It was a fun show, but I couldn't help but feel like it was supposed to be a pilot the entire time.
Azathoth.
I've got a wizard character who views the gods as nothing more than power sources, and who uses the False Focus feat to tap that phenomenal cosmic power for whatever ends he sees fit. Azathoth is his go-to power source, though he does carry around a variety of divine focii for funsies.
Create Demiplane (and its variants). Magnificent Mansion is a close second, since it functions pretty much the same way. Need a fancy place to host a sweet company retreat? *BAM* Tropical island getaway with perfect weather & zero bugs. Need to just get away from the rest of the multiverse? *BAM* Need a magic dead hideaway where you can store a nasty artifact? *BAM* Super secret vault, secure library, secluded pleasure palace . . . The list goes on.
Goofus managed to cobble together a shambling abomination of a campaign from all the classic tropes, stitching them together with all the finesse of duct tape and bungie cords. When playing a spellcaster, Gallant keeps an updated portfolio of all his spells, with brief descriptions and easily indexed tabs that help to keep from bogging down combat with complex spell effects.
As a former military man, I feel I spent enough time with my clean-shaven face and a high-and-tight. Besides, my rather round facial features aren't helped by a clean shave. Even at 185 lbs & 6'1", I still got taped all the time because I had a "fat face" and a skinny neck.
As far as tattoos go, Fire Ink is a version that glows like a candle's flame.
Only downside is that it make you Sickened unless you have fire resistance. So, get some sort of fire resistance, even just 1 point is enough.
Side note: great for keeping track of important prisoners in your dungeon while also keeping them at a disadvantage with the Sickened penalty. Fire ink tat on the forehead; ain't nobody sneaking out with that brand.
This is also similar to what I've done; I describe the healing done by Infernal Healing to HURT like . . . well, Hell. Using it on unsuspecting NPCs, even ones who aren't capable of identifying the spell or detecting Evil, are not going to respond well to its use. "Sorry, Sir Mage, I'll think I'll just tough this one out and maybe douse it with some hooch. It'll hurt less than whatever it was you did last time."
This interests me, as an extra +2 to AC vs ranged could be quite handy for my spellcasting characters. I haven't got anything more to add to the conversation beyond my military training, and getting into & out of a kneeling position with a rifle was significantly easier than getting into & out of prone. My vote would be Move action which does not provoke for standing from kneeling. You have much more control of your immediate environment and are more able to move in a defensive/tactical manner coming out of a kneeling position.
I've been guilty of the "not technically a lie" tactic . . . with a paladin, no less. Running through the good ol' ruins of Myth Drannor adventure, we had to get into a guard tower . . . Me - Okay, I pull up the hood on my cloak, sheathe my sword and run up to the tower yelling "Demons! Demons in the forest! Let us in!"
It was a hard fight, but worth it to hear the GM mutter "I hate you guys so much . . ."
Well, not my players, but I did just play a pre-gen druid at a pickup game at a convention . . . The GM (who wrote all the pre-gens), apparently didn't understand the full horror that is a druid played by someone who knows the class. He started us all naked and unarmed in jail cells made out of natural caverns. At level 10. I cast Detect Magic to check my surroundings, and that was the last spell I worried about. Wild shaped into an earth elemental for most of the rest of the adventure, earth gliding and pimpslapping my way to glory. By the time we reached the Big Bads (druids and sorcerers), I switched to air elemental and made my Perform: Juggle Corpses checks in whirlwind form. I know, I'm a monster.
"Henchman" is not a term I would use to describe a significant other. Followers and Cohorts are specific types of NPCs granted to you by the Leadership feat. Also not necessarily significant others.
I planned my last one out to have a spoked-wheel-type layout; all one floor with a large central chamber with potted plants, piles of lounging pillows, a domed ceiling with frescoes of epic battles in which the party emerged triumphant and drifting crystal chandeliers highlighting the whole scene. The rooms were all spaced around, slightly raised from the central room, with thick curtains to muffle sounds and provide privacy. Sort of an Arabian Nights theme, I suppose.
It's been a bit since I checked this thread, but I've always liked fake doors. Add in a fake "combination lock" that actually triggers a trap (or ominous sounds nearby). Heck, I read an article somewhere about adding mysterious noises to your random encounter tables and have been using that tactic ever since. Really keeps the characters on their toes.
Answer: I have standards. I actually said that once, in front of about 5 female family members, and got a Death Glare from the deepest fires of the Abyss. Too bad that unlike me, my family does not consider my dog a suitable substitute for offspring. They're rather practical folks, and in their estimation, a bichon serves no practical purpose - can't hunt, can't guard, can't herd.
Some folks just don't comprehend that constant human companionship is not necessary for everyone.
In my home game, spells with an alignment descriptor do NOT have an inherent effect on your alignment. What matters is how they are used.
I endorse the use of mundane defenses; the beaded curtain/chimes idea was actually used in one of the FR novels I read. A drow priestess had a set of them hanging above a doorway, just in case someone tried to levitate invisibly into her sanctum. Which is exactly what happened. Might've been one of the War of the Spider Queen books. I had a dwarven bank (long abandoned) that the party had to get into during a game. The door was locked with a pair of massive stone keys, each weighing several hundred pounds. The keyholes were between 10 and 15 feet off the floor. Normally, the door would be opened by commanding a pair of animated statues to pick up the keys and place them in the proper holes. No casual lockpicking was going to get the party past the doors. It was possible to do manually, but would take some creativity. The whole place was also "wired" with magical energy lines that "grounded out" teleportation and divination attempts. It was possible to TP into the place, but extremely dangerous. Teleportation within the vault worked just fine; just the outside worked like a sort of magical Farraday cage. I think there were 3 tiers of defense before the party got into the vaults proper. The "stun field" was my favorite; originally designed to allow defenders a chance to subdue hasty thieves, it was really just a chance for me to throw a quick puzzle room at the party. And watch them wince every time I said "BZZZZT!" Back on track, though. Guard animals are a classic standby. Not only are they much more adept at detecting intruders than your average human War 3, but they can often fight pretty well. Even smaller animals, such as cats patrolling for stray mice and rats can help out. Substitute guard snakes or scorpions or spiders depending on your particular flavor. Simple alarm-type traps are a great option, too. The default ones they list in the CR 1/2 traps are okay, but can usually be spotted pretty easily. Consider buffing up the detection DC while leaving the effects largely untouched for more sophisticated traps. I feel your pain with the "one solution" often anachronistic puzzles that some GMs love. I've never liked the idea of using real-world riddles and word games and such to model puzzles and traps in the game world. Plus, most of my players HATE dealing with puzzles. In these cases, I just assign an appropriate DC and timeframe, and move on. For the "stun field" that I mentioned earlier, the solution was simply moving in a particular pattern, which was actually illustrated on the walls of the room, but repeated as a decorative element. Once one of the players figured it out, and another Dimension Door'ed across the room, I handwaived the rest of it. Lead-lined walls (or really thick stone walls) are a good inhibitor for magical shenanigans. If the owner isn't terribly affluent, though, there are options.
Sorry if I rambled a bit. Been a long day moving.
Spiked gauntlets would allow you to still attack enemies within your bardiche's reach. You can release a hand from the bardiche as a free action, but you won't be threatening with the bardiche while your spiked gauntlet hand is free. The Polearm Master archetype allows you to shorten your grip as an Immediate Action (at 2nd level), allowing you to attack adjacent targets with your polearm (at a -4 penalty that eventually goes away).
Semi-tangent to the topic at hand: A spellcaster who specifically plans on doing things like this would most certainly have some ranks in one or more craft skills. They have plenty of ranks to spare. Further, with the False Focus feat & a sufficiently valuable divine focus (at least 25gp for 1HD skeletons), after that initial investment, extra minions are free. A caster with a holy symbol tattoo (100gp value, max the feat can support) can even make beefier skellies such as horses or oxen. For free. Over and over.
Of the two options presented, I think I prefer pegasus. My favorite mount for a paladin was a draconic horse from one of those dragon-related 3.5 splat books. Paladin of Mystra with a draconic mount . . . man that was a fun character to take through Myth Drannor. As for the "alicorn" issue . . . I've always preferred the term "unisus" for a winged unicorn. Alicorn is still, to me, the proper name for a unicorn's horn. Fire from the heavens shall strike down any in my games that utter that word incorrectly. Or a swarm of jinkins.
@Benjamin Falk - Medication =/= Accurate Perception. Chemical treatment is not a failsafe measure by any stretch of the imagination. The majority of publicized shooting incidents in the US over the last few years have involved individuals on medications, such as antidepressants. Medication did little to ensure their 100% accurate perceptions and reasonable response to whatever traumatic events triggered or contributed to their actions. I agree that a robust medical/mental health system would be a vast improvement, but it's not the absolute, be-all, end-all answer. A firearms ban is not a thing I could ever support, however. Call me a nut, but I simply do not trust our endlessly benevolent government (who never abuses their power and always thinks of the well-being of the people first) to be the only folks carrying around firearms. *EDIT*
Back in AD&D 2nd Edition, I got to play under a novice DM that was little too flexible and accepting of player ideas. . . We were trapped in a system of ancient tunnels, being pursued by a Death Knight. I happened to have a magical bag that produced caltrops on demand. So, in a fit of desperation, I dumped tons of them into the only hallway between us and the approaching death knight. Plain old iron caltrops; not magical at all. He died trying to reach us. I even told the DM that it shouldn't work, and I was just grasping at straws, but he allowed it.
I do like to come up with theme music for my characters from time to time. Sometimes, I actually pick a theme song first and use that to influence the character development. For instance, when I came across the song "Short Change Hero," by The Heavy, I just got an image in my head of a warrior walking down a dimly lit, muddy street towards a seedy-looking tavern. The view pulls back from his shoulder and we see the rest of the party walking with him, illuminated by flashes of lightning. As they near the tavern door, he draws his blade, magical energy flashing down its length. The mage levels his wand at the door and nods to the rogue, who slips into the shadows around the side of the building. The barbarian gives his greataxe a little spin as his eyes glaze over . . . Then all Hell breaks loose on some bandits. Okay, so that's a whole party with a theme song. Maybe I'll use that during character introductions for the next game I run . . .
This is one of those funderful moral sticky spots that always make games fun and happy for everyone involved! /snark Seriously, though, this is a moral sticky spot. It may stem from some lack of communication about just how dark everyone was willing to go with their game. The dwarf has a tragic backstory that involves bugbears killing off several of his family members; he probably sees them as a serious threat that need to be eliminated before they can murder more families. The other players have no such history with their own characters, and are justifiably concerned about his actions. And as you pointed out, both sides have valid positions. This can be a great roleplaying opportunity, as long as both parties are willing to talk about it. This one act shouldn't be enough to make them walk, though. Maybe the druid and rogue can show some empathy and try to understand where the dwarf is coming from. Maybe the dwarf can consider their stance and try to curb his wrath in the future. He does not, however need to show remorse or offer to "redeem" himself, unless he decides to roleplay out some sort of change of heart. If he hates bugbears, he hates bugbears. Nobody can tell him "stop hating bubears, or roll a new character." This is a fantasy world with certain black-and-white realities, and applying modern sensibilities (all noncombatants are inherently innocent) doesn't work. If he left those bugbears alone, they would more than likely repopulate and pose a threat to even more innocent folk. Leaving them be and hoping for the best is foolish.
So much to comment on, but I suppose I'll go with the early warning mechanic. I would be okay with that if the only folks that get that early warning are folks with a reason to be able to notice it. That would be people with Spellcraft and people with Evasion. Spellcraft to represent magical knowledge - you've IDed the spell, and know to get out of the way. Evasion to represent the Spidey Sense that rogues get. In any case, keep the info flowing!
For the evil monk angle, may I recommend the hungry ghost/qiggong combo with Snake Style for a Shang Tsung-type character? Mostly martial, but with a few ki powers like scorshing ray, dragon's breath, shadow step, and the like. Beating people down and ripping out their soul to power your evilness. Bonus points if you shout "Finish Him!" every time you kill someone.
One option for the Combat Smokestick [for casters, at least]: Load a standard smokestick into a spring-loaded wrist sheath, pop the smokestick when you need a distraction, ignite with your spark cantrip. Producing something from a spring-loaded wrist sheath is a Swift action. Dropping an item is a Free action. Casting the spell is a Standard action, and moving away is a Move action. Since the dropped smokestick is unattended, it's a legal target for the spark cantrip. Similar stunts can be performed by dropping various fireworks in strategic locations as you move around [or before a fight], and igniting them at opportune times.
I'm going to look at this Kickstarter this way: I am preordering the Digital Collector's Edition of Pathfinder Online. With this preorder, I get early access to the game, and a bunch of nifty digital goodies. I paid for World of Tanks during its Beta. Did the same for Tribes. I don't play either of those games very much, but I'm glad I helped get things going for them. I've also paid good chunks of money for "Collector's Edition" versions of MMOs; Guild Wars & Everquest 2. Again, I don't really play them anymore, but I enjoyed the results of my investment. Heck, I didn't even get Beta access with those two. With this arrangement, I get all of that. Extra goodies. Three months of subscription. Guaranteed Beta access to a no wipe Beta. Yeah, I'm totally cool with $100. Worth every shiny penny, to me.
Pretty smart tactic, really. There are lots of ways to get an enemy stuck in an area of silence with no save. Placing the spell on an arrow or other missile weapon and shooting the AoE to its destination. Sleight-of-handing a silence-bearing object into the pockets of the enemy. Casting the spell on one pebble in a handful of them, then hurling the handful near the target; have fun sorting out which one has the spell, Mr Wizard. Silence is an often under-utilized tactic, so it's not really surprising that the scenario didn't account for it. Kudos to the tactically-minded players.
Wow; didn't realize so many people had such a problem with swarms. They're pretty annoying when you aren't prepared, but not anything unbeatable. I use them at least once per adventure, but I make sure to provide clues to avoiding them if at all possible. I also make sure to throw in a few methods for handling them, too. A few flasks of alchemist's fire here, a scroll of burning hands there, a wand of gust of wind now and again. I have one player that cringes anytime he hears scuttling feet or a buzzing drone, but then he's nearly died due to swarm attacks more times than I can count. The mere mention of a possible swarm can send one of his characters running for a bucket of lamp oil and a torch. Unfortunately, magic is usually the fastest way of dealing with a swarm. AoE spells are the win button against them. For the mundanes, you're going to either need a way to access magic [via UMD or a specialized magic item], or you're going to have to haul around some specialty gear. Alchemical items provide for AoE damage, as do flasks of oil. Vermin Repellent can help keep vermin-type swarms off your hands for 4 hours at a time. In any case, while I am a strong advocate for the creative use of swarms, they can easily be abused by a careless or cruel GM, and that's no fun for anyone. Talk with the GM, explain your concerns, and try to work out a mutually acceptable solution. Players and swarms can learn to live in harmony . . . until the PCs kill them with large amounts of fire. Sweet, beautiful fire.
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