jfkg306's page

Okay hi guys I'm coming to you because I have a home-based game, it's been running about a year, and is pretty much just like herding cats.
I'll talk to you all about the player base and their actions maybe in another post.

I just want you guys to know that these are some of the most rambunctious problem children that I've ever met and yet I call them friends.

They don't set fires in real life but their attitude in game makes me wonder about some deep psychological stuff that I don't even want a piece of.

Suffice it to say, some of the worst of things they ever done was about a year ago when confronting a witch who appeared to be a beautiful sorceress.

They sought her out because they were trapped in time AND THEY ASSAULTED the people who sent them back in time!

THEY WERE SENT BACK BEFORE THEY KNEW THE PEOPLE, thus making the people who sent them back in time afraid of them and unable to answer questions, who responded to the characters rowdiness by locking their door and cringing for safety.

To which they set the house on fire.

So they needed a diviner to help them figure out whats what. That's where the witch appearing to be beautiful comes in.

Upon questioning the sorceress, which one of the players blurted out how much do you cost? I mean she's dressed like a hooker right?

To which the scene escalated into combat - as all things for them did.

She managed to kill the offending player before being killed herself, but before that player died he used a standard action to drop his pants and then move action to make a movement.

Don't worry, all those characters died in a time swamp when they purposefully took the most dangerous route through it and met their first black dragon and proceeded to mouth off.

3 round fight. All players dead.

Since then they just seem to be a bunch of bumbling thugs, who repeatedly die.

And if you're asking, I took up the challenge of GM in for these guys because I have never seen anything like this before, and I want to get used to it and be able to deal with and conquer it. And it was fun.

So many deaths. So much laughter.

So my most terrible player of the one who took the combat bowel movement chimes up and says we're never allowed to reach level 10 because I'M scared of LETTING THEM getting that powerful.

Heh.

Well after that I thought about it and I decided "well if these guys want to do nothing but fight for no reason I make it happen." That's when i came up with Pathwind Dale. And Icewind Dale/Pathfinder Hybrid Starting at lvl 10.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

I allowed them to make 10th characters with all the trimmings and then I proceeded to dump them in my combination of ice when Dale/Pathfinder.
Each part of the game was made for a certain level, and if you died, you were underpowered, and had to stay alive with guile and skill.

To which they died mercilessly.The combat dump character must have bought it 10 times. The game was abandoned because morale was way too low. It was all I could do but laugh every Sunday at every silly thing they did undermine it all the progress and the literally just got themselves killed in the most goofball fashions.

It toned down a lot of angst.

Now they're still selfish and they are situation-ally thuggish. Now they will not mess with somebody who might be able to beat them up or sick the authorities on them or causing trouble. But in the end I think there's is looking for a character build that allows them to act out some grand theft auto four problems on people.

So even though death is a reality in my game what am I supposed to do

I just want you guys to know that these are some of the most rambunctious problem problem children that I've ever met and yet I call them friends.

They don't set fires in real life but attitude in game reflect some deep psychological stuff that I don't even want a piece of

Suffice it to say some of the worst of them ever done was about a year ago when confronting a witch who appeared to be a beautiful sorceress in order to get information about what they were supposed to do because they were trapped in time and assaulted the people who sent them back in time before they knew them thus making the people who sent them back in time afraid of them and unable to answer questions, to which they set the house on fire.

Upon questioning the sorcerer which one of the players blurted out how much do you cost? I mean she's dressed like a hooker right?

These are 30 year old Men.

To which the scene escalated and then she managed to kill that player before being killed herself, but before that player died he used a standard action to drop his pants and then move action to make a movement.

Since then they just seem to be a bunch of bumbling songs, so I give them what they wanted I allowed to make 10th characters with all the trimmings and then I proceeded to dump them in my combination of ice when Dale/Pathfinder.

To which they died mercilessly. It was all I could do but laugh every Sunday is every silly thing they did undermine it all the progress and the literally just got themselves killed in the most goofball fashions.

It toned down a lot of angst.

Now they're still selfish and they are situationally thuggish. Now it will mess with somebody who might be able to beat them up or sick the authorities on them or causing trouble. But in the end I think there's is looking for a character bill that allows them to act out some grand theft auto four problems on people.

I've learned the GM style of letting the story return fire. Cause and Effect.

You rob and pillage? Heroes are coming!
You got super x-maneuver combo? rumors abound about a deadly villain with his x-maneuver- heroes better look out!
You beat kill someone? Well his rich family didn't like that. They can't get revenge, but the bounty hunters they hire can!
You're a gunslinger/munchking/no-plot-caring/fightmaster?

Are you the only one in the world? Nope.

Gunslingers - get ready for gunfights!!

How surprised were they when they invaded and undead tomb protected by a creature who wanted to KEEP THE UNDEAD GUNSLINGER LOCKED UP. They broke into the tomb, disabled all the traps and wards that were KEEPING HIM IN, and then he came out shooting. And took out the ENTIRE PARTY. No deaths, but the gunslinger player fled and drank a potion of invisibility to escape. Meanwhile, the tomb of the undead gunslinger honored 3 bandits. 1 with a shotgun and 1 with a long sniper rife and 1 with 2 pistols. They freed the one with two pistols. The released undead went to go free his friends.

I'm writing here because I feel like I haven't been the best GM.

I've just been bouncing their level of crazy back at them.

I have 4 crazy people at my table and 2 non-crazy-ish.

I feel like the constant, no-teamwork, die all day insanity is starting to beat down on the last two players,and myself.

But I feel I have been shirking my leadership duties.

I feel this is a really daunting challenge, guys help me herd cats!

Nooo! XigXag!! Why u no mention flying badger?

Because Being a Paladin, is a JOB, not an adventure.

The fatal flaw lies in the NON-description of the acting paladin.
Would he kill in this situation?
Run in this situation?
Fight and die in this situation?
spare an enemy in this situation?

We don't know. All we know is that paladins are MOST THINGS EVERYBODY AIN'T. yeah, I said ain't.

All rolled up into one.

Since people have NO WRITTEN CODE TO FOLLOW ("Jus Be Good, Baby") people playing paladins tend to take it to EXTREMES.

Paladin? Oh boy, table shrug. Because depending on the person playing the paladin...

1. Now we cant make deals with the enemy - they all must die or be brought to justice. Can't make a deal with a dirty cleric to catch a devil, gotta cut a swath of non-information providing justice everywhere.
2. Kill a school full of children? It's back to the jails with you bad man - our quest will have to wait as we march 23 days BACK TO TOWN to deliver him to the authorities.
3. 6 days before our companion dies? Must travel through undead territory? Ooh wait, we've stumbled upon a town where 6,123 old ladies need to cross the street, go on without me - I'll be here a couple of months.
4. Let me be annoying and try to convert you to justice all day and show you my moral superiority - yes, being good like I am requires me to be the ethical equivalent of a Jehovah's witness in your game.
5. It's the stealth or guile equivalent of wearing a red sweatband and pink hot pants and no shirt to a formal dinner. All dialogue is direct, righteous, and evil thwarting.

My problem is - no one ever displays WHAT A PALADINS LIMITATIONS ARE - how much can he do?

Since there is none - Players take the little of Selfless good they know in the world and crank it up to 11.

If the rules don't change (and I do not recommend breath holding)

These are the kind of questions to answer that would make paladins more playable.

Can paladins flirt? chase girls?
Could I make a dirty deal with a slave trader? Turn my head and let him run to catch his boss? maybe IF he gives up information?
Can I lie? Can I lie to save my or someone else's life?
Can I lie to evil?
Can I kill evil where it stands in whatever form? Or must I bring only humanoids to justice?
Do I have to bring anybody to justice?
Can I smite all evil and let my god sort them out?
Can a paladin knowingly let someone walk into a trap? if their evil?
Can a paladin set a trap? if their evil?
Can a paladin enjoy gold? Getting rich? After all if you are all for law and order, that requires taxes, and taxes require money.
Can paladins own businesses?
Visit Cat houses? Pubs? Gambling dens?
Can paladins make a deal with a lower level evil to get his hands on and slay a greater evil?
Can it trap evil by pretending to do it a favor, then turn around and trap or kill them both?
Can a paladin don a disguise?
Can paladins act as if they are at least aware that the rest of the world is indeed selfish and/or evil and adjust accordingly? While also obeying their code?
which still doesn't exist (cough, cough, print a book)

Because the easiest way to die and be least effective with their life is to start unruly fights and charge the biggest foe at lvl 1? Tiny dogs do that, well most do anyway.

(sidenote: Maybe tiny dogs are paladins?)

Can paladins act as IF THEY CAN REALIZE THAT NATURE IS GODS free for ALL buffet/royal rumble/wwa smackdown and THAT ALL wild creatures eat each other EVERYDAY and will EAT YOUR FACE, so they can drop the salvation for 5 minutes? They can also stop trying to sing to canaries and trying to get the canary to sing back solo in response?

Can a paladin NOT give money to an alchoholic beggar? A normal beggar? Any other?

any point could be argued.

But the tendency (at least I have seen) is for people to play paladin's like

Holy, Socially, and Mentally, Impaired People.

"MY God telleth me to SMASH!"

So what if any are the RULES FOR PLAYING A GOOD PALADIN.

I don't remember where it was - but somebody in the forums references a list of non-normal paladins that were listed in fantasy stories.

Far from the ones I have seen. They were holy-devout and just,
but they kicked but, drank beer, some gambled, and some lied.

And they were still holy at the end of the day.

Nobody has the rules, but everyone can go "Oooh that's NOT what a paladin would do, because its not the opposite/holy/neutralized intellectual/backwards casting/more work making version of what I would do."

Playing pathfinder is fun.

Playing a paladin, is an ENTRY LEVEL CARPENTER'S JOB in a fictional universe with STRICT REGULATIONS, HIGH FATALITY RATE, AND GREAT PAY AND ASTOUNDING BENEFITS.

Your Tool belt: 1 hammer of justice

All of the rest of the world: Nails.

Really.

You sit down at the table to Play your character. You are ready to enjoy.

Unless the highlight of your day is to "Rules and Order Up" and you somehow unwind that way,

You punch the clock - and get to dispensing justice and railroading/destroying/sidestepping any intrigue that might have been placed or developed in any campaign.

OK, This is the Email I received From Joseph Caubo

Joseph Caubo
To Me
Today at 5:23 AM
If you are organizing your own table, you can do what you want. If it's for a Gameday or convention, you will need to work with the event organizer.

Sent from my iPhone

Have the companion provide NO cover for any enemies. Change Precise Companion to "OVER THE SHOULDER" and

I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER.

Everyone is going to take precise shot. Once your pet locks up on a target, it only takes 1 helpful friend engaging the same enemy to toss that feat to the wolves.

This eliminates the NEED for Improved Precise shot through limited tactical positioning. As long as you have a line of shot to your target and only your pet is in the way, you can fire "Over the Shoulder" and the pet will not provide ANY cover bonuses from the square it occupies.

Problem Solved.

call it "Over the Shoulder"

"kindred spirits" or "brothers in arms" or "act as one" or "yin and yang" (not yin yang twins)

Clarifying my earlier statement, which mixed up some stuff:

Basically, the precise companion ability is granting the hunter the Precise Shot feat, but only with respect to whether or not her pet provides a –4 penalty for being in melee with the hunter's opponent.

That penalty doesn't have anything to do with cover, cover is a separate thing.

The "shooting into melee" rule gives you a –4 penalty on your attack roll, the "other creature providing cover" rule gives your opponent a +4 bonus to its AC.

Frex, in example 1, an encounter with a Ranger, Orc, and the ranger's Animal:

R ... O A

The Animal isn't providing the Orc +4 cover to AC, but it's still giving the Ranger a –4 penalty to his attack roll.

And in example 2, a similar encounter with a different layout:

R ... A O

the Animal is providing +4 cover to the Orc's armor class and is giving the Ranger a –4 penalty for firing into melee.

Note that in both examples, if you replace the Ranger with a Hunter, the Hunter doesn't have the –4 from firing into melee, because the hunter has precise companion; but in example 2 the Orc would still get the +4 cover bonus to AC from the companion because precise companion doesn't affect cover.

Hat's off to Sean K Reynolds, Who explained this so clearly.

Harsk

I'm thinking a Warpriest:

A full BAB
Full martial weapons
Full Armor

With 3 level rotations
LVL1 +1d6 channeling
LVL2 Spell Progression
LVL3 Fighter Feat

Lather, rinse, and repeat.

So lvl 9 Warpriest
3d6 channel heal,
Lvl 3 Cleric spells - (yeah I said it) at full caster level power
3 More Combat Feats

That's my kinda war priest!

(still waiting for that e-mail, Mr. Bulmahn!)

I'm thinking a Warpriest:

A full BAB
Full martial weapons
Full Armor

With 3 level rotations
LVL1 +1d6 channeling
LVL2 Spell Progression
LVL3 Fighter Feat

Lather, rinse, and repeat.

So lvl 9 Warpriest
3d6 channel heal,
Lvl 3 Cleric spells - (yeah I said it) at full caster level power
3 More Combat Feats

That's my kinda war priest!

(still waiting for that e-mail, Mr. Bulmahn!)

Hi Guys, new to the board! This is an idea I had to play an Archer in Pathfinder Society. I didn't want to play the standard turret. Since it takes 9 sessions of staying alive to make it to lvl 4 in the Pathfinder Society, here is my idea up to lvl 4.

First, the Concept: I want a mobile, skilled, light/fast archer that was unique in the inevitable melee, and was suprisingly defense from back there in turret-land.

Solution: Human
Lvl 1 - Fighter/Lore warden 1 - Light Armor, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot
Lvl 2 - Sohei Monk 1 - Improved unarmed Strike (this is important)*, Deflect Arrows (bonus feat), no stunning fist but instead Sohei's ability to add 1/2 monk lvl to initiative, and can act in a suprise round, even if he saw nothing.
Lvl 3 - Sohei Monk 2 - Evasion! (nothing says suck it fireball better, usable in light armor), Dodge or Throw anything(Bonus Feat and now he's a real ranged weapons guy),and Two-Weapon Fighting (explained later)
Lvl 4 - Lore warden 2 - Combat reflexes (Bonus Feat), and either Improved Trip (for 2 attempts at tripping an advancing foe, if that's possible)or something else like Improved Initiative or Weapon Finesse.

So what's my plan?

My plan is to have the no-so-standard archer
With the following upgrades:

1. He can melee people who close without dropping or putting away his bow. Monk Unarmed Strike lets me add kicks to unarmed and lets me keep my bow in my hand.
2. The Sohei's ability to always act in a surprise round might be priceless for getting to range or moving to a strategic position.
3. Deflect Arrows - In a firefight, that's one free miss per round
4. Evasion! - In a firefight with mages, that's one way to last a little longer.
5. Throw anything for the consummate ranged professional
6. Two-weapon fighting - As a monk, you lose flurry when you don light armor, but I see nowhere that it stops the ability to unarmed strike with kicks - If this is not so, someone please correct me, as this is core to my vision of the character. Since I'm attacking with unarmed strikes I can now two-weapon fight with kicks, or with short swords.
7. Combat reflex, free leads to...
8. Improved trip - So advancing on me leads to 2 trip attempts per turn.
9. Skills - This character can be more than just a BAB fighter man and more like an adventurer. Lore warden adds two Int skills (Knowledge nature, ad-hoc ranger anyone?) Monk adds the other skills I like and think an adventuring archer should have like Acrobatics, Stealth, History, Religion, Sense Motive, and Diplomacy. I don't know if or how I'd level them all up, but they're there, which is way more than just survival and perception getting leveled.

Is this character possible?

The /pathfinderRPG/prd/states:

"Unarmed Strike: At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk's attacks may be with fist, elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may make unarmed strikes with his hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply his full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all his unarmed strikes."

Can I take it to mean that I can have my bow in hand, and kick the crap out of someone who closes in melee?

It DOES say the a monk in light armor loses flurry, but it DOES NOT say anywhere that he loses the monks method of unarmed striking, i.e. kicks and punches. If so, this is what I'm concerned about.

So all in all, is this character possible? If so, any Ideas for a 20 point stat build?

I'm betting dex.