ericthecleric's page

Hey all.
I discovered the first game when it was on sale at Steam recently for £ 13.99 (apparently $ 16 in the US) for the PC. Finished it today. Well worth it, but has somethings I don't like, eg the platform/climbing aspects and the training areas (for those with teenage reflexes). Overall, loved the game.

I understand that the second game in the series (Horizon Forbidden West) was released on the Playstation early last year and a third game will be released in 2027, so it's quite likely that these two games will be available on PC in 2025 and 2030 respectively, perhaps.

Looking at a review of the second game, they said that they found the climbing in that game even worse!? If anyone has played it, can they offer an opinion (on all of it, not just the climbing).

Just thought I'd mention this band. It's a US band that does heavy metal covers of Star Wars movie music...

If the idea of that thrills you, check them out on Youtube!

I'm interested to know if anyone from Paizo is planning to attend the UK Games Expo in Birmingham this June (3-5th).

I was just looking at the (UK) Games Expo website for this year, and one of the bits of news is that Ian Livingstone (of Games Workshop and Lara Croft fame) was knighted this year for services to gaming. Good for him!

Was the series any good? I noticed it was due to be shown, but missed the first 8 minutes. Recorded the rest. Is it worth a watch?

I know the above are old news to many of you, but I only recently bought and played through them.

I very much enjoyed 2. It was like playing a new Fallout 1 and 2 type game. After finishing it I purchased 3.

I do *not* like 3, in a number of ways. It is much grimmer than 2. If I was to make a comparison using UK film classifications, 3 is like an 18 (or R film in the USA), whereas 2 goes up to 15 (not sure of the US version). The gore and nastiness is excessive to me.

While 2 has a few moral choices, 3 has a load of them, and they pretty much all have crappy consequences in some form or another. The real world has too much evil as it is, and I don't want that in my games. I want to be the good guy.

Another aspect I don't like is the graphics engine. Yes, the graphics is better than for 2. BUT, like comparing Final Fantasy 10+ versus FF 7-9, the latter ones had much better graphics and music, but overall the storyline/game play is much more tedious and unfun. Please use the 2 engine/graphics (but with fewer number of skill).

Also, in 2 there were difficulties for safes, doors etc, and if your skill levels weren't quite good enough to get through, you might still have a chance to get through them (and could annoyingly grind through random encounters to increase levels to get the required skill levels). In 3, this is not the case; the difficulties are "you must be this high to progress", or you are stuffed. Random encounters are so few that you can't really grind.

One good thing about 3 is the unlimited carry wait for the group. Also, I like the use of the vehicle. Another good thing is that there are no NCR or Legion factions.

If there are to be additional Wasteland games, I'd much prefer them to be like 2 than 3!

I purchased this game last weekend, with the three add-ons.

Really enjoying it, but it does have a steep learning curve with the kingdom stuff.

I wonder if anyone knows what the rules are for visiting the USA from the UK, regarding the pandemic?
I'd like to visit in October, however flights are vastly more expensive right now, but I'm not sure if it's allowed or what other rules there are currently.

At the start of the pandemic, it was recommended that people wash (chilled) food in hot water after bringing it home from shops. I still do it, but I wonder what the general advice is now? Should we still do it?

I did a search for this film, and couldn't find one, so here we are!

I watched it over the weekend. Part 2 is released in July, apparently.

Very interesting premise. It's a horror/thriller, where the characters have to stay quiet, or they will be hunted. I like it. Very tense in parts. Worth a watch.

Anyone excited about the second one? I don't know the full story, but it will explain some of the background to the original film.

Has anyone read the above book? Did you find it helpful?

Starts this Friday the 19th!

Thought I'd create a thread so that people can discuss it!

Hi all!

I'm selling 11 lots on ebay.

Four recent APs.
Four mini-boxes.
Two pawn boxes (Bestiary 3, Inner Sea)
Pawn collection (Pathfinder Society).

Note that I am UK based, but will post elsewhere.

Hi.
Please suspend my Adventure Path subscription. I do not want to receive # 163.

Also, book # 161 arrived damaged, as though somewhere along the line in shipping the bottom of the book had been stepped on or something. I can email a picture if you like. Could you send a replacement please?

Edge and Internet Explorer are owned by Microsoft, I think Chrome is owned by Google.

Firefox and Mozilla are the only other internet browsers that I'm aware of. Who owns those two? Which of those two are better?

I sold a number of gaming books on ebay some years ago using TurboLister. However, after doing some research I learned that support for TurboLister discontinued in 2017, and is not available on UK ebay any more. Now it seems that "seller hub" is the thing.
Has anyone used seller hub to create listings on ebay? Is it any good?

The above show is a new BBC comedy that is a mockumentary-style comedy about a group of vampires "living" in Staten Island. The three main leads are played by British actors. I've seen the pilot episode, and found it amusing.
I might add to this thread once I've seen more episodes, bur I'm mentioning it now in case its of interest to anyone else!

Last year, while I enjoyed the after-dinner talks, I didn't eat very much; I'm not sure if I wasn't feeling very well, or just not hungry. This year I decided not to attend the banquet to save some money; doesn't seem worth it if you don't eat much. Anyone else not going, but still attending the convention?

Has anyone read this book? Did you find it helpful?

Thought I'd raise awareness of this kickstarter project.

This amused me. Others might like it too.

Note that the same people have done other parodies.

Note also that there are a ton of spoilers, and a bit of swearing (if that bothers some of you).

The big wide footer is at the bottom of the page. YAY!

Thanks for fixing that!

I'm being forgetful. What is a group of tigers called? (This isn't a joke, btw!)

Good to see this available!

Does anyone know how long poison on a weapon or arrow/bolt/etc remains fresh before it wears off, if it isn't used in combat?

I don't have a smart phone, and don't take my laptop abroad. So, are there computers available for use, such as in the business centre, where I can check emails, Facebook, and other websites?

Does anyone know what the above means?

Smurf!

Does a proclaimer have to walk 500 miles then walk 500 more?

I've been re-reading this Adventure Path recently (still re-reading book 6 ).

Ignoring the N alignment of the sellswords and battle mages (generic stat blocks from the Game Mastery Guide referred to in #89), and Zernebeth's CN alignment, the alignment of all the other Technic League NPCs, including the captains (#89/#90) or former captains, the commandos (#90), and kytons (#89) are all evil.

Zernebeth seems the odd one-out for the leadership, alignment-wise. Also, as a former leader of the League, then she must have been fine with the continued drugging and manipulation of Kevoth-Kul. Such acts, as well as all the other atrocities perpetuated by the League, are not neutral acts. Therefore, it surely makes more sense if she has never been leader. It should also make sense that some of the other captains and commandos are neutral rather than evil (and that some of the sellswords and battle mages are evil), so that there is a possibility of reforming the League. After all, Khonnir Baine (#85) is CG, although maybe he became CG after leaving the League.

Also, the commandos are CR 12, but the typical captains are CR 9. Shouldn't it be the case that the captains are higher CR and the commandos lower CR? Otherwise, why are they commandos and not captains?

Another thing. The text in #89 (page 46) says that Jarin Sogron, a druid, couldn't be a captain because the position requires skill in arcane spellcasting. Yet, in #90(page 21), Geetan Prosser, a ranger, is described as a (widely disliked) Technic League captain.

Just some thoughts. I hope people find them interesting!

Link here!

(This isn't spam. It's an interesting story I just saw!)

If so, please let me know.

Fascinating article.

I haven't studied physics since school, so I have to ask. Is anti-matter the same thing as dark matter, or something else? How can anti-matter exist?

If so, what's a good (free) one?

Does it improve your internet performance? I find that many times, web pages are slow loading because of ads.

(I'm talking about ones for a laptop, not phone or tablet or whatever.)

There was a programme around 1980. The plotline involved a school for gifted children, but it was really a cover for a Soviet plot. A strange-looking bearded man was the headmaster.

If so, I'd like to ask some questions. I used to have the game, but not for a while.

Just for fun, I put together this most unlikely bad guy. It might be an amusing read. Apologies for the poor name. If anyone uses this, please post about how the encounter goes!

Busby
CR 3; 800 XP
Gruesome scars cover this pale, jellyfish-like creature floating gently in the air, two long eyestalks extending from either side of its puckered mouth. It somehow exudes an aura of menace.
Implacable stalkerHA flumphB3
LE Small aberration
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., sense fear 120 ft.; Perception +7
Aura fear aura (60 ft., DC 11)

Defense
AC 24, touch 14, flat-footed 21 (+3 Dex, +10 natural, +1 size)
hp 18 (2d8+9)
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5
Defensive Abilities terrifying inevitability; DR 5/—; Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10, sonic 10

Offense
Speed 5 ft., fly 20 ft. (perfect)
Melee sting +5 (1d4+3 plus acid injection)
Special Attacks gory display, right behind you, stench spray

Statistics
Abilities Str 14, Dex 16, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 15
Feats DiehardB, EnduranceB, Intimidating ProwessB, ToughnessB, Weapon Finesse
Skills Diplomacy +2, Fly +18, Intimidate +13, Perception +7, Sense Motive +3, Stealth +17, Survival +5 (+11 tracking); Racial Modifiers +8 Intimidate, +6 Stealth, and +6 Survival when tracking.
Languages Aklo, Common
SQ nightmare resurrection

Special Abilities
Acid Injection (Ex) When Busby strikes an opponent with his spikes, he injects a burning, irritating acid that deals 1d4 points of acid damage immediately and another 1d4 points of acid damage on the round after the attack. The target can end the acid’s effects by submerging the wound in water for a round or by being treated with a DC 15 Heal check. A creature that grapples or swallows Busby takes this acid damage automatically every round it maintains this contact with Busby.
Fear Aura (Su) All creatures within this radius must succeed at a Will save or become shaken for as long as they remain within 60 feet of Busby, and for 1 round thereafter. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by his aura until the creature has left the aura and reentered it. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Gory Display (Ex) Whenever Busby kills a sentient living creature, as a swift action, he can revel in the kill, shredding the victim’s corpse in a gruesome display of power. If he does , he gains a +4 morale bonus to Strength and Dexterity for 1 minute.
Alternatively, Busby can cause a single creature within 60 feet to become more vulnerable to fear. Creatures affected in this way lose any immunity to fear they may have. If the creature did not possess immunity to fear, it takes a –4 penalty on saving throws to resist fear effects, and all Intimidate checks attempted against it receive a +4 circumstance bonus. These effects last for 10 minutes. Finally, if the creature is currently immune to Busby’s fear aura because it succeeded at a previous saving throw, it loses that immunity.
Nightmare Resurrection (Su) When Busby dies, he creates a psychic imprint on the mind of each intelligent creature within 60 feet that witnessed his death. Each week, such creatures are subject to a nightmare effect (DC 11; the normal modifiers for nightmare based on knowledge and connection do not apply). In this nightmare, the creature is hunted and slain by Busby (for GMs using the nightmare dreamscape rules in Horror Adventures, these nightmares always have the “being chased” nightmare feature). A creature that succeeds at three consecutive saving throws to resist the effect is freed from it. If any creature fails at three consecutive saving throws to resist the nightmare, Busby returns to life, as per true resurrection. If his corpse has been completely destroyed, he returns to life in a random location within 5 miles of the creature that failed to resist the nightmare effects. Once Busby is returned to life, the psychic imprint fades from all creatures still affected by it.
Right Behind You (Sp) As a swift action, Busby can teleport to an unoccupied space, which must be adjacent to a creature he is aware of that has the shaken, frightened, or panicked condition. Busby can travel a maximum distance of 480 feet with each use of this ability, and must wait 1d6 rounds between each use. Additionally, if Busby travels at least 40 feet, any shaken, frightened, or panicked creature he arrives adjacent to is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC against his attacks until the beginning of his next turn.
Sense Fear (Su) Busby is able to sense the fear of nearby living creatures. This functions similarly to blindsight, with a range of 120 feet, except it only allows Busby to detect creatures that are currently experiencing any level of fear. Additionally, this ability allows Busby to detect such creatures even through solid barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
Stench Spray (Ex) Busby can spray a 20-foot line of foul-smelling liquid once every 1d4 rounds. This spray functions like the stench universal monster ability, except it only affects creatures struck by the spray, which must make a DC 14 Fortitude save or be sickened for 5 rounds. Alternatively, Busby can concentrate the spray on a single target within 5 feet. To use this version of his stench spray, he must succeed at a ranged touch attack (+5 bonus). If the target is hit, it must make a DC 14 Fortitude save or become nauseated for 5 rounds; otherwise, it is sickened for 5 rounds. The odor from this spray lingers in the area and on all creatures struck for 1d4 hours, and can be detected at a range of 100 feet (creatures with the scent ability can smell it at double this range).
Terrifying Inevitability (Su) Busby is even more difficult to kill when in the presence of fear. As long as Busby is able to see or hear a creature currently experiencing any level of fear, he gains fast healing 2, his damage reduction increases to 10/—, and he gains spell resistance 19.

If so, please tell me your stories!

If a creature with two claw attacks has a 0.75 chance of hitting with each claw, and needs to hit twice to use rend, then there is a 0.5625 chance of rend occurring.

If that creature has three claw attacks (same chance of hitting), and needs to hit two or three times to use rend, what's the chance of that happening? (If it helps, 0.75x 0.75x 0.75= 0.421875.)

It's a while since I've studied statistics, so I can't remember the solution. Can anyone help?

Within the last few months, I remember reading about an ability that grants an extra attack a round, even if the creature only uses a standard action in the round. I can't remember if it is a monster special attack, something from a template, or something else.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

This is a British TV series, on Channel 4, that finished last night. It had six episodes. It could be described as "Buffy, but with demons", in that it's a comedy horror show. (As an FYI, it's written by the chap who wrote "Misfits".)

Here's the imdb description.

It might still be available to watch on the Channel 4 website, but if not, for people outside the UK I recommend people watch out for it!

I only just became aware of the above mentioned site, and wow, does it have a massive amount of (free) mods for various games, including Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, for example.

Does anyone have experience of using the site? If you have, is it a good site to use, and are the mods fun?

For those who are interested, I'm creating this thread for current and future megabundle offers.

Here are two that I'm currently aware of:

Raging Swan Press megabundle

Dreamscarred Press megabundle

Just wondering. For those of you who've switched to e-cigarettes from actual cigarettes, what are your experiences? Is it cheaper? Are you healthier? Have you managed to quit smoking and vaping entirely, and if not, how long have you been using e-cigarettes for?
Any tips or particularly good brands to use. I know that using some flavoured ones are worse for you than others.

(Note, I'm not doing a medical survey, I just want people's thoughts and experiences with the issue!)

I only occasionally look at the official Nightwish website, but I looked this week and saw that they had a new album out last year (as detailed in the subject line).
What are people's thoughts on this album?
I had one listen on Youtube- admittedly, it didn't seem to be a great copy- but nothing really leapt out at me. Maybe the recording was too quiet?

I hope that someone can help with the following!
1) A monster with x mythic ranks gains a number of mythic abilities equal to x+1. They don’t count mythic power and mythic surge amongst those abilities, correct?
2) Can a monster select “simple arcane spellcasting” more than once?
3) If a monster has simple arcane spellcasting, does it need a spell component pouch
4) Does a monster with simple arcane spellcasting need an Int of 10 + spell level to cast the spell?
5) A creature adds its mythic rank as an initiative bonus if it has Mythic Improved Initiative, but a creature with 2+ mythic tiers with Mythic Improved Initiative gets to add *twice* its tier to initiative, correct?

The BBC showed the first of a six part adaptation of a John Le Carre novel on Sunday. I've seen part one now, and it's good. It has a stellar cast, including Tom Huddlestone, Hugh Laurie, Olivia Coleman, and others. Providing this info in case anyone else is interested!

Hi all,

When filling out an online application form, obviously it makes sense to fill out replies to the longer questions offline. Assume you've filled in details about everything else, including a question about strengths.
Regarding a question like "What skills and experience make you suitable for this role?", what is it after exactly?
Do they want you to cut and paste the education and employment parts of your resume/CV, along with a wordier explanation of skills, or what?