Creative Director
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IANJ but I run small parties with a GMPC. Rather successful, too. If your GM is on the boards you might have him send me a PM or something. Because from what I read here it sounds like the problem is your GM hasn't made the effort to make his NPC into an actual character.You don't have to be James Jacobs to have good feedback! This is something we talked about. He said it wasn't likely he'd be able to GM as well as he can and run a fully developed character. Given my position that I couldn't run two fully developed characters at the same time, I find this reasonable.
While that's true... I do prefer folks not to do IANJ posts here since it kinda clutters things up.
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Creative Director
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I'm REALLY not a fan of crowds, which Gen Con has in spades. I look at Gen Con as part of the job. It's not a "reward" to me to be able to go to Gen Con, and it's not something I look forward to.This is unfortunate, but understandable. I hope my girlfriend Sara and I weren't too much of a bother whilst trying to find the darn room for the 'Future of Paizo' seminar with you last Gen Con. We actually thought it was hilarious that we were all lost together in that labyrinth of a hotel with all the trains for what seemed like ten minutes trying to find that hidden conference room.
After that seminar, I gave Erik a couple of custom miniatures for his contribution to the Age of Worms campaign, but this year, I am bringing along a nice custom Worm Drake miniature for you. I just had it cast, and since Worm Crawl Fissure was one of my favorite adventures and the Worm Drake was pretty brutal to throw at my PCs, I thought you'd like to add it to your collection as a "thank you".
But for the upcoming Gen Con, hopefully the 'Future of Paizo' seminar will be in a hotel with a room that's easier to find! :)
HA! That was you? Good times... yeah, that hotel could have used a better-designed map. And if I remember correctly... I was coming down with a pretty wicked cold at the time too... so I bet that didn't help my navigation ability.
YAY! Worm drake!!!!!!!! Thanks!
I was coming down with a pretty wicked cold at the time too... so I bet that didn't help my navigation ability.
Con crud is no bueno. We'll bring the GPS receiver this time!
YAY! Worm drake!!!!!!!! Thanks!
No problem dude, least we could do! Age of Worms was so much fun. We're looking forward to chatting with you again in person this summer at Gen Con. When you're at Indy, do you get to actually play any games or do anything other than just man the Paizo booth or talk at seminars?
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Creative Director
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No problem dude, least we could do! Age of Worms was so much fun. We're looking forward to chatting with you again in person this summer at Gen Con. When you're at Indy, do you get to actually play any games or do anything other than just man the Paizo booth or talk at seminars?
My Gen Con trips pretty much consist of me waking up, going to the convention floor to work in the booth and do seminars, with a few hours off if I'm lucky to wander the floor and take in the sights, followed by some sort of event in the evening (such as the Ennies or the big Paizo dinner or whatever), followed by me trying to escape back to the hotel ASAP to get to sleep ASAP.
AKA: I'm not the "life of the party" at Gen Con, and don't normally get any gaming in there.
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Haven't seen that at all. Does the game work on a Mac?Hello James, have you seen the offer for a 3 day pass for Dino D-Day on Steam?
Any idea if the game is worth downloading?
The download page say "OS: Windows XP/Vista/7" so I don't think there is a Mac version.
It is not really my thing, as it is a first person shooter, something that I enjoy only in small doses, but there are a few nice screen shots on the website. I think you will like the scene with T-Rex tossing a guy into the air and eating him.
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Which demon lord have you had the least to do with that you wish you could do more with?
Mind giving us a listing of your favorite demon lords?
(I'm assuming Nocticula takes #1)None; turns out that the ones I want to do more with I get to do more with.
My favorite 5 Pathfinder demon lords =
Nocticula
Zura
Cyth-V'sug
Sifkesh
Pazuzu
I keep forgetting you have that Creative Director title next to your name :3
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Creative Director
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Haven't seen that at all. Does the game work on a Mac?Hello James, have you seen the offer for a 3 day pass for Dino D-Day on Steam?
Any idea if the game is worth downloading?The download page say "OS: Windows XP/Vista/7" so I don't think there is a Mac version.
It is not really my thing, as it is a first person shooter, something that I enjoy only in small doses, but there are a few nice screen shots on the website. I think you will like the scene with T-Rex tossing a guy into the air and eating him.
LOST INTEREST!
:P
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What would the proper ending for something related to Gnolls be?
Gnollen?
Gnollish?
Gnollic?
Or just Gnoll?
Just "gnoll."
Same as with gnome or human or tengu.
Okay, thankies.
I think they'res been a similar conversation on here before about ending nouns with -ish (particularly Axe of the Dwarvish Lords), would you mind explaining to those of us grammatically challenged (A.K.A me) on why that's not a correct ending?
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Creative Director
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I think they'res been a similar conversation on here before about ending nouns with -ish (particularly Axe of the Dwarvish Lords), would you mind explaining to those of us grammatically challenged (A.K.A me) on why that's not a correct ending?
The Axe of the Dwarvish Lords is an exception to the rule that the adjective is normally "dwarven." Due to game legacy.
Contributor
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Hi James!
Pre-Earthfall, was the area now covered by the Inner Sea all land instead of water (i.e. were Avistan and Garund connected by landforms)? What were those lands like? Were there any significant nations/cities/cultures in the specific area now covered by the Inner Sea (that are now lost/ruined/submerged)?
My favorite 5 Pathfinder demon lords =
Nocticula
Zura
Cyth-V'sug
Sifkesh
Pazuzu
One question... with the Wrath of the Righteous AP coming up, is there much of a chance for the next 'lower tier', i.e. some Nascent Demon Lords, getting some more fleshing out, as well?
Good Morning, James!
Were you envolved in the design of the dawnflower dervish bard archetype?
I have a doubt concerning the last part of the battle dance ability, and I was wondering if you could give me some advice/insight (came up during the game I was dming last night).
"When a dawnflower dervish uses the inspire courage, inspire greatness, or inspire heroics bardic performance types as battle dances, these performance types only provide benefit to the dervish himself. All other types of bardic performance work normally (affecting the bard and his allies, or the bard’s enemies, as appropriate)."
From the fragment above, it seems like the dervish could still use countersong, but reading the description of said bardic performance I've noticed it cannot be initiated with a perform(dance).
Would you allow a dawnflower dervish to perform a countersong? If yes would he use the perform (dance) to initiate the ability or another kind of perform (such as singing)as required by the original bard class?
As always, I am not really looking for an official errata, just for your advice on the matter (if that's ok).
Thanks in advance!.
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The Axe of the Dwarvish Lords is an exception to the rule that the adjective is normally "dwarven." Due to game legacy.I think they'res been a similar conversation on here before about ending nouns with -ish (particularly Axe of the Dwarvish Lords), would you mind explaining to those of us grammatically challenged (A.K.A me) on why that's not a correct ending?
Oh okay but my question was more in line with why words like Elvish and Dwarvish are not acceptable grammar wise?
(Also my autocorrect keeps trying to turn Dwarvish into Dwarfish)
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Creative Director
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Hi James!
Pre-Earthfall, was the area now covered by the Inner Sea all land instead of water (i.e. were Avistan and Garund connected by landforms)? What were those lands like? Were there any significant nations/cities/cultures in the specific area now covered by the Inner Sea (that are now lost/ruined/submerged)?
There was still a channel, but it wasn't really a sea. Those lands were not really all that settled at the time save by nomadic tribes... but there may have been more stuff there that is now submerged.
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Creative Director
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My favorite 5 Pathfinder demon lords =
Nocticula
Zura
Cyth-V'sug
Sifkesh
PazuzuOne question... with the Wrath of the Righteous AP coming up, is there much of a chance for the next 'lower tier', i.e. some Nascent Demon Lords, getting some more fleshing out, as well?
We'll be stating up nascent demon lords and their analogues for other alignments now and then as the time is right. We've done 3 so far, after all—Treerazer, Nightripper, and Yamasoth.
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Back in March you said:
The bulk of those changes I already made in the Inner Sea World Guide.
The thing currently at the top of my list that I'd like to change would probably be one of several minor frustrations about choices previously put into canon that aren't "off model" enough for me to take drastic action—such as Shimye-Magalla.
What's wrong with Shimye-Magalla?
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Creative Director
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A question that harks back to Savage Tide, and possible future adventures after it if one of the PCs took on the mantle of Prince of Demons.
It says that they gain the tanar'ri subtype, one aspect of which is the ability to summon others of their kind. What exactly would you let the PC summon? Something like what a Balor can do, or a Molydeux? Or even Demogorgon's own 90HD/day power?
Second, how would you adjudicate the morphic control that the new Prince of Demons possesses over Gaping Maw? They can rearrange the layer to the extent that they can destroy Wat Dagon, but how far beyond that would it go? Remodeling the entire plane including some planar traits (e.g. magic, gravity) if they decided? Limited changes like aesthetics (e.g. changing the cosmetic nature of some of the architecture)? Or something in between?
Lastly, what particular abilities would you allow the new Prince of Demons to possess, if any? Would you allow them an Aura of Demonic Command, like what Demogorgon possessed? It seems suited to the mantle.
I would let the player of the PC decide what they can summon, and would let them at the very least equal something a lower CR Demon Lord can summon. Demogorgon's summoning is probably too much... but maybe 30 HD a day?
They could change the aesthetics for sure, but until they grew more powerful, the Abyss would fight against major changes. They might not actually be able to remove Wat Dagon, in fact... depending on how much influence Dagon retains.
I would probably parse out new Demon Lord powers as rewards for adventuring as the PC gains power. I wouldn't make it a prestige class, but something along those lines, with powers modeled to how the character was played and what he did to expand his power.
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Creative Director
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Good Morning, James!
Were you envolved in the design of the dawnflower dervish bard archetype?
I have a doubt concerning the last part of the battle dance ability, and I was wondering if you could give me some advice/insight (came up during the game I was dming last night)."When a dawnflower dervish uses the inspire courage, inspire greatness, or inspire heroics bardic performance types as battle dances, these performance types only provide benefit to the dervish himself. All other types of bardic performance work normally (affecting the bard and his allies, or the bard’s enemies, as appropriate)."
From the fragment above, it seems like the dervish could still use countersong, but reading the description of said bardic performance I've noticed it cannot be initiated with a perform(dance).
Would you allow a dawnflower dervish to perform a countersong? If yes would he use the perform (dance) to initiate the ability or another kind of perform (such as singing)as required by the original bard class?
As always, I am not really looking for an official errata, just for your advice on the matter (if that's ok).
Thanks in advance!.
I was indeed involved in the design of the Dawnflower dervish bard, in that I designed that archetype myself! :-)
She can absolutely still use countersong... she'd need to spend a few extra ranks in a audible Perform to do it well though. A bard not only can focus on multiple Perform skills... they're kind of expected to do so.
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Creative Director
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The Axe of the Dwarvish Lords is an exception to the rule that the adjective is normally "dwarven." Due to game legacy.I think they'res been a similar conversation on here before about ending nouns with -ish (particularly Axe of the Dwarvish Lords), would you mind explaining to those of us grammatically challenged (A.K.A me) on why that's not a correct ending?
Oh okay but my question was more in line with why words like Elvish and Dwarvish are not acceptable grammar wise?
(Also my autocorrect keeps trying to turn Dwarvish into Dwarfish)
They're not acceptable grammar-wise for Paizo products 100% because that's what we decided on for our in-house styles.
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Creative Director
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Back in March you said:
What's wrong with Shimye-Magalla?The bulk of those changes I already made in the Inner Sea World Guide.
The thing currently at the top of my list that I'd like to change would probably be one of several minor frustrations about choices previously put into canon that aren't "off model" enough for me to take drastic action—such as Shimye-Magalla.
I'm not a fan of the implication that the two deities merged into one new deity to be worshiped by clerics, because that's more of an oracle thing. And because of the deities I grandfathered into Golarion from my homebrew, Desna's probably my favorite, and I've never really seen her as the type of deity to "voltron" with other deities. She's kind of intended to be something of a lone wolf who does a lot of things on her own that the other deities might not approve of. Such as invade the Abyss to kill a demon lord that annoys her.
What would you suggest for an antagonist lawful evil race in a Golorian campaign? I want something in the mid-high cr range, that would enslave humans for work/entertainment. High Intelligence would be a plus.Devils are the obvious answer there. Or if not devils, aboleths.
psst, ANebulousMistress, that's your que!
Aaaaand I'm way too late :P
Well, while I'm here...
James, when you set up IV coffee drips, do you add anything to your coffee? Cream? Sugar? Protein isolate in 80 ppm?
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Creative Director
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So, the Shory are a civilization which rose from the ashes of Azlant? I must have missed that in my reading. Thanks! :)Did the Shory have their own language, or did they speak some preexisting language?That's a good question! I suspect they probably spoke their own language, but it's not one we've talked about yet. They might have just spoken Azlanti.
Nope.
The Shory rose from the Garundis after Jatembe re-introduced magic into the world. At that point, there's not a lot of languages to go around, and one of them was Azlanti, which is why I off-the-cuff suggested it. It's probably MORE likely that they spoke Jitskan or their own language.
They did NOT rise from the ashes of Azlant though.
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Creative Director
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James, when you set up IV coffee drips, do you add anything to your coffee? Cream? Sugar? Protein isolate in 80 ppm?
Before I went on the diet back in February, my coffee was a grande nonfat sugar-free vanilla latte. I'd have 1 or 2 of them a day.
Today, I've switched to black coffee with pretty much NOTHING else in it.
We'll be stating up nascent demon lords and their analogues for other alignments now and then as the time is right. We've done 3 so far, after all—Treerazer, Nightripper, and Yamasoth.My favorite 5 Pathfinder demon lords =
Nocticula
Zura
Cyth-V'sug
Sifkesh
PazuzuOne question... with the Wrath of the Righteous AP coming up, is there much of a chance for the next 'lower tier', i.e. some Nascent Demon Lords, getting some more fleshing out, as well?
There's Ruthazek in the Continuing the Campaign material from Serpent's Skull as well.
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So for Serpent Skull I was thinking about playing a character that eventually goes "native" a la Heart of Darkness sort of. I'm thinking that he feeds whatever animal companion he came with to the Allosaurus that becomes he new companion. Overtones of giving in to savagery, realization of how thin the facade of civilization might be, etc. Given that Shimye-Magalla is not something you're super happy with, is there a god you think would work well?
James, when you set up IV coffee drips, do you add anything to your coffee? Cream? Sugar? Protein isolate in 80 ppm?Before I went on the diet back in February, my coffee was a grande nonfat sugar-free vanilla latte. I'd have 1 or 2 of them a day.
Today, I've switched to black coffee with pretty much NOTHING else in it.
That's the only real kind of coffee,JJ; if you wanted coffee, why did you ask for a cup of cream and sugar? :P
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I like my coffee like I like my men.
Rich, and from South America :D
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Creative Director
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There's Ruthazek in the Continuing the Campaign material from Serpent's Skull as well.We'll be stating up nascent demon lords and their analogues for other alignments now and then as the time is right. We've done 3 so far, after all—Treerazer, Nightripper, and Yamasoth.My favorite 5 Pathfinder demon lords =
Nocticula
Zura
Cyth-V'sug
Sifkesh
PazuzuOne question... with the Wrath of the Righteous AP coming up, is there much of a chance for the next 'lower tier', i.e. some Nascent Demon Lords, getting some more fleshing out, as well?
He's not a nascent demon lord though.
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Creative Director
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So for Serpent Skull I was thinking about playing a character that eventually goes "native" a la Heart of Darkness sort of. I'm thinking that he feeds whatever animal companion he came with to the Allosaurus that becomes he new companion. Overtones of giving in to savagery, realization of how thin the facade of civilization might be, etc. Given that Shimye-Magalla is not something you're super happy with, is there a god you think would work well?
Gozreh works absolutely perfectly for this situation.
James,
Given that they are magical in nature, do you think metallic Golems, Clockworks, Shield Guardians, etc. would tarnish, rust or otherwise develop patina over time?
There goes my idea then. Why couldn't she be Lawful Neutral?
As I said, I did read the article in ItNR and she doesn't sound Evil at all...
She insists on a level of excessively strict discipline and at least mild cruelty that, in reality, is simply not necessary to achieve any of her stated goals.
So, evil, if only grumpy evil.
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Creative Director
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James,
Given that they are magical in nature, do you think metallic Golems, Clockworks, Shield Guardians, etc. would tarnish, rust or otherwise develop patina over time?
** spoiler omitted **
Considering how indestructible golems are to weapons and spells, I've always assumed they're equally indestructible to mundane things like rust and erosion. With the exception of a few specific magical effects, like rust monster licks.
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like rust monster licks.
So hw many licks does it take to get to the middle of a Iron Golem?
Good Morning, James!
Were you envolved in the design of the dawnflower dervish bard archetype?
I have a doubt concerning the last part of the battle dance ability, and I was wondering if you could give me some advice/insight (came up during the game I was dming last night)."When a dawnflower dervish uses the inspire courage, inspire greatness, or inspire heroics bardic performance types as battle dances, these performance types only provide benefit to the dervish himself. All other types of bardic performance work normally (affecting the bard and his allies, or the bard’s enemies, as appropriate)."
From the fragment above, it seems like the dervish could still use countersong, but reading the description of said bardic performance I've noticed it cannot be initiated with a perform(dance).
Would you allow a dawnflower dervish to perform a countersong? If yes would he use the perform (dance) to initiate the ability or another kind of perform (such as singing)as required by the original bard class?
As always, I am not really looking for an official errata, just for your advice on the matter (if that's ok).
Thanks in advance!.
I was indeed involved in the design of the Dawnflower dervish bard, in that I designed that archetype myself! :-)
She can absolutely still use countersong... she'd need to spend a few extra ranks in a audible Perform to do it well though. A bard not only can focus on multiple Perform skills... they're kind of expected to do so.
Ha! I knew it! hehehe
Out of curiosity, would you consider doubling the regular dervish dancer (from UC) bonuses on battle dance, to bring it in line with the dawnflower dervish battle dance, acceptable?
1) What race would Ragathiel have been at birth? Aasimar, ifrit, tiefling, some sort of unique outsider...?
2) What constitutes "heresy" against Abadar?
--2a) What heresy did Ezren's father commit? I have this horrible image of Ezren working tirelessly for years to try to prove that dear old Dad did NOT heal the sick for free!
--2B) How is the Bound Blade (Artifacts and Legends, p. 36) "heresy made manifest" to Abadarites? It's LE and, if anything, a relic of Zon-Kuthon's church; it's true that a paladin of Abadar helped kill Kazavon and then spent the rest of her life making sure the Claws were entombed... is it simply that using the Blade is an insult to Roianda's efforts?