Valeros

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27 posts. Alias of Bruce Telford.


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Finally got the shimpment (yesterday, 11/20/13) but it was badly damaged - the shiping envelope was torn and the Adventure Path in the envelope was torn as well. Any chance of a replacement copy? I'm pretty sure the USPS won't step up on this one.


Hi folks. I got the initial notification that this would be shipped within "the next week or two" on 10/14, but have not seen the usual "Hey we shipped it!" e-mail, nor has the package arrived. Could you check and see if it was ever shipped out for me, please?


Please suspend my RPG subscription for the time being (probably the next few months at least - just had to wait for the Ultimate Equipment Guide to ship before I did this!). I'll give you a yell when I can afford to pick it up again (and probably pick up the items that I've missed at the same time, with any luck).

Thanks Much and hope to be back in the fold again soon!


Just a random evil, chaotic thought - how long does the rift stay open, and could something in the vicinity (on the other side of the rift) wander through and say "Hi There, Crunchie Bit!" to the thief with the wand? Sounds like good times to me...


Gots to love the character names you give the poor, soon to be demised players. Being ex-military I'm especially fond of the "SPFR" moniker...


Enjoyment would be the right word, I think. Always fun to see how a party handles Kingmaker. Hopefully things will go well with them when they find the boss bandit...


Ah, but do you really need a human workforce to have slave labor? Not only is there at least 1 tribe of kobalds around (and where there's one there's bound to be others), but there's an even better source of slaves handy. Just give the evil druid a way to raise the dead, and you have a skeleton/zombie workforce ready made. Just find a few massacre sites (and I wager that Tartuk had set up a few of those in his time with the kobalds) and you have your undead workforce. They don't need to take breaks, and they're remarkably resistant to union organizers...


Hope someone's keeping good notes - we're all looking forward to the saga continuing!


The way the description reads I assume that you would only be able to use the cleave feat when outdoors in a temperate climate. So if you want to take the greater cleave feat, I suppose that you'll have to be trained outdoors, and it would only be useable in outdoors/temperate climate settings...


Just a quick query - in encounter Q (the spirit naga), if she's been there for years shouldn't she have treasure of some sort? Especially if she's killed and devoured any intruders who were resistant to her charming gaze?

Not sure if I'm wrong about this, or if it was just left out in the interests of space.


Sorry - didn't mean to come across as "deplete the soil just to screw the players". It just seemed to me that a full season or more of forced growth would, indeed, deplete the soil.

On the other hand, there are still lots of reasons to use the spell. It could be used to increase the yield of high value crops (cloud berries?), or to bring an orchard of fruit trees into bearing age in just one season or so, instead of having to wait for several years for them to mature. And doesn't one of the River Kingdoms have lots of orchards, and export fruit, cider, etc.? Maybe the characters can do some trading for young fruit trees...

And for that matter, this could be a good chance for a druid to do some spell research. A nice "replenish earth" spell would be a good thing. The sheriffs could jump start the crops with Plant Growth in the spring, and prepare the fields with thier wands or staves of Replenish Earth in the fall. Or they can fertilize the old fashioned way each spring if they have heards of cattle, or what have you (it's a lot more work, but less money spent on making the magic items...).

At any rate, I absolutely agree that the players should reap the benefit of their characters abilities (and the players ingenuity). The fact that there may be unexpected consequences to their first tries at manipulating the environment can still be fun - and overcoming the consequences (or making them work for you, in some cases) can also be fun!


When it comes to players using plant growth spells to increase crop production, how about throwing in a "soil exhaustion" surprise for the next growing season? Figure the excelerated growth of the plants is bound to use up more nutrients from the soil than a normal growing season, so after 1 season of "plant growth" the fields have to lie fallow for at least one season to recover. The players can still benefit from the spell, but they'll need more farms so that some can lie fallow while the others produce like crazy. And if you want to really mess with them, make it two seasons for full recovery if the weather during the growing season was overly dry (unless they manage irrigation from nearby water sources, of course).


Out of curiosity - is there any chance that those of us who've already purchased the original campaign setting pdf file will be given a price break on the "new and improved" campaign setting? Maybe? Please? Pretty please....


Just out of curiosity, what levels have the party achieved to date? I'm assuming that when they die and come back they don't come back one level lower than they were. If this was the case some of the character might be at a negative level by now, due to multiple deaths...


If I have it right, Mina is the only surviving member of the original party. A good many characters seem to have met their maker via traps - a deadly dungeon indeed. And an amusing and well told story as well!


Bump (in the night...)


Bless you, US Postal Service!

Mine came yesterday, and it was difficult to make time for lesser priorities like eating and such. Looks awesome and I can't wait to use it on (with?) my players!


Can't hold out any longer - pre-order done!

I'm so weak... But I'll be so happy when it arrives!


You kidding - one of the first things I check (after the Paizo Blog) when I check out the Paizo site each day! Do please keep posting - I'm thinking I need to dig up my copy of the "fun filled temple" and run it again...


Well (expitive deleted)!

I didn't see the Paizo notice about this until this morning (7 Apr), so of course the various pdfs I had on my "buy and download sometime soonish" list are gone into legal limbo.

I guess I'll just have to hope that the Wotc lawyers get called to heel sometime soon. The older pdfs are really handy now that Pathfinder has saved them from the rubbish heap (not that Wotc would consider this when pulling their pdfs, of course...).


Something that has been mentioned here and there is pairing undead with an evil cleric or two. When they channel negative energy it not only heals any undead they have with them, it also deals damage to the nasty heros who are attempting to pillage the lovely new temple of (insert evil god or gods here). This combination can really ruin a good parties day even if they have a cleric of their own, and it can hammer (or even TPK) a party that doesn't.


Not everyone maxes out their characters, and some games still use the "what you roll is what you get" method of rolling up a character, as well. I've found that role playing a character with less that perfect stats is often more fun than just steamrolling your way through a game.

And that said, I've found this thread to be an excellent evaluation of the paladins Beta skillsets, and (most recently) of the fixes Jason has put out. Looking forward to more of the same, and I hope that Jason is reading this thread as well - I like the suggestions I've seen so far (I've always loved the theory/storyline behind the character class, but implementation has never really lived up to potential).


Does anyone out there remember the Giant Slug? It was a huge, acid spitting, slime covered adventurer's nightmare. It could squeeze through small openings/doors, and as I recall it was immune to at least one type of weapon (I just can't remember which without digging out my old MM's. As I recall it was in the 1st ed. MM, and it may have made it into the 2nd ed. as well, but by 3.0 it had vanished. So if it's not WotC IP, bring it back! It would make a grand beastie for the deeper tunnels of the Darklands...


Hmmmm. As a DM I understand the concerns that have been expressed about potential power creep from the additional stat points for rolling up new core class characters. However, I think that overall I like this change and will continue to use it, for a couple of reasons.

First, the additional two stat points gives players a much better chance to produce an “above average” player character (even with the points buy system), which after all is what adventurers are – above average. Average folks stay home in their nice warm beds at night and pray that a bad tempered adventurer doesn’t trash their store tomorrow.

Also, from what I’ve seen so far the additional stat points (when combined with a good starting hit point total for first level characters) makes the players feel more confident in their ability to take on the various nasties that are waiting for them “out there”. And as we all know, a confident party is a party that gets itself into trouble very quickly – which is always fun for the DM!

As for power creep and the party over powering their opponents – I think that most low level groups can use the extra help at first, and later on the DM has the option of beefing up the various monsters (at least until Paizo comes out with a revised Monster Manual of some sort) or just adding a few extra villains. And of course at high levels things bog down anyhow (perhaps after Paizo is done with final version of the PFRPG they can come up with a supplement that addresses changes for improving high level game play???).

Overall, I give this change a thumbs up so far – which is not to say that it won’t change in the final version if enough folks disagree with me!


My group will be running through the Revenge of the Kobald King soon (hopefully they don’t know that) and I’m thinking of changing the kobald king from a Ftr 2/Sor 4 to a F 1/Cl 5. This would give him 3d6 of negative energy channeling and since he and most of his minions are undead, it will make things “interesting” for the players. Of course if the party’s cleric doesn’t show up for the game I may have to change him back – I’m not sure if they’d make it without some positive energy channeling in response.
On the other hand, even if the cleric does show up I may have the party run the final encounter again without him, to see how they would do without a “counter” for the negative energy bursts…


Alas for news of untimely death! One hopes that your monk will be raised so that he can continue his adventures - and so that we can continue to see how the monk adapts to the PFRPG Beta!


While I agree that the ability of the clerics channeling positive energy to turn undead and to heal living creatures is perhaps the primary purpose that Paizo intended with this change, I think that an evil clerics ability to channel negative energy gives the villains side a real boost. It may be too much of a good (evil?) thing, but until I get a chance to run my group up against an evil cleric or three I won’t know for sure (as soon as real life stops rudely intruding I’ll do so – we’re in the process of changing the players over to the Beta version as well).
In past adventure paths that I’ve run the evil cleric has always made a good villain, but usually winds up as easy meat for the party unless he/she is backed up by some serious minions. The negative energy channeling will not only make their undead lackys more likely to last a few extra rounds, but will deal out damage to the party as well. And it may be that when there’s a good cleric in the players group that the two opposing clerics will target each other with spells first, to eliminate the potential counter to their channeling attacks. As I said, I’m looking forward to play testing this to see how it works out!

Race

Female Elf Investigator 1 | HP 9/9 | Inspiration 4/4

Stats:
AC 11, T 11, FF 10; Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2; Init +1; Perception +7

About Tessara of the Great Green

Advancement Choices:
1st: Investigator; Alchemy, Inspiration, Trapfinding; Favored Class (Investigator), +1 skill point

F Elf Investigator 1 Age 146

NG Medium Humanoid (Elf)

Patron Deity: Shelyn

Init +1; Senses Low-Light Vision; Perception +7

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DEFENSE
--------------------

AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10

Hit Points 9

Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2

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OFFENSE
--------------------

Speed 30 ft. (30 ft. base)

Melee Dagger +1 (1d4+1 19-20x2)

Ranged Dagger +1 (1d4+1 19-20x2)

Space 5 ft., Reach 5 ft.

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STATISTICS
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Str 13, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 12

Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 12

Drawback:
Anxious - Tessara is painfully shy, preferring the company of ovens and rising dough to people, her desire to bake the best bread for the best people being the only thing that gave her the courage to leave home.

Traits:
Artisan - Tessara believes that taste and appearance intertwine with good bread, and almost every loaf she bakes could be an edible work of art.

Inspired - Kneading dough and twisting and shaping it before it goes in the oven is the greatest joy in the world for Tessara, and she doesn't let anything bake without helping it become what it's meant to be.

Inner Beauty - While the crust is important when making bread, Tessara knows that it's the crumb inside that matters most, and applies this philosophy to other aspects of her life.

Feats:
Skill Focus (Craft (Bread))

Skills (12 points; 6 investigator, 3 Int, 2 bonus, 1 favored class):

Acrobatics (Dex)
Appraise (Int)
Bluff (Cha)
Climb (Str)
Craft (alchemy) +7 (1 rank, 3 Int, 3 class)
Craft (bread) +12 (1 rank, 3 Int, 3 class, 3 feat, 2 trait)
Diplomacy +3 (1 rank, 1 Cha, 3 class, -2 trait)
Disable Device +5 (1 rank, 1 Dex, 3 class)
Disguise (Cha)
Escape Artist (Dex)
Heal (Wis)
Intimidate (Cha)
Knowledge (geography) +7 (1 rank, 3 Int, 3 class)
Knowledge (local) +7 (1 rank, 3 Int, 3 class)
Knowledge (nobility) +7 (1 rank, 3 Int, 3 class)
Linguistics (Int)
Perception +7 (1 rank, 1 Wis, 3 class, 2 race)
Perform (Cha)
Profession (Chef) +5 (1 rank, 1 Wis, 3 class)
Sense Motive +5 (1 rank, 1 Wis, 3 class)
Sleight of Hand (Dex)
Spellcraft +7 (1 rank, 3 Int, 3 class)
Stealth +5 (1 rank, 1 Dex, 3 class)
Use Magic Device (Cha)

Racial Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Constitution, Low-Light Vision, Elemental Resistance (fire), Envoy, Keen Senses, Weapon Familiarity

Languages: Celestial, Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan

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GEAR/POSSESSIONS
--------------------

Location: On Person
Carrying Capacity Light:33 lbs. Medium:34-66 lbs. Heavy:67-100 lbs.

Money:3 GP 0 SP 0 CP

Artisan's Outfit 4 lbs. - 1 GP

Dagger 1 lb. - 2 GP

Formula Book 3 lbs. - 15 GP
Formula Component Pouch 2 lbs. - 5 GP
Masterwork Artisan's Tools 5 lbs. - 55 GP

Investigator's Kit 24 lbs. - 40 GP
Alchemy Crafting Kit
Backpack
Bedroll
Belt Pouch
Flint and Steel
Ink
Inkpen
Iron Pot
Mess Kit
Soap
Torches (10)
Trail Rations (5 days)
Waterskin

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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Alchemy (Su): Investigators are highly trained in the creation of mundane alchemical substances and magical potionlike extracts.

When using Craft (alchemy) to create an alchemical item, an investigator gains a competence bonus equal to his class level on the skill check. In addition, an investigator can use Craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if using detect magic. He must hold the potion for 1 round to attempt such a check.

Like an alchemist, an investigator prepares his spells by mixing ingredients and a tiny fraction of his own magical power into a number of extracts, and then effectively casts the spell by drinking the extract. These extracts have powerful effects, but they are also bound to their creator. Extracts behave like spells in potion form, and as such their effects can be dispelled by dispel magic and similar effects, using the investigator’s level as the caster level.

An investigator can create only a certain number of extracts of each level per day. His base daily allotment of extracts per day is given on Table 1–8: Investigator. In addition, he receives bonus extracts per day if he has a high Intelligence score, in the same way a wizard receives bonus spells per day.

When an investigator mixes an extract, he infuses the chemicals and reagents in the extract with magic siphoned from his own magical aura. An extract immediately become inert if it leaves the investigator’s possession, reactivating as soon as it returns to his keeping—an investigator cannot normally pass out his extracts for allies to use. An extract, once created, remains potent for 1 day before losing its magic, so an investigator must reprepare his extracts every day. Mixing an extract takes 1 minute of work.

Creating extracts consumes raw material, but the cost of those materials is insignificant—comparable to the valueless material components of most spells. If a spell normally has a costly material component, that component is expended during the consumption of that particular extract. Extracts cannot be made from spells that have focus requirements; extracts that duplicate divine spells never have a divine focus requirement.

An investigator uses the alchemist formula list (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide 32) to determine the extracts he can know. An investigator can prepare an extract of any formula he knows. To learn or use an extract, an investigator must have at least an Intelligence score equal to 10 + the extract’s level. The saving throw DC for an investigator’s extract is equal to 10 + the extract’s level + the investigator’s Intelligence modifier.

An investigator may know any number of formulae. He stores his formulae in a special tome called a formula book. He must refer to this book whenever he prepares an extract. At 1st level, an investigator starts with two 1stlevel formulae of his choice, plus a number of additional formulae equal to his Intelligence modif ier. At each new investigator level, he gains one new formula for any level that he can create. An investigator can also add formulae to his book just like a wizard adds spells to his spellbook, using the same costs, pages, and time requirements. A formula book costs as much as a spellbook. An investigator can study a wizard’s spellbook to learn any formula that is equivalent to a spell the spellbook contains. A wizard, however, cannot learn spells from a formula book. An investigator can also learn formulae from another investigator’s or an alchemist’s formula book (and vice versa). An investigator does not need to decipher arcane writing before copying that formulae.

Inspiration (Ex): An investigator is beyond knowledgeable and skilled—he also possesses keen powers of observation and deduction that far surpass the abilities of others. An investigator typically uses these powers to aid in their investigations, but can also use these f lashes of inspiration in other situations.

An investigator has the ability to augment skill checks and ability checks through his brilliant inspiration. The investigator has an inspiration pool equal to 1/2 his investigator level + his Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). An investigator’s inspiration pool refreshes each day, typically after he gets a restful night’s sleep. As a free action, he can expend one use of inspiration from his pool to add 1d6 to the result of that check, including any on which he takes 10 or 20. This choice is made after the check is rolled and before the results are revealed. An investigator can only use inspiration once per check or roll. The investigator can use inspiration on any Knowledge, Linguistics, or Spellcraft skill checks without expending a use of inspiration, provided he’s trained in the skill.

Inspiration can also be used on attack rolls and saving throws, at the cost of expending two uses of inspiration each time from the investigator’s pool. In the case of saving throws, using inspiration is an immediate action rather than a free action.

Trapfinding: An investigator adds 1/2 his level to Perception skill checks made to locate traps and to Disable Device checks (minimum 1). An investigator can use Disable Device to disarm magical traps.

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ALCHEMY
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Extracts Per Day/Bonus Extracts

1st (Save DC 14) - 1/1

Formula Book/Formulae Prepared

1st: Cure Light Wounds, Crafter's Fortune (2), Endure Elements, Heightened Awareness, Polypurpose Panacea

===================================================

Background:
Tessara was born in the forest known as the Great Green, the child of rather traditionalistic elven parents. Her childhood wasn't that different from the average elf. She'd frolic, play harps, shoot bows and wax philosophical about the state of the world, but these events left her feeling hollow and unfulfilled. She wasn't sure what was missing, but one evening she shared a meal with her family and realized what it was. She felt the laughter and joy they spent together as they broke warm bread fresh from the oven and shared it. Tessara knew in that moment what her life was going to be. She'd bring bread to others, and share that same joy.

Her parents were not enthused with her decision, claiming the breads of other peoples were inferior, that she'd have to go to terrible, inhospitable places like deserts, mountains and...CITIES...to pursue this mad course of action. Tessara, for the first time in her life, stood up for herself and left home to learn all she could about baking. She hitchhiked with travelling caravans, worked part-time in various town bakeries for a year or two before moving on, and even joined a cohort of dwarven soldiers on campaign to learn the secrets of dwarven battle-bread. There were times when she was homesick, she admitted. Times where she'd look at herself in the water, see how the sheer amount of bread she'd eaten over her life had caused her to balloon to the point where her elven nature wasn't readily apparent. But every evening she'd break bread and share it with whoever she was staying with, and would feel that same warmth and joy, and be reminded of why it was all worth it.

Now, over a century later, Tessara has returned to the lands near where she was born, Lord Shmultzfeather's lands ironically bordering the Great Green. Armed with bread recipes and skills from all over the world, and ready to show the world what she can do, Tessara of the Great Green eagerly applied to work for the new restaurant, seeking to share her breads with all who'd come to dine there.

Personality:
Dedicated; Tessara is serious about learning everything she can about the world's various breads. She was willing to defy the will of her parents and essentially abandon almost all things elven in order to achieve her dream.

Knowledgeable; In her travels around the world, Tessara has obtained more than just recipes and baking styles. She knows a great deal about the world and the people who inhabit it, as well as a solid knowledge of alchemy and chemistry as she experiments with new ingredients and mixes constantly.

Warm; What makes Tessara so obsessed with bread is her belief that since it's something all cultures have, it's something that can bring people together. That sharing a meal together can bring peace and happiness, and she sought to join Lord Schmultzfeather's crew to share that with others. Some who've met her say that Kindness is her middle name.

Shy; Tessara greatly prefers the company of ovens and rising loaves to other people, especially since leaving her homeland was hard on her. It takes her a lot of effort to open up to others instead of hiding in the kitchen, and she tends to downplay her own work as less important than that of others.

Resourceful; While Tessara prefers to be prepared to make whatever is asked of her (or whatever she feels like, if she has free time), she tends to have a plan whenever the unexpected comes along, and can make delicious bread out of almost anything people have lying around, and can mix up things on the fly with little effort, a point of pride for her.

Gluttonous; Despite her giving nature, Tessara will be the first to admit that spending so much time in kitchens and festhalls has had a significant impact on her appetite. While most elves do enjoy the taste of fine food, Tessara has a tendency to pair quality with quantity, either over-preparing her work, resulting in extra leftovers she tends to eat, or when she's the guest of another, to comment for hours about flavor and texture before embarassedly asking for more. She's partly proud of, and ashamed of her resulting girth, as it shows her weakness for food, but also that she takes it seriously and knows what she's talking about.

Description:
Ht: 5'9"
Wt: 318 lbs
Age: 146
Hair: Red-Blonde
Eyes: Purple
Skin: Pale

An anomaly amongst her people, Tessara is more than three times fatter than the average elven woman, a byproduct of her quest to sample and understand the world's breads. Many years of working primarily at night have given her a pale complexion that looks even paler given her penchant for wearing nothing but white clothing. She ties her coppery hair in tight buns and wears a cap to avoid hairs getting in her dough, and her hands are almost always covered in flour. She has a small, shy smile and she rarely raises her voice unless she coaches herself to beforehand.