Which NPC or monster has your favorite new art? Also, are there any classes or ancestries which are specifically discouraged?
I feel comfortable answering this one openly. Beyond the obvious (holy, water-based or pacifist characters) the adventure is really open to any concept. However there is a caveat, there are classes that straight up will not quite fit as a red mantis assassin themselves. Perhaps such as a barbarian, bomber, or any other class that doesn't have a focus in subtlety and precision. That being said, the book gives guidance on how to allow characters with these class choices that go against the grain. PCs don't have to just be Red Mantis but can instead be allied mercenaries, loyal informants, trusted suppliers and other affiliated but not technically sworn in members.
The book elaborates that PCs such as this may have some trouble with the encounters in the book but can easily get past most challenges with the assistance of their assassin allies.
Personally I think this story excels the most when you are playing a Red Mantis in the thick of it but I could understand if you wanted some variety at the table.
As for my favorite monster well...
Heavy spoilers for the Final Chapter:
There is a powerful conjoined Keketar that shows up in the adventure who's art is phenomenal.
Just got my PDF for this adventure a few hours ago and…WOW. From my first run through paizo may have even undersold this adventure. Its epic in every meaning of the word, delves into a lot of lore, a ton of interesting player facing options as well. I haven't given it a thorough read yet but I would be please to answer any relatively spoiler free questions about it to build up hype.
What new beasties will we be seeing in this adventure? How's the Red Mantis Assassin archetype? What's your favourite spoiler-free thing in this adventure?
Great Questions!
Creatures:
I've left out some of the more plot related monsters. I'm fairly certain you face each one of the monsters in the toolbox at least once.
Bloodfog A crimson mist cranked up to 11, the first of which were created by Nhimbaloth.
Einherji Host A troop of elysian warriors
The First Blade, Bloody Hands, Saint Fang, and Temperbrand The herald of Gorum and three of his servitors.
Frost Roc The cutest snowy owl
Valykrie Tempest A troop of heroic Valkyries.
Red Mantis Assassin:
The archetype got a real facelift in the book. The magic I mentioned earlier in the thread is nice but all the old stuff is in there mostly unchanged. The most important change though is that the archetype now gets access to some really nice rogue feats like twin feint/distraction, quick draw, underhanded assault and the poison weapon tree.
However the clear winners are access to Gang up (8th) and Opportune Backstab (10th).
These options really round the archetype out imo and make it so much more powerful.
Favorite thing:
Okay so this is kind of a spoiler as its an option you won't receive right away but instead later on in the story. But there is a new spell called Crimson Breath which involves you breathing a toxic miasma directly into a targets lungs Godzilla style to inflict them with a virulent poison that leaves them taking persistent bleed damage and drained.
Just got my PDF for this adventure a few hours ago and…WOW. From my first run through paizo may have even undersold this adventure. Its epic in every meaning of the word, delves into a lot of lore, a ton of interesting player facing options as well. I haven't given it a thorough read yet but I would be please to answer any relatively spoiler free questions about it to build up hype.
I'm very curious on the spoiler side of things but ignoring that.. how does the Red Mantis archetype handle spellcasting? Is it divine plus the new wizard school?
You’re pretty much on the nose
Mantis Magic:
The archetype gives Basic, Expert, and Master spellcasting at 4th, 12th, and 18th respectively. It prepares spells from the divine list and uses Charisma as key skill. It can also prepare spells from the new Red Mantis Assassin wizard school which has a bunch of utility spells like invisibility and translocate.
It can access the school spells at 6th and 10th as feats and gains a breadth-esque feat at 12th. The extra slots can only be used for assassin spells and not divine.
Just got my PDF for this adventure a few hours ago and…WOW. From my first run through paizo may have even undersold this adventure. Its epic in every meaning of the word, delves into a lot of lore, a ton of interesting player facing options as well. I haven't given it a thorough read yet but I would be please to answer any relatively spoiler free questions about it to build up hype.
Like no shade, but in what world do Barbarians need sweeping unequivocal buffs while people are still trying to figure out if the Investigator is even really meaningfully better at all.
I'm confused as to how this is a question - they now get a free action DaS against anyone who could answer a question about on of their 2 mysteries, which is a substantial combat boost over how the vast majority of GMs were running old DaS from what I've seen online. They get a +1 bonus on any perception check or skill check that gets them closer to answering the question of their mystery, so they're going to be getting that super reliably, which is a nice boost out-of-combat. It also gives them a concrete answer to where they're stronger than rogue out-of-combat - despite having the same set of skill boosts, they're going to be getting that +1 bonus on a large chunk of their skill checks. On top of that, they can discard a bad dice roll on DaS without incrementing their MAP (they don't get the damage boost on their next attack, but that's still way better) and they get a useful bonus on a skill check as part of doing so! If they're making a mental-based skill check to discard that bad roll in a way that could get them closer to answering the question at the heart of their mystery (like recalling knowledge on an enemy that they need to beat to get info, or demoralizing them, or using Bon Mot, etc) they're a full proficiency rank ahead of anyone else in the game. And again, free action DaS on almost every turn of almost every combat! That's a huge boost, how is it a question if they've improved?
There's also a 2nd level feat which allows you to designate a creature as your lead for 1 minute, allowing you to free action DAS in surprise encounters where you couldn't have been prepared. The 10 minute cooldown means this will be up almost every fight.
That feat alone is a nice enough of a change that I'm confident investigator will feel a little bit better at most tables (I had one at my SOT table from 1-13).
I would love to share my concept for Prey for Death of an Awakened Mantis Warpreist of Achaekek who worked in a garden assassinating pests and other unworthy pretenders while upholding the divine right of queen bees, ants, and other insects destined to rule.
Being able to rage constantly without enemies needing to be present and the additional bonus to speed at 3rd are also some really good quality of life. 11th level Mighty Rage giving you even MORE alpha strike damage?
Im going to be honest this remaster is more than I could have ever asked for.
I am so excited for Prey for Death, I warned my players months in advance that I was going to drop everything to run it for them. The Red Mantis being one of my favorite organizations. I already ran Mark of the Mantis twice in anticipation.
I would love to post my party's composition now that we are aimed to start this Wednesday!
Mikazuki Kimura (female kitsune animist): Born into Willowshore, her family is a pair of refugees who fled the genocide of their people in Hwangott. Taking on their family tradition of magic and herbalism they operate a small supply shop on the south side of town. When the Lung Wa empire broke, her father left for their homeland to see what had come of it, he has not returned since.
Yang Zhao (female dhampir thaumaturge): A woman with some complicated heritage who lives in Willowshore with their extended family. They run a shop which outfits assistive devices to residents of the town, particularly to loggers and other laborers.
Bora Kang (female nephilim champion): A woman with a sufficiently mysterious past. Was whisked away by a stranger as a teenager only to return to the town a year ago without nary a word of where she went. Currently working as a clerk for the Thrice Blessed Inn.
Koharu Homura (female hungerseed nagaji psychic): Dwelling on the outskirts, Koharu rarely comes into town other than for business or to visit her friend at the wizard's tower. Some whisper of a malevolent influence in her blood or her uncontrollable powers.
My group is just completing this campaign (maybe 2 sessions left) and as the GM I gotta say I would have LOVED having an ash oracle in the party. We had a bones oracle and it still worked out great. The only advice I would have for you is careful of the amount of fire immune enemies in this AP. They are plentiful, especially in the later books. Ask your GM if they plan on "bastion-ing" the golems so that you will be more useful too.
My group came from 5e a number of years ago (and for the most part, haven't looked back) and the thing we were the most apprehensive about but ended up loving was Spellcasting.
At first glance we were nervous coming from a system where spellcasting rules in every sense of the power game but were willing to give it a shot. I know that Vancian casting isn't exactly beloved by all, but our group loves so much of it. It closed the distance between prepared and spontaneous casters and lacked any concentration mechanic.
In case the GM ends up forcing the locked door open you may want to apply a Lock spell to your lock. This makes athletics and thievery attempts roll against your spell DC or the lock's modifier +4. If you keep using this strat it will scale well as you level and you can even buy a wand of it for daily application.
Quick shout out to Inventor's Construct Companion which can be kept up in accuracy with Lock on if needed but truly shines in its breadth of immunities. Some of the biggest problems animal companions have at higher level are helped when the companion is immune to bleed, death effects, disease, doomed, drained, fatigued, ect...
Innovations not withstanding to give it things like resistance to all damage, ranged attacks, bonuses against magic.
Also since it can be healed with quick repair, damage dealt to it often takes seconds to repair. Should the worst happen you get your main feature back after only 1 day of downtime.
I also viewed it as giving the players access to undead companions. Though, now that I think about it. You probably could get away with giving every player the Pet general feat with their desired pet being undead if you wanted to reward everyone equally.
This is by far my favourite prophecy so far but I am a huge fan of Urgathoa, undeath, and Geb in the setting. To me, Urgathoa's death triggering something like a mass zombie apocalypse isn't too far from Asmodeus's wound or Cayden's false divinity.
Urgathoa afterall was the first creature to spontaneously, with force of will, come back from the dead. Her death relinquishing that ability from her domain and into every death seems very poetic. An infection, if you will, spreading from her corpse onto the notion of death itself.
The book makes it clear that a key facet of Twined Stories is that performances take place on both the Material and Ethereal planes. Multiple references are made to this applying to The Winnowing of Gachanta. The climax of Act III is said to split the party between the Material and Ethereal planes...but nowhere is there any explanation of how this is to be achieved, unless half the party just happens to be capable of going Ethereal on their own. Am I missing something?
Well besides the obvious...deaths that can occur to allow players to exist on the ethereal stage. Just before the play, the wardrobe department gives the players a Phantom Shroud which can be used once per day to cast Ethereal Jaunt. Due to the mechanics of PF2e I gather only 1 is provided for loot purposes but I suppose you could give out more to get a perfect split.
Just because I am seeing it brought up in terms of Kineticist effectiveness and damage. Golem anti-magic is going away in the remaster, replaced by resistance to spell damage except one damage type (if we look at the brass bastion its spell resistance is equal to physical resistance). This means that all of kineticist non-damage impulses will work against them and your damage impulses will be working against a resistance which you may be able to remove with extract element for stone/metal kineticists.
While this doesn't retcon the previous appearance of golems in APs (I run Age of Ashes and if I see another one I may just keel over)I don't think its much of an ask to replace the golem with the bastion equivalent when it comes out. I've already posted about my enjoyment as a Kineticist in this thread so I'll just add that I'm still having a great time when I get the chance to play mine in PFS lol.
I could have sworn at one point I had found a map of the crimson citadel and the chambers below it. It described some information about the red mantis and their leader. It wasn't terribly detailed, it was a side portrait of the underground complex.
For the life of me I can't find it again and the recent news of a Red Mantis Adventure has me so excited. Did I make this up in my head?
Oh wow this is so exciting!! I wonder if Mark of the Mantis would make a good pre-shot with this before you jump into the future with your characters more experienced, taking on more dangerous jobs.
I really enjoyed the one-shot and I am vibrating in my seat for the chance to get my hands on this.
Is this likely to get a Foundry VTT module? I am unsure if standalone adventures have in the past.
I'm really hoping for more information regarding the deities of Tian Xia, their place in its culture and more of their portfolios.
Our group is slowly planning a SoG AP after our current AOA wraps up (just getting into book 6 soon) and it would be great to have this info for the prospective champion and animist in the party.
Also please please please more info on Hwanggot and the Chang Liao Jungle just for me please. As a treat.
I thought that it would be pertinent to add in here that bombs no longer deal their splash damage on a failure, or at least they may not. In Player Core bombs are describe with the following.
Player Core pg 292 wrote:
Alchemical bombs are consumable weapons that deal damage or produce special effects, and they sometimes deal splash damage. You throw a bomb as a ranged Strike. It’s a martial ranged weapon with a range increment of 20 feet and can’t benefit from runes since it’s a consumable. A bomb deals any listed splash damage to the target on a failure, success, or critical success, and to all other creatures within 5 feet of the target on a success or critical success. Add the damage together before applying resistance or weakness, and don’t multiply splash damage on a critical hit.
Notably this isn't the same case in GM core.
GM Core pg 244 wrote:
Most bombs also have the splash trait. When you use a thrown weapon with the splash trait, you don’t add your Strength modifier to the damage roll. If an attack with a splash weapon fails, succeeds, or critically succeeds, all creatures within 5 feet of the target (including the target) take the listed splash damage. On a critical failure, the bomb misses entirely, dealing no damage. Add splash damage together with the initial damage against the target before applying the target’s resistance or weakness. You don’t multiply splash damage on a critical hit.
Just thought it may be worth considering as GM core contains other text that wasn't updated and personally this vastly changes the balance/power budget of the bomber alchemist. Especially for triggering weaknesses.
I play a wood/earth Kineticist (Level 5) in society and it kicks ass. In combat as everyone said above its always a good time. I run weapon infusion which means I can engage no matter what range the enemy is which has mattered in every combat I've fought in. The area of effect is nice with hail of splinters and tumbling logs, I have heavy armor to tank with armor in earth, my impulse junction gives me 5 temp hp for breathing. In combat its a SOLID class and next level I get some amazing area control with the jagged berms composite impulse. Somehow I forgot to mention Tree Sentinel which deletes 30 damage on the board each round I use it.
Outside of combat I've invested in fresh produce for some healing and nature/athletics for my two major skills. Athletics is pretty consistently useful as a Str kineticist but I'm not super useful in exploration. My nature expertise does make me feel decent at RK in certain environments through. Along with survival when its necessary. Also thanks to this being society I have a hireling to talk for me when Im forced to make a diplomacy check.
Overall in combat is a helluva time, probably my favourite class in the game. Outside of combat you are about as useful as a barbarian or fighter. You can contribute if you're in a scenario built to your niche but otherwise, kick back a little and share the spotlight.
I recently homebrewed daze to be a 2d4 cantrip scaling 1d4 each level instead of every other. Turning the stunned 1 crit fail into off-guard. Its much closer to frostbite in power now with less range and non lethal damage. It shot to the top of all the divine player’s spell lists and we are having a blast with it.
Definitely would recommend for anyone looking for a change.
Do you also verify that the players own the rights to use any non-AI-generated artwork that they bring?
Its not really about rights :-)
Its more like if they use an artist's art I could (theoretically) tell from a signature or otherwise who made it. I am aware that a ton of people use uncredited art, I have no problem (in general) with it. But at least I know its art from a person who could be credited with its creation. Whereas AI just takes its data from a bunch of different people with little chance for credit.
I'm not really here to police art. Just finding my own boundaries with the tech and was wondering if paizo had something similar. Also recounting an uncomfortable experience a new player was having. The fact they don't is also fine! It would be impossible to enforce anyways lmao.
Oh just incase I wasn't clear before, I wouldn't force anyone to change their token/portrait either. I would ask them (and hope they ablige to the table rules) but its not really the end of the world if they don't.
Personally my line is drawn at my own material. I strictly don't use AI art in my games, images, or tokens. There's always a chance I use it by accident for sure! But its the conscious effort not to that I feel is important.
Luckily I have never had a player show up to one of my tables with AI tokens, I suppose if they did I would simply ask them to replace it for the session (probably providing an alternative option myself if they didnt have one). I wouldn't kick them out or anything.
At the end of the day its not possible to do anything definitively but just kind of what feels right.
I'm not sure I want to share the images (to spare my friend's privacy incase this somehow was lead back to them) but most are blatantly AI generated. Tbc I am all for GMs using images in-between maps from sourcebooks, dnd, pintrest what have you.
Thank you Hammerjack for giving me that info. Its reasonable that GMs can do what they want and it'll be up to each group to figure out what they're comfortable with.
I actually didn't know there was an AI art foundry importer! That may be a common source. I don't know if that's what this GM was using but it seems likely enough.
Personally at my games and tables AI is a big nono but I can let my friend know it isn't against policy and to maybe avoid those tables if we don't like it in the future. Thanks!
Good morning everyone!
Over the past couple of days I have had the joy of introducing my friend to pathfinder society play and they've been having a blast. However, one thing they have noticed is that a lot of GM and Players where they play have been using AI art for monsters tokens, character tokens, and presumably backgrounds (for scenes in-between flip-maps). As a group of artists, this is mildly off-putting and off-putting to me as someone who feverously endorses the organized play program. I know paizo has taken a hard stance against AI art in their products and I suppose I am wondering if that applies to tabletops run in their campaign? It certainly has negatively affected a newcomer's experience into getting into the society.
To be clear this is not about AI art in paizo's products but at organized play tables used by players and GMs.
Just played a session of agents of Edgewatch with the remastered rogue and Gang Up is ridiculously broken in the best way. The ruffian rogue with a reach weapon effectively made the entire cohort of enemies that surrounded us, off-guard. Of course this made them all try to focus him down much to the enjoyment of the shield of reckoning, quick block paladin. That feat is such a great pickup on any rogue and I personally feel like it can really help with the "team tactics" push of 2e.
The 3 modes of play and especially exploration was one of the determining factors in piquing my interest to even start playing pathfinder. Equally as important to the 3 action system. Having a mechanical structure to ask my players what they are doing after combat gets the thoughts flowing.
In the meantime if you wanted the manor to have an impact before PCs can get their hands on that type of magic you could make the Manor into a garden presented in Treasure Vault. Producing any sorts of delicious alchemicals as food products after partnering with Berline. Or perhaps making spell scrolls out of flayed flesh after making friends with the Kuthunites.
A magic mailbox could get them their temporary items which crumble into dust at midnight. The magical conduit could even lead into more magical applications like the teleportation viscera portal mentioned by rokeca!
I don't agree with the reason for not sanctioning it. I'm playing it now, with 10 year olds with non-evil characters. The plot still makes sense, the Pathfinder society is trying to get a Pathfinder Lodge in Geb and Berline is providing that opportunity.
The horror element isn't too much (it really depends on the GM). It's certainly not worse than Rise of the Runelords, especially with the incestuous ogres (if you want, you can take that way way over the top)...
Then again, we're just playing the first book, and will probably head back to PFS scenarios afterwards. So I don't know what happens throughout the entire campaign, maybe there are evil actions to take, I don't know? But so far, not at all.
To me the reason not to sanction is because it's open ended and takes so long. Would be almost impossible to fit a book into an 8 hour slot.
That bank is deadly and so was the ostovite nest.
I actually had the privilege of asking the organize play coordinator this at paizocon this year. Bloodlords joins the ranks of Agents of Edgewatch and Hell's Vengeance as not sanctioned APs. The three share similar content that paizo simply would not want to be seen just being played in the average game store as someone's first exposure to pathfinder.
While I definitely think there are tons of ways that GMs can slightly tweak the campaign to be less gruesome and the start isn't incredibly violent. I think its reasonable to not want it run with every game store, especially when you can't vet every GM that comes through. A particularly uncomfortable situation from book 6 comes to mind but the general vibes reign throughout.
Bloodlords 6 spoilers:
In Ghost King's Revenge the players are given the opportunity to defeat a group of firebrands and recapture a group of escaped "forced laborers". While this is certainly not the norm in the adventure it isn't exactly an outlier and the tone these events set probably led to its exclusion from sanctioning.
Alchemical bombs are referred to as martial ranged weapons in Player Core and martial thrown weapons in GM Core. Along with a few other weird clashes in wording.
Player Core pg 292 wrote:
Alchemical bombs are consumable weapons that deal damage or produce special effects, and they sometimes deal splash damage. You throw a bomb as a ranged Strike. It’s a martial ranged weapon with a range increment of 20 feet and can’t benefit from runes since it’s a consumable. A bomb deals any listed splash damage to the target on a failure, success, or critical success, and to all other creatures within 5 feet of the target on a success or critical success. Add the damage together before applying resistance or weakness, and don’t multiply splash damage on a critical hit.
GM Core pg 244 wrote:
Bombs are martial thrown weapons with a range increment of 20 feet. When you throw a bomb, you make a weapon attack roll against the target’s AC, as you would for any other weapon. It takes one hand to draw, prepare, and throw a bomb. The bomb is activated when thrown as a Strike—you don’t have to activate it separately. As consumables, bombs can’t have runes etched onto them, have talismans attached to them, or benefit from runes granted in other ways (such as from spells or from items that replicate runes from other items). Spells and magic items that give you a bonus to all your attacks (or to all thrown weapons, for example) can still apply to them.
Plus, from the standpoint of piloting sometimes intelligent creatures:
If I have a guaranteed grab, I'm liable to use it on any target I happen to strike.
If I have to make a check, I'm even less inclined than normal to try and grab the beefy front liner and instead focus even more on the back liners, where I am presumed more likely to be successful.
Precisely! As a matter of fact, before I would often target the beefy frontlines with the grab since that meant I had an easier time chunking through their higher AC with that flat-footed condition. Another thing I forgot to mention was just the cumbersomeness of several roles. I loved the snappiness of automatic maneuvers. The best case scenario for these new rules is when facing multiple lower level enemies who now have a much lower chance to now automatically grab you and have a good chance to whiff. But now as a GM I have to roll for all these enemies, slowing down game time (something I personally try to avoid like the plague).
More soapboxing but this also really hurts summons whos biggest utility was using things like grab, knockdown, and shove. Now their modifier, despite being nice for their level compared to PCs, probably wont match up being on average -4 level compared to the enemies.
I had more grievances with this than I remembered apparently haha.
So... what is even the point of Remastered Grab, then? If you still have to roll, and you still have to spend an action, then how is it any better than a standard grapple check?
It doesnt take multiple attack penalty. In my example the Corpseroot would make a root attack against you for an action then a grab (grapple) check with no MAP. This works even if the root attack was a -5 root strike. No MAP on the grapple attempt either way.
My least favorite change about the remaster is enemies rolling to grapple with grab. We played with this rule for 1 or two sessions before a caster got perma-restrained with nearly no chance of escape before going back to the old ones. I can appreciate what they were going for but enemies who were designed to grapple (and thus have grab) are probably still going to grapple a frontliner and are likely now to restrain backliners.
I'm not entirely sure what you mean by this.
Previously, Grab and Improved Grab are no-roll automatic success. The difference between the two being that Grab costs an action and Improved Grab is a free action.
What I have heard of the Remaster versions of Grab and Improved Grab is that their action costs haven't changed, but the monster has to make an athletics roll in order to succeed.
By being able to roll monsters now have a chance to crit with their free attempt of grapple. Previously it was an automatic success. What I meant by no chance of escape is that the caster got restrained and unless they rolled decently high (10-15% chance) they couldnt get out of it. Let me see if I can show a bit of math.
A corpseroot against an average caster with 18 Con (assuming they started with 14 and pumped it at every opportunity). A pretty average scenario says the caster is level 10 and the corpse root is not elite or weak so is level 11 (a +1 monster). Most casters at this point have expert fortitude saves putting their DC at around 28 (10+14 Prof+ 4 Con).
The corpseroot with its +24 to grapple you does so on a 4 and crits you on a 14.
A caster's best shot at getting out is with an unarmed attack unless they pumped athletics/acrobatics and have invested in some skill items.
They have a +17 to escape (12 prof + 4 dex + 1 item) so you need to roll a 17 to beat the Corpseroot's athletics DC. On a 7 you critically fail.
This scenario to me is far worse then getting automatically grappled. Its further exacerbated against higher level enemies and bosses but I wanted to be more charitable since I know thats not the every day scenario.
I dont think its crazy unbalanced but simply a change that I dont like and won't be carrying on at my table. For context my table(s) is playing through AOA, AOE, EC, and SOT some APs where +1 or higher enemies are abundant and common. Having read through Bloodlords its much of the same for many parts.
I have a request
The Baba Yaga witch is available in PFS play through a unique boon from a very memorable adventure. Currently the Baba Yaga patron is not reprinted in Player Core and witch patrons have seen quite the revision to their familiar abilities. I feel like it would be unfortunate to have such a cool and unique PFS witch feel lacklustre compared to other options.
Would it be possible to have the Baba Yaga patron use the Silence in the Snow familiar ability until any rare patrons are given bespoke familiar abilities? Creating a patch of ice around your familiar. I feel like the winter/snow theme is already very tied thematically to Baba Yaga as chilling cold and lesson of the frozen queen are both tied to her as well. It would be a quality of life buff to a small minority of players but one that would be very appreciated for a fun option.
It was recently revealed by Avi Henriques on blue sky that Lamashtu has new anathema!
Old attempt to treat a mental illness or deformity, provide succor to Lamashtu’s enemies
New attempt to change what makes you different, provide succor to Lamashtu's enemies.
They go on to mention that they wanted to "Disentangle the idea that disability itself was monstrous and instead focusing on her embracing those who revel in being different".
Honestly this is a huge relief to me personally. Lamashtu has always been one of my favorite deities. But as someone who struggles with disability in its many forms, it always felt gross to make any character with that anathema. I am uninformed whether she requires unholy sanctification (its likely she does) but for mundane worshippers of her I gather this change will be much appreciated.
It also puts her softly off my "deities likely to die" as why would they concern themselves with the future following of Lamashtu if they were gonna kill her next year? Haha they totally wouldn't do that right guys?
Anyone else have any particularly uncomfortable anathema like this that could benefit from some change? Thoughts on Lamashtu's new anathema?
Also I'm not sure if vampires only turning their own ancestries into vampires is a thing anymore. I can think of at least 1 example in bloodlords where a halfling is turned into a vampire by a human. Not to mention that as paizo grows and so do the scope of their stories. I'm sure they will feel emboldened to try weird/cooler things like vampire tengu/kitsune.
Its small note but its helpful to remember that so called "absolute truths" about the setting exist only as long as they serve the writers and the stories they want to tell.
If you played a universalist wizard, I'm pretty sure all the remaster has been is a big buff? You get a free focus spell at level 1 (hand of the apprentice is incredibly fun) in addition to your free wizard feat. Your advanced school spell is now unique and while I wouldn't say its good I will say its cool and memorable. Yoinking an enemy's spell then casting it back at them is hilarious.
My least favorite change about the remaster is enemies rolling to grapple with grab. We played with this rule for 1 or two sessions before a caster got perma-restrained with nearly no chance of escape before going back to the old ones. I can appreciate what they were going for but enemies who were designed to grapple (and thus have grab) are probably still going to grapple a frontliner and are likely now to restrain backliners.
This conversation is interesting because I have never run scrolls as parchment you need to read. I have always thought that scrolls basically had magical instructions written into the parchment and by pushing magic through it it "runs" the instructions and creates the effect.
Kind of like the scroll being a macro, the writing being the code, and the caster just needing to execute it by pushing magic through.
Its also why someone who can't cast a spell can't cast a scroll. Its not that they can't read it, but that they don't have the magic to execute the command.
It also solves the sticky problem of characters with disabilities, language barriers, and light levels.
The book goes out of its way to really hammer home that she is a necromancer. Information from the travel guide tells us that creating undead is punishable by fifty lashes, 3 to 10 years of hard labor, and/or a fine. When you fight her she has some animated skeletons by her and she used necromancy to extract secrets from the dead below the citadel. But honestly it isn't unreasonable to want more than that imo.
If you wanted a personal reason I would have her kill and animate an NPC the PCs have met before in a desperate play for more protection after hearing about the PC's success.
