Haven't seen this thread in a while. CENTAURS!!!
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Tels, As a GM, I would say pregnancy is fine as long as you follow two rules: 1) Know your players, their comfort level and sensibility, and 2) Have fun with heroes (or villains). Otherwise, you invite peril and risk ruining your campaign and possibly friendships. Using pregnancy to punish a player is bad DMing and falls into the pregnancy trap trope that is awful for all involved. (sometimes for something they probably didn't say explicitly, i.e. did you write gloves down on your items list for handling poison? did you write down all your contraception?) I have probably acted as a bad DM here once, but not in the way you expect as I tried to turn things around with the trope. I would have quashed it if the group was uncomfortable in a second, but it was quite a hit. I have one experience with pregnancy in a campaign. I knew my players and went with the fun and interest of my players and their characters. When the player of Attilles, the LE half-elf cross-blooded arcane draconic sorcerer 14, proclaimed that, "I wanna hook up with Tiamat because Tiamat is the coolest of all dragons. I would have her babies." So I decided to up the ante and have him be miraculously implanted by Tiamat, for a live birth. He was warned that birth could kill him as the spawn would grow to huge size before birth. The ensuing shnenanigans were hard to summarize in a single short post. In the end, an attempt to abort the fetus by an alliance of 4 of the party members against two (Attilles and Diriaz, PC brothers) involving the wizard Zebulon attempting what became known as the Z section, which teleporting inside, grabbing baby after separating unbilical cord, teleporting out. The Z section was teleleporting inside Attilles, who was polymorphed as a huge red dragon (maintained through a DM-exception on permanency). Once inside, he found the child deadly. After surviving the first round of attacks by 5 heads, a sting with a DC 24 fort poison of 1d8 con which failed for 8 con damage, he grappled the tiny-sized version of an Aspect of Tiamat (Races of the Dragon 3.x) and tried to teleport out. He died inside the Wizard man. I had never seen a player die inside another player. The reason Attilles survived the high damaging and high fortitude save agony from a birthing an oversized monstrous creature eating inside was that he was in an unholy birthing pool in the inside the holiest temple of Tiamat in my campaign that granted regeneration. He also possessed two orbs of dragonkind, Red & Void. It led to a final battle where Aspects of Tiamat and Bahamat along wiht the other high leveled characters fought for all the world in a large battle mounted on dragons. The relevant thread started by the player whose character became pregnant is on the following link.
It's one of the problems caused by over-codification.That's just it's "combat space." It is likely much larger (I just wrote in the general size of most colossal creatures).This is the issue with the colossal size category... Suddenly the giant object/creature shrinks down into a tiny space just because someone rolled initative. Do other GMs actually treat colossal creatures as taking up a maximum of 30 by 30? I just treat it the lower limit for things having colossal bonuses/penalties. The rule is a poor joke.
My wyrm green dragon BBEG used a modified spell list that included druid spells. Seemed appropriate for a forest dragon. I gave him a dominate animal sla in addition to dominate person. He had dominated birds and mammals every where as spies. He was nominally the head of the druid grove since it fell within his forest. He could dominate them magically if he felt like it, but his rule ensured the forest would remain and was not challenged. When the party kidnapped his druid lieutenant who seduced an enchanted to dominate a more powerful wizard to do an Apocalypse from the Sky spell (3.x book of vile darkness), the green Dragon dominated soldiers, craftsfolk, wizards, children, families, and animals and sent hundreds of dominated creatures at the fort they built in the wilderness to house the party + followers. Dragon failed to save his lieutenant and they disintegrated her body. You know what's scary? Birds and splash weapons. Splash weapons don't require proficiency, and even if they do, -4 isn't enough to ruin the tactic. Tiny birds have around Str 1-2, which is to say that 3 or 6 lbs is a light load, and most splash weapons are 1 or 2 lbs at most. A 5 ounce bird CAN carry a 1 lb coconut shaped flask of holy water and then dive bomb a Ravener with it. In a separate one shot where a green Dragon ravener had his bird minions get domination dispelled were convinced by the party druid to help, so they thought of arming them. They got in 20 holy water attacks in the surprise round and about 3/5s hit.
My aforementioned Suli above founded the below. 110.Galtifar Enterprises
End Slavery Watchdragon Group - which is functionally the same as 71. FEN
Awesome! Thanks! Here is my contribution to the thread. 109. Calakmul Registered Analysts The Calakmul Registered Analysts are an association of financiers, magic users, priests, oracles, wealthy individuals and, rumor has it, Dragons. They are all united in one simple motive that allows them to put aside all other differences: profit. They use divination, mathematics, and finance to make returns in financial markets. Temples of the God(ddess) of Wealth/Greed (Abadar, Tiamat, etc.) divine future prices of goods through augury in the short term and commune in the long term. Sharing information outside the group is considered poor manners - they charge a fee for their information, of course.
I played a Suli Death Cleric in Eberron who managed zer own (zee identified as genderless) activist organization that campaigned against Elemental slavery. She funded it through her weapon, armor, and alchemy workshops staffed by living and mindless skeletons and zombies (the bodies were obtained with the owners consent prior to death - she gave them free health care).
Paladins will gravitate towards obvious signs of evil. Paladins will gravitate towards obvious signs of deception. Keeping evil lackeys in the dark will protect the inner circle ["I don't know nothing about no evil plans, I swear!"]. The Angel skin magic item would be excellent here because it hides your alignment. Not would it protect against divination, it would make for horrifying implications (they keep some good priests alive and dominate them to summon angelic beings to harvest for magic item components). They only have say a dozen or two of these for the key members of the conspiracy, and are making more so they can expand their influence. Disposing of these items in terms of GP is no problem for your party - your paladin would not allow the party to keep/sell them since they are unspeakably evil magic items. Mechanically, taking 10 or 20 on disguise with a lot of aid another (and magic too) will make disguise work very easily. Now that its not obvious to the paladin, something must go wrong in their evil plan or someone gets cold feet and wants out. Follow the "Three clue rule" and have at least three hooks/clues for the party to figure out to investigate.
What's illegal in your city? Wherever there are restrictions, humanoids will find ways to get around them. Crime can be hidden or tolerated in plain sight. What happens if a craftsperson or merchant tries to enter markets protected by guilds, like say, a prodigy from the lower classes who wants to sell potions without going being a guildmember? Does she get threats, or toughs come break her shop, or does she get arrested? If a humanoid robs another humanoid in the street and runs off, do they usually get away? Does the chance of apprehending criminals depend on the economic or ethnic or social status of the victim (or the criminal)? Playing off your like of #6, if anti-magic zealots start getting aggressive on magic users, or magic users start getting aggressive to anti-magic zealots, will the local government and/or other sources of power be able to stop or quell the violence? If not, the capitol will intervene eventually. Maybe there is a charismatic leader of non-guild experts and commoners who is closely tied to an important Iomedan Priest, who supports the anti-magic zealots. This Iomedan priest dislikes the corruption that the rich guilds sponsor, and is (or equally, depending on Amoch's church's outlook) vocal about supporting economic mobility. ... I have another idea to make them leave the city, get them exploring, and probably on the way to capitol. A large event causes the city to be rendered dangerous or hostile or emptied or destroyed. Examples:
2. Destroyed: An earthquake has leveled the town, People have lost their livelihoods, and need help from outside to rebuild. The guild of masons and woodcraftsmen have been killed by mobs for their poorly constructed buildings. 3. Hostile: In between adventures, a source of power has convinced the others that the PCs are now enemies of them. The PCs are shunned, exiled or attacked and forced to leave due to a lack of opportunities, Alternatively, no free "little humanoids" in the fire giant occupied Amoch. 4. Dangerous: The city is ungovernable. Living here is now hazardous and possibly fatal on a daily basis. It could be in the midst of 19th century Paris-style urban war, being harassed by an great wyrm dragon every day until the city submits, or powerful undead march through the streets at night attacking stragglers on the streets after the Iomedan Church was completely overtaken by ghouls who now maintain the illusion of being alive and Good with [ii] ghoul visage [/i] and elaborate disguises and charades.
102. The PCs meet and get to know each other before their turn to be auctioned off as a slave. 103. The prophecies say that any one of the PCs could be "The Chosen One" 104. The PCs all got fired on exactly the same day. But they'll float on, because good news is on the way... 105. The PCs meet at the funeral of a mutually beloved person. 106. The PCs meet as they all do the "walk of shame" home, with all of them having lost their shoes and possibly more parts of their clothing the night before. 107. The PCs are each stuck somewhere because the caravan they were waiting for was hijacked. 108. After failing to defeat a dragon far to powerful for them, the Dragon healed them and made the PCs his butlers and lackeys in exchange for their life and the lives of those they love. 109. They meet at familiar and animal companion obedience class. 110. They meet at a protest rally that could get violent.
I have a theocratic goatfolk race for my world. They have +2 Str and +2 WIs, -2 Cha, can wield martial axes proficiently, have a d6 gore, and +2 Intimidate, Perception, Darkvision and hatred of goblinoids.
James Jacobs' official take on this is that it is not possible due to there being no more Thassilonians around or something, and also did not want to encourage it. His exact words are in his AMA thread here on the forums. Personally, more power to you and our players if you try to come up with something. I'm sure you've got some good ideas in mind.
That could be useful for trying to avoid climb/acrobatics checks. In combat it would be useful on a rogue or someone with sneak attack to re-stealth.
The healthy but pessimistic Otyugh contemplates the mysteries of the flavor of dead dwarf with fungus as it poops. Edit: I love your table. When I have some time later I'd like to contribute. BUMP.
It seems to be the season for ressurecting threads, so... I'll join in!Can the shield guardian upgrade work with Timmy? Bawww. I missed that it was dead. Somebody mentioned in a another thread and I assumed it read current. Can you make a wax golem of a homunculus?
Timmy's high cost makes him an excellent war machine for a wizard monarch. I can't imagine a dragon being willing to spend that much of their treasure for it unless they had several legacies of dragon treasure hoarded. Can the shield guardian upgrade work with Timmy?
Gargoyle carrying ally - no resistance of the attempt, no grapple check. However, with the PC attempting to grapple, I'd rule an opposed grapple check for those involved, with the two gargoyles able to work together.
I think the idiocracy example was best. Some, but not all, unintelligent people address very self assured about their decisions. Think about how many people try fad diets with no hope of success. Gems from unintelligent people in my past: American college student to my English roommate: "you're from England? Did you drive here?"
American high school student "did Susan b. Anthony free the slaves?" (She was not referring to freeing women from domestication), -> "Desna killed Rovagug with her paintbrush right? "When was the US founded?" - "12" - *silence* Even very knowledgeable people can be total dummies outside their subject. "Tide goes in, tide goes out. You can't explain that!" - bill oreilly.
32) Owlbear There is no price for an Owlbear, but Owlbear blinders exist. It stands to reason that they can be trained.
31) Golems. I have a awakened chicken Wizard who rides his stone golem (it's in the shape of an owl bear).
Very sad indeed. Terry walked with Death away from us.
What kind of wand will it be?
Better yet, hoard of cats. Someone find me a swarm template, cats are tiny therefor can be a swarm of 300. (worth ~9gp on the open market. convert a dragon's cash allowance to THAT)since it hasn't been shared yet , see some re-imaginings of Dragon hoards. Who says it has to be coins or magic?I have used the book one before, but now I have a strong desire to use the stuffed animals and the yarn ones. The party's wizard better keep a close eye on his cat familiar or there might be trouble in the yarn one. That my dear Darigaaz is a Catsplosion! 9000 gp of cats is 300,000 cats for 1,000 cat swarms. Perfect for destroying Dwarves...
Room 3 - Give the kobolds that are up lots of regular nets. Even with a -4, ranged touch attacks are easy, particularly for smaller creatures (+1 size, high dex). With the bless as well, 6 nets (or 7 if the adept helps) can snag quite a few adventurers or pets, and they won't continue forward until their friends are unsnagged. The adept can provide a tanglefoot bag to a warrior if they run out of nets (yes, multiple nets per person). Acid splash is nice, but touch of fatigue will make it harder to escape a net, particularly that wizard or its familiar (mmm kobold snack). Followed up by your sniping, and you have the potential for a tough encounter. Scene 5 - Are any of the kobolds bold enough to attempt to manacle a PC underwater to weights (ball and chain)? As previously said, Tuckers kobolds.
Old lady iconics! I would love to see someone as tough as any of the Beifongs.
since it hasn't been shared yet , see some re-imaginings of Dragon hoards. Who says it has to be coins or magic?
Vegepygmies work well, and can take levels for tribal leaders.
Stuff about guanxi.I prefer the colloquial term. "Monkeysphere". Monkeysphere is an interesting concept. I first read about it in cracked.com. I wouldnt equate the two personally because the moneysphere concept involves a semi-fixed of "brain size:relationships limit", unlike guanxi which I find to be more flexible, particularly in a fantasy world. Dunbar's number (the limit of relationships) could vary between races in a fantasy setting if that it's taken as an underlying assumption. Edit: italics and props to cracked
PS. I'm sure someone disagrees. Violently. It's an alignment thread. Gods help us all. That gave me a laugh. I do not personally think highly of objectivism. Alignment is is pretty loose and open to interpretation, else the section on alignment would be its tome. Francis?
Does the character believe that helping the poor creates dependence? A character of a Objectivist persuasion (See Ayn Rand) that believes in Good might say the below. "You'll keep society from reaching it's ideal structure. By helping the poor, you are creating dependence. By helping the poor, you are making society less efficient by rewarding those who lack merit/skill/experience." "The best way for society to help the poor is to provide employment in public/private sector so they can earn an honest wage and build themselves up." Someone who has read economic history of Earth or Golarion will know of examples where misguided attempts generosity and altruistic goals cause economic damage by collapsing industries or causing inflation. "Redistribution of money and goods without a complete overhaul of the economy will cause more problems than help economically. This is a complex problem that cannot simply be solved by throwing money at the problem. Otherwise, the Gnomish money catapult would have been the best invention." Are all Lawful Good characters activists? Heck no! You might believe that it's sad that people suffer in poverty... but you don't have to lose sleep over it either. "Someone else will take care of that, there are bigger fish to fry for a hero like me (Demon/Dragons/Cthulhu/Tucker's Kobolds)! My actions enable those do gooders to not die from Wormy spellcasters and Efreet warlords! They would be nothing without me! Remember that! I follow the laws. I open doors for old people. It's counter-productive for me to use my time & energy to handle a social problem that I have no background or knowledge in, and that no other hero, monster or deity has solved thus far. NOT. MY. PROBLEM. Please just let me drink my grog and get hammered. I'm on break!" Another example: Captain Hammer from Dr Horrible's Sing Along blog. He is Neutral (at best) and only "cares" about the poor as much as it takes to seduce Penny. I used to live in China. Interesting place, very different culture. In everyday Chinese communitarian philosophy, altruism is not a common virtue (this does not describe all Chinese nationals, but it does describe many individuals in Mainland China). I encourage you to learn more if this unusual to you). There is a Chinese word and cultural concept called guanxi (connection/relationship). Think of a ring of concentric circles, with yourself at the center. You share your center circle with your family and closest friends. The next circle might be your co-workers, schoolmates and neighbors. The circle outside that may be more tenuous in linkage to yourself, but still somehow important to your daily life. As for everyone completely outside If a person is outside your guanxi circles, you don't owe them anything. For an adventurer, your closest circle can be your family, your party, and the next circle includes your friends (but not ones you might be willing to risk yourself for), and that could be it for your character.
Samsarans - They reincarnate. It's their schtick. Perhaps your character believes that the poor will reincarnate into the poor, and the rich will reincarnate into the rich, or perhaps that Good (or simply better people if you are a d**k noble) reincarnates into wealthy while inferiors are justly reincarnated into poverty. Self-centeredness is not an evil trait. Greed can be good, "My accumulation of wealth and spending it stimulates the economy. I am a job creator." PS. I'm sure someone disagrees. Violently. It's an alignment thread. Gods help us all. EDIT: Formatting
site where I purchased wooden blocks. They are pretty cheap. I only bought 100 at first to test them. I am very happy with them and will buy more after I move. For more effort , you can paint them the appropriate color for the environment.
I am about to move to a larger apartment. I've been planning for years to build something like the Sultan (not as pretty) - now I will have space! I wanted to include a TV set up in the center with plexiglass similar to GM-JZ. Currently, I use a chessex mat with Miniatures with 1" wooden blocks. I use the blocks to create vertical structures and elevation. Its been handy in my current campaign, set underground with cliffs, ravines and mushrooms (3"x3" cardboard square with a 1" grid - on multiple wooden blocks).
What sports are popular in Golarion? There are gods of competition (Kurgess) I believe, but I have limited knowledge of the world. I imagine there are races, fighting, and jousting. Are there ball sports? Is use of magic in sports controversial for some or all? Are there magical competitions or monstrous ones (cockatrice fighting rings, etc.)?
I had a GM with a puzzle so hard that five other people could not figure it out after 3 irl hours through the night. We spent the next 3 hours brute forcing the reloading 10d6 fireball trapped puzzle door, and resting when ran out of healing. It took 3 days in-game. We opened the door and then abandoned the dungeon because the door was awful. We never saw level 2 of the dungeon. My biggest pet peeve with DM's is interference with RPing your character/moving your character for you when you are there and willing. Loss of control outside mind influencing affects is a no-no. I once jokingly said a Druid PC gets freaky with the other different raced Druid NPC while wildshaped when player was absent and the group had a laugh. I never intended to be interpreted as me GM fiating the event, just an off hand joke but that offended the player who took it very seriously. I don't control characters when players aren't there unless given permission, because it's not mine to control. I try to be more careful now. I haven't had that problem since. Most GM problems I've had were solved through honest communication and feedback.
I have no sympathy for your player if s/he I is not new. Eaten by dogs in the woods. Reminds me of the darned wolves in Stick of Truth.
That thread title... I know it's a legitimate question, but I immediately thought of Yahoo Answers.
Well I'm with you there, and I have heard it derisively put as "Pathfinder: the accounting chronicles". I love Pathfinder, but it does have a lot of accounting to do, not just as a player but as DM. 5e D&D has that over Pathfinder. I leveled a party of four in less than time than one PF character. I played old and new, 2e 3.x WoR, Dark Heresy, Deadlands, Pathfinder and 5e. Old school yea/nay? I say nay because we don't want that. If character generation was easier maybe. OD&Ds and AD&Ds racial and Class limitations were awful. No dwarves with magic because Gimli. I like playing gritty, but old school for me had other baggage. I find Mikaze's quote interesting. I agree with her 100% about the terrible attitudes that could be found in the old days (i.e. dwarves can't be bisexual or magic users, Kobolds can't be civilized), but I wonder how much is a general cultural shift. I know that gender identity was an never a subject in games until I met my wife. I remember when people looked at me funny for playing a character of opposite gender - yeah, forget about coming out to your gaming group (I do miss the all nighters). Playing with people for whom bigotry is only a PC trait it's a good change of pace. There is always variation between tables, but I'm glad that the culture has changed for increased inclusivity in general over the past decades.
I don't seek to kill PC's as it's a dangerous mindset - Rpgs are for friends having fun. I will destroy your PC if it happens though. I've always run homebrews. No pf ap's. The last campaign arc had 3 PCs and 1 cohort die. That arc was insane and high level. 3 deaths occurred trying to stop the other PC from giving birth to "Timat's baby". The other death was when the arc had a battle between Tiamat and Bahamut aspects and two sides of PCs ending a friendly but in-game vicious rivalry, and that PC died at least 3 times and was breath of lifed thrice. Before that, I had one PC die in a fight (druid actually) because the enemies were more durable than I intended. The Paladin deliberately healed the enemies because they were non magically brainwashed children trained with greatswords and enchanted with mass builds strength and mass enlarge covered by two Barghests. Looking back, probably 25-35% of deaths were due to PvP, all of which was in good fun between the happy players (I personally am burned out from running treacherous parties even if they have fun). Other notable deaths in 3.5: A fire mage fighting moon rats who held a towns grain supply hostage used fire in a grain silo (after warnings) and blew up another PC (nicknamed Dusty after death ; Ashes was the nickname of a murdered NPC carried around in an Urn). That fire mage was executed for destroying the towns grain supply (drawn and quartered; when his character was pulled apart, he died in a flash of light hence the character's part death Nick name Flash).
What would you do in a GM workshop? I've actually been to one. I went Dragoncon a few years ago and Tracy Hickman did a talk/pitch for his Gming guide with many anecdotes. I have notes from the seminar somewhere. Ill post some if I can find them. I ask because the idea has me interested in a group GM workshop, and I am brainstorming what one could do. 1 hour dungeon/adventure sprint creation? Painting miniatures/making terrain (The DM's Craft on YouTube is good for terrain as GW), presenting a small topic of research on innovating adventures (show others stuff you found on the internet and implement it in an example or the above rush dungeon), making rival adventurers for other DMs.
Whenever my mom talks about leading groups of people in present or past bible studies, I can’t help but think “That sounds like a situation that’s come up in my Pathfinder groups.” . Thanks for sharing. An annual workshop sounds good. I've never done one of those with my groups. The closest thing we do is talk about builds and ideas when were are on of weeks playing board games and such.
94) Part of your disguise
c: the "I'm not evil, I'm chaotic" bard took three, cast light on them and dropped them down pits to check depth I'm not evil, I'm just cute and spontaneous!
'Tucker's Kobolds', This. This. 1,000 times this. Also, equip your humanoids with alchemical items (tanglefoot bag, thunderstone, acid, alchemist fire, oil bottles lit of fire, bottled lightning, pellet grenades) and nets. NEts, even with a -4 penalty without exotic proficiency, only need a touch attack to entangle, and they are cheap. Have a few Sorcerer snipers with light crossbows. Give them True Strike, and have them cast it every other round. On the rounds they attack, have them do a called shot. A called shot to the eye has a -10 to hit, but with a +20 to hit from true strike, a human sorcerer 1 with a +1 dex bonus has a +11 to hit. In the eye. Shots to the throat can disrupt spell casting. Deafening a target with a called shot to the ear or with thunderstones disrupts spell casting.
More monsters. Even if they are weak its still better to have more even numbers. An "even fight" would be 7 CR 3's, which could kill lots of your party. But you could have your babau with say 10 lemures and some quasits. Those little guys provide flanking, cover, and can do Combat Maneuvers like grapple and bull rush or disrupt spell casters. Red shirt monsters (goblins, orcs, elves, kobolds and any humanoids with 1 npc/pc levels, vegepygmies, mites, etc.) are good for letting players accomplish a lot of kills without earning much XP, but can still be a big threat when neglected. They use up resources, whihc will make later fights harder. If the party leaves tracks, send enemies tracking them to attack once while resting on occasion. The battles are going to favor the PCs in general. The "hard" battles often occur with swingy dice, e.g., multiple crits to a PC, or with unforeseen complications in environment (area under a silence spell, wet floors, on a cliff, etc.). Obviously more mooks and monsters means longer battles, particularly with a newbish group. Unfortunately, you have a large party which comes with the territory. Also, evil outsiders can summon other evil outsiders - use that to your advantage.
29. Dress them up in 200 gp royalty clothes... that you stole (unnoticed) from the richest person in town... allow goblin babies to vomit on stolen clothes... place babies where rich person will find babies and has a comfortable viewing point... eat popcorn. If the rich person harms the babies, blackmail them for money on threat that the adventurers will tell Mikaze. Gods help that rich person.
I still am teaching new players. I personally would prefer a better written core rulebook if it it's agreed that CRB is ponderous and hard to understand for new players (or one that is thin and strong enough to not fall apart at the seams). But all of you have at. Unchained sounds more to my taste.
The themes selection looks nice. That in combination with the other build guides are neat. That said, half of the selections appear to be a lot repackaged rules material from the Core Rulebook. I will skim it when it comes out, with the hope that my copy/paste impression is false.
Despite the danger, Rabbit possesses an ability to use knowledge checks and take ten. 10+12 = 22. Success! I identified a troll. I think the proposition made earlier by Quintain that equates "taking 10 on climb checks" as "giving everything to the players" is sad. Not old school, just sad. I get that you want climbing to be dangerous and use your own house rule. What do your players think? Do they come back for more than one campaign? Do they love it and how much you it makes you happy to have this house rule? Ive sent my imp Wesley to your PCs to send a box of rings of feather fall to your players. I don't want them to get hurt further. I also included pillows and sheets so they can settle in for a long night of Clifffinder.
Hey all, I'm starting a new job so time is short for me. I'm starting my new job soon too. Good luck.
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