RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32. RPG Superstar 8 Season Star Voter, 9 Season Star Voter. Organized Play Member. 27 posts. No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 1 Organized Play character.
Yeah. I would recommend a combination of Automatic Bonus Progression and letting players requisition equipment from Edgewatch HQ or from partnered merchants in town using 'reputation' value that they earn from their adventuring.
We did this for our game - it not only meant that we don't have to shake people down just to get level-appropriate gear, it also gave the decision to play an honest or corrupt cop more meaning.
I think the simplest answer is just to refluff what armour means in this campaign - say light armour becomes heavy clothes, medium becomes leathers, and heavy becomes anything with some metal in. I did something close to this in a campaign I'm running with a more Victorian aesthetic and it works well enough.
The main problem with feral champion and the like is he just isn't interested in wildshape. He was playing a gnoll, so I think he wants to be human most of the time for this character.
If druid casting is a major nerf, I might give him the pre-errata flurry to compensate?
The other dps in the party is a by the book vanilla swashbuckler though, so I don't want him to stray too far in melee functionality from that if possible.
A PC just got killed in the last session of my game and is making a new character. Long story short, it looks like they're probably playing a warpriest sacred fist.
Is there likely to be any big problem if I allow them to use the druid spell list instead of the cleric for concept reasons? I figure they get less buffs to apply with fervour - I'm just looking to see if there's anything unexpected I've missed.
So this came up in our Curse of the Crimson Throne game tonight, and I wanted to check if we did it right.
My Bloodrager, lacking improved grapple but having very high CMB, made a grapple attempt against an Imp we'd been fighting, and we realised we weren't sure if that triggered an AOE. The Imp has 0 reach, so it shouldn't be able to attack my square, but I think it's not unreasonable to say that doesn't make very much sense, as my hand has to touch the little guy to actually grapple him.
On the fly we decided to rule he couldn't take the AOE, which I think is right per RAW, but yeah, I just wanted to crowdsource that for next time.
There are quite a few ways to get bonuses or penalties to a specific sense that'll refer to, for example, a 'sight-based perception check'. Do people generally interpret that as a check that includes sight amonst other senses, or just ones that are mostly or soley sight based?
The specific example I'm looking for is that I have a partially deaf character (ruled as -2 to hearing based perception checks). There are some checks that are obviously affected, like listening at doors, but quite a lot that seem a grey area, like noticing an ambush. I don't want to make the drawback too irrelevent, but I also don't want to feel like it's affecting all opposed perception checks ever.
I know it only alters but it doesn't define it as a weapon group. As such anything that simply requires you to have Weapon Training should work but if it wants your to have Weapon Training in a weapon group it wouldn't. As such I think you could grab the Advanced Weapon Training feat, since you have the Weapon Training class feature, it simply won't do anything because you don't have a weapon group it can apply to.
Eh, I dunno about RAW, but I read it as you effectively have Weapon Group (shadow weapons).
Not sure how defensible that is, but it does say you don't select additional weapon groups, which kinda implies you have one? I'm aware that's a pretty pedantic argument.
In any case, as you said, the only thing that feels problematic with that is abusing Weapon Sacrifice, so outside of PFS it's probably no big deal.
To add a bit more context, I'll be running using En Publishing's 'Zeitgeist' AP. The country the PCs start in is just on the verge of an industrial revolution, blackpowder weapons are ubiquitous in use by the military, and advanced firearms are just starting to spread in from more technologically advanced countries.
The AP is pretty good about giving PCs access to equipment - generally when you level up you get given about wbl as a stipend to spend on gear, although you have to 'rebuy' anything major you wanna keep, and you aren't normally able to sell loot. Pretty early on, probably the second session, the PCs get 1,000 gold each, which helps anyone who wants a sidearm. You can also call in favours to requisition stuff on the spot if you need.
My expectations are that heavily gun focused characters should be able to get their mitts on a revolver or rifle pretty early on, depending on how much money / favours they wanna splash on it, or how lucky they get.
So I'm aware conventional wisdom says that firearms aren't particularly good outside of a few specific builds, mostly based on the gunslinger or trench fighter, and that most of the archetypes that add guns to other classes tend to be considered somewhere from unviable to weak-but-playable-I-guess.
My next campaign is very likely to have the commonplace guns rule, and quite a few potential advanced firearm drops, meaning the PCs get relatively easy access to them despite the price.
How much does this help the ordinarily weak firearm builds? Does the smaller investment required to reload as a free action, greater range for touch attacks, and reduced impact of misfiring mitigate the downsides of the fighting style? Or are they still going to significantly weaker than the alternatives?
However justified you may be, killing in anger changes you. Amiri didn't break the moment she slaughtered her kin, but something started that day, a gradual descent into madness.. Killing gradually became so natural to her that she stopped considering her foes as anything more than meat and viscera. By the time the demon spoke to her, offering her great power in exchange for service, she was too far gone to even consider any answer other than a roar of consent. Now she wanders, seemingly at random, attacking from nowhere and leaving death and devastation in her wake.
Mirror Universe Amiri
Spoiler:
Mirror Universe Amiri CR 4 XP 1,200
Female Human Barbarian (Wild Rager) 4
CE Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +4; Senses Perception +9
----- Defense ----- AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+7 armour, +2 Dex, +1 natural armour, -2 rage)
hp 53 (4d12+20)
Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +5
----- Offense ----- Speed 40 ft.
Melee+1 Large bastard sword +8/+8 (2d8+10/ 19-20), gore +3 (1d8+3), or +1 Large bastard sword +10 (2d8+10/ 19-20), or gore +10 (1d8+6)
Ranged throwing axe +6 (1d6+6)
Special Attacks uncontrolled rage (12 rounds/day), rage powers (lesser fiend totem, reckless abandon (+2))
----- Tactics ----- Before Combat Amiri throws herself into battle at the slightest provocation, revelling in the sheer glee of slaughter. If possible, she will attempt to start the fight from high ground in order to use her Screaming Leap trait.
During Combat Amiri always opens combat by raging, and attacks until everything she's fighting is dead. She charges the most dangerous looking enemy, and focuses on trying to hit them with full attacks, using her Wild Fighting ability. She uses her Power Attack feat coupled with her Reckless Abandon rage power whenever possible.
Base Statistics When Amiri is not raging, her statistics are AC 20, touch 12, flat footed 18; hp 45; Fort +6, Will +3; Melee+1 Large bastard sword +6/+6 (2d8+7/ 19-20) or +1 Large bastard sword +8 (2d8+7/ 19-20); Ranged throwing axe +6 (1d6+4); Str 18, Con 14; CMB +8 CMD 22; Skills Climb +8, Swim +8
Morale As long as she is raging, Amiri will fight to the death, caring nothing for her own safety. If she runs out of rage and the fight is turning against her, she will disengage in order to heal, although she will return to combat at the first opportunity.
----- Statistics ----- Str 22, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8
Base Atk +4; CMB +10 CMD 24
Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword)*, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bastard sword)*
Skills Climb +10, Intimidate +6, Perception +9, Survival +9, Swim +10
Traits Erratic Malefactor, Screaming Leap
Languages Common
SQ fast movement*, trap sense +1
Combat Gearpotion of cure light wounds (2); Other Gear+1 breastplate, +1 Large bastard sword, throwing axe (3), amulet of natural armour +1, backpack, belt pouch, blanket, flint and steel, iron pot, rope, torches (10), trail rations (5 days), waterskin
* The effects of this ability have already been calculated into Amiri’s statistics.
----- Special Abilities ----- Erratic Malefactor Amiri gains a +2 trait bonus on initiative checks. Once per day, as long as an ally is within 10 feet of her, she can reroll a single attack roll or skill check before success or failure is known. She must take the results of the second roll, even if it is worse.
Rage Powers Amiri gains the benefits of special abilities called rage powers that affect her only while she’s raging.
Lesser Fiend Totem (Su) While raging, Amiri grows a pair of large horns, gaining a gore attack. This attack is a primary attack (unless she is also attacking with weapons, in which case it is a secondary attack) and is made at the her full base attack bonus (–5 if it is a secondary attack). The gore attack deals 1d8 points of piercing damage plus Amiris Strength modifier (1/2 if it is a secondary attack).
Reckless Abandon (Ex) While raging, Amiri can take a –2 penalty to AC to gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls.
Power Attack Before attacking, Amiri may choose to take a –2 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat manoeuvre checks until her next turn and gains a +6 bonus on melee damage with her bastard sword, +4 melee damage with her gore attack when used as a primary natural weapon, and +2 melee damage with her gore attack when used as a secondary natural weapon.
Screaming Leap Amiri gains a +1 trait bonus on melee damage rolls when she makes a charge attack from higher ground. Once per day, when she makes a charge attack from higher ground, she can use the Intimidate skill to demoralize her target as a swift action.
Trap Sense (Ex) Amiri gains a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps.
Uncontrolled Rage (Ex) As a free action, Amiri can go into an uncontrolled rage. When raging, Amiri gains a +4 morale bonus to her Strength and Constitution, a +2 morale bonus on Will saves, and a –2 penalty to AC. She can rage for a total of 12 rounds per day, and can end a rage as a free action. When her rage ends, she loses the hit points she gained from raging, and if this brings her below 0 hit points, she falls unconscious and begins dying. Ending her rage also makes her fatigued (imparting a –2 penalty to her Strength and Dexterity) for 2 rounds for every round she spent in a rage, and she can’t rage while fatigued or exhausted. While raging, she can’t use Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride), or any ability that requires patience or concentration.
In addition, when Amiri reduces a creature to 0 or fewer hit points, she must attempt a Will save (DC 13) or become confused. For the remainder of her current turn, she attacks the nearest creature other than herself. On the following round, refer to the confusion spell to determine her actions. At the end of this round, and each round thereafter, she can attempt a new saving throw to end the confusion effect. The rounds during which she is confused do not count against the rounds she has spent raging that day, but she cannot end her rage voluntarily, nor can she use rage powers while confused.
Wild Fighting (Ex) When Amiri uses the full-attack action, she can make one extra attack per round at her highest base attack bonus. Until the beginning of her next turn, however, she takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls and –4 penalty to AC.
Sources:
Spoiler:
Advanced Class Origins: Screaming Leap trait
Advanced Player's Guide: Lesser Fiend Totem and Reckless Abandon rage power
Ultimate Combat: Wild Rager archetype
Bill Davies
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
,
Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Project_Mayhem
Thanks very much for all of the feedback. This was the first map I've ever made in any real detail, so there's a lot to take on board here. Hopefully I'll get the opportunity to put it into practice in Season 10.
For the record, I did mean Boggards. I straight-out got the name confused. >_<
Bill Davies
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
,
Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Project_Mayhem
Thanks for the feedback guys! I'm always happy to hear what people have to say about things I've worked on.
I went through quite a few revisions of the lightning cone ability in particular as I was working on it - this is one of the things I've written with the most alternate versions saved on my laptop. :p
I'm definitely kicking myself about the saving throw DCs - right from the start I was torn between keeping it consistent with the thundering enchantment, and making it more powerful.
Bill Davies
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
,
Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Project_Mayhem
1 person marked this as a favorite.
Doc_Outlands wrote:
I tried really hard to be sure my submission followed the template. I made use of the gracious offer by Template Fu *and* ran it past two other highly-knowledgeable people. I previewed it multiple times.
All this to say, the effort it took to actually follow the template was minimal compared to creating the item and it is ... vexing to me that SO MANY DIDN'T! I am very seriously tempted to downvote every item I see that is improperly formatted.
Yes, I am a curmudgeonly old fart. At a surprisingly young age.
Yeah, I get where your coming from. I tend to be lenient with mistakes, but not so much when people just haven't bothered. Items with vital information just flat out missing, for example.
Bill Davies
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
,
Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Project_Mayhem
In the contest rules, we have the line
Quote:
Anyone who has been employed full-time as a designer for a game company is ineligible.
So, for the purposes of this competition, does game company include video game design studios, or are we just talking rpg related stuff? I was employed as a junior designer for a year by Revolution Software, working on the last Broken Sword game - does that disqualify me?
With regards to submitting a quest - The open call pdf says:
'All enemies (monsters and NPCs) must be represented
by either a Pathfinder Battles miniature (http://paizo.com/
pathfinder/battles) or a Pathfinder Pawn (http://paizo.com/
pathfinder/pawns)'
Does this mean I have to use the stats from the NPC codex and such, or can I build my own npc and just indicate which pawn to use to represent him? I've got a neat idea, and don't want to shoot myself in the foot by misreading the rules.
