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What happens to a god when they die? From what I know/understand, they are judged before Pharasma just like anyone else, but what happens after that?
Are they sent on to another afterlife just a like a regular soul is, or do they simply get dissolved back into quintessence to get turned into new souls/creatures just like other outsiders when they die?
Edit: No idea if this question has been asked before, so apologies in advance.
How would you run an afterlife campaign? Like with petitioners? I understand one of the risks is that death is REALLY permanent, so would this be a problem?
Also, what is your opinion on the book A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court? What would happen if such a person traveled to Golarion?
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What’s, hmm, don’t know how to phrase this, but I guess “favourite” thing you get sidetracked on while world building?
Me? It’s while working on area start thinking about all the food and dishes they have there.
When what I thought was going to be a minor NPC or monster suddenly takes on a life of its own and becomes more unique and memorable than just another bag of hit points to fight.
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What happens to a god when they die? From what I know/understand, they are judged before Pharasma just like anyone else, but what happens after that?
Are they sent on to another afterlife just a like a regular soul is, or do they simply get dissolved back into quintessence to get turned into new souls/creatures just like other outsiders when they die?
Edit: No idea if this question has been asked before, so apologies in advance.
It's different for every god. Remember that gods don't have rules, and that extends to death as well. It's a rare enough event that the storyteller should be able to do whatever they want with it. A god's death is a GREAT time to introduce significant changes to how the rules of the world work, in fact.
They're judged before Pharasma, but not like mortal souls. It's a unique situation that happens so rarely that each time it does it's different, and it's generally not something that mortals get to know about (and to simulate that mortal ignorance, it's a topic we don't write about in print other than to explore the worldy ramifications and after-effects of the death).
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Any plans on adding new major planes?
No.
Each plane comes with more than just a "new place to explore." A new plane likely has an entire ecosystem of creatures and deities that dwell within it, and a whole mess of spells and magic items and historical legacies in the world to build off of.
We'll continue to add new demiplanes all the time though.
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How would you run an afterlife campaign? Like with petitioners? I understand one of the risks is that death is REALLY permanent, so would this be a problem?
Also, what is your opinion on the book A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court? What would happen if such a person traveled to Golarion?
Remember to keep questions to one per post, please.
1) It's such a different concept than Pathfinder that I'd probably build a new set of rules entirely. The quicker version would be to build ancestry rules for petitioners, but the tricky part there is that unless you say every PC has to be the same petitioner type, they'll logically be separated by a wide gulf of planes and can't actually adventure together. That said, death for a petitioner doesn't have to be permanent. There's nothing saying you can't resurrect a petitioner in 2nd edition. A dead petitioner eventually decays into the realm into quintessence, but that process takes a variable amount of time, which for sake of ease is the same amount of time it takes for a dead mortal's soul to get judged. It's not a topic we ever really have to cover in Pathfinder, of course, since you don't play petitioners in the game. But if you change things like that around, you have to start changing rules. Which comes back to my preference for building new rules entirely for such a game.
2) I'm ambivalent toward "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court." I do like the "modern day person gets stuck in a fantasy setting" trope though. My favorite example of this story is without a doubt "Army of Darkness." What would happen if a modern person traveled to Golarion? Anything. They could get killed instantly by a wolf. They could turn into a villain. They could accept their fate and "go native." They could become a fish-out-of-water adventurer like Ash or the aforementioned Connecticut Yankee. They could end up ruling a world, which happens often in the old pulps. It'd be up to the storyteller to decide.
In a "higher-magic" type campaign, such as Modern-esque Golarion leading up to SF, would you allow for magic items to be cheaper since magic becomes more understood? If so, by how much for each "category" (potions vs weapons, minor vs major, etc.)? I just want to hear your opinion.
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In a "higher-magic" type campaign, such as Modern-esque Golarion leading up to SF, would you allow for magic items to be cheaper since magic becomes more understood? If so, by how much for each "category" (potions vs weapons, minor vs major, etc.)? I just want to hear your opinion.
Nope. Part of the d20 system's game balance is about restricting items so that they're not readily available to PCs at a point before their level would make sense for them to have it. I wouldn't change the relative prices at all.
If I wanted to do a setting where more powerful magic is more readily available to less powerful characters, that'd require rebuilding the rules from the ground up. AKA: a new game.
In a "higher-magic" type campaign, such as Modern-esque Golarion leading up to SF, would you allow for magic items to be cheaper since magic becomes more understood? If so, by how much for each "category" (potions vs weapons, minor vs major, etc.)? I just want to hear your opinion.Nope. Part of the d20 system's game balance is about restricting items so that they're not readily available to PCs at a point before their level would make sense for them to have it. I wouldn't change the relative prices at all.
If I wanted to do a setting where more powerful magic is more readily available to less powerful characters, that'd require rebuilding the rules from the ground up. AKA: a new game.
I am more speaking on a worldbuilding POV. For example, SF has many minor magic items that are very cheap. Would you agree that it is possible for magic to be "industrialized" (for lack of a better word) in this way?
PS: Eberron has very common magic, and it is not a new game.
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I am more speaking on a worldbuilding POV. For example, SF has many minor magic items that are very cheap. Would you agree that it is possible for magic to be "industrialized" (for lack of a better word) in this way?
PS: Eberron has very common magic, and it is not a new game.
Yes, obviously it's possible. You cite Eberron as an example. I'd also cite most Final Fantasy games as other examples.
You could do this in a fantasy setting by spending more time creating lower-level magic to sub in for things like hot water heaters or blenders or electric toothbrushes or street lights or whatever, but that's a different setting than the one we at Paizo wanted to publish for Golarion.
(I started to expand on my reply after I posted it to talk about this but the forum ate the reply and I was too frustrated to spend that time rewriting it, in part because the forum ate it but in part because I've got less patience answering world-building questions about how to involve modern technology lately...)
I am more speaking on a worldbuilding POV. For example, SF has many minor magic items that are very cheap. Would you agree that it is possible for magic to be "industrialized" (for lack of a better word) in this way?
PS: Eberron has very common magic, and it is not a new game.
Yes, obviously it's possible. You cite Eberron as an example. I'd also cite most Final Fantasy games as other examples.
You could do this in a fantasy setting by spending more time creating lower-level magic to sub in for things like hot water heaters or blenders or electric toothbrushes or street lights or whatever, but that's a different setting than the one we at Paizo wanted to publish for Golarion.
(I started to expand on my reply after I posted it to talk about this but the forum ate the reply and I was too frustrated to spend that time rewriting it, in part because the forum ate it but in part because I've got less patience answering world-building questions about how to involve modern technology lately...)
One last continuation on this: how can magic become "industrialized" as you say if it needs special skills like "Magical Crafting" or "Create Wondrous Item" or a certain character level?
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One last continuation on this: how can magic become "industrialized" as you say if it needs special skills like "Magical Crafting" or "Create Wondrous Item" or a certain character level?
By creating new rules to support the idea of "industrialized magic item creation" and/or by changing the world lore to adjust things as needed to support something.
I need help. I'm running Wrath of the Righteous, and my player wants to use Trap the Soul on Baphomet, using the trigger object method,
"Trigger Object: The second method is far more insidious, for it tricks the subject into accepting a trigger object inscribed with the final spell word, automatically placing the creature’s soul in the trap. To use this method, both the creature’s name and the trigger word must be inscribed on the trigger object when the gem is enspelled. A sympathy spell can also be placed on the trigger object. As soon as the subject picks up or accepts the trigger object, its life force is automatically transferred to the gem without the benefit of spell resistance or a save."
(Setting the logistics of obtaining an expensive enough gem/getting him to touch the trigger object aside...) There's just no way this works no questions asked on a Demon Lord, right? It feels like a cheap solution to what should be a huge confrontation.
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I need help. I'm running Wrath of the Righteous, and my player wants to use Trap the Soul on Baphomet, using the trigger object method, ** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
(Setting the logistics of obtaining an expensive enough gem/getting him to touch the trigger object aside...) There's just no way this works no questions asked on a Demon Lord, right? It feels like a cheap solution to what should be a huge confrontation.
It does feel like a cheap solution, I agree. The problem lies with the spell itself, which I think should still allow SR and a save for the trigger object. With a new SR check/save happening each round the person holds the object. That means it's not automatic, but unless the holder realizes what's up, if they carry the trigger object for too long EVENTUALLY they'll fail their SR/save.
That's my suggestion for how to make the spell less obnoxious while retaining the benefits for being sneaky. Regardless of whether the target is a demigod or a goblin or anything in between.
There's been a ton of Greek myth themed rpg stuff in the last couple of years, so I just wanted to ask:
What are some of your favorite stories/beings/monsters from Greek myth?
Alternatively if you despise Greek mythology... uhhhh..... which ooze is best ooze?
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There's been a ton of Greek myth themed rpg stuff in the last couple of years, so I just wanted to ask:
What are some of your favorite stories/beings/monsters from Greek myth?
Alternatively if you despise Greek mythology... uhhhh..... which ooze is best ooze?
I've always enjoyed Greek mythology, but playing Assassin's Creed Odyssey over the past year has skyrocketed my interest in it.
That said, the Odyssey is my favorite story from Greek myth.
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Alternatively if you despise Greek mythology... uhhhh..... which ooze is best ooze?
I've always enjoyed Greek mythology, but playing Assassin's Creed Odyssey over the past year has skyrocketed my interest in it.
That said, the Odyssey is my favorite story from Greek myth.
Do you have a favorite ooze?
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Is there a deity that does not agree with the current existence of separate aligned planes? Perhaps they want to merge the aligned planes together into a single plane?
Alternatively, is there a deity that believes that all alignments need to exist in order for there to be balance and harmony in the universe? I know that sounds kind of like Pharasma, but being the judge, she shouldn't really have a bias towards the coexistence of alignments.
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Do you have a favorite ooze?Alternatively if you despise Greek mythology... uhhhh..... which ooze is best ooze?
I've always enjoyed Greek mythology, but playing Assassin's Creed Odyssey over the past year has skyrocketed my interest in it.
That said, the Odyssey is my favorite story from Greek myth.
In 1st edition, it was the shoggoth.
Shoggoths turned into aberrations in 2nd edition though. So in 2nd edition I guess probably the carnivorous ooze.
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Is there a deity that does not agree with the current existence of separate aligned planes? Perhaps they want to merge the aligned planes together into a single plane?
Alternatively, is there a deity that believes that all alignments need to exist in order for there to be balance and harmony in the universe? I know that sounds kind of like Pharasma, but being the judge, she shouldn't really have a bias towards the coexistence of alignments.
There might be an obscure monitor demigod that's into this, but none come to mind.
The idea of "ultimate balance among all things" is much more of a D&D true neutral concept than what we do in Pathfinder.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Speaking of oozes, do you know the origin of the D&D monster name Black Pudding (and associated white, dun, etc. puddings?) The "black" part is obvious, since it's the color, but is the pudding part of the name as obvious as Gary Gygax thought an animated chocolate pudding which dissolved you like the Blob, or some other origin?
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Speaking of oozes, do you know the origin of the D&D monster name Black Pudding (and associated white, dun, etc. puddings?) The "black" part is obvious, since it's the color, but is the pudding part of the name as obvious as Gary Gygax thought an animated chocolate pudding which dissolved you like the Blob, or some other origin?
I don't know the exact origin, although knowing Gygax's fondness for the pulps, it's possible that the shoggoth might have inspired the black pudding. There's plenty of other pulpy slime stories too; Joseph Payne Brennan's "Slime" comes to mind, about a black slime monster coming up out of the ocean to attack a small town. That short story was published a few years before the Blob hit movie theaters, and is generally credited with helping to inspire a fair number of animated slimes.
As for the name... there's a wide range of oozes from D&D's early days that all have similar constructions: black pudding, gray ooze, green slime, and ochre jelly all come to mind. So I assume that the name itself was really just that simple—a color plus a slime synonym.
I remember a line from the forward to a book of Joseph Payne Brennan stories, though I'm not sure who wrote it. Might have been Stephen King. The line was "Now I'm going to turn you over to Joseph Payne Brennan. For God's sake, don't let go of his arm!" :-)
Obligatory question: what's your favorite gish class or multi-class setup?
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I remember a line from the forward to a book of Joseph Payne Brennan stories, though I'm not sure who wrote it. Might have been Stephen King. The line was "Now I'm going to turn you over to Joseph Payne Brennan. For God's sake, don't let go of his arm!" :-)
Obligatory question: what's your favorite gish class or multi-class setup?
My favorite gish is the original githyanki gish. That's all I consider a gish. The word to me isn't even a very pleasant sounding word... it sounds like the noise livestock make when they have intestinal distress or illnesses.
My favorite multi-class combo is probably fighter/bard.
At risk of sounding like a broken record, on the topic of literacy in Golarion (which you said, if I am correct, to be the assumption) how do people even become literate? I do not recall seeing any schools in any APs. If their parents teach them, how do they have the time since in the medieval times (specifically, the medieval agricultural/manufacturing) Golarion assumes, no one had time to learn to read because they had to farm all day?
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Hi James,
Sorry to ask what is probably an obvious question. I would like an official response to this if possible. I am an Expert in Medicine which means I can attempt a DC 20 to increase the Hitponts. If I fail to reach the 20, but make the 15, say I roll 18, does this mean my Patient receives no Hitpoints, not even the DC 15 2d8?
Also is the critical success DC30 (4d8) if I'm attempting a 20 (being an expert) or 25 as in DC15. I realise my patient gets nothing if I fail DC15 (or other DC as determined by the GM and do damage on a critical failure, but what is the crit based off. What I am attempting or DC15.
Thanks in advance for your answer,
Andrew
Please direct actual rules questions to the appropriate forum. I avoid answering rules questions here, and even though I am 100% comfortable making "official" judgments while working on adventures or publications or in my own games, I've been bitten by other gamers or fellow employees for posting rules question answers here, since it can confuse customers and employees alike whether or not I, as a Creative Director and Developer can provide "official" rules clarifications, or whether that can only come from someone on the actual Design Team.
That said... how I run it in My Games: If you try to do a riskier thing, you don't get to keep the less risky result as a safety net. Choose one or the other. You don't get both.
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At risk of sounding like a broken record, on the topic of literacy in Golarion (which you said, if I am correct, to be the assumption) how do people even become literate? I do not recall seeing any schools in any APs. If their parents teach them, how do they have the time since in the medieval times (specifically, the medieval agricultural/manufacturing) Golarion assumes, no one had time to learn to read because they had to farm all day?
By being taught to read, or by learning to read themselves. Same way in the real world. You can be taught to read by a teacher, a friend, a parent, a sibling, an employer, or whoever. It's irrelevant to game balance, so feel free to pick whatever you want for your own character if that's important to your character's background.
If Pathfinder and Golarion were attempting to be a 100% accurate representation of the medieval era of European history, then I'd have a different answer. But that's not the game I write for.
AND: At the risk of sounding like a broken record myself: I really suspect you'd have more fun with an entirely different game than Pathfinder. It just really seems like you don't enjoy the game, and have more fun complaining about it. On the off chance that complaining about a game IS what's fun for you, please take that topic elsewhere. It's tiring and obnoxious to provide answer after answer and feel like I'm talking to a brick wall.
EDIT FOR CLARIFICATION: I absolutely do enjoy answering questions like "how do people learn to read in Golarion" and the like. If those questions are interesting to anyone, please don't hesitate to ask them! The part that I find tiresome and obnoxious is when someone repeatedly keeps re-asking the same question with slight variations when they simply don't agree with my answer; it feels very passive-agressive and confrontational and doesn't make me want to keep answering questions here.
SO if you ask a question and don't like my answer, I'm sorry. But please don't keep asking in hopes I'll change it. And please don't try to constantly "prove me wrong" by citing things like "in the real world..."
In the Salvation War web novel series, the forces of modern earth are sufficient to defeat demons and conquer hell. In a GATE fanfic, a hydrogen bomb is enough to kill a god. Is either applicable to DnD3.X or PF?
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In the Salvation War web novel series, the forces of modern earth are sufficient to defeat demons and conquer hell. In a GATE fanfic, a hydrogen bomb is enough to kill a god. Is either applicable to DnD3.X or PF?
Why would it be? Not every piece of fiction has to play by the same rules. That's ridiculous. The best thing about fiction is that it's fiction, and each and every story can do its own thing and spark the imagination in different ways.
One of the great delights of TRPGs is that you get to build your own rules and your own setting as a GM. If you want to run a game like in Salvation War, go for it!
I've recently started watching Game of Thrones (a bit late to the party I know) I've made it through the first three seasons and it's honestly better than I expected. I was curious what your favorite season was?
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I've recently started watching Game of Thrones (a bit late to the party I know) I've made it through the first three seasons and it's honestly better than I expected. I was curious what your favorite season was?
Hmmm... that's a tricky thing to sort out for me, since I watched it as it aired and was staggered at how good it was and how it did such a good job adapting the novels (until it ran out of novels to adapt, of course!). And since I haven't gone back and watched it a 2nd time (I generally don't re-watch series), I don't really have a clear concept in my head of what season is what. I liked the whole thing, and am in the minority on the internet in that I did enjoy the final season as well. My only complaint there is that it was too short... but that's just another way of saying I liked the show so much that I was sad it came to an end.
The show certainly wasn't perfect, and it made a few changes to the source material I didn't like, and a few times it did some stuff that I actively disliked/hated, but it was really pretty excellent all around.
Can you explain how Animate Dead works, and why isn't considered an evil spell compared to create dead? If possible, also explain summon fiend at the same time?
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Can you explain how Animate Dead works, and why isn't considered an evil spell compared to create dead? If possible, also explain summon fiend at the same time?
Those were decisions made by the design team without input by me. They're not the choices I would have made, but it's the choices that were made.
So I justify it by saying these spells manifest the undead or fiend as with any other summon spell, manifesting them for the duration of the spell. These things don't exist before the spell is cast, and when the spell is over or they're slain, they also don't exist. And since they're under the control of the caster, then they have no real free will to do much of anything on their own.
In play, if a Pharasma worshiping character cast animate dead, or a Sarenrae worshiping character cast summon fiend, I'd chat with the player about how that would result in alignment repercussions in the same way a fighter stabbing a farmer for no reason would. And I wouldn't have NPCs in games I write or publish have out-of-character spells like this.
But as written, there's nothing inherently evil about these spells. Adjust that in your game if you want.
How much do you figure an average person in Golarion would know about the Outer Planes in terms of afterlife? Like, I would assume there's some real-world analogous idea of "if you're good, you go to heaven", but what about for communities with non-LG-aligned dominant religions? Do kids in Cheliax get told to behave so they'll go to Hell when they die, the same way?
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How much do you figure an average person in Golarion would know about the Outer Planes in terms of afterlife? Like, I would assume there's some real-world analogous idea of "if you're good, you go to heaven", but what about for communities with non-LG-aligned dominant religions? Do kids in Cheliax get told to behave so they'll go to Hell when they die, the same way?
If by "average person" you mean the typical 1st level commoner or expert, then not much at all. There's certainly common knowledge that there's an afterlife, and that there are outsiders and gods and all that, but the person's faith and their upbringing will color that information if they don't actually take ranks in Religion or a Lore skill associated with another plane.
Taking Cheliax in particular, they're probably fed the Asmodean line of "Do well, obey the government, follow orders, and in the afterlife you will be awarded a position of power in the ranks of the infernal. Fail, and you will be eternally tortured."
If by "average person" you mean the typical 1st level commoner or expert, then not much at all. There's certainly common knowledge that there's an afterlife, and that there are outsiders and gods and all that, but the person's faith and their upbringing will color that information if they don't actually take ranks in Religion or a Lore skill associated with another plane.Taking Cheliax in particular, they're probably fed the Asmodean line of "Do well, obey the government, follow orders, and in the afterlife you will be awarded a position of power in the ranks of the infernal. Fail, and you will be eternally tortured."
Thanks for the answer!
I'm also specifically curious about Vyre. I'm playing a TN cleric of Norgorber currently, and I'd like your thoughts on what's a reasonable perspective for him.
In the Salvation War web novel series, the forces of modern earth are sufficient to defeat demons and conquer hell. In a GATE fanfic, a hydrogen bomb is enough to kill a god. Is either applicable to DnD3.X or PF?Why would it be? Not every piece of fiction has to play by the same rules. That's ridiculous. The best thing about fiction is that it's fiction, and each and every story can do its own thing and spark the imagination in different ways.
One of the great delights of TRPGs is that you get to build your own rules and your own setting as a GM. If you want to run a game like in Salvation War, go for it!
I believe you misunderstood me. What either be possible for PF hell/gods?
How is Lovecraft Country?
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If by "average person" you mean the typical 1st level commoner or expert, then not much at all. There's certainly common knowledge that there's an afterlife, and that there are outsiders and gods and all that, but the person's faith and their upbringing will color that information if they don't actually take ranks in Religion or a Lore skill associated with another plane.Taking Cheliax in particular, they're probably fed the Asmodean line of "Do well, obey the government, follow orders, and in the afterlife you will be awarded a position of power in the ranks of the infernal. Fail, and you will be eternally tortured."
Thanks for the answer!
I'm also specifically curious about Vyre. I'm playing a TN cleric of Norgorber currently, and I'd like your thoughts on what's a reasonable perspective for him.
I don't really have many thoughts on a neutral cleric of Norgorber, to be honest; in my head, he's a bad dude and his followers are bad as well. I guess maybe lean in to the keeper of secrets side of things.
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I believe you misunderstood me. What either be possible for PF hell/gods?In the Salvation War web novel series, the forces of modern earth are sufficient to defeat demons and conquer hell. In a GATE fanfic, a hydrogen bomb is enough to kill a god. Is either applicable to DnD3.X or PF?Why would it be? Not every piece of fiction has to play by the same rules. That's ridiculous. The best thing about fiction is that it's fiction, and each and every story can do its own thing and spark the imagination in different ways.
One of the great delights of TRPGs is that you get to build your own rules and your own setting as a GM. If you want to run a game like in Salvation War, go for it!
No.
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How is Lovecraft Country?
The first few episodes were really good, and then they do something that's pretty lame/transphobic that the writer has since apologized for. The shows after that get mostly better but never quite get over that mistake. I get what they were going for—that marginalized people can commit atrocities on other marginalized people, but it felt out of place and just poorly handled.
Speaking of oozes, do you know the origin of the D&D monster name Black Pudding (and associated white, dun, etc. puddings?) The "black" part is obvious, since it's the color, but is the pudding part of the name as obvious as Gary Gygax thought an animated chocolate pudding which dissolved you like the Blob, or some other origin?I don't know the exact origin, although knowing Gygax's fondness for the pulps, it's possible that the shoggoth might have inspired the black pudding. There's plenty of other pulpy slime stories too; Joseph Payne Brennan's "Slime" comes to mind, about a black slime monster coming up out of the ocean to attack a small town. That short story was published a few years before the Blob hit movie theaters, and is generally credited with helping to inspire a fair number of animated slimes.
As for the name... there's a wide range of oozes from D&D's early days that all have similar constructions: black pudding, gray ooze, green slime, and ochre jelly all come to mind. So I assume that the name itself was really just that simple—a color plus a slime synonym.
It has also been speculated (by none other than Rob Kunst) that the various slimes and puddings were inspired by the Formless Spawn from Clark Ashton Smith's "The Tale of Satampra Zeiros" (1929).
Another pussible source would be the "blancmange" sketch(es) from Monty Python, which aired in the US starting in 1974, although perhaps Gary or other Wisconsonites could have seen it earlier on Canadian TV. The blancmange had very ooze-like behavior, pursuing people and even eating them.