weilund's page

Popupjoe,
I did two things...one, I allowed all the players' PCs to have the "Tight Bonds" trait on top of a normal character build. Mostly, that was for in-game/storytelling background...from there, we built the story that they were all orphaned or cast outs. Two nobles (a brother[fighter] and sister [hunter]), a freedman Mwangi gardener housekeeper [sorcerer}, a new acolyte to Asmodeus [inquisitor], a charismatic guardsman [anti-paladin/insinuator archetype, and super-smart neurotic masochist [wizard].
Basically they were all orphans/caretakers raised in and around Longacre. Sort of a Family unit since they all came from "Grafalcon's Home"...a renaming of the sort-of orphanage in Longacre. As long time brothers/sisters in an orphanage, they don't necessarily like each other, but they trust one another with each other's safety.

Second...I spoke the the PLAYERS about the absolute need for cohesion. As a DM it sucks when things go off the rails due to party in-fighting. Inevitably, someone gets too cranky and ditches the game. I'm avoiding that. Maybe it's too controlling, but the only dictate I made when starting Hell's Vengeance--NO IN-FIGHTING. Jokes, pranks, mean-spirited fun...but zero death/mayhem among party members.

All the players wanted to be bad guys for once, so they all bought off on the pseudo-family idea. Besides, there are plenty of NPCs to take out frustrations on.

and...it has worked out fantastically. Almost done with Infernal Gate (book 3) and we're all having fun (in an evil way, of course).

First of all, thanks for getting the kids involved. They can be the best players!

I really only run Adventure Paths (APs). Each has fantastic story development, crazy depth for the DM to stay entertained. I think these 3 fit your requirements...allow the kiddos to play heroic characters without a ton of moral conflict...the bad guys are bad and the heroes are heroes, and nothing too nightmarish.

1. Kingmaker - would be my first choice, but skip the kingdom building rules for novice players. Too complex and requires lots of GM time to balance.
2. Council of Thieves - is my #2. Tons of fan content, especially art for tieflings. I think it was the 1st AP published for Pathfinder rules.
3. Iron Gods - outside 3rd. It can get a little deep & complex.

Most of the APs can be finished in 20 to 30 sessions, 4-6 hours each, so it is a long haul. But it may be the ticket you are looking for.

The Anniversary edition of Rise of the Runelords is THE top notch AP, but it does have murder and mayhem galore, especially in the second and third books, so you may have to work to tone down the horror aspect, which would be a shame for the 2nd book; It is a great horror story. I recommend keeping it for when you finish the first AP with the kids.

Whew...that was a long post

Monumental Thanks!

Forgot to check...will the .PDF for those be available once they ship? I've been on autoplay too long...

OK...of all the things to screw up. I missed AP # 65 & 66 due to my credit card changing and me having a black hole for an e-mail account.
No, not black hole, more of a dirty sock pile because there's like 800+ e-mails to sort through and i NEVER check it.

Anyway. Is there any chance of getting AP 65 & 66 at my normal subscription rate? I've updated my card so #67 should be on the way...

If not I'll just have to get them from your site.

Appreciate the help if it can be done. My screw up though.

Thanks,
Robert

P.S. Though...I have been distracted running the Kingmaker campaign...so I get to blame you guys just a little bit :-)

Built up by DM funds with first arrival, then funded by the party.
I've got a STR build human Monk who took on a goblin rogue cohort (don't ask but it was played well)
The monk skips weapons (except special materials) and outfits the gobby better than himself.
and the two of them are holy terrors.
Between the goblin tumbling, the monk Imp. tripping and a healthy mix of two teamwork feats, they are the flank kingpins.
Of course, it's one of the best team builds i've seen in a bit.

ABSOFRICKENLUTELY make the PC pay for the upgrades.
Sure his personal gear may be lesser compared to the rest of the party, but he has TWO characters with decent bonuses...by 11th level you can have all you need just at a -1 on bonuses, pretty much across the board.

This really gets fun is fortune is on a PC and evil eye on the BBEG....

And the witch just cackles away each round!!!

Which leads me to why this ability needs some clarification so it can get abused properly...

There's a quick fix and that's smacking laughing boy hard enough to make him move...of course if he is hasted...well...I might have to snuff him.
Any time I start thinking like that as a DM I start debating the strength of abilities (overpowered that is).

Like I said, mostly waiting for a staff guy to wade in on this one.

I'm going to stick with nerfing it for now and if it comes up otherwise so be it, been wrong before.
I don't mind erring on the side of the BGs anyway.
BBEGs need love too.

Thanks for the posts!

Cackle & Fortune used together...need some RAW clarification if someone in the Paizo Staff can help out, or maybe this has been covered in a thread?

this e-mail during a conversation with a player of mine who is also doing some moonlighting at the game shop.
What happened...he is running a fighter, witch uses fortune on him then cackles each round for 2 following rounds (3 total). Ruling at the table was that he was allowed to use it each round (hit 3 times due to the extra rolls). Sounded a little over the top (to him and me) so here was my response.

...last note for the witch "cackle" and "fortune"...your DM is reading cackle right, no question there but the end of the fortune special ability reads..."Once a creature has benefited from the fortune hex, it cannot benefit from it again for 24 hours." which is a little vague but my guess would be that the fortune effect would remain in effect until the creature benefited in some way.
Example: If you roll 2 attacks the first round and missed, no benefit, then witch cackles to extend, then you roll 2 attack die and hit then you benefited
...problem is the RAW states "The target can call upon this good luck once per round," which can be confusing b/c people would think that you can benefit more than once.
my interpretation would go with the word "benefit" being the key. If you don't benefit then the luck is still hanging on (through cackles or extension at 8th & 16th levels) if you do benefit then it is "spent", otherwise this power seems waaay overboard.

Of course just an opinion.

From a borderline elderly DM...
I am running Rise of the Runelords again with a Paladin, Cleric, Monk, & a Sorcerer. Only one experienced player (nuther old fart). The rest are 22-27 but never really played before...but have been since Feb.
Best cure for making it too easy or hard for PCs?

1. Fudge! It's delicious and can make storytelling much better (the combat too).
2. Make copies of the player's sheets and LEARN the characters. That way you can help out by making the goblin warchief miss once (Chief Ripnugget was altered with a long spear and spring attack, seriously bad with the archers thrown in), or you need to knock them down a peg you can do it w/o killing them (my monk just ate a handful of mold from the caverns in Misgivings cause I made the save for one of the haunts ridiculous high, but knew he had immunity to disease, scared him tho). And most times, they have a knack for finding the best ways to step on their own junk no matter how clever.
3. Also, keep a running tab on the goodies. PCs are pretty tough as is, keep them in the gp limits when you can.
4. And lastly...background. Have the players make up their own but don't let them "orphaned traveler" into the group, that's just being lazy. Nothing like a wife/sister/uncle/son that lets them know that their PC is mortal. It does work, especially since the Paladin's father was recently a victim of the Skinsaw man (don't worry his older brother gets the inheritance).

We only play 1/2weeks but everyone is homesick for Sandpoint every other Sunday...

snappa wrote:

Assuming you guys get the SRD and make the decision to move to 4E, will this be a 4E product?

Why would you even suggest this. Death to 4e products and their tenemants. I am sure we will be warming ourselves with DnD 4e as firewood, while we all gather round to play pathfinder. Pathfinder is pure and beautiful and perfect do not sully it with thought of it having anything to do with 4e it is a system unto it's own and like no other(except 3.5)...so far.

ummm...did you check the date on this post prior to flaming it...somewhere around 6 months old...not sure but I don't think the Pathfinder game was even mentioned to us yet...

A fighter should be somewhere in the middle of having the most hit points and the highest AC. It's the Fighters job in the group to not so much do damage, but to keep others from taking damage.

A combination of High AC, lots of Hit Points, and threatening to do some serious damage while standing in a monsters face is his niche. With a HIGH AC the fighter discourages monsters from Power Attacking and focusing on him instead of geeking the mage.

Fighters need something beyond mid levels to keep them interesting and unless some mighty special feats are imagined then other class features need to be tweaked out.

Haven't really put much into this but while playing a Knight (only to 8th lvl) I kept thinking that this was just a beefy more defense oriented Fighter.

Negatives--loses a lot of feats if you want to keep it 3.5 balanced.
I know, why not play a Knight...well as a matter of fact I do. Crappy fort save though. Plus I hate the nobles, doing a peasant knight thing.

My solution:

Mechanics? = Disable Device + Open Lock

"Theft" (Legerdemain?) = Escape Artist + Sleight of Hand

Bingo, on the money. Just what I was thinking. General consensus puts DD and OL together, but SoH and EA are naturals together. Especially since both involve deftness of the hands and quick movements.

As to knowledge, I asked two non gamers who do wrestling and martial arts. They rely on body language to mislead someone while fighting. I'm better at lying though (maybe not a good trait) so I can probably sucker punch them before they tear me apart..."is that a pink mu mu that guy is wearing?"

PATHFINDER & 3.5 gurus; maybe an editor…need some feedback on this one. Been hearing that Flat skills are great for accounting but they suck for customization. I’m working on a middle ground here.

This alternate point-buy method will allow more customization but still has flat base numbers for simplified skill accounting. I’ve been using something like this for a while, but this is a modded from that. I’ve be using it two weeks now and will be for the next few on my new sessions.
There are basically eight skill level categories; four levels of skill (Untrained, Able Trained, Trained, and Expert Trained) and two general categories (Class or Cross-Class)

Use Table 5-1 in the Pathfinder RPG Alpha for conversion.
Skill Choices are converted points (dependent on class). To convert, double the Skill Choices number and label them as points. (for example a Human Rog 1, 14 Int would get 22 points (8+1 human+2 Int mod)

At 1st level a player may spend one or two points on any skill, and up to four on any one skill to be Expert Trained, based on the point buy for Class or Cross-Class listed below. Only one Skill per five levels may be Expert Trained. i.e 1-5 =1 total, 6-10 = 2 total, 11-15 = 3 total.
At 2nd level and every even level thereafter a player gets 2 points to spend on his character. The player can spend only 1 point on any one skill with the exception of spending both points on a Trained skill to make it Expert Trained (whether Class or Cross-Class). (again, limit expert trained to 1 skill per five levels)
If a player multi-classes, any Cross-Class skills purchased to Able, Trained or Expert in their previous class(es) automatically shift to Class Skills for the math (this assumes the character was already ahead of his peers in the previous class and had a working knowledge prior to the new class. Probably taking some time to hone these skills better…another method might be to charge a player 1 pt to get this skill up to par or maybe waiting until level 2 in the new class is reached…DM choice).

Total Point Cost for Skill Levels
0 pts = Untrained
Class or Cross-Class skill
1 pts = Able Trained
Class Skill (1d20 + ½ Character level* + 3 + ability modifier + other** modifiers)
Cross-Class Skill (1d20 + ¼ Character level* + 3+ ability modifier + other** modifiers)
2 pts = Trained
Class Skill (1d20 + Character level* + 3 + ability modifier + other** modifiers)
Cross-Class Skill (1d20 + ½ Character level* + 3 + ability modifier + other** modifiers)
4 pts = Expert
Trained Class Skill (1d20 + 1½ Character level* + 3 + ability modifier + other** modifiers)
Trained Cross-Class Skill (1d20 + Character level* + 3 + ability modifier + other** modifiers)
*always round down
**other modifiers are synergy, race, feat, enhancement, competence etc.

Any Ideas???

Why the shoddy pics for the pregens at in the .pdf for FotSS? 'Nuther question. Will there ever be a full errata correction done on the .pdf files? I know there are always errors in any printing of any book but when it comes to the .pdf format I was hoping you would be able to make the small corrections and then post it anew.
Is this going to be done sometime or just a pipe dream...
------------
Smile, the world isn't ending, just the biosphere with us in it!