I have 3 ideas for Pathfinder Society and will be submitting one soon.
Good luck, sir!
With Skull & Shackles announced I've seen a number of posts on how paladins fit in a pirate campaign. Personally I'm more concerned about the Cavalier. I know it's 8 or so months out, but do you think the player's guide will have options on aquatic, flying, or amphibious mounts for cavaliers, or is a cavalier just a bad idea for this AP? An Order of the Cockatrice cavalier just screams pirate to me.
I guess it's possible this question will be moot once Ultimate Combat is out.
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Those all sound like great PC classes... but I'm not sure "baby-eater" is quite PC. :)On no Watch it, here comes Mod Flanders screaming "Won't some one please think of the Children."
A) It's Maude Flanders, not Mod
2) It's Helen Lovejoy that's always screaming that on The Simpsonsiii) Really, after Hook Mountain Massacre, you think Paizo has problems with "not PC"?
Those all sound like great PC classes... but I'm not sure "baby-eater" is quite PC. :)On no Watch it, here comes Mod Flanders screaming "Won't some one please think of the Children."A) It's Maude Flanders, not Mod
2) It's Helen Lovejoy that's always screaming that on The Simpsons
iii) Really, after Hook Mountain Massacre, you think Paizo has problems with "not PC"?
You did not get my sarcasm,
**Note to my defense, Maude Flanders did say it once
Will we ever see an AP with a storm giant were-tyrannosaurus?Doubtful. As neat as that might seem, it's also VERY "wahoo."
A storm giant is already pretty outlandish and neat and exciting. There's not really any reason to go over the top and make him a lycanthrope as well, especially since there's just not a lot of real world justification in myths and tales and stories about were-tyrannosauruses.
The author of such an NPC would have to justify it with some INCREDIBLY well-done writing, and even then there's an excellent chance I'll just say, "Just make it a storm giant druid."
What about a frost giant were-mammoth?
Why is it that my Cats will only do something funny when my digital camera is on charge, but when it's fully charged, they just laze around the house demanding belly-rubs and pork-liver treats?Because they enjoy vexing you, obviously!
Since I've been taking care of them literally the second they were squeezed out of their mom, and their mother was a little stray with a bullet-hole in her leg, does this qualify as a 'Sharper than the serpent's fang' treatment?
Also, given the choice, which prehistoric animal would you have as a pet, and how would you have the animal altered to fit into your current lifestyle? (obvious, leading question, I know).
Creative Director
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What about a frost giant were-mammoth?Will we ever see an AP with a storm giant were-tyrannosaurus?Doubtful. As neat as that might seem, it's also VERY "wahoo."
A storm giant is already pretty outlandish and neat and exciting. There's not really any reason to go over the top and make him a lycanthrope as well, especially since there's just not a lot of real world justification in myths and tales and stories about were-tyrannosauruses.
The author of such an NPC would have to justify it with some INCREDIBLY well-done writing, and even then there's an excellent chance I'll just say, "Just make it a storm giant druid."
Even goofier.
Lycanthropes are best when the animal part is at least partially carnivorous, due to the fact that they traditionally transmit their curse with a bite.
Honestly, I much prefer lycanthropes that have strong roots in mythology (werewolves, werejaguars) and in fiction that predates my birth (wererats). Once you start getting "made-up" lycanthropes in the mix that can exist merely because the lycanthrope template technically allows that mix to happen... I grow MUCH less interested in seeing them ever show up in print.
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Also, given the choice, which prehistoric animal would you have as a pet, and how would you have the animal altered to fit into your current lifestyle? (obvious, leading question, I know).
Velociraptor. Something like a Deinonychus or Tyrannosaurus would rock, but they're a bit TOO big to keep as pets. Same with grizzly bears or sperm whales.
But a velociraptor's nice and managable and smart and (hopefully) tamable.
I wouldn't have the animal altered at all to fit my lifestyle. I would change my lifestyle to fit the animal.
The Aspis Consortium can be easily lampooned because 'Aspis' sounds like filthy words. Was this an intentional boon to chaotic good types who might want to mock them, or merely a happy coincidence?
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Creative Director
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The Aspis Consortium can be easily lampooned because 'Aspis' sounds like filthy words. Was this an intentional boon to chaotic good types who might want to mock them, or merely a happy coincidence?
It's actually a real world word. It's a type of shield. As for why we chose that word... I can't say off the top of my head. I believe it was Erik Mona that came up with the name.
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Intrestingly, Aspis is also the name of a snake from jewish mythology and, of course, the latin name of the Asp .
Which makes it all more intriguing.
The Aspis Consortium can be easily lampooned because 'Aspis' sounds like filthy words. Was this an intentional boon to chaotic good types who might want to mock them, or merely a happy coincidence?It's actually a real world word. It's a type of shield. As for why we chose that word... I can't say off the top of my head. I believe it was Erik Mona that came up with the name.
Would a Cleric that does not use their God(s) favoured weapon be considered odd by the rest of his or her order? For example, a Dwarven Cleric of Torag who prefers to use a Longspear or Dwarven Waraxe over the Warhammer or a Calistria-worshipper who fought exclusively with Unarmed Strikes?
Obviously nothing mechanical is standing in their way, but from a flavour point of view, and as one of the guys and gals who pretty much is the core of the Pathfinder/Golarion world-view, would such a Cleric be viewed as a bit odd or off, even if they weren't one of the Separatist Archetype Clerics?
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James,
Should giving an NPC a cohort (as with the Hands of Slaughter in the Rival Guide) add anything to his CR? What about NPCs (or graveknights) who can command undead--should the undead they have with them add to the encounter level?
Devils can summon other devils with limited success. In the cases where this works, should it increase the CR of the encounter (since it only works some of the time)?
Thanks.
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Those all sound like great PC classes... but I'm not sure "baby-eater" is quite PC. :)On no Watch it, here comes Mod Flanders screaming "Won't some one please think of the Children."A) It's Maude Flanders, not Mod
2) It's Helen Lovejoy that's always screaming that on The Simpsons
iii) Really, after Hook Mountain Massacre, you think Paizo has problems with "not PC"?You did not get my sarcasm,
**Note to my defense, Maude Flanders did say it once
And given that I answered you in the form of A), 2), iii), you missed mine as well.
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Creative Director
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Intrestingly, Aspis is also the name of a snake from jewish mythology and, of course, the latin name of the Asp .
Which makes it all more intriguing.
Yup; which is also part of the reason why it's such a cool word choice for the group.
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What are your thoughts about sorcerer sigils and multiclass archetypes?
Interesting, although I only skimmed it because I'm eager to go play a video game... :-P
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Would a Cleric that does not use their God(s) favoured weapon be considered odd by the rest of his or her order? For example, a Dwarven Cleric of Torag who prefers to use a Longspear or Dwarven Waraxe over the Warhammer or a Calistria-worshipper who fought exclusively with Unarmed Strikes?
Obviously nothing mechanical is standing in their way, but from a flavour point of view, and as one of the guys and gals who pretty much is the core of the Pathfinder/Golarion world-view, would such a Cleric be viewed as a bit odd or off, even if they weren't one of the Separatist Archetype Clerics?
Not at all. Clerics are free to use any weapon they wish. They might still carry the favored weapon on them out of respect... but even then that's not required. Clerics who don't fight with favored weapons are not considered weird by their fellow worshipers at all. Well... maybe a LITTLE weird, but PC clerics do plenty that their NPC kin would think is weird.
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Creative Director
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James,
Should giving an NPC a cohort (as with the Hands of Slaughter in the Rival Guide) add anything to his CR? What about NPCs (or graveknights) who can command undead--should the undead they have with them add to the encounter level?
Devils can summon other devils with limited success. In the cases where this works, should it increase the CR of the encounter (since it only works some of the time)?
Thanks.
If you give an NPC a cohort via Leadership, that doesn't up his CR at all.
Neither does it up the CR of a monster capable of controlling or summoning allies. The fact that those monsters can control or summon allies is built into their CR already.
While you would hand out extra XP for cohorts slain and for undead commanded, you don't hand out extra XP for summoned allies. Although depending on the nature of the encounter, I sometimes DO hand out XP for summoned monsters, especially if the summoner doesn't take part in the encounter other than to send a minion out to do some work.
Can you stand up from prone and then take a 5-foot step?
Does the Mobility feat apply when standing up from prone?
How can you use Trick Riding twice per round if each use of your Ride skill to avoid an attack is an Immediate Action? My understanding is that you can only take one Immediate Action per round (Core 189).
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Creative Director
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How can you use Trick Riding twice per round if each use of your Ride skill to avoid an attack is an Immediate Action? My understanding is that you can only take one Immediate Action per round (Core 189).
When you ask questions about non-core rules, it helps to tell me what book you're looking at (and even whether you're asking about a feat, spell, class ability, or whatever).
I don't have the books and their contents memorized.
How can you use Trick Riding twice per round if each use of your Ride skill to avoid an attack is an Immediate Action? My understanding is that you can only take one Immediate Action per round (Core 189).
When you ask questions about non-core rules, it helps to tell me what book you're looking at (and even whether you're asking about a feat, spell, class ability, or whatever).
I don't have the books and their contents memorized.
trick riding is a feat from the apg.
How can you use Trick Riding twice per round if each use of your Ride skill to avoid an attack is an Immediate Action? My understanding is that you can only take one Immediate Action per round (Core 189).
When you ask questions about non-core rules, it helps to tell me what book you're looking at (and even whether you're asking about a feat, spell, class ability, or whatever).
I don't have the books and their contents memorized.
Sorry, my bad.
You are not only skilled at controlling a horse in combat;
you can make it look like art.
Prerequisites: Ride 9 ranks, Mounted Combat.
Benefit: While wearing light or no armor, you do not
need to make Ride skill checks for any task listed in the
Ride skill with a DC of 15 or lower. You do not take a
–5 penalty for riding a mount bareback. You can make
a check using Mounted Combat to negate a hit on your
mount twice per round instead of just once.
Thanks for taking the time to answer this as well. We really appreciate it.
Hi James--
I love the way Golarion has a space for just about any adventure you could imagine while still allowing GMs to refine the world to their own preferences. In my Golarion, for instance, gunpowder weapons are manufactured exclusively in Alkenstar and are pretty damn rare everywhere else (although priced at the Emerging Guns level).
My question is this: are some parts of Golarion a little too weird to be tackled in an official/commercial product such as an Adventure Path? (I say Adventure Path specifically because if areas like Numeria or Alkenstar were to be explored, I'd vastly prefer it to be in a proper Adventure Path manner with good supporting materials.)
I'm aware that you have said in the past that you personally are keen to do a Numeria AP and that visiting Alkenstar has its own problems. But, commercially speaking, (especially given your comment about the 'magic formula' of an AP, which surely would have to include the concept of relatively standard fantasy setting tropes as one of the ingredients) are we likely to see a Numeria- or Alkenstar-based AP? And if so, are we likely to see either 'soon'?
No need to expand upon what you've said in the past, or to reveal any upcoming product details. In fact I'd be perfectly happy with (unequivocal!) one-word answers to both questions.
--Mike
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Creative Director
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How can you use Trick Riding twice per round if each use of your Ride skill to avoid an attack is an Immediate Action? My understanding is that you can only take one Immediate Action per round (Core 189).
Normally you can only take one Immediate action per round. Trick Riding breaks that rule, but ONLY for making a Mounted Combat check to negate a hit on your mount. Immediate actions still work the same... but Trick Riding bends the rules in this case.
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Creative Director
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My question is this: are some parts of Golarion a little too weird to be tackled in an official/commercial product such as an Adventure Path? (I say Adventure Path specifically because if areas like Numeria or Alkenstar were to be explored, I'd vastly prefer it to be in a proper Adventure Path manner with good supporting materials.)
I'm aware that you have said in the past that you personally are keen to do a Numeria AP and that visiting Alkenstar has its own problems. But, commercially speaking, (especially given your comment about the 'magic formula' of an AP, which surely would have to include the concept of relatively standard fantasy setting tropes as one of the ingredients) are we likely to see a Numeria- or Alkenstar-based AP? And if so, are we likely to see either 'soon'?
No need to expand upon what you've said in the past, or to reveal any upcoming product details. In fact I'd be perfectly happy with (unequivocal!) one-word answers to both questions.
--Mike
I don't think there's ANY area in Golarion that's "too weird" to eventually be tackled in an Adventure Path... but there are certainly some regions that are "too weird" to do at the drop of a hat. A region like the Mana Wastes or Numeria would make an EXCELLENT site for an AP, I think, but the timing of that AP needs to be handled with care. Not only because we want to handle it right, and not only because we want to minimize possible "mass subscription dropoffs," but mostly because the more off-core a location gets, the more support material we need.
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The Changeling from the Pathfinder #43 has –2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma racial adjustments. Is that one time only divergence from the usual race design philosophy (races have bonus to one physical and one mental stat, and penalty to one mental stat), or future trend? Also, would you consider +2 to Intelligence as more appropriate for the Changeling? Will this race be changed in any significant way in the future ARG?
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Creative Director
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The Changeling from the Pathfinder #43 has –2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma racial adjustments. Is that one time only divergence from the usual race design philosophy (races have bonus to one physical and one mental stat, and penalty to one mental stat), or future trend? Also, would you consider +2 to Intelligence as more appropriate for the Changeling? Will this race be changed in any significant way in the future ARG?
Although the core race ability score modifiers are indeed set up that way, that's not really a philosophy; it's just kind of the way it worked out. We'll certainly be limiting the zero HD races intended as core races for a setting to the +2/+2/–2 pattern, but where those modifiers land will depend on the race, not anything else.
The changeling won't be changing. I think its ability score adjustments are spot on.
is there any Lovecraftian creatures/stuff/plots in the Land of the Linnorm Kings?Nope; not really.
Is that because the fey scared all the Lovecraftian stuff away?
I do not think that is so much that they were scared it was that the fey creatures were just so nausiatingly cute that they ran at the mere sight of there cuteness. But seriously will this book have any Fey love? also is this most powerful linnorm a unique creature like in the myths or the name of a actual type of linnorm?
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Is that because the fey scared all the Lovecraftian stuff away?is there any Lovecraftian creatures/stuff/plots in the Land of the Linnorm Kings?Nope; not really.
Nope. It's because we already have quite a few Lovecraft-friendly regions in the Inner Sea region (Varisia, Ustalav, and Osirion all leap immediately to mind). And since there's relatively little tradition of Lovecraftian mayhem in Viking Land... that's all I need to say that there's not a lot of Lovecraft in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings.
The Realm of the Mammoth Lords, which is a lot closer to Robert E Howard's stories, is an entirely different matter. I suspect there's some REH style mythos stuff going on there.
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Creative Director
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I do not think that is so much that they were scared it was that the fey creatures were just so nausiatingly cute that they ran at the mere sight of there cuteness. But seriously will this book have any Fey love? also is this most powerful linnorm a unique creature like in the myths or the name of a actual type of linnorm?
The fey and the First World have an established place in the Linnorm Kingdoms. They'll be well-represented in the Linnorm Kingdoms book.
Can you use the "Telekinesis" spell to perform combat manuvers from the APG?
Is the Linnorm in the Linnorm king book unique or an actual type of linnorm?
What is, in your opinion, the most dangerous continent on Golarian?
Is there any place on Golarian were dragons can be found in large numbers? like a flight of dragons or a species that has formed some sort of social structure.
How many moons does golarian have and are they inhabbited?