Tauric's page

hello,

recently my party defeated a flail snail, and had enough foresight and luck to successfully extract the corpse from the shell. one player is talking about making armor out of it.

my question is, what would be the properties of said armor? would it duplicate the snail's abilities exactly, or would it lose something in the process, and end up simple possessing the 'reflective' ability (even though that is usually reserved for shields)?

would the magic warping be an ongoing 80%, or a 'once per day'?

my inclination is to have the armor retain the precise abilities of the shell. i look forward to the cleric trying to buff the fighter only to have the spell go awry.

No time-saving tricks were involved, the druid was behind an allied ranger and two animal companions, so she was well protected and just spent the regular amount of time, and dropped the bear adjacent to the target.

Thank's everyone for the clarification/validation, we'll see how my players take the news.

T

My players don't yet have a flag (or kingdom, they have just attacked the Stag Lord, and have only explored half their original charter), but I am so worried they will adopt their current unofficial logo;

A crossed bindlestiff and headsman's axe above a pile of gold. The motto is "morte et lucre" (death and money). They are really relishing the whole "murder hobo" aspect of D&D/Pathfinder.

The fighter/unofficial leader of the group has for her battlecry "I have a charter!"

Hello,

I am the DM of a game, and on Saturday, my villainous druid summoned (at first) a bear, then after the bear was killed, a dire ape.

With the bear, I announced it was "full attack"ing a PC, and the whole table was all "you can't do that". So we looked at the rules. I couldn't find anything where it said a newly summoned creature doesn't get it's full attacks the round it appears, but I let it go, in the interest of moving things along.

Since it was getting very late (2am), we decided to end the session at the top of the round when the ape will appear. I told the group I was going to do more investigation, so when we play next weekend, I'll know whether the ape will make one attack, or three.

So, help us out here. A summoned creature gets full attacks as soon as it appears, yes?

(The druid spent the entire previous round casting the spell, so there's nothing odd about the casting)

Thank you kindly.

T

Hi all,

I was looking at the domain choices of Erastil and Ketephys, and I noticed that for being gods of the hunt, they don’t really have a domain focused on hunting, as in the pursuit and killing of an animal. So I’m creating my own and I would appreciate some help.

The Hunt Domain

Granted Powers:

1st Level: Hawkeye (Su): As a swift action, you may add a bonus equal to half your cleric level (minimum +1) on one ranged attack or on one Perception check. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.

5th Level: ? (I am thinking of granting a form of Favored Enemy, usable only towards animals, use cleric level as ranger level for increasing bonus)

Spells:

1st: Hide from Animals
2nd: Bloodhound
3rd: Hide Campfire
4th: Freedom of Movement
5th: Named Bullet
6th: Find Quarry
7th: Bow Spirit
8th: Finger of Death
9th: ? (maybe Foresight? or World Wave?)

So, what do you think? Am I stepping on the Ranger’s and/or Druid’s toes too much? Are the spells and abilities okay? Anyone else do something like this?

By the gods old and new, thank you for this. i've been going month by month with the random generator from the srd. This makes it much easier.

I might up the precip levels, though.

I am going to take several of these suggestions and use them.

My original grumble with their tactic was that I din't think they were treating the rivers as much of a hinderance that they proved to be historically. I was a bit taken aback by their casual announcement of "I swim it" and the ease of their accomplishing the act. I've since adjusted to the practice, and I'm just looking for ways to make the crossings more exciting, and have adjusted some planned encounters to be river-independant (before I had some that they HAD to be on a certain side of a river for, or it would not have made sense).

In my defense, I have been rewarding my players for their skill investments. The druid, in addition to his animal companion, has a few "pets" as well (animal empathy on trapped creatures-gave him a bonus for freeing and feeding them) and there is a chance he'll get another one when they reach the trapped thylacine.

My swimmer found the remains of some long dead warriors at the bottom of a pond, including some gold and jewelry, which I added in because he said he was going to swim around in the pond looking for stuff.

As for the Stag Lord, they have recently learned that his camp is not in the forest, but I think they might just finish exploring it anyway.

Hi everybody,

I have a player who has an insane bonus to his Swim skill, and who is negating any barrier function the rivers serve by swimming across with a rope, tying ti to a tree (so far they have only explored the Narlmarch, and stayed away from the Kamelands-they are convinced the Stag Lord lives in the woods), and then having the other party members use the rope to guide themselves over. They even get the horses over, because our Druid has a huge Handle Animal score.

So far I've been saying it takes a few hours to get across, so they lose some exploration time (usually I add an extra day to the time to explore the hex), but is there anything else I can do?

I've been thinking about having a tree break, and sweeping some folks down the river, but that might be too deadly. (Also, our group lost a child to drowning a few years back, and I'm trying not to trigger anything). Maybe I could just say they lose some horses.

The group found the bandit's body, and as it turns out it was the charmed bandit. The look of near-horror on the cleric's face was priceless.

Next session I am having the Stag Lord hit some merchants traveling between Oleg's and Restov, people that the players know and like.

I like that idea od Erastil changing the stag lord for blasphemy. My players are already suspicious of anything looking like a elk-they can across a herd while exploring and were almost killed them all, just in case old staggy was a shape changer (the druid talked them out of it).

I also like the idea of him replacing the owlbear, I think my players will be tired of owlbears by then (they've already killed one and seen another, then ther's the one in the fort to deal with)

Thanks for the encouragement and ideas.

My group has cleared the Thorn River camp, but a few bandits escaped. If the party ever goes back to the camp, they are going to find one of the bandits (one they had charmed, so they interacted with him quite a bit) blood eagled in the middle of the camp, with a blood head of a stag nailed to a tree nearby, just so they know that the Stag Lord is aware of what's going on.

That way his reputation will be fact, not just words.

Hello all,

So, I had this idea about the Stag Lord being a recurring character, and so I wanted to change his background a bit. Instead of being a stone drunk, he is sober, and has aspirations to rule the Stolen Lands as true bandit lord, as so many others in the River Kingdoms do. To further this goal, he made a pact with an otherworldly source (the big N) for the powers to persuade or force others to do his bidding.

Things will go well for him at first, until the PCs arrive and start killing his people, ending with a showdown that he will flee from. He will find some sacred spot where he can contact N, and rail against her for not giving him enough power, at which point she gives him an upgrade: she turns him from a man into a man/elk monster, basically like a minotaur but replace bull with elk.

That way he can come back at the PCs for revenge, possible as part of Hargulka's band, or as a replacement for Hargulka. Or maybe the transformation drives him mad, and he rages through the forest, and becomes something they have to take time out of kingdom building to deal with, I don't know.

What do you guys think? Any ideas on how to improve this plot? Any problems you foresee?

Mr. Nelson, send me a copy as well, please.

We are only in the first stages of the campaign (we killed the Thorn River bandits, and have explored a few hexes), but I figure I'd ask now so I don't forget.

The PCs are working for a patron, a young noble from an old, but now poor, Rostlandic family.

They are:

Robin Mountain, a fighter and a bastard of Howlan Garess, out to prove her worth (she has named her horse after the Lady Garess)

Beta, a sorcerer and Tiger Lord runaway

Adaryn Tuck, a bard and cousin of the Lebeda family

Hucklebuddy, halfling cleric of Cayden Cailean, just so darn likeable (has absolutely been destroying encounters with Charm Person)

Nox, a druid, and his bear cub, Onyx (who ate Kressle)

Scout, an elf rogue

Noname, (pronounced ne-nay-may) an elf cleric of Ketephys (elf god of the hunt)

and Etterskel Issianlocke, a gnome fighter who feels he's destined for greatness

So far they've killed Happs and his group, by charming one bandit to fire on his friends (I randomly rolled which bandits were repentant, and the player luckily chose the only one, so it wasn't a conflict to get him to shoot his companions)

Using the information provided by their new friend/prisoner, they headed to the Thorn River camp. I made some changes to the map ( I used a local river as a basis, and had the camp on an island in the river, with a log bridge). The party was spotted by a sentry patrol, but by Charming the bandit they were able to walk right into the camp with little problem. Their plan was to talk the other bandits into turning on Kressle and doing the dirty work for them, but the druid decided that was too much talking, and attacked Kressle first, which started a nice long combat, that only ended after the bear killed Kressle and the sorcerer intimidated the bandits to stop fighting.

(oh, I forgot to mention we were without our fighters and bard that night)

Now, the PCs have convinced the Thorn River bandits that they have been sent from the Stag Lord as reinforcements against the soldiers that killed Happs. This despite the fact that they only heard of the Stag Lord that very morning.

Hey all, I just started DMing this path (first time behind the screen in ten years, first time ever for Pathfinder).

I don't yet own all the modules, and I have a question about the relationship between the Ring of Swimming in the Barbarian Cairn, and Book 4. What is it? I assume there will be some sort of reaction from the Tiger Lords, but what are the specific circumstances of the ring?

Can it be replaced with a Necklace of some sort? Or even a weapon?

Also, how long ago was the cairn placed? Would a PC from the Tiger Lords have any inclination of what it is? The party sorcerer is a runaway from the Tiger Lords (he was going to be a sacrifice, I think, I really need to get him to clarify that).

(If anyone wants to know the rest of the party, check out the "Who are your Kingmakers?" thread)

I'm interested in this topic as well.

So, ya, it sounds like i have some more issues to pick up. Thanks, Solspiral.

it would make casters less godly, both mechanically and fluffily.

This is what I was going for, right here.

Personally, I would like for CI to not be enchantable, at all. However, I'm sure my players would disagree with me, so I am going to make the Craft DCs +5/bonus added, at 50% cost.

The SR will be 10 +AC Bonus, double Arcane Spell Failure, Divine Failure equal to normal Arcane Failure

Casting in a cage will be level check DC 25 + Spell Level.

I am on the fence about weapons being targeted dispel or bypassing magical AC. They both sound good, but would require more in-combat bookkeeping, which always slow my group down.

Hello all,

I saw a throwaway line in another thread, and it got me thinking: would it be unbalancing to use Cold Iron as a type of Anti-Magic device?

Specifically, I had two uses in mind:

1) Mage prison-an arcane caster that is surrounded by cold iron bars must make a caster check vs DC 25 (maybe 30) to cast any spells.

2) Cold Iron Armor-this armor has a rating 1 lower than it's usual rating, but grants the wearer SR 10 + whatever the original bonus is for the type of armor (ie, a chain shirt would grant AC +3, but SR 14). Cost modifiers are as for cold iron weapons.

Anyone see anything wrong with this stuff? Either mechanically, or any logical ramifications?

Help would be appreciated.

Tauric

I am planning on having the PCs meet a centaur band, and possibly signs of/actually have a bandit attack.

One of the reasons for the charters will be the increased centaur activity (it's the point in the centaur migration cycle they get closest to Restov).

@Mosaic, somehow I skipped your post earlier, but I have similar ideas, moving Restov farther away, and having the PCs working with a more experienced NPC in the beginning. (My first session will be running The Master of the Fallen Fortress, except instead of a Pathfinder, they are rescuing a noble's son. This noble will then receive a charter, and send his son and the PCs to fulfill it).

Hello all,

My group and I are planning on playing Kingmaker (I will DM) after our current campaign (CoT), but we have also been watching RoW with much excitement. Our first idea was to do them back to back, with the action of RoW starting in the kingdom. But I was thinking that given the fae heavy themes of each book, are they too much alike?

And then I wondered, are there certain scenarios, not necessarily modules, just bits, that could be lifted from RoW and put in Kingmaker?

I think it would lend an even greater fairy-tale feel to the story.

I am so going to steal this. Hope you don't mind.

Most of your stuff is too specific to your campaign to ste..er, use, but this is just about perfect.

You're welcome, everyone, but all I did was find a site online.

You guys are the one's creating alternative rules and custom scenarios (that I will be shamelessly stealing), so I thank you.

Try here. I've already made a lot on the site, and appropriated some more.

Fantasy Shields

JohnB, I haven't read that thread yet, I've only been reading the sticky threads as I get the books, to see what is written, then what the community has done with it.

But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to read ahead, even if I'm not completely sure what everyone will be talking about.

@ Rickmeister: I can see where some (my players included) would think that, but looking at the first two adventures, it's basically waves of monsters coming out of the woodwork to attack the city anyway. Well, okay, the Stag Lord is just kinda there, but then there is the trolls, and the owlbear, Howl of the North Wind, and all the little encounters.

Since somewhere the text says that Nyrissa is directing all these monsters agains the PCs, why not have it be because she doesn't want the PCs getting too close to her?

@ GM Solspiral: I look forward to that thread.

Again, this is all just planning on my part, I have some months before I have to solidify anything (and I could always just toss it all and play in Golarion).

I do appreciate all the advice, this will be the first AP I've DM'd, and the first time at that end of the table in about 8 years.

I am modeling my Brevoy on Michigan, with Issia being like the UP (Superior makes a good Lake of Mists and Veils), and Rostland being the southern half of the Mitten, where most of our farms are in reality. That would make the Stolen Lands sort of Ohio or Illinois. Still not a place to find great swamps, but there are some bogs and marshes.

Book 6 is definitely on my to-buy list, once the funds are available.

Would it work if, instead of making the fey presence in the Margreve obvious, I just play up the Aura of Rust, and the moving trails, and the un-taming of animals? That way the players won't ever see a fairy, but they will have a huge disincentive to continue into the forest. Especially if, whenever they try to go into the forest, I have a large monster emerge to attack their cities?

Another question, how important is it that Thousand Breaths is located over by Pittax? Could it successfully be moved to Mivon's current location?

My group won't be into the political stuff all that much. They do seem very keen on the killing monsters in the wilderness aspect, and the kingdom building.

The storyline I'm running is loosely based on English history: Choral syncs as William, the Stolen Lands become the Welsh March. Irovetti is a Gealic Prince. I had originally planned on having Mivon be another princedom, but I wanted to use the Old Margreve, so I decided that the Narlmarches were a weak extention of same, with the heart of the wood being where Mivon currently is.

If anyone has read "Last Light of the Sun", I was greatly inspired in my choice by the spirit wood, basically a great forest where the Fair Folk and old gods live, and humans are not welcome.

Thanks for the confirmation. I was planning on putting Fellnight Queen and Bloodsworn Vale into the lineup at some point (pre- or post-VV)(I was thinking that the story of building a road through the forest would be a good way to establish ties with Varnhold), so that would pad the character levels a bit.

Hello,

I am thinking about changing the location of the AP (to a homebrew world, not in Golarion), but the geography I have chosen does not support a nation in the locale of Mivon. Pittax is okay, the are on the edge of the great frontier forest, just as our heroes will be, but I just don't see a way of justifying Mivon's existence. (I have dispensed with the whole Swordlord business, so I don't need anywhere for them to flee).

I only have the first three books of the AP, but I have read several campaign journals and advice threads, so I think I can get away without Mivon, but I just wanted outright confirmation.

Thanks in advance,

Tauric

In the world I'm developing (though I've slowed way down since I've started thinking about running what's in Pathfinder), halflings come from an island nation that they believe has been destroyed. Almost the entire population fled on ships, landing in the various kingdoms of the big-folk. In some places they were accepted, in others, not, so they wander.

Wow, way to many posts to read.

Still, I want to add a "yea" and a "yay!" for firearms in the setting.