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Paizo Employee Creative Director

The Golux wrote:
Do you think races with +2 to all physical ability scores and -2 to two mental (or vice-versa) would be balanced? It's really awkward to build such a thing with the race builder.

The problem with that kind of ability score setup is that there are a lot of classes who don't use physical scores or don't use mental scores at all. Things like fighters and wizards would gain FAR too many benefits from that kind of mix. Mixing up the bonuses and penalties among the scores is one way the game tries to keep an element of hard-choice in the game.

AKA: If a race's abilitiy mods make it the PERFECT RACE for any one class in particular, that's important and should be noted and might be a problem.

Any race that grants bonuses to physical scores while no penalties to physical scores (or vice-versa) is better than a race that doesn't do this, in other words.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

TetsujinOni wrote:

So, I'm wondering if the real reason that no one has been able to cajole an answer out of Pharasma about what Aroden's disposition after his death was, is that whoever or whatever took out Aroden also took out Pharasma, and is masquerading as her as part of a deep, dark, one might almost say Eldritch plan; thus since this thing doesn't do prophecy, that would be why prophecy doesn't work any more...

(I decided this thread was better than the chat for this question...)

The REAL reason is that if folks could cajole an answer out of Pharasma, that'd be the same as us just revealing the secret in the real world. We don't want to do that, and therefore since we also happen to control Pharasma's actions in the setting, she doesn't either.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

TetsujinOni wrote:
TetsujinOni wrote:

So, I'm wondering if the real reason that no one has been able to cajole an answer out of Pharasma about what Aroden's disposition after his death was, is that whoever or whatever took out Aroden also took out Pharasma, and is masquerading as her as part of a deep, dark, one might almost say Eldritch plan; thus since this thing doesn't do prophecy, that would be why prophecy doesn't work any more...

(I decided this thread was better than the chat for this question...)

Oh, yeah... the obligatory question part: "Am I onto something?" *grin*

Nope.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Amaranthine Witch wrote:
If I am the white-haired witch can I use a combat maneuver action to grapple and state that I use the hair so I don't gain the grappled condition?

Nope. You have to use the hair to grapple. You can't start the grapple with your hands and then transfer a foe to the hair.

Jon Brazer Enterprises

James Jacobs wrote:
TetsujinOni wrote:
TetsujinOni wrote:

So, I'm wondering if the real reason that no one has been able to cajole an answer out of Pharasma about what Aroden's disposition after his death was, is that whoever or whatever took out Aroden also took out Pharasma, and is masquerading as her as part of a deep, dark, one might almost say Eldritch plan; thus since this thing doesn't do prophecy, that would be why prophecy doesn't work any more...

(I decided this thread was better than the chat for this question...)

Oh, yeah... the obligatory question part: "Am I onto something?" *grin*
Nope.

Funny, I thought the answer would be, "In your game, sure."


James Jacobs wrote:
The Golux wrote:
Do you think races with +2 to all physical ability scores and -2 to two mental (or vice-versa) would be balanced? It's really awkward to build such a thing with the race builder.

The problem with that kind of ability score setup is that there are a lot of classes who don't use physical scores or don't use mental scores at all. Things like fighters and wizards would gain FAR too many benefits from that kind of mix. Mixing up the bonuses and penalties among the scores is one way the game tries to keep an element of hard-choice in the game.

AKA: If a race's abilitiy mods make it the PERFECT RACE for any one class in particular, that's important and should be noted and might be a problem.

Any race that grants bonuses to physical scores while no penalties to physical scores (or vice-versa) is better than a race that doesn't do this, in other words.

Granted, and I am pretty much trying to set up a physical and a mental race (albeit ones that would be semi-symbiotic in setting). The real issue I'm having with the race builder, though, is that as far as I can figure it's impossible to get negatives to two ability scores of the same type without either a plus to the other ability score of the same type (greater weakness) or a +4 to an ability score of the other type (Paragon). The rest can be patched with the advanced (ability score) traits (making it an advanced race, which I guess are less balanced anyway), but there's no trait for making an additional reduction.

Oh well, I guess they wouldn't be perfectly balanced, and no-one ever claimed the race builder was perfect anyway. There are, though, the Flexible and Specialized score traits, for only 2 or 1 points respectively, that give +2 to any two regardless of type, and +2 to two of one type and -2 to one of the other type, which result in similar specialization, just less complete.


1) Dervish Dancer : As I see it Rain of Blows, Razor's Kiss and Leaf on the Wind can't be use with inspire courage, but can a Dervish Dancer use inspire courage and Dance of Fury at the same time? Or do they both count as bardic performance?
2) What are your top five archetypes (if any)?
3) What are your top 3 (or 4 or 5) bard archetypes (if any) and why?


LazarX wrote:
Tels wrote:

So we're planning on starting up the gaming sessions soon now that fall is upon us and school is well on it's way. I've currently got a Wizard playing in Kingmaker and my GM is determined to portray my wizard to the populace as an Evil Tyrant Overlord, and I'm looking to change that.

Is it because by any chance that your wizard IS an Evil Tyrant Overlord?

No, my Wizard is the Grand Diplomat. He's also an architect and engineer, he personally designs the major buildings, like the temple, castle, town hall and the layout of the city for maximum efficiency. Whenever a building is going up, he makes sure to come by and help out in the construction to make it stronger, or better in some way.

When a hoard of trolls attacked the city, he was the only one capable of killing them (the only person with fire or acid attacks). He's fought and died for the city, but his desire to protect the citizens was so great, that the gods granted him another chance to ensure their safety.

Despite rescuing children from kidnapping monsters, rebuilding the city after a monstrous beast attacked, securing treaties with neighboring races and discovering resources to better the cities future, all of the people, with few exceptions, view him as some Evil Necromancer Tyrant, because the GM said so. Seriously, he told me that, and that mothers hide their children when he walks the street, conversations stop in bars when he enters, gatherings quickly disperse if he is near.

I don't want to abandon the character, and I've talked to him about it, but he and the party seem to find it funny to see me try and better my reputation, only for everything to be taken in the worse possible light and flounder.

I have actually been considering just killing off the party and laying waste to the city, but that's only a darker fantasy and not one I ever intend to go through with. But as a defense for the city, I have slowly been preparing hundreds are pieces of parchment with Explosive Runes cast on them. If something ever happens, like the city falls under siege, he can fly over the army and drop out hundreds of leaflets, and if any are read BOOM! But he could also do the same to the city if the GM sufficiently pisses my character off.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

The Golux wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
The Golux wrote:
Do you think races with +2 to all physical ability scores and -2 to two mental (or vice-versa) would be balanced? It's really awkward to build such a thing with the race builder.

The problem with that kind of ability score setup is that there are a lot of classes who don't use physical scores or don't use mental scores at all. Things like fighters and wizards would gain FAR too many benefits from that kind of mix. Mixing up the bonuses and penalties among the scores is one way the game tries to keep an element of hard-choice in the game.

AKA: If a race's abilitiy mods make it the PERFECT RACE for any one class in particular, that's important and should be noted and might be a problem.

Any race that grants bonuses to physical scores while no penalties to physical scores (or vice-versa) is better than a race that doesn't do this, in other words.

Granted, and I am pretty much trying to set up a physical and a mental race (albeit ones that would be semi-symbiotic in setting). The real issue I'm having with the race builder, though, is that as far as I can figure it's impossible to get negatives to two ability scores of the same type without either a plus to the other ability score of the same type (greater weakness) or a +4 to an ability score of the other type (Paragon). The rest can be patched with the advanced (ability score) traits (making it an advanced race, which I guess are less balanced anyway), but there's no trait for making an additional reduction.

Oh well, I guess they wouldn't be perfectly balanced, and no-one ever claimed the race builder was perfect anyway. There are, though, the Flexible and Specialized score traits, for only 2 or 1 points respectively, that give +2 to any two regardless of type, and +2 to two of one type and -2 to one of the other type, which result in similar specialization, just less complete.

My take: The race building rules should be guidelines, not straitjackets.

For all of the new zero HD races we introduce in the upcoming Inner Sea Bestiary, we built the race first and THEN applied the race-building rules to determine their RP costs. In every case (except maybe for the monkey goblin), there were new abilities that needed new RP costs. We used the established abilities as guidelines to assign those costs.

In other words... just because there's not an option in the rules doesn't mean you can't make it an option. Use the NUMEROUS example race powers as templates to help you set the price and you're good to go!

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Zark wrote:

1) Dervish Dancer : As I see it Rain of Blows, Razor's Kiss and Leaf on the Wind can't be use with inspire courage, but can a Dervish Dancer use inspire courage and Dance of Fury at the same time? Or do they both count as bardic performance?

2) What are your top five archetypes (if any)?
3) What are your top 3 (or 4 or 5) bard archetypes (if any) and why?

1) If you have a method of letting your bardic performances stack (say via Lingering Performance), they can all overlap in various ways. In any event, Dance of Fury is not a bardic performance ability, even though it replaces one. It doesn't require use of a bardic performance to activate... it just requires the dervish dancer to move while a performance is going on. As such, it works with any other performance that's currently in action.

2) I don't really have a list of top five archetypes. They came out too fast for me to keep track of them all.

3) See #2 above. I might be able to answer this in the future at some point after I've had more chances to build more PCs. When I'm building NPCs, if I pick archetypes for them at all I'm picking for the need of the NPC's flavor and role without really bothering to worry if that's the BEST archetype for him as an adventurer.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Tels wrote:
LazarX wrote:
Tels wrote:

So we're planning on starting up the gaming sessions soon now that fall is upon us and school is well on it's way. I've currently got a Wizard playing in Kingmaker and my GM is determined to portray my wizard to the populace as an Evil Tyrant Overlord, and I'm looking to change that.

Is it because by any chance that your wizard IS an Evil Tyrant Overlord?

No, my Wizard is the Grand Diplomat. He's also an architect and engineer, he personally designs the major buildings, like the temple, castle, town hall and the layout of the city for maximum efficiency. Whenever a building is going up, he makes sure to come by and help out in the construction to make it stronger, or better in some way.

When a hoard of trolls attacked the city, he was the only one capable of killing them (the only person with fire or acid attacks). He's fought and died for the city, but his desire to protect the citizens was so great, that the gods granted him another chance to ensure their safety.

Despite rescuing children from kidnapping monsters, rebuilding the city after a monstrous beast attacked, securing treaties with neighboring races and discovering resources to better the cities future, all of the people, with few exceptions, view him as some Evil Necromancer Tyrant, because the GM said so. Seriously, he told me that, and that mothers hide their children when he walks the street, conversations stop in bars when he enters, gatherings quickly disperse if he is near.

I don't want to abandon the character, and I've talked to him about it, but he and the party seem to find it funny to see me try and better my reputation, only for everything to be taken in the worse possible light and flounder.

I have actually been considering just killing off the party and laying waste to the city, but that's only a darker fantasy and not one I ever intend to go through with. But as a defense for the city, I have slowly been preparing hundreds are pieces of parchment with Explosive...

Sounds like what you ACTUALLY need to do then is talk to the GM about the problem. But given the line I bolded above... maybe you're not coming off as benevolent as you think you are...


James Jacobs wrote:
AlgaeNymph wrote:
Do immortal humans gain the bonuses to mental stats for aging?
Yes; Immortal humans gain those bonuses AND penalties. Usually. Depending on if we remember or not. Sometimes they only gain some of them depending on the method used to gain immortality.

So if a wizard gets herself eternal youth then she'll get the bonuses without the penalties?


James Jacobs:

I have been struggling with PF's rules on trapfinding (and finding secret doors). The following breaks down the issue on how do these work.

1) Is it an action to find a trap or secret door and if so what type of action? (full-round, standard, move, no action)

2) What is the distance you can notice a trap or secret door? (Line of sight or 5' or other)

Note: 3.5 had it as a full-round action for a 5' square.

Thanks as always

- Gauss


James Jacobs wrote:
Sounds like what you ACTUALLY need to do then is talk to the GM about the problem. But given the line I bolded above... maybe you're not coming off as benevolent as you think you are...

The bolded line was a joke amongst the party members when the GM left. They commented that they don't know why he seems so intent on making me a BBEG, and if he keeps at it, I should just kill the party off, and we sat around brainstorming ways I could do it. I'm the party crafter, so I could craft items that fail when I say so, like armor falling off, weapons breaking, etc. I also make all the potions and wands, so I could poison those, or curse the wand so it suddenly starts using Negative Energy instead of Positive Energy. I could 'accidentally' mis-target with spells, or use my position to control enemies to attack the city etc.

They've all said I've gone out of my way to help the city, but that the people are automatically assuming everything I do is nefarious in some way. They still use what I do though, but they're overly cautious. I've been talking to him, and hopefully, I can break him of this plot he seems to have for my character, but if not, I'll just leave the game with my character.

Shadow Lodge

with the versatile channeler does the deity the cleric is worshiping and the cleric have to be neutrally aligned (ie N somewhere in their alignment) or do the both have to be a true neutral?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

AlgaeNymph wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
AlgaeNymph wrote:
Do immortal humans gain the bonuses to mental stats for aging?
Yes; Immortal humans gain those bonuses AND penalties. Usually. Depending on if we remember or not. Sometimes they only gain some of them depending on the method used to gain immortality.
So if a wizard gets herself eternal youth then she'll get the bonuses without the penalties?

Yup. That's what eternal youth more or less means. It's pretty much how the sun orchid elixir works, assuming you drink it when you're older, of course...

Silver Crusade

James Jacobs wrote:
Winter_Born wrote:

Heya James!

I am a huge fan of the Iconics, both in concept as well as their IMO massive potential for other products in Paizo's already amazing stable. The Pathfinder comic is a great start, and I hope to see them in novels soon. Sutter, hear me! *grin*

Ok, so along those lines I've always wondered:

1] Do the Iconics have champions/owners at the Paizo offices that have more of a say or control of them? Would you run down those you're aware of please?

2] Do any of them come from home campaigns?

3] Are there any avenues that you personally would like to see the Iconics branch off into (animations, licensing, novels, module appearances)? No official Paizo commitment here, just what you'd like to see.

4] What was, and have they lived up to what you saw their purpose at the beginning?

Cheers, James! Oh and a HUGE thank you for the earlier Cthulhu Mythos recommends, especially for the amazing Call of Cthulhu film adaptation. I was awestruck when I finally was able to order the DVD and sit down and devour it! What atmosphere on such a limited budget. Lovecraft was totally new to me, and now I sit in sheer devotion.

Here's hoping that Del Toro gets to make his Cthulhu film eventually.

The iconics are very unlikely to appear as characters in novels. Their great strength is their visual appeal, and that makes them PERFECT as characters in the comic, but not so great as characters in a novel. In addition, we don't want to have to track continuity between two different lines in that way—that gets way too complicated too quickly.

1) I'm pretty much the champion/owner for all of the iconics to a certain extent. Deciding their personalities is mostly my job as Creative Director, although in many cases I've recruited other folks around the office (often James Sutter) to help build their personalities or write the Meet the Iconics blogs. I'm the one who approves those blogs though. But as it works out, folks DO end up associating and claiming...

Thanks for the insight into one of my favorite Pathfinder side subjects.

Oh bonus round question: Is there a chance that Imrijka will get a Meet the Iconics treatment? I think all we got from her is an "Ask Imrijka". I think she may be the only Iconic without a firmed up backstory that has been revealed.


James Jacobs wrote:
AlgaeNymph wrote:
So if a wizard gets herself eternal youth then she'll get the bonuses without the penalties?
Yup. That's what eternal youth more or less means. It's pretty much how the sun orchid elixir works, assuming you drink it when you're older, of course...

I was thinking more of the Everdawn Pool.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

What's the best book to use to learn about the aboleths of golarion?


I have to say James, I giggled when I read the Metagame Artifacts in Artifacts and Legends. Big Awesome to whoever came up with that idea.

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

How big is the Super Secret Book of all the information on Golarion that is not yet released to us, the proles?

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

So, I just read about Briar in Artifacts and Legends, am I getting this correctly?

Spoiler:
In Kingmaker, this poor Nymph has her capacity for love ripped out of her, some humans find it in the form of a sword, she goes after it trying to regain the capacity for love, and they defeat her, using the Power of Love, HER power of love specifically. and then Her essence is absorbed by the blade trapping her for all eternity in the form of a sword?

If that's true... Is
Spoiler:
Kingmaker
the first Villainous AP that Paizo has put out? or am I missing something?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Winter_Born wrote:

Oh bonus round question: Is there a chance that Imrijka will get a Meet the Iconics treatment? I think all we got from her is an "Ask Imrijka". I think she may be the only Iconic without a firmed up backstory that has been revealed.

A couple of our iconics have snuck through without getting a Meet the Iconics entry, alas, due to the combination of shifting priorities in the blog and the lack of writer availability—I won't just let ANYONE write a Meet the Iconics entry!

So, some day yeah I hope that we'll get someone to write those missing iconic entries up.


James Jacobs:

I think my question got skipped so I am restating it:

I have been struggling with PF's rules on trapfinding (and finding secret doors). The following breaks down the issue on how do these work.

1) Is it an action to find a trap or secret door and if so what type of action? (full-round, standard, move, no action)

2) What is the distance you can notice a trap or secret door? (Line of sight or 5' or other)

Note: 3.5 had it as a full-round action for a 5' square.

Thanks as always

- Gauss

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Cheapy wrote:
What's the best book to use to learn about the aboleths of golarion?

That book hasn't yet been written. We've dropped bits and pieces about aboleths here and there, but for the most part have been pretty cagey and coy.

Into the Darklands is probably your best bet currently, but there's some stuff here and there throughout Second Darkness as well.

Pathfinder #66 will have a little more. As will Inner Sea Bestairy.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Tels wrote:
I have to say James, I giggled when I read the Metagame Artifacts in Artifacts and Legends. Big Awesome to whoever came up with that idea.

That'd be Mr. Wes Schneider!

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:
How big is the Super Secret Book of all the information on Golarion that is not yet released to us, the proles?

Several thousand pages long! With covers made of horacalcum!

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Stratagemini wrote:

So, I just read about Briar in Artifacts and Legends, am I getting this correctly?

** spoiler omitted **
If that's true... Is ** spoiler omitted ** the first Villainous AP that Paizo has put out? or am I missing something?

Nope.

Spoiler:
The fact that Nyrissa turned bad after she had the capacity to love ripped from her by the Eldest is indeed a tragic story element... but there's more to it than we could put into a single one-page artifact entry. Nyrissa's backstory is SUPPOSED to be sad and tragic and depressing, but she's very much an evil villian at the point the Adventure Path occurs. She just happens to be a very complex character and not a stereotypical mustache-twirling villain.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Gauss wrote:

James Jacobs:

I think my question got skipped so I am restating it:

I have been struggling with PF's rules on trapfinding (and finding secret doors). The following breaks down the issue on how do these work.

1) Is it an action to find a trap or secret door and if so what type of action? (full-round, standard, move, no action)

2) What is the distance you can notice a trap or secret door? (Line of sight or 5' or other)

Note: 3.5 had it as a full-round action for a 5' square.

Thanks as always

- Gauss

Finding a trap or a secret door requires a Perception check.

1) While most Perception checks are reactive and thus don't take actions, deliberately searching for something (as you do when you're looking for a trap or a secret door) is a move action. If you REALLY SEARCH something as best as you can, that's basically taking 20 on your perception check, which means that it takes 20 times as long than normal. Since you can do 2 move actions a round, taking 20 on a perception check takes 1 minute.

2) For every ten feet away from the trap or secret door you are, you suffer a –1 penalty to your Perception check. So the maximum distance is determined by how good your skill check is.


James Jacobs:

Thank you, I guess I never picked up on that change (it seems others have not either). I have been running it as per 3.5 with the modification that it was a move action per 5' square instead of a full round action per 5' square.

Is there a rationale for the change?

- Gauss

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

James Jacobs wrote:
Thomas LeBlanc wrote:
How big is the Super Secret Book of all the information on Golarion that is not yet released to us, the proles?
Several thousand pages long! With covers made of horacalcum!

OMG (Oh Mystical Grognard), I humbly implore you to give unto me the description of the wondrous material horacalcum! I delved into the Tome of Ultimate Equipment and the description was not to be found within... Where can it be found, what are its properties, and how mayst I obtain a sample?

Scarab Sages

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:
Stratagemini wrote:

So, I just read about Briar in Artifacts and Legends, am I getting this correctly?

** spoiler omitted **
If that's true... Is ** spoiler omitted ** the first Villainous AP that Paizo has put out? or am I missing something?

Nope.

** spoiler omitted except for the phrase "mustache-twirling villain" **

On the one hand, it's great to have villains with tragic moral complexity. On the other hand, the mental image of

Spoiler:
a Nymph
twirling her fu-manchu mustache is sort of hilarious.

Anywy, I've enjoyed basically everything in the book so far. Especially the stats for the Alara'hai. Now if only there were a book of "Magic of Ancient Thassilon" with the seven weapons of rule, and stuff like the battering blast spell and the Gluttonous Tome.

I know it's not a question, but, thanks a lot for continuing to make great books with fascinating stories.

Also? Give whoever thought of the Staff of Ages my regards. Now between Ancient Thassilon, the Robots in Dungeons of Golarion, Grippli, Rovagug biding his time in his prison in the center of Golarion, The Magus class, and the staff of Ages, I can actually run one of my Favorite SNES Games as a campaign in the Pathfinder setting.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Gauss wrote:

James Jacobs:

Thank you, I guess I never picked up on that change (it seems others have not either). I have been running it as per 3.5 with the modification that it was a move action per 5' square instead of a full round action per 5' square.

Is there a rationale for the change?

- Gauss

Not that I know of, apart from a desire to speed things up when it comes to looking around.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Thomas LeBlanc wrote:
How big is the Super Secret Book of all the information on Golarion that is not yet released to us, the proles?
Several thousand pages long! With covers made of horacalcum!
OMG (Oh Mystical Grognard), I humbly implore you to give unto me the description of the wondrous material horacalcum! I delved into the Tome of Ultimate Equipment and the description was not to be found within... Where can it be found, what are its properties, and how mayst I obtain a sample?

Horacalcum is a world-specific mateiral. It's one of the seven skymetals. As such, it's not covered in the world-neutral Ultimate Equipment.

It was first mentioned back in Pathfinder #14, but we didn't give it actual game effects until just recently at the start of Shattered Star in Pathfinder #61... which incidentally also details the game effects of the other six skymetals as well.


Horacalcum... is that similar to but legally distinct from Orichalcum and its Japanese cousin Orihalcon?


James Jacobs wrote:
The Block Knight wrote:


Don't need James for this one. DR that includes the word AND requires BOTH types of damage. If it was either/or the DR would actually say OR, like the Bearded Devil, for example.
I will (and did) answer the question anyway, so while I appreciate the help, it's not entirely necessary. :P

Not trying to step on your toes. Just trying to save you some time on the easy ones. I honestly don't know how you manage to respond to everything and still put in ten to twelve hours days doing "official" things on top of responding to so many other threads as well. I never cease to be impressed. Cheers. :)

Edit: Also. . .

James Jacobs wrote:
3) I'd love to see them show up in video games, movies, and premium cable TV shows!

I would play/watch the heck out of these. Especially a video game (series) based off the APs. Perhaps RotRL. That would be fantastic.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

The Golux wrote:
Horacalcum... is that similar to but legally distinct from Orichalcum and its Japanese cousin Orihalcon?

Maybe.

Silver Crusade

James Jacobs wrote:
Winter_Born wrote:

Oh bonus round question: Is there a chance that Imrijka will get a Meet the Iconics treatment? I think all we got from her is an "Ask Imrijka". I think she may be the only Iconic without a firmed up backstory that has been revealed.

A couple of our iconics have snuck through without getting a Meet the Iconics entry, alas, due to the combination of shifting priorities in the blog and the lack of writer availability—I won't just let ANYONE write a Meet the Iconics entry!

So, some day yeah I hope that we'll get someone to write those missing iconic entries up.

Gotcha. I'll start twitter bombing Sutter. ;)


Hi James,

I had a question to ask from the rules forum (people unfortunately were divided on the answer) and I was wondering if you could render some clarity to it:

So say I have a +1 furyborn greataxe. I'm a 12th level caster and I cast greater magic weapon on the greataxe. By all accounts, said greataxe is a +3 furyborn greataxe now (the +3 enhancement bonus from GMW overriding the inherent +1 bonus of the axe).

If I attack with the furyborn greataxe and hit what is the enhancement bonus of my weapon?

For reference:

Quote:

A fury-born weapon draws power from the anger and frustration the wielder feels when battling foes that refuse to die. Each time the wielder damages an opponent with the weapon, its enhancement bonus increases by +1 when making attacks against that opponent (maximum total enhancement bonus of +5). This extra enhancement bonus goes away if the opponent dies, the wielder uses the weapon to attack a different creature, or 1 hour passes. Only melee weapons can have the fury-born ability.

It becomes a +4 weapon, if I am not mistaken? (of course I might be which is why I'm asking the question).

Similar question for a dueling weapon:

Quote:

This ability can only be placed on a melee weapon.

A dueling weapon bears magical enhancements that makes it particularly effective at performing certain combat maneuvers. When a dueling weapon is used to perform a combat maneuver that utilizes the weapon only (see below), it grants a luck bonus equal to twice its enhancement bonus on the CMB check made to carry out the maneuver. The dueling weapon also grants this same luck bonus to the wielder’s CMD score against these types of combat maneuvers. These combat maneuvers include disarm and trip maneuvers, but not bull rush, grapple, or overrun maneuvers. If you’re using the additional combat maneuvers in the Advanced Player’s Guide, this also includes any dirty trick maneuvers that utilize the weapon, as well as reposition combat maneuvers, but not drag or steal combat maneuvers. Note that this luck bonus stacks with the weapon’s enhancement bonus, which in and of itself adds to CMB checks normally.

So if I cast GMW on a +1 dueling rapier, which becomes a +3 dueling rapier, the luck bonus to maneuvers is now +6 instead of +2, correct?

Just trying to understand how enhancements not from the weapon itself and magical properties interact for my maneuver focused monk.

prototype00

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:
Analysis wrote:

1. Can someone semi-reliably be turned into an Oracle? Such as by going through some shamanic initiation ordeal or Old Cults immersion ritual, where those who survive/return have been cursed as Oracles?

2. Related to 1). If an Oracle cult leader, shaman or the like trains acolytes or lesser priests, would those be best represented as Oracles or as Clerics/Druids?

3. Does an Oracle have to actually like, revere or side with the powers of their mystery, or are there Oracles literally cursed with abilities contrary to their allegiances, such as priests of Pharasma turned into involuntary necromancer Oracles of Bones through the curse of Urgathoa?

4. Historically, in which human cultures have Old Cult worship played an important part? Old Osirion and Ustalav have been mentioned; any others you would list in particular?

1) Yes; but that type of element is best handled by in-game story development.

2) Depends on the nature of the cult. As a general rule, the cultists should be the same class as their leader. Keep in mind that clerics MUST worship a single deity, so if you have an oracle, it's best for that oracle to worship a deity. Or a pantheon of related deities, and in that case, you can have different clerics serving different roles in the cult.

3) Oracles gain their powers from mysterious sources. That's why they're called mysteries. An oracle who worships Pharasma but has undead related powers is something of a blasphemer and a heretic, but could also be really helpful and loyal to the church. The clerics of a faith would be weirded out (at best) or antagonistic (at worst) to such fringe worshipers, though.

4) Beyond old Osirion and Ustalav, there's bits of Old Cult activity throughout the Inner Sea region. Osirion and Ustalav are the main places, but there's not really any place where finding Old Cult activity would be outlandish or impossible.

Isn't the default story background that an Oracle isn't a job you qualify for by going to seminary the way you do a cleric, but more akin to a shamanic calling? In that the Mystery chooses you, not the other way around. That there are Oracles that downright resent said calling (and the curse brought with it)?

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:
Stratagemini wrote:

Of the various Nursery Rhymes you've created for Golarion, which is your favorite?

Are there any more Nursery Rhymes coming down the pipe, for Golarion?

The Goblin Song, if that counts.

It should... there were enough people singing it at the tables we ran of that particular free rpg day module.

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

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James Jacobs wrote:

Horacalcum is a world-specific mateiral. It's one of the seven skymetals. As such, it's not covered in the world-neutral Ultimate Equipment.

It was first mentioned back in Pathfinder #14, but we didn't give it actual game effects until just recently at the start of Shattered Star in Pathfinder #61... which incidentally also details the game effects of the other six skymetals as well.

Thanks!

I should really get around to reading the back half of the newer APs, but they look so pretty sitting on a shelf...


A few questions about monks.

1) Can a zen archer monk use his monk level as his BaB for deadly aim when making flurry of blows with a bow?

2) In the Ultimate Magic monk vows are added to the class with the following text (This section introduces monk vows, which any user of
ki can take to increase his ki pool) further it states (A monk who takes a vow never gains the still mind class feature)

so can a ninja or rogue with a ki pool take a vow or is that impossible since they cant loose still mind?

3) if the answer to 2 is yes then what about monk archetypes that has still mind replaced with a new class feature?

Thanks in advance.


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Since Aboleths have been brought up, I want to add a couple questions to the topic.

1) I was about to ask if you had read the D&D Lords of Madness book and what you thought of it, but I had a sudden compulsion to go look at the cover of that book and saw your name written there.... So instead I will ask what your favorite part of that book was.

2) Since my favorite part was by far the Aboleths... are there any plans for significant Aboleth related content in Pathfinder's future? Perhaps Abberations Revisited or an Aboleth AP?

3) What is the coolest thing about Aboleths, in your mind?


James Jacobs wrote:
The Golux wrote:
Horacalcum... is that similar to but legally distinct from Orichalcum and its Japanese cousin Orihalcon?
Maybe.

Though I suppose legal distinction can't be the biggest problem for an actual historical/mythological metal. Maybe its special properties, though.

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

So, Thornkeep's Description was just posted over at Thornkeep. Now, given the description of the enigma vaults includes the phrase "a sinister influence from a dark and distant world", I'm assuming Dark Tapestry Influence.

That said, I recall that there were a couple of different options for your section that you proposed, did you end up getting to write your favorite proposal? Or would you have preferred to write one of the others?

Grand Lodge

ok I'm looking for a good adventure (preferably a path) to run my younger kids though 6/7 but I'm unsure what to run. so far we ran the the beginners box and it extra 4 mods and we also ran the society quest.. was thinking of running though 1st steps but any ideas what would be good for me to run after those if w don't go the society route?

The Exchange RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16

Good morning, James.

Perhaps I'm the last person to figure it out, but I finally noticed that almost all of the lawful deities are male -- the exception, Iomedae, being something of an accidental Core deity -- and most of the chaotic deities are female. (Again, with exceptions.)

How intentional is that? Is this a phenomenon that people in Golarion have noticed -- do some people talk about being Male Good or Female Neutral?

Also, what sort of stories are there of gods (major or minor) having congress with mortals and fathering or bearing children? Are they just stories, or does that sort of thing happen sometimes?

Silver Crusade

roger Gilbert wrote:
ok I'm looking for a good adventure (preferably a path) to rune my younger kid though 6/7 but I'm unsure so far the the beginners box and it extra 4 mods and we did the society quest.. was thinking of running though 1st steps but any idea what would be good for me to run next?

Crypt of the Everflame. :)


roger Gilbert wrote:
ok I'm looking for a good adventure (preferably a path) to run my younger kids though 6/7 but I'm unsure what to run. so far we ran the the beginners box and it extra 4 mods and we also ran the society quest.. was thinking of running though 1st steps but any ideas what would be good for me to run after those if w don't go the society route?

I am not James, but I suggest Kingmaker, if it's to be an adventure path.

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