The game is a ton of fun, and while I would love reprints of the erratta'ed cards I'll still enjoy the game without them. I would be willing to pay something for them, or deal with an expansion that is a little smaller then normal to get the fixed cards.
Because I use card sleeves I could make do with PDFs of the "broken" cards, but I happen to think sleevers are a minority for this game.
As I'm a subscriber I would also be ok if the erratta'ed cards were just issued as an extra to subscribers, but I can see how non-subscribers would be miffed.
Pretty much anything you do will leave someone out.
So I wish you luck finding the least sucky solution.
The exploration step is optional with I assume the intention to let someone who is beat up wait for help, or park on a location they can close. Nothing in the rules prevents you from doing that 30 times.
By the rules you need to be in a party together to trade (including just before or just after the adventure). By the rules you also don't lose items or feats ifyou play and the blessings deck runs dry. So by the rules it looks like you can deal out an adventure group your characters trade items and flop the blessings over until you run out.
It is your call on weather this is unacceptable cheese, a intended part if the rules, or an accident that happens to not break things too much.
Personally it seems acceptable only if the two characters are controlled by different players and have played an adventure in the past (or have some other reasonable motive to think the trade is a great idea). However that is just my opinion. Non-binding and all that. I'm not a game designer, I don't even play one on TV.
In the rule book under encounter a card it says: "Any character at that location can attempt one or more of the checks, as long as the character who encountered the bane attempts at least one of them."
I had missed the part that says BANE, and had assumed it was for all encounter checks (I.e. Also boons). Is it really just for banes?
Within minutes of my wife learning that Gary Gygax had passed away she said "You should go up to the attic and find the blue book D&D, and we should have some sort of memorial game this weekend".
So I overcame my fear of the ladder that has more then once tried to kill me, and unearthed the box of childhood RPG goodness. It has my blue book (sans cover), my wife's blue book (with cover, but someone pained the eyes red), and a 3rd blue book (again sans cover) that I'm unsure of the origin of. There were at least two B-series modules as well.
So this Saturday 8 Mar 2008 I'm running a OD&D-1978 game. No projector. Maybe even no minis.
Bring your imagination, your snacks, and an extra Mountain Dew to pour out for Gary.
I'm south of San Jose & Cupertino. About half an hour south of Cupertino in fact (or four miles north of Boulder Creek, CA). If you want to join me & my players, please contact me -- odnd@mac.com (I just made the address today, and I'll likely get rid of it on the 9th, so if you read this in the archives, contact me through my Paizo Account, not the email).
(as I write this, I have two confirmed players, so yeah, there is room for more, easy)
if they can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen
Technically it is the guest room -- the kitchen doesn't have a projector on the cieling, so it isn't so useful for maps. It would fit more people though, and not get as hot...and be closer to the snacks.
And I need to move the pan rack down an inch or two, maybe I should move the projector while I'm at it...
We dames can be just as bloodthirsty and raucous as the guys, if not more so.
Oh my, yes.
My current game table includes the most violent druid I've ever seen (played by my wife). It also has a brutal fighter who's interrogation style may jeopardize her good-alignment (played by a good friend of my wife): "Q: what kind of intimidate bonus do I get for ripping off one of his fingernails? A: those are claws, you would have to rip off a big chunk of the finger Q: Ok, I try to wrench it off with my hand, if it doesn't come off after it breaks I'll use my dagger. A: you don't speak draconic, he might have already answered your question! Q: that's ok, I rip it off anyway"
Ah well, at least the other dame plays a paladin.
I think they have chased off almost all the male players too.
I have a regular play group of four players, but sometimes two of them can't make it. The other two players have requested a 2nd campaign for the weeks the others can't make it.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a 2 player adventure? Something light since it won't be regularly scheduled.
Unearthed Arcana had a system for fast healing. Basically the PCs get a pool of something like reserve HP that after a combat is over convert to real HP one per minuite.
Not that unrealistic if you rembee HP are more like dodge stamana & luck. You can also rule that reserve HP heal faster... Maybe so long as they are at full regular HP the heal 10 reserve HP per night.
That reduces the need for a mistery patrion to hand out healing potions but not +4 vorpal flaming spears of doom. :-)
So write the adventure and have scaling hints for "no/low bard". It can be just lower DC or it can be fancy "princess Teathsowhite is very impressed by feats of strength, +10 bonus is she has seen the talker blah-blah" or simple "add STR and CON bonus to diplomicy checks if you have less the five ranks".
You can also give very large bonuses for good "table talk" - I do it for most skills with a gradual decrees as the characters ranks go up (I.e. A player with a book of knots memorized and a little imaganition can get +5 on a Use Rope check if they have one rank in it, but only +1 if they have 5 ranks -- I tend not to give it bonuses if they have no ranks or at least no ranks & low iniate skill)
It is more work, but makes as much sense as scaling combat in an adventure. Or traps "if the party has no rogue replace half the traps with random encounters with the same EL from the following table"
I also totally agree with a "frendly" result having vastly difrent meanings. How many movies have a variant of "I like you, I'll kill you last"? That may be the best you get! Or a 10% discount from the awestruck & bamboozled merchant.
A NPC, even a low level NPC with an average intelligence is not stupid. They have common sense. I wouldnt care if a PC has a diplomacy of 90 and decided to take 10. She wouldnt be able to convince a person to give up anything for nothing. Its no feasable.
Sure they would, but it has to be proportional, and it has to make sense. To give away something for nothing the something needs to be pretty small, and the nothing has to have a good sounding story (which need not be true).
Folks real-life give homeless people $0.25, $1, or even $5 for nothing. (or at least for a good story, or for a chance to feel like they are helping someone).
Folks (real-life again) give students money for football programs, or school trips which is "nothing" for them.
So in-game I would expect a PC to be able to convince a wealthy merchant to donate money to an orphanage, or to a city defense fund, or something else that sounds worthy. If the PC just pockets the money, well that's the PC's problem. Because sooner or later someone will discover that the city defense fund is empty, the orphanage doesn't exist, or whatever. Then the wealthy merchant might well decide to get his honor back, maybe with the help of some mercenaries, or the kings guard, or poison. Or a curse on the next donation.
You also won't be able to convince a wealthy merchant to donate so much that they have nothing left to fund revenge with. If you could, well some other con man would have made away with it all by now.
A PC could convince a not so wealthy NPC to give up a tiny bit of copper, or some of the summer harvest (er, fall harvest?). That won't be nearly so dangerous because the not so wealthy can seldom call anyone in to help...but once in a while they might no someone that can twist a curse. Plus the PC isn't so likely to spend half an hour role playing bilking someone out of a piglet or two eggs.
The above listed con-man argument doesn't play out as well for a poor NPC. They might have once even had wealth and lost it all to a con-man. However most poor NPCs aren't all that likely to give away more then they could "afford".
Full Name
Izkrael Seldori
Race
Elf
Classes/Levels
Paladin/Ranger 4/1
Gender
Male
Size
Medium
Age
150 years
Special Abilities
Detect Evil- at will; Smite Evil 2/day; Lay on Hands 4/day; Aura of Courage (10 ft.); Divine Health; Mercy (Sickened); Channel Positive Energy (2d6); Spells; Favored Enemy:Undead (+2); Track +1; Wild Empathy +4
Alignment
Lawful Good
Deity
Quetzalcoatl
Location
City of Opal
Languages
Common, Elven, Green-speak
Occupation
Stalker of the Undying
Strength
14
Dexterity
15
Constitution
12
Intelligence
12
Wisdom
12
Charisma
16
About Izkrael
IZKRAEL CR 4
Male Elf Paladin (Oath Against Undeath) 4 Ranger 1
LG Medium Humanoid (Elf)
Init +4; Senses Low-Light Vision; Perception +8
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DEFENSE
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Spoiler:
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13. . (+3 armor, +2 Dex, +1 dodge)
hp 55 (5d10+5)
Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +8
Immune sleep, fear, disease; Resist Elven Immunities
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OFFENSE
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Spoiler:
Spd 30 ft.
Melee Kukri +7 (1d4+2/18-20/x2) or
Masterwork Curve blade, elven +9 (1d10+3/18-20/x2) or
Unarmed Strike +7 (1d3+2/20/x2)
Ranged Masterwork Longbow, Composite (Str +2) +8 (1d8+2/20/x3)
Special Attacks Smite Evil (2/day)
Paladin (Oath Against Undeath) Spells Known (CL 1, 7 melee touch, 7 ranged touch):
1 (1/day) Bless Weapon Ranger Spells Known (CL 0, 7 melee touch, 7 ranged touch):
Str 14, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 16
Base Atk +5; CMB +7; CMD 20
Feats Channel Smite, Dodge, Elven Weapon Proficiencies, Weapon Focus: Curve blade, elven
Traits Devotee of the Green: Knowledge (Nature), Warrior of Old
Skills Climb +6, Craft (Bows) +3, Diplomacy +7, Heal +7, Knowledge (Geography) +7, Knowledge (Nature) +7, Knowledge (Religion) +8, Perception +8, Stealth +8, Survival +7, Swim +6
Languages Common, Elven, Greenspeak
SQ Aura of Courage (10' radius) (Su), Aura of Good (Ex), Channel Positive Energy 2d6 (2/day) (DC 15) (Su), Detect Undead (Su), Divine Grace (Su), Elven Magic, Enemies: Undead (+2 bonus) (Ex), Ghost Touch Aura (Su), Lay on Hands (2d6) (5/day) (Su), Track +1, Wild Empathy +4 (Ex)
Combat Gear Arrows (20), Kukri, Leaf Armor, Masterwork Curve blade, elven, Masterwork Longbow, Composite (Str +2); Other Gear Backpack (6 @ 9 lbs), Small Emerald, Elixir of Hiding (2), Flint and steel, Pouch, belt (4 @ 1.7 lbs), Rations, trail (per day) (5), Silversheen (2), Waterskin, Whetstone
Wealth 13 gp, 12 sp, 7 cp
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Spoiler:
Aura of Courage (10' radius) (Su) You are immune to Fear. Allies within 10 feet save at +4 vs Fear.
Aura of Good (Ex) The paladin has an Aura of Good with power equal to her class level.
Channel Positive Energy 2d6 (2/day) (DC 15) (Su) A good cleric can channel positive energy to heal the living and injure the undead; an evil cleric can channel negative energy to injure the living and heal the undead.
Channel Smite Channel energy can be delivered through a Smite attack.
Detect Undead (Su) This ability works like the standard paladin ability to detect evil, except as detect undead instead of detect evil. This ability replaces detect evil.
Divine Grace (Su) You gain your Charisma Bonus as a bonus to all saving throws.
Elven Immunities +2 save bonus vs Enchantments.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to Sleep effects.
Elven Magic +2 racial bonus on caster checks to overcome spell resistance. +2 to spellcraft checks to determine the properties of a magic item.
Enemies: Undead (+2 bonus) (Ex) +2 to rolls vs Undead.
Ghost Touch Aura (Su) At 3rd level, the paladin's armor is treated as if it had the ghost touch armor property. This does not affect the cost or effect of any other abilities of the armor. At 9th level, this ability also applies to the paladin's shield. This abilit
Immune to Fear (Ex) You are immune to all fear effects.
Immunity to Disease You are immune to diseases.
Lay on Hands (2d6) (5/day) (Su) You can heal 2d6 damage, 5/day
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Smite Evil (2/day) (Su) +3 to hit, +4 to damage, +3 deflection bonus to AC when used.
Track +1 +1 to survival checks to track.
Wild Empathy +4 (Ex) Improve the attitude of an animal, as if using Diplomacy.
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DESCRIPTION
Spoiler:
Elf, Male, 6'0", 143 lbs., Silvery-Green Eyes, Straight Shoulder-Length White Hair, Pale Skinned, Many Scars from Claws and Bites
This tall, somber looking elf has a very pale and sallow complexion. He carries a large, strangely-curved blade strapped across his back, a more common-looking longsword at his waist, and a heavy knife with a similar curve to the big sword strapped to his right thigh. A longbow is slung over the opposite shoulder from his sword, and a quiver at his waist, opposite his longsword. His clothing seems to be made of foliage, or grey and green cloths.
BACKGROUND
Spoiler:
Izkrael first came to Mazatil nearly fifty years ago with his lover, a elven druidess named Xenaphia, who was studying certain types of a jungle flora, from the elven homeland. When they arrived in the City of Opal, they stayed only long enough to secure a guide, and then they headed out into the jungle. Things were going well, with Izkrael learning about the local wildlife and dangers, while Xenaphia studied the flora. At first there were a few attacks by some of the more savage species of the giant lizards that were found in the area, but after the first couple of weeks, they began to leave the camp alone. Things calmed down for several days, nearly two weeks, before the next disturbance. A lone zombie, nearly rotted away in the humid environment, stumbled into camp one day. It was easily dispatched, and when they asked about it, the guide explained the basic stories about the old natives who rose as undead, but other than the occasional wanderer, like their 'visitor', they usually were only found in the ruins of their fallen civilization. He was very wrong about the last part, as they found out the next night, when their camp was attacked by a group of ravenous ghouls. Although Izkrael was not a novice with his blade, he quickly found himself fighting alone, as the guide was quickly paralyzed and torn to shreds. As elves, he and Xenaphia were immune to the paralyzing strikes, regardless o f this though, they were overwhelmed by the press of the foul creatures. Just as he was falling to the ground, and losing consciousness, a pair of humans entered the camp from the jungle, and with waves of holy energy radiating from them, which burned many of the undead to ash. The ghouls who survived the divine blast ran off into the night-darkened jungle, bearing with them the fallen body of Xenaphia. The humans healed the worst of Izkrael's injuries, and carried him back to their home. As he was nursed back to health, he learned that his saviors were members of the Order of the Feathered Serpent. Izkrael devoted himself to learning their beliefs and techniques for annihilating undead, and after a few years training, became a full member of the Order. He then spent 20 years wandering the jungles, stalking undead, trying to find some trace of Xenaphia, though as the years passed, he became more and more certain that when he does find her, the only salvation he will be able to bring her is true death.
A year ago, he joined with several companions for a foray into the jungle. They had been doing well, learning of ancient lore, and clearing a few ancient tombs. In one of these tombs, Izkrael found what he thought might be a scrap of Xenaphia's clothes. This caused him to withdraw for several days, as he contemplated the implications of his find. Thus when the mass of scales tooth and claw that rushed them on a rainy day in the jungle attacked, he was completely caught unaware by its tail, which sent him flying off into the brush, to crumple unconscious deep within some ferns. He awoke that evening, hurting but alive, he quickly healed himself, and made his way back to Opal. It was several weeks before he saw San, and learned that many had died, and the rest had scattered and run.
The next year after that became a meaningless routine of tracking down zombies near the farmlands and surrounding villages, with the occasional stronger threat. But none of it seemed to matter, and he began to withdraw, and spend more and more time walking in the jungle alone.
After months of this insular rambling, he chanced across a beautiful find. A feather, colored red, indigo, and green, over a foot long. Not recognizing it as any type of bird or winged lizard he knew of, he decided to take it as a sign from his deity, Quetzlcoatl, and shook off his spiritual torment, and made his way back to the City to seek out his friend in the Order of the Feathered Serpent, Sanvaros, and show him his find.
