Saganen Hellheart's page

In the same campaign another friend played a ranger. He took a camel as a mount and went into mounted archery, using feats to improve his threat area. So he became a ranged character riding around in close combat. The increased threat area gave him a lot of AoO, which increased his high damage output even more.

This was a great efficient concept, compared to the normal "use the animal companion as another melee to flank"- World of Warcraft alike.

I was once a player in a homebrewed campaign in Katapesh.

One of my friends played a halfling paladin/rogue from Andoran, with massive charisma. He went into using the feint maneuver a lot. Once he popped smite evil and landed all the sneak attacks, he did an excellent job with scouting around to gather information, sneaking and doing a lot of damage to key targets.

Really awesome concept and successful build

Hello roleplayers :)

I am very interested in suggestions for excellent non-combat encounters which is solved mainly with skills and creative thinking. It is not a problem if an encounter turns into combat, but it is important that it's just not violent solutions.

I'm GMing this homebrewed campaign called The Journey to Valaian. My group is heavy roleplayers and they can easily spend 10 hours doing nothing but social interactions and intrigues with the many NPCs presented to them. They care more about character development than killing random beasts in the woods for fun.

To get a better understanding of the situation, I'm writing a short introduction to the present situation that my players are in.

They are all chelaxians and they have traveled with this massive amount of chelaxians to a new resourceful island called Valaian. The leader of this immigration is a duke and under him travels many earls, barons, counts and lesser noble houses with their armies, slaves and thousands of common folks. It's mainly inspired by the discovery, immigration and founding of USA.
The players are able to play roles which is very high in the social lairs, like; a cardinal, high born nobles, military officers, guild leaders and so on - you get the idear.

The campaign begins as the big settlements are getting up and I want them to get deep into the local politics. And this is where I'm looking for encounters. Like a tournament, a family tragedy, trading guilds fighting each other through law and gold. Encounters for that kind of problems.

So, if you think back through your many hours of playing sessions, which kind of skill based encounters did you find enjoyable and interesting? They don't have to fit into my introduction. I'm just looking for all kind of inspiration.

And thank you for reading my long post. Stay healthy and spread good mood.

Why dont you make your own? :)

Nice one Byrdology :)

Coarthios... I ask for all of it :)
As much as possible.. What NPC's have been great succes in your games?

Hey there fellow GM's and players

I'm making a homebrewed campaign. And therefore looking for inspiration for NPC's. I would like them to be realistic. I think many encounters and npc's are either evil or good.... simply because that's how they are born.

I seek npc's with more realistic traits, containing both good n' evil and lawfull n' chaotic traits.

If any of you know about an archive, generator or book with it. I would be very very happy.

-
Hellheart

Very nice.
eakratz I have read so many good posts from you. If you ever are stranded in Copenhagen, tell me, I got beer.

Great suggestions.
I brought the Death in the Painted Canyons and it looks very interesting. I am going to use it for sure.

I have send alot of NPCs into the Kelmarane to establish, build the city and use its possibilities. And I would like to introduce them here.

There is Artimis, A middle-aged noble katapeshi man. He brought the inn. He is weak by psychical means and therefor found strength in money, women and lies. He named the Inn "The Sun's Lotus" and it has three sections. A gambling hall, a lounge with music, pibes and all kind of refreshments and a section with alot of sleeping chambers.
His motivation for Kelmarane is to make money on all the travellers. Their need for food, entertainment, shelter, pesh, pibes and women.

There is Behir, a fat and very rich guild master of the guild "Behirs". He is a common sight in all layers of society. He sees no difference beetween poor, slave, rich or worker. But he understands the order of Katapesh and uses it, for his own good. He is ugly and very fat, with a humor full of sexuality, which too often makes him uncharming in the eyes of women.
It is a builders guild and they are able to build everything from simple houses to military fortifications to advanced engineering. With the many costumers around Katapesh, he sends out caravans from great distances. With many slaves. This leads to a great need of guards. Which with the growth of the guild also has lead to a growth of guards, resulting in Behir having what could be called, a private army.
His motivation for Kelmarane is to help his one true love - Almah. When she left Katapesh to reconquer Kelmarane, his worry for her began to grow. But this is a very very big secret.

An Osirion necromancer guild.
With the lead of three triplets, called Arteph, Nefteph and Vexteph.
When the players cleared the Shrine of Nethys, the necromancers recived a vision, which has brought them to Kelmarane and the shrine.
What their motivation is, is not planned yet. But I am thinking about something with more tombs, mummies and mabye.. the crypt of Shirak.

Hello fellow GMs.

I ran into a problem. Two players had to move because of education and I now have two replacements. We are beetween book 1 and 2. We just finished Fortress of the Ghoul, which was a great succes.

But the two new players are not really into all the npc's in the town and how the city is. So I need to make up a little scenario side-quest for them, so they can make a bond with the city and understand the NPC's.

I have been thinking like a maniac and have a few ideas. But I would like to know if any of you has a few ideas when you read this?

All suggestions, ideas and thoughts are welcome.

-
Mr. Hellheart

Hello fellow GM's

One of my players can't play anymore and a new guy is about to join.
He said that he is thinking about efreeti og djinni bloodline.

What would you tell him here? I mean .. the efreeti is good because of the fire resistance.. but all his bonus spells are useless later due to the enemies resistances.

The thing about clerics is that they have so many ways to be build that there is no standard way to play one.
Alot of people say it is the healing class due to the spontaneous casting, which is correct. It gives a very easy way to alot of healing.

But you should never build a cleric up around the concept of healing. NEVER. That is never your main role.

In the Kingmaker AP am I playing a half-orc cleric of Gorum. In the party there is two paladins and a ranger. When I am buffed up, I out damage them all.

I have both played and GM'ed for 15 years now. Many different system and nearly uncountable numbers of different players.

Alot of GMs has a difficulty roleplaying another gender. Many male GMs avoid female roles because they are far harder to play. Nothing worse than roleplaying a cryface woman who just lost her kids and needs the players to help her. It is not hard to do - but it is hard for many male GMs if they want it on a high level of believeable roleplay.

For the female GMs I have played with they have the same problem with male roles. For some of them it is hard to play very masculine and brutal things.
And now all the female readers thinks.. "Of cause I can play a role masculine and brutal! What is he talking about?"

My point is.. It's hard for them to play it on a roleplaying level that is very very good.. Sometimes the "play" just gets funny instead of convincing..

This is the only obstacle I have met with female GMs. And the same goes for male GMs. There is no difference on how well the plot is, how the mood is, how hard and original the combats are and how great an experience the whole session is.

And yes.. I am no woman.. I'm a male and I enjoy to GM and I have alot of experience on it.. My main motivation is roleplaying.. Not hack n' slashing.. Which sadly has made me into one of the more rare GMs..

Sorry for bad spelling.. I'm in a huge hangover and danish.

24) Hellhearts - A very big group of people who has lost everything. Deserters, survivors of natural disasters or war, people who fled from slavery, kids with no parents.

The groups goal is simple - to survive and work for the groups benefits. They all share one thing they have been left alone in this grotesque world - which shall never happen again.

Allright. Sorry for my spelling by the way. Drunk and danish you know?

As a GM you should always consider what opportunities you have based on your players choices.
They are resting in the wilderness. What kind of wilderness? Jungle? Forest aka german-scandinavian enviornment? Are there rivers? Any big roads nearby?

Instead of bashing hit points out of your players in the night. Make an event out of it. Make it something they shall remember next time they consider resting in the wilderness.

A few memories of great resting encounters I know, and I remember them for a reason - they where awesome.

1. Forgot to hide our food supply.
In the night a pack of baboons stole our foodbags from us. None of us saw it. In the morning we was all like "Which of the guards ate it?!" And we had no food, so we kinda panicked. But we began to follow the footprints on the ground and we later saw pieces of our food. A trail of half eaten appels, the bone from a chicken leg and later destroyed bottle of beer (the dwarf freaked out in tears).
We then found this tree with the baboons and our bags destroyed at the bottom of the big tree. And we wanted revenge of course - stupid as we are. Never take revenge on animals, ever heard the story of Moby Dick?
We later found out the baboons was close friends with a goblin tribe, which wanted revenge on us for taking revenge on the baboons.

2. Religious crusade
We made a camp up in a big tree close to a big road. In the night a very big religious march was right down under us. Hundreds of torches in the night. Thousands humming voices in the night. The whole atmosphere of hiding and watching this march just below us was a big encounter alone. It was so well described that some of us wanted to join it.
Later in the back of the march some children saw us and pointed up at us. And yelled stuff. Panic everywhere in all of us in the trees. Where we now in danger? Would they hurt us? Or what would happen?
The cleric did cast Comphrehen language so he could understand them.
We found out they yelled "HERETICS!"

I have both GM'ed the whole campaign and played though it.

Getting darkvision is VERY very very smart.
I would say that the best choises for this AP is:

Wizard, cleric, paladin and ranger.

You are planning a random encounter? That isn't random at all ;)

I have gm'ed for 9 years and run many APs.

For me a random encounter is more like a... a fight that is not connected to the plot. Like bandits ambushing, wild animals and alike.
That is the point of the random encounter. It has no connection to the whole plot of the scenario.

But again. A good fight is well organised and prepared into depts by the GM.

Dont just make it a.. "You guys are standing here.. And theese bad guys are comming from here.. ... 1.. 2.. 3.. FIIIIGHT!"

Those combats sucks and they are boring.

The first thing you need to find out is - what are they gonna fight?
I would like to create this encounter with you :)

I would go cleric/bard
IT IS AMAZING AND A TOTALLY UNDERRATED MULTICLASS.

It is the ultimate support class.
Start with a level in bard and then go cleric. Take levels like this
B/C/B/C/B/C/B/C/B/C..... level 20th.

For stats:
Bard spells goes on charisma and cleric channeling
Cleric spells goes on wisdom

Your stats should be priorited like this:

cha
wis
con
dex
int
str

If you want to be debuffing with your cleric spells a higher wisdom is a very smart choise.
I played though whole Crimson Throne AP with this support guy in my party. He was the best friend an adventurer could have.
Trust me. I can describe it in more details with feats and such if anyone wants.

The stongest part of the necromancy spell school is their debuffing.

Get a familiar, raven ex - it can talk which is awesome for a necromancer, so pick a rare and evil language. Later go for improved familiar.

Cast invisibility on your familiar and let it deal with the touch debuff spells, which you cast.

This is very very strong. Alot of people prefer to buff their teammates so they are stronger and beats the enemy easier.

In my opinion and I have played for 16 years. Debuffing > buffing.

Which combat is coolest and easiest for you?

Giving your teammate + to hit and damage so he can beat up the enemey.
Or .. make your enemy blind, drain his stats, make your raven peek out his blind eyes.

Debuffing debuffing debuffing.

... And of course - train your evil laugh

I am playing a half-orc cleric of Gorum in the AP. He fits perfectly into everything so far :)

How big is your city? And next - what is the purpose of the city.

By purpose I mean.. Why is it there? Is it a stronghold to defend againts something? Is it far behind in the country with alot of civilians? Is it a city with connection to other races?
Most cities in the real world is build around food and water. Other cities are build around ressources. Location location location.

Your city must have a location - but why did the dwarves choose it?

I am playing a half-orc cleric of Gorum in the Kingmaker AP.

Beside being the Kings bodyguard. He is also in change of the administration of guards, soldiers and fortifications.
And a member in the council of tactics and warfare.

Other clerics that I have played:
Human Abadar - Architect. He played together with a paladin educated in bridge engineering.

Gnome Gozreh - Weather forecaster in a big harbor. Fisherman. Cook. And high ranked "Ships blesser"

Interesting clerics I have played with:

Female human Shelyn cleric - She was a guide for noble couples in how to enhance their lives with love, art, music and blablabla. She was awesome. She knew all the secrets about the nobels and her purse was full.

Human Asmodeus - Guildmaster and merchant. The ranger in the party was training imps and guard dogs. Awesome times.

I have been a GM for around 9 years and I am currently running Legacy of Fire. I have tons of information for you, but at this moment I'm in a hurry.

Later!

I read through the whole topic now.
And nice to see another danish roleplayer Henning! :)

I would like to make a suggestion. Many people say just buff up the "to hit" on your encounters.

This is very very very wrong. That is just bad GMing. When experienced players makes a group together. They sometimes focus on something. What do we want to be real good at. I once had a party with only spellcasters and we summoned allies alot. The GM response to this was to make very strong AoE spells so he could also hit the PC's. And everything he did was prepared for our focus. And that just made it boring.

Understand me correctly. Dont overcome them on what they have focused on. Deal with it and beat them on their weaknesses - because EVERYONE has them.

We told our GM about this and he changed stuff. He made some combats very claustrophobic. There was no room for all the summons. He made combats in waves. When all your summoned creates is in one direction of the party and there suddenly is new bad guys behind you - there you have a problem.

So find a weakness in the high AC problem - because it's not a problem forever. In higher levels the encounters WILL hit them no matter what. AC is not the main defense at level 8+.

Use spells, use the enviornment, make encounters come up behind them. Make them chase your encounter and run into a trap. Use difficult terrain. Use swarms. There are alot of easy ways to deal with high AC. And this topic is full of them.

I have played through the whole campaign, not the anniversary edition.
I was a druid. IT WAS AWESOME.

EpicFail, why would you want domain over companion?

Hello fellow roleplayers.

Do any of you know any paizo products og homebrewed horoscope system made for playing in Golarion?

I have played through the whole campaign in 2008. Before the Anniversary edition.
We loved Sand Point. The first scenario is absolutely perfect.

With classes. First of all I think the titan mauler archtype is quite broken. I would not allow it.

Secondly. We had a cavalier with everything build up around his mount and mounted combat. That was a great loss as it, it more for a pain in the a¤% to find a way for it to come around from dungeon to dungeon.

With Bethana I do agree.
Our GM did this. Bathana could not understand the language and made the PCs go spy on the family manor. We investigated the city for some time before we found clues with broken class that lead us to the glasswork.

How do you use theese? Print them out and play on them?
How do you "hide" the unexplored.

I made a TPK in The Skinsaw Murders.

Level 5 human cleric - Bruthas
Level 5 human sorc - Rexx
Level 5 human fighter - Anthonl
Level 5 human cavalier - Dragul

In the Foxglove Manor. After traps and haunts for hours they decide to go outside and rest. As they feel that the dungeon below is very dangerous. Them being semi damaged and ready for a fight they go outside. I pull the ravens on them. This turns out - VERY BAD. The fighter rolls 1 on a hit, 3 times in a row. The table for fumble rolls decides, he ends up chopping off his own leg.
This makes the party in total shock. They flee inside the manor to find a safe place to rest.
The cavalier being an idiot and searching the dungeon while the party sleeps. He encounters Mr. Foxglove and they have a talk, as the cavalier is the "chosen" for this part.
The cavalier ends up taking the fight for himself. I wants the honor of defeating the "boss" all alone.
The fight wakes up the other guys. And they come down to help. And there they just fight as bad as possible and end up all dying by the hand of the skinsaw man.

Is it written when, where and how Tsuto kills his the father?

I mean, that could lead some clues on to the glasswork.

Hello fellow roleplayers
I'm goin to play Kingmaker as a cleric. I have not played one for many man years and would like some common feedback, maybe a few hints and suggestions.

The team is:
- ranger with focused on shooting and his companion
- sorcerer with focus on disables and battlefield control
- wizard with summoning, blasts and battlefield control
- paladin with heavy meele damage dealing and self-heal

My build is the following:

I have chosen the crusader archtype, so I only get one domain and one less spell. But I get another feat now and then.

Stats
Str 18
Dex 12
Con 14
Int 7
Wis 15
Cha 10

I have chosen Gorum diety and strength domain.

Feats
1st level;
Weapon focus (Greatsword)(bonus feat)
Dazzling Display

Later:
3 - power attack
5 - Heavy armor proficiency (bonus feat)
5 - Cleave/lightning reflexes
7 - Intimidating Prowess
9 - Vital Strike
10 - Weapon Specialization (Greatsword) (bonus feat)
11 - improved critical
13 - Critical focus
15 - Step up/bleeding critical/improved vital strike
15 - Greater weapon focus (Greatsword) (bonus feat)
And the last levels is not decided yet.

Traits:
Bully and Brigand (campaign trait) both improves my intimidate and makes it a class skill.

I will be running around with enlarge person 24/7 in all combats, buffing myself now and then.

What do you guys think?

Saganen Hellheart wrote:

When have you used chalk?

What use have you got of fishing hooks, sewing needle + thread?

Chalk is useful in Dungeons when you feel like you're going around in circles or don't feel like mapping. Putting markings on the ground and/or walls, either pointing the direction you chose or pointing back toward the entrance.

Fishing Hooks for Fishing.....also for "Enhanced Interrogation" Techniques. The Needle and thread for replacing holes in clothing, useful in a pinch to help Heal Checks. Granted, mostly for "Roleplay" purposes when used in their intended purposes. But when you're on watch at night, it helps pass the time and shows the GM you're actively taking care of your equipment/stuff.

Thank you sire.

When have you used chalk?

Get a two-handed reach weapon.
Get +2 dex, max str and rest con.
Get combat reflexes.

Now poke everything into pieces.

Amen, Mysterious Stranger!

I will repost my reply:

"Divination wizard -> Rogue -> Arcane trickster"

What use have you got of fishing hooks, sewing needle + thread?

Caltrops are awesome. Me and my party always buy pitons and chains to lift up alot of our gear beetween trees when we build camps. Easy way to secure your food stock and important items. If you are assaulted some idiot can't take a bag and run.

Divination wizard -> Rogue -> Arcane trickster

I played through Age of Worms and Shackled City with one in my party. He was...... amazing.

Hello fellow roleplayers.

It has come to my mind that a lot of players don't know about many small and usefull items. And if there is any smart items that I don't know of - I don't know that, so this is how I ask for them.

And therefor I ask this question: What is your starting equipment?

It has come to my mind, that most players buy their weapon of choice, the most expensive armor they have coin for. And then they buy random cheap crap stuff for most of the left gold.

Personally I buy many many small "in case of this"-things.

What do you buy? Is there anything you always buy or do you ask locals for help and so on? I have a friend that never goes adventuring without a pillow with a hidden silver dagger in it.

Personally I found Kingmaker less than satisfying

Why if I may ask? :)

Was with a group of college thespians. All actors. We barely touched our dice and most people got naked.

Never been the same since...

HAHA!

We are three engineers (two chemist and a physicist) , a doctor and a taxi driver.

Sometimes things get really technical and the discussions about something VERY detailed and scientific. And the taxi driver is just like...

.... wha' cha' talkin' bout?

I began to think.

How much lore do you know about the pathfinder universe? When I was converted into pathfinder it was STRAIGHT into Rise of the runelords. And there was alot of things what would have been so much more awesome - if we as players simply knew more about the world.

This factor might have alot to do, as some AP's uses far more lore than others.

Your histories are great. Thank you all.

And I will also tell about my best group.

We played this very long campaign that went hand in hand with Rise of the Runelords in Varisia.

We where all of Cheliax race and part of the same big noble family. The family was big, but not rich and not much influence. It was moved to Varisia to try and be big compared to the very big families in the heart of Cheliax Empire.

We where 5 man. A cavalier, paladin, ranger, wizard and rogue.
Our goal in Sandpoint was to make a name, money and family influence. So we brought a house and began to make a stronghold. There was alot of exploration in the wilderness and minor quests. As we leveled we all got mounts. And it fit really well into most combats. It was great.

The best part was the completely detailed background and the characters.

What vuron said.

It's also far more realistic than 5 men traveling for weeks and into a giant dungeon with all their stuff.

My group in Legacy of Fire has 18 people with them on their way into the mountains to search for dungeons.

I have played the following campaigns.

Shackled City
Age of Worms
Savage Tide
Kingmaker
Legacy of Fire
Rise of the Rune Lords

I really really really really love Legacy of Fire. It is so unusual compared to other plays. The environment and the mood is absolutely fantastic. When we play. The only light we have on is candles in red glass. With Arabic-desert background music. Two big water pipes and this living red light.

The mood is the best. There is also a great stronghold building part in it. Where they have to defend and retake it again later.

It is written in 3.5. But there is great guy on the forums who made all the conversions + extra side quests and all kind of sweet stuff.

I have had great fun with familiars.

I once played a setting in Cheliax. And we SHOULD be cheliax by race. My friend was this conjuration wizard. Infernal binder archtype. With a raven that sang in infernal.

Did I mention the player was the vocalist in a metal band?

Well. If you chose bonded item. You can buy a pet.

If you chose familiar. You can have an item with great personal value. Something from your grandparents or crafted by yourself.

Personally I have taken familiar most of the time. Once you get the improved version it becomes really handy and an active part of combats.

It can deliver touch spells n' sh!t.

Hirelings. Make the playing much more realistic. Buy people to follow you on trips. Guard the camp. Make the food. Carry the tents and food. For hunting and fishing. For guiding.

Once the PC's go into the dungeon.. The hirelings make a well hidden camp close to it.. maybe a day or so..

It also makes roleplaying more active while dungeon crawling.

Hello my fellow roleplayers.

I have been wondering. In all your sessions, campaigns and dungeons you have defeated. When you think back on it all. Which group - did you really like to play with? You know.. That one group that you sometimes miss and think about on all the awesome stuff..

I want to know this, to get inspiration on groups, that I'm going to be playing for in the future. To improve my and those you read this, experience on playing.

What was your group? Which classes and races? What was your builds? And why was this group so good? Good chemistry between the real life players? Was the GM just amazing and the mood always fantastic? Was the campaign quests just really exciting and you discovered a lot of new lore about the world?

Just think back. And give your description of one of the best groups you have been in. So I and the rest of the forum can learn something.

All the posts are great ideas for scenarios and plays. Not only I can take help from it.

My campaign just has two musts. The country must be very religious and has a coast line with a big harbor.

All the posted suggestions are great.

One of my friends came up with the idea of playing it in Cheliax. The secret cult looks great for something the Asmodeus church could make up.

And it is not always the campaign setting lets the players be evil chars.

About the prophesies... I did not know that. How that could pass my readings is strange. Thanks for that!

Thanks, I will check it out! :)

That you read my long post is appreciated