Cruel Instructor

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*** Pathfinder Society GM. 445 posts (7,338 including aliases). 4 reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 29 Organized Play characters. 36 aliases.


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Grand Archive

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Gisher wrote:
FlySkyHigh wrote:

God I really hope the Assassin archetype gets a fix in this book. It has several major flaws and could really use some love.

Especially the fact that, the way it's written, you essentially can't use it at early levels of Free Archetype Variant without locking yourself out of two FA feats.

Can you explain what you mean by that?

Yeah, I'm not sure what they mean? It has 3 common level 4 feats. Sure, Expert Backstabber isn't that good, but Poison Resistance is and Surprise Attack is ok; none of them are dead feats though. Level 6 you've got Poison Weapon and Sneak Attacker so even if you're a rogue, you can still grab Poison Weapon and then you're done with the archetype if you don't want any more feats from it. Go take some other dedication at 8, take one of its feats at 10 if you want, then come back at 12 if you really want Assassinate. Its perfectly fine with the number of feats it has at various levels.

If you want an example of an archetype that doesn't work that well at low levels due to feat slots, its Talisman Dabbler. It has the dedication at 2, 1 feat at 4, 1 feat at 8, and 1 feat at 14 so you definitely lose out at level 6 with literally no feat you can take.

Grand Archive

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About to play this AP with a witch/alchemist that runs a bakery called Cackling Cookies and I am so excited to play this one.

I also absolutely love the art featured in this post and set the town one as my PC's background.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||
rainzax wrote:
GM NovelEnigma wrote:
Any reason you're only using one action, Serj? I'm assuming you'll command your robot to move around the wall as well?

Awaiting your adjudication.

This is your second time speed-bot-delaying me.

The only action you took was Explosive Leap, I'm not that experienced with Inventor, but I don't see anything I need to do adjudicate; you jump 30 feet. If you have a question please ask it in out of character text. Additionally, I didn't delay you, I had you command your robot to move around the wall and to Raise a Shield, which I then Shield Blocked with based on your previous actions.

Vigilant Seal

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Male LG Human Thaumaturge 4 | HP 44/44 | AC 21 | Fort +9, Reflex +11, Will +7 | Perception +7 | Hero Point 1/1 | Conditions: None | Speed: 25ft | Exploration Mode: Scout

I wish it was possible to change your account name as I've left zer0darkfire behind and now go by NovelEnigma. Regardless, its nice to see some regulars!

Grand Archive

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Thank you everyone!

Grand Archive

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NG Human Aasimar Monk 2 | HP 30/30 | AC 20 21; 21 22 in Crane Stance | Fort +7, Reflex +10, Will +6 | Perception +4 | Hero Point 1/1 | Conditions: Mage Armor | Speed: 25ft | Exploration Mode: Scout

Assurance is a level 1 general feat. When you gain it, you select one skill. Whenever you would roll that skill, you can instead receive a result of 10 + your proficiency ignoring all bonuses and penalties including ability score modifiers and multiple attack penalty.

Because the result is a bit low for your level, it won't work against enemies that are your level or higher most of the time, but it has a decent chance of working on lower level creatures.

Grand Archive

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I'm on the list! (Dylan Wokeck) I'm so excited to be recognized and supported by Paizo for this incredible hobby of writing new content.

Grand Archive

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aobst128 wrote:
Now the question is "do melee spell attacks benefit from flanking?"

That has been made unclear. I imagine most of us will say yes, but there is an argument to be made for no.

Grand Archive

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YuriP wrote:
NovelEnigma wrote:
Yes, and as you likely saw, I already stated that Produce Flame seems to benefit from flanking. It is the other spells, like Shocking Grasp, that I am concerned for. Is Produce Flame the norm for melee spell attack rolls or an exception? It seems inconsistent either way that it would say "melee attack" as opposed to "melee spell attack".

Don't need to worry about Shocking Grasp it has melee attack in it's description:

Core Rulebook pg. 369 2.0 wrote:
You shroud your hands in a crackling field of lightning. Make a melee spell attack roll. On a hit, the target takes 2d12 electricity damage. If the target is wearing metal armor or is made of metal, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your attack roll with shocking grasp, and the target also takes 1d4 persistent electricity damage on a hit. On a critical hit, double the initial damage, but not the persistent damage.
As you said there's no clear definition that melee spell attack rolls is same of melee attacks in new Flanking rule but the good sense make's me to say they are they are valid.

My point is that Shocking Grasp doesn't have melee attack in its description, it has "melee spell attack". Produce Flame does say "melee attack" however.

Grand Archive

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YuriP wrote:
NovelEnigma wrote:
So the recent Errata (3) to the CRB added the following
Paizo FAQ wrote:
Page 476: Flanking was ambiguous on what happened if you made a ranged attack while within reach of a foe you are flanking. To make it clear that only melee attacks benefit from flanking, change the second sentence to read "A creature is flat-footed (taking a –2 circumstance penalty to AC) to melee attacks from creatures that are flanking it."

First, I have to say I'm not a fan of this errata as getting shot from behind seems just as hard to deal with as being stabbed, but regardless, this isn't what the post is about.

The issue is "Melee Spell Attacks". More specifically, can you flank with such an attack? As it stands, I'd say this errata actually points to no.

Why? Because a Melee Spell Attack is never defined as a melee attack. In fact, it is defined almost explicitly as not being a melee or ranged attack at all. Take the following text from the CRB

Core Rulebook pg. 446 2.0 wrote:
When you use a Strike action or make a spell attack, you attempt a check called an attack roll. Attack rolls take a variety of forms and are often highly variable based on the weapon you are using for the attack, but there are three main types: melee attack rolls, ranged attack rolls, and spell attack rolls. Spell attack rolls work a little bit differently, so they are explained separately on the next page.

There is a whole lot of information on that page, but none of it once touches on "melee" or "ranged"; simply how to calculate a spell attack roll and that it targets AC.

The CRB seems to suggest that a spell attack roll is never a ranged nor a melee attack. This would mean that it wouldn't benefit from flanking, even if it was something like Shocking Grasp. The only spell that seems like it might work is Produce Flame since it says "melee attack" specifically. I feel like this means that either Produce Flame or the entry on spell attack rolls is inaccurate. Either we need

...

The issue with this extrapolation is that, as far as I can tell, this is the only time that melee, ranged, and spell attack rolls are defined at all.

While I agree that melee spell attack rolls are indeed melee attacks, I worry that not all will see it this way. It was much simpler when flanking simply applied to all attacks.

Grand Archive

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GM OfAnything wrote:
I don’t understand what is ambiguous. The only reason for Produce Flame to even have a melee option is to benefit from things like flanking.

The ambiguous part is "Is a melee spell attack roll a melee attack". Based on current wording of the CRB, it looks like it flat out says no. This means Shocking Grasp can't benefit from flanking, but Produce Flame can because it specifically calls out "melee attack".

Grand Archive

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Squiggit wrote:
A melee attack is a melee attack by definition. It's literally in the name. The answer is clearly yes, pending further errata.

I agree that melee spell attacks should benefit from flanking, but I think it's now been made overly ambiguous with the new change. Personally, I'm planning on ignoring every part of the errata at my tables but especially for melee spell attacks.

Grand Archive

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So the recent Errata (3) to the CRB added the following

Paizo FAQ wrote:
Page 476: Flanking was ambiguous on what happened if you made a ranged attack while within reach of a foe you are flanking. To make it clear that only melee attacks benefit from flanking, change the second sentence to read "A creature is flat-footed (taking a –2 circumstance penalty to AC) to melee attacks from creatures that are flanking it."

First, I have to say I'm not a fan of this errata as getting shot from behind seems just as hard to deal with as being stabbed, but regardless, this isn't what the post is about.

The issue is "Melee Spell Attacks". More specifically, can you flank with such an attack? As it stands, I'd say this errata actually points to no.

Why? Because a Melee Spell Attack is never defined as a melee attack. In fact, it is defined almost explicitly as not being a melee or ranged attack at all. Take the following text from the CRB

Core Rulebook pg. 446 2.0 wrote:
When you use a Strike action or make a spell attack, you attempt a check called an attack roll. Attack rolls take a variety of forms and are often highly variable based on the weapon you are using for the attack, but there are three main types: melee attack rolls, ranged attack rolls, and spell attack rolls. Spell attack rolls work a little bit differently, so they are explained separately on the next page.

There is a whole lot of information on that page, but none of it once touches on "melee" or "ranged"; simply how to calculate a spell attack roll and that it targets AC.

The CRB seems to suggest that a spell attack roll is never a ranged nor a melee attack. This would mean that it wouldn't benefit from flanking, even if it was something like Shocking Grasp. The only spell that seems like it might work is Produce Flame since it says "melee attack" specifically. I feel like this means that either Produce Flame or the entry on spell attack rolls is inaccurate. Either we need an errata on Produce Flame to say "melee spell attack roll" and not benefit from flanking or we need the text for spell attack rolls to state that a melee spell attack is still a melee attack for purposes such as flanking.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||
Atae wrote:
How does one, in PFS play, move up in an organization. I am looking at the Knights of Lastwall archetypes. Say I have a bard that wants to go knight vigilant . He needs to be of at least knight rank in the organization.

Simply purchase the "Secondary Initiation" boon for 2 AcP one time to gain access. That's it, you ignore the rank requirements with it.

You can read about that here.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

The grigs look proud and hover in a heroic pose, "No problem for us! We're so small, things tend not to notice us, and plants usually get along well with us."

One flies down to the ground and plants a seed. It quickly sprouts and grows into a large pumpkin complete with a door and two windows. "Doesn't take long for us to put down roots either!" says Tarisia with a wink.

The circus crew returns to their wagons safely and The Professor assures you that the Abertton guard will arrive in the morning to collect the halfling.

The four of you return to your wagons feeling tired, but in a good way; as if you had just exercised and will be stronger for it.

Please level up to 2!

Grand Archive

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Grandmaster TOZ wrote:
All For Immortality is where my life oracle had to cast greater restoration in combat. Good times.

I wish I could say more about my experience, but it would probably give away too much that you could prepare for. I will say that if we had someone able to restore hit points, we would have eventually won the last fight, but we didn't, so we lost in a war of attrition basically.

In an earlier part, maybe 2, there was an enemy we had to get very creative to kill as it was resilient to most of our standard tactics. Great series in my opinion.

Vigilant Seal

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Human Monk 3 (Runescarred) | HP 30/41 | AC 21; 22 in Crane Stance | Fort +8, Reflex +11, Will +8 | Perception +6 | Hero Point 1/1 | Conditions: None | Speed: 35ft | Exploration Mode: Scout

Sounds like I'm being fed the potion.

Arlen opens his mouth to accept the healing potion while entering a fighting stance. He then strides towards the new enemy and delivers a quick series of blows.

crane wing vs enemy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26
non-lethal damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

crane wing vs enemy: 1d20 + 10 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 10 - 4 = 13
non-lethal damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

AC 22. Crane Stance, Stride, Flurry.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

I took the Avatar air bender symbol, saved it, rotated it, saved it again, and rotated it one last time and saved that. I put those three images into a gif maker that just cycles through them. Inside google slides, I increased its transparency to allow you to see through it.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

Chronicle Sheets.

Grand Archive

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BlackoCatto wrote:
Hmm, alright, might have to fix a few things but I think I know what to do. A shame that a dex build seems out of luck with this.

As far as I'm aware, there is no way to use Dexterity for Athletics actions such as Trip, Grapple, Shove, or Disarm. Acrobat lets you use dexterity to jump, but I think that is the limit.

I believe that Paizo is appropriately worried that allowing X to Ys introduces a lot of power creep into the game, and Dexterity has always been kind of a king stat. 2e does an excellent job of making Strength a viable and competitive stat.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

Did not expect it to be in the FAQ, thanks!


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

Has anyone purchased the Second Chance boon before? Its short description says, "Gain the benefits of a resurrect ritual." I'm assuming the actual boon mentions how you gain the benefits, such as the degree of success you have for the ritual.

I'm concerned I may need it because GM Tiger is killing me and don't want to spend 40 points if I still have to roll a ritual check to see if I critically fail and botch the resurrection.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||
Purple Dragon Knight wrote:
Grandmaster TOZ wrote:
Purple Dragon Knight wrote:

That's silly. All 1E mods, scenarios and specials should be opened for PbP play at this point. There's really no point letting all that creativity from all these authors go to waste.

But then again, PFS credit for all things 1E is becoming much less of an incentive than it already was for me to join games at this point...

I mean, anyone can play Bonekeep for no credit in PbP.
Exactly! running a bunch of 'unsanctioned' scenarios in PbP is becoming increasingly appealing, as the 'mental block' of only running things for credit is becoming thinner and thinner for many 1E fans...

I've definitely considered doing an "Unhinged Society" before. Play through PFS Scenarios just for fun and no credit. Ignore the additional content guidelines so everyone is a painter wizard drow, etc.

Vigilant Seal

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Human Monk 3 (Runescarred) | HP 30/41 | AC 21; 22 in Crane Stance | Fort +8, Reflex +11, Will +8 | Perception +6 | Hero Point 1/1 | Conditions: None | Speed: 35ft | Exploration Mode: Scout

It even applies when trying to heal an ally. I've had a party member die in Age of Ashes because I failed a concealment check with Heal. Sense Allies helps with such instances


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

Mimi backflips over the swarm of frogs and lands on a few with a good stomp. With a wide roundhouse kick, Mimi disperses an entire swarm by herself!

Itka's alchemists fire proves especially effective against a swarm of creatures and Cassimon comes into to aid in finishing the last swarm off!

Combat Over!
That wasn't a very interesting combat was it? It becomes a lot more complicated if the swarms get a turn to harass the horses attached to your wagon.

After leaving Otari, you travel north into the Immenwood to join up with the main road heading east to Absalom. The road is well maintained and broad, with a 15-foot lane of muddy cobblestones lined by 10 feet of cleared area between the road and the tree line. The trees are mostly coniferous, with a tangle of interlocking branches and thick undergrowth making passage through the forest very difficult.

The road is still slick with mud, but the rain seems to have finally abated. The view of the sky is limited to a narrow strip above the road, lined with the spreading boughs of the Immenwood. Thunder still rumbles above the trees, and the sky looks as if it may continue the deluge at any moment. The normal sound of forest animals has been replaced by a cacophony of hoarse cries, growls, and screams. It is clear that the residents of the Immenwood are not happy to see visitors.

Birds begin to try and peck and claw at the tent-like covering of your wagon. Shooing them away only results in them trying to attack you instead.

Nature DC 12:

realize that the animals are not acting naturally but seem to be suffering from some sort of confusion

Itka determines that six items in the wagon are magical and is quite proficient at identifying their magical properties.

Item #3: A dull gray aeon stone is mixed in with the other fragments.
Item #4: This reptilian scale originates from a massive brine dragon. This scale radiates faint transmutation. The box it is in is lead-lined
Item #6: Each stone statue radiates a faint abjuration aura.
Item #12: The medallion radiates a faint evocation aura.
Item #13: A scroll of wall of wind rests in one of the open scroll cases.
Item #20: This shield is a dragonhide buckler

perception, DC 17:

The lead-lined box for item #4 is in poor condition. Normally, you shouldn't be able to detect an aura at all through the lead, but much of it has shaken loose.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

It has not yet been sanctioned, but it will be on this page when it is. It's almost certainly going to cost AcP to play a Gunslinger or Inventor.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

Ambrus Valsin seems deep in thought, a common appearance for the stoic Steward of Absalom’s Grand Lodge. “Most of you know Zarta Dralneen, I assume?” Valsin begins, nodding to the woman. “She’s recently accepted an appointment as head archivist of the Grand Lodge, so you’ll understand her interest in this assignment shortly.”

The venture-captain gestures to a map of Absalom and then the Isle of Kortos hanging on the wall behind his desk. “You’re heading to Otari, along the southern coast between here and Diobel. One of our transport vessels, a barque called Durvin’s Query, foundered just outside the harbor there a few days ago. It was laden with the artifacts collected from a site in the Mwangi Expanse. The Pathfinders returning on the ship collected the most valuable cargo but were forced to leave the rest. They made their way to Otari and sent word of their misfortunes to the Grand Lodge. Based on their report, I need you to go, pick up the material immediately, and bring it back safely to the Grand Lodge.”

Zarta Dralneen smoothly takes up the narrative. “Of course, it’s not quite as simple as that,” she smiles. “The team aboard Durvin’s Query encountered a sequence of extremely… unusual events as they returned home. Bad luck plagued them the entire trip, and they ran into more than the usual number of oceanic hazards. I suspect that something they picked up in the Expanse was the source of their extreme bad luck, and I’m eager to find out just what it is.”

Valsin slides a weather-stained list across his desk. “As you may know, salvage belongs to the finder, and so we couldn’t just leave the items in the shipwreck for anyone to find. I’ve already contacted an old friend in Otari, a former Pathfinder by the name of Khoumrock Blackthane, to be your advance agent. Khoumrock’s team has gone to the wreck site to collect everything that was left behind—here’s the list. By the time you arrive in Otari, he’ll have it fully packed for you. You’ll be sailing there for speed, but given the experience the previous team had at sea, we feel the safest method of transport back is overland, through the Immenwood and along the High Coast Road.” Valsin’s face turns grim. “Now, I know this might sound like a less-than-glamorous assignment, playing caravan guard for a couple of days, but it’s important. That material came from an important site, and the string of bad luck the original team had means there’s something in there that isn’t what it seems. Be on your guard, and make sure nothing goes missing on the way back. Any questions?”


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

The rulebook states that XP is always shared across the party so I'm going with that for tracking purposes.

Reminder that the XP is just for comparison purposes, we are using milestone leveling.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

It says dealing with the vipers gives you XP as if you defeated them in combat. I believe that since they are level -1, they are two levels lower than you. There are three of them, and each is worth 20xp, so you'd gain 60xp for clearing this encounter.

Total XP: 60


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

General Story:

You're trying to find Tseka in the underground market. Rumor has it that she has been working with Aspis agents 'to do the bad things' (TM). Your underground market guide was a little pipefox who took you to where Tseka and the Aspis are based. With your disguises and social skill, you managed to get into the base without any confrontation. However, greed may have gotten the best of you as you attempt to defeat, or in this case, totally decimate, Tseka's alchemist (who does have a lot of important documents)


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

The Kanbali family is not willing to perform without nets unless you manage to convince them to do so. Also, your lineup is already full without them, so you're not missing out on anything.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

You can heighten any spell to any level you can cast. This is mostly useful for spells like Dispel Magic that rely on counteract checks.

"Both prepared and spontaneous spellcasters can cast a spell at a higher spell level than that listed for the spell. This is called heightening the spell. A prepared spellcaster can heighten a spell by preparing it in a higher-level slot than its normal spell level, while a spontaneous spellcaster can heighten a spell by casting it using a higher-level spell slot, so long as they know the spell at that level (see Heightened Spontaneous Spells below). When you heighten your spell, the spell’s level increases to match the higher level of the spell slot you’ve prepared it in or used to cast it. This is useful for any spell, because some effects, such as counteracting, depend on the spell’s level."

AoN page


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

When I played this scenario on my bard, I had the Future River Agent background from Kingmaker. When I negotiated with the king, I asked him to form a council with two of the rebel leaders, the king, the queen, and myself. He is now known as the First Councilor of Knowledge of the River Republic of Artume. A lot of RP opportunities in this scenario.

By the way, if you choose to wait out the rebellion, the rebels fail to overthrow the king. If you side with the side that loses with your help or you angered the winner, you get thrown in jail, and Smine has to negotiate your release.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

Can you please try and keep your posts together as a single post? You can press the edit button within 59 minutes of making the post, and it makes the thread easier to see and keeps the notifications accurate rather than saying (4 new). Thanks!

The King nods, Yes, as you said before, you serve Calistria making you an expert on vengeance. While I seek none, it seems some of my subjects are. Perhaps you can help sway them to seek vengeance in a more productive way? Perhaps with words in a debate?"

The King calls for silence for a moment to think, "You have made good points, and I would like to resolve this peacefully. Tell me, what do you suggest we do for a peaceful resolution?"

One more check is required to succeed!
Success against the King: 3
Attempts remaining: 2


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

7 Months Later
Abadius 12, 4720 AR
Abberton, Eastern side of the Isle of Erran
Start of book 1

The new circus’s leaders, an elderly circus veteran, known only as the Professor and a bombastic showman named Myron “Thunder” Stendhal, lead the Circus of Wayward Wonders out of Escadar and across the Isle of Erran.

After several months of practices and performances for homesteaders and farmers, the circus is ready to perform a big show in a sizable town. Abberton isn’t what many people would consider a destination for performers, but it’s where the Circus of Wayward Wonders must start. The people of Abberton are excited for the circus if only to take their minds off of recent troubles. On the night of the circus’s first performance, nearly every resident of the town—including Mayor Jae Abber— crowds the tent to experience the magic of the big top.


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That's a good point. A Wizard never needs to study the Arcana skill to become better at magic because that's the underpinning of how their magic works. Of course, they need some rudimentary knowledge, which is why they start Trained in Arcana, but after that, they focus on studying spells in their tradition.

Meanwhile, if another class wants to learn how to harness magic like a wizard, they must spend much more time learning Arcane magical theory. This is probably because this either isn't their tradition of magic, or it simply isn't magic being cast in the same way. To translate their magical abilities into the same accomplishments as a Wizard, they need to continuously understand more details on how the magic works at all.

It is also worth noting that an Arcane Sorcerer doesn't "learn" magic; it just comes naturally to them. An Arcane Witch also doesn't "learn" magic, their familiar does, and its knowledge of how to use the magic is passed on via whispered secrets and the like. The only class currently that casts Arcane magic similarly to a Wizard is the Magus. However, the Magus definitely utilizes magical energy far differently than a wizard does with their Hybrid studies, so they would still need to take the time to learn more about the Arcane tradition to focus their energy into Wizard spellcasting.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

No, I was just listing them out for confirmation of what everyone is planning on doing. I'm hoping to make it a bit more exciting than "ok, time to roll for your tricks" and moving on!

Edit: seeing that Naatu rolled and you asked, I should have made that clearer, skeet!


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

On to the Circus!
Anticipation: 30
Prestige: 15
Starting Excitement: 10

Zec: Animal Handler? Trick checks with the animal trait gain a +1 circumstance bonus, and a performer whose trick has the animal trait can perform twice in the same show (though not in the same act). If the animals break loose event is rolled on Table 3: Random Circus Events, reroll on that table instead.
Rhoxl: Crowd control (Any rolls of hecklers or scalpers Random Events are negated and have no effect on the performance.)
Naatalu: Sideshow (normally this is +1 excitement per sideshow, but since you are a PC, I'm going to count as your trick.) I'm guessing either Acrobatics +6 or Nature +5?
Drake: Aerial Act

Opening Trick: Drake's Aerial Acrobatics (Acrobatics +7, DC 15)
Build Up 1: The Dwarven Throwers (Acrobatics +7 or Athletics +10 with a costar to Aid, DC 15)
Build Up 2: Elizia and Mister Tickles (Intimidation or Nature +7, DC 15)
The Big Number: Mordaine the Magician (Fortitude save +8 with Injury or Thievery +7, DC 15)
The Grand Finale 1: The Smoke Dragon (2 checks of Deception +8 or Thievery +12, DC 20)
The Grand Finale 2: Fidget's Fireworks (2 checks of Acrobatics +10 or Performance +10, DC 20)
The Grand Finale 3: Dusklight's Imaginary Walls (automatic success)

I've added the NPC trick posters to the slides


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

Holgarin shrugs in response to Dramir's question, "Finding troublemakers may be part of why we are here. Regardless, I suggest you start with finding the old lodge to the northeast. It's near an abandoned village."

The Venture-Captain returns Kernal's salute, "May the Forgefather guide you, Kernal. You may find that Torag is a little strict for these soft riverfolk, so don't plan on meeting many other followers here."

Atae knowledge:

You know the Six River Freedoms. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to checks to Make An Impression on people of the River Kingdoms any time they incorporate one of the Freedoms into their argument.

Caitlin knowledge:

You know the Six River Freedoms. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to checks to Make An Impression on people of the River Kingdoms any time they incorporate one of the Freedoms into their argument.

Dramir knowledge:

You know the Six River Freedoms. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to checks to Make An Impression on people of the River Kingdoms any time they incorporate one of the Freedoms into their argument.

Kernal Klank knowledge:

You know that everyone in the River Kingdoms hates nobles, and rebellions are basically a popular pastime.

Nothero knowledge:

You know the Six River Freedoms. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to checks to Make An Impression on people of the River Kingdoms any time they incorporate one of the Freedoms into their argument.

Zabu knowledge:

Being a native of the River Kingdoms, you know the Six River Freedoms.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

I probably never would have guessed that. I incorrectly assumed it was a Hobgoblin name!

The Professor smiles at Zec, "You think I don't keep an eye on the drake? He may have been the one to scar my throat, but I don't believe the creature is malicious. In fact, I'm quite hopeful you'll prove to be effective at partnering with the Drake. Don't worry; no one else needs to know about it. Illusion is my specialty after all; how else do you think no one noticed an entire drake goes missing?"

With a wink from the Professor, Zec realizes that this conversation had been private the entire time via Message.


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As I conduct further research into this new tome available to us, my conviction to the theory that magic, regardless of tradition, is all the same force grows stronger. In the course of my studies, I have found discovered a truth to magic that I believe all scholars can agree on. As you shape magic, so too does it shape you. This is clearly evidenced by three types of magic explored in The Book of Unlimited Magic. Sadly, this tome appears to be rare on Golarion, and we should consider ourselves lucky that we have a copy of such rare information, including information on True Names.

Two types of magic significantly stand out in clear connection to each other, Cathartic Magic and Rune Magic. Nearly any spellcaster can cast spells while utilizing their raw emotions as a source of energy to fuel them, from Clerics to Wizards to Druids and, of course, Sorcerers. It should go without stating that this type of magic further reinforces the theory that all magic is internal and is only shaped into a particular tradition or form by the caster. Regardless, it shares striking similarities to Rune Magic, which seemingly only Wizards are currently capable of mastering. What is the Sin of Wrath, if not the emotional state of Anger? What is Lust, if not a corrupted version of Love? What is Envy, if not a form of Hatred? And, of course, Pride is a concept shared across both. These types of casting reveal that internal emotional states can shape magic. This is true even for a Cleric casting divine spells from Sarenrae or a Druid casting spells focusing natural energy.

So, where did the idea of essences and traditions come from? I believe that the theories presented in Secrets of Magic are correct in that a tradition is a way to identify spells focused on manipulating some combination of two essences. Where I think the theory fails is that the two are permanently connected. If you're a resident in a world where you are told that Wizards can only do Arcane magic, you attend a Wizard university where they teach Arcane magic, and you become skilled at Arcane magic, are you likely to question if the statement is true? Maybe you will, but you are likely to experiment to try and find ways around this block? Also possible, in fact, there is evidence to suggest that some spells were created by one tradition to emulate spells from another. However, I think the problem lies within the person's mind and body. They come to the conundrum thinking that it is a problem to be solved in the same way they approach screws with a hammer. The line of thought is something to the effect of "I only know Arcane magic, so how I can use Arcane magic to create the effects of a Divine Heal spell?". This is the wrong thought process and is counterproductive to finding the solution. The question should instead be, "I can do magic, but I only know how to manipulate Matter and Mind. How can I use my magic to manipulate Life and Spirit?". While I can only hypothesize the possible answers, I believe it comes down to one thing in particular. Using magic is the same as using a muscle in your body. With more practice, the muscle becomes stronger, capable of performing increasingly impressive feats. However, the muscles can become specialized to only be good at lifting, but not running; sprinting but not endurance running. What I mean by this is that as a Wizard practices and specializes in Arcane magic, their energy becomes increasingly adept at manipulating the two essences it practices with every day, Mind and Matter. Forcing that energy into manipulating Spirit and Life will become an increasingly difficult challenge the more specialized the wizard becomes at Arcane magic. It is possible that such a caster can reach a point where learning two manipulate the opposite two essences becomes almost impossible. More likely, based on evidence of so-called "Mystic Theurges," it appears that such a spellcaster can learn to manipulate opposite essences if they approach the problem as such. Rather than forcing Arcane magic in a roundabout way to produce effects usually reserved to Spirit and Life, a caster needs to practice manipulating those essences directly.

A counter-argument to my theory exists in the idea of "fallen clerics." Those divine casters that have fallen from the grace of their deity. If magic is all the same and is stored and used internally, why, then, are fallen clerics no longer able to cast spells? I have two theories on the matter. The first is that, while we know Wizards and many Arcane casters study magic in great detail, Divine casters such as Clerics do not. Instead of intense study of magical theory, Clerics learn prayers and rituals to prepare their spells. However, I believe the knowledge of how to actually cast the spells comes directly from their deity. This means that a fallen cleric still has the same energy and potential for magic but simply no longer knows how to cast spells. With time and study of magic like a Wizard, I believe that a fallen cleric could circumvent this. The main issue is that I do not believe that this has been done before, so there are no preexisting "divine spellbooks" or something to a similar effect. My second theory is that a Cleric enters into a magical contract with their deity, whether knowingly or not. The deity provides them knowledge of magic and the talent to do so with the caveat that the Cleric never violate their anathema. Should the Cleric do so, the magic is, at least temporarily, revoked from the Cleric.

The last thing I want to touch on is the new phenomenon of Signature Spells. What are they? Why are they exclusive to Spontaneous Casters? And how do they fit into the idea of internal magic? The answers I have come to are similar to that above, as you shape magic, so too does it shape you. Magic is a muscle, and using it in the same way repeatedly is like to become progressively easier and possibly stronger. The Soil and Path theory, as suggested by the Magaambya, comes close to this idea. The more a spell is cast, the more it depresses pathways for magic to flow in that particular way. The Magaambya believes this theory applies to magic forcing its way into reality and forming new spells, and I believe this theory also explains how Signature Spells work. As the spellcaster casts the spell, their body becomes more accustomed to channeling magical energy in that particular way to achieve the same effect. Soon it becomes easy to channel additional power through these "deepening trails," just as it becomes easy to channel less power that doesn't need to deepen the trails further; these concepts are typically referred to as upcasting and downcasting, respectively.

Recently, we have been introduced to the idea of Flexible Preparation. A style of spellcasting where every spell is a signature spell for the caster. While powerful and versatile, we know that this style of magic has significant side effects on those that practice it. Where spontaneous casters naturally generate spontaneous spells over time and practice, a Flexible Prepared caster forces this upon their body and energy. It is worth mentioning that again, any tradition spellcaster is capable of this style, and none are without side effects leading me to believe even more in my theory that raw magic is the same. This unnatural forcing of signature spells is akin to taking a jackhammer to the trails of magic inside your body. The flexible prepared caster smashes these trails into their body rather than having the magic slowly erode the trails over time like water over dirt. Each additional spell in their collection makes the side effects worse as their body and energy have to adjust to further trails to flow energy. Additionally, they possess the ability to essentially repair these trails only to smash a different spell trail into their body every day. Such a style of magic sounds extremely brutal and straining on the body, and it seems possible that possessing little restraint while utilizing it has the potential to kill the user.

-Novel E. Nigma

No citations this time as they were mostly for appearances rather than practicality.


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I just got my book yesterday and was about to post this exact conundrum. It's looking like Arcane Cascade will need to be erratad in some way after release


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Thanks for all the favorites! I can definitely write more and further explore how we, or at least I, might view how magic works from our perspective on Earth if people were interested.


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An Earthly Treatise on Magic

As a scholar residing on the planet of Earth, I lack the ability to apply any form of controlled testing to the theories presented by my Golarion colleagues. Additionally, I lack the ability to witness the results of magic or experiment with its inner workings, I have to rely on written documentation solely, and even that is limited. Only so much of Golarion’s extensive research into the phenomenon manages to reach across the metaphysical distance separating us and posit itself into written accounts for those of us on Earth to peruse. Contrarily, it may be that with our seemingly more modern and technological focused society, we have more access to these accounts than even those living on Golarion do while bringing in a unique perspective from a world with no magic at all, although there have been some reports of magic throughout our history, it appears many, if not all of them have been disproven as superstition and faulty grasp on reality. Of course, there is still the matter of the missing Soviet soldiers that disappeared about fifty years ago, but the time they disappeared in was a strange one rife with tension and potential conflict on a massive scale, so the truth may remain hidden to us for some time yet.

Regardless, I digress, so let’s focus on the matter at hand. Recently, we have received a tome of knowledge from Golarion known to our scholars as Secrets of Magic. In this tome are four treatises focused on the four traditions of magic known to the people of Golarion. We received the treatises known as Principles of Elementary Thaumaturgy, Journeys of the Spirit and Flesh, A Letter from Djavin Vhrest, and On Primal Practice 1. What I am about to suggest may shock you, but I believe it to be, at the very least, an idea just as likely as those posed in the aforementioned treatises. I posit that all magic is the same.

How can that be, you may be asking? Surely we know from both this text and ones before that there are at least four traditions of magic, right? Well, yes, but I think the idea of traditions is a limitation self-imposed by the people of Golarion. At the same time, I believe that Thassilonian Rune Magic 2 was on track to break free of the bonds of these traditions. What is magic but energy? What is the caster but a builder using the energy to build that which they desire? As we on Earth can see the various rules governing spells and their level of degree, I feel we are in an opportune place to describe a unique perspective on both rune magic and its interactions with the traditions.

Before I continue this train of thought, I want to supply the reasoning for the choices I present ahead. As stated before, I lack the ability on Earth to test my theories or watch any tests on the subject of magic altogether. Therefore, I am using examples involving the lowest degree of spells in the hopes that, should my treatise make it back across the planes to Golarion, my theories can be tested by any magical scholar due to their ease of accessibility. Now, on to the matter at hand, examples of my first theory.

Take a look at some spells shared across these traditions of magic. Magic Weapon 3, the ability to enchant a weapon with a fragment of magical power, is known to three of the four traditions; Arcane, Divine, and Occult. However, Primal is not left out of this entirely, boasting a slight variation with the spell Magic Fang 4, having the same effect but with tooth and nail rather than manufactured steel. I begin to wonder if, when taking a look at these spells’ visual runes, there is only a slight variation as well. Everything about these two spells is the same except for the type of object they affect, leading me to believe you’ll see one, maybe two runes different between the two spells. I would imagine then that if a Wizard 5, for example, were to alter the runes in their Magic Weapon spell to match those in Magic Fang, if they would not produce the same results. In fact, magic users could likely write these runes directly, without the standard need for long preparations of memory constructs, and create the desired effects. However, I will discuss this in more depth in my second theory of magic. Another two spells worth look at are those of Pet Cache 6 and Alarm 7. In both cases, these spells are available to all traditions regardless of the essences 8 they command. Perhaps it is because the effects of these spells are so simple that they barely begin to tap into the control of essence, or maybe it is because both are so generally useful that practitioners on Golarion have already broken past their system of traditions but have not yet realized it. Finally, while less accessible than the previously mentioned spells, all traditions can Summon 9. These summon spells are not always the same, but any tradition can perform this type of spell. Based on my theory, I suspect you will see similar results in this study as in research with Magic Weapon and Magic Fang. The runes on these summon spells will be extraordinarily identical with only minor alterations. While a Summon Animal 10 spell may feature runes connected to nature or animals, the base runes of the spell to cause a summon at all are likely to be the same across all traditions. Using a similar example, if Wizard wanted to summon a fey creature like an occult caster, I believe that simply casting the base summon runes and then adding the runes standard to Summon Fey 11 would have nearly identical results, circumventing the barrier of tradition.

Next, I want to discuss the origin of magic in its raw state. Where do casters get their magic from exactly? I believe that all magic comes from the same place, and most residents of Golarion have not yet discovered this connection. Magic comes almost entirely from one place, from within. Druids 12 may believe that their magic flows from nature into them, and Clerics 13 may believe something similar with their Gods, but if true, there is little explanation where a Wizard or Bard draws their powers from. I suggest that there is little explanation for this because this is wrong. Druids do not draw power from nature and Clerics, not from the divine. In all cases, magic comes from inside the caster and from nowhere else. Why, then, do we see rituals honoring nature in On Primal Practice or the belief among the faithful of Nethys in Journeys of the Spirit and Flesh? The simple answer is because these practitioners believe these things to be accurate, and their faith in these things is enough to harness their internal energy and manifest it outward. Do we not all have our habits? Our routines when we wake up in the morning to get us ready for the day? These magical concepts are no different; they are a form of meditation that helps these magic users focus their energy on things they want to accomplish. Toff Ornelos in Principles of Elementary Thaumaturgy mentions the idea of a memory palace 14 with different floors, each with its own degree of magic. Toff’s idea is close to reality, but it only scratches the surface of how spellcasting works.

Take a step back for a moment from the primary spellcasters and think instead upon those with only minor magics. These, to those of us on Earth, would be called Focus Casters 15 and include types like Champion 16, Monk 17, and Ranger 18. These types do not cast any spells at all; however, it is essential to understand that those who can cast spells have similar abilities. I introduce this concept now because I believe the energy they use is an excellent example of the internal origin of magic. In recent years we have seen these focus casters with the ability to cast their magic in a similar capacity to cantrips, though admittedly at a much slower rate. However, the most crucial detail about these focus spells comes not from their near unlimited usage but the interaction when a user receives training in two different disciplines. The best example is that of a person training as both a Monk and Champion. We can see that this focus caster can easily convert the energy from their Monk spells into fuel for their Champion spells and vice-versa, yet, most critically, we know that Monk spells can come from the Occult Tradition while Champion spells are always Divine. At the same time, we see that “recharging” this type of magic involves a 10-minute ritual of sorts designed to focus such energy. What else can explain this phenomenon other than that traditions are simply mental blocks imagined by the people of Golarion and that all magic comes from the same, internal place?

Thus, my theory is that instead of a memory palace, as suggested by Toff, magic is simply limited internally by the body’s capabilities to withstand channeling different degrees of magic. Instead of imagining a memory palace, imagine something akin to the chakra points on a body, each designed to limit the flow of magic. There are ten degrees of spells, so too are there ten points of limitation inside the body. As a spellcaster progresses their power, knowledge, and energy flow, these points unlock to allow more powerful magics to flow. It is important to note that we have recently discovered that Magus 19 and Summoner 20 have found...exploits, for lack of a better word, that allow them to focus these energies into different purposes. As a Magus becomes more experienced, they switch the flow of these points to empower their body and Arcane Cascade abilities while the Summoner forces the energy in these points to flow outward and directly into their Eidolon. In both cases, this means that both types of person cannot use the exploited points to control energy into spells, but in exchange, increases the power of the Magus itself or the Summoner’s Eidolon, respectively.

What do I hope to accomplish by publishing my treatise? While unlikely, I hope my work finds its way to Golarion for the people there to test my theories directly. Without such occurrence, I can only make loose conjectures based on what little research we see on Earth. Assuming my research is spread around Golarion, I implore academics and spellcasters alike to approach my research with an open mind, again with the understanding that what is assumed knowledge to them may be entirely unavailable knowledge to me. What magic they can visibly see and experiment with is utterly unheard of in my world.
-Novel E. Nigma

1 Bonner, Logan & Seifter, Mark. Pathfinder: Secrets of Magic. Paizo, 2021. Pg. 8-15.
2 Bonner, Logan & Seifter, Mark. Pathfinder: Secrets of Magic. Paizo, 2021. Pg. 238.
3 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Core Rulebook. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 349.
4 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Core Rulebook. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 349.
5 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Core Rulebook. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 202.
6 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Advanced Player’s Guide. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 222.
7 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Core Rulebook. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 317.
8 Bonner, Logan & Seifter, Mark. Pathfinder: Secrets of Magic. Paizo, 2021. Pg. 16-19.
9 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Core Rulebook. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 637.
10 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Core Rulebook. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 375.
11 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Core Rulebook. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 375.
12 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Core Rulebook. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 128.
13 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Core Rulebook. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 116.
14 Bonner, Logan & Seifter, Mark. Pathfinder: Secrets of Magic. Paizo, 2021. Pg. 9.
15 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Core Rulebook. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 300.
16 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Core Rulebook. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 104.
17 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Core Rulebook. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 154.
18 Bonner, Logan, et al. Pathfinder: Core Rulebook. Paizo, 2019. Pg. 166.
19 Bonner, Logan & Seifter, Mark. Pathfinder: Secrets of Magic. Paizo, 2021. Pg. 35.
20 Bonner, Logan & Seifter, Mark. Pathfinder: Secrets of Magic. Paizo, 2021. Pg. 51.


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GM NovelEnigma wrote:
Recruitment Notice: I am running the special 2-00 King in Thorns for Gameday X, levels 5-6. I still have 0 players! Please signup here if you're interested in playing!

Due to a lack of players at the 5-6 tier, I am now running my table at the 3-4 tier. So please signup if you are interested in playing!

Dennis Muldoon wrote:
If anyone was hoping to get a seat at a lower-tier table (here on the forums, rather than discord) of the special during Gameday X, we've shifted a table to tier 3-4 and there are seats now available! Sign up here.

Yeah, that one! (didn't notice Dennis was already ontop of drumming up recruitment for me)

Liberty's Edge

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Male NG Sylph Investigator 4 (Malice Binder) | HP 31/31| AC 20 T 14 FF 16 | CMB +3, CMD 16 | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Init: +3 | Perc: +7+1d6, SM: +7+1d6 | Speed 35ft || Inspiration 4/4 || || Active conditions:

Watching the group hesitate, Aldar offers to take the Hellish text from Raelene. Assuming she hands it over, Aldar takes the text and tries to place it on top of the holy text.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

We still have quite a few days to go, but on a similar note, I still have 0 players for 5-6.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

The caretaker nods, "Oh, Pathfinders!? Oh, finally, I was really getting worried about Tavvar. She's just on the third floor doing all manners of strange magics and rituals. I'll lead you up there, come on!" he says as he turns to lead up around the museum.

He quickly leads up to the second floor's Hall of Incantation. Carefully framed spellbook pages hang along this room’s walls, while eldritch relics stand in small display cases in the room’s center. In the far corner, shadows hang thicker than the rest of the room, and it seems a boisterous half-orc woman stands there, surrounded by vague figures, as she welcomes newcomers. Her voice is thin and reedy but eerily familiar. “Congratulations! Let me spice up that punch a bit for you—to celebrate, of course!”

You realize this is one of your own memories of meeting with Calisro Benarry being played out before you. As you approach, the vision vanishes.

The caretaker shakes his head, "All manner of strange sights since Tavvar started her work here. Never been this bad before. We better hurry!"

He then leads you to the stairs located in the Hall of Legendary Beasts.

A gigantic reptilian beast is on display in the center of this expansive gallery, ferociously leering over the collection of taxidermy animals and monsters. Shadows flit between the displays, meandering and shuffling shapes reminiscent of museum patrons. Then a distant shriek echoes off the walls as the shadow of a stuffed owlbear lashes out at one of the shadow-visitors with its talons. The shadow of the tyrannosaur in the room’s center departs from its source and snaps at the misty image of another patron, tossing its head back and seeming to swallow its meal nearly whole. Other shadows snarl and hiss, scuffling amongst themselves as shadow-guests panic and run toward the exit.

The caretaker hides behind you for a moment as the vision passes. "Why did I agree to work here..." he says as he takes you to the stairs.

You begin to climb the stairs to the third floor and are greeted with strange sights and sounds that are clearly not of this plane.

Droning voices echo off the mahogany walls and domed, plaster ceiling of this luxurious room. The sumptuous furniture has been pushed to the sides of the room, making space for eldritch markings and mystical paraphernalia laid carefully over the plush carpet. The chamber seems muted and dim despite the crystal chandelier overhead, and a bone-numbing chill seeps through the space along with a metallic scent. A ritual is obviously underway here, but it doesn’t seem as though it’s working as planned. Shadowy energy lashes out from a twisting breach in the center of the room, and indistinct shapes flit and scuttle along the walls.

Tavvar loses her concentration for a moment, causing the ritual's energy to fly out of control even more. "Quickly! Disable the flawed energy in the ritual, or we all be cast into the Shadow Plane!"

Seven flaws have appeared in the ritual circle, dancing like shadowy flames. Each of Tavvar’s three aides keeps one flaw under control as long as they are alive. The flaws can be disabled with a difficult Occultism check or a skill check related to the cause of the flaw (some of you may already have hints from gathering information). On your turn, you may attempt to disable one of the flaws. I marked them all the same color for now as it doesn't matter which you disable, though you should still move your token to the one you are working on.

Initiative by the PCs:

Apollo, perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Itka, perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10
Elfino, perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Atae, perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Roddy, perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
Veecs, perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
hazard: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

if you want to use occultism or lore rituals to recall knowledge, DC 17 (15 for lore):

This ritual is plagued with Tavvar's own self-doubt that it would be successful. A trained deception or diplomacy check can convince the shadowy forms to ignore their doubt.

The various flaws are formed of purple fire, and all resemble Tavvar, though they all look rather sad.

Intiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Apollo
Roddy
Elfino
Atae
Itka

Hazard
Veecs

Liberty's Edge

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Male NG Sylph Investigator 4 (Malice Binder) | HP 31/31| AC 20 T 14 FF 16 | CMB +3, CMD 16 | F: +4, R: +8, W: +4 | Init: +3 | Perc: +7+1d6, SM: +7+1d6 | Speed 35ft || Inspiration 4/4 || || Active conditions:
Ferdrin Ternyth wrote:

This is an FYI that I'm going to be traveling and away from computers Aug 1-12. I will be unable to post during that time, so feel free to bot as needed.

GM, do you find that pretty straightforward for Ferdrin or is there anything I can do to make it easier?

Noticed that Ferdin is currently bolded in our encounter. So just reposting this as a reminder.


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B19 Grim Tidings ||

Since another Gameday is coming up, I thought I'd share some of the tools and tricks I've learned over the years of doing PbP format for Pathfinder.

1) You know how scenario PDFs are broken into like two half pages? Do you know how that makes copying and pasting the box text a pain in the butt? Don't worry about that problem anymore with this removes the line breaks tool.

2) See how that link is a bit light on the font? Type the bold command as part of it! Bold link!

3) I'm a big fan of secret rolls in 2e, and sure, you could roll them in spoilers, but what player isn't tempted to see what's behind that GM screen? Roll on the Dice Rolling Thread instead. Have really nosy players? Roll a bunch of fake rolls mixed in or something!

4) You know how using Google Slides for the map can be a bit of a hassle with the map background image? Take the image, take a screenshot of it (maybe with something like Gyazo), and then on the slide you want the map for click the Background button next to the comment, line, layout, shape tools, etc.. and then "Choose Image." From here, you can either upload the image if you have it saved or just take the image URL from something like its Gyazo page and put it in the "by URL" tab. You might have to change the size of your slides by going to File > Page Setup > Custom for the map to fit right. You can also stretch the map over the slide before you take a screenshot of it so it'll already be the right size (though stretching it can lead to it looking a bit weird).

If you do those quick steps, the map becomes the background and cannot be moved accidentally. Perfect for those mobile players and GMs!

5) Did you know you can have animated images on Google Slides? Simply download a .gif image and then upload it to the slide. It'll stay animated! This is really cool for fog effects, horror elements (like for Mosquito Witch), or other fun things you can think of.

6) You can double spoil things! To do it, the nested spoiler cannot have an "=words."

here is an example:

Not much of a spoiler, but if you pass a DC 0 trickery check, open the next spoiler!
Spoiler:

A super spoiler! Congrats!

7) This isn't probably new to many, but I thought I'd mention it. You can make text Bigger with the "bigger" tag and smaller with the "smaller" tag!

8) Third-party time! There is a Chrome Extension called Paizo Campaign Tools that make PbP a little easier. There are many different tools it offers, and there are some nice screenshots on the page I linked, so I'll just leave it at that for you to explore.

Edit: I checked again and saw it doesn't do a great job advertising itself, so here I am again to tell you some of its features. You can set your profile image to anything you want in a campaign (but only for your visibility), you can set "default aliases" on a per-thread basis, you can change the order your campaigns are listed in on your campaign page, any "new posts" words are highlighted for you, you can click a bell on a campaign you want to respond in to remind you later, you get additional post code tools such as underlining and coloring words, and you can "blacklist" players (just greys them out, but you can still see and interact with them).

9) You know how forums have that like Wifi looking button? It's an RSS feed indicator. Want to know how to use those to get notifications for PbP stuff? Well, I use Feeder.co. For $0, it will check your RSS feeds every 2 hours and notify you. I tell it to give me a little *ping* on my browser, but it can send emails, texts, etc.. For $5-6 a month, you can get it to check every 2 seconds! Instant response time for your PbP games! There is a limit to the number of threads it can watch, a higher limit if you subscribe. #Not Sponsered

10) Oh no! The forum monster ate this entire post! Who cares with Typio! Typio is a Chrome Extension that, when toggled on, saves everything your typing into a recent list. If your forum gets eaten or you see the Backtrack monster, simply go back to the post and click the little clock icon in the text box, it'll let you recover everything you typed instantly!

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