What is the GM supposed to do with the Munavri? They're too powerful to use as PCs. They're good aligned, so they can't be fought in typical campaigns unless they've turned evil. Maybe they could function as allies of good-aligned PCs, or as opponents of an evil campaign?
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I think they're intended as a friendly civilization for when PCs venture down into the Darklands. A regular human town couldn't survive down there, so they needed something tougher to stand in for the typical human town. Basically a home base with a built in explanation for how they can survive in the Darklands.
Compared to some of the other Darklands races, they probably aren't overpowered as PCs if you're running a strictly Darklands campaign.
What are the other three monsters Purple Dragon Knight?
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I don't think the ARG itself is not viable or anything, but the race builder system is really not a very good system for balancing races.
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I don't think the ARG itself is not viable or anything, but the race builder system is really not a very good system for balancing races.So the main point of the ARG is just worthless then, and Paizo decided to drop it? So what are we supposed to do with these overpowered Races, then, like the Munavri?
I love the ARG, and I've hardly ever even looked at the race builder chapter. I'd say opinions may vary on the "main point" of that book.
As for "what to do with these overpowered races," it's left up to each individual table/GM/group as usual.
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Yeah, ARG is probably my most used sourcebook, even more than the CRB. But I've never really touched the race builder. It was pretty clearly an afterthought and doesn't work right. It's a decent starting point, to brainstorm up abilities to build a race around, but the RP total number is worthless, and balance pass should be done by playtesting instead of assuming RP points say anything about the truth.
I've actually used the race builder a few times, it's not hard to build balanced races, it is easy to get a little crazy, but overall I certainly don't think it's broken.
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I've actually used the race builder a few times, it's not hard to build balanced races, it is easy to get a little crazy, but overall I certainly don't think it's broken.
It, like most elements of game design, requires some judgment to get the balance right. Games like Mutants & Masterminds or GURPS, which focus as much on 'make your own PCs or monsters' than pregenerated 'classes' or Bestiaries, mention how easy it is to design something that's perfectly rules-legal, in a game meant to emulate superhero or fantasy tropes across the spectrum, and make a character or encounter that is either crazy overpowered, or kind of worthless.
I see the Race Builder as a step in that direction, something that, like magic item design, is more art than science, and could, if used strictly literally, could churn out the racial equivalent of cheap rings of always-on true strike.
Coming at it from the intent of *not* 'getting away with' something or 'breaking the game,' and creating a race that isn't optimized to be awesome at class X or role Y, but has some depth to it, the Race Builder rules can be useful tool.
They do note advanced races by saying their CR is higher than normal.
Hi, all--I don't usually do this, but I had an Amazon gift card from two Christmases ago, and I used it to pre-order this book. I just got off the phone with Amazon, because it was an October 1 pre-order (and today is October 5), and the customer service guy told me that the book has not been released yet, "To Amazon.com."
I've seen the book at other retailers, from BAM! to (I believe) Barnes and Noble, but Amazon apparently "released" it yet. Is this something that happens often with Amazon and Pathfinder books? I'm not sure what to make of it, especially since my gift card was used already...
(Apologies if this isn't appropriate to the Product Discussion forum; please direct me to a better place if I'm in the wrong spot!)
Yes, Amazon releases Paizo material far later than physical stores and Paizo itself does.Hi, all--I don't usually do this, but I had an Amazon gift card from two Christmases ago, and I used it to pre-order this book. I just got off the phone with Amazon, because it was an October 1 pre-order (and today is October 5), and the customer service guy told me that the book has not been released yet, "To Amazon.com."
I've seen the book at other retailers, from BAM! to (I believe) Barnes and Noble, but Amazon apparently "released" it yet. Is this something that happens often with Amazon and Pathfinder books? I'm not sure what to make of it, especially since my gift card was used already...
(Apologies if this isn't appropriate to the Product Discussion forum; please direct me to a better place if I'm in the wrong spot!)
But, do they usually release them after their own published pre-order date? I was willing to wait the extra two weeks or so until October 1 came around, but now even Amazon's date has passed, and Amazon is saying they don't have it...
(Unless that's exactly what you were saying, in which case...ugh. I made a mistake ordering that book the way I did...)
But, do they usually release them after their own published pre-order date? I was willing to wait the extra two weeks or so until October 1 came around, but now even Amazon's date has passed, and Amazon is saying they don't have it...(Unless that's exactly what you were saying, in which case...ugh. I made a mistake ordering that book the way I did...)
As I understand the situation, Amazon gets their gaming materials from the gaming distributors.. not just dice and other accessories, but also the books. When they do not have a solid date, they make their best guess. That sometimes results in odd situations.
I have also noticed in my own interactions with Amazon that they have issues with "niche" products. Things like books that belong to a series not being marked consistently as such, for example. This is more prominent with comics, manga, and gaming materials.
In short, while Amazon may offer a lower price and (if you have Prime) potentially cheap or even free delivery, the trade-off is sometimes erratic results for lower-volume less-mainstream materials.
Good to know! Thanks, Luthorne and Urath DM--I'll know to use my gift cards more wisely in the future.
I appreciate you guys taking the time to bring me up to speed! :-)
Can the psychic lich heal itself with its own touch attack?
The psychic lich's Psychic Feast ability heals a set amount of damage to it whenever it succeeds on a saving throw against a mind-affecting effect that calls for a "partial" or "negate" saving throw. The psychic lich's touch attack causes a form of confusion-type effect against those who fail their saving throws against it but it is not explicitly called out as a mind-affecting effect (its description states that the attack interferes with the nerves of the victims so it might be less mind-affecting and more physical in nature).
I am leaning towards that its own touch attack should heal itself but I am curious to know if the intention was "No."
CB
A regular lunch can heal itself this way, so I say yes and it's intended.
A regular lunch can heal itself this way, so I say yes and it's intended.
Heh. That made me chuckle a bit.
The only reason why I was not sure is because due to the psychic lich's Psychic Feast ability, it seems like they have an easier way to heal themselves (since they are not immune to mind-affecting effects), whereas regular liches (especially, say non-necromancer wizards or alchemists) has a narrower field of effects that could be used to easily heal damage done to their corporeal bodies.
CB