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Anyone playing Witcher III? I have really enjoyed it so far, about 4 to 6 hours in. I also impulse purchased the hardback walkthrough book with the bestiary, maps and characters.

Has anyone used a video game walkthrough as a tool for a campaign? There is so much information in there I was thinking if my guys had not played Witcher 3, I could run them through a PF adventure using all the material in the book.

I would have be flexible depending on the choices the players made. But my guys don't necessarily need to have infinite choices when they are playing.

I may try it .... what do you guys think?

I just wanted to post to provide some feedback on how I used this idea in my campaign.

I did create 9 cards with 2 skill checks on one side and a description on the backside, like frozen river or Tundra as described above. The party chose one card and it was flipped over. Each player was allowed to do 4 skill checks during the entire hunt. For each skill check they passed, they go an additional 5% chance to find the drake. But they only got to check if they passed 2 checks.

So for example, on card 1, they passed both tests. So they rolled a d 20 and on a 19 or 20 they find the Drake, otherwise we roll for a random encounter. I used the encounter guide in the back of the module.

On card 2 they only passed 1 test. So they earned a 5% chance, but didn't get to roll to find it after that card. On the third card they passed both checks, so now they roll a d 20 and on a 15 to 20 they find the drake, otherwise a random encounter.

I thought it worked out pretty well. It definitely made hungint the drake a lot more interesting. Thanks for the great ideasl.

Wow, what a cool idea. So for each card, there is a negative consequence for a failed check - like becoming fatigued. There is only a 20% chance they will get to encounter the Drakes.

Once they encounter the drakes, could the drakes escape causing more cards to have to be encountered or is it life or death right there?

Love it - thanks for coming through with an awesome idea Dudemeister.

We are coming to the end of a module in an AP and I am taking creative license and trying to add a non-combat encounter with an unbeatable foe, such as a dragon.

Here is the setup - the party is looking for the princess, who was kidnapped by the evil Tian group. The princess is held captive in the final room of the dungeon. The party has made it this far, but they now must face the ?dragon? who is here guarding the princess. Almost like Shrek.

The dragon is going to be unbeatable, I am looking for the party to come up with a creative solution here. So some of my ideas are...

1. The dragon doesn't want to be here, but is held by some magic. Maybe the party could be forced to solve some puzzle or riddles or soething to figure out how to release the magic.

2. Maybe the dragon is lazy and can be influenced by some diplomatic PCs? Initially this idea doesn't seem as cool as the first one.

3. Maybe the dragon is asleep and will wake up and chace the PCs.

I need some help with some fun ideas on how to get past this last encounter...non combat!

Thanks everyone.

I am looking for some outstanding adventures or adventure paths that are from any other system (AD&D, Descent, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, etc..) that I could use with my group.

My guys are really up on all of the Paizo product and I want to surprise them with something different and fun.

Getting ready to start Jade Regent and found Rich Howard's Blog here.

http://gamingitforwardadvice.blogspot.com/2013/06/behind-screen-rusty-drago n-inn.html

In this blog there is a page where he talks about setting the scene with dialogue and having NPCs discuss the goings on. These discussions also reveal personality, problems in the town, the mood of the town and anything else you want to reveal. Specifically quoting from his blog:

"Every scene in every story, whether novel, movie, or tale around the fire, should accomplish at least two of the following things:

1. Develop character
2. Advance the plot
3. Establish setting"

I have heard that as an author that you want to show your world rather than tell your reader about your world. So the characters actions and interactions will clue the reader into the type of world and the problems faced - this is better than just saying - people had a hard time finding work after the latest war ended for example.

Do you guys plan out dialogue to reveal setting and character? How do you go about doing this? Any other good blogs with tips and examples?

I am starting Jade Regent Thursday and am looking for more ideas.

Thanks PF community.

How does Paizo make money on PF product?

It is interesting that there is so much material available on the web. I am starting a JR campaign and have been purchasing the modules - I got four of the six, but it cost me $80. I couldn't find the other two at my local store and I really wanted to read the entire story arch and I was amazed at how easily they were to find on the web.

How many of you get all of your Pathfinder information from the web? With the information so availableon the web how does the Pathfinder product make money - is it their miniatures or what?

I just don't see how they get people to pay $120 for a 6 book AP set when you can get it for free. Believe me, I never download torents and avoid getting publish stuff for free. I want to support my game store and the companies so we keep getting good material. But I don't see how they can make money.

Let me know the secret.

Can you help me understand the option to move 3 boxes?

Lets say you have a 5 box chase. You decide to take a standard action to move 3 boxes. Why do you have to pass just 2 tests to move three boxes? Why would you not try this every time instead of taking a turn to move just one box?

I know I am not reading this right - thanks for the clarification.

What would you guys add to this?

Combat Rules for John's Game

Our Goals for Combat:
We want combats that are:
1) Fast
2) Fun and memorable!
3) Have tactical choices
4) Allow PCs to use their skills and abilities
5) Include role play
6) Help advance the story

During the Game
1 Anticipate your turn and have a good idea of what you are going to do.
2 If you are using a weapon, roll your to hit (d20) and damage dice all at once. If you have 3 attacks, roll 3 d20 and 3 damage dice all at once. Associate your attack dice with your damage dice by color - Red d20 goes with red damage dice.
3 No looking up rules during combat unless absolutely necessary - GM will make his best guess and a note will be taken to review the rule between sessions.
4 Do not talk to someone who is taking their turn unless conversation is invited.
5 Stay in character - what would your PC be thinking or saying?

In Between Games
1 Know the rules for your character inside and out. Run an example combat if needed. Ask questions on the Paizo message board for questions or to get ideas you may not have thought about.

Thanks for the help guys, sorry to ask for clarification on a rule that is documented somewhere. I did look and found some information on this but just wanted to summarize everything in one place.

There are a lot of Pathfinder rules. And when you work and have kids to take care of, it is hard to learn them all, plus learn and plan for the next game session. I am somewhat new to being a GM and am making a big effort to try an learn these rules much better than I have in the past.

Thanks for the help on ability damage.

Some of the GMs in my area have taken to using 1-inch light blue grid paper from staples spray-glued onto foam core board (Credit to Lance if he's reading this). The foam-core is super cheap from any "dollar-store" type place. Use an exacto knife to cut the rooms out once down. Quick to make and since you can lay down room by room, you have a nice fog of war exploration effect going on. You could even print your map, glue and cut should you desire not to hand draw.

I like this idea, I will give it a try...thanks for posting.

Can anyone send me an NPC or character build for an Agent of the Grave? Maybe 5th level or higher?

I am running my first adventure and having a blast, but wow, I am realizing it is a lot of work. What is the best way to get NPCs built? I am using a module, but have thrown some of my own stuff in.