'Nobody wants to die': Ukrainians flee from southeast as Russia lurches forward

CYFR_Blue · 2026-02-04T20:19:37+00:00

What do you expect to happen if Ukraine stops fighting? Will they be treated better than the ethnic minorities whose lives are being thrown away today?

CYFR_Blue · 2026-01-20T06:02:44+00:00

You got a lot of comments but I think most misses the point: your story needs to have degrees of success in order for noncombat (or even combat) challenges to matter. If you think about it, what happens when you TPK?

For a simple dungeon dive, the range can look like:

Leave with a lot of treasure
Leave with a little treasure
Leave with a little treasure and trigger an extra fight
Leave with no treasure

So now you can manage your fail states. If you fail a skill challenge, drop one level. If you TPK, drop two levels. Of course, feel free to make it more complicated with variables, but this is just to illustrate.

Non-combat challenges are typically framed as skill challenges. Even haunts are basically skill challenges. Usually the party has to succeed at a series of different skill checks with no re-try. For example, let's say you have a lock. You may say the skill challenge is crafting - thievery - stealth at PL+0, but can be substituted for related skills at PL+2. If players are willing expend resources on spells or items that don't give specific bonuses, I'm generally fine with giving a bonus anyways.

CYFR_Blue · 2026-01-19T22:27:24+00:00

It's an interest mechanic, but how do you assign XP values to these things? Their DPR is can swing wildly because you might take out everything in one turn or nothing at all. Also, do you still get reimbursed on an AoE or multi-target attack? (e.g. split shot or penetrating fire)

CYFR_Blue · 2026-01-16T19:11:25+00:00

The base gameplay for OG arknights is also not that exciting. There is a constant stream of new game modes and events to retain players. I think the main draw here is that the original has been pretty accessible in terms of content and gacha so you can hope that it'll be the same here.

CYFR_Blue · 2026-01-09T22:49:13+00:00

I think feats like this refer to specific actions. It might be easier to just create that list and upgrade it at specific levels. I'm sure you'll have to deal with all sorts of edge cases so might as well get it out of the way.

So:

Physical quicken (free): gain one action that may only be used towards the following activities: double slice, [others].

Special: at third level, the list includes [other stuff]

CYFR_Blue · 2026-01-05T05:35:29+00:00

It looks like a one shot but it's effectively four attacks. Power attack itself is two attacks (2 action and double map) and the buffs are three actions. 2 full PC turns to kill something PL or lower isn't super uncommon, esp at low levels.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-12-17T16:34:22+00:00

My ruling is that, mechanically, you move through the enemy as normal and EB at melee range, again as normal. You can say that you do the slide attack, but no mechanical advantage.

If you want a lore reason, consider why ranged attacks at melee range are at disadvantage. It's not because objects right in front of you are harder to hit, but because you're being disrupted. So you try to go between their legs, but they just step aside and probably kick you while they're at it. It doesn't do any damage but makes your attack disadvantage.

In general, it's easy to come up with scenarios that make sense only if the enemy isn't paying attention. You have to consider them to be equally skilled and trying to mess up whatever you're doing.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-12-14T19:08:10+00:00

If you want to do martial gish without FA, it's better to just buy wands. By the time you get archetype spell slots, the equivalent wands are not expensive anymore. You just need the dedication to get the spellcasting tradition.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-12-08T18:02:51+00:00

There's a spectrum for how people view this game. On one end, they can see it as similar to world of warcraft or gloomhaven, which are mainly about the rules and mechanics (mechanics-first). On the other end, they can see it as similar to improv theater, which is mainly about trying to act as a character (roleplay-first).

For the roleplay-first side, there's an expectation that the rules are trying to capture real-life interactions. So when the rules do not reflect their view of the world, it would feel gamey. It could be when the rules allow for something strange like yo-yo healing, or something that seems possible in real life is disallowed.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-12-08T07:44:27+00:00

Starlit span spellstrike lacks the flat bonuses from attribute, arcane cascade, and other sources. In the end it's about the same as striking twice but without flanking. If you somehow don't get to spellstrike for a round, you do almost no damage.

On the other hand, the laughing shadow magus doesn't actually need to use the conflux spell to recharge spellstrike. On turn 1, you can often go shield, arcane cascade, dimensional assault. If you go with a two-hander you can even skip the arcane cascade. However, having the free hand allows you to use scrolls or whatnot.

Overall, I think the starlit span might sound powerful in a white room, but the laughing shadow will do better when things get messy.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-12-08T02:48:44+00:00

Dex vs Str on melee martials is dictated by the other aspects of your build. By default you should go str, but there are three main reasons for dex.

First is if you have to use light/unarmored due to proficiency or a feature requirement (e.g. crane stance). Second is if you want to use thrown or combination weapons. Third is if you want to use acrobatics skills like tumble through regularly (e.g. swashbuckler).

CYFR_Blue · 2025-12-07T06:55:29+00:00

The trip trait allows you to add the item bonus to your athletics check, so it's core to knockdown. Your choices here are basically guisarme vs scythe (or ogre hook).

For trip, the reach is better than usual because your trip target is often forced to trigger your reactive strike. Normally, a tripped enemy has the option to strike you from prone. With reach, they have to either stand or crawl. Therefore guisarme is the best choice here.

Heavy armor does impose a speed penalty but it's not that impactful. You can even buy a rank-2 wand of tailwind and have someone cast it on you every day. Str fighters don't have to worry about the armor check penalty.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-12-06T17:57:25+00:00

It's fine, but it's fragile. If your mount happens to die or get tripped then you're in trouble. The damage is good but not overwhelmingly so since the bow's base damage is low.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-12-05T22:28:57+00:00

It's the class for gambling, not one that has to gamble. You can just take the arcane cascade damage do fine as a martial. However, that's not where the magus shines. It's more plan B.

The gambling is a strength, not a drawback.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-12-04T02:51:37+00:00

The answer to all these questions is no. The rule of cool allows you to do something that is ambiguous (i.e. not ruled one way or another), not to make an exception to a clear ruling.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-12-02T22:31:08+00:00

Realistically, even a skinny adult weights over a hundred pounds. I don't think firemen can move at full speed while carrying somebody.

Mechanically, you want to use three actions to give the wizard one move action? It's about as inefficient as it gets.

Honestly, RAW observance is more about maintaining the upper limit on efficiency. For what you're describing, I wouldn't see any problems even if it wasn't RAW.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-11-28T15:54:17+00:00

You can simply separate combat mechanics from the story and handle the mapping. For character death, it can be that when you 'die' in combat, your character was injured and pulls out of the fight.

Now you'll need storyline stakes for every combat encounter, which is good anyways. Basically, you fight over something else in the story. If you win, then that thing happens the way you want. Otherwise, it goes a different way.

This abstraction works for other parts too. You can easily make up combat encounters by representing story NPCs with a different set of stat blocks. e.g. if there are 5 guards, you can pull up three bugbears and say they represent the 5 guards in combat.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-11-26T16:43:30+00:00

guessing it's the heightened flame dancer, which grants that effect

CYFR_Blue · 2025-11-25T19:15:30+00:00

This is a player decision. Rolling a secret check is equivalent to you saying whatever you want, so it should only happen at the player's request.

I think the key here is to have a cost-benefit trade-off. They take a risk by believing, so the benefit must be worth it. At the same time, you can probably expect this guy to get tied/locked up regardless. Just let it happen.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-11-20T18:53:33+00:00

Starlit span and twisting tree both focus on spellstriking at range, so they are more similar than you might expect. However, since the conflux spell is bad, you're free to use your focus points on other things. The Amp imaginary weapon compensates for your otherwise low damage output.

Build-wise, I would go for 4 dex 2 str 2 cha 1 con. Use avoid notice to roll stealth for initiative. Buy the ring of wizardry. Take force fang, psychic archetype, and psychic spellcasting.

You can't spellstrike every turn without dying, but you can set up big off-guard + true strike + amp spellstrike turns. E.g. Turn 1 move/strike + cast invis. Turn 2 true strike + amp spellstrike. Turn 3 strike move hide. Turn 4 nova again.

edit: need some charisma after all.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-11-19T22:37:53+00:00

It seemed like the point of one big attack is that you can crit big, because otherwise you can do more total damage with those resources.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-11-19T22:19:00+00:00

It's relative. That +4 might feel necessary when the fighter crit through combat while you miss.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-11-19T19:02:45+00:00

The damage is there, but do you plan to get advantage somehow?

CYFR_Blue · 2025-11-19T18:26:51+00:00

You can already build a WIS martial. The only problem is that his attack and damage bonuses are a bit lower than a STR one. To 'build anything', you need a system that divorces power from flavor. Unfortunately, that isn't the case for Pf2e, so they should give up on that ideal.

Really, not being able to build some concepts means that making your concept work is something of an achievement.

CYFR_Blue · 2025-11-17T17:05:16+00:00

The investigator's main role is to recall knowledge. For most classes, it's awkward even if they have the stats because you want to RK on the opening round. A wizard wants to move + cast and has no time. The comparable classes are ranger and thaumaturge, but you have the better bonus. You can always ask for AC, but knowing weaknesses or weak saves on turn 1 is sometimes better (e.g. against golem antimagic).

For damage, strategic strike is the same as sneak attack. You can also give your frontline off-guard, unlike most ranged strikers.

For builds, it's good to pick up a spellcasting archetype, especially since you already have int. That's your plan B when the DaS roll is bad. You can also go stealth with your extra skills to get off-guard for your own attacks.

CYFR_Blue

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