Feros |
Feros wrote:Why, what have you heard!?Interesting that it seems like Balazar is always buying from shady people.
What is he up to?
Nothing substantive, but...
Bellona |
That cover: Balazar is poking around in the shop while Feiya is talking with the shopkeeper. He opens a jar, and something comes out (looks like a shadow octopus). Shopkeeper: "No, wait, don't touch ... too late." Feiya: "I just can't take you anywhere, can I?" :)
And what's going on with Feiya's nail extensions? Is she trying to go undercover in the black market as a hag-wannabe?
Owen K. C. Stephens Developer |
Yes, I like this cover a lot!
I saw it asked, and maybe its too soon to answer, but will there be support in this for the Unchained poison rules, or compatibility?
No.
PU is, for the most part, a collection of optional rules and it's just not practical to support all of them in the PC line, just as words of power from UM isn't supported.
Where possible I do try to make sure the archetypes work with PU classes, but even that is not guaranteed.
Wyrmfoe |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Owen,
In response to your question about desires for the book, I think any reply probably requires both a setting response and a mechanics response.
In terms of the setting, I would really like to hear more about how trade routes work (and/or fail to work) in Golarion, so that black markets and underworld channels become necessary for certain goods and services. How do the various nation-states conduct and enable trade, in the midst of their wars, various supernatural calamities, and other fantastic issues. Do dragons simply sweep down upon caravans... or do they, too, involve themselves in commerce and trade? How does a dwarven market differ from an elven one? How are the racial and alignment characteristics of each population manifest in how each respectively employs, feeds, clothes, and otherwise maintains its people? How do various biases, cultural values, and insufficiencies of supply produce black markets that meet otherwise unmet demands?
In terms of the mechanics, please provide traits, archetypes, and feats that engage non-combat, non-explicitly social skills. Appraise, Linguistics, Profession... all of these could use more options, in order to round out characters that are merchants, tradesmen, bureaucrats, engineers, civil servants, and all the other "heroes" that keep civilization going... as well as their counterparts on the other side of the law.
For instance, and to my current knowledge, there is no +2/+4 at 10 ranks Feat option for Appraise and Linguistics. Something that simple could go a long way to enabling more diverse character types, as higher Appraise and Linguistics scores now have some relevance given recent Skill Unlock options out of Occult Adventures and Pathfinder Unchained.
So, if we could have more focus on how the economies of the various populations work, along with mechanics that enable play within those structures, I think this book could be very unique and quite essential to your playerbase.
Owen K. C. Stephens Developer |
Owen,
In response to your question about desires for the book,
First, let me say that this is great feedback. Sadly, the book is well past making any changes, and for various reasons there's not nearly as much of any of the things you suggest as I'd like there to be. I like what we did with it, but we took a different tack on what kind of material should be the focus of this volume.
Wyrmfoe |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Owen,
Completely understand and I very much appreciate the feedback and the outreach to your playerbase. Thank you for both!
Regarding design and vision for the product, are the concepts I raised interesting and/or reasonable, in light of future projects and supplements?
I understand that the above are not particularly flashy, especially when compared to combat options, expansion of magic systems, or even social skill/intrigue development. Further, in addition to providing us a fun and wonderful hobby, you and your associates are in business and must allocate resources to what the market demands... I which I expect is the above, far before some of the other options I suggested.
Nonetheless, I do hope there is a place for some additional focus on the above in future supplements, spread out perhaps over the course of books so to ensure market viability. I think there is something to be said for the "everyday hero" who, while perhaps swept up on fantastic adventures, brings a skill/feat/trait set of the everyman to whatever task might lay at hand.
In addition to the dashing swashbuckler, the noble cleric, and the cunning warrior, I would simply welcome the opportunity to more thoroughly resource the more humbler adventurer archetypes/concepts. With a bit more setting information and mechanics support, I think that could be very, very fun... as well as uniquely marketable.
Does any of this resonate or make sense? Do you have any thoughts on the matter, whether in concept or in reference to future products (that you might be able to plug now... :) )?
ErisAcolyte-Chaos jester |
Ahhhhh, the black market. Where just about anything can be bought and sold for an exorbitant price, including those jars of souls that demons just cannot get enough of. And also the most potentially dangerous of the markets. You might grab a cursed sword, end up buying a collection of sealed ghosts in a box, get caught by the guards for contraband, or simply purchasing something that is 1.very Powerful. And 2.impossible to control.
Owen K. C. Stephens Developer |
5 people marked this as a favorite. |
Ah, more poisons and poisoner information in this book. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so enamored of the Daggermark Poisoners' Guild and felt a need to get everything that can be related to them.
Maybe Paizo should just do a 'Poisoners of Golarion' and get it over with.
I suspect I'd call it Poison Master's Handbook, and I'd shoot for an Oct release, and that I haven't actually gotten it on the schedule yet.
...If I were the sort of person who speculates on such things.
Kalindlara Contributor |
4 people marked this as a favorite. |
Illicit Trade in the Inner Sea
For Your Character
Introduction
Black Market Rules
Black Markets of Golarion
Black Market Downtime
Black Market Poisons
The Corpse Trade
Cursed Relics
Pesh
Portable Traps
Secret Faith
Secret Signs
Smuggler Archetypes and Spells
Duplicitous Archetypes
Black Market Magic
Next Month
Kalindlara Contributor |
5 people marked this as a favorite. |
Some of my favorites things about this book:
Support for downtime activities! Let's run a thieves' guild!
Prices for cursed items, and rules for their creation! I've wanted this for years.
The pesh magic rules from Dark Markets: A Guide to Katapesh get a fresh coat of paint.
The pack mule fighter archetype is fabulous.
Kalindlara Contributor |
4 people marked this as a favorite. |
Hoaxer (Bard; gains witch hexes, tied to items that foes must be made to accept)
Pack mule (Fighter; more class skills/skill points, carry all the things)
Relic raider (Rogue; replaces uncanny dodge abilities with bonuses against curses and the ability to disable them, plus new talents)
Sorcerer of sleep (Sorcerer; uses some of the pesh rules)
Thanael |
Will Thieves' Cant be covered in any way?
Get yourself The Canting Crew by Gygax/Troll Lord Games
Kalindlara Contributor |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
@Arachnofiend:
It's not that bad, in my opinion. Depends on your group, though.
-Scaling bonus to conceal items and to Strength for carry-cap.
-A form of armor training, but for encumbrance levels.
-Resistance to ability damage, but only at the highest level.
Worst case scenario, it makes a great cohort. They can't all be mutation warriors. ^_^
Kalindlara Contributor |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
what are the spells?
Alleviate addiction
Arcane pocket
Authenticating gaze
Codespeak
Compel tongue
Contact high
Curse of keeping
Evaluator’s lens
Fleeting defect
Fleeting memory
Imbue with addiction
Incendiary runes
Mass compel tongue
Mass fleeting memory
Night blindness
Peerless integrity
Pesh vigor
Remarkable legerdemain
Secret coffer
Secret sign
Secret vault
Vacuous vessel
Venomous promise
Kalindlara Contributor |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The feats in this book tend to be closely tied to the new subsystems.
-Wary Smuggler - bonus to conceal things on hand or in vehicle; always take 10 on certain skills in urban areas
-Black Market Dealings
-Black Market Sleuth
-Connected Criminal
The above feats make it easier for you to access black markets (one of the new subsystems; think of it as a way to bypass purchase limits or acquire forbidden goods)
-Infuse Poison (item creation) - lets you combine spells and poisons so that both affect the poisoned target
-Pesh Euphoria
-Pesh Healing
-Pesh Rejuvenation
-Sahir-Afiyun
The above are updated versions of feats from Dark Markets - A Guide to Katapesh. They let you access certain abilities when taking doses of pesh. Sahir-Afiyun is the exception; it adds a number of pesh-related spells to your list.
Kalindlara Contributor |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Necrotoxins are simple; they're basically...
Created with Craft Wondrous Item; usually requires ranks in Heal and various necromantic or healing spells.
You have a Necrosis Score based on the number of grafts you have. Grants DR against nonlethal, bonuses against some things, penalties against others. You're becoming closer to undeath.
Specific grafts:
Ghoulgut: feed on raw meat to "charge" it; bonuses against disease and poison for 1 day; burn the charge to reroll a Fortitude save
Gravespawn gland: like a brain-bomb, except that if it kills you (and it probably will), you rise as a zombie.
Necrograft arm: increases your lift-over-head, grants a slam attack; penalty on some rolls involving fine manipulation. Up to two; effects stack.
Necrograft leg: march farther overland before forced march; bonus against some combat maneuvers and caltrops. Up to two; effects stack.
Sallowflesh: natural armor buff with hide from undead-like effect
Strangler's tongue: it's a mohrg tongue. Reach out and touch someone.
Raisse |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Read through this last night and was very disappointed. There's probably not a single thing that I'll use in my games.
Some of the standout disappointments:
1. Black market subsystem: This seems like the sort of thing that belongs in the campaign setting line, not the player companions. These are essentially rules for the GM to incorporate taking up space in the player companion.
2. The pack mule archetype trades away armor training, a bonus feat, and bravery to become.... a nonmagical bag of holding. That can't carry as much. The archetype succeeds at what it tries to do (carry stuff, sometimes secretly), but unless you're playing a game about running drugs across the border, I don't think this will ever be useful.
Things I liked (but probably won't use):
1. Intentionally crafting cursed items. It's cool, and now we know how to do it.
2. Necrografts. Body modification stuff is always cool, though only really appropriate in certain types of games.
Most of the rest of the stuff in the book may be good, but not really my style (alchemist archetype, mechanics for hiding your faith, pesh stuff).
I know you can't please everyone all the time, but it was unfortunate that this book was such a big miss for me. Even though I'm not a big fan of the Occult Adventures material, I found a decent chunk that I liked in Occult Origins. This one just left me searching for the good part, and I never really found it.
Ravingdork |
The deliberate crafting of cursed magical items didn't make much sense to me. Can someone help me better understand it? Specifically how they came to some of those prices on the table?
I have some items I'd like to have priced (specifically a cloak of emulation and dust of choking and sneezing), but there doesn't appear to be a formula for specific cursed items not on the table. How did the developers come up with those numbers?
Also, that's the market price on the table, right? It would generally cost half that amount to craft the cursed item in question?
Kalindlara Contributor |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Pretty good, I'd say!
Circlet of spell eating, type I-IV: This circlet seems to grant additional spells known... but after a few days, it begins draining spells known from the wearer. The creator gets to use one of those spells.
Spendthrift spectacles: These glasses seem to grant better appraisal skills, but after a week, the wearer takes a massive penalty to those skills and starts uncontrollably overpaying for things,
Style-stealing vambrace: This makes weapons keen... but on a critical hit, the vambrace (and the wearer's hand) teleports to the creator. The creator can use one of the wearer's combat feats.
Talisman of spying: A special ring allows the creator to spy on the wearer in various ways. The wearer is compelled to keep wearing the talisman.
There are also guidelines for creating previously printed cursed items, or items with drawbacks and such.
Kalindlara Contributor |
Kalindlara wrote:Pretty good, I'd say!
** spoiler omitted **
Do the drawbacks increase or decrease creation cost ?
Would you consider the cost worth it compared to the drawback ?
Decrease.
It depends on the drawback. For the record, the drawbacks it lists are taken from the Core Rulebook.
Some of it, I just straight-up wouldn't allow. If you applied the system here without any GM discretion, you could create some absurdly broken items.
Kalindlara Contributor |
3 people marked this as a favorite. |
This will be my last for the night, and most of tomorrow - I have to get some sleep for PFS tomorrow. ^_^
Includes rules for crafting, including rules for making an improved version with better stats.
Alchemical tar paper: once laid, the next creature to step into the square is stuck, and remains sticky for several rounds (even after leaving the square).
Autosniper: attach to a crossbow and tripwire; fires the crossbow at the first thing to trip its tripwire.
Flask launcher: a crossbow-like trap that fires alchemical weapons. Tripwire included.
Net rigging: this, basically. Falling net also available.
Poison latch needle: the classic needle trap, found on chests and doors everywhere.
Pull-cord grenade: a bomb that goes off when its cord is pulled. Can be set to doors, drawers, or as a tripwire.
Portable pit (various): the only magic item on the list. Lay it down and speak the word, and it blends into the floor. When someone passes over, it pit-traps them in a manner similar to the various create pit spells. Comes in varieties similar to those spells.
David knott 242 |
Does Westcrown's Dusk Market get any exposure in this?
Yes. It is one of the six for which a full market stat block is provided, along with about a paragraph of fluff and a social trait.
David knott 242 |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hello...
What exactly does the Bard lose?
Is the Hoaxer(Bard Archetype) good, bad or ugly?Please and ThankYou! (^.^)
The Hoaxer archetype has the following features:
Counterfeiter replaces Bardic Knowledge.
Bad Deal (which includes access to witch hexes) replaces Inspire Courage, Inspire Competence, and Inspire Greatness.
Buyer Beware replaces Countersong.
Personal Guarantee replaces Distraction
Curse Breaker replaces Inspire Greatness (oops -- that is what the PDF says).
Misery replaces Versatile Performance.
Versed in Curses replaces Well-Versed.
Curse Crafter replaces Lore Master.