I'm sure this is old news to most, but I am a new Pathfinder GM and I just want to say, the rework of the XP tables and encounter generation is a real treat. By making the XP follow the same calculations as 2 CR X = CR +2, it is simple to gauge encounters and add any number of any CR creatures. I was disappointed at first at the missing 'increasing xp for lower character levels' but it is taken care of automatically by the correct xp scale. I even made a simple calculator that uses excel lookups so I can build up an encounter easily. Here's the link if interested (excel 2007)
I am running a home-brew Pathfinder adventure at a convention. How do I denote that this is not a Pathfinder Society game? In the past, games were either "Classic" or "Living", where Classic means original material and Living means RPGA authored and all that goes along with it (XP for RPGA adventures, among other things). Unsanctioned? I don't want people showing up with the wrong expectations.
Hi all, I am starting a new gaming group and we've decided to make the move to Pathfinder. Up until now, I've resisted and kept running 3.5. After reading through the prd and the conversion guide, I have a few questions. I apologize for not reading through the 106 threads that came back when I searched on this topic... I did read the first page and found conflicting information, so I am still a bit puzzled. In 3.5, moving out of a threatened square provoked an attack of opportunity, with a few exceptions (5-foot step, 1st square when withdrawing, Spring Attack, et al). I believe this is the same with Pathfinder. In 3.5 RAW, when performing a Bull Rush, you provoke (from all that threaten) by moving into the defender's space (and this AoO also had the 25% chance of targeting the defender). If you and the opponent moved, you both provoked AoOs, but not from each other. Most DMs, including myself, did not subject the attacker to more than one AoO (since you only provoke once per movement, although it could be argued one is from the bull rush attack, and the second is from movement). If you did not move with your opponent, but you pushed him back 5', he still provoked. (Which was a pretty well used tactic by many 3.5 players to eek out a few AoOs if an opponent was threatened by more than one party member).
In PF, "initiating a bull rush provokes an attack of opportunity from the target". This appears to be similar to 3.5, except it is limited to the defender (like Disarm or Sunder). It appears from the forum threads I read, the initial AoO is interpreted as the attempt, and that if you move with the opponent, the opponent still doesn't provoke, but you do. This wasn't stated out right, but was implied by the threads. This mechanic has PF posters using Bull Rush as a way to move injured allies out of harms way using a Bull Rush, so only the "ally-attacker" is provoking, thereby using it as a sort of help-ally-withdraw, where the "ally-defender" can be moved any number of squares without provoking. So it looks like we lost one common use of Bull Rush and gained a novel, if awkward one. Am I reading this correctly, or is there something I am missing? |