RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16
|
I've seen one druid, played for one day, by a player who was trying PFS and decided it wasn't really for him. I have my own grippli druid in the wings but he's just a bundle of potential and GM credit right now.
Man...I've seen 4 druids at the same table for one of the season 6 specials.
|
Shaman
Occultist
Still not sure how to get an adventurer out of those classes.
Long rules arguments (an advantage to getting into the grarg on the rules forums is it lessons it on the table. My NO is good but my NO (technical reason i've reasearched and written before) is better.
I have a 4th level occultist, have him built to level 11. By far one of my funnest characters to play. Others usually view him as a fighter (chain shirt with a greatsword). I play mine as a support martial dolling out spells on occasion. This is the only class besides Psychic I would consider playing out of the Occult book actually.
|
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16
|
Shaman
Occultist
Still not sure how to get an adventurer out of those classes.
Long rules arguments (an advantage to getting into the grarg on the rules forums is it lessons it on the table. My NO is good but my NO (technical reason i've reasearched and written before) is better.
I have 2 occultists and a Shaman. Shaman is an odd build, so I'm not going to recommend anything there.
My elf occultist I decided to go with the archtype I went battle host. I'd say the play style is most similar to being an Inquisitor. Bane early and often and you'll be fine.
My new occultist is a ratfolk packrat who is all about hoarding stuff. Some of that stuff just happens to be useful to use abilities. (If I'm ever in a position to write archtypes, this is one on my list I'd pitch hard. Makes too much sense.) Having a bit more trouble with how to keep it effective while not being anything like my first occultist.
|
On topic -
I have the only witch I've seen that doesn't slumber.
There are dozens of archtypes I've never seen at a table outside of me, and so many more I've never seen at all.
There are only a couple prestige classes I've seen more than once.
Rare indeed, a non-slumber witch. I'd say about 9 out of 10 i have played with or GM'ed for were slumber witches.
|
I finally got to do this earlier today. Critted the bastard using lvl 4 pregen Seelah's bow for 46 dmg
A fight with a True Dragon (I don't count the fairy variety).
In my third PFS game ever, my 1st level Sorcerer killed (knocked unconscious) a dragon... with a 1d4 burning hands.
(After the rest of the higher level, in-tier characters in the group beat on it for a couple of rounds, apparently taking it down to 1 hp. Also, White Dragon).Its breath weapon was only rolling 2 fewer dice than I had hitpoints. 6 dice, 8 hitpoints.
He turned its claw into his amulet of natural armor and still has it at 14th level.
Things I rarely see:
I don't think I've ever seen an Unchained Summoner in play. Several grandfathered APG Summoners, but none from after Unchained came out.
I also don't think I've seen a Mesmerist in play. (A PC Mesmerist, anyway. I've seen/fought an NPC).
|
|
More ratfolk are needed. Ratfolk are the best race.
Plus reaper has all those great Mouseling models. Plus Redwall...
Honestly, seems like main issue with ratfolk is that their background info is iffy, I really think we need a more good-aligned variant of ratfolk added to the Inner Sea setting. Mousemen, or something.
|
More ratfolk are needed. Ratfolk are the best race.Plus reaper has all those great Mouseling models. Plus Redwall...
Honestly, seems like main issue with ratfolk is that their background info is iffy, I really think we need a more good-aligned variant of ratfolk added to the Inner Sea setting. Mousemen, or something.
...Inner Sea Races and Blood of Beasts both hit on the fact that they're communally 'good' aligned, for lack of a better term, if memory serves?
|
|
Blindness/deafness cast to make the target deaf
I did this in the second rats of round mountain. Had the same effect though.
I never seen an unchained summoner, grippli, vigilante, or physic yet.
Wizards were rare until I made a blaster wizard and several people copied it.
Gnomes and wayangs are pretty rare in my experience.
Prestige classes are also very rare.
Pathfinder Society Lead Developer
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
More ratfolk are needed. Ratfolk are the best race.Plus reaper has all those great Mouseling models. Plus Redwall...
Honestly, seems like main issue with ratfolk is that their background info is iffy, I really think we need a more good-aligned variant of ratfolk added to the Inner Sea setting. Mousemen, or something.
Their background information is "iffy?"
|
Venture-Agent, Netherlands—Utrecht
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
also rarely see a wizard.
The "go to "spells are so much better than anything else, and such a prominant feature of the casting classes that most arcane casters feel kind of samey once the battlemat hits.
This. There are so many spells, but only a handful are actually good (coloured blue in all the guides), you're just making your character worse by not picking them. As a Wizard you get only so many free spells, so you go for the best options first, and never really get to buying your pet spells.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
|
I don't think I've ever seen a skald or shaman in PFS play, and psychic classes are fairly rare except the mesmerist. The rarest core classes are easily the monk and the ranger, as well as that I haven't seen any sorcerers built after the arcanist came out.
- "That chase scene sure was fun!"
Ouch. But yes, I concur.
|
Venture-Captain, Massachusetts—Boston Metro
|
This. There are so many spells, but only a handful are actually good (coloured blue in all the guides), you're just making your character worse by not picking them. As a Wizard you get only so many free spells, so you go for the best options first, and never really get to buying your pet spells.also rarely see a wizard.
The "go to "spells are so much better than anything else, and such a prominant feature of the casting classes that most arcane casters feel kind of samey once the battlemat hits.
That is a bizarre argument given that the are enough good spells that you shouldn't have overlap between Wizards as bad as you would expect.
|
Venture-Lieutenant, Netherlands—Leiden
|
A proper dragon fight. For some reasons most dragon fights have been disappointing;
- There was the one that demanded tribute after we already had a PC death from an earlier encounter with gugs. That could have been exciting but we weren't in shape for it. Would like to replay at some point.
- Several dragons in small rooms with Flyby attack but no real chance of getting away from PCs with a polearm.
- Dragons who turn out to actually be staggered zombies with funny hats, that just have a lot of HP but not much else.
- Dragons which are just a little too young, and basically same CR as APL means they don't stand much of a chance.
- Dragon that's CR = APL + 7... I could have run that encounter but then I doubt the party would have been able to finish the rest of the adventure and that would have been a shame.
- There was this golden skeleton dragon. That one was insanely scary. Best dragon yet.
.
The dragon fight that's just scary enough to really get the adrenaline pumping but still actually a fair brutal fight - a dragon in an environment that works for it, with some insurance against cheap shot SoD/SoS, and with some dramatic buildup for the PCs. That would be awesome.
|
Venture-Agent, Netherlands—Utrecht
|
Well, you have the heavy hitters such as Haste, Fireball, Black Tentacles, Mirror Image, and so on. I mean, there are more, obviously, but as an example, these four are pretty much must-haves (maybe Tentacles less so) and I think you're making your Wizard worse for not having them.
I don't think I've ever seen a skald or shaman in PFS play, and psychic classes are fairly rare except the mesmerist. The rarest core classes are easily the monk and the ranger, as well as that I haven't seen any sorcerers built after the arcanist came out.
- "That chase scene sure was fun!"Ouch. But yes, I concur.
Vincent has a Skald (pretty low level, but still), and both he and I have a Shaman (he has two, even). But yeah, I'd say Shamans require a lot of forethought and planning.
I'm planning a Skald, should I ever get it above level 3 or so. It fills a weird niche not many people like to play, I think. Not as good as a Bard, not as heavy-hitting as a Barbarian. It just seems the worst of two worlds, while I know it has potential.As for chases: there have been a few interesting ones starting in season 6, I think. Just a shame it took them that long to finally figure out how to do them.
|
Venture-Agent, Netherlands—Utrecht
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
A proper dragon fight. For some reasons most dragon fights have been disappointing;
- There was the one that demanded tribute after we already had a PC death from an earlier encounter with gugs. That could have been exciting but we weren't in shape for it. Would like to replay at some point.
- Several dragons in small rooms with Flyby attack but no real chance of getting away from PCs with a polearm.
- Dragons who turn out to actually be staggered zombies with funny hats, that just have a lot of HP but not much else.
- Dragons which are just a little too young, and basically same CR as APL means they don't stand much of a chance.
- Dragon that's CR = APL + 7... I could have run that encounter but then I doubt the party would have been able to finish the rest of the adventure and that would have been a shame.
- There was this golden skeleton dragon. That one was insanely scary. Best dragon yet.
.
The dragon fight that's just scary enough to really get the adrenaline pumping but still actually a fair brutal fight - a dragon in an environment that works for it, with some insurance against cheap shot SoD/SoS, and with some dramatic buildup for the PCs. That would be awesome.
I'm not sure. There have been a few "meh" dragons in my PFS career so far, and only one or two absolutely awesome ones. That golden skeletal dragon was absolutely exhilarating, and I find they can rarely reproduce that quality. Introduce them low-level and they're too young to be a threat, and if you introduce them at later levels your party is well-prepared for them. That skeleton had just the right level for us to be properly prepared, but still posed enough of a challenge that we felt desperate. It helped that it was mostly just a melee powerhouse and didn't rely much on tricks.
In my mind, there are a few badass enemies. Dragons, Demons, and maybe really out of this world stuff. Whenever I encounter those at high levels, I'm sort of saddened that we kill them in three rounds or so. They should be the ultimate test in a PFS career, the culmination of your adventures, where you pull out all the stops to fight it, yet if you whoop their asses in under 30 seconds it feels anticlimactic. I've even played an adventure path where literally the second combat is against a dragon with 12 HP or so. It was so cute I just wanted to cuddle it.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Vincent has a Skald (pretty low level, but still), and both he and I have a Shaman (he has two, even). But yeah, I'd say Shamans require a lot of forethought and planning.
I'm planning a Skald, should I ever get it above level 3 or so. It fills a weird niche not many people like to play, I think. Not as good as a Bard, not as heavy-hitting as a Barbarian. It just seems the worst of two worlds, while I know it has potential.
Skalds require a party that makes use of their abilities or they indeed feel like a worse bard or barbarian.
Our PFS emerald spire party is build around a skald, which makes it infinitely more interesting for the skald player as everyone likes to make use of her raging song. (Skald, Hunter + animal companion, Ranger and Life-Oracle)I think that prestige classes are among the more rare things around, mostly because they tend to be very niche and not something that appeals to a lot of people.
|
Venture-Lieutenant, Netherlands—Leiden
|
@Quentin: yeah, you've been present at most of the dragon fights I've been in. I think part of the problem is many of them are sort of "surprise dragon room" encounters. The golden skeleton dragon not so much, it's prominently foreshadowed but even then it's brutal.
I don't think dragons ought to be playing "bit parts" in someone else's dungeon. They should be the main goal of an adventure, where the rest of the adventure is about even getting to its lair and peripheral defenses, and perhaps about gathering advantages to even have a fighting chance.
|
Venture-Captain, Massachusetts—Boston Metro
|
Well, you have the heavy hitters such as Haste, Fireball, Black Tentacles, Mirror Image, and so on. I mean, there are more, obviously, but as an example, these four are pretty much must-haves (maybe Tentacles less so) and I think you're making your Wizard worse for not having them.
Wait.... Fireball is a must have? Since when is one of the most obnoxiously annoying spells to pull off for what is effectively the worst effect you can do (Guidewise) as a Wizard a must have.
|
Venture-Agent, Netherlands—Utrecht
|
Yeah, so far almost every PFS scenario I've seen* was where the dragon wasn't the main thrust of an adventure, but a speed bump on the way. Dragons are probably the biggest thing in a fantasy world. Maybe not necessarily the most powerful, but certainly the most impressive. I want a proper adventure/arc where, as you said, the end goal is to kill a badass dragon. A properly tricked out one. Maybe not Waking Rune-style, but at least something where you feel like your preparations paid off. A friend of mine has an unhealthy obsession with dragons, and while we never really got to fight one (in his setting, those were very rare, more akin to deities), but whenever we even got peripherally involved with one we started to feel how powerful they were. I want that feeling in PFS.
* There's one exception, but that's a spoiler. >_>
|
Venture-Agent, Netherlands—Utrecht
|
Wait.... Fireball is a must have? Since when is one of the most obnoxiously annoying spells to pull off for what is effectively the worst effect you can do (Guidewise) as a Wizard a must have.Well, you have the heavy hitters such as Haste, Fireball, Black Tentacles, Mirror Image, and so on. I mean, there are more, obviously, but as an example, these four are pretty much must-haves (maybe Tentacles less so) and I think you're making your Wizard worse for not having them.
Eh, I'm not terribly well-versed in Wizards, but it seems like a spell every arcane caster around here has. I'm not super impressed with it unless you heavily specialise in it, but it's not bad.
EDIT: Also, guides aren't everything. Some people just like the spell, and I've definitely seen worse level 3 spells.
|
Venture-Captain, Massachusetts—Boston Metro
|
Wait.... Fireball is a must have? Since when is one of the most obnoxiously annoying spells to pull off for what is effectively the worst effect you can do (Guidewise) as a Wizard a must have.Well, you have the heavy hitters such as Haste, Fireball, Black Tentacles, Mirror Image, and so on. I mean, there are more, obviously, but as an example, these four are pretty much must-haves (maybe Tentacles less so) and I think you're making your Wizard worse for not having them.
Eh, I'm not terribly well-versed in Wizards, but it seems like a spell every arcane caster around here has. I'm not super impressed with it unless you heavily specialise in it, but it's not bad.
EDIT: Also, guides aren't everything. Some people just like the spell, and I've definitely seen worse level 3 spells.
I'm sorry if it sounded like I'm bashing. It's a fairly competent spell but it's on the end of won't overshadow anyone.
|
Venture-Agent, Netherlands—Utrecht
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Oh, totally agree. As said, it seems like a staple of most casters around here, but I've rarely seen people drop from it, let alone finish an entire encounter. Still, while the thought of "monsters at 1 HP fight as well as at 100 HP" makes sense, cutting that HP amount in half does mean it's less actions to whittle down the last bit.
Also my apologies for reacting the way I did. I tend to become defensive quite often. >_>
|
|
We fought one in a special recently...
And then spent the rest of the scenario (including the GM) in sort of a zombie-like fugue going 'We fought the thing. We fought the thing...' and not because we were role-playing effects of the battle but that it took *that* much out of us that we were effectively 'done' for the rest of it.
In a different scenario, we all went paranoid and were prepared (somewhat) for the dragon's deadly antics, and it had exactly one round of life before it pretty much evaporated before the sheer firepower of a fully operational team of competent pathfinders.
In yet another scenario, which was hinted at above in a different post we fell back on our mission briefing to use it as our guide on dealing with said entity, and it was a good thing, as we'd been gug'd pretty hard.
As far as Zombie Drac? We gave the titular now-woken NPC the loudmouth. Then we pointed at the dragon, and said "Society! EXPLORE REPORT COOPERATE! GO!"
Other things that are thankfully rare.
Fun, but thankfully rare because they were a somewhat heavy-handed effort to attempt to showcase new material and it almost felt like it would require an hour of two of pre-reading on the rudimentary version of the methodology employed in the scenario to play the scenario as players, much less the GM attempting to impart this to a given table.
Assault on the Wound
Merchant's Wake/Bid for Alabastrine/Hellknight's Feast
Destiny of the Sands III
A handful of early Season Six
'Subjective Gravity'
|
Venture-Lieutenant, Netherlands—Leiden
|
Wei Ji: as a GM I told the players I'd only let them fight the extremely big bad dragon if the players were unanimous with no wavering or pressure; fortunately they weren't all that crazy. I don't actually think they'd have made it, and certainly they'd have been out of commission afterwards. Fortunately I got to run the optional heavy-duty ending which is "only" CR 14 and which was precisely the right difficulty for them. (Opening up a fight with Earthquake and it takes the party three rounds before they manage to do damage...)
|
|
| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
The "no pressure" part of that is really important, in my view.
|
|
This. There are so many spells, but only a handful are actually good (coloured blue in all the guides), you're just making your character worse by not picking them. As a Wizard you get only so many free spells, so you go for the best options first, and never really get to buying your pet spells.also rarely see a wizard.
The "go to "spells are so much better than anything else, and such a prominant feature of the casting classes that most arcane casters feel kind of samey once the battlemat hits.
The above is one reason why I haven't had a wizard until I could build (and apply a ton of boons to) a Thassalonian wizard (level 8 I have 28 INT if that helps draw a picture). It lets me to pick crazy spells without giving up really strong options for when a scenario goes absolutely sideways. My current favorite is Fleshworm Infestation, but Touch of Slime is also fun. I haven't had an opportunity yet, but I also plan to enjoy Lesser Animate Undead (don't worry about it you silly paladin, the zombie bulettes burrowing below you aren't a threat!). Also a wayang because creepy gnome.
Things I've seen only once:
-A human blender (Gencon)
-A goblin character who thinks he's a long-dead hero (Local)
-A Shaman (Gencon)
-A Samurai (Gencon)
....
-I've only seen 1 Damphir, but they are this quarter's GM boon for conventions, so there are a ton on the horizon, including mine.
I've seen pretty much all of the other classes and races you can get without participating in the Paizo GenCon bids at least a few times, almost completely within a 60 mile radius too.
Time to get weird..
-A dragon using potions as a bra (in the scenario art and everything! Shaddup, that's totally what it looks like! Who cares if they are reptiles, not mammals. That hasn't stopped Paizo from giving them mammary glands anyway.)
-A Gnome Life Oracle of Zon Kuthon (okay, that one is my creation, but I've never seen anything like it)
-3 players, a father, son, and grandson, who where all playing gnome brothers. Best impression of the 3 stooges I'd seen in a long time.
|
Venture-Captain, Netherlands
|
Their background information is "iffy?"More ratfolk are needed. Ratfolk are the best race.Plus reaper has all those great Mouseling models. Plus Redwall...
Honestly, seems like main issue with ratfolk is that their background info is iffy, I really think we need a more good-aligned variant of ratfolk added to the Inner Sea setting. Mousemen, or something.
Iffy?
|
Venture-Agent, Minnesota
|
| 6 people marked this as a favorite. |
Things that are rare elsewhere seem to be popular where I am. I don't see many single class fighters, but I've played with at least four of them locally. Wizards are rather popular. Half the witches that I've met don't mess with slumber hex, and do other things like misfortune, healing, flight. I've seen quite a few psychic classes, vigilantes, wayangs, etc.
I have seen only one ratfolk -- Jack's Lucious Lucius. But really, he has enough personality for ten other PCs!
Jerks are the rarest sighting, frankly. Just about everyone I've played with in Minnesota has been awesome.
Stuff that I want to see more: Female Players and GMs. Under twenty percent of our player base locally appears to be female. I want more women in PFS!
Hmm
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Honestly, seems like main issue with ratfolk is that their background info is iffy, I really think we need a more good-aligned variant of ratfolk added to the Inner Sea setting. Mousemen, or something.
My impression from the Inner Sea Races book is that Ratfolk society is somewhere in the LG-NG spectrum - it's all about working together for the good of the community. I visualised them as the Wombles of Golarion.
Sigh... now I want to play a ratfolk Paladin...
|
Venture-Captain, Massachusetts—Boston Metro
|
** spoiler omitted **
Other things that are thankfully rare.
Fun, but thankfully rare because they were a somewhat heavy-handed effort to attempt to showcase new material and it almost felt like it would require an hour of two of pre-reading on the rudimentary version of the methodology employed in the scenario to play the scenario as players, much less the GM attempting to impart this to a given table.
** spoiler omitted **
Arent two of those scenarios just arbitrary mechanics from PFS and but something that came from a book? The third scenario yes but otherwise that's a PFS mechanic.
|
I play with/for a lot of female players/judges... guess I'm just special that way. I've had more than one table with only one guy at it (that would be me...). Not so much at Conventions though...I agree, a more even mix of players of all gender identities would be nice. We probably have less then 20% non-male members.
Stuff that I want to see more: Female Players and GMs. Under twenty percent of our player base locally appears to be female. I want more women in PFS!Hmm
You are fortunate and I wish that were the norm. Sadly in all the various places I have played and visited and Cons I have gone to, there is a serious lack of female gamers.
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
This is a good thread so far! I’m sure I’ll think of more later, but for now, here’s some stuff I’ve only seen happen once (all in PFS btw).
A delusional worshipper of Groteus that is accompanied by a dead rat that he believes walks and talks and isn’t a half eaten rat corpse.
A jedi PC with an actual blade made of force that he uses as a primary weapon. Also he has telekinesis to move small rocks and whatnot.
A team of almost entirely ratfolk PCs that use stealth and disguise to change their positioning every round in combat, using swarming and smart tactics to play a literal shell game with me as the GM.
An obese necromancer who at his highest levels paid for and used a casting of wish to loose a couple hundred pounds for appearances.
A higher level magus with several negative levels threatening and confirming three crits in a row with a x4 crit modifier weapon, and dealing a total of around 660 damage.
A wizard beginning a fight against two rogues and a level 20 mystic theruge by quickening a glitterdust to blind both rogues and hitting the theruge with a persistent baleful polymorph to end the fight before any enemies got to act.
A group of PCs built around the Delta Nu Delta (DND) fraternity house, who worship the three gods of party (Cayden, Calistria, and Shelyn). So far they have the popular jock, his pretentious girlfriend, the exchange student who can’t handle his drink, the star athlete (halfling slingstaff using lacrosse playing power-forward), and at least another three more I’m forgetting.
An oread that is covered in moss and bark, who has ranks in Profession (tree), who only says “I am Kroot” who once spent a scenario roleplaying as an oak tree while in Thuvia. Needless to say, the local populace took the arrival of this exotic tree overnight as a good omen, and showered the PC with trinkets and offerings.
|
| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
You know what we almost never seen in PFS scenarios? Orcs!
Half orcs are all over the place, as both PCs and NPCs, but you have to wonder where they come from. I know of one scenario set in the Hold of Belkzen, but I can't think of any other adventure with a full blooded orc in it. Given that they were the default evil humanoid back in first edition D&D and AD&D, I'm surprised they're so uncommon in Pathfinder.
Of course, we have goblins all over the place, kobolds are somewhat common, and even gnolls show up more often than orcs. Where are the orcs, Paizo?
|
Venture-Agent, Netherlands—Utrecht
|
You know what we almost never seen in PFS scenarios? Orcs!
Half orcs are all over the place, as both PCs and NPCs, but you have to wonder where they come from. I know of one scenario set in the Hold of Belkzen, but I can't think of any other adventure with a full blooded orc in it. Given that they were the default evil humanoid back in first edition D&D and AD&D, I'm surprised they're so uncommon in Pathfinder.
Of course, we have goblins all over the place, kobolds are somewhat common, and even gnolls show up more often than orcs. Where are the orcs, Paizo?
Yes! Bestiary Orcs are kind of disappointing (I mean, CR 1/3, what?), considering they're portrayed as these green badasses. I've recently played the adventure you've mentioned, and they also feature in a Season 7 scenario, but they're still kinda meh. Make these iconic characters more prominent!
|
|
On topic -
I have the only witch I've seen that doesn't slumber.
There are dozens of archtypes I've never seen at a table outside of me, and so many more I've never seen at all.
There are only a couple prestige classes I've seen more than once.
I have three of them, though two of them are variants of the same build -- a Witch-based Arcane Trickster that goes with Prehensile Hair, Disguise, and/or Healing hexes. Multiclass witches stay away from hexes with DCs.