Creative Director
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So I think I have come up with a suitable alternative to awful awful gnomes. When the Advanced Race guide comes out I will recreate kobolds as a core race and then in my game lore of Golarion gnomes did exist at one time but there seperation from the first world drove them mad and they all eventually transformed into spriggans. What do you think?
Lame.
Gnomes are cool.
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Creative Director
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Reading over the Ruby Phoenix Tournament I noticed that material from Ultimate Combat was used (a book I don't have) and was wondering in general how base-book friendly will the Skull and Shackles A.P. be (since the first book will be written by the same author)?
Ruby Phoenix is written by Tim Hitchcok. Skull & Shackles #1 is written by Richard Pett.
That said, we try to limit the amount of non-core stuff we use in adventures—for something like Ruby Phoenix Tournament that uses lots of ninja and performance combat stuff... it's kinda impossible. For something less unusual, like pirates, it's easier...
... but we WILL continue using content from non-core books. Not supporting the books we publish by not using content from those books in adventures and other things we publish is not a good idea. That's also why we make the PDFs of the rulebooks so cheap, and why we put all the rules online in the PRD for free anyway.
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Creative Director
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On a more thread-appropriate note, what are your thoughts on integrating accents or foreign languages at the table? For example, when the oracle in my game is forced to use celestial (or chooses to), he begins speaking in Latin. In the Ravenloft game I just started playing in, I'm from the French-inspired region so I'm trying to slip in some simple French phrases for flavor.
I approve!
Is there any way the lusca will be different from, say, a normal giant octopus? Would it look anything like a shark with tentacles where the tail fin should be? That's a common pic i see whenever I google LuscaThe lusca is, in fact, a three-headed sharktopus. It's relatively extreme.
Not sure if joking or telling the truth. I can only pray it's the latter ;)
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Creative Director
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Not sure if joking or telling the truth. I can only pray it's the latter ;)Is there any way the lusca will be different from, say, a normal giant octopus? Would it look anything like a shark with tentacles where the tail fin should be? That's a common pic i see whenever I google LuscaThe lusca is, in fact, a three-headed sharktopus. It's relatively extreme.
I'm telling the truth so hard that we illustrated the lusca twice in "Isles of the Shackles."
Sea Monsters are, in other words, no joking matter.
Except for that one mermaid with the absolutely hilarious stand-up set.
And no, I have no idea how she managed to remain standing up for all of it.
... but we WILL continue using content from non-core books. Not supporting the books we publish by not using content from those books in adventures and other things we publish is not a good idea. That's also why we make the PDFs of the rulebooks so cheap, and why we put all the rules online in the PRD for free anyway.
What is a real good thing! Even while i dream of shelf units with all Pathfinder books in my future living room, the PDF´s and the PRD are super handy.
Now if you find a agreement with paypal and start a PFS advertisement campaign in middle europe, you would just put unbelieveable awesomeness on top of incredible awesomeness!Do you have a girlfriend or are you married?
Just imagine you come to europe on a promotion tour for PFS. All the cute girls with the french and german and spanish accents, graving for autographs from you. That would probably so cool you would want to design a new class like Valkyre or something afterwards, just like from Wizardry.
Was my Kobolds question too sensitive? :(
Not sure if joking or telling the truth. I can only pray it's the latter ;)Is there any way the lusca will be different from, say, a normal giant octopus? Would it look anything like a shark with tentacles where the tail fin should be? That's a common pic i see whenever I google LuscaThe lusca is, in fact, a three-headed sharktopus. It's relatively extreme.I'm telling the truth so hard that we illustrated the lusca twice in "Isles of the Shackles."
Sea Monsters are, in other words, no joking matter.
Excellent... :D
JJ is Ed Greenwood going to be back at Paizocon? I enjoyed drinking with him. I still have the dirty pictures he drew :)
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Creative Director
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Was my Kobolds question too sensitive? :(
Nope... I just skipped it, intending to go back later to look again at Classic Monsters Revisited and then forgot.
But yeah; that book talks about it. There's a reason why we usually illustrate kobolds with red, white, blue, black, or green scales.
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Creative Director
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Now if you find a agreement with paypal and start a PFS advertisement campaign in middle europe, you would just put unbelieveable awesomeness on top of incredible awesomeness!
Do you have a girlfriend or are you married?
Just imagine you come to europe on a promotion tour for PFS. All the cute girls with the french and german and spanish accents, graving for autographs from you. That would probably so cool you would want to design a new class like Valkyre or something afterwards, just like from Wizardry.
The issue with paypal is, I believe, 99.5% concerns about how secure paypal transactions are. I'm not up to date on all the details, but due to the fact that we run a webstore in the same building we publish... security is actually REALLY pretty tight around Paizo.
No girlfriend. Not married.
And yeah... accents are indeed cute...
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Creative Director
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More question about converting Red hand of doom to pathfinder.
1) what place in golarion would be the best to place the Elsir vale?
2) would you think that the use of thee golarion phanteon cause some kind of problem?
3) I can not find much information about golarion`s Tiamat, does she behave like the old Tiamat?
1) Isger.
2) If you mean "Golarion Pantheon," then no. If you mean "Golarion Phanaton," then yes, since phanatons are (alas!) not open content.
3) There really isn't a "Golarion Tiamat" at all. Because I prefer her to act and behave and be just like D&D's Tiamat if she shows up at all, and that version of Tiamat is not open content.
James,
Over at the PFS section there is some confusion on how the UMD Skill works in regards to emulating a class. The question was targeted at Ring of Revelation. The argument is can a non-oracle utilize the ring to gain temporary access to a revelation with a sufficient roll of UMD?Some argue that no, you have to be an Oracle, and if you're not UMD won't help you.
Others say that UMD circumvents those standard preventions.
Use Magic Device will let you trick an item into thinking you're a different class... but it does not grant the POWERS of that class. The way the ring of revelation is worded pretty much means you HAVE to be an Oracle (aka you have to meet minimum level requirements in class abilities granted by the oracle class, since the powers granted directly affect that ability rather than grant you NEW abilities). Furthermore, the ring specifically says that it has no effect if worn by a non-oracle.
SO. Best case scenario, you could Use Magic Device to trick the ring into activating, but if you don't actually have class levels in oracle, the ring will do nothing more than take up a ring slot for you.
So I have to ask, this was an argument my group had years ago when the rogue did a UMD to trick a door that needed to be turned (by a cleric) to open; I ruled that he could indeed trick the door, but he didn't have the actual class ability to channel energy so the door didn't open. Is this a valid reading taking into consideration what you posted?
Difference is you are tricking the door that you used channel, not that you are capable of channeling. Door shoulda opened. The ring example is affecting something you shoulda have, if you don't have it you get jack.
JJ is this how you spend your evenings unwinding?
Did you have any neato inspirations for the names of the ships from Souls for Smugglers Shiv you care to share?
Ah, I believe my GM has that. As does the flgs...I'll look at picking CMR up.
I know you are usually too busy to check out 3pp stuff...but based on the current sea monster discussion, I'm wondering what you think about this cover for one of Super Genius Games' offerings
Hi James, I'm starting up Jade Reagent in a week or two (played We Be Goblins last weekend) and I'm a little concerned that my portrayal of the NPCs along with the caravan will wind up a bit bland. I'm not great at running several different NPCs and keeping their personalities separate and distinct.
1) Do you have any tips for playing those particular NPCs?
2) Any general tips for running multiple NPCs and keeping them interesting?
Cheapy that looks really weird.
How about a giant kraken whose nose looks like a supersexy mermaid. He just sticks his nose out of the water, makes something like fascinate while his tentacles board the ship, slowly grappling the sailors and dragging them underwater into his mouth. The mouth looks like a real octopus mouth, what looks already scary. It really hurts when they bite you.
You could also do something in reference to this:
Japanese Octopus
The intent is basically to compel a person into giving you something they intend to hurt you with, be it a wand or a weapon or whatever. Uses beyond that are many and varied.James,
What's the intent behind beguiling gift? It mentions cursed items, but that seems unlikely to be the main idea, given it's a first-level spell.
Are you just supposed to be disarming people by making them drop their swords to hold your crap?
Are you supposed to be handing them poison?
What about handing a druid a steel shield? Does that do what it sounds like it might?
*cough*APPLEOFETERNALSLEEP*cough*
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Creative Director
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So I have to ask, this was an argument my group had years ago when the rogue did a UMD to trick a door that needed to be turned (by a cleric) to open; I ruled that he could indeed trick the door, but he didn't have the actual class ability to channel energy so the door didn't open. Is this a valid reading taking into consideration what you posted?
No... if the Rogue had UMD'd an item that enhances existing channel energy abilities, then yeah, it wouldn't have worked. But using UMD to trigger a magic item into thinking you have a class ability is precisely what the skill is for; that situation should have allowed the rogue to open the door. Especially if the party didn't have a cleric.
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Creative Director
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JJ is this how you spend your evenings unwinding?
Did you have any neato inspirations for the names of the ships from Souls for Smugglers Shiv you care to share?
Not really... unwinding for me is usually watching a movie or playing a video game.
As for the ship names... nothing unusual. Just the same old obsession with all things nautical, I guess.
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Creative Director
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Ah, I believe my GM has that. As does the flgs...I'll look at picking CMR up.
I know you are usually too busy to check out 3pp stuff...but based on the current sea monster discussion, I'm wondering what you think about this cover for one of Super Genius Games' offerings
HA! That dinosaur is wearing an octopus!
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Creative Director
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Hi James, I'm starting up Jade Reagent in a week or two (played We Be Goblins last weekend) and I'm a little concerned that my portrayal of the NPCs along with the caravan will wind up a bit bland. I'm not great at running several different NPCs and keeping their personalities separate and distinct.
1) Do you have any tips for playing those particular NPCs?
2) Any general tips for running multiple NPCs and keeping them interesting?
Well... Jade Regent is gonna test you then. Because running multiple NPCs is a big part of it.
1) Beyond what's in their NPC writeups... don't be afraid to embrace stereotypes. Having an NPC play up a stereotype is a great crutch to help keep the NPC's personality in the players' minds.
2) Print out pictures and have them clipped to your GM screen or on the table—point to the pictures whenever an NPC does stuff so the players start to associate actions with the images. And if you can... develop distinctive voices for them.
You could even let your players "adopt" the NPCs and play them as secondary characters in combat if you want.
...and even dwarves are probably safe, since their fans tend to be loud and scary.
Ah'm not loud.
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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James ("Mr. Jacobs"?),
I fear that a flamewar will soon be erupting in another section of the boards unless you can answer this question (long story).
As I alluded to in a previous post, what happens if I cast beguiling gift on a druid, he (somehow) fails his Will save, and I hand him a steel shield? Does he equip it and lose his magic for a day? Does he equip it but can still choose not to "use" it and therefore not lose his powers? Does something else happen?
For the sake of some posters whom I won't name, I hope you have an answer.
Help me T-rex wan Kenobi, you're their only hope...
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Creative Director
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James ("Mr. Jacobs"?),
I fear that a flamewar will soon be erupting in another section of the boards unless you can answer this question (long story).
As I alluded to in a previous post, what happens if I cast beguiling gift on a druid, he (somehow) fails his Will save, and I hand him a steel shield? Does he equip it and lose his magic for a day? Does he equip it but can still choose not to "use" it and therefore not lose his powers? Does something else happen?
For the sake of some posters whom I won't name, I hope you have an answer.
Help me T-rex wan Kenobi, you're their only hope...
Beguiling gift is a compulsion. As such, it does not have the capacity to "overwrite" a person's beliefs. Just as using charm person or dominate person to make them do something against their will (such as making a druid equip a steel shield, or in a more extreme situation making a paladin kill an innocent child) doesn't adversely affect their alignment or class abilities, neither should beguiling gift.
The victim of such a sneaky and underhanded attempt would still likely feel violated and creeped out and scandalized by the whole thing. Once they regain control of their actions, they should immediately (or as quickly as possible) get rid of the offending item. If they choose of their own free will to keep using the item, ONLY THEN would there be actual ramifications on the character's class abilities.
Whether or not this answer has any effect on muting the imminent flame war I can't say. I hope it does. My cynical side thinks it'll just fan the flames.
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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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James ("Mr. Jacobs"?),
I fear that a flamewar will soon be erupting in another section of the boards unless you can answer this question (long story).
As I alluded to in a previous post, what happens if I cast beguiling gift on a druid, he (somehow) fails his Will save, and I hand him a steel shield? Does he equip it and lose his magic for a day? Does he equip it but can still choose not to "use" it and therefore not lose his powers? Does something else happen?
For the sake of some posters whom I won't name, I hope you have an answer.
Help me T-rex wan Kenobi, you're their only hope...
Beguiling gift is a compulsion. As such, it does not have the capacity to "overwrite" a person's beliefs. Just as using charm person or dominate person to make them do something against their will (such as making a druid equip a steel shield, or in a more extreme situation making a paladin kill an innocent child) doesn't adversely affect their alignment or class abilities, neither should beguiling gift.
The victim of such a sneaky and underhanded attempt would still likely feel violated and creeped out and scandalized by the whole thing. Once they regain control of their actions, they should immediately (or as quickly as possible) get rid of the offending item. If they choose of their own free will to keep using the item, ONLY THEN would there be actual ramifications on the character's class abilities.
Whether or not this answer has any effect on muting the imminent flame war I can't say. I hope it does. My cynical side thinks it'll just fan the flames.
Actually, I think you indeed just saved the say. Thanks!
I was wondering, how far does someone fall per round? I couldn't find it anywhere in the core rule book and it had come up when a player fell into a ravine.
I seem to recall it being mentioned that Carrion Crown would be the next AP to get a sequel.
Am I recalling that correctly? I think I'm going mad, but confirmation would be helpful.
Actually, I think you indeed just saved the say. Thanks!Woo hoo! (Writes the date down!)
You saved the say! Grats! I have no idea what that means!
James, what does saving the say mean?
-Tundra
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Creative Director
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I was wondering, how far does someone fall per round? I couldn't find it anywhere in the core rule book and it had come up when a player fell into a ravine.
Someone did that math at one point, and it was fast. AKA: for most falls, you'll hit bottom in the same round you start falling, so it won't normally matter.
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Creative Director
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I seem to recall it being mentioned that Carrion Crown would be the next AP to get a sequel.
Am I recalling that correctly? I think I'm going mad, but confirmation would be helpful.
Nope. We have no plans yet to do another "sequel AP" until we see how folks really react to Shattered Star.
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I was wondering, how far does someone fall per round? I couldn't find it anywhere in the core rule book and it had come up when a player fell into a ravine.Someone did that math at one point, and it was fast. AKA: for most falls, you'll hit bottom in the same round you start falling, so it won't normally matter.
Correct me if I'm wrong but:
Distance = 1/2 * Acceleration * Time squared.D = 0.5*9.8m/s^2 * 6^2
176.4 meters = 578 feet 8⅞ inches in 1 round.
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I was wondering, how far does someone fall per round? I couldn't find it anywhere in the core rule book and it had come up when a player fell into a ravine.Someone did that math at one point, and it was fast. AKA: for most falls, you'll hit bottom in the same round you start falling, so it won't normally matter.Correct me if I'm wrong but:
Distance = 1/2 * Acceleration * Time squared.
D = 0.5*9.8m/s^2 * 6^2
176.4 meters = 578 feet 8⅞ inches in 1 round.
We use the same figure...500' the first round, 1000 each round thereafter.
I forget which adventure it was originally published in, but I think it was the Dungeon mag with the drow pirate on an worship as its cover.
For a question: Mass Effect 3, did you import a Shepard, and is your character Renegade, Paragon, or a mixture?
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Creative Director
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I was wondering, how far does someone fall per round? I couldn't find it anywhere in the core rule book and it had come up when a player fell into a ravine.Someone did that math at one point, and it was fast. AKA: for most falls, you'll hit bottom in the same round you start falling, so it won't normally matter.Correct me if I'm wrong but:
Distance = 1/2 * Acceleration * Time squared.
D = 0.5*9.8m/s^2 * 6^2
176.4 meters = 578 feet 8⅞ inches in 1 round.
I remembered it as being 600 feet, so that sounds about right.
Not that I'm interested in correcting you even if you WERE wrong. I switched from Aeronautical Engineering major to English after all...
What do you think of doing a 2 part linked AP? As in you finish one 6 part AP, and then continue with the same character into epic levels in another 6 part AP? (This is also assuming by that time epic rules would be figured out.)
Also the AP wouldn't have to be published consecutively.
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Creative Director
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What do you think of doing a 2 part linked AP? As in you finish one 6 part AP, and then continue with the same character into epic levels in another 6 part AP? (This is also assuming by that time epic rules would be figured out.)
Also the AP wouldn't have to be published consecutively.
Until we actually have "epic" level rules we think are robust enough to support such an experiment, it's non-starter.
Furthermore, dedicating an entire half a year to an AP that not only requires you to first play thorough another AP AND requires you to be a fan of mythic/epic/whatever level play is an incredibly risky thing for us to try with one of our most successful (and thus most profitable) lines.
We'll see... but something like this is what I would file in the "highly unlikely" drawer.
So I have to ask, this was an argument my group had years ago when the rogue did a UMD to trick a door that needed to be turned (by a cleric) to open; I ruled that he could indeed trick the door, but he didn't have the actual class ability to channel energy so the door didn't open. Is this a valid reading taking into consideration what you posted?No... if the Rogue had UMD'd an item that enhances existing channel energy abilities, then yeah, it wouldn't have worked. But using UMD to trigger a magic item into thinking you have a class ability is precisely what the skill is for; that situation should have allowed the rogue to open the door. Especially if the party didn't have a cleric.
Well we had two clerics, but thanks for the clarification. I was in the wrong on that then.
What do you think of doing a 2 part linked AP? As in you finish one 6 part AP, and then continue with the same character into epic levels in another 6 part AP? (This is also assuming by that time epic rules would be figured out.)
Also the AP wouldn't have to be published consecutively.
Until we actually have "epic" level rules we think are robust enough to support such an experiment, it's non-starter.
Furthermore, dedicating an entire half a year to an AP that not only requires you to first play thorough another AP AND requires you to be a fan of mythic/epic/whatever level play is an incredibly risky thing for us to try with one of our most successful (and thus most profitable) lines.
We'll see... but something like this is what I would file in the "highly unlikely" drawer.
Highly unlikely as it might be, this is the one thing I want most from an AP. Who knows, since it would probably be the only one of it's kind for a long time it might become very very popular, as it would almost become a must for people wanting to try really high levels....just saying :-)
Actually, I'd already be delighted if any single modules came our way that could be organically included after an AP that has run its course.
For example, continuing the threads of Council of Thieves would not even require a module for very high level characters.
That could be a good way to gauge such a venture but I'm sure someone over at Paizo has already thought of that, parallel processing and all that.
James,
Have you had an opportunity to play Kingdoms of Amalur? If so did you like it? If you haven't played I'm assuming it is due to time constraints on your free time.
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James, there is an idea in a discussion about the Beast-bonded witch that baffle me.
One of the poster say that with the Twin Soul ability you can take control of a body forever as:
a) there is not a receptacle for the magic jar so the soul of the original owner of the body should be treated as slain (cfr Magic jar).
b) the witch can re-utilize your her Su ability at will, so, before the effect expire, she can reactivate the ability touching the body she inhabit and repossessing it.
I agree with a), but have trouble with b). doing that the witch would be ejecting her soul from the magic jarred body to possess it again with the same soul ...... head explode.
Personally I think that when the magic jar expire the witch soul will return to the familiar and then she would be capable to possess a new body (as the previously possessed body is now soulless and will die).
Maybe there is a period in which the soulless body will be still alive and so it can be repossesses, but I don't think that the effect can be recast targeting the body which the witch inhabit.
Your opinion?
Twin Soul (Su): At 10th-level, if the witch or her familiar is gravely injured or about to die, the soul of the dying one immediately transfers to the other's body. The two souls share the surviving body peaceably, can communicate freely, and both retain their ability to think and reason. The host may allow the guest soul to take over the body temporarily or reclaim it as a move action. They can persist in this state indefinitely, or the guest can return to its own body (if available) by touch, transfer into a suitable vessel (such as a clone), or take over another body as if using magic jar (with no receptacle). This replaces the witch's major hex at 10th-level.
Of the planets that aren't Golarion, which do you like best and why?
Do you know how excited I am to be able to make a dinosaur race in a couple of months?
Finally, what do you think of the concept of a bone of one of the Runelords or simply a powerful un/dead spellcaster being found by the PCs and the bone they found tugs them towards the next bone as an AP? Personally, I like the concept at a glance, but I'm thinking it will only work for treasure driven PCs.
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Creative Director
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James, there is an idea in a discussion about the Beast-bonded witch that baffle me.
One of the poster say that with the Twin Soul ability you can take control of a body forever as:
a) there is not a receptacle for the magic jar so the soul of the original owner of the body should be treated as slain (cfr Magic jar).
b) the witch can re-utilize your her Su ability at will, so, before the effect expire, she can reactivate the ability touching the body she inhabit and repossessing it.
I agree with a), but have trouble with b). doing that the witch would be ejecting her soul from the magic jarred body to possess it again with the same soul ...... head explode.
Personally I think that when the magic jar expire the witch soul will return to the familiar and then she would be capable to possess a new body (as the previously possessed body is now soulless and will die).
Maybe there is a period in which the soulless body will be still alive and so it can be repossesses, but I don't think that the effect can be recast targeting the body which the witch inhabit.
Your opinion?
The taking over another body as if using magic jar only works as long as the witch's body isn't dead. If the witch's body dies, her soul heads to the afterlife and the host body is back in charge. If the witch wants to persist inside of the host body, she needs to make sure that her original body is safe... and will need to figure a way out to feed and water it, likely...