WombattheDaniel's page

Since you have a totally blank profile, with no links to your work or your website, could you please post a link here to the Intellectual Property contract you expect to sign with us for use of characters and settings we've devised?

Certainly you'd want to protect yourself from future copyright claims, so it would be useful to see what the legal document looks like.

So I honestly hadn’t thought of that before. Man, that’s a buzzkill. You’re absolutely right that I would want to protect myself from that, though I wish I didn’t have to.

This post was supposed to just be a way to say thank you to the amazing players and GMs I’ve had the pleasure of working with for the past few years. Hopefully it will still be a good thread.

Since you have a totally blank profile, with no links to your work or your website, could you please post a link here to the Intellectual Property contract you expect to sign with us for use of characters and settings we've devised?

Certainly you'd want to protect yourself from future copyright claims, so it would be useful to see what the legal document looks like.

So I honestly hadn’t thought of that before. Man, that’s a buzzkill. You’re absolutely right that I would want to protect myself from that, though I wish I didn’t have to.

This post was supposed to just be a way to say thank you to the amazing players and GMs I’ve had the pleasure of working with for the past few years. Hopefully it will still be a good thread.

How are you publishing D&D and Pathfinder novellas?

by just writing about it. It’s not set in any world or setting connected with either property, features no names, characters, or likenesses from any lore or other story, and has nothing really to do with them besides the basic framework of adventuring parties and the class concepts. I don’t want to spoil the main hook for the books because it hinges almost entirely on the premise we’re discussing, but I will say that I should have zero copyright issues from either Paizo or WotC.

For those who don’t know me, I’m a soon-to-be-published author who has been playing DnD and Pathfinder for over 20 years now, and writing for even longer.

I recently had an idea for a VERY long series of early young adult fantasy novellas within the frame of Pathfinder and DnD. In the books, there will be hundreds of opportunities to introduce unique characters and locales. As a way to thank this amazing community that has given me so much, I want those characters and locations to be your creations.

If you’d like your character to be featured in my series, please tell me a little bit about them (race, class, age, etc), with an emphasis on their personality (how you roleplay them is a good start).

Any race/class/alignment is fair game, even third party or DnD content.

If you’d like a place you’ve created to make the cut, please tell me all about it and what makes it special.

I look forward to meeting your characters!

For those who don’t know me, I’m a soon-to-be-published author who has been playing DnD and Pathfinder for over 20 years now, and writing for even longer.

I recently had an idea for a VERY long series of early young adult fantasy novellas within the frame of Pathfinder and DnD. In the books, there will be hundreds of opportunities to introduce unique characters and locales. As a way to thank this amazing community that has given me so much, I want those characters and locations to be your creations.

If you’d like your character to be featured in my series, please tell me a little bit about them (race, class, age, etc), with an emphasis on their personality (how you roleplay them is a good start).

Any race/class/alignment is fair game, even third party or DnD content.

If you’d like a place you’ve created to make the cut, please tell me all about it and what makes it special.

I look forward to meeting your characters!

What kind of monsters or theme are you going for here?

Trap mastermind who built it as a murder house?
Haunted mansion belonging to an ancient vampire?
House of a political leader with guards patrolling the corridors?
Alchemist’s manse full of golems and other constructs?

Some other thing?

Edit: the answers to your question are kinda dependent on the answers to mine.

The main one deals with the phrasing of this sentence: ...and you must attempt saving throws to resist all spells cast by anyone other than yourself, even those cast by allies...

The wording seems (at least to me) that the Oracle must make saving throws for all spells, from any source--both enemies and allies.

So the questions are:

1. Does this mean that the Oracle MUST make a saving throw against all spells, including harmful ones that don't normally allow a saving throw?

2. Is that what the Devs intended?

3. Does this revelation apply to Spell-Like Abilities?

Oh my fault. I was thinking circumstance bonus.

So we know that effects from the same source don’t stack, so I guess the real question here is this:

Are two differing PCs that have the same class and/or class abilities considered the same source?

And if so, are two PCs with differing archetypes considered the same source?

So hypothetically if there’s more than one bard in a party (or any other class that can give static bonuses). If both have inspire competence running, do others receive the benefits of both?

What if the bards are two separate, distinct archetypes, and both give competence bonuses (which stack)?

Holding a corporeal object then expecting it to have an effect on you because the gauntlet allows you to hold it is not logical. Item held still doesnt effect the ghost. You're not doing much except making the rug stained.

As I’ve said already, spells and other magical effects (which extracts literally say they behave like), can affect corporeal beings and objects. A “Disintegrate” cast by an incorporeal sorcerer still requires a save and has to bypass SR. So, logically, the magic of an extract would still affect anyone or anything who imbibes it, regardless of their material state, because it is magical. If there are any rules saying otherwise, I’d be interested to hear them, but several sources that I’ve called out specifically say otherwise.

A gauntlet of ghost touch holding a longsword does little for the longsword. Same as the potion.

Is the longsword incorporeal? If it is, you can hold and use it as if it’s a corporeal sword. The ghost touch ability doesn’t affect the potion, but the equipment, like the small flask or vial that the extract is in. And, since we know that magic items and effects (even incorporeal ones or that come from an incorporeal source) can affect corporeal creatures (such as a ghost wizard casting a spell), there’s nothing saying that an incorporeal extract wouldn’t give its benefit normally. So I’m not sure what you’re saying.

So digging into it a little bit more, the Ghost Template says the following:

“When a ghost is created, it retains incorporeal “copies” of any items that it particularly valued in life (provided the originals are not in another creature’s possession). The equipment works normally for the ghost but passes harmlessly through material objects or creatures. A weapon of +1 or better magical enhancement, however, can harm material creatures, but any such attack deals only half as much damage (50%) unless it is a ghost touch weapon. A ghost can use shields or armor only if they have the ghost touch quality.”

Emphasis Mine.

It does say, however, that weapons and armor with the Ghost Touch special ability can, of course, allow full interaction with both incorporeal and corporeal objects. And, it specifically states that magic items (+1 weapons) are able to “harm material creatures”, albeit at 50% efficacy.

Since the Alchemy Class Feature says that extracts “behave like spells in potion form, and as such their effects can be dispelled by effects like dispel magic using the alchemist’s level as the caster level”, it would be very difficult to argue that an incorporeal extract wouldn’t have the same effect as a corporeal one, so long as the imbiber has some way of holding on to the potion, such as with a gauntlet with the Ghost Touch special property.

As such, I would rule that someone corporeal with a ghost touch gauntlet or similar could hold and subsequently imbibe an incorporeal extract, as long as the alchemist has the infusion discovery.

Thoughts?

This is massively helpful, thank you.

Or just get the Agile Weapon Enhancement and save the feat slot.

If I’m an Alchemist with the Infusion Discovery, but I’m also a Ghost, can others still benefit from my extracts? Normally, a ghost of a Wizard could still cast spells on others, provided his spellbook wasn’t looted from his original body, but it seems to me that the extracts would be incorporeal, even though they are essentially spells. Is this correct?

If so, is there a way to make it work? Some kind of ghost touch gloves or something that can allow corporeal creatures to benefit from them?

^this is correct.

This is a rules question, but eh, whatever. No, Spellstrike specifically calls it out that no matter what the weapon's critical is, the spell is always x2.

Okay, I think I have some ideas starting.

Inquisitor - need a good build

Sorcerer - parents made some sort of a deal with a devil and he doesn't know it, was orphaned and given to the church

Rogue - Kind of a mercenary that got into the inquisitors, plays similar to an inquisitor, but is basically using his power to confiscate riches from the people who he is doing wrong, and is hoarding it for his/her retirement. Need a good stand alone rogue build

Paladin - Sir Richard build of some kind, probably an optimized Paladin build.

Warpriest - need a good optimized build here

Oracle - I have no clue on these builds, again, tough, stand alone type.

i like all of these ideas, but perhaps the rogue could be an Investigator instead? This would really round out the group well.

Yes it would, as far as I know.

Use Binding on the witch for some added permanency.

Thinking, though, couldn't you just kill the Tarrasque, and when it regenerates, it'd be awake?

An excellent idea. I had actually forgotten about Binding.

And unfortunately, no.

You know what? I'm actually not sure. I'm leaning more towards no but not heavily. Eternal Slumber says that it can't be woken (with the killing the witch exception, of course), and nothing in the Tarrasque's description helps but still, I'm not sure.

That's a fair point. Of course, people who WANT the Tarrasque to roam free can always murder the witch/es, but I suppose that's always a danger with any technique that's reliant on something break/killable.

Which opens up a ton of fun storylines.

1. The Witch who used the hex goes mad with power and extorts the kingdom by threatening to end the curse if her demands aren't met.

2. A BBEG plots to kill the witch (or even just get a wish/miracle somehow) and release The Tarrasque anew! Bonus points if he is a cleric of Rovagug.

3. For years the kingdom has been able to find someone who can keep the Tarrasque down but now they can't and they're running out of time before the witch who cast the curse dies.

It's only forever if the Witch never dies.

It's also got a very low chance of working, since it's a save.

Targeting his (frankly pathetic) +12 Will save is hardly a thing to be worried about for a level 18+ witch.

And as far as living forever, why does it have to be just one witch? Throughout time those in charge of its safekeeping would surely be able to find others with the Eternal Slumber Hex with a high-enough DC to make it work. And that's if they have to be living. Vampires and other undead could potentially pull this trick off and live literally forever.

For a nice, simple solution with no dangerous future ramifications or unforeseen side effects, just found an entire city around it dedicated to harvesting its flesh for food and profit.

Why keep it alive and screaming constantly when you can put it into a peaceful sleep forever?

I wanted to create a Magus that can cast 9th level spells and this is what I came up with so far. Could use any advice anyone's got on how to make it more Magus-y without sacrificing power. The feats are just placeholders for now with an included list of possible feat choices. I'm thinking a Shocking Grasp focus, but a Frostbite focus could still be viable, too.

Blade Adept Arcanist/Hexcrafter/Eldritch Knight

1- Blade Adept Arcanist 1: Level 1 Spells; Arcane Reservoir; Cantrips; consume spells; Sword Bond; Weapon Finesse

2- BAA 2

3- BAA 3: Sentient Sword; Intensify Spell

4- BAA 4: Level 2 Spells

5- BAA 5: Spell Strike exploit; Empower Spell

6- BAA 6: Level 3 Spells

7- Hexcrafter 1: Level 1 Magus Spells; Spell Combat; Weapon/Armor proficiencies; Arcane Pool; Extra Arcanist Exploit: Eldritch Blade

8- Eldritch Knight 1: Bonus Combat Feat: Improved Initiative; Diverse Training

9- EK 2: Maximize Spell

10- EK 3: Level 4 Spells

11- EK 4: Dimensional Agility

12- EK 5: Level 5 Spells; Bonus Combat Feat: Power Attack

13- EK 6: Dimensional Assault

14- EK 7: Level 6 Spells

15- EK 8: Spell Perfection: Shocking Grasp

16- EK 9: Level 7 Spells; Bonus Combat Feat

17- EK 10: Spell Critical; Dimensional Dervish

18- BAA 7: Level 8 Spells; Exploit

19- BAA 8: Dimensional Savant

20- BAA 9: Level 9 Spells

Intensify Spell
Empower Spell
Spell Perfection
Dimensional Agility
Dimensional Assault
Dimensional Dervish
Dimensional Savant
Heighten Spell
Preferred Spell
Rime Spell
Dazing Spell
Spell Focus
Greater Spell Focus
Quick Draw?

Thanks!

Some awesome suggestions. Thanks guys.

Quick hijack; Wombat, in your opinion, which path is better for a magus, str or dex?

Edit: for a melee magus, not the archer.

It's a very hotly-debated question, but it's one that I've researched pretty heavily.

Both are very good for their own reasons, but, short answer, I think that Dex ultimately gives you more. With a Dex=Int>Con build, you only have to really focus on those, so you are a good deal less MAD than a Str=Int>Dex=Con build.

Dex is a godly ability. Initiative, Reflex save, AC, and with the right specializations, it can be to-hit and +damage. You just get more bang for your buck at the cost of (depending on your build) 1 feat. And the Magus already gets 3 bonus feats, anyway.

I teach Theater to High-Schoolers who somehow found out that this is a hobby of mine and asked me to GM for them. 3 people turned into 4, 4 to 6, and 6 to 8, with the possibility of another 9th player. I'm expecting to have at least 6 be able to make it every session.

Because there are so many of them, I was planning on setting up sessions as one-shots from an Adventurer's Guild, with the overall plot leading from level 1 to a supreme BBEG, most likely at 20th level.

I'm also considering banning Summoners and the Leadership feat, as I can foresee the numbers going atomic.

I'm worried about encounters not being challenging enough for them, as well as wealth distribution and encounters taking too long. I'm also nervous about boredom and schisms in the party due to having so many opinions present.

Ultimately, I want them to have a fun time (Only two of them have played RPGs before, and only one of those has played Pathfinder) while still keeping everything balanced and exciting.

Are there any guides, threads, or just general ideas you have for running a campaign with a big group?

What are the biggest challenges I as a GM would (be likely to) face?

Anything I should prepare for or be aware of?

Actually I would say Quickling+Anything that can pounce would just about do the trick. Bonus points for multiple attacks.

make good use of your 5-foot-steps? what 5 steps? what do you mean?

Rules for taking 5' steps.

But there's an easier way to avoid all of these problems entirely. You're gonna want to be airborne ASAP. The Fly spell is great, Overland Flight is better, and there are tons of magic items and animals that can do the trick, too.

Several great suggestions. Lich + solar hints at a very interesting backstory, and carnivorous crystal + stone golem is pure gold.

Speaking of gold, allow me to introduce The Golden, the paragon of angelic and draconic power, full of heavenly fire and divine wrath and way, way too many spell slots.
** spoiler omitted **...

Wow...he is...glorious.

Great old one+Kaiju

Ooze (Shoggoth)+Demon Lord

Lich+Solar

Purple Worm+Hekatonkheires Titan

Tarn Linnorm+Thalassic Behemoth

Quickling+Calikang

You could pick up a Glove of Storing. It's a free action to switch out your crossbow for your scimitar. However, like Qaianna mentioned, you'll really just want to make good use of your 5-foot-steps because all of your abilities and focuses will be for the crossbow.

You can change zerk out for a blood boiling pill for a +2 alchemical bonus instead of +1.

Awesome.

This spell grants you an insight bonus equal to your caster level (maximum +25) on any single attack roll, combat maneuver check, opposed ability or skill check, or saving throw.

At the start of a battle, each combatant makes an initiative check. An initiative check is a Dexterity check.

As for Nerveskitter, I had heard it was from (or in?) Rise of the Runelords, but I could be wrong.

Highest I know of:

Init +71 (17 Dex, 4 Untyped (Improved Initiative), 4 Untyped (Familiar), 1 Competence (ioun), 2 Luck (Luckstone and Fate's Favored), 2 Trait, 25 Insight (Moment of Prescience), 4 Enhancement (Dueling Weapon), 1 Alchemical (Zerk), 2 Untyped (Runeforged Longbow), 4 Untyped (Heightened Awareness), 5 Untyped (Nerveskitter)

The above came from a character specifically designed to take on Demigods and the most powerful builds on the forums.

Edit: The lack of Morale bonuses comes from him being in the body of an undead Grim Reaper via the spell Parasitic Soul. Otherwise it could be higher with Moment of Greatness.

Is this just for low levels?

Got it, thanks!

Dang I wish I could. Is there a way to do that?

For example, if you have an amulet of natural armor, is it actually natural?

Wow. This is extremely embarrassing for me. What I meant was Natural armor.

It makes no sense. How is avoiding something's touch any different than avoiding its claw attacks or its bite?

So I'm starting a campaign with a group that have never played an RPG before, let alone Pathfinder. I want to set up some friendly, non-threatening challenges to help introduce them to the game and the gaming experience during their first session. The adventure begins with a big festival and a tournament.

What I have so far:

1. They will be entered into the tournament which will be designed as a team brawl. This will showcase how (melee) combat works.

2. Spellcasting. This could be like a talent show or similar, but I don't like that idea too much because it's clunky and feels a bit rail-roady.

3. An archery contest. This will deal with ranged combat, concealment, and cover.

But that's pretty much it. I want to have the following areas covered: Stealth and sneaking, Divine Spellcasting, and maybe even like a dating-game type of event that deals with role-playing scenarios. There could also be something involving money or gambling...?

Any advice on any of these subjects or anything akin to them would be awesome! Thanks, guys!

Okay, I have to ask. Whats wrong with Warhammer? I'm not familiar with it.

IMO, there are very few things wrong with the fluff of Warhammer 40k. There's a great deal that is being worked out as far as crunch goes, but it is one of the oldest rpg's in existence, and has some of the most detailed fluff of all time. They are responsible for miles of cool ideas and story as far as future tech and alien advancements are concerned, and have still been able to balance out the races and their strengths/weaknesses very well.

Honestly there's so much Lore that it's nearly impossible to even begin telling the story correctly.

No, I don't like WH40K's setting, why do you ask?

This is one of the saddest sentences I've ever read.

Yeah, but there are ways of preventing that. By the time you can cast Parasitic Soul, You can (or should be able to) cast Spellbane.

Any combination is good if it's what the player wants and fits into his concept of the character. Since you're not going to be focusing on power gaming, I kind of don't understand the need for the question. But I'll do my best to help.

Mechanics-wise: Sure! Just remember that the more one multi classes, the less they have in either. If I were playing this character (which I might at some point because it sounds really fun!), I would probably only do a 1 level dip into Barbarian. Having a free action rage is awesome, coupled with cruelties and a conductive weapon, as well as Smite Good could be pretty great.

Edit: Just thought about Smite Good and Rage. Not sure if he could focus on that during a rage or not. That would change some stuff.

Roleplaying: Absolutely yes. This is a roleplaying win. He's a hugely flavored character already, then add in an intruguing backstory and maybe even something like a skin walker for the race and things start becoming very tasty. Sounds like the right-hand muscle man for some Evil Pagan High Priest or Shaman. Which could be a cool BBEG combination, too.

A few things about the fight:
1. It seems kind of convenient that he is a whale at the exact moment that he requires that form. I mean, it's possible, but just seems like more random chance than anything else. I didn't notice anything in your build saying that Korin does that regularly. But sure, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I missed it. So let's say that he was, in fact, a whale.

2. Closing his eyes won't help.

(All symbols are already active and are carved onto Bracers)

The symbols are already active. So, the moment anyone comes within 60 ft of The Harbinger, they are immediately hit with Sleep, Hideous Laughter, 3d6 Str damage, Insanity, Charm Monster, and -4 to attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks. Aura of the Unremarkable is there, too, but I don't know enough about it to know what it really does mechanics-wise. But still, as a thought experiment, let's say he does get through those.

3. Once they move within 40 ft., more bad things happen. Shaken condition (Another –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks), and Archon's Aura, for yet another –2 penalty on attack rolls and saving throws and to Armor Class. With Symbol of Pain, he's at a -8 to his attack already.

4. Within 20 ft, there's his Misfortune Aura. Not as big of a deal within the Beastmass, but it's still present.

5.Finally, as for the actual attack, I'm looking at the Prestige Class Capstone and I'm not seeing anywhere that is says that it wouldn't be a spell. It specifically calls it out that it duplicates the effects of the chosen spell, and the duplicated spell allows Spell Resistance (if it normally does, obviously). To me that seems pretty clear.

Unless I'm missing something really big, that ability is a no-go.

That, and the attack wouldn't hit anyway. 56-8=48+10 (Beastmass rules)=58, just short of his Touch AC.

In addition, I'm assuming that because Gate requires that you concentrate on it, it closed behind Korin, meaning no retreat. So, unless he can cast a plane shift or some other spell as a move action...then initiative returns to The Harbinger.

WBL: The harbinger has god-like manipulation abilities, and in your backstory we can see that he uses those, but that doesn't change the fact that a 20th level character has 880k GP to spend.

I hadn't thought about it. You're absolutely right. RAW (Rules as written for this challenge, at least) say that he has to abide by the 880k limit. I'll post a new build that is compliant with these rules.

FOLLOWERS: In your backstory, we can see that the Harbinger guides people so they are eventually fit to do his bidding. This'd be a perfect explanation for the Leadership feat, but instead you do something that requires HEAVY DM adjudication.

Actually not as much as you'd think. What he's doing is well within the guidelins of his class and abilities, and therefore requires very little GM adjudication. Summon Spirit is a class ability. Dominate is a racial ability. Because of that, he doesn't need Leadership.

AVAILABILITY: I question the availability of the Grim Reaper to be Parasitic Soulled. If he was a non-unique planar entity(being able to be gated in) or otherwise easily reachable(such as Pazuzu being summoned if his name is called thrice) then I'd be fine with it, but him just appearing is a bit too much in my opinion.

Power. Wealth. Veneration. Blood. He had all he ever needed. But still, there was one thing that had always plagued him. His own frailties and weaknesses were glaring, and he knew that he would need to find a new way of existing. It was then that he had an epiphany. He scoured the planes, through followers and through his own means, until he located a being known as a Grim Reaper. Using a powerful scroll, he merged his soul with the body of the Reaper and sent its essence screaming into the Void. His numberless concourses of followers, worshippers and pawns watched as the lifeless husk of his former self fell to the earth at the feet of the Reaper. All was silent and still. Then, The Harbinger stretched out his hand. For the first time in millennia, he felt the warm light of day, and it did not harm him.

Story-wise, he did search him out, which probably took a long time. But eventually, he found him.

As far as him being a unique being, etc. He's actually not entirely.

Known by many names throughout nearly all cultures, grim reapers are the personifications of death and all the pain and fear associated with that state. They are universally feared by the living as harbingers of destruction and masters of all that has already passed from life. These hooded beings travel through the planes with the sole intent of bringing about the end of life, slaying with a deliberateness inscrutable to all but themselves.

Pretty clear that they are unique, but there isn't just one of them.

And of course we know that Parasitic Soul can affect Intelligent Undead.

VAMPIRE: How did you become one. Like, mechanics-wise. To my knowledge the only way to become a vamp without being bitten(something that happens in an actual game) is Demonic Obedience(Zura, lvl 20 version), and you have neither the level nor the feat to show for it.

My Backstory is too long to quote, but long story short, he won a bet with a vampire and provided it with a very valuable service (Basically started a death cult that worshipped her from which she could take willing victims all the time). So she turned him.

TRANSFERS: When using Parasitic Soul, only your mental abilities get transferred if they do not originate from class and level(and even the it's dubious). The entire feat-line from the vampire template for example, is definitely physical and does not get transferred when switching.

I've personally tried taking a safe approach on the point I'm about to highlight, as finding info about it has been tough, but there is some lack of info about HP adjustment and Par Soul. You gain the HP of the monster(as per magic jar), but not its hit dice(your level transfers after all). Now if you get a con bonus, do you adjust with your own level or the monster's HD(Which don't exist anymore).

Yeah I also looked into it but didn't find much. I assumed HP meant everything, especially since Anzyr's Arkalion used Magic Jar on his Harbinger Daemon and gained his D10's. I didn't find this to be too off the wall because of that. He usually knows what he's doing.