Thanks to everyone for listening. We're wrapping up book 1 soon!
If you're interested in running this AP, give it a listen.
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I rolled in as a human barbarian (animal instinct) because I felt that at least someone has to be on theme! Two other players came in as ex-Mendevian crusaders, and they've been an absolute hoot. Another is a halfling, total mystery to me so far, but I think has a criminal background that hasn't been revealed yet in the campaign.
We just started a Quest for the Frozen Flame playthrough called "Broken Tusk Rising." Please give us a listen! We're having a lot of fun. Broken Tusk Rising - Apple Podcasts
We've also got a Discord server, and you can ask Mike, the GM, questions about his decisions. He's sticking as close to the book as possible. He also loves getting feedback: positive, negative, constructive, whatever.
Thanks for the feedback, gang. I think I'll single attack against level 1 players. I'll try the following guidelines...
Ravenous, bloodthirsty, or otherwise emotionally unstable creatures will full attack always. Dumb creatures will full attack always.
Several short threads on the advice board discuss when to full attack as GM and the mathematical superiority of full attacking as an NPC. I find that full attacking with NPCs increases the lethality of the combat almost exponentially with their high to-hit bonuses. For the ol' home game, I do what I want but what's the consensus on society play? Should we full attack only if it says so in the tactics of the NPCs stat block?
Summary:
Blessed by a pantheon of freedom made up of Cayden Cailean, Desna, and Milani, Ursion travels Cheliax spreading a hidden message of insurrection. His seemingly disjointed analogies and parables have earned him the nickname "Ursion the Mad". Crowds still gather to listen because of his ability and willingness to heal the masses. Physical Description:
Ursion is of Chelaxian decent, as can be seen by his jet black hair and the hard angles of his facial features. His left leg is maimed, the knee and ankle twisting at odd angles. He refers to his ailment as "Desna's blessing" for he believes this physical burden has freed him mentally and spiritually.
Scene:
The small crowd had already gathered around, many of them familiar faces. They would put up with the sermon for the divine blessings they would receive afterward. Esperia gave Ursion a peck on the cheek. "Careful. Thrune agents are in the throng today." "I'm always careful," Ursion said, smiling. "But just in case, I'll make my message even more muddled than usual." Esperia grinned. "Sounds like you'll be earning your nickname today." "Who's to say that it isn't true?" Ursion the Mad replied. It took Ursion a few tries to climb atop the short cement wall. His leg bothered him more than usual and his knee felt as if he couldn't bend it at all. Desna's Gift is especially strong today. Today's message will soar into their hearts and minds. As he looked out into the crowd, he felt a small pang of guilt in his chest. The sickest sat closest to the front and he wished he could heal them before his parables, but if he did so then they wouldn't listen. Ursion raised his arms into the air and a hush fell on the small group that gathered. Some still whispered in the back. "A flock of sheep once ate in the greenest fields and the most beautiful of pastures. But one day, the shepherd struck a deal with wolves and herded them into a confined pasture, the fence covered in barbed brambles. The flock devoured the shepherd despite their hatred for meat. The wolves fled and the sheep ate the finest of grasses once again." Ursion spoke other parables of kindness and other virtues and then began to heal those that came to listen. After he was done, a man dressed in a cloak came and spoke to him in whispers. "So, the story with the sheep. Couldn't help but think maybe you were talking about an insurrection against House Thrune." "Sometimes a story is just a story, friend," Ursion said. "I pray the citizens of Kintargo will pay their taxes and give House Thrune everything it deserves." Ursion could sense that the man wasn't convinced. The hooded man grunted and walked away. Espera walked up to Ursion. "Who was that?" "Either a leader of sheep or one of the wolves. I can't risk finding out. Let's go."
Stats: Ursion the Mad
Dedicated. For the horde.
On the way to marathon.
Just droppin my Marathon voter status in here.
I haven't built many monsters but just reading the bestiaries, the CR 12+ beasties start up with spell resistance, damage reduction, and the really frustrating status effects. Classes with poor saves start to feel the pain. I could see CR 1-2 encounters being difficult mostly because the PCs hit points are a little too low.
I'm certainly no expert but this all looks like good advice right here.
CRs are an art. The higher level monsters are especially crazy. Pathfinder is a dangerous game for your character. There's no way around it other than making encounters so easy that they aren't challenging.
When, after the first night's character creation, he says, "Good, now let's roll some back-up characters."
As discussed in some other threads, WotC is working on some sort of electronic distribution other than PDFs. We'll see how it goes.
A lot of great points made in this thread so far. Addressing townspeople killing things: lots of stuff with DR has an AC high enough that most townspeople couldn't hit except with a natural 20 anyhow. My experience with DR is that it's really not that fun. As others have mentioned, halving certain types of damage is more fun than outright negation. Spell Resistance is another mechanic that isn't really fun.
Yay for WotW!
I'll just leave this right here. Theos:
Physical Description Theos is not a small man but his size deceives when lined up next to the other ulfen, kellids, and half-orcs at the gladiatorial college. His well-kept wavy hair suggests a gladiator a bit too concerned with appearances. In fact, he resembles his Taldan heritage to every trait: bronzed skin, gray eyes, and a palpable aura of smug. His facial stubble is just enough to remove traces of boyishness. Upon closer examination, Theos’ muscles are as taut as loaded springs and there is hardly a trace of fat on his body. He shows signs of battle, scars here and there, but they are aesthetically placed. As if he let them happen just so. Mechanics A rogue? In a gladiator game? You must be crazy! Yes. Yes I am.
Char Development Theos will pick up the dodge, mobility, and spring attack feats by level 8 so that he can dance around the arena and still sneak attack. He knows he can’t go toe to toe with the best gladiators, so keeping the fight flowing is to his own advantage. When not in combat, Theos will manipulate crowds with his rumormonger ability. He will maximize crowd participation and increase the perceived drama of every scheduled bout. His development will still depend on whether the arena pits more against monsters or humans. If performance combat rules are applied frequently, Theos will develop himself as a Feinter in later levels and develop skills against the combat maneuvers of others. Crunch: Theos Male human (taldan) rogue (charlatan, scout) 2 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 134, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat 72) CN Medium humanoid (human) Init +3; Senses Perception +4 -------------------- Defense -------------------- AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +3 Dex) hp 22 (2d8+6) Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +0 Defensive Abilities evasion -------------------- Offense -------------------- Speed 30 ft. Melee dagger +4 (1d4+1/19-20) or . . mwk gladius +6 (1d6+1/19-20) or . . sap +4 (1d6+1 nonlethal) Ranged shortbow +4 (1d6/×3) Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6 -------------------- Statistics -------------------- Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 14 Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 15 Feats Dazzling Display, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (gladius) Traits classically schooled, sacred touch Skills Acrobatics +5, Bluff +7, Climb +3, Craft (alchemy) +5, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +6, Escape Artist +6, Handle Animal +3, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Knowledge (local) +5, Perception +4, Perform (act) +6, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +5, Spellcraft +6, Swim +3 Languages Common, Hallit SQ natural born liar, rogue talent (finesse rogue) Combat Gear oil of bless weapon, oil of magic weapon, potion of cure light wounds, potion of enlarge person, potion of jump, potion of sanctuary, potion of shield of faith +2, antitoxin, small centipede poison; Other Gear chain shirt, arrows (40), dagger, mwk gladius, sap, shortbow, bandolier, belt pouch, belt pouch, 67 gp -------------------- Special Abilities -------------------- Antitoxin This substance counteracts a specific toxin. If you drink a vial of antitoxin, you gain a +5 alchemical bonus on Fortitude saving throws against poison for 1 hour. Alchemical Power Component Like antiplague, this substance can augment certain healing spells. Neutralize Poison (M): Add +2 on your caster level check to neutralize poison on a target creature. Antitoxin has no effect when you cast the spell on an object. Dazzling Display (Gladius) Intimidate check to demoralize can affect those within 30' who see you. Evasion (Ex) If you succeed at a Reflex save for half damage, you take none instead. Natural Born Liar (Ex) Creatures deceived by Bluff check take a -2 penalty vs your Bluff checks for 24 hours. Sacred Touch You were exposed to a potent source of positive energy as a child, perhaps by being born under the right cosmic sign, or maybe because one of your parents was a gifted healer. As a standard action, you may automatically stabilize a dying creature mer Sneak Attack +1d6 Attacks deal extra dam if flank foe or if foe is flat-footed.
Character incoming
This was fun. Thanks LRGG.
Okie dokie. Halvor v1.1: Halvor
I think the consumables help martials way more.
I vote for public feedback but I'm sure some others will feel differently. It would be nice to learn from other submissions as well.
Bummer, I see that in the OP now.
Fighter below but I'm willing to que in an arcane caster for sake of testing. I'm assuming consumables will be replenished after each fight. Halvor the Gladiator: Halvor
Sounds fun
Is everyone having fun being awesome? If so, I don't see the problem. Your players are heroes, and at the end of that AP they face a level 20 wizard that can smoke them all.
Since the metal fork has no cost the spell component pouch is assumed to have it. The forked metal rod probably doesn't fit in the spell component pouch. In other places in the core rulebook, rods are typically 1 to 3 feet long. So by raw, you wouldn't have this focus sitting around in your spell component pouch. Diego's main point through the whole thread is that the wizard is infinitely more powerful the more handwaving of the rules done in the game. Moving on to the next flaw in your argument, at no point did I say Hound Archons would be welcomed in *every* city in the world. However they would be welcome in a large number of them. And because they use Greater Teleport to get around they only need a reliable description of the metropolis. As I'm sure you know, Knowledge (Local) is local knowledge about *everywhere* so it is a simple DC 10 Knowledge Local to give the Hound Archon a description of literally any metropolis since a DC 10 Local gets you "Know local laws, rulers, and popular locations". It sounds to me like you play in a higher fantasy setting than most. I think in most Golarion settings, a Hound Archon would not be wasting time hanging around in a mortal city waiting for mortals to teleport around. Anyway, please don't miss Diego's point here. The GM can restrict the wizard's power by using the rules.
Blood over lame players that won't even give it a chance. Rebuild.
Posting just so that I can say that I participated in this thread.
Haste is the most efficiently powerful team-based combat spell in the game. I think most everyone agrees on this point. Thelemic_Noun's argument is that this logical power makes it boring since casters are almost obligated to use the spell. I tend to agree that obligatory tactics or actions are boring. Now, this is only true if you are faced with one combat-based encounter a day. I find this is rarely the case in published adventures. The spellcaster is faced with a very interesting decision in combat: Do I cast Haste THIS time? Unless you are preparing Haste in every spell slot which is very boring. Even sorcerers need to be conservative with their spells. You never know what's around the corner.
I might as well submit something. Do any of these categories receive fewer submissions than the others or is it across the board?
Watching. I'm liking the Ouphes. Would be fun to play a crazy "fey" game.
Pinpoint targeting is a standard action that can be used with Deadly Aim. You could not pinpoint target and do a full-attack. Many shot and rapid shot require full-round attacks in order to be used in that round. Basically, you could either pinpoint target with one shot or full-round attack with many and rapid. You couldn't do both in the same round.
Henric Kazellin ; Human (Varisian); Male; Bard; Trickster(Chance Encounter); NG; GMT -5
Description & Concept:
Henric is a dark skinned Varisian with matching dark hair and eyes. He has a scar on his cheek that appears to be more aesthetic than a true battle wound. He wears a symbol of Desna on his neck which sometimes leads others to confuse him for a cleric. While musically talented, he’s not a street performer. He’s University educated but not from a noble background, a rarity he thanks Desna for. He’s prone to quips and jests but they are in good humor and Henric would never mean ill towards most. Henric has personal motivation for demon slaying since his father died as a crusader in Kenrades. History:
Family History: Henric’s father moved his family from Caphilas, Ustalav to Kenrades to pursue evil full-time. His mother was a performer in Kenrades. Chance Encounter: Before coming of age, Henric tried to follow his father’s group on a scouting trip to the Worldwound. Henric lost sight of them and wandered the outskirts of the Worldwound for a few days before being rescued by a mysterious woman wearing the symbol of Desna. To this day, Henric is a devout follower of Desna. Personal History His father was eventually slain, and his mother moved the family back to Caphilas. Ustalav was kind to their family, and Henric even attended Lepidstadt University. The school taught Henric to be well rounded in history, languages, music, swordplay, and even magic. He graduated and earned the Lepisdtadt scar on his face, something given to all graduates after a ritual of swordplay. Henric became an officer under Prince Aduard Ordranti III’s royal army. Politics in Ustalav leads to a very decentralized power structure and a weak ruler. The regional counts are constantly vying for power against each other and the Prince. One day, an orc raiding party from Belkzen attacked a western town of Ustalav. The Prince ordered for all royal troops to disregard any pleas for aid, but Henric disobeyed and led a small party to the town’s defense. The town was raised, and Henric’s squad was defeated with Henric returning as the sole survivor. For disobeying orders, Henric was imprisoned for a potential court-marshal. A woman, claiming to be a representative of Prince Aduard Ordranti III, offered Henric a deal: honorable discharge in exchange for a life of indentured servitude working in a secret Bureau for the Prince. Better than execution, Henric accepted and his first assignment was to to assess the demon thread in Mendev against Ustalav. Goals:
1. Short term Goal: Henric, familiar with Ustalav’s politics, knows the underlying reason why the Prince has an interest in the crusades. The Prince would greatly appreciate an external threat to Ustalav that forces the counties to unite under him. As the orcs of Belkzen have proven incapable of mounting an organized assault, the Prince must be interested if the demons can be used instead. Henric hopes to successfully report to Ustalav on the demon threat, and earn himself a more powerful position. Without lying, but with a modest amount of hyperbole, he would like to stir up Ustalav into a unified front against the Worldwound. 2. Lifelong Goal: His father’s death made Henric realize a few things. One of them…that heroic deeds are not always remembered. His father is among a horde of crusaders that are dead, forgotten, and replaced. Henric dreams of accomplishing deeds of a memorable sort so as to become immortal through the stories of mankind. ”Nice to meet all of you. I am Henric. I’m originally from Kenrades and I’ve been hoping for years to hear that we’ve finally closed the Worldwound, but alas… Anyhow, my current employer has an interest in the state of affairs in Mendev. Although it doesn't look like much has changed since my childhood. "How truly lucky we are to be here for Armasse. I can remember looking forward to this every year. Now I suggest we engage in these festivities because before you know it—and trust me—the usual melancholy will return.”
might apply as a bard
Hmmmm, dangerous adventure...DOT!
I'd like to try out a forum campaign. I'll read the ap's char guide and come back. |