Creative Director
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Three scary movies from my childhood: "Invaders From Mars" (1953), "The Thing", aka "The Thing From Another World" (1951), and "Night of the Demon" (1957). Seen any of these, James?
Absolutely. All three are great movies, with Invaders being the least great and Night of the Demon being the best.
Thing from Another World is an excellent movie, but is lesser in pretty much every single way to Carpenter's remake. Doesn't mean Thing from Another World is BAD... as I say, it's excellent. It just means that Carpenter's remake is perhaps the best movie ever. It certainly is constantly jockeying in my head for that position, wrestling against Alien. Alien keeps barely winning out though because it's got a year or so head start in my head, having come out a few years before The Thing.
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They're both tied in my head for "best horror movie where nobody makes stupid plot-demanded decisions, and yet loads of people die horribly."
Broadly speaking, what do you think you might make for your first Starfinder character? I'm not trying to trap you into revealing SFinder stuff - especially since so much is probably in flux at the moment - so just "this is what I would make for a space fantasy game" would be fine. :)
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Broadly speaking, what do you think you might make for your first Starfinder character? I'm not trying to trap you into revealing SFinder stuff - especially since so much is probably in flux at the moment - so just "this is what I would make for a space fantasy game" would be fine. :)
I have no idea, other than a female human.
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Carpenter's remake suffers imo from not having Marshall Dillon as The Thing. :-) Besides, I was in my thirties when the remake came out, so it doesn't qualify as "from my childhood." I do agree it's better than the original.
Obligatory question: how do bloodlines work? That is, how does a human (or other character race) mate with some of these bloodline critters (I'm thinking specifically of dragons here) so that some descendant has that bloodline? The only answer I can come up with is "it's magic, duh." :-)
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Obligatory question: how do bloodlines work? That is, how does a human (or other character race) mate with some of these bloodline critters (I'm thinking specifically of dragons here) so that some descendant has that bloodline? The only answer I can come up with is "it's magic, duh." :-)
It's deliberately vague so you can say it's from mating in the past, or being exposed to magic energy, or a poorly worded wish, or nearly drowning in dragon blood, or spending too much time in the First World, or being cursed by an Abyssal infliction, or simply being in the right place at the right time, or being bitten by a magical spider, etc.
AKA: Anything you see as a superhero origin story works for a sorcerer's bloodline source.
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What does the word "Sczarni" mean in Varisian?
Hey James, the story you related earlier about Desna and demon lords - was that a story written down anywhere else? It was fascinating. Are there others like it? Because the Inner Sea Gods book just seems to talk about the various faiths.
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What does the word "Sczarni" mean in Varisian?
One of several words that means "extended family." The word has taken on connotations of family members that share legacies of crime, but originally was something more focused on families that come together for a monetary reason.
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DID YOU KNOW BOOTS GO ON FEET?Ummmmmm... yes, I did know this. Pretty basic concept of dressing one's self. Been doing it for decades.
I'm pretty sure that James puts his pants on one leg at a time..
Uh.....
Switft cutaway...
COMMENCE PANTALOON INSERTION SEQUENCE!
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Hey James, the story you related earlier about Desna and demon lords - was that a story written down anywhere else? It was fascinating. Are there others like it? Because the Inner Sea Gods book just seems to talk about the various faiths.
There's plenty of others like it, scattered throughout ALL of the products we produce. We always drop in bits and pieces of lore in campaign setting books and adventures. Not so much in the player's guides, and never in the hardcovers.
The story of Aolar and Desna is something I put into Book of the Damned II, in the section that talks about several dead demon lords.
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WALL OF TEXT TRIGGERED!
** spoiler omitted **...
Love this kind of stuff!
Hmm, question... any stories in the works that shed more light on politics of the gods?
Also, Pharasma has been detail to be pretty steadfast in her neutrality. Is there a scenario where she would personally intervene?
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Mr. James Jacobs,
How would the deep one corruption compare to taking the aberrant heritage feats from the 3.5 book Lords of Madness? Besides the fact that the corruption system wouldn't cost you feats.
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Have you ever played a character who, over the course of their adventures, ended up doing things or acting in ways you didn't imagine them doing/acting when you initially created them (like, say, initially planned as an amoral burglar out for themselves, but instead ends up doing Robin-Hood style stuff because you realized you liked that better)?
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WALL OF TEXT TRIGGERED!
** spoiler omitted **...
Love this kind of stuff!
Hmm, question... any stories in the works that shed more light on politics of the gods?
Also, Pharasma has been detail to be pretty steadfast in her neutrality. Is there a scenario where she would personally intervene?
Perhaps... but I made up that one for a book I wrote, and it's one of particular fondness to me, so it came to mind pretty quickly. No others come to mind as immediately without any sort of narrowing of requests... but one could do worse than to read the Books of the Damned to begin wit.! :-)
I suppose any thing is possible, but I think Pharasma intervening in a way that mortals would realize it is one of the least possible of things.
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Mr. James Jacobs,
How would the deep one corruption compare to taking the aberrant heritage feats from the 3.5 book Lords of Madness? Besides the fact that the corruption system wouldn't cost you feats.
Deep one corruption, as part of Horror Adventures, isn't out yet, so now isn't the time to talk about it. And when it is... I'm not the one to talk about it, since I wasn't part of the creation of Horror Adventures.
The aberrant feats are quite different, in any event.
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Have you ever played a character who, over the course of their adventures, ended up doing things or acting in ways you didn't imagine them doing/acting when you initially created them (like, say, initially planned as an amoral burglar out for themselves, but instead ends up doing Robin-Hood style stuff because you realized you liked that better)?
Yes. In fact, if the campaign goes for more than 3 or 4 levels, that's more or less guaranteed that it'll happen, since I quite enjoy having a character grow and change in ways that are reactive to not only the way that the adventures play out, but how her interaction with the other PCs and the NPCs plays out.
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What is your favorite kind of story to tell with human antagonists in a civilized setting?
I'm incredibly fond of games of intrigue, where players cannot simply draw weapons and wreck without consequences. I will admit, I often suck at it, which brings me to my second question.
How would you recommend doing things to impress that there's a level of gravity and consequence in civilized areas where there's more than just farmers and sharecroppers? It's hard to convey a sense of seriousness when players often see things by character level scale, and less by situation. Games of intrigue aren't that intriguing when people blithely do things that cause the Duke to mobilize a battalion to hunt them.
I prefer stories that allow for a good mix of roleplay and combat/action. See Hell's Rebels or Crimson Throne for examples.
The way to show consequences is to actually have change occur in your game, rather than let things stay static in your setting. Don't be afraid to shake things up!
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Perhaps... but I made up that one for a book I wrote, and it's one of particular fondness to me, so it came to mind pretty quickly. No others come to mind as immediately without any sort of narrowing of requests... but one could do worse than to read the Books of the Damned to begin wit.! :-)
I suppose any thing is possible, but I think Pharasma intervening in a way that mortals would realize it is one of the least possible of things.
I have read them and they're great. Really, the intrigues among the deities are quite fascinating. Me thinks the Whispering Tyrant needs to make a come back or Arazni trying to free her master. Since Aroden directly intervened there, I wonder if Iomedae would similarly do the same. Would she? (Also, not so secretly praying for another mythic AP. Does your office want a thousand cookies? Cuz that's how it'd get sent a thousand cookies.)
Also, you've been asked a lot what god you'd worship, what race and class you'd want to be and so on if you woke up in Golarion one day. Slightly different question there. What would your reaction be? "This is cool"? "Oh, s$#~!"? "Nifty, I'll just go to the box of hidden god power and ascend."? Or something else?
Where would you most prefer to appear if that happened? Least prefer?
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Perhaps... but I made up that one for a book I wrote, and it's one of particular fondness to me, so it came to mind pretty quickly. No others come to mind as immediately without any sort of narrowing of requests... but one could do worse than to read the Books of the Damned to begin wit.! :-)
I suppose any thing is possible, but I think Pharasma intervening in a way that mortals would realize it is one of the least possible of things.
I have read them and they're great. Really, the intrigues among the deities are quite fascinating. Me thinks the Whispering Tyrant needs to make a come back or Arazni trying to free her master. Since Aroden directly intervened there, I wonder if Iomedae would similarly do the same. Would she? (Also, not so secretly praying for another mythic AP. Does your office want a thousand cookies? Cuz that's how it'd get sent a thousand cookies.)
Also, you've been asked a lot what god you'd worship, what race and class you'd want to be and so on if you woke up in Golarion one day. Slightly different question there. What would your reaction be? "This is cool"? "Oh, s#+&!"? "Nifty, I'll just go to the box of hidden god power and ascend."? Or something else?
Where would you most prefer to appear if that happened? Least prefer?
Iomedae likely would not have directly intervened.
No cookies, please. They're not healthy.
Elf bard.
Reaction: Whew! That earth stuff was just a nightmare!
Would want to appear in Sandpoint; would LEAST want to appear in Rahadoum.
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Would want to appear in Sandpoint; would LEAST want to appear in Rahadoum.
Rahadoum's the worst for ya? Not the Worldwound or Cheliax or Nidal? Interesting.
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What do you do when you can't decide between two functionally similar classes?
I'm stuck trying to pick between playing an Unchained Monk/Cleric multiclass or a Sacred Fist Warpriest.
I almost always go for the more well-established class and/or the less complicated one.
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2) Valeros, Seoni, Kyra, and Merisiel. Dunno about actors off the top of my head other than Sarah Shahi for Kyra.Sarah Shari is awesome! Have you seen her in Life or Person of Interest?
I've only really seen her in Person of Interest, but that was enough to make me a fan! She's rad!!!!!!
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Dumb idea sparked by Pokemon: Pathfinder Go app.
You and others walk around with as PCs. You will randomly come across encounters that will be generated based off the number of people in the encounter area. Have quests giver NPCs spawn around town that send you to different locations to solve quests. Fight monsters, save princes, slay dragons.
Thoughts?
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Thank you so much for your answers to my prior questions. I have two more please, if you wouldn't mind. Again, they pertain Hell's Rebels and Cheliax - I'm busy prepping our campaign start in August and both my players and I are really looking forward to it.
I was thinking to have Barzillai construct a pair of Tines of Cheliax (the giant fork-shaped execution device mentioned briefly in 'Cheliax the infernal Empire' and, I believe, some novel/s set in Golarion that I haven't read) as a deterrent, and as a way to up the ante in chapter three/four.
1. First, a bit of a gruesome question. How does the executioner get the victims up there on the tine? Telekinesis? Some rope and pulley system? Are the Tines hinged? I was thinking to add a scene where the PCs rescue an ally from execution by them.
2. Killing someone on the Tines sends their souls directly to Hell, as I understand it. Doesn't that make Pharasma (and her minions) mighty peeved? That her judgement is just circumvented? And what about the other planes, who are (maybe, unless the soul was going to hell anyway) having their petitioners-to-be sent directly to Hell by this device/ritual? That's what the novel The Redemption Engine is all about, where a similar process causes all kinds of upset.
Thanks again to you and the peeps at Paizo for the great games you're making!
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Creative Director
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Hi there. Quick question. What would the price of mithral armor be for a large quadruped? Specifically breastplate. Can't figure out if its supposed to be 200 for breastplate times 4 to get 800 plus the cost of mithral or if it should be the 800 plus the 4k for the mithral times 4 to be 19 200 gp. Any thoughts?
I'd go for the most expensive option, personally.
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Creative Director
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Dumb idea sparked by Pokemon: Pathfinder Go app.
You and others walk around with as PCs. You will randomly come across encounters that will be generated based off the number of people in the encounter area. Have quests giver NPCs spawn around town that send you to different locations to solve quests. Fight monsters, save princes, slay dragons.
Thoughts?
Seems kinda boring without any storyline to go with it.
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Creative Director
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Thank you so much for your answers to my prior questions. I have two more please, if you wouldn't mind. Again, they pertain Hell's Rebels and Cheliax - I'm busy prepping our campaign start in August and both my players and I are really looking forward to it.
Spoiler:I was thinking to have Barzillai construct a pair of Tines of Cheliax (the giant fork-shaped execution device mentioned briefly in 'Cheliax the infernal Empire' and, I believe, some novel/s set in Golarion that I haven't read) as a deterrent, and as a way to up the ante in chapter three/four.1. First, a bit of a gruesome question. How does the executioner get the victims up there on the tine? Telekinesis? Some rope and pulley system? Are the Tines hinged? I was thinking to add a scene where the PCs rescue an ally from execution by them.
2. Killing someone on the Tines sends their souls directly to Hell, as I understand it. Doesn't that make Pharasma (and her minions) mighty peeved? That her judgement is just circumvented? And what about the other planes, who are (maybe, unless the soul was going to hell anyway) having their petitioners-to-be sent directly to Hell by this device/ritual? That's what the novel The Redemption Engine is all about, where a similar process causes all kinds of upset.
Thanks again to you and the peeps at Paizo for the great games you're making!
Answers:
2) Any ritual sacrifice that sends a soul directly to hell absolutely enrages the deity who would have otherwise received that soul... but it doesn't really bother Pharasma at all. After all... the sacrificed victim is still dead and the soul has gone on to it's fate rather than dodged the fate by being trapped or undead on the Material plane. In a case where a soul is sacrificed... that's not out of line with her judgement, really... But that said, her faith would likely not approve at all. Fixing things like that falls to her worshipers, not to her. THAT SAID... I didn't write Redemption Engine, and Sutter's thoughts on this are often different than mine. Where they differ, feel free to go with the version that's more interesting to you.
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James,
I see that you are developing the modules line and some player companions. Are you also developing Campaign Setting line books? And how about the APs? Will you return to directly developing those?
For now, I'm focusing on the modules. I may return to the AP line some day, but not really anytime soon. And I'll still have some involvement in the Campaign setting line, particularly for big important books, but for the rest... time will tell.
Contributor
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For now, I'm focusing on the modules. I may return to the AP line some day, but not really anytime soon.
Does this mean a long delay before we get to see the rest of the Runelords appear? :O
I've been waiting for that plot more than anything else - especially the appearance of Xanderghul! - and it's hard for me to imagine anyone else telling their stories.
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For now, I'm focusing on the modules. I may return to the AP line some day, but not really anytime soon.Does this mean a long delay before we get to see the rest of the Runelords appear? :O
I've been waiting for that plot more than anything else - especially the appearance of Xanderghul! - and it's hard for me to imagine anyone else telling their stories.
While I'd love to do something big with the Runelords, the modules line isn't the best place to do it. Don't expect something big about the Runelords, at least with my direct involvement, anytime soon. That said... the novel line and the comic book and PFS have been doing stuff with them without my direct involvement, so who knows how things might play out in other lines in the future as well.
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So a couple of pages back you mentioned that you enjoyed playing through Shadowrun Returns.
Have You played Hairbrained Scheme's other 2 Shadowrun Games: Dragonfall/Hong Kong? If not I'd highly recommend them as they take all the good from Returns and refine it with a more polished combat system and brand new stories
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So a couple of pages back you mentioned that you enjoyed playing through Shadowrun Returns.
Have You played Hairbrained Scheme's other 2 Shadowrun Games: Dragonfall/Hong Kong? If not I'd highly recommend them as they take all the good from Returns and refine it with a more polished combat system and brand new stories
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I've played Dragonfall. Just started playing Hong Kong about 3 hours ago.
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Would want to appear in Sandpoint; would LEAST want to appear in Rahadoum.Rahadoum's the worst for ya? Not the Worldwound or Cheliax or Nidal? Interesting.
Seeing as the question seems to have either been missed or not clearly expressed on my part-
Why would you find waking up in Rahadoum more distasteful than one of Golarion's more overtly nightmarish lands like Nidal or the Worldwound?
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Would want to appear in Sandpoint; would LEAST want to appear in Rahadoum.Rahadoum's the worst for ya? Not the Worldwound or Cheliax or Nidal? Interesting.Seeing as the question seems to have either been missed or not clearly expressed on my part-
Why would you find waking up in Rahadoum more distasteful than one of Golarion's more overtly nightmarish lands like Nidal or the Worldwound?
Yeah, although you used question marks... the way you phrased it wasn't a question. Obviously I meant Rahadoum and not the Worldwound or Cheliax or Nidal.
I Find Rahadoum more distasteful than those other places becasue at least Nidal and the Worldwound allow faith... even if only an evil one.
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Hi James...Did you start or are you going to watch Stranger Things? I literally just put it and the opening has several things you might like :P
Also...where was it announced you were taking over the module line? I was surprised to see that mentioned here but it was the first time I have seen that said?
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Hi James...Did you start or are you going to watch Stranger Things? I literally just put it and the opening has several things you might like :P
Also...where was it announced you were taking over the module line? I was surprised to see that mentioned here but it was the first time I have seen that said?
I'm probably gonna watch it tomorrow.
And as far as I know, the first time it's been mentioned was where you just read it. I've "taken over" the module line a few times before though... last time was Dragon's Demand, although I did just recently develop the latest RPG Superstar adventure as well.
Shifting around who does what at Paizo happens a lot, and it's not really something we generally "announce." It just happens.
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I first heard about it in the Modules Subscription product thread, if that helps. ^_^
Is there anything else you're working on at the moment?
Nope. Not yet, at least. There's some more stuff perhaps on the horizon. The "secret project" I mentioned a while back elsewhere that at one point I thought I'd be working on after Crimson Throne is back on the back burner for the immediate future.
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Have you seen the new Ghostbusters movie? If so, what do you think? Are you a fan of the old ones?
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RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
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I've played Dragonfall. Just started playing Hong Kong about 3 hours ago.So a couple of pages back you mentioned that you enjoyed playing through Shadowrun Returns.
Have You played Hairbrained Scheme's other 2 Shadowrun Games: Dragonfall/Hong Kong? If not I'd highly recommend them as they take all the good from Returns and refine it with a more polished combat system and brand new stories
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Ooh! What kind of build do you think you'll go for? Will it be similar to your characters from the earlier iterations, or are you going to try something new?
Would want to appear in Sandpoint; would LEAST want to appear in Rahadoum.Rahadoum's the worst for ya? Not the Worldwound or Cheliax or Nidal? Interesting.Seeing as the question seems to have either been missed or not clearly expressed on my part-
Why would you find waking up in Rahadoum more distasteful than one of Golarion's more overtly nightmarish lands like Nidal or the Worldwound?
Yeah, although you used question marks... the way you phrased it wasn't a question. Obviously I meant Rahadoum and not the Worldwound or Cheliax or Nidal.
I Find Rahadoum more distasteful than those other places becasue at least Nidal and the Worldwound allow faith... even if only an evil one.
Would you feel differently if you were persnally an atheist? Rahadoum does allow faith... in your fellow man.
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You've said before that in Golarion, while paladins and inquisitors are often/almost always part of a deity's religion, only clerics require a god from whom to derive their magic.
It isn't hard to imagine what a paladin looks like without a religion, as they at least have their code to adhere to; what does an inquisitor that eschews religion look like?
Then, separately... I read somewhere that in your original setting that eventually became Golarion, Pharasma was originally conceived as LN. What led to changing her alignment to TN for Pathfinder? Did her behavior as a LN pre-Pharasma differ in anyway from how Pharasma has been described in Pathfinder?