my first SFS scenario, "The Commencement." Now I have to make some chronicle sheets, and a question came up. One of my players didn't have a level 1 handy and played Navasi, the pre-gen envoy. He made up the character later, and the character he intended to apply it to ended up in another game. * Is it legal for him to apply the sheet to this character if that character is still in another game? * If not, is it legal for him to wait and apply the sheet to that character after the other game is finished? What should I do here? Thanks in advance.
I recently opened up a campaign here: http://paizo.com/campaigns/SFSGMPeets101TheCommencementTable1/gameplay& page=last One of my characters is unable to post in the thread. When he tries to use his character alias, he gets the "you have made X posts" message, but when he clicks "Submit" it just brings him back to the message and doesn't create a post. This is the character alias he is trying to use: http://paizo.com/people/SenkoShirrenXenohunter He has tried this in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, and it didn't work in any of them, so it probably isn't a browser issue. Any ideas?
One of my players was asking: In PFS there is apparently a rule that only one character of yours can ever play a repeatable scenario at level higher than 1, and any other characters you play in a particular repeatable scenario must all be level 1. Does SFS have this rule? 
Okay, folks, I'm going to be starting an SFS game of 1-01 The Commencement starting in a few days, mainly dependent on how fast the game fills up. I have promised spots to two people so there are four spaces remaining. First four people to report in to this thread are in. This is a tier 1-2 repeatable scenario so that's for Levels 1-2 and you can play it even if you already did before as long as that was with a different character. It's a good one to play as your first adventure for a character. New players and veterans are both welcome. When you submit your character please let me know how much experience you have and if you feel you need any help. I have GM'ed a few games but this is my first Society game as a GM. So bear with me.
The text of the Jolting Surge spell says: ...Alternatively, you can instead touch an electrical device a target is wearing (or a target that is an electrical device, such as a robot) with your hand, gaining a +2 bonus to your attack roll. So I am wondering: 1. All armor has a life support system that will work in space and has a built in personal comm unit. Does Armor count as an "electrical device?" My instinct says it wasn't intended to... but I'm not sure. 2. Since touching an electrical device is listed as an option the caster has when casting the spell, does the caster have to identify that there is such a device on the target's person to be able to use this option? Or does the option work even if the caster doesn't know if the target has any such devices? The spell is clearly based on shocking grasp but shocking grasp was much clearer in intent.
I see a lot of supplements out there for Starfinder, and that's good. But right now what I am really looking for are published adventures. So far we have the Dead Suns AP and a variety of society scenarios. Anyone have any 3pp adventures they want to recommend?
I'm finding that some of the encounters in the Runeforge are far too easy for a reasonably intelligent party. Iron Cages:
* My party entered the Iron Cages of Lust. Knowing that Lust magic focuses on enchantment, the party put protection from evil on everyone before entering. This made everyone in the party immune to most of the things the alu-demons and succubus could do to them. I had to bring out the shining children early to try and dispel the protection from evil spells, and their CL is only comparable to the party casters. Overall the party ROFLstomped the whole place pretty fast. Ravenous Crypts:
* In the final fight with Azaven in the Ravenous Crypts, the party threw a silence spell into the room. Since the target was an area rather than a creature, there was no save. Normally a spellcaster just moves out of the silenced area when it is cast this way, but the room was so small that he couldn't get out, and Azaven has no means of dispelling magic nor casting spells silently. So a second level spell almost completely neutralizes him. Curious if other GMs changed these encounters and how.
If your Solarian gets paralyzed, can he still "explode" with the supernova ability?
Okay, relatively new to SFS and I am finding the rules for boons a little daunting. So please bear with me. I see on the faction boons list in the SFS guide, the first one on the list is the "champion" boon. Acquisitives Champion, Dataphiles Champion, and so on. Apparently these boons need to be slotted to gain reputation in that faction. Does this mean that I need to pay fame to join a faction? Or is this for getting reputation for another faction other than the one you started with? Do you need to spend fame gained by reputation earned from that faction? If so, how can you get that reputation if you can't buy the boon in order to get it? Help!
Just had an odd thought about a way to run a recruitment. I'm not actually recruiting right now as I'm not taking on a campaign, BUT... Imagine a recruitment where you submitted a character that SOMEONE ELSE would play. Those who have made complete submissions then get to vote on which characters they would like to play, not including their own. 4 points assigned to their first choice, 2 points assigned to their second choice, and 1 point assigned their third choice. When voting is complete, the player whose submission gained the most points gets to choose a character from the roster to play, but they may not choose their own. Then the second scoring player chooses a character, and so on. Do you think this would work? And would it be worth doing?
Okay, so the Evangelist Cleric Archetype trades out some things to add bardic performance to the cleric's repertoire. As listed it requires the performances to use Perform (Oratory). But if you can convince your GM to allow you to switch this to Perform (dance), you could make a necromancer cleric using this archetype. He even can wear leather armor. :)
I keep having this dream where I remember that there's an Online Campaign that I signed up for and have a character in, but have forgotten to post in for a while because for some technical reason it doesn't show up in my campaign tab. So when I wake up I think "Crap! I better make a post in that game!" Then I look for it and realize that there was no such campaign and it was just a dream.
The subject line sums it up, really. The point of taking 10 is so you don't have to roll. Kind of silly to then roll the 1d6. My own ruling would probably be to say that a bonus die like one of these abilities gets an average roll rounded down (just like the d20), so for a 1d6 you would get 3. But that's just my own guess. Taking 20 is another one where things can get weird. Would like to hear what people would do with that one. 
Opening the Discussion Thread.
Opening the gameplay thread. Dot here.
Hi, folks. I'm looking to run a campaign of Starfinder and I plan to use SFS scenarios as a basis while I get a feel for the system. Gradually I intend to introduce homebrew elements and write my own material but as yet I don't feel confident enough to do that. So this recruitment is for such a campaign. As with SFS 101, it will begin with characters who have just become Starfinders. However, because homebrew elements will exist, these scenarios will not be eligible for SFS credit. I would like this campaign to be ongoing and we will see how long we can keep it up. Combat maps will probably be done on Google Slides or Google Drawings. Pacing will be not too fast: one post every day or two. About me: I am an RPG veteran, having first been introduced to D&D back in 1977. I currently have two PbP campaigns I am running, one hombrew game that has been running for about two years, and a Pathfinder game (Rise of the Runelords) that has been going for about six months. I am looking ideally for about five characters (since this is the assumption for SFS scenarios). Theme: The campaign will mostly focus on exploration. The characters have newly enlisted in the Starfinder society at the start of the game. Build Rules:
* Special Race Notes:
What Your Submission Should Include:
An alias is not necessary, but I do find it helpful. Remember that you cannot change your alias name after you have posted 10 times, so you may want to keep posts from your alias down to a minimum until selection is done. Please don't use some 3rd party site to host character information. I find it really annoying to click on someone's profile and then only find a link directing me to yet another location. I'm getting impatient in my old age. If you don't know how to format things for the forums, then that is something you need to learn. What I Will Look For:
Homebrew rules:
Deadline: I will keep recruitment open for two weeks, so it will close on Sunday, November 19th, at midnight EST. Let the recruitment commence!
Previous posts were not visible so I'm trying with a different alias: It bugs me that there is no mechanical difference for characters based on their size. Large characters can get reach, but that is all. I understand that there are game balance issues here and that things like damage output can't be changed too much. But there definitely ought to be some kind of mechanical effect. Here are some things I suggest: Large Creatures
Con:
Small Creatures
Con:
----------------------- Thoughts?
It bugs me that there is no mechanical difference for characters based on their size. Large characters can get reach, but that is all. I understand that there are game balance issues here and that things like damage output can't be changed too much. But there definitely ought to be some kind of mechanical effect. Here are some things I suggest: Large Creatures
Con:
Small Creatures
Con:
----------------------- Thoughts?
The game assumes that the ship the players have will get upgraded over time and will gradually improve. But how do you roleplay the characters getting access to ship upgrades? If it were a real shipyard, this would obviously take a lot of cash and probably way more than the players have for personal equipment. "The mayor of Alienville gives you each a reward of 1000 credits and gives the group another 100,000 credits to go towards your starship." (which counts as 20 BP) That doesn't really work for me, because there's nothing to stop the players from saying "let's take 10,000 of the credits for the ship and buy personal items with it." "You open the vault and inside you find 10 BP." That doesn't work for me either. For pretty obvious reasons. So what methods do you use as a GM to justify the characters getting access to more BP? I have a number of ideas but I am looking for suggestions.
The sidereal influence ability of Solarians means they can get an insight bonus in a few skills, adding 1d6 to the skills selected. None of the technical starship skills are included, but Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate are all there. These could make a Solarion a decent captain, but the rules say these bonuses end when the Solarian "enters combat." Does this refer to starship combat? Or only tactical combat?
I've been looking over the Starfinder material and I am keen to try it out but I am not yet confident in my ability to craft a game wholesale. But PFS scenarios offer "mini-adventures" that could reasonably put together into a plotline. As time goes on and I get the feel for it, I could start crafting my own material. Understand, I would like to add homebrew elements which means that this game will not be eligible for SFS credit, since SFS games have to adhere precisely with the rules. I don't intend to change a lot but I want the freedom to be able to do so. I am currently running two online games, one homebrew and the other Pathfinder RotRL. The homebrew game has been running for a couple years now, and the Runelords game will hit the six-month mark in a few days. I would expect this game to run at a slow pace, maybe one post per day or two. Normally no more than one post per weekend. How much interest is there in this type of game?
I've been looking over the Starfinder material and I am keen to try it out but I am not yet confident in my ability to craft a game wholesale. But PFS scenarios off "mini-adventures" that could reasonably put together into a plotline. As time goes on and I get the feel for it, I could start crafting my own material. Understand, I would like to add homebrew elements which means that this game will not be eligible for PFS credit, since PFS games have to adhere precisely with the rules. I don't intend to change a lot but I want the freedom to be able to do so. I am currently running two online games, one homebrew and the other Pathfinder RotRL. The homebrew game has been running for a couple years now, and the Runelords game will hit the six-month mark in a few days. I would expect this game to run at a slow pace, maybe one post per day or two. Normally no more than one post per weekend. How much interest is there in this type of game?
I have a prepaid credit card that expires at the end of this month, and I wanted to use it up, so I thought I would buy some SFS scenarios with the last $20 or so left on the card. The expiry date is 09/17 and it plainly says on the card: "Good Thru 09/17." So it is still valid today (but will no longer be valid tomorrow). But when I enter this card number it says "expiry date not valid." Help! How do I get the website to accept the card before I lose the my $20 when the card expires? 
"It's not over 'til the fat lady sings." - Yogi Berra. Sometimes I see an avatar picture and decide I just have to make a character that uses it. This is one of them. Obviously she has to sing, so she would probably be a bard. But also she is... um... 'hefty.' So this inspired me to see if I could use the Bloatmage initiate feat as a part of her build. I would probably also use Varisian Tattoo since the two feats stack and Varisian tattoo is otherwise superior. I know how I would use these two feats if I was building a blaster wizard or sorcerer, or even a flame oracle. Likewise I could make them work with an animate dead necromancer type. But I am having a hard time envisioning how a bard would benefit much from these feats. For most bard spells I have looked at the caster level only matters for range and duration. So help me out: what bard spells would this type of build be valuable for? Are there bard spells out there that scale in useful ways by caster level? Alternatively I could also see building her as a bloodrager. But I end up with the same problem. Any suggestions?
I'm in the process of building a Ley Line Guardian witch. This archetype gets rid of the familiar. The character will be small with a 16 DEX and 8 STR. I'll have some good touch spells and am torn between using weapon finesse, or going the Eldritch Heritage for the arcane bloodline route in order to deliver touch spells via a familiar. Without bonus feats I don't think I can do both, not for a long while. Going the familiar route means I can barely hit with melee touch spells until level 3. So I'm considering whether I should just tough it out, or forget about the familiar and take weapon finesse at level 1. Opinions?
In the We Be Goblins adventure the goblin characters have a variety of ridiculous items in their possession at the start of the adventure. Just looking over the stuff you start off with is enough to make you giggle. I am wondering if anyone has ever made up a list of random stuff you might find when looting a goblin's body? Things that are probably useless but amusing? If not, Maybe we should make one?
Consider this: * Swashbuckler is adjacent to two enemies, A and B. * Enemy A hits him. He uses Doging Panache to try to negate the hit. * Enemy B now gets an AoO because he moved. Enemy B hits. Can Swashbuckler use Dodging Panache again in the same round against the attack Enemy B made? Even though the attack only occurred because he used Dodging Panache in the first place? 
As the sun began stting below the horizon, the revelers at Sandpoint's Swallowtail Festival began to gather at the square outside the new cathedral. The dedication would begins soon and Father Zantus would make the first presentation. Father Zantus ascended the podium, and with a thunderstone he struck the podium. The loud announced that the ceremony was about to begin. Father Zantus waved for silence and cleared his throat... Just as the crowd's hubbub was dying down, the people in the square heard a dog's barking, and then a yelp. By the wagons at the south end of the square stood a goblin, standing over the corpse of a dog, throat slit from ear to ear. cried someone from the crowd. The crowd pulled back as a group of goblins leapt forth from under the wagon, brandishing torches and giggling madly. The crowd pulled back; all but six individuals who stood their ground. An elf... a halfling... a half-orc... a strange blue maiden... a man that looked like a cat standing upright... and a centaur! These six adventurers fell upon the goblins, and in the ensuing melee, not one goblin was left standing. The six stood over the dead goblins, and a hush fell over the square. It seemed that the crowd might then break into a round of applause. But before anyone could congratulate the six warriors, a scream could be heard from the road to the south, then another. And just as people's attention is pulled away to the south, there is a and a wagon on the north side of the square, loaded with wood for the Swallowtail bonfire bursts into flames. The centaur points at the halfling, the half-orc, and the blue woman. "You three deal with the fire," the centaur says. "Kisper, Gwestiel, and I will head south and check out the screaming. Good luck." With a salute the centaur turns and charges south down the road, followed closely by the elf and the cat-man. The remaining three look north to the fire, and can make out some goblins dancing gleefully close to the flames.
I am looking forward to the game and want everyone to have a good time. And I mean everyone! This means we all need to be respectful of each other. Wheaton's Law should be considered to be in force. There is plenty of room for player to player tension. However, if your character is going to be hostile or insulting to another character, it is a good idea to include an OOC comment that indicates that it is not personal to the other player. I am not going to allow PvP combat in this game. Understand that if this gets too much for one player or another I will intervene and ask that it be toned down, and I expect players to comply. Hopefully I will never need to do that. So let's everyone get together and have a good time! I'm going to go through some things one by one. First of all, I highly recommend reading these: DHs Guide to Play By Post Gaming And: Building a Better Doomed Hero: Painlord's Advanced Play-by-Post Play These are really great resources to get you going.
Okay, I am planning to take over a game abandoned by another GM. I followed the above instructions and emailed community@paizo.com once a week ago, and again on Wednesday morning. I have received no response at all. Is there anything else I need to do?
Many have come to the sleepy town of Sandpoint to enjoy the Swallowtail Festival, a Desnan celebration of the harvest and of peace, good fortune, and community, only to find themselves in the midst of a fearsome goblin attack! Fires are burning, people are screaming, and panic is setting in! Our heroes must survive the raid, help restore order, and discover what has riled up the goblins making them willing to brave a direct attack on the town. Then they will begin to realize that a slumbering power stirs beneath Varisia. This is a recruitment thread for a campaign using the Rise of the Runelords adventure Path. It is a revival of a game that died out (hence the name) when the earlier GM backed out. The original game died right after the very first combat against the goblins so you won't have missed much. I am taking over the game but this means that three characters from the original thread have been accepted into the new game by default. These characters are:
I know party balance is a myth... but I like it. So it wouldn't be a bad idea to think of how your character will fit with the others. We are looking for two or three more characters. Those who submit characters should have an idea about the theme and general environment of the game. The AP is about ancient mysteries, and goblins and giants play a large part in the game. If you haven't already, I suggest you download and read the Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition Players Guide. RAW vs. RAI: As a general rule I will try to go with RAI over RAW as long as it doesn't break any game features. I will keep a document going that contains such rulings. Posting Expectations:
For the record, I live in Toronto, Ontario, and am therefore in the EST time zone. But I make most of my posts after midnight, between then and 6 AM local time. It doesn't matter if you post at other times. I would like all character submissions to be made by midnight Friday April 28th. I will consult the existing players and we should have our new party chosen by Monday. Character Build Rules:
First of all, Rise of the Runelords is meant to be an "easy" campaign, and as a resource mostly uses Core-only, with a bit of stuff from the APG here and there. It is written for 4 players with a 15-point buy. A lot of encounters in the AP have a CR of APL or APL-1 or even APL-2. I don't mind ramping things up a bit but when characters are using options from a huge host of books they have a big advantage.
So I would prefer to see characters that are versatile rather than characters that can only do one thing very well. I don't mind optimization - I think that there should be some rewards for system mastery - but try to keep it under control. Leave room for side abilities, and make sure your character can do things both in and out of combat. Backstory: Make sure your story includes where you are from, what your upbringing was like, how you ended up in Sandpoint, and why you are there. It helps to give names to family, friends, and enemies in your backstory. You are allowed to be a Sandpoint native, and I'd prefer to have at least one character who is from there. I often give minor bonuses to those who come up with a good story. It wouldn't hurt to include a sample forum post with your submission. Alignment: Preferably no evil. The AP assumes characters that are 'hero' types who will put their lives on the line for strangers. If you really want to play an evil character, you will need to explain why your character would act like a 'hero.' You need to play well with others. Points: 20 point buy. Don't dump more than one score to 7. Don't dump more than two scores at all. Race: Any Paizo Core race or any other Paizo race worth at most 10 RP. If you want to play a more powerful race I may allow it but will likely nerf it somewhat. Some races will not be appropriate for the setting and will be rejected, such as goblins, orcs, drow, etc. If you want to play something unusual make sure your backstory explains what you are doing in Sandpoint. FYI all planetouched races are considered humanoids with the outsider subtype for this game (and not outsiders with the native subtype). HUMANS: I personally think humans' race traits are boring as f**k. So human characters MUST take an alternate racial trait that replaces either their bonus feat or skilled (or both). Classes: Any Paizo except occult classes. No guns. Summoners must be the unchained variety. Avoid class archetypes that you know are cheese. Starting Level: 1st. Starting Gold: average for class or 150 gp, whichever is more. Traits: Pick 2. Make sure they are not in the same category (please list which category they come from on your sheet). You may choose a Drawback for a third trait ONLY if A: one of your traits is a campaign trait and B: The Drawback actually hinders your character. For example, if you wanted a drawback that gave you a penalty fighting in melee, and your character never fights in melee, this doesn't hurt you at all and is not a valid drawback for you. You will also be getting a free "Caste Trait" in addition to these (see the caste trait spoiler, below). HP: Max at first level. I will allow the players to decide whether they want to go with average round up or rolled hit dice for the rest of the levels, as long as everyone is doing it the same way. Variants: Background skills will be allowed. 3pp Material: It is very unlikely that I will allow any 3pp material, but for me to even consider it it must be available online for free at a site like http://www.d20pfsrd.com/. It also would have to be simple. If I have to learn a whole new game system to understand your character, it's a safe bet that I won't allow it. If you can achieve what you want without using 3pp material then go that route - your chances of being accepted improve. Crafting Feats are NOT allowed. If your class grants crafting feats as bonus feats use the PFS versions of those class bonus feats. You can still craft... see my house rules. One more thing: Be aware that some feats, traits, and spells are restricted to specific races, nationalities, or religions. The Paizo PRD and d20pfsrd usually do not list these requirements because they are a part of the company's product identity. The Archives of Nethys lists these and is a good source for that. If you want a feature that is normally not available to your race or religion, you will need to make a pitch as to why you think it should be available to you. It will be up to me to decide if it works or not. I don't usually mind re-theming and re-skinning but I don't like it when players just assume it will be allowed. Feat Tax Breaks!:
If you are playing a race and a class that does not get bonus feats at first level, I will allow you to count as having one feat for the purpose of qualifying for other feats, with some conditions. This feat can be a combat feat or a magic feat.
Combat Feat Taxes:
2. The feats you may use this ability to qualify for must be feats that allow an attack option with a to-hit roll. All to-hit rolls using that feat will have a -1 penalty as long as you do not have the prerequisite feat. So there is still a reason to take that feat later. 3. If your class grants bonus feats later than first level, then you must acquire the prerequisite feat before or at the level you gain a bonus feat. Magic Feat Taxes:
1. You acquire the feat at a level no earlier than when you could have acquired the feat and all its prerequisites. For example, if the feat had two prerequisites (including spell focus), then you could not take that feat earlier than 5th level, since it would normally be your 3rd feat. 2. Any spells cast in the school of the Spell Focus feat you are ignoring have their save DCs reduced by one. If the spell instead requires a to hit roll or caster level check those rolls are made at -1. 3. As with combat feats above, if your class grants bonus feats later than first level, then you must acquire the prerequisite feat before or at the level you gain a bonus feat. House Rules:
Weapons:
Characters may not start the game with masterwork armor or weapons. A few changes to weapons:
I may be adding some custom weapons. Power Attack & Deadly Aim
Weapon Finesse
Sneak Attack and Criticals
Combat Maneuvers:
Combat Maneuvers and Opportunity Attacks:
Using this logic, combat maneuvers do not provoke if performed with a weapon, a natural attack, or by a character using the improved unarmed strike feat. If a bull rush is performed with a shield this also does not provoke. The relevant feats still protect you from AoOs if you use your bare hands. Featless Crafting
If players want discounts they will need to use the downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign. Character Size and Special Movement
A similar rule applies to swim checks. However, since buoyancy is a major factor and buoyancy does not depend on size, swim checks receive half the above bonus or penalty. The fly skill already includes such a rule. Miscellaneous Skill rules
* Some perform skills, such as dance and stringed instrument, are more a matter of manual coordination than persuasiveness and social grace. If a character wishes he may use Dexterity for the key ability score of these skills, as long as his character is trained. Which particular skills apply is subject to GM approval but is usually pretty intuitive. * Intimidate is a compensatory mechanism that people who are unable to persuade others to do things use to get their way. Someone using Intimidate may use Wisdom instead of Charisma as they key ability for that skill if they wish. Note that having the appearance of being threatening (such as an armed man intimidating an unamed one) will grant circumstance bonuses to intimidate. Any effect that grants a bonus on will saves against fear, emotions, or mind-affecting effects, also increases the DC for an intimidate check against that creature. * Intimidate to Rally: Intimidate may be used on friendly targets to reduce the effects of demoralize or other similar effects. This works as a demoralize check, but for every round of the shaken condition this would normally impose, it instead removes 1 round of such a condition. If the target has a bonus to saves against fear effects (as above) these reduce the DC in this case. This method can also reduce the duration of the frightened condition by turning a similar number of rounds into rounds of the shaken condition instead. * Intimidate against groups: Consider this: "Hey you! I'm gonna kill you! No, not you, him! No, no, the one in the stupid hat! Yeah, you in the blue shirt! You're dead meat!" When intimidate is used against groups, you cannot use the skill against a specific individual in that group without some easy way of picking that person out of a group (like addressing them by name). Otherwise, you must use the skill against the entire group. Anyone beyond the first person increases the DC by 2, as if that person had made a relevant aid another check to help the initial target. Thus intimidating a group of 5 people would give a +8 to the DC of the intimidate check. The Dazzling Display feat removes this increase. This effect can also be used to rally a group (see above), with other shaken or frightened targets increasing the DC. * Bluff can be used to simulate intimidate by making a threat that a character cannot actually carry out (such as claiming to be some kind of official who will have the victim imprisoned, or claiming that one is a wizard who will turn someone into a toad). This is first opposed by a sense motive check, or possibly a relevant knowledge check if there is a way the victim could know the character's statement was false. If the victim fails the opposed check, the bluff check may also be used as an intimidate check. If the bluff fails, the target will usually become hostile. Alchemists (and investigators)
Extracts are spells. The vial with the formula inside is simply the material component of the spell. Bombs and mutagens are spell-like abilities in the same way. Alchemists need a spell component pouch. The good news is that this means Alchemists and Investigators get the infusion discovery for free. They also get to make extracts of cantrips and use cantrips as a Magus. If an alchemist gives an infusion to someone they have one round to use it or it is wasted. The bad news is that since they are spells Alchemists need to make concentration checks and follow the same rules as any other spellcasting class for the purposes of concentration. Spellcasting
Spells that allow you to ignore the cost of material components, such as blood money, are not allowed. Certain spells have been adjusted due to power levels.
There may be more rulings about individual spells if the need arises. Wealth
My Golarion:
Since I am already playing one Runelords game straight-out-of-the-box, I figure I will do things a little differently this time around.
Golarion is written to be approachable by people living in the modern world, particularly for people living in the United States. As a result, a lot of cultural institutions exist which date from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, such as public education, police forces, isolated farmsteads, and so on. I am going to move the culture here to be more like the late middle-ages. Late enough that things like full plate armor and rapiers can exist, but class distinction will matter a lot more and literacy is not common. However I won't go too far; Magnimar is "Magnimar the Free" and the principles of the founding of Magnimar were to reject serfdom and servitude. So most of the people in towns are freemen and owe no oaths of vassalage to anyone. Serfdom exists in the countryside of Magnimarian realms but is voluntarily accepted and allows many rights and ways to be released from serfdom. Each character starts as a member of a social caste. People of your own social caste will generally be much friendlier towards you than those who are outside your social class. Though the gentry and aristocracy have many privileges, there are advantages to being a part of any class. Each character chooses a social caste at the start of the game and receives a corresponding trait. It is possible to change your class but this will be difficult, and will not change your trait. Economics
Silver is the primary currency and for much of the game gold will be fairly rare. This does mean that treasure hoards will tend to be considerably heavier. Copper coins are used much like "small bills." A copper coin can be split into four parts (to allow amounts like 1/4 of a sp to be possible). Promissory notes are a type of currency that you can obtain and will sometimes find. The church of Abadar maintains a banking system and issues such notes; private merchants may also do so. It is going to be a lot harder to earn money through day jobs than what is listed in the core rules. Unskilled labor is normally paid 1 sp per day. Some trades are worth more than others, but it would be very rare for someone to earn more than 4 sp per day at a job. I am planning to adjust the prices of masterwork gear and magic items to try to make the economy make more sense. Overall my goal is to adjust the system to make character power at a given level the same as before but to make the magic economy less broken. For starting gear, use the prices as they are for the moment. You won't get to buy things until the initial encounters are over anyway, so these rules will be posted later. Caste Traits:
Each character gets to choose one Caste Trait in addition to their normal traits. The trait will reflect the character's social class and background.
Note that your Caste will not give you any additional wealth. If you come from a wealthy family, you should have some reason to expect that either you will receive no inheritance or support (either you are on bad terms with your family or your father is healthy and will live for a long time) or that whatever inheritance or support you can expect has already been given to you (and is represented by your starting wealth). Likewise coming from a poor caste does not reduce starting wealth. Somehow you have come into a considerable amount of money, more than those of your station normally amass. I expect that we will get a variety of social classes here, though the players should overcome their class prejudices fairly quickly and learn to work together. Aristocracy: Your family has large estates and considerable wealth, and is one of the families that controls the political situation in the region where they live. Aristocrats are almost exclusively of Chelaxian ancestry (though a few exceptions do exist, like the Kaijitsu family). Commoners are required to show you respect and you can punish those who do not. As an aristocrat you start with a free noble's outfit and a signet ring, you gain a +2 on checks to intimidate commoners, and a +1 to intimidate nobles of a lower social rank than you (such as gentry). Knowledge (nobility), Ride, and Diplomacy are always class skills for you. However, you get a -1 penalty on Sense Motive checks against commoners. Gentry: Your family holds a small estate suitable to support a lower noble. They may not hold the reins of power but they at least have access to those who do. Like Aristocrats, most gentry are of Chelaxian ancestry, but exceptions are more common than among the aristocracy. Commoners are expected to defer to you and treat you with respect, and you have the right to punish those who do not, though you have to be careful not to antagonize your own vassals too much. You have a free courtier's outfit, and get a +1 on intimidate checks to intimidate commoners, but receive a -1 on sense motive checks against the same people. You gain a +1 to Ride checks, and Ride and Knowledge (nobility) are always class skills for you. Foreign Noble: You come from a wealthy and genteel family from far abroad. The local people are unfamiliar with your customs, but they tend to give you "the benefit of the doubt" when it comes to your status. Local nobles do not consider you their equal but are polite to you and allow you to move in their society. You get a +1 on bluff checks to deceive locals and a +1 on appraise checks. Appraise and Knowledge (geography) are always class skills for you. You gain an extra bonus language. You also begin play with a noble's outfit of exotic design. Clergy: You were raised in the confines of a church, abbey, monastery, or school, and received a thorough education. Though you may not be well prepared for hard work or the outside world your education and manners show your dignified upbringing. As long as you are a member in good standing of your priesthood and your faith is locally recognized, and if charged with a breach of law you have the right to be tried in an ecclesiastical court instead of a secular one. You gain a +1 to profession (priest or magician or scribe) and perform (oratory or sing). +1 to linguistics checks. Gain a bonus language. People of the same religion as you generally start as friendly to you. Start with a silver holy symbol for free. Guildsman/woman: Your family were members of a guild and practiced a trade or profession, and taught you their trade as a part of raising you. Not only are you familiar with the world of your profession, but business in general has been a part of your education since you were small. You gain a +1 on appraise checks and +1 to any checks related to bargaining, and to one profession or craft skill performed by a guild (which is always a class skill for you). You also gain a +1 to bluff checks to deceive nobles or clergy. You also start with guild papers giving you the right to work as a journeyman in your field, and a set of ordinary artisan's tools if your trade requires them. Peasant: Most people are occupied in the profession of raising food and you are no exception. The work is hard, but for the most part simple, and you grow or make most of what you use in your daily life. But the tax men and the nobility have power over you, so your best defense is to play on their prejudices by looking harmless and not worth bothering with. You have learned to hide your wealth and some of your produce to make sure that your so-called "betters" will not take everything from you. You gain a +1 on bluff checks to deceive nobles, or to look innocent or stupid or poor. You also get a +1 to profession (farmer) and to appraise checks concerning agricultural goods or implements. Handle Animal and Survival are always class skills for you. You have a strong back and your carrying capacity treated as if your STR were one point higher. You start with a farm implement of some kind (a pitchfork, pruning hook, hoe, grain threshing flail, etc.) and count as having the Catch-Off-Guard feat when wielding this implement as a weapon. Urban Poor: While the cities are known for their craftsmen and tradesmen, most residents are simple laborers, while many more are beggars, and others are folk who look to other ways to improve their lot which might not be strictly legal. As a result the slums where such people live are rarely entered by outsiders, and you are often able to get away with things simply by sticking close to others of your class. You gain a +1 on bluff checks against nobles, clergy, and peasants. You also gain a +1 on checks to find underworld connections or spot a crime taking place, and gain a +1 on stealth checks to get lost in crowds. Vagabond: The people in the towns and villages of the world look on you and your kind as rootless and untrustworthy, and pity your lack of a home. But they are fools, and you wouldn't trade your way of life with them. Yours is the open road, and new vistas and horizons are your life; the whole world is your palace. If a place doesn't suit you, you don't have to simply endure it; you can just pull up stakes and move on. You live a life rich with laughter and friendship, and if outsiders don't understand you that is their problem. You might have been a member of a Varisian caravan (which go by wagon or riverboat), or perhaps a member of a traveling troupe of actors, minstrels, or other performers. You get a +1 to knowledge (geography) and to survival checks to avoid getting lost, and a +1 on bluff checks to deceive someone unfamiliar with your people's reputation (which is mainly foreigners). You also receive a +1 to one skill, either profession (sailor or driver) or one particular perform skill. Handle Animal and Knowledge (geography) are always class skills for you. You also know a set of secret personal information that you could use to prove your bona fides to another caravan master or head of a performer's troupe should you desire to travel with them. Savage: People from Sandpoint call you "barbarian," and think you primitive. You come from the wild lands beyond "civilization" and while the locals may think you ignorant, hard lives breed hard men and one of your kind is worth ten of theirs. You know how to survive where "civilized" men would wither and die. You gain +2 to survival checks to find food in the wild and +1 for any other survival checks. Survival and knowledge (nature) are always class skills for you. You also gain a +1 to intimidate checks against "civilized" folk, and attempts to intimidate you suffer a +2 to the DC. You may hustle for 1 extra hour in overland travel without negative effects. You begin play with a tribal fetish, a small bag full of ceremonial materials. It functions as a potion or oil of a 0-level spell, except that in order to activate it one crushes it or breaks it instead of drinking it. How you can help Me:
Some Useful Tips For Your Character Submission:
These are some things that make my job as GM easier. Help me out and you are more likely to get your character selected. Tell Me Who You Are:
Formatting
Self Audit
Reference
Don't Surprise Me
Explain your Role
Know Your Character
Watch Your Hands
I look forward to seeing your submissions! Rune GM
I am getting ready to start a new RotRL campaign and want to reorganize the area around Sandpoint. So what I need is a map of the Sandpoint hinterland with all the farms and small roads and names taken off. Basically a map showing only the terrain. Has anyone out there ever done this? If so, I would love to borrow your map. I am not much good with Photoshop or other utilities like that. If nobody has done it, but someone is willing to do it, I would be quite grateful.
Curious as to how people may have developed the Sczarni in their Sandpoint. Looking for ideas.
In the stuff that happens around Sandpoint, the Valdemar family is present but doesn't seem to do much. Has anyone developed any of the Valdemar family more? In what way? I'd like the family to be more involved and am looking for new ideas.
I am getting ready to run this AP after playing it as a player. A few things I have noticed. #1 Oleg is intended to be the primary guy the players buy ordinary gear from, but his selection is very weak at the start (he pretty much has nothing the players would want), and if he wants better stuff, he has to go to Restov to get it, which counting the return trip would take Oleg out of the trading post for about two weeks. That really doesn't work. And yet as a GM you probably don't want the characters constantly leaving the adventure area to go shopping in Restov. So:
Wassily Tupalev:
Wassily Tupalev is a travelling merchant who operates a route that runs from Restov along the road to Oleg's and then doubles around and back to Restov. This circuit takes him about three weeks. When he arrives at Oleg's he buys whatever furs Oleg has in stock and sells Oleg whatever supplies he needs that he can't get locally.
This means that though Oleg might not have something in stock right now, he can "order" things through Wassily and it will take 3 weeks after Wassily next visits for such items to arrive. Wassily is also willing to take messages and mail to Restov for a small fee. Wassily travels with an armed guard large enough to discourage bandits and/or evil players from hitting his wagon, including one Paladin of Abadar who is his second-in-command. While at Oleg's he will not sell directly with the player-characters. He and Oleg are both part of the Merchant's guild and he won't go behind Oleg's back or infringe on Oleg's franchise. If the party encounters him on the road more than 12 miles from Oleg's though, then bets are off and he will deal with the players, though he won't give them anything wholesale (unless someone in the party manages to join the Merchant's guild as more than an apprentice). Wassily is a canny businessman and is a much better merchant than Oleg. He has a low opinion of those who live out in the Stolen lands but is careful not to show this to prospective customers. He is also impatient and tightfisted, but is smooth and polite as long as he is not angered. He is not generous except that when negotiating he is happy to provide strong drink to prospective customers in the hopes of making them drunk enough to have poor judgement. Wassily is good at seeming to drink a lot without actually drinking very much. #2: Taking Prisoners becomes a real moral dilemma for some parties. Oleg's isn't really a good place for putting prisoners (though the only reason I could think of for having the midden pits inside the compound was that they could be then used to throw prisoners in), and Oleg and Svetlana won't want them around after what they've been through at the hands of the bandits. If the party decides to turn prisoners over to the "authorities" in Restov, then once again they are leaving the adventure area. So: Sir Szemyan Anatoliov: Sir Szemyan Anatoliov is a Brevic knight that leads a patrol along the South Rostland Road. He leads a patrol of about twenty knights and squires (mostly cavaliers averaging about 2nd level). He has a circuit that he patrols approximately once a month and he stops at Oleg's when he is here. Oleg provides what hospitality he can but the knights expect that Oleg will give them free meals, ale, and fodder for their mounts when they visit. At first Oleg accepted this as a cost of doing business, but since the knights do not actually stay more than 1 night, they don't provide any real protection and the bandits just wait until after they are gone, and Oleg has started to grumble about having to feed them. It was a result of Oleg's complaints to Szemyan that Sir Kesten and his soldiers were dispatched to the trading post.
If prisoners are turned over to Szemyan then they will be tied behind the horses and taken away. It will be clear from Szemyan's attitude that they will not be treated well and will be executed publicly once in Restov. Szemyan will take statements from the players and the Levetons before leaving, but since Brevoy has a status-based justice system, and the players are agents of the crown, anything contradictory to the players' testimony said by captive bandits will be ignored. Anyone actually living in the Stolen Lands is automatically considered to be nearly an outlaw to begin with so they have no legal chance. Szemyan considers the people of the Stolen Lands to be worthless drifters and neer-do-wells living in exile. As far as he is concerned, if they had any worth they would live in Brevoy proper (though he won't admit that the Stolen Lands are not part of Brevoy). While Oleg is a guildsman and thus has more status, Szemyan thinks Oleg is a fool for setting up shop out here. Szemyan is handsome, charming, and entertaining, and will be friendly and boisterous among those he considers to be of his station, but will not tolerate any disrespect from someone he considers beneath him, nor will he fraternize with them or allow any familiarity. He has a low opinion of Sir Kesten and the feeling is mutual. He also believes that anyone who avoids a stand-up fight, even to pursue a tactical advantage over an enemy, is a coward and deserves no mercy. Szemyan's family is a junior branch of House Rogarvia and his elderly grandfather is a baron. After three to six months of campaign time, Szemyan's patrol will be reassigned to within Brevoy as priorities in the country change, and the party won't see him again... unless the GM wishes to bring him back for some other purpose later.
I have built a necromancer cleric and my GM has allowed me to take the Outlander (Missionary) trait. This allows me to cast three specific spells at +1 caster level. This Guide to Cleric Necromancers is a big part of my inspiration for this character. So obviously I am going to put the +1 on animate dead and control undead. Any suggestions for what the third spell should be? Peet
So in the home game I am running, the players have encountered a symbol of persuasion placed by some kalavakus demons. It is triggered by looking at it or by touch. Even though the trap spotter rogue ability is only supposed to work within 10' of a trap, I allowed it to work in this case, as the rogue came around a corner and was able to avert his eyes before looking right at it. I allowed this because I want the rogue's abilities to seem like a good investment and I tend to add traps to existing material in order to give the rogue things that only he can do. So now the question becomes how to disarm it without looking at it. Symbols are special since unlike most magical traps they can go off just because you looked at it. It stands to reason that there would be some kind of penalty here for trying to disarm a trap without looking at it. I thought that the rules for gaze attacks might inform me on the issue but they basically deal with miss chances and don't work very well. Then the question came up as to whether a dispel magic spell could be cast by a sorcerer using a mirror to look over his shoulder. Needless to say the issue was becoming more and more muddled. So, questions: 1. What penalties would a rogue face when trying to disable a trap without looking at it? Such as using a mirror? 2. Could a spellcaster cast a targeted spell behind him by using a mirror? I recognize there may not be much RAW here so I wouldn't mind hearing how other GMs would wing it.
Right now I have a party at L12 about to enter a complex full of fiendish giants in order to destroy an altar dedicated to Lamashtu. The place is populated with various giants, but I would like to throw in a few other creatures to make it more interesting. Right now I have: * A lamia matriarch leader with sorcerer levels
What I figure I need are some guard animal type creatures and maybe some summoned creatures. I don't want to use a Glabrezu or Nalfeshnee as these are coming up later in the game. I'd also like to throw some dangerous small creatures at them. Most of what they have fought lately has been large or bigger. Any suggestions? Peet
Okay, guys, I wanted to know if a creature stuck to a stone surface with a tanglefoot bag can still use things like Earth Glide or meld into stone to enter the stone surface it is stuck to. I am the GM for the game in question and my initial ruling was yes, but I wanted to know if that is RAW or if there is a compelling reason to go the other way.
One of my players was asking about this. Gloves of elvenkind grant a +5 compenetence bonus to concentration. It costs 7500 gp.
So normally you would assume they would stack. There are two other items that grant a +2 untyped bonus to concentration: The ring of arcane mastery grants a variety of effects and costs 20,000. I'll ignore that for now. The tunic of careful casting grants a +2 untyped bonus and no other abilities, and it costs 5000 gp, the same as the spellguard bracers. The fact that the spellguard bracers and the tunic of careful casting cost the same but the bracers do more makes me thing that the bracers should not be untyped. I'm also not sure whether the character in question intends to try to get all of these items for a total bonus of +11 to concentration checks. What do people think? Peet
Seeking a replacement player to play a character with healing abilities. This is a game with a homebrew ruleset based on the 1e Basic/Expert rules. The adventure is an adaptation of the old module B4:The Lost City from the early 1980's. We have been playing for 11 months and are going on strong; out of 6 players 4 are original party members. We have recently replaced the party thief. But around the same time the party cleric seems to have disappeared from the face of the Paizo boards. We are botting his character for a while but we need a replacement. I might accept two players if both are keen. If you are interested you may reply here or in the official Recruitment Thread. Thanks for your interest!
I am running a game using the old module B4: THE LOST CITY.
Our party thief has just dropped out. I could replace him with an NPC but I would rather not. Anyone looking for a trip down memory lane? Or if you weren't around then, want to try an old-school game? The character would need to be one with the ability to disarm traps. A standard thief would work well; alternately the Mystic sub-class would work well for someone who rolled well for stats. The Original Recruitment Thread is here:
If you are interested you can respond here or in the linked recruitment thread.
Just expecting I might need them in my next session - don't know where my players are going for sure. Someone must have done them up in the past. 
We have an Iron Gods campaign and the GM has disappeared after the first (small) combat. The party has 5 players who are gestalt characters. I know it's a lot to ask but I figured I would see if there is anyone out there who feels like stepping up taking over this game before it is abandoned. This is the link to the campaign: http://paizo.com/campaigns/IronGods662of Anyone who is interested could respond here or in the campaign recruitment thread here: http://paizo.com/campaigns/IronGods662of/recruiting&page=last Thanks in advance to anyone interested. Ozak |
