Chief Technical Officer
|
What did Vic Wertz do to warrant a street named in his honor? Why aren't the others on your staff so honored?
I had no idea! Awesome!
But I'm none too thrilled that it's interrupted by Reynolds Drive. SKR—it's time for a throwdown!
Dear James,
My 1 year old is obsessed with my PF books. She is reading the APG now. Do you have any plans for Pathfinder Tales board books? With goblins?
Thanx
I'd recommend starting work on her Goblin costume for Halloween '11. Maybe a marsupial goblin so she has a place to stash candy? :)
|
I'd recommend starting work on her Goblin costume for Halloween '11. Maybe a marsupial goblin so she has a place to stash candy? :)Dear James,
My 1 year old is obsessed with my PF books. She is reading the APG now. Do you have any plans for Pathfinder Tales board books? With goblins?
Thanx
I thought Pugwampi were the marsupials. ???
(faints)Since when do buffalo's have wings?(deep breath)
Fixed:
Since when do buffalos have wing's?
Wait . . . shouldn't that be "faint's?"
I noticed that there are a number of monsters appearing in the Bestiary 2 that can be traced to the works of HP Lovecraft, and I assume that this is Paizo making good on their promise to include beasts from "contemporary mythology." So far, I've been very pleased with how themes of horror have been handled in Pathfinder. Such elements seem to work best when placed into a standard setting. Every time I've seen a horror-oriented campaign (Ravenloft or Call of Cthullu, for example), players quickly become jaded (you've said yourself that a little Lovecraft goes a long way), and that's why I was also a little concerned about the repleteness of such monsters in Bestiary 2. Was this simply the direction taken for this particular bestiary, or can we expect to see more monsters of similar venues in future supplements?It's partially because we're trying to include monsters from contemporary mythology... but more because Lovecraft is my favorite author ever of all time forever. The inclusion of Lovecraftian monsters in D&D's 1st edition Deities & Demigods was my first introduction to Lovecraft, and had that book NOT had Lovecraftian monsters in it... who knows when I would have discovered my favorite author? And since Lovecraft's creations are in the public domain and are more popular than ever, including stuff from his writing is a no-brainer for me.
There will be more monsters from "contemporary mythology" in future bestiaries, in any event. Some from Lovecraft, some from other writers. Other writers whose monsters have appeared in bestiaries include H. G. Welles, Lewis Carroll, and Frank Belknap Long. Lovecraft's been the MOST represented since he made up so many critters.
Also, why does chaos = lizards?Interesting question. Examples?
Before examples are cited, here's two possible explanations:
1) Lizards are similar in appearance to dinosaurs, and dinosaurs are prehistoric, and before history there was no law, and therefore the world...
The proteans, James. We had slaad in 3rd ed, and lizards in pathfinder. Is there something inherently amphibious about chaos that I'm just not getting?
|
Creative Director
|
What needs to happen in order for Paizo to print Unspeakable Future?
What are your preferences considering that particular product? One huge tome with campaign setting info, rules and monsters, or several books?
Not sure, but right now, splitting our resources and, potentially, our audience, by effectively producing two divergent game settings would not be good. Which means that Unspeakable Futures might be best as a 3rd Party Publisher release, so that it's not under Paizo and thus not a game Paizo would need to support. And since I'm not interested in shopping UF around to other publishers anytime soon... it's sort of a catch-22.
What "needs to happen," basically, is that we at Paizo need to decide what we want to do about games beyond the fantasy setting of Golarion... and if we DO want to go beyond Golarion with a new setting... we need to decide what game to go on with. UF would not be a shoe-in, that's for sure. As much as I'd like it to be. ;-)
My preferences for the product would be to present it as one huge tome that builds upon the core Pathfinder rules. Take the Golarion Campaign Setting, the APG, and the Bestiary, smoosh them together, and cut stuff until you're at 320 to 400 words and that'll do.
|
Creative Director
|
The proteans, James. We had slaad in 3rd ed, and lizards in pathfinder. Is there something inherently amphibious about chaos that I'm just not getting?
Ah.
Well... when we had Wayne design the first protean for the cover of "The Great Beyond," we asked, basically, for this:
"It should have human arms, the head of an ancient aquatic dinosaur, and a super long serpentine body and tail, and should be super colorful."
The only real conscious choice to have them have the heads of things like tylosauruses and the like was because those things, like the proteans, are super ancient.
I should point out that neither of the chaotic creatures (slaadi or proteans) are really lizards. Slaadi are frogs and proteans are snakes.
Feh. Trifles.
The proteans, James. We had slaad in 3rd ed, and lizards in pathfinder. Is there something inherently amphibious about chaos that I'm just not getting?
Ah.
Well... when we had Wayne design the first protean for the cover of "The Great Beyond," we asked, basically, for this:
"It should have human arms, the head of an ancient aquatic dinosaur, and a super long serpentine body and tail, and should be super colorful."
The only real conscious choice to have them have the heads of things like tylosauruses and the like was because those things, like the proteans, are super ancient.
I should point out that neither of the chaotic creatures (slaadi or proteans) are really lizards. Slaadi are frogs and proteans are snakes.
I think something more profound is going on here. Mr. Jacobs' association of reptilian and amphibian creatures with the chaotic, the primeval, is appropriate not only because of the dinosaurs, but also because reptiles and snakes and frogs have long been associated with the creation.
Tiamat and Apsu, are (in Babylonian myth) both serpent-dragons and spirits of the waters, the original beings, spontaneously emerging out of chaos.
When I was researching my pet Vudran thread (it's curled up in the corner right now, sleeping) I found that that Shesha Naga (Seshnag, or Ananta, "endless" naga (python) was a pre-creation being, as old or older than the gods, and destined to outlive them when the universe is destroyed. Pretty cool (or cold-blooded).
Plus the wet-dry permability, the slippery and dryness of reptiles, their associations with opposites: death and life, and their obvious fertility links mean they make a great symbol of chaos. Ouroboros and all that.
Plus, Chaos is the best alignment. Law just crumbles away! Physics proves this. Thermodynamics and all that. But better still, in the destruction, also, new life! new universes!
Ha! Iao!
Perhaps wine and messageboards are not a great combo.
|
Creative Director
|
Dear James, what is the plural of albatross, is it albatri, albatrosses, or just albatross?
I'll ask the albatross that visits Point Arena all the time next time I'm down there for confirmation, but until then, I'd go with "albatrosses."
|
Creative Director
|
I think something more profound is going on here. Mr. Jacobs' association of reptilian and amphibian creatures with the chaotic, the primeval, is appropriate not only because of the dinosaurs, but also because reptiles and snakes and frogs have long been associated with the creation.
Tiamat and Apsu, are (in Babylonian myth) both serpent-dragons and spirits of the waters, the original beings, spontaneously emerging out of chaos.
When I was researching my pet Vudran thread (it's curled up in the corner right now, sleeping) I found that that Shesha Naga (Seshnag, or Ananta, "endless" naga (python) was a pre-creation being, as old or older than the gods, and destined to outlive them when the universe is destroyed. Pretty cool (or cold-blooded).
Plus the wet-dry permability, the slippery and dryness of reptiles, their associations with opposites: death and life, and their obvious fertility links mean they make a great symbol of chaos. Ouroboros and all that.
Plus, Chaos is the best alignment. Law just crumbles away! Physics proves this. Thermodynamics and all that. But better still, in the destruction, also, new life! new universes!
Ha! Iao!
Perhaps wine and messageboards are not a great combo.
This post has several awesomenesses in it. Frogs and lizards are indeed the key to creation.
I think something more profound is going on here. Mr. Jacobs' association of reptilian and amphibian creatures with the chaotic, the primeval, is appropriate not only because of the dinosaurs, but also because reptiles and snakes and frogs have long been associated with the creation.Tiamat and Apsu, are (in Babylonian myth) both serpent-dragons and spirits of the waters, the original beings, spontaneously emerging out of chaos.
When I was researching my pet Vudran thread (it's curled up in the corner right now, sleeping) I found that that Shesha Naga (Seshnag, or Ananta, "endless" naga (python) was a pre-creation being, as old or older than the gods, and destined to outlive them when the universe is destroyed. Pretty cool (or cold-blooded).
Plus the wet-dry permability, the slippery and dryness of reptiles, their associations with opposites: death and life, and their obvious fertility links mean they make a great symbol of chaos. Ouroboros and all that.
Aboriginal people tell creation stories and one of the many creator spirits is the Rainbow Serpent.
The Rainbow Serpent features in the Dreaming stories of many mainland Aboriginal nations and is always associated with watercourses, such as billabongs, rivers, creeks and lagoons. The Rainbow Serpent is the protector of the land, its people, and the source of all life. However, the Rainbow Serpent can also be a destructive force if it is not properly respected.
The most common version of the Rainbow Serpent story tells that in the Dreaming, the world was flat, bare and cold. The Rainbow Serpent slept under the ground with all the animal tribes in her belly waiting to be born. When it was time, she pushed up, calling to the animals to come from their sleep. She threw the land out, making mountains and hills and spilled water over the land, making rivers and lakes. She made the sun, the fire and all the colours.
To the Gagudju people, the Rainbow Serpent was called Almudj and was a major creator being. It forced passages through rocks and created more waterholes. Today, Almudj is still a great creator, bringing the wet season each year, which causes all forms of life to multiply, and appearing in the sky as a rainbow. But Almudj is also to be feared as he can punish anyone who has broken a law by drowning them in floods. Almudj still lives in a pool under a waterfall in Kakadu.
The Jawoyn people, of the Katherine Gorge area in the Northern Territory, tell how the Rainbow Serpent slept under the ground until she awoke in the Dreaming and pushed her way to the surface. She then traveled the land, sleeping when she tired, and left behind her winding tracks and the imprint of her sleeping body. When she had travelled the earth, she returned and called to the frogs to come out, but they were very slow because their bellies were full of water. The Rainbow Serpent tickled their stomachs and when the frogs laughed, the water flowed out of their mouths and filled the tracks and hollows left by the Rainbow Serpent, creating the rivers and lakes. This woke all of the animals and plants, who then followed the Rainbow Serpent across the land.
My preferences for the product would be to present it as one huge tome that builds upon the core Pathfinder rules. Take the Golarion Campaign Setting, the APG, and the Bestiary, smoosh them together, and cut stuff until you're at 320 to 400 words and that'll do.
Now that's a lot of cutting. :)
the Ojibwa Native American tribe tell a creation story with a turtle bring earth up from the bottom of the water, So why do you think so many different peoples have creation story associated with reptiles? Maybe some instinctive knowledge that giant reptiles proceed us?
My preferences for the product would be to present it as one huge tome that builds upon the core Pathfinder rules. Take the Golarion Campaign Setting, the APG, and the Bestiary, smoosh them together, and cut stuff until you're at 320 to 400 words and that'll do.Now that's a lot of cutting. :)
I could barely get my RPG superstar submission into 320 words. So if James can do an entire campaign setting in that I will be throughly impressed.
Dear James,
What percentage of questions go unanswered in this thread? Is it higher or lower than the percentage of posts with grammatical errors?
|
Creative Director
|
My preferences for the product would be to present it as one huge tome that builds upon the core Pathfinder rules. Take the Golarion Campaign Setting, the APG, and the Bestiary, smoosh them together, and cut stuff until you're at 320 to 400 words and that'll do.Now that's a lot of cutting. :)
Not as much as it might sound like, actually, since the core rules for skills and combat and feats and spells and environment stuff would go away, with only the new stuff (gun fights, vehicle fights, radiation rules, new spells, new classes, new skills like Pilot or Hacking) needing to be in there. And the monster section would be super flexible in size, obviously.
The current rules I've got cover races, classes, skills, feats, spells, technological items (from laser guns to cybernetics to portable reactors to nanotech to binoculars), vehicle stuff, gunfighting stuff, radiation, and madness/insanity rules. All that's really missing is a good selection of monsters and the campaign setting stuff, and a lot of development/formatting work for the items. As it currently stands, it's at about 80,000 or 90,000 words, which would work out to about a 128 page book, so there's a LOT of room to expand monsters and campaign setting stuff.
Maybe some instinctive knowledge that giant reptiles proceed us?
Or did they just see the bones?
|
Creative Director
|
the Ojibwa Native American tribe tell a creation story with a turtle bring earth up from the bottom of the water, So why do you think so many different peoples have creation story associated with reptiles? Maybe some instinctive knowledge that giant reptiles proceed us?
Because reptiles are awesome, and humans know on a genetic level that they are?
Or perhaps because reptiles (particularly snakes and crocodiles) are equipped and, it seems at times, EAGER to kill humans?
|
Creative Director
|
I could barely get my RPG superstar submission into 320 words. So if James can do an entire campaign setting in that I will be throughly impressed.My preferences for the product would be to present it as one huge tome that builds upon the core Pathfinder rules. Take the Golarion Campaign Setting, the APG, and the Bestiary, smoosh them together, and cut stuff until you're at 320 to 400 words and that'll do.Now that's a lot of cutting. :)
We got Golarion into 64 pages on our first go at it. So yeah, it's easily possible.
We got Golarion into 64 pages on our first go at it. So yeah, it's easily possible.I could barely get my RPG superstar submission into 320 words. So if James can do an entire campaign setting in that I will be throughly impressed.My preferences for the product would be to present it as one huge tome that builds upon the core Pathfinder rules. Take the Golarion Campaign Setting, the APG, and the Bestiary, smoosh them together, and cut stuff until you're at 320 to 400 words and that'll do.Now that's a lot of cutting. :)
James you said 320 words not 320 pages.;)
|
Creative Director
|
How long do you think you would last in a Death Cage Match against Jason?
What if there was a bottle of 30yr Scotch on the line?
And lastly, What about if Vic was the special guest referee for a Paizo Lumberjack match?
Hmmm... My guess would be less than a minute, but maybe not. I'm not THAT much less massive than Jason...
But if Scotch were on the line, no dice. I'd pass.
As for Vic and Lumberjack matches... that's starting to get beyond the limits of even my imagination.
|
Creative Director
|
James you said 320 words not 320 pages.;)We got Golarion into 64 pages on our first go at it. So yeah, it's easily possible.I could barely get my RPG superstar submission into 320 words. So if James can do an entire campaign setting in that I will be throughly impressed.My preferences for the product would be to present it as one huge tome that builds upon the core Pathfinder rules. Take the Golarion Campaign Setting, the APG, and the Bestiary, smoosh them together, and cut stuff until you're at 320 to 400 words and that'll do.Now that's a lot of cutting. :)
Well... crap.
I knew what I meant to say, in any case.
And if that's the biggest mistake I'll make this week, I'll count my self a miracle worker.
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
|
I am about to run a Kingmaker game, and have few questions:
What advice can you give me in general about running this adventure path?
My wife wants to play a Witch/Rogue character. Seeing as the Witch class came out after Kingmaker, it does not have an entry in the Players Guide. What tidbits of possible background and advice can you offer to someone playing a witch in a Kingmaker Game?
What is your favorite part of Kingmaker?
James you said 320 words not 320 pages.;)We got Golarion into 64 pages on our first go at it. So yeah, it's easily possible.I could barely get my RPG superstar submission into 320 words. So if James can do an entire campaign setting in that I will be throughly impressed.My preferences for the product would be to present it as one huge tome that builds upon the core Pathfinder rules. Take the Golarion Campaign Setting, the APG, and the Bestiary, smoosh them together, and cut stuff until you're at 320 to 400 words and that'll do.Now that's a lot of cutting. :)Well... crap.
I knew what I meant to say, in any case.
And if that's the biggest mistake I'll make this week, I'll count my self a miracle worker.
Happens to the best of us.:)
|
Creative Director
|
I am about to run a Kingmaker game, and have few questions:
What advice can you give me in general about running this adventure path?
My wife wants to play a Witch/Rogue character. Seeing as the Witch class came out after Kingmaker, it does not have an entry in the Players Guide. What tidbits of possible background and advice can you offer to someone playing a witch in a Kingmaker Game?
What is your favorite part of Kingmaker?
I would be prepared to let the players dictate the course of play. It's easy for a GM to get frustrated when an entire session ends up being one encounter that the PCs get hung up on or obsess over, or when the GM is excited to run the encounters on the left half of the map but the players seem only interested in the right half, and so on. Kingmaker lets the PCs do what they want, more than any other AP. So when you GM it, try to avoid bringing along any preconceived notions of "we have a schedule and need to stick to it."
For a witch/rogue, you can easily just focus on the rogue half of the equation as for where her character comes from. You can also crib some advice from the sorcerer entry as well, or perhaps the druid entry.
My favorite part of Kingmaker is the roleplaying possibilities that are hidden in the kingdom management/building rules. That, or the mayhem awaiting PCs in the final adventure—Zuddiger's Picnic is cool too.
|
Creative Director
|
What level would you consider appropriate for a spell that creates an opium cloud that inflicts 1d4 damage to both Contitution and Wisdom but otherwise has the characteristics of the stinking cloud spell?
Do you think the Bestow Curse spell should be able to inflict an addiction?
Does that cloud last for more than one round? Because if it does, it's more bad-ass than cloudkill, which is a 5th level spell. If it ALSO causes nausea, which makes it even tougher to escape a cloud... that's really badass. A spell that inflicts nausea, obscures vision, and causes 1d4 Wis and Con damage each round and that lasts 1 round/level? I'd probably peg that as a 7th level spell, honestly.
As for curses creating addictions... that's a pretty cool idea. It's a little weird, though, since addictions have their own methods for recovery and curses, as a general rule, require something like remove curse to get rid of. So really... an addition is a bit too weak even for a curse to inflict.
James,
I just got my copy of Princes of Darkness, and while I love the book(even though i'm only part way through) there is one thing that bothers me:
why the name changes of two of the layers?? Minarous to Erebus(whose a deity damnit!) and Maladomini to Cocytus(which seems like a smash up of Coyote and Cactus to me)
Dear Mr. Jacobs,
In your view is it proper etiquette to ask before threadjacking a thread which has gone off the original topic anyway? Obviously I'm a fan of pure chaos and anarchy, and a thread which sticks on topic for very long is like one of those itches in the middle of your back that you need a charmed wizard to scratch (high Intelligence doesn't imply high Wisdom, as has frequently been pointed out elsewhere, and compared to sorcerers some wizards are practically falling over themselves to fail a saving throw if you even half smile in their direction) but I do have personal standards and regard it as important to maintain what passes for demonic etiquette.
I am (naturally) familiar with Mrs Beat-it's Guide to Messageboard Management but am curious as to the opinion of an RPG Director who hasn't read it?
Yours,
Ask A Succubus.
|
Creative Director
|
James,
I just got my copy of Princes of Darkness, and while I love the book(even though i'm only part way through) there is one thing that bothers me:why the name changes of two of the layers?? Minarous to Erebus(whose a deity damnit!) and Maladomini to Cocytus(which seems like a smash up of Coyote and Cactus to me)
Because some of the names that TSR/WotC used for their layers of Hell are made up by them, and thus those names are WotC's intellectual property. If we renamed a layer of Hell, it's because the WotC version of it was not available for us to use. Instead, we used names from mythology; Erebus and Cocytus are both names from mythology.
And there's plenty of precedent in the game for using the mythological name of a deity as a name of a location, or vice versa (using a name of a location, such as Orcus, as the name of a deity).
In any event, making up a nonsense word to replace a name that we couldn't use due to it being another company's intellectual property was never an option. So we went to mythology and pulled names from similar myths that would match the feel and flavor of the 7 names we COULD use.
|
Creative Director
|
What level would you suggest for the spell if it only lasts for one round and has no effects besides the ability damage?
If all the cloud does is inflict 1d4 Con and 1d4 Wis damage per round, and lasts 1 round/level, and doesn't obscure vision, and doesn't cause nausea... I'd probably peg it at 6th level, honestly.
It can't be lower than cloudkill. And it frankly does more mayhem than cloudkill. Even though cloudkill has the advantage of killing weak creatures outright and lasts for a lot longer and obscures vision... the fact is that most combats only last for a handful of rounds. The difference between a spell that lasts for 10 rounds and 100 rounds is irrelevant when few combats last more than 10 rounds in the first place.
Now, obviously, longer-lasting effects make the spell more powerful, but pegging spell levels is as much an art as it is a science, and I just don't see something that does more damage each round than cloudkill being justified at a lower level.
Another way to look at it. Given both spells as a choice in a room where you'll only need the spell around for 1 combat, which would you choose: cloudkill or your spell? If it's a hard choice, then they should be equal level. If it's an easy choice, then the easy choice should be higher level.
|
Creative Director
|
Dear Mr. Jacobs,
In your view is it proper etiquette to ask before threadjacking a thread which has gone off the original topic anyway? Obviously I'm a fan of pure chaos and anarchy, and a thread which sticks on topic for very long is like one of those itches in the middle of your back that you need a charmed wizard to scratch (high Intelligence doesn't imply high Wisdom, as has frequently been pointed out elsewhere, and compared to sorcerers some wizards are practically falling over themselves to fail a saving throw if you even half smile in their direction) but I do have personal standards and regard it as important to maintain what passes for demonic etiquette.
I am (naturally) familiar with Mrs Beat-it's Guide to Messageboard Management but am curious as to the opinion of an RPG Director who hasn't read it?Yours,
Ask A Succubus.
Threadjacking is always a sort of petty, jerky move to do. I've done threadjacks myself, and even though those threadjacks were on threads that I felt had outlived their usefulness or had devolved into a tired old circular endless internet argument (such as any alignment argument), it's still a petty and jerky thing to do.
My preference: let threads do what they want to do. If they get out of hand and so far off topic that they're self-destructive or causing problems due to immaturity or flame war stuff, I'll lock the thread.
But threadjacking a productive thread is like interrupting someone else's conversation. It's rude. Don't do it.
Instead, do the proper succubus thing. Insinuate yourself into the thread, then manipulate the posters into coming around to your way of thinking over the course of several posts, and then when you've got them eating out of your beautiful, dainty hand, you pounce and take their precious bodily fluids, leaving behind only despair and sadness and ruin. Now go forth and feeeed!
What would you say was the worst case of player Vs player conflict that you've ever experienced or observed and how did it end?
Why do I get sucked into discussions about pathfinder art being sexist?
Why cant I just not reply?
I know it all just goes round in circles, nobody gives ground or attempts to reach a consensus. I know the discussion will descend into name calling, cherry picking, over reaction and people being outraged for the sake of being outraged....
So how do you avoid posting stuff in the quagmire of those sorts of threads?
There is an interesting article on io9 about Hasbro/WOTC and the Dune RPG that never was.
Do you like Frank Herberts work and could it ever make a good game?
