Sam McLean's page

Don't want anyone to be caught unawares, but I'm a bit of a power-gamer (frequently using gestalt rules, though mainly because of the challenge of solo-adventures), mixing and matching systems to optimize character concepts (both RP and Mechanical aspects), and sometimes blatantly breaking rules (which, in solo-play, doesn't matter).

That said, I love gaming, esp. FRPGs, and would love to hear from anyone in Salem to see if I could fit into a group.

Sam

So, we basically found out on the other thread "Epic Level Handbook NOW please" that Paizo has no intent to publish its Mythic rules set until there is material out there to support High Level (13 or 15-20) play and make that a more popular part of the game to play.

Fine. I can wait to see what that book holds before getting back on the "More levels, please" bandwagon. After all, if they can work the glitches (perceived or real) out of High Level play and game mastery, they'll have a better chance to provide us with FLIPPIN' AWESOME Mythic rules, when the time comes.

And now, I say to you, what SHOULD that book contain? (For the intent of this thread, let's really place a hard limit at up to 20, since that's as far as the game we're playing goes, for now).

I'll start things off:

1. Stronghold building rules.
2. Kingdom building rules.
3. Suggestions for how to run a rulership based campaign (how to get 'political' when your players can solve problems with wish and meteor swarm, how to keep them on their toes with the minutia when what they really want is to kick butt, etc.)
4. Suggestions for making them realize the scope of their incredible powers.
5. Options to exchange lower-level feat choices that were good at the time, but don't do much for the characters in their current BA incarnations.
6. Character based (NOT class based) capstones.
7. High level suited archetypes/prestige classes.
8. Warfare/Siege Warfare rules, including but not limited to: army building, special units, the role of arcane/divine magic in the armies, naval warfare guidelines, aerial warfare guidelines, planar armies and warfare, and most importantly, ways for the PCs to really affect the outcome of battles/wars.
9. High level NPC guidelines, for creating, running, distracting, etc.
10. Planar environments for high level adventures.

There are other aspects, I'm sure, and so I open the floor to the assembly!

Thanks in advance for constructive contributions and criticisms.

Happy gaming (at whatever level you like.)

I am planning a take on the 3.5 "Friendly Berserker" build for PF solo play. The old way to do this was to build a Bbn//Clr, taking levels in FrB when you qualify, and at some point taking levels in the Champion of Gwynharwyf PrC from BoED.

While my GM doesn't object to 3.5 material in PF, he DOES (and rightfully so) object to the 3.5 PrC Frenzied Berserker.

Just recently, I've found Kain Darkwind's FrB (http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinder RPG/conversions/frenziedBerserkerAsBarbArchetype) archetype, which fixes (along with PF rules) the insanely OP Power Attack potential presented by the old PrC.

Fortunately, I can use some stuff from UA, most significantly, Gestalt rules, Flaws (with some barbarian flaws from a 3.5 issue of Dragon) and the "Paladin of Freedom" variant (adapted to the PF paladin).

This, combined with the fact that my GM is allowing the Cavalier of the Order of the Griffon, from 'Cavalier Orders', and that the Mounted Fury Bbn archetype, from APG, doesn't have any class features that overlap with Kain's FrB archetype, creates some fairly nasty potential for a mounted rager.

I have two questions.

1. If one side of the gestalt combo was always FrB (mounted fury), in what order would you combine the following classes on the other side: Fighter (for combat feats), Paladin of Freedom (for survival in solo play), and Cavalier of the Order of the Griffon (for mount and more 'freedom fighter' flavor)?

2. Has anyone else tried a "Friendly Berserker" in PF?

Chances are I will figure it out, but I was just curious if others had ideas or prior experience.

Hey all,

I am playing a gestalt Cav|Pal in a one-on-one (I know gestalt=munchkin, but having those Paladin levels make one-on-one much more survivable.)

I have just watched the movie 'Tangled' again. (No snickering. It may be a kid's movie, but it's pretty damn good.) In the film, there is a horse character, named Maximus, who is more than just a horse, he's also (to my eyes) part ranger or fighter.

I've seen questions about animal companion/cohorts on the boards, but I can't really find the clear q & a. So I'll do my best to ask clearly, if you all do your best to answer clearly, and not knock my childishness for liking a Disney movie/being a powergamer who can't find enough time in his week to do more than play by IM with one friend in another state.

As a Cavalier, I have a mount who advances as a druid's animal companion. If I take the Leadership feat, I gain a cohort as well, but what if I want the animal companion to be the cohort? After I take Leadership, as I advance in level, so does the cohort. Here are the 40k gp questions...

Can an mount/animal companion be a cohort once Leadership is taken?

If so, instead of continuing to advance the horse as an animal companion, can it be advanced in class levels?

Thanks in advance for clearly stated answers that have rules cited to support them.

Failing that, thanks for any advice, too.

So not to beat the history vs. fantasy dead horse, but it seems that a man-at-arms ought to be good with a variety of weapons. A knight could fight with longsword and shield, sword and dagger, two handed sword, pollaxe, lance, and even be fairly skilled at archery.

I suppose this is demonstrated by proficiency with all martial weapons, but I wonder if there is an effective way to be more than proficient with multiple armaments, i.e.:

TWF with Shield Bash
THF with Power Attack, Vital Strike
Mounted Combat
Archery with PBS tree

And to boot, Unarmed combat.

With all that stated, is there a reason to be more than proficient with multiple armaments, when the game still caters to specialists, not generalists?

Thanks in advance for your input.

This is kind of what I had in mind, thanks again WAR for inspiring me to new heights of munchkinism.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d6eLMiBPu80/TW6oO7LVg_I/AAAAAAAABEw/XCoXF1E8-BI/s 1600/ManatArms.jpg

The purpose of this post is threefold. First, to discuss the difference between the in-game paladin and his literary counterpart. Second, to discuss the optimization of a gestalt cavalier|paladin with an old-school feel for a one-on-one game. Third, what to do if the player in a one-on-one game is a powergamer (that's me, and although I've tried to kick the habit, as the snake said to the otter "it's my nature") and the GM is a storyteller/world-builder.

Okay, in-game paladin vs. literary examples. A couple in particular come to mind.

Lancelot, the "perfect" knight: also a bloodthirsty adulterer who brought down a kingdom.

Roland, the grand-daddy of all pallies: also a spoiled rich kid with judgment issues and a heap of arrogance.

Without having a priest on hand to constantly atone to, you'd lose your status in a second if you played a paladin like this. Is it possible to play a paladin (not an ex-paladin or anti-paladin) with a tragic flaw? (Not to be hasty, but I don't want this to boil down to an argument about alignment and whether or not it's good for the game or is just a hang-up or whatever. Just some RP suggestions for paladins with flaws.)

Next, suggestions for optimization. Gestalt home-rolled 2nd or 3rd level cav|pal with an old-school feel. Planning on melee only (1st ed. style), and the acquisition of a stronghold at higher levels. Is there a way to make a melee-only hit-and-run DPR tank that will survive in a one-on-one game which could feature spellcasting enemies, undead, dragons and outsiders? We're using core, APG, and some 3PP stuff, but no 3.X material.

Finally, I'm a powergamer, for better or worse, and my GM is a storyteller/world-builder. We've gotten along great in the past, but one thing that always brings the games to a halt long before I get to any significant level (usually 6th to 9th) is that he doesn't match my munchkinism with the challenges he considers worthy of bardic legend. I like the setting, the background, the psychodrama, but I end up stomping all over his world, and he kind of lets me. Suggestions for a longer running campaign welcome.

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts. I hope the alignment comment doesn't anger anyone, for that is not a criticism of posters on these boards.