Hey all!
I am new to Pathfinder and have only played D&D a few times. I have a couple questions.
For this example let's use the Sorcerer:
To learn or cast a spell, a sorcerer must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level.
So, in essence, that means a Sorcerer needs to have a Charisma of 18 to cast an 8th level spell, correct?
I was thinking of using the point buy system, and I figure the best score will be about a 14 or 15. I know you gain an Attribute every so often, but wouldn't that mean you would have to use that on Charisma every time at the expense of other stats?
Next question.
When it says you get a +2 bonus to DC (as an example) what does that mean exactly?
If your DC for casting a spell is 15, does that +2 make it a 17 or a 13? Or is it the target gets +2 to their DC to resist/save/etc?
Next question.
Under the Barbarian class it says:
The increase to Constitution grants the barbarian 2 hit points per Hit Dice, but these disappear when the rage ends and are not lost first like temporary hit points.
So when are they lost? If last then wouldn't the Barbarian fall if that's what he has left when the Rage ends?
I appreciate any help given. Thank all!
1) Correct.
2) It adds +2 to the DC, making it more difficult for the target to pass the save.
3) Correct.
So, in essence, that means a Sorcerer needs to have a Charisma of 18 to cast an 8th level spell, correct?
Correct.
I was thinking of using the point buy system, and I figure the best score will be about a 14 or 15. I know you gain an Attribute every so often, but wouldn't that mean you would have to use that on Charisma every time at the expense of other stats?
Pretty much; that being said, as a sorcerer I would personally buy a higher Charisma even if you had to set your other stats on fire to do it. It's too important to your main class function to be a 14 even in 10 point buy.
Also consider that point buy is your stats before a racial mod. Getting +2 to charisma after the buy from a race that gets a Charisma bump or can pick a stat of their choice to bump is probably smart.
If your DC for casting a spell is 15, does that +2 make it a 17 or a 13? Or is it the target gets +2 to their DC to resist/save/etc?
It'd be the 17 -- in other words, they need to roll a higher number to successfully save. The +2 makes the save harder.
The increase to Constitution grants the barbarian 2 hit points per Hit Dice, but these disappear when the rage ends and are not lost first like temporary hit points.So when are they lost? If last then wouldn't the Barbarian fall if that's what he has left when the Rage ends?
That's correct. It's very possible for a barbarian to drop out of rage and keel over on the spot. Anger/adrenaline was keeping him going, but as that fades the limitations of his biology take over.
Stat boosting items aren't very expensive. A 16th level sorcerer can afford a +4 headband of charisma without even blinking.
So even if you started at Char 14 (why?), picked a race that can't give Char +2 (why?) and put your stat boosts elsewhere (yet again, why?), in practice it's not a big deal.
Thanks all for the clarifications. I'll probably have more questions later as I am only finishing reading through the classes right now. But I'll ask those when I get there.
Adding my two copper pieces to the mix:
Sorcerers and their pretty faces:
Yes, you could start with a relatively low charisma and increase it later with the stat boosts you get every four levels, or even with items that boost your charisma.
However, charisma is the single most important ability score for a sorcerer. They're usually more focussed on charisma than other classes are focussed on their primary attribute (except for other full-time arcanists like wizards and witches, who have a similar fixation on their spellcasting ability score, but for the rest of my post, I won't mention those again).
You don't have to over-specialise on charisma when creating a sorcerer, but sorcerers are more easily able to put all their eggs in one basket than other classes. You can use some dexterity (for reflex saves, AC, and ray attack rolls) and constitution (for fortitude saves and hit points), and maybe some wisdom for (will saves), but you don't need that much of either, and you can ignore the rest without crippling the character or anything.
It does make sense to increase other attributes if it fits your character concept, but unlike other classes, who often need good scores in other abilities, the only thing that is really, really important to a sorcerer is his charisma.
Having said that, 14-15 sounds low for a sorcerer's charisma unless you're using a really low purchase/point buy system. A 16 (you'll often increase to 18 with a racial bonus) is something like the norm for lower purchase point values, and if you get to the more generous ones, an 18 (to be raised to 20 with the right race) should be seriously looked into.
Increasing DC:
If it says "+2 to DC", it means the DC involved is increased. DCs are used for ability/skill checks as well as saving throws. Increasing the DC means it gets harder to succeed that roll.
So if we're talking about, say, a fireball spell (DC 15 in our example), and there is something that increases the DC by 2, we end up with DC 17, and the suckers who have to try avoiding being fried to a crisp will have a harder time succeeding in that.
There is no "DC to save", that's the saving throw. If something says "+2 to saves", that means it becomes easier to avoid/mitigate effects.
Barbarians, rage, and dying on your feet:
It works like this: You enter the rage, you gain 2 HP per HD. You leave the rage again, you lose 2 HP per HD.
Example: You're a barbarian 5 with 50 hp normally. When you enter the rage, you now have 60 hp. Not bad.
Let's say you take 35 points of damage during the fight and then the rage ends (for whatever reason), you lose the 10 hp again and are now at 25.
ANd yes, this can get very dangerous! to continue the example above, except you don't end the rage voluntarily when you are at 35 hp, but something beats you halfway into your next incarnation, leaving you at -3 HP. You fall unconscious. You cannot be raging when you're unconscious, and so the rage ends. You lose 10 hp. You're now at -13 HP and much closer to death.
Note that you die when your hp reach - (Con score). So in the above example, let's say the barbarian normally has con 16 (20 during the rage) and he falls, being dropped to -13 hp. Unless he stabilises or is healed, heal bleed to death in 3 rounds when he reaches -16 hp.
This also gives birth to tactics like using calm emotions (which ends your rage if you fail your save against it) when you're close to death - the HP loss could drop you on the spot as it puts you into the negatives.
Finally, to counter this dangerous situation (barbarians running the danger of instantly dying when they're brought below 0 HP), many barbarians get the Diehard feat, which allows you to remain conscious below 0 HP, and the APG has a rage power that also protects you against this.
Well, I am almost finished with the core rulebook and I have two more questions.
Is the "inherent bonus" such as the one a Tome of Understanding (page 531) gives, a permanent bonus? If so, what prevents a character from making a bunch of them to skyrocket their relative attribute score?
Next, under Create Magic Armor (page 550), it says:
"Additional magic supply costs for the materials are subsumed in the cost for creating the magic armor - half the base price of the item"
Under Create Magic Weapons (page 551) it says the same thing for the first half but adds:
..." - half the base price of the item based upon the item's total effective bonus."
What in the frack do those two mean??
Thanks for the help all!
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Hey, welcome to the game! Always good to see new blood in the hobby.
Well, I am almost finished with the core rulebook and I have two more questions.
Is the "inherent bonus" such as the one a Tome of Understanding (page 531) gives, a permanent bonus? If so, what prevents a character from making a bunch of them to skyrocket their relative attribute score?
Yes, it is a permanent bonus. However, there is a rule that the maximum inherent bonus you can have to any given ability score is +5, so you wouldn't be able to skyrocket it all that high. Also, inherent bonuses don't stack, they overlap.
Stacking - Bonuses that stack do just what they sound like; they add together. In general, bonuses with different names stack.
Overlapping - Bonuses that overlap (or, more commonly, "don't stack") aren't added together. Instead, you choose the highest one and ignore the rest. Bonuses with the same name generally overlap.
As an example, pretend you're a barbarian. When you go into a rage, your strength score goes up by 4. If you look closely, you'll see that the rage bonus to Strength is called a "morale bonus".
Now say your buddy wizard casts bull's strength on you. This spell also increases your strength, but you'll notice that this bonus is an "enhancement bonus". Since the bonus names are different, they stack, so you can get a +8 to your strength by raging and having bull's strength cast on you.
Now, let's say your buddy wizard cast bull's strength on you (ignore the rage for now). You've got +4 enhancement bonus to strength for the next three minutes. After two minutes, the wizard casts bull's strength on you again. Now, you're getting two instances of a +4 enhancement bonus to strength. Since they have the same name, they don't stack, and you just use the one that's larger (which in this case is either of them, so it doesn't matter). When the first one runs out, the second one will still have two minutes left in it though, so you end up with a total of five minutes of bull's strength (but that one-minute overlap in the middle was a very inefficient use of spells).
There are only a few small exceptions to the rule of "Matching Names Don't Stack". "Dodge" and "deflection" bonuses to Armor Class stack with things that have the same name (as long as they come from different sources). "Circumstance" bonuses to rolls stack with each other in a similar way. Lastly, any bonus that doesn't have a name ("untyped" bonuses) always stack with each other and with everything else. You'll notice that penalties are very often untyped, because penalties always stack (which can really suck sometimes).
Next, under Create Magic Armor (page 550), it says:"Additional magic supply costs for the materials are subsumed in the cost for creating the magic armor - half the base price of the item"
Under Create Magic Weapons (page 551) it says the same thing for the first half but adds:
..." - half the base price of the item based upon the item's total effective bonus."
What in the frack do those two mean??
That means that when you are making a magic item from scratch, you have to pay half the price that it would cost you to buy it from someone else.
I'm not sure why there's a difference between the armor and weapons section, because they both work the same way. The "total effective bonus" part means that you add together all the aspects of the weapon/armor to figure out its price.
For example, a +1 weapon has a base price of 2,000 gold pieces, and a +2 weapon has a base price of 8,000 gold pieces. Adding the "thundering" ability to a weapon is equivalent to adding a +1 bonus. If you were going to figure out the price of a +2 thundering weapon, you would not do the math this way:
Instead, you would do it like this:
This is important to remember, because you can take a sword that's a +1 sword, and spend the money to turn it into a +2 flaming sword by paying the difference in cost. You have to look at the total cost of a +2 flaming sword, not just the individual prices of "+1" and "flaming".
Thanks Jagyr!
Next question.
When making a magic weapon, it says that it must be +1 to be able to get special abilities/enchantments right? (I think it says that, I don't have the book in front of me atm)
Now, masterwork items get +1 right?
Does the +1 from masterwork cover the requirement for the additional abilities/enchantments?
If not and you have to add a magic +1, doesn't that make, for example, a +1 longsword actually +2?
Thanks again everyone for all the help!
Thanks Jagyr!
Next question.
When making a magic weapon, it says that it must be +1 to be able to get special abilities/enchantments right? (I think it says that, I don't have the book in front of me atm)
Now, masterwork items get +1 right?
Does the +1 from masterwork cover the requirement for the additional abilities/enchantments?
If not and you have to add a magic +1, doesn't that make, for example, a +1 longsword actually +2?
Thanks again everyone for all the help!
A big "NO" on that one, you must craft in an overall +1 enhancement bonus on a magical weapon before making it valid for getting any of the other abilities. Masterwork provides a +1 enhancement bonus to hit only (not damage). As they are both the same type of bonus you only get the larger of the two (both being equal to hit, the magical giving you +1 damage too).
Masterwork +1 hit only
Magical +1 hit and damage
Thanks Skylancer4!
I forgot a question.
In the point buy system your attributes start at 10.
Now, it lists an 11 as 1 point and a 12 as 1 point (or 2? still don't have the book next to me).
Now to get a 12, do you add the cost for 11 and 12? Or do you just use the cost for 12?
What about for 9 and 8? If I go to 8, do I get 3pts or 2?
Thanks all!
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In the point buy system your attributes start at 10.
Now, it lists an 11 as 1 point and a 12 as 1 point (or 2? still don't have the book next to me).
Now to get a 12, do you add the cost for 11 and 12? Or do you just use the cost for 12?
What about for 9 and 8? If I go to 8, do I get 3pts or 2?
The book lists 11 as 1 point and 12 as 2 points, otherwise, I agree, it would be very confusing.
You spend 2 points to raise a score from 10 to 12. You get back 2 points if you drop a score from 10 to 8.
Hey all,
I was just wondering if anyone knew if the Rise of the Runelords (Burnt Offerings) book is balanced has per the treasure per encounter table in the core book?
Also if anyone knew when a group of 6 pc's would level up in RotR?
Also, would it be appropriate to add another monster or two per encounter if running 6 pc's? The book is set for 4 pc's.
I just ask because I was wondering if someone else had already done the math. I still want to do it myself just to practice doing it but it would be nice to have something to check my math against.
And just a a side question, it says the book will play out over 6 months. How long/often of a game session is that based on?
BTW - Another thanks to all that help me out. It has been immensely appreciated. :)
I found a post listing when to level, though I still have reservations about the difficulty of the listed mobs.
The other question to add is:
How exactly does one calculate xp? On a medium progression and adding the xp from the CR's divided by 6 (# of pc's) I wouldn't have the pc's level until Thistletop. The list I found has them leveling before entering The Catacombs of Wrath. How is the xp figured?
Any answers to the other questions?
I found a post listing when to level, though I still have reservations about the difficulty of the listed mobs.
The other question to add is:
How exactly does one calculate xp? On a medium progression and adding the xp from the CR's divided by 6 (# of pc's) I wouldn't have the pc's level until Thistletop. The list I found has them leveling before entering The Catacombs of Wrath. How is the xp figured?
Any answers to the other questions?
RotRL was made for 3.5 rather than Pathfinder, so it should use the Fast XP progression. This thread has a list of points where PCs should level up. If you scroll down to the posts by Lisa Stevens, you will find level up points for 6 PCs.
This thread has changes you can make to keep the challenges in line with 6 PCs.
This page has conversions of most of the enemies into the Pathfinder rules.
I'm playing RotRL right now, and I found that Burt Offerings took 4 sessions of about 5 hours each. I expect Skinsaw Murders to take about the same time. If you played one session a week, then each book would take about a month, making the whole AP six months.
The treasure is supposedly just slightly higher than the suggested wealth per level. Not every encounter has appropriate treasure, but when all the loot is added together it evens out.
Ok, I need some help with these.
First, the simpler question: One of my player just cross-classed to Witch after 2 levels of Warrior. He has the Ward Hex for now. How many times per day can he use it? I need to go over the Hex list still, but if it is once per person per day, it seems like that is pretty dang powerful. It seeems to me that he could just pick a good one vs mobs and he can use it once on every one he comes across.
Second, I have 3 players at level 3. 1 Barbarian, 1 Cleric, 1 Warrior/Witch. Their AC's go as follows:
Barbarian: 21 AC
Cleric: 18 AC (I think, but she needs to upgrade her stuff next game)
Warrior/Witch: 21 AC (I believe atm but up to 26 after Ward Hex/Mage Armor)
My problem is that I am building encounters for them and they rarely get hit. It seems to come down to me needing a 19-20 to be able to hit them (19 w/+2 or 20 for auto/potential crit)
How should I address this with my mobs? (So far, I have had them face Skeletons and Goblins and RP reliant Quests.)
I don't want it to the point of nearly wiping the party every time, but I worry that the danger isn't there for them.
Thoughts/Opinions most welcome and appreciated.
Also if anyone knew when a group of 6 pc's would level up in RotR?
I second the suggestion of just telling them to level up at appropriate areas. There are a few instances where the books will say "The PCs should be level X by now" so spread the others around as appropriate. If they're totally destroying stuff, don't be afraid to keep them down a bit under level, especially if there are more than 4 players.
Also, would it be appropriate to add another monster or two per encounter if running 6 pc's? The book is set for 4 pc's.
Totally. The monsters need buffing. PCs got a bit more dangerous in PFRPG, so part of your conversion should be making sure they have a bit more HP, and stand a chance of hitting. Or just throw a bunch more mooks into the mix, which can be fun.
He has the Ward Hex for now. How many times per day can he use it?
Hexes can be used at will, unless specified otherwise. This means every round the Witch can use the Ward hex as a standard action. Keep in mind, the witch can only have one Ward active at a time.
It seeems to me that he could just pick a good one vs mobs and he can use it once on every one he comes across.
Yep, that's the point. A Witch can use Misfortune (or whatever) once on every mob he comes across. Standard action each time. Beware the slumber hex. (Keep a spare mook handy to smack your bosses if they get slept, otherwise coup-de-gras means disappointing 2 round boss fight.)
Warrior/Witch: 21 AC (I believe atm but up to 26 after Ward Hex/Mage Armor)
Remember, Mage Armor is an Armor Bonus to AC, which will not stack with the bonus from actual armor. If he is wearing armor, he will have an Arcane Spell Failure chance for witch spells (but not Hexes).
My problem is that I am building encounters for them and they rarely get hit. It seems to come down to me needing a 19-20 to be able to hit them (19 w/+2 or 20 for auto/potential crit)
Gang up on them. A sea of mooks should be able to get into flanking positions for +2 to hit, or have extra guys use Aid Another for another +2.
Also, if you haven't seen it yet, check out the PRD - a Paizo-hosted compilation of all the rules. It's legal, supported, and accurate. So, if you don't have your book handy, you can still check things out.
Thanks for the help Grick!
Another two questions:
What is the range increment for Ranged Touch attacks?
Do Divine spells suffer from armor spell failure chance?
Thanks again all!
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Thanks for the help Grick!
Another two questions:
What is the range increment for Ranged Touch attacks?
Do Divine spells suffer from armor spell failure chance?
Thanks again all!
Spells that use a ranged touch attack (such as scorching ray or acid arrow[i] or [i]ray of enfeeblement) don't have range increments, unless so noted in the spell description, which, as far as I know, none do.
Alchemist's fire or a tanglefoot bag, on the other hand, have a 10 ft. range increment. Generally, for a mundane item like the alchemist's fire or tanglefoot bag, the range increment should be listed under the item.
Divine spells do not suffer from arcane spell failure for armor worn.
To learn or cast a spell, a sorcerer must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level.
So, in essence, that means a Sorcerer needs to have a Charisma of 18 to cast an 8th level spell, correct?
I was thinking of using the point buy system, and I figure the best score will be about a 14 or 15. I know you gain an Attribute every so often, but wouldn't that mean you would have to use that on Charisma every time at the expense of other stats?
With a 15 pt buy, you can start with;
Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 15/17
[0 + 5 + 3 + 0 + 0 + 7 = 15, +2 human bonus to Cha]
and then add +2 for your race, if human, for a Cha 17 right out of the box without dumping anything. By 4th level, you can boost Cha to 18 (or Con to 14, for +1 hp/HD and +1 Fort saves).
Since you don't have to really worry about 8th level spells until you have racked up four opportunities to increase your Charisma by +1 (at 16th level), *and* you'll probably have a magic headband of +4 Charisma by then, you could start the game with a 12 Charisma and probably remain capable of casting your highest level spells through a combination of level-ups and gear. Starting with a number as high as 17 means that, even without gear, you'll be able to wait until 16th level before spending one of your 'once every four levels' attribute boosts on Charisma.
If your GM allows 20 pt buy, or even 25 pt buy, you've got much less to worry about, and could start the game at 1st level with a 20 Charisma. :)
Hey all, just a quick question.
Is there a penalty for wielding a two-handed weapon in one hand?
All I can find is the rules for size category changes (which would be -2 to attack) but the damage would stay the same. Is that right?
Thanks again!
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Is there a penalty for wielding a two-handed weapon in one hand? All I can find is the rules for size category changes (which would be -2 to attack) but the damage would stay the same. Is that right?
A weapon's size category isn't the same as its size as an object. Instead, a weapon's size category is keyed to the size of the intended wielder. In general, a light weapon is an object two size categories smaller than the wielder, a one-handed weapon is an object one size category smaller than the wielder, and a two-handed weapon is an object of the same size category as the wielder.
Inappropriately Sized Weapons: A creature can't make optimum use of a weapon that isn't properly sized for it. A cumulative –2 penalty applies on attack rolls for each size category of difference between the size of its intended wielder and the size of its actual wielder. If the creature isn't proficient with the weapon, a –4 nonproficiency penalty also applies.
The measure of how much effort it takes to use a weapon (whether the weapon is designated as a light, one-handed, or two-handed weapon for a particular wielder) is altered by one step for each size category of difference between the wielder's size and the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed. For example, a Small creature would wield a Medium one-handed weapon as a two-handed weapon. If a weapon's designation would be changed to something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by this alteration, the creature can't wield the weapon at all.
A Medium creature (like a human) can use a two-handed weapon that is sized for a Small creature as a one-handed weapon. The penalty is -2 to hit. The damage is the size of the two-handed weapon for a Small user. For example, if a human uses a greatsword sized for a Small creature, it would be -2 to hit and would do 1d10 damage. A Medium creature cannot use a greatsword sized for a Medium creature one-handed at all without some rules resource that allows him to do so, such as a feat.
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Is there a penalty for wielding a two-handed weapon in one hand?
No penalty. You simply can't do it. You can hold a two-handed weapon in one hand, but you can't make an attack with it (or otherwise use it as a weapon - for example, you don't threaten attacks of opportunity with it or activate any magical properties that require you to wield it) without a specific game ability that allows it.
Once again, I want to thank all of you for being so helpful.
Now though, I have a math problem :)
I just got the Gamemastery Guide and I was looking through the NPC Gallery. The problem comes when, at the bottom of some of them, it talks about them in a group, like on page 282 under Caravan Guard. It says that two slavers (CR 3 pg 266) might use four Caravan Guards (CR 1) and somehow that equals CR 7?
How does that work?
Thanks again all. :)
It says that two slavers (CR 3 pg 266) might use four Caravan Guards (CR 1) and somehow that equals CR 7?
How does that work?
You might want to check out the gamemastering section of the prd:
The CR Equivalency table can be used to quickly find the CR of a bunch of identical creatures (e.g. 4 creatures are CR+4, so those Guards would be CR 5, and 2 creatures are CR+2 so those slavers are CR 5 as well). You could extrapolate (and probably be right) that those two CR 5 challenges together would then be CR 7.Optionally, you could use "Experience Point Awards" to figure the XP for all enemies involved:
2 slavers at CR3 = 2 * 800 XP = 1600 XP
4 Guards at CR 1 = 4 * 400 XP = 1600 XP
Add them up, and you get 3200 XP. That is exactly a CR-7 encounter... if it were high or low, you'd need to think a little bit about which one it's closer to.
Thanks Kikanaide!
It is going to take a little time to wrap my head around that properly. Before I was just adding up the CR's to get a total.
Quick question also;
What is the opinion on letting your PC's see the initiative numbers of the mobs their fighting?
lol... I'm reading all of this and saying to myself what I would have given for the internet when I read through my first D&D book way back in the early 80s... I would of asked a zillion questions.
This is SO neat!
Ultradan
What is the opinion on letting your PC's see the initiative numbers of the mobs their fighting?
I personally let the players keep track of initiative, and either on initiative point 10 or at the end of the round have others enter the battle or events take place, respectively. Just one less thing I have to wrestle with behind the screen.
Quick question also;
What is the opinion on letting your PC's see the initiative numbers of the mobs their fighting?
I'm not sure it matters a great deal either way in practice... after the first round it's somewhat moot.
For a first-time GM, I would suggest just writing the initiatives down, leaving space between them, where everyone can see them. Roll the initiatives of the mobs (and, I would suggest, roll just one initiative for each type of creature) secretly, and then write them in the list on their first turn.
Other techniques when you get a little more practice:
One of the things I've seen work very well is to make index cards for each character and all of the mobs, put them in initiative order, and then flip through them as the rounds go on. If someone delays or readies, you can flip the card sideways so that you can grab it and put it back in order when the time comes. Also, some people use a combat manager program.
I wouldn't suggest using those, though, until you've run a few combats. The first time I used the cards it was pretty distracting. You don't want the learning curve on the tool to slow down what you're trying to speed up.
lol... I'm reading all of this and saying to myself what I would have given for the internet when I read through my first D&D book way back in the early 80s... I would of asked a zillion questions.
This is SO neat!
Ultradan
BTW - a +10 to everyone who has responded in this thread. The responses have been thoughtful, at the right level, and exactly the right tone.
Finally, to counter this dangerous situation (barbarians running the danger of instantly dying when they're brought below 0 HP), many barbarians get the Diehard feat, which allows you to remain conscious below 0 HP, and the APG has a rage power that also protects you against this.
Sadly, even this doesn't (always) save you -- my barbarian was just reincarnated because he got slapped down to -2 hp -- which would have been fine, but I ran out of rage for the day (it was the 5th encounter) a round later. I won the fight and had a second to say "Yay", and then keel over at -20hp.
It was the first time I ever wished I had moment of clarity (or extra rage).
Barbarian: 21 AC
Cleric: 18 AC (I think, but she needs to upgrade her stuff next game)
Warrior/Witch: 21 AC (I believe atm but up to 26 after Ward Hex/Mage Armor)
I know this is an older message, but I just needed to ruin your witch player's day a bit -- you can't ward yourself. See, look:
A witch can use this hex to place a protective ward over one creature. The warded creature receives a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saving throws. This ward lasts until the warded creature is hit or fails a saving throw. A witch knows when a warded creature is no longer protected. A witch can have only one ward active at a time. If the witch uses this ability again, the previous ward immediately ends. A witch cannot use this ability on herself. At 8th level and 16th level, the bonuses provided by this ward increase by +1.
And, I'm sure someone's already mentioned that the +4 from mage armour doesn't stack with armour - it's an armour bonus all itself - basically, think of it as the spell creating a chain shirt of force with no AC penalty. :) Could use shield, if he's not got a shield.
Also, the Barbarian should lose 2 AC when they rage, which would make life easier (in most parties, barbarians go through their big hit die because they're not that hard to hit compared to fighters, for instance).
When you're faced with a group that you have problems hitting, then it's usually time to turn on the tactics. A few easy things:
1. Flanking. +2 to hit, and if your friend's got rogue levels, so much the better.
2. Aid another. You give up your attack, but then your friend gets to smack 'em.
3. Buffs and Bonuses. For instance, in RoR, I believe there's a couple Goblin Warchanters -- their bard levels let them use performance to give their friends bonuses to hit.
4. Touch AC. Bloodline powers, spells, and some alchemical attacks go after touch ac rather than "real" AC, and that tends to be a much easier target.
Using all of these things, I freaked out a level 5 party -- basic story was a crazy female bard who lost her daughter wished for it to come back to life, but with a Glabrezu, who the wish and brought the baby back to life, but it wasn't the baby anymore. Anyhow, long story, she stole all the kids from a village and turned them into raiders. They would attack with her inspiring competence at them, and a Mass Bull's Strength (and masterwork weapons) - and the kids were much more effective in combat than most CR1/2 humanoid/goblinoids when played "as written".
Wow, thanks for all the responses everyone.
I have another math question:
When planning treasure for an encounter, I look at the table for treasure by CR.
My question is, do I count treasure items towards that value at the market price for the item, or at the price they get on selling?
IE: For treasure purposes, does a Longsword count as 15 gold or 7.5 gold?
or
Does a +1 Ring of Protection count as 1000 gold or 500 gold when adding up treasure?
(I believe I have the amounts right.)
Use the market price.
But doesn't that kind of gip the players? They are going to sell 95% of it anyways.
Wait a minute, I just had an idea.
Is loot for mobs, like weapons and armor not counted into that?
IE: does the longsword that guard is carrying NOT count into the treasure by CR?
(BTW thanks for the help again Axl)
Use the market price.But doesn't that kind of gip the players? They are going to sell 95% of it anyways.
Wait a minute, I just had an idea.
Is loot for mobs, like weapons and armor not counted into that?
IE: does the longsword that guard is carrying NOT count into the treasure by CR?
(BTW thanks for the help again Axl)
Yes the guards swords do count. Though usually mundane items cost so little they can be ignored.
Remember these values are guidelines. If you feel that players need more loot, give them more loot. Just beware that PCs with too much loot are more powerful and might find some fights that are supposed to be challenging much less so. Which, in turn, may lead to boredom.
Use the market price.But doesn't that kind of gip the players? They are going to sell 95% of it anyways.
At lower levels, the 50% value is good, plus in many cases, it gives the players an opportunity to upgrade a weapon here or there (eg - I couldn't afford a decent reach weapon after I bought my armour, there's one!). Realistically, the difference between 7.5gp and 15gp is minimal.
When it comes to magic items (and later treasures), you use market value because that's what the item is worth -- if they're selling the items rather than using them, that's their call.
I tend to let people sell for 50% value or try to find items that they can trade for at closer to full value (assuming they're in a place large enough for such things) - whether the person trading be a collector or another adventuring party or what-have-you.
Remember these values are guidelines. If you feel that players need more loot, give them more loot. Just beware that PCs with too much loot are more powerful and might find some fights that are supposed to be challenging much less so. Which, in turn, may lead to boredom.
+1
Also, if your players truly choose to sell 95% of their stuff, they are choosing to have less total wealth than they could. If they want to sell a +1 longsword and a +1 shortsword so that they can have a +1 falcata, that's fine - but they traded 2 magic weapons for 1. They could have chosen to use sub-optimal weapons for a while until they either found a weapon they wanted, or at least got everyone a magic weapon.
Also, if your players truly choose to sell 95% of their stuff, they are choosing to have less total wealth than they could.
Let me rephrase that:
They sell 95% of the mundane stuff.
The are fully outfitted in mundane weapons and armor to the point that unless it is strange/magical, they are going to sell it. No point in downgrading weapons and armor. Also they already each have a masterwork weapon. So a plain longsword is kind of incomparable. And in case the point comes up, yes they carry a few spare weapons of different damage types. (ie; blunt, piercing, slashing)
Let me rephrase that:
They sell 95% of the mundane stuff.
The are fully outfitted in mundane weapons and armor to the point that unless it is strange/magical, they are going to sell it. No point in downgrading weapons and armor. Also they already each have a masterwork weapon. So a plain longsword is kind of incomparable. And in case the point comes up, yes they carry a few spare weapons of different damage types. (ie; blunt, piercing, slashing)
Basically, keep an eye on the wealth-by-level guidelines. For a first-time group, try to keep them around that. Don't rely on strictly randomly-generated treasure to hit that line - you might roll a treasure a few times to help it even out. Or you can balance encounter types:
If they fight more monsters, you might be able to fit more full-sale stuff in (typically art objects, jewelry, and trade goods all sell for full value).
If they fight people, though, you'll see a lot of half-value sales (but the people will always have some sort of equipment, whereas monsters are rolled).
Basically, keep an eye on the wealth-by-level guidelines. For a first-time group, try to keep them around that. Don't rely on strictly randomly-generated treasure to hit that line - you might roll a treasure a few times to help it even out. Or you can balance encounter types:If they fight more monsters, you might be able to fit more full-sale stuff in (typically art objects, jewelry, and trade goods all sell for full value).
If they fight people, though, you'll see a lot of half-value sales (but the people will always have some sort of equipment, whereas monsters are rolled).
Actually, I have yet to use the treasure roll tables (and my group is almost 5th level).
Currently I have been giving them whatever the mob has with occasional extras. When dealing with mobs who have no treasure (or little reason to be carrying a large amount of gold) I have been keeping a tally of it to add to later stuff's budget. The next adventure they are heading into involves a cult's base (it is going to be pretty big and involved) and I figure I can use the excess money for some magic items.
As for art/jewels/trade goods, we've decided to have it so that unless an item is magical/interesting/important to plot, I just tell them how much gold they get. Otherwise it is just extra time spent listing out that they get, say, 16 short swords and them saying they go sell them. (Though I do understand I could haggle with them and that there aren't always shops that will take bulk items, it just is simpler with this method).
Rereading your post, something occurred to me. Was I supposed to be rolling on those tables when they fight mobs with little to no treasure??? Hmmm.....
As for art/jewels/trade goods, we've decided to have it so that unless an item is magical/interesting/important to plot, I just tell them how much gold they get. Otherwise it is just extra time spent listing out that they get, say, 16 short swords and them saying they go sell them. (Though I do understand I could haggle with them and that there aren't always shops that will take bulk items, it just is simpler with this method).
That's probably fine. It depends a lot on what your group prefers to spend time doing. There's definitely a reason that all the loot processing was simplified in PFS - it can take a LONG time to get stuff done if you handle everything straight.
Rereading your post, something occurred to me. Was I supposed to be rolling on those tables when they fight mobs with little to no treasure??? Hmmm.....
In some sense, yes. That said, if you've been keeping track of the total CR awards and putting treasure in based on that, chances are really good that you're fine. In fact if you aren't rolling for treasure, you're probably better off (though if you are custom-tailoring magic items for them, you're not better off).
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Ok, I need some help with these.
First, the simpler question: One of my player just cross-classed to Witch after 2 levels of Warrior. . .
Considering how old the post I'm replying to is I'm surprised no one else has asked this, because I feel compelled to: Why in the names of all the gods of Golarion did your player take Warrior levels?
Seriously, it's listed as an NPC class for a reason--it's inferior to Fighter in absolutely every way. It lacks the Fighter's bonus feats and class features, and doesn't gain anything else that the Fighter doesn't get to make up for it. I'd urge you to let the player swap his Warrior levels for Fighter levels. If he's hung up on the class name he can always call himself a warrior--that's just fluff.
Why in the names of all the gods of Golarion did your player take Warrior levels?
Sorry bout that, I meant 2 levels of fighter.... ;)
There's definitely a reason that all the loot processing was simplified in PFS - it can take a LONG time to get stuff done if you handle everything straight.
How is it simplified? I am finding myself figuring the treasure budget, then having to add up ALL the mob weapons/armor/items and convert that to gold, then subtracting that from the budget. THEN I need to fill that out with anything else.
If there is an easier way, PLEASE let me know. ;)
Also two more things;
1) It says under Belt of Incredible Dexterity +2 (page 502 Core Book) that the bonus should be treated a temporary for the first 24 hours. So after that is it permanent? Is there a big difference between permanent and temporary? (Though I am assuming the bonus is only while wearing it)
2) Under the treasure section, it mentions buying rolls on the random magic item table. I was wondering what the point of spending 1000g for a random roll only to get a potion that isn't worth even 1/4 that?
Thanks again so much to all the people answering these questions. It is definitely appreciated! :)
There's definitely a reason that all the loot processing was simplified in PFS - it can take a LONG time to get stuff done if you handle everything straight.How is it simplified? I am finding myself figuring the treasure budget, then having to add up ALL the mob weapons/armor/items and convert that to gold, then subtracting that from the budget. THEN I need to fill that out with anything else.
If there is an easier way, PLEASE let me know. ;)
Sure -- suggest to your players that they don't have to take everything that isn't nailed down. A gentleman's agreement that you won't leave them out in the cold if they don't loot every last piece of clothing and they'll leave the majority of the inane stuff behind.