geierkreisen's page

Is anybody a fan of Boxing? The sport where guys beat each other for 12 rounds?

This!

I think Rocket Tag is so prefered by many players because they

a) feel the more powerful the more damage they deal, but also...

b) Pathfinder's (and D&D's for that matter) damage dealing systems are simplest to understand, use and exploit, so that's what players tend to go for.

The more knowledge about other mechanisms you demand your players have and the more you use those mechanisms yourself, the more they will incorporate them in their playstyle and the less they will feel out of their depth.

I have begun to outsource responsibility for situational modifiers (to attack, AC, and so on) to individual players that now act as go-to guys and give a player the modifier/info he is looking for. We use laminated cheat sheets for that.

Dominate and charm effects are something different, but can be solved similarly. Prepare a cheat sheet with simple guidelines for a charmed or dominated character to follow, based on what you think comes closest to the PCs usual behaviour:

[Charm]
You are trying to protect your new friend by
[ ] not interfering in the fight [ ] aiding him indirectly (heal, give potion, etc.) [ ] blocking/tripping/grappling PCs [ ] attacking everyone getting too close [ ] attacking the biggest threat to your "friend" [ ] _______

[Dominate]
This is way simpler. You are overriding individual choice completely. Just give the player a quickly scribbled cheat sheet with a direct order that his PC has to act on. Only should this not work effectively (player holds back, tries to cheat, etc.) would I take over control of a PC. And even then I'd try to give him something useful to do.

Many spells have already been pointed out. I'd like to add some stuff on tactics and environment.

Use the environment, create situations to overcome instead of one-save effects.

Also, if the NPCs are in their everyday environment, they will have had time to think ahead and come up with a battle plan. Every time PCs suddenly "get" that plan and come up with ways to counter it, you will have created a memorable experience in which the group can interact and cooperate.

Cater to skill monkeys (survival, perception, knowledge, even craft) as well as damage dealers (mooks, summons) or mages (counter environment modifications, switch off/debuff key NPCs temporarily).

The rules for movement and visibility/cover (if used transparently and comprehensibly) are something to enjoy playing with and can empower agility PCs like monks, rogues, etc.

examples:
Let an NPC caster set stuff on fire to create barriers, smoke, breathing problems for normal humanoids. Then make use of outsiders/elementals that ignore parts of the fire/smoke effect or all of it.

or

Blow up water barrells and create ice surfaces.

or

Enlarge enemies in cramped environments, then swarm them with mooks.

or

Use illusions together with conjuration effects (the pit spells come to mind) to confuse the group.

or

Simply switch off the lights.

Alternatively, use crowd control that one/few of your PCs can counter (fear effects with a paladin present, bard stuff for bards) to empower them. Anything that separates the group can create suspense as long as the PCs are not left completely out of options (place secret doors, create detours through difficult environments, etc.).

Finally, think of how different NPC casters work methodically. Sorcerers might be more impulsive and into direct damage stuff. Wizards are per definition intelligent planners, play them like that. Druids can cause havoc in nature environments, Clerics are ideal crowd controllers/buffers in large faithful groups that will die for them without question.

tldr: Let the caster NPC and the environment he is in lead you as a GM in your creation of memorable and effective encounters.

I've GMed Serpent's Skull myself and also think much of the problem comes with the adventure part the OP's group is in atm. Much of it is spread too thin and left too open to GM out of the box.

Much of what I needed to change had to do with the Saventh Yhi location:

I've had my share of GMs running story-heavy campaigns in Pathfinder that tipped over into potential over-poweredness. Ironically, the less they focussed on game mechanics, the better they were at leaving an impression with players (they hadn't GMed since 2nd ed. D&D and weren't that much into grid combat and rules per se).

Having a stake in a company, in the OP's case, equals having a stake in the game world in general. The bigger the investment, the more your GM has you by the nuts.

This is a trick taken straight from Classical tragedy, increase height to make the crash the more memorable.

If you've read the Gentleman Bastards novels, the author basically starts out with that trick.

Attacks are a finite resource systems-wise, but there are other potentially cool uses:

1: Wield a two-handed melee weapon for 1,5 STR and simultaneously a mighty composite bow. Get STR up as high as possible and get feats that add ranged attacks / boost melee as full-round actions. Anyone comes close...hit them. Anyone tries to run? Hit them again. Might work best as a multi-class switch hitter fighter for weapon proficiencies, etc.

2: Wield a shield and a wand of Cure Serious Wounds in your vestigial limbs, a two-handed weapon in your normal hands. Most GMs should accept the shield granting its bonus while you hit with 1,5 STR. If not in striking distance, heal up, then charge. Get martial weapon and shield proficiency from a one-level dip into battle oracle or a cleric with a two-handed favored weapon. Lamasthu fits your appearance nicely.

3: Get two light weapons, like daggers, usable during a grapple and then grapple and sting :) Add poison to taste. No multi-classing required.

As a side note:

With 20 point buy I came up with

STR 14
DEX 14
CON 14
INT 10
WIS 10
CHA 14

Ourider as an alternative racial ability is a given.

As far as I know, something like this has been attempted before, but there have been a lot of rule discussions regarding mounted combat and Aid Another bonuses that I hope to have grasped enough to come up with a legit concept. I've read countless threads on various message boards and I'm sorry that a) none of this is actually new and b) I didn't think of remembering the names of other contributors on whose shoulders this brave little man finds himself:

This concept is for a supporter/buffer Halfling Dragon Cavalier based on synergies between teamwork feats, mounted combat, traits and the Honor Guard archetype for the Cavalier. I will only use Paizo-created content, but may point out 3rd-party stuff. Multi-classing is also avoided as the possibilities are limitless, the stack interferences even more so and the powerful Cavalier abilities should, in my opinion, have the chance to grow.

First things first. The Aid Another action is usually a standard action until modified by, e.g., the Bodyguard feat. It grants your ally/allies certain bonuses to their actions, in combat (mainly, but not exclusively) bonuses to AC against one attack or to attack on the ally's next attack. Out of combat, skill checks are pushable as well. Buffing saving throws is a vague topic, but let's assume that saves against ongoing effects can also be Aided in and out of combat. With appropriate roleplay and readied actions a GM might even rule buffing instantaneous saving throws as legit. One poster gave the example of pulling back a rogue tied to a rope as soon as a trap goes off (buffing reflex). Another example might be startling an ally subjected to a sleep effect or a pep talk against a fear effect.

So what the Halfling Dragon Honor Guard (HDHG from now on) can do each round is help somebody else be a better attacker or to raise survivability at the cost of your own standard action and a check with DC 10. This ally can indeed be your mount, as being adjacent is a prerequisite for only some instances and this "adjacency" is given when you are within 5ft. distance (ask your GM, but limiting this to adjacent grid fields is a) not what the rules say adjacent (as a one word term) means, and b) punishing a team player who might as well have played a charger or even another class).

Aiding your mount is a nice way of being able to ride/fly solo or when you find that nobody is in direct reach or dire need. It's just not you but your mount that is doing the actual ass-kicking.

Aid Another is modified by a large number of mechanics in this build. So we have to be certain about what stacks and what doesn't from wording. This has often been the reason for heated discussions and needs to be gone through thoroughly with your GM.

Improving the Aid Another bonus: We start out with a base one-time +2 bonus to AC, attack, a skill check or a save. The racial trait Helpful (Halfling) increases this to a base +4 bonus. Alternatively, the Dragon Cavalier's 2nd-level Aid Allies class ability increases the +2 to a base +3, with a +1 increase on levels 8, 14 and 20. Why take both when they don't stack? Because one is only a trait and other traits that might stack with Aid Allies exist, but are usually highly situational. On the other hand, a +4 bonus at the first few levels is way more powerful than waiting for it until level 8. The Dragon Order is also useful for other stuff, so we'll just accept that the flat +4 bonus from level 1 increases to a flat +5 at level 14.
This +4 bonus isn't the end of it yet, but the other boosts are situational.

Boosting AC: To boost the +4 to AC further, we take the Honor Guard archetype that grants us the Bodyguard feat through the 3rd-level Intercept class abilty and, on top, a +1 increase to our +4. If we add the archetype's 1st-level Sworn Defense challenge ability modifier (íssue a challenge, select one ally as your ward for the duration), your ward also gets a +1 dodge bonus to AC. With a higher-level bodyguard mount that also qualifies for the Bodyguard feat, you and your mount can work together to add another +2 on top. Cool thing? Bodyguard lets you do this by spending one of your attacks of opportunity as an immediate Aid Another action. So, as long as you and your mount beneath you are adjacent to your ward during a challenge and both of you win the DC 10 check, this ward gets a +8 AC against as many attacks as you and your mount have AOOs. If you haven't challenged anyone, this still is a +7. Should you fly solo, you can grant your mount your +5 and your mount supports your AC with +2 by solely spending AOOs. Guess why both of you should not neglect your Dexterity modifiers and get the Combat Reflexes feat even if you both don't actually need it to get Bodyguard? Both the bodyguard animal companion and an Honor Guard could get Bodyguard without having to meet the requirements. In the Pathfinder Player Companion: Melee Tactics Toolbox we find the Harrying Partners (Combat, Teamwork) feat which might make Combat Reflexes a bit less necessary as you can grant it to a large number of allies with your greater tactician class ability on 9th level. The feat extends the Aid Another bonuses you and your allies provide to the beginning of each Harrying Partner's next turn. That way not only one adjacent ally gets your bonus to AC against one attack per AOO spent. It's actually one adjacent ally per AOO spent that gains that bonus!
Another way to boost AC is the Saving Shield feat with which you can raise an ally's AC +2 against one attack with an immediate action (I can't find anywhere what kind of action an attack of opportunity is. Ask your GM if Bodyguard and Saving Shield stack).

Boosting attack rolls: When riding solo on your mount (at first level probably a wolf), you could bolster your mount's attack in the following ways: If you together charge (+2 attack, -2 AC) a challenged enemy, your mount gets a +1 circumstance bonus to her attacks (+1 for every four Cavalier levels) from your challenge, as well as a +1 morale bonus from your 5th-level Banner ability. When you also Aid Another as a standard action, your mount gets a total of +8 (at level 3) on top of her normal modifier if she makes one attack at the end of the charge, or alternatively you could direct her in her trip attempt for a +4 on CMB. This does not preclude boosting the mount's AC per Bodyguard as well if it should get hit. When in melee, you and your mount can both boost one attack (or more per Harrying Partners) of an ally by providing a flank bonus once (+2), the +2 of your mount's Aid Another as well as your +4 Aid Another bonus. Should you have challenged the enemy, your ally gets additional bonuses from your Dragon Order Challenge, so we're talking about a combined +9 minimum at first level for an ally's attack that absolutely needs to hit. If we include the Harrying Partners one-round extension, multi-attack classes like TWF, Magi, etc. will love you a lot. The fun increases if you all decide to get Outflank (Combat, Teamwork) independently, as sadly your 9th-level greater tactician feat is Harrying Partners, for another +2 on attack and your multi-attack ally starts critting. All the attack shenanigans demand you to have exactly the same reach as your mount, so maybe a scimitar until your wolf becomes large at level 7 and you can use that lance. Also don't forget that beginning at 5th level, charging allies get a +1 morale attack bonus within 60ft, should you be able to position yourself well so that your ally can charge into flanking position for a total of +14 (including Outflank, both you and your mount Aiding, and the enemy being challenged).

Boosting saves: Your HDHG can also do wonders for your allies' saves. Not only can you Aid Another, but with the feat Lucky Halfling, one of your allies per day can profit from a reroll with your bonuses. As your constitution and your dexterity scores are already rather high and you have the racial ability Halfling Luck for a +1 on all your saves, your saving throw might potentially (drumroll) save your ally. Against fear effects this gets even more ridiculous, as you yourself get an additional +2 from that racial ability as well as another +2 with a banner flying beginning at 5th level, and all that within 30ft (Lucky Halfling) or 60ft. (Banner). If your GM is nice and you can Aid Another one's instantaneous saving throws with a readied action, just add another +4 to the original save (+2 if your mount does the same). With the teamwork feat Shake It Off taken with tactician at first level, this (independently from anything else discussed here) adds another +2 to any one's saving throw if you and your mount are adjacent to an ally and you fire off tactician.

Boosting skill checks: As you need only crack a DC 10 to Aid Another, all kinds of skill checks may benefit from you (and your mount) being around. This touches heavily on role playing and potentially borders on ridiculousness repeatedly, but any skill that can be used untrained is already a no-brainer: your ally wants you and your mount (intelligence raised to 3 at 4th level provided) around to help out for a potential +6 to a check. Any skill that needs to be trained might be worth it to invest at least one skill point for the Cavalier. You could easily play the “good cop” in interrogation scenarios, the spin doctor in diplomatic encounters, as well as the second pair of eyes staring into a bluffer's face for clues. The halfling or even an intelligent mount could play assistant for all kinds of crafting jobs (holding picklocks, working the bellows, taste-testing potions or spirits), having invested one skill point, of course.

Many abilities from the Honor Guard haven't even been mentioned yet, as well as the Dragon Cavalier's strong perception and survival skills. But the guide is already quite substantial. Also of note are the Benevolent weapon and armor/shield enchantments that, at a rather low additional price, add the weapon's enhancement bonus to Aid Another when supporting an ally's attacks or the armor/shield's enhancement bonus on AC.

recommended feats:
HDHG
1st level (regular) Combat Reflexes
1st level (tactician) Shake It Off
3rd level (Honor Guard) Bodyguard
3rd level (regular) Lucky Halfling
5th level (regular) Saving Shield
7th level (regular) Outflank
9th level (regular) Improved Critical (lance) or (scimitar)
9th level (greater tactician) Harrying Partners

additional interesting feats (to taste):
In Harm's Way (You have decent HP)
Mounted Combat
Shield Focus
Mounted Shield
Ride-by Attack
Spirited Charge

mount (bodyguard)
1st level (regular) Combat Reflexes
2nd level (regular) Bodyguard
5th level (regular) Improved Natural Attack (bite)
8th level (regular) Outflank

additional feats (to taste):
Weapon Focus (bite)
Narrow Frame (if still wolf after 6th level)
Power Attack
Dodge
Mobility
Medium Armor Proficiency
In Harm's Way

Conclusion
With this character, you can be a competent supporter to other classes, mainly in melee. Your damage-dealing abilities might be negligible at first, but even that changes around level 10 to an at least satisfying level. Indeed what this concept promises is a large variety of situations in which you can make your allies' lives easier and a large number of roles you can play in and outside of fights. As your abilities are not magic-based, they are not dispellable and with many of them you do not run out of uses per day. What is even more positive is the whole outlook of this concept, because it is eager to please and quite fitting to a halfling. Only similar bonuses from other classes that don't stack with yours might be a nuisance, be it the Bard's Inspire Courage bardic music or the Paladin's 10ft.-radius Aura of Courage. But even then more things might stack than not, as Aid Another gives an unspecified bonus. This concept can also suit different player attitudes, from outgoing to introvert, from lawful good to chaotic neutral (this whole concept is the opposite of evil and halflings as well, but even then you could play a slaver's assistant or an evil mage's lackey).

I'm looking forward to feedback and hope you like it!

The varisians have made camp outside Sandpoint on account of the festival in order to make some coin and to enjoy themselves. They'll get caught up in events and encouraged by their leaders who seem to have a secret agenda as to why aid the town.

Being a fan of the Kingkiller Chronicles, I quite like this. Maybe the troupe's soothsayer is getting the same horrible prophecy from her readings over and over again. Maybe the troupe leader also has used a fake Sihedron tattoo to get into Paradise in Turtleneck Ferry and has spotted something fishy. The troupe's illusionist could be a nerd for any Thassilonnian magic or one of the bards wants to use 'forbidden' source material for a play, similar to Kvothe's father and will be the first victim of book 2's murders...

I suggest drawing a clear line between those in the know (maybe the parents) and the player characters (their children?). Maybe don't make them choose their characters directly but choose who should be their parents...

There could very well be a retired troupe member living in Magnimar (jailbreak maybe? :) ), Turtleneck Ferry or even amongst the rangers.

Another option is ruling that an armorsmith can resize magical armor for a fee. Resizing magic weapons might be harder (are the magic properties in the metal? Can you melt and reforge your Greatsword of Undead Bane into smaller ones like in Game of Thrones?), but refitting armor is something real life medieval armorsmiths did fairly often.

The problem with loottables are that in most cases you get stuff nobody wants. Like, who wants a Cocoon Cloak insteat of a Cloak of Resistance +3? Also good luck playing an unarmed monk without an Amulet of Mighty Fists; and the fancy new greataxe doesn't do the fighter with Weapon Focus: Greatsword much good. Basically, rolling random loot is wasted if magic item shops are avaiable, and mostly leads to disappointment anywhay.

The idea with armorsmiths is great! Alternatively, I would grant characters with Craft Magic Arms & Armor the same ability when succeeding on relevant skill checks and using a forge or workshop, hell, even on the road with artisan's tools and spit!

Rolling on loot tables does in no way replace ordering custom-made stuff in my campaigns. It's just to represent what each shop has lying around and characters don't have to wait for. I thought that was why towns and cities have those attributes listed?

We made a custom 2nd level arcane spell to transfer enchantments that match to a new base item that is eligible for the enchantments with a 100gp pearl cost.

I can see the use of this, but the cost strikes me as too low considering the list price of magic items.

I would maybe replace this for my group with a similar spell that constantly reduces or increases the weapon/armor's size by one step per 100 GP pearl spent. So they can do away with size disadvantages without being able to custom tailor their equipment to a point when it becomes absurd. Just think about the effect on feats that work for just one type of weapon.

Custom Fit [Sorcerer/Wizard 3, Bard 2, Alchemist 2]
This spell allows the caster to change the size of a magic or mundane weapon, shield or piece of armor by one step per 100 GP pearl spent. In addition, non-magical items are furthermore treated as masterwork items to one single wielder, because they have adapted their weight and size as closely as possible to their individual wearer's physique.

In combination with permanency, this spell confers to a weapon, shield, or piece of armor the power to instantly adapt its size to any wearer currently holding or wearing it. This use of the spell requires material components costing 100 GP per +1 modifier of the item.

Do I get this right that the one with Fireshield can see and be seen with normal vision (no matter how brightly) within those 10' in the area of the lesser darkness spell, but not beyond those 10' where complete darkness persists?

The -40 to the stealth check bugs me, though. Okay, it's RAW, but with no light to reflect, how can the glitter influence stealth in an area of complete magical darkness if it isn't a light source itself?

Isn't countering a [darkness] spell a removal of the darkness in a certain area or completely, when cast on the point of origin, and not merely a reduction of its impairment?

@Rynjin: Sorry for offending you when you just tried to help. I was just annoyed that the first tip I got for when wanting to use the loot tables was not to use them.

@All: Thanks for the input!

I will handle it as follows for my RotR campaign:

25% chance for a random mwk or magic shop-sold weapon/armor being small (for my Gnome player)
25% chance for all magical random shop-sold weapons/armor re-sizing to fit.

Found weapons/armor (like all that giant-sized stuff later on) only re-size if explicitly stated.

Thanks dragonhunterq, didn't see the paragraph in the CRB.

Rynjin, your sarcasm is well appreciated. I am prone to over-tailoring stuff (maybe because I GM mainly for my wife and relatives), so I use random tables whenever I can get them. That's my way of making life easier, but I see from which school of reasoning you have your degree in snappishness.

So only one wish for input left:

What percentage of size-adapting weapons and armor/shields would you all not find cheesy? There are some pre-made in the campaigns I have run, so they exist in Golarion.

I am running for three players of which one always needs to leave early.

Every player has one main character they control outside of combat, in combat they control both.

Player 1:
female Gnome Sandman (Sandwoman?) as main
male Human Wood Oracle as secondary (Craft Wand planned for downtime)

Player 2:
male Human Paladin of Desna as main
male Elven Ranger/Mage, soon to be Arcane Archer (Craft Bows/Arrows planned for downtime)

Player 3 (leaves early):
female Ork Barbarian as main
male emo Human Stormborn Sorcerer (Craft Weapons for his Javelins planned for downtime)

We have just finished our first session played with their mains only. The secondaries will join before entering the Glassworks.
For now I haven't had to add mobs or HP, but will do so if all are present. When Player 3 leaves, I can just GM from the book.

Hi there!

I'm running a Runelords campaign and just rolled the first magical treasure available in Sandpoint using the GM Guide.

Is there any guideline how many per cent of randomly generated weapons and armor/shields should be for small races?

If we consider that only about 4% of Sandpoint's citizens are of small race that will start bugging our Gnome Sandwoman eventually.

Of the seven core races only two are small, so what about 25%?
But what if non-CRB races are allowed?
What is the percentage of magical gear that can change to fit the wearer's size?
How likely is it to find a medium-sized Gnome Hooked Hammer in a shop?

Can somebody lend me a shinbone?