Creative Director
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Hi James,
I have a question about the Holy Text of Asmodeus.
What is the name of the Holy Text of Asmodeus?
Before you answer from the back of your mind "Asmodean Disciplines" I can say: "That is the right answer, if you use the Campaign Seting book or the World Guide."
If you use 'Gods & Magic', the Asmodeus article from 'Pathfinder #29' or the 'Cheliax' companion, the answer would be "Asmodean Monographs".
So what really is the name of the Holy Text of Asmodeus?
And I think Asmodeus' Wrath will hit upon those that messed up with the order of how his holy scripture was to be named. There can be only one, name that is...
Asmodeus can have multiple Holy Texts, first of all.
Secondly... since the Inner Sea World Guide is "ground zero" for Golarion, if something appears in there, that's the one that's the more accurate.
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Creative Director
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Hey James,
A heads up. There appears to be something wrong with the forums. I see like 50 threads with 0 posts. Looks like something is messed up with starting new threads, existing threads seem to be working fine. I even tried to create a new thread myself, and it hosed up on the submit. Not sure if anyone at Paizo realized it yet.
Seems to be working fine for me, so I guess it's fixed?
In that case, might I suggest Berserk as reading material? Very dark, bloody, horror-orientated story. Won't spoil it for you, but I'm up to volume 33 and still going strong, chomping at the bit for the next book to come out here in Australia!
I've heard good things about Berserk. I'll check it out some day.
Gern Blacktusk makes an excellent recommendation. Although I doubt you'd do otherwise, with Berserk it is particularly important to follow the story from the start.
Seems to be working fine for me, so I guess it's fixed?Hey James,
A heads up. There appears to be something wrong with the forums. I see like 50 threads with 0 posts. Looks like something is messed up with starting new threads, existing threads seem to be working fine. I even tried to create a new thread myself, and it hosed up on the submit. Not sure if anyone at Paizo realized it yet.
Seems to have gotten fixed about 9:30 your time.
Seems to have gotten fixed about 9:30 your time.At which point I was still blissfully asleep, so that's my excuse for not jumping on it earlier!
What kind of schedule do you keep to be asleep at 9:30 AM?
I'm so jealous of everybody that gets to go to PaizoCon - I hope everybody will have as great a time as I imagine it will be (and I cannot wait to hear the big revelations!)
A question that came up today: does Extra Rogue Talent allow a rogue (of at least 10th level) to pick advanced talents or not?
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Creative Director
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What kind of schedule do you keep to be asleep at 9:30 AM?Seems to have gotten fixed about 9:30 your time.At which point I was still blissfully asleep, so that's my excuse for not jumping on it earlier!
Generally, I wake up at anywhere between 9:00 and 10:00—today was closer to 10:00 than 9:00. I'm at work within 20 minutes or so of waking up usually (or less if I decide not to go for coffee), then I'm usually at work until about 7:30 to 8:00. I generally don't head to bed until about 2:00 AM.
Sometimes I'll sleep in till 11:00 or even noon (work days I try to be in the office by 11:00 at least), and staying up until 3:00 to 4:00 AM isn't unheard of.
I would like a final, hands down ruling on how Empower spell works.
Do you roll 50% more dice (i.e 3d8 on an empowered cure moderate), or do you add 50% (i.e 2d8*1.5 on that same cure moderate) to the dice total rolled.
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Creative Director
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I would like a final, hands down ruling on how Empower spell works.
Do you roll 50% more dice (i.e 3d8 on an empowered cure moderate), or do you add 50% (i.e 2d8*1.5 on that same cure moderate) to the dice total rolled.
Roll the dice normally, as you would for the non-empowered version of the spell. Once you have that result, multiply it by 1.5 and drop any fractions.
For a 7th level cleric casting an Empowered cure moderate wounds spell, you'd roll 2d8+7, then multiply what you got by 1.5. So if you rolled 10 points of healing, the empower spell version would be 15 points of healing.
This is generally faster in play (since you're adding up fewer die rolls), but it's also more logical since you'll never have to decide how to roll half a die (which you would whenever you'd end up rolling an odd number of dice).
Did Rovagug spawn anthing stronger or weaker than the six spawn that have been mentioned?
Are the god's heralds always CR 15? and why not CR20?
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Creative Director
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Did Rovagug spawn anthing stronger or weaker than the six spawn that have been mentioned?
Are the god's heralds always CR 15? and why not CR20?
The strongest of Rovagug's spawn is the Tarrasque. Not coincidentally, he's CR 25, which is more or less the highest the game can really handle at this point. We don't really have a lower end to the scale of what his spawn are though.
The gods' heralds are always CR 15 because we design them specifically as 18 HD outsiders that represent excellent choices for planar ally or planar binding spells. Any tougher and you couldn't conjure them with that spell; you'd have to go with gate.
Has any weird PaizoCon attendees been stalking you at the Paizo offices?
James, can you apply feats like Spell Focus to spell-like abilities since they are "like spells in every way" except where specifically noted?
What about feats like augment summoning to a summoner's spell-like ability to summon monsters?
What about applying normal metamagic feats to spell-like abilities in specific situations (such as merciful spell, which doesn't change spell slot, thus the fact that spell-like abilities not having spell slots is a non-issue)?
If the answer is yes to the first and/or third question, how does one treat spell-like abilities that seemingly don't have schools of magic tied to them, such as many of the 1st-level sorcerer bloodline abilities? What kind of aura do they radiate in regards to detect magic?
Can a person take the Ability Focus feat in regards to upping the DC of a single spell-like ability?
Please assume each of the above questions end in "why or why not?".
I've been coming across debates involving these questions time and time again for 2 years. I thought maybe you could help close some of them.
Thank you again for your time.
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Heya James,
This is less of a question and more about me relating an experience to a fellow dinosaur lover.
Last night, my brother shouted me to go see "walking with dinosaurs", the stage production not the telemovie version.
I walked out of that place feeling like I had lived a childhood dream. It was as close to seeing a real dinosaur moving and roaring as I'll ever get and seriously left me awstruck the entire night.
Movies are great and all, but these things were right there in front of you, and lifesized, and the sound went through your chest when they roared and called each other and walked and fought.
I'm still riding the euphoric high, which is probably why this email sounds a little mushy.
If you do nothing else, get to see this show James. With luck it will come to your area.
Cheers
Any chance we will see a Magus or Inquisitor archetype that is focused on charisma for casting and class abilities?
Thank you.
I know a reply won't happen till some time after PaizoCon, so no rush.
My question is in regards to the Ancestral Weapon & Metal Weapon Oracle revelations, from the Ancestor & Metal mysteries, respectively.
Ancestral Weapon says: "You can summon a simple or martial weapon from your family’s history that is appropriate for your current size."
Metal Weapon says: "You can create a melee simple or martial weapon that lasts for 1 minute for every oracle level you possess. This weapon is appropriate for your size and entirely made of metal..."
Neither ability states whether the weapon must be the same weapon each time. Do either (or both) allow you to change the type of weapon as you desire, each time you activate it?
A cha based caster Magus, Inquisitor, and Druid would be cool.
Trying to come up with an idea for the mount-of-choice for the Knights/Heavy Cavalry of a Darkness (but not Evil) aligned nation in a Homebrew campaign, and I need your advice on making a 'Riding Lizard' mount. Taking the Deinonychus stats, make it large size via the Giant Simple Template, drop the Constitution down to 15 and remove the Pounce, Foreclaw and 2 of the Hit-Dice, do you think that would make this mount more balanced against the Heavy (War)Horse?
What can we know about "Skull and Bones?"
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Creative Director
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If someone were to convert Zotani, the Firebleeder to PRPG, how would you recommend they proceed? Keep it at CR 20, or make it CR 25 since it's supposed to be in a similar power bracket to the Tarrasque?
My general word of advice in converting 3.5 monsters is to keep the CR the same. Rebuild the monster if you need to in order to fit that CR, but the CR should be static when at all possible. The Tarrasque is supposed to be the toughest of the spawn, in any event.
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Creative Director
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James, can you apply feats like Spell Focus to spell-like abilities since they are "like spells in every way" except where specifically noted?
Nope. Spell focus applies to spells. If you want to adjust the save DC of a spell-like ability, you have to take Ability Focus (from the Bestairy) for that specific spell-like ability.
What about feats like augment summoning to a summoner's spell-like ability to summon monsters?
Augment summoning only affects spells. Not a monster's special summon ability.
What about applying normal metamagic feats to spell-like abilities in specific situations (such as merciful spell, which doesn't change spell slot, thus the fact that spell-like abilities not having spell slots is a non-issue)?
Nope; since metamagic feats alter effective spell level, there's no real metric to translate that into spell-like abilities. If you want to adjust a spell-like ability, you need to take a feat designed specifically for that, such as Quicken Spell-Like Ability (from the Bestiary).
If the answer is yes to the first and/or third question, how does one treat spell-like abilities that seemingly don't have schools of magic tied to them, such as many of the 1st-level sorcerer bloodline abilities? What kind of aura do they radiate in regards to detect magic?
One doesn't; the answer was no.
Can a person take the Ability Focus feat in regards to upping the DC of a single spell-like ability?
Yes.
I've been coming across debates involving these questions time and time again for 2 years. I thought maybe you could help close some of them.
Not sure if one more opinion has the power to end debates that have raged for two years, but hopefully this helped.
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Creative Director
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Heya James,
This is less of a question and more about me relating an experience to a fellow dinosaur lover.
Last night, my brother shouted me to go see "walking with dinosaurs", the stage production not the telemovie version.
I walked out of that place feeling like I had lived a childhood dream. It was as close to seeing a real dinosaur moving and roaring as I'll ever get and seriously left me awstruck the entire night.
Movies are great and all, but these things were right there in front of you, and lifesized, and the sound went through your chest when they roared and called each other and walked and fought.I'm still riding the euphoric high, which is probably why this email sounds a little mushy.
If you do nothing else, get to see this show James. With luck it will come to your area.
Cheers
I've been tempted to see the show a few times it's come up to this part o'the world, but fate has always intervened. Hopefully someday!
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Creative Director
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Any chance we will see a Magus or Inquisitor archetype that is focused on charisma for casting and class abilities?
Thank you.
Highly unlikely. Changing a spellcaster's key ability score is kinda beyond the limit of what an archetype can do. That sounds more like the realm of house ruling.
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Creative Director
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I know a reply won't happen till some time after PaizoCon, so no rush.My question is in regards to the Ancestral Weapon & Metal Weapon Oracle revelations, from the Ancestor & Metal mysteries, respectively.
Ancestral Weapon says: "You can summon a simple or martial weapon from your family’s history that is appropriate for your current size."
Metal Weapon says: "You can create a melee simple or martial weapon that lasts for 1 minute for every oracle level you possess. This weapon is appropriate for your size and entirely made of metal..."
Neither ability states whether the weapon must be the same weapon each time. Do either (or both) allow you to change the type of weapon as you desire, each time you activate it?
SURPRISE! Reply happens DURING PaizoCon. (Specifically, while I'm unwinding from a crazy awesome day that involved mead, public speaking, and convincing someone to let a giant worm eat his Call of Cthulhu character.)
Ancestral Weapon should be the same weapon; flavor-wise it makes more sense that you'd be calling upon the same important weapon. If your ancestors had lots of weapons of equal importance, they're also all equally the same, and thus none of them stand out enough to really qualify as an ancestral weapon.
Metal weapon, on the other hand, can be a different weapon each time. That ability doesn't feel like it's tied to established history, since you can create a new weapon each time rather than summoning a weapon that already exists.
What was the funniest answer during the trivia contest?
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Creative Director
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what is paizocon like this year?
will there be more videos?
PaizoCon is deeeelightful! There were lots of video cameras in action, so there will be more videos.
My kill list this year was 3 characters—two during Unspeakable Futures and one during Call of Cthulhu (continuing the PaizoCon tradition of CoC investigators in my games rolling CRAZY lucky).
Got to meet Clark Petersen for the first time in person, which was super cool; he's awesome and kinda intimidating and super fun to talk to.
Got to chat with a lot of Convention buddies.
Taste tested lots of mead.
Got to show off the cover artwork for the first to Jade Regent adventures, which includes paintings of Ameiko Kaijitsu and Shalelu Andosanna by Wayne Reynolds.
Got to announce the Adventure Path after Jade Regent, which is going to be the Skull and Bones Adventure Path. Which is gonna be all about pirates.
Formally announced two new hardcovers; Bestiary 3 (due this winter) and Ultimate Races (due next spring).
Showed off the rough-draft map of Tian Xia.
Watched Sean K Reynolds, Pierce Watters, Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb, Stan!, and Dave Gross tell awesome secret stories about TSR.
There was more, but now I'm finally starting to crash after the busy day. Got more seminars tomorrow! We'll be posting more about Skull and Bones and Ultimate Races and Bestiary 3 and more in the days and weeks to come!
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Creative Director
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Trying to come up with an idea for the mount-of-choice for the Knights/Heavy Cavalry of a Darkness (but not Evil) aligned nation in a Homebrew campaign, and I need your advice on making a 'Riding Lizard' mount. Taking the Deinonychus stats, make it large size via the Giant Simple Template, drop the Constitution down to 15 and remove the Pounce, Foreclaw and 2 of the Hit-Dice, do you think that would make this mount more balanced against the Heavy (War)Horse?
My suggestion if you're actually building the stats up from top to bottom and not just adjusting on the fly during the game is to NOT use the Giant Simple Template, but simply adjust the stats manually as the size change tables suggest.
That said... if you're looking to make a giant lizard mount that is balanced against a heavy horse... I'd suggest just using the horse stats as-is. Just change the descriptions where necessary; turn the hoof attacks into claw attacks (or remove them entirely and increase the bite attack by an equal amount).
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Creative Director
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What can we know about "Skull and Bones?"
It's about pirates, it won't be an easy Adventure Path for paladins who aren't willing to be flexible, and will have a lot of naval stuff and even some Kingmaker style elements in it.
More information will be coming in the blog in the days to come.
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what is paizocon like this year?
will there be more videos?
PaizoCon is deeeelightful! There were lots of video cameras in action, so there will be more videos.
My kill list this year was 3 characters—two during Unspeakable Futures and one during Call of Cthulhu (continuing the PaizoCon tradition of CoC investigators in my games rolling CRAZY lucky).
Got to meet Clark Petersen for the first time in person, which was super cool; he's awesome and kinda intimidating and super fun to talk to.
Got to chat with a lot of Convention buddies.
Taste tested lots of mead.
Got to show off the cover artwork for the first to Jade Regent adventures, which includes paintings of Ameiko Kaijitsu and Shalelu Andosanna by Wayne Reynolds.
Got to announce the Adventure Path after Jade Regent, which is going to be the Skull and Bones Adventure Path. Which is gonna be all about pirates.
Formally announced two new hardcovers; Bestiary 3 (due this winter) and Ultimate Races (due next spring).
Showed off the rough-draft map of Tian Xia.
Watched Sean K Reynolds, Pierce Watters, Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb, Stan!, and Dave Gross tell awesome secret stories about TSR.
There was more, but now I'm finally starting to crash after the busy day. Got more seminars tomorrow! We'll be posting more about Skull and Bones and Ultimate Races and Bestiary 3 and more in the days and weeks to come!
hey doesn't Paizocon have another day left? or will you not go on sunday?
ps: all that stuff you just said is uber cool, uber!
Has any weird PaizoCon attendees been stalking you at the Paizo offices?Heh... yeah. Maybe a couple.
Well, had I been at Paizocon (damned familial responsibilities) I probably would have gone to the Paizo offices just to take a picture of the building... (hangs head in geeky shame).
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Got to announce the Adventure Path after Jade Regent, which is going to be the Skull and Bones Adventure Path. Which is gonna be all about pirates.
Formally announced two new hardcovers; Bestiary 3 (due this winter) and Ultimate Races (due next spring).
Will Skull and Bones have rules for peg legs?
Will Bestiary 3 finally contain stats for the Aberzombie?
Will Ultimate Races contain an entry on the FAWTLy Folk?
A friend and I were having a discussion about "The Whispering Tyrant" recently, and the question was asked why is he called "The Whispering Tyrant"? Where does the title come from?
I *think* I can answer this one: I believe the Whispering part is in reference to the philosophical path called the Whispering Way, which states in its most basic form, that Undeath is the ultimate and ideal state of existence. Also, the secrets to lichdom are passed, one to another, in whispers almost.
If I'm wrong, I'm sure James will correct me.
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Creative Director
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Got to announce the Adventure Path after Jade Regent, which is going to be the Skull and Bones Adventure Path. Which is gonna be all about pirates.
Formally announced two new hardcovers; Bestiary 3 (due this winter) and Ultimate Races (due next spring).
Will Skull and Bones have rules for peg legs?
Will Bestiary 3 finally contain stats for the Aberzombie?
Will Ultimate Races contain an entry on the FAWTLy Folk?
Yes (I suspect).
Nope.
And nope.