Creative Director
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Hi games i just read a article over at en world with a interview of gary gygax..i was wondering did you know gary..was wondering what he thought of pathfinder..do you have any storys to tell about him
I never actually met Gary, but he was certainly much admired. We had him sign some books at the Paizo booth at what would end up being his last Gen Con... but due to the way my work schedule was set up at the convention I was never at the booth so I never got to meet him and thank him, which disappoints me to this day.
In any event, he seemed pretty happy that Pathfinder was doing so well.
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Creative Director
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For that question (applicable to all the spell with that kind of text), you mean "affected" as "the guys that have to make a Saving Throw" or as "the guys that have failed a ST"?
I have always used the former interpretation, but I think it would be a good information to add in the Magic chapter, under: Aiming a Spell - Target or Targets.I am sure that asking in the Rule section of the forum I would get at least two different interpretation supported by several people plus a few other I would never have though of.
I mean the ones who have to make a saving throw. The other interpretation doesn't really make sense given how spells are supposed to work.
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Creative Director
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10) Because the gate is made of earth or stone or even wood... all things that are more closely tied to earth than to air and fire. Just as fire can't really move through water, why should air and earth be able to move through a barred gate? It's easier to move through water than it is through a barred gate, after all...
10. Is there a good in-game reason for air and water elementals to not be able to flow through a grate while earth elementals can earth glide?Grate with a R I think.
Even if that was not the case, I would be interested in that question. Air and water elemental bodies aren't "moldable" so they can't pass through obstacles with a small width (like a large air elemental passing through an arrow slit). Why that decision?
Because the've never been "moldable," really, in the history of the game. It certainly makes sense, but we didn't really invent the "compression" ability until well after Bestiary came out, and since elementals were never oozes... they just didn't get that ability. It's a fine addition in a homebrew... but the ship has sailed on giving them that ability for now. It's not an errata... it's a concept to revisit if and when we do a 2nd edition.
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Creative Director
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ok then:
besides the next adventures i will mention, are more adventures, modules, scenarios, etc setled in ustalav?i know all of this:
Adventure´s Path
-Carrion Crown AP
--Haunting of Harrowstone
--Trial of the Beast
--Broken Moon
--Wake of the Watcher
--Ashes at Down
--Shadows of GallowspireModule
-Carrion Hill
-Crypt of Everflame (1st)
-Mask of the Livin God (2nd)
-City of Golden Death (3rd)Society Scenario
-EX Midnight Mauler (2 season)
-The Darkest Vengeance (1st season)
Not that I know of... and the Crypt of the Everflame/Mask/City books aren't set there at all.
Module
-Crypt of Everflame (1st)
-Mask of the Livin God (2nd)
-City of Golden Death (3rd)
Those three modules aren't set in UStalav. Crypt of the Everflame is set in Kassen, a small town in Nirmathas; Masks of the Living God is set in Tamran, the capital city of Nirmathas; and City of Golden Death is set on the Isle of Terror, in the middle of Lake Encarthan. One of Nirmathas' borders is made up of the shores of Lake Encarthan.
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Because the've never been "moldable," really, in the history of the game. It certainly makes sense, but we didn't really invent the "compression" ability until well after Bestiary came out, and since elementals were never oozes... they just didn't get that ability. It's a fine addition in a homebrew... but the ship has sailed on giving them that ability for now. It's not an errata... it's a concept to revisit if and when we do a 2nd edition.10) Because the gate is made of earth or stone or even wood... all things that are more closely tied to earth than to air and fire. Just as fire can't really move through water, why should air and earth be able to move through a barred gate? It's easier to move through water than it is through a barred gate, after all...
10. Is there a good in-game reason for air and water elementals to not be able to flow through a grate while earth elementals can earth glide?Grate with a R I think.
Even if that was not the case, I would be interested in that question. Air and water elemental bodies aren't "moldable" so they can't pass through obstacles with a small width (like a large air elemental passing through an arrow slit). Why that decision?
No need to second edition: Elementals Revisited: New Feat - Elemental Compression (The elemental can move through an area as small as one-quarter its space without squeezing or one eighth its space when squeezing). Put some feat exchange guidelines for each elemental and create some elemental templates based on that ability/feat. Done! Pathfinder 2nd edition, BAH!
Do you know if City of Golden Death was partially inspired by Aladdin and the Cave of Wonders scene?
Hmmm... you see, I can't actually give that out because of certain ... informations and sigils and pieces of material that he has over me. You've got the same, remember? I can't give out certain true names on threat of migamugging.Happy Birthday, James!!!
And my question: What is Richard Pett's true name?
...not that I'm intending him any harm, of course. ;-)
Plus it's hard to spell in any human language, and say using human lips, unless they're removed and used with fleshy bellows.
Happy birthday James, huzzah! I hope you liked your present.
M'naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar
What'd you get him?
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Creative Director
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Do you know if City of Golden Death was partially inspired by Aladdin and the Cave of Wonders scene?
Not sure; the molten gold was pretty much Jason Bulmhan's idea, I believe, with Josh Frost stepping in to write the adventure when Jason realized he didn't have the time to finish the last one in time.
I think you missed these q3uestions:
1. "Me: Is there a good in-game reason for air and water elementals to not be able to flow through a grate while earth elementals can earth glide?"
"You: Because the gate is made of earth or stone or even wood... all things that are more closely tied to earth than to air and fire."
2. I said grate, not gate. Why shouldn't a monster made out or air or water be able to flow through a highly porous part of a building?
3. Will the capstone azata be able to cast polymorph any object at will?
4. For dragons who can polymorph, is the duration indefinite or only 1 min/spell level?
5. What currency do people use when buying high-priced goods, like ships and magic items? I ask because specie is heavy in large amounts.
6. How well would Sorshen get along with rakshasas?
7. What was the design goal behind Karzoug's memorized spells (RotR: AE p.363)? They look more like what a generalist would have than a transmuter.
8. Did runelords routinely have cacodaemons harvest the souls of those about to die?
9. Given Sorshen's destructive form of immortality, why did Pharasma let her live?
10. I've read that Pharasma either buries atheists up to their necks or puts them in soul gems to fend off Groetus. Why doesn't she let them go on to the afterlife?
1) Is there any art for male Lashunta anywhere?
2) If not, from their description of "squat, hairy, and broad-shouldered" do they basically just look like dwarfs or are they actually hairy in some sort of ape-like way?
3) Do they have the same antennae as the females?
4) Do Lashunta age like humans or like Elves or something else?
How do I know what magical bonuses my players are supposed to have for a given level? As in, when is a +4 sword appropriate? +4 armor? +4 cloak? +4 belt/headband?
How do I know whether or not I need to make sure my players get upgrades before tackling Spires of Xin Shalast?
side note: One of my players desperately wants to learn druidic even though he's not a druid (in fact, its because he's not a druid that he wants to learn it). How can he go about doing this, and if he can't, what important things would get in his way?
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Creative Director
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I think you missed these q3uestions:
1. "Me: Is there a good in-game reason for air and water elementals to not be able to flow through a grate while earth elementals can earth glide?"
"You: Because the gate is made of earth or stone or even wood... all things that are more closely tied to earth than to air and fire."
2. I said grate, not gate. Why shouldn't a monster made out or air or water be able to flow through a highly porous part of a building?
3. Will the capstone azata be able to cast polymorph any object at will?
4. For dragons who can polymorph, is the duration indefinite or only 1 min/spell level?
5. What currency do people use when buying high-priced goods, like ships and magic items? I ask because specie is heavy in large amounts.
6. How well would Sorshen get along with rakshasas?
7. What was the design goal behind Karzoug's memorized spells (RotR: AE p.363)? They look more like what a generalist would have than a transmuter.
8. Did runelords routinely have cacodaemons harvest the souls of those about to die?
9. Given Sorshen's destructive form of immortality, why did Pharasma let her live?
10. I've read that Pharasma either buries atheists up to their necks or puts them in soul gems to fend off Groetus. Why doesn't she let them go on to the afterlife?
1) The in game reason is because they aren't like oozes. They have physical bodies that can't compress like normal air or normal water.
2) Gate and grate doesn't really make a difference; still a barrier with holes in it.
3) Dunno.
4) If they cast polymorph via spell, it works as the spell. If they use the change self ability, the ability lasts as long as the dragon needs.
5) If they don't use gold coins, they probably use gemstones or jewels or magic items or even in some areas written notes and then have the gold transferred via transport.
6) Not well.
7) To give him a good mix of spells to be a tough bad guy while not making him rely too much on spells like polymorph that require the GM to rework stat blocks in the middle of the combat.
8) No.
9) Because Pharasma doesn't take direct action against those who cheat death. And even though Sorshen's been alive for well over ten thousand years... that's still not all that long to something like Pharasma. And she doesn't care about long lives. Everything dies eventually. She's patient.
10) The atheists who failed at life are buried in the Boneyard, just as the religious who fail at life are sent on to be tormented. The atheists who succeed at life are allowed to go on to become roving spirits and disembodied intelligences to explore and observe reality.
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Creative Director
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1) Is there any art for male Lashunta anywhere?
2) If not, from their description of "squat, hairy, and broad-shouldered" do they basically just look like dwarfs or are they actually hairy in some sort of ape-like way?
3) Do they have the same antennae as the females?
4) Do Lashunta age like humans or like Elves or something else?
1) Not yet.
2) Not sure yet. No art yet.
3) Yes.
4) Unknown, but for now it's best to assume that they age between elves and humans, I guess...
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Creative Director
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How do I know what magical bonuses my players are supposed to have for a given level? As in, when is a +4 sword appropriate? +4 armor? +4 cloak? +4 belt/headband?
How do I know whether or not I need to make sure my players get upgrades before tackling Spires of Xin Shalast?
side note: One of my players desperately wants to learn druidic even though he's not a druid (in fact, its because he's not a druid that he wants to learn it). How can he go about doing this, and if he can't, what important things would get in his way?
That's something you need to decide for yourself. The chapter on Gamemastering in the Core Rulebook gives some suggestions.
If you're running an AP, then to a certain extent those bonuses will sort themselves out... but if you see that a PC is failing a lot of saves or never hitting in combat or is always being hit in combat, that's an indication you should seed in a magic item to help that character.
Druidic can be learned, but the druids won't approve. Whether or not a non-druid PC can learn the language is up to you... but the problem is that the only people he'd be able to talk to would be those who would be insulted about it and would probably become hostile as a result...
Dear Mr. Jacobs,
Could a Battle Oracle (who has not yet taken the Combat Healer Revelation) use a "Ring of Revelation - Combat Healer" forged by an Oracle of Life?
Thank you.
Dear James,
How do templates that increase CR work with creatures whose base CR is a fraction? For example, if I have a 1st level Aasimar warrior (CR 1/3) and I apply the Half-Celestial Template, does she bump up to CR 2 (rounding 1/2 up to the nearest whole number), does she go up to CR 1/2 (one "jump" in terms of CR), CR 1, or something else?
Does the game just explode because of this question?
Also, please ignore how redundant "half-celestial aasimar" is. :-P
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Creative Director
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Dear Mr. Jacobs,
Could a Battle Oracle (who has not yet taken the Combat Healer Revelation) use a "Ring of Revelation - Combat Healer" forged by an Oracle of Life?
Thank you.
I'm not sure that the type of oracle matters when it comes to magic items created. It doesn't really matter much for wizards... a necromancer can use a wand of fireballs made by a diviner, for example.
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Creative Director
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Dear James,
How do templates that increase CR work with creatures whose base CR is a fraction? For example, if I have a 1st level Aasimar warrior (CR 1/3) and I apply the Half-Celestial Template, does she bump up to CR 2 (rounding 1/2 up to the nearest whole number), does she go up to CR 1/2 (one "jump" in terms of CR), CR 1, or something else?
Does the game just explode because of this question?
Also, please ignore how redundant "half-celestial aasimar" is. :-P
They increase the creature's CR by one step per +1.
CR 1/4 goes up to 1/3 with a +1 CR, while it would go to CR 1/2 with a +2 CR.
As always, though, remember to compare the final creature's stats against table 1-1 in the Bestiary, because sometimes the CR adjustment for a template isn't accurate when you apply it to some creatures.
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1. How come none of the non-WotC content from your run on Dragon has gotten into Pathfinder, even though you own it? I'd love to see guys like the Diopsid and the Dvati as PC races or the Bonespitter and Ragewing as monsters.
2. If Wizards let you use one non-open-game-content race in Golarion, which one would you pick and what role would it have in the setting?
3. If Wizards was to let you use one non Open game Content monster in Golarion, which one would you pick and what role would it have in the setting?
4. Though I'm guessing you're not too fond of 4e's system, what's your opinion on the bits of fluff 4e introduced (IE, The Feywild/Shadowfell/ElementalChaos/Astral Sea cosmology, the Dawn War and the Primordials, the idea of Primal Spirits, the new races of the Deva and the Shardminds, the old Dragonborn and Tiefling empires, ect.)?
5. What's your opinion on the idea of a Golarion equivalent of Sigil? I was planning on writing up both fluff and crunch for one on these forums, but I wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter.
6. Any chance of a secondary race of CG Celestials, sort of to the Azatas like the Formians were to the Modrons? I've never been fond of the Eladrin/Azatas, as they're too 'normal' as representatives of Chaotic Good for my tastes, which'd tend to something more weird and comical.
What might "generic" (un)holy symbols look like, and do they all look (more or less) the same?
What are the chances of us seeing Player's Companions for...
1) River Kingdoms?
2) Absalom?
3) Calistria?
4) Mana Waste?
What are the chances of us seeing Player's Companions for...
1) River Kingdoms?
2) Absalom?
3) Calistria?
4) Mana Waste?Ah, the sloping hills and treacherous canyons of the land of Calistria!
Um...Calistria is a goddess...I know that all the other things on my list is places but give me a little credit.
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Um...Calistria is a goddess...I know that all the other things on my list are places but give me a little credit.What are the chances of us seeing Player's Companions for...
1) River Kingdoms?
2) Absalom?
3) Calistria?
4) Mana Waste?Ah, the sloping hills and treacherous canyons of the land of Calistria!
sorry.
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Um...Calistria is a goddess...I know that all the other things on my list are places but give me a little credit.What are the chances of us seeing Player's Companions for...
1) River Kingdoms?
2) Absalom?
3) Calistria?
4) Mana Waste?Ah, the sloping hills and treacherous canyons of the land of Calistria!
It is not uncommon in literature to use metaphors where the body of a beautiful woman is described as the lay of a land.
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Creative Director
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1. How come none of the non-WotC content from your run on Dragon has gotten into Pathfinder, even though you own it? I'd love to see guys like the Diopsid and the Dvati as PC races or the Bonespitter and Ragewing as monsters.
2. If Wizards let you use one non-open-game-content race in Golarion, which one would you pick and what role would it have in the setting?
3. If Wizards was to let you use one non Open game Content monster in Golarion, which one would you pick and what role would it have in the setting?
4. Though I'm guessing you're not too fond of 4e's system, what's your opinion on the bits of fluff 4e introduced (IE, The Feywild/Shadowfell/ElementalChaos/Astral Sea cosmology, the Dawn War and the Primordials, the idea of Primal Spirits, the new races of the Deva and the Shardminds, the old Dragonborn and Tiefling empires, ect.)?
5. What's your opinion on the idea of a Golarion equivalent of Sigil? I was planning on writing up both fluff and crunch for one on these forums, but I wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter.
6. Any chance of a secondary race of CG Celestials, sort of to the Azatas like the Formians were to the Modrons? I've never been fond of the Eladrin/Azatas, as they're too 'normal' as representatives of Chaotic Good for my tastes, which'd tend to something more weird and comical.
1) Actually... WotC owns ALL of the content of Dragon and Dungeon. Every word, every image. Pretty much. We did those magazines under license, and the only thing we realiy got to keep after that license was over was the experience and skills and resources and contacts we built up doing it. All of the art and all of the words of both magazines are owned by Wizards of the Coast.
2) Mind flayers; there's lots of roles they could end up playing but I'd rather not delve too deeply into that.
3) Obox-ob. If we'd done this at the start, he would have replaced Rovagug, and Rovagug would have become a god of the Darklands and Fear and Spiders. If we'd done this today, Obox-ob would instead become the most powerful of the current Qlippoth lords (which would technically put him just below Rovagug).
4) I don't talk about my opinions on 4E in public; sorry!
5) The Golarion equivalent of Sigil is the lawful neutral plane of Axis.
6) There's a chance... but since azatas are my FAVORITE of the good guy races... don't expect them to be one-uped or replaced anytime soon!
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Creative Director
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What might "generic" (un)holy symbols look like, and do they all look (more or less) the same?
I'm not sure a generic unholy or holy symbol is even something that could exist. Symbols are depictions or manifestations of specific things; that's what makes them symbols.
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Creative Director
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A question on other planets in Golarion's solar system and the Runelords: did any of the Runelords investigate other planets, either for the potential of establishing holdings (or hidden palaces, retreats, holding cells, prisons, etc.), to advance their position in Thassilon and gain an advantage over their opposing Runelords? Or perhaps for the potential for new magic that they could obtain/employ?
Or, as the Imaskari did with other worlds in Forgotten Realms, to bring back slaves to serve them?
If not Thassilon, did any other particularly powerful or "evil magocracy" (or both, as I suppose is necessary) do so in the past?
Yes, the Runelords were aware of the other planets. Karzoug, for example, had contact with agents from Eox (see Pathfinder #63). Other links likely existed but we haven't done much with that yet.
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Creative Director
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What are the chances of us seeing Player's Companions for...
1) River Kingdoms?
2) Absalom?
3) Calistria?
4) Mana Waste?
1) Likely (Although probably growing more likely the closer we get to the launch date of Pathfinder Online)
2) Likely (Although not until we do something more with the city other than PFS)
3) Unlikely (This would more or less force us to do all 20 of the deities; while I love this idea, it's not one that I think the Player Companion could handle, since it would take about 2 years to do it assuming we did one after the other...)
4) Unlikely (This topic works MUCH better as a GM-focused product)
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Creative Director
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Um...Calistria is a goddess...I know that all the other things on my list is places but give me a little credit.What are the chances of us seeing Player's Companions for...
1) River Kingdoms?
2) Absalom?
3) Calistria?
4) Mana Waste?Ah, the sloping hills and treacherous canyons of the land of Calistria!
I"m pretty sure he knows she's a goddess... he was just being, as we say in the biz, "naughty."
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I"m pretty sure he knows she's a goddess... he was just being, as we say in the biz, "naughty."Um...Calistria is a goddess...I know that all the other things on my list is places but give me a little credit.What are the chances of us seeing Player's Companions for...
1) River Kingdoms?
2) Absalom?
3) Calistria?
4) Mana Waste?Ah, the sloping hills and treacherous canyons of the land of Calistria!
Is it sad that I read "naughty" in the voice of Freaky Fred the Crazy Barber from Courage the Cowardly Dog?
If a Thanatotic Titan sneaks out of the Abyss to the material Plane, would they need to hide from the gods? At least in your expert opinion..
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What do the Golarion deities think of the pathfinder version of the great old ones?
If the Golarion deities had to fight them, who would win? Save Azathoth though since it can just wipe everything out in an instant if it is anything like the Lovecraft one I guess.
Could Rovagug take on Great Cthulhu?
I know I really REALLY shouldn't, but I am thinking about having ol' Nyarly get bored and pick on the party a little bit in an adventure. Specifically, by temporarily teleporting their ship to that tiny island with Cthulhu's tomb door like in the Call of Cthulhu short story. Not let he open it of course, but just to screw with them and see what happens. Mainly because I remember him always being a really mean trickster and in some adventures of the CoC game, he would pull smaller pranks when he was bored that had no real major effect. For example, what N' did with pretending to be Satchmo and gave one of Azathoth's trumpets to someone in an adventure. I am guessing you would be saying not to do this but what do you think? Just for something to screw with the party and he of course would not be in his true form.
I had an argument with a player when I was DMing and I think I was in the wrong. During a big attack by some giant vermin, a player said he was going for cover. I said said vermin got to him anyways and attacked after I looked at the map. After the fight he said he would've head for the common building and shut himself indoors, but I told him he just did a duck and cover since he never clarified and I don't allow retcon/retroactive statements. What you say is what you do at that moment. Was I wrong in not letting him decide, after the fact, that he would have gone for a specific cover even though he did not state directly what kind of cover he was going for? Still new to DMing Pathfinder so I am learning and would like advice.
The gods regard the Great Old Ones more or less as they regard demon lords and arch devils... creatures roughly equivalent in power. The elder gods, on the other hand, are on par with the gods themselves. Entities like Nyarlathotep may be more powerful than some or even most of the core deities. As a result, the gods tend to avoid getting in their way and vice-versa.
Anyway... as for what Nyralthotep does in your game...well, that's up to you! I don't have power over that! :-D
In cases where there's a miscommunication between player and GM, I generally don't allow redos if too much time has passed with the exception of a character death or something equally cataclysmic, in which case a redo or retcon is fine. In a case like that, I'd explain to the player that the "going for cover" comment wasn't detailed enough. I'd then allow the retcon to allow the character to get into the building, but with the understanding that in the future, the player needs to be more clear about what he's doing, and next time I wouldn't allow a redo.
Dear James Jacobs,
I picked up Artifacts and Legends as a Christmas present for myself this season, and I have to say one of my favorite entries in the entire book is the reflavoring of the Deck of Many Things into the Harrow Deck of Many Things. My current campaign has a side plot based around the Harrow Deck that I purchased a while back. While I suck at reading Harrow (not familiar enough with the cards to be spontaneous with the readings), I saw the Harrow Deck of Many Things as a fun way to include the mystique of Harrow in my game.
That said, do you have any suggestions for using a Deck of Many Things with a group of PCs? The book itself gives reasons why someone might choose to draw a card, but it doesn't give many ideas as how to actually implement the deck itself. My PCs are pretty low level at the moment (on the verge of 3rd level) but its something that I would like to do. Any tips?
Also, have you ever given out a Harrow Reading? Any tips for that if you have?
Hey James a few quick serpent's skull questions for you...
1. Where did Savith's blade come from? Was it made by the Azlanti or something/someone else?
2. Was it a legendary blade before it was used on Ydersius?
3. Would Savith's companions know these things?
4. Was Savith's sword a greatsword or a longsword? I think I've read it described as a greatsword, but seen it drawn as a longsword.
5. What class levels and mythic powers would best represent Savith? I was thinking either a Fighter or Paladin with Champion tiers.
Dear James Jacobs,
I picked up Artifacts and Legends as a Christmas present for myself this season, and I have to say one of my favorite entries in the entire book is the reflavoring of the Deck of Many Things into the Harrow Deck of Many Things. My current campaign has a side plot based around the Harrow Deck that I purchased a while back. While I suck at reading Harrow (not familiar enough with the cards to be spontaneous with the readings), I saw the Harrow Deck of Many Things as a fun way to include the mystique of Harrow in my game.
That said, do you have any suggestions for using a Deck of Many Things with a group of PCs? The book itself gives reasons why someone might choose to draw a card, but it doesn't give many ideas as how to actually implement the deck itself. My PCs are pretty low level at the moment (on the verge of 3rd level) but its something that I would like to do. Any tips?
Also, have you ever given out a Harrow Reading? Any tips for that if you have?
Where'd you by the Harrow deck? I can't find it anywhere on the website.
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Creative Director
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Dear James Jacobs,
I picked up Artifacts and Legends as a Christmas present for myself this season, and I have to say one of my favorite entries in the entire book is the reflavoring of the Deck of Many Things into the Harrow Deck of Many Things. My current campaign has a side plot based around the Harrow Deck that I purchased a while back. While I suck at reading Harrow (not familiar enough with the cards to be spontaneous with the readings), I saw the Harrow Deck of Many Things as a fun way to include the mystique of Harrow in my game.
That said, do you have any suggestions for using a Deck of Many Things with a group of PCs? The book itself gives reasons why someone might choose to draw a card, but it doesn't give many ideas as how to actually implement the deck itself. My PCs are pretty low level at the moment (on the verge of 3rd level) but its something that I would like to do. Any tips?
Also, have you ever given out a Harrow Reading? Any tips for that if you have?
Cool; if you like that, you should check out the Curse of the Crimson Throne Adventure Path. Or at least the last part of that Adventure Path, since that's where we first used the Harrow Deck of Many Things in action.
For decks of many things, the best way to use them is in a sandbox campaign where the results aren't going to totally mess with your plans for the game. Alternately, use them at the VERY START or near the VERY END of a campaign. I actually once ran a game where one of the first encounters was a tarot-style reading by a creepy old woman who used a deck of many things, and the draws the PCs took affected them from the very start and helped me decide what directions I would take the campaign in.
I've done a lot of harrow readings. Often I'll throw in bonuses and the like based on the cards the PCs draw—in my current office game, for example, Ostog the Unslain (Erik Mona's barbarian) ended up being associated with the Owl. Which at first felt weird, but I explained to him that it represented the wise Owl of the North, who knows more than he lets on and who is observant and always watching. Since then... there's been weird synergy with owls and Ostog... he became associated via a random die roll, for example, a few years later in game with an owl-headed ancient Osirioni deity. Good times!
The best advice for doing Harrow Readings I can give is to be improvisational. Use the images on the cards to inspire you and do your best to associate the images and words on the cards with the associated PCs and with what events you suspect will be happening in the future of your game.
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Creative Director
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Hey James a few quick serpent's skull questions for you...
1. Where did Savith's blade come from? Was it made by the Azlanti or something/someone else?
2. Was it a legendary blade before it was used on Ydersius?
3. Would Savith's companions know these things?
4. Was Savith's sword a greatsword or a longsword? I think I've read it described as a greatsword, but seen it drawn as a longsword.
5. What class levels and mythic powers would best represent Savith? I was thinking either a Fighter or Paladin with Champion tiers.
1) We've been deliberately unclear on her sword, since Savith was a mythic character and her sword was as well; kinda has to be in order to decapitate a demigod! It was, in any event, likely created at least in part by her, although she wasn't a spellcaster.
2) Not nearly to the same extent as it was after.
3) Yes. They would know her sword is legendary, since they know she's legendary.
4) That would probably imply it was a bastard sword... but if we said it was a greatsword, it was a greatsword that the artist made an error on in how the sword is wielded. The vast majority of our artists don't play the game or know the rules, so we have to walk a thin line between telling them all the rule mechanics of how something works and not giving them so much information that they miss stuff.
5) She was a mythic fighter or ranger (probably fighter). Not sure what her mythic powers were, since those rules are still being designed and playtested and all that.
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Creative Director
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Where'd you by the Harrow deck? I can't find it anywhere on the website.Dear James Jacobs,
I picked up Artifacts and Legends as a Christmas present for myself this season, and I have to say one of my favorite entries in the entire book is the reflavoring of the Deck of Many Things into the Harrow Deck of Many Things. My current campaign has a side plot based around the Harrow Deck that I purchased a while back. While I suck at reading Harrow (not familiar enough with the cards to be spontaneous with the readings), I saw the Harrow Deck of Many Things as a fun way to include the mystique of Harrow in my game.
That said, do you have any suggestions for using a Deck of Many Things with a group of PCs? The book itself gives reasons why someone might choose to draw a card, but it doesn't give many ideas as how to actually implement the deck itself. My PCs are pretty low level at the moment (on the verge of 3rd level) but its something that I would like to do. Any tips?
Also, have you ever given out a Harrow Reading? Any tips for that if you have?
Right here. (Just searched for "Harrow" in our search window to bring it up.)
Thanks! Idk why, I actually passed over that, thinking it wasn't the deck.
1) We've been deliberately unclear on her sword, since Savith was a mythic character and her sword was as well; kinda has to be in order to decapitate a demigod! It was, in any event, likely created at least in part by her, although she wasn't a spellcaster.
2) Not nearly to the same extent as it was after.
3) Yes. They would know her sword is legendary, since they know she's legendary.
4) That would probably imply it was a bastard sword... but if we said it was a greatsword, it was a greatsword that the artist made an error on in how the sword is wielded. The vast majority of our artists don't play the game or know the rules, so we have to walk a thin line between telling them all the rule mechanics of how something works and not giving them so much information that they miss stuff.
5) She was a mythic fighter or ranger (probably fighter). Not sure what her mythic powers were, since those rules are still being designed and playtested and all that.
Thanks for the answers! Yea, I figured that was the reason why not much background was giving about her sword. Normally I wouldn't be trying to dig up info on it, but one of my players has gotten really interested in the thing since he's a weaponsmith.
Well, that and I'm extending Serpent's Skull into a mythic campaign where the players get to tie up lose ends, so I'm probably going to let him try to make a replica of (or something similar to) Savith's Blade. ;)
I know that I'm probably going to have to make a lot of this up, but do you happen to have any tidbits of information about the weapon that would be interesting to the player? If you think it would be best if I come back when the mythic rules are actually out, just let me know. I'm already probably going to have to delay the campaign for the 'real' mythic rules because we're getting to the end much faster than I anticipated.
Hi games i just read a article over at en world with a interview of gary gygax..i was wondering did you know gary..was wondering what he thought of pathfinder..do you have any storys to tell about himI never actually met Gary, but he was certainly much admired. We had him sign some books at the Paizo booth at what would end up being his last Gen Con... but due to the way my work schedule was set up at the convention I was never at the booth so I never got to meet him and thank him, which disappoints me to this day.
In any event, he seemed pretty happy that Pathfinder was doing so well.
Gygax was OK, a bit full of himself, but he thanked me very nicely for the autographed copy of Manual of Aurania I gave him. OTOH, I played once with Arneson, there was a super imaginative guy who was much more of a RAI than RAW DM.
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Dear James,
Got a very important question regarding the Oracle Wrecker Curse. A player of mine has it, and it states that an item equipped, or an item held, gains the broken condition. We originally read it as meaning that metal weapons would be broken, but wood, leather, and metal would all suffice, no? So does this mean that the oracle is forever to be naked? How do they defend themselves? Just spells? Do they need to take Unarmed Strike to be able to fight? Is there any armor that they can wear that can't be broken? I'm trying to see how this class could ever work for a PC.
i have a big issue with the treasure generators!!
how do i random the treasures with the rule presented in UE?
i have a lot of doubts...
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Creative Director
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i have a big issue with the treasure generators!!
how do i random the treasures with the rule presented in UE?
i have a lot of doubts...
The rules for how to use the random treasure generation system in Ultimate Equipment are on pages 360–362 of that book... I can't really explain the rules much better than that, alas.
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Creative Director
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Dear James,
Got a very important question regarding the Oracle Wrecker Curse. A player of mine has it, and it states that an item equipped, or an item held, gains the broken condition. We originally read it as meaning that metal weapons would be broken, but wood, leather, and metal would all suffice, no? So does this mean that the oracle is forever to be naked? How do they defend themselves? Just spells? Do they need to take Unarmed Strike to be able to fight? Is there any armor that they can wear that can't be broken? I'm trying to see how this class could ever work for a PC.
First of all... "Broken" doesn't mean "no longer works." The rules for how a broken item functions are laid out on pages 565–566 of the Core Rulebook. A broken set of clothing still works as clothes, they're just tattered and torn and worth a little less money.
That said... the Wrecker curse only affects held objects, and even then only when you use them or equip them. That more or less limits the effects to things like weapons, shields, wands, staves, rods, and certain miscellaneous items and tools.
A broken weapon, in any event, still works as a weapon; it just has a –2 penalty on attack rolls and doesn't gain any enhancements to its critical hit chances or modifiers.