Super Zero's page

Question for Alex et al:

The level ranges for community Society Infinite Scenarios are in two-level ranges, and go all the way to lvl 20.
The Org Play character creation rules let us create character at odd-numbered levels, but only up until 7. This made sense, when the assumption was scenarios would only go up to level 10.
But, now that we can make our own high-level scenarios, can the Org Play Creation rules be amended, so that people can make odd-numbered characters higher than 7?
Your pal,
"Cooking Up A lvl 11-12 Scenario" Kishmo

It was only just changed to allow up to 7. And scenarios already went higher than 10.

Hero Point for Briney.

Briney hits the bad dog with some frozen alchemy. It really doesn't like the cold.
That hits. It has a weakness, and that bloodies it.

Zenobia's blades don't quite find their mark.
Miss

Desmond doesn't manage to trip the devil, but he patches up High and manages to smack the hell hound around a bit. It looks like it's hanging by a thread.
18 won't trip Blue, but 19 hits Yellow.

And then Mirelia hits it directly in the face with a spell. But there's no effect, as the fire breaks around it!
19 is a crit! ...but Yellow is immune to fire.

High's turn.
Initiative:
Blue Coarti AC 24 (-93 HP, 1d4 persistent bleed and Dazzled while bleeding)
Red Vordine (-10 HP)
Yellow Hell Hound AC 15-19 (-54 HP, bloodied)
High in the Mountains AC 23, 29/78 HP (Prone, Wounded 1)
> Harold AC 20, 21/39 HP
Desmond AC 23, 50/68 HP
Gnimish AC 19, 43/53 HP
Briney AC 25, 17/65 HP
Zenobia AC 23, 40/58 HP
Mirelia AC 18, 46/48 HP

I mean... yeah but also the paper event reporting form has been superfluous for years because events are all reported electronically.

The paper forms are to collect the information to be reported. They're used at cons.

(a Ranger/Beastmaster is very deliberately viable)

The Ranger's Animal Companion feat also grants an extra benefit, the companion gaining the benefits of your Hunt Prey.

Claxon wrote:

I'm not saying I wouldn't let someone use Keen Recollection on every/any recall knowledge attempt, I'm saying they're not going to get to do so at a decreased DC.

Super Zero wrote:

They're definitely not effectively Trained in all Lore skills.

The most broad skill possible is the exact opposite of a specific skill.

Answering both of these here because they both ignore how this actually works in published adventures, where checks are presented with DCs for specific skills, like for example:

"A PC who succeeds at a DC 18 Diplomacy check to Gather Information or DC 16 Underworld Lore check to Recall Knowledge has heard of the bandit gang."

If the Investigator is using Keen Recollection to roll Underworld Lore, they get the DC 16 check. Artificially raising it serves no purpose except to make the Investigator feel bad that they can't take advantage of their cool class feature (assuming their modifier would be better than their Diplomacy).

Similarly, why would you increase the DC for the Thaumaturge, who's already going to be taking a -2 to the roll to Recall Knowledge?

So if you as the GM in a home game think "They can acquire this information with Gather Information, Coerce, or Recall Knowledge" why would you not let these classes use the Recall Knowledge DCs (even if lower)?

If you only allow exactly what's printed there, then Esoteric Lore doesn't work at all. Or Society, apparently. Diverse Lore lets you RK about any subject, not count as every possible Lore skill (and the people who say it does would generally be expecting a reduction if that DC to 13).

Anyway, I said don't reduce the DC. I didn't say increase it.

Investigator's key attribute is Intelligence, so it does let them use that.

Claxon wrote:

So a Thaumturge has a class feature that gives them a broad range of knowledge (by which I mean it would transcend multiple skill) but the subjects are limited to haunts, curses, and creatures. With an ADDITIONAL class feat, the subject can be expanded to anything, but then you take a penalty to it.

Yes, but there is a big difference here: the Thaumaturge gets automatic advances to Esoteric Lore, which means if they take Diverse Lore then by level 3 they're effectively Trained in all Lore skills, by level 7 they're Expert in all of them, and by level 15 they're Master. All for one Class Feat. A Level 1 Class Feat, even.

Keen Recollection not only doesn't ever scale (and you can't upgrade it), it doesn't even give you the +2 from Trained, all you get is your level. It is a much weaker feature that comes online 2 levels later. So nerfing it further by not allowing the Investigator to Recall Knowledge using Lores when appropriate just makes it even worse.

They're definitely not effectively Trained in all Lore skills.

The most broad skill possible is the exact opposite of a specific skill.

It's down after your first attack, if you'd like to revise your third action.

"Oh, uh... sure, why not?" Oriole answers Marine.

They look a little displeased at Callistro's answer, though. "A ship? Darling, that will take forever." They shake their head. "If you don't have a better option, I have a magical means. It's not perfect--we'll have to have a stopover in Elysium while I find a contact of mine, and it's imprecise so there will be some walking--but I can get us there with a few interplanar teleport spells."

It wasn't needed.

There needs to be, because it's super and fantasy, a weapon that is a polearm and shield combined.

I do not know which end the shield be placed.

Yes it's unrealistic and impractical, but it won't be the stupidest weapon in the rulebook.

Maybe like those old rapiers that had the cup-shaped hand guard at the base of the blade, but scaled up?

You would probably have to spend an action to re-grip it or extend the shield, or something.

The Parry trait.

I find it funny how nobody has mentioned so far that with the magic rules, it is obvious who summons the thralls and whoever puts more bodies on the battlefield is usually a prime target for every enemy

It's been mentioned.

The rules tell you that the GM will determine what gigs are available, and that they can use any skill but most likely it will be the suggested ones.

Organized Play has essentially two GMs, the table GM (who's only the GM for a given session so doesn't make downtime decisions) and the organized play team (who can't make individual decisions for every session). So they resolved that with a (pretty generous) standing ruling about available jobs: You can always find a job of your level -2 that uses any of Crafting, Performance, or any Lore.

Tridus wrote:

It'd also be obvious to any experienced combatant that a thrall isn't occupying space the same way a creature normally does, because that's just a game mechanics thing.

So a skeleton appears in someone's view, and he just automatically can tell the difference between a summoned skeleton and a summoned thrall? How, IC, does he do that? Do thralls have a big "T" inscribed on their foreheads?

You don't need to know it's called a thrall to see that it's spindly and not physically blocking you.

Nobody is disputing that undead being both damaged and healed by harm is unintentional by the example given.

But its clearly an issue that stems from how they are written to interact with eachother, This doesn't just apply to harm but any similar effect that can do both damage and healing. Like trying to damage a creature but also wanting to heal the allies surrounding it with Blood-Feasting Breath.

The difference is that for 3 action Harm it's explicitly unavoidable as Healing effects can't be adjusted by Mastery of Life and Death as opposed to the other variants where an unwilling undead simply just takes the damage.

Reading it as the heal only affecting willing targets even on the 3 action variant is likely the closest reading to the intention that fits with the rest of the rules since most undead would not automatically recognize the spell or even be able to recognize it after the fact, even if they recognized it as a void spell its not like undead are immune to Void effects.

It's not computer code. If you know that's not what they meant, what else is there?

And yes, that is the same as the discussion about dhampir.

Perpdepog wrote:

I'm also not sure the necromancer is specifically to blame for these questions cropping up.

It's uniquely the Necromancer because only they combine some extremely problematic game balance, metagame, and NPC knowledge problems into a preposterously incessant package.

In short, there is nothing that calls out the thralls as different in any way that would betray their unique status as a insignificant creature (in terms of threat level and how they behave on the battlefield). They are a limitless, ultra-low investment, infinitely repeating "free summon". An extremely large sampling of common creatures have no way of gaining and/or mentally understanding the weird parameters of Thralls, which effectively makes those limitations non-existent in many ways (since the foe couldn't even know to exploit them or how to appropriately react to thralls at all).
Ultimately, it's not a case of player expectation about their efficacy at all. Instead it is a justifiable expectation that NPCs are not going to be unjustifiably knowledgeable and vastly more intelligent in their behavior than they should be, will not unjustifiably use out-of-game knowledge and tactics based on out-of-game mathematics and mechanics, or act on out-of-game knowledge about the unique capabilities of the Necromancer.
Even the most pertinent and efficacious use of a Recall Knowledge check is hard to justify. When you are jumped by a bunch of undead, the "right move" is to use Religion to identify them (if you are even trained, can check, and want to burn an action for that.) But, paradoxically, the really useful play is to use Society to identify the infinitely repeatable class abilities/spells on that random dude over there who isn't in your face or even attacking you in any way. It's hard to justify the NPCs even going down the only route that will get them what they actually NEED to know... even if they have the mental wherewithal and the right skills.

These thralls are not the only magical decoys/distractions of...

NPCs can observe things that happen right in front of them. You're calling that metagaming, but it's kind of the opposite.

And yes, it's supposed to be obvious. Enemies can tell they can move through them, because it says they can and if they don't know they can then they can't.
Plus they can see the being summoned in groups and that most of them aren't attacking. RS is a special ability, why are they assuming they can do something most creatures can't?

You can definitely use Occultism or Religion to identify a Necromancer's abilities, incidentally. Just because you can use Society doesn't mean you can only use Society. (Plus the rules are actually explicit that you get to know what the relevant skills are before committing to the action.)

Every single one of those questions is trivially answered. And the problem would still be player behavior if it wasn't.

Attacking the person summoning the thralls is extremely obvious.

You can always say in advance you'd like to use a reaction if it triggers, sure.

It also says, "When a Chronicle is assigned to a character who is below the lowest level allowed to play the adventure, treat it as if the GM had played a pregenerated character at the lowest level allowed to play the adventure."

I think the part you're looking at is mostly for specials, where the adventure has a very large level span but any given table is run in a particular tier.

Other than the original Beginner Box, sanctioned adventures usually let you apply the Chronicles to a PC of any level.

Oh, nevermind them. No problem at all.

Rolling 2 Nat1s seems more common than it should be. There's only a 1 in 400 chance of rolling the same number on a d20 twice in a row, but apparently d20s all think they are Han Solo and believe the quote, "Never tell me the odds."

Probability changes based on how much information you have. The probability of your next two rolls being 1s is 1/400. The probability of your next roll also being a 1 once you've already rolled one is 1/20.

That's also the probability of rolling the same number twice in a row. 1/400... times 20 different way of doing it.

You're still buying exactly what you want for that level, though.

Back to the topic, being in 2 places at once with the Mirror implement does not allow the Thaumaturge to get the best defensive possibility out of it. The opposite in fact : anything that hurts one of the doubles hurts the Thaumaturge.

Why should being Grabbed or Restrained be treated in the opposite way ?

The conditions are applied until their exit conditions are met.

How is this possible when the real Thaumaturge is not the one having been grappled ?

Same reason the Thaumaturge was in 2 places at the same time to begin with.

It's magic.

It's not an illusion. They're both real.

"Psyche: Your psyche must be unleashed to use abilities that have the psyche trait, and they end automatically when your unleashed psyche subsides."

...

Does this mean that you can only use them while unleashed?

Also, you can get more with class feats.

Which happens first anyway, so it isn't going to matter much that they're Immobilized.

You usually aren't Grabbed on your turn, so you'll have to decide which is real before you get a chance to move anyway.

My Thaumaturge has been using a mirror since level 1. I don't think this has ever come up.

She doesn't use Mirror's Reflection every round, mostly due to the action cost, as noted.

That's not how alignment damage worked, either. Evil damage affected anyone Good aligned. They didn't need to be particularly devoted to it.

It's a flat check, not a Crafting check. But yes, a total of 19 with a natural 1 fails a DC 15 check. That's just the normal rules for checks and natural 1s and 20s.

Starting at level 1, some of a character's money is spent along the way so they don't still have every gp they've earned.

Incidental expenses like cost of living (though generally not something you worry about in Society), consumables, selling old items.

You won't succeed at the check at the level you first have access to a spell rank that way, but you will know your exact result so you'll always know if it'll work.

Assurance means no penalties, but also no bonuses except proficiency--no Intelligence. It won't quite keep up with the DC (except at level 7).

New playtest rules are that you can just build a character normally using a playtest class, and can keep paying them that way until the class is released and you switch to the final version. Though it's still opt-in for the GM.

It's just anecdotal, but I have, personally, found that games on the Paizo forums tend to be slower - the average PbD game might last 4-5 weeks, whilst PbP games tend to take 3-4 months.

I agree, though, in terms of a searchable archive, I find the forums easier to navigate.

Discord is a more of a chat room than a forum. That's incredibly slow for a chat game, really.

The Paizo forum also has many sub-forums. Some are more active than others.

People do watch this one, though. There aren't questions every day, but when they're posted they get replies.

You could always do this by throwing a bomb at the floor.

Though with a thrall it's more explicitly defined. And an automatic hit instead of just probably very low AC.

Submit to HQ on RPGChronicles.

Similarly, what's the DC of an Eidelon's spells?

I thought they used to use the same as the Summoner's, and still think they use the same proficiency, but does Charisma variance change it?
(I might be blind because I remember finding this answer before...or maybe it's my memory. :P)

"An eidolon normally can't Cast a Spell; however, some feats or abilities can grant them this capability. An eidolon that has spells also gains the Cast a Spell activity. They don't have their own spell DC or spell attack modifier; if they need to Cast a Spell, they use your spell DC and spell attack modifier. If your eidolon has focus spells, those spells count toward your focus pool maximum and your eidolon uses your Focus Points to cast them. Your eidolon can't Refocus. Your eidolon can cast only spells they gain from their own abilities. They can't cast your spells, nor can you cast spells they have."

Gargoyle flight should really be just like strix. "Fly 15 once a round" at first then more feet added then finally real flight at like level 9. What they did to the Dragonkin boon for the Starfinder 2e playtest was criminal. HOVER? Really? What a load of poop.

...what? Dragonkin don't have Hover.

Well, scenarios have had a target time of two hours for a while now. There was a lot of discussion about it back when that was announced.

If you're looking at the chart on Lorespire, it's simplified based on the assumption you're using PFS rules and using your entire eight days of downtime on Earning Income.

But it's just the chart from the CRB/PC/AoN, which contain the actual rules, with some of the work done for you. Character level instead of task level, and it gives the result for eight days.

Critting on an Earn Income check for one day at level 1 earns 2 sp.

Crafting earns more than Earn Income per day.

I've never lost power for more than a few minutes before. And my Internet service is down too, apparently. I only know that because they sent me a text saying they're aware of the problem and working on it since I can't use it right now anyway.

Apparently the wind yesterday did a lot of damage. 90% of people still have power (I know they're trying to put a positive tone on it, but that's actually really low?), and they estimate 95% will have power by Monday evening. I... hope they mean restoration to 95% of affected households and not up to 95% from 90%.

So earlier today I posted in one game and then stopped.

There was a huge thunderstorm. They set off the emergency alert siren. The wind was so loud I thought there was super heavy rain, but when I looked outside the rain hadn't started yet. Apparently a tornado touched down nearby.
Some of you may love in places where bigger storms are more common and that doesn't sound impressive, but it's pretty dramatic for here.

Anyway, the point is my power went out and hasn't come back on. I hope you'll excuse me but there's only so much I want to do on my phone. Plus I need to conserve the battery--if the power didn't come back I won't be able to charge it, and I guess it's my alarm clock for now, too.

On the plus side, I might get more sleep tonight since I can't do much else. ...except the AC and fans are off during a heat wave, so maybe not.

FYI He's not using that specific build but says that's where he got the idea that one can take Psi Strikes before level 8 and asked ChatGPT if he can take it before level 8 and that's where he got the feat levels aren't prereqs idea from cause that's what it told him. LOL!

That is not an acceptable behavior.

What is the actual benefit to having your sword be both, say, Gleaming Blade and Barrow's Edge? Just so you can invoke the transcendence of either without losing your bonus spirit damage on attacks.

So you can Transcend with a weapon Ikon every turn for no cost.

Right now you can:
use a big two-handed weapon Ikon for the highest damage, but every other turn you use a different Ikon for your Transcendence.
use a bit two-handed weapon Ikon for the highest damage, and spend an action every turn to Shift Immanence back to your weapon.
use two weapon Ikons and Transcend with one of them every turn, but this limits you to one-handed weapons or at least one unarmed attack, and has a cost in runes or doubling rings.

If one weapon can be both of your Ikons, you get two-handed damage, weapon Transcendence every turn, and no action cost.

Do people buy a lot of replay boons in advance? If think they'd buy them when planning to use them.

I never used most of my free replays.

You can have two weapon icons on the same weapon. You can still only use the icon effect every 9th action as your spark has to go through the cycle of Immanence / transcendence between each of your icons until you get rapid spark at 10th level. I am assuming two strikes and move each turn.

No you can't, but no you don't. You can already use the same one every turn if you want to, at the cost of an action to Shift Immanence.

It is literally correct. "A sword allows you to hurt your enemies," does not imply if cannot hurt your friends.