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We're moving slowly, so they're pretty much where I had them before. They stopped to sleep just outside the E8 antechamber and were worn up by a demon raiding party. The idea here is to make sure they know that there are demon reinforcements coming from inside Artrosa, and that they will get stronger as long as they dally. I still haven't figured out any of the details for the fiendish frost giant skald...
PF2 doesn't have the same sort of summoning/calling distinctions. Just a small note, banishment affects Eidolons who have non-Material home planes. Are there other summon-specific banish spells?
Is the "raw potential" in this case the magic essence associated with the given spell (eg. spirit/life for summon fiend, material for summon animal, life for summon fey)?
An eidolon can telepathically communicate with you at all times, even when it isn't manifested. Can it perceive the world around you as the summoner, or is it purely a mental connection? Of the four types of eidolon presented in the playtest, the Angel is considered an actual angel, and the Dragon is an echo from the Astral Plane. I would think that they would exist in Nirvana / Astral Plane when they're not manifested. Based on the 1E Spritualist, the Phantom comes from the Ethereal plane and exists there when it isn't manifested. The Beast seems to have come from "nature", which doesn't give me much idea where they would exist aside from the first world, or maybe as some disembodied form on the material plane. Has there been any treatment to this in the past, with, for example where Sarkorian God-Caller Eidolons exist when they're not with their summoner? I thought there was a series of stories that included a god-caller with a brilliant coloured bear eidolon, but I can't find it anymore.
In what ways do Shelyn's and Nocticula's Areas of Concern over Art differ? Is this portion of Nocticula's portfolio a subset of Shelyn's? An artist would pray to Shelyn in the hope that their art would be protected, while the artist would pray to Nocticula in the hope that they themself would be protected?
I have up to this point, understood summoning spells to draw the material from a specific plane to form the "platonic ideal" of the creature that's been summoned. I never quite understood where the summon nature's ally spells drew the material to create the creatures available to them, though. Even the animals from summon monster were flavoured as animals that would exist in the outer planes. Is my understanding of how summoning magic works in any way correct? In addition to elementals and creatures from the outer planes, the second edition spells let you summon regular animals, fey, giants, and plants (which I guess were originally part of summon nature's ally), and also aberrations and constructs. Where do these summoned creatures come from?
I'm a little sad that my description of the extreme Triaxus year is fairly off: it would be more accurate to say that it spends a century (or more, depending on the orbit) where daylight is as ephemeral as it is in Fairbanks or Stockholm in December... you don't have "daytime" so much as those hours when the sky lightens up a bit and you occasionally catch a glimpse of the Sun. If you have the angle of the planet providing "summer" during the orbital "winter" this could easily last for 60-65% of the day at more common latitudes, but it would still be minimal light the entire time. Having experienced both Alaska and Scandinavia, this idea is a bit much, even for someone who avoids sunlight for medical reasons. At least the people who live on the moons of Liavara and Bretheda have a gas giant providing a more direct light source than the Sun itself... while most of the residents of Eox aren't actually living. You may have moved on from the subject at this point, but Pathfinder AP #70 has a large amount of information on Triaxus. In one section, it talks about lighting conditions for the PCS: During the day, the sun is much smaller than it should be-it's not much more than a pinprick of light, though still blindingly bright to look at-and stars are visible in the sky. The sun never provides illumination equal to bright light; even direct sunshine at high noon is only normal light, and dim light prevails for much of the morning and afternoon. In Pathfinder 1E, dim light can be the equivalent of a moon-lit night, so it doesn't look like it's too far off what you've described here. The book also suggests that the planet is within a generation or two of spring beginning, so even these lighting conditions could be for a planet fairly far from the aphelion of its orbit. Summer lasts as long as winter, and spring/fall only last for 20-30 years each (the book says that Transitional Ryphorians only exist for a generation, but Winter/Summer-born could start appearing at the end of fall/spring), so there has to be some serious planet speed changes over the course of its orbit.
I STILL haven't managed to move my PCs through this dungeon, mostly due to delays cause by massive rewrites, including reorganizing the layout of the dungeons and the features in the rooms, one of which is turning the E8 antechamber into a massive 260 ft. x 280 ft. hall filled with a meandering line of female statues snaking around stalagmites and columns. In this room are the majority of Vsevolod's infiltration party: 4 Frost Giants and a Frost Giant Skald 3 (? 5? I haven't decided yet), all turned fiendish after sacrificing two centaurs. They have set up defensive positions in the room, ready to throw broken statue pieces (with Powerful Throw and Quick Draw replacing Improved Overrun and Improved Sunder) at any who try to enter from one of the three entrances. The dungeon has been reorganized such that a waterfall in the Maiden Stone room hides a passage way here, and a locked door in the Mother Stones room leads here as well. The room is so massive that only one giant can cover each entrance with the other two in reserve and it takes time for everyone to move in to join the fight. That's fine, though. Vsevolod is well on his way to corrupting the magic of the Eon Pit to make his mini-Worldwound permanent. Already, demons have started flowing out of the portal. First, only dretches were able to make it through, but as the PCs have dallied, fiendish ice mephits, andrazkus and babaus have come through to help bolster the defensive position. Even a nabasu was birthed in the room to act as a lieutenant to direct the demon contingent. The PCs' initial clash with Vsevolod's invaders is a quick ramp of more and more foes, but are able to flee since the invaders are content to keep their defensive position. This is an impossible fight for the PCs to take on alone, so they have to rally the Artrosa defenders, each has been compromised by Caigreal's coven in some way. The majority of Artrosa's defenders are not hostile: Jadrenka has, over the 200 years, fostered a woman's pilgrimage to the Stones and the PCs are assumed to just be the latest group. With Caigreal's meddling, the defenders don't even recognize that Artrosa is under attack, much to Jadrenka's frustration. The only rooms of Artrosa defenders completely hostile to the PCs are C6 (gorgon), E1 (the shadows), E7 (undead ravens), and the two tests (C7 and C9), as Jadrenka has managed to activate those defenses. The denizens in E2 (mihstu), E3 (Ungrist), E4 (bastards) are all hostile initially due to some combination of influence from Caigreal's coven, and their proximity to the encroaching demons, but can be talked down (and all will try to flee when they find out they're outmatched). Rooms with frost giants/andrazkus are, of course, still fights, but they've all been rearranged so that they branch out from the direct route that Vsevolod took to get to the Eon Pit. I could not, for the life of me, figure out how the Giant in D3 ended up there: He had to go through C4 (tendrilocus and possibly Poryphanes), C7 (wind blades trap) and D2 (Marislova, the doors are locked)! In fact, how does Caigreal bring Vsevolod and his 4 (at the time) frost giants from D5 to E9? Either they have to pass Ranisukalapadi and Nostafa, or they have all endure the immediately resetting Croning Ritual traps...for this reason, I made it so that the traps have a 1 round reset so that Vsevolod could force a centaur to endure everything for them. The only remaining thing for me to decide is how I want to stat Vsevolod himself, and who I want to have accompany him. Do I want to keep him as a cleric and just change out his spells so that they're not so alignment focused, or do I want to turn him into a warpriest? I am also seriously considering replacing the svathurim with two vrocks, who are on theme and work perfectly in the room. They can be spending their time smashing stalagmites and stalactites so they can get convenient boulders to use with telekinesis. I do lose the ability to show the beautiful artwork on page 53 of Valeros and Imrijka fighting the svathurim, though...
It's weird; the AP book that the Svathurim is introduced in (RoW 3) uses stats for a 1-handed Large lance, which is 2d6+9. However, when it was introduced again in the Monster Codex, it used stats for a 2-handed Large lance (3d6+13). The same thing happens with the mwk composite longbow (2d6+9 vs 3d6+9). The Svathurim in the Monster Codex also lost its two Large slams for use when it's not equipped with lance/shield. Personally, I'm using the stats of the Svathurim in RoW 3, since it's more complete and using the correct size weapons.
It's merely specifying that rebuilding the item works the same as crafting it, and that you can't merely put it back together. It is in no way granting special permission. Under your ruling why are they called out as raw materials if they do not count as raw materials?Why does the final sentence exist? Why is it giving the reader special permission to do something that the reader is already allowed to do?And if they were "just" raw materials, there would be zero need for this sentence:And if they weren't raw materials, and you couldn't craft with them, there would be zero need to use the term "raw materials". You would merely state an item's dissembled parts are worth half it's price. However, they are specifically called out as raw materials and then are given no specific rules to differentiate them from other raw materials. Maybe to give the reader slightly more flavour on what they're selling, maybe to reinforce that the parts are still useful and can be reassembled to remake the item. On the other hand, there's no need to talk about rebuilding the item at all if it can just be created from scratch using the same "raw materials" and the standard Crafting process. This is introducing new terminology for zero purpose.
And if they were "just" raw materials, there would be zero need for this sentence:And if they weren't raw materials, and you couldn't craft with them, there would be zero need to use the term "raw materials". You would merely state an item's dissembled parts are worth half it's price. However, they are specifically called out as raw materials and then are given no specific rules to differentiate them from other raw materials. Why does the final sentence exist? Why is it giving the reader specific permission to do something that the reader is already allowed to do in general?
And if they were "just" raw materials, there would be zero need for this sentence: Reassembling the item from the formula works just like Crafting it from scratch; you use the disassembled parts as the necessary raw materials. If the reader has a formula and raw materials worth half the price of the item, just tell the reader to use standard crafting rules instead of this sentence that says similar but much more specific.
It's a permissive system. It does seem like the authors intended that these disassembled parts can either be reassembled by either reverse-engineering it or through a formula....OR, as a consolation prize, you can sell them, obstensibly so that someone can else can use them to make that same item (although once sold the PC generally doesn't care about what happens to them). It's telling that the only place turning items into raw materials is mentioned is in the Reverse Engineering section and nowhere else.
I've decided to give the Frost Giants in the Crone the fiendish template. Before Vsevolod secluded himself he sacrificed another centaur to turn the rest of them demonic. This gives the giants the darkvision that gives such an advantage and now they no longer need to rely on torches (and the boosted defenses don't hurt either). Centaurs are getting a raw deal in this dungeon.
Flairs are slotless, but only because "occupies a hand" has never been considered a slot. They've obstensibly been balanced with a single one-handed weapon in mind. The attack in Opportune Parry and Riposte is an immediate action. Surprising Strategy is a level 11 feat for a prestige class that you're saying should be available to Swashbucklers at level 1. Chronicle of Legends was released this year. If it was meant to be available to swashbucklers, then it would be. You can only do some combat maneuvers in place of attacks without abilities that allow you to do otherwise. Dirty trick is not one of these. Waveblades are piercing or slashing, so you either get to use swashbuckler's finesse or Blade of Mercy+Enforcer, not both. You need a piercing and slashing weapon to utilize both. I think the broken back seax is the only weapon that does this, and it's an exotic one-handed 19-20/x2 weapon. You keep coming up with reasons why certain abilities and items "should" work with your character (when they were written to not work in those ways). You've convinced your GM to let everything work the way you think it should, but I don't think it's Attacks of Opportunity in general that are the problem.
Okay. It's the first time I've had a druid in my group, so shapeshifting hasn't come into it before. Though given that the group would be pushing level 10 when they hit the Eon Pit, that once again raises the question on if an elemental-shaped Druid would age in the pit. None of the elemental body spells give the ability to prevent the need to eat/drink/sleep, so the caster doesn't get those abilities. Elemental body III and IV explicitly give immunity to precision damage and critical hits. The spells do not change the caster's type or subtype. Given the group is likely to roleplay through encounters if possible, they will hopefully learn enough about the Pit ahead of time not to just rush right in. There's other methods of getting the Key - including summoning an Air Elemental to retrieve it. Summons that they can communicate with are probably the easiest thing they can do to retrieve it.
Here's a question. If a Druid shapeshifts into an Elemental, does the Druid suffer the aging effects of the Ebon Pit? After all, Elementals don't have biology or age. Yes. Again, the immunity from precision damage is a function of the subtype, which Polymorph effects do not grant. See this stack exchange question. The elemental body spells (like all polymorph effects) only grant what they say they grant. It requires elemental body III (druid level 10) before the spell description changes and states that the caster gains immunity to precision damage. Contrast with the Oracle revelation Energy Body from the Life Mystery, which does explicitly change subtype.
Here's a question. If a Druid shapeshifts into an Elemental, does the Druid suffer the aging effects of the Ebon Pit? After all, Elementals don't have biology or age. Polymorph effects don't change type or subtype. The druid is essentially just wearing an elemental costume. That is, yes, the druid still ages.
I just realized that frost giants don't have darkvision, which is awkward in many places throughout Artrosa. Most rooms outside of the Maiden lack light sources, and the frost giants spread throughout the dungeon find themselves in those rooms without noting anywhere that they brought their own. They are blind in the Crone passages, and I had assumed that the rooms themselves are also under a permanent darkness effect unless specified otherwise. The largest example of this is E8, where two frost giants are guarding the entrance to the Eon Pit. They seem to be ... blind? This leads me back to the PCs. How have you expected the PCs to traverse the Crone given the darkness effect (in the passages, at least)? Did you also assume that the rooms were under the darkness effect, or were the rooms just naturally dark? Edit from earlier in the thread:
Passages means just the hallways; the rooms are naturally dark (unless the description specifically mentions a light source). The Eon Pit is naturally dark, like other chambers within the Crone. Ah...so I guess the frost giants just need torches, although exploring the Crone will be awful for them.
If it doesn't benefit her to turn the world to a winter wonderland, then what is Rasputin going to say to convince her to do it? The idea is decent, . I'm just throwing it questions to develop the idea. How do the souls of people dying of cold, starvation, and war on Golarion get to Rasputin? Is he doing something similar on Earth? Are you keeping Rasputin as an oracle or changing him to one of the psychic classes similar to the contest? I really want to switch him over, but the loss of miracle is pretty devastating. He relies on that spell quite a bit in setting up the events of Book 5.
How can you say that calm emotions explicitly suppresses the confused condition when it explicitly uses the word "removes", implying that it is handled differently from fear effects which are associated with the word "suppresses"? If they were supposed to be handled in the same way, there would be no need to use two different words.
Heal ends the confused condition, not the confusion spell. Calm emotions removes the confused condition. Suppressed conditions and spells take hold again after calm emotions ends. Suppressed is not the same as removed, otherwise the sentence would read: It also suppresses any fear effects and the confused condition from all targets. There is zero reason for removed to be included in the sentence if it is supposed to be treated the same as suppressed.
Ehh, rereading the confusion spell, I think Cevah's right on this. The spell doesn't just make the target confused when it comes into effect; the confused condition is the effect of the spell, and the spell (not the condition) has a duration of 1 round per level. If you suppress the spell or the condition, the character is fine, but once neither is suppressed, the character is once again confused. Then heal also does not do anything to deal with confusion. Both heal and calm emotions have the same wording when it comes to removing the confused condition.
A spell that takes one round to cast is a full-round action. It comes into effect just before the beginning of your turn in the round after you began casting the spell. You then act normally after the spell is completed. This is misquoted. You are quoting a section of text that refers to a spell that takes a full round to cast, which takes longer than a spell that takes a full round [b]action[/]. They both require a full-round action to cast, but one takes effect at the beginning of your next turn (eg enlarge person), and the other one takes effect immediately after your action is complete (eg sleep. The upshot is that you quoted something that's irrelevant to how full-round actions work in general. Unless otherwise specified, a full-round action works exactly like any other action, and actions take effect at the end of the action.
At the least, if a GM doesn't want a player playing that kind of character, it seems more sensible to ban it rather than introduce restrictions. If the player grudgingly accepts those restrictions, then both GM and player are unhappy, and that's worse than the original problem.Have you considered having an adult conversation about why you don't like to play with this type of character rather than being passive aggressive about it and reaching to tie game mechanics to your personal pet peeves Or, because they think that beauty is tied to Charisma, they think they have to be unbearable in order to keep their Charisma as low as they want it to be. If you decouple Charisma from beauty completely, the player shouldn't feel like they have to pay for their beauty with an awful personality.
When making Cha be useful outside of social situations, it would also be nice to let the other 5 stats be naturally useful in some way to social situations, or at least WIS and Int. Not such that they can replace Cha entirely, but in allowing characters with different stats to approach social encounters differently.
Just because someone can try to participate using the one stat (and related skills) they're allowed to participate with and fail doesn't mean that people have fun doing so. When only one person needs to have the ability to do... essentially all of your examples, there is a great deal of inherent pressure to let the one character do everything in order to get the best results. "Players will optimize the fun out of anything" and all that. This optimization is incredibly easy to come across.
Gloom, I think the counterpoint some people are trying to make is that in many cases, because of how integral roleplaying is to the experience, punishing the roleplaying of the low-Charisma character ends up punishing the player in a way that other stats don't. Stat penalties should punish the character; they shouldn't make the game less fun for the player. In general, five stats are used in combat and exploration activities. Variations in those five stats change how a character approaches those activities, but everyone still participates. One stat governs social activities. Variations in that one stat changes how much a character gets to participate in the activity, period.
Just because Ghoul 1 provided a cover bonus to AC to Ghoul 2 doesn't mean you damage Ghoul 1 if you miss Ghoul 2 due to the cover. Ghoul 1 has its own AC, and you're not specifically aiming at it. The arrow might have deflected obliquely off of Ghoul 1, or Ghoul 1's movement distracted you enough that you couldn't get a good shot. If you replace Ghoul 1 with a monster with 40 AC, and you miss Ghoul 2, then you shouldn't automatically hit the monster. You could barely hit the monster if you were aiming at it, much less incidentally. If you add a Ghoul 3 in front of Ghoul 1, and you miss Ghoul 2, how do you decide which of the first two ghouls you hit? Etc. The exceptions and rulings you'll be making if you go through with this is going to end up quite time consuming.
I just hope the price scaling formula is more forgiving. When was the last time anyone paid for a 5th level pearl of power or page of spell knowledge? Magic item DCs need to scale properly and affordably too. So many (especially mid-high level) cool items are wasted in PF1 because the DCs are calculated at the minimum.
I'm also sad because it seems I can no longer add class levels to monsters because they are not designed like PC races and thus I cannot make an orc, an ogre, a troll, a serpentfolk, a dragon, or any other monstrous races as a PC(not that I have actually played them in a game, but still...). This is more something that GMs do, anyway. Is it easy to add PC class levels to monsters in PF2?
Yes, I am. A blind creature moves quarter the distance it would if it weren't blind. If it succeeds at the acrobatics check, then it moves half the distance.
Squares costing double is the exact effect of hampered movement, which comes in a minimum of three flavours (obstacles, difficult terrain and poor visibility). You would be hard-pressed to argue against darkness being considered poor visibility, even with Blindfight. You can't make a five-foot step when the square you're trying to move into costs 10 feet of movement, effects like Nimble Moves notwithstanding. Blindfight canceling out the half-movment limitation doesn't remove the costs of moving around in those squares.
Either: make natural attacks into iteratives, or make a creature only allowed to have one natural attack that is primary. Instead of creatures gaining natural armor as HD increases, give them a mix of natural and deflection, so that touch ACs scale. Lower the number of spells that require both a touch attack and a save. Reflex, Fortitude, Will saves stay more in line with each other so the discrepancy isn't "auto-fail" vs "auto-pass" at higher levels. Funnily enough, this was all done in PF2 (the results of not the method)!
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