If you were Razmir...


Lost Omens Campaign Setting General Discussion


Aka, a 19th level pathfinder wizard with at least full WBL, how would you use PF rules to...

(a) Achieve inmortatlity?
(b) Conquer the river kindoms?
(c) Eventualy Conquer Golarion?

Disclaimer: This post was made with total Ignorance of relevant information in AP, single adnvetures or PF tales.


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Craft Wondrous Item
Make some candles
Win infinite simulacra wishes

Fun thought: I'm pretty sure Sivana has been waiting on Raz to do something like this, but he has not. She may or may not be amused.

EDIT: also, the Immortality Discovery, but, eh, I kinda thought that went without saying?

Anyway, the secret part of the idea is that, in Golarion, too many wishes start to warp things oddly. Nobody knows that, but it's part of the canon.

Regardless, simulacra to replace every River Kingdom leader is exceedingly doable.

EDIT 2: the above is just off the type of my head. There are other ways, too. Loooooots of other ways.


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Well, based on what Razmir is theoretically already capable of doing (copied out from another post I made a while back on 17th level wizards):

He creates and destroys entire (demi)planes of existence at a whim. He can travel from one side of the world to the other (or to the moon, or another solar system) in seconds, he can summon forth angelic creatures of immense power that are virtually unkillable, he can bend mighty dragons to his will (or transform into one, if he is of a mind). Even the Spawn of Rovagug are only an inconvenience. He can mold your mind and memories like clay. He has arranged failsafes against anything getting through his defenses, and no divination can touch him (the same cannot be said for others). He might not even live in his palace, and instead maintains a private holiday home in the sun (there's already one 16th level wizard who lives there in canon), while all others ever interact with is a projection of his "true godly form".

He has a mind surpassing those of demigods, wisdom not all that far behind, and middling personal charisma (although Razmir is probably relatively high in CHA as well) backed by the ability to perfectly know just the right thing to say at the right time (assuming he didn't drop some of the ridiculous number of skill points he has from his INT score into Diplomacy anyway - which, since it's Razmir, he probably did, along with Bluff and Intimidate). His mere presence inspires an instant desire to bow down and prostrate yourself before his angelic countenance. If he really has a need, he can bend reality itself to his will.

Razmir is for all intents and purposes a god who's stingy about handing out power to his followers. Which should say something about why people haven't quite cottoned on to him yet.

Now, accepting all this, there are indeed a couple of things he has yet to do. First, he's not immortal, and he hasn't yet conquered all the River Kingdoms. How would I go about these things?

First, we need to get immortality. I'm assuming that just getting a reincarnate isn't an option, because I have to maintain the facade of godhood, and I don't want to be a nasty undead creature. Now, there are a couple of ways I can do it:

- Become a Mortal Herald. Instant ascension to Mythic status means Mythic Longevity becomes available. He may be able to do this soon, depending on Sivanah's whims. Still, it would make him dependent on her, which he may not want to be.

- Find a Mana Well. Per Mythic Realms, gaining a mythic ascension from one is almost insultingly simple. You merely step into the well and accept the power it offers. Bam, instant ascension, instant Mythic Longevity access. Of course, a Mana Well might be well-defended already, it's true. But given everything he is capable of without mythic (see just above), I seriously, seriously doubt that there's a whole lot capable of stopping him. Divinations will find a reasonably unguarded well, and then it's just a matter of going there and taking the power.

- Numerian Fluid. Razmiran is relatively close to Numeria, he could feasibly obtain it, and one of the potential benefits of Numerian Fluid is immortality. He'd need to use his magic to get it working. I would do it by zeroing in on what I'll gain inside the 75% chance each hour, helped with divinations and other spells to determine the best possible chance of getting the Immortality side effect. If I don't get it despite all the divinations, I'll blow a Wish spell to rewind the round and go back to determining the next best chance. I have the wealth of a nation at my command, I can afford it.

- Go wreck a dungeon or something else that grants enough CR-appropriate encounters to push me over the line to 20th level. Then take Arcane Discovery.

- Retrain myself as a Thuvian Alchemist using retraining rules. At 10th level in it I gain a lesser version of sun orchid elixir that grants me immunity to aging effects and means I don't die of old age. It only works on me, but hey, I'm in this for myself, not all those other suckers. Again, I have the wealth of a nation at my command, so the money for retraining should be available.

- Binding: Minimus Containment. Couple it with a Magic Jar to possess clone bodies/simulacra of myself, and we're off to the races. It's potentially an inelegant form of immortality, however, and I wouldn't bother myself.

I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones that spring to mind first. Of them, my preferred option would be the Mana Well, because it's simple, elegant, and also opens up the possibility to gain even more power as I can subsequently progress through Mythic. But if not, then Numerian Fluid is an acceptable compromise.

Step two, conquering the River Kingdoms. Are we talking about military conquest? Or just taking control? Because really, subtle mental manipulation isn't hard. I'm going to need more information on what "conquering" means in this context. Ruling from the shadows is significantly easier than ruling openly, too.

Step three, conquering the rest of Golarion? Kind of a different story, and would require too many variables to get into right now. As soon as you try, you're going to start running into all sorts of questions, like what happens with the various AP endings, which supercharged NPCs are currently active in the world, and so on.

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Nicos wrote:

Aka, a 19th level pathfinder wizard with at least full WBL, how would you use PF rules to...

(a) Achieve inmortatlity?
(b) Conquer the river kindoms?
(c) Eventualy Conquer Golarion?

Disclaimer: This post was made with total Ignorance of relevant information in AP, single adnvetures or PF tales.

I based the latter half of my campaign by answering the question "What would I do if I was Razmir?"


Cyrad wrote:
Nicos wrote:

Aka, a 19th level pathfinder wizard with at least full WBL, how would you use PF rules to...

(a) Achieve inmortatlity?
(b) Conquer the river kindoms?
(c) Eventualy Conquer Golarion?

Disclaimer: This post was made with total Ignorance of relevant information in AP, single adnvetures or PF tales.

I based the latter half of my campaign by answering the question "What would I do if I was Razmir?"

What was the answer?


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Alleran wrote:

{. . .}

- Go wreck a dungeon or something else that grants enough CR-appropriate encounters to push me over the line to 20th level. Then take Arcane Discovery. {. . .}

This sounds like the safest way of getting Immortality. On the other hand, far more rewarding, if he can pull it off, is to level up by defeating the PCs. Would be funny to have him crowing in triumph over the captured and depowered PCs (in their optionally oversized bird cages), taking off his mask and revealing his now youthful appearance . . . If you're into Mythic and really nasty, have defeating the PCs also fulfill the last of the conditions he needs for hitting Mythic Rank 3 and gaining Divine Source, or, if he already has that and you want to be even nastier, hitting Mythic Rank 6 and gaining Mythic Presence, or, if he already has that too and you want to be ultimately nasty, hitting Mythic Rank 9 and gaining the Mythic Immortal ability (we know that he can't already have that, or he wouldn't have to worry about this, but anything up to this is (un)fair game).


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UnArcaneElection wrote:
On the other hand, far more rewarding, if he can pull it off, is to level up by defeating the PCs.

Many BBEGs throughout history have attempted this exact thing.

Right before the PCs turn them into the human-body equivalent of grated cheese, of course, but they did attempt it.


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Oops, I should have mentioned that before doing this, Razmir needs to read this thread.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

The Binding angle doesn't work... you can't reach from inside a Minimus Containment. That IS the point of a Binding anyway, to keep you, confined, out of touch, and incoummicado.

Second, you're treating Razmir as if he were some kind of hopped up player character run by someone who's looking up ways to cheese his way out of his current situation. He isn't... he's a story element and he operates however a storyteller or a GM would want to operate. So how should he do things? It should all depend on what kind of story wants to be told, not on how you can cheese a rulebook!


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LazarX wrote:
Second, you're treating Razmir as if he were some kind of hopped up player character ...

Because that is what was asked in the OP?

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Nicos wrote:
LazarX wrote:
Second, you're treating Razmir as if he were some kind of hopped up player character ...
Because that is what was asked in the OP?

Razmir is not a PC. He's an NPC, a story element, a narrative character. "What would you do if Razmir was a PC that you played?" is a trivial question. I assume you asked a narrative question, not a mechanical one. The answer to almost any mechanical question is "twink out my PC and kill everything standing between me and my goal."


Killing everything is a terrible solution! though. You start having all sort of issues crop up when you do that...

:)


Tacticslion wrote:
Killing everything is a terrible solution...

Geb would disagree. It's worked out quite well for them, on the whole.


Cyrad wrote:

{. . .}

Razmir is not a PC. He's an NPC, a story element, a narrative character. "What would you do if Razmir was a PC that you played?" is a trivial question. I assume you asked a narrative question, not a mechanical one. The answer to almost any mechanical question is "twink out my PC and kill everything standing between me and my goal."

Obviously, Razmir (and Geb as noted later) are the rare NPCs that play like PCs, including full twinking(?) out and at least having the option to kill everything standing between them and their goals.


Alleran wrote:
Tacticslion wrote:
Killing everything is a terrible solution...
Geb would disagree. It's worked out quite well for them, on the whole.

No it hasn't. It's why Geb the ghost still exists (much to his own chagrin) and why the country is no longer at war with Nex. Killing everyone sucked for everyone. Also it created the mana-waste, which was lose-lose.

EDIT:

UnArcaneElection wrote:
Cyrad wrote:

{. . .}

Razmir is not a PC. He's an NPC, a story element, a narrative character. "What would you do if Razmir was a PC that you played?" is a trivial question. I assume you asked a narrative question, not a mechanical one. The answer to almost any mechanical question is "twink out my PC and kill everything standing between me and my goal."

Obviously, Razmir (and Geb as noted later) are the rare NPCs that play like PCs, including full twinking(?) out and at least having the option to kill everything standing between them and their goals.

While Laz's original impassioned statement and Cyrad's are both uncalled for, the fact that Razmir is a 19th level wizard, and is not functionally immortal or in control of all of the River Kingdoms is prof that he's no where near as twinkled out as a PC can get. Either that, or he doesn't really want to conquer the River Kingdoms and is just plying some sort of angle or game.

(My best guess is that he actually blew a lot of his wealth on scrolls of Firestorm or something similar to burn down that one city once and gain a massive circumstance bonus to Intimidate and Bluff, then sunk the rest into his kingdom and lifestyle costs instead of "properly" defraying it by infinite loops of various sorts.)


Or Razmir's GM is considerably less permissive than the GM that's assumed as baseline in most wizard discussions =P


But then how did he raze that one city that one time? :)

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Just noting that I read the title of this thread, and my head immediately began putting it to the tune of "If I Were A Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof.

If I were a Razmir... yubba deedle deedle deedle deedle deedle deedle dum..."


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Tacticslion wrote:
But then how did he raze that one city that one time? :)

As you already mentioned, a lot of scrolls being sunk into a stunt that actually worked.

My comment's more related to the infinite/unrestricted spell access/simulacrums/loops - Razmir's GM might not allow that stuff in the first place =P


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Tacticslion wrote:

{. . .}

While Laz's original impassioned statement and Cyrad's are both uncalled for, the fact that Razmir is a 19th level wizard, and is not functionally immortal or in control of all of the River Kingdoms is prof that he's no where near as twinkled out as a PC can get. Either that, or he doesn't really want to conquer the River Kingdoms and is just plying some sort of angle or game.

(My best guess is that he actually blew a lot of his wealth on scrolls of Firestorm or something similar to burn down that one city once and gain a massive circumstance bonus to Intimidate and Bluff, then sunk the rest into his kingdom and lifestyle costs instead of "properly" defraying it by infinite loops of various sorts.)

In addition, after razing that city, it seems highly likely that he is having to CONTINUOUSLY spend a lot of his wealth on various measures (not necessarily items) to protect himself from those that are trying to do him in, but who aren't cooperative enough to get where he can actually defeat them and level up off them. This is extremely likely to include several deities by only a few steps of indirection (although most of them are probably working at least at cross purposes to each other, or he'd be toast even as an honorary PC -- in the absence of that, they'd rather contain him so that he kicks the bucket before he levels up).


I thought Razmir was a Sorcerer. He's not?


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Reeven wrote:
I thought Razmir was a Sorcerer. He's not?

He's a wizard. Many of his minions are sorcerers, though (the False Priest archetype).

Tacticslion wrote:
No it hasn't. It's why Geb the ghost still exists (much to his own chagrin) and why the country is no longer at war with Nex. Killing everyone sucked for everyone. Also it created the mana-waste, which was lose-lose.

Ah, but look at the upside. Yeah, Geb is a ghost. But killing everybody has led to a perfectly functional nation of the undead, one that hasn't been toppled by a band of pesky murderhobos and/or do-gooders, one that exists in relative peace with their former enemy (which to this day is missing its leader), and the Mana Waste isn't all that great a problem, at least for Geb.


Reeven wrote:
I thought Razmir was a Sorcerer. He's not?

As noted by Alkeran, he's a wizard, even though he seems like a sorcerer! and has a sorcerous archetype after him.

Zhangar: ah, I thought you meant "no crafting" restrictive. I see.

UnArcaneElection: makes sense.

Alleran: Wild magic makes it very hard for a magic-based society like Geb to expand. He's not had problems with murderhobos because he generally keeps to himself, or does the Golarion equivalent of Switzerland hiring the Finns. That said, Arazni seems to almost unconsciously be bucking for a group of PCs to come destabilize the nation, the more power she gains. It just kinda feels like "AP Material" to me.


Tacticslion wrote:
That said, Arazni seems to almost unconsciously be bucking for a group of PCs to come destabilize the nation, the more power she gains. It just kinda feels like "AP Material" to me.

I get the feeling he's trying to tell somebody something, but I just don't know what.


Heh. I am curious.

Acquisitives

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I've always thought that there's a part about Razmir that we aren't being told. After all, a 19th level Wizard can do pretty much anything...


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Of course, you know, it could be that Razmir has ALREADY died, and nobody has found out . . . Maybe his mask and quest for immortality is just a cover to keep people from suspecting the truth.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Reeven wrote:
I thought Razmir was a Sorcerer. He's not?

I'm very sure that Razmir follows rules and mechanics not accessible to player characters. We won't know what they are unless he's written up as part (most likely a conclusion of an AP.)


Tacticslion wrote:
Anyway, the secret part of the idea is that, in Golarion, too many wishes start to warp things oddly. Nobody knows that, but it's part of the canon.

i would like to more about this aspect, would you either care to elaborate or point me in the direction of where i might find it myself :-)>


My gamers asked me to let them run their high levels against Razmir...

I agreed and told them to bring their A+ game.

It was another epic fight with heroes dropping like flies and Razmir's minions doing likewise.

But in the end they won...took his ivory mask as a trophy even.

Resurrected their fallen and relaxed...then the now endless atacks of Razmir fanatics...plus Razmir still seemed to be there, alive and well.

Silly heroes, death is not a career ending event for an archmage...and an ivory mask plus a few spells means you may not have even killed the right one...or could tell the difference.

Perhaps, as UnArcaneElection stated, maybe he died long ago...who did they fight, anyway?

Grand Lodge

selunatic2397 wrote:
Perhaps, as UnArcaneElection stated, maybe he died long ago...who did they fight, anyway?

You're suggesting that Razmir is kind of like a magical Dread Pirate Roberts? Interesting . . .


captain yesterday wrote:
Tacticslion wrote:
Anyway, the secret part of the idea is that, in Golarion, too many wishes start to warp things oddly. Nobody knows that, but it's part of the canon.
i would like to more about this aspect, would you either care to elaborate or point me in the direction of where i might find it myself :-)>

It's discussed in the Legacy of Fire AP. I'm not sure which volume, off the top of my head, has the most details, but it's the one with the article on Wishcraft.


^Wasn't that supposed to be something specific to the main adversary in Legacy of Fire? I got the impression from the blurbs for this (I don't have the actual AP) that this was not necessarily a side-effect of massive wishing from just anyone, but a peculiarity of this boss, who also figured out how to put this specific side effect to use for his own ends.


I use it to keep my players saving and not spamming wishes.


UnArcaneElection wrote:
^Wasn't that supposed to be something specific to the main adversary in Legacy of Fire? I got the impression from the blurbs for this (I don't have the actual AP) that this was not necessarily a side-effect of massive wishing from just anyone, but a peculiarity of this boss, who also figured out how to put this specific side effect to use for his own ends.

My impression is that's what happens when you get too much wish in one area. Thematically, I think it's supposed to limit your ability to do things like abuse genie wishes too heavily. Then again, Jalmeray appears to be powered by wishes and is apparently unaffected by the wish hazard, so I'm not sure what to make of it exactly.


I find it odd that a wizard who wants immortality doesn't just do enough stuff to become 20th level. is he just lazy and thinks he's good where he is, power-wise? does he not grasp the concept of Mythic creatures, or wizards who have achieved "levels" of power beyond him? You'd think he'd have heard of wizards who gained immortality through study.


NPCs don't gain XP =P

Razmir's at L19 because, for plot reasons, he's plateau'd there and can't advance any further.

Razmir actually making it to 20 probably acquires some major victory or breakthrough on his part, like managing to conquer the rest of the River Kingdoms.


^Or defeating the PCs.

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