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Listen Now! (mp3)

Hey, Listen! (mp3)

Hey, Listen! (mp3)

WARNING: This file wasn’t originally intended for publishing, so the sound quality isn’t as high as it usually is. Also, be aware that Alex’s players are exceptionally cheeky, and the West Schneider Cheeky Language Alert (TM) is in effect for this episode.

Sorry, but it was out of our control. 🙁

Hey! Listen!

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Note: Sorry about the delay — I’ve been having a combination of small-scale health issues and difficulty getting back into the swing of my routine.

~ Alex Augunas, the Everyman Gamer

EDIT: Sorry this is late. I got completely sidetracked by the release of World of Warcraft: Legion. On the plus side, you can now call me ‘Highlord Alexander Augunas, the Everyman Gamer, Legend of Pandaria, and Savior of Azeroth’!

~ Highlord Alexander Augunas, the Everyman Gamer, Legend of Pandaria, and Savior of Azeroth

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Stop on by and see for yourselves!

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Wanna see more of Luis Loza?

Check out Muscle Wizard Labs here!

See Wes Schneider’s original Tumblr post here!

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Listen Here!

• Vital Statistics
• Class Features
  • Studied Strike
  • Track
  • Slayer Talents
  • Sneak Attack
  • Stalker
  • Advanced Talents
  • Slayer’s Advance
  • Quarry
  • Improved Quarry
  • Capstone
• Builds and Play Experience

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Listen Here!

You Decide!

After listening to Episode 269, come back here and vote in the comments section about what other racial cultures should exist on the demiplane, if any. Leave your comments below, and we’ll reply to them on the next episode of Create Demiplane! Next time, we’re planning on talking about cities and nations, but after this episode its impossible to tell whether we’ll stick with that plane or get drawn off on another tangent. Literally ANYTHING you say could influence what we talk about next time!

Create Demiplane Thus Far ….

• A quick summary of our Demiplane after Episode 279.
• “Subartic Plane” – Everything has been frozen over by ice and snow. No sunlight. Think Alaska in the dead of winter, year-round.
• Major Deity — Codename “Flame Deity.” True Neutral. Major Deity. Has the following domains: Community, Healing, Fire, Protection, and SCALYKIN (You Decide winner!).
• Settlements are “fueled” by dragons; their fire keeps the settlements running.
• Primarily Red and Golds. Need mortals to build them shelters because red/gold dragons are vulnerable to cold and would eventually die without a place to retreat to.
• Dragons are seen by mortals as avatars/children of the Major Fire Deity. Governments are theocracies with the settlement’s dragons acting as rulers.
• New settlements are given an egg and a group of clerics to act as the wyrmling’s regents. The clerics have full power over the new settlement until the dragon reaches Adulthood (101 years).
• Dragon flames provide heat and light for living, cooking, and growing food.
• Silver and white dragons are in the setting; don’t know about other colors.
• Dragon Alignment isn’t set in stone; dragons tend towards their bestiary alignments, but their alignment is overall fluid.
• Magma dragons are forces of nature and aren’t commonly used for settlements. One, maybe two known examples. (Thought: Forge city with magma dragon in a massive furnace.)
• Brass dragons are also city dwellers. Together, a brass and a gold dragon might have forced reds into the current symbiotic arrangement.
• Whooly Rhinocerraptors are a major danger. Need to figure out what they eat.
• Less powerful, domestic rhinoceraptors exist. They are primary mounts / modes of travel.
• Cosmic Covenant: Clerics worship gods to get the powers they need to survive, plus have to service dragons.
• Lots of draconic sorcerers and bloodragers.
• Wizardry isn’t necessarily hated, but isn’t well liked. Maybe there’s a city of wizards that is trying to break the status quo?
• Undead have their own cities. Ravener who makes you kill yourself to serve him. Isolationist lich who isn’t having any of your stuff. The cold weather basically insta-mummifies undead for you.
• Ravener Dragon City is bad-ass.
• Mesmerist controlling a young dragon for petty self-indulgence. Occultists often uses draconic implements and are thusly hated. Psychics sort of ignored. Kineticists are either feared (water) or taken by the state (fire).
• “Underdark” that’s like Ice Age. Sheets of ice allow sunlight through. “The Land that Time Forgot.”
• How did mortals get here? Is this actually a demiplane?
• Bernie Sanders analog NPC. “We need to ban together against the dragons.” He’s petitioning his LG dragon for equal rights.
• The Frigid Expanse
• More bad guys that are gnomes.
• Evil dragons keeping people illiterate so there’s no wizards. Opposed to the liches.
• magic storms that short out endure elements
• Name = a word that means “blizzard”?
• Races
  • Dwarves – Best snow sleds ever. Greedy for dragon gold. Steam-boiled engines. Big into alchemy? Dwarven raiders? Dwarven tradition is bad for health, so dwarves adapted so much that they threw their traditions out of the window. “We ain’t gonna bow to no dirty stinkin’ dragons!”
  • Elves – Don’t need the dragons. Aloof; generally don’t interact with people because they don’t need to. Elves have cities that sit on top of snowstorms. Dragons and elves have a treaty that the elven cities have to keep moving so they don’t devastate the region. People hate when they come to town of result.Their storms are decades long. People blame snowstorms on elves as a result. Elves and humans think the other are jerks. Areas with elf cities over them always have snowfall, ranging from flurries to whiteout conditions. Eye of the storm is the WORST because elf city blocks out the sun.
  • Gnomes’ fey ties allow them to exist in the cold independently of the dragons.
  • ‘goblins are a myth. hobgoblins too.
  • Halflings make the crops / farm. They make and maintain greenhouses to live their lavish hobbit hole lifestyles. Druids?Above the politics of dragons and men. No one messes with them as a result.They give food rations. (Halflings are predominant, but other races can be druids.) Halfling towns are sanctuaries against wars. Halfling diplomats. Generally independent of dragons. Maybe Sovereign dragons team up with them? They live in the “lands that time forgot?” Halfling dinosaur riders?
  • Kobolds have a strong tie to dragons.They’re like little minions. Heralds / eyes and ears / sneaky filtching.Craven little jerks.
  • Orcs are the new drow. The orcs went underground when the snows hit. The orcs can be the Morlocks of our demiplane; combo of drow and derro. Not all completely dumb. Orcs go out of their way to get humans to make half-orcs. Orcs have gold and dragons want it, so people trade with or attack orcs for their gold. Underworld dragons rob them. They want half-orcs; they’re very valued. Some cities trade humans for their “children.” Half-orcs that fail to live up to orc expectations are exiled or worse.
  • Samsarans the Graybeards
  • Skinwalkers Werewolf/Wererhinociiraptor/Werebear – Tribes exist and are generally bad news (sans werebear). Skinwalkers have were-ancestor familie. Werewolves infect, rhinociraptors are apex, werebears are lumberjacks (and they’re okay).

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Remember, you can chat about any of our episodes in the comments section below, at our Facebook Group 3.5 Private Sanctuary, or at our all-new forms!

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Sorry, we don’t have a script for this one; Anthony and I bounce around orgnaically for The Redemption Engine rather than follow a set schedule like we usually do. What do you think of this style? Let us know in the comments section below!

Also, when you start to hear this scratchy sound over my audio at one point, that’s not you. That’s me messing with the plastic baggie that all of my Pathfinder Tales novels were in at the time. Enjoy!

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If you want to contact Jessica Price and Crystal Frasier, please do so at the following links. We understand that the topic of Diversity and Safety during the Game Day is a sensitive one, and we ask that our listeners be respectful both to our guests and in the comments section below. We ask that discussions remain both mindful and respectful of others

Linda Zayas-Palmer’s Contact Info

Paizo E-mail

Mark Seifter’s Contact Info

Ask *Mark Seifter* All Your Questions Here!

Listen Here!

• Vital Statistics
• Class Features
  • Alchemy
  • Inspiration
  • Trapfinding
  • Poison Lore
  • Instant Alchemy
  • Poison Resistance/Immunity
  • Investigator Talents
  • Keen Recollection
  • Studied Combat
  • Studied Strike
  • True Inspiration
• Builds and Play Experience

Listen Now!

If you want to contact Jessica Price and Crystal Frasier, please do so at the following links. We understand that the topic of Diversity and Safety during the Game Day is a sensitive one, and we ask that our listeners be respectful both to our guests and in the comments section below. We ask that discussions remain both mindful and respectful of others

Jessica Price’s Contact Info

Twitter

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Crystal Frasier’s Contact Info

Twitter

Tumblr

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• Vital Statistics
• Class Features
  • Spells
  • Animal Companion
  • Animal Focus
  • Nature Training
  • Precise Companion
  • Hunter Tactics & Bonus Teamwork Feats
  • Empathic Link
  • Woodland Stride
  • Bonus Tricks
  • Second Animal Focus
  • Raise Animal Companion
  • Improved Empathic Link
  • Speak with Master
  • One with the Wild
  • Master Hunter
• Builds and Play Experience

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• Another new segment?!
• Mindscapes
• Psychic Dueling Basics
• Offensive Manifestations
• Defensive Manifestations
• Thought-form Creatures
• Concluding a Psychic Duel
• Final Thoughts

Listen Now!

Dimension Door Script

Why Adventure in the Planes?

The Esoteric Planes

• Positive Energy / Negative Energy
• Material
• Ethereal
  • Dimension of Dreams
• Astral
  • Akashic Record

Listen Now!

Detect the Faithful Script

• Mythology
• Desna “Stats”
• Out of Character Characterization
• Desna Around the World
• Who Worships Her?
• PC Suggestions
• NPC / Villain Suggestions
• Additional References
• Outro

Listen Here!

You Decide!

After listening to Episode 269, come back here and vote in the comments section about whether Anthony and Alex should cover the demiplane’s underworld, races on the demiplane, or start designing specific city states. Leave your votes in the comments, and the winning topic will be the subject of the next Create Demiplane!

Create Demiplane Thus Far ….

• A quick summary of our Demiplane after Episode 259.
• “Subartic Plane” – Everything has been frozen over by ice and snow. No sunlight. Think Alaska in the dead of winter, year-round.
• Major Deity — Codename “Flame Deity.” True Neutral. Major Deity. Has the following domains: Community, Healing, Fire, Protection, and SCALYKIN (You Decide winner!).
• Settlements are “fueled” by dragons; their fire keeps the settlements running.
• Primarily Red and Golds. Need mortals to build them shelters because red/gold dragons are vulnerable to cold and would eventually die without a place to retreat to.
• Dragons are seen by mortals as avatars/children of the Major Fire Deity. Governments are theocracies with the settlement’s dragons acting as rulers.
• New settlements are given an egg and a group of clerics to act as the wyrmling’s regents. The clerics have full power over the new settlement until the dragon reaches Adulthood (101 years).
• Dragon flames provide heat and light for living, cooking, and growing food.
• Silver and white dragons are in the setting; don’t know about other colors.
• Dragon Alignment isn’t set in stone; dragons tend towards their bestiary alignments, but their alignment is overall fluid.
• Magma dragons are forces of nature and aren’t commonly used for settlements. One, maybe two known examples. (Thought: Forge city with magma dragon in a massive furnace.)
• Brass dragons are also city dwellers. Together, a brass and a gold dragon might have forced reds into the current symbiotic arrangement.
• Whooly Rhinocerraptors are a major danger. Need to figure out what they eat.
• Less powerful, domestic rhinoceraptors exist. They are primary mounts / modes of travel.
• Cosmic Covenant: Clerics worship gods to get the powers they need to survive, plus have to service dragons.
• Lots of draconic sorcerers and bloodragers.
• Wizardry isn’t necessarily hated, but isn’t well liked. Maybe there’s a city of wizards that is trying to break the status quo?
• Undead have their own cities. Ravener who makes you kill yourself to serve him. Isolationist lich who isn’t having any of your stuff. The cold weather basically insta-mummifies undead for you.
• Ravener Dragon City is bad-ass.
• Mesmerist controlling a young dragon for petty self-indulgence. Occultists often uses draconic implements and are thusly hated. Psychics sort of ignored. Kineticists are either feared (water) or taken by the state (fire).

Listen Now!

Outline

• Skald
• • Vital Stats
  • Class Features
  • Bloodlines
  • Archetypes
• Playing a Bloodrager
• Storytime with Anthony

Listen Now!

Detect the Faithful Script

• Mythology
• Asmodeus “Stats”
• Out of Character Characterization
• Heirarchy of Hell
• Who Worships Him?
• PC Suggestions
• NPC / Villain Suggestions
• Additional References
• Announcements
• Outro

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

This is the last episode that Anthony and I will be recording … in Google Hangouts. (Did I have you scared there? DID I?)

We’ve heard overwhelming feedback about our audio quality and after having Perram crunch the numbers, the Know Direction Network has unanimously decided that the Private Sanctuary Podcast has outgrown Google Hangouts and will be moving to a service that can more effectively handle and process our show, which should drastically improve the audio. Anthony and I have big plans for the Private Sanctuary Podcast, and none of them will work if we sound terrible. So with any luck, this will be our last episode on Google Hangouts before we make the switch. (Though a lot of it depends on my ability to learn to use whatever new program Anthony and I decide on.

Stay tuned!

Alex Augunas

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Dimension Door Script

• History of Cheliax
• Cities
• Organizations
• Adventure Themes
• Running an Adventure in Cheliax

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Episode 257 Podcast Script

• Introduction
• Characters
• Plot Summary
• Inspiration from Crusader Road

Sorry in advanced that this podcast is a little scattered. Crusader Road is a VERY in-depth book with tons to talk about. (And plenty that we simply couldn’t talk about!)

In Create Demiplane’s latest installment, Alex and Anthony talk about building monsters for your campaign setting.

Listen Now!

Create Demiplane Thus Far ….

A quick summary of our Demiplane after Episode 259.

“Subartic Plane” – Everything has been frozen over by ice and snow. No sunlight. Think Alaska in the dead of winter, year-round.

Major Deity — Codename “Flame Deity.” True Neutral. Major Deity. Has the following domains: Community, Healing, Fire, Protection, and SCALYKIN (You Decide winner!).

Settlements are “fueled” by dragons; their fire keeps the settlements running.

Primarily Red and Golds. Need mortals to build them shelters because red/gold dragons are vulnerable to cold and would eventually die without a place to retreat to.

Dragons are seen by mortals as avatars/children of the Major Fire Deity. Governments are theocracies with the settlement’s dragons acting as rulers.

New settlements are given an egg and a group of clerics to act as the wyrmling’s regents. The clerics have full power over the new settlement until the dragon reaches Adulthood (101 years).

Dragon flames provide heat and light for living, cooking, and growing food.

Silver and white dragons are in the setting; don’t know about other colors.

Dragon Alignment isn’t set in stone; dragons tend towards their bestiary alignments, but their alignment is overall fluid.

Magma dragons are forces of nature and aren’t commonly used for settlements. One, maybe two known examples. (Thought: Forge city with magma dragon in a massive furnace.)

Brass dragons are also city dwellers. Together, a brass and a gold dragon might have forced reds into the current symbiotic arrangement.

Whooly Rhinocerraptors are a major danger. Need to figure out what they eat.

Less powerful, domestic rhinoceraptors exist. They are primary mounts / modes of travel.

The Whooly Rhinoceraptor

OH MY GOD ITS LOOKIG AT MEEEEE!

Special thanks to our artist, Emily Lubanko! Do her a solid and check out her portfolio here!

Woolly Rhinoceratpr CR 7

N Large Animal

Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light, scent; Perception +##

—– Defense —–

AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +7 natural armor, –1, size)

hp 95 (10d8+50)

Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +3

—– Offense —–

Speed 40 ft.

Melee bite (1d8+4 plus grab), 2 claws (1d6+2), gore (1d8+4), sting (1d8+4 plus bleed)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft, (15 ft. with sting).

SpecialAttacks bleed (1d6), pounce, powerful charge, rake (2 claws, 1d6)

—– Statistics —–

Str 18 Dex 16 Con 21, Int 3, Wis 13, Cha 3

BaseAtk +7; CMB +12 (+16 while grappling); CMD 25

Feats Diehard, Endurance, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (bite)

Skills Acrobatics +7, Perception +11, Survival +11 (+15 when tracking blood with scent), Stealth +9; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Survival (+8 Survival when tracking blood with scent).

SQ cold stride, keen tracker

—– Ecology —–

Environment any cold

Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3-8)

Treasure incidental

—– SpecialAbilities —–

Cold Stride (Ex): Whooly rhinoceraptors can move through natural difficult terrain at their normal speed while within cold terrain. Magically altered terrain affects them normally.

Keen Tracker (Ex): A whooly rhinoceraptor adds Survival to its list of class skills and gains a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks made to track blood or bleeding targets with its scent ability.

You Decide!

After listening to Episode 264, come back here and vote in the comments section about whether Anthony and Alex should cover magic in the demiplane or the demiplane’s underworld next. Leave your votes in the comments, and the winning topic will be the subject of the next Create Demiplane!

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This episode only has one big topic, Death and Dying, so instead of the usual show notes, we at the Private Sanctuary humbly offer you links to Anthony and Alex’s articles on the topic of death. Enjoy!

Pathfinder Economics (Alex)

Death and Taxes (Alex)

Frequent Dier Miles (Alex)

Behind the Screens: Total Party Kill (Anthony)

Also, be sure to tell us what you think of our podcast’s new cover image!

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Outline

• Alex and Anthony Catch Up
  • We’re Sorry!
  • PaizoCon
• BLOODRAGER!
  • Vital Stats
  • Class Features
  • Bloodlines
  • Archetypes
• Playing a Bloodrager
• Anthony’s New PFS Scenario (Tapestry’s Toil)

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Unchained Skills and Options Script

• About Pathfinder Unchained
• Fractional Statistics
• Staggered Levelling
• Adventuring and Background Skills
• Expanded Skill Uses
• Consolidated Skills
• Skill Groups
• Variant Multiclassing
• Skill Unlocks
• Stamina Pool
• Closing Thoughts

Note: This article was categorized as a Bestow Insight piece on December 28th, 2015. The article category didn’t exist on the blog’s original publishing date of May 13th, so while Anthony and Alex totally go over the Unchained Skills and Options systems in this episode, Bestow Insight as its own category wasn’t fully realized until October when they covered the psychic dueling subsystem.

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Dimension Door Script

• History of Belkzen
• Characters (PCs and NPCs)
• Regions
• Gods
• Monsters

In Create Demiplane’s latest installment, Alex and Anthony talk about the first thing in a setting that the PCs are likely to interact with: villages. We’ll be revealing the winner of the last You Decide and giving our listeners a new topic to vote on too!

Listen Now!

Create Demiplane Thus Far ….

A quick summary of our Demiplane after Episode 259.

“Subartic Plane” – Everything has been frozen over by ice and snow. No sunlight. Think Alaska in the dead of winter, year-round.

Major Deity — Codename “Flame Deity.” True Neutral. Major Deity. Has the following domains: Community, Healing, Fire, Protection, and SCALYKIN (You Decide winner!).

Settlements are “fueled” by dragons; their fire keeps the settlements running.

Primarily Red and Golds. Need mortals to build them shelters because red/gold dragons are vulnerable to gold and would eventually die without a place to retreat to.

Dragons are seen by mortals as avatars/children of the Major Fire Deity. Governments are theocracies with the settlement’s dragons acting as rulers.

New settlements are given an egg and a group of clerics to act as the wyrmling’s regents. The clerics have full power over the new settlement until the dragon reaches Adulthood (101 years).

Dragon flames provide heat and light for living, cooking, and growing food.

Silver and white dragons are in the setting; don’t know about other colors.

You Decide!

After listening to Episode 259, come back here and vote in the comments section about whether our dragons should have a static alignment (all reds/golds have X alignment unless manipulated otherwise by mortals) or they have a fluid alignment (dragons don’t have a particular alignment and are susceptible both to personal preferences and mortal machinations)?

Leave your votes in the comments, and we’ll build off of the winning side on the next Create Demiplane!

Listen Here!

• Intro to the Class
  • What’s a Swashbuckler?
• The Fluff
• Why Play a Swashbuckler?
• The Crunch
• Favorite Builds
  • Anthony’s
  • Alex’s
• Comments
• Outro
• Public Service Announcement

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Episode 257 Podcast Script

• Banter
• Introduction
• Plot Summary
• Characters
  • Salim
  • Nelia Anvanory
  • High Priest Khoyar
• Crunch vs. Fluff
• Setting
  • Lamasara, Thuvia
  • Boneyard
  • Axis, the Eternal City
  • Maelstrom
  • Abyss
  • First World
• Closing Thoughts

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Episode 256 Script

• Banter
• Introduction to Dimension Door
• About the Lands of the Linnorm Kings
  • Vikings/Barbarians
  • Snow
  • Nordic Culture
• What’s a Linnorm?
• Other Creatures
• Favorite Locations
• Sources of Inspiration
• Game Resources

In Create Demiplane’s first installment, Alex and Anthony talk about the concept of homebrewing and world building in general and settling on a few ideas and begin talking about one of the most important aspects of any campaign setting: deities.

Listen Now!

Create Demiplane Thus Far ….

A quick summary of our Demiplane after Episode 255.

“Subartic Plane” – Everything has been frozen over by ice and snow. No sunlight. Think Alaska in the dead of winter, year-round.

Major Deity — Codename “Flame Deity.” True Neutral. Major Deity. Has the following domains: Community, Healing, Fire, Protection.

You Decide!

After listening to Episode 255, come back here and vote in the comments section about which of the following domains our Flame Deity has. In our next Create Demiplane installment, Anthony and Alex will announce the winner and quickly finish constructing the deity before moving on to that episode’s topic. So listeners, what will be our primary deity’s fifth (and final) domain?

• Liberation (Fire frees the world from the tyranny of frost.)
• Magic (Magical fires resist the cold.)
• Scalykind (Dragon deity. Mortal society has dragons that keep civilization’s fires lit.)
• Travel (Fire is essential to travel and commerce.)

Listen to Anthony Li and Alex Augunas tackle their first class feature as the Private Sanctuary Podcast’s new hosts!

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 Episode 245 Script

• Intro to the Class
  • What’s a Magus?
  • Why Play a Magus?
• The Crunch
• The Fluff
  • Examples in Literature/Media?
• Favorite Builds
  • Alex’s
  • Anthony’s
• Outro

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SHOW NOTES

Like The Private Sanctuary on Facebook.

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SHOW NOTES

So this is it.

Before Cathy joined the cast with episode 222, replacing Matt as second chair on the Private Sanctuary, Matt and I recorded a farewell 3.5 Minutes in which we declared the podcast retired. We recorded it two weeks ahead of its scheduled release, and in that time, I reflected on what we’d said. I owe this podcast any fame I can claim in the gaming industry. Without The Private Sanctuary podcast, Jeff Greiner would never have approached me to record a Pathfinder segment for The Tome Show, which quickly evolved into Know Direction. I met Robert Thompson and Wolfgang Baur, eventual publishers of my first game design credits (Strategists & Tacticians and Kobold Quarterly 13’s Gnomish Flying Contraptions) through interviews on Know Direction and (then 3.5) Private Sanctuary. I gained a deeper understanding of the 3.5 system and the intricacies of its rules writing reviews for the old website, 35privatesanctuary.com. As I edited our somewhat light farewell, my passion for the Private Sanctuary reinvigorated. It wasn’t the Private Sanctuary’s time yet. Cathy agreed to join me as my new co-host, and we recorded another 30 episodes (granted, not all including Cathy, but most).

And then December 2014 was upon us. I had a GMing episode to record, which I have long found the most difficult to come up with ideas for and organize. But I knew what I wanted the end of the month’s flavour episode to be: Don’t Be a Jerk, based on a situation that arose at a Pathfinder Society game at PaizoCon. And if we released it in time for Christmas, I got to link it to one of my favourite Spongebob Squarepants moments. And then late December 2014 was upon us, and the GMing episode was not scheduled or recorded, we were past the holidays, and I had no idea what the January episodes would be about. So I made other arrangements.

I am not particularly proud of this episode. I stutter through a good bye that’s an average bye at best. At different points, I throw Matt and Jay, both of my former co-hosts, under the bus.There’s no deeper meaning or deliberate intent to that, but it does reflect the fact that now is the time to move on. I could ask Cathy if she’s willing to re-record parts of the episode, but I don’t know what I would replace them with, and this episode is already very late. While in a lot of ways the original bow out that was recorded for episode 221 but never released was a more fitting and appropriate farewell to the podcast than this one. But for all that would have made PS 252 -Don’t Be a Jerk nothing more than a weak episode if it were not my and Cathy’s last regular episode, the energy and tone to the episode prove that now is truly the time to move on.

Which isn’t to say that I regret not ending with 221. We recorded 30 more episodes. In that time, we finished the next wave of Class Features, which brings a sense of finality to a major component of the series. We finished 2014 together. We had another year of fun, informative episodes, And we brought in Alex Augunas as our Crunch co-host. Hopefully those first few episodes we recorded prove that the Private Sanctuary baton is being passed to the right hands. Unlike after episode 221’s near finale, 252 is not the podcast’s last episode. Starting with episode 253 in January, there will be new tenants in the Private Sanctuary. Alex will be joined by Anthony Li, whose advice you might recognize from our Behind The Screens blog series, and whose voice you might have heard in a few recent episodes of Know Direction. If schedules permit, and if they’ll have us, Cathy and I might drop in on their recording of their first episode as hosts of The Private Sanctuary podcast.

Thanks to everyone who has ever listened to the Private Sanctuary. Thank you all for sharing links, telling friends, posting in the forums (that I really miss) or commenting on the episodes. 35privatesanctuary.com did not become the online have for 3.5 loyalists that I originally envisioned, mosly because it didn’t need to be, but it was an amazing community that I am so happy to have been and continue to be a part of. After all, we are all welcome in this Private Sanctuary.

Like The Private Sanctuary on Facebook.

Tina joins Ryan for the last of this round of class features, looking at the hex-slinger voted most likely to join a coven, the witch!

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Like The Private Sanctuary on Facebook.

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Running or playing in Iron Gods yourself, or just want to follow along? The contents of the Technology Guide are available in full on the Pathfinder PRD.

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SHOW NOTES

SPONSORS

Chimera Café and Games

Hello, listeners. Let me tell you the story of the podcast Ryan forgot. When Cathy GMed for first PFS scenario, I wanted to record about her experiences as soon as possible, to make sure the story was fresh in her head. But we only air one GMing episode every two months, and have for a while. So we recorded the episode early, meaning I wouldn’t have to worry about July’s GMing episode. July rolled around and I arranged for Tracy Hurley to join me for a discussion on inclusive GMing, prompted by a few lines on inclusiveness in a then-just-released 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons product. After we recorded the episode and I went to save it as PS0244-raw.mp3, as I normally would, I found there already was a PS0244-raw.mp3. Since Tracy was a special guest and the episode was more time sensitive, Cathy’s first GMing experience was bumped to the September GMing episode. This bump is evident a couple of times during the episode, most obviously while we are closing the episode and are unsure if knowdirectionpodcast.com would have launched by then. Just a bit of behind the scenes for listeners who like that kind of thing.

Also, this is the last Private Sanctuary episode featuring a Chimera Games ad. A friendly local gaming store is a valuable asset for any gamer, but one as inviting, encouraging, and chic as Café Chimera Games is particularly rare and wonderful. I know I will miss sitting down for some Pathfinder Society and a steamed milk beverage at one of Chimera’s premium game tables, and won’t be able to see ChimeraCon grow into an international event. To the staff, owner, customers, and friends I’ve met there, thanks for the memories.

Ryan Costello, Jr

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Show Notes

Book: Advanced Player’s Guide

Concept: A fast-riding, noble warrior who fights from horseback.

Iconic: Alain

Context:

• Arthurian Mythology (Knights of the Round Table)
• European Chivalry (Cavalier Edicts)
• Batman test
• Our cavaliers:
  • Ryan: One in PFS.
  • Alex: One multiclass character, GMed for a Battle Herald.

Mechanics:

• Full BAB / D10 HD;
• 4 + Int skill points,  Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex),Sense Motive (Wis), and Swim (Str). Two bonus class skills from Order.
• Simple, martial weapons, all armor and shields (except tower);
• Class features:
  • Challenge: 1st Level. Declare target as a swift action. Add cavalier level to damage against target. Gain a secondary bonus based on the cavalier’s order. Basically a non-magical smite evil.
  • Mount: 1st Level. Gain an animal companion (as a druid) suitable for serving as a mount. Camel or Horse for Medium creatures, Pony or Wolf for Small creatures, or boar/dog at 4th level. Gains Light Armor Proficiency but not share spells. Additional animals available at GM request.
  • Order: The cool cavalier’s club. Comes with rules the cavalier must follow (edicts), bonus class skills and a skill bonus, a special challenge bonus, and order abilities at 2nd, 8th, and 15th levels. Cavalier can switch orders, but takes a few levels unless he’s becoming a ronin/knight errant, which is instant.
    • Ryan’s Fav Orders: First Law (People of the Sands), Lion, Sword
    • Alex’s Fav Orders: Beast (ACG) b/c of wild shape, Blue Rose (PC lore), Cockatrice (braggart is amazing), Dragon (best aid another character ever), Flame (its the challenge that never ends!), Paw (great flavor)
  • Tactician: 1st Level. Cavalier gains a bonus teamwork feat. Can share it with all allies within 30 feet for 3 rounds plus 1 round per 2 cavalier levels. 1/day + 1 per 5 levels thereafter.
  • Mounted Charge: 3rd Level. +4 bonus on mounted attack rolls when charging instead of +2, No AC penalty for a mounted charge.
  • Expert Trainer. 4th Level. Add ½ cavalier level on Handle Animal checks on creatures that can serve as a mount. Reduce time to teach a mount a trick to 1 day per 1 week of training time by increasing DC by +5. Can train multiple animals at once by adding +2 to DC per animal after the first. Notable for the Horse Master feat.
  • Banner: 5th Level. +2 morale bonus on saves against fear and +1 on attack rolls made while charging. Bonuses increase by +1 at every 5 levels after 5th.
  • Bonus feats at 6th level, 12th level, and 18th level. Must be combat feats.
  • Greater Tactician: 9th level. Second teamwork feat that can be shared with tactician. Tactician is usable as a swift action.
  • Mighty Charge. 11th Level. Double crit threat range of weapons while making a mounted charge. Doesn’t stack with similar effects. Free bull rush, disarm, sunder, or trip maneuver if the charge is successful. Doesn’t provoke AoOs.
  • Demanding Challenge. 12th. Target takes –2 to AC against attacks made by creatures other than the cavalier. (Has to say so focused that allies can exploit it.)
  • Greater Banner. 14th. +2 morale on saves against charm and compulsion. Can wave the banner as a standard action to give allies a new save against any effect that is active on them. Poison. Dominate person. Anything. Allies benefit from it once per day.
  • Master Tactician. 17th level. Third free teamwork feat. Cavalier can share it with tactician. Cavalier grants two teamwork feats when he uses tactician instead of one. Cavalier can share any teamwork feats he has (not just those three).
  • Supreme Damage. 20th. Double damage dealt on a charge (triple if using a lance). Creatures critically hit by the charge are stunned for 1d4 rounds, or staggered for 1d4 rounds on a successful Fortitude save. DC 10 + cavalier’s Base Attack Bonus.

Ability Scores: Str / Con. Dex if you go mounted archery. Many orders love Charisma.

Best Race: Human/Half-Orc (any), Elf (mounted archery), Dwarf (medieval tank)

Roles: Damage. Additional roles based on order. (Cockatrice is awesome at debuffing, Lion is good at buffing).

• Archetypes: Beast Rider (exotic mounts), Daring Champion (swashbuckler/cavalier mix), Spellscar Drifter (Badass gunslinger/cavalier mix from the Mana Wastes), Emissary (light armor and off-mount mobility), Gendarme (powerful charges, Power Attack, unseating enemy cavaliers), Herald Squire (cavalier for your followers), Honor Guard (great buffing archetype; gains bodyguard for free), Qadrian Horselord (scimitar-brandishing desert rider), Huntmaster (RELEASE THE HOUNDS! Packmaster Druid for knights), Luring Cavalier (Switch-hitter cavalier), Musketeer (Cavalier with a musket), Standard Bearer (switches levels that you gain mount and banner; nice if you don’t want a mount), Strategist (utilimate tactician, makes tactician even better), Wave Rider (cavalier who rides on aquatic mounts)

Roleplaying Keywords: Knight. King Arthur. pompous, noble, militant

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Check out Pathfinder Player’s Companion – The Harrow Handbook, the book that basically inspired this episode, and Harrow month.

Read up on the Harrow on the Pathfinder Wiki.

Harrow Options

o   Original Options

• Harrow Deck (Equipment) (http://www.archivesofnethys.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Harrow%20deck) 100 gp gets you, actually, nothing on its own. There’s no rules text beyond its cost and weight (which is nothing). Inner Sea World Guide, Ultimate Equipment, various;
• Harrowed (Feat) (http://www.archivesofnethys.com/FeatDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Harrowed) Harrowed +1 bonus on all Will saves made to resist enchantment effects, 1/day draw a card, 1/day gain +2 on a roll related to card’s suit. (Inner Sea World Guide)
• Harrower (prestige class) http://www.archivesofnethys.com/PrestigeClassesDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Harrower ½ BAB, full casting PrC with tonnes of class features, such as: Blessing of the Harrow (grant all allies +1 bonus to certain rolls based on the results of a special harrowing); and Harrow Casting (draw three cards when casting to potentially gain a benefit) (Inner Sea World Guide);
• Harrowing (spell) http://www.archivesofnethys.com/SpellDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Harrowing Use a Harrow deck to tell a fortune, based on their alignment. (Inner Sea World Guide)

Gambit Style!

1. Deadly Dealer (feat) http://www.archivesofnethys.com/FeatDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Deadly%20Dealer Throw a card as a dart, throw a Harrow card as a masterwork dart. (The Harrow Handbook, Varisia, Birthplace of Legends)

Archetypes

1. Card Caster (magus archetype) http://www.archivesofnethys.com/ArchetypeDisplay.aspx?FixedName=Card%20Caster Gain magus abilities when using Harrow Deck as a deck of darts. (The Harrow Handbook)
2. Cartomancer (witch archetype) http://www.archivesofnethys.com/ArchetypeDisplay.aspx?FixedName=Cartomancer Use a Harrow deck as a traditional witch uses a familiar. (The Harrow Handbook)
3. Harrow Warden (monk archetype) http://www.archivesofnethys.com/ArchetypeDisplay.aspx?FixedName=Harrow%20Warden Esoteric class features mostly tie into Harrow thematically. (The Harrow Handbook)
4. Sczarni Swindler (rogue archetype) http://www.archivesofnethys.com/ArchetypeDisplay.aspx?FixedName=Sczarni%20Swindler Fake fortune teller. (The Harrow Handbook)
5. Story Summoner (summoner archetype) http://www.archivesofnethys.com/ArchetypeDisplay.aspx?FixedName=Story%20Summoner Reads Harrow to tell stories that summon creatures. (The Harrow Handbook)
6. Suit Seeker (inquisitor archetype) http://www.archivesofnethys.com/ArchetypeDisplay.aspx?FixedName=Suit%20Seeker Inquisitor of luck that leaves judgment to chance. (The Harrow Handbook)

Other Options

• Harrow Mat (equipment) (http://www.archivesofnethys.com/EquipmentMiscDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Harrow%20mat) +4 on Bluff or Diplomacy (Harrow Handbook)
• Deck of Slivering Fate (Magic Item) (http://www.archivesofnethys.com/MagicWeaponsDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Deck%20of%20Slivering%20Fate) 13,000 gp +1 limning^UE harrow deck that deals slashing damage and doubles the arcane strike bonus when combined with Deadly Dealer (Harrow Handbook)
• Fortunate (Magic trait) http://www.archivesofnethys.com/TraitDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Fortunate (Quests and Campaigns). 1/day, when randomizing an effect, pick twice and choose the result.
• Harrow Born (race trait) http://www.archivesofnethys.com/TraitDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Harrow%20Born Start play with a harrow deck, +1 initiative. (Humans of Golarion)

Harrow Chosen (race trait) http://www.archivesofnethys.com/TraitDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Harrow%20Chosen Begin play with a harrow deck. +2 CL for divination spells. 2/week can augury (Varisia, Birthplace of Legends)

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Harrowing can be minimized as something that happens on Golarion. More specifically, a small subsection of Varisians use Harrow decks to tell fortunes and make money. And yet, the recent Pathfinder Player Companion – The Harrow Handbook proves that a narrow topic can inspire a wide range of ideas.

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Check out Paizo’s new Deluxe Harrow Deck.

Read up on the Harrow on the Pathfinder Wiki.

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GMs have a lot of responsibility

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When last we welcomed Tracy Hurley into the Private Sanctuary, it was based on her role as co-host of The Tome Show, a D&D podcast, to talk about skill challenges in Private Sanctuary 189. Today, we invite her on as blogger Sarah Darkmagic and advocate of equality in gaming. (http://www.sarahdarkmagic.com/)

Inclusivity has been a hot topic lately in gaming and broader geek hobbies, and many tabletop RPG companies have been taking aggressively pro-inclusive steps.

Paizo discussed it at length in their recent Diversity In Gaming seminar at PaizoCon and have been largely praised for supporting transgender fan Distracted Elf through their socially difficult coming out by way of Pathfinder products featuring transgender characters. And it’s heartening to see the predominantly positive response writer Crystal Frasier received for the new iconic shaman, Shardra Geltl.

WotC also took a bold step towards supporting inclusivity by wording the sex section of the new D&D rulebook to encourage playing across gender, and exploring homosexual, transgender, and asexual character ideas. There have been some debates about the wording but overall, WotC has been credited for their good intentions.

However, Tracy went deeper into the product and found fair gender representation to be lacking. What could a publisher of printed adventures, or a GM running a home game, do to create a more inclusive atmosphere?

Talking points:

• Hi Tracy!
• Why is inclusivity important?
  • Commentary;
• Word choice and being too PC;
  • D&D’s influence;
• Where did Lost Mines of Phandelver go wrong?
• Challenges of representation;
• Sexist plot versus sexist plotting;
  • Trigger plots/creatures;
• Accommodating your players’ ideas, addressing your players’ intolerance.

Shout Outs:

• SarahDarkmagic.com
• GamingAsWomen

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Show Notes

Book: Ultimate Combat

Concept: A steel-toting, rough-riding, quick-drawing son of a gun. (Lirianne)

Context:

• Westerns:
• The Batman Test
• Our gunslingers: None. Ever.

Mechanics:

• Full BAB / D10 HD;
• 4 + Int skill points, Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (engineering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
• simple, martial weapons, all firearms, light armor;
• Class features:

• 1^st Gunsmith: Free blunderbuss, musket or pistol that you can’t jam, Gunsmithing feat.
• 1^st Deeds: Gain deeds of your level or lower, spend grit to do something amazing.

o    1^st, 3^rd, and every fourth level thereafter.

• 1^st Grit: Replenishing pointes-based resource equal to the gunslinger’s Wisdom mod. Regained by confirming a critical hit or dropping a target with a gun.
• 2^nd Nimble: +1 dodge AC wearing light or no armor. +1 every four levels beyond 2nd.
• 4^th Bonus combat or grit feat every fourth level.
• 5^th Gun Training: Pick a type of gun. Add Dex mod on damage rolls with that type of gun. Every four levels thereafter pick another type of firearm.
• 20^th True Grit: Two grit-spending deeds costs 1 less grit point.

Deeds:

• Deadeye (1st): Target touch AC, spend 1 grit per range increment beyond first.
• Gunslinger’s Dodge (1st): When trageted with a ranged attack, spend 1 grit to move 5 feet as an immediate action +2 bonus to AC
• Quick Clear (1st): As a standard action, fix a broken firearm, spend 1 grit to quick clear as a move action.
• Gunslinger Initiative (3rd): +2 initiative, can draw a firearm as part of the initiative check if she has the Quick Draw feat.
• Pistol-Whip (3rd): Spend 1 grit to melee attack with firearm as a standard action.
• Utility Shot (3rd): Replace an attack with one of the following:
•             Blast Lock: Disable lock by shooting it;
•             Scoot Unattended Object: Move object with bullets;
•             Stop Bleeding: Cauterize wound.
• Dead Shot (7th) Full-round action to fire all shots at a target, dealing additional damage. Good for overcoming DR.
• Startling Shot (7th): Turn a hit into a miss to render target flatfooted.
• Targeting (7th) Full-round action to target body parts.
• Bleeding Wound (11th): Spend 1 grit to cause bleed, or 2 grit to cause ability score bleed.
• Expert Loading (11th): Misfiring a broken gun doesn’t blow it up.
• Lightning Reload (11th) Reload a single barrel of a one-handed or two-handed firearm as a swift action.
• Evasive (15th): Evasion, uncanny dodge, and improved uncanny dodge.
• Menacing Shot (15th) Spend 1 grit point to target an area of effect.
• Slinger’s Luck (15th): Spend grit to reroll a saving throw or a skill check.
• Cheat Death (19th): Spend all remaining grit to be reduced to 1 hp instead of 0 or below.
• Death’s Shot (19th): Spend 1 grit to turn a crit into a save or die.
• Stunning Shot (19th): Spend 2 grit points to stun a hit creature for 1 round.

Ability Scores: Dex, Wis.

Best Race: Human, dwarf, elf, half-elf, half-orc, halfling.

Roles: Ranged damage.

Archetypes: Gun Scavenger (shoots scrap), Gun Tank (heavily armoured), Gunner Squire (supports a knight), Musket Master (obvious), Mysterious Stranger (swap Cha for Wis), Pistolero (pistle specialist), Siege Gunner (cannons specialist), Wyrm Sniper (dragon hunter)

Roleplaying Keywords: Cowboy

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Show Notes

Oh, right. Show notes. Remember when the site went down in July of 2014? That’s what happened to the show notes. Sorry.

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Show Notes

Oh, right. Show notes. Remember when the site went down in July of 2014? That’s what happened to the show notes. Sorry.

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You can read about Sean’s very opinionated d20 gaming at his website (seankreynolds.com) and hear his tips for designers on his YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/seankreynolds)

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PS 239 – Magus

(Plural: magi)

Book: Ultimate Magic https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/classes/base-classes/magus

Concept: The Reeses Peanut Butter Cup of melee and martial classes (aka gish) (Seltyiel)

Context:

• Magi in literature:
  • Elric;
  • Thor;
  • Link!;
  • Skeletor;
• The Batman Test
• Our magi: Jaymon Falcobe

Mechanics:

• 6-level caster with spellbook, Int-based;
• ¾ BAB / D8 HD;
• 2 + Int, Climb, Craft, Fly, Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (planes), Profession, Ride, Spellcraft, Swim, and Use Magic Device.
• Good Fort, good Will, poor Ref;
• Proficient: simple and martial weapons, light armor (can cast magus spells while wearing light armor)
• Class features:

1^st Level

• • Arcane Pool (Su): 1/2 magus level + his Int mod. Can expend 1 point as a swift action to grant +1 to one weapon, +1/4 levels, for 1 min;
  • Spell Combat (Ex): Full round action with one hand free, can make all attacks with weapon (-2 to all attacks) and cast a spell (if casting time is standard action or faster). Can cast then attack or reverse, but can’t cast between attacks. If casting defensively, can take additional penalty on attack rolls, up to Int mod, as bonus on concentration check;

2^nd Level

• • Spellstrike (Su): When casting spell with range of “touch”, can deliver the spell through wielded weapon as part of melee attack;

3^rd Level

• • Magus Arcana: The rogue talent of magus class features.3rd level and every three levels of magus thereafter.
    • Close Range (deliver ray spells as melee touch spells)
    • Spell Blending: Add one wizard spell to magus spell list (or two wizard spells but both must be at least one level lower than the highest-level magus spell he can cast). Can select this magus arcana more than once.

4th Level

• • Spell Recall (Su): Swift action to regain a spell already cast, costing arcane pool points equal to spell level;

5th Level

• • Arcane Pool (Su): When enhancing a weapon, can add magic properties;
  • Bonus Feats: At 5th level, and every six levels thereafter, gain a bonus combat, item creation, or metamagic feat.

7th Level

• • Knowledge Pool (Su): When preparing spells, expend 1 or more points, up to Int mod. For each point expended, treat one spell from the magus spell list as if it were in spellbook;
  • Medium Armor (Ex): Gain proficiency with medium armor, can cast magus spells while wearing medium armor;

8th Level

• • Improved Spell Combat (Ex): When using spell combat, receive +2 circumstance bonus on concentration checks;

10th Level

• • Fighter Training (Ex): Count 1/2 magus level as fighter level for qualifying for feats;

11th Level

• • Improved Spell Recall (Su): When using spell recall, expend points from arcane pool equal to 1/2 the spell’s level (minimum 1). As a swift action, can prepare a spell in his spellbook by expending points from arcane pool equal to the spell’s level (minimum 1);

13th Level

• • Heavy Armor (Ex): Gain proficiency with heavy armor, can cast magus spells while wearing heavy armor;

14th Level

• • Greater Spell Combat (Ex): When using spell combat, concentration check bonus equals double the amount of the attack penalty taken;

16th Level

• • Counterstrike (Ex): When an enemy within reach successfully casts a spell defensively, that enemy provokes an attack of opportunity from the magus after the spell is complete;

19th Level

• • Greater Spell Access (Su): Learns 14 wizard spells as magus spells of their wizard level, two of each 0-level, 1st-level, 2nd-level, 3rd-level, 4th-level, 5th-level, and 6th-level;

20th Level

• • True Magus (Su): When using spell combat, do not need to make concentration checks to cast defensively. When spell targets the same creature as melee attacks, either increase the DC to resist the spell by +2, gain +2 circumstance bonus to overcome spell resistance, or +2 circumstance bonus on all attack rolls.

Ability Scores: Strength/Intelligence, Dex?

Best Race: Elf, half-elf, half-orc, human. Tiefling

Roles: Tank, longsleeve, 5^th member

Archetypes: https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/classes/base-classes/magus#TOC-Archetypes-Alternate-Class-Features

Roleplaying Keywords: Cocky, SBD, cagey, stalwart.

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Well, it being the 40th anniversary of D&D, if we happen to dovetail into a complete retrospective, so be it. I recently wrote a blog post on some of my feelings about D&D’s 40th, so expect us to cover that topic again here before we’re done.

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o    Dark Dungeons trailer

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Listener Philipp Kévess wrote us, saying he recently convinced his group to try out Pathfinder, after 5 years of 4e. He was wondering what experienced Pathfinder players are doing with rolling ability scores and hit points.

To answer the first part of his question, ability scores, we have to flip to the Getting Started chapter of the Core Rulebook. Five different methods of determining ability scores are offered: Standard, classic, heroic, dice pool, and purchase. However, these methods can be clumped into two categories: random or balanced.

PC vs NPC

Before we look at generating ability scores for PCs, it’s worth noting that NPCs do not get their ability scores randomly generated. According to the Creating NPC rules in the Core Rulebook, the standard race NPCs you’ll encounter in a campaign will have the following stats:

Basic NPCs: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8.

Heroic NPCs: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8.

Random

Dice are involved, and the majority of the different methods fall into this category. The random methods of determining ability scores are:

• Standard: Roll 4d6, discard the lowest die result, and add the three remaining results together. Thanks to a post on the Catlike Coding Blog, we actually know what our statistical average ability scores to expect.
  
• Classic: Roll 3d6 and add the dice together. This randomness can be taken one step further, with the totals applied to specific ability scores in the order they are rolled.
  
• Heroic: Roll 2d6 and add 6 to the sum of the dice.
  
• Dice Pool: Each character has a pool of 24d6 to assign to his statistics. Before the dice are rolled, the player selects the number of dice to roll for each score, with a minimum of 3d6 for each ability. Once the dice have been assigned, the player rolls each group and totals the result of the three highest dice. For more high-powered games, the GM should increase the total number of dice to 28. This method generates characters of a similar power to the Standard method.

Balanced

The only balanced (ie diceless) method of generating ability scores is the Purchase method, aka points buy.

Generating hp

Much less variety here. Full hp at 1st level. After that, you either roll, or you take the average expected value rounded up.

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Why GM?

•    You are the god of this world, 99% of its inhabitants, and everything happening there;
•    You decide the setting, the story, the tone, etc.
•    Like the look of a class but don’t want to commit to it? NPC. Only think a class gets fun after 5th level? NPC. Have a silly voice or character concept you want to play around with but not commit to for a whole campaign? NPC;
•    You don’t need to meet prerequisites to run a monster.

Why Not GM?

•    You only get a snippet of a character at a time;
•    Your reward is losing every combat; • This is not a dictatorship, it is a democracy with dice;
•    Juggling ferrets and chainsaws;
•    When you GM, you can’t play.

Rewarding GMs

•    PFS GM Rewards:

o    Stars!
o    Reroll bonuses!

•    Game Masters Get More (Chimera reward program)
•    Supper and snacks are covered;
•    Help pay for stuff?
•    Regular GM rotation?
•    Easing pressure;
•    Cloaks.

3.5 Minutes
If you haven’t visited 35privatesanctuary.com lately, here’s what you might have missed:

• More RPG Superstar coverage than you can shake a +2 stick of shaking at! Including:

• Know Direction RPG Superstar 2014 Special – Interlude, where RPG Superstar hopefuls Mikko Kallio and Jacob W. Michaels offer insight into the RPG Superstar 2014 journey via MP3 and blog, respectively;

• Followed by the Know Direction RPG Superstar 2014 Special, where you can hear from 15 of the RPG Superstar top 16 contenders of 2014.

• And there’s a new Geek Together up in which Cathy and I discuss Guardians of the Galaxy and Supernatural.

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Technical Note: Return of the fritz! There were a few moments of microphone static lining that I edited around during the podcast, but when I went to record 3.5 Minutes, it was all static. It seems our cheap solutions to our technical problems weren’t quite enough. Fortunately, we budgeted for a much larger equipment overhaul. If I can’t get the mixer back to proper working order, it may be time for some new sound equipment afterall.

PS 235 – Alchemist

Book: APG https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/classes/base-classes/alchemist

Concept: Science in a world of magic. (Damiel Morgethai)

Context:

• Alchemists in literature:
  • Dr Jeckyl (specifically, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Dr Jeckyl);
  • Macgyver;
  • Hank Pym;
  • Wheeljack, Doc and Dr. Mindbender;
• The Batman Test
• Our Alchemists: Dura Cela and Alca Lynn.

Mechanics:

• 6-level “caster”, Int-based;
• ¾ BAB / D8 HD;
• 4 + Int skill points, Appraise, Craft (any), Disable Device, Fly, Heal, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (nature), Perception, Profession, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Survival, Use Magic Device.
• Good Fort, Good Ref, poor Will;
• Proficient with simple weapons and bombs, light armor, but not with shields;
• Class features:

1^st Level

• • Alchemy: The alchemist extracts magic from his aura to create extracts, powerful potions that only the creator can use.
    • Gains a competence bonus equal to his class level on the Craft (alchemy) checks;
    • Can use Craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if using detect magic.
    • Can utilize spell-trigger items if the spell appears on his formulae list, but not spell-completion items.
  • Bomb: An alchemist can use a number of bombs each day equal to his class level + his Intelligence modifier. On a direct hit, an alchemist’s bomb inflicts 1d6 points of fire damage + additional damage equal to the alchemist’s Intelligence modifier, plus 1d6 every other level. They splash the minimum damage the bomb could inflict.
    • Drawing the components of, creating, and throwing a bomb is a single standard action that provokes.
    • Thrown bombs have a range of 20 feet and use the Throw Splash Weapon special attack.
    • Bombsare considered weapons and can be selected using feats such as Point-Blank Shot and Weapon Focus.
  • Bonus feats: Brew Potion (Extra Bombs in PFS), Throw Anything (add Int mod to splash weapons damage);
  • Mutagen: +2 natural armor bonus, +4 alchemical bonus to select ability score, –2 for tied ability, for 10 minutes per alchemist level.

2^nd Level

• • Discoveries: The alchemist’s most versatile class feature, allowing you do modify your bombs, your extracts, your mutagen, or other science-related craziness. New discovery gained every even level. Discoveries;
  • Poison Use/Resistance: Don’t poison yourself when poisoning, Resistance to other poisons;

3^rd Level

• • Swift Alchemy: Make alchemical items in half the time, apply poison as a swift action;

6th Level

• • Swift Poisoning: Apply poison as a swift action;

14th Level

• • Persistent Mutagen: Mutagen lasts 1 hour/level;

18th Level

• • Instant Alchemy: Create alchemical item as a full-round action, apply poison as an immediate action;

20th Level

• • Grand Discovery: Learn two new discoveries and a third, awesome discovery.

Ability Scores: Intelligence, then based on your build.

Best Race: Elf, half-elf, half-orc, human. Tiefling

Roles: Skill-monkey, combat support, sort of caster.

Archetypes: https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/classes/base-classes/alchemist#TOC-Archetypes-Alternate-Class-Features

Roleplaying Keywords: Addict, arrogant, brilliant, cold, determined, eccentric. Pyromanic

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In 3.5 Minutes, Ryven Cedrylle’s blog responce to our recent episode on madness (PS 233), Sanity or the Lack Thereof.

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You know what’s messed up? 99% of the stuff a PC has to deal with every minute of every day. Even orks are bigger than you, green, and have tusks up to their eyebrows. But you get used to stuff. In the real world, spiders are weird. Most of us are used to them. Most of us.

However, some things are beyond the pale. Gibbering mouthers, frogehemoths, C’thulhu. These creatures are such stretches of what should be that even the hardiest adventurer might buckle at the knee and bawl laying eyes on them. As is the case in Carrion Crown book 4, Wake of the Watcher, a Lovecraft-inspired adventure that tests the sanity of player and character, using a variation of the Chaosium’s d20 Call of Cthulhu Sanity rules.

There are three separate sets of sanity rules for Pathfinder, two of which are from Paizo, all of which we’ll be exploring. So many options, it’s enough to drive you mad

The Story So Far

· Valter and Zimrazir

Sanity Concept

· No matter how much you train, no matter how tough you are, there is only so much you can take;

· Madness vs fear;

· Are we being insensitive?

Mechanics

· GameMastery Guide

o Every time a creature is reduced to a score of 0 Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, there’s a chance he goes insane. Randomly roll on the table, and make a secret saving throw for them;

· Wake of the Watcher version:

o Level + Wis mod;

o Certain specific incidents during the adventure deal Sanity damage if you fail a DC 15 Will save.

o Damage can be quite high (1d10, 2d6)

o Sanity cannot be healed.

o When reduced to 0 Sanity, you gain a madness;

o Greater restoration (cleric 7, requires diamond dust worth 5,000 gp), heal (cleric 6, druid 7), limited wish (sorcerer/wizard 7, diamond worth 1,500 gp), miracle (cleric 9), or wish (sorcerer/wizard 9, diamond worth 25,000 gp).

· A Broken Mind by Scott Gable

o 7th ability score, mind, is based on your highest intellectual ability core;

o After character creation, your Mind is no longer linked directly to this other ability score;

o Sanity is 5x mind;

o Your starting Mind is permanently decreased by 1 point for each of the following skills you are trained in: Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (planes), and Knowledge (religion);

o When your Sanity is threatened, you must make a Mind saving throw (a “slow progression” save). Do not add your Mind modifier to either your save or the DC since they would simply cancel each other.)

o The DC for a given Mind save is decided entirely by you: it is 10 + 1/2 your HD

o Sanity Loss. If you fail a Sanity check, you take the Sanity loss listed after the creature type below, if you succeed, you may still 1 point of Sanity loss for every 5 HD the creature is greater than you, and 1 point of Sanity loss if the creature is an aberration.

o By creature: Dragons and Outsiders (1d8), Undead Creatures (1d8), Aberrations (1d12);

o Atrocities: Such as Witnessing a murder (1d4), undergoing torture (1d10), discovering a cavern of flesh (1d12), dying (1d12), witnessing a friend or loved one rising from the grave (1d12), witnessing someone being eaten alive (1d20);

o Forbidden Knowledge

o Regaining Sanity

o Victory Rewards. You regain Sanity when you defeat creatures that you’re not inured to: 1d4 Sanity regained for defeating dragons, outsiders, and undead creatures and 1d6 Sanity regained for defeating aberrations.

o Healing. Once per week, you can try to regain your lost sanity in this way. The entire week must be a respite from adventure, spent in convalescence with another character who is trained in Heal. That character makes a single Heal check opposed by your highest skill of Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (planes), or Knowledge (religion). If the Heal check is successful, you regain 1d3 Sanity. If the Heal check fails, you gain no Sanity. If the Heal check fails by 10 or more, you permanently lose 1 point of Mind as the memories resurge; your maximum Sanity will need to be adjusted accordingly.

· Advantages/Disadvantages of both

Madness

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/mastery/sanityAndMadness.html

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You can find out more about Ari’s book, Pure Steele, which she co-authored with Kim Belair, and check out Ari’s podcast While You’re At Work, on the Watchtower Radio Network. In case we didn’t warn you enough last time, not safe for work.

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Board member Kizan suggested we look at the downtime system introduced in Ultimate Campaign.

“I’m getting ready to start a the new adventure Dragon’s Demand with my home group. I very much want to use the Downtime system presented in Ultimate Campaign, but after a read through I still don’t understand it as well as I’d like. Could you guys go over that system at some depth?”

This ties in to PS 205 – Time Mechanics with Matt, and PS 20 – Reality with Jay. Now it’s Cathy’s turn to weigh in.

Read about the downtime system yourself on Paizo’s PRD.

What’s Downtime?

· PCs are not on nonstop adventures. Just like there are no rules for unexciting things during adventures, like having to pee or dealing with the soul-crushing guilt of how many lives you’ve seen end, there were no rules for the unexciting things between adventures, like paying mortgage or raise children.

Why Downtime?

· What a character does between adventures can be more important to who that character is than what she does on adventures;

o Lois & Clark

· There are organic situations that grow out of adventuring that can only be explored between adventures;

o The tavern;

o Relationships

§ Save the princess, then what? Discard her? Save her again?

· Fable

How Downtime Works

· At its core, Downtime uses days as a currency, a long term action, in which you can perform Downtime activities, gain income, and deal with unexpected happenings, in four phases.

· There are four Downtime capital broaden concepts already in the game: Goods, Influence, Labour, and Magic.

· There are two types of activities during Downtime: activities that involve Downtime capital, and activities that do not involve Downtime capital.

· If everyone is only interested in activities that do not involve Downtime capital, don’t worry about the Downtime phase sequence. These activities include:

o Add Spells to Your Spellbook*

o Craft Magic Items*

o Craft Mundane Items*

o Earn XP

o Gather Information

o Heal Others

o Replace Your Animal Companion

o Research a Spell*

o Research Facts and Lore

o Rest

o Retrain*

o Train an Animal

· A lot of items on that list include as asterix. That’s because these rules already exist in the game and can be run as is. However, Ultimate Campaign introduces variants that use Downtime capital.

· Phase 1—Upkeep: Pay costs associated with maintaining completed buildings and organizations.

· Phase 2—Activity: Perform downtime activities, such as constructing a building, recruiting an organization, or retraining.

o Construct Buildings

o Earn Capital

o Promote a Business

o Recruit for an Organization

o Run a Business

o Scheme for an Upcoming Adventure

· Phase 3—Income: Determine how much capital your buildings, organizations, and other activities generate, and sell off assets you no longer want.

Phase 4—Event: Check whether any unusual events occur. Some are beneficial, such as Famous Visitor or Good Fortune. Others are detrimental, such as Fire or Sickness.

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Know Direction Kickstarter

Wes was kind enough to compile a list of links that he mentioned during the show.

Board member Denim N Leather hook us up big time with more links to satisfy any Lovecraft craving:

• Lovecraft documentary, Fear of the Unknown! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17tj18qpJf0
• The first person to sketch Cthulu was HP Lovecraft
• This roundtable discussion was just released and it fits the topic quite well, HPLLP Round Table: Mainstreaming Cthulu.
• The 3 main sources for modern-day Lovecraftiana are:
  

   

  • HP Podcraft (The subscription is well worth the price)

  • The HP Lovecraft Historical Society (I have all of their DARTs aside from the newest one, which I shall get at payday this week. Their movies are also brilliant)

  • Yog-Sothoth (also subscription-based, and also worth the price)

Thanks DNL!

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Some of the character sheets we discussed in particular:

• Paizo’s Pathfinder RPG Player Character Folio;
• Happy Camper’s class-specific character sheets;
• Mediakorento stylized character sheet;
• Hero Lab for Pathfinder.

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If you like Ari, check out her podcast While You’re At Work, on the Watchtower Radio Network. Definitely, abosolutely, no-two-ways-about-it not safe for work, guys.

If you like Cynthia… I dunno, check out Ari’s podcast. Ari has a lot of stories about her.

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Remember to vote for the topic of next series of features:

• Pathfinder Class Features
• Schools of Magic
• Unusual Races

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Meet the filmmakers behind the Standard Action webseries in the latest flavour episode of 3.5 Private Sanctuary.

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If you liked what you heard, be sure to check out the Standard Action Season 3 Kickstarter.

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Don’t forget, it is GM Appreciation Day!

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Find out more about the annual gaming tribute to Gary Gygax: GaryCon

Don’t foget to check out Gygax Magazine.

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We love Dave Chalker’s Get Bit!

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Reel in horror as you find everything you need to know about the Carrion Crown adventure path;

Shake in fear reading Erratic Episodes, the blog about Wes’ Dread game;

Gawk at the terror contained within Wes Schneider’s homepage;

Find out more about the greatest literary horror stories of our age at Cemetery Dance Publications.

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The Gamerati

Jon Brazer Enterprises – Book of Magic: Pirate Spells

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