Re-using archetype names for different classes is one thing I've tinkered with in trying to address this frustration. I'm pretty sure it's not gonna stick, since the design team is pretty against it... which frustrates me as well. It's lame that we're suggesting, for example, there are no cleric heretics or fighter swashbucklers since we're implying all heretics are inquisitors or all swashbucklers are rogues.
For whatever it's worth, count me in as supporting the idea of reusing archetype names for different classes, rather than whipping out the thesaurus for a synonym to represent the exact same thing (especially if said synonym is so obscure or weird as to be almost meaningless.)
In fact, if you're reading this, Kajehase... shoot me an email!
Did it make it through the spam-filter?
Creative Director
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why not?I don't.Hi.
In your home(or paizo´s oficce) game, do you use Called shots? If so, do you use the ones in UC?
Because I don't think the game needs called shots. I do use the Critical Hit deck now and then... but even when I don't I tend to treat a successful critical hit as an opportunity to describe a particularly gruesome hit on a specific body part.
Called shots over-complicate the game.
Whee!
I generally don't frequent the rules forums. Part of what lets me answer these questions in this thread is that I don't maintain an active role in EVERY forum.Whirlwind attack. :)
If you reply to me then please do so in the rules thread that we were already using. It is not like SKR or Jason B is going to give you a different answer with regard to manyshot.PS:Time does not matter. It only matters what the book says you can do. Look at pinpoint targeting as an example. It is in core rule book.
I know. That is why I tried to get him to go back to the rules forum. I believe the poster should ask you a question once, and if does not like your answer then he is just out of luck. :)
The Matrix Effect
Whilst most of the time I enjoy the game of daring do and grand adventure but sometimes I have the matrix effect, in that "the code behind becomes visible".
Where everything devolves to rolls and statistics.
The game is the same and nothing really changes its just that veil falls from my perception in game.
Since you are so close and intimate with the rules, does this happen to you?
If so how do you get the verisimilitude back?
Cheers
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1.)A creature summoned with the summon ability like that on most outsiders is stated to not be able to use any spell or spell-like ability that requires expensive material components when they are summoned but all spell-like abilities don't require those to actually cast their spell-like abilities. Does this mean they can still cast these spells or are they still blocked off?
2.) Are rake attacks in addition to whatever other attacks the grappling creature would get that turn?
3.) How much water does the watermastery ability require to be active, are we talking like a whole pool or can like a sufficiently wet floor (say like a cobblestone road after a heavy rain) be enough to allow it?
One quick question.. Is it intentional that there are two different dawnflower dervish archetypes? There's one for fighters in the Inner Sea Primer, and another for bards in Inner Sea Magic. And if it is intentional, why?
It's absolutely intentional.
One thing that REALLY REALLY frustrates mea bout archetypes is that they're TOO limited. If you make an archetype called "pirate" and make it a rogue archetype... what happens when you want to make a fighter pirate or a ranger pirate or a cleric pirate or a wizard pirate or a bard pirate? You can't. One solution we've come up with for that is to make new archetypes with names like corsair and buccaneer for those other classes... but they still lack the fun and iconic imagery of being an "official pirate." Re-using archetype names for different classes is one thing I've tinkered with in trying to address this frustration. I'm pretty sure it's not gonna stick, since the design team is pretty against it... which frustrates me as well. It's lame that we're suggesting, for example, there are no cleric heretics or fighter swashbucklers since we're implying all heretics are inquisitors or all swashbucklers are rogues.
Thank you for the answer! Like you, I'm also very frustrated by the limitations of archetypes, and with the implied suggestion that only such-and-such class can be this-or-that.
But I'm also frustrated by reusing names, as it makes it difficult to refer to them properly. What prompted my question was a rules forum thread, where one poster answered based on the fighter archetype, while the question was about the bard archetype. So reusing names can lead to confusion.
I agree that reusing names is better than only having one single class capable of being a pirate/swashbuckler/etc. But it might have been better to not use archetypes for those types of multi-class-encompassing roles.
One quick question.. Is it intentional that there are two different dawnflower dervish archetypes? There's one for fighters in the Inner Sea Primer, and another for bards in Inner Sea Magic. And if it is intentional, why?
It's absolutely intentional.
One thing that REALLY REALLY frustrates mea bout archetypes is that they're TOO limited. If you make an archetype called "pirate" and make it a rogue archetype... what happens when you want to make a fighter pirate or a ranger pirate or a cleric pirate or a wizard pirate or a bard pirate? You can't. One solution we've come up with for that is to make new archetypes with names like corsair and buccaneer for those other classes... but they still lack the fun and iconic imagery of being an "official pirate." Re-using archetype names for different classes is one thing I've tinkered with in trying to address this frustration. I'm pretty sure it's not gonna stick, since the design team is pretty against it... which frustrates me as well. It's lame that we're suggesting, for example, there are no cleric heretics or fighter swashbucklers since we're implying all heretics are inquisitors or all swashbucklers are rogues.
Thank you for the answer! Like you, I'm also very frustrated by the limitations of archetypes, and with the implied suggestion that only such-and-such class can be this-or-that.
But I'm also frustrated by reusing names, as it makes it difficult to refer to them properly. What prompted my question was a rules forum thread, where one poster answered based on the fighter archetype, while the question was about the bard archetype. So reusing names can lead to confusion.
I agree that reusing names is better than only having one single class capable of being a pirate/swashbuckler/etc. But it might have been better to not use archetypes for those types of multi-class-encompassing roles.
One alternative could be to use the class name as an adjective. "Bardic Dawnflower Dervish" or "Warrior Dawnflower Derverish." Considering that the two come from grossly different backgrounds (one is specialized in weapon use, the other in a dance-like trance) it would be somewhat appropriate.
If I have a shield carried on my back or by my side in easy reach, what/how many action(s) do I need to use to have it strapped to my arm (i.e. granting its shield bonus to my AC).
I know you don't like dogs so let's call it a blink cat. If I take one as a cohort and want to level it up, the entry says that they take levels of sorcerer. With 11 Cha they make bad casters. Any thoughts on this?
Someone mentioned an upcoming "Ultimate Campaign," and that it's something I might be interested in, as I'm currently starting a campaign that's trying to mix dungeon delving with socializing in a hometown, and I'm trying to incentivize my players to do things like (and find rules to govern) building buildings, making friends, building reputations, running businesses, starting guilds, etc. Can you tell me anything about Ultimate Campaign and give me at least some hints as to how it will be handling things like that?
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Creative Director
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How do the laws of Golarion work with magic?
Are charms and compulsion illegal? Is "I was under mind control" a recognized and usable legal defense (which, oddly enough, I'm told it would be in the real world due to how mens rea works)? Are divinations usable as evidence (Abadar's Truthtelling would suggest they are given he is god of Law in the legal sense and has shrines near courts)? Are they common (every first level cleric of Abadar can cast that spell and, barring aristocrat friendly prestige classes that foil magical lie detection, inflatable if the target voluntarily fails its save, observable by the symbol)?
For the most part, magic is legal in the Inner Sea region. Using magic to break laws is illegal. Some spells do not have many applications beyond what would be constituted as "breaking laws," so while casting charm person on someone in a city to make them do what you want might not be illegal, forcing someone to do something IS illegal in many regions, regardless of how you force them.
Some regions do drill down to the point where they cite specific spells as being illegal. But it varies from region to region.
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Creative Director
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The Matrix Effect
Whilst most of the time I enjoy the game of daring do and grand adventure but sometimes I have the matrix effect, in that "the code behind becomes visible".
Where everything devolves to rolls and statistics.
The game is the same and nothing really changes its just that veil falls from my perception in game.
Since you are so close and intimate with the rules, does this happen to you?
If so how do you get the verisimilitude back?Cheers
It does happen, and when it does I just shrug and carry on. It IS a game after all. It doesn't bother me when the rules become visible in-game.
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Creative Director
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1.)A creature summoned with the summon ability like that on most outsiders is stated to not be able to use any spell or spell-like ability that requires expensive material components when they are summoned but all spell-like abilities don't require those to actually cast their spell-like abilities. Does this mean they can still cast these spells or are they still blocked off?
2.) Are rake attacks in addition to whatever other attacks the grappling creature would get that turn?
3.) How much water does the watermastery ability require to be active, are we talking like a whole pool or can like a sufficiently wet floor (say like a cobblestone road after a heavy rain) be enough to allow it?
1) Still blocked off. You can't summon an efreeti and get them to cast wish for you.
2) Yes.
3) That's unspecified so the GM can decide for himself. In my case, I require it to be enough water that you can do a swim check.
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Creative Director
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Thank you for the answer! Like you, I'm also very frustrated by the limitations of archetypes, and with the implied suggestion that only such-and-such class can be this-or-that.
But I'm also frustrated by reusing names, as it makes it difficult to refer to them properly. What prompted my question was a rules forum thread, where one poster answered based on the fighter archetype, while the question was about the bard archetype. So reusing names can lead to confusion.
I agree that reusing names is better than only having one single class capable of being a pirate/swashbuckler/etc. But it might have been better to not use archetypes for those types of multi-class-encompassing roles.
For archetypes, I don't think that's much of a problem. A dawnflower dervish bard is a different creature than a dawnflower dervish fighter. Reusing names CAN be a problem, but in cases like this it's not that big a deal to add "fighter" or "bard" to the description.
(Posting this again, because I think it was missed.)
Some Golarion questions for Mr. Jacobs:
1.) I am preparing to launch a home campaign set on Mediogalti Island. What would be some good quests, adventures, plotlines, or themes for a campaign set in Ilizmagorti? How would you involve the Red Mantis society without centering the whole campaign around them?
2.) I have a feeling that this might have been asked before, but how did the people of Golarion become aware of Aroden's death? Did his clerics simply feel a severance at the moment of the event? Was there some unmistakable physical sign that made it clear? What did Aroden's death look or feel like, for the mortal races?
3.) What was going on with the halflings before the modern age made a slave race out of them? Were they much different? Were there halfling kings and nations? Do halfling ruins exist?
4.) Was the Starstone Cathedral a part of the Earthfall meteor? Did it fall out of the sky with a cathedral on top of it, or did Aroden, as a mortal, literally create a cathedral that turns mortals into gods? If the latter, did he intend for the structure to have such an effect?
5.) What happens when someone becomes a god after succeeding at the test? Is there an obvious sign? How does it become a matter of public knowledge that it has happened?
Daron Woodson
Abandoned Arts
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Creative Director
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If I have a shield carried on my back or by my side in easy reach, what/how many action(s) do I need to use to have it strapped to my arm (i.e. granting its shield bonus to my AC).
That's detailed on table 6–7 on page 153 of the Core Rulebook.
Donning a shield is 1 move action.
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Creative Director
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I know you don't like dogs so let's call it a blink cat. If I take one as a cohort and want to level it up, the entry says that they take levels of sorcerer. With 11 Cha they make bad casters. Any thoughts on this?
As detailed on page 297 of the Bestiary, as soon as a creature takes class levels, it's considered to be an extraordinary creature and gains, essentially, a 15 point buy for its stats. The simplest way to model this for a creature is to give it the following ability modifiers: +4, +4, +2, +2, +0, –2. Throw one of those +4 modifiers onto the blink dog's/blink cat's Charisma scores and presto! As it levels up, every 4 levels it can add its +1 bonus to its Charisma, and thus EASILY stay ahead of the curve as to what their maximum castable spell level is.
If you're worried that its spell save DCs will be too low...
1) You can either stop and recognize that they'll be average, and thus NOT too low, and that perhaps what you're really worried about is that the spell save DCs aren't super high.
2) Pick your blink dog's spells so that its picking spells that don't have save DCs. Summon monster spells, scorching ray, defensive spells, buff spells, etc.
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Creative Director
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Someone mentioned an upcoming "Ultimate Campaign," and that it's something I might be interested in, as I'm currently starting a campaign that's trying to mix dungeon delving with socializing in a hometown, and I'm trying to incentivize my players to do things like (and find rules to govern) building buildings, making friends, building reputations, running businesses, starting guilds, etc. Can you tell me anything about Ultimate Campaign and give me at least some hints as to how it will be handling things like that?
I can tell you this: for the type of thing you're looking for, Ultimate Campaign will be EXACTLY the book you're looking for. It's all about things like building stuff, running businesses, starting guilds, and creating cities and kingdoms.
I can't tell you much more yet, though, as the book is still being written by another team.
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Creative Director
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(Posting this again, because I think it was missed.)
Some Golarion questions for Mr. Jacobs:
1.) I am preparing to launch a home campaign set on Mediogalti Island. What would be some good quests, adventures, plotlines, or themes for a campaign set in Ilizmagorti? How would you involve the Red Mantis society without centering the whole campaign around them?
2.) I have a feeling that this might have been asked before, but how did the people of Golarion become aware of Aroden's death? Did his clerics simply feel a severance at the moment of the event? Was there some unmistakable physical sign that made it clear? What did Aroden's death look or feel like, for the mortal races?
3.) What was going on with the halflings before the modern age made a slave race out of them? Were they much different? Were there halfling kings and nations? Do halfling ruins exist?
4.) Was the Starstone Cathedral a part of the Earthfall meteor? Did it fall out of the sky with a cathedral on top of it, or did Aroden, as a mortal, literally create a cathedral that turns mortals into gods? If the latter, did he intend for the structure to have such an effect?
5.) What happens when someone becomes a god after succeeding at the test? Is there an obvious sign? How does it become a matter of public knowledge that it has happened?
Daron Woodson
Abandoned Arts
Not sure where my reply went, but here it is again:
1) I'd check out "Cities of Golarion," which has a big article about Ilizmagorti in it. As for the Red Mantis... they're SUCH a "strong spice" that I'm not sure building a campaign set int heir back yard a NOT having them be the primary point of the campaign is a good idea at all. That's like setting a campaign in Osirion and deliberately NOT using any Egyptian-themed content in your adventure. We've got plenty of options for jungly tropical adventure sites that aren't Mediogalti Island—I'd suggest relocating your campaign to one of the larger islands in the Shackles if you don't want the Red Mantis to play a big role in the campaign.
2) They became aware of it in lots of ways. Clerics of Aroden suddenly lost all spells. Commune spells and the like confirmed his death. He didn't show up for his prophesied re-appearance. Storms thrashed the world. All sorts of bad omens hit the world at once. The more into Aroden you were, the more this would have looked to you like the end of the world.
3) We've not said much about halfling ancient history that I know of... unless we did in Halfings of Golarion. In any event, it's mostly Cheliax that does the halfling slave thing, and that's because Cheliax is all about efficiency. A halfling takes up less room than a human slave.
4) The Starstone Cathedral was built around the Starstone, likely by Aroden. The starstone itself had the power to turn those who touch it into gods, and Aroden knew rightly that letting ANYONE touch it would make a sudden swelling of gods who hadn't earned that right. By building the cathedral around it and, perhaps, letting the Starstone help define the cathedral's ever-shifting interior, Aroden made sure that only those who DESERVED it could make it to the Starstone to become a deity.
5) What happens is that we can't really talk about it until we have rules to back things up. Those rules are coming next Gen Con as Mythic Adventures. As for what it looks like... that depends entirely on the new god. Norgorber probably snuck out and it was some time before news spread, but Iomedae floated out all "deitied-up" with resplendence and awesomeness for all to see.
Thanks, James!
Daron Woodson
Abandoned Arts
Really? But they look like they are metal and aren't clubs supposed to be wood?What is the melee weapon that the gray gardeners are shown using in all of the art? Is it a mace of some kind or something with a specific name?A masterwork club, most likely.
I never understood that personally, no reason why you can't just have a metal bar as a club or quarterstaff. Sure, you'd need to charge something for it compared to the "--" cost of the wooden ones, but beyond that....
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Creative Director
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Really? But they look like they are metal and aren't clubs supposed to be wood?What is the melee weapon that the gray gardeners are shown using in all of the art? Is it a mace of some kind or something with a specific name?A masterwork club, most likely.
Clubs can be made of anything that weapons can be made out of. Wood, metal, bone, stone, mithral, noqual, etc.
If that's no good... then the gray gardeners are carrying maces.
...
..
.
James,
What is Achaekek's opinion of the starstone? As much as Achaekek strives to seek out and destroy powerful mortals that would usurp the gods or ascend to godhood, does he/it have a strong opinion or relationship with the starstone, or with any of the gods who owe their divinity to it?
Daron Woodson
Abandoned Arts
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Creative Director
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...
..
.James,
What is Achaekek's opinion of the starstone? As much as Achaekek strives to seek out and destroy powerful mortals that would usurp the gods or ascend to godhood, does he/it have a strong opinion or relationship with the starstone, or with any of the gods who owe their divinity to it?
Daron Woodson
Abandoned Arts
He doesn't have much of an opinion about it. If a mortal needs killing, he's tough enough to take them out before or after. Or during.
Has Razmir been targeted by Achaekek or the Red Mantis Assassins yet? If he has, how'd he get away?
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Hey James, how would you handle this?
There's a domain power that fails to specify its range.
Would you happen to know what the intent was on that? I'd hate to assume it's melee-only, as you'd then require a separate feat (actually, a PAIR of feats) to be able to use that power without provoking an AoO. Personally, I'm guessing it was supposed to be 30ft like so many other domain powers and that line just got left out by accident. But that's just my guess. Have any insight?
Thanks!
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Talk of the starstone made me think of a few things
1) the star stone was brought here during Earthfall correct?
2) How was Aroden able to find the stone (and know of it's power) In the first place.
3) Would it not be possible that stone's with similair properties landed on Golarion or could possibly land on Golarion in the future?
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Creative Director
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Has Razmir been targeted by Achaekek or the Red Mantis Assassins yet? If he has, how'd he get away?
Razmir's a rightful ruler of a nation first of all. And second of all, the Red Mantises don't just go around killing folks willy nilly. They only go kill those they've been hired to kill. If no one hires them to kill someone, say, like Razmir, they're not gonna go get him.
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Creative Director
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Hey James, how would you handle this?
There's a domain power that fails to specify its range.
** spoiler omitted **
Would you happen to know what the intent was on that? I'd hate to assume it's melee-only, as you'd then require a separate feat (actually, a PAIR of feats) to be able to use that power without provoking an AoO. Personally, I'm guessing it was supposed to be 30ft like so many other domain powers and that line just got left out by accident. But that's just my guess. Have any insight?Thanks!
First off, this is obviously needing some errata, and so you should make this post in the proper thread as well and hit the FAQ button.
In the meantime... I'd say the range should be 60 feet. That's a completely arbitrary choice, though.
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Creative Director
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Talk of the starstone made me think of a few things
1) the star stone was brought here during Earthfall correct?
2) How was Aroden able to find the stone (and know of it's power) In the first place.
3) Would it not be possible that stone's with similair properties landed on Golarion or could possibly land on Golarion in the future?
1) Yup; it fell to Golarion during Earthfall.
2) The same way ANY adventurer learns about adventure hooks—a combination of rumors, legends, magical divination effects, strange visions, and exploration.
3) Nope. The Starstone's storytelling vibrancy and themes are lessened if there's more than one.
Talk of the starstone made me think of a few things
1) the star stone was brought here during Earthfall correct?
2) How was Aroden able to find the stone (and know of it's power) In the first place.
3) Would it not be possible that stone's with similair properties landed on Golarion or could possibly land on Golarion in the future?1) Yup; it fell to Golarion during Earthfall.
2) The same way ANY adventurer learns about adventure hooks—a combination of rumors, legends, magical divination effects, strange visions, and exploration.
3) Nope. The Starstone's storytelling vibrancy and themes are lessened if there's more than one.
Maybe those other StarStones have less awesome/useful/desirable effects.?
Maybe those other StarStones have less awesome/useful/desirable effects.?
That sounds like a Mythic storyline right there. Someone organization gets a hold of what they think is a lesser version of the Starstone and begins infusing their members with power (aka Mythic Tiers). However, they start (going mad)/(turning into monsters)/(falling under the control of the Great Old One who created the false stone)...
Heck, why not all three?
Hi,
Are diagonals considered "adjacent" for the Cleave feat?
Example:
_E_
EU_
___
E to the North and E to the West of U. Can you cleave?
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Maybe those other StarStones have less awesome/useful/desirable effects.?That sounds like a Mythic storyline right there. Someone organization gets a hold of what they think is a lesser version of the Starstone and begins infusing their members with power (aka Mythic Tiers). However, they start (going mad)/(turning into monsters)/(falling under the control of the Great Old One who created the false stone)...
Heck, why not all three?
Maybe I'm just a Lovecraft nut, but I'm picturing a non mythic adventure where the stone is actually a massive egg sac-like structure, filled with Colours out of Space. And the cultists THINK they'e getting super powers when all they are getting is the colour blighted template.
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There are in fact shards of the Starstone floating around near-Golarion space, as per Distant Worlds.
They don't turn you into a god, they just distort space and cause weird incomplete and possibly unsolvable "trials."
Hello James, which of the bestiary 3 monsters is your favourite and why?
Hi,
Are diagonals considered "adjacent" for the Cleave feat?
Example:
_E_
EU_
___E to the North and E to the West of U. Can you cleave?
Have no fear.
Adjacent enough to threaten is adjacent enough for Cleave.
Diagonals are adjacent.
Daron Woodson
Abandoned Arts