ckobbe's page

ckobbe wrote:

[...] Your interpretation completely makes sense to me, and makes sense as the intent since both of the subsections reference formula books. Not trying to be argumentative, I just wish as written the access to the Alchemical Crafting feat was explicit instead of implied.

Don't look at the class. They are not giving the Alchemist's class features. They are giving the general archetypes benefits defined in page 174 of Player Core 2. And it IS explicit that it gives the feat, and it's the very first thing these "benefits" mentions.

Player Core 2 p174 wrote:

Alchemical Archetypes

Some archetypes give you the ability to use alchemy in a similar manner to an alchemist and say that you get the advanced alchemy benefits or Quick Alchemy benefits.

And:

Player Core 2 p174 wrote:

Advanced Alchemy Benefits: You gain the Alchemical Crafting feat (Player Core 252) if you don’t already have it. [...]

Player Core 2 p174 wrote:

Quick Alchemy Benefits: You gain the Alchemical Crafting feat (Player Core 252) if you don’t already have it. [...]

Thank you so much! I doubled checked the archetype rules in the Player Core 1, but completely forgot to follow up with the Player Core 2 section to see if anything had been added. You even mentioned it in your original post and I still missed it. Feeling like and idiot, but at least now I know lol! Thank you for your patience!

Samsaran

Healer Samsaran: past lives as healers: Medicine skill
Mountaineer Samsaran: past lives around cold weather mountain tops: cold resistance
Oracular Samsaran: past lives exploring spirituality: innate cantrip
Sanctuary Samsaran: past lives in Samsaran sanctuaries: fortune reroll on missed Recall Knowledge check
Wilderness Samsaran: past lives in wilderness and remote areas: Survival skill

Yaksha
All have additional required edicts based on their protection vows

Deny the Firstborn Pursuit: protect from cruel fey: mental resistance & bonus on Recall Knowledge for fey
Deny Lady Nanbyo's Charity: protect from natural disasters: bonus bulk and athletic check to Force Open and Escape
Deny the Traitors' Rebirth: protect from asuras and rakshasas: darkvision and Perception bonus
Respite of the Cloudless Path: protect the lost: environmental extremes lessened and bonus to saves vs environmental hazards
Respite of Loam and Leaf: protect form blight and pollution: primal cantrip and plant trait
Respite of a Thousand Roofs: protect and feed the poor: Crafting and Cooking Lore skill and Improved Tool feat

Your interpretation completely makes sense to me, and makes sense as the intent since both of the subsections reference formula books. Not trying...

Sorry for the double reply and quoting myself, unfortunately I came to the following conclusion after the edit period had expired.

So after rereading the Alchemist's Alchemy section and all three Dedications I realized the intent probably isnt to give any of the Dedications the Alchemical Crafting feat at all since it would allow the Dedications to craft any alchemical item. Each Dedication instead gives the ability to craft a narrow subset of alchemical items in the Dedication itself.

Wandering Chef allows Quick Alchemy to create "consumables, and the consumables must be alchemical food"

Herbalist allows Advanced Alchemy to create "alchemical consumables with the healing trait"

Poisoner allows Advanced Alchemy to create "alchemical poison consumables"

Alchemical food is a little wobbly since it isn't an actual game trait as far as I can tell, just a designation for certain items in the Tian Xia Character Guide, Treasure Vault, and Grand Bazaar. But at least they are all called out as alchemical foods in those books.

So after research and reflection, I think what the Dedications are actually missing is granting four level 1 or 2 formulas for items with the indicated traits and that's what I will run with going forward. That's a potential 8 gp savings for a 2nd level character whose average wealth per the GM Core should be 18 gp.

ckobbe wrote:

I'm not sure of I'm just missing something or its just intended as a modifier, but The Wandering Chef Dedication mentions a modification to the Alchemical Crafting feat, but doesn't appear to give it as part of the Dedication, nor does anything else in the dedication seem to give alchemical food formulas. Other than spending money to buy formulas, I'm not sure how your actually supposed to use the feat as written without also purchasing a formula book and formulas.

Player Core 2 seems to have a similar issue with the Herbalist and Poisoner Dedications also not inherently giving any starting formulas.

Am I just missing something? - Thanks

Herbalist: give you Advanced Alchemy Benefits that give you Alchemical Crafting feat that give you 4 formula. Note that herbalist says you don't need a formula book, you memorize them off the top of your head.

Poisoner: give you Advanced Alchemy Benefits, like herbalist. And like Herbalist, it says that you don't need a book.

Wandering Chef: give you Quick Alchemy Benefits that give you Alchemical Crafting feat, like the advanced alchemy benefits for the other dedications.

The "benefits" these archetypes gives are on Player Core 2 Page 174, in the Archetypes introduction. The two archetypes in PC2 mention the page number, but I guess the Tian Xia Character Guide might have been written before the exact page was set in stone, thus they didn't reference it, sadlly.

I was under the impression that since the Alchemical Crafting feat was listed under the second paragraph of the main Alchemy class feature for the Alchemist and since the Dedication each only give a subsection of the Alchemy class feature (ie either the Advance Alchemy or Quick Alchemy benefits) that technically the Alchemical Crafting feat would not be included.

Your interpretation completely makes sense to me, and makes sense as the intent since both of the subsections reference formula books. Not trying to be argumentative, I just wish as written the access to the Alchemical Crafting feat was explicit instead of implied.

I'm not sure of I'm just missing something or its just intended as a modifier, but The Wandering Chef Dedication mentions a modification to the Alchemical Crafting feat, but doesn't appear to give it as part of the Dedication, nor does anything else in the dedication seem to give alchemical food formulas. Other than spending money to buy formulas, I'm not sure how your actually supposed to use the feat as written without also purchasing a formula book and formulas.
Player Core 2 seems to have a similar issue with the Herbalist and Poisoner Dedications also not inherently giving any starting formulas.

Am I just missing something? - Thanks

Personally, flying needs to be standardized and either have a reduced or no feat tax. Personally I would favor 2 tiers, Inexperienced Flyer and Experienced Flyer followed with certain feats that removed standard penalties or added capabilities to flyers. I'm not super familiar with the rules so forgive me if some of this already exists. Things I would like to see...

1) Any Winged ancestry automatically being Uncommon and requiring GM approval
2) All low level adventures having call outs if flight will bypass significant challenges so the GM can accept or plan around those encounters due to PC flight
3) Any flight still requiring solid ground at the end of the movement or you fall should instead trigger a Gentle Landing effect as long as the creature is conscious and wings are unbound. Just doesn't make sense to me that the lift capacity of wings just disappears suddenly, I would personally toss the once per round and falling at end of movement. I would be in favor a limited usage that starts to trigger a Fatigue condition to simulate limited endurance of inexperienced flyers (maybe Fatigue +1 per every Con Modifier actions or per 2 actions?)
4) Flight beyond personal & Bulk limit, i.e carrying someone should be a special feat. (i.e. probably call the Lois Lane Liftoff or more likely Ferrying Flight)
5) Combat mid flight should impose circumstance attack penalties (probably -2) without a negating feat unless they are area of effect (i.e. probably call Flight Combat or some such). Flight is not stable.
6) Any feat that can be taken to improve speed should be allowed to be applied to flight speed.

Also, acknowledging that this does tend to make flight more useful, I'd suggest pairing with a flaw (possible based on ancestry)...
1) Hollow bones (level weakness to Bludgeoning damage)
2) Exceptionally Light (circumstance penalties to being tripped, shoved, moved, ex.)
3) Damn those Wings are Big (treated as a Large character with regard confining spaces and having to squeeze)
4) Grounded Warrior (armors require more Strength to use without Check Penalties do to the extra stain of flying in armor, either +1 or +2?)

Anyways, just my back of napkin thoughts, still waiting on Player Core 2 so forgive anything said in ignorance.

I really wish the samsaran was a versatile heritage, mostly to make the options it would open up in Starfinder 2E. It seems really limiting that only human/humanoids would be able to begin a cycle of earthly reincarnations. In Starfinder it would be pretty cool if you could have samsaran from all the various galactic cultures and heritages.

Owlbear is a very recognizable and popular part of the recent DnD movie, which was itself pretty popular. No way WotC/Hasbro will let someone else make money from this popularity if they can avoid it.

Better safe than sorry.

To paraphrase William Wallace..

Run and you'll live – at least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our Gelatinous Cubes, Drow and Otyugh, but they'll never take our Owlbears!

In all seriousness, regardless of whether they ever see print in Golarion again, they have been a part of the world and will always be a part of my Golarion and Hasbro and WOTC can never take that from me, no matter how many Pinkertons they send to my apartment.

WotC owns the oozes we know, but they don't own the concept of living, semi-sentient slimes that devour everything organic in their path. We could get new oozes the way we're getting new dragons.

I wonder about that though. The Blob was a movie in 1958, long before D&D. HP Lovecraft's The Colour Out of Space can arguable be called an ooze monster and that's from 1927ish. I'm sure there are others out there. I'm not well enough informed to know if any of the D&D expressions of oozes are actually based on earlier open source or public domain sources.

I seem to remember a Tales of the Crypt movie with a Steven King cameo where he got melted by a green slime from a space meteor. Maybe I'm misremembering?

I wouldn't be surprised if along with the new cultural names announced for half-elves, half-orcs, deep dwarves, and gnolls if there are unannounced one we aren't aware of yet. No reason halflings couldn't be one of them.

ckobbe wrote:

But what if I use the metric system?!?!?!

TIL that the metric system doesn't use fractions. Though how does that even work with irrational numbers?

And now I'll be floating a point about our rational and complex prime game having a root in the imaginary and irrational that is integral to the natural whole of our real life.

I believe that all ancestries should have their names changed to reflect their size relative to an arbitrary "whole".

Dwarves = Broadlings

Elves = Thinlings

Humans = Dire Halflings

Orcs = One and a Halflings

Gnomes = Thirdlings

Goblins = Slightly more than a Thirdlings

And then any mixed heritage you just do the math.

Orc/Halfling? 1.5 x 0.5 = Three-Quartersling

Human/Halfling = Half-Dire Half-Ling

Gnome/Dwarf? Height 1 Base 2 x .333 = H1/3 by Base 2/3rds-ling.

It's obviously the most intuitive way to call everyone.

But what if I use the metric system?!?!?!

I personally would love a lore change to both half-elves and half-orcs. In my personal Golarion Half-elves have been a true breeding race that has slowly grown in prominence since the elves vamoosed during Earthfall. Left without their elven parents they banded together and created a nomadic culture based on trade and diplomacy. Over the millennia the elves were gone, distinctive wagon, sailing, and settled half-elven cultures developed. In the majority of Avistan approximately 5% of "human" households are actually settled half-elves that married into human families that recognized the advantages having longer lifespans than their human neighbors could give to trade and craft expertise. Additionally, for millennia the half-elven culture felt it was their duty to preserve what they knew of elven culture while blending it with their own traditions to make it their own.

I've done less with the half-orcs, but do love that Paizo has increasingly painted the half-orcs as being seen as value add members to orcish society.

In short I'm all for ditching the standard D&D trope that half-elves/orcs are torn between cultures fitting in neither. Both have been around for thousands of years, more than long enough to be both parts of their parent cultures and to develop their own earned places in the many cultures of Golarion.

Regarding the various Lore posts. I would really like for PCs to get a separate Lore boost each time they got a Skill boost. Its great flavor for a PC to be able to have varying levels of Lore expertise as they advance based on their actual adventures. Spend forever in a Jungle, drop your next Lore boost in for training. Spend a lot of downtime carousing at the local tavern, increase Alcohol lore or Inn keeping Lore. Find yourself constantly fighting Will'O'Wisps, get trained in Will'o'Wisp lore.
It says a lot about your Smuggler Rogue if they are Trained in Absalom Lore, an Expert in Sewer Lore, and a Master in both Norgorber and Dock District Lore vs Trained in Absalom Lore, Expert in Plains Lore, and Master in Centaur Lore and Underworld Lore.

Another area I would love to see remastered is rituals. Specifically I would love to see anything that takes 10 minutes or longer to cast moved over to rituals (probably some of the 1 minute casts as well). A greater number of rituals only requiring a primary caster and ways to reduce secondary casters requirements. Also better integration of them into play by making them inherent parts of caster builds, with options to gains rituals with level progression and actual purchase/learn costs.

MMCJawa wrote:

Terevalis Unctio of House Mysti wrote:

Will we be losing the claddic devils and denons?

That's going to be the big one I think. While the demon lords/archdevils are pretty safe, almost all the demons at least require a name change, if not more radical design.

At least Paizo already kind started that process of taking those things away from their DnD roots back when 2E started

Are the archdevils safe, though?

Sure, their names are (mostly?) public domain and a nine-layered model of Hell is straight out of Dante, but "Asmodeus as the supreme devil-god ruling from the realm of Nessus at the bottom of a nine-layered Hell" has been 100% D&D from back in the 1E days, and if drow and OGL demon lords like Orcus are being considered too close for comfort, I'm not so sure a list of archdevils and layers of Hell that map pretty close to D&D's Nine Hells of Baator is going to pass muster.
I have every confidence there will continue to be a tyrannical Hell dimension populated by devils for Cheliax to be associated with...
I'm not so convinced it will still look all that much like Pathfinder's existing version of Hell.

I don't know, suddenly having all those infernal contracts in Cheliax be null and void because Asmodeus didn't survive the remaster would be pretty darn funny. First you lose Aroden, then Asmodeus. Who's next on down the alphabet !?!?

Scalable equipment 1000% yes - I have hated SF 5-tiered weapon scaling from the beginning because in all the science fiction i grew up with nobody changed out their weapons more than once in their career. Hans modified blaster is as icon to him as the Falcon. Equipment modding and refining I am fine with, but its how a character handles the weapons that should scale in power (with their levels) not the weapons themselves.

Now if Paizo would please kill the exponential economy scale and divorce wealth from character level and power I would be even happier.

Just thought I'd post a homebrew teacher I've added to the teaching staff...

Octavuh D'kura
N - female - human - metamagician
Branch: Cascade Bearers
Area of Specialty: metamagics, singing, languages
Notable Skills: Arcana, Intimidation, Performance
Hobbies: esoteric spells, musical theatre, sculpture, nature hikes
Most Well Known For: striking students on the shins when with her cane for incorrect pronunciation and intonation of spells
Strangest Quirk: will only hold indoor classes during the worst storms
Common Associates: Isem Mezitani (nature hikes), Nhyira (attending theatre productions), Tahenkot (linguistic exchanges)

Octavuh is a caldaru woman well into her seventh decade of life. Blind since birth Octavuh is an expert in metamagics and languages who has taught at the Magaambya since she graduated over 40 years ago. While her golden lion tamarin familiar Yusta frequently reads aloud anything she needs help reading, Octavuk is well known for having created a tactile language of swirls and geometric figures that she uses to encode each of a her spell onto a separate bracelet she wears. The gentle clacking of the numerous bone, metal, wood and stone bracelets is a constant backdrop to her lectures on how to change spell effects through vocal adjustments.
While respected for her breadth of knowledge, she is known to be exacting teacher who tends to correct student errors with punishing strikes from the darkwood cane she is never without. Students who impress her though may find themselves conscripted into her passion project of building a Magaambya choir. Too often she has had to bemoan the sad fact that too few students have a true appreciation for group vocal performances to her fellow teachers.

Thanks, I will pass on your best wishes.

As an aside it does fascinate me how GOlarion can be both more progressive and less than our world. Most places LGBT is a non-issue but be born under 3' foot tall and its ok to enslave or commit genocide on whole tribes of creatures (the entire clear the caverns of "evil" humanoids always bugs the crap out of me).

Melkiador wrote:

Why do people want to play a guy who’s rather good at swinging a sword when you could play a guy who can rewrite reality? Different people enjoy playing all kinds of random things.

I know that, but I don't really understand it. I live with it. I can't imagine wanting to pretend to live with it.

I can completely understand why you would question why my player would want to play such a character having lived your experience. I won't try to put words in his mouth other than to pass on what he has already expressed to me. Mainly that he want the challenge, the experience, and the present a different kind of heroism. I can't say how any person with a real world disability would feel regarding this other than he definitely doesn't mean any offense and opened the character concept up to a table veto in case it overstepped the bounds of anyone at the table. In this case it didn't. Two other times characters have vetoed characters when it come to close to personal experiences (neither of which I will pass on as they are intensely personal).

Thank you for you post and have a blessed day...

We are planning on the first half of the Ironfang invasion AP, so probably to 10th level or so, after that we will see.

I don't think remove curse, regeneration, and wishes will be much of a concern. We are much more a group of role players vs roll players and tend to focus more on the story telling experience than mechanical benefits anyway. As a group whoever DMs doesn't tend to penalize suboptimal choices while rewarding character driven choices. Since his legs not functioning and the bond he forms with his chosen mount are what he wants to emphasize, I doubt he will every seek to change that unless he wants to explore how suddenly being independently mobile will affect the character dynamics.

I'll definitely pass on the reality of such a condition, and the lose of legs to some accident or monster is always a possibility as an alternative.

The decision on which way to go with his character will be up to the player (an the comfort level of the players at the table), and if he goes with a form of paraplegia instead of loss of legs, we will hand wave the majority of the real-world medical concern. I mean no disrespect to real-world suffers of said conditions by this, just as the many other game appropriations of real world concepts/cultural touchstone are not intended as disrespectful. I also respect anyone else who disagrees with this position.

Thanks to everyone for the advice and have a blessed day...

I agree regarding Dex, that's why I am thinking a flat AC/TAC penalty when dismounted instead of a Dex penalty, and will go with the above mentioned -5 unless someone gives me a better suggestion.

Unless I am mistaken, Halflings have a base speed of 20 (I'm not near by books at the moment), so halving it would be 10, but as I think about it that assumption was based on having both arms to move, which would preclude combat, so a 5 seems more reasonable in combat situations. Completely hadn't thought of the prone thing yet, so good catch on that one.

The special trick idea is a good one, and I will mention it to the player, maybe even allow it to be trained without costing against the max tricks.

From the social aspect all I can offer is that it's a person with a disability, not a disabled person.

I would give a bonus feat (maybe even two) as this could easily count as a flaw.

I hope it goes well. Props to your player for wanting to try out such a unique character.

Thanks for the terminology advise - just the pointers I am looking for.

I have a player that has been partially inspired by the characters of Ivar on Vikings and Wendal on Fear the Walking Dead to play a disabled halfling cavalier (order of the paw).

I'm looking for advice on two fronts, mechanics & addressing/portraying this topic.

I'm not really aware of anything rules wise on the mechanics that may have been written, but I am leaning towards a -5 AC/TAC and half movement when out of the saddle with a possible bonus feat or bonus feat for the mount to represent the heightened training the character will have put in to have the dog/wolf serve as his legs. I am aware that depending on the type of disability (nerve damage/lack of sensativity) thing like damage could be problamatic in the real world, but I don't think we want to get into that level of detail.

As far as covering the disability at the table, I have a pretty good socially aware group, but I don't personlly have any experience with this specific form of disability and wanted to know if there was any specific advice out there.

Thanks

I also am unsatisfied with Resonance in its current form.

As much as I hate the idea of adding another component to track, for me a large part of the problem is that Resonance is trying to do two things. Investing to create constant effects and spending to create one off effects.

I'll wait to see the final version at PF2 launch, but right now, if it stays in its current form I am thinking of something along the line of this...

Resonance points as is, but are not used for investing, only for activations.

Each character gets an Investment Pool equal. 1 pt at 1st and 2nd levels, then +1 every 3 levels after.

1st - 1
2nd - 2
5th - 3
8th - 4
11th - 5
14th - 6
17th - 7
20th - 8

It then takes a day to invest a point in an item, which remains invested until an action is taken to uninvest or someone else takes a day to overwrite your investment with their own. No need to invest every single day.

As a costly action, 3 Resonance points can be used to temporarily (1 hour maybe) to overight an investment or go beyound a characters maximum, allowing for someone to heroically use an evil wizard's staff against them or quickly use some other aquired item.

Feats or special class features could increase the available investment points as well.

Anyway, that's my idea.

What about the mutant couples who want to continue the family tradition of mutant horror bodyguards and adventurers? Do you discuss the DNA editing options with the couples?

Flippant answer - you would visit an Abominable Offspring Clinic (a subsidiary of Nyarlathotep Incorporated) for that service....

Serious answer - as a long time DM a tend to write everything with the idea of adventure or scene hooks imbedded in the idea. For example, the intent of this was an in game document that could be found that actually raised the suspicious that there had been incidents involving mutant offspring/DNA mishaps and this was part of the PR attempt to clean it up. There is nothing to say that all the Blessed Bundle clinics are actually above board...

What about the mutant couples who want to continue the family tradition of mutant horror bodyguards and adventurers? Do you discuss the DNA editing options with the couples?

Flippant answer - you would visit an Abominable Offspring Clinic for that service....

Serious answer - as a long time DM a tend to write everything with the idea of adventure or scene hooks imbedded in the idea. For example, the intent of this was an in game document that could be found that actually raised the suspicious that there had been incidents involving mutant offspring/DNA mishaps and this was part of the PR attempt to clean it up. There is nothing to say that all the Blessed Bundle clinics are actually above board...

The Sensorum Institute of Sensory Science (SISS)

Hello fellow sentient, I am Dr. Migua Si’Vick, a sensory engineer at the Sensorum Institute of Sensory Science (SISS) on Absalom Station. Please stay your appendages’ and allow me to extoll the many virtues of our fine Institute.

The galaxy is a many splendored place with more to it than can ever be perceived by any one species. Founded in 263 by Greenspeaker Kah, the Sensorum has always specialized in using the full range of magic and technology to allow sentient beings to better understand each other and the various creatures of the galaxy by allowing the direct transfer of unique sensory experiences that they themselves cannot experience.

Thanks to our advances in environmental engineering, holographic technology and illusionary terrain manipulations, visiting the Institute’s Sensory Habitats allow you to observe creatures imported from across the known galaxy interact in perfect simulacrums of their native environment. Further, our proprietary technomagic Sensory Transfer Pads (STPads), allows visitors to briefly experience the unique sensory inputs of each habitats residents.

Thrill as you smell individual calcium particals when you visit Little Bip our pigmy albino cresteater. Marvel as you sense the web of energy conduits in the Electrovors’s Starship Habitat. Quell at the supernatural ability to perceive the visual world without any light when you visit the (non-sentient) undead on loan from Necrotech at the Mausoleum Annex. Those of you lucky enough to visit our Sharpwing Aviary during nesting season can experience not only the complete vision awareness of the brooding parents, but also the sensory input they receive from their eggs.

As spectacular as the Sensory Habitats are, they are just the end result of years of study and research in the many sensory abilities that can be found in the greater universe. As a sensory engineer I am partial to my specialty of designing sensor systems for individual and industrial-use that allow the many ways the universe is perceived to be translated into information available to all, but we have both dedicated research and research fellowships that tackle many other areas. The Sensory Habitat’s Environmental Simulacrums are the province of our environmental & life support engineers and terrain illusionists, all of whom have made great advances in making isolated environments like space stations and starships for more enjoyable habitats than the ancient flying tin cans of yore. Our neurosensory scientists work to understand the pure science, while their work often allows cybernetic and bioware specialist to perfect sensory augments. You wouldn’t believe some of the prototype augments they have come up with over the years.

Some of our most exciting work happens all over the galaxy as newly discovered species with unique sensory abilities are encountered and the dangerous work of bringing them to Absalom Station for controlled study is carried out. Likewise, our environmental impact studies are often hazard filled but fulfilling as SISS research assistants track down and analyze how various environmental changes effect the instinctual behaviors of creatures when those changes impact their unique abilities to sense their environments.

Are you an education institute looking to bring your charges to the Sensory Habitats on a school outing?
Need a special sensor package designed for your research or starship?
Are you a researcher in search of answers or employment?
Are you a daring augmentation trial participant?
Are you an adventurous field researcher?
All sentients are welcome as the Sensorum Institute of Sensory Science!

SISS is a non-profit organization that rolls all proceeds and donations back into our research.

OOC
Un-STATed, but I base the STPad hybrid-tech off the idea of a 0 level spell that allows the recipient to perceive through the senses of another creatures for 1 round (obviously including their special senses). The STPad would simply be a hybrid magic item that allows someone touching it to perceive the senses of a creature in the habitat the STPad is integrated into.

Also I am not really happy with naming it the STPad, so if anyone has a better idea I am open to suggestions.
-Thanks

A couple of conceits – I am neither and advertiser nor a script writer. This idea came to in the form of a commercial, so that is how I want to present it. For any professional advertisers or script writers out there, please forgive the errors (numerous I am sure) in how I present this idea.

Blessed Bundles advert proposal #7

Interior shot: Blessed Bundles clinic waiting room. Pan over a background populated with multiple mixed species family units until the shot on the spokesperson off-center in foreground.
Casting Note (per Blessed Bundles VP of Public Relations): Please use Dr. Malvish Kaytal as the spokesperson. He is a very hologenic korasha lanshunta and head genewizard at the Absalom Station clinic.

Spokesperson: Family, arguable the most important force in the known galaxy, yet not every family unit are as blessed with interracial fertility as humans with elves or orcs. When a mixed species couples’ cultural or biological drives require genetic offspring, we at Blessed Bundles allows that love to succeed where nature fails and add the joy of new life to a family unit. Specializing in the latest technomagic advances in DNA transcription, our accredited and fully certified genewizards can make any sentient’s biological traits into viable genetic material of a partner’s genotype to ensure successful conception.

Fade to Testimonial Shot

Interior Shot: Domestic Living area (I know the couple we will use has a newborn, but please dress the area with visible toys appropriate to a toddler), Couple - human male Tomus Spanner and shirren host (Villus Kit), with swaddled human infant.

Villus Kit: We thought of adopting or fostering of course, but deep down we knew we wanted a child of our own – Thank you Blessed Bundles

Tomus Spanner: Of course I was worried, you hear horror stories about some fly by night outfits that perform shoddy DNA transcription, but you can see the results in little Mavis. Blessed Bundles perfected mapped Villus’s characteristics into human DNA and now we have our little girl. I couldn’t be happier.

Fade to Interior Office Shot

Interior Shot: Spokesperson’s office, various technical DNA transcription simulations running on screens in the background.

Spokesperson: Our genewizard’s lead the industry with a 96.3% success rate at cross-species DNA transcriptions. Our techniques allow any number of parental units to participate in the gene-blending process, allowing traits from one genotype to be translated into the equivalent gene expression in the child-bearer’s genotype. In the exceeding rare instanced when a chimera expresses, follow-up visits catch the genetic variances. (NO! cut this last sentence, we do not create crossbreed horrors, period!)

After the work of our genewizards leads to successful conception, our talented family integration specialists can help any family through the challenges of bring a new life into the galaxy and couch family units on the unique hurdles raising children from different species can present. Happy family is the business of Blessed Bundles, please visit one of our clinics today.

Fade to disclaimer scroll

Disclaimer scroll: DNA transcription not possible for outsiders, undead, constructs, incorporeal entities, energy entities, digital entities, noncarbon-based entities or biological/near-biological entities that have been classified aberrant. Consent from all genetic contributors required. Preserved genetic material is only usable if collected by Blessed Bundles with contributors’ consent (or by court order as of the Clan Bomix vs. Blessed Bundles decision, 307 AG). Requests for gene-mixing for chimera creation will void any contractual obligations on Blessed Bundles part and required notifications will be made to the appropriate regional authorities. DNA records are kept on file with Blessed Bundles for twice the expected life span of any progeny created from said DNA records. Consent for DNA records to be anonymized and shared with research institutes and/or used for Blessed Bundles’ own research purpose required for any DNA transcription procedures. All fees nonrefundable.

The Felicity of Holo-Sculpture

Hosted by Ss'orbo'b, an affable and extremely mellow Shirren artist, the uncomplicated Felicity of Holo-Sculpture is a breakout hit for the Public Trivid System. It's a relaxing Seventhday nighttime hit that follows the artist as he teaches landscaping holo-sculpture techniques each episode.

Using a complement of basic algorithms, Ss'orbo'b composes all manner of subjects in seconds, completing an entire sculpture from start to finish each session. Throughout each, he peppers his showcase with various life anecdotes as he sculpts, from his time spent in the Diaspora, his affection for protazoic life, and his career as a Veskarium combat medic.

The show is especially famous for the artist's representations of mirthful diminutive aboreal life-forms.

Fans are anxiously awaiting the the beginning of the 17th season...

"We don't make mistakes, we just have happy accidents" - Bob Ross

Gods I miss him...

A couple more I thought of...

Theatre Extraordinar

The most diverse travelling carnival group in the Pact Worlds, this caravan averaging seven starships transport multiple acts wherever Maxoic the Great believes he can pack the most seats into the stands. Maxoic the Great is not only the carnival owner/ring master, but also really Professor Stannix Brevon. A retired and noted expert in Pact world cultures, Professor Brevon’s keen insights in shaping each act to appeal to each specific culture group they visit is the key to Theatre Extraordinar’s success. The Professor hires his performers not just for their expertise, but also their adaptability; with last week’s zero-g wire act replaced with this week’s synchronized underwater performance with next week’s fire dancing. The Professor is always looking for new permanent and temporary acts to add to his carnival.

The Medium’s Corner

This light cycle talk show features families and friends who have relationship issues with the dearly departed. Whether it’s confrontations between an angry ghost with his philandering wife or long lost friends being summoned from the afterlife to provide much needed closure, Dr. Shirieh Deeler is there. Willing to hit both the living and the dead in their emotion hotspots to up the confrontation factor and ensure her ratings never entire a death spiral, Dr. Deeler is an expert at both sentient psychology and necromantics magics, allowing her to control or influence both the living and the dead. Some of her most explosive episodes have been between Pharasmanites and Eoxians, while episodes with sentient undead always draw big ratings from the viewership. Of particular not was an episode between a vampire in its former thrall, exposing the abuses the poor thrall was put through before it gained its independence.

You have an hour after a post or thread is first created to edit it, up to and including deletion of the thread or post. After that ... it is as-is.

That seems... restrictive, but good to know...

Some other ideas I have are...

The Trans-Solarian Orchestra

This musical act, based out of a bubble city on the sun, has 4 touring groups that each cover 2 worlds and various smaller locations. Heavily influenced by both Sarenraeian and Zon-Kuthonian musical style, the Orchestras tour for half a year in two cycles, the Light and the Dark. Each cycle has four acts, with one act being retired and replaced each year, creating continually evolving and changing experiences for fans. Acts alternate between celestial/cosmic themes and personal stories that follow the philosophies of their particular cycle. The majority of fans enjoy experiencing both cycles, but there are diehard fans (Flares for the Light/Eclipses for the Dark) that prefer one cycle over the other.

DigiDrugs

These single-use, self-erasing pieces of code are designed to duplicate the effects of common drugs on technological sentients and those with exocortex or datajacks. Sophisticated anti-virus protocols quickly make each batch obsolete, requiring coders to constantly update their techniques and create new versions of each DigiDrug. For this reason there are literally hundreds of thousands of different versions of these codes extant. Dedicated abusers keep careful tract of which versions numbers they have used, since each rarely works more than once on any individual. (All a just versions of regular drugs with Type: drug (upload))

Sensation

Under the masterful guidance of Chef Xillkar Vernak, Sensation has become one of the hottest dining locations on Absalon Station. Recently awarded its second Nova by the Pact Worlds Gastronomical Society (PWGS), Chef Vernak has made a big splash in trans-world fusion cuisine. Its Castrovel Salad with Akiton mineral dusting infused with rare Brethadan gas mixtures is currently going for 300 credits a plate. Chef Vernak is a generous patron to its produce procurement specialists, although its exacting demands in quality lead to frequent turnover (some due to disagreements, other due to death during procurement).

The Sqibble

The hottest must have pet/toy for the under 10 set. Parents are going nuts trying to acquire these hot selling items for their darling urchins. These bioengineered gelatinous oozes from the Sopeth Corporation secret extremely mild, non-addictive compounds that increase focus in pre-adolescents along with a mild euphoric. Additionally, Squibbles vibrate at frequency that most children find comforting and gather all its nutritional requirements from the dead skin, sweat and oils it absorbs from casual contact with is owner. The Sopeth Corporation has had difficulty in adapting Squibbles to the frequently fluctuating biochemistry of adolescents and most young teens abandon their Squibbles once they hit puberty. The Sopeth Corporation has vigorously pursued legal actions against the few news agencies that have pursued reporting on abandoned Squiggles that have supposedly gone feral.

For some reason I can't edit my original post, but I would change the first line of Elves in Space to read "This long running, incredibly popular and tawdry soap opera follows the exploits of xenoarcheologist Nevista Marbletree and her team of researchers as they attempt to uncover elven history during the Gap and who might be the great betrayor of their race."

The Nautalist is a stroke of genius, I love it.

Thanks, Murfnor Nevidmith is my idea of what a LN straight man (in the comedy sense) to a bunch of CN "adventurers" would look like in Starfinder. Definitely an NPC or character concept I plan on using if I get the chance.

So I've created a couple of ideas for Starfinder Pop Culture and would love to hear other peoples ideas...

The Nautalist
Originally started as the personal work vlog of Murfnor Nevidmith, an engineer assigned as the Safety & Quality Assurance Officer on Ringworks Industries new prototype Coral-class medium freighter the Nautalist, the reality show of the same name follows the unorthodox exploits of the crew from the point of view of the very by the book engineer. When the original crew was captured by pirates and then rescued by a ragtag collection of freelance trouble shooters, Ringworks Industries gifted the ship to the Murfnor’s rescuers on the condition that he continue on as the company representative in his original capacity and shortly afterwards the company’s marketing department spun Murfnor’s work vlog off as an adventure/comedy show that is much loved in the Pact Worlds. The long suffering Murfnor, who’s often heard line “That is not the intended use for that item,” is marketing on torso covers (t-shirts), comms tones and other merchandise and the exposure has helped make the Coral-class freighter a successful product line for Ringworks Industries.

Elves in Space

A scripted drama following the exploits of xenoarcheologist Nevista Marbletree and her team of researchers as they attempt to uncover elven history during the Gap and who might be the great betrayor of their race. The show ran into serious trouble early on for its use of illusion and transmutative magics to allow elves to portray drow on the show. The Anti-Drow Defamation Defense (ADDD) launched boycotts, and eventually drow began to be cast on the show to portray drow parts and writers began to write supposedly more balanced representations of the dark elves. The largest onset drama is between Benina Yonder (the actress who portrays Nevista Marbletree) and the lead drow actress Melinar Evista, although current rumors speculate that the rivalry is all for show, as the two have been seen in secret encounters that are best described as romantic.

Serverik the Edge

Celebrated vesk Honor Poet, Serverik has survived 23 combat poetry contests with only the loss of his right eye and 5 inches of his tail (both since replaced with cybernetic components). Critics are concerned that after his last bout that damage to his right hand may impair his post combat calligraphies, but originals from his earlier bouts have been known to command 100s of thousands of credits, while pay per view broadcasts of the combat poetry contests themselves bring in millions on each world they are shown on

Thanks,

So just some random thoughts about things that can be played up in Starfinder that would never be possible in Pathfinder.

Research into why humans seem to be able to interbreed with every thing or absorb planar energies to create half human hybrids so easily. Are humans some sort of evolved galactic Ur-species and if so what does this mean for the evolutionary history of other species they can interbreed with.

Tension between those who believe in their racial creations myths and those who support evolutionary theory ("Come on, you mean you really believe your dwarven ancestors were shaped out of stone by Torag, you clearly have DNA markers that indicate your species is in the same evolutionary family as other upright bipeds from Golarion!")

Since humans can interbreed naturally with elves and orcs, controversial research on the genetic links between all three.

Genetic research into long lived species and lionization treatments for shorter lived species to increase their life spans.

Social tensions between those who support interspecies relationships (romantic) and those who oppose them.

Since Starfinder is more accepting of the concept of sentient and sentient rights as a whole, court actions for indiscriminate killing. PCs could easily end up having an adventure dealing with their actions as mass murders and going on the trial of the decade/century (depending on how murdery they got).

Legal actions against PCs should be far higher than in other games.

Employers should be far more likely to have the PCs sign contracts for their contract work when hired for adventures.

Down on their luck (or undercover) PCs needing to work horrible low wage jobs for comedic reasons - due you want fries with that?

Vacationing being a legitimate reason to be in an adventure location.

Comms allowing all the annoying interruptions during an adventure that occurs in real life ("I can't pick up a cartoon of milk for you right now mom, I am in the middle infiltrating an Apsis Corporation facility, get one of my 7 sisters to do it.")

Adventures that turn out to really be elaborate computer simulations that are entirely in the PCs head (no treasure for you).

Being hired for weirdly bizarre tasks by the super rich or someone that has just gotten that way via mega lottery ("You want us to travel to a specific planet in the Vast to collect swamp water to serve you guest at your next party? How much are you offering? Oh wow, we will leave right away!")

Since PCs are far more likely to have a homebase (i.e their ship) all the headaches and joys of having a home and living with people you may not like ("why doesn't the trialaxian <sp?> every clean his fur out of the drain in the shower!")

Finding a cache of Gap data that turns out to be all weird alien porn, but is still valuable because Weird Alien Porn.

I'm sure others can come up with many more...

I love this. Like you, I'm a big CoC fan, and this AP's concept definitely drew me back to the line. I'm also thinking about how to start things as well, since I think the mystery is deepened if you don't know what you're trying to recover memory-wise. That's hard to do with a prequel game - I think the surprise of waking up in the asylum is a great start to a campaign.

I think one issue with having "earth" souls in this AP is, they will have grown up in a low-magic, high-tech world. They're going to gravitate towards guns - to me this is a big issue since I personally dislike the firearms implementation in Pathfinder. Unless of course you're running Cthulhu Invictus or Dark Ages or something, which might be a better fit for a prequel.

There should be plenty of motivation to determine who they were/resolve the previous host's issues. When you wake up in a new world with a previously used body you inherit all of the previous host's social baggage. A lot of opportunities for both comedic and tragic story telling there.

Ugh, guns and fantasy. Its like peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Love or Hate. I think later in the AP you end up on Garund, closer to Alkenstar, so I'll probably say no guns until that point in the adventure. Then I'll probably play up the difference between modern firearms and the primitive firearms tech present in Golarion. By that point some of the PC's should be decent spell users, so black powder weaponry should be a lot less appealing.

Having said that, there is still a ways to go before the AP finishes publishing and I have a chance to run this (I hate running these things until I have the full picture). The Cthulhu Invictus or Dark Ages idea is interesting, but would loose some of the contrast set up by using modern day earth. I'll have to ponder on it, along with many other things.

Part 2 has the PCs confronting those that knew their former selves (and want revenge against them in some cases), and part 3 has them getting their memories back at the end. Also the whole initial arc is dependent on the PCs wanting to get revenge on Lowls for what he did to them. So you'd have to figure out what to do with all of that, and determine why the PCs are after Lowls.

As far as the previous host's memories, I'm comfortable playing it off as residual memories, with the PC's having memory flashes of the previous host's life, while retaining their own. This should allow them to still have some investment, especially if once we get started we agree that the memory bleed is confusing and as more of them happen that become more invested in the previous life. It will take player buy-in, but I doubt that would be a problem with my group.

Full memory recovery however could be a problem, especially if it is required for the adventure. I'll have to see if I need to modify things further as I absorb more of the AP.

I'm part way through AP 2's read at this point, and you are right, without a strong hook, it could easily be a case of pc's heading off in a different direction. I'm already not a huge fan of how AP 2 is structured, since the motivations for hitting the town/fort/manor in progressive order are rather poorly laid out IMHO. Even with standard golarion pc's I'd rework part of the adventure to provide better progression sign posts for my group.

I haven't finished the read yet, so I don't know yet how I will change things, but I've never been shy about reworking a setting/adventure to match the themes/goals I want to address.

I had a moment of inspiration and this was created. Not anything world shattering, more a bit of background fluff/crunch to help add life to the setting.

I had no clue on how to price out the Preparation Ritual, so I just winged it based on it power/limitations. Feel free to comment.

Childhood Misdeeds

This spellbook, in each of its three editions, is the creation of the far traveled half-elf Melkar the Listener. Melkar spent his youth on the road with his Varisian father and relatives seeing much of Avistan and Garund, getting to hear many of the tales told to children by many cultures. When his talent for magic awakened his father left the young Melkar in Nantambu to study at the famed Magaambya.

After many years of study, Melkar followed the call of his Varisian roots and spend many years collecting tales on his travels. Eventually, he decided reached an impasse that many of the half-elven experience. What does it mean to be neither man nor elf, but rather both? Since that time he has spent most of his time in Erages, teaching at the Erages Academy and trying to discern what it really means to be half-elf from his fellow citizens.

One thing that Melkar felt certain of was that magic is an integral part of each half-elf’s heritage, and to neglect that facet is a tragedy. Concerned that the many orphanages in Eragas were inadequately prepared to identify, let alone teach magic to all the children abandoned by their parents, he drew upon the universal truths off children’s stories everywhere to create Childhood Misdeeds.

Childhood Misdeeds is both a children’s story and picture-book and an apprentice spellbook. It tells of the misadventures of twin half-elven brother and sister Nok and Nan. In each of the four tales the sibling invariable get into some sort of trouble and a single cantrip is used to help get them out again. Each chapter comes with intricate block cut illustrations that demonstrate the cantrip being cast, allowing astute students to learn them for themselves. Each story ends with the children safely back with their guardians who soothe and heal the hurts of their adventures.

Children who learn all four story cantrips are encouraged to study Childhood Misdeeds on their own, and if they decipher and learn the read magic cantrip written in the books border illustrations, Melkar sponsors them for further magical education.

With its relative success in Erages, Melkar has translated Childhood Misdeeds into two other editions, each in a different language and with the stories changed to cultural equivalents. While he knows the polygot editions is being used in Nantambu and was welcomes by his old friends at the Magaambya, he has yet to learn how his elven edition has fared in Iadara.

CHILDHOOD MISDEEDS (SPELLBOOK, LEVEL 1 UNIVERSAL)

The front cover of this thin tome has a brightly colored illustration of a pair of children hand-in-hand skipping down a forest path. The interior is filled with stories written out in larger blockier letters than is normal for a spellbook. Each story is accompanied with block cut illustrations, 4 in total, along with a finally illustration at the end that shows the final scene of the children’s guardian caring for them and healing their hurts.

Value: 75gp (110 gp with preparation ritual)

Spells
Oth – dancing light, ghost sound, mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic, stabilize

Preparation Ritual
Schoolmarm (Ex/Su): You gain a +2 insight bonus to Profession (Teacher) checks with children until you prepare spells again. You can end this effect to spend the boon to cast stabilize on a child.

Note: As a Magaambyan Arcanist, Melkar was able to include stabilize as a halcyon spell (druidic learned as arcane)

I've been a long time fan of Call of Cthulhu and even though I have slacked off Pathfinder in the last couple of years, hearing about this AP drew me back in.

I have actually only read through the 1st installment so far and looked ahead a little at the spoilers for the amnesiac players and what that is all about.

So, I am thinking about twisting the start even further and think it would give my players a real kick.

I'm thinking of going with 1 of 2 ideas, both predicated on the links the Lovecraftian mythos provide and the known links between Golarion and Earth.

The basic idea is that whatever Lowls did doesn't just erase the pc's memories, it leaves them soulless. A servitor of Desna senses the massive disturbance of the dream realm at the asylum and in searching for a solution realizes there are these soulless hosts that can be occupied and serve to work to right the wrong.

Searching for suitable candidates, it finds souls from Earth on their way to the afterlife and soulnaps them for a second round at life in a new world and in new bodies. Unfortunately the servitor underestimate the influence of the Tatterman and before he can brief the souls they are sucked into the into dream.

After the pc's dream deaths they briefly wake up around a dream campfire where the servitor has moments to have them choose icons of their new lives before they awake. The icons chosen will serve as character creation guides and the players create their body swapped Earthlings pcs. Story wise they gain the abilities of the former Lowls associates and fragmented memories just as written, but get to play the additional drama from having unerase Earth memories/lives.

Here is where I am trying to decide between two courses of actions. Have a prequel game of Call of Cthulhu with the express purpose of killing the PCs (likely in CoC anyways). This options has some great advantages. Easy to line up the canon dates of Earth and Golarion, able to design the CoC adventure to foreshadow Strange Aeons. The thrill of the players when their PCs are suddenly alive again. Con, the PCs will know each other which will dull some of the who are we/you roleplaying.

The second option I was thinking of is simple having everyone sit down at the table, tell me the age they were before they knew everyone at the table and them have them play themselves. First they go through the dream sequence with no explanation, then get to discover their new selves through character creation. By regressing them back before we knew each other they get awake with all the unknowns, but can build on their real world relations in interesting ways. Big con, this method expressly has me "fake" killing all my players on earth.

Either way, I think I'll throw in an extra trait and a couple of skill points to represent their Earth knowledge.

Pros/Cons I'm not seeing, fill free to let me know. Other ways to twist the opening idea, fill free to contribute.

I would love a look at the Director's Cut if its still available

Thanks,

Thanks for the prompt reply and action, I have already sent an email with the photos.

You have a great team!

Hello, Hopefully this is the correct location to post this. The majority of my order 2586113 arrived damaged.

• Pathfinder #7 (paizo.com Exclusive)
UNDAMAGED
• Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Campaign (OGL) Hardcover
SEVERELY DAMAGED
• Pathfinder Adventure Path #70: The Frozen Stars
SPINE DAMAGED
• Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Chronicle of the Righteous (PFRPG)
SPINE DAMAGED
• Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Fey Revisited (PFRPG)
MINOR CRIMPING and A DAMAGED CORNER
• Pathfinder Module: Doom Comes to Dustpawn (PFRPG)
MINOR CRIMPING

I have photos both of the shipping box, showing the damage and the exposed portions of the Ultimate Campaign and side view photos of Ultimate Campaign, Chronicles of the Righteous and Adventure Path #70.
If there is a way to post them, or an email you would like me to send them to, I would be more than happy to do so.

Thanks,

Cosmo,

Thank you very much. I made the original request assuming that it might not get out today. Second day is fine.

I hope every one there had a great week. Y'all have just made mine better.

Thanks - Chris

Good morning,

Can you change this shipment to UPS Next Day air. I will only be home from Friday (10/23) through Monday (10/26) and then will be out of town for three weeks. I would like to have a chance to take the physical copies with me to read on my work trip.

Thanks,
Chris Kobbe