In Combat! Hee-Hah!
In Pathfinder it has – for a while now – been a gripe of mine that there aren’t really many good Move Actions to do in combat. Sure… there is actually moving, which is pretty important, but as a rule getting that full-round attack with all the trimmings (possibly haste or/and two-weapon fighting) is the way to go. The primary go-to for useful other move actions would be Improved Feint, that allows feinting to be done as a move action. Not bad, but rather rarely used. I figure this is the realm for custom feats, so I present Combat Intuition. Let me know what you think:
Combat Intuition
You’re good at making the most out of combat situations.
Prerequisites: Wis 13
Benefit: After you hit with a melee attack you may, as a move action, perform any combat maneuver against that target. The maneuver provokes as normal.
[Pathfinder] 1000 bird style magus
I first presented the 1000 bird style magus last year (almost to the day). Since then, a few errors were pointed out in the build, which I have had a chance to correct and even play.
Human Magus (Hexcrafter/Staff Magus) (Chidori build)
S 18 D 12 C 14 I 14 W 10 C 8
Traits: Magical Lineage (shocking grasp); Reactionary
L01: Quarterstaff Master (B); Spell Focus (Evocation); Spell Specialization (shocking grasp)
L03: Arcana (Concentrate); Weapon Focus (Quarterstaff)
L04: Hex Magus (Slumber Hex)
L05: Elemental Spell (Acid); Intensify Spell (B)
L06: Arcana (Flight Hex)
L07: Heighten Spell
L09: Arcana (Hasted Assault); Preferred Spell (shocking grasp)
L11: Empower Spell (B); Weapon Specialization (Quarterstaff)
L12: Arcana (Ice Tomb Hex)
Of course, dropping the Staff Magus archetype allows for a selection of weapons with a greater critical threat range. However, I found that Ultimate Equipment introduced a number of good, low-cost staff options (starting at 8 000 gp) that serve as good weapons at level 10 (Staff Weapon) and offer extra flexibility through Use Magic Device. I made a number of the choices in this build to suit my particular taste. Dropping the quarterstaff feats, for example, allows for earlier metamagic feats. As a result, I marked those that I consider critical to build in bold.
- Jerall
[Cape Town] Pathfinder Society – May and June 2013
May and June, one of my favourite times of year in Cape Town, has a healthy dose of Pathfinder Society:
May Game 1:
Date and time: 04 May 2013 – 10:00 until 15:00
Venue: Fanaticus Hobbies and Games
Cost: FREE
What to bring: stationery, dice (if you have), a miniature or pawn to represent your character (if you have), imagination
Scenario: #4–19: The Night March of Kalkamedes – A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for levels 1–5.
A veteran Pathfinder exploring the Fenwall Mountains of Varisia has begun sleepwalking, traveling through the dead of night in the same direction each time. The following mornings, however, he awakens injured and lost in the wilderness, never reaching the mysterious destination that drew him from his bed in the night. Something is calling Kalkamedes, something powerful, but unless he can make it safely to the source of his somnambulism, that power will remain a mystery. It falls to a team of Pathfinders to escort the sleepwalker to his destination and uncover the true nature of the strange phenomenon overtaking Kalkamedes’s dreams.
May Game 2:
Date and time: 18 May 2013 – 10:00 until 15:00
Venue: Fanaticus Hobbies and Games
Cost: FREE
What to bring: stationery, dice (if you have), a miniature or pawn to represent your character (if you have), imagination
Scenario: #2-23: Shadow’s Last Stand—Part I: At Shadow’s Door - A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 1st to 7th level characters (Tiers: 1-2, 3-4 and 6-7).
The Shadow Lodge’s assault on the Pathfinder Society has come to a head in the Andoren city of Almas, where renegade Shadow Pathfinders have taken over the Grand Cathedral of Aroden, holding the Pathfinders and Venture-Captain stationed there hostage. You must gain entry into the overrun Pathfinder lodge and put an end to the open warfare within the Society.
June Game 1:
Date and time: 01 June 2013 – 10:00 until 15:00
Venue: Fanaticus Hobbies and Games
Cost: FREE
What to bring: stationery, dice (if you have), a miniature or pawn to represent your character (if you have), imagination
Scenario: #2-24: Shadow’s Last Stand—Part II: Web of Corruption - A Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 1st to 7th level characters (Tiers: 1-2, 3-4 and 6-7).
The mastermind behind the Shadow Lodge incursion on the Pathfinder Society has been revealed—a mysterious figure known only as The Spider. Your journey to discover the traitor’s whereabouts and identities will take you throughout the streets and underground of Almas, even to the floor of the People’s Council itself.
June Game 2: Free RPG Day!
Date and time: 15 June 2013 – 10:00 until 15:00
Venue: Fanaticus Hobbies and Games
Info: Stay tuned for more information!
- Jerall
[Pretoria] Pathfinder Society – 30 and 31 March 2013
Pretoria, this Tabletop Day, you’re getting the chance to try out Pathfinder Society at Outer Limits, Hatfield. There are two sessions, but with limited space. Booking is essential to avoid disappointment.
Date and time: 30 March 2013 – 10:00 until 16:00 and 31 March 2013 – 10:00 until 16:00
Venue: Outer Limits, Hatfield
Cost: FREE
What to bring: stationery, dice (if you have), imagination
Scenarios:
First Steps—Part II: To Delve the Dungeon Deep (PFRPG) (30 March)
First Steps—Part III: A Vision of Betrayal (31 March)
The First Steps scenarios aim to introduce new and veteran roleplayers to the Pathfinder Society Organised Play campaign. The organisers shall provide pre-generated characters for players, but feel free to bring your own PFS-legal level 1 characters along. For the full rules for PFS organised play, look here.
Book your seats here (30 March) and here (31 March).
It’s good to see PFS starting to take off in Gauteng. Stay tuned for news about UPCON.
- Jerall
[Cape Town] Pathfinder Society – April 2013
As Cape Town heads into Autumn, our brave Pathfinders continue upon their Quest for Perfection:
April Game 1:
Date and time: 06 April2013 – 10:00 until 15:00
Venue: Fanaticus Hobbies and Games
Cost: FREE
What to bring: stationery, dice (if you have), a miniature or pawn to represent your character (if you have), imagination
Scenario: #3-11: The Quest for Perfection—Part II: On Hostile Waters: With an ancient Iroran relic in hand, the Pathfinders must make a long river voyage to the inland nation of Shokuro to return it to the only person who can reactivate the long-dormant artifact. Whether dangers take the form of goblinoid menaces on the shores of Kaoling to the north or the powerful armies of Lingshen to the south, the Pathfinders’ journey will be anything but a pleasure cruise. Can the PCs survive hostile waters to safely reach their destination, or will they fall victim to the perils of river travel in Tian Xia?
April Game 2:
Date and time: 20April2013 – 10:00 until 15:00
Venue: Fanaticus Hobbies and Games
Cost: FREE
What to bring: stationery, dice (if you have), a miniature or pawn to represent your character (if you have), imagination
Scenario: #3-13: The Quest for Perfection—Part III: Defenders of Nesting Swallow: As the Pathfinders approach the village of Nesting Swallow in the Tian nation of Shokuro, they find it besieged by a gang of tengu bandits. Before their contact in the village will aid them in restoring the Iroran relic that brought them hundreds of miles to the isolated town, the PCs must repulse the attackers, using every ounce of tactical mettle and military strategy they possess to train the villagers, augment their defenses, and ultimately face off against the bandits’ charge.
- Jerall
[Cape Town] Pathfinder Society – February and March 2013
Cape Town’s Pathfinder Society continues to grow and we have to make some adjustments to the schedule to accomodate this growth. First up, we’re adding an extra game day to February’s schedule, but we’ve also moved the Cyphermage Dilemma out slightly as a result. We’re growing our GM base with these upcoming events. Pop on over and show our new GMs your support.
February Game 2:
Date and time: 16 February 2013 – 10:00 until 15:00
Venue: Fanaticus Hobbies and Games
Cost: FREE
What to bring: stationery, dice (if you have), a miniature or pawn to represent your character (if you have), imagination
Scenario: Master of the Fallen Fortress: The ruined siege castles outside Absalom have long beckoned adventurers looking to make a name for themselves. Now an earthquake has cracked open one of these fabled ruins, and its lost mysteries and fantastic treasures lie exposed for the first time in centuries. But the tower’s empty halls once more echo with living footfalls, and a new master has claimed the Fallen Fortress as his own. Can the PCs find a way to get inside its shattered walls? What ancient dangers and fresh threats will they encounter inside its crumbling chambers? And will the PCs be able to defeat the current Master of the Fallen Fortress?
Note: Master of the Fallen Fortress is only for level 1 characters, but under the replay rules, you may replay it with any level 1 character that hasn’t run through it before.
February Game 3:
Date and time: 23 February 2013 – 10:00 until 15:00
Venue: Fanaticus Hobbies and Games
Cost: FREE
What to bring: stationery, dice (if you have), a miniature or pawn to represent your character (if you have), imagination
Scenario: #3–23: The Goblinblood Dead: More than a decade has passed since the Goblinblood Wars left the nation of Isger in shambles, and the Pathfinder Society uses the many abandoned roads through the county’s interior to smuggle valuable relics. But when a series of attacks on the Varisian caravans carrying the illicit cargo puts the route in jeopardy, it falls to the PCs to investigate and rid the region of the threat to the Society’s operations.
March Game 1:
Date and time: 2 March 2013 – 10:00 until 15:00
Venue: Fanaticus Hobbies and Games
Cost: FREE
What to bring: stationery, dice (if you have), a miniature or pawn to represent your character (if you have), imagination
Scenario: #3-EX: The Cyphermage Dilemma: In the shadow of the cyclopean Cyphergate that spans Riddleport’s harbor, the PCs find themselves embroiled in a dangerous plot of deception that one could only find in Varisia’s infamous pirate port.
March Game 2:
Date and time: 16 March 2013 – 10:00 until 15:00
Venue: Fanaticus Hobbies and Games
Cost: FREE
What to bring: stationery, dice (if you have), a miniature or pawn to represent your character (if you have), imagination
Scenario: #3-09: The Quest for Perfection—Part I: The Edge of Heaven: In the distant land of Tian Xia, the Pathfinder Society’s Lantern Lodge sends a team of agents high into the mountains of the Wall of Heaven to an abandoned Iroran monastery in search of a powerful relic to assist them in ensure victory in the upcoming Ruby Phoenix Tournament. Though the monastery has long laid unused by the faithful of the Master of Masters, it is not completely devoid of danger, and the PCs soon discover that merely retrieving the ancient artifact is but the beginning of a much larger quest.
- Jerall
Parry, Riposte, Electrocute
In case you missed it, Kobold Press released part 2 of my magus series on their blog. This week’s archetype is the sanctioned spellsword, combining elements of divine casting with spell combat.
Last week, part 1, introduced the iron fist monk, which blends unarmed martial arts with arcane spellcraft.
Be sure to stop by the Kobold Press blog next week for the final part in the series.
- Jerall
[Pathfinder] The Luchador
Last year, I posted the judo master build. As some of you may know, I’m a huge fan of the fighting video game genre. In the last post, I discussed, however briefly, the grappler characters, focusing on pro-wrestlers (Tina Armstrong, King, Zangief) and judokas (Hinogami Goh, Daimon Goro) at the expense of luchadores (Lisa Hamilton, El Blaze, Jay Cee). This year, I aim to correct that oversight and hereby present my Pathfinder Society legal luchador build:
Human Maneuver Master (20 point buy)
Str 17; Dex 14; Con 14; Int 10; Wis 14; Cha 08
M01 – Combat Reflexes
M01 – Improved Trip
M01 – Improved Unarmed Strike
M01 – Vicious Stomp
M02 – Improved Grapple
M03 – Ki Throw
M04 – -
M05 – Monkey Style
M06 – Greater Trip
M07 – Binding Throw
M08 – -
M09 – Monkey Moves
M10 – Medusa’s Wrath
M11 – Stunning Pin
M12 – -
At level 1, the luchador, as a full attack, can trip (-2), Vicious Stomp (upon successful trip) and make another unarmed strike.
At level 2, the luchador, as a full attack, can trip (-2), Vicious Stomp and make another unarmed strike or grapple attempt (-2).
At level 5, the luchador can do all of the above while prone at no penalty.
At level 6, the luchador, as a full attack, can trip (-2), Vicious Stomp, make an attack of opportunity with an unarmed strike, and make another unarmed strike or grapple attempt (-2) (See this FAQ about Greater Trip and Vicious Stomp).
At level 7, the luchador, as a full attack, can trip (-2), Vicious Stomp, make an attack of opportunity with an unarmed strike, grapple (-2) as a swift action (upon a successful trip attempt), and make another unarmed strike or grapple attempt (-2).
At level 8, the luchador, as a full attack, can trip (-2), Vicious Stomp, make an attack of opportunity with an unarmed strike, grapple as a swift action (-2), make another unarmed strike or grapple attempt (-2), and make one more grapple attempt (-5).
At level 10, if the luchador lands a successful Stunning Fist somewhere in the attack routine, Medusa’s Wrath triggers too.
- Jerall
[Cape Town] Pathfinder Society Schedule for January and February 2013
Due to popular demand for The Disappeared, we are rescheduling our upcoming games as follows. Remember, to avoid disappointment, make sure to book your seat for the upcoming games at Warhorn.
January Game 2:
Date and time: 19 January 2013 – 10:00 until 14:00
Venue: Fanaticus Hobbies and Games (Fanaticus moved to a new, larger shop, just across the courtyard from their old place)
Cost: FREE
What to bring: stationery, dice (if you have), a miniature or pawn to represent your character (if you have), imagination
Scenario: #4-11: The Disappeared: A powerful ally of the Pathfinder Society has disappeared, and no one but the Pathfinders even remembers that she ever existed. Can the PCs discover the fate of their missing associate, or will all memory of her be erased completely from history?
February Game 1:
Date and time: 2 February 2013 – 10:00 until 14:00
Venue: Fanaticus Hobbies and Games (Fanaticus moved to a new, larger shop, just across the courtyard from their old place)
Cost: FREE
What to bring: stationery, dice (if you have), a miniature or pawn to represent your character (if you have), imagination
Scenario: #4–07: Severing Ties: The Pathfinder Society has discovered a new Aspis Consortium base in the pirate city of Riddleport and sends a small team of agents to infiltrate the rival cell disguised as newly hired mercenaries from Magnimar. After proving their value to the Aspis Consortium by carrying out a number of tasks throughout the City of Cyphers, the Pathfinders can learn the location of one of the consortium’s local allies and ensure that the support the Aspis Consortium is counting on from their friends won’t come.
February Game 2:
Date and time: 16 February 2013 – 10:00 until 14:00
Venue: Fanaticus Hobbies and Games (Fanaticus moved to a new, larger shop, just across the courtyard from their old place)
Cost: FREE
What to bring: stationery, dice (if you have), a miniature or pawn to represent your character (if you have), imagination
Scenario: #3-EX: The Cyphermage Dilemma: In the shadow of the cyclopean Cyphergate that spans Riddleport’s harbor, the PCs find themselves embroiled in a dangerous plot of deception that one could only find in Varisia’s infamous pirate port.
The Cyphermage Dilemma is an exclusive scenario, currently only available to 4-star Pathfinder Society GMs, Venture-Captains, and Venture-Lieutenants. Fanaticus will be one of the few places where you can play through this scenario before its release to the general public.
- Jerall
Happy Belated New Year (and magus options for Pathfinder)
Happy new year!
Towards the end of last year, my blogging slowed to a crawl. Hopefully, this year, I’ll be able to pull myself away from games of Agricola and make time to catch up on my blogging. Over the end of year break, I had the opportunity to tinker around with several RPG products and the reviews should start flowing soon. Also, I shall be posting more about Pathfinder Society South Africa as more events and groups start springing up. And, of course, there will be our collection of random game design posts too. To kick things off, Kobold Press has posted the first of a series of Pathfinder magus options (penned by me) on their blog. The first post introduces the Iron Fist Magus to add a little Kung Fu to your spell combat. Hop on over and let me know what you think about the archetype.
- Jerall
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