This thread will serve as an ongoing log of the die rolls made for the r/RedditPlays5e play-by-post campaign.
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So I've got some questions about the rock throwing revelation from the oracle's stone mystery. Here's the ability as presented in the Advanced Player's Guide:
Rock Throwing (Ex): You are an accomplished rock thrower and have a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown rocks. You can hurl rocks up to two categories smaller than your own size. The range increment for a rock is 20 feet, and you can hurl it up to 5 range increments. Damage for a hurled rock is 2d4 for a Medium creature or 2d3 for a Small creature, plus 1-1/2 your Strength bonus. So this ability seems unfinished - actually, a lot of revelations do (moonlight bridge, looking at you). My questions about this one in particular are: 1.) What kind of thrown weapon is the rock? One-handed or two-handed? The language regarding adding x1.5 your Strength bonus to damage seem to suggest two-handed, though thrown weapons in general only apply your standard Strength bonus, regardless of handedness. Daggers, clubs, shortspears, spears, darts, javelins, throwing axes, light hammers, tridents, shuriken, and nets are thrown weapons. The wielder applies his Strength modifier to damage dealt by thrown weapons (except for splash weapons). It is possible to throw a weapon that isn't designed to be thrown (that is, a melee weapon that doesn't have a numeric entry in the Range column on Table: Weapons), and a character who does so takes a –4 penalty on the attack roll. Throwing a light or one-handed weapon is a standard action, while throwing a two-handed weapon is a full-round action. Regardless of the type of weapon, such an attack scores a threat only on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a critical hit. Such a weapon has a range increment of 10 feet. If it's a two-handed weapon, that means that throwing it takes a full-round action, which is a bit silly. Can we assume that it's a one-handed weapon, then, since (Ex) abilities take a standard action by default? 2.) How much does each rock weigh? 3.) Since a rock is an improvised weapon, can I assume that I take a -4 nonproficiency penalty on the attack roll? Giants are proficient with thrown rocks, but that's because the Bestiary includes specific language granting a monster proficiency with any weapons listed in their Bestiary entry.
Hi there. My name is Daron – I’m the founder and lead author for Abandoned Arts, a mid-to-small sized third-party Pathfinder RPG publisher – and I’ve recently undertaken the task of GM-ing a new Kingmaker campaign for a group of three players. We’re actually all complete strangers, playing twice a week(ish), long-distance via the Fantasy Grounds software. We’re playing a very conventional, rules-as-written game with no houserules or third-party content (not even my own). Actually, we’re playing only with content featured at the official prd. At time of this posting, we are only two sessions in. My players seem to have mixed levels of experience with Pathfinder, but are playing pretty well together so far. The party is fairly small, so they should level quickly. If you’ve run a Kingmaker game before, you know that the random encounter table is absolutely brutal at the lower levels, so the extra experience point gains should help. Maybe. I’m the kind of GM that runs things by the book – I’m not a killer GM, or a “nice guy” GM – I’m just bringing the module to life, here, and letting the rules (and the dice) do the talking. That means that I play it straight with the rules, the encounters, and that damn wandering monster table. Why do I mention this here? Because if there’s any appeal to a campaign journal like this one, it’ll be in watching a small group of players with mixed Pathfinder experience tackle one of the most sandboxy and difficult (at least at first) Paizo APs out there, and succeed (or not) on their own merits, and – let’s be honest – on their own luck. What follows will serve to document our campaign, so let’s kick things off by talking about our (squishy but practical) party of three. Click the spoilers for details. Descriptions of sessions one and two to follow this post. We play about twice a week, and I plan to update once or twice a week. I don’t know if my players will post here or not, but if anyone’s dying for more details on this-or-that encounter or event, I’m sure that either myself or one of our heroes will be happy to oblige. Eventually, I'll probably get full character stats posted up here, too. Happy reading. The Party Beru Flatpeak, CN halfling oracle:
Beru had a hard time learning to speak as a child, often mispronouncing or mixing up words badly. His family would joke good-naturedly that Beru spoke a language all his own. Eventually he mastered the common Taldan tongue, but when a roaming priest of Erastil sought a night’s rest at the Flatpeak estate, the priest was surprised to hear Beru speak in his “first tongue,” for it was not a language of nonsense. Beru was speaking in the Celestial tongue of the angels. Perplexed by this information, Beru spent time travelling through Avistan and speaking with priests and practitioners of every faith, searching for the meaning of this strange, intrinsic gift. Finding no bond or peace in any known faith, Beru came to discover that only the moon and stars seemed to “speak” to him in the spiritual sense of the word – in the ways that pious men and women would describe the voices and visions of their gods. What’s more: his gift of tongues, it turns out, is also a curse – a linguistic impulse that overtakes him in times of stress or trauma. After returning home to Brevoy, Beru sought a simple life in the south of Brevoy – far from the bustle of the cities, and perhaps nearer to the tranquil night skies. Though the halfling has discovered that his gift is greater than he ever dreamed – his connection to the heavens and the cosmos is strong enough to empower him with the ability to work miracles – he also supports his income peddling fortune-tellings with a deck of cards. Beru has accepted the Lord Mayor’s charter in order to better test himself and sharpen the blade of his double-edged divine gift. With no gods to guide him, he must make his own way in the world and discover the meaning of his cosmic mystery alone. Boszin Hartz, N samaran druid:
The tale of Boszin’s life is a tale of self-inflicted exile. His family immigrated to Brevoy in generations past, and lived honest lives in the Rostland Plains. Tragically, Boszin’s homestead burned to the ground when he was young, taking the lives of his immediate family… including that of his beloved sister. Rather than forge a new life in Brevoy, Boszin swore off the world he’d known and left civilization behind him, trekking south and adopting the life of a pioneer. Though Boszin’s kind ascribe to a spiritual search for self-perfection and reincarnation, this belief did nothing to dull the sting of his sister’s death. As time wore on, the pain grew only sharper, and so it was that Boszin put his family’s superstitions behind him and swore a bond to a nameless circle of Gozreh-worshipping druids. The samsaran learned the druidic craft and conjured his companion, Feltch (a young tiger from the Valley of Fire beyond the Gonzi Forest). Eventually, Boszin disclosed his past – and his agenda – to the circle. Boszin sought spirit magic which might return his sister’s soul to the mortal world. In time, his elders revealed to him that their magic could not bring his sibling back, because her spirit was unwilling to return. Perhaps her cycle of reincarnation had begun. Perhaps her spirit did walk the world again – inhabiting another body, living another life… loving another brother. Boszin’s refusal to accept this possibility – and the rage that simmered within him – were enough to convince the samsaran’s druidic elders that he was preparing to walk a forbidden path, and exiled him: and they were right. Now, Boszin seeks magic closed to druidic tradition: the powers of necromancy. Half-recalling necromantic spells from a previous life, the druid slowly succumbs to the unnatural temptation even as he takes up arms for the Lord Mayor’s charter in an effort to protect Brevoy’s frontiers. After losing two families and choosing exile from the bonds of both civilization and brotherhood, the Greenbelt is the only home that Boszin has left. Tarnil Lostwing, CN aasimar inquisitor (sacred huntmaster) of Gorum:
A native of Brevoy, and a soldier by trade, the divine influence in Tarnil’s heritage attracted him to the church of Gorum, where he clawed his way up to the rank of inquisitor (with the assistance of the esteem imparted by the auspicious nature and circumstances of his birth to human parents). Tarnil carries out the Lord Mayor’s charter in pursuit of an excuse to be where the fighting is. The politics of Brevoy necessitate that church of Gorum – which is, effectively, a standing army – distance themselves from any armed conflict involving border disputes or open warfare in the Swordlords’ name. There is, however, no reason why an inquisitor of Gorum should not be able to root out heretics hiding in the Greenbelt. And what could be more heretical than cowardice and banditry? Tarnil means to ensure that any folk living on the Greenbelt belong there. He means to put every man infected with the curse of cowardice or the plague of banditry to the sword (his greatsword, specifically) – or else to recruit them, knowingly or otherwise, into Gorum’s service and make them to swear off (and hunt down) their criminal associates. But Tarnil is something more than a soldier-turned-inquisitor, and his heritage is not his only advantage in this crusade: beside him walks the war-panther Aria, whom Gorum sent to his side. Together, the pair quests for little more (and nothing less) than glorious battle in the monster-haunted, bandit-infested wilderness that is the Greenbelt. Sessions I & II
Stolen Land: Introduction
Calistril 24th, AR 4710
There’s some confusion between Svetlana and the party at the outset – Svetlana seems to expect that the party has come to the trading post to assist with a recent bandit problem. It seemed the Levetons had requested aid from Restov and hoped the party were sent to aid the operation. The party agreed to help when the bandits next returned to collect their “taxes” from Oleg. In the meantime, Tarnil collects a few jobs from Oleg’s bulletin board. It seems the Lord Mayor of Restov is offering rewards for slain bandits and for solutions to the recent spikes in Sootscale Kobold activity in the Greenbelt. Also, Oleg is looking for a tatzlwyrm head to mount at the trading post and a retired hunter named Vekkel Benzen is looking for a capable adventurer to hunt and slay Tuskgutter, the monstrous boar that took his leg. Before leaving, Beru reads Oleg’s fortunes in the cards, and convinces a hesitant Oleg to let him borrow his (somewhat jittery and neurotic) horse, Claptrap. Tarnil asks after recent Tuskgutter sightings, and proposes a trip south-southwest of Oleg’s to look for boar tracks (planning to return before the sunrise on the 1st of Pharast, (when the bandit “tax collectors” are next expected to visit, according to precedent). The party sets out. Calistril 25th, AR 4710
Finding only a disused and rickety bridge crossing a twenty-foot-deep ravine, Beru the oracle conjures bridges of shimmering moonlight over most of the rope bridge’s surface. The party manages to cross safely (this time), though their crossing is noted by a river monster which Beru identifies as a slurk, which climbs the steep cliff face with bizarre proficiency for such an ungainly creature. GM’s Notes:
Dispatching the slurk was a pretty simple affair – the creature was used to ambushing travelers picking their way delicately across the bridge, and didn’t stand up to a five-against-one assault. After hacking it apart to take the tusks for trophies, the party returned their attention to exploring the hex. Calistril 26th, AR 4710
And, boy, did they find him. I rolled the percentiles as instructed to see if Tuskgutter was “at home” when they came upon his liar. He was. The boar lived up to his reputation as a local terror. Covered in scars, with enormous chipped-and-scratched tusks, the monster-pig simply came charging out of the undergrowth some seventy feet away. The good news was: Tuskgutter wasn’t hard to spot. He’s loud, and angry, and uninterested in subtlety. Boszin dropped an entangle and Tarnil and Aria were the first to engage, while the rest of the party maneuvered as best they could for sling shots. The inquisitor landed a couple of mighty blows on the boar. Blood-soaked and shrieking rabidly, Tuskgutter repaid the injuries by thrashing Tarnil, Aria, and eventually Feltch (the druid’s companion) quickly into unconsciousness. By the time Bozsin joined the melee, the battle seemed lost. Beru had his hands full just keeping dying characters (and animal companions, in that order) from bleeding out, while Bozsin desperately struggled to do more harm to the boar than the boar was dishing out. Unfortunately, this proved futile – Tuskgutter was a true monster, and it didn’t take him long to put the druid down, too. Fortunately, Boszin had been able to put Tuskgutter into the negatives before he dropped. But, as you might know, a boar can keep fighting even as its life blood still bleeds away. Tuskgutter’s ferocity ability kept him fighting even at a negative hit point total, and so… Beru simply ran. Still mounted upon Claptrap – Oleg’s borrowed steed – the halfling oracle outran the boar, deliberately keeping only just out of Tuskgutter’s reach to keep the boar more interested in the chase than in his helpless friends. With the boar staggered and the horse outpacing it easily, it became a simple (if stressful) matter to simply wait out the clock on Tuskgutter’s remaining moments. Soon, the boar dropped dead of its injuries mid-stride, and Beru was able to return to his crippled and unconscious party, now many hundreds of feet behind. Many hours of healing and stabilizing later, the party was able to get on their feet and begin heading back to Oleg’s by the most direct route available, north-northeast through the Narlmarches. Mind you, our heroes are far from recovered. Feltch is limping along with one hit point and nobody else (except for Beru, who is unharmed) is faring all much better. Bozsin is still sitting on an entangle spell, but otherwise the party’s magic is similarly on its last legs. And that’s when the wolves showed up. GM’s Notes:
It’s somewhere between midnight on the 27th and morning on the 28th when they spot them. Six wolves, fanned out in a semi-circle around the party. Desperately hungry animals, with visible ribs and ravenous expressions, drooling in anticipation of so much horseflesh. Tarnil and Boszin dismount their steeds, and the wolves charge. At least, they try, but... Erupting from the ground, the grasses, roots, and vines of the Narlmarches spring to life as Boszin bids them to entangle five of the six wolves. As the wolves gradually struggle out of the spell’s area, Tarnil and Aria get to work putting free-moving wolves (and those close to the edge of the spell) down quickly. Beru refuses to dismount Claptrap, panicking in Celestial tongues as the majority of the wolves make beelines for the horses. Unattended, a pair of wolves topple Boszin’s horse prone, and begin to savage the poor animal, hoping to kill it now and then return for it later. They don’t get the chance. Tarnil and Boszin convene on the panicking animal (who, despite the penalties for fighting prone and for attacking with secondary hooves, actually lands a really solid blow on its lead antagonist, itself) and put the wolves down as they try to make an escape. Injured, with their pack slain, two of the last wolves to escape the magical entanglement flee into the forest, and the party is happy to let them go. Calistril 25th, AR 4710
To be continued..!
So I'm inputting my player's characters in HeroLabs, and there's a checkbox next to the Strange Aeons campaign traits (this does appear next to any other traits) that says "Enhanced?". I haven't yet read past the first module in the AP - do the Strange Aeons campaign traits get more powerful later on, as the PCs recover their memories or somesuch?
So I'm pretty sure that the RAI answer is "no," but I ran across this odd little corner-case while making a skeletal centaur in HeroLabs, and the more I look into it, the more it seems like the RAW is super clear that a skeletal centaur loses the "Undersized Weapons" special quality, and can therefore use Large-sized weapons with no penalties. A centaur is a Large creature, but the Undersized Weapons SQ says that it wields Medium-sized weapons like a Medium-sized creature does, owing to their human-sized upper bodies. The skeleton template, however, explicitly says that a skeleton loses all special qualities unless those qualities improve the base creature's melee or ranged attacks. Undersized Weapons does not improve either of those things, so - by RAW - it the skeleton loses the quality and may freely wield Large-sized weapons just like any other Large-sized creature could. If you were running such a creature in an official capacity - say you were writing a module, or running a Pathfinder Society game - how would you rule on this? My thoughts are, either: a.) Decide that the skeleton template language is intended to allow the base creature to keep special qualities that modify or generally affect its melee or ranged attacks, not just ones that strictly improve them; or b.) Rules are rules, and the skeleton's strength is supernatural (lacking muscle, after all), allowing it to wield Large weapons owing to the supernatural strength and overall size of the creature. Thoughts? It is possible I am missing a cleverer or more obvious answer.
So one of my players is working with a rather unusual build: a monk / synthesist summoner build (with venerable age penalties to boot - and all penalties totally overriden by adopting the eidolon's physical ability scores). She wants to be able to take the Reach evolution and apply it to her unarmed strikes - but her eidolon is a bipedal one, with claws. Unfortunately, taking a different eidolon form is somewhat out of the question in this case. With all that in mind, my question is two-fold: 1.) Can an eidolon with claws (but no hands) make an unarmed strike? If not, does it matter that the eidolon is a synthesist form "worn" by a monk? 2.) Can an eidolon capable of making unarmed strikes select them as a candidate for the Reach evolution, or is that evolution intended for natural attacks only?
This is the Discussion Thread, where you PCs can talk OOC tactics, field questions, deal with xp and leveling issues, announce planned absences, and generally conduct all the "table talk" not relevant to the fictional events of the campaign itself. If you click on the "Campaign Info" tab, above, you'll see information about your characters, NPCs, maps, and other campaign stuff. The "Gameplay" tab, obviously, is where we'll play. This group is a private, closed-recruitment gang of friends and family. We'll be tackling Strange Aeons with only three PCs. This group has played PbP only once before, so the following post will be a quick refresher on PbP formatting stuff. Spectators are welcome here, and are even welcome to stop in and say hi, offer tips, or ask our players questions. No Strange Aeons spoilers, please.
The Slime Vaults are research facilities within Ecanus’ renowned fleshforges, where monsters are studied in slimy cells. Each ‘vault’ marked with an “S” contains a single creature of Gargantuan size or smaller in temporal stasis, as the spell. Exposure to fire or daylight destroys a slime cell in 1d4 rounds.
Defender’s Door
Description
Creatures that pass through the doorway are transported as if using a dimension door. If the door is set into the ground, creatures passing through the door emerge at any open location within range that the wielder can see. This location is set when the shield is planted, and is the same for all creatures. If the door is set against a wall, creatures emerge on the other side of that surface as long as an open space exists within range. If the wielder closes the door or passes through it, it becomes a shield again. Construction
Hey, folks. I've got a question about the wishcrafter's (an ifrit sorcerer archetype) wishbound arcana class feature. Specifically, whether or not a character has to make a wish literally during the casting of the spell, or whether s/he can make a wish before the wishcrafter's turn. Wishbound arcana reads:
Emphasis is mine. Here's what I'm picturing. The rogue peeks around the corner and spots some orcs. S/he says, "I wish those orcs would go up in flames," and the ifrit says "as you wish," turns the corner, and casts fireball in the surprise round / first round. Does that work, or do you think the rogue has to make a wish literally during the sorcerer's turn, as s/he is casting the fireball (in the surprise round, once initiative has already been rolled)? Can the rogue take a free action if s/he is flat-footed? Does the ifrit need to delay or ready if s/he beats the rogue's initiative?
Hey, kids. This is where we'll talk tactics, field questions, deal with xp and leveling issues, announce planned absences, and generally conduct all the "table talk" not relevant to the fictional events of the campaign itself. If you click on the "Campaign Info" tab, above, you'll see information about your characters and their backgrounds and/or campaign-relevant motivations. I'll be editing those as we establish them a little better, which we'll do here, in the Discussion Thread. The "Gameplay Thread," obviously, is where we'll play - but I'd like to get everyone to post here in the discussion thread at least once before posting over there. At the very least, to declare anything you'd like to add or change about your character's "Campaign Info" blurb. I know most of you rolled for your character's history per the Ultimate Campaign tables, but I've got little-to-no idea what your results were. Spectators are welcome here, and are even welcome to stop in and say hi, offer tips, or ask our players questions. Disclaimer: this bunch is new to play-by-post (but in no way new to Pathfinder); hence all the explanatory prompting, here.
Your life's greatest adventure begins - as so many adventurers' do - in the town of Sandpoint. Reports that a local goblin tribe, the Licktoad goblins of Brinestump Marsh, have grown unusually aggressive. The reason for this uncharacteristic bravery seems clear — the goblins have somehow managed to arm themselves with what seems to be a considerable supply of fireworks. The problem is not so much the additional “firepower” the mild explosives provide, but the inflated sense of ego and power that the devices have given the goblins; the fireworks have made them dangerously brave. Several merchant caravans and travelers have been attacked so far, and according to the victims, the damage caused by horses panicking at the sight and sound of exploding pyrotechnics is almost as destructive as the goblin attacks themselves. With the last few attacks resulting in severe injuries to three unfortunate travelers, the problem has escalated from an annoyance to a threat. However, as none of the attacks have yet inconvenienced Magnimar (only Sandpointers and other Lost Coasters have been hit so far), the city has been slow to react. Unwilling to idly sit by and wait for the goblin problem to escalate to actual deaths on the Lost Coast Road in order to attract Magnimar’s attention, Sandpoint’s leaders have put out the call for goblin exterminators. With most of Varisia’s adventurers eager to try their luck at finding their fortunes in the legendary ruins of Xin-Shalast, there simply aren’t a lot of volunteers to fight goblins around. Always running at a lean enrollment, Sandpoint’s city watch can’t afford to send patrols into the trackless expanse of Brinestump, although they have stepped up their presence along the Lost Coast Road itself. The task of wading into the notorious local wetland falls instead to adventurers — to you. A few adventurers have already made one attempt, but nothing has been heard of them in the three days since they entered Brinestump Marsh. Meanwhile, just last night, another round of colorful explosions burst over the wetlands south of Sandpoint. The goblins are doubtless readying a new attack.
Abandoned Arts Presents:
Ideas posted here will be reflected in the gameplay thread. The gameplay thread will update roughly once per day.
Abandoned Arts Presents:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- For five years, the faithful of Sandpoint have attended church in temporary structures erected after a fire destroyed the town's only temple. While Sandpoint's latest religious leader - Father Zantus - is a a wise, helpful, and kind man, church services have simply never been the same. Now, the new cathedral is finally done. All that remains is for the Swallowtail Festival to renew the site's blessings from the gods and it will be as if the Sandpoint Fire had never occurred... Squinting into the shimmering reflection of the sunset upon the sea, Maraerys Starlight gives one last thought to the affairs of her family's caravan. Supposing that she can leave the wagons guarded only by the meager vanguard she hired on for long enough to attend the local priests' sermons and rites, Maraerys chews thoughtfully on her lower lip. But not the halfling. Might be a drunkard, seems the type; and he didn't belong to the meager vanguard she contracted - he'd been an "adventuring" hire. Better not to leave him alone with the good stuff. The half-elf strolled toward her hired vanguards, fixing the halfling's eyes with her own. "Goodbrandy, wasn't it? Accompany me to the square." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, the crowd in the village square is thicker than anywhere else in Sandpoint. Anneka - a kitsune sporting a perfectly ordinary human disguise - surveys the crowd with curiosity and excitement. Beside her, a perfectly extraordinary wolf stands sentinel. Anneka had named her companion Kyrsaku - and Kyrsaku surveyed the crowd with feelings of his own. Namely, suspicion. Something didn't smell right. The passersby and festival-goers of Sandpoint had shown none of the wariness of her companion that Anneka originally feared that they might. She'd come to learn that locals were hardly surprised to see adventurers (and stranger sights) in Sandpoint, and - for his part - Kyrsaku behaved with polite caution and measured dignity whenever curious locals approached to pet or coo at him. Nearby, a tall and affible-looking human stands with the largest and most fascinating cat that Anneka had ever seen tucked under one robed arm. Vividly orange and fluffy in the extreme, she watched the obese feline gaze contemptuously at the crowds around them. As Father Zantus nears the stage, Anneka is reminded of the real excitement to come - the consecrating of Sandpoint's brand new cathedral, and all the lore and artistry she might take in, within it. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Zend Haraku gazed blearily at the stage, where festival staff were ushering Father Zantus, the local priest, up the steps. The events of the festival had been exhausting, and the wizard was eager for them to be over. His familiar, Schnoo-Schnoo, weighed heavily under his weary arm as he shifted his weight, impatiently. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Teberus whistled. "That... has got to be the fattest gods-damned cat I ever saw. I'm the picture of envy, here. Were we all so fat and happy, eh?" The halfling nudges his new traveling companion, but the half-elf offers only a noncommittal "Mm," in acknowledgement. The half-elf, Maraerys, settles on a spot near the noteworthy feline and his owner, and Teberus scans the crowd for only a moment before returning his attention to the curious pair. "O'course it'll still be light on it's feet and all. A cat's a cat. To be that plump and well-fed and contented with life, and still nimble on 'yer feet? Every halfling's dream, ma'am - every halfling's dream." Blathering on, Teberus' sharp eyes take in the feline's owner. A magician by the look of 'im. Wizard, maybe - there's a tome in his pack for sure. A local, maybe? Hm. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- As the sun begins to set, Father Zantus takes the central podium. With a charming smile, the priest slings a small stone to the ground...
A sharp retort, like the crack of distant thunder, slices through the excited crowd as the sun's setting rays paint the western sky. A stray dog that has crawled under a nearby wagon to sleep starts awake, and the buzz of two dozen conversations quickly hushes as all heads turn toward the central podium, where a beaming Father Zantus has taken the stage. He clears his throat, takes a breath to speak, and suddenly a woman's scream slices through the air. A few moments later, another scream rises, then another. Beyond them, a sudden surge of strange new voices rises - high-pitched, tittering shrieks that sound not quite human . The crowd parts and something low to the ground races by, giggling with disturbing glee as the stray dog gives a pained yelp and then collapses with a gurgle, its throat cut open from ear to ear. As blood pools around its head, the raucous sound of a strange song begins, chanted from shrill, scratchy voices. "Goblins chew and goblins bite; goblins cut and goblins fight... stab the dog and cut the horse; goblins eat and take by force..!"
The three green-skinned monsters act fast - spreading out to engage the stragglers - our heroes, in this case. Screaming the "stab the dog" stanza with special enthusiasm, two of the creatures go bumbling after Kyrsaku with "dogslicers" (signature goblin blades) drawn. A third ambles around behind Teberus - perhaps thinking his companion only a merchant - to pick a fight with someone more his own size. This third brandishes only a torch - it's dogslicer tucked away, for now.
Hey, folks. If anyone is interested, I'm running a "living campaign journal" for Rise of the Runelords right here on the Paizo forums (over in PbB). It's in the style of a "Let's Play," in that it's a game that we can all "play" (or just spectate on, like you would a true campaign journal) in the collective style of an RPG "Let's Play." There will only be one "host" (me) in the gameplay thread, describing actions and events as they play out. The difference is that the "players" will consist of anyone and everyone who'd like to contribute. Everyone is welcome to join and discuss and vote on party actions and decisions, and the story will unfold as each decision is arrived upon. Details are below; it's going to be a lot of fun! See you there if you're interested.
Hey, folks. If anyone is interested in playing Rise of the Runelords, I'm hosting a "Let's Play" for that AP right here on the Paizo forums. It's NOT any kind of play-by-post game that you've played before; it's a game that we can all play - the whole community - in the collective style of a "Let's Play." Everyone is welcome to join and contribute. Details are below; it's going to be a lot of fun! See you there if you're interested.
Hey, folks. So - if you're reading this thread for the first time and the game is already underway, you are absolutely free to hop over to the discussion thread and begin contributing right now; anyone can join this game at any time. We're always in "recruitment." For all the rest of us... here's the idea. What if we all sit down and have ourselves a Rise of the Runelords: Anniversary Edition "Let's Play?" For those of you not familiar with the Let's Play phenomenon: basically one "host" will run a game that a large crowd of participants can have impact over. Or, in this case, full (albiet collective) hive-mind autonomy over. We'll build one party of four adventurers. Anyone who can post can play - but not by adding their own character to the party. Instead, players (that's you) will discuss and vote on actions that the characters should take over in the discussion thread, and the host (that's me) will execute those actions a couple times each day in the gameplay thread. No one player will control any one character; instead, everyone will vote or deliberate together on the actions that the party should take. The host (me, again) will thereafter simply execute those actions in the gameplay thread (round-by-round, turn-by-turn, or scene-by-scene, as appropriate), based on the popularity of voted-in actions. Then, you (the players) will begin discussing, voting, and deliberating again on what actions to take next, in response. The game will never end because this-or-that player quits, disappears, or gets bored. The GM (me) only has to post a couple times a day, whenever he (I) has the time, and never has to wait for players or chase errant participants down. We, as a community, could actually complete a play-by-post campaign, start to finish. Shock! Awe! Dedicated players can see the whole campaign through, and casual participants can come and go as they please. Interested parties in our little experiment can simply spectate, if they choose - everyone will be welcome in the discussion thread, always. I figure we can build the party right here in the discussion thread. Here are my parameters: + Rise of the Runelords characters begin at 1st level.
Disclaimer:
Yes, I'm the founder and lead developer for Abandoned Arts (a medium-sized third-party publisher). No, third-party content (including ours) isn't available; not everyone enjoys it, or has equal access to it. As for gameplay and hosting conventions, here are my thoughts for campaign rules as a whole: + No real houserules; we'll run a nice, simple RAW/RAI game.
If all of the above sounds good to you, then lets play some Rise of the Runelords. We can build the party right here in the recruitment thread. I strongly suggest that we take it one character at a time, and one aspect at a time (a class, or a race, or a role, or a party theme, or a roleplaying concept; however you folks choose to go about it). You can talk, vote, conceptualize, and strategize. You can start with a race/class suggestion, or a concept/backstory combo, or a full build. However you take it, I'll start "locking in" ideas as votes for this-or-that aspect of each character start adding up and opinions start trickling in... and - little-by-little - we'll build a party. Anyone on board? Anyone interested? If so; let's play a "let's play" of the Rise of the Runelords: Anniversary Edition. Get started!
A quick question: My name is Daron, and I'm a third-party publisher working under the trade name Abandoned Arts. Further, Abandoned Arts is only an imprint of Fat Goblin Games, and I currently publish only PDF products - no print yet. Abandoned Arts is not my day job or a full-time job, and contributes only marginally to my income. I am wondering if an item submitted by me will qualify, because I technically work in the industry. I've already seen at least four or five items more than once while voting, and I'm not even a Star Voter yet. I'm just wondering if I haven't seen my own item by now because it was disqualified! Thanks in advance, Daron Woodson
Here we go! Your guild has 6 PRESTIGE and 2 REPUTATION. Your guild could also use a name. Read up on the rules in the Campaign Info tab or the Discussion Thread tab and let's talk guild names and adventurer recruitment.
Okay, folks. Here we go. Some basic rules - enough to understand what the characters you create in the Gameplay thread can actually do, once we get a look at them. Read on, then check out the gameplay thread. the Guild:
Adventurers come and go, but the guild is forever. The players will draft and maintain a stable of adventurers, sign questing contracts and undertake dangerous assignments for wealthy clients, and build upon and upgrade the guildhall to improve profits and keep adventuring members safe. Your guild also maintains a quest log – tasks put forth by wealthy clients. Each completed quest yields Prestige and Resources for the guild, and surviving adventurers are entitled to any spoils looted from the field by right of conquest. Back at the guildhall, adventurers can spend their hard-earned gold on training to improve their skills. Players can upgrade the guildhall between adventures, and expand the quest log by soliciting business (if they find themselves running out of things to do). Each action that the guild takes requires the expenditure of Prestige and Resources. The actions that a guild can take – and their respective costs – are as follows: > Recruit an Adventurer: 2 PRESTIGE > Resupply All Adventurers: 1 RESOURCE > Solicit Business: 1 RESOURCE For the purposes of this beta play-through, the upgrades available for a guild to purchase are: > Construct and Dedicate a Shrine (allows more variety in divine classes): 1 PRESTIGE, 5 RESOURCES > Construct or Expand a Vault (20 item slots): 8 RESOURCES > Construct a Training Hall (adventurers begin with extra skills): 18 RESOURCES > Construct a Workshop (adventurers can resupply for free): 12 RESOURCES > Construct an Armory (adventurers can repair damage gear more efficiently): 15 RESOURCES > Construct an Outfitter’s Office (for packmules and wagons): 15 RESOURCES > Construct a Great Hall (reduces the PRESTIGE cost to recruit adventurers to 1): 20 RESOURCES > Construct a Tavern (adventurers recover morale more quickly): 8 RESOURCES > Construct an Infirmary (adventurers recover from injuries more quickly): 18 RESOURCES > Construct a Secret Lair (allows conflicting shrines in the same guildhall): 10 RESOURCES Recruiting Adventurers:
Once the Prestige cost to do so has been paid, recruiting adventurers is as simple as choosing a race, a class, and a small handful of skill ranks. Optionally, characters may choose a faith as well, although this choice matters little if the character is not pious. Piety is a skill that any character may invest in, and allows a character to invest skill ranks in other skills relevant to the deity that the character worships. Divine character classes are the exception to the rule: a member of a divine character class (like paladin or priest) must choose a faith, and always begins with 1 free rank in the Piety skill. A divine character’s faith has an effect on how many of his or her skills work.
Races & Classes:
beta-ready Classes include: the Archer the Assassin the Berserker the Druid the Gunslinger the Paladin the Phantasmist the Priest the Rogue the Sorcerer the Warrior the Witchdoctor beta-ready Races include:
Detailed information on any given race and class will be made available as such information becomes relevant. Action Points:
Characters move, attack, cast spells, and perform other actions by expending Action Points (AP) from a pool which is refreshed at the start of each round. Some skills and abilities require a character to invest AP rather than expend them. Invested AP are not refunded at the start of each round; instead, they remain invested in the relevant skill or ability until such a time as they can be divested (un-invested from the skill). Generally, a skill that requires the expenditure of AP produces an instantaneous effect, while the effects of an invested skill persist so long as the requisite number of AP are invested in it. The size of an adventurer’s AP pool is a factor of both his or her race and class. Faster, more nimble races generally gain more AP than do members of slower species. Similarly, action-oriented classes like the warrior or rogue receive more AP than do priests or sorcerers. These variances are fairly minor, however; AP pools will vary in size from only 8 to 12 points. Health & Morale:
As with AP, Health is a factor of race and class. Injuries reduce Health – and when Health hits 0, the injured character is killed. Morale operates on a similar mechanic, but Morale is a static value. Each character begins with a Morale value of 10, regardless of race or class. When Morale reaches 0, the demoralized character has become so crazed or fearful that it becomes an NPC, and typically refuses to take further actions. Attributes:
Each character possesses a rank in each of five attributes: Strength, Agility, Endurance, Mobility, and Wisdom. In addition, each character may possess any number of skills. Attributes are fundamentally static; they generally do not increase after character creation. While attributes are largely a factor of race, a character’s class may also play a role in determining their rank. Apart from rank, attributes have two characteristics: checks and values. An attribute check is rolled when a character actively attempts some relevant action or feat, while an attribute value is often the “target” number or measuring stick against which actions are attempted when an outside force (like a creature or a spell) interacts with the character. When an attribute check is called for, a character rolls a number of dice equal to its attribute rank plus two. An attribute value is equal to a character’s attribute rank plus ten. Some “benchmark” attribute ranks are described below: Strength
Agility
Endurance
Mobility
Wisdom
Moving & the Field of Play:
As with any action, moving costs AP. The number of AP required to take a move action depends on a character’s race, and the type of armor that the character wears. An unarmored character spends 2 AP to move, although members of some slower races, like dwarves, might pay slightly higher AP costs when moving. Movement in AdventureCrawl is abstract; there’s no map or “grid” to keep track of. Instead, each area of a dungeon or adventure site is divided into zones, and characters spend AP to move between those zones. For example, a small graveyard might be divided by the northern and southern zones of the yard itself, with a third zone representing a gated courtyard between the two. Characters may also move within a zone, engaging in (and withdrawing from) melee with one another, or moving to interact with the features of that zone; features like doors, traps, shrines, chests, and so on. Engaging an opponent in melee means attempting a Mobility check against that character’s Mobility Value. If your check succeeds, you’ve chased your opponent down and engaged it. A character already engaged in melee with one or more opponents may not oppose your attempt to engage – no check is required in that case (although you are still required to spend AP to move, as usual). Withdrawing from melee is just as simple – a successful Mobility check against the Mobility Value of each opponent in melee with you enables you to withdraw from the scuffle. If your check fails to exceed the Mobility Value of any opponent engaged with you, however, your attempt fails. Additionally, many creatures may choose not to oppose certain kinds of movement. Ogres want you to engage them in melee – a Mobility check is required only to withdraw from melee with them. Similarly, fragile opponents may prefer to fight with spells or ranged weapons, opposing only checks made to engage them, but not to withdraw. This sort of “preference” varies from creature to creature. Opposed or unopposed, succeed or fail, a character must always expend the appropriate amount of AP to attempt a move action. Weapons & Attacks:
Attacking requires the expenditure of AP, and the AP cost of a weapon attack is a factor of the weapon itself. Lighter weapons require less AP to use, while heavier weapons require more. In addition to AP costs, weapons possess three other major properties: type, Hit Value, and Attack Dice. A weapon’s type describes the number of hands required to wield it, and the sort of damage it deals (crushing, piercing, or slashing). A weapon’s Attack Dice value indicates the number of dice rolled when attacking, while the Hit Value indicates the number that each die will need to roll during an attack check in order to contribute to the success of the attack. Each die scoring at least this value is a “hit.” Once an attack check is rolled, the value of each hit is totaled, and compared to the target’s Endurance Value. If the hit total equals or exceed the target’s Endurance Value, it receives an injury for each hit-scoring die rolled. If it does not, the target receives a “bruise” for each hit-scoring die, instead. The success of an attack roll is governed by one additional factor. Any attack check that results in at least one result of “1” on any die is in danger of missing the target altogether. The hit total for any such attack roll is first compared to the target’s Agility Value. If the hit total does not equal or exceed the target’s Agility value, the attack simply misses, regardless of how many hits were rolled. Similarly, any attack that does not score at least one hit simply fails to connect. Switching handed items requires an expenditure of AP equal to the AP cost of the character’s move action, accounting for armor. Injuries & Bruises:
Each injury reduces a character’s Health by 1, while each bruise simply lowers the character’s Endurance Value by 1, diminishing further resistance to injury. Armor & Shields:
Armor determines the Hit Values for the wearer’s movement rolls, provides a flat bonus to the wearer’s Endurance Value, and protects the wearer entirely from attacks whose hits total less than the bonus provided. For example, armor that provides an Endurance Value bonus of +8 protects the wearer from attacks whose hits total 7 or less. Shields are more similar to weapons than to armors. Like weapons, shield have AP Costs and Hit Values, and must be activated with AP before they can be of use in any given round. When a shield is activated, the player rolls a number of dice equal to the shield’s AP Cost, and invests one of those AP into the shield for every hit scored on the roll. While the shield is active, injuries and bruises are discarded from the shielded character’s shield-invested AP instead of from his or her Health or Endurance values, as usual. In order to block the damage from an attack, there must be enough AP invested in the shield to block all of the injuries. Injuries too severe to be absorbed by the shield entirely may not be partially absorbed, instead. Inventory & Equipment:
Armor, weapons, and magical objects are equipped to appropriate “body slots,” just like they are in traditional tabletop games and RPGs of all stripes. Inventory management, however, is handled a little differently. Carried items need to go somewhere – a backpack, a belt loop, or even a pocket. Characters possess “inventory slots” of various sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. A backpack might offer four Large slots, while a pocket offers only one Small slot. When a character runs out of space – he or she will have to carry what he can in his or her hands. After that – it’s time to drop some stuff. “Expendable” items have their own unique mechanics, too. Some of the most mundane expendables – like arrows – actually aren’t tracked at all. Others, like potions, magical ammunition, and the like, use a unique “quantity” mechanic. Such items have a Quantity Value and a Die Pool. Whenever a character uses such an item, all dice in the item’s Die Pool are rolled. If the total of the roll is equal to or greater than the items’ Quantity Value, then the item has lost quantity – reduce the number of dice in the Die Pool by 1. When an item’s Die Pool reaches 0 dice – it’s gone. It’ll have to be replaced (restored to its original Die Pool) back at the guildhall. Adventures & Dungeon Exploration: Dungeons are laid out like flow-charts, not maps. Moving from one area to another is as simple as following the “arrows” on a flowchart. When the Health and resources run low, it’s time to make camp until the next day – but the dungeon gains strength and may unmake some of your progress while you’re snoozing. For this reason, it’s a good idea to get as much done in any given day as you can.
Hi, folks. So I'm floating an idea that I've kicked around at least once before... an "early beta" playtest of sorts for a rather involved and totally-free inDev PDF game... almost more of a free-to-share idea than anything else. If you're a fan of roguelikes or forum play-by-post games (even if only theoretically), see here. Basically, it's a forum game that EVERYONE can play together - the entire forums, in theory - that works on the principle of drawing PC actions from a pool of player suggestions. Check it out? Thanks in advance for your interest, Daron Woodson
Hi, folks. Daron here, for Abandoned Arts. I'm re-visiting a relatively new idea which I've floated once before... an "early beta" playtest of sorts for a rather involved and totally-free inDev PDF game... almost more of a free-to-share idea than anything else. If you're a fan of roguelikes or forum play-by-post games (even if only theoretically), see here. Basically, it's a forum game that EVERYONE can play together - the entire forums, in theory - that works on the principle of drawing PC actions from a pool of player suggestions. Check it out? Thanks in advance for your interest, Daron Woodson
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Humanoids, and assorted non-humanoid forum members! Abandoned Arts, here, with a crazy idea. Before I get into the details, though, two things: 1.) THIS IS NOT A GAME OF PATHFINDER. This is something else ENTIRELY. 2.) This is a game that EVERYONE can play. (Sort of.) There is NO LIMIT to how many players can participate in this game. If you just found this thread, and the game is already well underway - just read on, and jump in! EVERYONE CAN PLAY THIS GAME, and it's NEVER too late to join. Okay. Sorry about that. I've tried this once before, and those two points were notoriously unclear. For those reasons and others, interest eventually fizzled out. This time around, I've been more clear about (and had more time to develop) a ruleset. Fingers crossed. This thread will serve as an introduction-and-interest-check in a completely new kind of Play-by-Post game designed from the ground up specifically for play-by-post gameplay. For now, we'll call it - uh - AdventureCrawl! That's a working title, actually. Neither that name or any of the mechanics or ideas that you're about to read have been copyrighted at this time, so everything is subject to change (and I'm hesitant to post full rules test, and so forth). Eventually, the-product-currently-known-as-AdventureCrawl will see the light of day as a published PDF product (under a different name). The mechanics are VERY much in development at this time, especially specific class and race mechanics. The core mechanics are fairly solid, however - solid enough that I feel up to showing them off to the Paizo community, here, while I bullsh-er... improvise many of the class and race mechanics (and other details) as we go. This'll give me a chance to do some playtesting, some showing off, and some interest-checking... all while entertaining the forums with a game that EVERYONE can play together. So. HERE'S HOW IT WILL WORK: Like I said, this is a game that EVERYONE can play. The entire forums can all play it together. How? By drawing "PC" actions from a pool of player submissions. I, your "GM," will choose from among any number of player-submitted actions, choices, and decisions, then communicate the results of those actions to you, the players. As actions are resolved, you the players, will discuss and submit the choice of a NEW set of actions in response to the results of your previous actions. Get it? Basically, the community of players will collectively discuss and submit ideas for what actions the PCs should take. I, the GM, will select those actions that seem to be the most popular and/or interesting. That way, no single PC will be controlled by any single player. Instead, EVERY PC is controlled by EVERY player, collectively. This has two primary advantages: 1.) A new player can join in at ANY time, by simply communicating his or her thoughts on what action(s) the PCs should take next. 2.) The game will NEVER die just because one player dropped out, or got bored. SO! What do we think, forums? Shall we play a game? If there's interest, I'll post some basic rules, and some basic info about character creation and game flow, so we can get started (a full write-up of the rules will have to wait until the-product-currently-known-as-AdventureCrawl sees publication).
Hi, folks. Daron here, for Abandoned Arts. I'm floating a new idea for a rather involved Play-by-Post game - a roguelike RPG actually designed for play on our very own forums. If you're a fan of roguelikes or forum play-by-post games (even if only theoretically), see here for details and share your opinion. This could be a lot of fun... Thanks in advance for your interest and input, Daron Woodson
Hi, folks. Daron here, for Abandoned Arts. I'm floating a new idea for a free PDF "product" of sorts - more of a free-to-share idea than anything else. If you're a fan of roguelikes or forum play-by-post games (even if only theoretically), see here for details and share your opinion. Thanks in advance for your interest and input, Daron Woodson
Hi! My name is Daron. If you don't know who I am: I'm the guy that writes this stuff. This thread isn't really about Abandoned Arts, though (but knowing that I represent an RPG publisher might shed some light on the "why" behind this strange little idea; read on). This thread should serve as an "interest check" with regards to exploring something a little different in terms of play-by-post games. Let's get this out of the way: this idea IS about a Play-by-Post Forum game, but it's NOT about the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or any other published RPG (or even about tabletop gaming in general... at least not directly). What I'm proposing is a unique and wholly NEW (and also free) game designed for playability right here on the forums. This would NOT be a "tabletop roleplaying game," but rather a "tactical, play-by-post, dungeon crawl RPG" (with heavy roguelike elements, for those of you familiar with the genre). It would have a strong emphasis on dungeon crawling, exploring, resource management, problem-solving, and - of course - tactical combat and monster-fighting. The game would be modeled more after a turn-based PC or console RPG, in that the emphasis is on gameplay, resource management, replay value, strategy, and combat... and also in that the GM would behave more like a "computer script" than a "dungeon master." The reason for this is simple: this new (and completely free-for-everyone) Play-by-Post Forum game would not only serve you as a fun game to play (and to spectate on), but it would serve me, as a publisher, as an avenue with which to test some mechanics and ideas that I'm developing for a couple of projects down the road. The rules would be published right here on the forums (and in PDF form, for anyone who wants to run a game), and I myself would be hosting the games for groups of perhaps 1-3 players (each required to post at least once per day, etc). In terms of complexity, the game would be a fairly simple one by "tabletop RPG" standards - but not without depth... we are talking about a roguelike, after all. So! Would the forums be interested in a roguelike-inspired play-by-post game actually designed for play-by-post play right here on the Paizo forums? Sound good? Sound crazy? Looking forward to your thoughts. Daron Woodson
Assorted humanoids, A quick announcement: the Class Acts Compendium has (finally, and by popular request) been updated to include a single-file PDF containing all content printed in all thirty-eight Class Acts products. Naturally, the single-file product is bookmarked and hyperlinked for convenience and ease-of-use. If you've already purchased this product, be sure to re-download it for the handy single-file add-on. Even better news: I've reduced the price for this product to $29.99. This isn't a sale; it's simply a new price point. In short, this product just got cheaper and better. If the Class Acts Compendium has been sitting in your shopping cart, now's the time to click the "checkout" button. That's all! Enjoy. Daron Woodson
I'm collecting class names. I'll hit you with what I've got, and you'll see if you can add to it. Here are the rules. Fantasy / fantasy-steampunk genres only. Adventuring classes only (Necromancer yes, Blacksmith maybe, Commoner no). One-word class names only (hypenated names like Ur-Priest and compound names like Spellbinder are allowed). Random "nounverbs" (Firedancer, Earthspeaker) are allowed if they make sense or paint a fairly clear visual picture. Here's the list so far! Can you add to it? Abjurer
What's missing? Good luck, and remember the rules!
A scenario has developed in one of my home games. The party paladin held off a pack of trolls led by an evil wizard while the rest of the party escaped. The paladin succumbed to the wizard's charm monster spell long after the party escaped, but now the wizard wants to turn that charm into a dominate. Charm monster / charm person says that the paladin perceives the wizard's actions and words in the most favorable way, and the wizard has asked the paladin to open his mind to a spell (i.e. willingly fail a saving throw). My gut ruling is that the paladin, who would admittedly and willingly fail a save against any number of non-harmless spells (like sanctuary) if those spells were cast by a trusted friend will willingly fail the dominate save for his good and trusted friend the wizard, too. Would you impose the "Charisma check to get a creature to do something it would not normally do" rule to get the paladin to accept a spell from the wizard, or would the charmed paladin trust his new "close friend and ally" to cast a spell on him, if asked?
Dearest Humanoids, Daron here, founder and lead designer for Abandoned Arts. Recently, I've obtained a copy of the 666-page brick that is Rappan Athuk, the Dungeon of Graves. I am, of course, speaking of the latest version of the storied dungeon, by Frog God Games. After pouring through the wilderness areas and the first few levels (and related areas), my home group of four doomed players has signed on to give the module a playthrough... and this thread will serve as an online campaign-journal-and-obituary-file. Needless to say: spoilers ahead! We've got one session under our belt at this point, and our group meets once a week, so updates will be no more frequent than that. If you've played, run, or enjoyed Rappan Athuk in any of it's incarnations, kick back and be entertained by the misadventures of my home group (who, despite being a seasoned group of gamers eager for the challenge that such a notoriously difficult module must have to offer, has never played or even heard of Rappan Athuk before). Feel free to stop in, rub your hands together in mean-spirited glee, and remark about or delight in my party's exploits - but please avoid discussing spoilers about future events, encounters, floors, and NPCs here. My players are welcome in this thread, and I'd like to avoid spoiling anything. Thanks! I should note that I'll be making a very few tweaks to the module here and there, to suit my playstyle (adding an archetype here or there, for example). By and large, I'm running the module as-is (and I'll be noting exceptions as I go). The first and most significant change is that I've set the dungeon in Golarion. Rappan Athuk is located in Mendev, between the Lake of Mists and Veils and the outskirts of the Estrovian Forest, far from the Worldwound. Some of the names have changed, for example the Forest of Hope is now the Estrovian Forest Outskirts and the Sea Coast Road is now the Lackthroat Road (which runs all the way down to the village of Lackthroat, in Numeria - and, more importantly - on to the Mendevian metropolis of Nerosyan). I've also revised the Legend of Rappan Athuk to reflect these minor geographical changes. To date we've had only one session, a summary of which will follow this post (after a quick introduction to the characters and a brief revision of the Legend of Rappan Athuk, as adapted for use in Golarion). Enjoy! Daron Woodson
Two things: I have been made to understand that there is a Rappan Athuk player's guide out there somewhere? Where might I find such a product, and is it (like most player's guides) free? Also, and this is important: how screwed is a party going into Rappan Athuk without trapfinding (assuming other roles are covered)? My players are currently character-building, and it looks like nobody is running a trapfinder. They're... concerned. Anyhow, I'm preparing to run this module in a couple weeks time. Thanks Frog God Games! My player's won't be thanking you so much as cursing you, but... you know. Daron Woodson
Dearest Humanoids, Abandoned Arts has flagship products on the shelves for a major new product line. Check out Amazing Races: Humans! and Amazing Races: Goblins! for just under a dollar. The Amazing Races product line will expand on the options made available to each core, "featured," and "uncommon" race in the Advanced Race Guide. Next week, expect to see content for kobolds and gillmen! Also, we've bundled the first 20 More Feats! products. The bundle is available exclusively through the d20PFSRD shop, right here. If you missed 'em, Feats of Alchemy, Feats of Courage, Feats of Dexterity, and Feats of Style rounded out the first twenty volumes. In other news, our first base class (the engineer) grows closer to completion every day! Keep an eye out, and game on. Daron Woodson
I'd like to open something for discussion: are there any silly, counter-intuitive, or just plain bland rulesets that you'd like to see reworked? Something you'd be interested in if, say, a third-party product or amateur "fix" came along to address the rule. *wink* I know the Craft rules get a lot of flack, but I'll give you another example: The sundering / damaging objects rules. It is entirely possible (very easy, even) to sunder a worn headband or circlet (with a large axe or hammer, even) without harming the wearer. It is also harder to sunder a longbow with a dagger (or a sturdy pair of scissors; snip!) than it is with a flail. Corner-cases? Probably! But if you had the chance to decide which rules got a little extra love, what rulesets would you single out as "wonky?" Daron Woodson
Hi, folks! By popular demand, the Class Acts product line has been bundled into a single package. Check it out, and complete your collection! In about two weeks, the first twenty products in the More Feats! product line will be bundled and available for sale at the d20store, so keep an eye out for that, too. Daron Woodson
Dearest Humanoids, Abandoned Arts is back - and back on track for a weekly release schedule. This week, check out Feats of Horsemanship and Feats of Witchcraft! Once the More Feats! product line reaches a product count of twenty (in two weeks), we'll be bundling the whole affair and introducing a racial counterpart to the Class Acts product line called Amazing Races! In the meantime, development continues on a couple of new base classes (the first of at least half a dozen planned). Stay tuned! Daron Woodson
After an impromptu, er, hiatus (e.g. real life took the founder-and-lead-designer out behind the woodshed!), Abandoned Arts is back on track for a weekly release schedule, just as before. First and foremost, I want everyone to know that we're releasing again starting this Friday! The More Feats! product line has six more releases before the first twenty items get bundled. In the meantime, we're working on some new product lines (as hinted at in our last giveaway), including a pair of brand-new base classes (the engineer and the royal) and a product line called Amazing Races (a racial counterpart to the Class Acts product line). Stay tuned, and catch the latest installment of our More Feats! product line this Friday. This week: Feats of Horsemanship and Feats of Witchcraft. Next week: Feats of Alchemy and Feats of Style (new style feats!). It's good to be back, and I'm stoked to get back to work on the upcoming base class releases currently in development. Keep an eye on us! Daron Woodson
Dearest Humanoids, Happy New Year! Abandoned Arts is looking to break away from our baseline products in the coming months, in order to walk some less commonly-travelled roads. In order to do a little crowdsourcing, expand our fanbase, and say "thank you" to our existing fans, we're starting the year with a free PDF giveaway! To claim your free Abandoned Arts PDF (limit one per person!), you must have a forum account which predates this thread, and you must post in this thread. Your post must name the PDF from the following list that you'd like to receive, and your post must also include one of the following two things:
The free PDFs available for giveaway are: Class Acts: Fighters
As with our last giveaway, thread management and the giveaway itself will be handled by me, and by Abandoned Arts' administrative demigoddess Tyg-Titter-Tut. If you have any questions: ask away, or drop us a line! Once your post contribution and your free PDF request has been posted, give our staff (and Liz) a few business days to get your free PDF out to you. This two-week promotion will continue until January 18th, 2013. Come on in, share your ideas, collect your booty, and tell a friend! Enjoy, Daron Woodson
A curious question: Has anyone seen a submission yet with a word count of exactly 300 words? I've sifted through quite a few items, and have yet to see a one. Anyone?
Hi! I've got a (hopefully) easy question for Mr. Reynolds (or whomever it may concern) about the eligibility rules. My name is Daron, and in previous years I've always participated in the RPG Superstar competition. Earlier this year, though, I began releasing PFRPG-compatible PDFs under the name Abandoned Arts. My question is in regards to my own eligibility. The contest rules state: 1. The contest is open to the general public, with the following exceptions: Employees of Paizo Publishing, their immediate family members, and persons with whom such employees are domiciled are ineligible. Anyone who has been employed full-time as a designer for a game company is ineligible. Anyone with a cover credit on a hardcover RPG book is ineligible. Designers who have cover credits on print editions of Paizo's Pathfinder products are ineligible. The top eight finalists of all previous RPG Superstar contests are ineligible. Contestants must provide their real names on their paizo.com accounts. Legal identification must be produced on request. Emphasis mine. Although I will likely register Abandoned Arts as a small business in the not-too-distant future, Abandoned Arts is, at present, an entirely unincorporated, non-LLC trade name - simply a name under which I produce and sell PDFs. It is in no formal or legal way a "company" as of the time of this writing. Furthermore, if it were, I would not - strictly and literally speaking - be "employed" by Abandoned Arts. My question, then, as you have no doubt guessed, is: "am I eligible?" It seems that I am, but if the spirit of the rule is intended to keep "established" designers ineligible, I'd understand. Thanks in advance! Daron Woodson
Whew! The Abandoned Arts "home office" has just finished an exhausting move, so this notification comes a bit late, but... We've got new Class Acts products up on the webstore for your perusal. Those of you waiting for Abandoned Arts to cover the cavalier need wait no longer! Unfortunately, this Friday's releases must be delayed, but we'll be back in the swing of things on December 7th (and probably with a new giveaway)! Daron Woodson
Now available!
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Hi again, superfans. It's Friday again, and new releases are up: Class Acts: Bards
Enjoy! Daron Woodson
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