As to why I posted on the weekend and not waited until Monday? That is simple, Paizo wasn't the intended audience of this thread. These are allegations that have been in the public domain for some time. The Price stuff is newer but the other stuff was out there months ago. Even in the Price situation the company has had time to respond if they want to.
My Intended audience was the Paizo fan base. Both to make sure they were aware of these situations and to begin a conversation about them.
So far Jessica Price is reporting that Paizo managers pressured her to stay quiet about disturbing interactions with Frank Mentzer, allegations of Bill Webb harassing people at Paizocon and Paizo trying to cover it up, and now reports of Paizo threatening legal action against a PFS volunteer who reported being harassed.
They have said that the digital ebooks available through the DungeonScape app will not be subscription based and will be a one time purchase.
If that's the case, why not just sell industry-standard PDFs?
If they're trying to employ DRM shenanigans, all they'll do is annoy people. And someone will crack it, especially on an open platform like the PC. That's the open secret of content encryption -- you have to give your customers the key in order to read the content.
I imagine the DS Ebook will be able to do things that are hard or impossible to do with PDFs. But we shall see.
Yeah, they're clearly not fully embracing PDFs. Personally, I'm not particuarly optimistic about it.
Nonetheless, they are releasing them (one of the Sundering adventures was only available in PDF, for example) - so maybe there's hope and it's part of some over-arching strategy.
Mearls did a podcast interview recently where he was asked point blank about PDFs and he refused to answer, but did say they have plans for a digital product. This is better than a flat "no," but I suspect this means that we're looking at some sort of sandboxed subscription product.
Honestly, I'd be perfectly content with a tablet app with all the rules available by in-app purchase, similar to what a lot of 3rd party tablet apps have done with the PRD content, but I will be very disappointed if digital access to the rules requires an ongoing subscription.
They have said that the digital ebooks available through the DungeonScape app will not be subscription based and will be a one time purchase.
Not surprising that Pathfinder is high on the list. In RPGs there really is little to no competition for D&D and Pathfinder is just a version of D&D. A Star Wars RPG can do well since it's Star Wars but anything else is niche.
Either way they failed. I haven't found a 4E fan yet that wants to play 5E over 4E as anything more than a 1 shot.
Well I guess I am a first for you then. I love 4e and am really looking forward to 5e. We haven't seen the advanced tactical module yet and I really look forward to seeing what it has to offer.
Okay, I think I want to finally try running PF. For the last 4 years I have mostly run 4e (with a little BX, AD&D, and the PF beginner's game mixed in). Prior to that I played 3.5 for a few months and back in the 80s I played a lot of AD&D. I still like 4e a lot but I want to take a break from it without getting away from D&D.
Despite being a 4e player and really liking what I see of 5e so far, I think Paizo will be fine. Paizo was able to grab customers from WotC because WotC stopped supporting 3.5. Paizo won't abandon Pathfinder and their customers love them.
I will be mostly buying singles and a few random boosters.
I was going to buy a case but there was too much duplication of what I already have, but this is a great set for someone just starting a minis collection.
I have a question for you. You and others keep talking about not making the same mistakes as TSR in splitting the customer base. Did the research you do show an issue with the basic/advanced D&D split that started in the 80s or was it only an issue when coupled with the multitude settings in the 90s?
So in other words do you think TSR would have been more profitable in the 80s if it had never produced the Expert/Companion/Master/Immortal sets and just stuck with a basic set and the advanced game?
Not being in the rpg business I would assume a minority of sales for D&D and Pathfinder are made through retail locations. Most of the 4e players I know don't buy D&D books. They use DDi or pirate the book PDFs or pirate DDi stuff.
Do most of the Pathfinder players actual buy the books? How many buy through retail locations?
I was running the party while my son DMed and I kicked the Dragon's but pretty good without taking any damage. He rolled nothing higher than a 5 for the dragon attack rolls and Valeros hit him for 25 in one hit.
I would love to see the Pathfinder rules redone as as a series of books and boxed sets. Start with the BB. Want more spells buy the Complete book of spells. Want more skills ad feats buy the Complete Book of Skills and Feats. You get the idea.
Of course all of these products would have the superior presentation of the BB.
Clarification: some people were happy with Pathfinder the way it was. :)
I have had the CRB for over a year haven't done more than skim it. The BB actual makes me want to play it, which I did for the first time this weekend. Will I still want to play it if I outgrow the BB? I honestly don't know.
I think I want to use the BB as the basis for a P5 campaign. P5 would be similar to the E6 rules for 3.5. Basically it sums up to this:
1) Characters can level only to 5th. Multiclassing would be allowed.
2) After 5th characters could earn 1 additional feat per 5,000 XP.
3) The CR for the party would increase by 1 for ever 2 additional feats earned.
I have never played E6 before so I'd I miss anything?
First off, thanks for bringing up this idea. I would just add that your #1 implies that you can go up to Level 5 in Fighter, then start leveling up in Wizard. Is that what you meant? Because if so, it's at tension with with how E6 works (you can ONLY have extra feats once you hit maximum level) and would shift this entire discussion.
No total of 5 character levels. So if you want to cast 3rd level wizards spells then you can't multiclass.
It is going good. My 10 yo DMed my 5 yo and me through Black Fang's Dungeon. It was a lot of fun for all of us. He immediately took the GM Guide to bed with him and started making notes for a follow up adventure to run us through.
The Beginner's Box gets a huge thumbs up from me (this was my first time with PF but I am a verteran of AD&D and 4e).
I love this! How many of us, as younger gamers, took our old D&D manuals to bed as bedtime reading? Please give us more updates -- I'd love to know what kind of terrible perils this kid is thinking of for his parents! lol
I will do that. He has hinted that the dragon was in a weakened state when we faced him but he won't be when we face him again.
It is going good. My 10 yo DMed my 5 yo and me through Black Fang's Dungeon. It was a lot of fun for all of us. He immediately took the GM Guide to bed with him and started making notes for a follow up adventure to run us through.
The Beginner's Box gets a huge thumbs up from me (this was my first time with PF but I am a verteran of AD&D and 4e).
At 6th level, single class characters improve all their saves. At 5th level nothing advances.
At 6th level, characters with only Full BAB classes get a second attack as a Full-Attack actions.
At 5th level, wizards and clerics get 3rd level spells, but sorcerers and oracles don't. At 6th level, they all have the same access to spell levels.
Good thoughts thanks.
Quote:
There are usually capstone feats you can take after you hit the max level, maybe an iterative attack for full bab classes, or limited 3rd level spell slots for a sorceror/oracle.
I guess going to 6th wiuld take care of this, but an interesting way to get the 6th level stuff.
I have that but I like PF basic better. BFRPG doesn't have the streamlined mechanics of PF or a skill system.
FWIW Tombs & Terrors does :) http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=84759&.
However, I agree with you. Given the extensive wealth of Paizo support out there already and their amazing presentation, a simpler Paizo created entry point would be preferable.
Yep got that one too. Simon makes some great games, but you are right it doesn't have the presentation and support of PF.
I've been running a pair of players through this campaign on a bi-weekly basis for nearly a year now. We're nearing the end of Chapter 3 and the party is exploring the Spellweaver Ruin beneath Cauldron looking for the wands of control water.
Since my party size is so small and I didn't really care to revamp ALL the encounters beyond Pathfinder-izing them, each player has a main hero that's level 5 and each player also controls a sidekick who's level 3. The sidekick roster has been slowly expanding as the party meets more NPCs, and I've found that to be a fun way to really get the players invested in the people they meet. They never know who they might be able to recruit to their cause in a more active, participatory way. I also padded their coffers a good bit, giving them about 150% what they should have according to the Wealth by Level guidelines and it's worked out great thus far.
But I digress. This Spellweaver Ruin has been SO FUN. I can't tell you how delighted I was for my players to walk right into the eastern pit trap in the main hall off the repurprosed breeding chamber. And then, after puzzling over the arrow slits and not figuring them out, blunder right into the western pit trap too! Then stand there, scratching their heads trying to figure out, "How do we open the door now?" The one player slapped his hand to his forehead, gestured to the map, and incredulously declared, "This hall is perfectly symmetrical! How did we not expect that!"
In all honestly, we haven't laughed like we did this past session since the ridiculously trapped halls of Jzadirune. I, as the GM, am having a ball and the players are enjoying it too.
I eagly await their reactions the horribly creepy spider tunnels Skaven's fled too. They hate spiders! =D
It's currently in beta, but it's free and LOADS of fun. Plays like Diablo, but the leveling system is like Final Fantasy VII's materia (you get skill gems that fit into sockets in your items that gain their own experience) combined with Final Fantasty X's massive spheres skill map thing.
So far, the game has proven to be a lot of fun. I'm honestly having more fun with this than I ever had with Diablo 3. Did I mention it's free?
Whenever I try to search something on the PRD, either through the search box on the left side of the screen or at the top of the search results page, all I get as a result is "Your search didn't match any items." Regardless of my search terms.
I've tried with quotes, without quotes, with plusses, even with just one word like "unarmed" or "paladin" and it's the same thing every time - no hits.
This spell enables you or a creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement, such as paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web. All combat maneuver checks made to grapple the target automatically fail. The subject automatically succeeds on any combat maneuver checks and Escape Artist checks made to escape a grapple or a pin.
Ultimate Magic wrote:
Forbid Action
You forbid the target a single course of action, which it avoids to the best of its ability. You may demand the target not take actions that fall into one of the following options.
...
Move: The target can take no act that would cause it to end up in a different location. The target does not resist being moved by others (and thus can be picked up or dragged, or can float along on a raft), but does not consciously attempt to move (including not directing a mount to move).
bolded things for emphasis
So my question is pretty straight forward, does Freedom of Movement thwart the move option of Forbid Action?
At first I thought, "no, it doesn't - it's mind affecting and all the examples given are physical impediments to movement, not mental inclinations" - but now I'm not so sure. My impression is this almost functions more like charm person than it does hold person. Rather than making the target unable to move, it makes the target unwilling to move.
I didn't realize it until after I'd gotten through to the order confirmation (my fault entirely) that my order would be split in twain. Order numbers are 1926665 and 1926664.
Is there any way to hold 65 and ship it with 64? If not, no big deal, but it'd be nice if I could avoid paying for shipping twice.
It seems like most of my posts in this particular forum start the same way...
Fairly soon, my group will be starting a new homebrew campaign. The DM, a glutton for punishment, has declared that we will be gestalt characters. He has also said that if we aren't 20th level, we'll be darn near close to it.
One of the other players will be creating a ninja-inquisitor 20.
Since I see no feasible way of even coming close to his potential damage output without creating an AM BARBARIAN variant or something similar, I've decided I'll aim for more of a battlefield control/party support type role.
For story reasons, I've limited my class selections to two similar combinations: Summoner-Oracle of Nature(or Wood) OR Summoner-Druid.
Caveat: I want to try to be immune to as many sources of damage and statuses as possible.
Which should I go with then? Greater Aspect with the summoner will let me pick up 3 different immunities to energy damage (and I figure I can pad out two others with separate rings), but how else can I shore this character up?
Quick question - have these spells had new creatures added to their respective tables with the release of the Bestiary 2? I checked the PRD but didn't see any notes indicating they have, but as I am considering a summoner for an upcoming game, I figured I'd toss the question out there in case I'm looking in the wrong place.
I have been tasked with making a high level character for an upcoming campaign. When I asked the will-be-GM what level, he responded "20ish. Oh, and gestalt."
My brain nearly exploded.
I have a general idea, but need some help in narrowing my focus a bit - maybe picking the feats and getting that laid out.
I had a load of ideas for what to make. I thought about a Barbarian-Alchemist/Barbarian-Master Chymist combo who focuses on becoming large and smashing things with his fists. I thought about a barbarian-cavalier who takes rage powers that let his mount rage when he does. I thought about a ranger/ninja who focuses on traps with his ranger half. I really went all over the map.
But the idea I think I've settled on is similar to one of my favorite characters that I've played previously. For some reason, I really, really like casters - and, inexplicably, casters with swords are even more fun.
So I'm thinking of gestalting magus with... something. Here's my basic idea for 18 levels (if my GM wants him higher, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it)...
Levels 1 - 5: magus/wizard (transmuter)
Levels 6 - 15: magus/eldritch knight (ek spell progression goes to wiz)
Levels 16 - 18: magus/??? (I'm leaning toward wizard, just to keep that spell progression going, but I'm not sold on it necessarily)
I'd take the broad study magus arcana and the still spell metamagic feat. In combat spells would come from my magus spells or stilled wizard spells. With still spell, I'd like him to sport some full plate and my GM has said he'll house rule me being able to use a 2-handed weapon as a bonded item if I want it.
He'd cast as a 18th level magus, a 17th level wizard, and would qualify as a fighter of indeterminate level thanks to strange overlapping between EK and Magus.
make combat faster and more mobile by tweaking the rules?
I'm trying to figure out a way to do this and to encourage combat to be something more than a few rounds of movement and then everyone standing still and full-attacking. I'd also like to pull it off, if at all possible, without causing irreparable damage to the fundamental game.
My current idea is to remove iterative attacks. So a level 10 fighter would just get the one attack @ +10.
To counter this, every one gets 1 feat at each level, Iterative, Improved Iterative, and Greater Iterative Attack are available feats (so you can still get them if you really want them), and weapon damage die are doubled. So a dagger does 2d4, a great sword does 4d6, a longsword does 2d8, etc etc.
My theory behind it all, is that if I didn't do anything besides outright removing iterative attacks, a caster and his standard action is going to rapidly outstrip a non-caster's standard action.
I don't know how comfortable I am with this idea though. It'll make DR less effective for one thing. For another, I figure martial characters will gravitate toward either taking the Iterative Attack Feat Chain or the Vital Strike Chain now, since the Vital Strikes will amp up weapon damage CONSIDERABLY more than they would otherwise.
Anyone else played around with this idea all? Am I embarking down a hopeless road or is possible to pull this off? Has anyone had any success with this? Found any pitfalls I should avoid?
We have a one-shot coming up (same one the Paladin-Sorceror-Arcane Archer from a previous thread is for) and the DM has thrown me a wonderful curve ball. He's declared that our characters will be gestalt.
For those not familiar, gestalt means you advance as 2 classes simultaneously, taking the better of any 2 overlapping stats. For instance, a gestalt fighter-wizard 1 would have a fighter's Hit Die, BAB, Fort Save, proficiencies, and bonus fighter feat as well as the Wizard's Will Save, wizard bonus feat, spells, etc etc.
It was pretty simple to adjust the aforementioned Arcane Archer, but another player will be playing him so I'm left with coming up with another character.
Enter my idea of making Broly from Dragon Ball Z movie 8. My idea of gestalting him is to go Barbarian-Alchemist 14/Barbarian-Master Chymist 1. Race is human. Stats after leveling and magic items are Str 27 (Greater Rage + Mutagen can push this to 39), Dex 16, Con 24, Int 23, Wis 14, Cha 14.
The question now becomes, what discoveries to take?
I checked with the DM, and since Feral Mutagen doesn't really fit flavor wise, he let me homebrew the following discovery and also agreed to let it function as feral mutagen insofar as qualifying for Master Chymist.
Homebrew Discovery:
Brutal mutagen: Whenever the alchemist imbibes a mutagen, he gains the feat Improved Unarmed Strike. Additionally, the alchemist gains a +10 alchemical bonus to his movement speed. These benefits only apply to the alchemist while he is under the effects of a mutagen.
Apart from brutal mutagen at level 2 and greater mutagen at level 12, what discoveries would help flesh out Broly? Perhaps force bombs and fast bombs?
(I'd like to pick up combine extracts if possible, for more efficient 1st-round self-buffs like haste+displacement)
Note: If we level, and boy do I hope we do, I can pick up a 2nd level of Master Chymist and snag the advanced mutagen power Growth Mutagen. That will be so perfect if it happens.
I'll be participating in a 1 shot in several weeks time with some old college buddies and I'm torn between 2 character ideas. I'm hoping some of the glorious members of these boards might help me hone the ideas and pick one over the other.
At this point, the only other character idea that I’ve heard one of the other guys discuss is a negative energy dhampir cleric. I think he basically wants to selective channel to avoid us, wade into bad guys, and go nova with his channels. Whether he winds up going with that or not remains to be seen, but he seems pretty keen on it.
From what the GM has indicated, it’s looking like we need to show up with a level 15 character in hand and ready to play. (Epic Fantasy Point Buy, standard WBL w/ no one item costing more than 40%)
My two ideas are:
Paladin X/Sorcerer Y/Arcane Archer Z
and
Druid 6/Horizon Walker 1/Nature Warden 8
This is where I need some help. If I go with the Paladin/Sorcerer/ArcaneArcher, what would be the best way to split his levels? I’ve heard that Paladins can be fairly decent archers, and it seems the Paladin and Sorcerer classes will synergize well with a good Charisma score. From my perusing the AA class, it seems to emphasize the archery aspect of a character over the arcane, so I expect him to rely more on his bow than on his spells. (I have a Fighter 1/Diviner 6/Eldritch Knight 10 in a different campaign that is almost the reverse of this, his spells are his main strength and his physical combat abilities are 2nd, so I think they'd play differently enough for me to still really enjoy this)
The other idea – the Nature Warden, would have an animal companion equal to a level 14 druid’s and would cast like a level 12 druid if I’m reading things correctly. That being said, any suggestions on race and animal companion?
I suppose I could go with a more typical Druid 3/Ranger 3/Nature Warden 9 – but I lose out on 3 more caster levels if I go that route.
I'm hoping one of you more mathematically gifted denizens of the boards might come to my aid here. I have been trying to figure out the following odds.
any one of 3 consecutive d20 rolls comes up >=15
any 2 of 3 consecutive d20 rolls comes up >=15
What's the equation to use here? I know it's a 6/20 (0.3) chance that a single, solitary d20 roll is >=15, and I think the equation for figuing if all 3 are >=15 is (0.3)*(0.3)*(0.3).
Any of you numerological wizards able to help a brother out?
I'll be wrapping up an on-going homebrew campaign in about a week and was hoping to garner some advice from some awesome folk on the boards.
Normally, when I finish a campaign off, I like the final bit of dungeon-y conflict to be really memorable. Last time, I took a whole roll of gaming paper, cut it in half, and taped the sides together to make a gigantic cityscape in which to fight the BBEG.
However, my art skills are pitiful and while the scale of the map was impressive, the visuals didn't particularly pop.
Current Finale:
The heroes, all level 14, will be ascending a mysterious tower. The tower has 9 floors, each one keyed to one of the 9 layers of Hell - with the BBEG at the top floor.
Inspired by this, I was hoping to make the tower in a 3 dimensional vein, but have no idea where to even start.
Anyone have any experience with this kind of 3-d battle mat or variant ideas or battlemats they've used in the lower planes that might work?
Any advice/direction/tips at all would be super appreciated.
As critical feats trigger any time you crit, these feats are much more attractive to weapons with a threat range of 18-20 than they are for weapons that do huge damage but only on a 20.
PRD said:
Critical Feats
Critical feats modify the effects of a critical hit by inflicting an additional condition on the victim of the critical hit.
Characters without the Critical Mastery feat can only apply the effects of one critical feat to an individual critical hit. Characters with multiple critical feats can decide which feat to apply after the critical hit has been confirmed.
The suggestion I'm asking for feedback on would make the Critical Feats a little more attractive for any weapon, regardless of its threat range.
Proposed House Rule:
Critical Feats
Critical feats modify the effects of a critical hit by inflicting additional conditions on the victim of the critical hit. Characters without the Critical Mastery feat apply a number of effects equal to their weapon's critical multiplier -1 to the target of the critical hit. Characters with multiple critical feats can decide which feat to apply after the critical hit has been confirmed.
For example, a character crits on a foe with a weapon with a x3 critical multiplier, he would then apply any 2 critical feats to the critical hit once it has been confirmed. The same critical feat cannot be applied more than once per critical hit.
And Critical Mastery would look like this:
House Ruled Critical Mastery:
Critical Mastery (Combat)
Your critical hits cause further effects than normal.
Prerequisites: Critical Focus, any two critical feats, 14th-level fighter.
Benefit: When you score a critical hit, you can apply the effects of a number of critical feats equal to the critical multiplier of your weapon.
Normal: You can only apply the effects of a number of critical
feats equal to the weapon's critical multiplier -1.
What does everyone think? Does this seem balanced?
If I have a 15th level Fighter who has taken, Quickdraw, Two-weapon Fighting and Improved Two-Weapon Fighting... can he throw 5 daggers w/ a full attack action? Normal BAB is +15/+10/+5, would the thrown daggers be at +13/+13/+8/+8/+3 then?
I'm currently running a solo adventure Saga Edition campaign and am looking for some suggestions as to what direction to go in at this point.
The adventure is set during the initial phase of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion.
Basically, I've run this player through the story of Resident Evil. Had him get stranded in a remote mansion in the Hapes Consortium and slowly discover its been overrun by zombie-like creatures. After going through the mansion and finally discovering passage to an underground research facility, he found that scientists working for a company called Aurora have been experimenting with Yuuzhan Vong slave seeds, a vong flower, and the rakghoul virus.
Barabels that have been exposed to their hybrid virus turned into Hunters, humans and near humans into zombies, etc etc
He has gone through the entirity of the mansion and the research facility, and escaped by the skin of his teeth from the auto-destruct the blew up the facility and the mansion.
The broader plans of Aurora are to deliver their engineered virus into the atmospheres of 3 planets along the Yuuzhan Vong invasion corridor. When the Vong attempt to conquer those planets to continue their advance, they will be entirely stymied by Aurora's genetically enhanced forces (the infected population).
During the adventure, my player discovered that his commanding officer was actually working for/with Aurora and believes him to now be dead. In the research facility, he found mention of a "Theta Facility" located on Ziost and a cargo vessel named "The Tenebrous Star" left the research facility for Ziost 3 days before the player arrived on site.
His destination is now the Theta Facility on Ziost. As I feel we've run through the plot from the original Resident Evil, I'm not really looking to continue along those lines. He is looking to take down Aurora, but I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas as to what I should throw at him on Ziost?
He is Level 9, it is a solo campaign, but he has a salvaged T3 droid from the mansion running around with him and he is remarkably hardy and kicks butt in melee.
