Boggard Champion

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Looking for a buyer...

For sale on Pathfinder Database


WOOHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EGYPT IS FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Kor, once you're ready to have a "release" version. You should really post it at the Pathfinder Database. We're the #1 place to go for Pathfinder character sheet downloads.


Umbral Reaver wrote:
I had a go at the database but the submission thing is a bit frustrating. I may try again later.

If you ever want to submit it directly to me, you can send it to:

The moderator email address:
moderator at pathfinderdb dot com


Holy Shnikes! This is really cool. Could you add this to the Pathfinder Database? Seriously this is awesome stuff.


Those are pretty cool Kirth. Would you like to add them to the Pathfinder Database?


Ravingdork wrote:
Pathfinder Database Pimp wrote:

Any chance I can add this to the Pathfinder Database? Send me an email at

** spoiler omitted **

Knock yourself out.

What byline should I put on this?


You can also find some similar stuff, including the same Artificer at the Pathfinder Database.


Blueluck wrote:
veector wrote:
I ask the question because I recently came across another RPG which I also really like and does things more in line with the way I think things should work, but I'm conflicted because to do those things, the rules need to be more complicated.
What game are you considering?

Fantasy Craft


I ask the question because I recently came across another RPG which I also really like and does things more in line with the way I think things should work, but I'm conflicted because to do those things, the rules need to be more complicated.


Ok, big question here...

At what point does a RPG stop working for you? In other words, at what point does RPG Brand X mean less fun than RPG Brand Y.

I look back on my own decision in switching from D&D 2nd to D&D 3rd and it just seemed like a no brainer because D&D 3 did things the way I imagined they should be done without breaking anything I really loved.

Is that the core litmus test or is there some other ephemeral quality that intrinsically makes RPG Brand X better than RPG Brand Y?


DoveArrow wrote:
Quote:
Would you ever have sex with a stranger for money?
The fact that people are talking about capital punishment and political systems in this thread makes me think that maybe that the question I'm seeing is different from the one everyone else read.

The question changes occasionally. Today's question is now about sex for money.


Dark_Mistress wrote:
veector wrote:
Doesn't anyone believe in pure hypothetical situations anymore?

Hypothetical questions are fine. But few things in life are black and white, yes or no.

How about.

Would you ever have sex for money?

I think for many people that would depend on the amount of money in question. 20 bucks i bet most would say no. For 20 million I think most people would. So not really a yes or not question in less put on context.

I think the necessity of context also depends on the person. For example, in the answer to your question above, for me it's an absolute no, regardless the amount of money.


Doesn't anyone believe in pure hypothetical situations anymore?


GeraintElberion wrote:
Turd Ferguson wrote:
A Tough Question

Interesting, unfortunately there is only a yes/no answer.

Poor design.

I regard capital punishment as morally repugnant and would help them to escape for that reason, yet my vote would be lumped in with 'family' in a family vs. society dichotomy.

The lack of context is also a flaw.

Are we assuming a flawless legal system? Is this a tin-pot dictatorship in which the theft of an apple results in the death penalty, or a massive killing spree, or somewhere in between (and, if so, where)?

The question is meant to be posed in a yes or no fashion because sometimes decisions are forced upon us. If you say "depending on other circumstances" then you're not making a choice. And the choice you make, although the heading says "family vs society" is about what you want, not necessarily that you're siding with family. It seems as if your answer would be "yes" whether or not it was family.

With regards to what kind of legal system, does it matter? One man's justice is another man's leniency. Assume it was the most liberal society in the world in which someone was only to be put to death if they were about to immediately kill everyone in the world and there was no hope of rehabilitating them.


Maybe d20 Modern?


Just wanted to let everyone know that this project and other Pathfinder Modern conversions are building at the new forums on the d20 Modern Database.

d20 Modern Database


Just wanted to let everyone know that this project and other Pathfinder Modern conversions are building at the new forums on the d20 Modern Database.

d20 Modern Database


Also here...

Thudarr the Barbarian


Linktified for those playing along with the home game...

HeroLab Dataset Conversion of d20Modern to Pathfinder


Hi guys

I still love the products, but since the upcoming products aren't as relevant to my game anymore, I'll be purchasing items individually from now on.

Thanks


In honor of Futurama coming back on the air, I give you...

Doctor Zoidberg, Kraken Bard


Bill Faulkner wrote:

If anybody is interested, I have a preliminary Pathfinder Character sheet one can use on your iPad (if you have one). It uses the iPad version of Numbers, so that is a requirement ($9.99 from the app store).

My character sheet is free for anybody to use, modify, whatever.

If you are interested, drop me an email at PathfinderCSRequest (at) me (dot) com and I will email you a copy. Please be patient, it may take several days for me to respond. You should be able to read the attachment directly on your iPad.

Bill Faulkner

Anyway to get screenshots of this? I'd love to use it, but I don't really want to spend the money on Numbers. I'd also just like to get a sense of how well it works with the iPad interface.


Sigurd wrote:
Looks really interesting. Thanks Veector!

No problem. Was hoping for more interest and/or feedback.


Featured and flavor images are on their way. In the meantime, the map is up...

The Great City of Thorian's Gate


Vic Wertz wrote:
I think that these are pretty good signs that we're doing the right thing.

I appreciate the clarification. :) Even straight-talk like this means a lot in this industry.


Evil Lincoln wrote:

Uh...

I don't really see anyone weighing in on the other side of this.

In fact, this might be the least contentious thread I've ever seen.

Why did the OP think it was a powderkeg?

Mainly because it looks like one 3rd party fan site calling another 3rd party fan site out, which wasn't my intention. If Paizo wants to offer their content this way, more power to 'em. I shouldn't dissuade them from offering it up this way.

My concern was more for the financial viability of this model.

But I think Hogarth answered my concern better above.


Krome wrote:
What keeps me from buying Paizo products is a lack of enough money.

I understand this sentimentality completely. Lately, for myself, I've discovered that I'm able to get much more value out of purchasing discrete pieces of content that I can directly use instead of having to buy a whole book.

Just like on iTunes, I much prefer to buy the songs I like than to have to buy an album which has songs selected by the artist or studios which may or may not go together well.

For me, each piece of content can therefore be charged for at a higher rate.

Imagine Paizo publishing material like the Drive Thru RPG model:

Races - $0.99 / pdf
Classes - $4.99 / pdf
Feats - $0.99 /pdf with at least 10-20 feats

If you sum up all of what goes into the "Advanced Players' Guide" for example, it probably comes out to a higher price than the book price.

Like so much of the content out there, only a fraction might be relevant to the game I want to play at the moment.

With regards to using these sites for rules reference... since Paizo has made much of the game open content, it's easy to download an entire web site to your own PC and use it offline, no need for internet access. The same would be true of the Archives of Nethys.

My argument here is that, I think giving players a sample is great. Encouraging new players is great. However, as much as I trust the model that if people like your product enough, they will be honest enough to pay for it, what I disagree with is giving away all the content for free.

I do also realize that there are two sides to this: the player's perspective and the GM's perspective.

As for myself, as a GM, I love having a complete SRD to reference the rules from because I find a GM screen to be somewhat obstructive. However, what I love paying for is collections of content that I can use in my game, such as:

Generic NPC stats, Monster variations pre-built, maps, adventure outlines (not necessarily completely statted out), basically anything I can use to throw together a game or build my story.

I'm just questioning, what, if anything, do players really need to pay for?


I can certainly agree that the more people talk about Widgets, the more people are likely to buy Widgets. In that sense, I think the 3rd party web sites are a great help to the community.

What I'm struggling to understand is... if I were a gamer with roughly $30/month to spend on gaming material, why should I buy a splat book if that content is available for free on a web site.

I guess I'd have to be pretty committed to a company to purchase the print version of content. Unless I'm a DM/GM, I might be more inclined to spend my money on the PDF versions of content, which gets me the best of what I want.

I do think that overall, and in no small part because of the OGL and the huge boon to independent publishing that is the Internet, the price of content is approaching 0.

I don't want quality like Paizo or Super Genius to go away, and I also realize that there are a lot more things people may need to spend money on nowadays. The price we pay for high-speed Internet access alone saps a good chunk of disposable so, as many people do, they're more interested in content the way Super Genius is publishing: pay for specific articles much the way paying for specific songs has taken over the market for full albums on iTunes.

EDIT: I also wanted to mention one other thing. It has been this year that I've decided to go paperless with my gaming products. Anything I already have in print I'm keeping, but I'm not interested in having more dead tree products pile up around me in the years to come.

Here's to a long love affair with electronic files!

BTW, Hyrum, I think you guys are awesome and I was a $250 contributor to the P20 Modern project. <sniff>


1 person marked this as a favorite.

First off, this post and discussion may take a nasty turn, I'm well aware of that but I am fully committed to keeping the discussion civil despite the "instigating" nature of this post itself.

What I'd like to discuss is what should the role of 3rd party Pathfinder web sites be?

As part of full disclosure, I run a web site called the Pathfinder Database.

I've also seen sites such as the d20 Pathfinder SRD and the Archives of Nethys and the Pathfinder Wiki.

Now I am fully assuming that we're all playing nice by Paizo's Community Use policy and respecting their Terms of Use. But what I've started to get really confused about is:

How does a site like the Archives of Nethys encourage me to buy any published material from Paizo which includes the same rules? In addition, how does the Pathfinder Wiki encourage me to buy any additional sourcebooks if I can basically gain much of the same information from the wiki.

I've just really been conflicted lately as to whether the ability to publish something on the web for free actually helps or hinders the sales of Paizo's products.

As always, if you think this is irrelevant or a useless discussion please ignore the thread and let it die. However, I would really like to hear a Paizo employee's opinion on the subject.


[crickets chirping]

Sorry... just had to. :)


Aratex wrote:
Also, your game world seems pretty intriguing.. Are the gates like magical teleports, I'm guessing? Are they controlled by some organization that charges a fee for their use?

You can read more in the articles on the right side of that page. There used to be an overarching empire that built the gates, but that empire has gone into decline. Now each city state controls their own gates.

The gates are indeed permanent teleport gates allowing for instantaneous travel. Depending on the gate, the owner (the city or private owner for the case of small gates) may charge a fee.


What takes several hoops to jump through using Google Maps API, Microsoft provides for free to promote Silverlight.

Take a look at the map for my new campaign world.

World Map of Thule


Robert Hawkshaw wrote:

:( I saw that there was 78 new posts and I got all excited that someone had posted a character sheet app.

Has anyone used the pfr app that came out? Is it useful? I don't see any reviews in the store.

Looks like it could be useful, but for iPad, why not just use the Paizo System Reference Document or d20pfsrd.com? Seems like it does the same thing.


Cartigan wrote:
Herald wrote:
Cartigan wrote:
Herald wrote:


Hmmm, I been working with Microsoft tablets for years as part of my job for years. I wonder where you missed those.
Were they made by Microsoft or just used the Windows OS?

Co branded with Microsoft and Microsoft designed the form factor.

The point was a specific Microsoft tablet is coming out later this year. And the judgment was made the second day the iPad was out. The thing is selling solely on the Apple brand, and either the tech writers are being paid by Apple to write good reviews or they are members of the Apple cult and their multiple glowing reviews are thus irrelevant either way.

You really believe that? Wow.

My iPhone was the first Apple device I have purchased since my Apple IIe. I have never owned a Mac nor had any desire to own one. My own good review of the iPad is not at all based on a "love" of Apple. It's based on my own experience with it.


Cartigan wrote:


The XBOX is a single purpose device. It was designed to run intensive video games. Playing videos is an extension of that and "communicating" on Facebook or Twitter is a joke, programwise.

So all those people who use the XBOX to just access XBOX live, play Texas Hold 'Em and communicate with their friends on Facebook or Twitter are using it wrong?

Cartigan wrote:


The iPad is NOT a single purpose device. It was not designed to just play games or just read eBooks or just surf the web - it can do all of those, in the limited sense of do Apple defined.

I don't see the difference between that and XBOX live. Apple limits what kind of Internet activity they will allow on the device and Microsoft does the same.

veector wrote:


Irrelevant. The point is that it can use expandable media. No Apple product can.

Thanks for answering a question that was not asked to you. It is not irrelevant because the point is, if the device only reads eBook files, for example, then the expandable media has a distinct purpose.

It seems to me Cartigan that you look at the iPad the same way you look at a PC and don't like Apple telling you what you can and can't do.

Well, that's different from saying the device is bad. In the realm of computing, devices/software either meet users needs and are considered "usable" or they don't meet users needs and are left by the side of the road.

Rather than saying it isn't a good device, why don't you try saying why it doesn't meet your needs. That would be a better argument than trying to speak in generalities.

If I get what you're saying, it doesn't meet your needs because you want to surf the web with a keyboard, use a browser that you want to use, and be able to install any type of software, Apple approved or otherwise.

Well, for many people, they don't need those things and that's where the device fits their needs.


jyster wrote:


No HDMI cable output
Screen aspect 4:3 thats old school tv
No SD slot, they would rather you spend another couple hundred dollars to get more memory, my Sony ereader even has a SD slot.
Its a pain to put your stuff on the ipad, which is your device.
No camera
No multi-tasking of 3rd party aps

I think out of this list, the things which bother me are:

"Its a pain to put your stuff on the ipad, which is your device." It's true, getting files onto the iPad takes a 3rd party app. Even if all you want to do is load your PDFs and read them.

Multi-tasking is already taken care of since the new iPhone OS with multi-tasking was announced.

All the other issues you mention are not an issue to me.

Just out of curiosity, what type of files does the eReader recognize from the SD card?


Cartigan wrote:
veector wrote:


Why is that the wrong way to go? Many applications are designed this way without user complaint.
See "your average user is an idiot." Unless you are doing something like referring to single purpose devices again *insert rolling eye smiley here*

The average user's intelligence quotient aside, it seems you're just annoyed that Apple is playing to the middle of the field. That's not bad business sense in my opinion.

But also, you said before that the XBOX was a single purpose device... People watch movies on XBOX using Netflix, communicate with friends on Facebook and Twitter, they can also upload their own videos, music and pictures.

It seems to me that the XBOX is whatever Microsoft wants to allow it to be.

I don't see the iPad as anything different. If you want to develop apps for the iPad, you have to get Apple's permission, just the same as if you were making a deal with Microsoft to put your app on the XBOX.


azhrei_fje wrote:

Very cool. :) (And good choice in jQuery -- I use it for everything.)

You can put two draggables on top of each other, but if the bottom one is being dragged then you need to drag the top one yourself at the same time. The easiest thing to do is to turn off the "drag-ness" of the top one, IIRC.

You could also put the dragged conditions off to the side of the creature which they are related to. In fact, this may be better even as it allows a quick glance to see which creature has which conditions.

Be sure to allow creatures to represent "spells". Actually this is the only thing I don't see adequately covered by your tracker. If a spell is cast at a certain point, then the spellcaster delays or readies and ends up at a different initiative count, their spell should remain at its original location. :(

Add a "+/-" button to allow PCs to be added/removed and ditto for monsters. With such a nice framework as jQuery, why have a hard-coded number of each?!

Perhaps an empty textarea field at the bottom of the page for random GM notes?

(I use the initiative tracker in MapTool, but this is very cool. Good work!)

Wow. Thanks for the tips azhrei_fje! If you have some time, feel free to grab the code and improve it. I may not have time to do so until next week. It's basically 3 files, the HTML, the CSS, and the JS.


VagrantWhisper wrote:

I think people get frustrated with their options being dictated to them. If I want to use an SD card, I have to buy an add-on. If I want to use USB, I have to have an add-on, etc.

It's that fine line between security, functionality and stablility ... and as they like to say in the consulting industry; you can only pick two.

See, I think we're looking at user expectations in two different ways.

Take this example...

Two warriors are in need of magic weapons.

The first one goes to a magic shop and says "I need a weapon that will kill ogres, nagas, beholders ... , demons, and dragons." The merchant spends a lot of time and the warrior spends a lot of money to get the perfect weapon: a bastard sword +5 but requires the exotic weapon proficiency.

The second one goes to the magic shop and says "I need a magic weapon." The merchant immediately sells him an off-the-rack long sword +3 / +5 vs Demons because the second warrior fights Demons 80% of the time.

Does the second warrior make out worse than the first? No, because the merchant is selling the warrior what the merchant thinks the warrior needs.

The first warrior doesn't trust the merchant to know what warriors need so he details specific needs and expects a weapon that conforms to that.

Most users are like the second warrior. They will take an easier to use device/application/piece of software if it will make 80% of what they do easier to accomplish.

The iPad doesn't add new functionality or replace laptops. It makes basic PC application tasks such as reading documents, listening to digital music, and browsing the web more accessible.


Cartigan wrote:


They are closed because it is a product designed for a specific purpose. Contrarily, the iPad is a "general" purpose device portending to compete with far more general purpose devices.

Simply not correct. I don't know of anyone who thinks the iPad is a replacement for all the functionality of a laptop. I see it as a separate device entirely.

Quote:


A pot shot a Windows design that was created because average users are idiots. Apple takes that to the extreme and instead of asking if they can do something (rather, if you want something to do what it wants to do), Apple has already decided for you what things can and can't do on your system for you.

Why is that the wrong way to go? Many applications are designed this way without user complaint.


What I'm trying to say is that why is there no anti-virus software for the iPad/iPhone? Because apple is garaunteeing apps are safe. That doesn't mean I'm going to be reckless with my data, but if an app ruins my phone because of bad/malicious code, Apple is more to blame than the app creator because apple is not giving me any way to protect the device.

That being said, the point is, the device is intentionally limited and many users don't mind giving up that degree of control.

Why is that degree of control so necessary for having a good usability experience?


Illithar wrote:

One of the big reasons I probably wont bother with the iPad, and possibly the HP Slate as well, is due to a missing feature that everyone else seem to be glad for: the Stylus. I have a HP Tablet already and I love the pressure sensitive screen and the ability to write in the Onenote program like the screen was paper, or draw in photoshop or the like.

Having an interface that works well if all you use are your fingers is fine, but I'd prefer either both, or just the stylus. Guess I'm weird.

Not weird at all. If that device meets your needs, more power to you. It's all about how the device fits the user. One interface does not fit all when it comes to PCs.


Cartigan wrote:
Ravingdork wrote:
TriOmegaZero wrote:
I've got both. I like my iPad for taking to bed after I'm done with my typing-intensive stuff but want to finish browsing forums and Facebook.
Sounds like a total waste of money for anyone who already has a laptop or similar device.
But it's Apple! That means it is revolutionary and there has been nothing like it before/it's just like things before it but it's better because Apple retains strict control on what you can do on it (wait, what?)!

Again, nobody disputes the fact that the device has limitations, but I think you're missing the fact that Apple maintaining strict control over the device is what adds to the streamlined nature of the experience.

Same thing with XBOX 360 and XBOX Live. Why would anyone ever play games on that system? It's closed because it creates a more seamless user experience. Apps aren't popping up at every moment asking if they can do something.

I don't have to worry about viruses because every app is controlled by the app store.

I don't have to worry about what apps I need to read a certain file because the app tries to eliminate the need for me to have to manage the file system.

If you want a device that allows you that control in every situation, more power to you, go for a laptop.

I don't want to have to worry about certain PC issues at moments when I just want to use the PC casually.


TriOmegaZero wrote:
I've got both. I like my iPad for taking to bed after I'm done with my typing-intensive stuff but want to finish browsing forums and Facebook.

+1


Cartigan wrote:
veector wrote:


If you want a device that is primarily about consuming data, browsing content, and playing not so serious games this is definitely a high value device to use.
As opposed to the tablet, tablet/laptop, and small laptops that have been around for YEARS that are more user friendly and more versatile?

Not so much for me. The foldout keyboard always has gotten in the way. I don't want to use a keyboard and the mouse interface doesn't work lying in bed or sitting casually in a chair. The touchpad and other pointer devices for laptops have never really solved this problem because they're slow and require more hand-eye coordination.

In addition, the Windows OS has never really been a good OS for tablets. It's too bulky. Getting software onto it has always been difficult.

Without iTunes, the App Store, and immediately downloadable and installable apps, the iPad would not be a good device to use.

Also, "versatile" is a bit of a loaded word. Can they do more? Yes. But the interface requirements that come with the ability to do more also prohibits me from simply abandoning the interface (mouse/pointer and keyboard) if all I want to do is read stuff on the web or listen to music while reading a book.


The iPad is a new paradigm, just as the iPhone was a new paradigm. It will take some getting used to. The people who love it, love it for what it is, and don't care about what it isn't because that isn't relevant to how they use it. I am one of those.

Can you edit video on it? No. But why would you want to do that on it?

Is it great for writing code? Not really. But why aren't you carrying around your laptop for doing that? Or sitting at your PC at work for that?

It's like complaining that you can't drive anywhere in downtown London with a large tractor-trailer truck. Why are you trying to do that?

If you want a device that is primarily about consuming data, browsing content, and playing not so serious games this is definitely a high value device to use.


d20pfsrd.com wrote:

Ok that's pretty snazzy. I've been using a magnetic white board with little rectangular magnets with PC names and monster #'s on them which I drag around in combats etc. The problem is losing the little magnets... which I don't think I'd have to worry about here. Tahsin, do you mind if I make an offline copy and then add to d20pfsrd.com?

As for feature requests, it would be exceptionally cool if there were a bunch of little "condition" counters that you could drag to a PC and then it applies that condition to the stats you have there (if appropriate) or adds a text line that says "staggered" or something. The little counters could have a ## field on each so you click on one, say, "paralyzed", enter "5" and then each time you progress the round counter it decrements the duration by one....

and then.... we use this on iPads!

WOOT WOOT!

Problem is, the iPad/iPhone touch OS doesn't allow for click and drag, unless I'm doing it wrong.

EDIT: So here's the story about adding a second draggable item to the interface.

I'm using a javascript library called jQuery to do a lot of the heavy lifting. As far as I understand, adding a second draggable element on top of another draggable element is not possible.

Secondly, you open up a can of worms with some of the suggestions. How much of a combat tracker should this be? One of the things we do at our table is use condition cards for PCs and I just type in conditions in to the screen for NPCs and Monsters. Should I incorporate dice rolls into the interface? All of these are questions I'd prefer to leave aside and let it do what it does best: arrange the order of combat and keep track of rounds.

So, with that in mind, jreyst, here's a quick list of improvements I'd like to make before you put it live on d20pfsrd...

1. Allow for direct input of character/player names in case someone doesn't want to save it down to their machine. In addition I'll allow for direct input of AC.

2. Increase the number of PCs to 8 unless I hear a huge call for more than that.

3. Fix the cursor that appears over the round numbers so it looks like a pointer.

4. The other limitation I'm up against is screen size. It needs to be formatted for 1024x768 and at that resolution, you need to change your browser to full screen mode if you have all 8 NPCs/Monsters + 6 PCs in the party.


Kabump wrote:
cool stuff

Thanks. My group has been using it for a while and likes it.

For offline use, try saving the page offline in IE or Firefox, but make sure to save all the supporting files that go with it. There are some important javascript files that the page needs.


http://www.metrowestgamers.com/dmsheet/default.php

Don't count on this link remaining up. This is just a test. This is the combat tracker we use for my games.

If people are interested, I'd be happy to post this somewhere publicly available.

Instructions:

The final version would allow you to enter PC names (probably 6 to 8 max) and AC scores.

- Double click the ## fields to start entering PC or Monster initiative rolls.

- When you get the Hand/Pointer cursor, you can click and drag to move the PC/NPC/Monster entries from the active combat side (Left) to the holding side (right).

- Click the "Start" link to have the combat begin.

- Click the left and right directional arrows (below the "Start" link) to continue turns.

- Click a number box above to reset the round to a specific round number.

- The line below the Monster/NPC name is a input field where you can write notes about monster health, conditions, etc.

- Click on Monster or NPC names to edit them.

If you have any questions/suggestions, feel free to ask. I have already heard about wanting something to auto-sort by initiative roll.