Creative Director
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Anyway, hey James - I have some questions about intellect devourers. What is it like for the devourer who is inhabiting a host body? Does the devourer literally assume the creature's perspective, consciousness, etc., seeing out of the host's eyes, controlling the host's limbs as if they were the its own? Or is the devourer only indirectly in control, like the pilot of a large machine? Or maybe it's like a mind-meld, where the devourer is able to tap into the creature's (freshly eaten) brain, memories, skills, etc., while still retaining individuality?
How does it feel for a devourer controlling a host with animal-like intelligence? A host with Intelligence vastly higher than the devourer's own?
Thanks for any insights!
The devourer does indeed literally assume all the host's perceptions, sensations, feelings, and emotions as if they were it's own... but it remains 100% in charge and in CONTROL.
Most intellect devourers prefer inhabiting intelligent creatures because they get a kick off knowing that their host suffered before they wore the skin, or that their new outfit is more likely to cause one-time allies and friends and family of the host pain. There's no stigma with inhabiting a creature of lower or higher intelligence though, although I do suspect that the higher intelligence hosts have better-tasting brains.
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Creative Director
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I'm sorry to bother you able up this but so you know if Erik Mona has a similar thread to this? I wanted to ask him if there is a plan to release any more of the sketches of the occult adventures iconics.
He does not. I can answer that question though. Yes, there are indeed plans to do so, and now that the holidays are almost officially over, we can start looking into doing just that.
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Creative Director
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James, I came across an apparent discrepancy in how the starflight monster ability works. For shantaks and outer dragons, it states intra-stellar travel takes 3d20 hours and inter-stellar travel takes 3d20 days. For Oma, however, these times frames are expanded to 3d20 days and weeks, respectively. Mi-Go have it even worse, at 3d20 months and years respectively. Is this intentional, indicating certain 'bands' of potential maximum space-borne speed, or did someone just get confused with the wording in some bestiary entries?It's intentional. Not every creature capable of starflight flies at the same speed... similarly to how not every creature capable of plain old flight flies at the same speed.Did you know that out of all the birds that cross the Gulf of Mexico as part of their migration, the one that does it the fastest is the hummingbird?
If a DC3 did the same route with the same fuel efficiency, it would do so on one gallon of gas.
I did not know this.
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Weird question pair: Would telling potential players "Korvosa feels like Gotham City, while Magnimar's more like Metropolis" be an accurate comparison? And if it is, what city in the DC universe would be the best one to compare Riddleport to?Not really. It'd be better to say Magnimar feels like San Francisco and Korvosa feels like Los Angeles. In that universe, Riddleport would still be Riddleport. ;P
Um...what DO San Francisco and Los Angeles feel like? I'm from Minnesota, so I have no real frame of reference.
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Creative Director
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JJ - Ever look at your life and think "Wow, I'm an adult. I totally don't feel like an adult."? If so, how often, would you say? I'm in my 30's and still feel like a big kid...it's...weird.
Gonna repost a few of my questions that didn't get answered over the break, too.
Do you think music played during gaming sessions can be an enhancement to the experience, or a distraction from it?
GM asking every player for a character's "Theme Song" to play when they use a hero point, do something awesome, or otherwise shine for the party...cool, or lame?
Since you are a Futurama fan (or at least a follower, by your answer to my earlier question on their cancellation), would you agree with me when I point to Bender as the world's most extreme example of Chaotic Neutral?
Every day.
Depends on the group dynamics and the way the GM uses it; I've seen it go both ways. It works best as 90% background music and 10% audio handout.
Theme songs for PCs? Kinda lame. And more lame the more often it repeats.
I do! I could even see a case for chaotic evil, frankly. With the "DESTROY ALL HUMANS" stuff and all that.
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Creative Director
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I have heard a rumor that Ragathiel has some sort of rivalmance with Eiseth, the Erinyes Queen, sorta like Batman and Catwoman. Where in the books is this alluded to? I haven't seen anything hinting at it. It IS kind of a cool idea, though, the risen hellspawn and the fallen angel meeting in the middle...
Aren't rumors more exciting when there's not cold-hard printed words to transform them from rumor into fact?
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Creative Director
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Do you have any recommendations for what a Divine Obedience feat for Yog-Sothoth should be like? E.g. the rituals called for, the boons bestowed (or which major deities inspiration for said boons could be drawn from)?
Also, do you have any suggestions for Planar Ally options for Yog-Sothoth?
Happy New Year! :)
I kinda like the idea that the Great Old Ones and Outer Gods DON'T reward worshipers with boons, frankly.
And they likely wouldn't really have any one planar ally option either. They're very much Material Plane creatures. Which argues further for us to have new spells that are akin to planar ally but for non-extraplanar creatures...
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I have heard a rumor that Ragathiel has some sort of rivalmance with Eiseth, the Erinyes Queen, sorta like Batman and Catwoman. Where in the books is this alluded to? I haven't seen anything hinting at it. It IS kind of a cool idea, though, the risen hellspawn and the fallen angel meeting in the middle...Aren't rumors more exciting when there's not cold-hard printed words to transform them from rumor into fact?
But there are cold-hard printed words. On TV Tropes.
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Creative Director
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Um...what DO San Francisco and Los Angeles feel like? I'm from Minnesota.Weird question pair: Would telling potential players "Korvosa feels like Gotham City, while Magnimar's more like Metropolis" be an accurate comparison? And if it is, what city in the DC universe would be the best one to compare Riddleport to?Not really. It'd be better to say Magnimar feels like San Francisco and Korvosa feels like Los Angeles. In that universe, Riddleport would still be Riddleport. ;P
Oh.
Nevermind then.
I'm not familiar enough with the DC universe to say for sure what cities feel like there. Korvosa is FAR too bright and ostentatious to be Gotham, and Magnimar is FAR to edgy and dangerous and gritty to be Metropolis.
Fortunately, in this case, we DO have two 64 page books that do a pretty good job, I hope, on spelling out how each city feels! ;)
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Creative Director
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But there are cold-hard printed words. On TV Tropes.I have heard a rumor that Ragathiel has some sort of rivalmance with Eiseth, the Erinyes Queen, sorta like Batman and Catwoman. Where in the books is this alluded to? I haven't seen anything hinting at it. It IS kind of a cool idea, though, the risen hellspawn and the fallen angel meeting in the middle...Aren't rumors more exciting when there's not cold-hard printed words to transform them from rumor into fact?
I don't peruse that site or endorse/legitimize any of the ideas or rumors or observations that go up there.
I'm sorry to bother you able up this but so you know if Erik Mona has a similar thread to this? I wanted to ask him if there is a plan to release any more of the sketches of the occult adventures iconics.He does not. I can answer that question though. Yes, there are indeed plans to do so, and now that the holidays are almost officially over, we can start looking into doing just that.
Yay!
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Um...what DO San Francisco and Los Angeles feel like? I'm from Minnesota.Weird question pair: Would telling potential players "Korvosa feels like Gotham City, while Magnimar's more like Metropolis" be an accurate comparison? And if it is, what city in the DC universe would be the best one to compare Riddleport to?Not really. It'd be better to say Magnimar feels like San Francisco and Korvosa feels like Los Angeles. In that universe, Riddleport would still be Riddleport. ;POh.
Nevermind then.
I'm not familiar enough with the DC universe to say for sure what cities feel like there. Korvosa is FAR too bright and ostentatious to be Gotham, and Magnimar is FAR to edgy and dangerous and gritty to be Metropolis.
Fortunately, in this case, we DO have two 64 page books that do a pretty good job, I hope, on spelling out how each city feels! ;)
Korvosa, bright and ostentatious? We have VERY different views of that city then. It looked to me, at least in the illustrations from CotCT that it was always gloomy and rainy there, sort of like a medievalized London out of a Dickens novel, choked with squalor and misery. I'm confused.
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Creative Director
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Korvosa, bright and ostentatious? We have VERY different views of that city then. It looked to me, at least in the illustrations from CotCT that it was always gloomy and rainy there, sort of like a medievalized London out of a Dickens novel, choked with squalor and misery. I'm confused.
That's because I misspoke. Blame it on having just driven 16 hours in a day with a carsick cat yesterday...
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Korvosa, bright and ostentatious? We have VERY different views of that city then. It looked to me, at least in the illustrations from CotCT that it was always gloomy and rainy there, sort of like a medievalized London out of a Dickens novel, choked with squalor and misery. I'm confused.That's because I misspoke. Blame it on having just driven 16 hours in a day with a carsick cat yesterday...
Awww, poor kitty! :(
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Awww, poor kitty! :(Korvosa, bright and ostentatious? We have VERY different views of that city then. It looked to me, at least in the illustrations from CotCT that it was always gloomy and rainy there, sort of like a medievalized London out of a Dickens novel, choked with squalor and misery. I'm confused.That's because I misspoke. Blame it on having just driven 16 hours in a day with a carsick cat yesterday...
i would think poor James lol
They're not mutually exclusive.
Dominion of the Black/Iron Gods related question:
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How common/prevalent/legal is slavery in Taldor? I know that it's a huge thing in Cheliax and that free halflings there might every so often have to prove that they're actually free... but Cheliax is mostly portrayed as a "bad guy" nation (with Varian Jagarre out there showing how good guys could still want to defend it). But in Taldor? I get the sense that you're trying to soften the image of Taldor a bit (with reducing the crackdown on Sarenrae and other things) so that it can be a "good guy", or at least a "the social order is good enough to be worth defending" nation.
(I'm in particular playing in Belhaim right now as part of "The Dragon's Demand". I'm playing it that since it's a small town far from any population center, the downtrodden nature of the non-bearded class is highly subdued, so class warfare isn't really that big of a deal. Anyway, there, the story has the various religious faction conflict (which is not warfare, just grumbling), and the Taldor class warfare would get in the way of that. But, in Belhaim as written and as I see it, I have a very hard time seeing slavery really being a part of it.)
Dear James, why there is not much info about alkenstar? will ever have a companion about the Grand Duchy? I feel it has so much roleplaying oportunities but the lack of information is discouraging
There's a full map of Alkenstar and a good amount of info in Wardens of the Reborn Forge
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Creative Director
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How common/prevalent/legal is slavery in Taldor? I know that it's a huge thing in Cheliax and that free halflings there might every so often have to prove that they're actually free... but Cheliax is mostly portrayed as a "bad guy" nation (with Varian Jagarre out there showing how good guys could still want to defend it). But in Taldor? I get the sense that you're trying to soften the image of Taldor a bit (with reducing the crackdown on Sarenrae and other things) so that it can be a "good guy", or at least a "the social order is good enough to be worth defending" nation.
(I'm in particular playing in Belhaim right now as part of "The Dragon's Demand". I'm playing it that since it's a small town far from any population center, the downtrodden nature of the non-bearded class is highly subdued, so class warfare isn't really that big of a deal. Anyway, there, the story has the various religious faction conflict (which is not warfare, just grumbling), and the Taldor class warfare would get in the way of that. But, in Belhaim as written and as I see it, I have a very hard time seeing slavery really being a part of it.)
Slavery's not common/prevalent in Taldor. At least, not in blatant obvious ways.
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Creative Director
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Dear James, why there is not much info about alkenstar? will ever have a companion about the Grand Duchy? I feel it has so much roleplaying oportunities but the lack of information is discouraging
Have you seen "Wardens of the Reborn Forge"? There's quite a bit of Alkenstar info in there.
The reason there's not a lot, though, is because it's a polarizing subject, guns in fantasy, and it's one we've traditionally been a bit timid to dive all in on. Wardens of the Reborn Forge was our first attempt. We may go back there in the future some day.
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Creative Director
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Hi James,
Where do you fall in the continuum of the agency of invention versus the rules? By that, I mean, let's say you're applying poison. Per the rules, there's a chance to become affected unless you have the Poison Use ability. But, let's say a player in your game went on this explanation (more than "I'm applying poison..." but not excruciatingly verbose) that gave a brief but logical method of application that would have no chance of exposure. For the sake of argument, application, storing, carrying, drawing, and using the weapon are neatly handled to mitigate exposure as well. How might you run that?
There's a 5% chance you poison yourself along the way if you don't have poison use. For sake of ease, I generally would have the player roll that chance when the poison is used, be it via an attack or whatever. Easier to track that way. Which means someone without the poison use ability can carry barrels around, I guess...
...although in that case I might make exceptions, and have the player roll that 5% chance once a day. It really would depend on the situation. I'd make it up as I went, pretty much.
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Creative Director
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1)How does Sarenrae view the Dominion of the Black?
2)How does Iomedae view the Dominion of the Black?
3)Does the Dominion of the Black know about Sarenrae?
4)Does the Dominion of the Black know about Iomedae?
1) As enemies for her church to fight against.
2) As enemies for her church to fight against.
3) Yes.
4) Yes.
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Creative Director
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1)does Iomedae have any fey worshipers?
2)how do the fey view Iomedae?
3)How do the Eldest view Iomedae?
1) Not many, but yes.
2) As a goddess of honor, justice, rulership, and valor. All things that the fey aren't classically all that into, which is why there's not a lot of fey worshipers of Iomedae.
3) That's an entire pantheon. It's easier and more appropriate to ask "How do the Eldest view the core pantheon?" They pretty much ignore them, for the most part.
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Creative Director
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1) How does Batman view Iomedae?
If you feel like differentiating between Adam West, Buster Keaton, or Frank Miller incarnations, feel free. :)
Batman, being chaotic good, thinks Iomedae is part of the overall problem.
And the idea of a Buster Keaton Batman is awesome. Please link me to this perfect sounding movie.
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Creative Director
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A more general question that may have been asked here before:
As Creative Director, you probably have a pretty high view from above look at things. Do you see Pathfinder trending towards anything? Either in the setting, the timeline, or the feel?
Also, from that view above, how has Pathfinder changed? Has it been shaped by anything, or is it sort of an organic process of going everywhere at once?
Thanks!
I do see Pathfinder and Golarion trending toward something, but I'm not gonna say out loud in public what that is, since that's no different than publicly announcing what Paizo's plans are for the next several years.
Would the Four Horsemen release Rovagug from its prison if they had the opportunity and means to do so?
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1) How does Batman view Iomedae?
If you feel like differentiating between Adam West, Buster Keaton, or Frank Miller incarnations, feel free. :)
Batman, being chaotic good, thinks Iomedae is part of the overall problem.
And the idea of a Buster Keaton Batman is awesome. Please link me to this perfect sounding movie.
The Adam West Batman would probably make a comment along the line of "Iomedae, for once don't be such a rigid nun and make a compromise!!"
Dear James Jacobs,
I'm working on a Sorcerer for a friend's game (Mongrel Mage archetype, if that helps) and I'm feeling a bit indecisive. I tried rolling some random stuff using Ultimate Campaign, which resulted in some pretty funny backstories (imagine an orphaned female halfling Magus who apparently committed mass murder in a fit of jealous rage involving a former lover, or a half-orc who, by his own negligence, allowed a gangster to suffer for the sheer pleasure of being negligent)
But this isn't about backstories. It's about interesting concepts, and I'm currently torn between a (likely drow-blooded) Half-Elf sorcerer, and a Halfling. I feel like both would be interesting as a "Mongel Mage" type, as Halflings are often looked down upon in Golarion in general, and Half-Elves already have a pretty diverse family tree. I'm not sure which one sounds like more fun, which brings me to my other hard decision: weapons. It seems like every low-level wizard/sorcerer I see is toting a crossbow around. And I get why: you're likely to favor dex over strength as a caster, so why bother with melee? But efficient or not, I hate the idea of playing a crossbowman with ambitions of being a mage, so I'm ruling crossbows out. So what's a more interesting starting weapon for a sorcerer? I thought of Cestus, but I've done that one before too. Maybe a bracer of daggers? What do you think?
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James
When Pharasma judges souls does it ever happen that she doesn't know what to do with someone, as in it isn't clear where a certain soul belongs?
Also do you think "curse of infertility" falls within the boundaries of what the "Bestow Curse" spell allows you to do. Basically a curse that makes you infertile (man or woman).
Finally, is it possible to use "Polymorph Any Object" to permanently change the appearance of one person into that of another? For example a crime lord changing his appearance to match Lord Gyr of Absalom?