Creative Director
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If it was 3.5 I would say moonbeasts, but since it's pathfinder I don't know. Maybe leng spiders???Evil cults in Golarion often have thematically linked monsters that they use as lackeys. For example...
The Whispering Way use undead
The Technic League uses robots (or is it the other way around??!!?!?!)
Blackfire Adepts use assorted evil outsiders
Old Cults use Mythos beasties
Evil churches use creatures associated with their godSo now my question: Is there a "type" of monster that the Night Heralds make use of?
Thanks for any insight!
Moon-beasts are on page 195 of Bestiary 3... but they're not appropriate for the Night Heralds. The Night Heralds are into the Dominion of the Black, NOT Lovecraft stuff.
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Creative Director
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James,
1) I've been looking for a region to put a babylonian/sumerian inspired place in my Golarion. Recently, I've found about fallen Ninshabur and thought that its ruins could work well for a dungeon based around the themes of those cultures.
Is there another place in Golarion that you think would be a better fit for a Babylonian/sumerian analogue?
2) Where in Golarion do you think arcanists (as in the new class from ACG)could have a long established tradition? Not necessarily where they would be common (because I have a feeling that they wouldn't be common anywhere), but a place that could have a history of continually producing them, even if in small scale.
1) Nope; Ninshabur and that area is the exact right place for it. It's very much inspired by Babylon/Sumeria/etc.
2) We're still working that out, but there's not a place where arcanists are the rule, really. Anywhere that has magic traditions likely has some arcanists. (We've got an upcoming Player Companion that will contextualize all 10 new classes in Golarion, in any event...)
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James how would you envision a CE bard with charisma 20+ with the lovesick drawback would act around their object of affection?In a very creepy way. Possibly in a criminal way. As in, "Here are the tongues of five beautiful women—I gathered them for you to show you how their voices are but rasping croaks that impugn upon the clarion purity of your dulcet tones, my beloved, and to show you that the laws of land and morality have no hold on my love for you."
That is uncannily like something this character would do >_>
Rules as written, no, he can't.
Rules as they SHOULD have been written, yes he can. It's best to treat a versatile performance check as the skill in question AND as the perform skill in question; let the bard make the better choice for the result at the time. It's supposed to be versatile, after all.
So, is it accurate to say then that, rules as written, what type of skill check a roll is is determined by which bonus you are using?
(I agree with your "should" interpretation, and would use that for home games.)
The Elohim entry from Bestiary 4 says that they create new permanent demiplanes. How?
They have create demiplane but not permanancy as spell-like abilities.
A question on neutral alignments.
Let's say you have a character who will save the lives of a dozen people for no reason, go out and murder someone for the same, and then next week he'll burn down an orphanage or two, but then put his life in jeopardy trying to protect a stranger.
Obviously he'd be chaotic on the L/C axis, but what about on G/E? Would he be evil because he does evil things and just happens to also do good things at times, or would he be neutral because he does both good and evil things in relative balance to one another?
Hello James! Why do you dislike Book of Nine swords? To go a bit further would you ever consider "martial magic" for say the Magus? Using a spell slot to for instance teleport behind each enemy and making a single attack against each at his highest base attack bonus?
Heya James!
I was looking over the Holy Vindicator class today and thought that it would be an exceptionally cool concept to play for someone who worships Vildeis. But Vildeis' final boon is
"Martyr's Blood (Su) You are immune to bleed effects. Whenever you would be affected by a bleed effect, all enemies within 30 feet gain the bleeding condition instead as though they were the effect's original targets (no save; creatures immune to bleeding are immune to this affect). The Heal DC to stop this supernatural bleeding is 20 rather than 15."
and the Holy Vindicator depends on it's Stigmata abilities, which cause them to bleed to get certain benefits. RAW, by gaining Vildeis' final boon would actually greatly hinder the Holy Vindicator, but it seems like such a cool concept to play that practically screams to play with one another. What would your opinion be on a house rule which allows the Stigmata to function even with the Martyr's Blood boon? (Essentially, you would not bleed but still gain the benefits of Stigmata)
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Creative Director
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Rules as written, no, he can't.
Rules as they SHOULD have been written, yes he can. It's best to treat a versatile performance check as the skill in question AND as the perform skill in question; let the bard make the better choice for the result at the time. It's supposed to be versatile, after all.
So, is it accurate to say then that, rules as written, what type of skill check a roll is is determined by which bonus you are using?
(I agree with your "should" interpretation, and would use that for home games.)
I guess? I kinda lost track of the question though.
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Creative Director
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The Elohim entry from Bestiary 4 says that they create new permanent demiplanes. How?
They have create demiplane but not permanancy as spell-like abilities.
That's a case of the rules and the flavor text not exactly synching up combined with us trying to cram a too-complicate creature onto a single page.
They should have a special ability that allows them to make their created demiplanes permanent, in other words.
At CR 23, I don't see them being used at all (if ever) in print, but if you use them in your home game, just change their SLA for create demiplane so that the duration is permanent.
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Creative Director
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A question on neutral alignments.
Let's say you have a character who will save the lives of a dozen people for no reason, go out and murder someone for the same, and then next week he'll burn down an orphanage or two, but then put his life in jeopardy trying to protect a stranger.
Obviously he'd be chaotic on the L/C axis, but what about on G/E? Would he be evil because he does evil things and just happens to also do good things at times, or would he be neutral because he does both good and evil things in relative balance to one another?
That sounds like a character who's suffering from madness. Specifically, from psychosis, which is detailed in GameMastery Guide, page 251. Which basically says that you're chaotic evil but REALLY GOOD at hiding that alignment from folks. Alternately, sounds like a character who's got multiple personality disorder; same page in the GMG.
My take without getting insanity involved... if you do an equal number of good acts and an equal number of evil ones... you're evil. Because evil is easier than good. The character you describe is Chaotic Evil in my opinion.
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Creative Director
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Hello James! Why do you dislike Book of Nine swords? To go a bit further would you ever consider "martial magic" for say the Magus? Using a spell slot to for instance teleport behind each enemy and making a single attack against each at his highest base attack bonus?
Because it drifted too far from the traditions of the game I enjoy, and because I'm not of the opinion that the way to fix martial classes is to make them spellcasters under a different name.
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Creative Director
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Heya James!
I was looking over the Holy Vindicator class today and thought that it would be an exceptionally cool concept to play for someone who worships Vildeis. But Vildeis' final boon is
"Martyr's Blood (Su) You are immune to bleed effects. Whenever you would be affected by a bleed effect, all enemies within 30 feet gain the bleeding condition instead as though they were the effect's original targets (no save; creatures immune to bleeding are immune to this affect). The Heal DC to stop this supernatural bleeding is 20 rather than 15."
and the Holy Vindicator depends on it's Stigmata abilities, which cause them to bleed to get certain benefits. RAW, by gaining Vildeis' final boon would actually greatly hinder the Holy Vindicator, but it seems like such a cool concept to play that practically screams to play with one another. What would your opinion be on a house rule which allows the Stigmata to function even with the Martyr's Blood boon? (Essentially, you would not bleed but still gain the benefits of Stigmata)
Turns out, not every option is great for every character.
I'd consider adjusting the rules for a cool character concept, but not always.
Hello James! Why do you dislike Book of Nine swords? To go a bit further would you ever consider "martial magic" for say the Magus? Using a spell slot to for instance teleport behind each enemy and making a single attack against each at his highest base attack bonus?Because it drifted too far from the traditions of the game I enjoy, and because I'm not of the opinion that the way to fix martial classes is to make them spellcasters under a different name.
That is a fair assessment I think. You didn't answer the second question though!
To go a bit further would you ever consider "martial magic" for say the Magus? Using a spell slot to for instance teleport behind each enemy and making a single attack against each at his highest base attack bonus?
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Creative Director
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If someone with age bonuses/penalties drinks Sun Orchid Elixir, they keep the bonuses and lose the penalties. Does this also apply to someone restored to youth with the Reincarnate spell?
Let's say someone Old drinks the elixir. Do they get the bonuses from being Venerable at the same number of years alive, or do they actually have to become Venerable, meaning someone who keeps drinking the elixir before becoming Venerable never gets the bonuses?
You actually have to become Venerable.
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Creative Director
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Hello James! Why do you dislike Book of Nine swords? To go a bit further would you ever consider "martial magic" for say the Magus? Using a spell slot to for instance teleport behind each enemy and making a single attack against each at his highest base attack bonus?Because it drifted too far from the traditions of the game I enjoy, and because I'm not of the opinion that the way to fix martial classes is to make them spellcasters under a different name.That is a fair assessment I think. You didn't answer the second question though!
To go a bit further would you ever consider "martial magic" for say the Magus? Using a spell slot to for instance teleport behind each enemy and making a single attack against each at his highest base attack bonus?
I think that the magus doesn't need "martial magic" since he's already got "spellcaster magic." A magus who wants to do a teleport and stab trick need only research a spell to let him do that.
Hey James,
-Can a non-evil goblin wizard exist in Golarion? I do like playing "monsters with hearts of gold" while trying to avoid the massive pitfall that is Drizzt. How do you think said goblin could survive from the wrath of his kin, who hate reading, and from the outside world, who has a near-universal, not entirely unjustified hatred of goblins?
-Are the aboleths and Dominion of the Black aware of each other's existence? Do they get along or ignore each other?
-What exactly kind of being do you get if a mortal and a god conceived a child? Demigod, half-celestial, or is it impossible for a god and mortal to have children?
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Creative Director
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Hey James,
-Can a non-evil goblin wizard exist in Golarion? I do like playing "monsters with hearts of gold" while trying to avoid the massive pitfall that is Drizzt. How do you think said goblin could survive from the wrath of his kin, who hate reading, and from the outside world, who has a near-universal, not entirely unjustified hatred of goblins?
-Are the aboleths and Dominion of the Black aware of each other's existence? Do they get along or ignore each other?
-What exactly kind of being do you get if a mortal and a god conceived a child? Demigod, half-celestial, or is it impossible for a god and mortal to have children?
Of course a non-evil goblin can exist on Golarion. I think said goblin would need to get away from his/her kin ASAP though, and it would have a hard time finding a life on its own.
They are. They do not get along but don't normally interact.
You'd get a unique mythic character if it was a deity, that or perhaps a nephilim (or similar creature, see Bestiary 3, page 200) if it was a demigod.
You actually have to become Venerable.If someone with age bonuses/penalties drinks Sun Orchid Elixir, they keep the bonuses and lose the penalties. Does this also apply to someone restored to youth with the Reincarnate spell?
Let's say someone Old drinks the elixir. Do they get the bonuses from being Venerable at the same number of years alive, or do they actually have to become Venerable, meaning someone who keeps drinking the elixir before becoming Venerable never gets the bonuses?
It looks like another way to rephrase this question is: does the Sun Orchid Elixir rejuvenate the mind as well as the body?
That game has since been replaced by a Mummy's Mask game, wherein I am playing an elven fighter.
How do you play an AP you and your coworkers developed? Doesn't everyone always know what's coming up? Do you simply feign ignorance?
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is there going to be another book in the inner sea series (inner sea combat, inner sea magic)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????? (HOT DANG THATS A LOT OF QUESTION MARKS!!!!!!!!!!)
Good morning!
I am planning to do a small encounter in Golarian's past, about just before the Varisian wanderers settled in Ustalav. Since the fall of the Thassilonian empire, the Varisians who survived had been travelling away from that destruction I assume. There is roughly 6,000 years between the fall of the Thassilonian empire and the Varisians arriving in Ustalav. Were the Varisians just travelling around for 6,000 years? I am imagining a post-apocalyptic world (similar to shows like Thundarr the Barbarian, Korgoth of Barbaria, Fist of the North Star, etc), where humans are just taking advantage of each other constantly (which is why no major cities sprung up around Varisia and Hold of Belkzen for that amount of time). I am curious your thoughts on this.
My other question is this: was Lamashtu being pregnant and a mother of monsters inspired by Yog-Sothoth at all? I remember in Dunwitch Horror, Yog-Sothoth impregnated a woman. I've heard rumors you like Lovecraft.
How awesome is this short film? (Its about 10 minutes long.)
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Creative Director
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How does that work with the trait in Wrath of the Righteous, though, where PCs with the Hierophant trait are basically ordinary mortals and their divine parentage is just the source of their mythic potential that gets activated in the first episode?
Another way of saying it is that when a god has a child, it can be anything.
A nephilim.
A half-fiend.
A mythic character.
A normal character.
A talking tree.
A normal rock.
A building.
A dragon with a snake head for a brain.
Anything is possible when the gods get involved.
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Creative Director
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It looks like another way to rephrase this question is: does the Sun Orchid Elixir rejuvenate the mind as well as the body?You actually have to become Venerable.If someone with age bonuses/penalties drinks Sun Orchid Elixir, they keep the bonuses and lose the penalties. Does this also apply to someone restored to youth with the Reincarnate spell?
Let's say someone Old drinks the elixir. Do they get the bonuses from being Venerable at the same number of years alive, or do they actually have to become Venerable, meaning someone who keeps drinking the elixir before becoming Venerable never gets the bonuses?
It does not.
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Creative Director
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That game has since been replaced by a Mummy's Mask game, wherein I am playing an elven fighter.How do you play an AP you and your coworkers developed? Doesn't everyone always know what's coming up? Do you simply feign ignorance?
By keeping player knowledge and character knowledge separate. The thing that's most interesting to me in a game isn't the plot of the game, though, it's seeing how the players react to and adjust and change the plot.
And anyway... for Mummy's Mask, I only developed part 5. I haven't even read the other parts, so until we reach the Slave Trenches, I can still have some surprises. And by the time we DO get to the Slave Trenches, I'm sure I'll have forgotten all the stuff anyway.
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Creative Director
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Hi James!
Is there any particular melee weapon that is associated with or favored by worshippers of Abadar?
Just how common is worship of Abadar in Osirion? I get the impression that it's pretty common.
Thanks!
Not really. It'd be more governed by what sort of favored weapons are traditionally used by any one city's guards.
Abadar worship is VERY common in Osirion. Considering the nation is led by a worshiper of Abadar and all that.
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Creative Director
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is there going to be another book in the inner sea series (inner sea combat, inner sea magic)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????? (HOT DANG THATS A LOT OF QUESTION MARKS!!!!!!!!!!)
Should there be?
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Creative Director
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Good morning!
I am planning to do a small encounter in Golarian's past, about just before the Varisian wanderers settled in Ustalav. Since the fall of the Thassilonian empire, the Varisians who survived had been travelling away from that destruction I assume. There is roughly 6,000 years between the fall of the Thassilonian empire and the Varisians arriving in Ustalav. Were the Varisians just travelling around for 6,000 years? I am imagining a post-apocalyptic world (similar to shows like Thundarr the Barbarian, Korgoth of Barbaria, Fist of the North Star, etc), where humans are just taking advantage of each other constantly (which is why no major cities sprung up around Varisia and Hold of Belkzen for that amount of time). I am curious your thoughts on this.
My other question is this: was Lamashtu being pregnant and a mother of monsters inspired by Yog-Sothoth at all? I remember in Dunwitch Horror, Yog-Sothoth impregnated a woman. I've heard rumors you like Lovecraft.
Varisians were hunkered down for a while, and then yes, were traveling around for many many centuries. They're nomadic, but not particularly into the world exploration back then.
Lamashtu being pregnant and a mother of monsters is inspired by real-world Lamashtu mythology, which predates Yog-Sothoth by a few thousand years.
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Creative Director
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How awesome is this short film? (Its about 10 minutes long.)
Dunno. I'll watch it later. I should be finishing development of this adventure anyway... ;-)
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Creative Director
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James if elves don't go wrinkly when they age, does their appearance change as they near the end of their live span?
An elf's appearance shifts and adapts to match the environment that they've lived in, so an elf that's lived a long time in one place would take on that region's colors and themes increasingly. But an elf that moves around a lot won't look much difference on the day she dies than she did on the day she grew up... other than to perhaps move more slowly and perhaps appear a bit less muscular (due to reductions to Str/Dex/Con).
You actually have to become Venerable.If someone with age bonuses/penalties drinks Sun Orchid Elixir, they keep the bonuses and lose the penalties. Does this also apply to someone restored to youth with the Reincarnate spell?
Let's say someone Old drinks the elixir. Do they get the bonuses from being Venerable at the same number of years alive, or do they actually have to become Venerable, meaning someone who keeps drinking the elixir before becoming Venerable never gets the bonuses?
Why's that?
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is there going to be another book in the inner sea series (inner sea combat, inner sea magic)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????? (HOT DANG THATS A LOT OF QUESTION MARKS!!!!!!!!!!)Should there be?
yeh, it should be on experts (bards, rogues, ninjas, etc.)
and the new advanced classes (arcanist, skald, bloodrager, etc.)|
Creative Director
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Why's that?You actually have to become Venerable.If someone with age bonuses/penalties drinks Sun Orchid Elixir, they keep the bonuses and lose the penalties. Does this also apply to someone restored to youth with the Reincarnate spell?
Let's say someone Old drinks the elixir. Do they get the bonuses from being Venerable at the same number of years alive, or do they actually have to become Venerable, meaning someone who keeps drinking the elixir before becoming Venerable never gets the bonuses?
Because becoming venerable is the only way to get the bonuses for becoming venerable.
Because becoming venerable is the only way to get the bonuses for becoming venerable.Why's that?You actually have to become Venerable.If someone with age bonuses/penalties drinks Sun Orchid Elixir, they keep the bonuses and lose the penalties. Does this also apply to someone restored to youth with the Reincarnate spell?
Let's say someone Old drinks the elixir. Do they get the bonuses from being Venerable at the same number of years alive, or do they actually have to become Venerable, meaning someone who keeps drinking the elixir before becoming Venerable never gets the bonuses?
So even if I'm a venerable chronological age for my race I still have to let my body deteriorate first? How does that make sense?
Is there any chance the popular fanshipping of Valeros and Imrijka will become a canon relationship?
Am I right in assuming that undead would not rot because of the negative energy coursing through their body (and thus killing bacteria and scavengers)
How far to players fall in one round? I'm trying to figure out how a 'falling battle' would work. By that I mean, the combat takes place while the entire group is falling out of the sky.
[Edit] Kind of like in this video.
The sound of space. Happy dreams! >:)