ZomB's page

Once you get PCs with dream message or sending this AP likely becomes a whole lot easier.

Ah, so this is how the Irespan was built, and the Storval stairs.

I expect seriously large castles and designer dwellings are built this way - or at least start out with this as foundation.

Of note will this spell work underwater? It seems like RAW it shouldn't due to there being no "Room" as the space is already filled with water?

If it can displace water, then humans and other creatures have a similar density, and it becomes, erm, a game changer ;-) So probably best to err on the side of not allowing it to displace anything with bulk when unshrinking.

With Calm Emotions as long as you don't harm the creature who's affected it continues to work? So harming it's allies is ok correct, or?

Yes but if one if their allies is in reach and realises what is happening then their ally can use their last attack to punch some sense into them and as its at -10 likely miss or do minimal non lethal damage.

As its a burst it seems generally solid, though incapacitation trait means it needs to be your highest level spell.

Would anyone consider Confusion a decent save or suck? It could last 1 round or if your lucky 2-3.

You are giving up a turn so one opponent might give up a turn, and might attack one of your team anyway. I would only do it when the only folks the target can move to and attack are its allies.

The Pathbuilder 2 android app and the pf2.easytool.es website (and pf2.easytool.es/sheets and pf2.easytool.es/tree) seem to be the main ones mentioned previously in this forum.

Also try searching on the pathfinder2e reddit. There are several character sheets and character sheet apps popping up.

In the magic section under transmutation, polymorph: "other spells that change your size have no effect on you while you are under the effects of a polymorph spell"

Polymorph general rules:

"You can only be affected by one polymorph spell at a time. If a new polymorph spell is cast on you (or you activate a polymorph effect, such as wild shape), you can decide whether or not to allow it to affect you, taking the place of the old spell.

In addition, other spells that change your size have no effect on you while you are under the effects of a polymorph spell."

Also see this recent rules thread where these rules and amazing tools of manufacture is discussed.

Armillary amulet gives a +5 spellcraft - from one of the paizo modules.

You can double speed craft by taking +5 to the dc as per standard magic item crafting rules. So this would help where you also dont meet one or two of the prereqs.

Valet familiar lets you double your crafting speed again.

So you can craft 4k price worth a day while not meeting one or two prereqs and taking ten.

There was a recent rules thread exploring maximum crafting speed

Heh, the idea of having unique spells in core could be funny.

It's not snapdragon fireworks it's Sam's pseudodragon swarm

It's not create pit it's Ollie's Obulette.

Who's going to (in game) argue.

Good idea. "I will let you copy this unique spell providing you refer to it as Neldeth's Vanishing Act to spread my reputation".

See The 100-gold leopard problem and Battle Cattle for earlier discussions of this issue.

The building is also painfully hot so it wont want to walk on the stone floor with its bare feet and if not carried will be dancing about uncomfortably and trying to find cooler footing. It will likely be in heat distress unless under an Endure Elements spell. There are dead bodies just outside the door and in the armory which are going to be distracting scent wise, not to mention the PCs own strong sweat. There is a lot of stuff for an animal to be upset about here.

I know I played at least one scenario in which you are trying to get a centaur to represent the society in the ruby Phoenix tournament. What scenarios are those?

The Kortos Envoy

And I've played one 7-11 in which there was something to do with sine words of power or something concerning a rune lord? What are those scenarios?

The Refuge of Time

In the same arc but not 100% necessary:
Cultists Kiss (strongly recommended)
Feast of Sigils (only for completists)

Kelly Youngblood wrote:

Mackenzie Kavanaugh wrote:

I understand being upset about rollplayers picking deities and not even investigating the tenets of that religion, but what exactly is stopping anyone from playing a paladin of Ragathiel in Core?

Paladins in PFS require a legal deity within one step of LG.

Only the core 20 deities are legal in core, as the rest come from other sources.

That's a rather extremist interpretation, especially since deity has absolutely no mechanical effect for paladins

This has already been clarified by Mike Brock as only allowing the 20 core deities for clerics and paladins

and claiming that background-only choices can only be made based on the Core book and PFS Guide would mean that the only nations a person could come from are Absalom, Andoran, Cheliax, Osirion, Qadira, Taldor, and Thuvia. Even Numeria is never referenced as an actual nation, and I can't find a single mention of Varisia anywhere in the book. But hey, sure, why not throw out all the lore as well as the mechanics, and people are no longer allowed to name the city they're from unless it's Absalom or Oppara.

This has already been clarified by Mike Brock's post on background as allowed as long as no mechanical benefit

A Hargur monologue to set the scene for the trip from Okeno to the Fort.

Anything that I've seen with drugs in play has basically painted them as bad/problematic. I see that as a public service announcement. Are there scenarios that "promote" drug use?

Performance enhancing drugs are common and encouraged in RPGs, albeit labelled as magical potions, e.g. Potion of Bear's Endurance.

I am working on a mission completion letter to print on the back of the chronicle sheets as a permanent reminder of the scenario. This is in the style of the mission completion letter for Wounded Wisp.

Are there any suggestions on improvements to the following or anything I missed?

I think the only thing the randomization adds to it is that a player cannot carry knowledge over from a previous run through.

On the random ambush party stats:

1) Is the intention that every 3rd party does not have a healing PC, or should that be a D2 rather than a D3?

2) The brute's to hit is not listed, it should be +6.

3) I note that the brute does +12 damage when raging and power attacking - rolling high damage or a critical is one hit one kill against first level PCs - so possibly not to be used on an all new player table and also used with care against an all level one party.

4) The Evoker has a bonded item and no spell book listed. So the other 3 spells in his spellbook are at GM discretion. I guess we pick area affect spells like Color Spray with great care. I note a short first level spell book would be a nice find for a low level wizard - so it is a shame it isn't listed in his gear.

5) Touched to hit: should this be +0, not +1?

On the handouts: My thought when I first saw these as a player was ugh, tiny scratchy font, and no paragraph spacing, making it very hard to scan.

I am running this several times later this month, so I decided to do something about it.

I have reformatted the first two and final handouts onto a full page each with larger easier to read font, paragraph spacing and bolded names, to make it easier to read and pick out pertinent information (but no change of content). There will be multiple copies for the table, each on a different hue of paper.

On the final VC handout I am considering printing these (reformatted full page) on the back of the chronicle sheets, as this then serves as a permanent reminder of what was achieved in the scenario.

I like Thurston's suggestion of Fimbrik's illusion delivering the message, so will be ready to do that if the circumstances warrant it, or just have the (reformatted) handout ready.

GM Prep Checklist (from the GM shared prep site):

Getting started
1. Print out scenario text pages, and put in a lightweight binder.
2. Highlight all skill checks in scenario text (I just put circles around all skill DCs)
3. Highlight all faction mission notes in scenario text (I highlight all faction names in pink)
4. Highlight in a different color all notable scenario text, plus reference information such as terrain, ceiling height, light level.
5. Check if there is anything in the Google Docs GM shared prep area that you can use
6. Review the GM thread on the Paizo boards for any gotchas or guidance
7. Using Combat Manager/PRD/PFSRD - Save and print out all stat blocks that are not fully listed in the scenario

Encounters
1. Lookup all monster special abilities and traits. Make notes and print out any large text blocks you need.
2. Highlight all key features of creatures and make notes for things you may miss. For example note power attack bonuses next to attacks, and flag other combat manoeuvres such as step up or lunge. Note defensive abilities and items prominently next to defensive stats, such as DR, SR, ring of Force Shield, ring of Counterspells.
3. Review tactics and work out what you will do and what you need to know for round one.
4. Note any items they have that affects combat.
5. Lookup all feats you aren’t sure of.
6. Lookup all abilities/spells you aren’t sure of and make notes. Noting in short: range, radius, effect, non-std casting time
7. Note any build errors you find and work out what you will do about them. For example an NPC has a feat he doesn’t qualify for or the tactics mention a spell that can’t be used. (Assume if you don’t find any build errors that you missed them. It is nigh impossible to create multiple NPC characters without making mistakes, especially higher level ones.)
8. Note any environment conditions that affect the encounter: obstacles, terrain, lighting, ceiling height, etc.
9. Once you have reviewed the above and know the constraints you are working under then work out what leeway you have to make the encounter more intelligent, fun, harder, softer.
10. If any elements are new to you or it looks too weak or too deadly then do a dummy run of round one of combat to look for issues or options.
11. Think about any PC abilities or PC types that might sideline an encounter, eg. Sleep Hex.

Story and RP
1. Read entire scenario to identify story elements, any potential holes, any stall points or any story thread weaving required. Note any elements that need to be brought out or hinted at.
2. Identify every NPC and give them a basic personality, typically by aligning them to someone you know either from real life or fiction. Though it may be bad form to base it on someone actually sitting at the table ;-)
3. Read every faction mission and work out where and how to surface it in the scenario and any potential issues with it.
4. Try and spot any assumptions that might break the story if they don’t come true and how to work around them. For example does any outcome depend on encounters being resolved the traditional way rather than via enchantment spells or social skills.

Admin
1. Print 3 copies of faction missions and any handouts, cut out and file
2. Print out 6 chronicle sheets per session planned plus one for GM credit.
3. Print out reporting/tracking sheet if required.
4. Create event/scenario on Paizo or get event number from coordinator
5. Create and print out sign-up sheet where required for that particular convention
6. Pre-fill chronicle sheets with event name, event ID and GM ID to save table time
7. Print out images from the scenario for scene setting (using print screen and Paint.Net).
8. Complete any enemy spellbook spell lists and print off as handouts
9. If it is to be run in a short slot, prepare a handout of mission goals and key NPC names.
10. Identify any flip mats or alternative maps you can use (and any you want to buy)
11. Print or pre-draw any complex maps or key parts of maps
12. Identify the minis required and find them. Find proxies or print paper tokens for any you don’t have.
13. Charge up your tablet/phone (take your charger to the con)
14. Copy anything you need to your tablet/phone

Beyond the scenario (extra mile)
1. Read the wiki for all locations and people listed in the module
2. Print/upload to tablet any scene setting images from the wiki/blog
3. Identify any scenery or props you could use to add some depth and fun. Particularly where it is necessary to identify who is carrying a particular item. For example an important key, scroll, wayfinder or other scenario maguffin.
4. Print and fill out initiative cards for all creatures (location, subtier, number, name, init, AC, HP)
5. Print blank initiative cards for PCs (fields: name, level, classes, HP, AC, Perception, specials)
6. Contribute to the GM thread any errors, concerns, questions, or notable table points that came up.
7. Upload any useful stuff you created to the GM shared prep area
8. Write a review of the scenario. Do this before you run it as it forces you to think through the scenarios strengths and weaknesses. Then update after you run it. This is the primary way you can influence authors to write the kind of scenarios you want to run or play. Be constructive and use spoiler tags.

Also remember you cannot use it both as a light source and for a resonant power as slotting a stone inhibits a standard wayfinder's normal powers. If you are using it for a light source then that means you have removed the stone.

What I am having difficulty with suspension of disbelief over is how a commoner with no particular skills was accepted into the pathfinder society, passed 3 years of pathfinder college, and then was selected to be a field agent.

Mine too! And I still have this idea in the back of my head that the girl from Black Waters should become a serial killer that hunts down Pathfinders. Just saying....

Nah. She abducts them,

Dylos wrote:

Belabras wrote:

Grappling.

There's a flowchart for that, it helps tons.

where?

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat bottom right.

My top three:
-That 7 player tables are allowed at all. 4-5 is the sweet spot. I am not keen on 6.
-Guns.
-Tech.

I use the free Masterwork Tools (Android) to look up rules/spells quickly and find it is very useful as both GM and player. I also use my tablet to show some scenario images, though prefer to have print outs for most things.

I use Herolab to generate my PCs but generally just have the print outs at the table. Though have noticed the relatively recent iPad Herolab interactive sheets look very useful.

Summary of Rahadoum's approach to the divine

You can annotate (write in the boxes and drop in signatures) using the free Foxit PDF reader on the scenario PDF, and then print the chron page to pdf writer. (You will probably wan to save an interim version with most things filled out and then fill in a variant for each PC.)

Or old school: print the chron, sign it, scan it, email.

Probably a few other ways.

This should be in the online play section.

Roleplaying is overpowered. Getting arbitrary bonuses based on real life social skills and intelligence rather than playing by the rules. Meta-gaming munchkins every one ;-)

The book is 99.9999% correct! That is one error in a million in a book that certainly has less than a million words and images. This is the first book that wont require errata and has zero typos - other than the logo. Wow. Excellent work. ;-)

Stabilize them on negative HP (not dead) or make them undead.
Turn them to stone.
Stick them in a bag of holding.
Stab the bag of holding.

PFSRD: If a bag of holding is overloaded, or if sharp objects pierce it (from inside or outside), the bag immediately ruptures and is ruined, and all contents are lost forever.

So hypothetically if you have the old boons that let you play a Tiefling then you can use them again? Though I guess I know what my ball of GM credit is becoming now.

I had stopped applying GM Credit at all. Now I will just use it to create 1XP GM credit babies so that I can use them much later to play a race that was in scope at the time I created it. That seems like a way to get good value from GM credit.

GMs please signup to run more Pathfinder at UK Games Expo. This is the best UK convention for getting new players into the hobby.

UK Games Expo is the biggest general gaming event in the UK. It had 3500 unique attendees last year in its first year at the bigger venue (almost 6000 attendee days over the weekend). It has 8 game slots from 10am Friday until 7pm Sunday with Friday games being free to enter.

Expo has probably the best GM rewards package of any convention with free entry and cash allowances for running any games and free accommodation for GMing 5 games.

The draft RPG schedule is up with many PFS and other Pathfinder games already on the list. Numbers are expected to more than double from the current draft schedule.

With a week to go and the GM schedule nearly finalized we now have 34 GMs signed up to run over 140 tables of PFS.

Draft schedule (Caveat Lector)

For reference it does cover spellcasters in the PFS guide. I had assumed there was a similar limitation for all hirelings.

"Please note that PCs may never purchase the traveling service of a spellcaster — in other words, a wizard from the local town is not, for any price, going to accompany the PCs on their mission into the nearby haunted castle."

If you voluntarily change sex via a cursed item, is it a "condition" that needs to be cleared before the end of the scenario?

Conception UK 2014 will have a huge PFS presence. With weeks yet to go we already have volunteer GMs signed up to run over 110 tables of PFS over 5 days. With something for everyone from beginners to those with level 11 PCs (and possibly beyond). We already have GMs planning to run at least 39 different adventures:

Every season 5 scenario so far released
The Glass River Rescue (level 1-5)
The Wardstone Patrol (level 3-7)
The Hellknight's Feast (level 5-9)
The Stolen Heir (level 1-5)
The Elven Entanglement (level 7-11)
You Have What You Hold (level 3-7)
Port Godless (level 5-9)
The Confirmation (level 1-2 replayable intro scenario)
The Traitor's Lodge (level 3-7)
Where Mammoths Dare Not Tread (level 7-11)
Library of the Lion (level 1-5)

Modules - 2 or 3 slots each
Murders Mark (level 1-2)
Thornkeep: Forgotten Laboratory (level 2-4)
The Dragons Demand part 1 (level 1-3)
The Dragons Demand part 2 (level 3-5)
Fangwood Keep (level 3-5)
Carrion Hill (level 4-6)

Previous seasons replayable intro scenarios
Master of the Fallen Fortress (level 1)
We Be Goblins! (level 1-2)
We Be Goblins Too! (level 2-4)

Previous seasons scenarios (level 1-5)
Murder on the Silken Caravan
Mists of Mwangi
Penumbral Accords
Throaty Mermaid
Shades of Ice part 1
Shades of Ice part 2
Echoes of the Overwatched
Quest For Perfection 1: The Edge Of Heaven
Quest For Perfection 2: On Hostile Waters
Quest For Perfection 3: Defenders of Nesting Swallow
The Icebound Outpost
Temple of Empyreal Enlightenment

Previous seasons scenarios (level 3-7)
The Midnight Mauler
Gods Market Gamble

Previous seasons scenarios (level 5-9)
Our Lady of Silver
Fortress of the Nail

Previous seasons scenarios (level 7-11)
Below the Silver Tarn
The Flesh Collector
Wrath of the Accursed

Expect the number of tables and scenarios available to rise as we get closer to the event. We ran over 120 tables last year and are already 20 ahead of last years GM sign ups at this point.

I'd remove spells with the evil descriptor just so that debate would finally go away.

Or simpler: remove good and evil descriptor from spells.

I would go further and remove alignment from PCs/pathfinders altogether.

1) The scenario says the Blackfire adepts set the BT trap. So it could be one of the adepts that already left.

1+2) Possibly its in her main spellbook sent ahead with the others or hidden elsewhere. The one in the scenario is her core or travelling spellbook - it is very light on lower level spells for a main spellbook.

Alternately just assume one of the other adepts cast it and keyed it to her. Sophini is not the leader of the adepts. She is a trusted lieutenant. EDIT: and trusted lieutenant amongst an evil sect might mean patsy!

4) I too was surprised the scenario didn't call this out as an evil act, or at least an unlawful one. I agree they would be wanted criminals as described in the scenario at this point and leaving Azir later would be tricky. I planned to at least record it on their chronicles as per my suggestion in the "GM timeline" item I uploaded to the GM prep area.

They would have to lie low or go in disguise or use proxies while prepping the raid and flee quickly afterwards.

This is the scenario that puts the murder hobo approach to bed.

I have an idea that might help approach this from a different direction.

Casters have children, same as everyone else. Their children have seen casting most everyday of their lives. We know in a Thorp at least 1 in 20 folk are casters. They may or may not be married to other casters, but around one in ten children have been around a caster all their lives.

These children are not going to be phased by casting.

One suspects perhaps that mummy cast cure light wounds whenever little Kyra scraped her knee (and on any of her friends) or that daddy cast mage armor on little Valeros when he went out to play with the big kids. And probably a ton of other stuff, including the magical parent being a major attraction at birthday parties.

Hmm, "Why cant you cast spells daddy?" has got to hurt.

The introduction to the Players Guide to Ptolus (free PDF download) written by D&D 3rd edition co-designer Monte Cook is how I envisioned Absalom was with its attitudes to magic.

If your PC pulls out a wand and points it at my PC and he has his bow on him, your PC is going to be shot with 5 arrows doing 1d8+19. Now tell me again, how stupid is your PC? Is he stupid enough to point a wand at my PC or his wizard finger? You PC is going to die before the last syllable escapes his lips

How do you know it is a wand rather than for example a pencil or just a stick? Unless you just cast detect magic yourself of course.

Aside: Hmm, there must be thousands of used empty wands in circulation, otherwise known as sticks. One suspects Golarion children play wizards and dragons with "wands" all the time. Hmm, ambushing someone while disguised as a child playing magic games, that has possibilities...

How do you know that someone pointing a finger is a wizard or that means he is casting a spell at you?

That's the reality of casting spells in public. Your PC gets killed. And my archer's initiative is +14, he will get your guy 90% of the time before your guy get to finish. And he doesn't give 2 bits about whether it was a healing spell, or a benign one. Your PC does it without my PCs permission, they are going into initiative.

Initiative doesn't work that way. Once casting has begun only a readied action could interrupt most spells.

If they are party members, that's one thing. Just two strangers at a social gathering, your PC is going to breathe his last.

So your PC kills anyone at a social gathering who talks and gesticulates at the same time? Does he get many invites? ;-)

Have an addiction to scorpion venom and keep an angry greensting scorpion or a familiar greensting scorpion to sting you constantly and give you the sickened condition (and voluntarily fail your saving throw).

Thread....too....heavy..../unsubscribe.

Yup. Organized play becoming more organized and less play. I have already cut back on it.

EDIT: found the huge cage cost 60gp

Heavy wagons are 100gp each
Yaks are 24gp each or 96gp per wagon
Oxen (castrated cattle) are 50gp each or 200gp per wagon

So cost of the 2 heavy wagons plus animals is 400gp-600gp plus 60gp for the cage

How have others handled these pack animals when the Bulette is around and with keeping them alive in other cinderlands encounters?

How have your PCs lifted several tons onto the back of a wagon?

GMs can also get a head start by checking out the GM shared prep area on Google docs. This typically contains useful prep within a week or so of a scenario being published. It already contains useful prep for all scenarios published up to now (eg Veterans Vault, Night March of Kalkamedes, Halls of Dwarven Lore, Words of the Ancients, Way of the Kirin).

The wand of Enfeeblement only lasts one round per charge (I wonder if the author was thinking of the 3.5 edition which lasts a minute per level?). Should the wand be a higher caster level to compensate?

Has anyone come up with a reasonable street address for Sascha's shop and the alley?

I am planning on using the Korvosa map from Curse of the Crimson Throne Players guide. It would be nice to point to the shop and the alley on the map, and not risk breaking anything.