The ones that make me giggle are the GMs who post in Players Wanted with the claim that they're taking a group from level 1 to 20 in their campaign.  Inevitably it's somebody who's got no successful games under their belt.

'Course I've only got so much room there.  I've found out the hard way I'm a terrible GM though I make a great GM's assistant.

Point 1, there have been a small number of exceedingly long running games that have done so, but in most cases, yeah.

Point 2 same, I am a good planner and idealist, but running an actual game is difficult for me. I only really started making games simply because no one reliable would make that kind of game for me to play in otherwise. And then I use a GMPC to get on the fun some.

Do I know what is going to happen in the story? Normally(but with an adventure path so could anyone playing). Is my character going to act on it? No, they will do as anyone else's character would, goof off, makes mistakes.....die on occasion (means I get to drag out another character unless the party wants to go hunting for a resurrection spell)

I have left a long trail of broken games before I felt I finally had the chops to run a decent game. It's unfortunately something that takes experience and as with any craft or art and requires years of dedication and correction to approach mastery.

After years of trying I feel like I'm finally approaching something of journeyman status. I can run a solid game (I think) and keep it on track, I can deal with problematic players and I have the tools and resources available to help bump my games up to a far better level then what I ran years ago.

Heading to bed...I'll finish the tutorial tomorrow...

MapTool tutorial is completed, at least for now. I'll probably do some more tutorials in the future to show things like how to use templates for fireballs and burst effects etc.

I know this is an odd request, but would anyone here be willing to help me work on one of my games? It is still in progress and has been on the back burner for a while, but I'd like a 2nd or 3rd opinion on what I have done so far as well as what I need to do.

Pm me if you're up for it

LOVE THE MAPTOOL TUTORIAL!!!!!!!

Glad to hear! There is a is ton of functionality in map tools that I can continue to explore. My next step is to learn light levels and finally figure out how Player View actually works.

I also have a few other tricks I can show off eventually but it'll be a hit before I do the next one.

Do you have any map making tips for tablet users?

Nope sorry but if someone does a tutorial on another tool I'd be happy to sticky it

Can't wait!

Small problem with a game of mine that a potential applicant pointed out.

• The fly spell is a level 3 spell (so is beast shape I), meaning wizard just get it at level fly (and it lasts 5 minutes per casting), sorcerers need to wait until level 6, summoners and magi until level 7... true, long duration flight comes with overland flight, a level 5 spell, available at level 9 to wizards and level 10 to sorcerers.

• Flying races are very, very rare. None of the core ones, certainly.

• Flying magic objects cost way too much for a level 5 character: 17,000 gp for a broom of flying, 20,000 gp (or more) for a carpet of flying... even figurines of wondrous power suitable as flying mounts start at 10,000 gp, and they are severely limited in their uses per week.

• Regarding animal companions, most don't become suitable as flying mounts for medium characters until level 7 (dire bat, roc, pteranodon).

• Flying mounts are doable, just. A trained hippogriff costs 5,000 gp, a giant owl 6,000 gp, a griffon 8,000 gp... that's most of a starting character's wealth, and very easily lost in combat.

Point 1 is my main concerns as I've already been working on patching up holes (just not got out the putty yet) that cover the important bits of the other points.

Flight /some manner of travelling to another floating Isle is an integral part of the game. What would be a better level change here, 7, so anyone could have Flight, or 8 where they have had it a level and get a short duration boost (leaning towards 7 myself)

Oh, I'm the applicant !

7 already gives a 7 minutes duration to fly, boosting to 8 only adds one minute to that, which isn't much. At that point there are other options, for instance a minor rod of extend spell costs only 3,000 gp and doubles the duration (3 times a day). Since flight is so important in your game, you could even introduce a cheaper version that works only on flight spells. Wondrous items to increase the caster level of flight spells (similar to a headband of aerial agility, without the stat bonus) are also possible. In any case, this opens the fly spell as a viable option for those classes who get it.

At level 7, a character is also (just) wealthy enough to afford a broom of flying or the smallest carpet of flying, both of which give permanent flight. True, it will take most of their starting gold, but it is an option, and it addresses point 3.

What about public transportation?  Derigible rides?  Wizards Portal?

The first 2 are literally non-existent due to the recent world shattering events, there are small projects being worked on, but those are forRthe most part privately funded. Wizard portals...finding an individual to do it is the hard part.

Has anyone seen this?

https://www.youtube.com/channe...dm87wUqGZWvhfZmtB18Q

This chick basically has all the pathfinder books with links to a free download.  It's barely been viewed.  No comments.  I'm wondering if it's legit or if it's nefarious...  Anyone have any info on this?

Well, beyond the fact that if true it would be totally illegal, I tried clicking on one of the links and got redirected to a page asking me to 'complete a survey to unlock the protected content', letting me 'choose my offer' with links to apps to downloads or things to sign up for...

Needless to say, I went no further, since at best it would have meant spending weeks getting rid of all the junk email subscriptions I'd have just signed for. Whether or not there really is an (illegal) download of the books at the end I can't say.

In reply to rekmond (msg # 45):

I'm presuming that the party really needs flight in order to survive this setting as I haven't looked at your game but this doesn't seem like it'd otherwise be such an issue.  Like you're playing, I dunno, something akin to Stormhawks.  If you want to throw up a player's wanted notice I'll take a look and see, then I might have better advice.

That being said if object X is absolutely required I feel the GM should go and provide a way to obtain said item.  You shouldn't try to run a low-level pirate game without making a way for the group to get a ship, for instance.  In this case perhaps the party should happen to communally own a large carpet of flying if the party is small enough for one.

Alternately lead your players to play a lot of Strix and Wyvarans (races with a fly speed).

Eidolons can also get flight for 2 points at 5th level.  However it can't become large before 8th level so this would only help small summoners.


In reply to GiraffeRider (msg # 49):
Almost everything pathfinder is already legal to download free from Paizo and they're not that expensive for what they do charge for.  Just use http://www.d20pfsrd.com or if you really want something buy it legally.  Going the warez route is going to put you on the luge ride to seeing something like the Cryptowall ransomware holding your entire hard drive hostage.

In reply to moonstonespider (msg # 51):

Thanks.  It looked fishy.  I already downloaded all the free mods on paizo and purchased one.  I really like the campaign setting.  Pretty new to it though.  I also love all the wiki info on Galarion.  Seems like every square inch of the planet has something to do.  Makes it easy for a gm.

In reply to moonstonespider (msg # 51):

Pretty funny, but Stormhawks was indeed something I thought of when making the setting, namely the countless floating Isles.

I do have the Race creator active with 12 pts and free poor wings, I'm also trying to work out how a Hang Glider needs to be worded in order to function properly (maybe work the gliding clause similar to slow fall or something, I'm puzzling through it) as well as some rope gear that can be used to make temporary island bridges for the close together ones.

But working it into my game itself to give them something.....

That could make for a decent starter mission I suppose. I was already going to have the party be behind the discovery necessary for sky ships later on.

How about constructs?  Or undead re-skinned as constructs.  That might get you there.

Personally if giving your characters flight is that important I would give it to them in magic items. Perhaps it could be a feather token kind of thing where you pay 5gp and get to fly to the next island.

OR maybe you create a sentient flying carpet ala the carpet from Aladdin that is more like an NPC rather then a magical item the group just turns around and sells for profit.

OR maybe you give them a powerful NPC patron who casts Overland flight on them when they need it in exchange for running his errands.


But yeah, flight is a powerful thing so mostly the game restricts it to higher levels if you're going by RAW. If you're not comfortable creating your own monsterous races then I'd just give them magical items or have NPCs provide their transportation until they achieve that power level.

All of these are quite valid points.

I thank all of you form your help and I think I have enough material to work with.

I've been looking for good random encounter charts.  Does anyone know of any?  I've been working on my own but I keep going around and around.  Pretty much this is all that I like about my chart:

1. Evil Encounter
2. Neutral Encounter
3. Good Encounter
4. Environmental Hazard
5. Environmental Obstacle
6. Environmental Color

It seems fairly balanced and not to specific.  I really hate charts that have stuff that doesn't really make sense.  I would rather have a chart that says well and enemy is coming or they see something interesting or they will have an obstacle to get across.  Maybe this is enough really?  What do you guys think?

Do you even need a full chart ? That's where you go in trouble, because there isn't enough stuff that makes sense to draw one. Whoever drew it probably just went through the list of monsters of the appropriate level and put them in, while at most keeping an eye on the 'ecology' line of their description.

On the other hand, if you have a specific setting in mind, you don't really need a full chart, just a short list of possible encounters. Half a dozen is plenty to start with, your players don't need to know that they will probably end up doing them all. Or you can add a few new ones as you go through the prepared one to keep it a bit random.