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Pathfinder Infantry Feats

Posted by MadBrew on January 20, 2010 · 2 Comments 

These feats are inspired by some ideas I have had about reach weapons (which probably are not new) and some feats I encountered while playing in my first Conan RPG game this last weekend (which was pretty fun I should add).

Infantry Tactics

You have been trained to fight in formation and function as a unit. Such training instructs combatants to protect the soldiers next to them and to move in unison.

Benefit: If you and an ally with this feat are adjacent to one another, you both receive a +1 circumstance bonus to your AC as well as to attack rolls. Multiple adjacent allies with this feat do not provide additional bonuses.

Improved Infantry Tactics

You have mastered the technique of fighting in formation.

Prerequisite: Infantry Tactics.

Benefit: The bonus gained from having adjacent allies with the Infantry Tactics feat improves to +2.

Pole & Shield

Elite phalanx units have been trained to control their shield while wielding polearms and spears.

Prerequisite: Str 13, Infantry Tactics, Shield Proficiency, Weapon Proficiency (chosen polearm).

Benefit: You may wear a heavy shield and gain half its shield bonus to your AC when wielding glaives, guisarmes, halberds, longspears, pikes, ranseurs, or spears.

Normal: Without this feat, you cannot wear shields while using a two-handed weapon.

Rebuffing Reach

You have learned to keep opponents from getting within the reach of your polearm.

Prerequisite: Weapon Focus (chosen polearm).

Benefit: Anytime you are wielding a glaive, guisarme, halberd, longspear, pike, ranseur, or spear and succeed with an Attack of Opportunity for an enemy moving through spaces you threaten, instead of dealing full damage, you may choose to deal half damage and push the target 5 feet away from you.

Listening to: Demons & Wizards – Touched by the Crimson King – Terror Train

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Obsidian Ossuary

Posted by MadBrew on January 18, 2010 · Leave a Comment 

I colored a bit outside the lines with this wondrous item for Pathfinder RPG.  It has some rather complex rules going on and I’m not sure how game breaking it is. It’s a risky item to introduce for sure, unless you don’t have any aspiring necromancers.

Obsidian Ossuary

Aura strong necromancy; CL 16th
Slot –; Price 180,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.

DESCRIPTION

This foot long cylinder is fashioned from the blackest obsidian about three inches in diameter and is capped by two small infernal skulls of silver. It is also embossed with intricate silver filigree that contains imagery of two skeletal hands gripping the cylinder from opposite directions. It is filled with the powdered remains of an osyluth (bone devil) skull.

The ossuary may be used as the focus to cast animate dead. When an animate dead spell is cast using the ossuary, the caster does not need the material component and there is no longer a 25 gold piece restriction per Hit Die limitation. The spell is also treated as if it were cast within an area affected by desecrate (doubling amount of Hit Dice worth of undead created).

Additionally, while the caster is in physical possession of the ossuary, the Hit Dice worth of undead he can control is doubled. However, the additional amount allowed may only be applied towards undead created with an animate dead cast with the ossuary as the focus. Furthermore, all undead under the control of someone physically possessing the ossuary gain a +2 profane bonus to attack rolls, damage roll, and saving throws as well as +2 hit points per Hit Die.

The ossuary gains its strength from those who possess it. Anyone in physical possession of the ossuary has his current and maximum Hit Points are reduced by half. Upon the moment someone gives up physical possession of the ossuary, their original maximum (but not current) Hit Points are restored.

CONSTRUCTION

Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, desecrate, unhallow; Cost 90,000 gp

Listening to: In Flames – A Sense of Purpose – Disconnected

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Kohl of Seduction

Posted by MadBrew on May 1, 2009 · 2 Comments 

I like simple magic items that enhance or change the way things are usually done during play.  The following wonderous item for Pathfinder RPG is fairly simple, and while fairly simple, doesn’t really change the game.  What I feel it does do is encourage players to perhaps take the road less travelled when it comes to interacting with NPCs for vital information.  In my group, we tend to steer clear of most sexual situations.  Well, maybe if I drop something like the following magic item into a campaign (after having it used on them), I can foster some more interesting roleplay.

Kohl of Seduction

Aura faint enchantment; CL 3rd
Slot –; Price 80 gp; Weight – lb.

DESCRIPTION

This jet black cosmetic made from soot and vegetable oil is contained in a small round tin.  When successfully (DC 15 Craft [appropriate craft] or Disguise check)  applied as mascara or decoration to the eyes and face, it imbues the wearer with enhanced sexual appeal.  The kohl provides a +3 enhancement bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks that involve sexual innuendo or seduction.  A fresh tin includes enough make-up for 5 applications.  If the check to apply the kohl is failed, the application is wasted.

CONSTRUCTION

Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, charm person; Cost 40 gp

Listening to: Lords of Acid - Voodoo-U - Voodo0-U

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Elixer of Restful Slumber

Posted by MadBrew on April 23, 2009 · 5 Comments 

I’m presenting another magical itme for use with the Pathfinder RPG.  This time I wanted to provide an item that was not combat orientated or groundbreaking, but something that emhanced something fairly mundane that usually is not even though about.  This elixer doubles the effectiveness of natural healing during an eight-hour rest period.

Elixer of Restful Slumber

Aura faint conjuration; CL 3rd
Slot –; Price 100 gp; Weight .5 lb.

DESCRIPTION

This potion come in many containers, but always has a midnight blue hue and appears to sparkle.  Imbibing the elixer will double the effectiveness of natural healing during a full night’s sleep (8 hour period) or complete bed rest for an entire day.  So a character who sleeps for 8 hours after drinking this elixer will recover twice his character level in hit points and two points of temporary ability damage per affect ability score.

A character must drink this elixer within an hour before resting.  If the proceeding rest period is interrupted before it is complete, the effects of the elixer end.

CONSTRUCTION

Requirements Brew Potion, sleep; Cost 50 gp

Listening to: Ministry – Psalm 69 – Jesus Built My Hotrod

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Industry Responds to Wizard’s PDF Revocation

Posted by MadBrew on April 8, 2009 · 10 Comments 

No doubt everyone has heard of the brash move Wizards of Coast made late Monday night (April 6th, 2009) when they decided to yank all PDF sales, without notice, from vendors like Paizo, DriveThruRPG, and RPGNow.  They say it was to fight piracy, which anyone with a lick of intelligence knows won’t put a dent in piracy.  So I imagine it is just a move in a much larger game.  I’ll not comment about the details, but if you haven’t caught some of the articles commenting on Wizards’ actions, here is a list of the ones I think are useful:

 

Manufacturers Giving Some PDF Love

The thing is, I wasn’t even going to deign to comment about Wizards, because the internet has definitely been saturated with posts, threads, and comments about the stunt.  BUT, there is light at the end of the tunnel.  In response to Wizards’ actions (which has garnered itself the auspicious title of PDFgate), many other publishers decided to give hobbyists some love, PDF style.

I believe first out of the gate was Rogue Games, which made a pledge to continue PDF sales and treat the gamer with respect.  Its pledge can be seen at the Game Publishers Association site as well as on the Rogue’s blog.

Then I caught wind of White Wolf’s statement to continue producing PDFs and their offer for a free Exalted 2nd Edition download as well as a onetime 10% discount on any White Wolf titles at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.

The rest of these offers I actually lifted from Zachary Houghton of the RPG Blog II (I’m sure he won’t mind me spreading the word):

But why stop there?  Now that the old editions of Dungeons & Dragons are no longer available for legal download, I think now is an excellent time to mention all the stuff the Old School Renaissance is making that is available in what else? PDF!  Oh, and to boot, much of this F-R-E-E!

As a community, I say we should show Wizards that we appreciate a publisher who is still in touch with the hobbyists and that is smart enough to know that yanking digital sales will not hinder the pirates (anyone hear of a scanner or advance dev copies?).

Listening to: The 69 Eyes - Motor City Resurrection - Science Gone Too Far

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