Sebastrd's page

Thanks again for all of the ideas. The gaming community is always so generous and ready to help; it's a quality that too often goes unnoticed. I've nailed down exactly what I plan to do, based on the ideas here and at a couple other forums along with some material shamelessly borrowed from Lovecraft's "Azathoth" and a couple other places. For those that are interested, here's what I've decided to go with:

Before age fell upon the world; when grey cities rose under smoky skies;
Before the sunlight pierced the shadow; when twisted phantoms walked the earth;
Before vain life and futile hope; within the depths outside of time;
There sleeps the Thing Within the Void.

The village of Aisa's Crescent is home to a secret society called the Sentinels of the Silver Choir. The Sentinels are an ancient order sworn to prevent the release of the Thing Within the Void (Atropus, from Elder Evils) from its extraplanar resting place. In ages past a lunatic cult worshiped the Thing from their temple fortress, which sunk into a crescent-shaped ravine that opened in the earth below it (The Sunless Citadel, heavily modified). The Sentinels guard the secret of that ancient fortress, through which the Thing might be unleashed upon our world.

As the campaign opens, the PCs, young residents of Aisa's Crescent whose parents are all members of the Sentinels, are about to be inducted into the order. Their initiation will involve spending the night on the shores of the enigmatic Grimpond, where they will each receive a vision in their dreams - either past, present, or future. One PC is a half-elf, and is the half-brother of another PC playing a high-elf. One of them will receive a vision of the very immediate future - the sight of Aisa's Crescent burning, followed by a figure in black marked with a strange symbol (a blackguard). The vision will end as the figure in black turns to look over his shoulder and briefly reveals the face of the PCs' mother.

Upon the party's return to Aisa's Crescent, they will find the scene from the PC's vision unfolding. Above the din of the raging fire they will distinctly hear the sound of a bawling infant - the PCs' baby sister. The figure in black, on horseback, will be accompanied by a group of very large, cloaked humanoids (ogres). Perception checks can reveal the mother's face as she briefly looks over her shoulder, the nature of the large humanoids, and a gemstone pendant on a chain/string around the neck of the lead ogre (a hag's eye).

The mother works for a coven of hags. The eldest hag is nearing the end of her life, and they need the child to either extend the hag's life or replace her. The mother might secretly be a hagspawn, but definitely has her own agenda and serves the hags only temporarily.

The PCs will now be faced with the prospect of either resigning the baby to her fate or leaving the Sunless Citadel unguarded.

The BBEG was a good guy, then discovered a tome of lost lore, which put him in contact with a Great Old One. The BBEG then went on to do some horrible things.

When the BBEG discovered the means to travel back in time, he did so to stop himself from getting the tome.

So he sends his Dragon to grab himself as a baby and bring him to himself as an adult, with the goal of preventing himself from ever contacting the Great Old One.

Ooh, I like that one, too.

Thank you so much, folks; these are some great ideas.

Another darker use of course would be your BBEG is trying to become a lich. The original recipe did require a baby... And a dragon (wyvern actually, but close enough).

Where would I find details? That sounds interesting...

I'm prepping a scenario, and I'm stumped on a motivation for my BBEG. Long story short, the party will return to their village just in time to see it burnt to the ground and the BBEG's Dragon headed out of town with a crying baby. It'll set the tone and give the PC's an immediate and personal goal, especially if the kid is someone's sibling (likely).

There are some cliche motivations I could use, such as:

• the kid's soul will be food to sustain bad guy's immortality
  
• the kid is a chosen one prophesied to overthrow the bad guy
  
• it's a Tuesday
  
• bait to entice the party into following him
  
• simple evil ritual human sacrifice type deal
  

I'd like to come up with something more creative, though. Specifically, I'm thinking some kind of Lovecraftian, cosmic horror reason. (I also considered a time travel scenario in which the kid will do something useful in the future, but that's pretty cliche, too. Then I thought perhaps the kidnappers were from the past, but that seemed pretty ridiculous.) Unfortunately, my creative juices just aren't flowing right now. Why would an evil entity want one specific baby?

Help!

Oberoni Fallacy, making an excuse for flaws in a game mechanic just because it exists somewhere else. Doesn't make it right.

Nice try. This entire thread has been about whether or not psionics is over-powered in the context of 3.5 spellcasting. Your complaints point out one scenario in which a single power under very specific circumstances if the dice fall perfectly is much better than a crappy arcane spell and that said scenario obviates the need for a tank.

Other folks have already pointed out the flaws in your spell vs. power scenario. I was just adding that your other example is even less relevant.

Does a Psion armed with the Vigor psionic power (236 hp, plus throw in a Energy Retort power) eliminate the need for a martial tank character? Yes. Not exactly a game mechanic that helps define class roles and promote teamwork, fairness and player spotlight in a role-playing game.

If you're seriously trying to argue that psionics is overpowered because a psion eliminates the need for a tank, please let me introduce you to the druid, cleric, wizard, etc....

In my experience, a lot of the joy of DMing stems from dealing with the unexpected. I wouldn't worry about it too much unless the trend continues. Have your players started to adjust tactics in light of all the recent deaths? It might make for some great role playing.

My position is good because I've reached it after a decade of self-reflection and examination.

You're only ten!?

I just don't buy into the dichotomy that says that anger and rationality can't co-exist in a person or argument.

It is possible to be angry and still express oneself rationally. In fact, it's expected of those who wish to be perceived as mature or who expect to carry on mature relationships. Control over one's emotions is a hallmark of adulthood.

Basically, there has never been a time when video game marketing didn't use women's bodies to sell games. There has never been a time that didn't have video game marketers who saw women as objects used to sell games rather than people they should be selling games to.

There has never been a time when marketers in general haven't used the bodies of both genders to sell everything. Sex sells. Why expect that video games wouldn't use it to target their core audience?

Easy Kthulhu, it's a game. If you like it..as your unending posts in defense of 5th show you clearly have strong feelings for it. It's alright, dice up and have a go at it.

Did you ever consider that it might not be about the game? Anytime anyone defends WotC, 4E, 5E, etc. on these boards, they're automatically assumed to be fanatics - either of the company or the system.

The reality is that lots of people who like Paizo hate WotC, and they'll badmouth anything that WotC produces just on principle. While those people may have very legitimate reasons for not liking WotC, they often resort to expressing that dislike with poorly constructed arguments and complaints with no basis in reality. Putting "in my opinion" in front of any old ridiculous claim does not excuse someone from expressing themself clearly or doing some simple fact checking.

Regardless of preference, we have a responsibility to be clear and accurate and to add something of value to the conversation.

Are you kidding me>?

Look at the power point totals of 20th level Psion. Now look at the Wizrd chart.

It's clearly a FACT that Psion can cast 24 9th level spells per day and clearly a FACT that a Wizard gets 6 (if he is specialized).

I don't need to support "evidence" of this-- its right there on the class charts.

No one is arguing that a psion does not get enough PP to manifest 24 9th level powers or that a wizard can only cast 6 9th level spells. Your premises are true.

However, your conclusion that those facts mean the psion is more powerful does not necessarily follow. Yours is the literal definition of an "invalid argument".

You are completely disregarding all of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th level spells a wizard can cast in addition to his 9th level spells. You have refused to acknowledge that those spells scale with wizard level, making them more useful than their spell level might imply. You also continue to ignore the flexibility advantage that a wizard enjoys - 6 9th level spells + myriad 1st-8th level spells versus 24 9th level powers.

Your argument, that a psion gets more 9th level powers and is thus superior, is oversimplifying the situation. By your logic, we could conclude that the wizard is clearly superior because he can cast more total spells than a psion can manifest powers. Or we could say the wizard is clearly superior because he has far more spell options than a psion has power options. Or the wizard is superior because none of his spells require expending a psionic focus. The situation is a whole lot more complicated than any of that.

I only played Minecraft briefly when it first came out on Xbox, but I found the lack of story led to boredom, despite having complete creative freedom and ultimately the ability to build whatever the heck I wanted.

I felt the same way. My children, however, play it like electronic Legos. They'll spend hours creating some pretty cool and incredible (for their ages) stuff. It massively encourages and inspires their creativity. It is literally the best "kid" game I've ever seen.

What no one is doing is providing a reasonable counter to my theory that novas are problems and that Psions are too good at doing them.

What you seem to misunderstand and that, coincidentally, everyone else in this thread is trying to convey to you, is that direct damage, blasting style casting is objectively the least effective way to play a caster in 3.5. Enemy HP scales much more quickly than spell damage, to the point that the power of direct damage spells is inversely proportional to character level. Any smart caster will be using buffs, summons, and battlefield control at 20th level.

No one is providing a reasonable counter to your theory, because your theory presupposes an irrelevant playstyle. Perhaps it's "everyone versus you" simply because you are demonstrably incorrect.

H: You are a defector, I understand.

L: Yes, my king.
H: I am not your king.
L: But I wish you to be.
H: But you are a traitor by definition, are you not? What would I want with a traitor in my midst?
L: I can tell you of a village that lies unprotected, where you can gather young women.
H: I have plenty of women.
L: Slaves and weaponry.
H: I have plenty of weapons. What I want is the Epirus bow, like this monastery I moved every precious stone you people worshiped upon and I have yet to find it.

Immortals?

Mwahahaha

Mwwwahahahahahaha

MWWWWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

This is a death I was not expecting and the fact that it happened so fast is sort of problematic. Not really happy with this death…it seemed a bit too arbitrary.

Sometimes death should be arbitrary. Sometimes, even when you've done everything right, the other team still wins, because they were simply the better team that day. I wouldn't sweat it too much.

The problem with keeping a game challenging enough to require grouping is that it must maintain a population large enough to make grouping quick. No one wants to stand around waiting for a half hour until a cleric shows up. They want to quest now. DDO has been forced to shift its focus to solo questing,because it no longer has the player base to support easy grouping. Of course, epic elite difficulty still requires the vast majority of players to group, but that simply causes the best players to segregate themselves from the more casual players...

"No one makes me bleed my own blood. Nobody!"

P1: Necessary? Necessary?! Is it "necessary" for me to drink my own urine?

And I also think it's time they updated Kara-Tur, Zakhara, and Maztica this time around. There's more to the Realms than Faerun.

not if they want my money...

Interesting. Thanks for the link!

Glad to be of service :)

I'll just leave this here.

This is literally the first news I've seen that has me interested in a Pathfinder product. Nice.

Blake seven concept art

Ewww.

In a vacuum (pun intended :P), it's a gritty, cool looking spaceship. In comparison to the original, WTF is that thing?

Just to play Devil's Advocate, the new series/movie is supposed to take place long after the original. Who knows what an alien spacecraft looks like then, and it may even be a new craft from a different alien civilization. On top of that, the original series never had the kind of budget necessary to do the concept justice. The original Liberator is nothing to write home about, so I can see why they'd want to cut loose a little now that the budget is bound to be substantially larger.

At the end of the day, though, the core audience for this thing will be fans of the original. Whatever Liberator makes it to the screen next had better be instantly recognizable by fans as a throwback to the original.

Well played, thecursor. Well played.

The hit point/hit dice recovery thing makes some sense. Hit points have always been defined as being not just sheer physical toughness but also (and mostly) the ability to dodge out of the way and turn a mortal wound into a scratch. IOW, the loss of hit points represents fatigue as well as physical damage.

Understood that way, it makes sense that a short rest would allow a character to recover to a degree. However I think they went too far by having a long rest restore all lost hit points. Some damage really is physical injury, and that part shouldn't heal as quickly. Unless we're going to say that there's no actual physical injury until hit points reach 0?

That's how I've come to view them. The complete loss of hit points leaves one unable to avoid actual, non-superficial physical damage any longer. That's why at zero hit points a character cannot take any strenuous actions - they are physically and mentally spent. Any exertion or incoming damage causes lasting harm at that point.

Oh, I'm well aware why they're putting it on their front page, it's just a bit awkward since I left DnD for Pathfinder a while ago. I guess it's sort of like meeting an ex while you're with your current girl/boyfriend :P

It's sad that people treat games and game companies this way. It's probably a byproduct of the way gamers in general view relationships, but that's a subject for another, most delicately handled thread.

RB:"Help me Jesus! Help me Jewish God! Help me Allah! AAAAAHHH! Help me Tom Cruise! Tom Cruise, use your witchcraft on me to get the fire off me! "

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

FLT:"In the Winter of 1969, an elite force of the US Army was sent on a top secret assignment in Southeast Vietnam. The objective: rescue Sgt. Four Leaf Tayback from a heavily guarded NVA Prison Camp. The mission was considered to be near-suicide. Of the ten men sent, four returned. Of those four, three wrote books about what happened. Of those three, two were published. And of those two, only one got a movie deal. This is the story of the men who attempted to make that movie. "

Tom Cruise features in this one also. :)

Won't buy, won't play. I will never, ever again touch anything with wizards of the coast logo.

Only the Sith deal in absolutes.

Regardless of how one feels about the value of symbolism in literature from any of the myriad perspectives we explore, the exploration itself has value. It encourages creative and critical thinking, two skills that can be priceless when focused in the right direction and on the right problems.

Fantastic list if movies, Dougal. In order:

Zoolander
Anchorman
Old School

I would like to say I am open to being wrong on this, but that would be a lie because it just seems so cut and clear on this subject of inventory and market space.

I completely disagree with you. I think Rynjin gave a pretty good definition of P2W.

For it to be P2W it requires that you gain a distinct advantage over other players that is not obtainable (or not easily obtainable, see purchasing an extremely rare drop). Generally a problem only found in competitive games, not cooperative ones.

Okay here are some more from me

" It's not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting *ideas*, and *thinking*..."

Disney's Beauty and the Beast

(Paraphrased)

1: What's that you're eating?
2: (Looks at what's in his hand for a little while) No idea.

Ratatouille?

Welcome to shady dragon inn. Feel free to post the stats of a pc you have raised from first level up to third level...also, ales can be had for a copper piece and a bed for one silver for the night.

Will there be anyone in it?

Our question was really whether they are objects or not (same with animated objects and intelligent swords).

I'd consider all of those creatures, not objects. I wouldn't object to dispel magic having some type of stunning/dazing effect on them, though.

I suppose I would have it deal an amount of damage based on the caster level.

On topic, those covers are amazing. The detail, especially in the white dragon scene, is remarkable.

Wizards of the Coast will never get another dollar from me.

Even though the personnel at WotC change occasionally and the design teams change completely from edition to edition? How "noble" of you...

Fourth editon books didn't have version indicators on them either, and neither die the original third edition books.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Keep your highfalutin facts and logic outta the way of some good, old-fashioned, edition-warring nerdrage.

Adult superheroes aren't choosing to wear anything.

Artists, editors and writers are choosing whether their characters wear sexy costumes or not. While they may on occasion do so to reveal character, it's more often they do so on the theory that showing skin boosts sales.

There are no "adult choices" going on here. This isn't about what adults choose to wear and what kids choose to wear.

You're right. It's about what we choose to buy. As long as revealing costumes boost sales, revealing costumes will be the norm. If you're hoping society will suddenly come to its senses and stop liking revealing costumes, you're kidding yourself.

It's almost comical how we're having this conversation about the same culture that demonizes religion and "puritanical prudes" for decrying sexualization and objectification.

You could always run the old Dungeons & Dragons Online (DDO) standby 18 Wiz/2 Rogue. The Wizard's high intelligence and utility spells combine nicely with Rogue. Take Rogue as your first level, then use all the extra skill points you get from your high Intelligence score to keep the vital Rogue skills like Search and Disable max'd. Around level 9, take your second level of Rogue.

From a role-playing perspective, the sneaky Wizard stealing/adventuring to fund his research make perfect sense.

Note: I don't recall if the feat exists in Core or not, but there's a feat called Insightful Reflexes that lets you use Intelligence instead of Dexterity for Reflex saves. Take it, if you can.

And yet despite drawing that piece as if he was a younger Arnold Schwarzenegger he IS fully clothed. Yet women get drawn as if they had broken backs to maintain the crazy totally sexist poses often wearing very little clothing at all.

Do you actually read comic books? Or do you get all of your information from articles bashing Rob Liefeld?

That's about as useful a response as to assume it doesn't exist because you personally don't see it and dismiss the reports of those who are affected and can see it.

You're right of course that sometimes people can be too sensitive. Maybe they've been hurt by it enough in the past that they see it everywhere, even when it isn't there. Some probably even make deliberate false claims for their own advantage.
OTOH, it's very common for such claims to be dismissed out of hand, either due to ignorance and lack of perception or due to deliberate blindness.

I wasn't trying to say it doesn't exist. I was trying to say it may be overblown and that perhaps some of the more overzealous posters in this thread should put down the torches and pitchforks; it reminds me of the Red Scare - instead of Communists, some people see a racist or a sexist under every rock and behind every tree.

And I wonder how often people who aren't affected by it themselves overlook it while it's all around them. Much like racism.

That's an excellent question. I suppose the obvious solution is to be outraged regardless just in case there really is some injustice going on somewhere, rather than to carefully consider the facts. After all, I wouldn't want to be perceived as sexist or racist for not showing enough knee-jerk outrage.

I am stunned that you can't see the objectification of women. Do you live under a rock? Have you NEVER seen an advertisement? And this is NOT a partisan issue at all. ANY woman who wants to be treated like any man on the job has to face this issue left and right alike. We are judged not on merit but on how attractive we look, while men with half the qualifications get promoted above us.

Not where I work - and I'm in the military! Like racism, I wonder how often people notice sexism because they are looking for it and not because it actually exists.

"I just have one question. Are you boys ready to get serious?"

J: If you want to, you can lay me over the table and amuse yourself. And even call in your men. Well. No woman ever died from that. When you're finished, all I'll need will be a tub of boiling water, and I'll be exactly what I was before - with just another filthy memory.

C: You make good coffee, at least?

"There were no F names in the Bible so Ma named him Frankincense because he smelled so sweet."

R: "Andy Dufresne - who crawled through a river of s~!% and came out clean on the other side. "

Shawshank Redemption.

Regardless of the victim's motives, if what he's saying is true, then Singer is, at the very least, guilty of trading empty promises for sexual favours with a 17-year-old kid. Whether it was illegal or not, and whether the statute of limitations has expired or not, it's still morally reprehensible.

Of course, if we all stopped watching movies produced by morally reprehensible filmmakers, we wouldn't have much left to watch.