Creative Director
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What is your favorite month of the year, if you don't mind me asking. :-)October.Definitely one of the best for sure!
Do you do anything special for Halloween?
Not really. I just like that it tends to have more horror movies/shows come out, and I like that it's the transition from hot summer weather to cold winter weather.
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If I was to create a Pathfinder character and name them "Friv Seedorf," what ancestry would be best? Where in the Inner Sea region might you find a family of Seedorfs who'd name their kid "Friv?"
Dunno. It's kinda a silly sounding name to me. Maybe that suggests a gnome? The last name makes it even goofier, sounding like "See Dorf" which makes it sound like you're asking someone to see a goofy looking person (I associate Dorf with the goofy Tim Conway character, but that might just be an old person thing...).
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What's the worst case of 'con crud' you've ever gotten?
The sickest I've been at a convention was when I developed gallstones and had to spend a day writhing in pain in my hotel room. Not technically con crud, though... the worst case of con crud itself doesn't stand out as the worst to me; they were all equally annoying and debilitating and devastating to the schedule.
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If I was to create a Pathfinder character and name them "Friv Seedorf," what ancestry would be best? Where in the Inner Sea region might you find a family of Seedorfs who'd name their kid "Friv?"Dunno. It's kinda a silly sounding name to me. Maybe that suggests a gnome? The last name makes it even goofier, sounding like "See Dorf" which makes it sound like you're asking someone to see a goofy looking person (I associate Dorf with the goofy Tim Conway character, but that might just be an old person thing...).
Yeah, I mean the name IS based off Google trying to understand "dvp frv;sddogorfscp," so silly IS kind of the goal. Thanks! :D
Do you like coffee, and if you do, how do you prefer it?
When do you disappear behind the "dark side" of GenCon?
Do you like coffee, and if you do, how do you prefer it?I like coffee enough that I generally drink 2 to 3 cups a day. I like it black... no extra calories that way.
Have you tried with Stevia or Splenda? there's nothing like sugar, of course... but sometimes it's close, depending on the brand.
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Have you tried with Stevia or Splenda? there's nothing like sugar, of course... but sometimes it's close, depending on the brand.Do you like coffee, and if you do, how do you prefer it?I like coffee enough that I generally drink 2 to 3 cups a day. I like it black... no extra calories that way.
I have. Stevia's fine, but that's not really the point. I prefer the taste of coffee without sugar.
I have. Stevia's fine, but that's not really the point. I prefer the taste of coffee without sugar.Have you tried with Stevia or Splenda? there's nothing like sugar, of course... but sometimes it's close, depending on the brand.Do you like coffee, and if you do, how do you prefer it?I like coffee enough that I generally drink 2 to 3 cups a day. I like it black... no extra calories that way.
Was it acquired? because I've made the switch to Stevia or nothing months ago and it's still... unsatisfactory...
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Starfinder: Does forced movement provoke opportunity attacks?
Please direct rules questions to the appropriate forum—I don't answer rules questions here. Or better yet... ask your GM and go with their ruling! That's the fastest and most efficient way to get these kind of answers.
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Was it acquired? because I've made the switch to Stevia or nothing months ago and it's still... unsatisfactory...I have. Stevia's fine, but that's not really the point. I prefer the taste of coffee without sugar.Have you tried with Stevia or Splenda? there's nothing like sugar, of course... but sometimes it's close, depending on the brand.Do you like coffee, and if you do, how do you prefer it?I like coffee enough that I generally drink 2 to 3 cups a day. I like it black... no extra calories that way.
Several years ago I was VERY overweight—at the heaviest, I clocked in at 379 pounds or thereabouts. I went onto a high-protien diet (called Ideal Protein) that had me eating lots of protein bars and shakes and the like, along with 4 cups of vegetables and 8 oz. of protein (beef, fish, etc.) each day. I got down to 185 lbs at the lowest and have since been back and forth between 220 and 250, periodically going back onto the diet as needed.
In any case, all of the protein bars and foods and shakes from Ideal Protein use Stevia as sweeteners, and over the course of several years of being on and off that program I developed a taste for stevia. It's not one that I need—I don't go out of my way for it—but it's one that tastes fine to me.
For the coffee side of things, it was basically just me cutting out the sugary coffee drinks and replacing them with black coffee... something I did cold turkey when I first went on the diet several years back and which has stuck.
Dear James Jacobs,
What are you least favorite months and holidays?
Do you have any tips for avoiding con crud, in case I should ever go to one.
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Do you have any tips for avoiding con crud, in case I should ever go to one.
Apart from "Don't go to the convention!" ? ;-P
The best thing to do is to wash your hands LOTS, particularly before you eat; keep a bottle of hand sanitizer handy for those times when you can't wash at a sink. Avoid handshakes at all times possible. Make sure you stay hydrated and eat—avoid too much drinking of booze. And probably the most important: Make sure you get PLENTY of rest. Staying up all night is a great way to break down your endurance.
In New Thassilon, are monsters like goblins, giants, orcs, scyllas, and lamias treated as legitimate citizens? I honestly think giants and lamias would be treated as enemies because they were in league with Karzoug. Also, lamias are extremely evil.Depends on the monster. Goblins and orcs and scyllas are not citizens. Giants are slaves. Lamias are monsters when they're obvious or citizens when they're sneaky.
I thought Sorshen was redeemed and opened her new capital city up to outcasts and exiles from across the world, promising them a safe place to live their lives free from the oppression of their enemies. Turns out monster races are exempt from her protection, then? Also, I mentioned scyllas because there was scylla who was Sorshen's minion in The Dead Heart of Xin. So I thought scyllas would flock to New Thassilon once they realized Sorshen's return.
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I thought Sorshen was redeemed and opened her new capital city up to outcasts and exiles from across the world, promising them a safe place to live their lives free from the oppression of their enemies. Turns out monster races are exempt from her protection, then? Also, I mentioned scyllas because there was scylla who was Sorshen's minion in The Dead Heart of Xin. So I thought scyllas would flock to New Thassilon once they realized Sorshen's return.In New Thassilon, are monsters like goblins, giants, orcs, scyllas, and lamias treated as legitimate citizens? I honestly think giants and lamias would be treated as enemies because they were in league with Karzoug. Also, lamias are extremely evil.Depends on the monster. Goblins and orcs and scyllas are not citizens. Giants are slaves. Lamias are monsters when they're obvious or citizens when they're sneaky.
Go back to my first three words: Depends on the monster.
Most monsters aren't into redemption; they want to be monsters. And Sorshen is smart enough to tell the ones who want redemption apart from the ones who want to just be monsters. Scyllas wouldn't flock there for two reasons: Most of them are evil and not looking for redemption and aren't outcasts... and they live in the water and Sorshen's realm is in the mountains.
At first I thought that, if Sorshen truly returns and is redeemed, she would claim Korvosa as her capital for two reasons: It was her capital before Earthfall, and after Ileosa died the Kingdom of Korvosa supposedly fell into anarchy without a legitimate heir to the throne. So I thought Sorshen can easily sit on the Crimson Throne and found New Eurythnia. But later I found out that Cressida Kroft was chosen to be Korvosa's next queen. Sigh. Have you always decided to make Xin-Shalast her capital, instead of Korvosa?
What's your favorite pasta dish?
(Apologies, another question that requires a bit of explanation.)
It feels like there has been a shift in the presentation of the various typically 'monstrous' humanoid races over Pathfinder's 10 years. When Pathfinder 1st edition came out, it felt that effort was made to make the various evil humanoids truly evil. Orcs were bloodthirsty savages uninterested in peace, goblins were psycopathic pyromaniacs, and ogres were inbred brutes straight out of Deliverance. Of course, things change in 10 years. Now goblins are going to be a playable race, and while orcs are still reliably a dungeon stuffing monster race, there's been greater effort to show that not every orc is a mindless murderer, and some tribes are capable of peace and diplomacy. Not that the game is retconning the earlier presentations, but greater effort is going to show that not every member of the race is irredeemable.
Assuming you agree that there has been a shift, was this shift a deliberate effort from up high in Paizo? A general reaction to expand the game for more interesting plots than 'Orcs there. Orcs bad. Kill orcs?" A reaction to fan desires that the idea of wholly evil sapient race is unsettling? Or just an unintended shift?
There is a rumor that you are, in fact a Mythos creature. That you emerged fully formed from the Dark Between Stars.
Is there any truth to this rumor? :D
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At first I thought that, if Sorshen truly returns and is redeemed, she would claim Korvosa as her capital for two reasons: It was her capital before Earthfall, and after Ileosa died the Kingdom of Korvosa supposedly fell into anarchy without a legitimate heir to the throne. So I thought Sorshen can easily sit on the Crimson Throne and found New Eurythnia. But later I found out that Cressida Kroft was chosen to be Korvosa's next queen. Sigh. Have you always decided to make Xin-Shalast her capital, instead of Korvosa?
The whole POINT of Sorshen's redemption is that she does not WANT to conquer nations or cities. Please read her information and the plot of Return of the Runelords more carefully.
In short, Sorshen has been paying attention, and has watched over the past decade plus from her lair as one runelord after the other rose up, tried to do just what you're saying (reclaiming lands they once ruled), only to be time and time and time again be defeated by heroes defending the new land. Be it Karzoug in Rise of the Runelords, Zutha in Dave Gross's Lord of Runes, or Krune in the PFS season where he featured prominently. Then again as the events of Shattered Star played out she saw heroes stand against the influence of old Thassilon. And then as Return of the Runelords plays out, she sees it happen yet again as heroes defeat Alaznist, Belimarius, and Xanderghul as well.
Sorshen isn't stupid. She knows that the world is a different place, and her goal is to rule in harmony, not in disharmony. She chose the region she did to establish New Thassilon specifically because no heroes would be compelled to rise up and defend a land she's conquering, because the Kodar Mountains and Xin-Shalast and the neighboring lands are wilderness regions.
She doesn't want Korvosa. She likes it as it is (as seen in Runeplage). She wants it to stay under its own rule. She wants friendly neighbors who are allied, not enemies that seek to destroy her.
Yes, the plan for Sorshen WAS to always have her found New Thassilon, and have this nation be a new region along the northern border of Varisia, and to leave Korvosa more or less untouched. Feel free to change it in your game if you wish, but the whole "Runelord rises and tries to take over an established civilization" plot has been done to death by us now. I'm not interested in replaying that plot over again. I want New Thassilon to enable a whole class of NEW stories.
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(Apologies, another question that requires a bit of explanation.)
It feels like there has been a shift in the presentation of the various typically 'monstrous' humanoid races over Pathfinder's 10 years. When Pathfinder 1st edition came out, it felt that effort was made to make the various evil humanoids truly evil. Orcs were bloodthirsty savages uninterested in peace, goblins were psycopathic pyromaniacs, and ogres were inbred brutes straight out of Deliverance. Of course, things change in 10 years. Now goblins are going to be a playable race, and while orcs are still reliably a dungeon stuffing monster race, there's been greater effort to show that not every orc is a mindless murderer, and some tribes are capable of peace and diplomacy. Not that the game is retconning the earlier presentations, but greater effort is going to show that not every member of the race is irredeemable.
Assuming you agree that there has been a shift, was this shift a deliberate effort from up high in Paizo? A general reaction to expand the game for more interesting plots than 'Orcs there. Orcs bad. Kill orcs?" A reaction to fan desires that the idea of wholly evil sapient race is unsettling? Or just an unintended shift?
That's a reflection of the times, and while it's a good thing to not present humanoids as "always evil" it does erode away at certain "classic" stories. Of course, there's elements in those "classics" that's problematic, which is why we're moving away from this whole thing.
In short, presenting orcs and goblins and other humanoid races as not always evil makes them more realistic and steps away from the elements of the whole thing that these races have traditionally risen in mythology from xenophobic fears. It's a good thing to not have them always be evil, to be able to present them as sometimes good, in the same way it's important to be able to present stereotypically non-evil races (dwarves, elves, humans, gnomes, and halflings, for example) as evil at times.
I'd rather not see this as a "retcon" as much as an evolution.
It's an absolutely deliberate effort though, to present sapient races as less monolithically evil and more varied.
There's still plenty of evil out there to face, never fear. But I'd rather be in a place where something earns its evil card by its actions, not by the color of its skin, how ugly it is, or because that's the way they have been traditionally portrayed.
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There is a rumor that you are, in fact a Mythos creature. That you emerged fully formed from the Dark Between Stars.
Is there any truth to this rumor? :D
There's still plenty of evil out there to face, never fear. But I'd rather be in a place where something earns its evil card by its actions, not by the color of its skin, how ugly it is, or because that's the way they have been traditionally portrayed.
By that logic, should Drow and Duergar have separate stats?
They are evil by "culture" much in the same way the Chelaxians or Nidalese are.
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Does cleave and cleaving finish may be performed in the same round?Like i hit a monster with cleave and it drops.May i use,into an adjacent foe, both the cleave and the cleaving finish feat,in the same round?
If this is a 1st edition rule question, please ask it in the rules forums.
If this is a 2nd edition rule question, please wait until tomorrow... and then ask it in the rules forums.
I don't answer rules questions here; causes too much drama.
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There's still plenty of evil out there to face, never fear. But I'd rather be in a place where something earns its evil card by its actions, not by the color of its skin, how ugly it is, or because that's the way they have been traditionally portrayed.By that logic, should Drow and Duergar have separate stats?
They are evil by "culture" much in the same way the Chelaxians or Nidalese are.
They're different ancestries. Drow and duergar don't HAVE to be evil, but they're biologically and supernaturally different than elves or dwarves.
A drow is to an elf, and a duergar is to a dwarf, what a caligni or a fetchling is to a human, in other words.
There's still plenty of evil out there to face, never fear. But I'd rather be in a place where something earns its evil card by its actions, not by the color of its skin, how ugly it is, or because that's the way they have been traditionally portrayed.By that logic, should Drow and Duergar have separate stats?
They are evil by "culture" much in the same way the Chelaxians or Nidalese are.
They're different ancestries. Drow and duergar don't HAVE to be evil, but they're biologically and supernaturally different than elves or dwarves.
A drow is to an elf, and a duergar is to a dwarf, what a caligni or a fetchling is to a human, in other words.
Though, this is sparking an idea for a homebrew. :)
Would it be reasonable (from a setting design standpoint) to eliminate Drow and Duergar and replace them with an Elven (and/or Dwarven) nation that has many of the (quite evil) cultural characteristics?
Characters from those cultures could still be non-evil or even good - much like the human Heroes of Westcrown in the evil nation of Cheliax.
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Would it be reasonable (from a setting design standpoint) to eliminate Drow and Duergar and replace them with an Elven (and/or Dwarven) nation that has many of the (quite evil) cultural characteristics?
Characters from those cultures could still be non-evil or even good - much like the human Heroes of Westcrown in the evil nation of Cheliax.
Sure!
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Does this mean that the offspring of a rakshasa-mortal couple is a half-fiend, and that rakshasas can have children with each other?So I'm confused about how rakshasa works nowadays because 3.5 article contradicts crimson throne and 3.5 korvosa book and rakshasa blooded tieflings existing. Like, old version claimed two rakshasas can't have children together and that rakshasa-mortal pairings result in more rakshasas. That sort of things.
Sooo yeah, how do rakshasa blooded tiefligns come to be and can rakshasa have children together?
The 3.5 stuff is outdated.
Rakshasa-blooded tieflings come about when a rakshasa meddles with a mortal bloodline, be it via experimentatnion, blood transfusion, magical infestation, possession, or plain old sex. Or any other method that works for whatever story you want to tell about the rakshasa-blooded tiefling.
My take at this point? I'd say that a rakshasa-mortal couple would produce a half-fiend or some sort of unique creature, and that, potentially, THAT creature's offspring (or potentially any of its descendants down through the generations to come) could end up being a tiefling.
Whether or not rakshasas can have children together, though... I'm honestly kind of preferring the older flavor that they don't have kids that way.
Hopefully at some point in 2nd edition we can revisit them and explore them more.
I have not paid much attention to Cressida Kroft at all. I only regarded her as a reasonable authority figure, not a potential candidate for the kingship. I thought a member of the five Great Houses, or a member of House Porphyria, the former ruling family of Korvosa, would be the new king. I cannot guess the reason behind this decision. Have you or Paizo already chosen Cressida Kroft as the new queen of Korvosa long ago?
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I have not paid much attention to Cressida Kroft at all. I only regarded her as a reasonable authority figure, not a potential candidate for the kingship. I thought a member of the five Great Houses, or a member of House Porphyria, the former ruling family of Korvosa, would be the new king. I cannot guess the reason behind this decision. Have you or Paizo already chosen Cressida Kroft as the new queen of Korvosa long ago?
I made that decision during development of Part 3 of Return of the Runelords. She was an obvious choice because she was a SIGNIFICANT NPC in Curse of the Crimson throne, being the primary initial ally and primary quest giver for the PCs in Curse of the Crimson Throne, was established as being anti-Ileosa, and wasn't someone who already had power as a result of being a member of a great house already. Plus, after having an evil queen in charge, I wanted a good queen to take her place (not a king).
That's a reflection of the times, and while it's a good thing to not present humanoids as "always evil" it does erode away at certain "classic" stories. Of course, there's elements in those "classics" that's problematic, which is why we're moving away from this whole thing.
In short, presenting orcs and goblins and other humanoid races as not always evil makes them more realistic and steps away from the elements of the whole thing that these races have traditionally risen in mythology from xenophobic fears. It's a good thing to not have them always be evil, to be able to present them as sometimes good, in the same way it's important to be able to present stereotypically non-evil races (dwarves, elves, humans, gnomes, and halflings, for example) as evil at times.
I'd rather not see this as a "retcon" as much as an evolution.
It's an absolutely deliberate effort though, to present sapient races as less monolithically evil and more varied.
There's still plenty of evil out there to face, never fear. But I'd rather be in a place where something earns its evil card by its actions, not by the color of its skin, how ugly it is, or because that's the way they have been traditionally portrayed.
Oh, I agree that I prefer it this way myself. I was just trying to be impartial when asking the question, which may have come across as a bit judgemental. But anyways, this ain't a discussion topic, just a question topic.
Next question: If you recall, a recurring series of adventurers way back in Dragon magazine was the Challenge of Champions series, a collection of logic puzzles for characters of any level, using a team challenge as a basis. Would those be something the Pathfinder Society (The in-game organization, not the real world one) would organize, or would a different organization be more likely? To phrase it better, if I set up a Challenge of Champions game in Golarion, who would be the most likely organizers of the event?
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If you recall, a recurring series of adventurers way back in Dragon magazine was the Challenge of Champions series, a collection of logic puzzles for characters of any level, using a team challenge as a basis. Would those be something the Pathfinder Society (The in-game organization, not the real world one) would organize, or would a different organization be more likely? To phrase it better, if I set up a Challenge of Champions game in Golarion, who would be the most likely organizers of the event?
I'd rather not. I understand how some folks enjoyed the Challenge of Champions series, but I did not. They weren't really adventures or challenges for your character; they went out of their way to REMOVE your character entirely, so that it was solely a challenge for the PLAYER. Not a fan. I play RPGs to immerse myself in a different person than myself, not to be myself. They were certainly very imaginative... but they were adventures you could leave your character sheet and dice home and still play, at which point... why are you even playing an RPG? Just sit around with friends and do brain teasers. Furthermore, so many of the challenges relied on word puzzles to function, and that makes them difficult to impossible to translate, and I'm not a fan of publishing content that, due to its very nature, makes it impossible for non-english-speaking gamers to enjoy.
Were I to set up a Challenge of Champions type game in Golarion, it would be built to be challenges your CHARACTERS could figure out, using their actual skills, resources, spells, and gear.
As for who would be the most likely organizers? Probably the church of Kurgess.
How did Cressida Kroft become the queen of Korvosa? At the end of Curse of the Crimson Throne, the Sable Company had been disbanded and the Order of the Nail had left the city. That conveniently made the Korvosan Guard led by Cressida Kroft as the sole military force in the city. Realizing this, did she initiate a largely bloodless coup and seized the throne? Or did the people of Korvosa hold a royal election and Cressida won?
Okay, so the new Deity alignment restrictions are not Canon.
How would convert some preexisting characters that are now Illegal, a LN cleric of Asomdeus for example?
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How did Cressida Kroft become the queen of Korvosa? At the end of Curse of the Crimson Throne, the Sable Company had been disbanded and the Order of the Nail had left the city. That conveniently made the Korvosan Guard led by Cressida Kroft as the sole military force in the city. Realizing this, did she initiate a largely bloodless coup and seized the throne? Or did the people of Korvosa hold a royal election and Cressida won?
It was a bit of both—a bloodless coup supported by the fact that most of the citizens wanted her in there. She didn't want the job, but enough people supported her that she took it instead of letting it go to someone bad.
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Okay, so the new Deity alignment restrictions are not Canon.
How would convert some preexisting characters that are now Illegal, a LN cleric of Asomdeus for example?
The new deity alignment restrictions ARE canon. That does mean there's changes to prior NPCs perhaps.
For PCs, you can either talk to your GM about getting an exception, or you can perhaps change deities? Zon-Kuthon and Abadar would both work pretty okay for a cleric who once worshiped Asmodeus, and that cleric will now be more appropriate anyway since Asmodeus is pretty much all evil and expects his clerics to be as well.
For NPCs, either just switch their alignment to LE and keep playing them as you have been, or transition them into LN sorcerers who worship Asmodeus and have a divine bloodline.
And frankly... for NPCs, you can just say that they are a LN worshiper of Asmodeus with divine spells—as the GM you get to stretch and adjust rules as you see fit when making monsters and NPCs since they aren't expected to follow PC rules.
In print, though, and canonicaly, you'll not be seeing many non-evil divine spellcasters of Asmodeus anymore. Which is by design. They'll still be plenty of Asmodean divine casters who ACT neutral and tempt people to become worshipers of an evil deity and cover their actions with pedantry and legalese... but that doesn't make them Lawful Neutral. It makes them Lawful Evil but very manipulative and tricky.
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Now that 2e has been launched I have come back to ask if Children of Westcrown still exists? :D
(also what are Xill called in 2e?)
The Children of Westcrown still exist as far as I know, unless something in the last volume of Hell's Vengeance wiped them out. I didn't play/read/write/develop that one so I don't know off the top of my head. I suspect they're still around though and are probably allied with or merging with the Firebrands.
XIlls will still be called xills, but we'll probably come up with another name for them that's more descriptive and less-owned-by-WotC to help them be supported in non OGL stuff. Maybe. Dunno yet. Haven't had to make that decision yet.
In print, though, and canonicaly, you'll not be seeing many non-evil divine spellcasters of Asmodeus anymore. Which is by design. They'll still be plenty of Asmodean divine casters who ACT neutral and tempt people to become worshipers of an evil deity and cover their actions with pedantry and legalese... but that doesn't make them Lawful Neutral. It makes them Lawful Evil but very manipulative and tricky.
That seems a great way of handling these legacy NPCs. PCs would likely fit better under Abadar (IMHO).
Is the Dwarf Feat "Vengeful Hatred" too strong to remove the racial requirement as part of a Background ?
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Is the Dwarf Feat "Vengeful Hatred" too strong to remove the racial requirement as part of a Background ?
I don't think so. That's kind of the whole point of the "Special" entry; to allow GMs to adjust this so that it works for unusual campaigns. "Robot" would be a great category for Iron Gods... AS LONG as you, the player, can provide the GM with a good and flavorful reason why you'd hate robots. Building from the flavor of the Robot Slayer trait's a good place to start.
Oh, hey, it's Thursday!
So!
Who made the decision to group some of the creatures in the Bestiary by thematic alignment rather purely alphabetical or creature type?
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Who made the decision to group some of the creatures in the Bestiary by thematic alignment rather purely alphabetical or creature type?
The Design team, working on advice and requests from myself and from the publisher.
Purely alphabetical would have been a good option, but often when you're building an adventure it's helpful to have all the demons next to each other. Tradition also helped us make that choice.
Creature type isn't really a thing in the game anymore, so that's not an option. Instead, creatures has traits, but what traits a creature has depends and varies. For example, the hell hound has the Beast, Fiend, and Fire traits. Where would we place the Hell Hound if we were organizing by traits? Beast? Fiend? Fire? Too complicated and arbitrary, so we opted for an alphabetical presentation that looked back to the traditions of how monster books like this have been presented.