Oh, do you watch Critical Role?
I'm trying to desgn a game set at the beginning of the Age of Enthronement, soon after the Taldor's First Army of Exploration. I wonder, how to depict Taldor's expansion into new territories? I imagine it being some mix of Pax Romana and Manifest Destiny, but maybe you can add tell how do you imagine it and maybe give some references that could be an inspiration?These days, I would imagine it as Taldor being the villain in the story and the PCs either being on Team Taldor and being villains as well, or being against Taldor and thus being regulated to a role in the game that would force them to lose. So ... I would probably not explore a game set in this time unless I was comfortable with doing an alternate timeline that would explore a "what-if" story where the PCs helped lead an opposition to Taldor's warmongering.
Does this mean you don't like stories where either A, the players are on the losing side, or B, the story of what the player accomplishes is set among the backdrop of a larger loss, ala Halo Reach?
Also, any idea why the website takes so long to show new posts now?
If an umbral dragon eats a ghost or other such undead with a rejuvenation ability, does the ghost still rejuvenate, or is it permanently destroyed?
Have you ever considered making Lost Omens campaign setting more steampunk-like (or should I say, gaslamp fantasy-like?) when you first created Pathfinder?
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For the Beastfolk of ** spoiler omitted ** is their a closest equivalent in P2 or would you just stat them up as a whole new creature?
I'd do a brand new type of creature if I'm trying to build an export of Elden Ring into an RPG, because that's a great way to transport that information over and build a new world.
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I hope to one day create such a rts game focused on the slower gameplay, with logistics, custom unit/squad design, and the need to actually search around for the enemy, and hide from them. Naturally, story and individual characters are important as well, but that is a benefit to any game in any genre so it goes without saying. Would you find such a calmer rts game more appealing and perhaps worth trying?
At a certain point, the play of an RTS morphs into an RPG or a sim. To me, the fast pace of a game, combined with the idea that any time you spend just looking at the game rather than clicking a new project is time wasted that will grant your foe an advantage is what makes an RTS unappealing, but take those away and its no longer "real time" really, because you get to take your time making choices. I do love squad based RPGs and, depending on the sim, have fun with them as well BECAUSE you get to take your time and play at your own pace.
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Does this mean you don't like stories where either A, the players are on the losing side, or B, the story of what the player accomplishes is set among the backdrop of a larger loss, ala Halo Reach?
It means that I don't like running stories that rob players of agency. Be it read-aloud text that assumes player actions, up to including things like "You see a room with five chairs in it" (because that assumes that a PC is looking, or can see in the first place), or games set in historical eras where the players KNOW how the events are supposed to end up no matter what they do.
I'm not into Halo so I don't get the Halo Reach compassion exactly, but stories where what's accomplished ISN'T the biggest thing going on in the world at the time are fine... but the more something becomes a full first to twentieth level campaign, the more to me it seems that the story should be about the PCs and how they can affect change through their choices. That's what makes an RPG interactive. If you know what the end is, then you're not immersed in the role. You're just playing out a part with no chance to bring anything of yourself. That's fine, but to me, that's something you do when you act in a play or movie or a public reading of a script, not play a game where you are helping to create the story.
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If an umbral dragon eats a ghost or other such undead with a rejuvenation ability, does the ghost still rejuvenate, or is it permanently destroyed?
The ghost still rejuvenates unless its rejuvenation says otherwise OR if the dragon (or whatever monster) ability says otherwise.
Hello James!
Assuming there's no reference to removed class features, can unchained classes from pathfinder unchained take racial favored class option originally intended for their chained counterparts?
For example, human monks can add +1/4 point to the monk’s ki pool as a favored class option. Is this allowed on an unchained monk?
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Have you ever considered making Lost Omens campaign setting more steampunk-like (or should I say, gaslamp fantasy-like?) when you first created Pathfinder?Not when we first created Pathfinder, no.
Not when you first created Pathfinder? Does that mean you do consider making Lost Omens campaign setting more steampunk-like now? Now I come to think of it, according to the arts in Agents of Edgewatch, Absalom looked strangely modern (or should I say, Victorian?), and not medieval at all. Perhaps it was your deliberate choice?
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Hello James!
Assuming there's no reference to removed class features, can unchained classes from pathfinder unchained take racial favored class option originally intended for their chained counterparts?
For example, human monks can add +1/4 point to the monk’s ki pool as a favored class option. Is this allowed on an unchained monk?
Up to your GM. To me, if it makes sense logically in world or thematically, then yes. The rules should ALWAYS serve the story, and when they don't they should be adjusted so they do.
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Not when you first created Pathfinder? Does that mean you do consider making Lost Omens campaign setting more steampunk-like now? Now I come to think of it, according to the arts in Agents of Edgewatch, Absalom looked strangely modern (or should I say, Victorian?), and not medieval at all. Perhaps it was your deliberate choice?Have you ever considered making Lost Omens campaign setting more steampunk-like (or should I say, gaslamp fantasy-like?) when you first created Pathfinder?Not when we first created Pathfinder, no.
In the well-over-a-decade span of time that we've built Golarion and expanded the setting, we've taken the world into all sorts of new areas we didn't expect back in the earliest days, when we were simply hoping we'd be around long enough to be able to publish all six parts of "Rise of the Runelords" before going bankrupt and having to shutter Paizo's doors. That mindset never 100% went away, and tended to rise up whenever we had to do a big new sea-change to the company (such as when we made the decision a year or two later to switch over to a game of our own design, etc.).
Now that we feel pretty stable and well established, in the past many years we've started to do things more experimental and non-traditional for D&D stuff. And that includes delving into Steampunk genre and gasslamp fantasy tropes. For the former, see "Guns and Gears" and the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path. For the latter, see "Agents of Edgewatch," which feels and looks more modern than any adventure we've done yet for Pathfinder—deliberately so, as we aimed at a gaslamp era feel.
So, since we've added those elements now, yes, Lost Omens is more steampunk now than it was when we started. It's also just MORE than when we started, with literally hundreds of products exploring and expanding the setting.
If you see us publish something, it was SOMEONE'S deliberate choice. I don't make all of those decisions. Best person to look to for that "deliberate choice's" source is whoever we credit in that book as the development lead, or in the case of a rulebook, the lead designers, with Erik Mona above it all.
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Have you seen "Our Flag Means Death" (HBO Max)? If so, any thoughts?
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Have you seen "Our Flag Means Death" (HBO Max)? If so, any thoughts?
Haven't seen it yet. Been somewhat interested in it, but it hasn't quite yet entered my Binge schedule. The weekend and last week was all about "Foundation" and I'm currently heading into the three seasons of "Servant."
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When I first heard that Monsters of Myth has a chapter dedicated to kaiju, I was very excited. But surprisingly the book didn't include the stat blocks for kaiju, while it includes stat blocks for every other monster introduced in the book, and also while Pathfinder Second Edition already has one spell (summon kaiju) and two feats (true shapeshifter and heart of the kaiju) related to kaiju. Why did you not include stat blocks for kaiju in Monsters of Myth? I really wished to see the detailed stat blocks of kaiju who has 35 or 40 levels!
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When I first heard that Monsters of Myth has a chapter dedicated to kaiju, I was very excited. But surprisingly the book didn't include the stat blocks for kaiju, while it includes stat blocks for every other monster introduced in the book, and also while Pathfinder Second Edition already has one spell (summon kaiju) and two feats (true shapeshifter and heart of the kaiju) related to kaiju. Why did you not include stat blocks for kaiju in Monsters of Myth? I really wished to see the detailed stat blocks of kaiju who has 35 or 40 levels!
Kaiju are above level 26. And while we could TECHNICALLY just extend the monster values up five levels from where they currently cap out at level 25, that puts those stats far beyond the threshold of what a 20th level party could handle–as it stands, a level 25 creature already does that, but it's close enough that a fully optimized party that has access to super powerful magic and has spent several levels preparing specifically for that level 25 monster could have a chance.
That breaks down quickly with each level above that.
Since we currently have no plans for if we ever want to do something that expands the power of a player character past 20th level, we pretty much cannot do stat blocks for kaiju, demigods, Sorshen, or other things that, in previous editions, were above level 25.
But those things are still in the world, so instead of giving them monster stats, we tackle them in different ways.
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Is creating or controlling undead an illegal act in most civilized settlements (for example, Absalom, Oppara, Egorian, Katapesh, Korvosa, Magnimar, Sandpoint, and Xin-Shalast) ?
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Is creating or controlling undead an illegal act in most civilized settlements (for example, Absalom, Oppara, Egorian, Katapesh, Korvosa, Magnimar, Sandpoint, and Xin-Shalast) ?
The legality of creating/controlling undead isn't a factor of civilization—Geb, for example, is VERY civilized—but more a factor of alignment. The more non-evil a society is, the more likely it is that it's illegal.
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Have you seen Moon Knight yet, and what are your thoughts so far?
I don't have a Disney + subscription, and I'm very unlikely to ever get one. Unless Disney some day decides to let their Marvel shows be purchased apart from being a subscriber, I'll not be watching Moon Knight, despite the fact that several of the episodes were directed by a director duo I very much admire.
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Hey, James, I just finished reading Wrath of the Righteous. I was wondering about your thoughts on what succubi bring to the game.
The same thing they bring to any story that they take a part of—which is to say, the same thing vampires bring to a story. They're basically the same monster, thematically. They build on horror themes of betrayal, fear of intimacy and sex, fear of being killed by someone you love or lust after, and are excellent monsters to use in adventures that require a subversive element causing a society to rot from the inside out. Their nature makes using them as they work in stories and movies that aren't Pathfinder adventures a bit tricky, of course. They also bring in elements of actual game play temptation, where you can use them to tempt player characters to accept the rules boost they can give, knowing it's a choice that might come back to haunt them.
They also (along with things like vampires) let us tell stories where we subvert the "evil monsters are ugly" trope. Not everything that's pretty is nice.
The converse is true as well. Not everything that's ugly is bad. We try to include examples of "ugly" creatures and NPCs being in heroic or good roles, but those are limited by the fact that the main "heroes" of the stories we tell are the only elements we actually CAN'T tell—the story of your player characters. It's further complicated by the weird side effect that a lot of artists tend to rely on classic visual cues where beauty = good and ugliness = bad. It can be difficult to push back against centuries of tradition there.
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Piracy is legal in several non-evil countries. For example, in Andoran, piracy against Cheliax and slavers are entirely legal. And in Taldor, piracy against Qadira is entirely legal. Piracy is also legal in the Shackles, I guess. Then what about in Varisia? I mean, Korvosa, Magnimar, and Riddleport seem very hostile to each other. Then can I assume that piracy and banditry against other two city states are entirely legal in these three states?
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Piracy is legal in several non-evil countries. For example, in Andoran, piracy against Cheliax and slavers are entirely legal. And in Taldor, piracy against Qadira is entirely legal. Piracy is also legal in the Shackles, I guess. Then what about in Varisia? I mean, Korvosa, Magnimar, and Riddleport seem very hostile to each other. Then can I assume that piracy and banditry against other two city states are entirely legal in these three states?
It's not legal, but it still happens, and that's part of what causes the hostility.
On page 80 of Eyes of Empty Death, there is an art of an aquatic monster. What does it depict, a deepwater dhuthorex or a dread dhuthorex?
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Hi James,
Assuming the qlippoth succeeded in exterminating all mortal life, what would happen to the cycle of souls? Would it stop? And if so, would that doom the qlippoth as the abyss erodes away into the maelstrom like everything else?
Unrevealed, but I suspect that the qlippoth would be fine. They were around before that soul cycle started, after all.
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Very true! Thanks!
It's mentioned in the Book of the Damned that mortals can go through the fiendish apotheosis process described therein to become qlippoth. Is this still a thing in 2e, even if only as a plot point to motivate a villain? And if so, what do "pure" qlippoth think of once-mortal cultists with the audacity to become one of them?
It's still a thing in 2E. What qlippoth thinks would depend on the individual. Some would be delighted. Some would be scandalized. Some wouldn't care.
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Hello Mr. Jacobs!
I was wondering if I could ask how you and the other writers managed to come up with the names of the various gods of pathfinder? I am creating my own setting and whatnot, and would like to try and figure out a way to create god names without having to rely on something like a generator or what have you.
I noticed that a lot of the time related/temporal spells are of the transmutation school, which is not what I would have expected, and that got me curious. What's the rationale or story behind that?
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Welcome back James! I hope you will have a good time in thread now.
My Malevolence group has mostly finished the adventure, we will have a short epilogue session next week or so. Everyone had a lot of fun with memorable moments, I'd say.
Before jumping into the next Pathfinder adventure I want to have a few sessions playing something else. Outside of a Starfinder one-shot I don't have any plans yet and am curious:
What are some non-Pathfinder TTRPGs that you enjoy? I am guessing Call of Cthulhu too.Yay; glad you enjoyed the haunted house!
Call of Cthulhu is probably my FAVORITE RPG in fact. At the very least, it's on equal footing to Pathfinder.
I've played a lot of other RPGs over the years—the most notable of which is D&D, be it the BECMI version, 1st edition AD&D, 2nd edition AD&D, or 3rd edition AD&D, all of which I played obsessively. I tried 4th edition once and did not like it and never tried it again. I played 5th edition a few times and liked it better than 4th, but not as much as any previous edition and not as much as Pathfinder.
Starfinder is fun too—was playing in Dead Suns but that campaign kinda crashed when the pandemic hit, alas.
I don't get much time to game lately, alas, in part due to the pandemic (I really don't enjoy VTT play), but historically I've also played a fair amount of Battletech/Mechwarrior, Shadowrun, Gamma World, Star Frontiers, Alternity, and a lot of shorter indie games. My favorite current indie game would be Dread... but I played one that a fellow employee designed recently that's a LOT of fun. Not sure how much I should say about that though since I don't know what their plans are for it.
And finally, there's Unspeakable Futrues, which is my d20 based post-apocalyptic game that I've been working on for decades. A fair amount of this game's contents have crept into Pathfinder/Starfinder (the gunslinger class and all this stuff in the Technology Guide for the most part), but there's a lot more that hasn't. I keep thinking...
I might regret not reading all the pages on the way here, but a quick-scan didn't notice it already asked: have you ever heard of the game Coyote & Crow? It's very new and a really fun system so far!
Related: I know you've mentioned not having much time, but do you tend to check out new systems much? (I know myself it's gotten more difficult as I lack time and get older.)
EDIT: Also - welcome back! :D
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Hello Mr. Jacobs!
I was wondering if I could ask how you and the other writers managed to come up with the names of the various gods of pathfinder? I am creating my own setting and whatnot, and would like to try and figure out a way to create god names without having to rely on something like a generator or what have you.
Naming things is a super tricky business. I can't speak to how other folks named deities, but for me, it's generally a mix of:
1) Reading a LOT of genre fiction, and absorbing all the made up names for characters and locations and creatures into my brain into a part of it that is dedicated toward the creative process of making up new names
2) Using online name generators to spark creativity. Spelling words and names backwards to spark creativity. Then using my understanding of how words are constructed in the language to rearrange letters to make sure they sound like words and not alphabet salad.
3) Building a list of names and writing them down in a notebook to create a "name bank" to draw upon when needed. Usually I'll spend a few hours doing 1 and 2 above to fill a page when the previous page of names starts to get used up.
4) Say the name out loud, including ways you think it might be mis-prounounced, to make sure the name sounds good. Give the name in writing to a friend and ask them to do the same. Best if that friend has a filthy imagination so that they will be able to point out embarrassing accidents. And if the name leans in to a real-world society that you aren't an expert in, run the name by folks who are.
5) Do a google search for the name to make sure you don't accidentally use the name of someone famous, or a well-known fictional name already in use that you think will overshadow the name you made.
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I noticed that a lot of the time related/temporal spells are of the transmutation school, which is not what I would have expected, and that got me curious. What's the rationale or story behind that?
Dunno. That seems like more of a design team question, but if it were me, conjuration feels a bit more accurate, since that's where teleportation lives.
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I might regret not reading all the pages on the way here, but a quick-scan didn't notice it already asked: have you ever heard of the game Coyote & Crow? It's very new and a really fun system so far!
Related: I know you've mentioned not having much time, but do you tend to check out new systems much? (I know myself it's gotten more difficult as I lack time and get older.)
EDIT: Also - welcome back! :D
I have heard of the game, in that I pledged it on Kickstarter and have my copy and have read through it. I love the world building in there. Haven't really looked at the rules at all, and am unlikely to ever actually play it because I don't play a lot of non Call of Cthulhu/Pathfinder games anymore. I love that this book was so successful, though!
I don't check out new systems much, no.
EDIT: Thanks!
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I have always assumed that boggards are frogfolk. But recently I found out that gripplis look like frogs as well. So can I assume that gripplis are frogfolk, and boggards are toadfolk?
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I have always assumed that boggards are frogfolk. But recently I found out that gripplis look like frogs as well. So can I assume that gripplis are frogfolk, and boggards are toadfolk?
Nope. They're both based more on frogs than toads, although boggards are closer toward toads than gripplis are.
When it comes to "animal humanoids" we don't limit ourselves to one humanoid per animal.
We've also largely moved away from calling things "...folk" as well, since that's a name construction that others an ancestry. There's still some of that present in the game, in most part because of legacy issues with previous editions and habits that are hard to break.
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When you're making a timeline, say of historical events, is there any particular way you go about slotting them into place or making them?
I try to leave a bit of wiggle room around specific dates so that there's room for future expansions. But that said, if I were to be building the timeline for Golarion today, I'd push REAL hard for us to change the setting's 10,000 year history to something closer to a 3 to 4 thousand year one, and the Age of Lost Omens would be much more recent.
Part of the reason we went for such an extended timeline is to leave room for stuff we hadn't thought of yet, and part was kind of the result of how long dwarves and elves live—since they're PC races, the longer timeline is sort of necessary to accommodate their ancient pasts as well.
But I think it ended up being TOO much. So ... one thing I do now is try to keep in mind that sometimes, a span of centuries isn't the right solution when a span of decades works just as well.
Hello Mr. Jacobs!
I was wondering if there's any lore regarding the Logos mentioned in regards to the Positive Energy Plane, if you'd know anything about that.
A jungle drake is immune to poison. Which means it would not poison itself even if it accidentally stabs itself with its stinger. But I found out that a wyvern is not immune to poison. Does that mean a wyvern would be poisoned if it accidentally stabs itself with its stinger?
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A jungle drake is immune to poison. Which means it would not poison itself even if it accidentally stabs itself with its stinger. But I found out that a wyvern is not immune to poison. Does that mean a wyvern would be poisoned if it accidentally stabs itself with its stinger?
The rules appear to be silent here, but it's a situation that likely won't happen a lot. It's a great example of something for a GM to adjudicate on their own, rather than clutter up text with words that will probably never come into play.
You can also look at real-world venomous creatures for examples.
Personally, I play the game with venomous creatures being immune to their own poison. Likewise, if a creature does acid damage with its swallow whole attack but is not itself immune to acid, I don't have that creature consumed from within by the acid inside its belly.