ckobbe's page

Same, mine is missing, but got the Season of Ghosts that I added on.

And I finally piece for the adventure. I plan on being very open on background selection, maybe just tweeking some of the descriptions to represent the young age of the characters. However in the grand tradition of campaign specific backgrounds, I thought I'd try my hand at a few options for the players. I have 5 right now, but ultimately would love to have 6 for variety.

ZORGO & ZETS FAN-ATIC
UNCOMMON
You are obsessed with the obscure Zorgo & Zets Comics. Following the over the top escapades of the two investigators as they tackle mysteries for the Eyeswide Agency never grows old for you. Zorgo the Osharu Akashic Mystic and Zet the Goblin Junkmancer both depict surprising deep insights into their respective cultures while having a friendship and bond that surpasses the gulf that separates their background. Inspired by the differences in Cultures, you have joined the JSS with hopes of being a xenoseeker.
Choose two attribute boosts. One must be to Charisma or Intelligence, and one is a free attribute boost.
You’re trained in the Diplomacy skill and the Goblin Lore and Osharu Lore skills. You gain the Dubious Knowledge feat.

FALLEN ATHLETE
UNCOMMON
You were once the king of the Pitch, Queen of the Ball Court, Ruler of the Field. Destined for the big leagues, everyone at school celebrated your wins. Then the shuttle accident happened. The limb replacement and physical therapy were tough, but what really hurt was how many of your "friends" disappeared. Then came the depression and self doubt. Thankfully a friend dragged you to one of their "stupid" scouting events at the Lorespire Complex and surprisingly you found that you liked them and the JSS has become a bright spot in your recovery.
Choose two attribute boosts. One must be to Constitution or Strength, and one is a free attribute boost.
You’re trained in the Athletics skill and the Sports Lore skill. You gain the Augmented Body feat.

RESUME PADDER
UNCOMMON
You are going to make it Big!. But first you have to prove you have drive, versatility and the can do attitude it takes to succeed at the college and career you have your sense set upon. Your caregivers insist that something outdoorsy would help you in future interviews, so here you are at the JSS, but how do you really feel?
Choose two attribute boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Charisma, and one is a free attribute boost.
You’re trained in the Society skill and a Lore skill related to your future goal. You gain the Management Material feat.

STARFINDER EVACUEE
UNCOMMON
Years ago the Stafinder's identified a threat to your settlement, planet or system. Whether a Swarm attack, natural disaster or corporate entity attempting to coverup for their misdeeds, a group of Starfinders came together with an evacuation starfleet and saved many of your people. Now a refugee on Absalom Station you struggle to find a new place in the Universe. Perhaps it starts with the JSS.
Choose two attribute boosts. One must be to Constitution or Wisdom, and one is a free attribute boost.
You’re trained in the Survival skill a Lore skill related to the disaster you escaped. You gain the Urban Survivalist feat.

STARFINDER LEGACY
UNCOMMON
Your family has a long history with the Starfinder Society. And a long history of dying for the Society. You had a grandparent lost beyond the Hydra Nebula, presumable killed in first contact with the Azlanti Star Empire. Recently you lost a relative during the Scoured Stars Incident. The Universe is a dangerous place, and despite your families losses, the Starfinders journey out into the unknown and succeed more often than anyone should. You joined the JSS to gain the training you needed, will you use it for exploration or for revenge.
Choose two attribute boosts. One must be to Dexterity or Wisdom, and one is a free attribute boost.
You’re trained in the Acrobatics skill and Starfinder Lore skill. You gain the Cat Fall feat

Hello all... so a funny thing happened on the way to this post. After I had typed out all the adjustments and the final encounter conversion I found out that the site had finally been taken down for the new store update and that I lost everything I had typed out. So, round two lol.

First off I'll run through the adjustments I've made based off of Jeremy Corff's suggestions.

1) In the initial foyer encounter use DC 12/14/17 for any Lore skill DCs.
2) DC 13 Crafting check can be used to recover a commercial fire extinguisher from the scrap bots
3) Add a secret DC 15 Absalom Station Lore or DC 18 Society Check on first viewing the GobCom Mark2 that proogs are being trained.
4) change the Goblin Lore check to DC 12 for the GobCom Mark2 hack
5) When disabling the crate at Panic at the Gala!, the Adhere cantrip can provide 1 automatic Victory Point in the first stage. Add Absalom Station Lore DC 12 for the third part of the challange.
6) In Mess Hall Masterpiece change the Cooking Lore to DC 12, and the Physical Science Lore to DC 14 for the initial fire. Change the Cooking DC to 14 for saving the meal.
7) If they save the meal the cafeteria staff rewarded them each with a rare Eoxian Ghost Figs which grant resistance physical 2 for 1 hr.
8) During A Merry Chase, add Absalom Station Lore DC 12 to finding al alternate route.
9) During Operation Friendship change all the Starfinder Lore DCs to 14, and add in Absalom Station Lore DC 15 to impress the goblins about how knowledge they are about the Station. Add Goblin Lore DC 13 to all three goblins to impress them with their ability to negotiate like a goblin.

I'm pretty sure before I lost the original post I had goblin lore 1 added in 1 other place, but for the life of me I cant remember where.

Converting Gifts Ungiven - Part 7.

Museum Mayhem Moderate 0
I will try and guide the players to tackle this one last so they have a chance at gaining the Mess Hall Masterpiece reward. Clues and background NPC crosstalk should be enough to guide the characters to this one last.

The characters will enter and roll initiative immediately as Palivhar Chooser of Hues will have just activated the trap portion of the hazard and been bludgeoned into unconsciousness.

ROGUE ANIMATRONICS HAZARD 2
COMPLEX MECHANICAL TRAP
Stealth +10 (trained)
Description Animatronic display of Ilyastre doing battle against a defrex using the very best second-hand robotic parts scroungable.
Disable DC 15 Athletics to shove parts of the animatronic so it damages itself, DC 15 Arcana/Computers (trained) to disable parts of the magical coding animating the construct, DC 15 Crafting (trained) to remove key parts of animatronic.
AC 15; Fort +12, Ref +6
Hardness 6; HP 30 (BT 15); Immunities bleed, death effects, disease, doomed, drained, fatigued, healing, mental, nonlethal attacks, paralyzed, poison, sickened, unconscious; Weaknesses electricity 3
Pow, Right to the Kisser! [free-action] Trigger A creature touches the display directly or with a tool; Effect The trap deals 1d10 bludgeoning damage to the triggering creature. The trap rolls initiative if it hasn’t already.
Routine (2 action) The animatronics represent an expanding menace and each round its first action is to expand it the burst effect of its ranged attack by 5', starting from 0.
The second action is a burst attack in the expanded radius with 1d6 variable damage with a basic DC 14 Reflex Save (1d4 for damage with 1-bludgeoning/2-piercing/3-slashing/4-electricity); when it triggers an electrical burst, the hazard also takes electrical damage with its weakness applied.
Characters must be within reach to attempt a disable check, 3 successes disable the hazard or the hazard runs out out power after 6 rounds.

Palivhar Chooser of Hues begins the encounter unconscious and adjacent to the hazard with an initiative of 10 with a Reflex Save of +5, if damaged they will drop into Dying 1 which will advance or not per normal rules each round. Some of the characters should endeavor to remove him from the hazard and to stabilize him.

Thanks, coming from the author and someone who has experience running the adventure to boot I appreciate the kind words. When I read the adventure I almost immediately though it would make a great conversion to showcase the breadth of the Starfinder setting and mechanics. Thank you for the inspiration and the framework!!

I'll definitely take your advise on adding in Absalom Station Lore, I did use Goblin Lore once even though it would be a weirdly specific lore for a group of new players to have lol! Easy enough to port it in almost anywhere there is a Society check.

For the Lore skills, most are in the range of DC 13 to 16 range. Thinking about it, a lot of PCs may not have any INT modifier, so a zero level Trained Lore would only have a +2 bonus. Make all of them DC 12 to 14 range is probably appropriate I'm guessing?

For Loot, I was kind of already thinking about the kitchen staff giving away some minor consumables, possibly with effects based on Pathfinder talismans or alchemicals with short or single use effects. Who knew Triaxian Fireberry Tarts give you and hour of Fire Resistance 3!

I was also thinking about giving the team a swag bag at the end of the adventure based on how well they do, things like the “Team Sfartinders Go!” t-shirt in the adventure, but also maybe a 50 credit gift certificate to the Starfinder Gift Shop in the lobby, or maybe everyone get an Armored Coat with Starfinder styling and a Glamer Projector mod installed.

Another possible loot I was thinking of, espcially if anyone in the group decides they want to play a longer campaign with some of the same characters is an app with free access to the Starfinder Chronicles and Media stores that can be accessed as a single actions to trigger a DC 15 flat check to gain a +1 equipment bonus to a Recall Knowledge check to represent the wide ranging and eclectic assortment of information the Starfinders have access to.

Hello all, I've posted most of a conversion of SFS 6-11 Gifts Ungiven over in the Homebrew subforum and would love any advice/critiques before I run it.

Converting-SFS-611-Gifts-Ungiven-to-2E-for-0

Hello all, I've posted most of a conversion of SFS 6-11 Gifts Ungiven over in the Homebrew subforum and would love any advice/critiques before I run it.

Converting-SFS-611-Gifts-Ungiven-to-2E-for-0

Converting Gifts Ungiven - Part 6.

** I still haven't decided what/which way I want to go on the Museum Mayhem conversions....

Once back in the goblins lair the described interactions happen, with the introductions, back story and motivations revealed if not intuited already. Whiles its entirely possible the party may decide to intimidate and march the goblins to the Starfinder leadership. Hopefully I can guide them to the big show stopper gift number the goblins want to give. Since I've already introduced Zigrigix they'll be the natural choice for who the character suggest as getting the gift, but I'll present all 3 options.

Once the preliminaries are out of the way well lead into...

Operation Friendship Severe 0
Reworked as a social influence encounter where influence points represent how well the character help the goblins create a successful gift/presentation for the Starfinders.

Glorgo Credstick
gearhead "Mastermind" goblin
Perception +10
Willpower +7
Discovery - DC 13 Crafting; DC 15 Society; DC 17 Perception
Influence - DC 14 Crafting to help repair the scrapbots; DC 14 Thievery to snatch the perfect collage supplies; DC 15 Tech Lore to geek out over tech; DC 16 Starfinder Lore to bring share stories/info that help improve the presentation; DC 18 Diplomacy to sincerely complement his drone.

Fabulous Sheena
hair-rock goblin
Perception +7
Willpower +7
Discovery - DC 13 Performance; DC 15 Society; DC 17 Perception
Influence - DC 14 Performance to perfect the song lyrics for the presentation; DC 14 Crafting to create the perfect glam outfit; DC 15 Society to geek out over other cultures music and fashion; DC 16 Starfinder Lore to bring share stories/info that help improve the presentation; DC 18 Diplomacy to sincerely complement her amazing fashion sense.

Tricks
magic goblin nerd
Perception +7
Willpower +10
Discovery - DC 13 Arcana; DC 15 Society; DC 17 Perception
Influence - DC 14 Arcana (DC 15 Nature/Religion/Occult) to add minor magical touches to the presentation; DC 14 Performance to bring all the presentation components together; DC 15 Academia Lore to geek out together; DC 16 Starfinder Lore to bring share stories/info that help improve the presentation; DC 18 Diplomacy to sincerely complement his magic skills without any formal training.

6 20 minute influence round to create the presentation. Same influence break points with each goblin.

Influence 2 - Each goblin ditches the most explosive elements they want to include in the presentation and conflicting ideas with the other goblins.
Influence 4 - Each goblin has managed to harmonize their ideas and portions of the presentation to create an amazing work that shows off their friendship, goblinness and admiration for the Starfinders.

When the total influence points taken together act as victory points for the presentation in the Lorespire foyer.

5 or less Influence points total - a few polite claps and the Starfinders politely except their new neighbors.
6 to 9 Influence points - well that was certainly unique and we are Starfinders and love to encounter cultures in all their form.
10 to 11 Influence points - enthusiastic applause and acceptance.
12 Influence points - audience members that stream the performance have 100s of thousands of likes by end of day and the goblins become a minor media sensation bringing good press for the Starfinder Society.

Obviously in the game i'll expand on all of this for the big final number.

The encounters add up to 900 experience, and if the group wants to continue with the game and these characters I'll hand wave their advancement to level 1.

Things still to do...
1) figure out what to due about that pesky Museum Mayhem encounter.
2) appropriate loot and placement.

Otherwise I feel pretty confident about the conversion, but would love any advice.

Converting Gifts Ungiven - Part 5.

** I still haven't decided what/which way I want to go on the Museum Mayhem conversions....

A Merry Chase Low - 0
At the end of the third task the PC spot one of the goblins and a chase ensues. Same descriptors from the adventure used for each of the 4 parts.

Into the Tunnels Obstacle 0
Chase Points 3; Overcome DC 12 Acrobatics to dive into the tunnels; DC 14 Starfinder Lore to find an alternate route; DC 16 Survival to navigate.

Klickharp Crates Obstacle 0
Chase Points 3; Overcome DC 12 Stealth to slip past the Klickharps; DC 14 Nature to soothe the Klickharps; DC 16 Deception to create a distraction that draws the Klickharps out of the characters path.

Parting the Crows Obstacle 0
Chase Points 3; Overcome DC 12 Athletics to force through the crowd; DC 12/16 Acrobatics (Small/Medium characters) to slip through (Free Chase Point of a Character has the Crowd Surfing feat); DC 14 Diplomacy or Intimidate the crowd.

Down the Hatch Obstacle 0
Chase Points 3; Overcome DC 12 Reflex save to dive down the hatch on the heels of the goblin; DC 14 Perception to spot the hatch; DC 16 Piloting to grab some sheet metal and surf down the tube in style.

Success in 3 or fewer rounds greatly impresses the goblins and grants a +1 circumstance bonus on the influence checks during Operation Friendship.
4 to 5 round no effect
6 or more rounds the goblins are not so sure about the character and are slightly more resistant to their suggestions during Operation Friendship and suffer a -1 circumstance penalty.

I've been thinking about adding in Nova Rush, but right at the beginning as an in Media Res opening, and then doing a flashback to the Guilt of the Grave Worlds interview for any players that want to have that "background" and different flashbacks for any want a different background/origin story that doesn't really work for the interview. For them we would also work some sort of justification in for them continuing with the adventure, probably something like the interview flashback characters tell the non interviews that they are on the job and can get a cut/be hired.

Converting Gifts Ungiven - Part 4.

Panic at the Gala! Moderate 0

I think disarming and removing the crate without disrupting Naiaj's presentation works best using Victory points and a 3 part challenge over 2 rounds.

1) Disable the crate fanfare and explosive opening. (2 Victory Points)
DC 14 Thievery check to disable; DC 16 Computer to scramble the release programming; DC 18 Crafting to jam the release mechanism of the crate. If the team scored a critical success on hacking the Gobcom Mark2 they gain a +2 circumstance bonus on these checks.
2) Remove the crate without disrupting the presentation. (2 Victory Points). DC 14 Athletics check to manhandle the crate out of the room; DC 16 Stealth check to keep alerting the attendees; DC 16 Deception check to distract the attendees.
3) Sooth the agitated Proogs. (2 Victory Points). DC 14 Society Lore to remember pet care tips for Proogs; DC 16 Nature to create an environment that calms them; DC 18 Craft check to find interesting shapes for them to imitate as a distraction.

2 or less Victory Points - Naiaj's presentation is disrupted and she is not disposed toward accepting the goblins at the end of the adventure.
3 to 5 Victory Points - Naiaj is aware of them removing the crate but has to take steps to keep the attendees from noticing or commenting.
6+ Victory Points - Naiaj is impressed with how skillfully the team removed the potential distraction from her presentation and has a gift for them at the end of the adventure.

Mess Hall Masterpiece Moderate 0

DC 16 fort save or Sickened 1 when approaching within 5' of the flaming pot, with a +2 circumstance bonus id the team disabled the Oh Gods! The Smell countermeasure on the Gobcom Mark2 as they have already experienced the joys of goblin olfactory chaos.

DC 14 Cooking Lore/DC 16 Survival or Physical Science Lore/DC18 Athletics to immediately extinguish the cook pot fire on the first try.

If they fire spreads, use the same skill checks to put out each square of fire, but reduce the DCs by 2. Additionally each attempt at putting out a square of fire requires a DC 10 Reflex save vs 1d3 fire damage.

* just realized it might be possible for the team to use a Crafting check to salvage the fire suppression from the Scrapbots and use it here, providing an additional +2 equipment bonus.

Salvaging the Meal will be a DC 16 Cooking Lore or DC 18 Society or Crafting check, with a +1 equipment bonus if the team achieved a critical success on hacking the Gobcom Mark2. This will be a good time to teach the Aid action if it hasn't already come up.

Museum Mayhem Moderate 0

I have been going back and forth on whether to do a straight translation of this one as a hazard to overcome or convert it into a combat challenge. Pacing wise we have had 2 to 3 combats so far (the diathas can potentially be bypassed with perception and nature/survival checks) and have gone 1 to 3 scenes with no combat, additionally this the last realistic chance for a combat encounter unless the players drive the narrative ridiculously off the rails. Its a reasonable assumption that the team should be up to full hp at this point and my gut is saying a combat encounter would be good here. Opinions welcome. I will say that if this is to be combat encounter, I'll have the characters find a crate of weapons in the goblin lair to replace their weapons with the refurbished trait.

Converting Gifts Ungiven - Part 3.

So while I'll keep all the conventional clues listed for the goblins lair and reward them out through Perception DC 13 checks that each take 10 minutes. The main draw of the Goblin lair will be the Gobcom Mark2 computer the goblins have cobbled together. Goal is to highlight the Hacking system and how strange it can possibly get!

Severe-0 encounter

Gobcom Mark2 Level 3
The Gobcom Mark2 is a battered computer missing its casing with dozens of wires and cables snaking out to 3 cracked and battered flatscreen, a keypad missing a quarter of its keys, several depleted batteries, a stationary exercise bike, a swivel chair, and a microwave. The screen currently flickers between 3 short clips of Glorgo Credstick using a blowtorch on a scrapbot, Fabulous Sheena with a huge pair of scissors trimming another goblins hair and Tricks tapping a series of identical mugs (proogs) with a sparking wire causing them to jiggle and change color.
Hack-able drone video files (physical; 1 Success) DC 20 Computers trained.
Vulnerabilities - Understanding the goblin mind (DC18 Society or DC 13 Goblin Lore; -2); Realizing the swivel chair can be spun to simulate a pass-code (DC 16 Fortitude; -2 & Sickened 1 [Sickened 2 on a failure]; Using the exercise bike to channel more power (DC 16 Athletics; -2); inspecting the nearby destroyed Gobcom Mark1 for clues (DC 16 Crafting; -1 for both the Hacking DC and to the Power Surge! Countermeasure's Notice DC and Disable DC)
Countermeasures [2 Failures] Oh Gods! The Smell! (-1 circumstance penalty to all skill rolls in the area going forward). Notice DC 16 (13 for characters with scent as an imprecise or better sense) Perception. Disable DC 16 Crafting or Thievery to clean up enough of the mess to not be grossed out.
[3 Failures] Power Surge! 1d4 electrical damage in a 15 burst around the Gobcom Mark 3 and 10 minutes to reboot if the characters want to try to hack again. Notice DC 18 Computers or Perception. Disable DC 20 Computers to regulate the power flows or DC 18 Crafting or Thievery to disconnect various wires without compromising the Gobcom Mark2.

Critical Success - The videos recovered are good enough to provide bonuses when dealing with each goblins gift/pranks; TBD and included in each of the encounter descriptions.
Success - Video files showing off the goblins new home, how excited and proud they are of to be living next to such famous adventurers as the Starfinders. How they want to show their appreciation with gift to brighten up their lives and specific videos showing the jist of each of Glorgo Credstick, Fabulous Sheena and Tricks next gifts, which they are out delivering right now!

As a severe encounter for Zero level characters, I am hoping the DCs and opportunities to reduce them are set right, but I'd appreciate any advice if they seem off. I don't want the encounter to be a block (and plenty of hardcopy leads are still in the lair) but do want the characters to feel rewarded with backstory that pays off throughout the rest of the adventure.

Also, I'd love any weird and zany goblin vulnerabilities I could possibly add to the Gobcom Mark2 (or Mark3 even lol).

Edit: Just realized I should probably add some sort of secret check to give a hint that the cups Tricks is shocking might be Proogs since they are common Pact World pets and to better foreshadow they are used later in the adventure... I'll need to lookup what recall knowledge covers Oozes, but also add Society because they are common pets and Absalom Station Lore since wild ones will have gotten loose, DC 12 probably.

Also, need to remember to cover Recall Knowledge in the initial combat so the new players understand its a good thing to use in 3 action economy to learn about strengths and vulnerabilities of encountered opponents.

Converting Gifts Ungiven - Part 2.

For encounter purposes I set this as a Low-0 encounter.
Carmellia will be escorting the team out of the Lorespire complex and will be taking them through the lobby when the initial gift from the goblins is discovered in the lobby. I'll play-out the scene as written, although I am tempted to have Carmellia be the one to accidentally set off the spoiled yogurt/star ship chaff explosion instead of Senndi. The players will be encouraged to play detective and figure out the mystery of the pranks that have been occurring and escalating both as an opportunity to emulate regular Starfinder Agents and to possibly impress Radaszam.

The DCs for the investigation skill checks will be set at DC 14/16/19 for the three levels of results. Investigating the bomb will use Crafting or Survival. Diplomacy for canvasing the crowd or Media Lore/Infosphere Lore for reviewing video footage from social media posts or Computers to access the security footage. Society or Starfinder Lore to understand the significance of the spoiled yogurt. Perception or Starfinder Lore to piece together the clues leading to the Recycling Center.

Once the team heads off to the Recycling Center I'll cover Exploration Mode and its options.

The 3 diathas (Alien Core 40) are a Moderate-0 encounter.

Scrap-bots and Disco Drama are a Moderate-0 encounter.

For the Scrap-bots I'll reskin the Repair-class Security Robot (Alien Core 162); the Fire Suppression's hydraulic push list a DC instead of the correct Spell Attack roll, which I'll set at +5, I'll also add in that using the Fire Suppression action pushes the Scrap Bot back 5' and knocks them prone.

Disco Drama trap
Stealth DC 13
Disable DC 18 Computers (trained) to jam the motion detector’s signal or DC 16 Thievery (trained) to deactivate the motion detector
Disco Drama [reaction] Trigger A creature enters the sensor’s
detection area; Effect The trap dazzles any creature that only has sight as their precise sense within a 15 foot burst until the trap malfunction in 1d4 rounds or is destroyed.
AC 16; Fort +9, Ref +3
HP 20; Immunities mental

That's it for the moment. I need to review the hacking rules before I convert the next part since I want to add in a computer in the goblin's lair with videos that will have information on their upcoming "gifts".

Converting Gifts Ungiven - Part 1.

Adventure setup.

The players will be playing as adolescent members of the Junior Starfinder Scouts. A youth organization focused both on what Americans/Europeans would think of as traditional scouting activities, but also adding in multi ancestory cultural appreciation, amateur archeological training and galactic survival skills. Carmellia a jolly pangender flowering raxilite from SFS 4-12 A Festive Operation is the JSS Scout Master and sponsor for the group and has arranged for some basic combat training at the Lorespire complex. They will take the group into a training area designed to look like ?? (haven't decided on the initial environment). There they will be introduced to Zigrigix (host shirren) who will be their combat instructor.
The only resource the players will need to purchase going into the adventure will be armor. Other gear will be gained through play.
Zig will explain the combat scenario, and offer a selection of weapons tailored to the characters. Any weapons with the tech trait will also have the homebrewed refurbished trait (on a critical fail the weapon gains Glitch +1). After weapon selection a Severe 0 encounter with 2 Observer Class Robots (Alien Core 163) will begin.
If the party is all knocked unconscious, Zig revives anyone trained in the Medicine skill. Zig points out a nearby commercial medkit and walks everyone though using the Medicine skill. The encounter ends with Zig giving everyone a commercial medpatch and recommending they all keep the refurbished weapons so they can get comfortable with them. Zig will also let a character trained in Medicine keep the medkit.

After the initial setup and framing well move into and convert the adventure proper.

Happy Halloween All!

I am looking for advice and feedback on several things. I have been a TTRPG fan for over 40 years, used to play and DM, then got a job that had me on the road traveling for almost 15 years and become a reader instead of a player. I stopped traveling years back, but never developed a good friend group to get back into active gaming, but that has recently changed. I have a friend who is an active D&D 5E GM and loves my descriptions of what I love about Starfinder. Between his encouragement and my own desire I have decided to build a zero-ish level adventure to introduce him and his group to Starfinder 2E mechanics and the setting.

I am converting the SFS 6-11 Gifts Ungiven adventure into a 2E 0-level adventure. The player group has zero experience with any Pathfinder or Starfinder systems. My goal is to showcase/teach the many aspects of 2E mechanics through the various encounters while giving the players a curated selection of options to have to make for characters creation and system play.

Since this is going to be a length set of posts I'm going to break it up in chunks, starting with the 0-level rules.

While I like most of the 0-Level rules in the GM Core, I do want to showcase a little of what makes each class special and have made revisions to the 0-level apprentice rules.

Ancestry, Background, 4 free Attribute points, trained in 2+Int skills, Perception, all Saves, Unarmed attacks, unarmed defense, and starting credits (50) are all per the GM Core.
1) also trained in simple weapons and light armor.
2) in addition to the HP from Ancestry the character gain 4+CON modifier HP

Apprentice Options are completely revised so that it showcases some of what makes each class special.
Envoy - trained in Diplomacy, Deception or Intimidation; gains Get' Em! (1 action version only).
Mystic - choose a connection and become trained in associated skill, spell attack roll, spell DC roll; gain 3 cantrips + connection cantrip; gain Circle of Friends (Mystic Bond and Vitality Network with only 4 HP pool, refresh each round in combat or with 10 minutes of downtime with friends).
Operative - choose specialization and become trained in associated skill and 1 martial gun; Aim.
Solarian - trained in Athletics and 1 martial weapon; choose 1 solar manifestation; manifestation is locked into either Photon or Graviton mode.
Soldier - trained in Intimidation, medium armor and 1 martial weapon; Walking Armory.
Witchwarper - choose paradox and become trained in associated skill, spell attack roll, spell DC roll; gain 3 cantrips + paradox cantrip; Warp Reality.

Finally the 0-level characters will have Hero Points, but they will be called Dumb Luck points and I'll encourage the players to describe how dumb luck hopefully dramatically changes an outcome.

With my goals I am pretty comfortable with these changes, although I do think the apprentice Soldier may be lacking in showcasing what makes the class special, but I am planning on staying away from area effect weapons for story reasons and at a loss to what might be better.

So I've been Halloween reading these 3 volumes as I've been catching up on my backlog of unread books. I finished volume 2 last night i have a lot of the same issues that others have mentions with the first two volumes, but specifically wanted to mention the two new Point systems introduced.

I really fail to understand why in a complex with dozens of prisoners and npcs camped out in supposedly resource poor areas we need to add an artificially imposed Food and Water Points system. From the writing, it seems like the prisoners a kept waiting between transport legs for days or more at a time, with the dero guards having been stationed in the area for a significant time. Honestly with the adventure as written it bothers me that the dero guard running this slaving operation don't already account for their own needs and their prisoners needs by already having bulk food and water stores present. Honestly if I ever run this adventure I will ditch this unnecessary mechanic and just have the dero have the logically necessary stockpiled provisions for themselves and their prisoners.

The Underheaven Trust system. I think my main problem with it is your players are somewhat railroaded into having to care and engage enough with these brainwashed idiots to not simply bypass them. Bypassing them will inevitable result in the population's eventual panic and saving these people is built into the adventure as part of your goal due to the XP awards at the end of the adventure. Logical actions like showing them they lie they are living without building absolute trust means wrecking their trust in the players, not the blood sucking monsters they should be concerned about. I would ditch this entire system and build up 3-4 npcs that you gain influence (as in the already existing system) with. Probably a doubting but trusted Kartho, a not-dead rebellious Claithe, and secret bad guy Danva. Increased influence will let the fake nature of Underheaven be accepted by these influential citizen and then the populace.

Also, as a final thought (I have just started reading the 3rd volume and that may alter some of these opinions) I really think that the first two volumes work better as two unconnected adventures. I realize that the prison complex, atlanti technology and blood-drinkers themes are all supposed to link the adventures together. But, the entire opulent palace/vampire fiefdom doesn't feel like its part of a prison complex and could easily be dropped almost anywhere you want a subterranean vampire fiefdom (hello Ustalav or Nidal). The werebat cultists do feel like a great low-level tropical island threat, but their lair could literally be any old abandoned complex. Finally, as written the second volume completely cuts you off from the events/locations of the first, so any momentum you build up on the mysterious atlanti technomagic is cut off and discarded in the second adventure, which is a shame, because i thought the (essentially) AI Azlanti personality you find in the first Volume has a lot of potential as a through thread for the campaign.

Not a rules change, but pretty sure its a setting change...

I could have sworn in SF1 every use of the drift brought planar chunks into the drift from somewhere. Now is SF2, according to the GC...

"In rare cases, when a Drift engine is activated, it somehow pulls a chunk of extraplanar matter from a seemingly random plane into the Drift with it."

I certainly agree that that is a possibility. The false information from a success could also simply be bias corrupting the interpretation.
Yes some early people believed frogs where spontaneously created from mud. Your brain gets frogs are sometimes spontaneously created from mud as false data because your bias assumes a literal fact vs a historical myth.

I steal time from real life to read, so of course I may have missed something, but I don't recall anything definitive on the fidelity of the Akashic Record. I'm looking forward to seeing where Paizo goes with this. We already know well be getting at least one linked monster in the Akashic Dragon.

My copy of the Order of the Eclipse is sadly stuck in my sidecart, eagerly waiting for it to ship though!

This is going to be a little long, so apologies, but I finally got a chance to read the planar section of the the GM Core and here are some of my random thoughts...

Plane of Wood.
Because of the fractal growth falling into areas of asymmetry... computer specialists could possible use/be researching ways to use wood slivers from the same tree as code cyphers and unique encryption systems. Possible creating computer systems/files that can only be accessed by reading the growth patterns in woods slivers from the same source.

The Netherworld
Velstracs who are attempting to be genuinely helpful due to the new paradigm of Zon-Shelyn. Seeking out those who have flourished though suffering. Spiritual suffering that has refined someone like a coal to diamond. Split between those Velstrac who still believe pain to break others down to something new and degenerated and those who seek to learn from/foster those who's suffering leads to them becoming stronger beings... Interesting possible concepts to explore, but extremely sensitive topics with a need for all the normal buy in and consent rules.

Abaddon
Hate that they are still called the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Legacy of real-world gender and image bias. Will probably refer to them personally as either the Riders of the Apocalypse or Heralds of the End.

Axis
AbadarCorp is referenced as having a branch site here. To me it makes more sense that this would be the legendary Home Office. I'm sure with the starstone and Abasalom station being the effective center of the universe due to its drift beacon it makes sense for the office on the station to be the primary one in the Universe, I suspect AbadarCorp is intended to predate the station and to be pan-dimensional. I like the idea of AbadarCorp and Abadar religion referring to the Axis location as the Home Office. Visiting or receiving training at Home Office should be major AbadarCorp job perks. Promotions to the Home Office should be the most fiercely competitive job openings in the entire organization and transferring to Home Office should be legendary events.

Boneyard
Psychopomps running an app called UBJudged that claims to have up to date predictions of your souls afterlife destination based off your infosphere profiles and social medias. 43% accuracy even.
The Cycle of Souls is a known quantity to at least some in the Universe... End of life care/hospice care could involve classes/lessons/techniques for your soul to avoid the depredations of soul thieves on the journey to the Spire and judgement

Heaven
Anti-tech/Anti-knowledge... Angels can make interesting antagonists for knowledge based characters or those who learn that which was not meant for mortals to know. Angel hit squads showing up when characters learn something they shouldn't is a interesting twist.
Did Angels/Heaven cause the Gap! Mindwipe the Universe because some knowledge became known that threatened to destabilize creation and was spreading through the Universe like a virus. I dig this idea.
Could the Hellknights of the Eclipse (anti dangerous messaging/media) actually be supported by Heaven and Angels instead of Hell and Fiends?

Hell
Mammon Banking should be a thing. Great interest rates and return on you investment in exchange for knowing your capital is being used for unsavory/immoral/suppressive endeavors, possibly knowingly tainting your soul. Better returns and perks than AbadarCorp Banking as well.
Dark Infosphere links though special unholy interfaces to the data servers in Geryon. Infernal programming languages.

Outer Rifts
The Dark Lobby/Icarthian is the source of those urban legend games that true fanboys salivate over finding and playing that actually turn out to be cursed that result in death/misery/corruption. Also i like the idea of demon computer game programmers.
Already mentioned that I liked the idea of calling Ksedahl's realm either the Everdrudge or the Nevergoal. Perpdepog mentioned that toil sounds too close to Droskar, but Droskar resides in the Outer Reaches. Are Ksedahl and Doskar aligned with each other or rivals. Could the Everdrudge be an adjacent realm of an ally or a dig at a rival or both. I'd have to answer that question in my own mind before settling on a realm name for Ksedahl.

Akashic Record
I have a lot of questions about this realm and am interested in seeing it expanded. The Akashic Sync feat with successes giving out false information tends to imply that the Akashic Record is not 100% accurate or factual. I'm pretty sure I also read somewhere that information on the Gap isn't available in the Akashic Record, so either hidden or redacted.
Who is adding info the the Record, who is fact checking...
New divinities in the Archivists to explore. New planar residents in the Recorders to explore. Possible source of new versatile heritage.
So far we have class features, in Universe organizations, extra-planar locations, feats, spells and magic items all tied to this plane. I suspect we will be getting more info down the road and I am intrigued. The only thing I am hesitant about is its links to real world Buddhism and Theosophy and respect for the differences between the game concept and the real world beliefs.

I like either the Evertoil or the Nevergoal personally. Also as a manager who has had to do both too many self evaluations and direct report evaluations. I would give this hell a review of 2.2 for not meeting expectations and unsatisfactory results. ;)

I'm working on developing a solarion character that comes from a devout Desnan background who's taken the twin weapons feat at first level. I'm planning on making the weapons appearance standard appearance to be versions of starknives. In graviton form they will be swirling representation of the Desna's Path Galaxy with his closed fists gripping the center of the galaxy. For photonic attunement they will change to his fists gripping a tiny sun with multiple solar flares (as in the stellar phenomenon, not the class ability) projecting out. When he uses solar flare (class ability), either a swirling galaxy or a solar flare will fly from his solar weapon.

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