TL;DR This player wants a mundane stun gun to cast shocking grasp through. I am intrigued but cautious.
The Entire Conversation:
Wolly Wonka: Hey, so
Wolly Wonka: Salstoria
Wolly Wonka: If I fired a bolt at a dude, with my crossbow, and it sticks in the guy. Let's say I had copper wire attatched to the bolt right?
ICEDICKINS: hoping for a mundane true strike?
Wolly Wonka: Would I then be able to cast shocking grasp on the copper bolt to then target him from a range? Naturally, make the bolt have the copper wire lead right up to a copper head.
Wolly Wonka: Of course, the voltage would probably melt the copper wire, and or destroy it. Either way, would I be able to engineer it to let me cast shocking grasp on it?
Wolly Wonka: Because SHocking Grasp is said to affect everything it can affect, underwater it becomes a AOE centered on the caster, and it deals more damage to people in metal, even giving me a boost to hit if they're wearing all metal
Wolly Wonka: Want time to think on it? Or...?
ICEDICKINS: I'll be thinking about it. If I allow it, I'll probably nerf the range of the crossbow, since your dragging a tow line behind the bolt.
Wolly Wonka: Oh yeah, a bow wouldn't be able to do it physics wise. Not enough power behind it, but a cross bow bolt can bury itself into concrete at a certain range. So, it could carry say, like a few strands of copper in it.
Wolly Wonka: but, sweet.
Wolly Wonka: I'll be looking into more on this, I want to inda make a character change, in character that is. Where she'll begin to find uses for mundane items to be fused wth her magoc
ICEDICKINS: Probably won't be all I do. Since, you are attempting to break some of the limits set in place for these spells, and through mundane means, so I can't rightly regulate it after allowing you to do it the first time. I'll have to research certain aspects, such as if there are comparable abilities that I can reference.
ICEDICKINS: price increase for the weapon and ammo is very likely
Wolly Wonka: There are a few, tbh, it's the same thing as having my familiar deliver the spell. There's just many more uses for it other than aiming to kill. I imagine scenarios where I can use it to talk someone down. Like "Calm down afore I fry yo ass" kinda situations.
Wolly Wonka: etc
Wolly Wonka: I could use it to start fires from a range, without the need of fire magic, and so on so forth.
Wolly Wonka: I find it more of a utility item than a item to kill if that makes sense, while it cna be used for that, there's other uses too
ICEDICKINS: utility is more dangerous to regulate than simple damage, because there are more inherent uses for it.
Wolly Wonka: True
Wolly Wonka: But, it could be balanced out as a more expensive price on the bow, and a one shot for the ammo, forcing me to buy ammo by the bolt rather than the bundle
ICEDICKINS: agreed. I don't believe you have an appropriate craft skill either, so you'll have to commission it.
ICEDICKINS: certainly not impossible though
Wolly Wonka: Which I can easily do if I draw up the blueprints using knw engineering.
What issues might I have missed, and what limits should I set? So far I've got
Possible Future Problems
- What else might this player pull on me using "but you let me do this thing so why not this other thing?"
- How greatly could this increase the effectiveness of the character?
- Am I stepping over other solutions? (Are there other items out there?)
Possible Nerfs
- Price increase to weapon and bolt
- Range nerf, likely to half normal
- Action economy cost, requiring setup
So, I need a reason for my PC's to truly hate the guts of the BBEG yet also fear him a little. I'm partial to having him commit casual genocide in front of them, but I can't just say it happens "because story" or the players will know that it's simple plot armor allowing the BBEG to do this. I am a fair and impartial GM, so I want to build the BBEG to be all totally legit and within the rules that paizo has published.
Thus, I am asking for advice on builds which might enable the destruction of armies, assuming they are mostly made up of level 1 commoners/warriors.
I've been thinking of the combination of Great Cleave with Lunge, with the addition of a mythic rank ability which allows rolls of natural 1 to not be automatic failures.
Now the question is, is there a better way to accomplish Mass Murder in 1 round? Points for doing it with fewer levels, and of course, how many commoners you can kill. :)
Title says it all. min/max a build to go the fastest possible in 6 seconds. A couple friends of mine say they figured out how to go 80,000 feet in one round using mythic feats and magic items, but I am hesitant to believe the validity of that claim. Are they legit?
This thread is the continuation of A Previous Thread, made to keep that thread from getting to far off topic and becoming click bait.
I promised several of the people who helped me out that I'd tell them all about the results of the tournament I was planning, however that seems to be further in the future and I don't want to leave them hanging forever. While I wait for my group to get together, I may as well post some details about my setting in this thread for your pleasure.
Feel free to use any part of this and make it yours however you wish, I don't mind. Thanks again to all those who helped me fill my tournament roster.
BARNONE
Once a remote Dwarven stronghold within a cliff side cavern, Barnone grew into a massive underground metropolis after the casting of the first wish and the destruction of the Dwarven homeland. It now holds the seat of Dwarven Government and controls trade through saddle pass and the dragons horn mountains.
Locations The Bridge of Lost Brothers
After the cataclysmic destruction of their homeland, many dwarves eventually found themselves crossing this 2 mile long causeway leading up to the gates of Barnone. The practice of carving the names of the dead into it's smooth stone surface became common. Now covered in names, the span quickly became known as the bridge of lost brothers, a memorial to the dead and a testament to the tenacity of Dwarves everywhere.
Gatehouse/Stalagmite Fortress
200 feet up a sheer basalt cliff lies the yawning opening of barnone cavern, it's mouth just over a half mile wide and 150 feet tall. Extending a mile into the rock, the caverns 50 foot thick basalt roof is supported by a half dozen natural pillars, each thick enough for a stadium to be constructed inside them. The most prominent pillar stands sentinel at the very edge of the cavern opening, the Dwarves having cleverly carved the gatehouse out of it. The choke point this created was extremely defensible and the pillar soon sprouted a dozen ballistae, with countless murderholes dotting the passage into the city.
To Be Posted:
How did setting up this thread take 2 and a half hours?! I only finished 2 locations. Dear lord. Anyway, to be continued tomorrow, I guess.
Locations Left To Post:
Cliff Walk
Grand Arena
Nidalee's Flats
Sky Docks
Cargo Crane
Library
Market Plaza
Raymond's Mansion
Stone Rafters
The Adventurer's Lair
Entrance to Sol Sanctum
Royal Palace
Court House
Electra's Lair
Air Ducts
Sewers
Train Station
Windbreaker Rock
So I know that there are a bunch of running campaigns going in that section of the boards, and am interested in it as a medium for my group's game.
The basic mechanics of using the boards for a game I understand well enough(I think), such as creating Aliases for characters, spoilers for hidden stuff, OOC chat in grey. Rolling... actually that one confuses me. How can you roll, and in the same post know what you rolled and be able to act accordingly in character?
Anyway, what are some of the more esoteric tricks people have used to milk extra enjoyment out of that play-by-post medium?
More of a flavor thing, but the hex is a cornerstone of the class, and I'm building a LG witch who I can't imagine laughing in combat (she's timid and reserved).
The only flavoring I can think of that might work is to have the familiar cackle for me, yet that also presents it's own issues (distance from familiar being one).
So my group has arrived at one of the biggest cities in my setting just before the local arena is about to host a big 5 day combat event. I've set it up so that there will be separate tournaments for spellcasting and non-spellcasting participants, as well as a multi-team maze-run/capture-the-flag combat event.
The players are pretty excited, but it's a lot of work to make as many NPC's as I might need, and using the NPC Codex will get stale for everyone after just a couple battles.
I need flashy, interesting combatants to keep up interest, and I'm wondering if any forumites would like to offer up they're creations for my tournament?
I've already told my group of this idea and it was taken well (I think they're taking it as a challenge).
There are some rules:
No 3pp content
Up to 25 point buy
Core and Common races are highly preferred
Levels 4-6, to match up against the PC's current level.
wealth/items appropriate for said level
I need the relevant combat stats, as well as a short description of their combat tactics, and optionally a short and generic backstory.
I figure I need at max 8 solo non-casters, 6 solo spellcasters, and 4 well rounded parties (groups of 4) for the FFA/CTF.
Next session is in 2 weeks (IRL), but realistically there's maybe a month before the start of the Tournament, because everything I have planned for the group in the city will take up some session time.
So, I'm running a homebrew campaign, and one of the BBEG's I have lined up for the Party to face down the road is a doozy. This guy used to be known as the Pirate Lich-King, and was the terror of a far off ocean before being defeated by a coalition of nations who laid siege to his fortress island.
He escaped though, and discovered a way to reverse his undead condition. he found his way to this continent, where he set himself up as the hero of a young kingdom under attack by hordes of undead colossi.
Anyway they make him king, and he puts the nation on track to be a powerhouse. Each of his heirs supposedly honor him by taking his name the day of their coronation. In reality, each one is being totally dominated and their minds absorbed by the power of this guy. All I know is, like a lich, he has a phylactery which helps him do what he does.
Anyway, my problem is, there's nothing remotely like this in any of the published bestiaries I've bought.
I need help designing a template I can apply to this guy or his prospective heir, in order to fit the story. I'd do it on my own, but I'm a little intimidated by the task. Please help, I'm begging.
I have a friend who I'm DMing for, who has become very taken with the idea of living steel as a material.
His first character had a living steel tower shield and he was spec'd into shield bashing (Before I get comments stating that's an impossible combo, YEAH, we all just found out. Big bummer, I felt bad, he felt worse) and his second try is for a TWF with a living steel katana and wakizashi.
So, how can I help him optimize his character around that material?
He's been keeping to a Strix fighter, and his (second) character concept seems to be a TWF. The party is 3rd level.
This lantern functions as a normal hooded lantern. While it is lit, but no more than three times per day, a sounding lantern can be commanded to send a pulse of magical bluish light racing across all surfaces within 60ft, momentarily highlighting any secret doors, snares and pits, or creatures in a reddish glow. The pulse and it's effects dissipate within a single round, but it otherwise functions as if the spells faerie fire, detect secret doors, and detect snares and pits were cast and the caster had studied the area for 2 rounds.
So my calculations for GP value are as follows, correct me if I'm wrong
Command Word (faerie fire) 1*2*1800= 3600
Command Word (detect secret doors) 1*2*1800= 3600
Command Word (detect snares and pits) 1*2*1800= 3600
3*3600=10800
No Space Limitation 10800*2= 21600
3 Charges per day 5/3= 1.66... 21600/1.66...= 12960 approx
Hooded Lantern 7+12960= 12967
Possible item comparisons
Lantern of Revealing CRB
Rod of Alertness UE
Rod of Enemy Detection UE
In addition to my qualms about pricing I'm worried about the effect the item will have on my 3rd level party, and if this is mechanically better than other means of enemy detection.
Notable things:
none of the spells listed allow saving throws.
there are no trap finding rogues or people with disable device in the party. (my reasoning for the items creation.)
Ever since I bought Occult Adventures I've been drooling over the idea of rituals in general. Imagine this. Every arcane spell is now a ritual, with accompanying drawbacks and failure effects for their use, adding flavor to an otherwise stale magic system while simultaneously allowing anyone to participate. I can even imagine it existing along side magic as it is now. But my problem is, the system doesn't provide nearly enough of a rules foundation to work with.
I'd like it if I could create 0-level Rituals. Or rituals that can conceivably be used in a combat round, such as a ritualized disintegrate or fireball. BBEG's need to be able to fire death beams that while ludicrously effective also sap his power!
I'd like to know if anyone else has noticed the untapped potential of Occult Rituals? How would you alter the system to enable it's wider use?
Me and a couple of my players would like to try out the Chase rules in the Gamemastery Guide. I think I've built a simple scenario for them to enjoy. A level 2 druid and barbarian with his wolf animal companion are gonna go hunting in the woods next session like they always do, and they or the wolf will spot a fox and give chase.
I'd like to build a "track" at least ten cards long, which means I need 20 obstacles, with DCs probably between 10 and 20.
So, Anyone have any interesting obstacles for my players to face?
I've thought of some myself but I'm only halfway done.
The Track looks like this currently:
1. Fallen Log (Acrobatics 15) - Heavy Underbrush (Escape Artist 10)
2. Low Cliff (Climb 15) - Short Slot Canyon (Escape Artist 10)
3. Grizzly Bear (Stealth 15) - Tree Canopy (Climb 20)
4. Steep Hill (Acrobatics 20) - Vertical Drop (Double Jeopardy Perception 15/ Climb 15)
I remember reading something which allowed the caster to manipulate a source of fire to produce tiny images, but I can't remember where!
I'm hoping someone might know the rules reference material I got this from.
If I can't find that though, I'd like to know if there are any other useful low level spells (between lvl 0-2) that might aid in setting the mood for a good round of campfire storytelling.
Super Ninja Edit: I guess I should also include magic items which might have useful effects. (Hmmmm... Magic Bong of Euphoric Fantasy... Hmmm)
I recently started DMing a IRL campaign with my friends. We're 3 sessions into it (approx 2 days game time, and already level 2) and the party druid has no idea he can perform magic.
Due to the character's circumstances he's truly unaware that he has any spellcasting potential. I need help thinking of ways to get him casting, because denying the player access to a decidedly important half of his character's abilities is no fun, even if it is in the name of good roleplaying.
I bet I'm not the only one here who both loves and hates a good pun. It might just be my experience, but when I'm in a session I see an abundance of them pop up. Though, truthfully, most of them are mine ;P
I've got tons of them.
Stereotypical anti-paladin bent on apocalypse? Better name him Malice.
Can't think of a name for your kingdom? Call it Carmile and it's cities Subaru, Audi, and Nissan. Throw in route 66 and call it done.
Or, my first and personal favorite: Name your tengu Ten'shun and claim that your namesake rises every time you get up in the morning.
Am I really just a Loon? Yes
But puns are always fun in the end, and this thread can exist to document all the horrifying wordplay encountered during our gaming. (Seriously though, why don't we gain EXP from Pun encounters?)
Admittedly I shouldn't have showed them the vein of gold, but it turns out not to be a major problem. I AM wondering how long it would take for them to dig into the wall though... I remember there being an entry somewhere regarding this, but I can't remember where for the life of me. I may even be wrong.
3 people marked this as FAQ candidate.
2 people marked this as a favorite.
I came across a spacefaring monster known as the Oma (Bestiary 4, pg. 209) who possesses the special ability capsize. It's wording was fairly standard, but it's very vague.
Bestiary 4 wrote:
Capsize (Ex) An oma can attempt to capsize a ship or other vehicle by ramming it as a charge attack and attempting a combat maneuver check. The DC of this check is 25, or the result of the captain’s Profession (sailor) check, whichever is higher. For each size category the ship is larger than the oma, the oma takes a cumulative –10 penalty on this combat maneuver check.
I'm genuinely curious how this ability is supposed to function in space, a place where up and down have little meaning. Are there rules governing what it means for a ship to be capsized? If so I'd love to know if they still mechanically work in space, where death is down, up, and all around you?
So, I'm outfitting the dwarven equivalent of marines in my campaign, and am taking heavy inspiration from League of Legends Nautilus for the armor they wear. In addition, I'm also creating a unique set of this armor for a specific NPC, the high level dwarven cleric who creates them. The unique set will also be a construct.
I am planning on my party at some point fighting these, thus I am trying not to go overboard while still maintaining the theme.
What I've come up with so far is this.
The standard set would be very similar to the Man Mountain Armor, only its titanic quality will lose the 1/day enlarge person effect (I just want them to be large, not occasionally huge.) in favor of making it's enhancement bonus to strength a permanent feature.
The unique set requires more fiddling.
I'm using the Aluum as the frame for my tinkering, adding the modification "Construct Armor" from Ultimate Magic (pg.114) to it.
That's the first problem though, because Construct Armor specifically disallows a character/construct size difference, as well as treating the construct as a breastplate in terms of protection. I'd love advice regarding how to handle changing it to fit.
Regarding the construct aspect itself, I do really like the Aluum. The Magic Immunity fits well with the unique armors intended purpose (sort of a magical rad suit) and the paralyzing touch fits with the nautilus theme. I will be removing Soul Shriek in favor of an effect similar to Man Mountains listed ability, only maximized and possibly damaging.
That's what I have so far. I'm wondering if it seems like too much, or perhaps is there something else I can add?
No matter what set of dice we give this guy, he's rolling on the high side. I watch him. It's gotten so bad that even he wants it to stop, because he knows he's stealing the spot light during combat.
He's tried an online dice roller, which he claims seems to be more fair (and I believe he's honest, for the most part. I can never tell.) and asks to use it instead. (can't provide link, don't ask, I don't have it.)
But I need to cover my bases! What if the dice roller app thing likes him too?
What I need is advice on downplaying his impact when he's getting rolls +5 higher than everyone else, every time. Anyone have any tips on how to do this effectively, without kneecapping him?
So I've got 5 PC's (wizard, druid, ranger, fighter, oracle)
and about 15 other NPC's (a mixed bag of farmers/commoners, merchants, and some rowdy class lvl'd fighters) in a typical Bar. One of the bigger fighters will kick off the fight by trying to grab a girl, and for a while be a 2 sided fight (between everyone and those fighters), before devolving into punches everywhere...
My question is, how do I make that combat fun for everybody? Are there better ways to do this? Suggestions on fun details or game mechanic's I can add?
Heck, I'll even take stories of your own bar room adventures, simply as useful inspiration.
I have a player who swears that after 24 hours of wearing a belt of giants strength (and/or any similar ability score boosting item) the bonus becomes permanent, and he can safely take off the item without losing the bonus.
He also swears that the rule books don't deny this, and if I don't hold up errata stating otherwise, he will simply go with his ruling. (he did later state that I can DM fiat him, but I know he still holds this belief.)
I've been looking through all my books, and have come to the conclusion that I need some help to find the truth. Does anyone have an answer which I can give my friend? One that will be unquestionable in it's wording?
Otherwise I can only ask that this question and it's true answer be added to the FAQ, so that I can show it to my friend.
I'm a GM about to start what I hope to be a long term campaign with my friends, and one has asked to work towards the creation of this spell...
Hopeful Player Asks For wrote:
Reality Ripple
School universal; Level sorcerer/wizard 4; Subdomain construct 4
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (gemstones total worth 500 gp)
EFFECT
Range see text
Target, Effect, Area see text
Duration see text
Saving Throw none, see text; Spell Resistance yes
DESCRIPTION
A reality ripple lets you create nearly any type of effect. For example, a reality ripple can do any of the following things.
Duplicate any sorcerer/wizard spell of 3th level or lower, provided the spell does not belong to one of your opposition schools.
Duplicate any non-sorcerer/wizard spell of 2th level or lower, provided the spell does not belong to one of your opposition schools.
Duplicate any sorcerer/wizard spell of 2th level or lower, even if it belongs to one of your opposition schools.
Duplicate any non-sorcerer/wizard spell of 1th level or lower, even if it belongs to one of your opposition schools.
Undo the harmful effects of ability damage.
Produce any other effect whose power level is in line with the above effects, such as a single creature automatically hitting on its next attack or rolling twice and taking the lower result taking on its next saving throw.
A duplicated spell allows saving throws and spell resistance as normal, but the save DC is for a 4th-level spell. When a reality ripple spell duplicates a spell with a material component that costs more than 100 gp, you must provide that component (in addition to the 500 gp worth of gemstones for this spell).
For reference, the player is playing a cross-blooded sage/elemental sorcerer, and has (to my worry) asked if this spell would work towards magic item crafting requirements.
I am conditionally allowing him to work towards this spells creation, as the goal for his character, as long as he first gains the ability to cast it before he starts research.
My request is for an analysis of the spell, in case I missed a loophole, and advice regarding how I might handle the player, his character, and the spell should it become overpowered in the game?
