RJM's page

This is the first post recording the first adventure that I'm playing with my son.

Click here.

Rage Powers: At 5th level, a wild stalker ranger gains a single rage power, as the barbarian class feature. He gains another rage power each five levels after 5th (to a maximum of four rage powers at 20th level). This ability replaces the ranger's second, third, fourth, and fifth favored enemy abilities.

Wild Talents (Ex): At 6th level, a wild stalker can either take a rage power, or gains a +2 insight bonus into any one of the following skills: Acrobatics, Climb, Perception, Stealth, Survival, or Swim. The wild stalker can gain one of these two benefits again every five levels after 6th (to a maximum of 4 times at 20th level). This ability replaces the ranger's second, third, fourth, and fifth favored enemy abilities.

Got 8 things here replacing 4 things. At different times. This quote is directly from the PRD.

Rage Powers: At 5th level, a wild stalker ranger gains a single rage power, as the barbarian class feature. He gains another rage power each five levels after 5th (to a maximum of four rage powers at 20th level). This ability replaces the ranger's second, third, fourth, and fifth favored enemy abilities.

Wild Talents (Ex): At 6th level, a wild stalker can either take a rage power, or gains a +2 insight bonus into any one of the following skills: Acrobatics, Climb, Perception, Stealth, Survival, or Swim. The wild stalker can gain one of these two benefits again every five levels after 6th (to a maximum of 4 times at 20th level). This ability replaces the ranger's second, third, fourth, and fifth favored enemy abilities.

I'm thinking maybe these abilities aren't right. This is directly from the PRd.

I've started a post regular post here.

My first post is Wolverine.

Whenever I build an NPC stat block I always come across some ability that I have an internal debate as to where to list one of their class abilities. Particularly whether its or not its a Special Attack or Special Quality.

My first step for finding an answer is to first check products that have NPCs and look for ones of the same class to find out where it normally gets listed.

If that fails I've turned to a standard guideline that Special Attacks are use activated and Special Qualities are static bonuses or modifying abilities.

Is there an official guideline to use?

All the posts will be found on natural20. I'll post a new link as the posts come along. We're on Part 3 of Howl of the Carrion King already.

Started blogging about the campaigns I'm running or playing in currently my main game is Legacy of Fire: Howl of the Carrion King. It can be found here: natural20.

And here are the NPCs I've updated so far:

Haidar
King Mokknock
Dashki

I know the rules are some where. Does anyone recall where the break down for character creation with a harrow deck was located?

Where's the topic? Did the OP get eaten?

Sarkun
Portrait: Portrait 30
Description: A stone-skinned man steps from the shadows, his rocky hide painted with tribal symbols. He grins maliciously at you, revealing ruined teeth. Then the torches go out.
Sarkun is a shoanti tribesman in his prime, but his skin is pale from years of dwelling in caves. He bears tattoos and fetishes that mark him of the Skoan-Quah.

Motivations/Goals: In his youth, Sarkun became lost in the Mindspin Mountains for many months, returning with a deep reverence for them and the darkness at their core. But reverence has turned to obsession as he seeks to keep any from defiling them.
Sarkun has found the morlocks of the mountains useful, and incites them to aid in the destruction of mountain settlements. When not raiding he prefers to lair near creatures that have tremorsense, using them as unwitting guardians.

Schemes/Plots/Adventure Hooks: Hellknight patrols are being harried by a stone man, and morlocks have been seen lingering around Citadel Vraid in the Mindspin Mountains at night.

Their mine collapsed, the town of Copperhold is attacked nightly by crawling men.

Word spreads that the angered spirit of the Mindspin Mountains hunts travellers in its passes.

Sarkun CR 9
Male shoanti (Skoan-Quah) druid (cave druid) 10
NE Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +16
===== Defense =====
AC 23, touch 12, flat-footed 19; (+5 armor, +2 Dex,+4 natural,+2 shield)
hp 65 (10d8+20);
Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +11
Defensive Abilities resist subterranean corruption; DR 10/adamantine; Immune poison
===== Offense =====
Spd 30 ft.
Melee +1 klar +10/+5 (1d6+3)
Ranged mwk shoanti bolas +10/+5 (1d4+2)
Special Attacks wild shape 3/day
Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +13)
6/day—touch of darkness (5 rounds)
Druid Spells Prepared (CL 10th, concentration +13)
5th—stoneskin, summon monster V(D), transmute rock to mud
4th—freedom of movement, rusting grasp, shadow conjuration(D) (DC 17), spike stones (DC 17)
3rd—deeper darkness(D), meld into stone, poison (2, DC 16), quench (DC 16)
2nd—barkskin, blindness/deafness(D) (blindness only, DC 15), chill metal (DC 15), soften earth and stone, spider climb, summon swarm
1st—magic stone (3), pass without trace (2), obscuring mist(D)
0—detect magic, flare (DC 13), guidance, light
D Domain spell; Domains Darkness
===== Tactics =====
Before Combat Sarkun casts stoneskin, barkskin, and drinks his potion of darkvision before combat.
During Combat Sarkun will manipulate the battlefield to his advantage by hampering vision with quench and deeper darkness, and movement by using soften earth and stone, spike stones, and transmute rock to mud. He utilizes his mobility spells, like freedom of movement, as needed.
Morale If Sarkun’s stoneskin ends or he is reduced below 20 hp, he will flee using obscuring mist to cover his retreat before using meld into stone to heal and regroup.
Base Statistics Without barkskin, darkvision, or stoneskin, Sarkun’s stats are: Senses low-light vision; AC 19, flat-footed 15; DR n/a
===== Statistics =====
Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8
Base Atk +7; CMB +9; CMD 21
Feats Aspect of the Beast (nightsenses), Blind-Fight(B), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (shoanti bolas), Improved Shield Bash, Martial Weapon Proficiency (klar)(B), Natural Spell, Stealthy
Skills Climb +13, Escape Artist +2, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +15, Knowledge (nature) +13, Perception +16, Stealth +12, Survival +18
Languages Common, Shoanti, Druidic
SQ cavesense, eyes of darkness (5 rounds), lightfoot, nature bond (Darkness domain), tunnelrunner, wild empathy +8
Combat Gear 2 potions of cure moderate wounds, potion of darkvision; Other Gear +1 hide armor, +1/+1 klar, 3 masterwork shoanti bolas, cloak of resistance +1, holly and mistletoe, 28 gp

Goldfever Alchemist (Alchemist)
Whether driven by greed or pride, many alchemists seek to unlock the secret of turning lead to gold. Even if the lofty goal is never achieved an alchemist that follows this path can unlock many secrets of metallurgy.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Alchemists are proficient with all simple weapons and bombs. They are also proficient with light armor and medium armor, but not with shields.

Metallurgy (Su): At 1st level, a goldfever alchemist understands metals like few others, and is able to strengthen them or exploit their weaknesses. He receives a +2 competence bonus on Craft checks when working with metal. When sundering metal objects the goldfever alchemist adds half his alchemist level (minimum +1) to the damage rolls.

The goldfever alchemist can also create a solution to strengthen or weaken metal objects temporarily, specified upon creation. He can create a number of applications of the solution each day equal to his alchemist level + his Intelligence modifier. Solutions become inert after 24 hours. Applying a solution takes 1 minute per application, and each application coats up to five square feet of metal no more than one inch thick. Objects strengthened or weakened in this way have their hardness increased or decreased by a number of points equal to the alchemist’s level. This ability cannot lower an object’s hardness below zero. The effects of the solution will last for 10 minutes per alchemist level. The solutions act like extracts and bombs when not in possession of the alchemist. This ability replaces mutagen and persistent mutagen.

Craft Arms and Armor (Ex): At 3rd level, a goldfever alchemist gains Craft Arms and Armor as a bonus feat. This replaces brew potion.

Metallurgic Shift (Su): At 4th level, a goldfever alchemist can temporarily transmute the properties of metal weapons in his possession. As a standard action, an alchemist can apply specially prepared oil to a weapon that will allow it to be treated as silver for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. The effects of the oil will last 1 minute per alchemist level. A goldfever alchemist can create one vial of the oil each day at 4th level, and an additional vial every four levels thereafter for a total of five at 20th level. The oil becomes inert after 24 hours. At 10th level, he can create oil that will allow a weapon to be treated as cold iron for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. At 16th level, he can create oil that will allow a weapon to be treated as adamantine for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness. The oils act like extracts and bombs when not in possession of the alchemist.

Grim Howler
Aura moderate conjuration, enchantment, and necromancy; CL 8th
Slot none; Price 57,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
This crude horn is often made from bones or horns of horrific beasts, though some have been made with great conical shells. When blown it unleashes a hellish howl that rattles a listener’s very soul, and because of this they are coveted treasures of orc tribes. The horns are also said to be able to call monstrous armies to the blower’s command.

As a part of an Intimidate check, a wielder creature can use the horn to demoralize all opponents within 60 ft. with its rattling howl. If a bard uses the horn as the audible component for his dirge of doom performance, the range of the dirge increases to 60 feet and the bard does not have to be seen for the performance to take effect. Creatures that are already shaken can become frightened or panicked from these effects.

Three times per day, the horn can be used as the verbal component for a summon monster spell. When used in this way, the spell is considered evil and will summon an additional creature from a lower list than chosen during casting. This ability cannot be used to modify a summon monster I spell.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wonderous Item, fear, summon monster II; Cost 28,500 gp

Hey, I've been trying to get onto the Necroboards for a couple days now. The link on the site keeps trying to send me to ezboards instead of the actual forums. Thought I pass along the problem here. And ask nicely if someone could give me the actual link so I can get there again...

Thanks

Has anyone had any trouble emailing Necromancer Games of late?

I've sent a couple of emails but it keeps getting bounced back saying it can't connect to their server.

A small thing on sneak attack. You can't use it against things with concealment, doesn't make very useful in a back alley, or sneaking up on someone in a shadowy corridor. Because shadowy illumination provides concealment. I just thought this was funny, I'm not an avid rogue player, so I wasn't aware of this small piece of information. And I'm pretty sure that in many of our games that this small rule is completely glazed over.

I'm still not a fan of the ambigious sneak attack, aka Pathfinder RPG Sneak Attack, ability to be used on everything under the sun. And with that in mind I beleive that it should be limited to only working on the first attack during a round. I'm not saying that it should be made into a standard action, but that if you've got 2 attacks which qualify for SA, that only first one gets the SA damage.

Just going to plop down Alpha Versions of NPC classes in here as well.

Aristocrat

Onto the next chapter! Well first, as has been said the limited customizability is not entirely appealing, but as a regular DM I love the simplicity the new skill system gives me in the creation of NPCs and monsters. In the Design Focus thread, I have already suggested what I thought the best comprimize I saw in the choices, so I'm not going to repeat it here.

Query, why is Acrobatic (which has jump mushed in) not on the Fighter class skill list? I've always thought that the Fighter should have access to Balance (damn uneven flagonstone messing up my charges) and Tumble (damn creatures with reach), so I most certainly see it as an appropiate skill to be on their list! (Same goes for Paladin and Ranger, especially Ranger)

Open Lock should be mushed in with Disable Device not Theft...it just doesn't seem to fit.

I find it curious that Perception is so mushed with other skills. For one, part of me believes that Search would be more appropiate as apart of the Theft skill. I also believe that Sense Motive should have been placed in Perception.

I believe that Disguise should be placed into Deception perhaps. For Disguises are most certainly disceptive.

I like the expansion on the diplomacy skill. I've had a pet peeve with the diplomacy skill for a very long time. I found the set DCs (and the lack of set modifiers to augment them) to easy to pass and making it so that either I had to stone wall PCs or feel jipped when forced to make every NPC is forced to do what the PCs wants if they're not completely unreasonable.

Fantastic change on the Knowledge (arcana) with learning info about creatures. The HD didn't make much sense seeing as it made it incredibly hard to ID some fairly common large+ monsters. I like the 10+CR it is much more reasonable and realistic. I beleive this should be applied to all knowledges that can ID creatures.

Ah, Perception and the inclusion of modifiers based on the level of light. An excellent addition. ^^

I like the addition of smell, taste, and touch to the perception to the skill as well. I beleive it will add a whole new level to the game.

~Anry

I'm liking the varied xp progression. Its a good way for DMs to control the power level of their game.

Why is there a faster progression on the feats?

Pumping up the hp will be a good way to keep 1st level characters being taken down by horses. I'm favourable to the 1st level hp = maximum + Constitution score. And that's the starting hp I'm going to use for the playtest adventures. I also like the standardized design for HD types based on BAB progression. Though I don't beleive that the barbarian should break the mold, and that something else should be thought of when representing the barbarian's extra durability.

Alright onto the actual classes.

Cleric: I'm all thumbs-up for the addition of the auto-proficiency with their dieties favoured weapon. That's something that I've thought should have always in place. The change in the domain powers and orisons seem very favourable. I like the fact that their are now progressive domain powers, it gives a good reason to continue down the path of the cleric.

Fighter: I am unsure of the additional abilities added to the fighter. I won't see how these effect the game until the game are run, themematically though I beleive they fit quite well with the class.

Rogue: The increased hp is certainly a boon here. The sneak attack change is disconcerting though the expansion to all creatures could be overly devastating, sneak attack was already incredibly powerful and to open it up to constructs, undead and other creatures seems a bit much to me. I have often found the standard sneak attack more devastating than any spell or attack. Perhaps a limitation that Sneak Attack only applies to the first attack in a round? I mean honestly imagine the damage potential here when you get into multiple attacks. If we take a rogue of 8th level hits with both strikes in which a sneak attack is possible and they're weilding a shortsword they're going to deal 10d6 plus other modifiers in a single round of combat. Now though this mostly on par with a wizard's spell, except that a wizard runs out of spells. Now imagine a 19th level rogue with shortswords, your looking at 33d6 points of damage in a single round. And as long as a rogue maintains a flanking positition....There needs to be some limitation to this ability to rien it back into par with the rest of the classes.

Wizard: Huzzah for more hp! Gods knows its the wizard PC that is the most likely to fall down no matter the level after a well placed blow.
It doesn't make much sense that the Draconic has to be substituted when the cleric doesn't have to do so with his list of Bonus Languages.
Hmmm...Arcane Bond to an object doesn't see that great. Now the benefit of casting a spell as the wizard does, does this eat up the spell slot? Does it have to be spell that's prepared? Or can it just be one that's in his spellbook? The needing to be inhand to cast spells without a spellcraft check is disconcerting as well. For its limited benefits, this seems a severe limitation.
Cantrips, huzzah for having light, detect magic, prestidigitation, and other such useful spells always on hand. ^^
I am loving the concept of the School Powers for specializing. I have never found school specialization beneficial before, but I think this is going to make specialist wizards popular again.
The bonus feats, can we have Spell Focus, Eschew Materials, and Combat Casting added to the list?
The familiar most certainly doesn't seem to be balanced with the Bonded Object. There doesn't seem to be as many limitations to having one. In fact, there is no penalty for not having the familiar within reach while casting spells. No longer any danger if the familiar is killed either.

~Anry

I figured I'd try to move the conversation from my original thread over here into the proper subforum. ^^

The original thread can be seen here.

Is there an expected timeframe for the rest of the Alpha Releases? I'm thinking of injecting the changes into my current pathfinder game but unfortunately not all my players are either fighters, clerics, rogues, or wizards. ^^;

I am reviewing the Alpha release chapter by chapter, This is my review upon the races. As note, this is a review based strictly on the text presented, I will bring the feedback from my groups once we get together.

I particularly like the expansion of Weapon Familiarity without the need of additional feats.

I also feel that the adjustments to the races, specifically half-elf and half-orc have made them more desireable to play. Of all the standard races these two races were rarely played, most of the players in my groups finding them under par incomparison to other races.

Favoured Classes? And multiclassing? Are there still going to be xp penalties?

~Anry