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Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Voyd211 wrote:
Red foxes sound like the cries of the howling damned.

This is completely true, for the record. Imagine the sound of a feral housecat attempting to imitate a lost and frightened child.

Radiant Oath

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Do concertinas exist on Golarion? If so, what Perform skill do they fall under?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Archpaladin Zousha wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:
Archpaladin Zousha wrote:
They're in a chronological order, right? Like how each AP takes place a year after the preceding one?
No AP "takes a place a year after the precending one". Every AP is designed to be played at any date from Golarion's recent history, except for Shattered Star which assumes that RotRL, CotCT and SD played out in 4707/4708/4709 and Reign of Winter which is hardwired to 4712/4713.
I thought the way it works was the AP takes place in the Golarion year corresponding to the real-world year it was published in (4713:2013, for example).

That's one way, certainly. Not the only way. They can take place in any order. They can even all start simultaneously on the same day if you want.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Atrocious wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
FallenDabus wrote:

Hi James, Happy New Years!

1) Were there any demon lords that you would have liked to featured more in Wrath of the Righteous but couldn't because of space/story constraints?

1) Nope. I crammed in all the ones I wanted. I made sure of that.

Well, you didn't put Abraxas in there so don't be surprised if you find cobras in your bed...

Abraxas already had his AP.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

nukerc wrote:

Hi James,

First time poster, long time lurker. I've read the two responses you've had about being careful with mythic cohorts. Right now my party is playing through Wrath of the Righteous and I've selected the Marshal mythic path. My next path ability will most likely be Loyalty, which grants me leadership as a feat.

1) Would that qualify for your suggested requirement of taking a mythic feat for a mythic cohort, or are you suggesting to get leadership as a normal feat and then using a mythic feat to get "Mythic Leadership" as well? AFAIK mythic leadership doesn't exist currently, so it'd be a house rule thing.

2) If my character was able to attract a mythic cohort, would you suggest the cohort be two character levels AND two mythic tiers below my character's?

Thanks,
Craig

1) Having a mythic cohort is something you'd need to okay with your GM. He/she gets to decide what you need to do to get one, not me.

2) If it were my game, yes, at a minimum. I might also say that your cohort's maximum mythic tier EVER is no higher than half your current tier.

The Exchange

Q: Oingo Boingo - great band or greatest band ever?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Jeff Erwin wrote:
James, what's your top 3 things you learned because your favorite games inspired you to read up on and actually think about?

Wow... that's a great question. I'm sure I'll think of something else after I list these top three that first come to mind, but...

1) Mayan & Aztec culture (inspired by Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan and the 1st edition Deities & Demigods)

2) Lovecraft (1st edition Deities & Demigods)

3) Just how many monsters (particularly demons) are from real world mythology (1st edition Monster Manual II)

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Tirisfal wrote:

James,

Have you heard of the HP Lovecraft Literary podcast?

I hope you're feeling better!

I have, but I've never gotten around to investigating further.

And I am! Actually managed to drive myself to see the Hobbit earlier this afternoon.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Archpaladin Zousha wrote:
Do concertinas exist on Golarion? If so, what Perform skill do they fall under?

According to Wikipedia, they were invented in 1829, which confirms my gut feeling that they're anachronistic. SO... no, they don't exist.

If they did, they'd use Perform (keyboard).

Paizo Employee Creative Director

eldergod0515 wrote:
Q: Oingo Boingo - great band or greatest band ever?

Haven't listened to them enough to say if they're great, but since they're neither Dead Can Dance nor Pink Floyd, they aren't the greatest ever.


James Jacobs wrote:
And I am! Actually managed to drive myself to see the Hobbit earlier this afternoon.

What did you think of it?

Radiant Oath

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:
Archpaladin Zousha wrote:
Do concertinas exist on Golarion? If so, what Perform skill do they fall under?

According to Wikipedia, they were invented in 1829, which confirms my gut feeling that they're anachronistic. SO... no, they don't exist.

If they did, they'd use Perform (keyboard).

Rats, no Weird Al homage-based character for me, then.

Do you ever play a character specifically meant to elicit laughs and break tension? A character who fails in entertaining ways or is nowhere near as dignified as their archetype (the difference between Gandalf in LoTR and Schmendrick from The Last Unicorn, for example)? Or do you prefer serious characters, and let the dice handle making you look like a buffoon (in my experience, even if you play a serious, grimdark type, the dice will still conspire to give you moments where you take a pratfall or fail in a way that just completely ruins the badass image of the character you're trying to cultivate)?


While you're not the rules team, I was wondering, With Racial Heritage it says you are counted for all effects related to race. Would you say your physical appearance an effect related to your race?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Alleran wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
And I am! Actually managed to drive myself to see the Hobbit earlier this afternoon.
What did you think of it?

I quite enjoyed it! It was probably about an hour too long... but that extra hour was entertaining so I didn't mind that much. The addition of Tauriel was one of my favorite parts, in fact... the spiders and Smaug were cool too, but I knew they would be.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Akutabe Azazel wrote:
While you're not the rules team, I was wondering, With Racial Heritage it says you are counted for all effects related to race. Would you say your physical appearance an effect related to your race?

Not in this case.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Archpaladin Zousha wrote:
Do you ever play a character specifically meant to elicit laughs and break tension? A character who fails in entertaining ways or is nowhere near as dignified as their archetype (the difference between Gandalf in LoTR and Schmendrick from The Last Unicorn, for example)? Or do you prefer serious characters, and let the dice handle making you look like a buffoon (in my experience, even if you play a serious, grimdark type, the dice will still conspire to give you moments where you take a pratfall or fail in a way that just completely ruins the badass image of the character you're trying to cultivate)?

Not normally, no. I prefer serious characters or whimsical characters or flirty characters or witty characters... and really prefer a combination of all four. Not a fan of playing the buffoon role, but if the situation sets it up... I can roll with it. It can be fun to have an attempt to be badass turn on its head; gives you some character and history and scope to the role.


James Jacobs wrote:
Akutabe Azazel wrote:
While you're not the rules team, I was wondering, With Racial Heritage it says you are counted for all effects related to race. Would you say your physical appearance an effect related to your race?
Not in this case.

I must ask then, how you'd say people can identify that you're part something else due to racial heritage.

Also.. Do you ever sleep?


James Jacobs wrote:
Tirisfal wrote:

James,

Have you heard of the HP Lovecraft Literary podcast?

I hope you're feeling better!

I have, but I've never gotten around to investigating further.

And I am! Actually managed to drive myself to see the Hobbit earlier this afternoon.

Yay! Happy to hear it!


Akutabe Azazel wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Akutabe Azazel wrote:
While you're not the rules team, I was wondering, With Racial Heritage it says you are counted for all effects related to race. Would you say your physical appearance an effect related to your race?
Not in this case.

I must ask then, how you'd say people can identify that you're part something else due to racial heritage.

Also.. Do you ever sleep?

James Jacobs never sleeps...he waits.


Hello again, James, glad you're feeling better. Now to bother you with questions.

1. How would you handle the Commune with Power ability? I'm in a Wrath of the Righteous campaign and I can get a lot of mileage out of a free daily commune if I'm thorough and imaginative with my yes/no questions.

2. Can the hour-long ritual needed for this power be incorporated into a celestial obedience (Chronicles of the Righteous, p.5) and/or the hour needed for spell preparation?

3. Is it all right if I ask questions as I think of them rather than wait for 10 to build up?


Obviously you've incorporated Eldritch Abominations (The Great Old Ones, Rovagug) and Humanoid Abominations (Zon-Kuthon) into Golarion.

Now there's a subtrope I created, the Animalistic Abomination. Are there beings like that in the Pathfinder universe?

Scarab Sages

Mythic JMD031 wrote:
Akutabe Azazel wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Akutabe Azazel wrote:
While you're not the rules team, I was wondering, With Racial Heritage it says you are counted for all effects related to race. Would you say your physical appearance an effect related to your race?
Not in this case.

I must ask then, how you'd say people can identify that you're part something else due to racial heritage.

Also.. Do you ever sleep?

James Jacobs never sleeps...he waits.

So, James Jacobs is Chuck Norris?

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Mythic JMD031 wrote:
Akutabe Azazel wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Akutabe Azazel wrote:
While you're not the rules team, I was wondering, With Racial Heritage it says you are counted for all effects related to race. Would you say your physical appearance an effect related to your race?
Not in this case.

I must ask then, how you'd say people can identify that you're part something else due to racial heritage.

Also.. Do you ever sleep?

James Jacobs never sleeps...he waits.

In the shadows, just beyond your point of view.

Whatever you do...... don't blink.


Chuck Norris once got into a fight with James Jacobs because he feared the great T-Rex. James summoned the mighty Cthulu to distract Chuck. While Chuck was tearing old Cthulu a new one, James took the source of Chuck's power from him, his beard. Upon attaching the stolen beard James let out a mighty roar and punted Chuck into the Great Beyond, never to be heard from again. I know this story to be true as it was told to me by a blind man who witnessed the whole thing.


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Has there been any plans for a wisdom based archetype for oracles? (Wisdom replacing charisma for spell casting and class abilities)


What's Arazni's relationship with the Whispering Way in Geb?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Akutabe Azazel wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Akutabe Azazel wrote:
While you're not the rules team, I was wondering, With Racial Heritage it says you are counted for all effects related to race. Would you say your physical appearance an effect related to your race?
Not in this case.

I must ask then, how you'd say people can identify that you're part something else due to racial heritage.

Also.. Do you ever sleep?

The way you talk, carry yourself, your attitude, your clothing, your hairstyle, your friends, and how you self-identify, to name but a few other ways.

Yes, I do sleep. Usually from about 2:00 AM to about 10:00 AM... but while I'm recovering from the surgery, that whole thing has been kind of randomized.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Voyd211 wrote:

Obviously you've incorporated Eldritch Abominations (The Great Old Ones, Rovagug) and Humanoid Abominations (Zon-Kuthon) into Golarion.

Now there's a subtrope I created, the Animalistic Abomination. Are there beings like that in the Pathfinder universe?

Sure. I'd say owlbears and bulettes and chimeras fit that pretty well. We call them magical beasts for the most part.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

AlgaeNymph wrote:

Hello again, James, glad you're feeling better. Now to bother you with questions.

1. How would you handle the Commune with Power ability? I'm in a Wrath of the Righteous campaign and I can get a lot of mileage out of a free daily commune if I'm thorough and imaginative with my yes/no questions.

2. Can the hour-long ritual needed for this power be incorporated into a celestial obedience (Chronicles of the Righteous, p.5) and/or the hour needed for spell preparation?

3. Is it all right if I ask questions as I think of them rather than wait for 10 to build up?

1) Depends on the nature of the power being communed with, but I'd, over the course of many sessions, use this ability to play that power as an NPC with a personality and would use it to guide the PC along the story line; a sort of way to keep the campaign I had planned on the proverbial rails in a way that feels in-world and non-intrusive. Now and then, I'd use it to give revelations and clues as well.

2) No. It's a different ritual.

3) Up to your GM.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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zergtitan wrote:
Has there been any plans for a wisdom based archetype for oracles? (Wisdom replacing charisma for spell casting and class abilities)

Cleric.

(AKA: No, there's not, because that "archetype" has existed longer than the oracle ever did.)

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Zhangar wrote:
What's Arazni's relationship with the Whispering Way in Geb?

Complicated. She appreciates their lore and wants to share secrets, but she also hates them for their association with Tar-Baphon.

Radiant Oath

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:
Archpaladin Zousha wrote:
Do you ever play a character specifically meant to elicit laughs and break tension? A character who fails in entertaining ways or is nowhere near as dignified as their archetype (the difference between Gandalf in LoTR and Schmendrick from The Last Unicorn, for example)? Or do you prefer serious characters, and let the dice handle making you look like a buffoon (in my experience, even if you play a serious, grimdark type, the dice will still conspire to give you moments where you take a pratfall or fail in a way that just completely ruins the badass image of the character you're trying to cultivate)?
Not normally, no. I prefer serious characters or whimsical characters or flirty characters or witty characters... and really prefer a combination of all four. Not a fan of playing the buffoon role, but if the situation sets it up... I can roll with it. It can be fun to have an attempt to be badass turn on its head; gives you some character and history and scope to the role.

What happens when you're playing a serious or badass character and you find that character undercut by a bad dice roll, like when you whiff an attack roll or botch a skill check, making your cool character look stupid?


1) Approximately how old was Arazni when Tar-Baphon killed her?

2) How well does she remember her death after so much time has passed?


Me: Is it all right if I ask questions as I think of them rather than wait for 10 to build up?

You: Up to your GM.

Sorry I was unclear. I meant is it all right if I ask you questions as I think of them rather than wait for 10 to build up?


I'm curious as to how two Good-aligned deities would handle a Paladin who wanted to transfer her allegiance for whatever reason.

Actually, how common is a situation like that? I imagine it doesn't happen very often with Good deities.


...also, after playing Fire Emblem Awakening, if I wanted to create a character like Gregor (who basically speaks a lot like Heavy from Team Fortress 2, although he isn't as dumb), what area would fit the accent?


Prof Chaos wrote:
Chuck Norris once got into a fight with James Jacobs because he feared the great T-Rex. James summoned the mighty Cthulu to distract Chuck. While Chuck was tearing old Cthulu a new one, James took the source of Chuck's power from him, his beard. Upon attaching the stolen beard James let out a mighty roar and punted Chuck into the Great Beyond, never to be heard from again. I know this story to be true as it was told to me by a blind man who witnessed the whole thing.

However, the story doesn't end there. Chuck Norris seethed in that dark and alien place as he attempted to regrow his beard. His loss of power, combined with his seething rage and the alien energies of the great beyond all combined to mutate Chuck Norris just as he crossed path with something far more evil that was trapped in the darkness beyond. All these energies of merged together to create an entity to that plagues the world to this day.

This is the story about how Cosmo grew his mustache and was released upon the world.


James Jacobs wrote:
Zhangar wrote:
What's Arazni's relationship with the Whispering Way in Geb?
Complicated. She appreciates their lore and wants to share secrets, but she also hates them for their association with Tar-Baphon.

Yet she hates Tar-Baphon on principle, yes?

Also, Arazni is CR 26, the same as Tar-Baphon. If he were somehow released from Gallowspire, would Arazni be likely to attack him (either without planning or with) or side against him out of a desire for revenge for what he did?

Since they're both Wizard-liches, and both are very mythic, and the same CR, it seems a bit like an evil-vs-evil situation could well arise.

The Exchange

Disclaimer: This is “rules-y” type question and your answer only counts as one man’s opinion :-)

Q: How does Damnation Stride work? The spell description says “This spell functions like dimension door”. The Duration for Damnation Stride is 1 minute/level and for D-Door is instantaneous. The two popular theories are: 1) that you can activate it once during the duration (which happens instantaneously) or 2) you can activate (optionally) every round during the duration. Do you subscribe to either opinion, another opinion, or think it might be an error in the spell description? Or, don’t want to touch this with a 10’ pole?


Are archons friendly (to good and neutral creatures) they seem to be really military to me.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Archpaladin Zousha wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Archpaladin Zousha wrote:
Do you ever play a character specifically meant to elicit laughs and break tension? A character who fails in entertaining ways or is nowhere near as dignified as their archetype (the difference between Gandalf in LoTR and Schmendrick from The Last Unicorn, for example)? Or do you prefer serious characters, and let the dice handle making you look like a buffoon (in my experience, even if you play a serious, grimdark type, the dice will still conspire to give you moments where you take a pratfall or fail in a way that just completely ruins the badass image of the character you're trying to cultivate)?
Not normally, no. I prefer serious characters or whimsical characters or flirty characters or witty characters... and really prefer a combination of all four. Not a fan of playing the buffoon role, but if the situation sets it up... I can roll with it. It can be fun to have an attempt to be badass turn on its head; gives you some character and history and scope to the role.
What happens when you're playing a serious or badass character and you find that character undercut by a bad dice roll, like when you whiff an attack roll or botch a skill check, making your cool character look stupid?

Being undercut by a bad die role is exactly what I was talking about having a "situation setting it up" actually. I'm perfectly willing and enjoy acting out what causes those terrible rolls.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Zhangar wrote:

1) Approximately how old was Arazni when Tar-Baphon killed her?

2) How well does she remember her death after so much time has passed?

1) Dunno. Never thought of that. My guess would be around 30, I suppose, but that's a guess without any research back into timeline implications.

2) Quite well. And quite bitterly.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

AlgaeNymph wrote:

Me: Is it all right if I ask questions as I think of them rather than wait for 10 to build up?

You: Up to your GM.

Sorry I was unclear. I meant is it all right if I ask you questions as I think of them rather than wait for 10 to build up?

Oh! Yup. Is allright.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

horngeek wrote:

I'm curious as to how two Good-aligned deities would handle a Paladin who wanted to transfer her allegiance for whatever reason.

Actually, how common is a situation like that? I imagine it doesn't happen very often with Good deities.

Depends entirely on the 2 deities. Some are friendly, some are not. But the new deity would likely require some special promises or vows or quests on the paladin's behalf, since it's STILL a chaotic act to switch religions, even if you're switching from one lawful one to the other.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

horngeek wrote:
...also, after playing Fire Emblem Awakening, if I wanted to create a character like Gregor (who basically speaks a lot like Heavy from Team Fortress 2, although he isn't as dumb), what area would fit the accent?

I don't know the accent you're talking about, having not played any of those games.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Alleran wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Zhangar wrote:
What's Arazni's relationship with the Whispering Way in Geb?
Complicated. She appreciates their lore and wants to share secrets, but she also hates them for their association with Tar-Baphon.

Yet she hates Tar-Baphon on principle, yes?

Also, Arazni is CR 26, the same as Tar-Baphon. If he were somehow released from Gallowspire, would Arazni be likely to attack him (either without planning or with) or side against him out of a desire for revenge for what he did?

Since they're both Wizard-liches, and both are very mythic, and the same CR, it seems a bit like an evil-vs-evil situation could well arise.

She'd probably bring friends and allies and a strong plan if she wanted to attack him. They may be the same CR, but tactics and timing mean a lot. I doubt she'd team up with him.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

eldergod0515 wrote:

Disclaimer: This is “rules-y” type question and your answer only counts as one man’s opinion :-)

Q: How does Damnation Stride work? The spell description says “This spell functions like dimension door”. The Duration for Damnation Stride is 1 minute/level and for D-Door is instantaneous. The two popular theories are: 1) that you can activate it once during the duration (which happens instantaneously) or 2) you can activate (optionally) every round during the duration. Do you subscribe to either opinion, another opinion, or think it might be an error in the spell description? Or, don’t want to touch this with a 10’ pole?

It's pretty vaguely worded. The way it's written makes it sound like you can activate it as often you want during the spell's duration, which makes it sound a LOT more powerful than a 5th level spell, so my suspicion is that the intent was that once you teleport, the spell ends. I actually suspect that the duration might even be a typo.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

xavier c wrote:
Are archons friendly (to good and neutral creatures) they seem to be really military to me.

Some are, some aren't.


James Jacobs wrote:
xavier c wrote:
Are archons friendly (to good and neutral creatures) they seem to be really military to me.
Some are, some aren't.

you can be mean and good at the same time

Radiant Oath

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:
Archpaladin Zousha wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Archpaladin Zousha wrote:
Do you ever play a character specifically meant to elicit laughs and break tension? A character who fails in entertaining ways or is nowhere near as dignified as their archetype (the difference between Gandalf in LoTR and Schmendrick from The Last Unicorn, for example)? Or do you prefer serious characters, and let the dice handle making you look like a buffoon (in my experience, even if you play a serious, grimdark type, the dice will still conspire to give you moments where you take a pratfall or fail in a way that just completely ruins the badass image of the character you're trying to cultivate)?
Not normally, no. I prefer serious characters or whimsical characters or flirty characters or witty characters... and really prefer a combination of all four. Not a fan of playing the buffoon role, but if the situation sets it up... I can roll with it. It can be fun to have an attempt to be badass turn on its head; gives you some character and history and scope to the role.
What happens when you're playing a serious or badass character and you find that character undercut by a bad dice roll, like when you whiff an attack roll or botch a skill check, making your cool character look stupid?
Being undercut by a bad die role is exactly what I was talking about having a "situation setting it up" actually. I'm perfectly willing and enjoy acting out what causes those terrible rolls.

Ah. I misunderstood your answer. Thanks for clearing that up.

So why do the Mordant Spire elves have a deal with the Decemvirate of the Pathfinder Society? I'd have thought a group dedicated to guarding Azlant's history and artifacts through brainwashing and lethal force to prevent the end of the world happening again would be violently opposed to a group dedicated to picking through old ruins for knowledge and artifacts as part of the job description.

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