The New Blog!

I've started a new blog specifically for all of my Pathfinder RPG work. While I might still post news and discussions here, I've made the conscious decision that this will be my more all-around blog, where I can discuss all sorts of things, while Behind The Screen will be my gaming blog.

Here's the Link.

If you're a follower for my design work, you'll likely want to follow that one, too.

-Chris

Warden update...

It's a minor update, but I tossed the class onto the Paizo boards, and I agreed with most of the feedback. A few of the abilities got weaker (guarded caster, guardian's aura, arcane articulation) and some wording was cleared up.

THE WARDEN v1.1

I'll be playtesting the class this weekend.

-Chris

New Class! The Warden

Hey y'all! (well...all two of you) I just finished building version 1 of a new class for the Pathfinder RPG. It's called the Warden. Essentially, if you had to give it a style, it's an arcane Tank. It has paladin-style 4-level casting, but it's a spontaneous caster and focuses more on its supernatural class abilities than spells. I included a multitude of options an spells to allow for multiple play-styles, and I hope it gets some use (if only as a playtest).

I'll also be posting this on the Paizo boards tomorrow (October 8th) for some peer review.

THE WARDEN v1

Enjoy!

-Chris

New Engineer, Bitches!

Okay...so all I really did is shift 90% of its abilities over to Extraordinary abilities. But that's enough to warrant a new version.

Engineer v2.5

-Chris

New Rules For All!

Over the last couple days, I've been working on a pair of house-rule systems for the Pathfinder RPG, and now they're finally ready to toss into the public!

The first is a pair of nifty new skills: Athletics and Endurance.

The athletics skill is essentially a catch-all for strength-based skill checks. It's a consolidation of Climb, Jump and Swim, along with a couple extra goodies.

The Endurance skill, on the other hand, is a bit more intriguing. It comes with rules for running, marching and other such actions that might wear you down, as well as consolidating the Endurance and Diehard feats into a skill instead of a pair of feats.

I admit that I stole them from Kirth Gersen's own house rules, but these were the only skills I wanted from his document.

New Skills.

Up next we have a set of new options for Fighters called Combat Arts. Essentially, they can choose one of these "combat arts" instead of a bonus feat at every even level. They're pretty neat, and offer all sorts of bonuses that really makes the fighter more than just a dude with a pointy metal thing in his hands.

Combat Arts.

Enjoy!

-Chris

Magus Archetype: The Arcane Archer

I threw together a new archetype for the magus...or rather, a re-purposed archetype.

That's right, the Arcane Archer! Once a prestige class, I decided to fiddle with it and transform it into a beautiful archetype for the Magus. It actually fits really well, funny enough.

Now, I should note that this in no way invalidates the original prestige class for those who want to go that route. Instead, it just adds another avenue for the arcane bowslinger.

Plus, it comes with some sexy art from the latest adventure path: Jade Regent

Enjoy!

The Arcane Archer v1

-Chris

Archetype: The Dark Knight

Well, this is it. I'm finally delving into the realm of Final Fantasy with my archetypes. This is for a Kingdom Hearts-based campaign I'm running, and I think it turned out pretty damn good.

The basis is the Dark Knight, presented in (I believe) Final Fantasy 3, but more widely known from Final Fantasy 4, with your main character, Cecil, being one from the beginning.

The archetype is for the Antipaladin, an alternate class for the Paladin.

Dark Knight v1.1

-Chris

Updated: Gunslinger, Firearms and Engineer

Gunslinger v3.3: New modifications, including a sidebar with modern/advanced modifications.

Firearms v1.1: New weapons added (heavy repeater, small/light/heavy machine guns)

Engineer v2.4: Cleared and clarified.

-Chris

Another Gunslinger Update

Gave the Gunslinger and the Firearms rules a quick polishing before sending them off to the Paizo messageboards for review. Here they are in their current forms.

The Gunslinger v3.2

Firearms

The Gun-Mage v1

A guy on the Paizo boards by the name of Spyder25 had an idea for a Gun-Mage class. I liked some of the ideas, but his class design on the whole was a little ripped from other sources. I thought, however, that adding the unique abilities to the Magus would be really neat.

And so: The Gun-Mage Archetype v1

Spyder's credited in the document for his ideas.

The Gunslinger v3.1

In preparation for its official release on the Paizo Boards, this is version 3.1 of the Gunslinger. The modification ability was given a small nerf, along with the legend (which really needed it), while the sniper was given a little clarification.

Also, a new picture down in the Archetypes section.

Gunslinger v3.1

-Chris

My Design Work - Part 2

The Design Work Continues! This includes updated versions of some of the stuff I posted last time, as well as new stuff.

Classes:
The Engineer v2.3: A tech-based class that focuses on special abilities for its powers.
The Avatar v3.2: A non-casting magical class focused around special powers, self-enhancement and an arcane bolt.
The Gunslinger v3 (based off the Paizo gunslinger from their book: Ultimate Combat): This one comes complete with 6 archetypes for use with the class.

Archetypes:
Dragon Knight (Fighter) v1: Same as on the tin, a dragon-based warrior.
Street Fighter (Fighter) v1: A dirty, grungy warrior with the ability to shrug off damage.
Master of Iron (Monk) v1: A monastic gunslinger based on the Zen Archer archetype.
The Dread Knight (Cavalier) v1.2: A dark warrior unleashing fear and darkness upon his foes. (meant to be used with Elghinn Lightbringer's Multiclass Archetypes system)
Divine Agent (Inquisitor) v1.1: A lurking agent separate from the church with a direct connection to their deity. (meant to be used with Elghinn Lightbringer's Multiclass Archetypes system)


Equipment:
My Firearm Rules (different from Paizo's firearm rules)

-Chris

My Design Work - Part 1

I've decided to put my current Pathfinder Compatible design work on this blog, maybe it'll get a little more traffic. And who knows? Maybe I'll be able to actually keep it regular.

Rules:
Heroic Progression

Races:
The Gearman (includes the Sapient Construct template)

Classes:
The Engineer v2.1
The Avatar v2 (currently obsolete, but complete)
The Avatar v3 (this is the direction the class is heading, but it still needs work)
The Gunslinger v2.1 (based off the current Paizo gunslinger)

Equipment:
My Firearm Rules (different from Paizo's firearm rules)

-Chris

Jim Butcher: A Reccomendation

If you're a nerd, then you've probably already heard of Jim Butcher, or at least his works. I finished his book, Storm Front not too long ago. It's the first book in his "Dresden Files" series, and it is damn entertaining. On one front, it's a fantasy story set in the modern world, full of magic, faeries, and talking skulls. On another, it's a mystery concerning sex and murder. And yet, on a third front, it's a character study. Harry Dresden, our main character, is not Sherlock Holmes. He's no great detective. He's just the only wizard working out in the open, and the only one willing to help when the dark comes a-knocking. We get to see just how he lives with himself and the people (some friends, others not so much) that surround him.

Good book. I picked up his second Dresden Files novel, as well as his first novel in his series: The Codex Alera. After I finish American Gods, I'll get right on them.

A Confession

As the title states, I do have a confession to make. I write Fanfiction...I know, I know. But I have to say that I find it fun. I am working on personal fiction right now--something I hope will turn into a novel. But I also love writing fanfiction. Particularly, I enjoy the shows Digimon and the Sonic the Hedgehog mythos. I've currently got what essentially equates to a book out on the internet called Digimon: War of the Crests: Second Light, and I'm working on the sequel. It's pretty good, I think. Though it took me a long time, so it's unpolished near the beginning, where I was unpolished.

The reason I bring this up is because I just asked myself a question...is there a certain fanfiction that is considered "higher" than others? I know in my mind that I would much rather read an epic tale (generally set after standard continuity so as not to step on canon toes) wherein challenges are faced and lives are on the line than a piece of shipping (romance) fluff. But then there's feel-good stories, or inspired poetry, or "lemons." And what about the re-imagining? Or the re-location? Where does starting the story over from a new beginning rank amongst other styles? Or what about placing characters in a fantasy universe, or sci-fi? Is there a quality ranking system?

...after searching, no. I can't find one. Maybe I should work on that?

Under the Dome: My thoughts

One of Stephen King's newest books is one called Under the Dome. It came out in paperback a while ago, so I picked it up at Costco. Quite a hefty thing, over a thousand pages long. But one hell of a read. The basic premise is that a small town is trapped under a five mile-high force field, cut off from the rest of the world. King really did his research for this one, and does a great job throughout the book with things like weather patterns inside the dome and what sorts of effects pollution would have.
And while those things help with believability, the story is really what grabs you. The book isn't about a dome. It's not about force fields or its cause (which I won't mention). The book is about people, and what they do in crisis. It's about the corruption of government and the psychosis of being trapped with literally nowhere to go. And he executes it wonderfully. I was impressed, having read some of his newer works and not particularly enjoyed them. I thought his accident in '99 had scrambled him, but I'm glad to say now that it appears I was wrong.

Finally, he's back!

Splice...mixed feelings.

I consider myself a man who believes in science. But I just saw the movie Splice...and I am extremely conflicted in what feels like a religious way. The movie's focus is gene-splicing, crossing the genes of different animals to create new species. The goal is to harness genes to create medical supplies. The movie's two main characters are married geneticists that want to take it a step further and integrate human DNA. They are of course, professionally denied and go for it themselves. They end up creating something, what will be known as "Dren." Throughout the movie, the idea of it being "child-like" is introduced, and eventually it becomes human enough to create some very...interesting...situations.

While the movie definitely frightened me...what really disturbs me is the fact that it churned my stomach. There's nothing inherently gross about this movie. No terrible vomit or bodily fluid expulsion scenes. It's the concept, I think.
Human gene-splicing. I look at it objectively and see no issues with it. It's going to happen, and if I don't have issues with splicing different animals (which I don't), why should I have problems with human splicing? We are just another animal. There is really no difference, objectively.
Yet I'm having trouble looking at it objectively. There's something about the idea that just rubs me the wrong way. It doesn't quite make bile rise, but the idea is unsettling nonetheless. We are the dominant species on this planet, without a doubt. But to combine our DNA with another? To create something only...sub-human? Something human but with the drives of an animal...or an animalistic creature with the intelligence of a human?

I'm not proud of it...but the idea makes me sick.
Good movie, though.

Kick-Ass made me cry

There have only been three movies in movie history that have made me cry (and one that brought me damn close). They are: The Lion King, when Mufasa dies; Spider-Man, when Uncle Ben dies; and Kick-Ass, when a certain someone dies that I will not include, but if you've seen the movie, you probably know who I'm talking about. The movie that brought me close was King Kong (the new one) when Kong dies at the end.

I realized, yesterday, that it isn't the deaths of these characters that brings me to tears so much as the implications of their deaths. The emotion, the realization, the situation. What it feels like to be guilty for the deaths of your own family or, even worse, the family of someone else. As someone who relies heavily on evoking emotion in my own writing, to be moved by a scene like this is a great thing.

Lion King: Mufasa

Mufasa, whilst trying to save his son from the pack of rampaging wildebeest, is slain by his brother, Scar. You then see Simba trying to wake his dead father, and realizing the truth of the situation, he screams in sheer agony.

Why does this scene make me tear up? Is it because of the death itself? No. It is because of the emotion, the situation, the implication. Mufasa has been betrayed by his own kin whilst trying to save his one and only son. Then, his son sees his father and disbelieves the truth, attempting to wake him, sure that he's only sleeping. He realizes the truth, and then realizes so much more. He is alone. His father is gone, his family is gone. He has no one. He believes that he has killed his own father, and the only thing he can do is scream.

This scene is expertly crafted to jerk at the heartstrings of the watchers, and does so beautifully.

Spider Man: Uncle Ben

Peter Parker has discovered his powers, and all he wants is to make some money to impress a girl. Of course: who wouldn't? His uncle offers to drive him to the "library" to get some homework done, and even though Peter protests, they both end up in the car. They have a discussion about power and responsibility, ending with the lines "I know I'm not your father" and "Then stop pretending to be!" Peter leaves on that note, wins only a partial amount of the money promised, and lets a thief escape. When he goes to find his uncle Ben (who is taking him home), he finds that he's been shot, his car stolen. Peter holds him in his arms and all he can do is cry as his uncle dies, his last word "Peter..."

This scene is quite similar to the Lion King scene. Here we have a boy who thinks he's killed (essentially) his father. The big difference here is that he really did kill him. He let the thief go, who then killed his uncle. This is compounded onto the fact that the last thing he said to his father was "Stop pretending to be [my father]!" in a rage only adds to the guilt. Not only did he kill the closest thing to a father he ever had, but he insulted him and couldn't apologize before his death.

Again, another wonderful scene whose intention to pull at your heart succeeds.

!!!!!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!DO NOT READ AHEAD IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN KICK-ASS!!!!!!!





Kick-Ass: Big Daddy

Big Daddy has been kidnapped, betrayed by a fellow "hero" and taken hostage by the very man he wishes to kill for ruining his life. He, along with Kick Ass, is beaten and battered. They pour kerosene on his body and threaten to light him ablaze. His daughter, Hit Girl, comes at the last moment to save him. She darts around, dousing the lights and slaying his assailants. In the darkness, that they might see, the mobsters light the floor at Big Daddy's feet on fire. He realizes then that he is going to die, and screams "Take cover, child!" to his daughter. The fire crawls up his legs as Hit Girl executes more of the mobsters, following his coded commands ("Switch...to Kryptonite!!!") that he screams, military efficiency combining with horrific screams of pain and loss. And he has lost. He has lost everything. He cannot finish what he started. He cannot avenge his wife. He cannot take back his life from D'amico. He cannot take back his daughter's childhood. The fire climbs and he screams in agony until finally his daughter is able to douse the flames. She removes his mask and looks into his eyes. "So proud of you, baby" are the last words she hears out of her father's mouth. She plants a kiss on his forehead.

There is so much emotion here. Every character feels something. Hit Girl is losing her father, the only think that has kept her going her entire life, who has watched out for her and trained her to be the person she is today. We have Big Daddy who, as mentioned, loses everything. He dies in a scene that can only be called brutal, surviving just long enough to tell his daughter he's proud. But even so, he cannot finish what he's started, the only thing that has kept him going since his stay in prison. He cannot go on, and cannot expect his daughter to do it for him.

And then, we have Kick-Ass himself. Kick-Ass, who trusted the villains and, in all essence, killed Big Daddy himself. Kick-Ass, the royal fuck up, who has fucked up once more. Kick-Ass, who feels as if it should have been himself who died, who understands that the jig is up. There's nothing to go forward into.

A meeting of the minds

There was a meeting today, from six o' clock to eight in the humanities building of my college. The subject of the meeting: the Atheist club and the Christian club had a debate. How I wish I could have attended. Unfortunately, though, I use public transportation and the buses and ferry don't run past five.

My friends and I discussed this meeting yesterday, and what they thought it would be like. They all (a young-earth creationist, a nihilistic agnostic, and someone who only considers themselves christian because they're too afraid not to. Diverse, no?) agreed that it would be a meeting of fundamentalists on both sides that would just be screaming at each other for no particular reason. I discussed my views with one of these friends (the agnostic), whereupon he revealed that he doesn't really care one way or the other. It doesn't really affect his or anyone else's life.

I have to disagree on that.
As an atheist, the unlikely existence of God plays no real part in my evaluation of my life. However, I know that for some (the christian, for example), it is close to being the foundation of their life and everything they consider to be "good" or "evil" in the world. According to many christians, the very concepts of good, evil or morality could not exist without their ever-present sky-god. Without God, there would be no good, no evil, no moral rules. They fear atheism, for if it is correct, then every fabric which they have built their lives upon would come tumbling down.

Without God, where is the morality? Without God, there is no reason to do anything but act like the animals we are. Without God...you get the picture. They don't just hang their hat on God's coat rack, they super-glue the thing there. And if termites were to infest the wood..."God" forbid what that would mean.

Back to the original subject of this "debate" between Christians and Atheists (less of a debate and more of a contest to see who can ignore the others' comments longer. There can be no real debate between religion and atheism. There is no evidence for religion, plain and simple). While I believe that there is a possibility of it ending like my friends put it: "two fundamentalist sides screaming at each other." I also believe that those fundamentalists will avoid it altogether, resulting in what might be called "interesting." In the end, I think it will come to a discussion about morals. The question being "Can morals exist without God?"

And, of course, any person with a lick of common sense will say "yes! Of course they can." This idea of God being the one to make morals is ridiculous. Humanity creates its own morality. Just look at the demographics of the world. What might be offensive in America may be commonplace in China or England, and vice-versa. The fact that morals change as one passes from place to place is all it takes to prove that we are sufficient without a god.

But that's enough ranting for one day. Perhaps I'll touch on religion later.

¿Habla Español?

I just took a spanish test, my first of the quarter. It was surprisingly easy, and upon reflection, I realized why.
I took french in high school, and the two languages are quite similar (they conjugate verbs the same way and have the same general sentence structure).

I'm suddenly wondering if I can apply that to my gaming sessions? If two languages are similar, should it be easier for someone that knows the Orcish language to decypher, say, a note written in Goblin, a language with similar structures?
I think that Pathfinder actually took this into account, though I cannot say for sure. I'll be checking this afternoon.