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Sean Mahoney's page
Organized Play Member. 1,664 posts. No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 1 Organized Play character.
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I recently started running this campaign (again, got about halfway through years ago with another group), and have been pulling together as much extra content as I can.
The customer adventure "The Pit" still eludes me but I have found things here to be extremely useful.
I just followed up on the fact that the back of the early Pathfinder comics have additional info in them. I was able to get a Comixology account and check them out and there is good info and some relevant small encounters that can easily added to this campaign to add more depth.
(note, I was able to sign up for the free trial of comixology to check these out and will likely cancel now that I have the info... but a month at ~$6 is well worth the additional content. I will see if my 9yo son is interested in reading some comics before I cancel.)
It's not really community-created content, but it is additional material that can be readily added.
Anyway... those are my thoughts on what is there and when it might be used in this campaign. YMMV.
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Because he signed up for a fantasy game and it went into a VERY loose historical fiction game.
The problem isn't technology in the game, the problem for me is adding magic and every other part of the game that requires a suspension of disbelief into earth.
But that may not be the case for the original poster. Regardless, his question was not "should I actually like this even though I don't?" It was, "I don't like this, how can I remove it since I like the rest of the AP?"
Telling him he should like it or that it was done in an old Dragon or Expedition to the Barrier Peaks doesn't really help him with that.
It is clear that Paizo feels he and I are in the minority and feel this was a well received adventure and that the demand is there for a Numeria campaign... and heck, they are probably right. But for me personally it isn't an area I am interested in.
So come on! Any ideas that do help him? I bet you can come up with some good ones.
What do you see as the important things that would need to be in place for a replacement adventure. What is important in both fulfilling what came earlier in the campaign (and what needs to get changed earlier) and what needs to be in place to lead into the next adventure?
Sean Mahoney
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He's wrong, you are right... but it isn't worth pushing.
Let him know that you followed the rules, but if it is keeping him from having fun, you will revoke the action and let him go back and do something else.
Not a huge deal.
Then ask him if he is okay with the rules as written moving forward or if they will prevent him from having fun in the game.
Make sure you guys come to an agreement and then let it go. In the long term it is a really minor concern for the campaign.
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I would actually advise skinning... but you seem deadset against it.
If you have a race that is very different from humans thematically, but has the same (very generic) mechanics, then you should be good? Right? Your complaint is that the core races are boring, not that you want more power mechanically than the other players get?
But instead you argue that it is just calling something by another name. The roleplaying aspects of a character and the mechanics may inform each other but they do not mirror one another. I would reconsider your GMs offer to skin just about anything you want.
For example: You decide that playing a serpentfolk sorcerer sounds thematic and fits in with the campaign but the GM won't allow the race and does allow skinning. Does it really throw off your character idea that you get to put +2 in any stat, get a free feat, and an extra skill point per level? Not really...
It seems to me he offered you a pretty big concession and is concerned about the power level your present.
He is right that the race builder in the ARG is not balanced for people who are making a character. It wasn't designed to be. It is for making races not tailoring a race to work with a character concept... that allows it to become broken.
I can't speak about how he handled it in the moment but offering the solution to allow you to skin while retaining balance mechanically was a good one on his part.
Sean Mahoney
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Adam Daigle wrote: ...the Player's Guide doesn't provide race/class suggestions... This was a really good call in my estimation. I never found the race/class suggestions to be very useful or inspiring to me. Personally I am much happier knowing a mechanic that will have a large impact on the game so I can plan a character that either does or intentionally does not make use of it.
Good change IMO.
For those who miss it, specifically for this adventure path, I would challenge you to help make this messageboard that much better a resource for this campaign by starting and/or participating in two threads:
1) Skull & Shackles Race/Class suggestions
2) Expanded Skull & Shackles Traits (They all pretty much have one thing in common so it should be easy to stay on that theme)
Sean
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Find a scenario with camel animal companions and have them spit on him... there is no save vs. Nausea.
And its fun.
Sean
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The encounters tend to be listed in the Bestiary (end of the book) rather than the adventure itself.
My co-host and I did a podcast on this very topic (well, and vehicle rules from UC), that you might find helpful.
The Gamers' Guide to Vehicles and Caravans
There tends to be some fairly big issues with the caravan rules as the adventures go on, so I would highly suggest perusing the Jade Regent forum to see issues others have had and possible fixes (there are some suggestions in the podcast as well... but some of the problems got worse as more issues of the AP came out after recording).
Hope that helps!
Sean Mahoney
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Well, first thing I would do is make sure that you are familiar with the stacking rules for bonuses. In order to get the higher bonuses you will need to stack smaller bonuses.
Strength - This is your bread and butter way for an extra bonus to hit, and you get the gravy of more damage to boot. Starting high is good, but at this point you are looking for anything that increases this that stacks.
Tactics in combat - Make sure you are taking advantage of the combat as a whole. For example, if you make sure you are in a flanking position (+2 to hit) and jump up on a table (higher ground +1 to hit), you are getting some good bonus rolling. Likewise, if the enemy is a position that makes them easier to hit, that is the same as a bonus to hit (prone for instance is effectively a +4 to hit).
Domains - There are some domain abilities that will help you get bonuses to hit. You probably already chose domains though I suppose.
- Animal - Gives you a handy flanking buddy
- Good - Touch of Good will give you 1/2 your cleric level sacred bonus (sacred bonuses are great since they aren't as common, so are more likely to stack).
- Law - A little more odd, but making sure you don't have a low roll is the same as a bonus to hit.
- Luck - Rolling twice on an attack certainly gives you a better chance to hit. The rerolls after level 6 come in real handy too. (while I am not a big fan of true strike you get that as a domain spell, and it most certainly gives a bonus to hit)
- Nobility - Can give a +2 morale bonus to hit for longer than other abilities give a higher bonus. Morale is a more common bonus though.
- Strength - Like Good except this gives an enhancement bonus... which is the most common type of bonus and less likely to stack.
- Sub Domain: Demon - Bonuses for both hit and dmg, but is enhancement
- Sub Domain: Heroism - +2 moral bonus to hit
Spells
- Bless - +1 morale
- Command - You can tell them to drop prone and then get the +4 to hit
- Divine Favor - +1 luck
- Magic Weapon - +1 enhancement to weapon
- Summon Monster X - Set up flanks or aid another on you to hit
- Aid - +1 morale
- Bull's Strength - +4 enhancement to str
- Hold Person - +4 to hit them AND their dex drops to 0 AND you can coup de grace them.
etc.
etc.
You can see where I am going with this. See what stacks, look at durations, you can get some insane bonuses when it is all together. And then unload on them.
Do the same things with items, and you should be set at any level.
Also keep in mind that until you are at really high levels your BAB difference with someone who is full BAB is not real significant. At first through fourth it is a +1 difference... probably outshone by differences in what you and the fighter took for STR depending on your build. Don't be afraid to fight.
Sean Mahoney
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The more I think about the fiction the more I realize that it just isn't something I ever read. However, I really think I would turn that attitude around if it were somehow related to the adventure path it was presented in. A prequel that talked about the events leading up to the start of the adventure path, the bbeg's life, something like that... it would add a lot and let the GM really be ready to bring those NPCs that appear in it to life.
Other ideas for good additions to the back matter would be just about anything that would help flesh out the world and bring it to life.
I am thinking of something like the first adventure for Jade Regent might have a couple of pages of random townsfolk from sandpoint that would be interesting for the PCs to interact with. I am not looking for stat blocks here, but more personalities, quirks, something that is important to them and some scandal they are involved in. Something that gives the GM more hooks to sink into the world.
What else... maybe an article that gives random charts for weather in the areas the campaign will be taking place in with notes on how to include that in the game (often just pointing to relevant spots in the GMG).
If you have a campaign like Curse of the Crimson Throne or Council of Thieves that takes place in a single city, a huge section on rumors in the city (most having nothing to do with the campaign but just more mood hooks to help bring things to life).
I don't know... just rambling now, but I just really would want more focus on running that particular campaign rather than generic stuff. I wouldn't exclude the bestiary at all as I think that is popular, but I would recommend keeping all the creatures in each one CR appropriate for that adventure and then have a short paragraph on ideas for incorporating it into the path.
Anyway... just my thoughts. I know the original idea was sort of a replacement for Dungeon and Dragon in one book, but the random articles just don't feel right. I LOVE that they are there, but wish they were all support for the campaign.
Remember the support for the AP's that used to be in Dragon? Everything from what you could shop for in some random town to cohorts you could find in the AP. THAT stuff was good. I would love to see more of that. Sure it wasn't the focus, but are there really that many people who don't buy the AP for the adventure and even if they don't can't use the support articles unless they are not supporting the current adventure?
ok... still rambling... I will let it go.
Sean Mahoney
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I purchase the AP modules to run those AP modules. I don't get to run them all, but that is my intent... the possibility. As a result, what I am looking for in the other material in those is that it be useful for me in running that campaign.
Articles on gods that come up in those campaigns, good!
Articles on expanding portions of related play (kingdom building, et.c), good!
Monsters that appear in the adventures, good!
Monsters that don't appear in the adventures, not really useful.
Fiction that has nothing to do with the campaign other than being set in the same part of world, bad. Perhaps if it were a prequel of events in the campaign... who knows.
Basically I am looking for anything in that adventure path module to support that adventure path module. If it doesn't, it feels like a waste of space.
Sean Mahoney
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Yeah, no need to worry about tricks or handle animal for the familiar.
Really, you shouldn't have to worry too much about it with doing their normal thing (delivering touch attacks) either... at least not until it gets smacked around a few times for trying to do so then says it has had enough and doesn't want to do it anymore.
Actually, I would recommend highly that as a witch you do not use your familiar to deliver touch attacks.
The owl is a tiny animal, which means it has a 0 ft threat range. It has to enter the enemies square to deliver a touch attack and doing so provokes an attack of opportunity. While they do get your HP, they aren't REAL tough... and since they are you walking (flying?) spellbook you REALLY don't want him to die. Best to keep him out of melee combat.
Sean
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I would ask myself how big a focus I want magic items to be in my game.
If, for example, you want them to go after the items you want on quests, that will take up a significant amount of story telling time. Is that the type of quest that you find fun? (for me the answer is no, I want quests that are the focus, not items that are the focus)
Do you want to spend a bunch of in game time searching for NPCs who can craft the items you want?
Do you want the players to decide it will be best to spend their time leaving the area you have set your campaign and search the world for a bigger city?
Do you want to encourage the casters to become crafters? Including asking or taking large sums of down time to craft?
Do you want your players to make decisions about what class to play based on how gear dependent that class is?
If the answer to those is yes, that IS what you want to focus on in game, then I wouldn't let up at all.
Sean
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Vic Wertz wrote: First, subscribers like—and, in many cases, *demand*—that predictability. I'm confident that changing the line from bimonthly 32-pagers to "however long we want, whenever we like" would result in a net loss of subscribers. I am glad to see you make this point, as it is a strong one with me.
Honestly if the value of the adventure paths were not as high as they are, I wouldn't put up with even the variability that is in the schedule now. I never know when it is going to hit and that has cause budget issues some months were the charge comes on the single bad day of the month to hit me with over draft fees.
If it was anything else I would just unsubscribe, but the AP is my guilty pleasure.
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My suggestion is don't do it.
People will tend to play the type of game that they enjoy. If you are punishing them instead of helping them have fun... well, I am not sure that sounds like an enjoyable game.
And I know that there are a lot of people who like to reward good RP with XP, but it doesn't make sense to me. Again, if people are playing in a way they don't enjoy what is the point? Are you just trying to get people who care about XP only to game your way?
For me... RP is it's own reward. If you and other players at the table are RPing and it looks fun it will draw the others in or it just isn't their thing. If you don't want to play with people who don't enjoy the exact same aspects of the game then move on.
I know this comes across a little harsh, and I am sorry for that, it isn't my intent to single you out but more rail against a trend I have seen.
Sean Mahoney
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Really most of the details of the game are not relevant to whether or not the game was a success. Bottom line, when you asked your group that this was designed for if they had fun they said yes. Believe them.
If you know them to lie to you often... well, stop playing with them, life is too short to deal with that. And if not, don't doubt them.
As for the guest guy... sounds like he was a bad fit for this group. Letting someone in who is whiney and not fun to hang out with is not someone you should game (or go to the movies with... see note earlier about life being too short).
There are even people that you enjoy hanging out with that are not going to be good fits in a group. It's okay to protect the cohesiveness and fun of the people already there and not let others in.
You had whole threads on designing this game, you worked on it a TON. Having a guest just show up out of the blue and expect that it be tailored for his type of fun when he is obviously not doing what the adventure calls for is pretty ridiculous.
In my opinion, the only fail part was taking on the responsibility for this guy's fun and then not delivering... shouldn't have taken it on.
Sean Mahoney
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ShadowcatX wrote: Has anyone else listened to the gamer's guide? I only discovered it through this Helaman's post, but I'm having a hard time deciding if these guys are seriuos or not. Well, we do joke a lot but overall we are being serious, yes. One of the goals of the podcast is to make character building and optimization attainable for people who aren't already doing it. To understand WHY it is fun and how it helps people make the character they want to make. So we are not just going deep into optimization, we are giving an overview.
ShadowcatX wrote: And they're trying to say that a paladin is a knight. No. Just no. Holy warrior, yes. Knight? No. They've also forgotten that Anti-paladin is the alternate class for the paladin. Paladins absolutely can be your prototypical knight and that is often how people play them. That said, seeing them only as a knight would be extremely limiting and a disservice to the class. We did a whole episode on skinning that talks about using the mechanics to make whatever type of character you want to make, we aren't limiting that... we were doing a podcast on the cavalier though, so we weren't really dwelling on the Paladin as much. Certainly you wouldn't dispute that many players DO see the Paladin as a knight, right? We have to speak to those people as well.
ShadowcatX wrote: I really REALLY don't think these guys know much of what they're talking about. I would definitely like to hear any specific criticisms you have, but this thread probably isn't the best place for it. Come on over to the forums at 3.5 Private Sanctuary or start a thread in the 3rd party publishers portion of this site and I would love to talk with you about it.
Sean Mahoney
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Ryan Costello Jr from the 3.5 Private Sanctuary Podcast recently wrote a couple of short articles for Kobold Quarterly that might be of interest to this topic.
"A +2 what, sir?" Part I
"A +2 what, sir?" Part II
Basically the point would be that instead of giving vague descriptions you could say something like, "You study the blade for a moment and while the weaving of magic is tricky you realize that the crafter used the Assigliato method to craft this blade with both the Carving and Defending enchantments."
Since wizards are already used to standardizing spell names and such, it is no stretch at all (in my mind) that they would likely have done so with weapon and armor enchants as well.
Get rid of the +2 by naming it something you could see them naming it, and I think you are all set.
NOTE: Sorcerers have been botching things up for a while and don't feel the need to conform with standard nomenclature of spellcasting or enchanting. This is why they are nothing better than common, street, hedge-wizards! I say!
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What is a pure human? You say in our world if humans were able to breed with other things like they do in the game there would no pure humans left... but there is evidence that there was interbreeding in between humans and other hominids... so are any of us really pure humans?
The real problem I have with trying to enforce real world genetic realities on a game world is that real world genetics are not likely how things work in a game world.
This is a world that has, unambiguously, creation involved with the races rather than evolution. Evolution assumes, and experiments supporting evolution try to disprove, shared heredity as the only plausible explanation for shared genetics. If things were created whole cloth there is no reason they would have any of the same characteristics genetically (as illustrated with DNA and protien functional redundancy, psuedogene redundancy, etc., etc.).
Anyway... I guess my point is that if too much real world is applied then things start to break down. The trick is finding how much "realism" can be applied with out having the GM and Players lose their suspension of disbelief for the game. Get to crazy and wild and some people have a tough time getting into things, try and make it too realistic while still having things that clearly aren't realistic and things break down for others.
Not sure there is a right answer other than find what works for you and your group.
Although, I did like Mage Evolving's advice to treat them like a ring species... that is probably the most elegant solution for trying to apply real world genetics to humans and demi-humans in a fantasy setting. Props on that one.
Sean Mahoney
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John Lynch 106 wrote: I have no qualms about running the Splatter Man as an intelligent enemy rather than use the tactics presented in the book. They've demonstrated they can take on really tough fights. I would be careful on that fight even still... feel things out. The falling walls from the first part of the encounter will likely do a bit of damage all around to the party, then you throw in that he is opening up with damage that doesn't miss and does 20 damage right off the bat. AC doesn't mean much of anything other that they can ignore the summoned creatures... and it sounds like that is their big advantage.
Depending of the level of your players, that much damage with no miss chance can down a character in a round or two. In my game it worked out really well spreading the damage around. After a round or two there were people falling into the negatives and so the cleric was doing AoE healing to keep things going and was successful in doing so. At the same time, he was flying so no melee attacks made a big difference. If the ranger hadn't had the arrows from the catacomb... I don't know how they would have dealt with this encounter.
The same would go for the Lopper... he makes all touch attacks. If much of their success is against things that can't get past moderately high ACs for the level and they are relying on that then they are in for a rude surprise against incorporeal creatures with touch attacks... especially if they don't have the undead fighting tools available to them.
Again... I would really recommend that you use Kendra to point them back to the possible stash in the restlands... if they go back to town that is.
John Lynch 106 wrote: I've done the math. I know exactly how much extra treasure they get in this book. I also know EXACTLY where the treasure is. "Problem is," the players don't know it. So they're quite worried. If your good with letting them sweat because they are doing fine and you know the stuff IS there, then I would sit back and smile a little when they complain. If you really do think it is hurting them, then I would again recommend that Kendra point out the info from her fathers diary indicating possible undead fighting tools in the restlands.
Anyway... sounds like a good group! Keep having fun!
If it helps at all, I go pretty in depth into my experience with the adventure in a podcast episode a player, Barry, and I did: The Gamers' Guide to the Haunting of Harrowstone.
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Our last episode of the Gamers' Guide to Pathfinder Podcast is all about my experience running this module and my cohosts experience playing through it. Feel free to check it out!
The Gamers' Guide to the Haunting of Harrowstone
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Don't forget the Aid Another action. This means you are giving a +2 to either a friends AC or +2 for a friend to hit the target. This can really help!
Knowledge skills - These can really help in your role as the tactician. Read up on how they work and be making those checks to identify the monster, it's weaknesses, and let your party know!
At low levels I would not be prepping Mage Armor... those few precious slots needs to go to things that can stop an encounter in its tracks with one spell. Sleep and Colour Spray (as mentioned above) are fantastic at low levels. Grease could be a good option as well. Taking out the one tough guy in the encounter can be good as well, so look for save or suck type spells.
Finally, not sure how this works in society (as I don't play it) but I would be crafting scrolls each night of unused spells if you can (once you have the cash). Having scrolls of is just like storing your money and your uncast spells. If you find you want the money, you just sell them at the same cost you made them for. However, if you find yourself in a situation one could be useful you ask yourself if you would be willing to spend the cost of the spell to have that spell right then, if so... you do!
Sean Mahoney
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Lots of thoughts on it. So many in fact that I will point you to a podcast I did on the topic that should help clear stuff up:
The Gamers' Guide to Firearms - Part I
The Gamers' Guide to Firearms - Part II
I think you will find a lot of ideas and explanations in there that hopefully will both clear things up, provide optimization ideas, and spark some ideas that excite you about the character.
Sean Mahoney
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Verse wrote: That said, I don't generally see people with this trait decide to select one of their level one spells as its focus, but that's simply an observation. If you want to be balling a tricked out level 1 spell, this idea seems like an excellent way to get started! Magi are almost required by law to take this on Shocking Grasp and then do fun things like make it do up to 10d6 dmg as a first level spell they are channeling through a sword swing.
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Tsukiyomi wrote: So I've looked around a bit and have seen that it is more useful as a spellslinger to go for Eldritch knight so I will be doing such. I am not sure that I agree at all with that assessment. The eldritch knight loses a caster level and gains HP and BAB... which are nice, but by no means needed as a spellslinger.
A spellslinger is still casting spells, just like any other mage. The difference is that if you use a 2 handed gun you get a x3 crit on your spells that you cast through it and you can add the enhancement bonus of your weapon to some of your spells as either a bonus to hit or an increase in DC.
The chances to hit as a spellslinger are the same as any caster. Since you are primarily using either ranged touch or area effect spells through the gun, you don't really need a higher BAB.
Your call though... it isn't like Eldritch Knight is a bad choice, I just don't see it as much of a bonus.
Tsukiyomi wrote: however after looking at gunslinger I find that there are a good deal of neat class features, such as grit, nimble,utility shot, and gun training to name a few. So my question is would it be good to run a Spellslinger 3/Gunslinger 7/Eldritch Knight 10(note not the order I plan to take levels)? Not really looking so much for optimization as I am for general enjoyment, but a bit of fine tuning never hurt. From an optimization point of view I think it could be a really good fit. You would have spells to help with your defenses if needed and you can dump spells into your gun through mage bullets to add enhancements as needed for the situation into the gun. Having the right energy type for the right situation is pretty darn good, for example... and since you would likely be getting a magic gun anyway as a gunslinger these abilities stack with it. Again, I am not convinced on the eldritch knight. Yes, you would get further casting progression, but would loose out on the gunslinger stuff... I would use a spell slinger dip as flavor more than a focus.
From a fun or concept point of view it really depends on what your concept for the character is. I can think of some cool character concepts that would go really well with a Gunslinger who dips Spellslinger. If you can and it sounds fun, go for it!
Sean Mahoney
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First when he called out he was readying a spell you should be asking him what the trigger is. If there is no answer for this or it is vague like, "if they surprise me" then you need to make sure at that point it is known that it won't work as a trigger for a readied action.
Then call for perception checks from the players and ask the initial player if he is trying to hide that he is getting ready to cast a spell. If he says he is then the perception is against his sleight of hand check. If not, just pick DC 10 and call it good. Then call for initiative. Anyone who makes their perception check and the readier get to act in the surprise round...
Then go round by round... each round his readied action expires.
He'll get bored of that pretty quick. Explain that readying an action is a combat action, so you have to be in combat to do it. I think you will find this clears up quickly. If not you have player issues, not rules issues.
Sean Mahoney
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phantom1592 wrote: Everyone at the table should be able to envision what they want their character to be. If player A can do that with just Fighter... congratulations. If player B needs to branch out and mix and match... who cares? I completely, 100% agree.
Everyone at the table needs to be playing and having fun. Different people enjoy different things about the game.
In a game with 4 players, all of whom are a single class, you are likely to have someone who wants more tactical combat and digs dungeon crawls, someone who would be happy never ending the city in an endless series of RP encounters, and probably two guys who are happy to just roll some dice and BS with friends. None of those are bad fun.
Likewise if one of those people really enjoyed crafting a character to fit his character concept... why would you want to punish him?
Again, if he is making things not fun for other players, that is another problem that has to be dealt with... but it isn't his having a bunch of prestige classes and base classes down on his character sheet that is the problem.
Sean Mahoney
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LilithsThrall wrote: PrCs should be GM tools to add depth to the campain, not Lego modules for optimization. I guess I am having a hard time understanding why it is ok for people to have archetypes that let them make the character they wanted to play mechanicall as well as RP wise, but if they did the same thing with a Prestige Class why that is bad.
If you don't like optimizing than you aren't going to like archetypes either (or feats)... anything that gives more choices gives the chance for optimization to occur. The thing is that more choices also means that people can make the character they want to play if it isn't exactly modeled by the core classes.
I just don't get why people like some choice and not others as being available to others.
Sean Mahoney
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I, for one, would love as many classes as they care to pass out our way. 1-2 per major release is fine with me. I don't see an issue and enjoy the variety.
Keep up the archetypes.
Start introducing more Prestige Classes.
I would like a lot more racial options as well (not necessarily more races, but racial options). Guess this one may be answered with an upcoming release.
Sean Mahoney
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Shisumo, I wanted to say thank you for stepping up and answering the challenge of why you thought that in play that Holy Gun works out better... might have worked better if you just started with "in my experience the grit recovery works a lot faster than you would expect." rather than some other assertions, but I do appreciate the answers, I hadn't considered that... I am more on the fence now.
Sean Mahoney
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The way I am reading it this feat would give the following:
1 additional use of Judgement per day
When this additional use is activated the specific judgement you have active at any given time is also improved.
Destruction, Fast Healing, Piercing, and resistance will all always be one step better as these all go up by three levels each.
Depending on your starting level you will also see an increase in Justice, Protection, Purity, Resiliency and Smiting as these go up in power in more than three levels.
Second, Third and True Judgement are all seperate class abilities from Judgement and are not affected by this feat. So you still only have your normal number of judgements going at any given time.
Sean Mahoney
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Is a Paladin telling a wizard that if he commits an evil act or registers as evil during a unasked for scan, that the paladin will cut him down an evil act? It seems a lot like Tyranny to me. Such things make Asmodeus happy.
And I suppose if the threat of physical violence against a person who registers as evil to paladin is an evil act, is any use of the intimidate skill an evil act?
Sean Mahoney
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Well... the first thing that comes to mind is that they probably all liked the dispel magics to keep people from employing dirty little tricks.
Next, it is important to remember that there is a lot more to most schools than just one way of doing things. For example, in transmutation there are lots of spells that don't just transmute your enemy... transmute the things around them, yourself, etc.
Anyway... the first thing to do is look at the limitations of True Seeing. First thought that comes to mind is 'how would true seeing see a shadow spell that is in fact partially real?' The range is another factor. If someone keeps more than 120 ft from the seer, then they can't see through illusions. Use illusions to trap the seer, the illusion maker may know that it is likely someone would have true seeing and would set up situations in which seeing through the illusion is detrimental. Imagine a medusa chained up behind an illusory wall. Most people just walk on by, but woe to the poor true seer.
Spells that provide concealment seem to specifically foil this as well. Not sure how that works with illusions of fogs (likely sees through them), but it is worth a shot.
Looking at some of the higher level illusion spells (shades, wierd) it might be a detriment to not be able to see them as seeing through an illusion in no way protects you from the effects..
Imagine a projected image of the runelord. The true seer quickly can tell this is an illusion and dismisses it, only to have it start casting very real spells at them.
Perhaps the illusionist has had a great time blinding those he believes have true seeing (pump up that DC and take that guy out!).
Perhaps the runelord has researched a spell or metamagic feat akin to the spell misdirection that works to fool trueseeing specifically (would need to be higher level than trueseeing if a spell).
Anyway... just thoughts.
Sean Mahoney
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Werecorpse wrote: I am running RoTRL and have just decided to do away with exp points and level up when it seems appropriate.
Does anyone know of a location of detailed suggestions for when to 'level up'?
I figured I would give this one it's own thread so as to not threadjack others.
I used this method when I ran SCAP (my first real time running a campaign as a DM) and it worked fantastically. I figured that this time I would use XP... and I am finding it is coming out to be almost the identical point I would have picked so far.
Anyway, I figured I would give this a stab for you since it will make my life of judging if they need a side trek easier as well.
Level 2 - Before Heading into the Catacombs of Wrath
Level 3 - Just before Thistletop
Level 4 - End of Burnt Offerings
Level 5 - Just before Misgivings
Level 6 - End of Misgivings
Level 7 - End of Skinsaw Murders
Level 8 - After Graul Farmstead
Level 9 - After retaking the Fort
(Maybe after the damn?)
Level 10 - End of Hook Mountain Massacre
Level 11 - Reaching Jorgenfist
(by XP I am guessing they would be part way through Jorgenfist, but I like the cleaner cut off point when using this method)
Level 12 - End of Fortress of the Stone Giants
Level 13 - Entering the Runeforge
(Like above, they would likely level within the runforge, but I like the cleaner line; that and if you add in a lot of RP like I do then there is a bigger lag caused by the time all that takes)
Level 14 - End of Sins of the Saviors
Level 15 - Entering the Pinnacle of Avarice
Level 16 - Beginning fight with Karzoug
Anyway... that is my suggestion roughly. I can only confirm the first three right now (my party is in Thistletop) as I didn't actually do any of the math to see where things happen, but looked for good story points.
Sean Mahoney
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The module recommends that one of the starting areas for the PCs be Sandpoint. If you could get some or all of the PCs to be from this time then a quick adventure during the "late unpleasantness" would be a great way to have them familiarized as locals with the town.
The beginning of the adventure could feature the your lass walking down the street as all the young lads stop and a spot light hits her, she flips her golden locks in the wind and a heavenly chorus seems to be playing in her mind... they aren't sure but it seems to be singing "There She Goes Again" by the Boo Radleys. She would have been the childhood crush of nearly every adolescent boy in town.
The girls in town may have had the above scenario tempered by there jealousy and the body dismorphic disorder they acquired from comparing themselves to her might still be affecting them to this day.
Of course, life would barely be worth living after the church burns down with her in it... but, they get by... one day at a time...
If you really want to forshadow things a little more have one of the girls who is hiding under a porch digging for a lost jar of coppers overhear Nualia's lover bragging to some disbelieving friends that he "tapped that." At the time the girl would simply want to spread this rumor to discredit this beautiful slut / rival for her adolescent companions attention... but it would actually be relevant later on in the real adventure.
Sean Mahoney
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