Veiled Nail's page

Not finished with all of it yet, but:

Anybody else getting a Dread Pirate Roberts feel from Fisk?

Thank you, Wesley. Good work. I'll most likely kill you in the morning.

I think it was aliens. Can't remember exactly, but it's been explicitly stated to NOT be coming from either his magic or a scientific gizmo.

Ovoids. From back in the Lee/Kirby days. I think around issue 25.

Fighting on the ramparts of a fort, 1st-level characters.

The sorcerer uses feather fall to jump down from the roof to the rampart. Seeing this, the ranger says "Hit me!" as he jumps off the rampart to the floor. Of course, he's 30 feet away and just out of range of feather fall.

The ranger ends up face-planted, in negative HP, in front of the boss.

Android Ninja in a Skull and Shackles campaign

Robot Pirate Ninja

I kickstarted it. Playing the PC version. Good controller support.

I'm almost finished with the first pass. Has a Wizards and Warriors kind of feel to it.

Not terribly difficult if you can still beat Mega Man games, but extremely fun.

My brother and I have used it for monsters and obstacles. Things like benches, barrels and trees. But rarely did we build walls. We were also using minifigs for all characters as well.

We have an extensive collection between us with 30 years of collecting. So, for us it was cheaper than buying PPM.

The mythic version of the spell allows you to ride.

If you stand or sit on the disk, as a move action you can direct it to travel up to 30 feet in any direction.

juice harp. thumb piano. theremin (but only if you're from Numeria).

- is the Asgardian chick "Lorelei" the Enchantress or something similar? and is she showing up due to GH325?

Lorelei is the Enchantress's younger sister. I remember her from Simonson's run on Thor (c. #337 - 360ish)

As to the GH325, I doubt it.

COBOL

-3000

Well...I wrote 250 lines to replace 3250. Oh, the joys of maintenance!

Dang. I missed that as I was reading this very dense document.

Good catch, Merkatz.

I certainly get where this is coming from, but I appreciate the GM fiat clause for Lesser Trials.

It's not going to be easy to playtest accomplishing some of the listed trials (particularly the Champion - he must be a lucky dude), but in the groups I play in - I think we'll know a mythic Lesser Accomplishment when we see one, even if it's not on the list.

A Lesser Accomplishment will be something usually done in a single combat and relies on some improbable choices (players choosing to act mythically) and improbable outcomes (lucky rolls).

Greater Accomplishments will have some kind of story-related hook and dramatic consequences. Finishing a major story arc may be a Greater
Accomplishment.

C++ - 10

COBOL74 - 400

Yes, boys and girls, COBOL is still out there - although the code predates me, someone has to maintain it.

Right, my bad for not specifying. I already have Audacity, and it's surely nice, but I'm looking for one of those applications with pre-registered instruments, where you pick the instruments, effects, and so on, and then place the music for it in a music sheet or graphic interface of sort. Dunno how to say it better, I hope it's clear enough.

You might try Finale. It's mostly geared for writing music that you would print out and play. It'll run around $300, but they have a "lite" free version called Finale Notepad that can do a few things.

Finale doesn't have a lot of "effects" that are usable out of the box - you have to have a good understanding of MIDI effects to coax interesting things out of it.

I have the most recent version (2011) - but I strongly prefer using the 2002 release - the interface suited me better (and the tools I use run faster). You may be able to find one of these older copies on Ebay. The old versions do not support output as .WAV, only .MID. .WAV export support was added in 2009 (I think).

In this case since the creature has nothing else to spend his mythic power on it is 2x per day after the results of a roll are revealed, you can spend a mythic power use and roll a d6 and add that to the result of any d20 roll.

If it can be used on saves and skill checks, it might need to be moved out of Special Attacks and into SQ. Cool stuff, nonetheless!

I know - but I'm excited NOW. Way more excited than I would be for a 21+ rehash of "epic" (that I never seem to approach anyway).

I just don't like it when multiple different abilities have the same name. It also makes it easier when class levels are added to monsters.

I definitely like the flavor that these new abilities add. Are there going to be some guidelines for creating new mythic powers? Or is there going to be some kind of "Mythic Ability Compendium" section of the book?

I'm kind of curious as to what the "Mythic power 2/day, 1d6" is about. That looks like a "universal" mythic ability. From its place in the stat block, it looks like some kind of attack, but it seems kind of weak in comparison to the normal attacks.

I would prefer not overloading the term Domain. That word should remain reserved for the divine power feature. Maybe a better term would be Demesne?

Domain Mastery just sounds like a Mythic ability for divine casters.

I am quite interested in the Mythic toolkit and this does pique my curiosity.

I would like a PFRPG listing of the "slot affinities" table. The 3.5 DMG had a table on page 288, but PF did some tweaking with the head/headband.

This table has come up in RPG Superstar before as a guideline and I'd like to see it back in print and updated.

I agree that long chases can get tedious.

We usually have them layed out in more of a grid or pyramid shape. A race around a city block, with the option of backtracking through previously cleared areas can help with some of the "hands-in-pockets" problems. More opporunties for players = more fun

But, my entire group loves the whole mechanic.

I am currently playing an adventure path that I also GMed for a while (Kingmaker).

I ran the book pretty much as presented. As a player, my GM knows that I've been running it, so he's been modifiying elements along the way.

I have been "using foreknowledge" a little bit, but I've been trying to avoid tipping off other players too much. I'm also taking a backseat role, letting other players make most decisions.

The different party dynamic also helps with the enjoyment. If you're only reading it, ask the GM to mixup the encounters a little. It can be a problem if you are intimately familiar with the material.

I have also recently purchased Runelords Anniversary, and I am planning on being a player in it - so I have taken great care to only read the "non-adventure" articles (Bestiary, new rules articles, etc).

TLDR: reading an AP before playing can quash surprise, but your GM can help.

After looking in this book, you could tweak the Knight of Ozem prestige class to be focused against demons instead of undead. Most of the abilities should transfer pretty cleanly.

My brother has a more suitable Lego collection - since I gave him my castle bricks 20 years ago (mine are mostly space).

We don't do Lego dungeons, but we do use Lego props (tables, barrels, logs, brush).

Once, we had the deck of a ship with string outlining 5 foot squares (3x3 dots) - it was a little clunky, but it looked cool.

Also, we have an extensive collection of monsters made of Lego (a skull in green transparent helmet on a green transparent stalk is an excellent will-o-wisp).

There is also the occasional spell effect (flaming sphere).

My brother keeps all of these in a tackle box by the gaming table. On occasion, he's had to cobble together an unexpected monster on the fly. Once, he assembled a plesiosaur out of a giant centipede construction and some quadraped in about 30 seconds. Perfect down to the amount of reach it had.

The figures are placed on 2x3 planks for stability.

The only downside to using Lego is that you have build your own horses - standard horses are longer than 2 inches.

Standard paladin stuff plus can't borrow or lend and must not have any cohorts, followers, special mounts, animal companions, etc. The path to perfection is without entanglements.

Feats: Dazzling Display, Exotic Weapon Proficiency
(Aldori dueling sword), Weapon Finesse, Weapon
Focus (Aldori dueling sword)

Skills: Acrobatics 3 ranks, Intimidate 5 ranks,
Knowledge (nobility) 3 ranks, Sense Motive 3 ranks

I have some unfortunate news:

ancestral reliquary, iron collar of the unbound coven and clockwork conscience are listed as items that are published in this book - but are not actually in the book, except on the RPG Superstar credit page.

I've already posted about this in the Ultimate Equipment Errata thread, so hopefully there will be some measure of remediation. My previous post was just the listing from the credits page.

pg. 387 - RPG Superstar listing

ancestral reliquary, iron collar of the unbound coven and clockwork conscience are listed as items that are published in this book - but are not actually in the book, except on the RPG Superstar credit page.

All of these are neck items...

I would ask that you take the earliest opportunity to put these items into print somewhere so these authors can not just get credit but be published in a Paizo product.

pg 98-99: a "Poor" stay at an inn is listed as 2 gp when it should be 2 sp. This is most obvious on Table 2-13.

The error on page 370 was mentioned during the blog previews and the missing items were re-listed in the comments.

66 sai
67 sap
68-69 scythe
70-73 shortbow
74-75 shortspear
76-80 shortsword
81 shuriken
82 sickle
83–84 sling

Matt Banach (master’s perfect golden bell)

Chad Bartlett (gloves of reconnaissance)
Jesse Benner (snapleaf)
Alexander Bennett (dust of darkness)
Benjamin Bruck (steadfast gut-stone)
Will Cooper (ghostvision gloves)
Ethan Day-Jones (eye of the void)
Scott Fernandez (nightmare boots)
Jim Groves (seducer’s bane)
R. C. Higgins (waters of transfiguration)
Erik Hindley (shadow falconer’s glove)
Brian Hoffman (stone of alliance)
Sean Huguenard (smuggler’s collapsible robe)
Jerry Keyes (martyr’s tear)
Samuel Kisko (migrus locker)
Carl Klutzke (boundary chalk)
Joseph LaMothe (ampoule of false blood)
Elizabeth Leib (haunted shoes)
Jacob Manley (dust of weighty burdens)
Jonathan McAnulty (stubborn nail)
Matthew McGee (batrachian helm)
Tom Phillips (iron collar of the unbound coven)
Nicolas Quimby (goblin skull bomb)
Erik Randall (gloves of the shortened path)
David Ross (clockwork conscience)
Marie Small (verdant vine)
Neil Spicer (last leaves of the autumn dryad)
Matthew Stinson (school of eyes)
Paul Worthen (ancestral reliquary)

I was actually looking for this very thing. And I was pleased when I saw it clearly labeled on the Credits page as "numerous RPG Superstar contributors (see page 387)"

Edit: And it even includes the stubborn nail, which didn't quite crack the top 32 (but did make SKR's "really good" list)!

Area cylinder (40-ft. radius, 20 ft. high)
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

Driving sleet blocks all sight (even darkvision) within it and causes the ground in the area to be icy. A creature can walk within or through the area of sleet at half normal speed with a DC 10 Acrobatics check. Failure means it can't move in that round, while failure by 5 or more means it falls (see the Acrobatics skill for details).

The sleet extinguishes torches and small fires.

Sleet Storm is probably what you're looking for. It's arcane, puts out nonmagical fires, has an area of effect and no saves. It's even faster than summoning a water elemental. The only "problem" is it's a 3rd level spell, so it may not be "low level" enough for your desire.

Even so, this may be considered some benchmark for a similar spell.

Good for urban rangers or multiclassing rogues! :)

Not so good for single classed rogues :(

I've often found that I can find the solution to my problems by running away...

The GM screen is nice, but not necessary. It has copies of tables from the Core Rulebook.

If you're willing to get PDFs instead of physical copies, most of the older PFRPG module and setting PDFs are on sale (but not hardcover rulebooks).

Also, be aware when shopping that Paizo originally published modules for 3.5. These are marked as (OGL). The Pathfinder rule set is abbreviated as (PFRPG).

There are also some freebies, like the Beginner Box Bash Demos and the Free RPG Day modules that are available as PDF.

If you want to get into an Adventure Path (which is pretty much a whole campaign), I would browse at your Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS), if possible. If you like the theme, you can pick up one ($19.99) or several. My FLGS is currently bundling older AP issues with the matching cards and map folios at somewhat of a discount.

And all this time I thought Cosmo was a construct who became a real, live imp!

I've been reading some of the threads about Paizo's business model and "behind the curtain" details.

So, I have a question:

When should I declare that I am cancelling a subscription? By that, I mean, If I already know that I'm not going to want the AP that starts in 6 months or the Campaign Setting products starting next February, how can I inform Paizo to not count my subscription to the print run for those products?

As best I understand, I cancel my subscription after my last product ships - but my understanding is that it is too late to affect the print run for the next month (or two).
Does Paizo just eat this cost?

I'm not interested in cancelling my subscriptions now... But, I want to know how to be a better customer to a company that I am pleased to give money to.

And don't even go down the "you should never cancel" route! This stuff is addicting enough. And the Paizo staff has done a very excellent job of keeping my wallet open...

Yeah. One thing I have noted is that they tend to push out both volume 6 of the old AP and volume 1 of the new AP on the same date, so as to not allow for a good stopping point.

I, at one point, stopped my AP subscription during a month when they were shipping 2. It was between Serpent's Skull #6 and whatever the next one was #1.

A quick little email to Customer Service to explain how I wanted my subscription terminated and I got everything I wanted and nothing I didn't. Of course, you have to send an email to stop subscriptions anyway, so it wasn't a big deal for me or paizo.

I usually use a PFS scenario for a one-shot, because they're designed to be run in a single session. I sometimes have problems completing modules in a single go.

Ravingdork wrote:

Not necessarily. ARG now let's them get +2 to any two ability scores.

Ugh, really? I'm not a fan of books that contain stealth errata for an older book.

It's not really a stealth errata. it's a racial tradeout.

Dual Talent: Some humans are uniquely skilled at

maximizing their natural gifts. These humans pick two
ability scores and gain a +2 racial bonus in each of those
scores. This racial trait replaces the +2 bonus to any one
ability score, the bonus feat, and the skilled traits.

So, yes they can get +2 to any 2 ability scores, but not on top of everything else. It costs a feat and 1 skill point/HD.

Veiled Nail wrote:

richard develyn wrote:

...stuff..about an Air Elemental and Whirlwind

Well, this does give me an idea for a new set of GameMastery Cards:

Universal Monster Rules

It looks like there already is a product like this out there, for super cheap:

http://paizo.com/products/btpy8ffb?GMs-Aid-IX-Universal-Monster-Rules-and-S imple-Template-Cards

Hadn't noticed that before. Thanks!

...stuff..about an Air Elemental and Whirlwind

Well, this does give me an idea for a new set of GameMastery Cards:

Universal Monster Rules

Running monsters can be pain and I usually end up with Bestiary 1 turned to universal monster rules and Bestiary 2 turned to monster subtypes so I can check resistances/immunities.

I usually get tied up with Grab/Improved Grab.

I mean, it's not much more painful then 3.5 - but that wasn't a great setup to begin with.

Is there an easier way to manage this that I don't know about?
With cards, I could select the rules I know I'll need for that session and set them aside for reference.

I'd never GMd consistently before PF.
I'm still a lazy GM - and Paizo tries to encourage me to spend money to support that lifestyle.
I don't enjoy a lot of the prep work, so easier = more enjoyable.

I'll enumerate the products that made things easier (for me):

Card Packs - the Chase cards in particular have jazzed up my encounters on occasion [and there are other products that people find helps them - Item packs, NPC Face cards, etc]

Map Packs/Flip Mats - for those of us who can't draw

APs - it's a campaign in a can - and I run it pretty straight up.

Monster Simple Templates in Bestiary - easy to adjust the CR of an encounter in 5 minutes or less.

Rulebook line is (mostly) layed out/organized better than 3.5 equivalents. Some changes were made in the transition from 3.5 to PF that reduced the math load (static XP, no XP cost for crafting, tips on CR budgeting).

NPC Gallery in (GMG)/(hopefully NPC Codex as well) - quick stats for the unstatted NPC the party decides to rope into an adventure.

TLDR: Paizo supports the GM with products to make my GMing easier - and thus more enjoyable (for me). Aside from making products, I'm not sure what else Paizo could do. Is there a need for another product?

The Draconic Glide kobold feat (pg.136) under special states

Special: If you have the gliding wings
racial trait, instead of the above abilities,
your base speed increases to 30 feet.

but Kobold base speed is already 30 so what is this feat intended to do do?

Gliding Wings most likely lowered your base speed during one draft.

Sean,
That sounds about like my experience building a character sheet (CRB only). It has a lot of calculation for race and size and class and class options, but some of the formulas are doozies - (and some areas are not calculated at all) and I learned a good deal to even get that far!

Although I would enjoy marvelling at this wonder of Excel mastery that you have built (and probably learning a bit on the way), I completely understand the editor/professional writer in you - you don't want anything out there that you know lacks the professional polish.

Pleased to hear that this work is being disseminated through HeroLab, eventually. Then we can all enjoy the pleasures of artfully crafted stat blocks.

I'm afraid I don't follow. Metamagic rods never under any circumstances increase casting time or level slots used.

The exception is sorcerers.

A sorcerer still must take a full-round action when using a metamagic rod, just as if using a metamagic feat he possesses (except for quicken metamagic rods, which can be used as a swift action).

Is there any automated step when creating an NPC or monster block to make sure that, at least at first blush, the numbers match?

That would be the fabled 340MB Excel spreadsheet. I've heard tales of this spreadsheet over in the RPG Superstar forums...

I'd personally love to see it - part of that is professional curiosity in how the spreadsheet is built. But I think I'd prefer SKR to keep some of his aura of mystery.

Let the wild speculation commence!

I'm hoping for a Goblin Plush!

Can we call them "rules units" instead? (Even though this reminds me of school textbooks...)

@Sirmattdusty - Monopoly is owned by Hasbro.

I think Pathfinder will be fine. I am interested in DDN as another RPG in the collection. But I wonder how the modules (packaged adventures) will read with all of the special rules units included and excluded...

I am playing and GMing it (with different groups). We've just reached the beginning of Book 4 (with both groups).

The Problematic:
Some of the rewards that are handed out for quests (on the inside covers) can be a little preposterous.

Example: for killing this animal, you get to keep this +1 keen spear that got stuck in its backside. Where would a peasant type (guessing from the picture) get a weapon that PCs would want (or find valuable)?

Also, some of the quests from the monstrous NPCs resulted in conversations like this:

PC 1: "He says he'll give us this <shiny item> if we do <this task we don't care about>"
PC 2: "But he's a <neutral or evil> monstrous humanoid. Why don't we just kill him and take <shiny item> without doing the task?"
PC 3 (a paladin): "That would be an evil act that I can't condone."

Aside from the paladin being present, that quest could have gone slightly off the rails.

The good:
I did find the various small dungeons to be great fun - and easy to port to a different locale. The BBEG dungeon from Book 3, in particular, was fun for both groups.

The just plain useful:
My players have "retired" some of their original characters to allow them to play options that were not available when we started (like the Inquisitor - we started before the APG was released). The lack of immediate urgency made RPing the swapout fun and less nonsensical than other campaigns I've been in. It also makes adding new players easier.

The only authority we have on Colson's death is Nick Fury - who is already portrayed in the film as lying about the Capt. America trading cards. It wouldn't be a stretch for him to take it a step further.

I'm GMing Kingmaker every other week and playing in it every week. We didn't both start in KM, but the weekly group caught up.

Be forthright and honest.

As long as you keep your meta knowledge to the side and accept the way the current GM has decided to spin the game (because every GM is different), it can be a lot of fun.

You also may able to conspire with the current GM on foreshadowing upcoming plot points or tuning an encounter for a better experience.