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Next campaign I'm planning to start 'em off at 5th and use the slow advancement. Probably use Ultimate Campaign and maybe Mythic.
It's a core balance/game design issue for DnD that's been this way since Basic. Up until very recently, one of the core concepts of DnD is that you have a small team of highly specialized PCs each solving problems in their own area. You have the spell guy, the heal guy, the tank/bruiser and so on, everyone has their own thing. Strength and Intelligence are the two 'power attributes' that everyone gets use out of but are primary to fighters/barbarians/etc and wizards/arcane spellcasters respectively. As such, a Str/Int race is ideal for both diametrically opposed classes as well as Gish builds. Both class types are very powerful in Pathfinder, combining the two has to be handled delicately to maintain game balance especially when you consider PFS legality. Touch attacks, for example, exist to give low-strength, low-BAB spellcasters a chance to actually do something hand to hand, give them higher strength or the ability to optimize for str and int you're going to get synergies that the devs probably don't want to deal with. This isn't to say that it can't be done in a balanced way, I'm sure it can, but it's a worry and that probably makes it a low priority for the devs. As such even if you get an official str/int race (or more if one already exists, I can't think of one off the top of my head) don't expect them not to have some downside. Edit: To be clear, I love the Magus and other fighting casters and yes, those classes would benefit from Str/int races. Of course, I mostly build Dex/int style characters when I go for this archetype so I haven't noticed the lack of Str/Int but I wouldn't turn back a player in a home game that brought me a concept for such a race built with APG.
Agree. The forced inclusion of minority, majority, gay, lesbian, abled or disabled feels wrong. It's a little like the idea of the female quota that sees to spring up here from time to time: we need more females in business or politics, well then lets set a minimum quota of women in these jobs and employ women to meet that quota. The inclusion feels false and betrays the whole concept of equality. This is a different issue. When you see these sorts of measure implemented, if they're being implemented responsibly and not for political/marketing reasons, it's generally because the profession in question has a problem with entrenched misogyny. Internal bias means you have to force the people involved to change through assimilation. Let's be clear, we're talking about people who literally think '<insert minority here> is not <good/qualified/talented/smart/genetically or emotionally suited> enough to perform this job'. Don't feel sorry for them.
Ok, now that I've read the book and reviewed it, some feedback that I didn't feel right putting in the review. I like the new format, as a graphic designer as well as a reader. However, that double-page spread with the three feats in blurred boxes over the art isn't so good. It pains me that the art is obscured and that the feats are divorced from the actual feats section where it would be useful for them to be for quick reference. What would I like to see in Blood of the Moon: 1. I'm going to echo this one: Rules for integrating both infected and natural lycanthropes into a party. 2. Maybe a lycanthropic template that can be used to create new lycanthope strains. You know... I don't think we need a half-lycanthrope template. I mean, we have Catfolk and Kitsune, creating anthropomorphic races or more primal humanoids with animalistic traits is something that can be covered with regular races. I stand by what I said in my review: Blood of the Night's main problem is trying to do too much at once with complex subject matter. I'd rather buy 2 books with more in depth coverage than one that skims over several things.
-Nostalgic sigh- This reminds me of the old 1e DMG and the Book of Artifacts from 2e. Particularly the charts. -goes to hunt through boxes for old books- |