Ring Side Report- RPG Review of PFS Scenario #6–06: Hall of the Flesh Eaters

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Product– Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–06: Hall of the Flesh Eaters

System– Pathfinder

Producer– Paizo

Price– ~$ 4 here http://paizo.com/products/btpy9986?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-6-06-Hall-of-the-Flesh-Eaters

TL; DR– A short dungeon crawl. 87%

 

Basics– Time to go to the Shackles!  Among the Gloomspires rests Sevenfingers’ treasure hoard.  A new finding by the Pathfinders will allow the explorers to find the proper shifting island where the hoard is buried.  Can the Pathfinders survive the island the treasure is hidden on and explore the dangerous depths of the cavern below it?

 

Theme or Fluff-This adventure was a fun one, but the fact that it was in the Shackles or dealing with pirates wasn’t a main focus.  It is more of a dungeon crawl.  But, the dungeon isn’t that large, so it’s hard to get going as you’re done before you almost start.  It’s fun, but you will have to add your own pirate focus to get the theme of a dungeon crawl for pirate treasure to come through.  Also, this is the first part of a few adventures on this island.  There is a record screeching halt in one area as the map basically give the equivalent of an invisible wall to hid the next adventure.  This will be filled in in later adventures, but I really don’t like having to tell my explorers not to explore! 4/5

 

Mechanics or Crunch– As I said in the theme, this is mostly a dungeon crawl.  Before the Dungeon is a short above ground section, but there is not much to do after an encounter happens up there.  In the dungeon there are some unique events and traps that make some of the later encounters more interesting.  The encounters that do happen are well balanced.  But, as a dungeon crawl, it’s pretty short and easy. 4.5/5

 

Execution-What is here is well done.  I like the spacing of the text, the maps, and the general layout.  I’ve written before that I would like more description in these encounter blocks, but that is a general issue I have with all the PFS documents. 4.5/5

 

Summary– This is a short, fun dungeon crawl.  It’s pretty linier, but that doesn’t make it bad.  If your players want to start some adventures in the Shackles, this isn’t a bad adventure to start a quest line off of.  I would have liked a bit more as it felt short, and a down to business party will get through this in less than two hours.  As a GM, it ran smooth, and my party had fun.  That’s the mark of a good adventure.  I don’t like invisible walls in an RPG, but I am curious what the next adventure will be. 87%

Daily Punch 12-31-14 Mass Inflict Wounds spell for DnD 5e

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What do you mean, mass inflect wounds  ISN’T in the PHB or the DMG for 5e?!  WELL, HERE IT IS!

 

Mass Inflict Wounds

5th Level Necromancy

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 6o feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

You create a gate to the plane of negative engergy that sucks all life from an area in range.  Choose up to six creatures in a 30 foot radius sphere centered on that point.  Targets in the radius of the spell must make a Wisdom saving throw.  Those that fail take 5d10 necrotic damage.  On a save, the targets take half as much damage

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the damage increase by 1d10 for each slot level above 5th.

 

Thoughts?

Book Bout-Book Review of The Fuller Memorandum

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Book– The  Fuller Memorandum

Author– Charles Stross

Voice- Gideon Emery

Book- ~$8 http://www.amazon.com/Fuller-Memorandum-Laundry-Files-Novel/dp/044102050X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420247010&sr=1-1&keywords=the+fuller+memorandum

Audiobook- ~$15  http://www.audible.com/pd/The-Fuller-Memorandum-Part-1-Audiobook/B004V4O9W6

TL; DR– Sit down and learn about the Laundry.  93%

 

Basics-Bob Howard has been pulling a few too many hours at the Laundry.  He makes a rookery mistakes that shouldn’t happen, and now is sent out on personal leave after someone dies.  However, strange cults across the world never take personal leave.  Can Bob survive an attack on the Laundry, keep his sanity, and learn more about some ancient Laundry secrets?

 

Characters– Bob’s really Bob in this one.  Moe is Moe, and you also get to learn a bunch more about the other characters in the Laundry with this one.  Based on the previous books, every character is well described for the new readers, and every character stays in character all the way through this book.  Excellently done.  5/5

 

Setting– I have never been to England and much less to London.  But, Stross does a great job of describing the city and making me see places and geography in my head.  It almost makes me want to go and see if I could track Bob through the city and see the hidden sights Bob describes. 5/5

 

Story-The Laundry is a book series about middle management always screwing with the people who actually get the work done.  However, I can’t see how anyone might get their work done when they have to account for everything even when they know the penalty for such actions is not being able to get fired?  I’m complaining a bit, but I don’t enjoy the amount of possible threats from inside the Landry.  That kinds of gets a bit boring.  What I did enjoy was the amount you get to learn about the history of the laundry.  Stross does an excellent job of telling bits of Landry and character history over the course of the novel.  I loved that even if I didn’t enjoy the internal threats and bureaucracy as much. 4/5

 

Summary-I really like the Laundry novels.  Stross does an excellent job of bringing Cthulhu mythos to the masses while still being true to its roots.  I do bet a bit bored with the inter-Laundry problems, but this one is a great read.  I got to learn a bunch about the Laundry and its members.  This was done in some text dumps, but it was done in a smart way throughout the book.  If it’s at least as good as this one, I can’t wait to pick up the next one!  93%.

 

Audiobook Extra- Gideon Emery is Bob.  And, he also does a great female voice with an accent as Moe is in this novel a lot.  Well done! 5/5

Daily Punch 12-30-14 Lich Patron Warlock for DnD 5e

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Ya, I have been playing a ton of 5e lately?  Why do you ask?  Here is some more ideas for your 5e game-Lich patron Warlock?

 

The Lich

Power comes when things die.  What kind of power can come from something that refuses to die?  You’ve meet the creature in its tomb lair.  It offered you power along side its smell of decay.  You said yes.  Now you do the bidding of the cadaver itself.

Lich Expanded Spell List

Level          Spell

1st        inflict wounds, protection from good and evil

2nd      phantasmal force, blindness/deafness

3rd      animate dead, protection from energy

4th      Phantasmal Killer, evard’s black ttentacles

5th      cloudkill, mass inflict wounds

 

Dead Speech

Starting at 1st level, you patron bestows upon you the speech of the dead.  As an action, you can cast speak with dead.  You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

Life Draining Touch

Starting at 6th Level, your patron teaches you the secret of draining the life of others.  When you at the subject of a melee attack, you can cast vampiric touch as a reaction to the attack.  You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.

 

Command of the Dead

Starting at 10th level, unintelligent undead will not longer attack you.  In addition to you gain resistance to all damage dealt to you from all undead, intelligent or otherwise.

Also, at 10th level, you gain the bonus spell create undead once per day.

 

Wrath of the Lich

Starting at level 14, you can point at a creature and fire a beam of negative energy at it as an action that can be avoided with a charisma saving .  If you succeed, you inflict 5d8 necrotic damage on the creature and the paralyzed.  You heal half the amount of damage dealt.  Each turn the creature can make a saving throw at the start of its turns.  If it fails it continues to be paralyzed and take 5d8 necrotic damage, and you continue to heal half the damage dealt.

You can not do this again until you complete a long rest.

 

 

Thoughts?

 

 

Ring Side Report-Board Game Review of Skull & Shackles Adventure Deck 2 – Raiders of the Fever Sea

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Product– Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Skull & Shackles Adventure Deck 2 – Raiders of the Fever Sea

Producer– Paizo

Price– ~$20 here http://paizo.com/products/btpy95dj?Pathfinder-Adventure-Card-Game-Skull-Shackles-Adventure-Deck-2-Raiders-of-the-Fever-Sea

Set-up/Play/Clean-up– 30 to 60 minutes per scenario (1 to 6 players, five scenario)

TL; DR-BEST AD SO FAR! 98%

 

Basics-Let’s be bad guys!  In the last adventure deck, the pirates get their first ship.  Now it’s time to be real pirates.  Loot as many ships as you can, earn the favor of Tidewater Rock, and go on an adventure in the deep sea!

 

Mechanics– The game really ties the theme to the mechanics.  It still has the randomness that somewhat hurts the theme, but the new mechanics really hit the theme hard like a sledgehammer on a tack.  Pirate hunting with the chance of catching the attention of the authorities?  Awesome.  Having to find a particular villain to open up a dungeon?  Even better!  It’s a well done adventure deck! 5/5

 

Theme- This game really hits home the theme.  It has lots of piracy with the mechanics to back it up.  Also now new mechanics for the specific missions are introduced to really make a dungeon crawl come alive.  Well done!  Do this more often! 5/5

 

Instructions– The base instructions are all you get besides the stuff on the cards.  I still want a sheet with more story and instructions for the game.  What is on the cards is good, but I still want a bit more.  Also, explaining who the characters are, especially the allies, would help me get a bit more into the feel of things. 4.5/5

 

Execution– Tell you what, Paizo has heard some of what I’ve said and this proves it.  It’s a card game, so it’s got good card stock and art.  Fine, I expect that.  But you know what, SIDE OPENING FLAPS! I can open up the package while not destroying the box.  Here is your five for that. 5/5

 

Summary– This adventure deck is the best adventure deck so far for either season of the card game.  I felt like a pirate.  The mechanics are slick.  The theme is awesome.  THE BOX OPENS ON THE SIDE!  Well done!  98%

Daily Punch 12-29-14 Dark Lance spell for DnD 5e

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I think there should be a spell that does negative energy at range.  Who else wants this?

 

Dark Lance

Necromancy Cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 120 feet

Components: V,S

Duration: Instantaneous

A dark lance of negative light shoots from your hand to the target.  Make a ranged spell attack against the target.  On a hit, the target takes 1d10 necrotic damage.

The spell’s damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 5th level (2d10), 11th level (3d10), and 17th level (4d10)

 

 

Thoughts?

 

Silver Screen Smackdown- Movie Review of Big Hero 6

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Movie– Big Hero 6

TL;DR-A nice movie about family and belief 93 %

 

Basics- Hiro, our hero of the film, is the orphaned robot design prodigy.  His older brother sees him wasting his design potential away with underground robot fighting and convinces him to compete for a scholarship to a robot design university.  He wins, but fire at the competition clams Hiro’s brother’s life.  Hiro finds that his award winning robots were stolen in the fire, and now Hiro must team up with his lost brother’s last robot project to defeat the evil villain who stole his project and his brother’s life.

 

Story– This is a kid’s movie, and therefore a bit too short.  But that’s a good feeling!  I’d rather be left wanting more than being bored.  This movie doesn’t pull any punches though for a kids movie.  Lots of different themes are discussed, and the villain when he/she shows up is well conceived, not over the top, and somewhat sympathetic.  It’s a sleeper hit just like Meet the Robinsons.   4.5/5

 

(voice) Acting– The dialog is well done here.  There is even a Wayans brother in this one, and it’s well done!  All the characters feel real. 5/5

 

Cinematography– It’s a cartoon world, but it still does look well done. Everything is the right amount of cartoony while still looking semi-realistic.  I like what I see in this one. 4.5/5

 

Summary– This is a fun little movie.  It’s over way too quick, but the stories and characters in this one are a blast.  Honestly, this movie and Meet the Robinsons seem to be on par with one another.  Both are animated sleeper hits.  Great fun, but overshadowed by some other movies that recently came out.  93%

 

Daily Punch 12-26-14 Arcane Warrior for Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG

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I love fighters who have just a bit of magic to them.  How about making for for DCCRPG?

 

Arcane Warrior

Level Attack (Magic Die) Crit Die/ Table Action Dice Known Spells Max Spell Level Ref Fort Will
1 +d3 1d10/III 1d20 3 1 1 1 1
2 +d4 1d12/III 1d20 3 1 1 1 1
3 +d5 1d14/III 1d20 4 1 1 2 2
4 +d6 1d16/IV 1d20 4 2 2 2 2
5 +d7 1d20/IV 1d20 5 2 2 2 2
6 +d8 1d24/V 1d20+1d14 5 3 2 3 3
7 +d10 1d30/V 1d20+1d16 6 3 3 3 3
8 +d10+1 1d30/V 1d20+1d20 6 4 3 4 4
9 +d10+2 2d20/V 1d20+1d20+1d14 7 4 4 4 4
10 +d10+3 2d20/V 1d20+1d20+1d14 7 5 4 5 5
Titles
Level Title (all alignments)
1  Spell Squire
2 Mage Errant
3 Mage Knight
4 Warlock
5 Eldritch Warrior

 

You have mastered the blade as well as the spell.  It is a hard road that not many can master as it is both mentally and physical demanding.  Many of called, but you however has risen to the challenge.  You are a wanted commodity for any side of a conflict, but your uniqueness also makes you a target foremost.

 

Hit points: An arcane warrior gains 1d8 hit points at each level.

Weapon and Armor Training:  An arcane warrior can use all weapons he or she wants, however, an arcane warrior needs one hand free to cast any spell.  Arcane warriors can wear any armor they can afford.  No worn armor interferes with spell casting of any kind.

Alignment: Arcane warriors have no natural drive toward law or chaos.   You my choose to study black magic as a chaotic wizard or follow control over the elements as a lawful wizard might.

Attack Modifier: Just like a warrior (DCCRPG p 42), you roll an extra die when you make an attack  called a magic die.  This die is added to the attack and to damage from his or her weapons or damage from any spell.

Caster Level: An arcane warriors caster level is equal to his or her current level.

Magic or Might: You are a unique breed of fighter and wizard.  You know spells like a wizard (DCCRPG p48) but also know the ways of the warrior’s mighty deeds of arms ( DCCRPG p43).  Spells are learned just as a wizard with the first three spells being selected at random at first level.  An arcane warrior may learn any spell that a wizard is able to.  Before you make an attack roll, you may select to cast a spell or to do a mighty deed.  If you select to make a spell, you’re attack must hit, the result on the magic die must be a 2 + the level of the spell you wish to cast, and then you cast a spell just like a wizard.  However, instead of adding the arcane warriors intelligence and level to the action die, an arcane warrior rolls his magic die and the action die and  adds the result to his or her intelligence score to determine the effect of a spell.  The second roll for the spell determines if the spell is lost or not.  An arcane warrior may elect to just use the magic die result from the initial attack roll or reroll with the second spell roll.  Casting a spell in this way is part of the same action die use.  Mighty deeds are resolved as normal per a Mighty Deed of Arms using the result of the magic die in place of the Deed Die (DCCRPG p 43).

Luck: An arcane warrior adds his or her luck modifier to all magic die rolls.

Action Die: A arcane warrior uses his action die for spells, attacks, or Magic or Might attacks.  At level 6, an arcane warrior gains a second action die for use in the same combat round’s action.

Book Bout-Book Review of The Jennifer Morgue

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Book– The Jennifer Morgue

Author– Charles Stross

Voice- Gideon Emery

Book- ~$8 http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Morgue-Laundry-Files-Novel/dp/0441018149/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420067745&sr=1-1&keywords=the+jennifer+morgue

Audiobook- ~$15 http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/The-Jennifer-Morgue-Audiobook/B003E8AA2I

TL; DR– A twisty turny international affair  95%%

 

Basics-Bob Howard still works for the laundry.  Now instead of fighting domestic terrorists and interoffice politics, he’s dragged into the world of international super spies by being paired with sexy she sea devil trying to stop a plan that will not only fight a crazy American billionaire but the most devious of evils-POWERPOINT!

 

Characters– Stross writes some great characters.  The sexy she spy Ramona Random is well done.  She starts off standoffish, but through some show/don’t tell you learn a ton of her background.  The second main character Bob Howard is done well.  There are a few moments where he does some stuff that seem out of his character.  It’s not horrible by any means, but there are a few moments like when Bob and Ramona go swimming together that I feel he doesn’t feel quite right. 4.75/5

 

Setting– The setting is the Caribbean.  Bob doesn’t spend a ton of time at the office, and that really only helps the setting.  Bob gets to go somewhere without florescent lights, and he takes us with him.  Since this place is new to me, I felt like I was taken on a new and exciting trip. 5/5

 

Story– The story of this book is a fun one.  It’s full of all kinds of twists and turns following all the old cliché’s of a Bond novel.  Some of these twists you won’t see coming, and that makes it all the more fun.  There are a few dull moments that are not as fun, but overall you will enjoy this one. 4.5 /5

 

Summary-I love the Laundry books.  Stross does a great job of bringing the Lovecraft and mixing it with the science.  That’s a fun combination.  This story has several different perspectives that all build a great cohesive tale together.  It’s a fun romp that will twist and turn, and you will enjoy every minute of it. 95%.

 

Audiobook Extra- Gideon Emery does a good job being Bob Howard.  He sounds English enough and as much of a technogeek as Bob is.  Well done. 5/5

 

Daily Punch 12-25-14 Specialist Wizard Feat for DnD 5e

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Well Yesterday was a Generalist wizard.  How about a feat for the specialist wizards out there?

 

Specialist Wizard

Prerequisite: Wizard, Arcane Tradition focusing in one school of magic

Gain the following benefits:

  • Gain a +1 bonus to intelligence to a maximum of 20.
  • When you gain this feat, choose one school of magic to specialize in and two schools of magic to ignore.  When you prepare spells for the day, gain one extra spell slot per level of magic spells you know if you do not prepare magic spells from the schools of magic you ignore.  This extra slot can only be used to cast spells of your specialized school.

 

 

Thoughts?