Creative Director
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(checks computer files)
Yup. I have the version that went to the editors at 24,774 words (about 13,000 words shorter than a typical Pathfinder adventure path installment, by the way), and the uncut version that weighs in at 29,619 words. That's about 5,000 words I had to cut from the adventure, which equates to about 6–8 pages of content, more or less.
Most of those cut words come from Parrot Island—at one point, I had encounters in all the rooms of that dungeon, not just a few rooms. Plus bits and pieces everywhere else.
Any chase you would be willing to post that material or would it be prohibited?
Also who do you think would be your favorite NPC out of all the Pathfinder Adventure paths?
No chance, alas. "There is no Honor" is owned by Wizards of the Coast now, and while they don't own the 5000 words I didn't keep in the printed manuscript, those words do use a little bit of D&D intellectual property and don't really make any sense outside of the context of Parrot Island. Alas... they're pretty much lost forever to the public.
My favorite NPC out of all the Pathfinder Adventure Paths is probably Ameiko Kaijitsu.
James, just curious, what happens when a deity dies and is judged by Pharasma? Does I'm asking because....
I'm asking because I'm trying to figure out if this scenario of slaying an evil deity and letting him get judged is actually a good thing. Wouldn't whatever evil plane that the soul gets sent to get a bit of a power boost? Or would the deity loose its power during this process because its body was destroyed?
Hi James.
You forgot my questions? Can you answer my questions please?If this was about the double crossbow question... I did answer them but it looks like either my answer got eaten by the internet or ended up otherwise lost.
The short version is that you can't make a flurry of blows attack with a crossbow of ANY kind until you work some way out that reloading the crossbow is a free action. As far as I know, there's no way in the current rules of the game to do this for anything other than a hand crossbow or a light crossbow (or with a repeating crossbow with enough ammo loaded to cover all the flurry attacks), so no, you can't flurry with a double crossbow.
The feat Crossbow Mastery allows reloading a crossbow as a free action.
Have not.I just finished watching this,
for the love of all things holy,
James,
have you seen:
One heck of a B movie!
Is there some kind of grand display or celestial event that happens when someone passes the test of the Starstone and becomes a god?
Have you looked at the Red Goblin Games legendary rules set?
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Creative Director
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James, just curious, what happens when a deity dies and is judged by Pharasma? Does I'm asking because....
** spoiler omitted **
I'm asking because I'm trying to figure out if this scenario of slaying an evil deity and letting him get judged is actually a good thing. Wouldn't whatever evil plane that the soul gets sent to get a bit of a power boost? Or would the deity loose its power during this process because its body was destroyed?
Pharasma has absolutely judged deities before. As with any non-native outsider, a deity (and an outsider) that dies is likely NOT turned into a petitioner, but simply has their energy "recycled" into the appropriate outer plane. This fate could well vary according to the situation. In any event, a deity whose "soul" is judged is dead and does NOT get a power boost. He basically goes away forever.
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Creative Director
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The feat Crossbow Mastery allows reloading a crossbow as a free action.Hi James.
You forgot my questions? Can you answer my questions please?If this was about the double crossbow question... I did answer them but it looks like either my answer got eaten by the internet or ended up otherwise lost.
The short version is that you can't make a flurry of blows attack with a crossbow of ANY kind until you work some way out that reloading the crossbow is a free action. As far as I know, there's no way in the current rules of the game to do this for anything other than a hand crossbow or a light crossbow (or with a repeating crossbow with enough ammo loaded to cover all the flurry attacks), so no, you can't flurry with a double crossbow.
That still won't work for a double crossbow, since the rules for double crossbows specifically state that Crossbow Mastery allows you to reload both bolts as a move action. It WILL let you use a heavy crossbow with flurry though.
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Creative Director
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Is there some kind of grand display or celestial event that happens when someone passes the test of the Starstone and becomes a god?
Sometimes... if there is, the type of event varies according to who became a god and what they're a god of.
Have you looked at the Red Goblin Games legendary rules set?
No. Never even heard of Red Goblin Games or this legendary rules set, in fact.
Hi James,
I would like to create a t-shirt that says "Just Chelax'n" with a Tiefling with horns in a hawaiian shirt laying back drinking a mai tai from a skull.
1) Am I violating any ToS by using the word "Chelax'n"?
2) Can I sell the shirt for profit?
3) What size would you like your shirt?
Mistah James,
For ease of this query about Simulacrum, I'm going to paste the relevant part of Simulacrum here...
"Simulacrum creates an illusory duplicate of any creature. The duplicate creature is partially real and formed from ice or snow. It appears to be the same as the original..."
1: How alive are simulacrums?
2: Do simulacrums need to eat?
3: Are living simulacrums still made of ice and snow or does the quasi-real nature of the simulacrum make illusory organs and innards instead?
4: Can simulacrums learn and form ideas on their own? (ie: perform spell research or craft new things.)
5: Could a simulacrum level up?
6: What happens when the creator of a simulacrum dies?
7: Do simulacrums pick up as illusion magic to detect magic or as magic at all? Keep in mind the duration is instantaneous.
8: How does a simulacrum appear under True Seeing?
Okay, that's enough for now.
Thanks!
~Tundra
So I am well over a thousand posts behind, but I have some questions that need answerin!!
1) I'm pretty sure you, or some other Paizo folk, said that the faiths articles in the APs were nearing an end soonish. Or maybe it was that the main deities would be finished. I forget as it was quite awhile ago.
My question is, what plans are there after? Will you continue to cover other, lesser deities as they fit the Path? or will you detail something else? Like a major NPC/villain/etc?
2) I love the revisited books, but I am curious why they are apart of the campaign setting line. Beyond the "in/on Golarion" section, some of the art, and the in game blurb at the beginning of each chapter, there isn't anything overly Golarion about them.
3) Just got the Players Comp to Varisia. I absolutely love it!!
Slightly bummed that there wasn't any Varisian themed spells though. Is there any chance we could see something, either a book, a series of internet articles, or whatever, that can provide more thematic spells specific to the various counties, cultures, etc?
Yes, I have Inner Sea Magic, but that's only got a few spells. I want more, tied to groups like the Harrowers, Gebbites, etc...
What is your favorite sorcerer bloodline?
What would it be if you had to give the bloodline abilities(but nothing else) to a real world animal?
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Creative Director
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Hi James,
I would like to create a t-shirt that says "Just Chelax'n" with a Tiefling with horns in a hawaiian shirt laying back drinking a mai tai from a skull.
1) Am I violating any ToS by using the word "Chelax'n"?
2) Can I sell the shirt for profit?
3) What size would you like your shirt?
1) It is if you're selling it.
2) Not without arranging a special license from Paizo.
3) If you do manage to get said license, let me know!
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Creative Director
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Mistah James,
For ease of this query about Simulacrum, I'm going to paste the relevant part of Simulacrum here...
"Simulacrum creates an illusory duplicate of any creature. The duplicate creature is partially real and formed from ice or snow. It appears to be the same as the original..."
1: How alive are simulacrums?
2: Do simulacrums need to eat?
3: Are living simulacrums still made of ice and snow or does the quasi-real nature of the simulacrum make illusory organs and innards instead?
4: Can simulacrums learn and form ideas on their own? (ie: perform spell research or craft new things.)
5: Could a simulacrum level up?
6: What happens when the creator of a simulacrum dies?
7: Do simulacrums pick up as illusion magic to detect magic or as magic at all? Keep in mind the duration is instantaneous.
8: How does a simulacrum appear under True Seeing?
Okay, that's enough for now.
Thanks!
~Tundra
Ahh... simulacrum. Had I a time machine, I would have had there be a "simulacrum template" that would help the spell not be so confusing.
1) They're 100% alive, but do not have souls. So they can't be brought back to life via resurrection type stuff.
2) Yes.
3) They have blood and guts; they only revert to ice and snow upon death.
4) They cannot learn. They can form ideas on their own, but have no capability to enhance themselves.
5) Nope.
6) The simulacrum no longer has anyone bossing it around. It essentially becomes free-willed at that point, but still can't gain power or level up.
7) The simulacrum spell has a duration of instantaneous. As a result, the creature created by it is as real as a golem or a kobold or whatever. And like those creatures, it does not radiate magic, nor can it be dispelled, since it is not a spell effect. Anymore than the burns caused by a fireball or the wounds healed by cure light wounds are magic. If the duration was "permanent" then everything would change.
8) As an animated but very lifelike creature made of snow and ice.
A simulacrum who was looking for a way to become "real" and thus gain power is in fact a key underlying component of "Return to the Ruins of Greyhawk," an adventure I helped write for Wizards of the Coast several years ago. I also did another adventure about a simulacrum-crazy spellcaster in Dungeon magazine; the adventure was called "Headless" and it appeared in issue 88 or thereabouts.
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Creative Director
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My sorcerer is Draconic bloodline with a energy type of cold.
In the rulebook ultimate magic there is a level 1 spell called 'Icicle Dagger' with the energy descriptor of cold. It allows you to create a masterwork dagger out of ice that deals +1 cold damage in addition to the normal dagger damage.
My question is; Would the dagger deal two cold damage because of bloodline arcana?
Nope. That ability only modifies dice rolled for cold damage. The extra damage from "icicle dagger" is not a die, it's just a static bonus. And as such doesn't get modified by your bloodline power.
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Creative Director
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What is your favorite sorcerer bloodline?
What would it be if you had to give the bloodline abilities(but nothing else) to a real world animal?
Probably Abyssal or Fey, but I've not yet played a Pathfinder sorcerer so I can't say for sure.
As for giving bloodline abilities to an animal... I'd just do it and change the animal's type to magical beast. GMs have that kind of power.
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Creative Director
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So I am well over a thousand posts behind, but I have some questions that need answerin!!
1) I'm pretty sure you, or some other Paizo folk, said that the faiths articles in the APs were nearing an end soonish. Or maybe it was that the main deities would be finished. I forget as it was quite awhile ago.
My question is, what plans are there after? Will you continue to cover other, lesser deities as they fit the Path? or will you detail something else? Like a major NPC/villain/etc?
2) I love the revisited books, but I am curious why they are apart of the campaign setting line. Beyond the "in/on Golarion" section, some of the art, and the in game blurb at the beginning of each chapter, there isn't anything overly Golarion about them.
3) Just got the Players Comp to Varisia. I absolutely love it!!
Slightly bummed that there wasn't any Varisian themed spells though. Is there any chance we could see something, either a book, a series of internet articles, or whatever, that can provide more thematic spells specific to the various counties, cultures, etc?
Yes, I have Inner Sea Magic, but that's only got a few spells. I want more, tied to groups like the Harrowers, Gebbites, etc...
1) Pathfinder #62 covers Torag, and with that, we'll have covered all 20 of the core deities. After that we'll still do 2–3 deity articles per Adventure Path, but will move on to the various other deities and demigods of the setting. For example, in Shattered Star, we'll also be doing articles on Groetus and Lissala.
2) Honestly, the "In/On Golarion" section is kind of misleading. That section is meant to present specific Golarion information, but the rest of the entire book is also assumed to be accurate for Golarion. It's a section we should probably just replace the header with something like "Specific monsters" or the like. We started that series of books really early with "Classic Monsters," before we were certain that folks would accept Golarion, and wanted those early books to be more usable by GMs who play in worlds other than Golarion, basically.
3) Yay! Glad you liked it! The book's only 32 pages long, and as you have seen, there was a LOT of stuff we wanted to cram into there. New spells are tricky... especially since between the four rulebooks we've published so far that have significant spell sections, creating new ones that don't just duplicate or slightly vary existing spells gets harder and harder. If you want to see more spells in that line, though... let us know in that products boards! I'll let Wes and the folks know as well.
A simulacrum who was looking for a way to become "real" and thus gain power is in fact a key underlying component of "Return to the Ruins of Greyhawk," an adventure I helped write for Wizards of the Coast several years ago. I also did another adventure about a simulacrum-crazy spellcaster in Dungeon magazine; the adventure was called "Headless" and it appeared in issue 88 or thereabouts..It was also the main motivation of the primary antagonist of the "Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.E.L.D." graphic novel. An LMD designed for janitoral duties decides to sample more LMD programming to make itself a "real person". to the point where it becomes the secret manipulator behind both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra. having absorbed LMD programming of every significant figure in both organisations and creating a secret cult of asencsion. in an effort to make itself both human and immortal.
Let us not forget the classic Harold Shea novels that inspired the simulacrum spell, in which Shea's colleague Chalmers falls in love with a simulacrum and desperately searches for a way to make her fully human.
You know, it just occured to me, that I'm really happy no one made a "420" joke 3 pages ago...
Fulmir: Blink is not supposed to be Incorporeal. It is supposed to be insubstantial. Of course, Im still waiting on the errata for that. Until then the effects of the incorporeal rules (unfortunately) apply and make Blink a very confusing spell.
- Gauss
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I would like to create a t-shirt that says "Just Chelax'n" with a Tiefling with horns in a hawaiian shirt laying back drinking a mai tai from a skull.
1) Am I violating any ToS by using the word "Chelax'n"?
2) Can I sell the shirt for profit?
3) What size would you like your shirt?1) It is if you're selling it.
2) Not without arranging a special license from Paizo.
3) If you do manage to get said license, let me know!
Firstly, I'm not saying that James is incorrect. However, it's worth talking this over with an IP lawyer because artistic parodies are handled differently in the US. At least that is my understanding.
See RIPT for example.
That said, the obvious first stop (as James suggested) is to draft a design and send it in with a formal request for a license and see what happens.
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Hello James.
I have a burning desire to have this one answered.
Q1: Does the Serpentine Sorcerer bloodline follow the rules for Arcane Bond, or is it it's own mechanic?
Which leads to...
Q2: Can a Sorcerer with the Serpentine Bloodline, gain more than 1 familiar by using another mechanic, such as Arcane Bond, to get a 2nd familiar?
Q3: Is it possible to have a familiars effective level higher than your character level by stacking Sorcerer with a Tattooed Sorcerer granted familiar, then selecting Serpentine blood line to gain the viper familiar mechanic and stacking that mechanic on top of the arcane bond mechanic?
Thanks in advance if you have any insight.
WW.
Fulmir: Blink is not supposed to be Incorporeal. It is supposed to be insubstantial. Of course, Im still waiting on the errata for that. Until then the effects of the incorporeal rules (unfortunately) apply and make Blink a very confusing spell.
- Gauss
IANJJ, but since I love blink, I can't help responding to this.
Actually, blink makes you ETHEREAL, which means among other things that you are incorporeal. The confusing part is that you're not just incorporeal, you're also on another plane. This is why ghost touch weapons, for example, don't interact with the spell at all, why a blinking character doesn't take half damage from magic weapons even when the spell causes an attack to miss, and so on.
Fulmir: Blink is not supposed to be Incorporeal. It is supposed to be insubstantial. Of course, Im still waiting on the errata for that. Until then the effects of the incorporeal rules (unfortunately) apply and make Blink a very confusing spell.
- Gauss
IANJJ, but since I love blink, I can't help responding to this.
Actually, blink makes you ETHEREAL, which means among other things that you are incorporeal. The confusing part is that you're not just incorporeal, you're also on another plane. This is why ghost touch weapons, for example, don't interact with the spell at all, why a blinking character doesn't take half damage from magic weapons even when the spell causes an attack to miss, and so on.
Gauss wrote:
James, I am not asking if incorporeal => ethereal. I am asking if ethereal => incorporeal. The two statements are different.Blink states that ethereal creatures are incorporeal. Thus it would seem the incorporeal rules apply...or do they?
Ethereal Jaunt does not state that ethereal creatures are incorporeal.
Thus, either an ethereal creature is incorporeal..or it isnt depending on the spell you look at. The paragraph on page 440 regarding The ethereal plane is silent on the matter.
The problem is: From the material plane what spells, abilities, weapons affect ethereal creatures and where are the rules for this?
Respectfully, Gauss
Pretty much nothing but gaze attacks can cross that barrier between planes (And even then... gaze attacks can't affect Material Plane creatures when the source is on the Ethereal). You have to actually travel to the other plane to affect the other target.
"In previous editions of D&D, there was a lot of bleedover between incorporeal and ethereal. In fact... in 2nd edition and earlier, there really WASN'T an "incorporeal" state—it was always ethereal.
In Pathfinder, we've attempted to draw a hard line between the two states, but there are places where the old language still bleeds through. Blink is one of those cases."
Dear James,
What's up with the lasso? It is listed as a ranged weapon, but has a range of '-'. How does that work if I had a full round of actions and wanted to, say, lasso a guy 25ft away?
Danny Kessler: Please read this thread and this thread,
As James Jacobs stated in the quote AnnoyingOrange provided Blink is not supposed to have the term 'incorporeal'. It is supposed to have the term 'insubstantial' just like the spell Ethereal Jaunt. As long as the term incorporeal is in there people will be confused as to whether or not incoporeal rules should be applied. (Note: in my games I have used JJ's statement to houserule incorporeal out.)
- Gauss
I think it was alluded to somewhere that Razmir, being a false god and and an actual king, became the latter so that the Red Mantis could not target him for being the former. If so, is this part of a more general trend, where megalomaniacs with designs on godhood or the like would start by founding or conquering minor kingdoms as a first step, since to do otherwise means risking the Mantis during subsequent steps?
I think it was alluded to somewhere that Razmir, being a false god and and an actual king, became the latter so that the Red Mantis could not target him for being the former. If so, is this part of a more general trend, where megalomaniacs with designs on godhood or the like would start by founding or conquering minor kingdoms as a first step, since to do otherwise means risking the Mantis during subsequent steps?
Eventually, the Mantis God himself witll step in and deal with Razmir. It's his job to kill upstarts after all.
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I apologize oh Dread Great Tyrant Lizard if these have been asked before but just to clarify:
1. Hide in Plain Sight, when used to Stealth, does not make you foe lose his Dex like Invisibility does, right? (I read both Stealth blogs and it's clear this is something you guys wanted but it would require a large re-do of the rules).
2. When a Eidolon gets killed or dismissed, what happens to the stuff he is carrying or wearing?
3. Even combined with Multiweapon fighting, a Vivisectionist with Vestigial Arm still does not get extra attacks with those arms?
4.What Sean said in “Bride of the FAQ Attack!” thread, is pretty obvious, and it only leaves one question open:
a. No, you can’t charge on foot with a Lance and get double damage.
b. If you do charge on a mount, yes, you do get double damage with a lance, but only on your main, not iterative attacks. This was a new ruling, but since in general you couldn’t charge and get iterative attacks, it wasn’t all that new.
c. He didn’t say so, but yes, when the mount charges both you and the mount are charging. It’s right there is the rules under Mounted Combat.
d. The only question left unresolved is mixing Pounce and Mounted Combat. However, the rules here are also seem clear “If your mount moves more than 5 feet, you can only make a single melee attack. Essentially, you have to wait until the mount gets to your enemy before attacking, so you can't make a full attack”. Now, I guess if your Mount has pounce, the Mount gets a FAO at the end of the charge but you don’t. From what I can see, as long as you are on a Mount, your own ability to pounce does you no good.
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If I add the Deadly and Merciful enchantments to a Sap, what happens?
If I add the Deadly and Merciful enchantments to a Sap, what happens?Does not exist the deadly enchantment.
Deadly Special Weapon Property. Unfortunately, if you check the PRD, you won't find it there. The PRD isn't nearly as up-to-date as it should be, it's one of the reasons you'll find more links to the PFSRD than the PRD. The PFSRD, because it's run by fans who aren't as pressed for time as the Paizo crew is, can spend as much or as little of their time as they desire updating the PFSRD with all the new books. Most material will make it to the PFSRD within 2 weeks of it's release.
The Deadly Property was released in the Advanced Race Guide. Though it has (Hobgoblin) next to it, so I don't know what that means as I haven't purchased the book myself yet.
If you use dispel magic against a constant SLA can the creature simply reactivate it as a swift or is it treated like a spell with permanancy, where the effect would go away?
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James,
Usually the community here does a great job of finding me the info I need to make a ruling at my table, but I think with this question everything is torn based on verbage and would like to know what you would do.
If a Bone Devil is Invisible and he casts Wall of Ice in Hemisphere form around a PC would you rule that breaks his Invisibility? I get that the PC is in the area of the spell, but it doesn't really cause any damage or harm or really anything more than inconvenience and thats where the muddy area of the Invisibility spell comes in...
Again...not really here to get an official statement...I'm cool with just hearing your opinion and how you'd handle it.
Jiggy, Sean answered your question here.
Jiggy: why wouldnt they be? Most of them are alive. :)
Cheapy: Unfortunately, SKRs response is about Alignment Channel not regular Channels.
- Gauss
His question was born from Alignment Channel. So...extrapolation!