I'm currently building my first Starfinder character, and I'm thinking of an overlord-connection mystic who works in corporate espionage.
Now, on page 330 of the Core Rulebook, the text states, "A cast spell always has obvious effects that are noticeable by nearby creatures; it
is not possible to clandestinely cast a spell."
So, clearly it's impossible to conceal the act of casting a spell, but once the spell has been cast, are the effects noticeable?
If this is the case, then spells like invisibility and disguise self are self-defeating, but what about spells like detect thoughts or zone of truth?
While these spells are in effect do they have "obvious effects that are noticeable by nearby creatures"?
After casting detect thoughts in the empty break room, will my corporate spy have a visible halo of psychic energy pulsing around his head as he maintains concentration on the spell while strolling through the office?
While I'm fairly experienced playing Pathfinder in private games, I'm planning on dipping my toes into PFS in preparation for GenCon. I've been looking through the materials and while I originally wanted to play a spellslinger wizard, I see that the archetype is not permitted.
Would a gunslinger/myrmidarch magus/eldritch knight be a viable alternative? Or are society play and advancement too restrictive to make that tenable in practice?
Also, if you would like to offer more general words of wisdom to someone like me—moving from exclusively playing private games to participating in organized play for the first time—I'm all ears. :)
With the playtest closing at 2 PM Pacific tomorrow, I figured it might be worthwhile to create a thread where we can sum up our final thoughts on the playtest in general. Super class-specific impressions, observations, or playtest experiences should be limited to their respective threads to help the designers keep things straight, but feel free to talk about the classes as they compare not to each other, but to pre-existing classes as well. And what about tone? Flavor? Ease of play?
I'll likely contribute some of my own thoughts later, but I wanted to start this thread for everyone now, before forgetting.
Today I ran a homebrew two-hour game for three PCs and one DMPC set in Ustalav. All four characters were level 9 and were equipped with 46,000 gp in magic items; we went off the Wealth by Level table, but the equipment was unquestionably optimal for 9th-level characters. Alas, such is the nature of starting with characters beyond 1st level. Our table typically runs with 25-point buy, but enemy monsters have maximum HP to offset the epic ability scores. Characters took max HP for the first level, with the average for the remaining dice. The only characters with traits were those who took the Additional Traits feat. The party was all human and included a kineticist (exclusively pyrokineticist), an occultist (primarily evocation), a spiritualist (with a jealous phantom), and my DMPC, a psychic (discipline of abomination). The occultist and the psychic opted for dual talent alternate racial trait.
The game was largely a string of combat encounters with some skill checks and a haunt thrown in. I tried to offer a variety of difficulties, especially since the table was at varying degrees of system mastery. The characters first encountered two large animated objects (CR 6), then a pair of extra-limbed, brambly, fire-retardant living topiaries (CR 8), then a custom haunt (CR 9), and lastly an encounter with a custom ghost (CR 10). There were no character deaths, though the occultist and the spiritualist were both brought down to less than half their maximum hit points.
I had the players fill out exit questionnaires at the end of the session, the responses for which I’ve paraphrased in the spoilers for each character, along with brief profiles of the player’s gaming experience and play style.
Vincenzo Cardellini, Spiritualist:
Vincenzo’s player has been playing Pathfinder for a few years and has moderate system mastery. He’s the kind of player who comes to the table to have fun and is reluctant to take in-game matters too seriously. He historically plays skill monkeys.
The phantom’s jealous combatant ability proved to be more useful than he had expected, though the player found the manifestation rules to be confusing and avoided using bonded manifestation altogether. He said the spiritualist feels similar playing a ranger (the only other companion class he has played), but that the class didn’t well support his ambitions as a melee combatant, though he admits that he may have been trying to force the class to conform to his melee-centric play style. In his final reflection, he expressed that the spiritualist needed more oomph, but the phantom performed admirably.
Oliver Graham, Kineticist:
Oliver’s player has been playing Pathfinder since the Alpha playtest and has considerable system mastery; he GMs often. He’s a very immersive player who typically struggles to feel invested with short-lived characters, but was eager to playtest the kineticist in spite of himself. This player historically plays barbarians and switch-hitter rangers.
Oliver’s player said the class performed “fine”, but wasn’t terribly exciting. He didn’t think the amount of burn he was taking was worth the payoff. Less of a nova, more of a fizzle. He expressed disappointment that the wild talents didn’t include more ways to deal blast damage in an area of effect (he says that there was a line infusion, but that the burn was too costly; not having looked at the class much, I don’t know if there were other options he may have missed). He was confused that the class didn’t have a full base attack bonus and d10 hit die as he claimed, “fighting is literally all this class is good for”.
Harrison Blackwell, Occultist:
Harrison’s player has also been playing Pathfinder since the Alpha playtest and has a lot of previous experience with 3.X D&D. He’s very engaged with the minutiae of the rules text and has the most system mastery of the group. He usually only plays classes with at least six levels of spellcasting.
Harrison’s player said that the class was confusing at first, but made more sense as he got towards the end of character creation. The side step ability proved to be more useful than he expected, but he was reluctant to use his abilities out of the desire to avoid recalculating his implement bonuses. The diversity of energy types available to him proved similarly useful. He was disappointed that he knew so few spells and didn’t feel as though he had much opportunity to use any of them. In his final reflection, he was happy with how the class performed, but wondered how much his choice of weapon had to do with it (see GM Impressions below).
Constance Bishop, Psychic (DMPC):
My DMPC to round out the party; I’ve been playing and running Pathfinder since the Alpha playtest and consider myself to be moderate-to-highly conversant in the system. I almost exclusively play wizards and sorcerers (and now arcanists!), though I play witches and bards on occasion as well. I also like the XPH/DSP psion, if the setting calls for it.
While I was initially disappointed by the psychic’s spell list, I was surprised by how much of a wallop mind thrust packed. I was hoping to use Constance’s dark half ability at some point, but never found the opportunity to do so. She performed more or less as I expected, but she wasn’t terribly exciting in the way that the spellcasting of wizards can be. I was glad to see telekinesis and detect thoughts were lower level for the class, but didn’t have a chance to use either (which, as the GM, I realize is my own fault). She failed hard on her one good save, but that was just the dice being unkind. Overall, the experience was sort of…meh. I really wanted to love the class, but find after playing it, that I only like it.
GM Impressions:
While the kintecist Oliver did the most damage total, the occultist Harrison was very formidable in combat. Harrison used a +2 agile sword cane and landed every hit, even without using his transmutation base focus power. Vincenzo’s phantom was also hitting consistently, though she did less damage. Constance was still useful in the party, even against mindless enemies (against which she used slow) and mind thrust was particularly powerful as a non-mind-affecting divination spell. The enemy ghost’s frightful moan ability caused Oliver, Constance, and the phantom to flee in panic, leaving Vincenzo and Harrison alone to fight the ghost just after she reached half HP. Harrison’s energy ray focus power came in handy here, as did Vincenzo’s access to cure serious wounds. In general, Oliver’s turns were quick, but not in the good way: just very straightforward blasts and that was it. I could tell the player was getting frustrated with not having more to do, even though the session was predominantly combat. Overall, the party did very well, but I suspect that carefully selected equipment with a spending budget of 46,000 gp will do that. Moreover, I rushed my encounter design and realized halfway through that I was playing softball with them. The lowest AC in the party was a 21.
TL;DR — Overall, the players felt the classes performed as expected. The spiritualist felt that the phantom was at the right power level, but that the spiritualist itself was lacking in the combat department. The kineticist was the most disappointed, feeling that the class needed access to AoE options to better deliver the concept. The occultist felt that the class performed better than expected, but was very reluctant to use his focus abilities because of the necessary paperwork until it seemed absolutely necessary. I felt that my psychic DMPC performed adequately and that the psychic-only mind thrust spell was powerful, but not too powerful. Still, she wasn’t terribly exciting to play, but I may be jaded from years of playing characters with many of the same spell options.
Pretty much what it says on the tin. Though I'm super, super forgiving when it comes to new players, I'm finding that (at least internally) my expectations for non-beginners are somewhat higher. Curiously, I also find that I'm more critical of other players lacking system mastery when I'm a fellow player as opposed to when I'm GM. Maybe it goes back to my elementary school chagrin when other students wouldn't do their homework, who knows.
I'd like to hear from others on this topic. Here are some sample questions to facilitate discussion:
What bare minimum of rules knowledge do you think can be reasonably expected from a player?
Does that change if the person is playing a spellcaster?
What expectations do you have of your GM's knowledge of the gaming system?
Do your expectations change when you're running a game as opposed to playing?
After what number of sessions ought a player know their character's abilities from memory?
At what point does a player's lack of rules knowledge negatively impact (or become an impediment to) the fun of the other players at the table?
And, perhaps speaking more broadly, at what point does a beginner transition into an experienced player (if not a veteran)?
Would you say that it's part of the social contract of a tabletop RPG that one ought to enter into a game/session with a certain degree of knowledge?
I realize, of course, that these kinds of questions vary on a case-by-case basis, especially when things like learning disabilities or secondary language barriers enter into the picture...
...but in general, what are your thoughts?
Also, let's all endeavor to keep this topic friendly. :) There will likely be wildly opposed views on this matter, so let's bear in mind that most if not all play styles are valid and that the most important element of gaming is fun.
So, two-ish feats in the ACG require EVEN-numbered ability scores as prerequisites (Improved Studied Combatant [Int 14], Kick Up [Dex 12], and Counterpunch [Dex 18]).
The entry for Improved Studied Combatant lists the requirement as Int 13, but the other two feat entries are consistent with the even numbers presented in the table.
...is this by design? I don't think I've ever encountered an even-numbered ability score prerequisite for a feat in previous Pathfinder materials. The lack of a precedent, at least as far as I can recall,and the inconsistency with Improved Studied Combatant lead me to think that these numbers are incorrect.
As you know, many spells and wondrous items can make the rogue ancillary, if not unnecessary within a party because magic can accomplish the same things as a rogue's skills, only better.
What if there was a way to make the rogue so extraordinarily capable of using skills (in ways that far surpass the extent to which other classes are able to use those same skills) that the results are as powerful as magic?
Naturally, this would stretch some people's notions of verisimilitude for non-casters, but, really, that can't be helped. Frankly, the rogue has been labeled as the Skill Monkey for ages now, but skills become increasingly marginalized as spells and magic items become more plentiful and as characters go up in level. I'm thinking there's something that could be done to change all that.
I don't have a mechanic in mind yet (DCs, X/day, nothing), but I'm tantalized by the notion that a sufficiently skilled (and sufficiently lucky) rogue could perform the following (or similar) effects using the skills:
Skill – Spell(s)
Acrobatics – Feather Step/Air Walk
Appraise – Legend Lore
Bluff – Glibness
Climb – Spider Climb
Craft – Fabricate
Diplomacy – Charm Monster
Disable Device – Knock
Disguise – Alter Self
Escape Artist – Freedom of Movement
Fly – Fly
Handle Animal – Speak with Animals
Heal – Breath of Life
Intimidate – Fear
Knowledge – Legend Lore
Linguistics – Tongues
Perception – True Seeing
Perform – ???
Profession – ???
Ride – ???
Sense Motive – Zone of Truth
Spellcraft – Analyze Dweomer
Stealth – Invisibility, Greater
Survival – ???
Swim – Water Breathing
Use Magic Device – ???
Naturally, these spells may not be perfect fits by any stretch of the imagination, but hopefully you get what I'm going after. Maybe even the rogue could get access to effects that don't mimic these spells exactly, but are equivalent to their relative power/efficacy.
I welcome any and all thoughts on how to implement something akin to this. I'm also aware that this idea, though original to the best of my knowledge, could easily have been thought up already by someone else. So if something similar already exists, please point me in that direction. Thanks!
During my time on the boards, I've seen a lot of discussion about the problems with the monk (right alongside the rogue and fighter) and I've seen many proposed fixes. Here are some of my own that I'm considering implementing as part of my house rules. Feedback is strongly encouraged if you have a spare moment (as far as balance goes, I'm thinking of increasing the power and versatility of the fighter and rogue, but likely not others). :)
One criticism of the monk that has stuck with me for a long time has been the notion that the class suffers from claiming that it's a highly mobile melee combatant, but that its main source of damage output, flurry of blows, requires the character to remain stationary. Another criticism is that the class suffers from MAD and the investment is WIS isn't as valuable as it is to invest in STR or DEX. The additions below attempt to mitigate, if not completely nullify, both of these major drawbacks.
Mind Over Matter (Ex): When rolling the Hit Die at 1st level and each new monk level thereafter, a monk may use his Wisdom modifier to calculate bonus hit points instead of his Constitution modifier. This diminishes the need for a high CON, meaning more points for other scores and making a high WIS more meaningful.
Ki Pool (Su): In addition to the other benefits provided by this class feature, by spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk’s unarmed attacks can ignore a number of points of hardness equal to his monk level for 1 round. Inspired by board breaking and similar practices, this makes sundering a viable monk tactic as well as potentially being able to break down doors out of jail cells, etc.
Purity of Body (Ex): In addition to the other benefits provided by this class feature, a monk may use his Wisdom modifier when making Fortitude saving throws instead of his Constitution modifier. Same as mind over matter. A weaker CON means more points elsewhere.
Swift Step (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a monk may move up to 10 feet when making a 5-foot step. This distance increases to 15 feet at 10th level, 20 feet at 15th level, and 30 feet at 20th level. Free movement like this, without provoking AoO, delivers on the promise of a mobile fighter.
As mentioned above, feedback is not only welcome by deeply appreciated. Thanks all!
So, I've been going through my old Dragon magazines and rediscovered the wonderful Master Astrologer prestige class. Determined to play a Varisian master astrologer for my group's upcoming Mummy's Mask game, I'm trying to figure out what would bring such a character to Osirion (or even Wati specifically). Our own Egypt has a rather storied history with the development of astrology, but Osirion doesn't seem to have much going on in the field, save for Menetnashte's Orrery in Sothis (a city that I don't believe shows up at all in the MM AP).
Is there anything I'm missing in the way of Osirion and astrology?
I'd hate to make something up if the connective tissues I'm looking for already exist. Maybe something with sphinxes and astrology? Or Varisians hailing from Osirion originally? I'll literally run with almost anything to make this concept work.
Mikael Sebag
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
,
Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 8
Arigen’s Antiquities
==========
Arigen’s Antiquities was once a staple of Oppara’s Grandbridge district. Specializing in only the finest and most exquisite art objects of ancient Taldor and Osirion, the shop was a favorite among adventurers looking to sell and wealthy collectors looking to buy. Whether one was in the market for an antique suit of Taldan armor or a canopic jar imported directly from Sothis, the antiquities dealer Arigen Abradon could always provide. Sadly, following tales of the strange and gruesome demise of the store’s owner two years ago, Arigen’s Antiquities closed suddenly and indefinitely. Rumors now circulate that the once-grand emporium’s basement, where Arigen kept his greatest finds and where he met his grisly end, is now inhabited by malevolent spirits. The structure has since been condemned and Oppara’s local guards are better paid to see to the city’s nobles than explore potentially haunted buildings.
The Reginell Family Reunion (CR 6)
==========
The air, dry and musty, reeks of moldy canvas tarps, oil paint, and packing straw. Light from the shop level above filters down the stairs and into the cellar, casting dim illumination across the cluttered space. Wooden crates of various sizes are stacked haphazardly about the basement floor and relics of Taldor and Osirion lie scattered about. Life-size portraits rest against various surfaces: dusty, long-neglected, and barely visible in the shadowy gloom.
The cluttered basement of Arigen’s Antiquities is 60 feet by 45 feet and has no light sources to speak of.
A1. Curious Blood Splatter Not far from the stairs, a large, dark red splatter stains the cellar floor. The dried blood, long since spilled, leads deeper inside the dimly lit cellar.
Four portrait phantoms, each bearing the likeness of a member of the dishonored Reginell family, now haunt the basement of Arigen’s Antiquities. Having laid dormant for centuries, the phantoms awoke when the antiquities dealer uncovered their portraits in the basement of his store, having purchased and forgotten about them years ago at an estate sale of the Reginell family’s distant descendants. The Reginells were found guilty of war crimes during the Grand Campaign against Qadira over 200 years ago and, in death, their spirits cling to the former glory of their once-great line. Arigen met his end at the hands of the portrait phantoms who have since claimed the store’s cellar as their own. Both Arigen’s Antiquities and the historical treasures it contains are inaccessible to the public so long as the portrait phantoms of the Reginell family remain.
Each of the following portraits of members of the Reginell family are Medium-sized and rest haphazardly on the floor, leaning against crates or the cellar’s stone walls. Small, engraved gold plaques on each frame bear the name of each painting’s subject. A successful DC 15 Knowledge (nobility) or Knowledge (local) check reveals the infamy of the Reginell family. A successful DC 20 Perception check for each portrait (except for that of Lord Brimley) reveals that the subject discretely holds a falcata in one hand.
A2. Narcis Reginell The corpulent man in this portrait wears garments more commonly seen on children than grown adults. Unnaturally rosy cheeks and lips belie the subject’s desperate and clumsy use of cosmetics, which create an unsettling contrast to the man’s dark mustache, crinkled nose, and scowling brow. Overall, the piece is unsavory to behold.
A3. Lady Viviana Reginell The stately middle-aged woman painted here is clothed in only the finest Taldan garments of white lace and crushed blue satin. An intricate maze of powdered white hair rests atop her head and pearls festoon every piece of ornamental jewelry she wears. The artist honestly portrayed the subject’s fading beauty and her sad, but winsome eyes seem to stare off into the distance behind you. Her portrait evokes a profound sense of melancholy.
A4. Vicereine Lavennia Reginell The woman pictured here bears a serene, understated sort of beauty. Short brown hair frames a heart-shaped face of pale skin and large chocolate-brown eyes. A mantle of golden fur adorns the trim of her sapphire dress. Her deep-set eyes seem to meet your gaze, no matter your vantage.
A5. Lord Brimley Reginell Labeled the family patriarch, the imposing figure painted here has the bearing of king. A tremendous white beard and curled mustache flashes in stark contrast to the subject’s dark, polished armor. He holds a falcata in one hand and a helm with blue and green feathered plumes in the other. The man’s dark expression is difficult to gaze at for too long.
A6. The Osiriani Sarcophagus
The flattened, bloody corpse of a gentleman, once in his late fifties, lies inside the sarcophagus. A successful DC 17 Knowledge (local) check reveals his identity to be that of the late Arigen Abradon.
Unless their paintings are attacked, the portrait phantoms remain hidden in their portraits, waiting for Lord Brimley to attack first, at which point all four phantoms emerge to cut down intruders into their realm. If a creature begins to inspect the blood trail and follows it back towards the sarcophagus, the phantom portrait of Lord Brimley waits until the creature is distracted before emerging from its painting and attacking from the shadows.
Creatures: Each member of the Reginell family has blended into his or her respective portrait. The portrait phantoms only emerge and attack intruders once the patriarch, Lord Brimley Reginell, begins to attack with either an ambush or the choking hands haunt.
Haunts: A variant of choking hands triggers when a creature comes within 5 feet of Lord Brimley’s portrait.
Development: The portrait phantoms of Lady Viviana and Vicereine Lavennia prefer to flank with one another while Narcis and Lord Brimley divide and conquer, trying to split groups of enemies to weaken their resolve. While destroying the portrait phantom’s painting does not damage the creature who bears its likeness, doing so for Lord Brimley’s automatically ends the choking hands haunt.
Portrait phantoms (4) CR 5
XP 400 each
hp 13 each (R2)
Variant choking hands (CR 3) (Pathfinder Adventure Path #43 66)
hp 13; Weaknesses damaged by fire and slashing weapons
Effect As choking hands, except that the temporary hit points gained from the haunt’s vampiric touch are added to the portrait phantom of Lord Brimley instead of the haunt itself; Destruction Defacing or destroying the painting permanently ends the haunt.
Mikael Sebag
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
,
Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 8
Dear Everybody,
I've been anxiously trying to puzzle this out in my head, but I'd rather admit my cluelessness than be disqualified for a flawed entry.
The Round 3 Rules wrote:
Do not use customized monsters or hazards that do not already have a stat block from a Paizo source if the effects of the variation cannot be summed up by adding one line to the stat block (such as a half-fiend troll, a goblin rogue 5, or an advanced spectre)--normally you would include a complete stat block for such a monster, and you won't have room to do so within the 1,500 word limit for your entry.
So hazards and traps have separate entries in the encounter format provided; does that mean that traps, haunts, and the like are not considered "hazards" as described in the rule above and we can thus create new ones for use in our encounter?
Mikael Sebag
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 32
,
Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 8
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This small, egg-shaped creature sports one large, devious eye and a maw of snaggled fangs. The flapping of its tiny leathery wings accompanies its snickering, high-pitched chitters.
Miscaster CR 3 XP 800
CN Tiny construct
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect magic, low-light vision; Perception +4
----- Defense ----- AC 16, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 natural, +2 size)
hp 19 (4d10)
Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +2
Defensive Abilities construct traits
----- Offense ----- Speed 20 ft., fly 50 ft. (good)
Melee 1 bite +5 (1d4-1)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks feast on magic items
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +4)
Constant—detect magic
3/day—vanish Scrolls Consumed (see feast on magic items below)
2nd—scorching ray (ranged touch attack +8)
1st—color spray (DC 11)
----- Statistics ----- Str 8, Dex 15, Con —, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 7
Base Atk +4; CMB +1; CMD 14
Feats Dodge, Skill Focus (Stealth)
Skills Fly +6, Perception +4, Stealth +17
Languages Common (cannot speak)
SQ spellscatter field
----- Ecology ----- Environment any urban
Organization solitary, pair, or swarm (3-5)
Treasure none
----- Special Abilities ----- Feast on Magic Items (Su) Miscasters can feast on the magic of scrolls, potions, and elixirs. Using this ability is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. If a miscaster consumes a scroll, the item is destroyed and the spell written on the scroll is stored within the miscaster as if it were a ring of spell storing, using the scroll’s caster level and casting time for the relevant spell, with a minimum casting time of 1 standard action. A miscaster can store up to 5 levels of spells at a time. In addition, a miscaster can imbibe potions and elixirs, receiving the benefits of these items as normal. A miscaster cannot consume staves, wands, or any other kind of magic item. If a miscaster goes five days without consuming at least one magic item, it dies.
Spellscatter Field (Su) Any creature that casts an arcane spell within 60 feet of a miscaster suffers a 50% chance of the spell dangerously backfiring. This causes the spell to fail and deals 1d6 points of damage per spell level to the caster. This ability does not interfere with any spells cast by the miscaster, but affects spells cast from the arcane scrolls and wands of others. The spellscatter field can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
Creatures of pure mischief, miscasters are an unfortunate reality of studying wizardry in the Inner Sea. Most commonly found in the cutthroat Acadamae in Korvosa and the Arcanamirium in Absalom, miscasters are created by petty faculty and students who jealously seek to undo their rivals. The size of cats, miscasters are remarkably stealthy and can go for weeks without being detected, all while secretly eating a rival’s store of magic items and interfering with his or her spellcasting to deadly effect. Unlike homunculi, miscasters owe no allegiance to those who create them, but will carry out tasks that align with their own desires to dine on magic and cause mayhem. If a miscaster ever finds its way outside of academy walls, it stays within the city, preferring to secretly make its home in an alchemist’s workshop or scroll merchant’s backroom. Miscasters, though typically solitary and often short-lived creatures, readily team up with other miscasters in their shared pursuit of mischief-making.
According to the stub in the PathfinderWiki, arcane magic is governed by Laws of Arcana, discussed (with any luck, more fully) in Dave Gross's King of Chaos. I don't have any access to this text so hopefully someone who has read it can throw me a bone here.
Does Golarion have any overarching general theory of magic and what are these so-called Laws of Arcana?
Description
An ivory cameo of a bearded, old wizard with identical faces on either side of his head hangs on this amulet’s delicate silver chain. Three times per day, the amulet allows its wearer to recite spells with verbal components backwards and achieve an inverse effect under the following circumstances:
Diametric Effect: If the wearer casts a spell that can counter or dispel another specific spell, he may activate the amulet to spontaneously convert the spell being cast into the spell which it specifically counters (for example, haste would be converted into slow).Alignment: If the wearer casts a spell that detects or affects creatures of a certain alignment, the spell instead affects creatures of the opposite alignment instead (for example, chaos hammer would damage and blind chaotic creatures and outsiders instead of lawful).Cure/Inflict Spell: Lastly, if the wearer casts a cure or inflict spell, she may activate the amulet to spontaneously convert the spell being cast into the other type of the same spell level (for example, cure moderate wounds would be converted into inflict moderate wounds).
Activating the amulet is a free action.
Construction Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, dispel magic, tongues; Cost 10,000 gp
So, I've got a character concept for an archaeologist bard that uses an obscure weapon from the pages of our world's history which has no decent equivalent in Pathfinder that I know of:
While I don't want to homebrew a whole new weapon for this, I'm wondering if there's anything in the books already that can help me realize this concept. A bayonet on a double-barreled pistol doesn't work and the dagger pistol only has one barrel, though that's the closest I've been able to get so far.
Anything from Pathfinder RPG, Golarion material, etc. is fine with me, but my party avoids 3rd party materials for the most part.
Finally got around to running a playtest game, using an extremely altered and truncated version of Feast of Ravenmoor to ensure we could get in a decent number of encounters in three hours. Overall, it was a wilderness adventure, partially set in a small town. A bard NPC accompanied the party for half the encounters to provide support, but was killed about midway. We had a 1v1 brawl between a monk and the brawler, a chase scene between the slayer and a goblin rogue, a homebrewed baby black dragon (CR 5-ish) skill challenges in the form of festival/gambling games, a grand melee involving a bunch of human experts led by a 5th-level cleric, and a manticore to top it all off.
Player Profiles
Brawler: Experienced video gamer, relatively new to tabletop in general and Pathfinder in particular. Enthusiastic about the brawler as a concept.
Slayer: Veteran 3.5 and Pathfinder player, been playing PF since Alpha playtest. Historically plays a lot of rangers.
Arcanist: Same gaming experience as the slayer. Rules lawyer and fellow theorycrafter. He played the arcanist at my suggestion, but required no further encouragement as his curiosity was piqued.
Overall DM Impressions: As a DM, I noticed that the PCs were able to make short work of characters like the experts and monk against whom they were easily able to perform combat maneuvers, set up flanks for the slayer's sneak attacks, and/or outright ruin with color spray. Larger creatures like the baby black dragon (which I homebrewed as Large) and the manticore proved to be the most difficult as setting up tactical advantage (higher ground, flanking, tripping, etc.) became problematic. The party also neglected to buy cure potions, so the bard NPC's spell slots were taxed heavily while she was alive.
The Brawler's Impressions: The brawler's player was overall very pleased with the class's performance. He didn't feel like Handle Animal belonged on the skill list, but otherwise felt that the class's accuracy, defenses, and most importantly flavor were right on the money. His major complaint was with the martial maneuvers ability, since he felt, as a novice player he felt that the ability asked too much of someone not familiar with all the available feats. He would have preferred a small list of bonuses to attack, CMB/D, AC, etc. that he could choose from depending on the situation. Sounded like a good idea to me as well.
The Slayer's Impressions: The player found the slayer to have too few skill ranks to fully realize his vision for the character and expressed that the favored target ability felt somewhat lackluster. While he had few qualms about the move action expenditure (as he was switch-hitting between two-handed greatsword and composite longbow) and did not yet need to worry about missing out on iterative attacks, he felt that the pay off wasn't big enough. Though he acknowledged the versatility of favored target, he wished the bonus were +2 as +1 just didn't feel sufficient.
He also wondered why Knowledge (nature) was not a class skill.
The Arcanist's Impressions: During character creation, the player faced a dilemma in which exploits to pick as they all looked so good. He lamented not having more points in his reservoir at one point, but realized it would have been too powerful if he did. Overall, he said it played similar to the wizard and felt that Scribe Scroll would be an almost essential feat to maximize the usefulness of having a spellbook over the course of a long game. DM Note: He very spectacularly used the counterspell exploit against the cleric and while he didn't say anything about it when I asked the group to review their experiences, he was smiling from ear to ear when it happened.
Hopefully, next week I will run an urban session with the same characters at level 5.
I'm planning on implementing these boosts to the non-casting core classes to see if it helps give more opportunities for these classes to shine and might make them more appealing to my group.
These abilities would be granted at first level unless stated otherwise.
Thoughts and feedback are both welcome and encouraged!
Monk
At 5th level, a monk may move an additional 5 feet when taking a five-foot step. This bonus increases by an additional five feet at 10th level and every five levels thereafter.
Fighter
As a standard action a fighter may perform a combat maneuver check against an opponent. If successful, the fighter deals damage to the creature equal to twice his class level. Treat this damage as if it were dealt by a weapon the fighter carries in either hand for the purposes of damage type and bypassing damage reduction.
In addition, a fighter reduces the penalty he takes to his attack rolls when making called shots by 1 (to a minimum of 0). At 4th level, the penalty reduction increases to 2 and increases by an additional point every two levels thereafter.
Barbarian
While raging, a barbarian’s attacks ignore a number of points of hardness and damage reduction equal to her class level.
Has anybody tinkered with a tweak to the metamagic rules where the cost is in spell slots of the same spell level as opposed to an increase in the spell level? For example, a silent fireball would cost two 3rd-level spell slots instead of one 4th-level spell slot.
Thoughts? Concerns? Predictions of potentially unseemly repercussions?
Playing my first illusionist in a few days and wanted to see if the following were possible:
Using a low-level spell like silent image or major image is it possible to create the illusion of something very large and terrible, let's say a flying dragon, but that it's very far away through optical tricks? For example, making the illusion smaller than normal would make it seem far away, as would tinting it light blue to increase the perception of atmospheric perspective.
This is where y'all get to jabber on, ask for clarification, discuss strategy out of character (if need be), and so on. If you're gonna be unavailable for long stretches of time, this would be the place to let the rest of us know. Enjoy!
This thread is for the players who have been pre-selected from my RL tabletop group. As the game develops, we may be recruiting other players from the forums, but until that time, please do NOT dot the thread just yet. Thanks in advance!
If a party member makes a wish on their turn, can an ifrit wishcrafter sorcerer cast the appropriate spell as an immediate action or does he have to wait til his turn to cast it?
There's no action listed in the entry and it seems like the ability would be disastrously weak if you can only grant one wish per character per 24 hours that requires your one standard action per round to perform it. Anyway, unbiased interpretations welcome. :)
I only recently found out about this myself, but apparently for some time now there's been discussion circulating around the idea of a tier system (not to be confused with the 4E) for 3.5 base classes that weighs their versatility (in qualitative terms) and ranks them accordingly. It's actually pretty fascinating as I tend to personally agree with the distribution of the classes across the tiers.
Here's a link for those who aren't familiar with what I'm referring to: linky linky.
So, here are my questions:
A) Do you think that the current Pathfinder incarnations of the classes posted are still in the same tiers as their 3.5 incarnations?
B) Where would you place the new Pathfinder base/alternate classes (APG, UC, & UM classes) in the tiers?
C) Is this tier system accurate and/or useful to DMs and players?
Ugh, in retrospect, that's a terrible thread title.
Having read through all of the stuff at Goblinworks, I have my concerns about the amount of player control described in the paragraph below:
"Pathfinder Online's robust trading system puts players in control of the world's economy with player-created items, consumables, fortifications, and settlements. Character-controlled settlements can grow into full-fledged kingdoms that compete for resources as they seek to become the dominant force in the land, raising vast armies to hold their territory against the depredations of monstrous creatures, NPC factions, and other player characters."
I'm all for players actively participating in the future of the game world, but being able to eventually establish full-fledged kingdoms fills me with apprehension. I realize, of course, that pen-and-paper Golarion and Pathfinder Online are separate continuities, but that being said, I'm not sure I'd want to play in a game world based on Golarion where there are more player-created nations than canonical ones.
That's why I'm wondering what sort of attention the established factions will be receiving. I've never done Pathfinder Society, but from what I understand, even though the players are all Pathfinders, their allegiances play a large part in motivating their adventures and determining what sorts of rewards they receive, etc.
If the River Kingdoms has (*have?) a whole mess of unclaimed territory that's up for players to grab, then why not keep it more "in setting" by having players allied with factions (Red Mantis Assassins, Andoran Eagle Knights, Chelish imperialists, the Arcanamirium, Pathfinder Society, the Whispering Way, etc.) act in the interest of their organization? That way they could function as developer-controlled "guilds" that maintain the verisimilitude of the established Golarion setting while still catering to MMO players who want guild allegiance. For that matter, maybe players could establish their own guilds within these factions, where a requirement of guild membership is faction membership as well?
There could be faction-exclusive quests and rewards/items, but then also quests/items that are open to anyone (maybe even others that require certain character alignments, were that even to be included).
Furthermore, such attention to faction would also allow players to feel invested in Golarion as a whole and not just the River Kingdoms. Besides, I'd much rather adventure in a settlement controlled by the Eagle Knights than some guy (theoretically) named Drizzz'ztDoUrden86.
So, I'm playing in a Carrion Crown game, and my GM is letting all of the characters have little sub-plots. I've requested the opportunity to stretch my roleplaying skills and take on a whole new personality, so my character is going to be possessed by the ghost of a witch wrongfully executed, seeking vengeance on those truly responsible for whatever atrocity of which he was accused.
(We got the idea from True Blood, Season 4.)
At any rate, since the 12th-level ghost witch can't prepare or cast spells without a familiar (or in this case, spell poppet since the witch is a gravewalker), he uses malevolence to possess my character, then prepares and casts an extended magic jar to maintain the control daily, after creating a new poppet.
Ultimately, the goal is find a way to resurrect the ghost so that he may continue his work without the need for possessing a living creature. If I like playing the witch enough, I may find myself playing him again as a living person in whatever extension the GM will be adding to the end of the Carrion Crown Adventure Path.
Question: What means exist to bring a ghost back from the dead? The whole rejuvenate thing seems problematic since the very thing keeping him tethered to this world is a quest for which coming back to life is only a step along the way.
Our party paladin, I've heard is planning on taking the Ultimate Mercy feat. Would killing a human, possessing its body with malevolence, and then being brought back to life with ultimate mercy work, or would it call the original soul back to its body? What if rest eternal was to be cast first?
Thanks everyone!
PS. We just began Broken Moon, any recommendations on where or when such a sub-plot would be best introduced? Thanks!
So, I know this was brought up like, forever ago when the Pathfinder rules were still in the Beta playtest, but was there an "official" or at least suggested conversion ruling for feats that deal with bardic music "uses" and what that means as far as performance rounds are concerned? More simply put, any word from on high as to how many "bardic performance rounds" are equal a 3.5 "bardic music use"?
Thanks!
PS. Moderators, please feel free to move this thread if it's on the wrong board... :)
So, in the few mentions I've read of music in Golarion, I've been impressed by the accuracy with which the musical tastes of each region reflect those of their real-world counterpart. My hope for this thread is that we, as a community, can identify the musical styles and genres of each region in Golarion either through citation of any specific mention or through deduction based on the region's real-world parallel.
So, as of right now, the amount of posts regarding the samurai is about 1/2 the number discussing the ninja and about 1/5 of the gunslinger's.
I'm very interested in discovering the reason for this phenomenon as I imagine one of several potential causes may be responsible.
Is the class underwhelming and there simply isn't much to discuss? Or is it so well executed that you have no complaints? Is it that you just don't care?
Like it says in the title, I believe that the ninja ki pool shoulder be Wisdom-based. After all, the cultivation of one's ki (at least in my mind) is done through awareness and sensitivity, not a winning smile...! ;)
I invite others to either agree with me wholeheartedly or persuasively convince me otherwise. I'm good with either.
p.4, Covering Shot: It reads, "as an immediate reaction", though, if I'm not mistaken, "immediate action" is, in fact, the correct wording.
p.5, Deadly Shot: The last line of the entry says "Performing this deed does not allow her to regain grit from confirming a critical hit." This is incorrect, as the effect is not a critical hit, and no doubt was intended to refer to the gunslinger's ability to regain grit from performing a killing blow with a firearm.
Okay, so having looked over the "Daring Acts" method of regaining grit points, I must say that it's a little too open-ended for rules as codified and consistent as d20 Pathfinder. GM arbitration is tricky business and to make it essential to such a core part of the class can lead players to feel as if there's either favoritism or uncalled-for cruelty at the game table (supposing a gunslinger is either regaining tons of grit [or none at all] through daring acts).
Having looked over the examples, the rules might be more finite if expressed as follows:
Daring Acts: Each time a gunslinger performs a daring act, she regains 1 grit point. A daring act is any Acrobatics check for which the DC is equal to or greater than the gunslinger's Acrobatics modifier + 10, so long as the possibility of injury is the consequence of failure.
I know that there are other "daring acts" out there, but those listed were all Acrobatics, so...
Also, does the gunslinger need to succeed on the daring act or simply perform it? Regaining grit in the event of failure seems strange.
Mikael Sebag
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
,
Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 8
I'm hoping that this thread can be a forum for those who competed in the first round to evaluate, critique, and comment on one another's wondrous items. After all, it is in the spirit of RPG Superstar that we foster the creativity of all of this year's entrants and encourage those who didn't make it into the Top 32 to hone their skills for future competitions.
Also, realize that this thread is independent of the judge's critique thread and that those who want evaluations from both the judges and their peers should post their items in both threads.
I'm wondering if you guys think it's viable to create a Duskblade-esque character by creating an "arcane warrior" style archetype for the fighter? (perhaps by replacing fighter class features with arcane spellcasting [perhaps drawn from the magus list]?)I get the feeling that this would be the most tenable alternative to the Magus or multiclassing and would allow said character to retain a full BAB.
Okay, so I've been accused of Rules Lawyering a great deal in my short gaming career, but you know, I've actually come to appreciate the moniker rather than be insulted by it. However, I have wondered at times whether I have done used my game knowledge with the best interests of the game or my own at heart. A situtation:
Several years ago, I was in a game and we were joined by a player who we quickly realized was a very, VERY poor addition to the group. After the initial honeymoon period ended, we discovered that she didn't know the rules, she REFUSED to learn them, and insisted on being given preferential treatment from the DM. Not to mention, she acted as if she was doing us a favor by participating in our game...! At any rate, while the DM was always more relaxed about the rules than I was and had long maintained a "story trumps rules" mindset, he never begrudged me for pointing out a monster's SR or another player's misinterpretation of the rules. Let me say this, 9 times out of 10, I used my knowledge to actually hinder myself and the rest of my party in the interest of fairness. I've used my knowledge to make awesome builds, but never at the expense of the fun of everybody else.
...But man, when it came to this girl, the gloves came off.
While I continued to remind everyone of the rules as normal, I made it my special mission to make sure that she did EVERYTHING by the book. I scuttled her strategies when they hinged on a colorful interpretation of a spell's description, constantly reminded her that she couldn't use certain skills untrained, and policed/scrutinized her more heavily than any other player or DM with whom I've ever played. We suspected that she may have been more rules savvy than we had initially believed and that she was rather "conveniently" forgetting the ranges of her weapons and durations of her spells, but that's still unknown.
Many years have passed since we eventually kicked her out, but I still wonder: Did I do the right thing?
Was it within my right to make sure that this player was adhering to the rules, even if I did so with more or less malicious intent?
Where do you draw the line for acceptable rules lawyering? My memory and my fingers are pretty quick so a correction never took more than 30 seconds ... but, ultimately, what's the etiquette when it comes to telling someone else that they're mistaken and that your knowledge of the rules is more complete and correct than there's?
I hope I don't sound arrogant, since I'm well aware that I hardly know every rule, but in my group, I'm always the most well-read gamer at the table.
At any rate, personal experiences with rules lawyers or opinions on the subject are all welcome!
Mikael Sebag
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
,
Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 8
Hi everyone!
I have a question:
So I'm completely in love with the item I've created, but I'm worried that it may have the SAK problem. It does indeed have a variety of effects, but each is uniquely specific to its own set of circumstances. So while it has a range of abilities, it's not something that can really do everything all the time. Naturally, it's all thematically linked, and in fact, the effects are all variations of the same mechanic. Fortunately, while it sounds like it might be a headache, none of my proof-readers have had any trouble whatsoever understanding it.
So based on that fairly nebulous description, would you say that I should be concerned?
Word count currently weighs in at about 242 (eep, that's long!).
Okay, so I just finished going through Andoran: Spirit of Liberty cover to cover and unless my reading comprehension has steadily declined since high school, I found no mention of arcane magic in Andoran society. Is there any mention anywhere of how Andoran wizards are educated or what the prevailing attitude regarding sorcerers is?
I suspect the lack of material on the subject implies a strong hostility (or perhaps mistrust) of arcane magic because of the country's bad blood with Cheliax, but that's not explicitly mentioned.
Any knowledge anyone has on this topic would be very useful. I'm trying to create my first Golarion character and it would be great to find out as much as I can on the role of arcane magic in Andoran.
Ever since the APG came out, I’ve given serious thought to creating a PSRD d20 game for modern supernatural horror, much in the vein of Monte Cook’s World of Darkness, in which the player characters are the “monsters”. What I have in mind is a more universal/inclusive design philosophy than what is already published; one that is not tailored to replicate the NWoD or any other established world, but one that rather serves to accommodate a wide variety of folkloric traditions and player tastes. I want to create something where I can satisfy the sundry tastes of my diverse gaming group, whether each individual is a fan of Mercy Thompson, Twilight, Being Human, Supernatural, True Blood, Charmed, or Buffy.
I was inspired by the archetype system introduced in the APG and I’m using that as my current model for efficiently covering as many “supernatural horror” creature types as possible. Below is a rough sketch of what I’m thinking. There would be seven base classes (levels 1-20), with the assumption that the player characters recently became supernatural, recently discovered their supernatural nature, or have only just begun to unlock the secrets of their abilities. Multi-classing seems unrealistic, but I may consider it for certain combinations.
I know that there’s a lot else going on with running Pathfinder in a modern setting, what with wealth, reputation systems, firearms, etc. etc., but for now, I’m gonna focus on just the supernatural elements and see if I can get that working. So let’s see what I’ve got so far…
Base Classes
Lycanthropes
Primarily melee combatants with various “were-creature” archetypes that introduce moderate degrees of versatility, plus a “shapeshifter” archetype.
Vampires
Physically gifted, but they also possess unique mental powers [mind control, empathy, etc.], that can be selected and improved upon with level advancement like rogue talents. No archetypes for this one, but perhaps an “origin” that can only be selected at 1st level instead of a power that would specify the nature of the vampiric curse (such as being dhampir).
This could be expanded to “Reanimated Dead” with Vampires actually being an archetype, alongside mummies, revenants, and a Frankenstein’s monster kind of thing.
Witches/Wizards (working name since I don’t want to say “mage”)
Pretty straightforward spellcasters: physically unimpressive, but tremendous versatility. No archetypes, but player character concept would probably reflect the kinds of spells the character would most often use. Considering a magic system similar to Monte Cook’s component system (cuz it’s awesome).
Faeries
Faerie babies left in human cribs (ie. changelings), gifted mostly with luck and trickery powers, but with a wide variety of archetypes (boggart, selkie, nymph, hag, goblin, etc.) to create more specialization and sense of “role” beyond simply being fey.
Demons
Considerably one of the more difficult ones, since it’s the one that might be regarded as the most “inherently evil”. The “general” abilities of the class still elude me, but archetypes could include fallen angels, oni, ifrit/djinn, etc. to give it more universal appeal and less of an assumed Judeo-Christian cosmology.
Ghosts
Obviously, dead people. Generic powers would include fear effects, incorporealness, etc. with multi-cultural archetypes (banshee, poltergeist, gaki, will-o-the-wisp, etc.) filling out the rest.
Psychics
Humans with psychic, not magical, powers. More limited in scope than the witch/wizard, but probably considerably more powerful within their given scope. Archetypes could include telepaths, firestarters (pyrokinetics), telekinetics, precognitives, and would definitely include a “hunter” archetype; someone with the ability to sense other supernatural creatures as their gift, and would instead focus on a more martial/favored enemy type of advancement).
So that’s what I have so far; obviously everything is very rough and conceptual right now, but any feedback you guys have would be great. What I’m particularly interested in is any archetypes that you guys could suggest for each of the seven base classes. I want to see if I can cover as much ground with the existing classes as they are (hopefully, they are broad enough). Comments and critiques TOTALLY WELCOME.
Here's a homebrewed archetype I made for the alchemist, since no archetypes were offered for the new APG classes (though that would have been really cool had that been the case). I'm hoping to get some feedback on this as far as balance and flavor go. Here we go:
Demolitionist
Eschewing the study of poisons and mutagens, the demolitionist specializes in the use of bombs, learning to expand upon their effectiveness as well as how to avoid them.
Artillerist: At 1st level, a demolitionist unlocks the secrets of being a successful grenadier. A demolitionist treats his alchemist level as being 2 higher than normal for the purpose of determining the damage dealt by his bombs and the number of bombs available to him per day. This ability replaces mutagen and a demolitionist cannot select the following discoveries: feral mutagen, grand mutagen, greater mutagen, infuse mutagen, or true mutagen.
Duck and Cover: At 2nd level, a demolitionist gains a +2 bonus on Reflex saves against area effects that deal damage. This bonus increases to +4 at 5th level, and then again to +6 at 8th level. At 10th level, a demolitionist gains the evasion ability as a rogue. This ability replaces poison resistance and poison immunity.
Demolitions Expert: At 2nd level, a demolitionist gains access to the demolitionist-specific discoveries listed below. This ability replaces poison use and a demolitionist cannot select the following discoveries: concentrate poison, sticky poison, and poison touch.
Broad Bomb: The DC of the Reflex save required to only take half of the splash damage from a demolitionist’s bombs increases by 1. This discovery can be taken multiple times. Its effects stack.
Power Throw: When a demolitionist prepares and throws a single bomb as a full-round action, he can throw it at a range of up to 60 feet.
Empowered Bomb: When a demolitionist creates a bomb as a standard action, he can choose to have it detonate more effectively by sacrificing an additional two of his available bombs. All variable, numeric effects of the bomb (including damage) are increased by half. A demolitionist must be at least 6th level before selecting this discovery.
Maximized Bomb: When a demolitionist creates a bomb as a standard action, he can choose to have it detonate most effectively by sacrificing an additional three of his available bombs. All variable, numeric effects of the bomb (including damage) are maximized. A demolitionist must be at least 8th level before selecting this discovery.
Improved Bomb: The damage dice for a demolitionist’s bombs increases from d6 to d8. A demolitionist must be at least 12th level before selecting this discovery.
Greater Bomb: The damage dice for a demolitionist’s bombs increases from d8 to d10. A demolitionist must be at least 16th level and must possess the improved bomb discovery before taking this discovery.
Swift Bomber: At 8th level, a demolitionist gains the fast bombs discovery for free. This ability replaces swift poisoning.
Aggressive Bomber: At 10th level, a demolitionist gains the sticky bomb discovery for free. This ability replaces persistent mutagen.
My order hasn't shipped yet, would it be too late to begin a subscription with the APG instead of just a preorder so I can get access to the PDF as well?
(I know I'm just gonna get all the PFRPG products anyway, so I figured 'why not'.)
