RedEric's page

... we're rusty as hell towards D20 rules in general and PF has seen us crash learning for 2 weeks now, we're constantly updating our command of the rules.

I'd recommend starting at level 6 or lower to help learn all the rules before jumping up to 12. At 12 builds are getting fairly complex as characters can have a decent amount of feat chains finished. From the damage levels posted, I'm assuming not many of them have any special builds or tricks in mind when they made their characters. Time and experience and reading some guides and books will bring the others up to at LEAST the level of the fighter.

The group felt the 2H Ftr was game breaking, while I didn't.

That amount of damage isn't gamebreaking. I've seen higher damage from level 9 characters. Your fighter has a fairly straightforward build and he hit a lot of the good feats for 2-handers and a decent archetype. It's more that the rest of your party is sub-optimized.

Re: Monk ... I confess, a number of the design elements of the class aren't as obvious to me such as making him a 3/4 BAB class seems inconsistent when compared to Paladins/Rangers.

But, when the monk flurries, his BAB is his monk level, not his actual BAB. Check that you're calculating flurry with the correct bonus.

RE: Gunslingers.

Something's not right here. Gunslingers should be doing a LOT more damage than that.

RE: Spellcasters

There's a trait to help with metamagic by lowering it's level increase. I think it's magical lineage? I forget the name. If all your sorcerer wants to do is blast, it's a good choice for their staple blast. Also, metamagic rods will cost a lot, but be great for conserving their higher level spell slots. You don't HAVE to be a treantmonk style caster.
They can also buff their damage in other ways. Dominate person on a troll or other giant type works fine, and then you can equip them with the parties spare loot and magic weapons.

Re: Rogue. I have never seen a reliable rogue damage build. Look into Ninja instead if you want reliable sneak attack damage via the invisible blade ninja trick. Even then, it's not perfect and no sneak attack = pathetic damage.

I could see Cayden bringing the bro code to the masses. He swings by a few influential congregations/adventurers guilds, takes the highest ranking worshippers out for a few brews and explains the code. Rule #1: Thou shalt not be a dick.

Gives his priest a bro-fist and heads out. In my head-canon, the bro-fist is the official formal and informal greeting and parting gesture between Cailien worshippers.

What I really can't see him doing is the usual god schtick of delivering messages through dreams or visions or the classic burning bush stuff.

I guess maybe if it was a dream about going out drinking with him?

If loving Sarenrae is wrong, I don't want to be right!

On a more serious note, my characters are not always very religious, but when they are, they are very devoted.

I don't see a problem with a mortal loving a God, or a God taking a mortal lover. It's not like they can't meet face to face even, given the mortal has access to a high level spellcaster or equipment to help out.

From an rp perspective, I think if one of my characters was interested in their God romantically they'd do works in their God or Goddess's name to gain their attention. Not to mention daily prayer.

For Iomedae, maybe leading an army in the crusade to victory over demons. Dedicate the victory to her. Forge a sword and have it blessed, and have it delivered to her church.

You know, romantic gestures for the modern empowered goddess of the sword. Like giving flowers or chocolate would be for civilians.

There's guidelines in the God's and magic book for what signs to look for if a god or goddess favors the PC.
If they receive favor, they'd then get a modified atonement spell to seek an audience. May Shelyn bless them! Depending on the Deity in question, they might need it.

Stoked for this. I'm thinking a Thundercat character or team will be thematically appropriate for this.

HO!

As I understand it, the 'God' wizard play style isn't the type that breaks games. It's the type that preps flexible controlling spells, powerful buff spells, and debuffs that apply to many occasions, as coined in treantmonks guide, right?

First off, the 'God' label is pretty clearly tongue in cheek, just like the 'big dumb fighter.' As I understand it, it's called that more to illustrate how good the author thinks it is compared to the other play styles he mentions and an overview of it's manipulative and team focused aspects, as opposed to being an accurate assessment of it's in game power level.
So, despite the pretentious label, it's not a guide about how to use your spells become an invincible and immortal king of your own demiplane, smiting your foes in moments with unfathomable power.

Instead, this kind of play style is very team focused. Team focused characters are pretty game friendly in my experience.

A problem wizard would be a play style based around trivializing encounters, while only facing the ones they want. Like using a teleport spell to move the McGuffin into outer space, or flooding an underground dungeon instead of clearing it. A wizard is also capable of avoiding a lot of challenges they aren't currently capable of facing, and coming back later, better equipped.

Or worse, trivializing other players by usurping their roles and bypassing challenges where they could shine.

To me, that's a much more disruptive play style, and not one that buff/control type wizards usually use.

I know the MT share spells ability requires a one level bump in the spell level slot, but does that mean it goes into he book as a higher level spell? Even with that requirement the higher level spells will be cheaper than buying a scroll for it.

It doesn't go into the spell book at all. It just gets prepared into the spell slot during spell preparation.

If you look at it another way, your cleric spell list acts similarly to a spellbook for your wizard slots, only all spells prepare one level higher. There isn't an actual spell book though, only the usual process to prepare divine spells.

Technically, it's not gold required, but the gold values worth of components. Usually, it's just assumed the scribe in question buys the components for listed value.

Your GM should be willing to let you locate the components in down time.
Perhaps a spellcraft, survival, or perception check, or just require so many hours of searching per X GP's worth of components found. It might require some play testing to find a good number or DC for checks like this. Revisit the issue with your GM if you aren't getting enough materials to make scrolls. Also, keep in mind you likely won't see eye-to-eye with your GM on what constitutes 'enough.'

If not, they should be willing to let you swap the scribe scroll feat for something else if it's completely worthless. In PFS play, it's automatically dropped for spell focus instead, which isn't a bad feat at all.

If your GM won't do that either, ask to switch class and swap stats to be a sorcerer, either temporarily until the 'survival' theme of the campaign is done or permanently, because you've got a useless class feature and have been screwed by circumstance.

If that doesn't work, ask your GM for suggestions on a compromise for these issues with your character.

And if none of these things work, find a new GM to play with because your GM is unwilling to worth with you to keep the game fun.

Monks are pretty brutal against spell casters. They've got exactly the right defenses against most of your standard spells, and bonuses to the things that can shut you down the best.
Things are stacked against you, but you've got one advantage : Surprise.
This fight should be as good as won by the time it starts.

You've got enchantment spells, so go indirect on this. Charm or dominate some people to help you. Hell, you could even pay some honestly! You should be able to locate some CR appropriate creatures or people to help you out that aren't immune to charm spells. Brush up on a few divination spells if you can.

You might need to travel a ways to find anyone strong enough to give a challenge to high level PC's, but there should be a few bounty hunters or other badasses around. Can you teleport? Might help a lot to visit a few neighboring large cities and dominate some strong people with class levels. Then throw a few mass buffs right before the big betrayal.

You can also dominate or charm someone to put a bounty or warrant out on your monk friend. This works extra well if they go peacefully to clear their name and you betray them in their absence. This is probably the worst option since it involves sidelining a player for the big session.

You mentioned the monk had scent as a counter to invisibility, but can she fly? If she flies by way of a magic item, you can dispel that item. And scent should still leave you with a %50 concealment against her attacks if she gets in range.

At that level you can cast planar binding I think? There should be an outsider somewhere that's good against your monk. Fire elementals are pretty hard to punch, for instance.

Teleport or trap her in an underwater area filled with water elementals. Close the exit with wall of force, stone, or iron. Follow up with suffocate and ask the GM for circumstance bonuses on the effects.

You said you're a caster, but I don't think you mentioned which type. If any of these aren't spells you can cast, sorry.

The Stones of Prophinia
The Fellowship of the Bling
B$!&+krieg

There's really only one choice: Skill focus, stealth.
No one see's the ninja rhino coming until its too late!

We collect these on a whiteboard as they happen (when we remember) and transcribe them later. We've had some good times.

“I s@&& in my hand for you guys!”

“She sent you in there to be raped by goblins.”

“She’s as strong as the Hulk, but not nearly as smart.” – Ian

“It’s just that nobody will let me bite people!” – Lou

“I came here to do two things: stab things and pee on things; and I’m all out of urine.” – Walker

“If you can’t burn the one you want, burn the one you’re with.” –Eric, on choosing targets for exploding
“You make a compelling argument.” – Walker
#webegoblins!

“Hey! Stringbean!”
“For some reason I thought you were talking to Bakken (NPC)”
“Why? Because I’ve seen him naked?”
-Gin & Tssandi

“These are poop-people: Save them!” -Dag

“You need to look up ritual pants magic.” -Chris
“Pantsomancy!” - Everyone else

“He waves a knife at me, he loses an arm. That’s the law.” - Bors

“He called a dwarf a halfie. Digger please!” - Chris

“Rumble Bee is invisible, blind, and trapped by an inanimate object.” (strength check DC 5)

“They hit, and it knocks the s!%* out of me. Literally.” – Barb
“Man, just no shame.” – John
“Crapping yourself is a standard action. Regaining your dignity is a full round.” – GM
—-
“Can I take my underwear off right now?” – Barb
“In the middle of the market?” – Wakey
“This ain’t Barnaby’s first rodeo.” – John
—-
“Nice night for it sir.” – Barnaby, whilst in the street, underwearless
—-
“Where my ladies at!?” – Barnaby
—-
“I can turn my turban into underwear if I want, I’m a wizard.” – Barb

Edit: forgot the best one.
"We only accept payment in young boys."

This character screams chaotic neutral to me. From description, she cares 'a little' but not enough to hold a ceremony for her innocent victims. Also 'oops I did it again and feel bad but not really' is another example of her indifference to the loss of life. This attitude of course rubs any lawful good character wrong, especially a Paladin.

Regardless, I don't consider either examples above evil acts, though the near total lack of remorse makes it an extremely close call.
I do think your character should have known better when it came to the people trapped in spider webs, though I know things get confused at the game table. Wriggling spider webs sounds an awful lot like 'Threat!' when you've had your sugary snacks and drinks and just finished some spiders already.
Were I the GM at the time, I'd have had you roll a knowledge nature check for your character, DC 8 or so, to know that spiders don't trap themselves in web cocoons. Remember, any character can roll an untrained knowledge check, though the max result they can hit is a DC 10.
As for the rock throwing civilians/children, that's something a lot of people might do impulsively if they'd been fighting for a while. Again, I wouldn't put it as an evil act because of the hostility you were facing, but the lack of remorse makes it VERY close.
I can totally see why a Paladin would be extremely upset with your character, maybe even unwilling to work with her or report her to local authorities as a dangerously reckless adventurer.

I do think your character is currently of the wrong alignment. My advice is to change either your alignment on paper or the way you play your character to match the stated alignment.
If your character still feels no remorse and doesn't intend to take better care in the future to avoid innocent casualties, there is absolutely no way she should remain in good alignment; she should be CN, maybe CE. Going forward, this could be a major problem for interpersonal dynamics with the paladin. In the worst case, this could cause strife between you and the paladins player at the table, so proceed with caution if you go this route.

Very interesting thread. Makes sense why more maps are impossible in the AP's.

Feedback was asked for and so here's my two cents.
I love the AP's, look forward to getting my new book every month, and I'm slowly filling in back issues.
But I don't read the fiction at all, and never have. To me, like others who've posted here, it's just dead space. Not trying to rag on the fiction you guys write, but I just don't find it relevant to my purchase.

To me the adventure paths are there to take the load off me when I need to run a campaign, so the most important parts are the adventure, bestiary, and any articles that expand on NPC's, locations, etc.

Now, it can be argued that the fiction does expand on those things, but it's a lot less concise than reading a character entry or article on one of the gods or a town. I only have so much time, and I don't feel the fiction section to be useful in that way for me.

Personally, what I would rather see in each AP is expanded articles on NPC's included in each AP, or notable NPC's around town or locations, even without maps.
I'm a big fan of the map products you publish, so having the exact maps is often less important if I can just bring out a flip mat or tiles and scribble in some minor changes.

For instance, I've run games in Korvosa extensively, starting with a homebrew with an evil party set just before Curse of the Crimson throne and then continuing that AP afterwards with heroic characters. At one point the evil party hid out with Gaedren Lamm, so NPC's and info from the guide to Korvosa and CotCT books were a huge help.

But there's a few things and people that it would have really helped to have fleshed out in Korvosa, more NPC's, or other churches in the area etc.

tl;dr: No fiction, more NPC's, beasts, and locations (maps not neccesary.)