Symar's page

Also, I can't seem to enter my card verification number. It just does the loading circle and then nothing.

I'm trying to purchase the Despair on Danger Island PDF.
There's this lingering Transaction Declined on my order, that doesn't seem to go away even if I empty the cart, that showed up when I accidentally tried to use an old card. I don't know if this has anything to do with it.
Thanks.

Just as an FYI the free tagged posts seem to be patron locked.

This was with two people assisting and a third making the main check (yes, we know assists don't stack, but it was a higher chance at getting a critical assist). The majority of the checks were failures, and at no point did they get a clue.
If assisting is a trap and everyone should be rolling their own things then either assists need to be rebalanced or removed.

Not the encounters, though. They actually enjoyed being spellcasters and managing to get information on an encounter in advance so they could prep spells accordingly. Example, knowing they were going to be going up against a red dragon, thanks to the cyclopes, and then being ready with appropriate spells (mostly cone of cold, in their case, but still).

No, it was the hex crawl that did it in. With the time limit, plus the vast majority of hexes have literally nothing in them unless you crit for a clue, left the players bored and frustrated. And this was using the original, lower DCs (I have no idea how a player is supposed to crit on the updated higher DCs outside of a 20). Even random encounters would probably have made this better, as bad as random encounters can be.

So we only played half the chapter, they gave up, I told them what encounters they missed or were coming up, and they went "oh, we can cheese that by doing x/y/z" and figured nothing of value was lost. Whether their strategies could have worked or not, I don't know, and that's not the point of this complaint.

The point is that hex crawl with so few spaces that do anything is boring. *I* get that its supposed to be a flashback to Kingmaker stuff, but I'm the only one in the group that played and enjoyed Kingmaker, and even then, the hex crawl was the worst part.

We'll be playing chapter 5 since one player is excited to try the grey maiden archetype there - but that very well might be the end of our testing.

Assuming it's with a Melee weapon, but you're throwing it, does Double Slice work? It obviously wouldn't work with the thrown ranged weapons.

I play online, so there's not a lot my players can do to assist the game moving. So my Hero Points have been given out for 1) did you show up on time and have your character up to date and 2) did you participate in any roleplay. I've given out a lot of points, and my players have forgotten about them every single time.

My party for chapter one consists of two sorcerers, a bard, and a druid. Despite my urgings to the contrary. They've struggled with more encounters than I see other groups struggling with, but haven't died yet.

The Quasits in Lost Star deal 1d4-1 damage on their claw attacks. What happens if I roll 1 for a total of 0 damage? Is there a minimum of 1 damage, or do they have a 25% chance at doing nothing?

Yeah. I'm cool with new names. I just wasn't sure what was going on in the book with it.

Example: Lust Demon (Succubus)
Are these renames, with the old name as a playtest holdover? Do these monsters now have two names? I wasn't really understanding what was going on. My example is particularly vexing because it uses both names in the little flavor blurb.

And on another note, thanks for actually writing out the rarity of monsters. (If only it was applied to the spells and feats in the main rulebook too.)

Symar wrote:

Ugh, those action icons. The two-action icon looks like it means 3 actions. Being a Diamond+Chevron for a single action is okay as long as its just the single action symbol. As soon as more chevrons are added on it looks like it takes more actions than it does. Please spell out the number of actions taken as well.

Why does it look like the two-action symbol is three actions?

One action looks like two actions. A diamond plus a chevron. If this was the only symbol, I could be okay with it.

Two actions look like three. A diamond plus two chevrons.

Three actions presumably looks like four.

If we're just supposed to be counting the chevrons, then the diamond needs to be removed.

My entire playgroup agrees with me on this.

And the free action symbol I'm okay with, but a number of my playgroup think it looks too filled in to be free.

Regardless, there's enough issue with these icons that even if the icons stay they really need to spell it out as well.

Ugh, those action icons. The two-action icon looks like it means 3 actions. Being a Diamond+Chevron for a single action is okay as long as its just the single action symbol. As soon as more chevrons are added on it looks like it takes more actions than it does. Please spell out the number of actions taken as well.

I thought Resonance was supposed to remove X Per Day uses on items. Why does Armor of Invisibility have a limit of 3?

Meirril wrote:

Now that said, you really only need sufficient healers...

Can you get away with a wand of cure light wounds and a UMD check, or is that ultimately bad policy?

You can absolutely get away with a CLW wand and a good UMD score. The party just has to realize they only have post-combat healing and perhaps play a bit safer.

When my group played Legacy of Fire, we had a ranger (that never cast any spells); a paladin (that also never cast any spells); a monk; and my wizard carrying the party with UMD, wands, and scrolls of everything imaginable.

Symar wrote:

Immunity is briefly mentioned but not elaborated on. I hope its replaced by resistance instead. A mage with paragon control over fire should still be able to fireball that elemental, even if its at a reduced rate.

In many cases, we replaced an immunity with a hefty resistance instead. But not fire elementals; a fire elemental is still immune to fire. It is composed of pure fire.

I'll take what I can get. Thanks for replying!

Immunity is briefly mentioned but not elaborated on. I hope its replaced by resistance instead. A mage with paragon control over fire should still be able to fireball that elemental, even if its at a reduced rate.

Only three spells of each level feels low, but without knowing more about cantrips and domain/etc powers, it might just be fine.

Like, some of the fights have good reasons to engage.

But

Hey everyone.
My players have pointed out that, yes, their ship is significantly faster and more maneuverable than the enemy ships they've encountered so far. So they want to just book it, assuming it's not an enemy they have intentions to disable/destroy.
It's not that starship combat isn't *fun*, but it is clunky, and the enemies tend to have a lot more hp and guns, which scares my players.
Specifically I'm running society adventures, if that makes any difference in the math?

Criticals are when you make an attack roll and get a natural 20.
Maneuvers make an attack roll, and additionally use your weapon's reach, implying the weapon is involved in the maneuver.
Therefore, can you critical and get any critical effects attached to your weapon, while doing a maneuver?

Thanks for confirming what I thought I was seeing.
I'm going to let my players use Dex for melee ones and hope it doesn't break anything badly.

Some spells require attack rolls. The rules on pg331 talk about it some, but never mention what stat to use.
Are melee spells forced to use Strength with no Dex option?
I presume ranged spells use Dex?

Highest level I've ever been was 17th. So, never.

We've done a few things, like three casters with one martial, or three martials with a caster-bard. Nothing funny, but definitely unusual compared to "typical".

I was trying to argue for all-bard one campaign, but the DM was pushing against it, and I wavered in my conviction, and the other players stopped backing up the idea. We did make most of the PCs have a perform skill so they could still perform together.

All but one of my group is LGBTQ in one or more ways, and it's always been reflected in our characters some, but the current campaign we've really ramped it up and it's made it so much more fun for us.

Thanks for reinforcing my confusion and linking to that other lovely thread.
I'll just get my DM to rule on it then, as much as he shouldn't have to.

The rules say

The DC for any of these abilities equals your DC for the polymorph spell used to change you into that form.

That's great and all, if you're casting the spell. Wild Shape is a SU ability. Even if we go by that (which would be 5 for Beast Shape III), what stat do we use?

I don't know how I missed the Mokele-Mbembe, even after it was pointed out. That's a very good Huge option.

Thanks. Running off of one or two sentences of flavor doesn't help determine what belongs where.

Ah, does it? Thanks for pointing that out.

At Large (Beast Shape 2):
The Pteranodon is your flight option for this category with a 2d6 bite isn't awful, but the clumsy flight might be rough.
The Giant Chameleon looks pretty good with a 2d6 bite and the option to tongue instead (assuming you even get the tongue, its listed as both a natural attack which you *do* get, and a special ability which you *don't*.) Even without the tongue, it has a solid land and climb speed.
The Emporer Cobra has decent all around movement, but still, as we're pre-poison, doesn't have much over the chameleon.
The Giant Frilled Lizard is potentially the best option, as it has a 2d6 bite, and a secondary tail attack. Reach is only 5ft, but it carries a climb speed.
Alternatively, the Glyptodon (assuming this is a reptilian creature). Slowish movement, but two 1d10 claws.

If Dinosaurs are a go, then the Megaraptor is the best, hands down.

At Huge (Beast Shape 3):
Saltwater Crocodile isn't awful.
Quetzalcoaltus is your flight option, and with three attacks, is the best one so far.
Gorgosaurus (or Stegasaurs, if dinosasurs) is a decent option for Vital Strike.
Giant Sea Snake is alright with its multi-stat poison and expanded crit range.

And of course, if Dinosaurs, then Allosaurus is the way to go for combat.

Now on to aquatic typed animals.

As far as Medium Reptiles go for Beast Shape 1, the Monitor Lizard looks like the best bet with a land and swim speed of 30, low-light vision, scent, and a 1d8 bite. We don't get the grab nor poison yet, but that just means it gets slightly better at higher levels. The Giant Gecko seems good if we're after a climb speed instead.

If dinosauroids count: the Dimorphodon is good for a flight speed; and the Deinonychus is the best all-around combat form with 4 natural attacks, low-light vision, and scent, and retains some use at higher levels by gaining pounce and 60 ft speed with Beast Shape 2.

The Serpent Herald Skald in Legacy of the First World gains a limited form selection of Wild Shape, namely, Reptiles and Aquatic animals only.
Aquatic is an actual subtype I can search for, but Reptiles seems to be a vague descriptor relying on real-world information.
I'm going to do some of my own digging, and update as I come across decent choices, but if anybody has anything compiled for wildshape already, I'd love to see it.

And of course, this brings up a question, are dinosaurs in Pathfinder considered to be reptiles?

Gark the Goblin wrote:

So apparently Torag disappeared, along with Rovagug? Guess we gotta find a new name for their shared month. I vote "Aspis Month" in honor of that grand old organization.

why? Thor, Tyr, Odin and Freya are not longer around and the weekdays are still named after them nevertheless

Nor Woden (Wednesday), Mars (March), Maia (May), Juno (June).

And Julius Caesar (July) and Augustus (August) aren't even gods.

Assuming Absalom Station uses Golarion time (and given the Gap, I'd assume they would), I wouldn't be surprised to see the existing Golarion months and day names used.

As much as I love xe/ze/etc, pronunciation issues can come in to play, and all of that. (I prefer xe for myself, but I met someone that uses xie, and they're not pronounced the same.)

Singular they is really the best choice for nonbinary usage in English.

If we're talking something like the shirran host sex, well, I'm sure the shirran would have a pronoun for that, so the question is how would we translate it into english?

Thank you paizo for some nonbinary representation.

When I played a Bolt Ace I wound up BoltAce5/UrbanRanger5/Fighter2 before our campaign wrapped up.

Ranger didn't really give me a whole lot of feat options but the favored enemy was nice, plus some wand access.

Brute: An archetype for people who hate vigilantes, alchemists, barbarians, and themselves.

Also hate your party, because you're going to be attacking them.

Having played a wizard, and currently playing a Magus, I *do* prepare the same spells most days. If I know its a day with more adventuring and less combat, or vice versa, I'll swap some things around, or if we're going into a presumed boss battle I'll carry a different selection than my general purpose loadout. One thing you can do as a prepared caster is leave some slots open, and fill them later in the day as you figure out what you need.

Monster Hunter's Handbook is supposed to have some of this sort of thing.

The Elohim is literally the Judeo-Christian god

Worse damage is better than no damage.

As everyone else has said, Shocking Grasp is just the top of the damage chart. Any touch spell that suits your fancy will do just fine.

Since DDO was a big entry into tabletop gaming for me, trolls are like this

There's some achievement feats from Legacy of Fire. They're chosen like regular feats, but have prereqs like the ones you mention.

I think they're cute but ultimately just another barrier between what you want and need for your character to function.

Damn, time to talk my GM into letting me retrain into the new Noble Scion feat (as soon as I get the book, that is)

In case anybody finds this in the future-
As far as part one goes, all of the typical enemies have 4e equivalents or can easily be made with templates and level adjustments. The half-dragon mummy was probably the most questionable. Fights need increased numbers from the 3.5 encounters to make up for the power of 4e PCs.

The traps were probably the most difficult thing to adjudicate, and I have no advice there.

Health issues prevented me from DM'ing past part one.

Just cast 'Detect Atmosphere'

You can certainly play without a "healer".
I ran Legacy of Fire with Monk, Wizard, Paladin, Ranger; and Council of Thieves with Bard, Gunslinger, Paladin, Fighter. (Current game of Kingmaker technically has an Oracle, even though they spend more time bashing than anything else, I'm not including them because they do heal when necessary.)

We bought a ton of potions and wands of CLW and healed after combat. Save higher level potions for combat emergencies, have the arcane casters focus a bit more on crowd control, have the fighter or whatever go into maneuvers. It works fine, as long as they have access to a market to buy the items needed. You don't have to hand them out as freebies - a discount at level one, maybe, or replacing some existent loot with potions if there's no market, but not free. A lot of early game APs don't really have a time limit going on yet, so if they have to take three days to rest and wait for the potion seller to make more stock, then they have to.

(Fun fact- in that LoF campaign the Wizard used more CLW wands on the party than either class with it on their spell list.)