A Gaming Story

This happened back in 2017, when I decided to run a Pathfinder game using the D&D 3e module The Sunless Citadel, as it had been recently converted to 5e and republished under Tales from the Yawning Portal and the Virtual Tabletop version was available on Roll20. 

The PCs were either first or second level and were pretty beaten up, having just survived a tough fight against the boss of a dungeon level and his minions. The main treasure was in a classic big-ass iron chest. The Rogue checks it and finds it locked and trapped with the traditional poison needle trap. 

Unfortunately, the Rogue also can't roll high enough to disarm it. Taking 10 doesn't hit the DC, and because it's trapped she can't Take 20. But because she's rolling to disable the trap and not pick the lock, so long as she doesn't critically fail she can keep picking at it. 

(Some of you may be asking "Well, didn't they find the key when they killed the boss? Wouldn't that have bypassed the trap?" and the answer is that I honestly don't remember why that wasn't an option. I think it's because in the original adventure the boss isn't listed as having the key on him, so perhaps I ruled that it was hidden and the PCs didn't find it in whichever room it was stashed.) 

After 3-5 failed attempts, each roll edging dangerously close to the dread Natural 1, the Gunslinger decides to do the classic Hollywood tactic of shooting the lock off.  He rolls a Nat 1 and crit fails. 

I rule that the shot has mangled the lock such that it's now unpickable. Oh, and it's still locked.

The PCs then decide that the best course of action is to USE THEIR MELEE WEAPONS to damage the chest enough that they can access the interior.

I dig out the rules for item hardness and hit points, and they proceed to beat the SHIT out of that chest, a la Office Space and the printer.

 

When they finally broke it open, I was laughing so hard I could barely talk. Paraphrased from memory, I said something like this:

"OK, so what you see is... a lot of broken glass that probably used to be potions... which have soaked into the scrolls, making the ink run and ruining their magic. There's a couple hundred gold inside, but yeah, you destroyed 80% of your treasure."

The players learned a valuable lesson that day.

Padraig O'Malley

I have wanted, for quite a long time now, to make a halfling bare-knuckles brawler in either D&D or Pathfinder. I have wanted this mainly because I think it would be hysterical to play what is essentially the embodiment of the Notre Dame mascot -- for some reason, halflings always have Irish accents in my minds -- but also because it would be a challenge to make an effective fighting character when starting from the standpoint of "penalty to strength and lacks reach."

Unfortunately, the challenge proved too great for many years. The closest I could come was do dual-class between Barbarian (for the Rage) and Monk (for the martial arts), but those had the twin problems of conflicting alignments and reduced progression in both classes. I tried it with straight Fighter, but while the extra feats were nice, the standard D&D Fighter tended to be an armored tank, not a supple pugilist. 

Then the Advanced Class Guide introduced the aptly-named Brawler class, and I knew I'd found my holy grail. A hybrid of Fighter and Monk, it gave me the best of both worlds: a good Base Attack Bonus progression, d10 hit points, and slew of class features specializing in unarmed attack (Improved Unarmed Strike at lvl 1, Flurry of Blows at level 2, etc). Then I discovered the Mutagenic Mauler archetype, whereby the Brawler would drink an alchemical elixir to make like Mr. Hyde and gain bonuses to a physical stat and natural armor. 

Then things got crazy. The campaign I was in used the World is Square rules, which does away with a lot of the annoying Feats that you have to take to get to the good stuff, like Weapon Finesse or Improved [Whatever], and that made the idea of a halfling Brawler not just viable, but downright deadly. Now I could make attacks based off Dexterity instead of Strength and being small was an advantage due to the AC bonus and the Underfoot alternate racial trait. 

But what made me laugh hysterically was the realization that my bare-knuckles brawler could also be a _wrestler_. Halflings with the Brawler favored class can get a +1 to the Combat Maneuver Bonus to Grapple... and I could take a feat at second level to make me a nasty grappler... oh, and did you realize that not only do Dan Bongs give you +2 to Grapple, but that bonus is untyped? Meaning that it stacks if you have a second dan bong in your other hand? And that all Brawlers get Two-Weapon Fighting for free at second level? And that there's no restriction on what size creatures you can grapple?

With that, I present to you Padraig O'Malley. He's currently 3rd level in our game, and if he can't punch it unconscious, he'll grapple it... and even if it's able to escape the grapple, that's a good way to tie up the enemy's actions so that your party can retreat/regroup/heal. Oh, and it's a REALLY good way to prevent spellcasters from casting spells. My ultimate goal is for him to grapple something ridiculously huge, like a dragon or the Tarrasque. He'll be the guy trying to headbutt it into submission as he clings tenaciously to its ear. 

Here's his character sheet (PDF).

Here's the image I used as inspiration:

And here's his backstory, as requested by the GM (he wanted plot hooks and why we were adventuring in a hive of scum and villainy. It's worth noting that this game is set in the World of Greyhawk. 

Padraig O'Malley was born in the Shireland, a halfling community in the Duchy of Tenh, to an impoverished family of farmers and sheepherders some 31 years ago. He was the oldest of three boys, and while not the strongest or the smartest of the lot, he was certainly the quickest. The rowdier boys in the Shireland did their best to pick on him, but they quickly discovered that he had a quick jab, a nasty right hook, and a wicked eye for shot placement, and he was soon left alone. 

However, his younger siblings were not as skilled as he. His middle brother Coinneach was fair of face and slender of build, and was often the target of jealous rage by the jilted suitors of the girls he was wooing. Ronan, the youngest, was small and weak but had a sharp mind, and his parents hoped that he could be apprenticed to the Church, or perhaps even to a wizard. They couldn't have seemed more like victims if they'd tried, and Padraig spent much of his early life trying to protect them both. 

One day, while driving the sheep to market, both Coinneach and Ronan were assaulted. Ronan was beaten unconscious, and  Coinneach had his face disfigured by a club. They both lived, but  Coinneach was blind in one eye and Ronan was left traumatized by the assault. 

In the words of Padraig, "This be where ah lost me fookin' temper." He went to the local tavern and... spent all the money he had on the most expensive bottle of liquor he could find. Then he went into the forest, found a faerie ring, and stepped into it. 

When he woke up the next morning, he was a different man. Older, meaner, sharper around the edges. The years spent in the faerie mound had taught him the secret fighting art of Boo-Tin as well as the knowledge of how to mix Poitín, a special liniment guaranteed to relax aching muscles and strip paint off walls (90% alcohol by volume). Padraig then went back to town, found the villagers who had assaulted his family in a nearby inn. He drank the Poitín, kicked the door open, and shouted "Me name's Padraig O'FOOKING Malley, and I'm here to kick the arses o' the blaggards what hurt me brothers!"

Padraig doesn't remember much after that. It's all a red-coated haze. He knows that he beat several of them to death, and one of them was the son of the local Sheriff, and so he regretfully went on the run. Several villages over, he settled in a part of the Shireland near the border to the Bandit Kingdoms, doing menial farm work.  He met a bonnie lass named Dægeseage (Daisy) and settled down with her. Padraig and found contentment. 

One day he came back from a hard day of work in the fields to find that the cottage he and Dægeseage lived in had been ransacked, the front door hanging open. He rushed inside, fearing the worst, only to find that the woman he loved was gone. The local constables weren't of any help, stating that it was likely a slaving party from the Bandit Kingdoms and that his wife was gone forever. 

Padraig quietly mixed a fresh batch of Poitín, locked up the cottage, tendered his resignation to his employer, and walked into the Kingdoms. He didn't know where to look, but that kind of thing never stopped him before. He'd walk until he found someone and ask them if they knew anything, and if they gave him any trouble he'd kick a mudhole in them. If he has to punch everyone inside the Bandit Kingdoms, that's fine with him; it keeps his mind off his grief. 

Why yes, I do speak with an outrageous Irish accent when playing Padraig. However did you guess?

Pathfinder Prestige Class: The Plutomancer

This is a re-work of a class I wrote in 2009. Hopefully this is a better version. 

Tangible rewards in the form of money are staples of dungeon adventuring, yet sometimes extracting those riches is a herculean task: art objects, luxurious furniture, multi-ton adamantine doors and dragon hoards filled with millions of copper and silver coins are all valuable, yet exceptionally difficult to transport for sale. Likewise, a struggling dungeon delver is often frustrated by his inability to sell his hard-won gains at anything near what they cost on the market; half price seems to be the default unless advanced haggling rules are used. And may the gods help you if your Game Master knows anything about economics and decides to rule that you have flooded the local economy with gold and driven up  the prices of even the most basic goods and services.

The solution to all of these dilemmas is the Plutomancer prestige class. Whether a cleric in service to a god whose portfolio involves greed, commerce, or thievery, or a mage who exemplifies the classic struggle to turn lead into gold, the Plutomancer is a welcome addition to any party by the simple expedient of acting as a force multiplier for looting.

(Author's Note: In terms of what this class brings to the table, i.e. mainly flavor, non-combat skill bonuses, and more efficient looting of treasure, it ought to be a class archetype and not a prestige class. However, making this a compatible archetype for multiple classes is more effort than I want to go through, and I do want this available to both arcane and divine spellcasters. Therefore I have made it a five-level PrC with a low entry that player characters can dip into as they see fit.)

Requirements
Feats: Skill Focus (Appraise), and either Negotiator or Skill Focus (Profession: Merchant)
Spells: Ability to cast Locate Object, plus either Fabricate or Greater Make Whole and at least one other transmutation spell of 3rd level or higher.

Class Skills
The Plutomancer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise, Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Geography), Knowledge (History), Linguistics, Perception, Profession (Merchant), Sense Motive, Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device.
Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features
Hit Die: d6.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Plutomancers gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: When a new Plutomancer level is gained, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that she adds her Plutomancer levels to the level of some other spellcasting class she has, and then determines spells per day, spells known, and caster level accordingly.

Class Abilities

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Gilded Magic, Mind on my Money	+1 level of existing class
2nd	+1	+1	+0	+3	Deep Pockets,  Money on my Mind	+1 level of existing class
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Moneychanger, Secret Chest	+1 level of existing class
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Canon of Coin, Pawnbroker	+1 level of existing class
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Fence from Beyond,  Flesh to Ore	+1 level of existing class

Gilded Magic (Su)

Whenever the Plutomancer casts a spell, its visible manifestations appear lavish and expensive. Create Food and Water produces a sumptuous feast with fine wine, Mage Armor manifests as elegant clothing or jeweled regalia, and similar cosmetic embellishments occur at the GM’s discretion. These effects are purely illusory and have no mechanical impact.

As a standard action, the Plutomancer may touch a mundane, nonmagical object and cause it to appear opulent and finely crafted through illusion. Common materials take on the appearance of precious metals, gemstones, fine fabrics, or masterwork craftsmanship, though the object’s true nature is unchanged. This illusion lasts for 10 minutes per Plutomancer level.

While benefiting from Gilded Magic, the Plutomancer gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks made to pass as wealthy, project financial success, or influence merchants, traders, or similar NPCs in commercial or transactional contexts.

This bonus does not apply to attempts to directly modify purchase prices, resale values, or otherwise stack with the Plutomancer’s class features that alter buy or sell prices.

Mind on my Money (Ex)

The Plutomancer may choose to use their Wisdom or Charisma modifier instead of Intelligence for Appraise checks. This choice is made when the Plutomancer gains this ability and cannot be changed thereafter. Additionally, when selling items they may gain +10% of the item’s normal resale value (typically 50% of list price) per Plutomancer level. If they choose to do so they cannot use alternate means to increase the sale price, such as through the use of Diplomacy or spells. 

Example: a Plutomancer wants to sell a 100 gp item. Normally that item sells for 50 gp. A 1st level Plutomancer sells it for (50+[10%*50]) or 55 gold, a 3rd level Plutomancer sells it for 65 gold, and a 5th level sells it for 75 gold.

Campaign Impact: Wealth by Level

The Plutomancer’s ability to sell items for a higher percentage of their listed value and purchase items at a discount increases the party’s effective Wealth-by-Level compared to baseline assumptions. GMs who wish to maintain standard wealth expectations may do so by adjusting treasure parcels, limiting access to large or distant markets, or embracing a higher-liquidity campaign in which wealth is less restrictive.

Deep Pockets (Su)

At 2nd level, the Plutomancer is immune to encumbrance penalties caused by coins, gems, and jewelry; these items do not count against the Plutomancer’s carried load. In addition, extradimensional storage items carried by the Plutomancer (such as bags of holding, handy haversacks, portable holes, and similar items) weigh 50% less and can store 50% more weight and volume while within 10 feet per Plutomancer level. This benefit applies only to the Plutomancer and does not affect those items carried by other creatures.

If one of the Plutomancer’s extradimensional storage items is outside this range while carrying more than its normal maximum capacity, the excess contents are immediately expelled into the nearest open spaces adjacent to the item until the item’s normal capacity is no longer exceeded. This expulsion occurs harmlessly but may cause items to fall, scatter, or become unattended at the GM’s discretion. Items are expelled in an order chosen by the Plutomancer; if the Plutomancer is not present or incapacitated, the GM determines the order, favoring the least valuable or most easily accessible items. A secret chest enhanced by this ability is an exception and does not expel its contents when transferred to the Ethereal Plane.

At 4th level, coins, gems, and jewelry placed into extradimensional storage carried by the Plutomancer occupy no weight or volume for the purposes of that storage. This does not increase capacity for other items and does not allow extradimensional spaces to contain creatures or objects they otherwise could not hold.

Money on my Mind (Ex)
The Plutomancer gains a bonus equal to their caster level to all Perception skill checks made to notice hidden, concealed, or unattended valuables; secret compartments or hidden caches of goods; or for detecting another's use of Sleight of Hand to steal from them. Additionally, when buying items they may subtract 5% from the purchase price for each level of Plutomancer. If they choose to do so they cannot use alternate means to decrease the sale price, such as through the use of Diplomacy or spells. 

Example: a Plutomancer wants to buy a 100 gp item. A 1st level Plutomancer purchases it for (100-[5%*100]) or 95 gold, a 3rd level Plutomancer purchases it for 85 gold, and a 5th level purchases it for 75 gold.

Moneychanger (Sp)

At 3rd level, the Plutomancer adds the spell Blood Money to their spell list if it is not already present. 

A number of times per day equal to their level in this class, a Plutomancer may transmute currency and gems, but not other types of valuables, into other forms of currency and/or gems. For example, 40,000 copper coins become 40 platinum coins; useful for hauling away a dragon hoard. Any amount of currency may be transmuted in this manner, but it must all be touching and the Plutomancer must be able to touch at least one of the valuables. Moneychanger cannot affect creatures or transformed creatures (such as those affected by flesh to ore) until such effects have fully ended or the creature has been destroyed.

The total gold piece value of all currency and gems before and after the transmutation must be identical, based on standard listed values; Moneychanger cannot increase or decrease the total gold piece value involved. When producing gems, the Plutomancer may only create gems whose individual listed values are standard denominations, and any remainder gold piece value that cannot be represented as gems must be produced as coinage.

The transmuted coins, gemstones, trade bars etc. all retain their other characteristics such as size, weight, portraits, etc. of their country of origin. However, a successful Linguistics skill check allows the Plutomancer to alter these characteristics convincingly; failure results in markings that may be identifiable as forged or irregular. The DC for this check is 15 for simple alterations, and DC 20 or higher for foreign or highly regulated currencies.

Campaign Impact: Blood Money allows the Plutomancer to bypass costly material components at the cost of personal injury. This may increase access to spells that are normally constrained by wealth. GMs should review this spell carefully and may wish to adjust treasure, spell availability, or downtime assumptions accordingly.

Secret Chest (Sp)

Once per day, the Plutomancer may summon or dismiss a secret chest as if casting the Secret Chest spell. The Plutomancer must still purchase both the masterwork chest and its miniature replica, and may apply Money on my Mind to reduce their cost. This ability functions at a caster level equal to the Plutomancer’s total caster level. Except as noted below, this ability is identical to the secret chest spell.

Unlike the spell, the chest does not disappear after 60 days; it remains stored on the Ethereal Plane indefinitely, provided the miniature chest remains intact and in the Plutomancer’s possession. If the miniature chest is lost or destroyed, the secret chest is lost as normal. Summoning or dismissing the chest is a standard action and provokes attacks of opportunity, as per the spell.

A Plutomancer may maintain only one secret chest at a time using this ability; creating a new secret chest immediately ends any previous instance. A secret chest benefiting from Deep Pockets does not expel its contents when transferred to or from the Ethereal Plane.

Canon of Coin (Ex)
At 4th level, the Plutomancer gains Canon of Coin as a bonus faith trait, even if they already possess a faith trait. This trait does not count against the Plutomancer’s normal limit on traits.

If the Plutomancer already possesses the Canon of Coin trait, they instead gain a +1 trait bonus on Appraise and Profession (Merchant) checks.

Pawnbroker (Sp)

At 4th level, the Plutomancer adds Fabricate to their spell list if it is not already present.

Once per day a Plutomancer can, with a touch, convert up to 100 pounds per caster level of non-living objects into gold coins equal to the amount of gold the Plutomancer would receive for selling those objects normally, after all applicable modifiers. Magic items get a saving throw vs. DC 15 + spellcasting ability modifier; living items and artifacts are unaffected. This ability functions at a caster level equal to the Plutomancer’s total caster level.

Note that this value is based upon intrinsic material worth, not weight or artistry; even a ton of stone is still only worth 1 gold, and a masterpiece painting is nothing but pigments on canvas, so converting objects of art into coins will yield less than their cultural worth. 

Pawnbroker only affects free-standing objects and not those which are attached to, and therefore could be considered parts of, a larger object. Furthermore, a large  item cannot be partially converted; the conversion must be all or nothing. 

Pawnbroker may be used to convert a Flesh to Ore victim into currency.

Fence from Beyond (Sp)

The Plutomancer always has someone they can call to help facilitate commerce. Once per day they may conjure a mercane (for magical items) or a witchwyrd (for more mundane valuables) as a calling effect. The creature appears in an adjacent open space and remains for 10 minutes per Plutomancer level, or until it completes all agreed-upon transactions, whichever comes first. The Fence from Beyond is keenly aware of the passage of time and departs promptly when the duration expires, regardless of whether negotiations have concluded.

The Fence is not compelled to trade, but begins with an attitude of Indifferent toward the Plutomancer and will only negotiate with them. The Plutomancer may use Mind on my Money and Money on my Mind to influence prices as normal. The Fence will not knowingly purchase living creatures, creatures that were once living (such as those affected by Flesh to Ore), or artifacts.

The Fence from Beyond buys and sells items at fair market rates appropriate to its nature and resources; it does not automatically possess rare, unique, or specific items, and highly unusual requests may require additional time, contacts, or may be unavailable at the GM’s discretion. The Fence may agree to seek out requested items and return at a later date, though success is not guaranteed.

The Fence will not engage in combat or provide any service other than buying and selling goods. If threatened, attacked, or summoned into immediate danger, it departs instantly. A Fence that is injured, cheated, or knowingly endangered by the Plutomancer or their allies will refuse future dealings and spread word of the Plutomancer’s unreliability.

Restoring relations with such contacts requires an atonement costing 1,000 gp per character level; if the Fence is slain due to negligence or betrayal, the cost increases to 2,500 gp per character level. Atonement restores the Fence’s attitude to Indifferent.

Flesh to Ore (Sp)

Once per week, the Plutomancer may use flesh to ore as a spell-like ability. This functions as flesh to stone, except as noted below. This ability has a caster level equal to the Plutomancer’s total caster level, and a saving throw DC of 16 + the Plutomancer’s spellcasting ability modifier.

A creature transformed by flesh to ore becomes a stone statue shot through with veins of mundane precious metals (such as gold, silver, and platinum) and gemstones worth 300 gp per caster level. Flesh to ore cannot create special materials, including but not limited to adamantine, mithral, cold iron, alchemical silver, or any other special or magical material.  

Until the statue is destroyed, it is treated as a transformed creature, not an object, for the purposes of spells and effects. The precious materials within the statue have no value and cannot be extracted while the statue remains intact. Effects such as Moneychanger, spells such as stone shape, or similar abilities cannot alter, subdivide, or transmute the statue or its contents while it remains intact. If the statue is restored to flesh by stone to flesh or similar magic before it can be destroyed, all precious materials are lost, crumbling into worthless stone dust.

However, if the statue is destroyed then the creature is irrevocably slain, and its remains become inert stone, precious metals, and gemstones of the stated value. Once destroyed in this manner, the creature cannot be restored to life or flesh by any means short of wish, miracle, or similarly powerful magic, even if the remains are present. After destruction, the inert materials may be affected normally by abilities such as Moneychanger.

Artifacts and creatures immune to flesh to stone are likewise immune to flesh to ore.

Player Characters in Mass Combat for Pathfinder

Battle of Grunwald by Jan Matejko (1878)

There are many rules in Pathfinder for adjudicating battles against armies; I highly recommend Mass Combat Rules for Pathfinder by Saraiso, aka Sarah Wilson, which takes the rules from Paizo's Ultimate Campaign and melds them with cherries picked from Legendary Games' Ultimate Battle and her own ideas.

The problem with these rules is that, although they are very good, they fail to address a critical question: How do you account for player characters in mass battle? Skirmishes, which are most fights in Pathfinder, can take several hours to play out; playing through a pitched battle on such a scale would take forever. Clearly, some manner of abstraction is needed, preferably one where the players themselves can participate in the fight and whose decisions can help shift the tide of battle.

I eventually settled upon adapting the mass combat rules from the excellent Legend of the 5 Rings RPG, where the players could choose the level of their characters' engagement (in the Reserves, Disengaged, Engaged, or Heavily Engaged) and then by consulting a matrix of engagement level and whether their army was winning, losing, or holding steady I could determine how badly their characters were hurt, if they contributed to the success of the battle, and how glorious their deeds were.

I playtested these rules last weekend. My PCs were engaged in a "Magnificent Seven" style battle last weekend, except on a much larger scale as they defended a community of deep gnomes against an invading drow army. For a playtest they worked well enough, although there is clearly room for improvement. It is my hope that enough experienced players and GMs will help me polish out the imperfections and deliver a more streamlined system.

Morning of the Battle of Agincourt, 25 October 1415, by Sir John Gilbert

Flow of Battle

1. Consult the Battle Matrix (see below). Roll 1d6 to determine how many Heroic Opportunities there will be in a battle, then determine their placement using a d6 for X and Y coordinates. 
2. Run the battle using Saraiso's rules. After running the Melee phase but before the Rout phase, consult these rules for the Hero phase (Phase 3.5). 
3. Determine if the PC's army is currently winning the battle, losing the battle, or evenly matched. Generally the army which has inflicted the most damage upon the other in the Ranged and Melee phases is winning; in cases where the damage is minimal or a tie, whoever won the Tactical Initiative is winning the battle. If it's still not clear, assume the battle is Even. 
4. Have the players place their characters in one of four categories: Reserves, Disengaged, Engaged, Heavily Engaged. 

• Reserves are the furthest from the fighting you can be and still be considered in the battle. This is where many spellcasters choose to stand, either to heal the wounded or to cast battle-affecting spells. Siege engines and their operators are in this band as well. 
• Feats required: Far Shot to hit the enemy with non-siege ranged weapons. (Spells are not weapons.)
• Disengaged is where most ranged attackers are, such as archers, crossbowyers, gunslingers, javelineers, etc. as well as spellcasters who are casting combat spells. 
•  Precise Shot to hit the enemy with ranged weapons.
• Engaged is where the action is. Some ranged attacks are possible, but this is mainly the province of melee fighters. 
• Feats required: Shot on the Run to hit the enemy with ranged weapons. 
• Spellcasters must Cast Defensively or suffer +1d6 damage from Attacks of Opportunity.
• Heavily Engaged is the tip of the spear where the fighting is at its most brutal. Only the most skilled fighters and the heavily armored can hope to last long here. 
• Feats required: Snap Shot hit the enemy with ranged weapons. 
• Spellcasters must Cast Defensively or suffer +1d6 damage from Attacks of Opportunity.

TIP: it is recommended that you group the PCs by engagement level, starting with those Heavily Engaged and working your way to Reserves. 

Each PC rolls 1d20 + AC + their best to-hit bonus. This is called the Battle Roll, and represents how well they do in combat both offensively and defensively. Compare it to the leftmost column to determine which row they are in. 

Based on their level of engagement and the success of their army, find their position on the chart. Roll for damage and assign Fame. 

If there is a Heroic Opportunity on that chart position, ask the player if they wish to make use of it. If so, see Heroic Opportunities, below. If not, move to the next player. 

When all PCs have taken damage and earned Fame, resume the mass battle at Phase 4 - Rout.

When the battle is concluded, tally up the total Fame for each PC. See Fame, below, for more information. 

Battle Matrix
Locations of Heroic Opportunities are in bold.

Actions in Combat

Player characters do more than trade blows and take damage in skirmishes, and so it is in mass battle as well. Once per turn, a PC may take ONE action:

• Move up or down one level of engagement
• Drink a potion
• Use a scroll
• Cast a spell upon himself or another PC (both must be at the same level of engagement)
• Channel energy
• Expend rage
• Use Bardic or Raging song

Using scrolls or casting spells at any level above Disengaged requires Casting Defensively.

Battle of Neville's Cross by Jean Froissart

Heroic Opportunities

Because the player characters are heroes, their presence can shift the tides of battle if they are in the right place at the right time. This occurs when their Battle Rolls place them in a spot on the Matrix where a Heroic Opportunity is indicated.

Heroic Opportunities should be individualized for the character based on his abilities and position within battle. For example, a bard might notice a unit about to rout and rouse them to victory with a use of Inspire Courage, whereas a cleric might channel energy at the right time to heal the wounded or a wizard might engage in a long-range duel with another spellcaster. The actual details are unimportant so long as they suit the PC and thrill the player.

The mechanics of Heroic Opportunities are as follows:

1. The player is notified of the Heroic Opportunity for his character. If he accepts, that is his Action in Combat (see above) for the round. If he declines, he can take another action but the Opportunity is lost. 
2. Based on the situation the GM describes, have the PC roll something suitable such as Profession: Soldier, a Saving Throw, a To Hit roll, a Caster Level Check, etc. The DC should be high but not impossible; something in the range of character level + 15 or 20 should do. 
3. If the PC succeeds, he earns double the Fame for this round and the GM applies a modifier to one of the armies this round. This is typically a +1 to OM, DV, Morale or Tactical Initiative to his army, or a -1 to OM, DV, Morale or Tactical Initiative to an opposing army. 
4. If the PC fails, he wounds he suffered this turn are doubled. 

Fame

Fame is used to reward player characters for their valiant deeds in battle in lieu of experience points. This way, no one is penalized for for having fewer hit points or a lower armor class than others and all PCs continue to progress along the same XP track. 

After a battle, tally up the Fame totals for each character, then consult this table from Pathfinder Society. This represents found magical items scavenged from dead enemies, treasure looted from bodies, noblemen taken ransom, and so forth. This gold piece value can be used to upgrade existing equipment or purchase new magical items with GM permission.

Unused Fame

If a character has more fame than can be used (for example, she has 29 Fame, and uses 27 of it to acquire 11,750 gp of magical upgrades) then she must choose one or more of the following:

1. Bank it for the next Mass Combat;
2. Convert it into skill levels of Profession: Soldier (depending on circumstance, Profession: Sailor or Profession: Siege Engineer might also be appropriate);
3. Keep it to use as a Morale bonus for all Charisma-related skills (each point of Fame so used gives a +1 to the skill check up to character level; such points are deducted from the Fame total);
4. With GM permission, given to another character so they may reach a higher Fame tier.

The Battle of Towton by Richard Caton Woodville Jr.

Known Problems & Desired Fixes

As mentioned, this is a playtest and not everything has been worked out or sufficiently balanced. It is entirely possible that some of my numbers are too high or too low and need to be adjusted. I welcome feedback on this issue. 

Here are the problems I have:

1. I do not know if the Battle Roll is properly balanced. My 5th level PCs scored consistently high, but that might be because of my failure with #2 below. It has been suggested that I halve the total of the Battle Roll, and possibly add 1/2 the PC's level to it as well. Math isn't my strong suit so I don't know if this would be a good fix or not. 
2. Battle turns are measured in hours, which means that most buffing spells and class abilities will not last for the entirety of the battle. My mistake was that I thought they were measured in minutes and so allowed the buffs to carry throughout the battle. This might account for my players' remarkable success; it might have also kept them alive when in fact my numbers were too lethal. I need more playtesting on this to be sure. 

• My players and I both agree that 1 battle turn = 1 hour is too damn long. The battle I GM'd ran for 4 turns, which seemed like a good length of time for a battle as it took most of the evening and left the PCs feeling satisfied. 
• Following the Mass Battle rules as written, that means the battle I ran would have lasted for FOUR HOURS. This is too long for anyone to fight without experiencing severe fatigue and/or retiring to the reserves to rest. 
• Since fatigue in battle is not a feature of Saraiso's rules, I feel it reasonable to house-rule the duration of each battle round to 10 or 15 minutes (I'm still undecided on which it should be). 
• This makes is somewhat easier to adjudicate buffs, although I confess I still don't know what to do with buffs which last less than half a battle turn. 
• I am aware that some medieval battles lasted for hours; Agincourt took 3 and Hastings was 8+. I don't know how to handle this because I don't know how to model exhaustion of forces in the field and how they can be replaced by reserves. This is a problem with the Mass Battle rules, and while somewhat of a cop-out I feel the most honest answer is "This article isn't trying to fix those rules, just find a way to incorporate PCs into them."
• That said, if people want to take a hand at fixing those problem I'd love to hear their solutions. 

As PCs increase in level, they will quickly top out the matrix. I would like for the DC to vary according to their level to that the matrix can be used for all parties regardless of their level. The rows probably ought to be measured as DC [level] + [base number] but I'm not sure what each [base number] ought to be. 

Is Fame too high? I don't know. I don't think it is, but as stated my players all have 5th level characters. Perhaps it's too high for lower level characters; perhaps it's insultingly low for higher level characters. 

I don't know if random assignment of Heroic Opportunities is the right way to go. I do know that I want them weighted towards the harder end of the spectrum, but I also know that I want them to be available to all characters instead of just the front-line combatants. More risk ought to equal more reward, and I don't wish to hand out HO's like participation trophies, yet I also want to give wizards a chance to shine as well. This, like the Battle Roll, is probably a job for a mathematician or a statistician and not a grammar nerd like me. 

I welcome any and all feedback on these rules. I hope you find them interesting and useful, and that they find a place within your game. 

The Reversi Puzzle-Trap for Pathfinder RPG

This encounter is a hybrid of trap and puzzle for GMs to use. It's a trap, because of the very real likelihood of severe damage to the party, but it's also a puzzle because it needs to be solved before the players can proceed to the room beyond. In fact, it's the best of both worlds in that the PCs will willingly step onto it and damage themselves for your amusement.

First, make sure you know the rules for Reversi.

Set Up

The puzzle-trap begins with an ornate set of double doors which contain this inscription upon them:

Patience and Balance

Aggression and Greed

They won't realize it at first, but it's advice on how to solve the puzzle (be patient and seek balance rather than capturing the board aggressively and greedily.)

Upon entering, the PCs see a gridded (the absolute minimum size is 6x6, but you can go as large as you want) floor in a neutral color (I used gray) with four floor-to-ceiling columns of primal energy, two radiant and two necrotic, clustered around the central point of the grid. Running the length of the sides of the grid are roiling clouds of positive and negative energy, illuminated from within by bolts of brilliant white and utter darkness. It looks like a a thunderstorm mixed with a matter-antimatter reaction.

This trap works best if there is a door on the other side of the board, for reasons which will be obvious later. There is also a non-board strip of floor running the width of the rooms. If you wish to play up the danger with some flavor, mention that the room is plated in adamantine (unless your players are the types to try to pry up the plating).

I was running "Firehammer Hold" from "Scourge of the Sword Coast and wanted a better puzzle than the lame one in the module. But I had this nifty grid, and felt that chess puzzles were over-used and went with Reversi.

Sequence of Play
The PCs walk in and see the board. Using Detect Magic indicates that a very powerful spellcaster (read: higher level than the PCs so they can't disenchant it) found a way to capture a fraction of the primal powers of creation and entropy. The white columns radiate Conjuration and Evocation, the black columns Evocation and Necromancy, and the clouds are a jumbled mess of all three.

The PCs can mill around off the board all the like. Standing near the fog cloud gives an interesting mix of sensation, like the thrill of an electric charge combined with a chill of utter cold, but does no damage. If they step into the fog, see Entering the Fog, below.

Nothing happens if the PCs step onto the first row of squares. Depending on where they step, something does happen in the second row.

Essentially, if the PCs move into a square that is a legal placement for a Reversi token (they are not playing a specific color), then that token is placed and the tokens between it and its nearest matching color change. If they move into a square which is not a legal token placement, then nothing happens. After that, the board places a token of the opposite color anywhere it is legal to play -- preferably in a way that inconveniences the PCs.

Example of play:

1. Taszvya, left, takes two steps forward and stops. Nothing happens because that is not a legal token placement. 
2. Perga, right, also takes two steps forward. This IS a legal token placement and the board reacts.
   
3. 
4. Since Perga stepped where a white token would be placed, a column of positive energy engulfs his square, and therefore him, from floor to ceiling. This also converts the square of negative energy into positive. See Effects of the Columns, below. 
5. Every time a token is placed, movement halts. The board immediately places its own token before other characters may act.
   
6. 
7. In this example, the board has placed a column of negative energy between Perga and Taszvya. Taz is now in a perilous situation; taking a step forward or backward will count as placing a light token, as will spending a full turn on her current square. If she wishes to disengage from the board her only option is to move diagonally right and down.
   
8. 
9. Taszvya has chosen to take a step forward, placing another light token. In addition to the columnar effects, the fog cloud recedes one square (as its main purpose is to funnel people into interacting with the columns instead of going around them). 
10. The game progresses as PCs take steps that place tokens and the board reacts. The fog clouds retract as tokens are placed, eventually retreating to hugging the wall. 
11. The game continues until the PCs either leave the room or cross the board. See Endgame, below. 
12. Note: the doors on the other side are locked with no visible means of unlocking them. They unlock automatically as part of Endgame, below, but may be opened by a suitably heroic (35+) Disable Device roll. 

Effects of the Columns

It is recommended that the GM keep a count of how many white and dark columns are placed once the game begins, as the effects increment based upon the number of columns placed. (The initial 4 columns do not count toward this total.)

Each time a PC steps into a column, a column appears in their square, or they spend a turn inside a column, the following effects occur.

If a radiant column:

• The PC is healed 1d6 hit points for every positive column which has been placed during course of play. Other ailments such as blindness, deafness, missing body parts, etc may be cured/regrown at the GM's discretion. 
• If the PC is at full hit points, then they must make a Fortitude save with a DC of (5 x Number of columns placed). For example, in step 6 Perga would have to make a DC 5 Fort save, whereas Taszvya in step 7 would have to make a DC 10 Fort save. 
• If successful, the PC gains 1d6 temporary hit points for every radiant column placed. 
• If failed, something spectacular happens as their body cannot adequately contain the energy of raw, chaotic creation. Suggestions include: a fireball centered on their location (they receive no Reflex save for half damage on this, although others do); uncontrolled growth; fusion with another PC if they share the same square; creation of a fully-grown duplicate; or other cruel uses of a random magical effect table. 

If a necrotic column:

• The PC is damaged for 1d6 hit points per every negative column which has been placed during course of play. 
• GMs who do not wish to kill PCs outright may instead inflict conditions upon them, such as fatigue, blindness, deafness, exhaustion, energy drain, etc. If this is chosen, then require the PC to make a Fort save at DC (5 x negative columns in play) to avoid death. 
• Any PC who dies in a column of necrotic energy becomes an intelligent undead, such as a wight or wraith. 

Bypassing/Disabling the Trap

Players will likely want to skip this whole mess through use of spells. If so, let them. This isn't designed to be impassible; it's designed to be a resource drain for a dramatic encounter later and a source of amusement for the GM.

A few notes:

• The columns are floor-to-ceiling, so flying will place a column just like walking. 
• Intangible PCs will still trigger a column or suffer a column's effects if their intangible form is vulnerable to magical effects. 
• Teleport, Dimension Door, and other spells will work to get the PCs on the other side of the board, as will spells which send bypass obstacles via another plane (astral, ethereal, shadow, etc). 

This is also a potentially lethal encounter for the entire party, especially if they do not quickly realize the rules of the "game". The trap is designed such that a few people can make it across safely, but the more people who cross -- or the longer they dally on the board -- the worse it is for everyone.

Despite this being a trap, there's really no way for a rogue to disable it. However, an epic roll (such as DC 30+ or a natural 20) will suggest a course of action found in Entering the Fog. Lesser rolls can give the following information:

• Explain the rules for placement of columns. 
• Realization that the more people who cross, the worse it will be for them. 
• Tactics for getting across include: moving to illegal token placements whenever possible; sharing squares (such as smaller PCs being carried by larger ones); or getting charged up on temporary hit points and walking through necrotic columns.
• Realization that stepping in already existing columns do not further the progression of the game. 

Entering the Fog

Canny PCs will think that entering the fog is instant death. Encourage this, but don't oversell it, because it's actually a way to bypass the entire trap.

Since the fog is made of equal parts positive and negative energy, the net result is neutral, with radiance healing necrosis and entropy preventing explosion from too many temporary hit points. Therefore, PCs who step into the fog are like birds on a high tension line: safe, so long as they make no contact with anywhere else.

Any PC who enters the fog has the Blind and Deafened condition. Further, they cannot be seen or heard by anyone outside the fog. They do, however, maintain their sense of touch, and by touching the wall they can safely navigate to the other side of the board.

PCs cannot enter the fog if it has receded against the wall. Those characters within the fog when it recedes are considered to have stepped onto the board, placing a column if possible.

Exiting the fog by stepping onto the board triggers an Endgame scenario. 

Endgame

Endgame occurs under the following conditions:

• All entities within the room have crossed to the other side of the board. 
• All spaces upon the board have been filled. 
• Someone within the fog exits onto the board. 

In the first two situations, perform the following actions:

1. If a PC exited the fog onto the board, place a column where they stand (if possible)  and suffer the effects of same.
2. Start removing columns in positive-negative pairs. 
3. If all columns are removed evenly (the game was a draw), then the doors on the far side unlock with a loud click and the game board resets to its initial state. 
4. If there is more of one kind of energy than the other, tally how many columns remain. Describe how the energy surges across the board from the fog on both sides (you may, if you wish, give the party time to open the doors/find a way out by having the board fill in the empty squares at a rate of one every round):

• If necrotic, roll a matching number of d6 as negative energy damage and apply it to everyone in the room. 
• If radiant, require everyone in the room to make a Fortitude save at DC (5 x number of remaining columns) to avoid explosion from too many hit points. If they succeed, give them that many temporary hit points.

The doors then unlock. 

• If you wish to give everyone a chance, have the doors unlock just as the last square is filled in but before the energy discharge. 

More/Less Deadly Variants

More Deadly: Have monsters appear through the door or be created by a positive energy surge. Combat on the board ought to be quite exciting. (Energy columns provide a 50% miss chance due to concealment.)

Less Deadly: Use Go rules instead of Reversi and have columns disappear when surrounded instead of flipping.

The Mithril Duck

Mithril Duck
Wondrous Item

https://tinyurl.com/yaytw4j2

Aura: Faint divination
Caster Level: 1
Slot: None (held)
Price: 700 gp*
Weight: 0.5 pounds

This small statuette (no more than 6 cubic inches in volume) of a duck is much lighter than it looks, suggesting a hollow interior. Beautifully detailed with exquisite attention to detail, if skillfully painted it could easily be mistaken for an actual duck, especially if put in water (it floats).

Effect: To use the duck, hold it in your hand and ask it a question. It will answer by quacking (as if a masterwork duck call) and cast the Guidance cantrip upon the questioner.

Construction Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item; Guidance or Master Craftsman; Masterwork mithril duck (DC 20 to craft; 250 gp for 0.5 lbs mithril)


* The Mithril Duck is a level 0 use-activated item.

• Use-activation is Spell level x caster level x 2,000 gp x 2 (1 minute spell duration) x 2 (slotless magic item)
• A 0-level spell is half the value of a 1st-level spell for determining price, so spell level x caster level = 0.5 x 1 = 0.5
• So cost is calculated as 0.5 x 2000 x 2 x 2
• The Mithril Duck ought to cost 4,000 gp
• However, this is ridiculously over-priced for a magic item which casts a spell that any first-level caster can perform an unlimited amount of times per day, so I apply a GM fiat ruling of dividing it by 10.
• I mean do you really want your players to be able to sell this for 2,000 gp? I think not. However, 350 gp seems about right. 
• 400 gp + 250 gp for 1/2 pound of mithril + 50 gp masterwork artisan's fee = 700 gp.

For those of you who don't get the joke: it's a magical fantasy version of rubber duck debugging.

Don We Now Our Gay Apparel

https://www.123rf.com/photo_69713519_stock-vector-kids-in-elfes-costumes-going-christmas-caroling-flat-vector-illustration.html

Deck the Halls exhorts me to don my Gay Apparel. Okay, but is Gay Apparel light, medium, or heavy armor? I need to know this so I know how many turns it will take me to don (or hastily don) it!

Of course, given that people wearing said Gay Apparel are singers, that means they're probably bards, and bards only wear light armor because that doesn't interfere with their spellcasting.

And there's probably a benefit to singing while wearing Gay Apparel, because otherwise the carolers wouldn't be doing it as a group.

You know where this is going, right?


Gay Apparel
Light Armor
Aura: faint illusion
Caster Level: 6th
Cost: 4,150 gp

Gay apparel is a +2 reinforced tunic of red, green and white, usually decorated with bells and festive designs of snowflakes, candy canes and reindeer. Because it is essentially a shirt, gay apparel can be donned or doffed as a move action (this is a specific property of the item). While wearing gay apparel, the wearer gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive checks made specifically to attract, flirt with, or romantically influence a creature. The GM is the final arbiter of whether a given check qualifies as seduction.

When worn by anyone possessing bardic performance, gay apparel grants the Lingering Performance feat. When worn by anyone with at least one rank in Perform: Sing, it grants the use of the Basic Harmony teamwork feat even if they lack the prerequisites.

Construction Requirements: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, auditory hallucination, heroism; Cost 2075 gp

Special: The creator must possess the Lingering Performance and Basic Harmony feats.

Gay Apparel, Lesser
Light Armor
Aura: faint illusion
Caster Level: 3rd
Cost: 1,150 gp

Lesser gay apparel functions as gay apparel, except it is a +1 reinforced tunic and does not grant the Lingering Performance feat. In addition, the circumstance bonus it grants on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive checks made for seduction is only +1. 

Construction Requirements: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, auditory hallucination; Cost 575 gp 

Special: The creator must possess the Basic Harmony feat.

 

Gay Apparel, Greater
Light Armor
Aura: moderate illusion
Caster Level: 9th
Cost: 24,150 gp

Greater gay apparel functions as gay apparel, except it is a +3 reinforced tunic, its circumstance bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive checks made for seduction is +3, and it possesses the harmonizing special armor ability.

Construction Requirements: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, auditory hallucination, heroism, major image; Cost 12,075 gp

Special: The creator must possess the Lingering Performance and Basic Harmony feats.

 

Don your bard-assisting tunic!

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!

It's very quick, no need to panic!

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!

It doesn't take a Standard Action!

Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la!

Just a Move, so get to crackin'!

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!

Pathfinder RPG: Standing Up in Combat Without Dying

I don't know about you folks, but in my Pathfinder games there are certain PCs who are regularly reduced to zero hit points or less, then receive healing (usually some channeled positive energy from the cleric) and then want to stand up.

Unfortunately, standing up in combat provokes an Attack of Opportunity from everything that threatens your location, and since you're prone, you get a -4 to your AC to be hit by said threatening things (a generous GM might reduce that to a -2 because the act of standing means you aren't fully prone, but neither are you completely vertical). Heck, you can't even crawl away, because crawling also provokes AoOs.

So the question is, "What can a player have his character do so they aren't just sitting ducks when they're prone-but-conscious in a fight?"

I thought about it for a bit and came up with three tactics. The first technique is 100% within both the letter and spirit of the rules, so it can used in any sanctioned gameplay; the second is legal to the letter of the rules, but some people might argue that it's against the spirit of the rules to Withdraw at a crawl; and the third is legal within the spirit of the rules, but isn't technically Rules As Written.

Total Defense Technique

1. Become conscious, either through healing or stabilization roll. 
2. While still prone (-4 AC), use your standard action to adopt Total Defense (+4 AC). 
3. Use your move action to stand up. 

Benefit: Attacks of Opportunity still happen, but your AC isn't penalized. 100% legal within both letter and spirit of rules.


The Combat Crawl

1. Become conscious, either through healing or stabilization roll. 
2. While still prone, use the full-round Withdraw action. You no longer suffer Attacks of Opportunity from opponents who threaten your starting square. 
3. Crawling while prone is 5' as a move action. Withdrawing is a full-turn action that doubles your speed, meaning you can crawl at 10' as a withdrawal. 

Benefit: Gets squishy PCs out of the fight in a hurry. Just be careful of your path, because you can still get AoD'd along your path!


Acro Like a Mofo

1. Become conscious, either through healing or stabilization roll. 
2. Roll Acrobatics to tumble out of the square without provoking an Attack of Opportunity, with the DC determined by the "Move Through Threatened Squares" table. 
3. Stand up in a non-threatened square OR add +5 to DC to stand up at then end of you tumble. 

Benefit: A great way for high-Dex PCs to get back into the fight without having to burn their Standard Action. Tumble and attack!


If you'd like to print out a copy of these rules, there's a handy button right below these words that will enable you to print it out or turn it into a PDF.

Have fun, and don't die!

Pellatarrum: Mechanical Effects of the Day/Night Cycle

I've written before about the Day/Night cycle in Pellatarrum, but I feel it's time to revisit it because 1) it's been 8 years since I last talked about it and 2) now that I'm actually running games in the setting and not  just talking about it in the abstract, I've realized that there are important mechanics that I missed.

Daylight: 9 am - 3 pm
During the hours of full daylight (during which time the Death Sun is fully obscured), anything which helps life is given a +2 bonus and anything which harms it is given a -2 penalty. Examples:

• -2 to all damage rolls, including those from magic and the environment.
• Exception: damage dealt to undead does not suffer this penalty. 
• +2 to Heal checks and +2 hit points regained from both natural (including resting) and magical healing. 
• +2 to Fortitude saves and Constitution checks. 
• Exception: living creatures below 0 hit points but who have not yet died automatically stabilize during the day, no roll required. 
• Exception: undead are always considered "harmful to life" and therefore any Fortitude save or Charisma check (undead don't have Con scores) made by them during the day have a -2 penalty.
• +2 to all Positive Energy channeling that heals the living and harms or turn the undead. 
• All undead with Channel Resistance have a -2 penalty to their will saves. 
• All undead are considered dazzled when exposed to daylight (this has no effect indoors or underground). 
• Anyone who dies while exposed to full daylight, for whatever reason, will never become undead. Those who die during the day but not exposed to daylight have a decreased chance of it. (I can't recall of there's ever an effect where the DM rolls to see if someone rises as undead or not. If so, apply the penalty.)

As you can see, the day time is inimical to the undead. However, when the Life Sun sets and the Death Sun is rampant, all that switches. 

Night: 9 pm - 3 am
Conversely, during the hours of full sight (during which time the Life Sun is fully obscured), anything which harms life is given a +2 bonus and anything which helps it is given a -2 penalty. Examples:

• +2 to all damage rolls, including those from magic and the environment.
• Exception: damage dealt to undead does not gain this bonus. 
• -2 to Heal checks and -2 hit points regained from both natural (including resting) and magical healing. 
• -2 to Fortitude saves and Constitution checks 
• Exception: living creatures below 0 hit points automatically begin dying at night, no roll required. 
• Exception: undead are always considered "harmful to life" and therefore any Fortitude save or Charisma check (undead don't have Con scores) made by them during the day have a +2 bonus. 
• -2 to Channeled Positive Energy to heal the living and to harm or turn the undead. 
• All undead gain +2 Channel Resistance at night, including those who already have it. 
• Anyone who dies while exposed to the Death Sun will, barring something truly unusual, always reanimate as undead. Those who die from violence at night will almost always reanimate (sometimes within minutes or seconds after death -- take your cue from zombie movies). Those who die peacefully will probably reanimate, but at a decreased chance.  
• How quickly they reanimate, and what into, should be a GM call. Low-level characters are usually zombies, but the nature of their death should be a factor. Higher level characters usually become more powerful types -- see the post On the Elemental Nature of Undead. 

Twilight: Dawn (3 am - 9 am) and Dusk (3 pm - 9 pm)
During the hours of dawn and dusk, there are no bonuses and no penalties associated with the Life or Death Suns, as their presence in the sky cancels each other out.

GMs who desire enhanced granularity at the cost of extra bookkeeping may, if they wish, use the following schedule:

• 6 am - 9 am: +1 to life, -1 to harm
• 9 am - 3 pm: +2 to life, -2 to harm
• 3 pm - 6 pm: +1 to life, -1 to harm
• 6 pm - 9 pm: -1 to life, +1 to harm
• 9 pm - 3 am: -2 to life, +2 to harm
• 3 am - 6 am: -1 to life, +1 to harm

There's probably a sweet spot around 6 pm & 6 am where the suns are precisely equidistant and there are no penalties or bonuses, but making it last for any length of time disrupts the symmetry of the system.