Spes Magna Games

Telekinetic Monk Archetype

The telekinetic monk combines martial arts with psychokinetic power. He can launch flurries of telekinetic blows at range and develops an array of psionic and psi-like abilities as he gains experience.

Skills: A telekinetic monk gains Autohypnosis and Knowledge (psionics) as class skills.

Psionic: At 1st level, a telekinetic monk gains the Wild Talent feat as a bonus feat. If monk already has levels in a psionic class, he instead gains the Psionic Talent feat.

This ability replaces the monk’s 1st-level bonus feat choice.

Bonus Feats: At 2nd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a telekinetic monk may select a bonus feat. These feats must be taken from the following lists. A telekinetic monk replaces the normal monk bonus feats with the following: Autonomous*, Deflect Arrows, Mental Leap*, Psionic Body*, Psionic Fist*, Psionic Meditation*, and Up the Walls*

At 6th level, the following feats are added to the list: Aligned Attack*, Focused Sunder*, Ghost Attack*, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Return Shot*, and Unavoidable Strike*

A monk need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them. Feats marked with an asterisk are found among these psionic feats.

Telekinetic Flurry (Su): Starting at 1st level, a monk can make a telekinetic flurry as a full-attack action. A telekinetic flurry does not use weapons. Instead, the telekinetic monk punishes his foes with mental force. When doing so he may make one additional ranged attack out to a maximum range of 25 feet plus 5 feet per 2 telekinetic monk levels (with no range increment).

These attacks inflict lethal or nonlethal damage, as the telekinetic monk wishes. All attacks suffer a -2 penalty on attack rolls. For the purpose of these attacks, the monk’s base attack bonus from his monk class levels is equal to his monk level. For all other purposes, such as qualifying for a feat or a prestige class, the monk uses his normal base attack bonus.

Telekinetic flurry attacks inflict the monk’s normal unarmed strike damage, but damage is not modified by Strength.

At 8th level, the telekinetic monk may substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers for ranged attacks as part of a telekinetic flurry. The telekinetic monk’s Combat Maneuver Bonus for purposes of these attacks is adjusted by Charisma modifier instead of Strength. Since these combat maneuvers occur at range, the telekinetic monk does not provoke attacks of opportunity for using the maneuver. The penalty to the monk’s telekinetic flurry attack rolls decreases to -1.

At 15th level, the penalty to the monk’s telekinetic flurry attack rolls decreases to -0.

This ability replaces flurry of blows.

Psychokinesis (Psi): As a telekinetic monk gains levels, his psychokinetic powers improve. He can manifest the following powers as psi-like abilities at the indicated levels.

1st Level: far hand. This ability replaces stunning fist.
3rd level: concussion blast. This ability replaces maneuver training.
5th Level: telekinetic force. This ability replaces high jump.
7th Level: telekinetic maneuver. This ability replaces wholeness of body.

A telekinetic monk uses a psi-like ability as a standard action. The psi-like ability manifests at the telekinetic monk’s class level as if he had spent a number of power points equal to his class level. The DC of a saving throw (if applicable) against a creature’s psi-like ability is 10 + the level of the power + the telekinetic monk’s Charisma modifier. Each manifestation of one of these psi-like abilities costs the telekinetic monk 1 ki point.

Tags: archetypes, monks, Pathfinder RPG

First some nongame-related news. My principal asked me to write a short essay about classical education. It’s now posted at my school’s website, and you can read it at this link.

Now for some game stuff.

Recreating monsters is one of my favorite parts of being a GM. The black dragonfolk is a retooled normal dragonfolk. I changed its type to dragon, respent skill points, and added the advanced template’s modifiers to natural AC and stats. A full-blown breath weapon seemed a bit much, so instead the new monster gets to spit gobs of acid. I topped it off with some acid resistance.

Black Dragonfolk
CR 3; XP 800
CE Medium dragon (reptilian)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +7

DEFENSE
AC 21, touch 12, flat-footed 19 (+2 Dex, +7 natural, +2 shield)
hp 19 (2d12+6)
Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +5
Immune paralysis, sleep; Resist acid 10

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., swim 15 ft.
Melee morningstar +5 (1d8+3) and bite +3 (1d4+1), or
Melee 2 claws +5 (1d4+3) and bite +5 (1d4+3), or
Ranged javelin +4 (1d6+3), or
Ranged acid gob +4 touch (1d6+3 acid)

STATISTICS
Str 17, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 14
Base Atk +2; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Multiattack
Skills Acrobatics +4, Bluff +7 or Diplomacy +7, Climb +6, Intimidate +7, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Stealth +5, Survival +7, Swim +9; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +8 Swim; Armor Check Penalty -2
Languages Common, Draconic
SQ hold breath

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Acid Gob (Su): A black dragonfolk can spit a gob of acid as a ranged touch attack at a single target within 30 feet (no range increment). This touch attack inflicts 1d6 points of acid damage, plus an additional amount of acid damage equal to its Constitution modifier. This attack can be used once every 1d4 rounds.

Hold Breath (Ex): A black dragonfolk can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.

ECOLOGY
Environment temperate swamps
Organization solitary, pair, band (3–12), or tribe (13–60)
Treasure NPC gear (heavy wooden shield, morningstar, 3 javelins)

Tags: classical education, Pathfinder monsters

Nothing game-related today. Not even a very long post. Recently, some of my students used bogus information on a poorly researched website to help them with a history project. Unfortunately, the mistake wasn’t caught until after projects were incorrectly done. I gave my students the correct information and some more time to redo the projects.

I also took it upon myself to fix the Internet. Well, not the entire Internet, but at least one tiny part of it.

Here’s the link to the small bit of corrected Internet.

Tags: escape, Frederick Douglass, map

Over on the Paizo boards, there’s a thread wherein people wonder why Cayden Cailean doesn’t have the Liberation domain. (I’m not sure why people kept talking about it after I won the thread with my first post in it.) Early in the thread, poster Tilquinith typed, “I wonder what sort of domain powers would be granted by Libation?”

Well, wonder no more!

Libation Domain

Granted Powers: You can augment your spells with a libation. A libation is a pouring out of wine or other liquid in honor of your deity.

Libation (Su): If you pour out a libation as part of the somatic and material components of a cleric spell that you cast, that spell takes effect as if your caster level were one level higher than it actually is. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier. A libation costs at least 10 gold pieces and weighs 1/2 pound.

Greater Libation (Su): At 8th level, your libations increase in power. In addition to boosting your caster level, your libation also applies one of these metamagic feats (chosen at time of casting) to your spell with no change in the spell’s effective level: Bouncing Spell, Disruptive Spell, Ectoplasmic Spell, Elemental Spell, Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Flaring Spell, Focused Spell, Intensified Spell, Lingering Spell, Piercing Spell, Rime Spell, Silent Spell, or Toppling Spell.

Domain Spells: 1st—bless, 2nd—blessing of courage and life, 3rd—prayer, 4th—blessing of fervor, 5th—cleanse, 6th—heroes’ feast, 7th—greater restoration, 8th—euphoric tranquility, 9th—mass heal.

Tags: cleric domains, Pathfinder RPG

Stereotypes are just oh so convenient, being a sort of shorthand generalization that encompasses so much in so little space. Work as a television writer? Need to instantly identify a throwaway character as a bad guy? Toss in the shaven-headed, tattooed Hispanic male wearing a white undershirt and baggy pants. Instant identification from the audience. “He looks like a bad guy; therefore, he’s a bad guy.” Next, spice up the dialogue with a few Spanish words, especially if they’re delivered with a noticeable accent and bad grammar. Example when addressing a female detective: “I ain’t gonna talk, chica.” More instant identification from the audience. “Ooh, he speaks a foreign language, and he’s disrespectful to both authority and women; therefore, he’s a bad guy.”

Simple, huh?

The only problem with the syllogisms that stereotypes tend to prompt is that they’re not really syllogistic. Straight from “looks bad” to “is bad” is not a reasonable conclusion, but the images aren’t meant to be reasonable. They’re meant to evoke responses based on prejudice in order to create a quick, cheap emotional reaction as a substitute for thoughtful writing crafted to lead to a more authentic emotional investment and reflective conclusion.

And television isn’t the only medium that goes for the easy reaction. Watch The Avengers. It’s an entertaining movie full of paper-thin characters (but, to be fair, I’m certain no one meant for it be anything more). Now watch Spider-Man 2. Compare Loki with Doctor Octopus, and tell me the latter isn’t a much more interesting character. In comparison, Loki is just another stereotype (specifically, the neglected foster child jealous of the real son’s paternal relationship).

So, what does this have to do with gaming?

Attend a gaming convention. Even if you’re a gamer, you have to admit that some of the attendees look like geeks. Sure, not you, but certainly that guy over there. He most likely gets no exercise and is way too socially awkward. He certainly doesn’t date anyone outside of World of Warcraft taverns, probably lives at home with Mother (in the basement, of course), and you just know there’s a personal hygiene problem going on.

Sound familiar? If you’re a gamer, it’s dollars to donuts it does.

And, to be sure, it’s likely true about someone somewhere. That’s another convenient part of stereotypes. They’re always true at least some of the time, which only makes sense. All generalizations are ultimately false, which means they’re sometimes penultimately true.

But remember the advice about books and covers? I’m a gamer. I get some exercise. I don’t date, but that’s because I’m married. I haven’t lived at home with Mom since I was 17, and I never lived in Mom’s basement. My personal hygiene is impeccable, unless you count not shaving every day as a problem. None of my gamer friends fit the stereotype either. Last time I went to a convention, I gamed with about 20 or so strangers over the course of the weekend. Not a one of them was immediately identifiable as the stereotypical gamer. I mean, maybe they had hygiene problems, but, since I don’t have a sense of smell, I couldn’t tell. We didn’t talk much about living arrangements or dating either, but that’s not what we were at the convention to do.

Gamers go to gaming conventions to game. That means we walk into rooms and sit at tables with six or so strangers, and spend about four hours pretending to be hard-boiled pulp noir detectives, dwarven warriors, elven wizards, cape-wearing superheroes, and dauntless space explorers. We crack jokes, use bad accents, engage in Shatnerian feats of thespianism, and boldly save the day with humor and aplomb. We do this largely with the approval and encouragement of those strangers, and without fear of being judged or mocked. This sort of self-confidence and camaraderie is, in my experience, the norm for gaming convention attendees.

Whatever else that norm might be, what it ain’t is socially awkward.

Tags: gamers, geeks, stereotypes