Quick Question James
Can a monk with the feral combat training feat be affected by strong jaw?
Hey JJ,
1) Do you think that "rollplaying" and "roleplaying" are mutually exclusive, or can they happily coexist?
2) Do you think there is an appropriate time (say, near the end of the night when people might be getting tired but not quite ready to wrap up yet) in which it is appropriate to begin cutting encounters from a dungeon crawl so you have a juicy finisher to an evening?
3) I've been going through the two Books of the Damned lately, and to me it feels like most (not all) demons have a very "sword and sorcery" feel to them and the devils usually feel fairly "biblical." Was this intentional, or is that just how I'm reading it?
4) What is the smallest size group you will usually GM for, and the largest size?
5) Any advice for running a game with only two PCs, both of which are fairly new? (Have Beginner Box, but what about appropriately balancing encounters?)
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Mr. James Jacobs,
Would I be correct in thinking that Sarenrae was created as an angel? Yes, the Book of the Damned menstruation her as a creation of Ihys, but unreliable narrators abound in that regard.
I think your iPhone autocorrected your post into something else entirely...
Do you have any advice for using a recurring antagonist in Runelords? I used a Hellknight to scare the PCs out of Magnimar after the banquet with the Lord-Mayor and my fighter swore vengeance against the hellknights and the newly named and rolled up Maralictor Pax. The fighter unfortunately destroyed the wrong person's ferry in Riddleport before the campaign started and they're trying to bring him in.
4) DragonForce. Good? Bad? So Bad It's Good?4) Never heard of it. No opinion.
I assume you mean the power-metal band? As a bit of a metal fan, it's hard to take issue with their wank-tastically amazing technical ability or the positivity of their lyrics, but I find them so far over the top that I appreciate them mainly as self-parody.
That makes me think of music.
James:
1) Do you like to use music or sound effects when you run a game?
2) If so, do you run a genrerally-appropriate playlist in the background, or do you pick appropriate music for what's happening in the game at the moment?
2a) If you use playlists, what sort of music do you use? Here's the sort of stuff I tend to use-- these are my Spotify playlists for Skinsaw Murders and for Skull and Shackles. (You'll need a free Spotify account to access.)
2b) If you do the latter, do you have any tips on how to use specific tracks on cue as an enhancement to the game? (I've tried this a few times, and found it to be more of a distraction than it's worth; but other GMs swear by it.)
Are we ever going to see a CR 30 Kaiju? How big would one be (If it matters)? Could kaiju ever be higher than CR 30?
2b) If you do the latter, do you have any tips on how to use specific tracks on cue as an enhancement to the game? (I've tried this a few times, and found it to be more of a distraction than it's worth; but other GMs swear by it.)
IANJJ, but I got the HTC One specifically for it's great speakers, I'm able to us the PVstar app to create playlists off youtube and queue up different songs for different events. It can play music from behind the GM screen and switch songs pretty easily. We mainly use Final Fantasy Soundtracks currently.
1) No. Class design is pretty much THE most complex, hardest thing we do here as far as RPG game design is concerned, and turning things into contests really complicates things. That's like tying dynamite to a nuclear bomb.
I'm thinking the Class design is harder than the dynamite on a nuclear bomb.
If I recall, with the safety's that are now on nuclear weapons, you could literally have the dynamite blow up the nuclear weapon and the worst you could expect would be the spread of radioactivity (and from the range of the dynamite, it would probably be in a small area). It most likely would not result in a nuclear explosion if only tied to the nuclear bomb.
So rest easier, with all the safety protocols, until armed, it's less likely a nuclear weapon will go off then it is that the nearest nuclear power plant will have a melt down.
Hmm...maybe that wasn't the right thing to say to help anyone rest easy...
Creative Director
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Mr. James Jacobs,
Would I be correct in thinking that Sarenrae was created as an angel? Yes, the Book of the Damned menstruation her as a creation of Ihys, but unreliable narrators abound in that regard.
She was not created by Ihys, but she probably IS about as old as Ihys. She started as an angel, in any event.
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Creative Director
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Hey JJ,
1) Do you think that "rollplaying" and "roleplaying" are mutually exclusive, or can they happily coexist?
2) Do you think there is an appropriate time (say, near the end of the night when people might be getting tired but not quite ready to wrap up yet) in which it is appropriate to begin cutting encounters from a dungeon crawl so you have a juicy finisher to an evening?
3) I've been going through the two Books of the Damned lately, and to me it feels like most (not all) demons have a very "sword and sorcery" feel to them and the devils usually feel fairly "biblical." Was this intentional, or is that just how I'm reading it?
4) What is the smallest size group you will usually GM for, and the largest size?
5) Any advice for running a game with only two PCs, both of which are fairly new? (Have Beginner Box, but what about appropriately balancing encounters?)
1) I know they can happily coexist, because I enjoy both aspects.
2) Yes. As long as cutting encounters doesn't rob the players of entertaining content or opportunities to excel. You know your group, and cutting encounters you know they won't enjoy and/or you won't enjoy running is just common sense.
3) Probably not intentional. Probably more a result of how Wes and I approach the subject of evil.
4) Smallest size? 1 player. Largest? I really REALLY don't enjoy running games of more than 6 players. I've run groups of 10 or more and it's not fun. My favorite number is 5 players.
5) Start small. Build encounters you think are WAY to easy, and then take what you learn about those encounters to adjust for future ones. Avoid encounters with monsters that take players out of the game by using attacks like paralysis or petrification or the like.
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Creative Director
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I think your iPhone autocorrected your post into something else entirely...Mr. James Jacobs,
Would I be correct in thinking that Sarenrae was created as an angel? Yes, the Book of the Damned menstruation her as a creation of Ihys, but unreliable narrators abound in that regard.
I assumed the intended word was "mentions".
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Creative Director
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Do you have any advice for using a recurring antagonist in Runelords? I used a Hellknight to scare the PCs out of Magnimar after the banquet with the Lord-Mayor and my fighter swore vengeance against the hellknights and the newly named and rolled up Maralictor Pax. The fighter unfortunately destroyed the wrong person's ferry in Riddleport before the campaign started and they're trying to bring him in.
There's LOTS of NPCs who can fill this role. It's best to let it occur organically. Have NPCs retreat from combat more often, and eventually one of them will get away. That'll set up your recurring antagonist opportunity quite well!
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Creative Director
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James:
1) Do you like to use music or sound effects when you run a game?
2) If so, do you run a genrerally-appropriate playlist in the background, or do you pick appropriate music for what's happening in the game at the moment?
2a) If you use playlists, what sort of music do you use? Here's the sort of stuff I tend to use-- these are my Spotify playlists for Skinsaw Murders and for Skull and Shackles. (You'll need a free Spotify account to access.)
2b) If you do the latter, do you have any tips on how to use specific tracks on cue as an enhancement to the game? (I've tried this a few times, and found it to be more of a distraction than it's worth; but other GMs swear by it.)
1) Sometimes, but not often.
2) Both. I have even used music as a handout or key.
2a) Mostly video game or movie soundtracks since that music was built from the ground up to accompany and intensify emotions as they relate to a storyline.
2b) You might want to ask Wes. He uses music ALL the time in his games.
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Creative Director
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What are your thoughts so far on the world of Darkl Souls 2?
Favorite equipment?
Favorite Boss?
Favorite NPC?
Love it! The hub nature is a fun return to Demons' Souls, although I do like how Dark Souls' world unfolded and looped back on itself a bit more. Still... the ambience and flavor of the world is incredible; I find myself often stopping to just admire the scenery.
Favorite equipment so far: the enchanted falchion is pretty nice, and I keep going back to it. But the silver serpent ring that gives you a boost to souls is the best.
Favorite Boss so far: The Last Giant was pretty nifty, but I like the Covetous Demon best so far, both because I figured out his weaknesses fast and because he looks freaky and is memorable in shape (he's basically a blood puking fast Jabba the Hutt!).
Favorite NPC so far is probably what's-her-name the cat, but I'm kinda intrigued by Pate as well since I'm not sure he's a good guy or a bad guy. And Gilligan the ladder builder guy is amusing because his name is Gilligan.
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What are your thoughts so far on the world of Darkl Souls 2?
Favorite equipment?
Favorite Boss?
Favorite NPC?
Love it! The hub nature is a fun return to Demons' Souls, although I do like how Dark Souls' world unfolded and looped back on itself a bit more. Still... the ambience and flavor of the world is incredible; I find myself often stopping to just admire the scenery.
Favorite equipment so far: the enchanted falchion is pretty nice, and I keep going back to it. But the silver serpent ring that gives you a boost to souls is the best.
Favorite Boss so far: The Last Giant was pretty nifty, but I like the Covetous Demon best so far, both because I figured out his weaknesses fast and because he looks freaky and is memorable in shape (he's basically a blood puking fast Jabba the Hutt!).
Favorite NPC so far is probably what's-her-name the cat, but I'm kinda intrigued by Pate as well since I'm not sure he's a good guy or a bad guy. And Gilligan the ladder builder guy is amusing because his name is Gilligan.
Ah Sweet Shalquoir. One of the oldest and most powerful beings in the universe. Takes the form of a cat and wants to be your friend
2) The examples of Young Characters seems like they would fit PC classes, yet the rules say NPC classes only, why?
2.a) could having intermediate classes (between NPC and PC classes in power/effectiveness) be an idea (for young characters and NPCs)?
3) Break a leg (good luck).
2) If you want to play young characters with PC classes, go for it! Arya Stark and Harry Potter do, why not your character?
2a) I think that level of splitting hairs is too much.
3) Will do!
2) ok, thanks.
2.a) Well, I'm good at splitting figurative hair.
3) 8D
4) Do you find me annoying at times?
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Creative Director
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Ihys is real?She was not created by Ihys, but she probably IS about as old as Ihys. She started as an angel, in any event.Mr. James Jacobs,
Would I be correct in thinking that Sarenrae was created as an angel? Yes, the Book of the Damned menstruation her as a creation of Ihys, but unreliable narrators abound in that regard.
Nope. Fictional.
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Creative Director
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2) The examples of Young Characters seems like they would fit PC classes, yet the rules say NPC classes only, why?
2.a) could having intermediate classes (between NPC and PC classes in power/effectiveness) be an idea (for young characters and NPCs)?
3) Break a leg (good luck).
2) If you want to play young characters with PC classes, go for it! Arya Stark and Harry Potter do, why not your character?
2a) I think that level of splitting hairs is too much.
3) Will do!
2) ok, thanks.
2.a) Well, I'm good at splitting figurative hair.
3) 8D
4) Do you find me annoying at times?
4) Nope! I save that award for other special people. ;-)
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4) Nope! I save that award for other special people. ;-)2) The examples of Young Characters seems like they would fit PC classes, yet the rules say NPC classes only, why?
2.a) could having intermediate classes (between NPC and PC classes in power/effectiveness) be an idea (for young characters and NPCs)?
3) Break a leg (good luck).
2) If you want to play young characters with PC classes, go for it! Arya Stark and Harry Potter do, why not your character?
2a) I think that level of splitting hairs is too much.
3) Will do!
2) ok, thanks.
2.a) Well, I'm good at splitting figurative hair.
3) 8D
4) Do you find me annoying at times?
Cosmo?
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Justin Franklin?
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Can we get a Distant Worlds AP for Mikaze's sake? :)
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Creative Director
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Objection! I am not an antagonist. I try to help everyone... Pranks are awesome.. Besides, I normally help people, like giving homeless people free food! Or small children money. Or elderly assistance
It's the antagonized who get to decide if someone's an antagonist, not the antagonizer.
Can we get a Distant Worlds AP for Mikaze's sake? :)I already gave Mikaze "Wrath of the Righteous."
Don't you think it's someone else's turn?
Ahh good point! And I was asking for Irrisen and Numeria so I am good.
1) Not really. Classes remain complicated things to build, and the idea of judging a bunch of classes kinda gives me a heart attack...1) would a "Design a Class" contest be a good idea?
1) No. Class design is pretty much THE most complex, hardest thing we do here as far as RPG game design is concerned, and turning things into contests really complicates things. That's like tying dynamite to a nuclear bomb.
1) if a "design a class contest" was part of RPG Superstar, would that make it more manageable?
1) So "Design a Psychic Powers book" is more than unlikely to happen?
5) Ever wished Paizo/Pathfinder supported another Campaign Setting so the Golarion crew could slow down a little?
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Can we get a Distant Worlds AP for Mikaze's sake? :)I already gave Mikaze "Wrath of the Righteous."
Don't you think it's someone else's turn?
I can has Bastardhall? :3
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Can we get a Distant Worlds AP for Mikaze's sake? :)I already gave Mikaze "Wrath of the Righteous."
Don't you think it's someone else's turn?
Can you give me Distant Worlds? Or Arcadia? I'll make you food! :D
So, I'm sure you've been asked this a dozen times before, but it's been on my mind lately so I thought I'd get my own answer.
It's on the subject of the alignment restrictions for the paladin and antipaladin; why they're required to be lawful good and chaotic evil, respectively.
I get, though strongly disagree with, the flavor reasons for it, but from a purely mechanical, practical standpoint, I have to wonder why that chaotic good/lawful evil deities wouldn't want to have paladin/antipaladin analogues serving them.
Looking at the paladin/antipaladin purely as a skill set; someone who is trained in the use of heavy armor and martial weapons, has a good bab, all good saves, the ability to smite(thereby bypassing dr), lay on hands, and has various auras to affect the morale of enemies or allies, they're incredibly useful and are generally considered one of the more powerful classes. Why Cayden Cailean wouldn't want such warriors joining the fight for freedom, I've no idea. Why Asmodeus, who out of all the evil gods is far and away the most appropriate from a purely thematic stand point to have a dark/evil knight as a champion doesn't is utterly baffling.
But from that purely practical point, why don't gods of various alignments cultivate such warriors as servants? And for non-theistic individuals(as I recall, anti/paladins aren't required to have a deity), why wouldn't a lawful evil or chaotic good individual work to develop these extremely useful skills?
Hi Jame
how are you today?
i was wondering i skiped 3.0 and 3.5 dungeons and dragons completely i know you did work for both (i think) im always intrested in your work besides the dragon and dungeon magazines can ou give me your top five works so i can begin my amazon and ebay search
thanks
How do you feel about answering questions about kaiju, because I have a ton of them.
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I assume you mean the power-metal band? As a bit of a metal fan, it's hard to take issue with their wank-tastically amazing technical ability or the positivity of their lyrics, but I find them so far over the top that I appreciate them mainly as self-parody.4) DragonForce. Good? Bad? So Bad It's Good?4) Never heard of it. No opinion.
I do indeed mean the power-metal band! They are my JAM for Wrath of the Righteous! :D
1) Most are in Tian Xia, but they can be found in other parts of the world.
2a) Yes. There's a temple of Sarenrae there even. Korvosa isn't anti-Empyreal Lord.
2b) For the most part they respect some and don't understand others.
2c) A character who wants to gain power from a deity but still follow ancestor traditions can do so. That doesn't clash.
3) I don't restrict young characters to NPC classes first of all. Arya Stark is too cool to let that rule stand in games I run. And if there's a young character in a group I run, I'll really strongly consider stretching out the campaign so that the character gets to "grow up" during the course of the game.
1) Cool! Since kirin are mentioned as minions of Ragathiel in CotR, a kirin-riding mythic paladin would be pretty BAMF, no?
2a) I thought that Empyreal Lord worship was more a Magnimar thing, and since Korvosans hate Magnimar, and so would view Empyreal Lord cultists as Magnimar sympathizers and thus the kinds of people wanting to make trouble, and that Sarenrae kind of stands apart from the Empyreal Lords now as an actual full-fledged goddess.
2b) Don't understand in what sense?
2c) I thought in this very thread a month or two ago when I started getting the ideas these questions sort of revolve around, you said a paladin-type person wouldn't come from Shoanti culture, as they really favor barbarians or druids, as well as bards who are Thundercallers. I may be misremembering, but I thought you said that Shoanti who worship a deity just worship the deity. Which is it? I'm confused now...
3a) You may have to explicate this a bit for me. I've yet to read George R. R. Martin's work, and so am only familiar with Arya Stark insofar as I know she's a kid and she's a character in that series of novels/tv-show. I'm still slogging my way through Le Morte D'Arthur. If you dislike the rule, why have it in there at all? I know it isn't just your decision, but I'm curious as to why others felt the need for it, and what mechanical purpose does it serve in your opinion?
3b) What's a good way to do that stretching out? I know that Legacy of Fire has that option, since there's at least a year in Kelmarane where the PCs become established members of a community, and in Kingmaker, which covers at least one year after the first book, and then at least several months considering there are annual events like the Rushlight Tournament and the timed nature of the blooms, plus Shattered Star, where there's no real rush to recover the pieces of the Sihedron, but what about ones where there's at least the illusion early on of a timetable, like Second Darkness, Carrion Crown or Wrath of the Righteous? Part of those campaigns feel is that they're in a race against time to stop the villain from completing their plans, and usually in the last episode it becomes a literal timetable.
Hey james i was wondering on a planet the size of golarion at any one time how many mythic beings do you think there are..humaniod, monster, or otherwise..im not trying to get a exact number just a ball park number
thank you
for being you
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Creative Director
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1) Not really. Classes remain complicated things to build, and the idea of judging a bunch of classes kinda gives me a heart attack...1) would a "Design a Class" contest be a good idea?
1) No. Class design is pretty much THE most complex, hardest thing we do here as far as RPG game design is concerned, and turning things into contests really complicates things. That's like tying dynamite to a nuclear bomb.
1) if a "design a class contest" was part of RPG Superstar, would that make it more manageable?
1) So "Design a Psychic Powers book" is more than unlikely to happen?
5) Ever wished Paizo/Pathfinder supported another Campaign Setting so the Golarion crew could slow down a little?
1) Anything beyond the standard RPG Superstar contest where we host a "Design an anything" event is unlikely to happen.
5) Nope, because the Golarion crew would likely be the ones tasked with doing the other setting anyway.
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Creative Director
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So, I'm sure you've been asked this a dozen times before, but it's been on my mind lately so I thought I'd get my own answer.
It's on the subject of the alignment restrictions for the paladin and antipaladin; why they're required to be lawful good and chaotic evil, respectively.
I get, though strongly disagree with, the flavor reasons for it, but from a purely mechanical, practical standpoint, I have to wonder why that chaotic good/lawful evil deities wouldn't want to have paladin/antipaladin analogues serving them.
Looking at the paladin/antipaladin purely as a skill set; someone who is trained in the use of heavy armor and martial weapons, has a good bab, all good saves, the ability to smite(thereby bypassing dr), lay on hands, and has various auras to affect the morale of enemies or allies, they're incredibly useful and are generally considered one of the more powerful classes. Why Cayden Cailean wouldn't want such warriors joining the fight for freedom, I've no idea. Why Asmodeus, who out of all the evil gods is far and away the most appropriate from a purely thematic stand point to have a dark/evil knight as a champion doesn't is utterly baffling.
But from that purely practical point, why don't gods of various alignments cultivate such warriors as servants? And for non-theistic individuals(as I recall, anti/paladins aren't required to have a deity), why wouldn't a lawful evil or chaotic good individual work to develop these extremely useful skills?
Because sometimes you can design things by NOT building things to be completely symmetrical. AKA: Because we chose not to create Chaotic Good/Lawful Evil "paladins." Those roles will be able to be filled by clerics, rangers, warpriests, inquisitors, and with a bit of roleplaying, ANY other class who chooses to follow a code.
Paladins are stronger the less versions there are of them, in other words.
They are not "champions of a deity," remember, but champions of an ideal. Of the lawful good ideal. They're not things the lawful good gods made.
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Hi Jame
how are you today?
i was wondering i skiped 3.0 and 3.5 dungeons and dragons completely i know you did work for both (i think) im always intrested in your work besides the dragon and dungeon magazines can ou give me your top five works so i can begin my amazon and ebay search
thanks
Hmmm... well, I guess the D&D products I'm the most proud of that I worked on (not counting the magazine stuff) would be:
Red Hand of Doom
Fiendish Codex I
Dungeon Master's Guide II
Lords of Madness
Frostburn
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1) Cool! Since kirin are mentioned as minions of Ragathiel in CotR, a kirin-riding mythic paladin would be pretty BAMF, no?
2a) I thought that Empyreal Lord worship was more a Magnimar thing, and since Korvosans hate Magnimar, and so would view Empyreal Lord cultists as Magnimar sympathizers and thus the kinds of people wanting to make trouble, and that Sarenrae kind of stands apart from the Empyreal Lords now as an actual full-fledged goddess.
2b) Don't understand in what sense?
2c) I thought in this very thread a month or two ago when I started getting the ideas these questions sort of revolve around, you said a paladin-type person wouldn't come from Shoanti culture, as they really favor barbarians or druids, as well as bards who are Thundercallers. I may be misremembering, but I thought you said that Shoanti who worship a deity just worship the deity. Which is it? I'm confused now...
3a) You may have to explicate this a bit for me. I've yet to read George R. R. Martin's work, and so am only familiar with Arya Stark insofar as I know she's a kid and she's a character in that series of novels/tv-show. I'm still slogging my way through Le Morte D'Arthur. If you dislike the rule, why have it in there at all? I know it isn't just your decision, but I'm curious as to why others felt the need for it, and what mechanical purpose does it serve in your opinion?
3b) What's a good way to do that stretching out? I know that Legacy of Fire has that option, since there's at least a year in Kelmarane where the PCs become established members of a community, and in Kingmaker, which covers at least one year after the first book, and then at least several months considering there are annual events like the Rushlight Tournament and the timed nature of the blooms, plus Shattered Star, where there's no real rush to recover the pieces of the Sihedron, but what about ones where there's at least the illusion early on of a timetable, like Second Darkness, Carrion Crown or Wrath of the Righteous? Part of those campaigns feel is that they're in a race against time to stop the villain from completing their plans, and usually in the last episode it becomes a literal timetable.
1) I ... suppose?
2a) Magniamr has a lot of empyreal lords worshiped there, yeah, and a few are closely identified with the city, but that doesn't mean that Korvosa's anti-Empyreal lord. They're anti-Magnimar, but that doesn't mean "Anti-everything IN Magnimar."
2b) Don't understand as in don't get what makes them tick.
2c) Paladins are rare in Shoanti society not because of anything to do with deities, but because paladins are paragons of lawful good (NOT deities), and lawful good is a pretty uncommon alignment among the Shoanti, and among those who ARE lawful good, they tend not to follow paladin codes anyway. Doesn't have much to do with deity worship or lack thereof.
3a) I didn't write the rule. I don't write all the rules. In fact, I didn't even know that was a rule at all until you brought it up. Had I known about it beforehand, I would have argued to remove it. I don't know why the design team felt it was a good addition to the game, because I think it's just needlessly limiting. Perhaps they felt a need to put it in there because they didn't want to contradict the minimum starting ages for all those classes... the more I think about it, the more I think that's the reason, in fact.
3b) The best way to stretch things out varies from game to game, frankly. But in most situations, in an AP, the time between volumes can be as long as you want it to be.
By the way... I don't/can't keep track of nested questions, so when you ask questions about answers to questions that were about answers you got several posts back... I quickly lose track of what specific questions you were asking. It's best to restate questions clearly if a previous answer confused you or you want more.