proudgeek159's page

Tears of the Fey
Aura moderate transmutation; CL 11th
Slot --; Price 29,700 gp; Weight --
Description
The Tears of the Fey are a clear, salty liquid contained in a small mahogany vial. Once a week, the Tears can be sprinkled in a 20-ft. diameter circle while speaking one of three command words in Sylvan: refuge, confusion, and peace. Each word creates a different faerie ring. It takes 1 minute without interruption to create the ring.
The word refuge creates a 10-ft. tall wall of vines. The ring and everything within becomes invisible to outside observers. In addition, all tracks and other traces of the occupants' passage disappear for a 500-ft. radius from the ring. However, anyone in the ring can see the occupants.
The word confusion creates a ring of mushrooms. Anyone entering the ring will immediately become disoriented, leaving the ring in a random direction convinced that they are heading in the right direction. Also, those entering the circle must make a DC 16 Will save or spend the next minute trying to remember their original purpose for entering the circle.
Finally, the word peace creates a ring of wildflowers. All healing and regeneration, natural or magical, will restore twice the normal hit points. Also, creatures are fully rested after four hours within the circle, with all spell slots and daily abilities restored.
If used on a stone floor or arid desert, the ring will only last for 24 hours. If used on fertile soil, it may last indefinitely. However, within 24 hours, a swarm of the smaller fey races (sprites, pixies, grigs, etc.) will take possession of the ring, driving off all intruders, including the creator.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, plant growth, invisibility, confusion, mass cure light wounds; Cost 14,850 gp

Thanks for posting the list. I was honestly surprised when I saw my Tears of the Fey had made the top 89. I never saw it in voting, and was worried that I had been culled. I did learn a lot from my first year in RPG Superstar, and I'm already working on next year's entry.

Maybe I'm just a sucker, but I've seen some decent submissions. Maybe not the next RPG Superstar yet, but definitely some intriguing ideas. And yes, there are some perfectly formatted entries.

As for formatting, I'm using it as a tie-breaker: if two ideas are about equal, I'll advance the better-formatted item.

At any rate, now that I've seen the other submissions, at least I feel like I have a chance.

Congratulations to my fellow contestants! After just ten rounds of voting, I can tell that there are a lot of creative and well-thought-out entries in the contest this year. Making it into the Top 32 will certainly feel like an accomplishment.

I did the same thing. Fortunately, according to the voting FAQ, it merely flags the item for judges' review, and doesn't kick it out of the contest entirely.

Right back at you, Sir!

You know, we could always ask the Paizo folks nicely to tell us how many entries are going to be eligible for the voting process. Pretty please?

Ironically, it's the formatting on mine that I'm most confident about. I nailed all that. I'm sweating bullets about the concept and mechanics.

Pricing and Caster Level were the hardest part of my submission. I ended up finding two similar items in the Core Rulebook and guessing from there.

Just submitted mine. The concept came pretty quickly this year, so most of the time was spent working out the details and cutting it down to 300 words. I'm a little worried, though, since I found out that judges tend to be biased against certain elements of my design. However, I'm hoping that the work as a whole will take it over the top. I think I added a nice twist to it that they'll find interesting.

.....

....

A question for everyone: what is the general consensus on the idea of new base classes?

Daron Woodson
Abandoned Arts

Yes, My Preciousss... We wants it, My Precioussss...

As long as it's original and can't be replicated easily with an archetype. I would also love to see more archetypes and base classes which are specialized for various monster races, such as an incorporeal rogue archetype for certain types of undead, or a cavalier build for centaurs (she's her own mount, get it?).

It depends on what you mean by "collaboration." In my game, I have spent the time to create a world and design monsters, NPCs, and locations to populate it. I'm pretty protective of it, since it's my "baby" in a way. I don't want people telling me how things work in "my" world. However, the collaboration kicks in as the PCs act, and in so acting, change the world in large or small ways.

As for the rules side of things, I believe that consistency is the most important factor. If a GM is clear up front about house rules and applies them consistently and fairly, it prevents a lot of potential problems. Even when something unexpected comes up in a session, I listen respectfully to the player, then make the ruling. Sometimes, if it's too close to call, I'll just roll a D6 and say "Odds -- we use option A, evens -- option B." That way, the game proceeds with a minimum of distraction.

P.S. The key concept in the above paragraph: Listen respectfully. Players will be more likely to accept a decision if they feel as if they're input was at least considered.

I would like to see adventures, monsters, and character options designed to support the E6/low fantasy/Sword & Sorcery style of play. The basics are covered, but there isn't much follow-on support for those of us who want an alternative to the classic "magic store on every corner" settings and don't want to spend a lot of prep time on conversion.

I would enjoy a copy of Class Acts: Rogue, please.

Craig

Announcing a brand new PFS venue in the San Francisco Bay Area!

Tonight, we'll be running one table of "Among the Living" at Ronin Games in Castro Valley. Enjoy an evening at the opera with the Taldan elite...or at least what's left of them. Then, for the next few weeks, we'll be running the First Steps series to bring in new players to PFS. We're hoping to make this a regular, conveniently located East Bay venue, so please show your support.

Craig

P.S. Ronin Games in located at 19601 Center Street, right across from Creekside Middle School.

Hellsgrace or Devildancer.

Thanks, Venus. As a BAPS player and GM, you know I love you guys and hope you guys have a great time. All I ask is that before you all make any commitments for next year, let us talk with you all first. CelestiCon has a lot to offer for all BAPS members, as well as our organizers.

As for the date, we are definitely a Labor Day weekend convention. That's just not going to change, since we moved to that weekend due to overwhelming demand by our attendees.

Craig

Thanks Josh, Painlord,

You guys will definitely be missed this year. BAPS will always be welcome at CelestiCon.

Craig

Celesticon last year was a blast.

Sadly, I'll be at Pacificon this year, but I fondly remember my time last year at Celesticon.

Go get 'em, Craig.

-Pain

Have you taken a look at the Nymian Beastlands? Playtest Pact 1, Races of Omarka has some interesting ideas. You can find it on PDF here: http://paizo.com/products/btpy8kc9?Playtest-Pack-01-Races-of-Omarka-1.

Hello all,

CelestiCon 4 (www.celesticon.com) is looking for an independent-minded individual with a positive attitude and a passion for PFS to serve as our PFS Organized Play Coordinator. We are a four-day convention offering all kinds of gaming over the Labor Day weekend (Aug 31 to Sep 3). We had 470 attendees last year, and are expecting over 700 this year, the vast majority of whom have never played PFS or Pathfinder before. Our PFS program was a great success last year, introducing many new players to the Pathfinder Society. Our Pathfinder players had a great time last year, and we would like to see that happen again this year.

The challenge: Putting together a schedule of largely introductory scenarios; recruiting great GMs; and introducing new players to character creation and PFS membership.

The rewards: Putting your own stamp on a growing Bay Area gaming tradition; working with a positive and responsive convention staff; enjoying a free pass to a fantastic convention at a great hotel (the Fremont Marriott); and helping the Pathfinder Society to reach new players who would otherwise be ignored.

If you are interested or have any questions, please contact me at craig@celesticon.com. I would love to work with you to bring PFS play to our attendees.

Craig Robertson
RPG Coordinator
CelestiCon 4

Really? Again? How many times do I have to say, "I will absolutely NOT buy PF 2.0...EVER!"

Chris Nehren wrote:

All the AEG / Fantasy Flight d20 books. Like Guilds and Good and Evil and City Works and Toolbox and ... . I think they're OGL, too. But I'd like to give Paizo money to do the work of converting them for me. And I'd like them to be in print still! :D

There aren't enough plusses in the world for this.

Hells Yes!!!

As a student of politics and philosophy, I can attest that "new" does not always equate with "better."

I don't think I will ever be interested in a 2nd edition of Pathfinder. With over $200 sunk into Paizo's hardbacks alone, much less softcovers and 3pp supplements, I'll be sticking to my 1st edition and 3.5 conversions. After all, I've skipped the past two editions of Cyberpunk and I'm still having fun with 2020. I'll still be having fun with my 1st edition PF Core book in twenty years (assuming it doesn't disintigrate first).

Their fey book and remarkable races have been on my long-term shopping list. I'll have to see if I can accelerate the process.

I know it's technically a wondrous item, but I'd have to go with the 2E Girdle of Masculinity/Femininity. One month I got nailed by three of them in three separate campaigns. It's a wonder that I still wear belts at all.

The founding fathers failed miserably in dealing with slavery. Period. However, despite their very real moral failings, they did produce a work of original genius. In the Constitution, we have a document which not only contains the tools to repair itself, but also the seeds of freedom for all groups of Americans, despite the racism of many of the authors. The Constitution is even cherished by those who resent the founders the most. In fact, I'll bet La Raza (and its lawyers) will be citing it frequently over the next few months.

proudgeek159 wrote:

Good Lord! How stupid! What really pisses me off is that it's going to be even more diffficult for me, as a conservative, to have principled discussions with liberals. Thanks to this yahoo, it'll give liberal bigots even more of an excuse to write me off as an ignorant racist.

Because calling liberals bigots is obviously a sign of wanting an intelligent and mature discussion. I'll have to remember that.

Please allow me to be more specific: "Those liberals who happen to be bigots." There are liberals who are open to other points of view, and I do enjoy lively, well-reasoned discussions with them.

Good Lord! How stupid! What really pisses me off is that it's going to be even more diffficult for me, as a conservative, to have principled discussions with liberals. Thanks to this yahoo, it'll give liberal bigots even more of an excuse to write me off as an ignorant racist.

I honestly think that Steve is my new hero!

WHAT??? Your fighter didn't get a +8 profane vorpal avenger of god-slaying at 2nd level??? You're a HORRIBLE GM!!! I would NEVER play with you!!!

Seriously, I think you are absolutely on the right track. I don't even allow magic shops in my campaigns, but I do customise treasure so that everyone occasionally gets a neat toy tailored to their build. I do have some suggestions:

1. Find out what they really want and make it (or a similar item) a legendary quest item (that is, of course, heavily warded and guarded).

2. Talk to them and reassure them that you won't create encounters where they will be absolutely screwed without X magical item.

3. Make consumables (scrolls, potions), more available at shops than major permanent items. That way they can stock up, but have to work for the good stuff.

4. Encourage crafting by ensuring a market for their creations, such as a patron or collectors looking to commission custom pieces.

Okay, here are my thoughts:

1. RACES: I don't mind the mechanic, but I need more information. Why are the options there? Are there multiple subraces or subtypes involved?

2. SPECIAL ABILITIES: This may say more about me than about the concept, but it would definitely be a turn off for me.

3. LIFEPATHS: They feel more like feats than archetypes. I would present them as bonus "Lifepath Feats."

4. DUAL CLASSES: These don't appeal to me much. I'd me more comfortable working with archetypes or variant classes such as the Antipaladin.

5. POWER-LIKE ABILITIES: I have no problems with these as long as you stick with a PF/3.5 presentation instead of the 4E format. Yes, 4E bugs me that much, no offense.

6. MEDICAL EXPERTISE: I know I only have the one example to work off of here, but if the class is based on injecting meds, I would use the alchemist class as a base, plus specific medical abilities, such as diagnosis, first, aid, xenobiology, etc.

7. MONSTER LORE: One of my favorite concepts from 3.5. I would love to see it.

8. MULTIPLE MONSTERS: I like the idea. I'm working on a 3PP project as a freelancer doing exactly that. Instead of separate bestiary categories, maybe try the Game Mastery Guide NPC stat block approach. Each layout can have four or five different variants of the beastie, without being a whole new monster.

9. MINIONS: I don't have enough practical experience with 4E to be a judge of the mechanics, but at higher levels, NPC cannon fodder has a hard enough time surviving without the game designers handing them red shirts and saying, "Welcome to StarFleet!"

10. COMPLICATED CLASSES: Between archetypes, cavalier orders, oracle mysteries, eidolon evolution, bloodlines, prestige classes, and feat selection, PF has a LOT of options as is. I wouldn't mind trying out some new ideas, but take a look at the APG in particular before you build from scratch. What you're looking for may already exist.

I hope my somewhat biased opinions help. As for the playtest class goes, I'd like to see the heavy grounder, please.

10.

In order to avoid any undue contentiousness, I'll post the following with no other commentary than pointing out the timeliness of the following works:

I'm currently reading Reflections on the Revolution in France, by Edmund Burke; the Federalist Papers; On Liberty, by John Stuart Mill; and the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.

P.S. In regards to Stephenson, it doesn't get any better than The Big U.

Here's another way to look at it: perhaps your free-love hippie types are simply Romantics (in the Byronic sense) who feel that adventure on the high seas is just another euphoric experience. Depending on their role-playing ability, their loss of innocence could lead to some very memorable sessions. Either way, they should be part of the conversation.

DH, what you want already exists. It's called "Grittier" by Eridanus Press and is available in the Paizo store. The PDFs are fully PF compatible. I'm on my phone, so I can't link to it right now. It covers pretty much all of your concerns including encounter adjustment, class modifications, and equipment issues. I highly recommend it.

If you're talking about classic fantasy anime, just stick with standard Pathfinder. After all, classics such as Record of Lodoss War and Slayers pretty much used D&D classes and spell lists with no modification at all. Just throw in a race of girls with cat ears and you're set!

I would totally allow it in my game, as long as the player came up with some interesting backstory to justify it. A couple of examples: PC is a royal forester charged with catching poachers. PC is a combat vetern who served as a scout in a recent war. The greatest threats to his territory are human banditos.

You make a good point, Ciretose. I have been very impressed with the "Classic X Revisited" line for PF. And, don't get me wrong, Bestiary 3 is at the top of my shopping list. My basic point remains: If WotC hadn't hit 3.0/3.5 out of the ballpark, even with all its warts and wrinkles, none of us would be here having this conversation.

Is it just me, or do the Monster Manuals (I, II, III, IV, etc.) sound like Led Zeppelin's early catalogue?

Maybe I can provide a different perspective: I started playing D&D in the late 70s with the Red Box, followed shortly by AD&D (and yes, my mom did take a sharpie to certain illustrations in my copy of Dieties and Demigods). Switched to Traveller, Car Wars, and Battletech for a while until my mom stopped freaking out about me becoming a satanist due to D&D. Got back into 2E during college, and it still felt like the good old D&D days, THAC0 and all. Then came that most dreaded disaster of all, marriage and children, so I missed 3.0 and 3.5 entirely.

So, fast forward to Christmas 2010. My wife gives me a copy of the 4E Rules Compendium. I took time to read it through completely, rolled up a couple of characters, then switched to Pathfinder within a month. My problems with it? First, the combat system seemed overly restrictive and regimented when it came to attacks. Secondly, the planes system seemed to take an entirely too central role in the cosmology. (Don't get me wrong, I know the various planes were pretty central to earlier editions, but they were just cool places to go and kill gods when you were munchkined-up enough; they didn't explain the entire underpinnings of the universe.) Finally, the classes just didn't feel right. Character creation seemed more like 'Mech construction than actually creating a real, living person.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a WoTC hater. I still prefer the old Monster Manuals (3.5, II, III, IV, etc.) to the PF Bestiaries. I like the PF stat blocks, but when it comes to ecologies and societies, the old MMs have Paizo beat cold. Even some of the later supplements like Dungeonscape were a great blend of mechanics, GM advice, and fluff. (By the way, what is that Buhlmahn kid doing now? He has some potential. I think Paizo should look him up.) The "Complete X" and "Races of the X" are also some of my favorites from the 3.5 days. Add to that fantastic art and cartography, and WoTC was putting out some amazing work. Let's face it: if WoTC hadn't created such a quality product, Pathfinder wouldn't have found such a hungry audience after 4E came out.

I totally agree with the importance of pre-game communication when playing evil. I was once playing an extremely conservative religious elder in a Firefly LARP (Yes, I do enjoy the occasional LARP). One of the other players was playing a companion (Firefly-style, not Dr. Who...). I made a point of talking to her before the game and telling her, "Look, I'm sorry, I'm sure you're a great person, but in character, I'm going to have to be really mean to you." She totally understood, and it left me comfortable enough to snub the heck out of her during a couple of key conversations.

Different fictional evil guy examples:

1. Admiral Piett - consummate professional, good at his job, but completely loyal to his organization. He didn't even take any particular pleasure in Admiral Ozzel's death, even though it led to his own promotion.

2. Lloyd Henreid from the Stand - hardened criminal and loyal henchman. Despite his criminal tendencies and capabilities, when rescued by Randall Flagg, he is unwaveringly loyal out of personal gratitude.

3. David Carradine's Bill from Kill Bill - Sure, he wipes out an entire wedding party and shoots a pregnant woman in the face, but he is conflicted about it. As he describes it, he was 'at his most masochistic' at the time. In addition, he spares her life shorty afterward. In addition, highly charismatic and a good father. Also of note: Michael Madsen's performance as Bud, who admits that they 'deserves to die, and she deserves to kill us.' Evil can be nuanced, but motives and backstories must be fleshed out and complex to work.

4. Duh...Almost forgot this one: Dexter. He's worth a post all by his lonesome.

My favorites have to be the Legends & Lairs series by FFG, particularly Traps and Treachery. I use the Thug NPC class on a regular basis, particularly at lower levels. Also, the Tome of Artifacts from the Sword and Sorcery line was simply amazing. I don't know if it's open content, though.

That is why I am such a huge fan of Call of Cthulhu. It has achieved perfect play balance between all possible investigator builds. When encountering a Shoggoth or Nyarlathotep, each investigator has an equal, 100% chance of death or insanity. Total balance!

One possible fix for the Greatworks problem (Where does he get all those wonderful toys?) might be to limit the number of mobius cages he can create to just one, but it can be repurposed between adventures. That way, he can either be Iron Man OR Vash the Stampede, but not both at the same time. I'll have to get home and break out the APG to look at it closer, but if done right, it meets a need in my campaign. I'd buy it after it's fixed.

Definitely 4 Winds Publishing's 'Book of Arcane Magic.' I had seen it on my FLGS's shelves, but sort of put it on the back burner. Anyway, I ended up spending my last birthday in the hospital. When my wife went to my favorite FLGS (Ronin Games in Castro Valley, CA) to pick out my gifts (Game Mastery Guide and Advanced Combat), Ed added the Book of Arcane Magic as a gift from himself. Anyway, long story short, loved the book. Great spells, great familiar options (especially the clockwork familiar), and the magical college feats are a great launch pad for campaign-specific feats. Even the fluff narration is engaging, which is a rare find.. As soon as I got out of the hospital, I picked up the Book of Divine Magic and made them both entirely legal in my homebrew campaign.

P.S. Seriously, Ed's a great guy. If you're in the Bay Area, he runs a great store which is well worth the trip.

Here's my post: hope it's not too early. By the way, I love "Pathways." Very few publishers show their fans this much love. Thanks for providing such a high-end product.

Again, not specifically a monster PC, but a buddy of mine was playing an elven wizard during a boss battle with a beholder. He polymorphed himself into an aurumvorax, leapt for the beholder's face and made the grapple with his front four legs, leaving his rear claws to scrabble at the thing's central eye. Meanwhile, playing the only human in the party, I had been charmed again, and kept calling headshots on the paladin with my longbow. Good times...

I had a Halfling Berserker back in my AD&D 2nd Ed. days. Great fun to play for that ten minutes. I wonder if the Frost Giant ever scraped him off of his boot?

Craig

Most of the problems with D&D (any edition) and Pathfinder is the fact that they are level-based systems. People in real life do not grow in such a steady progression. Instead, they tend to focus on an interest for a while, or have a major life experience which forces them to adapt. Real people tend to remain fundamentally squishy throughout their entire lives. In real life, a arrow shot by a 1st level kobold would kill a 20th level paladin just as quickly as a 5th level wizard. The level/HP advancement is fundamentally flawed.

Now, on a personal note, I've seen how the Raid/PvP mentality has affected this community: certain players are less tolerant of non-combat-capable characters. I can respect that, but I can say that I've had almost more fun playing non-optimized characters than I've had with combat gawds. My personal favorite rules system is Call of Cthulhu, in which human beings are fundamentally incapable of defeating the BBEGss in combat. The question should be: are clerics and rogues fun to play? If so, play the heck out of them. Giving them worthwhile things to do is the GMs job.

I know I won't convince the mechanics cowboys out there, but try focusing on your character's personality for a bit. You might end up having some fun.

Judging from the above posts, I would let him do it. He's obviously not going to break your game, and depending on the make-up of the party, he can also perform as a back-up arcanist. Besides, from an RP standpoint, sorcerer and barbarian are a classic mix. Let the guy have his fun.

Personally, I like to randomly roll stats for key NPCs, because it gives me a foundation for that character's concept and personality. That way, I'm discovering the character during the creation process. Now, when I'm doing an NPC for a freelance submission, I will use the stat packages per the NPC chapter in the Core book. Likewise, if I'm creating a NPC who already has a strong concept, I might use a point build. It all depends on the purpose of the NPC.

Now, in your situation, I would probably roll the stats for the PC's lieutenant, but use standard ability packages for the mooks.