sheadunne's page

Consider not focusing only on Perception. Consider using alternative skills as an option.

Make a perception or survival check to notice the trail
Make a perception or knowledge: Engineering check to notice the door.
Make a sense motive or perception check to notice they're being watching
Make an appraise or perception check to notice the merchant stalls
Make a spellcraft or knowledge Arcana to identify the wizard spell being cast

You don't need to only use perception. Find the skill that relates specifically to what caused the perception in the first place. That way players are able to focus on skills that make more sense for their character, but don't make it impossible to accomplish the tasks in the game. I don't use just one skill anymore.

So you've got a lot of minor healing (depending on the druid/witch builds). Going with healing wands?

You've got a lot of conditional damage situations, which means at even given time, someone is going to shine and the others are going to be average. Interesting.

Looks like they're piling up most of the casting on you, with a bunch of minor back up (I assume the Druid is going to focus mostly on buffing himself).

Should be fun for you!

Dragons suffer from the same issue that most single creatures suffer from, action economy. They just can't do enough in one round to counter 4+ adventurers.

Here are some suggestions

1) Breath weapon as a swift action
2) Give it pounce
3) Give it the equivalent of metamagic feats but for breath weapons
- Disruptive
- Lingering
- Persistent
- Sickening
- Burning
- Flaring
- Toppling
4) Give it elemental allies of its type
5) Illusion spell that changes it color
6) Give it the ability to heal when it uses its breath weapon (or when affected by the type of energy damage it does)

And yes, your Dragon encounters have been a little blah ;)

Started a meet-up group for the Annapolis, MD area.

You could have made the feat into a magic item. Then make it as part of found treasure or available to craft/purchase.

I must have unfortunate luck with Crafting and WBL because whenever I play a crafting wizard I always end up well below WBL. I'm sure it has to do with crafting consumable items like scrolls, wands, potions, certain wondrous items, etc. Whenever I stop and add up the value of my stuff it's always behind. This is based on gaming with APs. I have yet to have a crafting character come out ahead in WBL even when charging a crafting fee to other players (switched over to bidding on who gets items first and whether they wanted me to craft their item before my own, since APs are time sensitive and we tend to not have a lot of time to craft). Maybe I'm just doing it wrong. Or maybe the DM is doing it right. I don't know, but either way I need more loot!

Cheers

LNC = Act
GNE = Intention

Breaking the Law and intending to cause harm = CE
Breaking the Law and intending to benefit yourself = CN
Breaking the Law and intending to help others = CG

In the OPs example, I'm only seeing CN actions. There doesn't appear to be any intention to harm the person (she's not doing it so they suffer), only to benefit herself (she's doing it to get rich).

I'm still looking for a game.

Weeknights are the best time for me to game.

I tend to use the following methods for fumbles.

Natural 1 (fumble)

Melee: Attacker provokes an attack of opportunity (following the normal AOO rules)

Ranged: Attacker rolls randomly against all available targets within range (excluding attacker) and makes a single attack roll to see if he hits that random target (surprisingly hits animal companions more often than not lol)

I have never been a fan of the drop weapon fumble since pathfinder has AOO rules. It also limits the number of fumble AOOs to the defender (1 unless they have combat reflexes).

Reflex save or drop the weapon. DC 15.

Try PFS Meetup Baltimore

Most of the PFS games in the actual DC area have been taking place at Victory Comics in East Falls Church. That is a much longer drive for you.

Thanks for the heads up!

Just saw that the greenbelt game is on the weekends during the day, which makes it difficult for me (Saturdays are usually family days). I'll keep looking. I may just need to start a game.

sheadunne wrote:

Thanks for the information. Greenbelt is further than I want to drive and I don't game at stores anymore (to distracting and uncomfortable). Looking for a home game (whether at mine or someone else's home)

Greenbelt is only 20 minutes from Annapolis. It's actually closer than Baltimore.

Good to know. I guess I was just concerned about traffic on 50, especially if it's an evening weekday game. But hey, not used to the area yet.

I just spend way too much time looking up the word "else". Sigh.

Thanks for the information. Greenbelt is further than I want to drive and I don't game at stores anymore (to distracting and uncomfortable). Looking for a home game (whether at mine or someone else's home)

Hi all, just moved into the area (from Maine) and I'm looking to join a PF game (or another system) in the area. I enjoy running games as well, but with the recent move I'd rather not over commit. If you're looking for another player (38/M) I'm available most evenings. Give me a holler.

Cheers.

Dan

You want to play a witch and don't like the Pathfinder witch?

The group has no problem with a lower point buy. Although we've run our last several APs with 25 point buy and I haven't seen any issues, especially if you don't increase the wealth of the AP.

Oh, and you'd love to "run" a 15 Point Buy, but you'd hate to "play" in it. After all, nothing requires you to play a 25 point buy in Kingmaker ;)

Seriously though, there are several classes I wouldn't consider touching with a 15 point buy (I'm looking at you mr. monk).

You may want to consider limited it to no more than once per a creature per a day. Then you can add a feat that lets you use it more than once per a day on any particular creature.

Also consider increasing the time required. Non-magical healing should take time. Perhaps 1 minute/caster level of effect? The time could be shortened by increasing the DC.

I like the attempt. I think we all want a better use for the Heal skill.

We're currently 1/2 way through Council of thieves and I just got around to taking toppling spell. I had a success rate of 50% but mostly due to high roles. I think it's actual success rate is around 25% for an average roll, against creatures that can be tripped.

Since 2nd level spells suck for the most part, I figured I'd just use the spell slots for toppling MM. I don't expect it to hold up much longer. It's still a fun effect when you add Phantasmal Web to the mix.

Instead of losing their gear permanently, which can be a pain for players, scatter it around a one mile radius or something and have them spend the time fighting low level baddies while they search for it. If there are particularly troublesome items, have them remain "unfound."

The portal exploded at the end, causing all inanimate objects to scatter throughout the countryside when they exited the portal (maybe even give them all a bit of damage to reinforce it, not much, but enough to let them know there was an explosion, maybe a save for half even). Then have them find something quickly (like the cleric's holy symbol) and then run into someone else who "found" another one of their items a few hundred feet away. They'll get the idea and begin the search.

Would it be any better if it was a Fort Save? 10th Level caster with a 22 Int. versus Bestiary I CR 10 creature. Average Fort save is +13

Base 10
Int +6
Spell Focus (Evo) +1
G. Spell Focus (Evo) +1
Magic Missile 1

DC 19 vs +13 Fort Save

Better than a trip attempt. If it was a Reflex save, even better.

I've never been a fan of CMB/CMD, but them the dice we roll with in Pathfinder.

Thanks! I'll check them out.

I'm working on a cleric archetype that focuses on channeling. Let me know what you think. The 8th level ability is giving me the most pause.

Channeling Specialist
Cleric Archetype

Diminished Spellcasting
A channeling specialist chooses only one domain from her deity’s list of domains, and her number of non-domain spells per day for each spell level is one less than normal (for example, a 4th-level channeling specialist cleric has three cantrips, two 1st-level spells, one 1st-level domain spell, one 2nd-level spell, and one 2nd-level domain spell). If this reduces the number of spells per day for that level to 0, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Wisdom score for that level, plus her domain spell for that level.

Bonus Feat
A channeling specialist gains a bonus feat at 1st level, then again at 5th level and every five levels thereafter (to a maximum of six at 20th level). These bonus feats must be chosen from the following list and the channeling specialist must meet the prerequisites for the feat:

- Alignment Channel
- Channel Smite
- Channeled Revival
- Channeled Shield Wall
- Command Undead
- Elemental Channel
- Extra Channel (may be selected multiple times)
- Greater Channel Smite
- Guided Hand
- Improved Channel
- Life Lure
- Quick Channel
- Selective Channeling
- Turn Undead
- Versatile Channeler

Greater Channeling
At 8th Level a channeling specialist's channel energy class ability increases to 1d8.

(Because Magic doesn't exist or anything ;) What's exactly is that supposed to mean?

That because of magic, information is as easily available as calling out to the Computer in Star Trek:TNG?
That each hamlet has the Encyclopedia Britannica on demand? Magic doesn't change that much when it comes to the scarcity of scholarship.

Druids are only weak if 3.5 Druidzilla is your benchmark. My spouse has played two under Pathfinder, one in PFS, and in neither case are they "weak".

I was suggesting that each world is different. In my pathfinder world, finding a book of animals is pretty common place. Education is normal. The world doesn't lack for magical texts detailing every aspect of common creatures (many in 3d). Spells exist to copy text and disseminate them throughout the civilized world. Magic exists and is used to great effect (depending on civilization and time period).

Druids are also in my world, trained in the art by other Druids who can wild-shape. They learn forms from them as well.

I have found Druids weak because they have to choose between being good at wild-shape or being good at spell casting (or average in each). And I find their average below my expectations for the class. Just my experience.

This is not intended to be an aggressive position. I am fully aware that other people do it differently and that's a beautiful thing. More people developing their own ideas, the more good ideas to steal for my own games.

sheadunne wrote:

You can house rule Beast Shape however you like, but the description of the spell is pretty clear. "When you cast this spell, you can assume the form of any Small or Medium creature of the animal type." No vagueness there.

My point was, the Druid has plenty of options to become "familiar" with the form, without having to travel across the world. Wildshape doesn't "make" you the creature. You don't think and act like the animal. You act like yourself. Studying the creature isn't going to be any more useful to a Druid than looking at a picture in a book. It's the form that matters, not the habits.

Books aren't that common. It's not like you can go down to a local library and rent a copy of Thystram's Zoological Catalog and just get a complete picture of the Bestiaries in one sitting. Particulars do matter especially since most scrolls and pictures are sadly lacking in the fine detail 3 dimensional holographic display aspect.

Because Magic doesn't exist or anything ;)

Druids are a weak class as it is in Pathfinder. I'd hope my players would look up a cool animal form to take and if they didn't, I'd recommend it to them. Druids need all the help they can get :)

You can house rule Beast Shape however you like, but the description of the spell is pretty clear. "When you cast this spell, you can assume the form of any Small or Medium creature of the animal type." No vagueness there.

My point was, the Druid has plenty of options to become "familiar" with the form, without having to travel across the world. Wildshape doesn't "make" you the creature. You don't think and act like the animal. You act like yourself. Studying the creature isn't going to be any more useful to a Druid than looking at a picture in a book. It's the form that matters, not the habits.

So as long as there's a wizard in the party who takes beast shape x the druid can wild shape into whatever she wants? Seems like a waste of time.

Mr. Wizard, I'd like to be a polar bear, can you show me what one looks like so I can learn to wild shape into it?

Certainly my dear boy, perhaps next time your user will select a class that doesn't rely on another class for assistance using one of your primary abilities.

Once again proving that all other classes are inferior to the wizard. Yay!

What is the point of this thread? The question asks GMs to describe how permissive they are with Wildshape, which seems straightfoward, however when I read the thread it appears it is a discussion about how everyone is doing it wrong.

Yep. Appears that way.

If your motivation for having the caster craft at cost is to make the group stronger, than why wouldn't you want to give more resources to the caster? Making a caster stronger (by giving them more money to scribe scrolls, craft pearls of power, etc) only means more power for the group. How does a +2 to the fighter's sword compare to two additional castings of haste per a day? The more resources a caster has the greater the likelihood that the party will survive, if for no other reason than being able to afford that scroll of Teleport to get you out of the really bad situation.

People often cry "it's best for the group" only when they can't get what they want. I'd rather make sure the wizard has that scroll of break enchantment before the fighter gets his flaming addition to his sword.

And if feats were suppose to benefit the entire party, every melee type should be require to take iron will. I can't tell you how many times I've wasted a turn dispelling some mind affect on the fighter/barbarian/rogue.

Remember that most casters have additional expenses for upkeep. They have to scribe scrolls, craft wands, brew potions. That's money lost, unlike the fighter's sword. So yes, you'll get your +1 sword, but I'll need a few extra gold to make sure I have a dispel magic scroll when you fail your will save . . . again!

Our groups crafting vs cash agreements are simple. You take the feat, you craft the items you want, if you have time, you craft the items other players want. Players can decide which of them gets what first, sometimes resulting in a bidding war. They can also bribe the crafter to put aside his own needs to craft their items first. Otherwise, it's up to the crafter how he wants to spend his time. During he opportunities when we have both cash and time, the crafter usually has items they want to craft for themselves, it doesn't leave much time for the other party members. That's just the way it works. You took the feat, you get to use it.

I was always able to craft at just the right time to actually move ahead of other players in XP progression, since in 3.5 you got more XP the lower level you were. So if you crafted just enough to keep you behind the rest of the party right before a big series of encounters, you could effectively surpass the rest of the group in XP. Then you could use the bonus XP to craft more items and repeat the scenario.

There was never a disadvantage to using XP in 3.5, if you took advantage of the math.

If I remember correctly due a couple of the following things. You can usually pull this off by level 20 so the rest doesn't really matter.

There is a spell that lets you auto-crit on your next attack
There is a spell that lets you auto-confirm a crit
Take a few luck feats to make sure you auto hit in case you get dispelled
Buy vorpal sword
Auto-vorpal anything
End game.

If the effect is permanent, does it matter what the cause was?

Came up the other night. If a Druid in a wildshaped form take an effect that gives him the blind condition, does it go away if he wildshapes into a new form or back to his original form? The only reason I ask is that the Druid gains the vision of the new form and loses his old vision.

There are a number of spells and feats I miss from my 3.5 days. Oh Alter Fortune, how you are missed. I don't think there's a single class/PRC that I miss, although there are alt abilities that I miss.

Out of boredom, waiting for Pathfinder to be officially released, I transcribed every spell in every official WOTC source (including dungeon and dragon, 3.0 and 3.5, and website) into a single document, sorted alphabetically and by class). That document sits on my shelf unused. Sigh.

I allow players to scribe a number of scrolls equal to their spell casting modifier. Int 18. You can scribe 4 scrolls at normal scribing costs. They're one use items and there's little else for a wiz to spend money on. If they want to throw 12.5 gold at monsters at 1st level, more power to them.

Callarek wrote:

Vermin repellant

Potion of Mage Armor (class dependent)

Not to derail, but I didn't think it was possible to make a potion of Mage Armor because it has a range of "personal." Am I way off base here? (Note, Potions of Shield of Faith are a different story).

Also, I have scoured the books looking for a list of potions but haven't found one. Am I just completely overlooking it, or is it omitted because there are too many possibilities to make it worth listing?

The imbiber of the potion is both the caster and the target. Spells with a range of personal cannot be made into potions.

However

Target creature touched

Ant haul + muleback cords don't stack, ant haul is the spell that allows muleback cords to function.

Bull Strength is used for Muleback Cords, not Ant Haul

I'd say most people just care about the damage. A fighter out of combat is a very unhappy player; they're a one-trick pony that isn't doing it's one trick.

@ Sheadunne: I'd say getting the +1 to hit for every four levels in the class will help the rogue a bit, but don't expect much. The Ranger has a full BAB and they have the extra feats to easily be better in combat, not to mention an animal companion (never met a player who takes the other option). Add the fact it gets most of the rogue's signature abilities plus spells and you have a rogueish class that is a far better choice then the rogue.

You're probably right.

The rogues would be doing a lot of damage, more than the fighter. The rogue is not meant to do damage though. If they care about damage then the ranger is the way to go.

You could incorportate more skill checks into the game if you want to make the rogue more viable.

Urban Ranger handles the skill checks just fine in the game, at least the ones that the rogue would normally handle. Sneak attack is really all they have going for them these days and I'm not seeing it draw players to them.

The ranger and rogue have always been an oddity to me anyway, two sides to the same coin, one with full BAB and the other without it. In 3.5 nobody in my groups played a ranger because they were horrid, so they played a rogue. In Pathfinder it's swung the other way. Just trying to see what's needed to bring them both into line as viable choices. At least to the folks I game with.

Having the Rogue use full BAB on sneak attack does seem to keep to the flavor of Pathfinder. I own a copy of Trailblazer but haven't looked at in a while. Guess it's time to revisit.

In 3.5 there wasn't an issue with the rogue getting sneak attack, but in Pathfinder it seems like the usual ways are more difficult (Tumbling is harder at low levels and even sometimes at higher levels and my players don't like to take the hit I guess). I've added a house rule to allow rogues to use sneak attack on a successful Knowledge check of the appropriate type (every 5 above allows them one additional round of sneak). It's not a lot but does give them an additional avenue for sneaking.

I'm not sure any of these will lure them away from the Ranger, but you never know.

I haven't noticed that. In most of the games I've run, the rogue either hasn't be able to sneak or hasn't be able to hit when they do sneak. Maybe it's just crappy roles.

But the real issue is that they're floating off in their own little world of not melee, not spell casting, not really much of anything useful. A full BAB might resolve that in my mind.

Players are gravitating toward ranger instead of rogue these days at my gaming table and I'd like to see if I can swing it back or at least provide them with a viable alternative to ranger.

Any potential problems with Rogue's getting full BAB?

Euphoric Cloud is a completely different spell with different issues. According to a strict reading, even the cloud would have no effect on a successful save. There's nothing similar to that with Calm Emotions. It's a pretty strait forward spell, clearly laid out. The word automatically is irrelevant because the save itself negates it (if it said partial instead of negate then there would be an issue since you wouldn't know which part of the spell was partially negated). It doesn't use another spell's description as part of it as does Euphoric Cloud, which is the issue with that spell, since it ultimately references a spell without a save (fog cloud).

How is "Will Negates" ambiguous? The spell either works 100% or doesn't work at all.

Negates: The spell has no effect on a subject that makes a successful saving throw.

The spell does the following when a creature fails a saving throw

Suppresses
Bless (Spell)
Good hope (Spell)
Rage (Spell)
Fear (effect)

Negates
Inspire courage (Bard Ability)
Rage (Barbarian Ability)

Removes
Confused (condition)

We keep it simple and let the players ask questions. Does it have DR/Cold Iron? Does it have fire resistance? Does it have Spell Resistance? Blindsense? Can it swallow whole? Does it have reach? Can it cast spells? Yes or no questions only. One question for the DC and 1 additional question for each 5 points over the DC. Sometimes it's frustrating to ask if it has DR and the answer is yes, but not know what type. But if you have a high enough roll you can see if it has a specific DR. Since most of the time players are looking for certain resistances or immunities, once they find out that the creature isn't resistant to their specific attack preference, they're happy.

Couldn't seem to find it in another discussion, does a small character using Scroll Blade treat the weapon as small?

1983 Basic Edition

I've always been fond of the Paladin/Bard Gestalt. Nothing like riding around on a warhorse singing a jaunty tune . . .