The Sword's page

So with the exception of a few bugs that have largely been patched, Owlcat’s game is a pretty darn good conversion of the tabletop Kingmaker campaign. The computer game resolves a lot of the inconsistency with the original storyline with far stronger attention to Nyrissa and Pitax and adds some really great side quests and characters.

Any thoughts to adapting some of these ideas to the tabletop AP? In particular the changes to Hargulka’s kingdom, the season of the bloom, adding barbarians to the nomen heights, the defaced sisters etc?

Has anyone done this already?

I have a character who is linked to the Fey and I would like to link this into the game. What resources has Paizo released that relate to fey - Adventures or supplements. I'm not so much interested in PC options as I am in encounters and themes. I've already read Kingmaker so have mined that for ideas. I'm particularly interested in a stand alone module that I could slot elements in?

So I started a new campaign in 5th ed on Saturday. I'm running a mash up of dungeon magazine's Raiders of Galaths Roost, Doom of Daggerdale, the Randal Morn trilogy, Shadowdale: Scouring of the land and The ruins of Myth Drannor.

Firstly, converting the adventures is ridiculously easy. I just pick similar monsters and usually just add one or two abilities to represent it. For instance to convert a krenshar I just took a wolf and added the fear spell with one target.

The party seemed naturally to fall into a very balanced group with lots of options. A human fey warlock, an elf arcane cleric, a dwarf fighter (who's also a master mason), and a halfling folk hero rogue. The backgrounds add massive customisation and flavour that then creates lots of new role play ideas to bounce off along with a simple mechanic for rewarding that.

The combats seem balanced, even in an adventure not designed for this system. Healing seems simple, with the cleric bringing people back to their feet as a bonus action. The fighter kicks ass, the warlock is very flavourful, and the rogue gets stuff done! Setting DCs is a breeze. In short as a DM I feel totally liberated.

This is the third campaign I'm running (Curse of Strahd, and a few introductory sessions to pick up the rules before this) but this is the first time I'm converting other formats into 5th and filling the gaps.

Now I've played Pathfinder exclusively since it came out and I'm. Now struggling to work out what Pathfinder does better? This isn't an invitation to start edition wars. I've played pathfinder for a looooong time. I'm just genuinely interested in what its virtues are.

At first I though it was being able to better come up with character concepts but if I'm honest the mix of classes, archetypes, and backgrounds + the unearthed arcana releases mean I'm able to make pretty much whatever I want, without multiclassing in most cases.

So what am I missing here? Help me out? I'm always going to buy Paizo because I love the minis, and adventure paths etc but why would i keep them in the pathfinder rules system?

There have been a few threads about which 5th Ed rules would you like to see in Pathfinder. However what do you think is missing in 5th ed that you would like to see ported across from Pathfinder?

Thoughts please... : )

Anyone else played this yet? I just finished my fifth game and interested in how other players have found it.

Hello all, hopefully this is a simple one but my Google fu was weak.

If I am unconscious at say -5 hp on Initiative count 15 and a helpful cleric heals me to positive hp on initiative count 10, when do I get to act?

I see three possible outcomes

1. I go on Initiative count 10, on the turn the Cleric has brought me back.

2. I go on initiate count 15, on the following turn.

3. I go on Initiative count 10 on the following turn.

I nearly had a TPK last week because I went with 2. not 1. But I certainly wasn't sure and couldn't easily have an answer.

I remember reading these in dragon magazine as I took my first adventure designing steps. I google'd them out recently in response to an Advice question and found a kindly blogger hosting them for posterity. What are your thoughts? For those that remember them are they as relevent in todays Post-3.5/Pathfinder world as back then?

http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/dnd/dungeoncraft/

His Maxims were probably my favourite part...

The First Rule of Dungeoncraft: Never force yourself to create more than you must.

The Second Rule of Dungeoncraft: Whenever you fill in a piece of the campaign world, always devise at least one secret related to that piece.

The Third Rule of Dungeoncraft: Whenever you have no idea what the probability of success should be for a particular situation, consider it 50%.

The Fourth Rule of Dungeoncraft: Always challenge both the players and their characters.

The Fifth Rule of Dungeoncraft: What's done is done.

The Sixth Rule of Dungeoncraft: Simple, easily identifiable characteristics are the best tools for portraying NPCs.

The Seventh Rule of Dungeoncraft: Running a good campaign is about building a world, not building a story.

It has cropped up on a few threads over the last year and I was interested in what a typical range of these four key measures would be across a range of levels: 1, 5, 10, 15. My thought was to look at ...

1. Spell/Ability Save DC. (witch hexes, highest level spell, stunning fist etc.)

2. To hit bonus with main weapon at highest iterative attack.

3. AC against normal attacks

4. Save bonus with primary save

For simplicity lets avoid limited class abilities for a small number of uses per day or that only effect certain creatures like smite or favoured enemy

I found reading Tempest Rising the least satisfying of the books of the series. It essentially seems to consist of sailing round the shackles running errands for other people. Also a decent chunk of the book is taken up by tests set in Port Peril that are totally uneccessary? Why on earth would a pirate captain need to unfurl a sail when he has crew to do that.

Instead thought I would replace the first three quarters of the book with the PCs quest to build their own ship. I substantially increased the treasure in Mancatcher cove to pay for this. They have paid Rickety a sizeable down payment to relocate to tidewater rock and set up a new dry dock will meanwhile hunt for more materials while Rickety completes the ground works.

I am reducing the Port Peril to roleplay and maybe a few random encounters.

- they can still help out Tessa Fairwind but as a side quests in the ports they visit to outfit their ship - rather than the main reason for travelling.
- I added a character, Ishmael Pequod. Who was found in a cell beneath tidewater rock. Every year 2,000gp arrive from port peril provided the strange old man was kept locked away and quiet. Of course the PCs freed him only to find out he was the master shipwright who built the filthy lucre. Bonefist wanted him kept out of the way so he couldn't build a ship to rival his own. A little crazy but brilliant he has developed plans while imprisoned for a dark wood ship that could win the Free Captain's Regatta.

The PCs want to find
- A large enough supply of dark wood (I'm thinking the Aspis consortium has a supply the PCs want to hijack - possibly on Dahak's fang which is why no one has found it before now)
- magical sails
- a magical wheel (already part of the book)

Any other ideas? My intention is for the dark wood to be the first item to find, then they spend three months exploring the shackles as free captains before collection their ship and winning the regatta.

Just as an aside I am using the Fire as She Bears ruleset so the PCs have chance to totally customise their ship and armaments. The "Last Laugh" their name for Mans Promise is looking a bit rickety and unimpressive by comparison.

What are your thoughts, good and bad. Are there any snags you can see or plot holes I will need to fill. Most of all - any suggestions for ways I can improve it.

Regards
Rob

In other words if I cast a spell, say haste, and then are put into stasis, is the haste still active when I wake up in a years time, or does the duration of the spell expire as normal?

Temporal stasis spells says that conditions remain in place but doesn't mention anything about spells?

I have an published adventure example but it is an unusual case and I'm interested in other people's thoughts first.

Hey, just seen Pathfinder referenced in the excellent TV remake of the original Scream films. One of the main characters, Noah, invites the heroine to join in a new game of Pathfinder!

Anyone else pick up on this or see any other references to Pathfinder in popular TV or Film?

Hello all,

A scimitar has a wide crit range because of the edge of the weapon and its shape/method of use.

If you attack using non-lethal damage with a weapon like this you are using the pommel or flat of the blade etc.

Do you still crit on a 18-20?
What happens if the weapon is keen, still crit on a 15-30?

My inclination is to treat it as an improvised weapon that would crit on a 20 and x2. This wouldn't be improved by keen but would by improved critical.

Am I entirely in house rule territory here or is this position supported by the rules?

Obviously I am referring to slashing and piercing weapons not bludgeoning.

Both the UK Government and the Aes Sedai of the Wheel of Time series follow customs as strong as law. Examples are the rules of precedent, or natural laws like the right to answer accusations personally. Or in the WOT a male channeller taken to the white tower before stilling.

What conventions and customs in Pathfinder and its precursors are as strong as rules?

I'll start off with an easy one 'don't be a douche.' In a consensual game you rely on the good grace of those around you to maintain harnony for all.

What others exist.

Hello all,

I am trying to decide which of the wondrous item types could be made with the master craftsman feat and craft alchemist.

there could be an argument made for...

Elixirs
Salves
Dusts
Unguents
Oils
Incenses
Teas
Salts
Polishes
Syrups
Ointments
Glues
Pigments
Philters

Also what about he various alembics and alchemical equipment items, could they be made with craft alchemy or would I need craft glassblowing?

Are there any I have missed off or any up you think shouldn't be on this list? Also if there is already an explanation for this or something I have missed please point me in the right direction...

Thanks

Hello. To be clear this isn't an invitation for a more detailed expansion of the 'I want to bang my familiar thread'. Instead I was wondering what rules or options would you add/take away for a Pathfinder a Hardcore mode of play specifically designed to test players to their limits. In theory I would like to be able to apply this filter to an Adventure Path. I have put this in the discussion thread rather than homebrew because I would like to stick to Pathfinder options where possible but some tinkering could be acceptable. I had a Google search and couldn't see anything but apologies if my google-fu is weak.

Some examples...

- Add the advanced template to all monsters.

- Use the optional rule for shooting into combat which contains a PC where missing by 4 or less means the PC gets hit.

- Called shots from the Ultimate Combat.

- Applying the elite stat array to all NPCs

- Adding 50% to all monster groups (lesser monsters for single enemies)

- Adding mythic templates to key monsters (but not mythic PCs)

Any other ideas?

Move into the realm of homebrew by giving key enemies Legendary actions, Lair actions and Legendary resistance - as per 5th ed. Not sure if this is going too far.

Hello all,

I love the apocalyptic, desert setting, distopian future of the Dark Sun setting. However I have always struggled to find an appropriate campaign to fit this unique campaign setting. The 'Freedom' series of modules, while capturing the ideals of the setting was a shameless railroad that left the PCs playing second fiddle to the real heroes of the novels.

When Hell's rebels was released it seemed to offer the perfect alternative to the Freedom series - with enough changes to maintain the mystery even though the PCs know the end goal is to kill a sorcerer king. The Veiled alliance seems like a fitting alternative to the Silver Ravens and Barzillai Thrune as the sorcerer king.

Here is my starting point...

1. I would suggest the campaign be set in Tyr - the best detailed city location in the setting. You could arguably set in the adventure in one of the other cities like Urik.

2. I personally prefer the original setting before the events of the Prism Pentad. That said I think Kalak's great pyramid and conversion is too well known to be used in the adventure as written. Instead the Great pyramid was used much earlier in the city's history to make Kalak into a 1st tier Dragon King (before that point he was just a powerful psion/defiler). There may be ancient legends of this terrible genocide - perhaps that was what caused the original founding of the Veiled Aliiance and once Kalak succeeded he was able to destroy them.

3. Kalak's current project is to expand the Golden Tower - his palace in the closed part of the city. He is building it higher and higher. Nobody knows why but it draws huge resources and slaves etc. (The reason is because Kalak is building the tower as weapon to challenge the Dragon - the real one - Borys of Ebe)

4. Hell's rebels begins with citizens protesting the enforced slavery of many citizens, seizure of goods and slaves, and higher taxes.

5. The Aria Park and Opera House is replaced by the great area and the protest happens on the floor of the arena floor beneath Kalak's balcony.

5. The Silver Ravens are the now defunct Veiled Alliance that was destroyed by Kalak - the PCs would be setting this back up across the campaign, including finding ancient safehouses etc.

6. The Order of the Torrent would become a disgruntled Templarate whose leader secretly turns on Kalak for his many abuses - and to increase his own power.

7. The Bellflower Network is instead an alliance of freed slaves and ex gladiators that have links to the Free and oppose the dramatic increase in slavery.

8. The Court of Coin represents the Senate of nobles whose 'advice' has been ignored more and more recently, particularly as regards their own slaves and the crippling taxes.

9. The Rose of Kintargo represents one of the Elemental faiths that was crushed by Kalak as an example to the others.

I am struggling to work out who would best represent the Sacred Order of Archivists. Perhaps they could separate and unorganised preservers and druids... don't know yet. Any ideas?

I think the whole cultural/operatic nature of Cheliax needs savaging quite a bit, but entertainments of the time would be the arena. I love the excrutiations and ruling through fear captured by Barzallai's purges - this fits Kalak's tyranny very well. Book three's expansion out of the city could involve the aid of the Halflings of the forrest ridge and maybe another sorcerer king or elf tribe, haven't thought that far ahead yet.

My intention is once the PCs kill Kalak at the end of the Book 4, they then need to deal with the Dragon, try to complete Kalak's weapon and raise the city. Possibly agains the army of Urik - obviously I haven't seen books five and six yet.

Overall, what are your thoughts on the viability of the conversian? Does it sound exciting? in keeping with the flavour of the Dark Sun Settings? Any ideas you can contribute to this project?

Hey all,

I am trying to make ship boarding encounters more interesting. We are playing Skull and Shackles and I am challenged by a few key points

- the deck floor plans are relatively small 20-30 feet wide but long. There is the opportunity for rigging fights but haven't come of up with a way of fitting this in yet. It has been a very log since I have ran a fight in a 20 ft space.

- the majority of 'enemies' are sailors lvl 2-3 and I would prefer to abstract the majority of them engaged with the PCs own crew. Who else can I throw in there to spice things up?

- PCs are dominating the fights because it is relatively easy to control a 20 ft wide ship filled with low level NPCs. (I appreciate that I could just make ships larger, but that is only practical up to a point as I am trying to keep the game realistic). What other challenges could make it more of a fight.

We are using the excellent Fire as She Bears rules for the ship to ship bit and firearms are fine - it's just the boarding action that I'm interested in. Any ideas or thoughts

Edit: I should say I'm playing with a TWF human ranger 5; a human Magus 5; a human sorceress 5 (storm born) and a lizardman cleric 5.

I thought I would throw this question out there and see what responses came back. Is it a good idea to let NPCs escape?

To be clear I'm not talking about the last few goblins alive running for their lives.I regularly have outclassed mooks run and attacks of opportunity or ranged usually do for them. I'm talking about BBEG, and classed NPC enemies using equipment, magic or tactics to engineer an escape - in some ways without any chance of failure. There are already lots of threads about how you 'could' do it, I'm interested in whether you 'should' do it.

I understand it makes NPCs more memorable, it also increases antipathy towards the escapee as you want to catch the one that got away. However it also means you don't get closure, or the rewards of the NPCs gear. It can also make you question what is the point of fighting if they are just going to run each time.

Anyway just interested in your thoughts.

Hello, I am an experienced DM and long term pathfinder player but I have a challenge I am struggling to come to terms with. Our group has a new player who seems to continually keep pushing boundaries. We are quite a small group (four of us) so we definitely want to bring new players in. However we also are fairly restrained after playing together for so long, we voluntary avoid some classes - gunslingers with their touch attack rolls, summoners and eidelons etc. We also voluntarily try not to outshine each other too much.

The new player seems to be constantly trying to find strings of combinations of feats, equipment and archetypes to recreate 'superhero' or comic book/manga type styles at low levels. Discussions so far have include using a weapon in teeth to get an extra attack; using a throwing shield because it apparently grants a 'free throw attack'; Pistollero with revolvers; a character with fire absorbtion then attacking oneself with a flaming weapon... and on and on.

I am running a campaign which is a fairly realistic Skull and Shackles campaign using Fire as She Bears to up the realism. This was made clear at the start of the campaign. My general assumption is that core rules are safe but additional equipment and rules should really be checked in. I have made it clear from the outset that this is low magic - spells are limited to 4th level, no 'fly' spell or 'create water' to maintain the integrity of the campaign as long as possible. These restrictions are balanced by much more hit points, skill ranks as rewards and generous gold.

He went with a two weapon fighter ranger and took a saw toothed sabre after a thread on here about finding the best off-hand weapon. It made sense and was quite pirate like so I was fine. At fourth level he said he wanted an animal companion I said I would like him to take something that fitted the setting. He wants to take a wolf, that he would then chose to make large in a few levels because he wants to ride it. I explained that I didnt like the idea of that, because a large amount of combat will occur on/off and between ships and that a dire wolf didnt seem to fit a tropical pirate setting.

He seems to have taken this very personally and now feels I am either being arbitrary, or deliberately cramping his style. I just want to have a world with verisimilitude and a strong theme while maintaining balance between characters. I also don't want him to become frustrated because a large pet won't fit in many of the encounters I have in mind and I don't want to shoehorn it in. He says he doesnt understand the 'pirate theme'.

I like the fellow and I think he is driven by a desire to make heroic comic book or manga-like characters with cool and great powers rather than deliberately upstaging other players. To be clear the example above is not necessarily overpowered, just not practical or fitting for a ship based pirate campaign. However I think the approach of searching the threads/or creating new ones to find combinations powerful combos underpins this and I am concerned for the future as I am a common DM.

What would your advice be. I have tried explaining why I have a difficulty with it and his response is to say that the game has wizards and dragons so why can't it have giant wolf riding pirates. I have some sympathy with this point of view but just because it exists in Golarion doesnt mean it fits in a pirate campaign. I don't to lose the player from the group if I can help it.

Hello. I have always found that monster and NPCs seem very low, particularly when playing with an experienced group. Even very basic attacks, spells etc can wipe out huge numbers of players. As a group we have always used the Max HIt Dice at first level and Con Score instead of Con bonus to PCs hp at first level. This gives most PCs 16-26 HP at first level and makes them a hell of a lot more survivable (and therefore brave).

I was considering extending the max HD at first level to all creatures, and adding the Con Score rather than Con Mod to BBEG and important NPCs. What do you think? Obviously this will have the fFact of slightly increasing combats duration but what other ramifications do you see. I refer specifically to increasing enemy HP as increasing PC hit points is already a long established tradition.

Any thoughts are appreciated.