discussion and house keeping page

Chris wrote:@Josh - I LOVE the new Dr. Doom avatar for Vasily!!

great update and very fitting

Thank you! I had a bit of inspiration when I knew he had to have "robes" - I just didn't want the green ones so that there is at least SOME difference. lol

OMG OMG OMG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_ihGHrHWW8


she says IT!


I think that's Ray Stevenson as Jorus C'both. He was an amazing Black Beard (Black Sails) and Titus (Rome) and has voice characters in Clone Wars, MCU, etc

She says…what?

"Heir to the Empire"

Are we sure that's actually Jorus C'both? I don't know that anything from those books is being kept except for Thrawn

Not sure of course, lol. But it seems like a fit... Thrawn and Gideon doing cloning, grogu needed for force sensitive clones... see BB s2 Mt Tantis.....

Asohka looks to be fighting him INSIDE the World between Worlds, if you notice the background. It was announced at London SW con that Filloni gets a movie (finally) set in "mando-verse". I think my split or alt timeline prediction was right.

Yeah, I was thinking about that after the whales scene in Mando. I think you're probably close to the mark.

I saw that Filoni got a movie. Makes the most sense given recent SW productions.

D&D movie is frickin great. Y’all should go see it

Whitey wrote:D&D movie is frickin great. Y’all should go see it

nice! The boys wanted to go, but I wasn't sure if it was going to be worth it. thanks

Totally worth it. Draws heavily from the source material. Tons of “table top banter”. They clearly made it for gamers and did their homework. Bunches of Easter eggs.

I’ll probably have to catch the D&D movie on streaming. Taking Addie to an Anime feature instead.

Sorry the campaign is slow. I’m pretty buried but will forge ahead. We’ll hit a rhythm.

Innocence network conference in AZ this week.

We were just in Phoenix last month. It was really and great food!

Picking up the DMing convo here. I do appreciate you stepping in Alan, but I totally understand if you want to abdicate.

That being said, I…think…my world is going to slow down a bit after next week and could step back in. We could treat the current encounter as a continuation of the original road trip I had the party on, But I’ll leave that up to you Alan

Let’s try to finish this encounter and then anyone who wants to can take it from there.

I just presented at a police academy for 79 cadets today. Prepping for that while getting beat up at work was stressful. I’m hoping it will be better for a little while. . Probably start trial prep in a couple months as well., if not sooner.

navyik wrote:Let’s try to finish this encounter and then anyone who wants to can take it from there.

I just presented at a police academy for 79 cadets today. Prepping for that while getting beat up at work was stressful. I’m hoping it will be better for a little while. . Probably start trial prep in a couple months as well., if not sooner.

yeah, you have a LOT on your plate too. I am damn impressed that the cops have you as a speaker. Good stuff.


trial prep? is this for the wrongful conviction civil lawsuit or something else?

Civil suit. Judge Broch retired, so I’m waiting for the chief judge to assign the case to a circuit judge. It is going back to McLean county. (I’m pretty neutral on whether that is good or bad).

keep us posted and share any news links if you see them!

It’s quiet for the moment. Probably be a story when it gets assigned.

I now have Loevy and Loevy as one of my attorneys moved there from MacArthur. Jeff is also still working the case from Ron Safer’s firm. Dream team. Lord willing this gets moving quickly soon.

I hope this works out this time for you brother. God knows you've been patient!

so, based on discussions and so forth, as well as a very busy schedule for Alan; how do we want to move forward here?

Mike, would you like to take over this weekend or sometime next week?

May the 4th be with you!

Options....

We all take a break

Josh picks up this story which he mentioned wanting to finish, since he started it. Time and energy?

I would start a new game. I would prefer to run pf2e, but I understand the energy it takes to learn something new might be more than some folks have. I would run 5e but it will be < 10th which is the point that 5e just breaks down in terms of class balance, encounter/monster balance and general fun (imho). I would probably also limit the later books (power creep is real) and make a few minor changes.

I am fine with any of the above, but would prefer 2 or 3 to keep playing with my friends!

I’m easy. I’m sure playing a character will be more of an escape for me. PF2 or Finishing the story either way is fine with me.

I will still try to finish this combat. Some what I needed as a primary mechanic is a little broken and I’m just not gonna try to fix it at this point. So solve the puzzle and complete the scenario or start something new if you’re sick of me.

Since nobody has replied saying they want to run anything....

Here is what I would be willing to run, roughly in order of preference.  I am also open to other suggestions or ideas.


1)  PF2e - using pre-written adventures of which I have dozens.  This (a) makes it easier on me and (b) ensures the encounters are fair and balanced since I am new to it as a GM.  I am fine if folks feel like they don't want to learn something new (it feels like the old PF system we played prior to 5e, but really well balanced)


2)  low level D&D 5e with some optional easy fixes to the most glaring issues of class balance.  staying under 10th fixes most of the GM-side issues of imbalance like save-or-suck mechanics, martials being too weak, CR system being broken, etc


options for campaign ideas:

Eberron - fantasy + magitech with established world, new race options, different vibe than regular high fantasy.

Primitive\Conan era - Josh and I ran a Conan-themed game like... 15 years ago.  Think tech level from the movie - low fantasy, no wizards or clerics just sorcerers\warlocks\druids.  

Dragonlance - post War of the Lance where Tiamat\Takesis won.  more of a "rebels" kinda feel.  


if Josh wants to run 1 more with the current crew, this can move to the "what's next" pile too

Hey guys. That light at the end of the tunnel I mentioned last week turned out to be an oncoming train. I’m buried for a couple more weeks at least. That said, playing a PC is a commitment I can certainly make.

I think I’m the biggest opponent to Pathfinder and that’s maybe something I need to stop being a baby about. 5e is pretty much second nature to me now after several years of it being the only system I’ve played in online or tabletop. If the overwhelming consensus is we shift to PF I’ll get on board, but would likely need some handholding.

If we stick with lower level 5e I’m 100% on board and could crank out a PC pretty quickly.

I’m also still willing to DM when things calm down a bit, hopefully soon

I am sorry to hear about work, but I totally get it.  


PF2e isn't perfect and I doubt any system ever will be.  It does solve some of the issues with 5e and the game design is very tight.  

just a few examples:

Character progression is vertical by levels and horizontal by optional selections.  What this means is really any build is viable because all the +1s come from levels, not feats or class abilities.  Feats (racial, background and class) provide horizontal growth which just means more options.  

Class balance is much better with martials and casters being fun and effective.  Monks are actually really good!  

Monsters have levels, not CRs, so everything scales nicely.  

3 action economy - 3 action points.  not divided into Action, Move and Bonus Action.  This again provides more options but is also a cause for more "crunch" as more things take an AP, like drawing a weapon.  So 3 Moves or 3 attacks (with penalties) or combos.  There are also lots more things to do in combat that are useful like Demoralize, Aid, recall knowledge, etc.  

save or suck on spells is fixed by having 4 results possible for all rolls (skills, attacks, saves).  
Crit success   (10+)
success
fail
crit fail  (-10)

yes, that means Marvin with his crazy + to hit would get a lot more crits because he hits +10 over the AC.  works both ways though, so a big ogre is also more scary.  



I would love for us to just try pf2e.  If we decide that we it doesn't work for our group, we can totally go back to 5e.  Or even if someone else just wants to run 5e, that's fine too.  This isn't a permanent shift or anything.


I have all the PF2e books available on pdf to share


https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18sFqBYCd6EZR-puoHPC0Z5GRTpOngx3b?usp=share_link


you really only need the basic book for character creation.  I can help walk through that too.

by far the BEST way to make your character is with the online character builder

https://pathbuilder2e.com/


this way, you pick what you want and the online tool eliminates the other stuff.  so you could say, I want a halfling ranger.... and it will only show you the options for that build.  it has tooltips that explain everything better than I can.  it will even track your +1 level ups (since everything gets +1 each level).


We did 1 test adventure a couple months back. We just played it real slow and I tried to give options each turn and we allowed all manner of retcons to figure out the rules. Even Matt played!

Did anyone try making some characters over the weekend?

Seriously, the online character builder takes about 5-10 minutes to make a character. That includes the time to read the tooltips for all the abilities. I sat outside and made 3 characters very quickly. I would recommend limiting the books to the core players handbook. It will greatly reduce the number of choices and things you need to read through. It covers all the basic races\classes. The adventure is ready, since I am using a pre-made one that includes all the maps\tokens\etc.

Let's GO!

https://pathbuilder2e.com/

was busy with other things... I'll try later today

I tried but it’s only for android.

Is this one okay?

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/second-edition-character-sheet/id1523953247

navyik wrote:I tried but it’s only for android.

Is this one okay?

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/second-edition-character-sheet/id1523953247

Android or PC, yes, sorry.

I haven't used that one, but it looks fine. I am also happy and willing to help. Please feel free to ask questions, etc.

1st level
any core book race\class

one thing to keep in mind, there is no multiclassing in PF2e. You can add class feats from 1 other class, which is kinda like multiclassing, but for the most part you will be 1 class only.

Honestly, this rule alone solves so many of 5e's issues in combination with spreading out class features evenly over all levels and not front-loading everything in the first few levels with the archetype (which just encourages broken builds that are 3/3/x).

does this show up ok?

https://pathbuilder2e.com/app.html?v=65b

whit10 wrote:does this show up ok?

https://pathbuilder2e.com/app.html?v=65b

I can’t open it. Whatcha make?

yup - it looks like a test

I can just screen cap the online builder and post it as a character sheet.  then you can update at each level and we can repost

it actually should have shown up as a Barbarian; not that I'm going to bother with playing it. It was just a test.

Never really liked Barbarians for some reason.  

ok, so you can't just post the link.  the link just goes to the character builder webpage.  

you can:

export to pdf, then screenshot




or just screencap the webpage





in the menu tab upper left corner is where you can "save" the webpage of the character but it is only in your cache so if you clear your history\cache it will erase and you can export to pdf from there too


in both cases, the character builder will fill in all the numbers for you, which is super nice!
you can add weapons, armor, gear and it will even track how much items cost against the starting 15gp

so, just to ask.... I assume this means that no character can start with a mount?  

It was just a thought I had last night and didn't see an answer for it

whit10 wrote:so, just to ask.... I assume this means that no character can start with a mount?  That measly 15 gp doesn't go very far....

It was just a thought I had last night and didn't see an answer for it

just look up the cost of stuff

guns were way less than you thought and you can certainly afford to buy one for a gunslinger

prices are very low in pf2e, so 15gp goes a long way.

a rapier costs 2gp
a shortsword is 9sp (0.9gp)
scale mail 4gp

https://2e.aonprd.com/Equipment.aspx

you can filter for "weapons" or "armor" or just type shortsword in the search bar on top



mounts are also affordable and you can start with one.  a riding horse is only 8gp.  

https://2e.aonprd.com/Animals.aspx


you can't start with every toy your heart desires, just as a fighter can't start with full plate.

yeah, it takes about 5 minutes to make a character.  here is "Big Barbie"

It doesn't show when raging, but she would have +10 to damage as a Giant instinct barb, and she would use a large sized axe for 2d8+10 hehe....

What is everyone playing?

MAS wrote:What is everyone playing?

It must be spring as the Bear has come out of hibernation. Lock up your trash cans!


welcome brother


Josh is looking at a gunslinger (ranged damage)

not sure about anyone else

1st level
15gp gear

I suggested basic book class\race combos to keep it easy, but I don't really care if people want to play stuff from other books. There are like 20 classes now, lol.

here is a mechanic that I really like and that works very differently from 5e or any older versions of PF or D&D


Shields

it takes 1 of your 3 actions to "Raise Shield" which adds +2 to AC.

With a Raised Shield, you can use a Reaction to "Shield Block" this allows you to negate an amount of incoming damage equal to the shield's Hardness. The remaining damage goes to both your character and the shield's hit points\break point. Once the shield is "broken" it can't be used again until repaired, which you can do during the 'short rest' which only takes 10 minutes after a fight with a skill check.

so for example, a fighter has a sword and steel shield. The steel shield has 5 hardness and 20\10.

a goblin pokes the fighter with a spear but only does 4 damage. The fighter could shield block and negate the entire damage, with nothing hurting the shield.

an orc swings for 12 damage! the fighter shield blocks and negates 5, taking 7 damage to himself and his shield which is now down to 13\3. He can probably block 1 more attack like that before the shield is broken for this fight.

an orge clobbers the fighter for 20 damage, probably killing him, but he manages to block -5 damage with his shield, take the remaining 15. His shield is now "broken" but not destroyed at 5\0 and the fighter is still alive with a couple HP instead of being 1 shot.


there are later magic item shields that add a lot to Hardness and hit\break points. the equivalent of a +1 shield looks like this

PFS StandardSturdy Shield (Minor)
Item 4
Source Core Rulebook pg. 588 4.0
Price 100 gp
Bulk 1
The shield has Hardness 8, HP 64, and BT 32.

that's a lot of damage you are blocking!

Chris wrote:here is a mechanic that I really like and that works very differently from 5e or any older versions of PF or D&D


Shields

it takes 1 of your 3 actions to "Raise Shield" which adds +2 to AC.

With a Raised Shield, you can use a Reaction to "Shield Block"  this allows you to negate an amount of incoming damage equal to the shield's Hardness.  The remaining damage goes to both your character and the shield's hit points\break point.  Once the shield is "broken" it can't be used again until repaired, which you can do during the 'short rest' which only takes 10 minutes after a fight with a skill check.

so for example, a fighter has a sword and steel shield.  The steel shield has 5 hardness and 20\10.

a goblin pokes the fighter with a spear but only does 4 damage.  The fighter could shield block and negate the entire damage, with nothing hurting the shield.

an orc swings for 12 damage!  the fighter shield blocks and negates 5, taking 7 damage to himself and his shield which is now down to 13\3.  He can probably block 1 more attack like that before the shield is broken for this fight.

an orge clobbers the fighter for 20 damage, probably killing him, but he manages to block -5 damage with his shield, take the remaining 15.  His shield is now "broken" but not destroyed at 5\0 and the fighter is still alive with a couple HP instead of being 1 shot.


there are later magic item shields that add a lot to Hardness and hit\break points.  the equivalent of a +1 shield looks like this

PFS StandardSturdy Shield (Minor)
Item 4
Source Core Rulebook pg. 588 4.0
Price 100 gp
Bulk 1
The shield has Hardness 8, HP 64, and BT 32.

that's a lot of damage you are blocking!

I really liked that mechanic when we did the last test run!


I'm using the app to roll a Goblin Swashbuckler: Peyir Zontreaux, The People's Blade! Coming along nice, Ill post up by tonight.

looks great!!


what app did you use to make the character?
Alan is having difficulty with access from an Iphone

Chris wrote:looks great!!


what app did you use to make the character?
Alan is having difficulty with access from an Iphone

https://pathbuilder2e.com/

Worked fine in-browser on windows laptop.

The app lets you build out all the way to 20 on one sheet, then choose what level to display the character at. Pretty cool!

glad to see you Matt!

I have almost no idea what I'm going to play. I was toying with the idea of the gunslinger but I'm not that impressed with what I'm seeing

Good to be back amongst the group

@Alan
@Mike
@Josh

let's target Friday as the last day to get a character posted and start by no later than Saturday. We can certainly start as soon as everyone is ready

I am 100% fine with making coming\going very easy, so don't stress about that aspect. This will definitely be a "learn as we go" until everyone is comfortable with lots of retcons and rules help

let's head back to the pf2e forum

https://lodgestgaming.forumotion.com/f29-pathfinder-2e


please post your character on a separate page, with backstory as usual that includes how you came to work for a dwarven merchant named Bort Bargrith who has hired you all to work as caravan guards on a trip to the town of Etran's Folly, more commonly known as "Plaguestone". You can already know each other or meet as the newly hired muscle for this venture.

since Josh asked about this via email, I will post here in case others are having the same issues


if you take a human, the extra feat from their heritage is here, if you select that option





click MENU in the upper left and go down to export character to pdf




I just screenshot that page and then save as a jpg in PP or something. this is the "stat block" option that Matt used