Creative Director
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What are your favoriten animal companions other than dinosaurs?
edit Is cettigne in Molthune was it a city state when Molthune was part of Cheliax or Taldor?
Giant lizards and crocodiles and the like are cool. So are axe beaks.
As for the second question... unknown. I'm not gonna say one way or another until there's something more going on in Molthune to justify making that decision.
When you use a wand of scorching ray and someone is next to you, does it provoke an attack of opportunity?
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Are there any plans to increase the # of spells known to non-human sorcs?
Edit: Should probably make clearer where I'm coming from-in an old thread (can't find it, for the life of me), it was made clear by a Dev that sorcs need some help in the spells known dept, which is why the Human FC feature was considered not just balanced, but necessary. How I put 2 and 2 together was that, if all sorcs need the boost, but only humans have it at the moment, was that the FC bonus was implemented sandbox style (see what happens, test it out in the field, w/o breaking the entire class). The goal, then, was to roll out something similar, if it did not prove game breaking (which, afaik, hasn't).
Thanks!
See ultimate equipment, page of spell knowledge.
The who what? Reference, please...Who created the Tsochari?
No problem-- the tsochari are the body-stealing worm-like aberrations out of _Lords of Madness._
-Ben.
The who what? Reference, please...Who created the Tsochari?
No problem-- the tsochari are the body-stealing worm-like aberrations out of _Lords of Madness._
-Ben.
But, isn't that 3.5 instead of PFRPG?
Did James Jacobs write it for the 3.5 Lords of Madness?*confused*
Edit: James Jacobs was a writer for Lords of Madness (along with Richard Baker and Steve Winter) but that doesn't mean he wrote the bit about the tsochari, but I guess he could have. Have to ask him. :D
[Edit: James Jacobs was a writer for Lords of Madness (along with Richard Baker and Steve Winter) but that doesn't mean he wrote the bit about the tsochari, but I guess he could have. Have to ask him. :D
Excellent, and now you've caught up to two questions ago. ;) Although, based on his first response, where he failed to recognize them, I'm guessing (probably) not, and so I'm wondering if he can pin it down to one of the other two.
-Ben.
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Creative Director
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When you use a wand of scorching ray and someone is next to you, does it provoke an attack of opportunity?
While using a wand doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity, making a ranged attack does. So yes, but only because scorching ray is a ranged attack.
A few questions about stacking enchantment spells:
1) Can you use charm person on someone who is already charmed? If so, what happens--does the first charm wear off, or does the person simply think he is best friends with both casters?
2) Can you use a dominate person-type spell (magic jar, etc.) on someone who has already been dominated? Does this transfer complete control of the target to the most recent caster?
3) Therefore, if my ally has been affected by an enchantment spell, is it possible for me to cast an enchantment spell on him and then release him so that he regains his original personality/opinions?
Thanks for answering all these questions, James. You're pretty awesome.
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Creative Director
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Dear James
As the Lotus Dragons were never demolished and have become an intergal part in campaign what prestige classes would you reccomend for Lotus Dragon characters and NPC's?
Also any advice for building a prestige class around the Lotus Dragons them?
Anything that bolsters their thievery, honestly... although frankly, the Lotus Dragons are a great example of an organization that I think could stand to have their own prestige class.
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The who what? Reference, please...Who created the Tsochari?
No problem-- the tsochari are the body-stealing worm-like aberrations out of _Lords of Madness._
-Ben.
If I recall correctly... Rich Baker invented them. The sections of the book I wrote were the ones on the aboleths and beholders, along with about a third of the new monsters, most of the prestige classes, and I think a few spells or magic items.
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A few questions about stacking enchantment spells:
1) Can you use charm person on someone who is already charmed? If so, what happens--does the first charm wear off, or does the person simply think he is best friends with both casters?
2) Can you use a dominate person-type spell (magic jar, etc.) on someone who has already been dominated? Does this transfer complete control of the target to the most recent caster?
3) Therefore, if my ally has been affected by an enchantment spell, is it possible for me to cast an enchantment spell on him and then release him so that he regains his original personality/opinions?Thanks for answering all these questions, James. You're pretty awesome.
1) Yes. In that case, a charmed creature regards all of its charmers as its friend, and when requests/orders from two "friends" oppose, the two casters make opposed Charisma checks to determine whose orders the target follows.
2) Magic jar is not a dominate person type spell; magic jar is not mind affecting or enchantment. You can absolutely magic jar someone who's been dominated; the dominated mind goes away and you control the body. You, of course, can still be dominated while you're in a body you're possessing.
3) You can't release an enchanted creature by stacking another enchantment on top of it, but you CAN fight the control of the other caster. The spells you're looking for to release an enchanted creature is dispel magic, break enchantment, or perhaps protection from (alignment).
And yay! Thanks!
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There's air to breathe in those places. At least, there is where there's normal creatures to be encountered. It's not the atmosphere that kills you there, but the fire or the negative energy or whatever.Interesting questions, especially in regards of fire/water and other elementals. What does a positive/negative elemental outsider breath?Given that Outsiders now breathe, and the breadth of what the Outsider type covers, does it matter *what* they breathe?
That is to say, does every Outsider require a human breathable atmosphere, after accounting for their specific immunities and/or additional powers?
Elementals don't need to breathe, so the question is moot for them:
Elemental Subtype: ...
Elementals do not breathe, eat, or sleep.
I must admit that learning that now outsiders need to breathe was a surprise.
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Are there any plans to increase the # of spells known to non-human sorcs?
Edit: Should probably make clearer where I'm coming from-in an old thread (can't find it, for the life of me), it was made clear by a Dev that sorcs need some help in the spells known dept, which is why the Human FC feature was considered not just balanced, but necessary. How I put 2 and 2 together was that, if all sorcs need the boost, but only humans have it at the moment, was that the FC bonus was implemented sandbox style (see what happens, test it out in the field, w/o breaking the entire class). The goal, then, was to roll out something similar, if it did not prove game breaking (which, afaik, hasn't).
Thanks!
We don't really "plan" to do things like that, first of all. If it makes sense for a product and for a race and all that, we'll do so. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some option out there already that lets you do that in the first place.
Whether or not "sorcerers need more spells in order to be balanced" is in large part opinion. I don't think it's necessary.
We don't intend to "even the playing field" though, and give ALL races the same type of favored class options. Because if everyone gets that sorcerer boon, for example... then why did we make it a specific race option in the first place? If in the end things like this make certain builds for certain classes favor certain races... I'm kinda okay with that. It adds a form of stability to the game world if there's lots of similar things forming a baseline.
While I don't think that the sorcerer need more spells (through they would surely appreciate getting more) I think it would be a good thing to give them more spells when the get a new level of spells, like it is happening now for the Oracles.
Getting to chose between what spell you will to cast on the fly isn't so much of an advantage when you have a single spell of a level that you can cast.Have you ever considered redoing the sorcerer progression of know spells in a way that will give them 2 spell of a level when they get access to that level for the first time?
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Creative Director
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Have you ever considered redoing the sorcerer progression of know spells in a way that will give them 2 spell of a level when they get access to that level for the first time?
I have not.
Mostly because I spend most of my time in the world building side of things, not the raw rules without context in the world of Golarion side of things.
Furthermore, that's a type of change that's too big for the game right now. Changing the sorcerer's spell progression is a new edition type of thing, and that's not something we're working on right now.
Actually, just changing the Sorcerer's Bloodline bonus spell progression to one level earlier (which would then match the Oracle Mystery bonus spell progression, i.e. one additional spell known when reaching a new spell level) might already do the trick...
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See ultimate equipment, page of spell knowledge.Are there any plans to increase the # of spells known to non-human sorcs?
Edit: Should probably make clearer where I'm coming from-in an old thread (can't find it, for the life of me), it was made clear by a Dev that sorcs need some help in the spells known dept, which is why the Human FC feature was considered not just balanced, but necessary. How I put 2 and 2 together was that, if all sorcs need the boost, but only humans have it at the moment, was that the FC bonus was implemented sandbox style (see what happens, test it out in the field, w/o breaking the entire class). The goal, then, was to roll out something similar, if it did not prove game breaking (which, afaik, hasn't).
Thanks!
James, this object fall under "Wondrous items", so the crafter can simply take a +5 to the DC and "fake" knowing the spell.
Personally I find that a bit disturbing. A thing is "faking" an effect (I don't know haste but I can enchant these boots so they make the wearer faster), another is imparting knowledge you don't have "I don't know haste but I make a book that theach how to cast haste".It wouldn't be better to say that this kind of item has the same limit of Spell Completion items, " In addition, you cannot create potions, spell-trigger, or spell-completion magic items without meeting their spell prerequisites."?
maybe changing the line above to "In addition, you cannot create potions, spell-trigger, spell-completion magic items or items that impart spell knowledge without meeting their spell prerequisites.
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Have you ever considered redoing the sorcerer progression of know spells in a way that will give them 2 spell of a level when they get access to that level for the first time?I have not.
Mostly because I spend most of my time in the world building side of things, not the raw rules without context in the world of Golarion side of things.
Furthermore, that's a type of change that's too big for the game right now. Changing the sorcerer's spell progression is a new edition type of thing, and that's not something we're working on right now.
Not even in your home game?
And you never sleep?We want you well rested and happy, so we will get the most from your work.
Ah, the beauty of enlightened egoism, where you can wish the best for someone, so that you will profit indirectly from that.
;-)
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Creative Director
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James, this object fall under "Wondrous items", so the crafter can simply take a +5 to the DC and "fake" knowing the spell.
Personally I find that a bit disturbing. A thing is "faking" an effect (I don't know haste but I can enchant these boots so they make the wearer faster), another is imparting knowledge you don't have "I don't know haste but I make a book that theach how to cast haste".
One of the reasons I'm not a fan at all of the "add +5 to the DC to fake the spell," honestly.
That said, since a page of spell knowledge doesn't require an actual spell to be cast (unlike most other item construction requirements), I would rule that in this case you could NOT fake that requirement with a +5 bonus to the caster level. Which makes it something that no sorcerer could ever bolster his own spell list with, which I'm fine with.
As with all rules, though... if you see something you don't like in your game, just ban it.
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Have you ever considered redoing the sorcerer progression of know spells in a way that will give them 2 spell of a level when they get access to that level for the first time?I have not.
Mostly because I spend most of my time in the world building side of things, not the raw rules without context in the world of Golarion side of things.
Furthermore, that's a type of change that's too big for the game right now. Changing the sorcerer's spell progression is a new edition type of thing, and that's not something we're working on right now.
Not even in your home game?
And you never sleep?
We want you well rested and happy, so we will get the most from your work.Ah, the beauty of enlightened egoism, where you can wish the best for someone, so that you will profit indirectly from that.
;-)
Not even in my home game. Because I don't think sorcerers need any help in the first place. They're fine as-is. If you want more spells... play a wizard.
I do sleep. Generally from the hours of 2:00 AM to about 10:00 AM. Although in the weeks leading up to Gen Con that generally drops in half due to stress. I've pretty much accepted the fact that August is generally a month I'm not well-rested and not as happy as I would otherwise be due to the convention.
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In your opinion then, is there one or ore alternate favored class racial option(s) to sorcerers that stands up in value to the Human one that grants them an extra spell in lieu of a skill or hit point? I have my own opinion on this that I've stated elsewhere on these boards, but compared to yours it's worthless.
For some classes, yes. It depends on the type of character you're building, which also depends on that character's personality and theme and history. Since every character is different and has different design goals, every one of these characters has a different "best" choice for favored class race options.
I do sleep. Generally from the hours of 2:00 AM to about 10:00 AM.
Huh. Someone else whose sleep schedule is wired that way. Cool.
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
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Fun question: Have you seen this flick? War of the Arrows If not, and you're into the foreign/honor/historical/action/drama type thing, I found it to be pretty enjoyable.
Second question (it's a rules one sorry!) that's poked up in a thread or two or five:
"Can a spellcaster using elemental body to assume a humanoid form of the elemental still cast spells with somatic components?"
or put another way
"Can elementals make their hand-like appendages have fingers?"
Thanks much.
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Fun question: Have you seen this flick? War of the Arrows If not, and you're into the foreign/honor/historical/action/drama type thing, I found it to be pretty enjoyable.
Second question (it's a rules one sorry!) that's poked up in a thread or two or five:
"Can a spellcaster using elemental body to assume a humanoid form of the elemental still cast spells with somatic components?"or put another way
"Can elementals make their hand-like appendages have fingers?"
Thanks much.
Haven't seen War of the Arrows yet. It's on the list, though.
Elementals can indeed have fingers.
What is your favorite spell and/or feat from the Core Book, the APG, UM, UC, and the ARG?
Can a vivisectionist alchemist take any rogue talent he wants via the Extra Rogue Talent feat (since he appears to get the rogue talent class feature through his archetype)?
Fun question: Have you seen this flick? War of the Arrows If not, and you're into the foreign/honor/historical/action/drama type thing, I found it to be pretty enjoyable.
Second question (it's a rules one sorry!) that's poked up in a thread or two or five:
"Can a spellcaster using elemental body to assume a humanoid form of the elemental still cast spells with somatic components?"or put another way
"Can elementals make their hand-like appendages have fingers?"
Thanks much.
Haven't seen War of the Arrows yet. It's on the list, though.
Elementals can indeed have fingers.
War of the Arrows was an awesome movie. A lot of the tricks they did with arrows would be cool additions to the Pathfinder game.
There's air to breathe in those places. At least, there is where there's normal creatures to be encountered. It's not the atmosphere that kills you there, but the fire or the negative energy or whatever.Interesting questions, especially in regards of fire/water and other elementals. What does a positive/negative elemental outsider breath?Given that Outsiders now breathe, and the breadth of what the Outsider type covers, does it matter *what* they breathe?
That is to say, does every Outsider require a human breathable atmosphere, after accounting for their specific immunities and/or additional powers?Elementals don't need to breathe, so the question is moot for them:
Elemental Subtype: ...
Elementals do not breathe, eat, or sleep.I must admit that learning that now outsiders need to breathe was a surprise.
I meant outsiders from such elemental places, was tired when I wrote and I see the comment became something different.
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Creative Director
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Can a vivisectionist alchemist take any rogue talent he wants via the Extra Rogue Talent feat (since he appears to get the rogue talent class feature through his archetype)?
Nope. He gains specific rogue talents as bonus abilities, but neither of those abilities is the one you are required to have in order to qualify for Extra Rogue Talent.
Dear Mr. Jacobs;
Could you perhaps give a rundown of how you interpret the Rope Dart to work? It is a very complicated weapon, but doesn't really explain itself thoroughly. Among the problems I can't figure out:
1)The rope is said in the description to be 12' long. Yet the range increment is 20'. So can you only attack to 10', maybe 15'? Or is it supposed to be able to be retrieved within that distance, or let fly past it?
2)It weighs "-" despite that 12' rope, while a regular old dart weights "1/2 lb." Intended? Worthy of errata?
3)The weapon says "once it strikes, the wielder can quickly retrieve the weapon with a tug of the rope." Action for this? Can you make a full attack with a single rope dart?
4)Is it a one-handed weapon or two? From videos of how it is used, I can't imagine wielding two of them. However, with the current ruling on TWF/Flurry, it would be unlikely that a character would get to make use of the "monk" quality on it if it was two-handed.
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Dear Mr. Jacobs;
Could you perhaps give a rundown of how you interpret the Rope Dart to work? It is a very complicated weapon, but doesn't really explain itself thoroughly. Among the problems I can't figure out:
1)The rope is said in the description to be 12' long. Yet the range increment is 20'. So can you only attack to 10', maybe 15'? Or is it supposed to be able to be retrieved within that distance, or let fly past it?
2)It weighs "-" despite that 12' rope, while a regular old dart weights "1/2 lb." Intended? Worthy of errata?
3)The weapon says "once it strikes, the wielder can quickly retrieve the weapon with a tug of the rope." Action for this? Can you make a full attack with a single rope dart?
4)Is it a one-handed weapon or two? From videos of how it is used, I can't imagine wielding two of them. However, with the current ruling on TWF/Flurry, it would be unlikely that a character would get to make use of the "monk" quality on it if it was two-handed.
I can't, really. Maybe watch some kung-fu movies? Jackie Chan often makes use of weapons like this.
As for the weapon and the rules itself... I didn't invent it and I've actually never even heard of it. Which means it's probably a better question for the rules design team, assuming that the weapon first showed up in Ultimate Combat or some place like that.
Here's a video on how one would be used, if this helps.
James what was the last "job" you had before you got into the "biz"? Like waiter, gas-pumper, etc
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Creative Director
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James what was the last "job" you had before you got into the "biz"? Like waiter, gas-pumper, etc
If "into the biz" includes working as a temp at Wizards of the Coast, then the job I had right before that was working in a call center for a life insurance company. In particular, I was a customer service rep who got to talk to life insurance agents whenever they had problems or issues with their commission checks, along with any other customer service stuff they might need along the way.
It was, without a doubt, the worst job I've ever had. (Before that I did lots of temp agency stuff as well as a longer stint doing data entry for the Washington State Department of Health. Before that I was an assistant manager at a movie theater during college. Before that I was a comic book colorist for Olyoptics. Before that I helped my dad on his commercial salmon fishing boat. Before that I did yard work for neighbors, but by that point we're delving back to the earliest days of high school.)
The +2 attack roll modification counts for the first attack only. Because it has the momentum of the charge. Once you make the second attack, you've used up the charge's momentum, and as such no longer gain that bonus. You suffer the AC penalty until your next turn, though.
AKA: Ragelancepounce doesn't work the way people want it to work.
How do you think RAGELANCEPOUNCE is suppossed to work?
How do you think it actually works?
James Jacobs:
Can a person using a longspear (or other hafted reach weapon) use the rules for improvised weapons to strike an adjacent opponent with the haft?
- Gauss
More weird question time, if you feel up to it:
As you would rule it, if an intelligent undead is polymorphed into a (facsimile of) a living creature, such as for infiltration purposes, could it:
- Use the senses of the living body, i.e. touch, temperature scent, taste, scent...?
- Eat, drink or be affected by things like alcohol or caffeine?
- Sweat, get goosebumps, exhibit involuntary reflexes etc.?
- Feel pain?
- Would it have a detectable heartbeat, pulse and so forth?
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Creative Director
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The +2 attack roll modification counts for the first attack only. Because it has the momentum of the charge. Once you make the second attack, you've used up the charge's momentum, and as such no longer gain that bonus. You suffer the AC penalty until your next turn, though.
AKA: Ragelancepounce doesn't work the way people want it to work.
How do you think RAGELANCEPOUNCE is suppossed to work?
How do you think it actually works?
It doesn't work.
When you charge with a lance, you get that damage to the first attack, because that first attack happens after you charge (and thus has the extra momentum).
Once you get your second attack via pounce (or whatever), your charge has already expended its energy on that first attack. Your second attack is not being made from a position of momentum from a charge, but from a static position at the end of your charge.
You DO retain your AC penalty for the remainder of the round, though.
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James
Do you still have the original draft for "No Honor Amongst Thieves"/Savage Tide?
(checks computer files)
Yup. I have the version that went to the editors at 24,774 words (about 13,000 words shorter than a typical Pathfinder adventure path installment, by the way), and the uncut version that weighs in at 29,619 words. That's about 5,000 words I had to cut from the adventure, which equates to about 6–8 pages of content, more or less.
Most of those cut words come from Parrot Island—at one point, I had encounters in all the rooms of that dungeon, not just a few rooms. Plus bits and pieces everywhere else.
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Hi James.
You forgot my questions? Can you answer my questions please?
If this was about the double crossbow question... I did answer them but it looks like either my answer got eaten by the internet or ended up otherwise lost.
The short version is that you can't make a flurry of blows attack with a crossbow of ANY kind until you work some way out that reloading the crossbow is a free action. As far as I know, there's no way in the current rules of the game to do this for anything other than a hand crossbow or a light crossbow (or with a repeating crossbow with enough ammo loaded to cover all the flurry attacks), so no, you can't flurry with a double crossbow.
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More weird question time, if you feel up to it:
As you would rule it, if an intelligent undead is polymorphed into a (facsimile of) a living creature, such as for infiltration purposes, could it:
- Use the senses of the living body, i.e. touch, temperature scent, taste, scent...?
- Eat, drink or be affected by things like alcohol or caffeine?
- Sweat, get goosebumps, exhibit involuntary reflexes etc.?
- Feel pain?
- Would it have a detectable heartbeat, pulse and so forth?
Yes to all of that.
Note that undead still possess a living body's senses for the most part anyway.