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I just noticed that you can use the pyrotechnics spell to hurt "fire-based" creatures. Would/could this include Efreets? Ifrits? What about fire-breathing (or some variation thereupon) Dragons?
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I just noticed that you can use the pyrotechnics spell to hurt "fire-based" creatures. Would/could this include Efreets? Ifrits? What about fire-breathing (or some variation thereupon) Dragons?
If a monster has the fire subtype, then yes, you can.
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Does Nocticula have a herald? If so, who/what is it?
As a general rule, demigods do not have heralds, because they have stats and can do the job themselves if they choose. Deities have heralds because they don't directly intervene in the day-to-day affairs of mortal life. Once Nocticula ascends to full deity-hood, she'll eventually get a herald, but as of now, that hasn't been decided upon or happened.
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Not sure if you can talk about this, but what is your favorite 3rd party Pathfinder product?
The one I'm PROUDEST of is Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos book, but I'm biased there, since I wrote 100,000 words of it, and the experience and opportunity to work with one of my RPG heroes (Sandy!) was the culmination of a career goal and highlight for me. :-P
I'm not gonna say what my favorite one is though.
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Alien Archive 2 gave us the badass Nyssholora so it's prompting me to ask what might your favourite T-Rex like/inspired creature in fantasy be, aside from the T-Rex itself? :3No contest. Godzilla wins that reward.
... wow, I hadn’t even considered that :3
Going off that, favourite video game Kaiju (that’s not Godzilla)?
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Alien Archive 2 gave us the badass Nyssholora so it's prompting me to ask what might your favourite T-Rex like/inspired creature in fantasy be, aside from the T-Rex itself? :3No contest. Godzilla wins that reward.... wow, I hadn’t even considered that :3
Going off that, favourite video game Kaiju (that’s not Godzilla)?
Huh. I don't know that I have one. There are plenty of examples of cool HUGE boss monsters that come to mind from games like Dark Souls but none of those are large enough to count as a kaiju.
Will Tar-Baphon's path to lichdom be chronicled, or has it already been? As in, what steps did he specifically take to become a lich?
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Will Tar-Baphon's path to lichdom be chronicled, or has it already been? As in, what steps did he specifically take to become a lich?
In time, probably, but not sure if we'll be doing that in Tyrant's Grasp. If not then, then sometime later, likely.
Hosteen Storm, the main character in Andre Norton's novel The Beastmaster, had a team of four animal companions in three different species - an African black eagle, a sand cat, and two meerkats. Later he added an Appaloosa horse to the team. Would it be possible to do something like this with the packmaster hunter archetype?
Bonus question: where can I find Pathfinder stats for a meerkat? :-)
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Why is Aklo, which I think is only Lovecraftian, also the language of evil Fey in the First World?
Thanks.
The Aklo language was invented before Lovecraft, by the writer Arthur Machen in his 1899 short story, "The White People."
In that story, Aklo is a sinister and magical language said to be spoken by evil and dangerous fey creatures. The story not only went on to influence Lovecraft (who often mentioned Aklo within the context of his own invented mythology of elder evils and Great Old Ones), but contemporary storytellers like T.E.D. Klein, Ramsey Campbell, or Guillarmo del Toro ("Pan's Labyrinth," to me, is very heavily influenced by Arthur Machen's writings).
When we were building Pathifnder, I was unsatisfied with the list of languages we were inheriting from the 3.5 traditions. They'd come up with several great langauges to use for outsiders (Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, and the four elemental languages), and had a great choice for the friendlier and more whimsical fey and nature-themed creautres with Sylvan, but there was no good choice for an "Evil" language spoken by ancient sinister forces.
Aklo was the perfect choice for this langauge, because not only was it in the public domain, but it had a real-world pedigree that was about a CENTURY older than anything that we'd come up with or Wizards of the Coast or TSR had come up with at the end of the 20th century.
And since from a century-long tradition of associating Aklo with not only evil fey spirits but with Lovecraftian horrors had long been established, we picked it up for inclusion in Pathfinder as the go-to language for these creatures.
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Hosteen Storm, the main character in Andre Norton's novel The Beastmaster, had a team of four animal companions in three different species - an African black eagle, a sand cat, and two meerkats. Later he added an Appaloosa horse to the team. Would it be possible to do something like this with the packmaster hunter archetype?
Bonus question: where can I find Pathfinder stats for a meerkat? :-)
The packmaster is one of our attempts to allow folks to play this exact type of character, as it plays out.
And if you want stats for meerkats, look no further than page 200 of Ultimate Wilderness.
Does Nocticula have a herald? If so, who/what is it?As a general rule, demigods do not have heralds, because they have stats and can do the job themselves if they choose. Deities have heralds because they don't directly intervene in the day-to-day affairs of mortal life. Once Nocticula ascends to full deity-hood, she'll eventually get a herald, but as of now, that hasn't been decided upon or happened.
Considering the demands and expectations upon a herald of a deity, and a runelord's champion, could the same being serve both roles simultaneously? Is there anything preventing a situation where an NPC is both Nocticula's Herald, and Sorshen's champion(and wielder of Asheia)?
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Huh. I don't know that I have one. There are plenty of examples of cool HUGE boss monsters that come to mind from games like Dark Souls but none of those are large enough to count as a kaiju.Alien Archive 2 gave us the badass Nyssholora so it's prompting me to ask what might your favourite T-Rex like/inspired creature in fantasy be, aside from the T-Rex itself? :3No contest. Godzilla wins that reward.... wow, I hadn’t even considered that :3
Going off that, favourite video game Kaiju (that’s not Godzilla)?
*nods*
What’s your favourite Boss from the Dark Souls series?
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Considering the demands and expectations upon a herald of a deity, and a runelord's champion, could the same being serve both roles simultaneously? Is there anything preventing a situation where an NPC is both Nocticula's Herald, and Sorshen's champion(and wielder of Asheia)?Does Nocticula have a herald? If so, who/what is it?As a general rule, demigods do not have heralds, because they have stats and can do the job themselves if they choose. Deities have heralds because they don't directly intervene in the day-to-day affairs of mortal life. Once Nocticula ascends to full deity-hood, she'll eventually get a herald, but as of now, that hasn't been decided upon or happened.
In time, a herald of a deity will evolve/gravitate toward being a unique, CR 15 creature and not someone with a combination of class levels. But now and then, in a short-term situation, you can have a deity herald that's something else entirely. Arazni's short stint as Aroden's herald is one example, as is the element of being Iomedae's herald during a few adventures in Wrath of the Righteous.
So yes, there's certainly room in the confines of a typical campaign's story footprint for a character to play the role both as a herald of a god and a champion of a runelord—although in the context of Golarion and Return of the Runelords, there's not going to be much crossover there...
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What’s your favourite Boss from the Dark Souls series?
Quelaag. In part because she's not just another suit of armor with a weapon (that trope of boss got way old by the time I got to the end of Dark Souls 3), and in part because she was the first boss in the series who I got stuck on for a long time and eventually managed to defeat after Getting Gud, so I've fond memories of feeling accomplished after that first fight.
So for Hell's Rebels I am considering using a character whose both a human Osirion refugee and an Anubis-worshiping Paladin.
The problem is that I do not know if House Thrune would necesarily conflict with the anti-undead/protector of tombs code that Anubis and his worshipers follow. If my Paladin were aware of any abuse of the dead by House Thrune then it'd be easier to explain why a paladin of a LN god would side with a motly crew of artsy rebels.
What is Thrune's stance on undead and would it be sufficiently problematic for an Anubis Paladin or even a Pharasmian worshiper?
I was hoping for some advice on general adventure design. I am struggling with designing low level adventures. Again, generally, how do you craft a story that is compelling and engaging by also survivable for level 1 or 2 PCs.
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So for Hell's Rebels I am considering using a character whose both a human Osirion refugee and an Anubis-worshiping Paladin.
The problem is that I do not know if House Thrune would necesarily conflict with the anti-undead/protector of tombs code that Anubis and his worshipers follow. If my Paladin were aware of any abuse of the dead by House Thrune then it'd be easier to explain why a paladin of a LN god would side with a motly crew of artsy rebels.
What is Thrune's stance on undead and would it be sufficiently problematic for an Anubis Paladin or even a Pharasmian worshiper?
Thrune sees undead as it sees devils and Hell; as an excellent tool in their belt to use that can both be very effective against enemies in a fight, and can be very effective in undermining enemy morale. An Anubis worshiper should have no problem at all throwing in with a group of rebels to stand against House Thrune, and can find some common ground, perhaps, with the Hellknights that play an allied role in the AP.
That said, Hell's Rebels DOES work best with chaotic, or at least non-lawful PCs. So you can always shelve the current idea for a later game and go with something different; there are plenty of chaotic deities to worship from the old Osirion pantheon.
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I was hoping for some advice on general adventure design. I am struggling with designing low level adventures. Again, generally, how do you craft a story that is compelling and engaging by also survivable for level 1 or 2 PCs.
I don't have the time to give a full "how to write an adventure" post here, because that's something that could make an entire book.
Instead, my best advice is to read LOTS of adventures. Study how they're put together. Run them. Pay attention to what works and what doesn't. Then start writing your own adventures to match. Don't try to do anything completely outlandish or unusual at first; your first adventures are better served being close copies of adventures that inspire you. Say, take "Burnt Offerings" as an example; you could study that, then build your own adventure that takes place in a small town with a few dungeons in and below it and a nearby antagonistic group of humanoids like kobolds or orcs or whatever. Use Burnt Offerings as a blueprint, but then start switching things around.
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Hey James! I'm super stoked about the Sandpoint, Light of the Lost Coast source book. I had a few questions regarding it and the Midnight Milk Campaign:
1) Where did the clockwork bird that Vorvashali come from and how did it get separated into pieces and its parts get so spread out?
2) Am I correct in assuming that the platinum key etched with the sihedron rune Ilsoari has is meant to open a rekinned Maure Castle levels in the Pit?
3) Im confused by the connection between the Red Bishop and Uvaglor. If the Red Bishop is a priest of Pazuzu then why is it trying to attract Uvalgor?
4) What's Uvaglor's plane in the abyss called? Is he presently there or on Golarion somewhere?
5) What's Lamashtu and Pazuzu's plan in the Sandpoint area, and how does Uvaglor fit in? Is he an independent entity or is he aligned with one or both of them?
6) On page 65 of Sandpoint, LotLC it states that Rifza's body is in the Temple to Pazuzu under Chopper's Isle. How did it get there if the PC's had to first dig up an entrance into the complex?
7) Where does the tunnel that Kanker uses to visit Pillbug connect in The Pit? Similarly, where is the the connection from the Gremlins to Valdemar Manor?
8) in an earlier post you stated that there are other Dream Lens, where are they?
9) What sources can I use to detail the city of Umberweb? There seems to be almost no info on this place.
Thanks in advance and great job on such an amazing book. It has reignited my love for the Pathfinder setting and I am planning a new campaign as we speak.
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Hey James! I'm super stoked about the Sandpoint, Light of the Lost Coast source book. I had a few questions regarding it and the Midnight Milk Campaign:
1) Where did the clockwork bird that Vorvashali come from and how did it get separated into pieces and its parts get so spread out?
2) Am I correct in assuming that the platinum key etched with the sihedron rune Ilsoari has is meant to open a rekinned Maure Castle levels in the Pit?
3) Im confused by the connection between the Red Bishop and Uvaglor. If the Red Bishop is a priest of Pazuzu then why is it trying to attract Uvalgor?
4) What's Uvaglor's plane in the abyss called? Is he presently there or on Golarion somewhere?
5) What's Lamashtu and Pazuzu's plan in the Sandpoint area, and how does Uvaglor fit in? Is he an independent entity or is he aligned with one or both of them?
6) On page 65 of Sandpoint, LotLC it states that Rifza's body is in the Temple to Pazuzu under Chopper's Isle. How did it get there if the PC's had to first dig up an entrance into the complex?
7) Where does the tunnel that Kanker uses to visit Pillbug connect in The Pit? Similarly, where is the the connection from the Gremlins to Valdemar Manor?
8) in an earlier post you stated that there are other Dream Lens, where are they?
9) What sources can I use to detail the city of Umberweb? There seems to be almost no info on this place.
Thanks in advance and great job on such an amazing book. It has reignited my love for the Pathfinder setting and I am planning a new campaign as we speak.
Going forward, please restrain posts to one question rather than lists. I'll answer these all as quick as I can though. Many of them are "unrevealed," which means you can either run with them as you wish in your game, or wait patiently for us to get around to doing more with the topic some day. In this particular case, I do intend to some day explore the "unrevealed" stuff in a future book, but that book is not written or on a schedule yet and may NEVER come to be.
1) Unrevealed at this point.
2) No.
3) Because it wants to unleash a devastating force of violence upon the world.
4) Unrevealed.
5) Unrevealed.
6) Spoooooky! Either he used magic to bypass the dirt (such as via dimension door) or the haunting presence restored the dirt after he dug into it.
7) Unrevealed.
8) Unrevealed.
9) That's because there IS no info on it other than what's in this book.
MANY of the things I put in there are hints to future plans I have, but also simultaneously intended to be idea sparks for GMs to develop as they see fit.
How did the title “Red Hand of Doom” get chosen?
It seems a little generic for a James Jacobs co-written adventure.
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How did the title “Red Hand of Doom” get chosen?
It seems a little generic for a James Jacobs co-written adventure.
The title and plot of that adventure were already in place before I joined the team. I'm not sure who came up with the title, but it was someone at WotC.
Of all the Imperial Lung Wa successor states, which would you say has the greatest chance of re-unification? Furthermore, what is the likelihood we see an adventure path tackling this subject in the next couple years?
Mr. James Jacobs,
What would the returning Runelords', in particular Alaznist and Sorshen, opinion be of a new kingdom over in the River Kingdoms who set itself up as a new Thassilon and calls itself Thassilon?
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So bit confused about tiefling heritage flavors. Like, I'm under impression that tieflings aren't ever inherently evil, but flavor for specific tiefling heritages like qlippoth heritage kinda implies it. I would guess its supposed to be more that tieflings of specific heritage usually have more traumatic childhoods and maybe higher probability of going down to wrong path(such as in case of Motherless with whole one parent always dead and looking really horrific) than normal tieflings, but aren't still any more inherently evil than them?
Is Rovagug the first qlippoth?
Mr. Jacobs,
I've had a hankering to draw up an expansion to the 1st edition adventure/module C1 Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan. If you note the large sized green giant-looking guy on the cover of that module. If one were to design a "city of the gods" with a fair number of those large-sized green-skinned fellows, what type of critters would you think they'd be classified as? "Mayan" Giants, outsiders, What?
Regards, KGM
Hi James
Can you tell me the meaning of the little red/yellow circles on the map of the areas beneath Sandpoint? Is it entrances to aboveground and secret doors?
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Hi James, Happy Halloween.
I am excited for Tyrant’s Grasp, I ran Carrion Crown and my group LOVED it immensely. Will it be correct to assume there be shout outs to that AP in the new one?
Can you please turn my ‘excitement level 10’ and ‘crank it to 11’ by sharing something more about this AP as a Halloween treat? I’ll settle for anything that gives you a knowing smile.
I can’t wait to see Arazni‘s role in the campaign, and would love to know which Iconics you picked to feature.
Bonus question, I had dinner with Erik Mona when he was in NY and he told me about Jason and your playthrough of Kingmaker, I’ve followed Jason’s game, where is the best place to find your playthrough?
Cheers!
Not sure if you can talk about this, but what is your favorite 3rd party Pathfinder product?The one I'm PROUDEST of is Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos book, but I'm biased there, since I wrote 100,000 words of it, and the experience and opportunity to work with one of my RPG heroes (Sandy!) was the culmination of a career goal and highlight for me.
As well you should be. That book is AMAZING!!
Have you seen Dreamlands cats as PCs in actual play yet? If so, how well do you think they worked?
(I'm intriugued by the concept...)
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Mr. James Jacobs,
What would the returning Runelords', in particular Alaznist and Sorshen, opinion be of a new kingdom over in the River Kingdoms who set itself up as a new Thassilon and calls itself Thassilon?
Alaznist would burn it to the ground. Sorshen would be amused and let them do their thing as long as they didn't encroach or cause her problems.
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Of all the Imperial Lung Wa successor states, which would you say has the greatest chance of re-unification? Furthermore, what is the likelihood we see an adventure path tackling this subject in the next couple years?
Don't really have an idea which one would be the most likely to unify; their story is lessened, I think, if they do. It's not really in the cards or part of the intent of those regions.
The likelihood of an Adventure Path set there depends in part on folks asking for it, but I'm not gonna say what the chance is. Other than... above 0% but below 100%.
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So bit confused about tiefling heritage flavors. Like, I'm under impression that tieflings aren't ever inherently evil, but flavor for specific tiefling heritages like qlippoth heritage kinda implies it. I would guess its supposed to be more that tieflings of specific heritage usually have more traumatic childhoods and maybe higher probability of going down to wrong path(such as in case of Motherless with whole one parent always dead and looking really horrific) than normal tieflings, but aren't still any more inherently evil than them?
Some are more likely to be evil than others, but it's not an always thing.
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Mr. Jacobs,
I've had a hankering to draw up an expansion to the 1st edition adventure/module C1 Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan. If you note the large sized green giant-looking guy on the cover of that module. If one were to design a "city of the gods" with a fair number of those large-sized green-skinned fellows, what type of critters would you think they'd be classified as? "Mayan" Giants, outsiders, What?
Regards, KGM
If it's a whole city, I'd probably go with monstrous humanoid for that guy.
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Hi James
Can you tell me the meaning of the little red/yellow circles on the map of the areas beneath Sandpoint? Is it entrances to aboveground and secret doors?
If I remember correctly, the red dots are exits to the surface and the yellow ones are underground secret doors. Or vice versa... with that info it should be pretty obvious which color is which.
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Hi James, Happy Halloween.
I am excited for Tyrant’s Grasp, I ran Carrion Crown and my group LOVED it immensely. Will it be correct to assume there be shout outs to that AP in the new one?
Can you please turn my ‘excitement level 10’ and ‘crank it to 11’ by sharing something more about this AP as a Halloween treat? I’ll settle for anything that gives you a knowing smile.
I can’t wait to see Arazni‘s role in the campaign, and would love to know which Iconics you picked to feature.
Bonus question, I had dinner with Erik Mona when he was in NY and he told me about Jason and your playthrough of Kingmaker, I’ve followed Jason’s game, where is the best place to find your playthrough?
Cheers!
I'm not sure. I'm not the one running that AP, so I can't say. It was outlined by Crystal before she left the company, and is now being handled by Ron, and Carrion Crown was outlined by Wes and run by Rob... so who can say?
I'm not posting my playthrough of Kingmaker online, although I did play for a little bit on the Paizo channel.