-3- If they are, can you use the unguent-of-timelessness to make them usable for a longer time? (or a custom magic item with similar ability, let's call it a "fridge")
Unlike most living creatures, an outsider does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit. When an outsider is slain, no soul is set loose. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don’t work on an outsider. It takes a different magical effect, such as limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection to restore it to life. An outsider with the native subtype can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be.
From what i understand you can't put your (or any) soul in a non native outsider body since his body and soul form one unit but the magic jar topics I read on this forum about similar questions are not clear.
That being said, if you can't put a soul in an outsider body, can you use the parasitic soul ability to handle souls to put a trapped outsider soul in another creature's body ? What happens to the body ?
I'm the PC who wonders what to do with a dead planetar. The char is a lvl 17 LE Urgathoa priest. I really like the idea of "recycling" such a holy entity and feel i should use it for something.
I didn't think of the Nightshades but i could ask my GM to allow me to create one from the corpse. Given the god, a Miracle spell could work i think but it's not RAW.
As a side note, is it possible to restore to undeath a destroyed undeath with a miracle spell ? My best undead buddy/minion was just destroyed. I have access to similar/better corpse, but we shared so much, i miss her.
"Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, you can't create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of animate dead. The desecrate spell doubles this limit."
"Benefit: When you cast animate dead or use the Command Undead feat, you are considered to be four levels higher when determining the number of Hit Dice you animate. When you cast command undead, your duration is doubled."
(4 (real CL) + 4 (undead mastery)) x 2 x 2 (desecrate) = 32
That being said you can animate 32 HD worth of hit dice but you're still can't control more than 16 HD of undead. Undead mastery don't raise this number.
"No matter how many times you use this spell, however, you can control only 4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If you exceed this number, all the newly created creatures fall under your control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled. You choose which creatures are released. Undead you control through the Command Undead feat do not count toward this limit."
This feat is still useful if you want to create variant skeleton like bloody skeletons. They cost and count twice their HD to create but not to control.
The real limit of a necromancer is not the number of minions you can create in a cast but the number of minions you can control and the availability of corpse and onyx.
I think it's a necessity to have a healthy RP. My players don't use it often but it can happen from time to time. I also expect them to really play their char and they do it quite well.
One time they left a dying teammate alone. His char led them to two near-TPK and they didn't want another. He also "knew too much". What would have you done ?
Another time, a war oracle (a mercenary leader) was paid to stop a riot. He slaughtered them all. Only to find out later that killing people antagonize their family a bit. Another player had two of his siblings killed which led to a really interesting cold war.
Yesterday a swarm attacked the (lvl 2) players. Two of them had burning hand available. One of them fled (a sorcerer). The other was put unconscious by the bugs and died later. A third tried to help him and finally died. The team fall back. A player punched the sorcerer for his cowardice that doomed two teammates. Scared, the squishy sorcerer casted burning hands on him. A fight started with other players trying to stop them which ended with another death (thanks to a lone monster that spotted them). Both players were satisfied, having plaid their char.
OK, the basic rule is "No Evils" Sit down with him and tell him you are having less fun DMing the game due to this. Ask for suggestions. Tell him you are instituting "No Evils" and that this is not the type of campaign you want to run, you want a heroic game.
That's so narrow minded.
I'm currently playing a LE power hungry necromancer and working fine with a mostly good team. I'm gathering power (contacts with devils, tomes of forbidden knowledge, raise powerful minions..) while helping the team.
I really have no reason to betray them, my char saw the other chars as powerfull tools. The better minions are those who don't know they are. We do have an heroic game. Now trust has been built. Even evil ones have loved ones.
What the char is doing could be done with almost any alignement. Anyone can see freeing someone/thing as a "good" action, or find a reason to gather power "for the greater good". It has nothing to do with being evil.
On how to handle him, you can give him reasons to stick with the team. "It's dangerous to go alone there" "it's faster/easier if you have a team with you". Make him need the team as much as the team must need him.
I think i'll go the "be a loyal companion killing and destroying what i tell you to do so" road and cast Quest/Geass every weak and make clear I'm the boss.
I have one last question:
My pet lizard used his soul lock ability on the recently deceased dragon creating a soul gem.
i, i'm playing a lvl 9 (soon 10) LE cleric of Urgathoa. My party just killed a large youg red dragon. The party is not evil but ok with undead i control. I have won their trust.
Last time we played, we killed a young large dragon with 16hd. My teammates asked me what i would do with the corpse.
I could make him a fast zombie but my animate dead hp pool is actually full.
I have seen the create undead spell and think i could take a higher risks/higher rewards road but i have a few questions:
Can I use the Geas spell to keep him under my control ? (using a rod of thredonic spell)
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/g/geas-quest
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/threnodic-spell-metamagic
Can i give him several instructions during one geass spell (such as don't attack anyone i didn't asked you to, obey my commands...) ? or do i need one geas spell for each instruction ?
3) Allowing evil alignments is already a bad idea, but having a mixed party is basically just saying to your table, "I'm going to start this campaign where you can all play whatever alignments you want with the full understanding that it will eventually explode when alignment-based disagreements and conflict rip the party apart." It just never works. No, not even then. Stop it. If you want to role-play as an evil jerk who does whatever he wants, go wreak some havoc in GTA where your antics are expected and aren't going to ruin the game for everyone.
You can have a argument between any alignement. My players don't mind playing with evil chars, they become suspicious about chaotic chars.
I'm currently playing an Urgathoa LE undead lord with a good aligned team.
We have no problems working as a team and restoring order. My char works with them because it haste her quest for power.
I do limit my raise ability to dangerous non civilized creatures using undead orges to fight ogres. It's a small compromise but they accepted the idea that it's better for them that an undead ogre take a bullet than them.
The evil char in a good team need to be usefull and need to work do be taken as a "necessary evil".
I even enjoyed getting our NG ascetic monk to drink.
For now, my undead are:
-a gargantuan necrocraft shaped as a flying whale with wings : our private not-so-safe aircraft (size modifier to fly skill does suck)
-a large necrocraft dog (her first): my char's mount since i don't want my old war horse to die in dangerous encounters, something my buddy NG monk could like
-"Robert" a human armored skeleton (the corpse companion) : i ordered him to obey and keep from arm a cute orphan i save from a flood and intend to take as an apprentice
-"Big-dor" a fast zombie stone giant my char's personal bodyguard
An evil char is like any char, he can have friends. My teammates are now my friends. I would never do them arm even if i'm evil.
That doesn't keep me from bargaining with a devil when they're looking away and keeping sensitive knowledge...
As a follower of Urgathoa, it's totaly normal to look for an undead life.
Solutions could be:
-explain him and your gm that the lichdom is not worth it. As said before a lich is actually far less powerfull than a normal pc would be. The 120k gold is a real killer. Give him other ways: becoming a juju zombie is enough to get immortality (not aging) and undead strengh and weakness and is very easy to achieve, not costy and won't require very evil acts.
-befriend him : really, if he's your friend, he will hesitate, he will seriously consider other options or to delay his undeath, Urgathoa wants you to become an undead, any undead would work. Evil PC can have friend and want them to be happy, you know.
When you activate this school power as a standard action, you select a foe within 30 feet. That creature takes a penalty to its AC and on saving throws equal to 1/2 your caster level (minimum –1) for 1 round. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence bonus.
Sorry for the necro but i would like to had my two cents.
Evil chars are often as poorly played as good chars.
I sometimes play an evil char and my gm/teammates like them most of the time. I even master an campaign with evil chars in which some PvP happened.
The trick is to really think about WHY does the char sticks with the other chars. My evil PC don't kill their teammates because they do think they NEED them.
When a character has been killed it was because:
-1- he was taking huge risks and lost double-crossing the team to get more loots (a player died when he came back with less experienced mercernaries to "finish" the dungeon on his own while the others came back in town.
-2- the character was dumb and led the team in very dangerous situations and didn't show any sign of contrition or regret so the others though he was just too dangerous to stay with him, and knowing too much. They didn't really kill him, it's just when he needed the team to survive, the team passed.
-3- a character was sacrificed to an very angry and powerfull NPC as a show of good faith because he destroyed something very valuable while dominated to avoid a very incoming TPK. (The character took risks that led him to be possessed)
In fact the team now consider their teammates as reliable and skilled and they will take risks to save them since they will be hard to replace.
Again you need to really think WHY your char won't run away and need the team. (that can be said of CN alignement too btw).
That said I would not allow a CE char nor betrayal without proper motives and the only PvP i made as a player was with a LN samurai that killed another teammate since he slandered me several times to clean my honor. I don't recommend PvP but that has nothing to do with evil or not, any alignement can lead to pvp.
-6- Can somone confiirm the juju zombie his memory of his past life ? The fact he keep his previous class levels leads me to think yes but i'm not 100% sure.
-7- Urgathoa being who/what she is, can a juju zombie still enjoy a good wine or meal ? If not what are the undead who could ?
-8- If the create undead spell is cast in a desecrate area, does the pc get +1 hp per hit dice ? (or twice if there's a dedicate altar or unholy reliquary item) This could be quite powerfull.
-9- I wonder if the fresh new juju zombie would look very different than the dead people before she died, maybe paler if a gentle repose spell is cast almost immediatly after the create undead spell. If not a daywalker spell might not be needed at all, just some make up.
3.) Depends a lot on the game. If it's an evil game or if there's a very strong reason for the rest of the party to work with a lich, it can work.
It could also make the lich PC markedly stronger than the rest of the PCs, if there is no kind of compensation. Since a lich's CR is +2 on top of its regular, the rest of the party members would each be a CR 8, while the lich would be a CR 10 (using your level 8 class and assuming you each have appropriate wealth by level).
A level 11 PC (min level that can become a lich) has 82k gp which is much less than needed for becoming a lich. The philactery cost 120k so you need to be level 13 to get the gold needed. To be able to succeed in the ritual he would probably need to do expensive researchs, craft magical items boosting knowledge skills...
I wonder if a lvl 13 lich with less 20k gold equipement would be more powerfull than a lvl 13 char with equipement, let alone a level 15 one with lvl 15 equipement. Do the lich template really worth it ?
Quote:
Maybe they are using that Urgathoa Necklace item that lets you heal with negative energy? (It also is a salt shaker, including undead salt, because reasons.)
undeath domain power :
Death’s Kiss (Su): You can cause a creature to take on some of the traits of the undead with a melee touch attack. Touched creatures are treated as undead for the purposes of effects that heal or cause damage based on positive and negative energy. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your cleric level (minimum 1). It does not apply to the Turn Undead or Command Undead feats. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier
At 8th level, the undead lord’s spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities used to heal undead heal an extra 50% damage. At 16th level, these effects automatically heal the maximum possible damage for the effect + the extra 50%. This does not stack with abilities or feats such as Empower Spell or Maximize Spell.
Undeath: Heal—This works like a standard channel (not halved). Harm—The healing effect is enhanced (see Variant Channeling above) for undead creatures and those with negative energy affinity
The character is variant multiclassed cavalier/order of the star
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/cavalier/orders/paizo---cavali er-orders/order-of-the-star
That leads to really strong heal on undeads, or temporary undeads. I admit sustained incoming aoe dps can be a problem.
The char also has a staff with blood of the martyr to heal the team after the fights (targeting herself, i really need to get a magical item casting prestidigitation for the blood scent)
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/blood-of-the-martyr
Going agent of the grave will nerf his healing potential (no channel and no lvl 16 unlife healer ability) so i really wonder if going agent of the grave to be a lich or other undead needed the PrC will worth it. Meanwhile it would make sense for such a char to aim for a good undead life.
Hi, I'm currently playing an Urgathoa priestess (undead lord lvl 8 actually). I have found Urgathoa followers are expected to find a way to get "a better life" by becoming undead.
Thanks to the agent of the graves PrC, there are many ways to do it. And with the daywalker the character could still enjoy the company of the living...
The character is played LE helping the team without taking too much risks (far from melee if possible), healing them with negative channels and others weird techniques.
She sticks with the team because she thinks she can achieve faster her quest for power (she gathers souls of fallen monsters) and knowledge but really cares for them and do like helping mankind by restoring order.
My character found some intel about the process to lichdom but not much, I have a few questions:
-1- the main problem i see with the lich is the fear aura, can a lich dismiss it ?
-2- the eternal apotheosis ritual allow to become a lich, is there other sources of other similar rituals ?
-3- do you think a lich would be a bad pc character ?
-4- do you have any advice for playing one ?
-5- do you have any other idea for an undead priest pc ? Vampire would work I think but is the template not too op ?
After reading the first two answers I admit I wondered why a spellcaster able to cast it would. The spell seems really underwhelming at this level if it's the case. Especially since tentacles doesn't target touch AC and you spent a turn casting it and not using it. But that's just a power level consideration i admit.
About -5- : How could you get more temporary hit points than your maximum number of hit points ? Can they stack with themselves or just with other sources ???
Quote:
my view is that this spell is one pool of temp HP from one source, no stacking required. Additionally, if you roll good damage, and or have low HP you might get more Temporary HP then regular HP. For instance, if you have 10 MAX normal HP and have max health and roll 12 on your damage, you gain an additional 12 temp HP. But you can't gain more then 10. so you only gain 10 HP, so now you have 10 regular HP, and 10 Temp HP for a total of 20 HP.
Quote:
5. All the instances from a single casting of the spell would stack. Each hit is just increasing the number of temporary hit points the spell is granting you.
I'm not sure to understand you. If i can attack once, hit, get 2d6 temporary hit points (+any relevant damage bonus) i roll 7. Monster attack me and miss. My turn, i attack once, hit again, get 2d6 temporary hit points, i roll 11. Do i have 18 temporary hit points or 11 ? You seems to think they stack so 18 ?
I'll add a new question:
-9- Since these blood tentacles seems to be made from your blood, do they spread any disease you have ? The character is an Urgathoa priest so it may be usefull to know.
"You smear a handful of your own blood across your chest, causing one writhing tentacle per caster level to burst forth. You can direct these tentacles to attack a single creature within 15 feet as a standard action, or one creature per 5 caster levels as a full-round action. Each tentacle has an attack bonus equal to your base attack bonus plus either your Constitution or Charisma bonus (whichever is higher). Each tentacle deals 2d6 points of damage, and a tentacle collapses into dried blood on a successful hit, granting you a number of temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt. You can't gain more temporary hit points than your maximum number of hit points. These temporary hit points disappear after 1 hour."
-1- Does this means you can make all the tentacles attack a single creature as a standard action or just one ?
-2- Casting the spell is a standard action so i assume you can't use the tentacles on the first round, am I wrong ?
-3- Can i use the tentacles to make attacks of opportunity ?
-4- Can these tentacles benefit from amulet of mighty fist, divine favor, or from a challenge class feature ?
-5- I don't understand the last two sentences. I thought temporary hit points from the same source didn't stack. How could you get more temporary hit points than your maximum number of hit points ? Can they stack with themselves or just with other sources ???
-6- If you enhance the tentacles damage (with divine favor or the challenge if they work, see -4-), do you get more temporary hit points ?
-7- If you use the full round option to make the tentacles attack several targets, does all tentacles attack all allowed targets or do I have to split the tentacles ???
-8- Can i use these tentacles to make melee touch spells ? Do they damage the creature touched ?
Hi, I'm playing a necromancer and as such i would like to buy/craft a magical item allowing to cast desecrate but i had trouble with putting a price on them.
-1- a staff holding 10 charges, using 2 of them to cast desecrate
"The materials cost is subsumed in the cost of creation: 400 gp × the level of the highest-level spell × the level of the caster (...) Divide the cost of the spell by the number of charges it consumes to determine its final price. (...)The creator must have prepared the spells to be stored (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any focus the spells require as well as material component costs sufficient to activate the spell 50 times (divide this amount by the number of charges one use of the spell expends)"
For what i understand crafting cost would be (400 x 2 x 8 + 50 x 50)/2 = 2450
I wonder what it market price would be. 2 x 4450 = 8900 or less if the material cost of the desecrate spell is not counted twice so 7650 gp.
-2- the same staff using 3 charge to cast desecrate
Thanks for your answers. I'm afraid my english skill is still work in progress. My char and the priest made peace and we started to explore the country. As you said, we can t bring prisonners to jail without taking huge risks and delays to our mission.
I started with friends the kingmaker campaign. My character is a naga aspirant Druid worshiping Nalinivati, true neutral Love goddess.
Spoiler:
We started at Oleg's fort.
Oleg asked us for help, saying bandits were raiding his wife and him frequently. They looked depressed and hopeless.
As Pc we are supposed to stop the bandit activity so we decided to ambush them the next day.
The bad guys come, boasting they will take Olef's wife and do whatever they want to her.
We let them in, most of them find us gathered at the centered, weapons ready and the fight started.
During it, while i was more angered than scared for my life, my char as a wife he loves, but i still tried to do my best not to kill anyone trying to sunder the boss bow.
The fight was messy. We were figuring how to fight as a whole but we won.
I was heavily injured as was another Pc but the other Pcs killed all but the boss. Our Abadar priestess helped the group as much as she could using her leadership domain ability while asking us to "unleash our rage" and doing some Healing.
The boss was the last alive, then he shot me and hit me but i remained conscious. Seeing me still alive, he dropped his bow then surrendered.
Furious, i almost jump at him telling him i had two of his arrows to payback but another Pc, which is his rival/friend, asked me to wait.
After the boss answered our not-yet-leader questions, i asked my Pc friend to ask Oleg's wife if she wanted something special for him. "to cut his..." she asked.
While the other Pc gather the loots, i bring the helpless guy in a corner of the fort and thinking he probably raped her i did the thing with the edge of one of his arrow. I did some good heal checks and assured he didn't die. I didn't feel pleasure but given the hatred i felt, i didn't feel the guilt.
Our leader, an Abadar priestess, and our rogue came when she eared the screams and she called me barbaric. I just replied I didn't kill anyone in the ambush and was the only who tryed to incapacited without killing here. I also asked her to ask the prisonner if i would rather be dead or a little less male. The rogue didn't answered, he had killed his opponent with six stabs.
So here my question:
What alignement are :
-the three other Pc killing the bandits because it's more practical in a self defense fight we started and wished but hardly won ?
At 5th level, a sword saint’s iaijutsu strike devastates the morale of foes that witness it. When a sword saint successfully hits with an iaijutsu strike, all foes within 30 feet must succeed at a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the sword saint’s class level + the sword saint’s Cha modifier) or become shaken for 1d4+1 rounds
1) I was wandering what happens when a sword saint use his iaijutsu strike doing non-lethal damage with the enforcer feat:
Is the target shaken due to the enforcer feat before the terrifying iaijutsu (assuming the target fails his save)?
2) How does it work with Cornugon Smash ?
Cornugon Smash (Combat)
Prequisites: Power Attack, Intimidate 6 ranks.
Benefit: When you damage an opponent with a Power Attack, you may make an immediate Intimidate check as a free action to attempt to demoralize your opponent.
Hi, I'm building a Half-Elf lvl 4 summoner - synthesist.
Sorry if this has already being answered but after some digging i haven't come to an answer.
Because i'm a bid afraid of the synthesist percieved power, I don't want to rely on a permanent eidolon but rather want to use it has a panic button when things get really messy.
The basic idea is that the character will be wearing a two handed weapon (No Dachi, just for the style).
I want a bipedal eidolon, so he starts with two hands, legs, and claws. I don't want other limbs.
You can make attacks with natural weapons in combination with attacks made with a melee weapon and unarmed strikes, so long as a different limb is used for each attack. For example, you cannot make a claw attack and also use that hand to make attacks with a longsword.
When you make additional attacks in this way, all of your natural attacks are treated as secondary natural attacks, using your base attack bonus minus 5 and adding only 1/2 of your Strength modifier on damage rolls. Feats such as Two-Weapon Fighting and Multiattack can reduce these penalties.
From what I understand from above:
-can the Eidolon/me make a NoDachi attack then the two claws attacks as secondary attacks (if the hands have claws) ?
-if it is not possible, can i do the same with slam (arms) instead or claws ?
I would like to know how many attacks (and what kind, at which bonus...) a polymorphed in Lion (1 bite, 2 claws as natural weapons) monk could make with pounce ?
Pounce (Ex) When a creature with this special attack makes a charge, it can make a full attack (including rake attacks if the creature also has the rake ability).
Flurry of Blows (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a monk can make a flurry of blows as a full-attack action. When doing so, he may make on additional attack, taking a -2 penalty on all of his attack rolls, as if using the Two-Weapon Fighting feat. These attacks can be any combination of unarmed strikes and attacks with a monk special weapon (he does not need to use two weapons to use this ability). For the purpose of these attacks, the monk's base attack bonus from his monk class levels is equal to his monk level. For all other purposes, such as qualifying for a feat or a prestige class, the monk uses his normal base attack bonus.
Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk's attacks may be with fist, elbows, knees, and feet.
seems to indicate that a polymorphed monk can still make unarmed strike.
Polymorph: (...)In addition to these benefits, you gain any of the natural attacks of the base creature, including proficiency in those attacks. These attacks are based on your base attack bonus, modified by your Strength or Dexterity as appropriate, and use your Strength modifier for determining damage bonuses.
So Forgotten tricks take a swift action. But then how does it work with ninja tricks like Feather fall or Vanishing trick ?
Feather Fall (Su): As an immediate action, the ninja can slow her descent as if using feather fall. This ability uses her ninja level as the caster level. Each use of this ability uses up 1 ki point
Vanishing Trick (Su): As a swift action, the ninja can disappear for 1 round per level. This ability functions as invisibility. Using this ability uses up 1 ki point
Does the ninja have to use Forgotten to pick one of these skill then wait a new turn to use them ?
Hi, I know this have already being put on the table but the topics i have seen didn't make it really clear.
My first problem is how bonus sneack atk dices interact with bonus to sneack attack dices.
So, can the bonus sneack attack dices from Sap master benefit from the Sap adept feat ? or Knockout Artist ?
Sap adept:
Benefit: Whenever you use a bludgeoning weapon to deal nonlethal sneak attack damage, you gain a bonus on your damage roll equal to twice the number of sneak attack damage dice you rolled.
Sap master:
Prerequisite: Sneak attack +3d6, Sap Adept.
Benefit: Whenever you use a bludgeoning weapon to deal nonlethal sneak attack damage to a flat-footed opponent, roll your sneak attack dice twice, totaling the results as your nonlethal sneak attack damage for that attack.
Knockout artist :
Benefit: When you use your unarmed strike to deal nonlethal damage and sneak attack damage to an opponent denied his Dexterity bonus to AC, you gain a +1 bonus on the damage roll per each sneak attack damage die you roll.
Similary, can other additionals sneack attack bonus dices coming from equipement, like the Rogue's Vest giving a 1d6 sneak atk dice, benefit from these feats.
My other problem is that i don't understand if Forgotten tricks can be taken several times to pick combat feats and if it take an action to pick a feat.
Can i use it at the time an arrow is shot at me to deflect it given i have the other prerequistes ?
Are there any plans to release the SCAP hardcover in pdf? I have the hardcover, and it is great, but having it in electronic form would be really helpful as well.
Over my summer holidays, I am planning on converting the Shackled City Ap to a 4th Edition Eberron campaign. This obviously involves a great deal o changes to the AP as written, dropping some sections, adding others, and extending the level range all the way to 30.
After all that, it is very likely the final AP will have probably only superficial resemblance to the Hard Cover (which I have). As such, my plan is to put not just my changes, but everything I need to run the AP into a Word Document, and run from that, and not worry about the hard cover.
To do that, instead of typing up everything from scratch, it would be much easier to cut and paste from the pdf and then edit from there. (Not to mention it would be good to have the maps and other art in the doc).
Now, I'm pretty sure a pdf of the Hardcover is a no go.
However, as a next best option, I would be willing to just buy the in individual Dungeon mags in pdf format (I think I already have a couple of them). Assuming I did go this route, how much do the Dungeon Mags differ from the hardcover? Is the background and other info summarized anywhere, or was that collated (and developed?) just for the hardcover?
Just got done reading through Karzoug's entry in Spires of Xin-Shalast, and WOW! Well done! Greg A. Vaughn has done a wonderful job with the climactic encounter with Karzoug. I can not wait to run this for my PCs.
However, and I'm sure I'm not the only one in this boat, of all the encounters in the AP, I really want to make sure I do this one justice. As this will be my first campaign at anywhere near this level (my only other campaigns have petered out around 5 or so) I am already starting to feel the pressure (even though we have only started Burnt Offerings).
I also want to "personalise" Kazoug a little bit, with options from outside the SRD. So what feats, spells, gear etc would you give to Karzoug? I am already planning on swapping out some of his feats for Persistent spell and Arcane Strike, and some of his spells for those from the Spell Compendium (wraith strike immediately springs to mind). What other changes would people make?
But the one thing I really am trying to work hard on is making the encounter with Karzoug feel like an encounter with a transmuter. I can't tell you how refreshing it was to see a well built high level wizard with solid tactics and a good spell / gear selection. However, I was a little disappointed that his tactics are basically "generic high level wizard" tactics, not "high level transmuter" tactics.
I want my PCs to come away thinking "So THAT'S what a Transmuter looks like up close. That was an awesome fight, and a great climax to the campaign." Instead of as it stands now "So THAT'S what a high level wizard looks like. That was an awesome fight, and a great climax to the entire campaign."
If anyone (especially Greg) has any thoughts on this, I am all ears. I was initially thinking gish (fighter / mage), after all, nothing says transmuter more than "buff and go toe-to-toe in melee." But giving up spellcasting levels for melee capability is not something I can see Karzoug doing.
So I think I am going to go with the Alter Self / Polymorph / Shapechange tactics. Basically, the way he deals with threats is to change shape into something big and scary and rip you limb from limb. This will obviously involve all new tactics, so I really want to hear other DMs suggestions before I go through all that work.
The big downside is that I can't find a decent PrC that rally works for a transmuter without giving up caster levels. The main options are probably a Master Specialist (Complete Mage), transmuter variant (Unearthed Arcana), or the Red Wizard (DMG). But none of them seem to really fit, and I might just end up going with the UA variant transmuter for access to some pretty good spells (I would probably go with blur, improved invis. and Dominate Monster).
So, what are your thoughts for personalising and improving Karzoug. What feats, spells, gear and other options do you think he should have. By combining our thoughts, hopefully we can show the PCs how a transmuter fights, and make sure we do the campaign and Karzoug (and Greg's and all the author's work) justice.
The first NPC to be rebuilt is Tsuto Kaijitsu. I have been racking my brains as to why he has 2 monk levels, but I can't work it out. Anyway, Tsuto's stats emphasize his mobility and if the PCs can actually pin him down and go toe to toe with him, he will drop pretty quickly, even in the face of 1st level PCs.
I decided to make him a straight Swordsage 3 (ToB), wielding shortswords, concentrating on mobility and damage when cornered. I debated whether to keep the 1 rogue level for trapfinding (and short bow proficiency), but decided against it in the end, 2nd level maneuvers were too attractive :)
Tsuto KaijitsuCR 3
Male half-elf Swordsage 3
LE Medium Humanoid (elf)
Init +4;Senses low-light vision; Listen +3; Spot+3
--------------------------------------------------------------
Defense
--------------------------------------------------------------
AC 20, touch 16, flatfooted 17 (+4 Armor, +3 Dex, +1 Deflection, +2 Wis)
HP 23 (3d8+6)
Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +5; +2 vs enchantments
Immune sleep
--------------------------------------------------------------
Offense
--------------------------------------------------------------
speed 30ft.
melee Shortsword +6 (1d6+3 19-20 x 2)
Ranged Dagger +6 (1d4 19 - 20 x2)
Maneuvers known (IL level 3rd)
1st Level Burning Blade*, Clinging Shadow Strike*, Moment of Perfect Mind*, Sapphire Nightmare Blade, Shadow Blade Technique, Sudden Leap, Wolf Fang Strike*
2nd Level Flashing Strike*
Stances Known 1st Level Child of Shadow, Island of Blades
* denotes readied maneuvers
--------------------------------------------------------------
Tactics
--------------------------------------------------------------
Normally, Tsuto adopts the Child of Shadow stance, but if he is forced to go toe to toe and there are still some goblins alive, he switches to Island of Blades to aid flanking. Otherwise tactics are as per the book.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Statistics
--------------------------------------------------------------
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10.
Base Attack +2; Grapple +2
Feats Shadow Blade, Weapon Finesse
Skills As per book. Concentration +8.
Languages as per book
EX Quick to Act +1, discipline focus (Shadow Hand)
Gear As per book, add 2 Shortswords and 5 daggers, remove the shortbow.
This Tsuto should last a bit longer against most parties and is actually a very dangerous foe for first level PCs, with high AC and Hitpoints, and respectable damage output (averaging around 12 damage or so). I can't wait to see how he goes against my party of 6 1st level PCs.
As you look around the town, the signs of the sickness are obvious. There have only been a few deaths to the plague, but the death toll is only likely to rise.
Just about the only topic of conversation in the town is the plague, with the residents left with prayer as their only option. Prayer they don't get sick, and prayer that their loved ones recover.
Those of you that failed the DC 14 fort save, can feel the beginnings of the sickness.
You will all start in Falcon's Hollow. Why you are there is up to you, that's what character backgrounds are for! But to get you started, here's some background info on Falcon's Hollow.
Falcon's Hallow is a rough frontier community. Most of the town is owned or controlled by the Darkmoon Lumber Consortium. The town rests on the edge of Darkmoon Vale, a dangerous, unexplored ancient forest. The town is home to fewer than 1,500 humanoids. Most of the townsfolk care only for the paltry coin paid for their backbreaking work and what simple comforts that can buy. A very few understand that what's bad for one is likely bad for them all but the community as a whole thrives on a tenacious mix of greed, debauchery, and stubborn self-reliance.
Falcon's Hollow is perhaps better described as a scattered collection of several ramshackle communities rather than a single town. A few wealthy lumber lords sit comfortably on the “Perch”, looking down at the gathering of indigents, downtrodden lumberjacks, religious zealots, and desperate settlers who in turn gaze up at them with suspicion and distrust.
Darkmoon Vale is a teeming monster-fraught wilderness that surrounds Falcon's Hollow. Danger lurks just beyond the treeline. Most of Falcon Hollow's more canny residents realize the settlement will most likely be savaged by some horrid monstrous threat sooner rather than later. Until that day, the lumber lords do their best to snatch as much darkwood from the vale as they can. It's only a matter of time before their heedless ravaging of the wilderness around the town draws the notice of a fierce woodland guardian.
In the meantime, adventurers flock to Falcon's Hollow vanishing into the shadows of Darkmoon Vale, searching for ancient dwarven ruins. Some are never to be seen again, but most lose their nerve after their first brush with the unholy terrors lurking in the dark woods. Eventually they all end up slaving away in the remote cut yards or selling their swords to the lumber lords who always need more unscrupulous ruffians to keep the rabble in line.
With all these cool adventures coming out from Paizo, I really doubt I will get the chance to run most of them, so the best solution looks to be to run them in a PbP.
So I'm going to run a PbP set in Falcon's Hollow. The plan is to go D0 -> D1 -> E1, and then we'll see what happens. I have D1 on order, it should get here before we finish D0, as will hopefully E1. (I doubt we will be anywhere near that quick.)
So I'm looking for 4-5 players that are keen to give it a shot. Preferably your character is a local of Falcon's Hollow. But if not, let me know why you are there.
Character Creation Rules
32 point buy.
125 Starting Gold
Books
Anything in the SRD.
All the Completes
All the Races of....
Spell Compendium
Magic Item Compendium
If you want other options, then ask, and I'll look at them on a case by case basis.
Oh yeah, one more thing. I am very much in the Crunch trumps flavour camp. If you like the crunch of a particular feat, class, option etc, but not the flavor, simply come up with a different flavor, and if it makes sense, it should be right. This also means most alignment restrictions are out, so if you want to play a chaotic monk, and can explain how you get your monk abilities, then it should be fine. Likewise for a Lawful Barbarian.
Races
Human
Dwarf
Elf
Gnome
Half-Elf
Half-Orc
Halfling
Here are my thoughts
Dwarven Fighter Will be wearing heavy armor, so the speed reduction of Dwarves is offset. +2 Con for a melee type is awesome. The Dwarf bonus to saves vs spells helps mitigate the poor will save of teh fighter. No Int penalty (like the Half-Orc) so the Combat expertise line of feats is an option.
Elf Bard Was going to go Gnome, but an Elven Bardic Archer who buffs and shoots behind the safety of his allies sounds like a cool character to me.
Gnome Barbarian Eberron has it's Halfling Barbarians, so why can't we have our Gnome Barbarians? The +2 to Con helps, and the -2 the Str is helped by rage. The +1 to Hit for being small helps fuel power attack, the +1 AC for being small helps with only medium armor, and the bonus to speed from barbarian overcomes the 20 foot movement of the gnome.
Half-Elf Druid Well, may as well give the Weakest race the strongest class, to balance it out. The druid needs the least help from it's race, so may as well make it the race that provides the least help. Plus the bonus to diplomacy helps at low levels to keep the Druid's grove safe. Take Spell Focus (Conjuration), Augment Summoning, Natural Spell, Extend Spell, and Quicken Spell, and you are set.
Half-Orc Monk This one may seem a bit strange. But Monks need their strength to ensure they actually dish some damage, and the Half-Orc penalties are two the 2 stats a Monk doesn't need as much (Int and Cha). Seems like a good match to me.
Halfling Rogue Halflings to me just seem tailor made to be rogues. Small size, +2 Dex, and a +1 Bonus to saving throws, all adds up to a very good Rogue, especially if you throw weapon finesse into the mix.
Human Barbarian The extra feat and skill points really help out the barbarian who has a decent skill list to spend the skill points on, and can really benefit from a number of combat feats.
Human Cleric Like the druid, a very powerful class that really doesn't matter what race you take, but with only 2+INT skill points a level, and a great skill list, the extra human skill point is great (as is the extra feat to spend on combat or casting feats)
Human Paladin The Paladin needs most of his stats to be as high as possible, so can;t really afford to take the hit most of the other races give. Also, being in melee means he can benefit greatly from feats (Mounted Attack Line, Power Attack Line), so again, human is a great choice.
Half-Orc Ranger This could just as easily be Human or Elven as well. My favourite play with a Ranger is to take the archery style, and pick up power attack for when I do get stuck in melee. Surprisingly, a good strength helps out a ranged attacker also s much as it helps melee (Strength rated Composite Longbows).
Gnome Wizard Again, this one could have gone any number of ways, Human, Elven, or Halfling are all good options, but I choose gnome to provide a nice contrast to the gnome Barbarian. the Bonus to Con and Illusion DCs also helps.
I know the stats for the 4 Iconic Characters that come with DO have been out for a while, but I only just had my first look at them the other day, and I mus say they are some poorly built characters (and that is being generous I think.)
For those who haven't seen them, check them out here.
Now, I assume the guys at Paizo actually do know how to make effective characters, they have been immersed in the game for many, many years after all. So I have to assume that these Iconics suck (for want of a better word) on purpose.
This makes absolutely no sense to me, but reflects what I often see in "official" or "sample" PCs (or NPCs). Wizards does it all the time, and I was hoping Paizo would avoid doing it, but is there some (unwritten) rule that says pre-built characters have to suck?
I would have thought pre-built characters would have been great opportunities to show new players (and those who aren't as "skilled" in character building), how to build strong, effective characters.
These are the Paizo Iconics for crying out loud, they should be great, well built, solid characters. Not characters that will be easily outclassed by any halfway optimized class.
They should be characters that anyone can pick up and play in a "normal" party. I would like to see them as a great option for those who don't want to spend time building their own characters. They should be able to just plug one of these characters in and go (maybe changing a few feats here and there, and some skill points). If you want to play a fighter, take Valeros, swap a couple of feats and skill points, and you are right to go.
But you can't realistically do that, as they are so badly built. If you want them to match up power wise, you really need to do some serious tweaking, and when it gets to that stage, you may as well just build your character yourself.
I keep seeing references to people being from Australia popping up all over these boards recently, so I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread where we can all meet one another, (and complain about the high cost of getting gaming products in Australia).
I grew up in Wagga, in South West NSW (Where Geoff Lawson, Mark Taylor and Michael Slater grew up), and now live in Sydney (from wollongong where I was at Uni).
I hope the Aussie Dollar stays strong at least until I have a few issues of Pathfinder under my belt.
I just got issue 144 today (finally, one of the drawbacks to living in Australia), and I must say Diplomacy is AWESOME. I can't wait to run it for my PCs.
However, I have a problem in that my campaign is set in Eberron, does anyone have ANY ideas on how to convert it across. With all the planar mechanations going on, will it be worth the effort, or will it basically involve a complete re-write of the entire adventure?
I was thinking of just changing the Janni to something more Eberron, but I don't really know what?
I am going to be running the Age of Worms "End Game" (from SoLS to the end) as my campaign finale for my next campaign. I was wondering if there were any Dragon Wormfood Articles that would be especially helpful for me and my players to read to get a good idea of what is going on.
Unfortunantly I can't really afford to buy all of them (need to buy a few Dungeons for the adventures, and postage to Australia is almost as much as the mags), but the budget could stretch to a couple. But I need to know which ones (if any) would be most helpful.
I have my next campaign planned out to about level 12 or so, and was looking for a good way to take the PCs to level 20 to finish it off.
I have dungeon Issues 131 - 134 (Prince of Redhand - Into the Wormcrawl Fissure), so finishing the campaign with the AoW End Game makes a lot of sense, and works out well.
However, which would be the best adventure to start on? Looking over Prince of Redhand, it looks like there really needs to be one adventure beforehand to set it up.
My second question - Is there an early adventure that does well at setting the whole campaign up? It doesn't matter what elvel it is, I can easily chage it to fit, but an adventure that covers all the background and lets the PCs know that somehting is up is what I am after.
Cauldron
Cauldron is the real star of the entire Adventure Path. As such it changes very little, instead changing Eberron around it so that it fits. Place Cauldron in the Southern reaches of the Howling Peaks. This means that Sasserine becomes Wroat, the capital of Breland.
History
There are a number of changes to the timeline as presented in the HC. The first change is to remove all reference to Kyuss and the Spellweavers.
Replace the timeline in the HC with this timeline below (All dates are according to the Eberron Calender).
• - 822 years: A Massive Earthquake rocks the region, opening a massive Gateway to Khyber in the mountains. This is the last time the Volcano of Cauldron erupted. This Gateway eventually became known as the Demonskar. Due to the isolation of this Gateway, both on the surface, and within Khyber, it takes a number of years until the Fiends within Khyber notice it and move in. Eventually it is claimed by the Glabrezu Nabthatoron as his lair. He consolidates the Fiendish presence in the region, and they begin to become a potent force.
• 288 YK: The Ancient Blue Dragon XXXX, a member of the Chamber, and one with the greatest interest in the Draconic Peophecy, chooses one of the greatest wizards of Galifar, Surabar Spellmason, as her champion to rid the region of it’s fiendish infestation. Members of the Chamber seldom need a reason to interfere with the schemes of the Lords of Dust, but in this case, she also was prompted into action by her research into the Draconic Prophecy. She gifts him the powerful magic weapon Alakast to aid him in his efforts to drive the demons from the region.
• 298 YK: Surabar leads a small army inland from Wroat, on the pretense of founding a new city of his own. He founds Redgorge in the shadow of a great volcano, and raises the Basalt Bastions to protect his men from attack while they begin building.
• 303 YK: Kozomagon Lidu, one of Surabar’s friends and competitors arrives in the region and founds the village of Liduuton, intending to horn in on what ever action had enticed her friend into the region.
• 308 YK: Surabar defeats Nabthatoron in combat and breaks the back of the demon host from the Demonskar. Nabthatoron seethes with deep seated hatred of the Blue Dragon XXXX. The destruction of XXXX becomes Nabthatoron’s sole goal, and he spends the next two hundred years rebuilding his shattered forces to launch an assault against XXXX. During the battle against Nabthatoron, Kozomagon tries to draw upon the power of an ancient Hobgoblin necropolis she discovered on the nearby lakebed, but loses control over the necromantic energy and destroys the village of Liduton instead. The village becomes known as the Haunted Village, and is shunned from this point on.
• 318 YK: Discovery of numerous profitable mines in the region attracts hundreds of prospectors and adventurers. Redgorge quickly outgrows its walls. Surabar determines that the nearby volcano is extinct, and that its cauldron would make an excellent natural defense against attack from Nabthatoron’s armies. Many of Redgorge’s inhabitant’s relocate to the region-Cauldron is founded.
• 348 YK: Surabar dies of natural causes. He is entombed in an undisclosed location. With the passing of its founder, the glory of Cauldron begins to fade.
• 398 YK: Kingfisher Hollow and Hollowsky founded by Gnomes from Zilargo looking to trade with Cauldron, but avoiding the mountains. Over the last 400 years, these have come to be more and more dominated by Humans, such that there original gnomish founders are but a memory.
• 445 YK: With Cauldron only a shadow of its former glory, it soon become home to thieves and bandits, as they thrive in the absence of any great Law and Order presence from Breland.
• 512 YK: Nabthatoron finally defeats the Ancient Blue Dragon XXXX in battle. But his victory comes at great cost, with most of his fiendish army slain in the conflict. Nabthatoron himself only barely escapes the Dragon’s wrath. This brush with destruction instils in Nabthatoron the need to pursue more “subtle” methods to accomplish his goals, and from this point forwards he aims to work through proxies. He still harbours a desire to see Cauldron and Redgorge levelled, but no longer does he desire to march in open warfare against them.
• 598 YK: Remove Shatterhorn completely. There is no Yuan-ti prescence in th region. As seen later, I am replacing this entire chapter, so the ruins don’t play any part in the campaign. If you would like some ruins for the Cagewrights / Dragon Below Cultists to use as a base outside of Cauldron, then simply replace them with some Hobgoblin ruins.
• 678 YK: Adimarchus senses that his attempts to reawaken to Lost Mark of Death are beginning to bear fruit. He sends his most trusted lieutenant, the Mind Flayer Dry’ryd to take control of one of the many cults of the dragon below dedicated to Adimarchus. Dry’ryd is tasked with tracking down the Dragonborn, and manipulating events to ensure on bearing the Mark of Death is born in a manifest zone.
• 798 YK: The red dragon Hookface arrives in the region. His attacks on merchants and cities of the region continue intermittently for a century – no heroes are able to defeat the dragon.
• 898 YK: With the start of the last war, Hookface retreats to his lair north of Cauldron with his mate, Taliraxia. The two dragons emerge rarely, usually during great upheaval (earthquakes, war, ect.). Most red dragons encountered in the region are believed to be the couple’s offspring. The population of Cauldron swells as those with ties to the other five nations rush to Cauldron to escape prejudice in the wake of the Last War.
• 966 YK: The rainiest winter in centuries results in massive flood damage to the lower reaches of Cauldron. The Flood Festival is founded the next year, and for the next several years the freakishly wet winters continue before the weather finally returns to normal.
• 967 YK: Fetor Abradius Discovers the Soul Pillars in and Ancient Giant ruin on Xen’drik. The Cagewrights relocate to Cauldron, settling in ancient Hobgoblin ruins until they can complete construction of the Fiery Sanctum under Cauldron.
• 968 YK: The Cagewrights begin construction of the Tree of Shackled Souls, and hire the Sacred Spark to aid in the construction of the soulcages.
• 983 YK: Cauldron’s newest noble, a generous lord named Vhalantru, is welcomed into the city’s aristocracy after he donates huge sums of money to fund the rebuilding of the Town Hall and several other ancient structures that were starting to fall apart. In light of his generosity, no one pries into the mysterious noble’s background.
• 986 YK: After uncovering some deep seeded corruption in the town guard, a young Sargent returned from the Last War named Terseon Skellerang enthusiastically (and some say viciously) help bring to justice those who are involved. With the support of lord Vhalantru, Skellerang is quickly promoted to the new Captain of the guard, where he quickly earns a reputation for ruthless efficiency.
• 988 YK: Zenith d’Kundarak falls under the influence of Adimarchus’s deams and disappears into Khyber on a mad crusade to cleanse it of evil.
• 989 YK: A young guard named Triel murders several of her fellow guards – her motive is never discovered. She eludes capture and becomes one of Cauldron’s most wanted criminals, although over the years her capture grows less of a concern as she remains in hiding.
• 991 YK: a plague of filth fever strikes Cauldron. Several hundred die before the city’s clerics can get the plague under control. The dead include both of Sable’s parents. (See “Urban Decay” in chapter 1)
• 996 YK: Just as the Last War is settling into its current uneasy truce, the three highest ranking clerics of Dol Arrah accidentally discover Ebril Aloustinai’s involvement with the Cagewrights. Ebril murders them before they can report the discovery and disposes of their bodies with a plane shift spell.
