Enjoyed your insight into the dedications & skill feats, especially since you argued/valued some feats that the other guides floating around have brushed off. Fingers crossed once it's updated @Koslos makes it available to the ravenous public again. :p
To The Far Wanderer: Switching preview to 32bit worked for me as well. This looks like the duct-tape pdf repair for now. Thank you so much for the help! Acrobat was getting rather cumbersome.
If you're still looking for players this is right up my alley! What classes do you already have? I'd love to play an imp.unarmed investigator rogue or a wood ele wiz.
Thank you all for all of the help! It looks like I'm going to have about 20-30 people I need to introduce PF and d20 too, but with all of your advice it shouldn't be too difficult.
I totally missed the release of the Beginner Box, and that looks to be exactly what I need to ease all these players into PF...literally use it for what it was made for. Since that won't be out until later this month (and I need to find a local sponsor to help cut the cost of buying 4-5 boxes) I'm going to try to meld what Fog/Caleb mentioned into one wholly mental introduction to roleplaying/pathfinder.
I'll just use powerpoint + group activities to introduce the concepts of character acting and try to instill some element of "fantasy" into it. I think we have a room I can use that has 1ft squares on the ground... PF with human minis on a 'map' would be awesome as an intro xD
I'll post up the final version of the powerpoint, though it will be rather barren text wise; since no one loves walls of text.
Again, thank you all for the great ideas and the help!
-Elio
If you are still planning on running some games I, and possibly a few other players from a McGill pathfinder group, would be very interested in getting involved in organized play. We have players who are 10year + veterans, and players who just started d20 this month.
I have recently started a role-playing club at my University, and some whatever reason we have had quite the turn out of interested individuals! The catch is that most of them have never played RPGs at all, let alone table top D20s.
I worry about introducing the massive amount of information that comes with learning to play a RPG. Getting them to understand the rules without making it seem like another class lecture seems difficult...
To remedy this I've started working on a Prezi presentation (like powerpoint but it zooms around). The link to the online presentation can be found here: http://prezi.com/lpwltwlrex61/pathfinder-rpg-intro/
If anyone has any recommendations of what to do, any advice on what to include in the prezi, or any other comments at all I would be most appreciative.
Thanks a Bunch! I have one addition to make: if he successfully hits and the touch spell is resisted (due to SR), would the spell then bounce? Or would that allow for a full spellstrike against a second target?
I have a player in my game who plays a Magus and wants to use Spellstrike w/ Bouncing Spell. His interpretation is that if he misses with his spell strike he could redirect the attack to another enemy within melee range, and since the description says "has no effect on its intended target (whether due to spell resistance or a successful saving throw)" I voted no.
I want to do right by the player, and since Im new to GMing I would love some help here.
Thanks!
Spellstrike:
Spellstrike (Su)
At 2nd level, whenever a magus casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the magus spell list, he can deliver the spell through any weapon he is wielding as part of a melee attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, a magus can make one free melee attack with his weapon (at his highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell. If the magus makes this attack in concert with spell combat, this melee attack takes all the penalties accrued by spell combat melee attacks. This attack uses the weapon’s critical range (20, 19–20, or 18–20 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.
Bouncing Spell:
Bouncing Spell (Metamagic)
You can direct a failed spell against a different target.
Benefit: Whenever a bouncing spell targeting a single creature has no effect on its intended target (whether due to spell resistance or a successful saving throw) you may, as a swift action, redirect it to target another eligible creature within range. The redirected spell behaves in all ways as if its new target were the original target for the spell. Spells that affect a target in any way (including a lesser effect from a successful saving throw) may not be redirected in this manner.
Level Increase: +1 (a bouncing spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level.)
Common, Orc, Draconic, Giant, Sueloise, Ancient Balklunish, Old Oeridian, Flan, Terran, Celestial, Aklo, Undercommon
Occupation
Mercenary
Strength
12
Dexterity
13
Constitution
15
Intelligence
14
Wisdom
20
Charisma
16
About Vakmu Blackhorse
Party Notes, GDQ table 2, Gm Chillblame:
Naji bin Caedmon, male human (BO) Cleric (Ecclesitheurge) of Istus 7 Vrianna, Female Half-Elf Inquisitor (Sanctified Slayer) 7
Rommon Ranger, Male Elf CG Ranger 2/Wizard (Diviner/Foresight) 5
Vakmu Blackhorse, Male 1/2 Orc N Shaman 7
Fenla Welci, female gnome NG Arcanist (Brown Fur Transmuter) 7
Brother Hawthorne, Halfling CG Rogue 7
Fergus Dragancara, Male Human Paladin LG (Divine Defender) 7
Ungor, Male Bear-Kin Druid (Bear Shaman) 7
Wilrin, Male Gnome Cavalier (Vermin Rider) 7
Therbin, Male Dwarf Fighter (???)7
Description:
An Image, as requested:
Studying at home.
Vakmu’s clearly a bit of an outdoorsman, his weathered grey-tinged skin is tanned with a bronze tint. He has many visible tattoos, mostly arcane symbology (enough study and a high enough K(religion) or K(arcane) will reveal they are a) a large sacred tattoo and b) a tattoo’ed holy symbol ) His black hair is going grey, perhaps prematurely (he is only 27, but ½ orcs are not long lived); he is not vain enough to dye it. He has hazel eyes, small tusks, and an old scar on one cheek. For a ½ orcs, he is small-ish and slim, 6’ and 188 lbs. His gear is well cared for, but plain. You could take him for a mercenary soldier, perhaps one with some experience, a sergeant or such because of his apparent calm.
Demeanour:
He is quiet and studious. A devout man, in his tribal terms, he looks to the spirits for guidance. He is a devoted scholar and linguist, who has come to love poetry in many languages. He is quick to pull out a good bottle of wine, his pipe, and to lose himself in one of the books of poems he has transcribed from many sources (hedonistic drawback). Still, he has the ability to concentrate on a project, especially those involving scholarship or magic..
Background:
Vakmu’s folk originally come from the pomarj. They were part of a mixed (1/2 orc and human) tribal group, that was despised as mulattos by both the orcs, nor the humans. They were forced to flee as refugees, as part the violence surrounding Turrosh Mak’s rise to power. Those were dark days for the clan, with many kin lost to who knows what end (Finding you Kin)
Unable to settle in Ulek, they ended up in Gran March, on the border of the Dim Forest, in the shadows of the darker fey (Fey Thoughts). The shamans cast the runes when he was born, first of the tribe in the new land, and felt he was destined for great things (fate’s favored)
Physically, he was smaller and weaker than most of the tribe. Inevitably, he was bullied, where he became quick to react (reactionary). But he found his own path, becoming a shaman through apprenticeship with his uncle (Shaman’s Apprentice). He memorized the lineage of the clan (Keeper of the Ancestral Scrolls), and learned his mathematics (mathematical prodigy).
It was his uncle that put on his sacred tattoos (Sacred Tattoo), when he came of age, and undertook his shamanic initiation ceremony – where he was ritually stung by a scorpion, to induce visions of possible futures. That particular scorpion became his spirit animal. His wander-years began, searching for wisdom to bring back to the tribe. In truth, he may be lost to the tribe; civilization is seducing him with its comfort and scholarship (Hedonistic). Not to mention, he has always had a bit of an urge to see what is over the next hill...
Stats:
Vakmu Blackhorse
N Male ½ Orc (Sacred Tattoo, Fey Thoughts, Shaman’s Apprentice)
Shaman 7
Init +7 = +1 (Dex) +2 (Trait) +4 Familiar
Speed 30 ft
Darkvision 60 ft
Defense
AC : 19 = 10+1 (dex) + 2 (Shield) + 6 (armor)
HP: 67 = 8+38+7 Trait +14 Con
Fort +8 = +2+2(luck)+2(Con)+2 Enhancement
Ref +7 = +2+2(luck)+1(Dex)+2 Enhancement
Will +14 = +5+2(luck)+5(Wis)+2 Enhancement
CMD : 16
Offense
BAB : +5
Melee: Morningstar +6 1d8+1 or Cestus +6 1d4+1
Ranged: Light Crossbow +6 1d8
CMB : +6
Traits : Hedonism (drawback), Keeper of the Ancestral Scrolls (race Trait), Mathematical Prodigy (Magic Trait), Fate’s Favored (Faith Trait), Reactionary (Combat, extra Traits), Finding Your Kin(Campaign, extra traits)
Skills (4+2(int)+ /lvl) + 2 FCB (Ranks, skill roll. NOT INCLUDING ACP)
Diplomacy (7, +13), Spellcraft (7, +12), Perception (7, +15), Use Magic Device (7, +13), Ride(3,+7), K(Arcana) (7, +13), K Planes (3,+8), K Nature (3,+8), K Religion (3,+8)
Background Skills (2/lvl) (Ranks, skill roll. NOT INCLUDING ACP)
K History (7, +13) , Linguistics, (7,+9)
Languages : Common, Orc, Draconic, Giant, Sueloise, Ancient Balklunish, Old Oeridian, Flan, Terran, Celestial, Aklo, Undercommon
Special Abilities :
Spirit (Heavens), Spirit Animal (see below), Hex: Silkstring Snare (2), Hex: Charm (4), Wandering Spirit (Life: Channel 4X day 4d6), Wandering Hex (Enveloping Void)
Spirit Abilities : Stardust,
FCB Cleric Spells added: Murderous Command(3ed), Liberating Command (4th), Fallback Strategy (5th), Burst of Radiance (6th), Resist Energy (Communal)(7th), For the future: Invisibility Purge (8th), Blessings of Fervor (9th), Freedom of Movement (10th)
Magic Gear:
20 playing cards sized wooden planchettes with pre-cast Woodland Runes on them. They are programmed not to effect anyone/anything displaying all 3 of the following symbols:
5 planchettes with pre-cast symbols of mirroring on them, programmed to only affect those displaying the same 3 symbol combination. – 500 gp
1 planchette with a pre-cast Symbol of Laughter on it, programmed as per Woodland Runes. – 1000 gp
Planchettes are kept individually wrapped in sheets of paper, which are labelled.
Spirit gum to stick planchettes to surfaces, for example, a breastplate.
A set of 12 necklaces (fits up to large creatures, can be multiply looped to fit smaller creatures), that display the aforementioned 3 symbol combination (Arcane Mark, symbol of Boccob, symbol of Celestian)
Metamagic Rod of Extend (Lesser) 3000 gp
Metamagic Rod of Reach (Lesser) 3000 gp
Cloak of Resistance +2, 2000*
Headband of Mental Prowess +2 (Wis, Cha) 5000gp*
Handy Haversack 1000gp*
Belt of Mighty Constitution +2 2000 gp *
Ring of Sustenance 2500 gp
Snapleaf 375gp*
Travellers AnyTool 125gp*
Aegis of Recovery 750gp*
Wand of Cure Light Wounds (49/50) 750 gp
* items are ½ cost due to Ritual Hex > Fetish > Craft Wondrous Item
Armor:
Darkwood Heavy Wood Shield
Agile Masterwork Breastplate
Spring Loaded Wrist Sheath (wand of CLW)
Explorer’s outfit, 2 sacks, bedroll , blanket, hammock , 100 ft hemp rope , String 50 ft, trail rations 10 days, belt pouch, chalk, flint and steel, 2 x waterskin (filled), Divine Focus, spell component pouch (X2, 1 in the haversack), mess kit, Tattooed Divine Focus, 2 blank books, journal, notebook, quill, ink, several bottles of fine wine, some good drinking glasses, 2 pipes, smokeweed, 4 partially books of collected poetry (in Flan, Suel, Old Oeridian and Ancient Baklunish) that he has transcribed, cold weather gear, swarmsuit, armoured familiar box, lockable from the inside (attached to the back of his helmet).
Book of occult lore (150gp – focus component for ritual hex)
Light Warhorse and tack (saddle, reins, bridle, etc).
119 gp worth of assorted coinage. 50 gp worth of gemdust for scribing symbols
Gods :
Obviously, Vakmu is a shaman, and thus a pantheistic spirit worshiper. In terms of gods, his primary spirit is Heavens, which would be Celestian's portfolio. He commonly select Lore as his wandering spirit, which would correspond to Boccob, but obviously that can vary enormously.
The deities themselves tend to be open minded, taking worship in whatever form it comes. The organized churches can be much less so...
Like most mercenaries, he will keep oaths sworn in the name of the Brothers (Hieroneous and Hextor), and the occasional "Kelanen protect me now!" when in the crack...
Spirit Animal:
Vakmu’s spirit animal is a scorpion, the same on that stung him as part of his initiation ritual to shamanhood. At the time, the sting provoked visions, as the spirits charted Vakmu’s possible futures. It is a standard Greensting Scorpion, no archetype. It often clings to his earlobe, pretending to be an ear ring, where it can scurry back inside the armoured familiar box attached to the back of his helmet in an instant.
Clackers
N Tiny vermin
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10
Defense
AC 22, touch 15, flat-footed 19 (+3 Dex, +7 natural, +2 size)
hp 34(1/2 masters HP, effectively 7 HD)
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +5
Offense
Speed 30 ft.or fly 5’
Melee sting +5 (1d2–4 plus poison)
Space 2-1/2 ft., Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks poison
Statistics
Str 3, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 2
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 7 (19 vs. trip)
Feats Weapon Finesse (Bonus)
Skills Climb +7, Perception +14, Stealth +15, Diplomacy +3, Spellcraft +6, Use Magic Device +3, Ride +6, K Arcana +6, K Planes +2, K Nature +2, K Religion +2, K History +6, Linguistics +6 ;
Special Abilities
Poison (Ex) Sting—injury; save Fort DC 10; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect sickened for 1 round; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Alertness (Ex): While a familiar is within arm's reach, the master gains the Alertness feat.
Initiative: A greensting scorpion familiar grants a +4 bonus on Initiative checks so long as the familiar is within 1 mile of the spellcaster.
Spirit Animal: The flesh of the shaman’s spirit animal accurately reflects the stars that would be visible in the night sky, no matter where the animal is or the time of day. Due to this, it can be used as a star map. In addition, it gains a fly speed of 5 feet; if the animal already has a fly speed, instead its fly speed increases by 10 feet. While the animal is flying, a small nimbus of light surrounds it.
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a familiar takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.
Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast). Empathic Link (Su): The master has an empathic link with his familiar to a 1 mile distance. The master can communicate empathically with the familiar, but cannot see through its eyes. Because of the link's limited nature, only general emotions can be shared. The master has the same connection to an item or place that his familiar does.
Deliver Touch Spells (Su): If a shaman is 3rd level or higher, her spirit animal can deliver touch spells or hexes for her. If the shaman and the spirit animal are in contact at the time the shaman casts a touch spell, she can designate her animal as the “toucher.” The spirit animal can then deliver the touch spell just as the shaman would. If the shaman casts another spell before the touch is delivered, the touch spell dissipates. If the shaman activates a hex, her spirit animal can be used to make the touch; she doesn’t have to be in contact with the animal to use this ability with hexes.
Speak with Master (Ex): If the master is 5th level or higher, a familiar and the master can communicate verbally as if they were using a common language. Other creatures do not understand the communication without magical help.
Speak with Animals of Its Kind (Ex): If the master is 7th level or higher, a familiar can communicate with animals of approximately the same kind as itself (including dire varieties): bats with bats, cats with felines, hawks and owls and ravens with birds, lizards and snakes with reptiles, monkeys with other simians, rats with rodents, toads with amphibians, and weasels with ermines and minks. Such communication is limited by the Intelligence of the conversing creatures.
