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DM - what does being a registered spellcaster entail?
Well now, that depends on what kind of spellcaster one is.
Divine magic is not regulated (how could it be?), so clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers are not registered.
Arcane magic is a different story.
Sorcery is strictly regulated. Most males displaying sorcerous powers are killed outright. The vast majority of female sorcerers are forcibly inducted into the Cerulean Sisterhood. There are very few registered sorcerers outside the Sisterhood (and of course, unregistered sorcerers "officially" do not exist).
Wizardry is not really regulated, but wizards are monitored by the government and therefore required to register. This means that they carry papers which officially license them to practice magic, and which must be shown to duly-appointed officers of the law when requested (you don't want to be mistaken for an unregistered sorcerer, after all!). In practice, wizards are tolerated and seldom harassed, but based on what happened to the sorcerers, many wizards keep a low profile, feeling it's only a matter of time before they too are "purged."
Bards are in kind of a gray area. Technically, they are arcane casters, with innate powers like sorcerers. But their power level is comparatively low, and bards are notoriously hard to pin down. And of course, not every minstrel playing in a tavern is a true Bard. In practice, there doesn't seem to be a consistent government policy on bards. In some areas, they are forced to register, in others they are ignored. Some bards are registered (as wizards), some are not.
For Bedu, it's up to you whether you are registered. It's certainly safer to be registered and have the papers, just so people don't think you're a sorcerer, but that can open you to harassment. And of course, the government would know who you are.
But you raise a good point, so let me know what you decide.
Bedu is registered.
What I trying to ask is how do the government monitor a registered spellcaster?
Is it reactive? something happens and the goon squad have a go at the spellcaster responsible.
Or proactive? regular visits to see the local registered office. A series of forms to fill in in triplicate and a dog sniffing at me to see what spell components (legal or otherwise) I have been using...
And so on.
It matters if I decide to leave the city (as is likely) do I inform someone or have I got freedom to come and go as I please.
That's the sort of thing I'd like to know.
Cheers
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Bedu is registered.
What I trying to ask is how do the government monitor a registered spellcaster?
Is it reactive? something happens and the goon squad have a go at the spellcaster responsible.
Or proactive? regular visits to see the local registered office. A series of forms to fill in in triplicate and a dog sniffing at me to see what spell components (legal or otherwise) I have been using...
And so on.
It matters if I decide to leave the city (as is likely) do I inform someone or have I got freedom to come and go as I please.
That's the sort of thing I'd like to know.
Cheers
For wizards and bards, it's mostly reactive. Iskandria isn't the Third Reich...yet. If there's a disturbance nearby, you might be asked to show your papers. If a guard feels like hassling you, you might be asked to show your papers. They seem to have an uncanny way of detecting spellcasters, but generally only do so with reason or if someone is being a dick.
If there was some major disturbance or crime with magic involved, you might be visited and questioned. And there are occasional visits to registered spellcasters to make sure their papers are in order and everything's on the up and up.
You're not required to inform someone if you leave, but if you change domicile, you are required to register at your new village/town/city/whatever.
Thus far, it would be safe to that Bedu wouldn't have been bothered much. He's a small fish in a big pond.
Does that answer your questions?
I have no need of a hair cut, but if you have advice on a safe place to stay for a man with no coin, I will be grateful.
I have never been here before. My people do not see cities often.
"No coin. Tell me a little of yourself and why you are here and Bedu points at self will help you."
The bustling dwarf fetches a long drink of water and some dried meat treats after sizing up the warrior briefly.
"Please, sit and relax a while, my friend,"grins the dwarf as he mops sweat from his face.
"Oh the gnome over there is Skittle,a jungle warrior and the man having a cut is Liet. You are most welcome to join us, sir."
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blast! I thought I got everyone.
I'm out of town, unexpectedly, and don't have ready access to the internet until sometime early (I hope) next week.
Still very interested, but life comes first (and second.)
Thanks for checking in, Stunty. We're going to go ahead and get started, so join in when you can!
A pudgy dwarf waddles over with a large grin on his face.
"Of Course. Please take the large seat and tell me would you like a small drink while you wait. A lemon tea or even a desert milk? I have a little cheery cherry brandy too if you wish."
The dwarf continues talking away as he moves about the shop.
"Been in Muiu Thrall long sir? Or have you just arrived in the morning caravan? I hear there was a bad sandstorm across the desert a month or so back. Was that any where near you?"
"Me, I am Bedu bin Bakandar and this is my humble parlour. What do they call you?"
"Some tea would be nice."
"I am Liet. I've lived in the city all my life but this is the first time I am really on my own. I'm off to bring my dream of a place of learning here a reality. And I am looking for investors. Hence, the need for a good shave."
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All right, kiddies, everyone's character is done!
Still just a few minor points to clear up (look for your name below).
French Wolf/: OK
ancientsensei/: You need some languages. Iskandrian +3 others. What's your pleasure?
Stunty_the_Dwarf/: Please make the fixes mentioned earlier (when you have time)
FabesMinis/: You need some languages too. Iskandrian +2 others. What's your pleasure?
Billzabub/: Please make the fixes mentioned earlier.
Radavel/: OK
Also, you all have identity papers, something that the government has just begun issuing. If you are from a major city (like Muiu Thral) you already have papers. If not, you would have been issued them as you entered the city.
The following information is included on the papers, along with a physical description. If you would rather have something else there, let me know. Also, I don't have some of the required information for some of you (marked in bold), so please give me that information as well.
The format is: Name / Race / Occupation / Residence / / Age
Bedu bin Bakandar - dwarf / barber / Muiu Thral / registered bard / age 45
Indo Ninzarbi - human / hunter / location? / age 17 (forged)
Jaku Budhanaskar - human / sell sword/ location? / age 17
Pindara - human / potter / Muiu Thral / age 28 (forged)
Skittle Beck - gnome / hunter / location? / age?
Liet Kynes - human / retired bureaucrat / Jhansi / age 30
Those of you without locations, you can just come up with a village name or something if you like, or I can assign one to you.
I'll be starting the game thread today as well. Stay tuned! :)
From Jhansi, yes. Age 30 yrs. old.
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The game thread is up: Iskandria: Land of a Thousand Ziggurats
Make your way over there and make yourself known.
Let the games begin!
Jaku Budhanaskar - human / sell sword/ Muiu Thral / age 17
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Howdy folks,
I'd like to get your thoughts on turning our fledgling game over to the new Pathfinder Alpha rules to take them for a spin.
I haven't read all of the rules yet, and there are obviously some classes that can't be converted yet, but I thought I'd put the question out there to you all.
I think it would be best to make it a unanimous thing. If everybody wants to switch, we will, if not, we'll stay 3.5.
Thoughts, comments, feedback?
'looked it over last night and I really like what I've seen so far. They've made some of the changes people expected, like with the skills, etc., and are making some other interesting tweaks as well. I like what their doing, especially with the rogue abilities and the wizard's schools and domains. As I posted on another thread, this really looks like what people expected 4.0 to look like - fix the stuff that's broken or awkward and make some tweaks, but don't recreate a whole game from scratch.
So, yeah, I'd be up for making the switch and incorporating further changes as they come out.
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How will we work it, since we won't know how some characters are built until release 3? Some sort of mutant combination 3.5/PF game? That'll take some work on your part SargonX.
I'm okay with the change, as long as we all get to refit our characters with the new rules in mind, and the folks who don't have material to look at yet will be retrofitted when the new releases come out. Everyone can get on board with changing skills and hp (and stats - even humans will get a boost there,) and sort the rest out as future releases come out.
Honestly, the impact on Jaku is relatively minor. I'll start work on a refit today.
The non-character class stuff should be easy enough to switch too. The question is with the classes, their abilities and xp progression, but I don't think that should be too difficult either, even if we start phasing stuff in sooner rather than later. Either way, all the classes, including my ranger, will be out by August. At the pace of PbP, four months is not very long off.
We can all indeed convert hit points, so I'm happy to wait until the Sorcerer class is released. (Wish I'd taken Rogue now... grumble grumble)
Alpha conversion is done. I don't know how much (if any) multiclassing he'll do. I'll probably want to see how a single-class rogue plays out now.
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OK, let’s go ahead and convert characters over to the PF Alpha rules. Everyone can convert their race, skills, and feats. Those with a class in the new rules should convert their class; those without will convert when their class is released.
Specific notes:
Humans: add your ability score bonus, and pick a favored class. If your favored class is your current class, you get +1 hp.
Hit Dice: Wizards & sorcerers change to d6 HD, bards & rogues change to d8 HD, Rangers change to d10 HD, cloistered cleric stays at d6 HD
Hit Points: We'll keep Standard hp.
XP: This is pbp, so I'll probably go for Fast Track XP, but I reserve the right to change that if it doesn't fit with the adventures I want to run.
Skills: New skill choice information for all classes (even those not converted yet) can be found in the Skills chapter, so everyone can convert their skills.
Please show your skill breakdowns like this:
Skill +total bonus (base # [class/cross-class level], + ability modifier, + racial modifiers, feats, etc.)
For example,
Feats: Most feats will stay the same. A few need to be updated to the new rules: Alertness, Combat Casting, and Stealthy. Changes to Iskandrian feats are below:
Specific Feat changes:
Aqubayyid Loyalist: change Spot to +2 Perception
Negotiator: Change to the new Persuasive feat.
Relic Hunter: New Prerequisite: Must be trained in Appraise and Knowledge (history).
Treetopper: Change to +2 on Acrobatics and Climb. (This is the same as the new Acrobatic feat, but Treetopper still removes the combat penalties while climbing, so it’s different enough to keep).
Unregistered Spellcaster: This is the same as the new Deceitful feat, so change to +2 Deception and +2 Knowledge (local), representing that you’ve learned the laws and customs of your area and are used to talking your way out of difficult situations to avoid being discovered.
Specific Characters:
Skittle: Use the new gnome rules, but keep pass without trace and change Hide bonus to +4 to Stealth (+8 wooded). Languages stay the same as before, but replace communication with forest animals with the normal gnome’s speak with animals.
Pindara: Although we don’t have the updated sorcerer yet, let’s go ahead and assume they can cast 0-level spells at will, like wizards and clerics.
Liet: For cloistered cleric, apply the cloistered cleric rules to the new cleric. Skill choices are 6+Int modifier. Use the new class skills list, plus all Knowledges are class skills from the Knowledge domain. You’ll get the domain powers from all 3 domains.
Indo: You might be a little harder with the apprentice levels. Obviously you can update your race, hit points, and skills. For your wizard class, we’ll break down class abilities like this.
Level 0: You can prepare 2 cantrips and cast up to 4 cantrips per day (no at will casting until L1); School Power: you get the specialist bonus only.
Level 1: Arcane bond, full Cantrips at will, School Power: you get the 1st level ability, bonus feat.
With the new Abjuration school power, I don’t know that Immediate Magic is useful anymore. But of course the familiar is now replaced with Arcane Bond (your sword maybe?). What do you think of that?
If you have any questions, let me know. And please post here when your update is finished.
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Alpha conversion is done. I don't know how much (if any) multiclassing he'll do. I'll probably want to see how a single-class rogue plays out now.
So you're staying with rogue? (Your class is listed as Fighter).
Please list your class abilities.
Your CMB for Disarm and Trip should be +4, not +5.
Disguise is a class skill for you.
Also, you don't seem to have ability score or feat bonuses added to your skills.
Can you please show your skill breakdowns like this:
Skill +total bonus (base # [class/cross-class level], + ability modifier, + racial modifiers, feats, etc.)
For example,
And I notice you changed your feats. No problem, but I'm just curious why?
Haha, I have to change all of my feats. Alertness, Stealty, Unregistered. Go Pindara!
Profile Updated
Feat changes were a mistake. I had considered turning him into a fighter at 1, and had altered his stuff to look at the CMB skills, then changed back, and just hadn't completed the refit.
He's done now, I think.
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Haha, I have to change all of my feats. Alertness, Stealty, Unregistered. Go Pindara!
Don't think of it as having to change your feats. Think of it as the feats changed on you! ;)
EDIT: Also, Pindara still doesn't have her languages listed. (Try putting them in the Profile; the specific Languages field never shows up for me.)
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Profile Updated
Feat changes were a mistake. I had considered turning him into a fighter at 1, and had altered his stuff to look at the CMB skills, then changed back, and just hadn't completed the refit.
He's done now, I think.
Coolio, looks good.
But I noticed one last thing: Intitiative should be +4 (+2 Dex, +2 from Aqubayyid Loyalist).
:)
I like the new skills system on first blush; does seem to be less fiddly and more focused.
Languages never shows up for me either; they are now in the profile.
fixed
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Yeah, but it doesn't allow for the character that knows a little bit about a lot of things. I'll miss the ability to scatter points across a broad range of skills.I like the new skills system on first blush; does seem to be less fiddly and more focused.
Well, that's the point of a playtest. :) Right now, I'm willing to give up the "jack-of-all-trades" role in favor of simpler math and choices. But who knows? We may discover we like the old skill points after all.
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BTW, if you like having a printed copy of your characters, some people have posted their versions of new PF character sheets in this thread.
Updated.
N.B. I've replaced Negotiator with Persuasive. HD is still d6.
Here's a lesson for me: read what a rule actually says rather than what I think it says. I missed the class skill for humans bit and totally misread the placement of the brackets in the cc skill description.
The weapon damage was me being slack.
I know, I still have to rework a few things with skittle.
Do you want me to convert what I can now? Skills, racial abilities, and the like.
I have a fairly free weekend and it wouldn't take too long.