FAQ Question I guess. The Healing Channel wording seems a bit ambiguous to me.
I am thinking the correct interpretation of Healing Channel is that it does 2d8 (at first level), and that depending on what type of action you take who the target(s) is/are? So 2d8 to self (move), 2d8 to an ally (standard), or 2d8 shared among those allies in range (full)?
Or is it "I get 2d8. You get 2d8. EVERYBODY gets 2d8!!" That seems a bit too good to me, that because it's used it as a Full action you get (for a party of 4) the equivalent of 8d8 in heals!
Hey guys, I just wanted to share with you how I introduced my teams (I'm running two groups) to the Adventure Path!
First, I wanted this to act as an introduction. Our group hasn’t collectively played 3.5, and none of us have played Pathfinder, so I thought it a good idea to go through a couple of things. This included tactical combat, skills checks, vehicle chases and starship combat.
Also, Starfinder has a lot of depth to it. You can’t just throw characters together without some forethought. I wanted an opportunity for the group to work out roles and the like, not just for ground but also for space.
I thought the clever way to handle this was for players to do a “virtual reality interview”. They would create bare-bones characters and take note of skills and such as they went through the fight. What ones did they find REALLY important, etc. Or, did they discover the race/class combo they selected ended up being something they had no real ownership to? They would then have the week until the official game start to create fully fleshed out characters.
So Tiger, why the focus on something sexual? Well … this was a complete (and I mean COMPLETE) rip-off of the opening to Raiders of the Lost Ark. The golden idol is of the Incan fertility goddess Pachamama. Starfinder-up Pachamama to Ashrea, add in telepathy and a jungle and we’re looking for the Lashuntan Kama Sutra. The only real write-up I did was for the intro. After that we’re in virtual fast-forward so I ran all that off the cuff, outside of the encounter specifics. If anyone is interested in the full write-up let me know and I will get it to you.
INTRODUCTION:
Welcome to the Starfinder Society! We appreciate your interest and look forward to future collaboration.
Your application will be conducted through a virtual reality exercise conducted at a local ABADARCORP facility, where you will be randomly grouped with other aspirants throughout the Pact Worlds. Successful applicants who have demonstrated resourcefulness, ingenuity, and team building under grueling conditions will be invited to the Lorespire Complex on Absalom Station, where you will have the opportunity to be inducted into the Starfinder Society!
The Starfinder Society is proud to be associated with ABADARCORP, your partner in financial and data security throughout the Pact Worlds.
Today – Tomorrow – Eternity. ABADARCORP.
Mission Brief: The Chachapoyan Manuscript, also known as the Lashuntan Golden Rule Manuscript, is an important artifact from Lashuntan history. It has been called the ‘Golden Rule’ manuscript based upon a precept of this telepathic society: Reveal unto others as you would have revealed unto you.
This document is a collection of analogies, teachings, precepts and prophesies that are attributed to P’Chamam, a prophet to Arshea, the androgynous god of sexuality and physical pleasure. Its’ importance to a telepathic society cannot be overly stressed. Learning how to handle sexual desire and romantic feelings in yourself is difficult enough; throw that into a society that communicates without barriers and this aspect of life can quickly become overwhelming.
Recent archaeological and historical documents raise the possibility that the Chachapoyan Manuscript is located in an ancient complex on the planet of Castrovel. Much of the planet has been given over to nature, so the area is heavily overgrown. Your ship will arrive in the clearing marked on the map. You will then travel by air sled to the temple site, enter the temple, and retrieve the manuscript.
Appropriate landing permits have been secured, so you will have no problems from the government. It is important that we have an opportunity to complete an in-depth analysis and scan of the manuscript before turning it over to Lady Morana Kesh and the Threefold House. While they are extremely supportive of the Starfinder Society, modern-day conceptions and controversies surrounding the manuscript could prevent its availability for independant study for over a century.
Please insert your individualized Avatar key and personal identa-chip at this time; your simulation will begin shortly.
ENCOUNTER ONE: Quill hound/Combat:
Discuss that there is a starship and two crew waiting for you. They’ve also unloaded an Exploration Buggy (modified to fit 4). Fast-forward the scenario as a ride through the jungle to the base of an Inca-like pyramid in a clearing. Lurking there is a Quill Hound. Use stats for the Akata, save convert it to an animal and lose all the aberration stuff. Instead, the Quill Hound has a spiny mane it can shoot, or players might prick themselves on the mane if they make a successful attack.
Special Ability: Neck Quills (Ex) Quill Hounds have a porcupine-like fringe around their head and neck. These quills have a range of 15 feet, and can inflict a deadly neurotoxin. Successful melee attacks must roll save vs. Reflect DC 12 to avoid accidentally hitting the quills themselves.
QUILL HOUND NEUROTOXIN
Type poison (injury); Save Fortitude DC 14
Track Intelligence; Frequency 1/minute for 6 minutes
Cure 1 save
ENCOUNTER TWO: Pit Trap/Skills:
See the Starfinder Rules for the pit trap. Any players that fall into the pit will reappear in ENCOUNTER FOUR.
ENCOUNTER THREE: Manuscript/Skills:
Just play this up. I had a manuscript, closed on a podium. Cables enter the spine, so they can do computer and engineering checks. The book, when opened, will stun anyone within 30 feet, Save vs. Reflex DC 14, for 1-4 rounds. When the players disconnect the book, I had it trigger a laser web trap that encouraged them to run out the temple. They will have to leap across the pit trap, and interestingly, I had people from TWO groups to fall into the pit! Both groups thought Athletics was a good skill to invest in.
ENCOUNTER FOUR: Enercycle Chase/Vehicle Chase:
The players run out of the temple, where they are greeted by B’qual (Use Clara-247 from the AP), 3x Ysoki (use 3 Gang members from the AP) and 2x Quill Hounds on a leash. Any players that fell are seated (not tied) at B’Qual’s feet. Encourage the players to give up the book! B’Qual will open the book, and >poof< get stunned. Players should be thinking “Grab the book and go!”. Encourage them to do this.
The players jump into the Exploration Buggy, and are chased by 2 of the Ysoki on Enercycles (rules book). Run the chase and have them make it to the starship and take off.
ENCOUNTER FIVE: Flee the Planet/Starship Combat:
I ran this similar to the fight between the Hippocampus and the Necroglider in the AP.
ENDING
Once combat with the necroglider is complete, end the simulation. At this point, I actually gave the players printed tickets to the Okimoro shuttle, pre-dated to the first real adventure day. I also awarded XP for the pre-adventure as well, but it is your call if you want to do this or not. I did it because I didn't make adjustments for group size for AP 1. I will for AP 2.
Wasn't what I expected to happen, but I played the goblins from C7a too well. One got killed by the laser trap, but the second got invited to be part of the crew.
Even after rigging the soldier's spear with a stickybomb grenade ... then prematurely pulling the pin and webbing most of the group.
Even after he happily dropped a live frag grenade at everyone's feet.
Even after he just started firing down the hall ... missing everyone and doing the killing shot of an Akata.
I hope you all had a fantastic GenCon! If you did not go, ice cream is on me (I didn't go either!!)
I have some items in the Sidecart I would like to get moved out of and shipped. I'm assuming I will need to call and provide shipping fees, so let me know if this is doable and I'll play ringy-dingy with the phone.
My experience with sandbox-style games is that they tend to cater to the "lowest common denominator." Legal systems don't protect the population in any sort, but more of a rationale-cap on ass-hatery so that a game doesn't turn into a complete cess-pool of virtual crime. I can point to a bazillion examples of butt-head activity in EVE. I can only think of one example where people did a "WTF" and stood up for someone else. While this isn't a definitive example, and probably shows my lack of in-depth knowledge in the game (I only have five characters and run a corporation of just me because I've been ripped off or ganked, etc. far too often,) it does show that I personally don't have the mindset to excel very well on my own in a game with this format.
I have three courses of action ahead of me since I actually spent quite a bit on my Kickstarter account:
1) Not play the game and let that money go to waste.
2) Gift my account to someone else to use and abuse.
3) Link up with an organization that is going to be able to use someone who tries to be a "good guy" IRL and tends towards lawful good in alignment in games.
I'd like to at least try to enjoy this game before getting angry and stomping off. With that being said, I really need to find a group of people that can put me to use in their organization. I definitely PVP, and I might even occasionally cold-gank someone out of spite. However, I'm not an exploiter or griefer. If you have room for someone of my personal mindset, let me know. I'd like to find some sort of home before the game goes early-live (I should be among the first early adopters being let in based upon Kickstarter purchase and date of enrollment.)
CN Qadira Half-Orc Sorc (Arcane Bloodline, Arcane Bond: Viper)
I'm seeing a sort of green-skinned swirl of silk and jewelry. A consummate liar and con artist. Basically a "What's in it for me?" type, survives more on wits than brawn. Potential future Arcane Trickster. Maybe. Uses abilities to master merchantile activities - a little spy, a little lie, a little discreditiing others, and maybe just a little pilfering (rogue level or a few) ... but he's not the standard adventuring build and I'm worried about that.
STR 10
DEX 14
CON 13
INT 14
WIS 10
CHA 17 (+2)
Skills: Bluff, Know Arcana, Spellcraft, another
Feats: I'm thinking from Agile Maneuvers, Arcane Strike, Dodge, or Meta-magic Feat?
Weapon: Falchion
Spells: Charm Person (taboo in Qadira) and Disguise Self
Traits: Eastern Mysticism, Gifted Adept
Too much RP in the mechanical selections? Am I hindering myself and any potential party by going with such a build? I started reading the guides and they're all about optimization and I'm pretty far from that. Mostly I'm worried about the spells and feats. I envision him using his talents to give him the upper edge. I'm thinking with such a high bluff skill that I should be able to drop Charm Person (especially since mind control is frowned on in Qadira) and pick up something more utilitarian. The Summons would be more in line with the whole djinn aspect of Qadira, Mage Armor would be solid, and anything zappy would be good too.
Hmm. I haven't messed with Warmachine in a long time, and the local store has a league! Yay! A nice relaxing night enjoying minitures! I love miniatures.
(opens new Cygnar Battlegroup box)
Holy crap! They're not metal any more, they're plastic! WTH! Oh my goodness, just look at all the little parts. Don't they know I'm old? WTH? Oh crap - these aren't plastic - they're RESIN. I HATE RESIN! OMG - did I just stab my finger .... great - now there's blood everywhere. Where's the head at? Is that what the cat is gnawing on? OMG! I HATE SUPERGLUE! It's all over my hands - how did I get ... WTF? Why is my eye glued shut? When did I rub my .... AUGH Not another stab wound! NOOOO! I just glued a thumb print all over this guy's cloak - I hate superglue ... Noooo! Not another finger? How does such a little cut bleed so much. Cat! Get away, you mongrel - I just glued ... OMG!
Round 2 of the Virtual Table beta test is out. I am not familiar with other applications, but I'd like to say that this looks GREAT! I am just now getting to applications and building my adventure, but the table looks beautiful, is rather intuitive to use, has built-in sound chat that sounds REAL CLEAN, and I can't wait to start playing games on this. I know most of you are in the "I'll believe it when I see it" and I am sure a lot of you are already entrenched in systems you already use and love, and all of this is absolutely perfectly okay, but I do think that you're going to like the VTT.
Now that the PHB should be in your hands as well as mine, what is your favorite new race and your favorite new class, and why?
For race, I really like the Deva. I like their backstory, and being a "good guy" player I like having someone that can fill the "good guy" roll, but not handcuffed to it. I think the bold patterns to the coloring are very interesting as well. I thought I would really like this race when I saw the preview art at the WotC site. I love the concept art and I even like the "artificial wings" aspect of them. I think I could have fun playing one of these.
For new class, I think Avenger took the show for me. This guy is crazy! I can almost see him shouting "You can run, but you can't hide!" as the enemies attempt to break contact, only to find him right there on their butts! He's got (and I say 'he' because I only play guys - sorry ladies, no disrespect intended) a lot of really scary powers and I'm just itching to play one. Like, *right now* itching. Rarg!!
Anyways, would love to see what inspired you out of the book!
Okay - I picked up my copy today (along with the Power Cards). This is a highly subjective interpretation of the book.
Layout: The inside layout is “4E Standard.” I’ve heard a lot of people complain about the font sizes, wasted space, etc. Me, I like the layout. I think it all ties back to my visit to my optometrist and she hit me with the “Men of your age …” speech. Not only did it crush any illusions I had of ever landing a hottie, I found I had a problem reading as well. It does have a lot of “sound bite” cheesy quotes that others listed. It’s like a textual version of a bodybuilding contest – each quote flexing and posing in an attempt to outdo the next. Since the layout is nothing new – either you’re going to like it, or you’re not going to like it.
Races: Five new races. Now I come from the universe where the “core books” (DMG, PHB, MM) were all I ever needed because I played so infrequently that I never “wore out” the basic stuff. Your own opinion may differ, but personally I felt somewhat cheated that gnomes and half-orcs were not in the original game. With that in mind, I was completely unprepared to have the Devas completely knock me out of my seat. I love this race, and you can be sure I will be playing one very soon. I personally liked the gnome and the half-orcs. I looked at goliaths and shifters and went “half giant and Eberron – bleh” and moved on about my business.
Racial Paragon Paths: Interesting. I'm still processing.
Classes: Again, I felt cheated that we didn’t get sorcerer, druid and bard classes, so I was anxious for those. Barbarians NEVER did it for me – I am sad to say the verdict remains the same this edition too. The class that completely knocked be off my chair again however was the Avenger. Paladins have always been my class-of-choice. Being able to play one from this side of the motivations also appeals to me greatly. I think Bard is also smashing, and I’m looking forward to running one of those too. Stirring Shout, the level 1 Daily power, allows your bard to “mark” a target. Each time an ally hits that target, they regain hit points equal to your CHA mod. A perfect, low-level spell for those solo and elite encounters.
New Stuff:
Backgrounds allows you to buff up your backstory. There’s some new feats, magic items, 23 new rituals (9 are bard-only), a couple of rules updates and the new Stealth rules.
Overall impression is that the book is going to add a lot of new options that my players are going to love, and a bunch that I am anxious to play myself. Overall, I feel this book definitely belongs on the gaming shelf. I myself play AND DM, but even if I just DM’d I’d want a copy for me to read.
I'm looking into getting a copy of this rather elusive magazine, so if you have an FGLS that still has a copy on their shelves and does mail order can you leave me a store contact?
Primarily, I want it for the magazine content, but what made this issue a hogger's delight is that it had plastic miniatures sprues for two figures from expensive units in it. You could buy, for example, five copies of the magazine and get two full elite units at cheaper than you could buying the actual figures for one elite unit. I would like to get one with the figures in it as I have two paint schemes I want to test out and these would be great for that, but if I have to go without, again, the magazine content was what is important to me.
My son and I bought a booster today and we found the game somewhat entertaining. Initially we were confused about a few items but to be truthful we were easily able to determine what was going on while we were playing.
Yes, I am a WoW player. Yes, I am at least borderline fanatic. The game was simple, fun and we had a good time.
Concerning the Legend of the Five Rings RPG, 3rd Edition:
When, historically, is this game set? Has it been driven forward to the "current" cycle?
I own the 1st Edition of L5R and most of the support materials, Oriental Adventures and its support materials, but I'd like to leapfrog the history and such to "modern L5R."
Sadly, I'd look myself, but Alderac has been deemed NSFW.
Hey Cosmo and other wonderful Customer Service Reps ...
Lots of information concerning Pathfinder Betas hitting people's doorsteps. Just checking in that the pre-order I did way back in March is still good, being that I haven't heard so much as a peep.
I hear this every week. Starting Monday (well, maybe not Monday morning...) we start discussing in great detail just how "tore up" we're going to get this upcoming weekend.
And not once do we discuss how we're going to get back home safely.
Not trying to trivialize the sacrifices made by my fellow brothers and sisters in arms, and I'm not trying to start some sort of political agenda. I am saying is that if you're going to go have a good time, please have a safe one, so we can enjoy your presence at our gaming tables next week as well.
Can you pull your customer service magisty and combine orders 938651 and 949748 together, and just send the backordered KQ product when it becomes available (or add it to one of those glorious subbies that I have ongoing?)
With Paizocon complete, I was wondering if anyone had plans for more of the same at GenCon? While I know everyone will be arm-deep in the Pathfinder Society games, seminars and general goofiness at the con, would anyone be interested in getting together for random geekiness, pizza, beer and the like?
First off, I want everyone to understand this is MY take of the paladin. Everyone has something different when interpreting this difficult-to-embrace class. These are just musings that I felt I needed to express.
The cleric is the soul, or the will, of their respective deity. This is embellished by Wisdom being a primary stat, and a basis for spellcasting. I think the paladin, however, should represent the heart, the passion of the diety, and therefore embellished by having Charisma as a primary stat.
Interpreting lawful good as the alignment restriction may have been the wrong choice for this complex character. Neutral good, a complete dedication to good without the bindings of legalistic interpretation or chaotic self-indulgence may have been the more correct route to go, but we have what we have.
The reason I say the paladin is a character of passion is that it is passion, love, charity that drives the paladin to help others. It is a fierce love of life and friends that would have a paladin take a reckless approach such as standing at the edge of the abyss and saying "This far - no further." No amount of law or legalism is going to fill a paladin with the ability to stand when all others run.
These are all generalizations of course. No one says that EVERY paladin has to be motivated by a cookie-cutter concept of morality. We each interpret the class in a manner we feel fits. In a recent chat room discussion it was said that someone didn't really care for paladins because that was the one class that some players liked to abuse because of the alignment and code restrictions. I can't help that, and no amount of rules are ever going to be able to compensate for such styles of gameplay. The paladin as a class shouldn't have to suffer an ignoble fate because of those players, however (AND - I am not saying that it is, or that such is a motivation for the way the paladin is being handled - just making a point on player abuses.)
Glan Var made some comments in the General thread concerning the paladin and its problem with multi-stats. Unfortunately, this is a carry-over from the 1st Edition design - boy did you need to have some stellar rolls to play a paladin! This created two things - either a natural limiting process where paladins were few and far between, else a lot of cheaters fudging dice rolls to make a paladin <insert blush here>.
As a brain-storming process only, because I haven't played 3.5 Edition enough to really comment on either the 3.5 Paladin or the Pathfinder version, I am wondering if it WOULDN'T be more appropriate to make CHA the spellcasting attribute? Of course this does break backwards compatability, so I don't expect to see it.
I also wouldn't mind seeing, rather than "once per day" elements, that ALL those were wrapped into one single mechanic. In this case, the Paladin gets a little more functionality because he has the option to turn undead, lay on hands, or smite evil from the same pool. I'd like to see laying on hands MORE healy, but the spell heals LESS healy or not there at all - perhaps even an option to divert some of the paladin's own HP to buff the lay? I'd also like to see some divergent spells from the Cleric list, where the paladin may have more buffs to either self or group.
I also know the mount is such an iconic aspect of the paladin, but in all the years I've played, the mount tends to be more of a window-dressing issue as opposed to being actually functional. That, however, may be the fault of the player, and not the class, but its hard for me to get excited about the mount because of its limited functionality (a lot like a druid's "can only be cast outside" spells).
In closing, I would like to see the paladin maybe shift from the "bound by the fetters of law" aspect and more a creature of the heart, with abilities that represent the paladin in that aspect. Also, NONE of the above comments were made in the context of the current game - its just raw brainstorming - I haven't tried to balance anything. Finally, I *don't* want to see the paladin go non-alignment restricted - that paladin is available in 4E, and really, if you want to get down to it, you CAN remove the alignment restrictions in your own campaign. In mine, however, the paladin will always remain a figure of passion, courage, pride, and occasional stupidity, ready to lay down his or her life for the betterment of others.
I'd like to get more into some 3.5 materials to perhaps broaden my gaming scope. So, I am looking for some recommended adventure materials, sourcebooks and the like that you have found to be pretty much "Must-haves" on your gaming shelves.
A tad about me - since I've started WAY back in 1974, I usually tend to the "core" rules of PHB, DMG and MM. Liked 1st Dieties and Demigods, didn't care for 1st Unearthed Arcana. Add in Greyhawk boxed set. Wasn't too enthused about 2d Edition at all, so stuck with PHB, DMG and MM, and got the FRealms boxed sets. Didn't do much with 2d at all. Got 3d/3.5 PHB, MM,DMG (recognize a pattern here?)
Basically, I stick with the three "core rule books." For 3.5 I added Expanded Psionics (love it) and Elder Evils (interesting). As a player, I really favor paladins. I've been looking at a few things that seem kind of interesting:
- Expedition to the Ruins of Castle Greyhawk
- Drow of the Underdark
- Expedition to the Demonweb Pits
- Complete Divine
- Complete Warrior
Wizards of the Coast is pleased to announce that third-party publishers will be allowed to publish products compatible with the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition game system under the new Dungeons & Dragons 4E Game System License (D&D 4E GSL). This royalty-free license will replace the former d20 System Trademark License (STL), and will have a System Reference Document (SRD) available for referencing permissible content.
The D&D 4E GSL will allow third-party publishers to create roleplaying game products in fantasy settings with the D&D 4th Edition rules, and publishers who register with WotC will be granted the right to use a version of the D&D logo that denotes the product as compatible with the D&D 4th Edition Roleplaying Game, in accordance with WotC’s terms and conditions. The effective start date for sales of D&D 4E GSL publications will be October 1, 2008.
The license associated SRD will be available on June 6, 2008, at no cost. A small group of publishers received advanced notice and will receive these documents prior to June 6, at no cost, in order to prepare for publication of compatible materials by the effective start date. If you haven’t already been contacted by WotC, you will be able to access the documents on the Wizards website beginning on June 6, 2008.
Wizards is also working on the details of a second royalty-free license, the d20 Game System License (d20 GSL). This license will allow third-party publishers to create roleplaying game products in non-fantasy settings with the 4E rules. The exact details for the d20 GSL will be released as they become available.
Not legalese-smart, but I guess it doesn't have much of an impact on Paizo's plans - I haven't seen a d20 logo in a while.
- Dave
Playtest Notes: My kids and I ran the Hollow’s End adventure this past weekend as our entry into the playtest.
1 Human Wizard, Amulet Focus, 1 Half-Orc Cleric
Some general comments:
We highly approve of the half-orc’s WIS bonus – makes them seem more shamanistic. I could even see where players have to go to the orcs for help or advice, as opposed to heads. Overall like the racial adds and the racial feel.
Item focus for wizards as an alternative to a familiar is well-received. Being able to cast a spell through the focus is great!
We really enjoyed the simplified skills list. I know others are going to want ranks, but my opinion is how much of a person’s skills really need to be quantified? Obviously the skill system is an abstraction, and its simple enough for the DM to abjudicate any necessary rolls.
HPs: We are liking Class + Racial + Con modifier. Gives the starting character a nice bunch of HP.
15 Minute Work Day: This is still a problem, except that it is maybe 20 minutes now. The boys ran into a tough encounter, and we didn’t have enough healing to get them back on their feet – and they had to spend TWO days recovering. This is not necessarily a bad thing (Frodo in Rivendell, for example) but I can see where those who want more stabbity are going to have a problem. More players in the group should lessen this impact.
Overall, we’re really enjoying playing, and I am loving the amount of flavor and care is being presented in the Pathfinder rules! Just waiting for Alpha 2 now! Woot!
