Abraham spalding's page

BigP4nda wrote:

Ugh this is the equivalent of arguing whether Cecil or Cloud is better -_-

Except in this case, Cecil and Cloud are in the same game, have the same categories of stats, face similar enemies and one of them performs better is all categories.

But cloud does get materia... so he has that going for him which is nice.

;p

Spell mastery later on would be a good choice as it will double those bonuses.

IF you are using an intelligence based caster and you want fast progression into arcane trickster and you used some combination of vivisectionist and mindchemist to get your first sneak attack die then a level of assassin might be a good choice. This is only because you are stating the intelligence already and a death effect rider isn't a horrible choice -- but it's still not good.

Otherwise I might consider a level of assassin with some levels in master spy -- but again, this is not exactly an optimal prestige class either, so meh (this is only worth considering if you plan to max out your death attack DC by having at least 9 levels in master spy and the rest in assassin plus a maximized intelligence, probably leading into the mix with a mindchemist vivisectionist).

graystone wrote:

Mark Seifter wrote:

People seemed mad about ACG errata previews, which I hadn't expected. I think that instead of picking trios with themes, we will likely avoid them unless they are also high FAQ priorities (today's CRB FAQ, for instance, was extremely high ranking in the FAQ queue).

I don't think anyone was mad about getting previews. The only issue I saw was the warpriest feat FAQ and that has more to do with them having their pseudo-full BAB from the playtest taken away than the questionable lose of using full level for combat feat effects. A lot of people where happy with the playtest version and don't think they gained enough to make up for it's BAB lose.

Oh, I'm not talking about the set of three that included the warpriest. Those were answering FAQs, so people getting mad I expected. It wouldn't be a FAQ if two sides weren't invested, so I'd actually be more surprised if there weren't people who were mad. I mean the three previews from last week where we carved out space somehow (mad props to the editors for finding ways to fit them) to flat-out add new abilities to archetypes people were worried about. That seemed like it would be something more positive and happy. I'm just too optimistic sometimes, I guess.

To clarify -- I'm not mad about it (and apologize if I seemed that way) -- I'm just trying to get a feel for what the design team is about with the sniper one. Normally I can see why the team went the way it did even if I disagree with it -- the sniper one was simply a case I didn't follow and was trying to get my head around.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This fear/morale one is spot on in my opinion. It's clear, it's concise, and it is easy to follow mentally. Even if I didn't agree with it it's plain as day where it stems from and how it gets there.

Anyone wearing it can cast the spells in it.

VRMH wrote:

Personally, I'd take the concept in another direction: Cleric.

Religion could be a powerful motivator for turning away from Evil, and as an ordained priestess she might be considered "trustworthy" enough to be let loose in a school full of teenagers.

is there a particular archetype that would work well in a library situation for cleric?

Evangelist works well for a buffing type. Theologian and Scroll Scholar makes sense as well. Following Nethys would make some sense for her too.

Oracle could be nice too for 'divine not religious' -- heck maybe she's on her way to her own accession!

For bard spells I would consider:
0th level
Detect Magic
Prestidigitation
Mending
Read Magic
Shift
Spark

1st level
Vanish
Touch of Gracelessness (for those natural attacks -- negative level, hurt and lose dex? Nasty!)
Unnatural Lust (duh)
Saving Finale (ditch the performance to save herself? Yes please)

2nd level
Gallant Inspiration
Silk to steel (that's right she killed you with her head scarf)

Alternately:
Whip of Spiders

Sorry Rungok, I missed this bit in there:

Could we do something effective with her natural claw attacks?

Either that or perhaps a whip. (Since apparently a riding crop is too... erotic? for the students to see her toting around)

Instead of rapier she can use a whip -- it's finesse-able and slashing grace works with it, she'll already be proficient. You might want to look into whip mastery.

She qualifies for it.

For levels in investigator(sleuth) might be something she likes as well. swashbuckler would mix well with that too.

Well... a different thought would be to use the rapier, then burn the rogue talent on a feat and instead get:

Amateur investigator
Studied Combatant
Improved Studied Combatant

This would burn a move action (ouch) but allow you to get a +4 insight bonus to hit and to damage for your intelligence modifier number of rounds.

Downsides:
1 per target per 24 hours
3 feats (ouch!)
limited inspiration

Other benefits:
Inspiration which has out of combat uses.

Also shows she's a thinker.

I'm taking it from the OPs description that she out of the 'regular combat' cycle for the time being (granted that's not to say she wasn't in it before or might not be again).

Why dueling sword over a rapier with fencing grace? It gets similar results, but you need one less feat (exotic weapon proficiency).

Because I didn't realize the feat existed. No other reason.

As to the armor -- only costs. Getting a breastplate makes some sense if you can afford to get it to +1 glamored that would work fine -- doing so would increase the character to 35,000~ish gp instead of 27,000~ish gp.

Breath weapons are (SU) form based (as is unnatural aura, some poisons, natural invisibility, see in darkness, Curse of Lycanthropy, damage reduction, and some diseases).

In my opinion the following (SU) traits are not form based:
Demon Lord Traits
Change Shape (if your shape is mutable then the ability to mute it cannot be based on that form. It's a logical contradiction)
Mythic abilities (if you are mythic it's not based on your body but on the fact you are mythic)
telepathy

Arguable (to me):
Whirlwind (the ability to change form again, but if it's based on you being wind then it's debatable)
Ability/Energy Drain

Fate's Favored primarily.

Fate's Favored increases any luck bonus you receive by 1. Since the archaeologist gives a luck bonus with this trait that would be increase.

If she also had a Jingasa of the fortunate Soldier it too would benefit. A luck stone for when she didn't have her own luck going and she would be +2 to saves, ac, skills and ability checks all the time. This would eat up 25,000 gp of wealth, with a +1 sword and a mithril chain shirt that would put her at about 8th level PC wealth (a bit over double what she should have as a 'heroic' NPC).

For feats I recommend:
Lingering performance
arcane strike
Exotic weapon proficiency (dueling sword)
Weapon finesse
Weapon focus(dueling sword)
slashing grace

That gives her dex to damage (if you drop her NPC monster with class levels boost here and her +1 from 4 levels that means she would have a Dex of 22 giving her +6 to hit and damage), arcane strike to damage (based on her caster level with her spell like abilities meaning +4 to damage), and her luck bonus to damage (+2) meaning she should be getting around +13 to damage with a +1 magical sword.

If you gave her one more level she would have +3 bonus on her archaeologist luck ability.

@Tacticslion -- polymorph doesn't change your type just your form. So while she will have the form of a humanoid she would still be an outsider so wouldn't lose any HD/BAB and I would argue that change shape is not form dependent (since it changes your form it can't be predicated on you having that form -- such an argument doesn't make sense).

Edit there was a thread in the rules forum about the lich recently that covered this. It is likely she wouldn't lose her energy drain.

Basically polymorph spells are magical Iron Man suits.

If she isn't a magic user (instead being magical) my suggestions would be:

Ninja -- Charisma based with pseudo-magic
Swashbuckler -- Charisma based charmed life and some bonus damage

I think the Ninja works better personally, the ability to vanish seems to fit in my opinion and a bit of sneak attack damage doesn't hurt her either. She could take minor magic as well for some spell-like abilities.

An couple of archaeologist bard levels would be good on her too, especially if she has a few traits. This would offer up the cantrips others are recommending too (as well as a couple of utility spells and a rogue trick).

Just a thought but a mounted archer would still be an archer on foot. It's going to take all of two extra feats for going mounted (mounted combat and mounted archery).

Also: Mounted archery only really comes in if your mount makes a double move or more so even without that you aren't in bad shape if your mount sticks to single moves.

Yeah I'll agree with Richard, however my 'growing into' was more due to the fact shaman and oracles came out.

Elementals can be good for wands as well as their actual shape is very mutable.

Read the entire line -- anyone can become a spellcaster -- but again like I said you don't get to guarantee why type that they'll be or that in practice they will.

So like you said not everyone will be a sorcerer, not everyone will find a deity that will allow them to be a cleric for them, or become an oracle. Likewise you might not find a patron to be a witch, and nature might abhor you. However it's likely that you can learn to cast a cantrip as a wizard (int 10 is all that's needed) or a few bits as a bard.

So I stick with in theory anyone can become a spellcaster. After all there is no reason you cannot learn magic as a wizard, bard, magus, skald, or shaman. However there can be some practical points in the way of everyone doing so.

Again notice the difference in words:

In theory
Anyone

In practice, not everyone -- and not guaranteed as what they want.

So while the guy might want to be a bard, he might not have the aptitude. He could have it for wizard, but not want to take the time. So while he could become a spellcaster, there is no guarantee he will or will want to with the means available to him.

By the rules there is no reason NPCs cannot become spellcasters, and do so in a class that will allow them to cast cantrips other than having below 10 in each and every mental stat plus constitution for humans, half-orcs, half-elves, orcs, and aasimar.

By the setting -- well you might as well admit you are invoking rule zero.

That's 240 gp if his wife does little and his kids do less though.

Again I point out however it's generally better to hire a doctor than it is to grab the closest low level cleric to cast cure disease. Much higher success rate that way (which dovetails nicely into why *everyone* doesn't always follow a god -- even those that really do and do get some divine power are not guaranteed success -- so not exactly all powerful).

If you go with anti-plague and a doctor you'll spend about 102 gp for both saves you'll need to make (if you need to make 2) and have a higher success rate. Which is why I think in general even the "healing" clerics are more likely to go with mundane means of curing disease in non-critical cases.

This post touches specifically on this point as well. It's not everything but some major points to think on.

jonnythm wrote:

I read in one of the books from 3.5 (for the life of me I can't figure out which), that there is no real reason for the nobles to be in power. The average person can read, which means information will be passed in a way that means they can't keep their peasants under their thumb. Additionally, the spell casters are dealing with INCREADIBLY powerful magic that could potentially overthrow the masses ant any point. The only setting that has ever addressed the fact that spell casting characters should really be in control of everyone was Dragon Age, where they had to be beaten down at every turn so society wouldn't be overthrown at a moment's notice.

This statement relies on a bunch of unfounded assumptions among which...

1. Anyone can become a spellcaster. And said spellcasters are going to be working for the peasant revolt instead of the nobles that can keep them in comfort and research supplies, as well as being an avenue to power.
2. NPC's operate under the same assumptions, including gear, equipment, and ability as PC's.
3. The ability to read isn't enough, there actually has to be something TO read. And in an age without mail service, the printing press and attendent cheap newspapers, information doesn't get around.

Some of those assumptions are not so unfounded:

1. Well anyone can -- in theory. Of course this doesn't mean everyone will, it also doesn't mean you will have pick of what type of spellcaster you'll be. Long term I agree the argument is neither here nor there.
2. We already know the guidelines NPC's operation under so I think this is something that is weird to say. We have NPC wealth per level tables, starting stat recommendations, NPC classes that follow the rules of PC classes and so on. That is also ignoring the plenty of examples of NPCs provided by the same company that makes the rules that follow these guidelines as well.
3. Golarion has printing press, writings all over the place in public and literacy is a pretty normal thing by the rules. What's more even without the printing press and what have you we have plenty of historic examples that people loved to write and read without such devices (graffiti in the pyramids for example). So while the best examples might have been preserved by those with the means of doing so there is plenty of evidence that literacy wasn't as odd of a thing most of the time.

Like an internet tough guy with only 26 minutes to get to the gym he swoops in url at the ready to fight the good fight! Can I just say as a guy who has built simulations of the pathfinder economy so I'm really getting a kick out of these replies.

While the main purpose might be to make players spend gold the system does hold up rather well, as I have shown.

was that enough memes? Should I gone for more? I would have but again I've only got 26 minutes!

Claxon

Racer

and

Charger

Might help represent that a bit more.

They aren't perfect but it does take a step in recognizing the difference.

Alright for the first part it's because all classes stack for your class ability familiar, it's part of the familiar class feature itself.

Second you can't 'double count' any level for the level of your familiar. There was a recent FAQ that talked about 'double ups' recently and at one point there was some other talk by the developers on it.

Searching the forums with the term "Multiple Familiars" or "Multiple Animal Companions" will give you plenty of information for your own research on it, as I'm wiped for the night.

Yeah I'm looking -- it was tied into the same thing with animal companions... but other than that I don't remember.

iirc you end up with a familiar/animal companion that can't exceed you in general, but again I'm kind of fuzzy and still looking.

1. One

2. One

3. One

Pretty sure this is an FAQ already.

IF I was going to do something to make a single entity Boss and try and change it up to where he was more of a challenge I would do the following:

Maximum HP for his type (typically this will lead to the sorts of increases people are talking about here).

Extra Actions -- for every 2 PC's I give him another set of actions on a different initiative order.

So for a 'standard' party of 4 the boss will get to go twice in a round, whereas against a party of 6 he'll get three actions in a round. In both cases the extra actions are on separate initiatives.

That will generally handle what you need.

However:

I generally prefer using mooks, underlings and terrain instead of giving extra actions to one creature.

good stuff

Add to it that the power structure came into place during a time when 'bad things were happening' and can claim to have saved society it offers itself some legitimacy that way as well.

Remind me; which party worked to end slavery?

The radical and progressive Republicans. A party which no longer exists and instead has dog whistles so loud my dog is deaf, calling people (humans) things like, "deportables" or "thugs" and regularly engages in the devaluation of life while claiming their practice of shaming women and the poor is somehow based on Christian principles.

Also while claiming that the nation is Christian in nature -- which it plainly is not and never has been.

UnArcaneElection wrote:

in the altered timeline, the corporations would have become the greatest proponents of slavery, and expanded it to the entire United States and enshrined it to the current day. Furthermore, think of how they currently use social conservatism to further their agenda, promoting enslavement under the iron heel of government, all in the name of freedom.

Remind me; which party worked to end slavery? And which party currently had, up until the latest midterms, had both a governmental house and the presidency (with it still having the latter of these two)?

And how does a conservative reading--that is one which attempts to limit assumptions and caveats--of the US constitution take "All men were created equal" to suddenly include "Oh, except these following ethnic, social and religious groups"?

The same way that it allows for slavery, not letting women vote, Jim Crow laws, and the Japanese Concentration camps -- by ignoring that other people are human and the "No true Scotsman" fallacy.

Technically it's more conservative because it's "returning to what was" instead of moving in a more progressive direction.

If a Katana loses to a Longsword in a test to see what sword will break what, and a Katana thoroughly bisects the Rapier, it's a foregone conclusion that Longsword > Rapier as far as total power is concerned.

Add to it that the Rapier is associated with the French, who're just about the flimsiest and "unmanly" culture to ever walk the face of the earth, and it becomes obvious that the Rapier would get the "baby-sword" treatment, especially versus things like a Greatsword.

Poe'sLaw?

That's the only excuse for this...

Anyways, my rapier is oddly weighted for stop thrusts and heavy parries. The balance is about a full six inches to the front of furniture.

This tends to only be a problem if you don't keep it on point, and lends strength to the parry and thrust. I need a lot less power to deflect (because the forte is so far forward) and to parry my thrusts tends to take a lot more effort than people are expecting allowing blows to power through easily.

I would not recommend this set up for the 'average' swordsman though.

Abraham spalding,

Were it not for the existence of Sniper Goggles, I would disagree with you:

By graduating along the "Detection Spectrum" (Located>Detected>Undetected) unlocking additional privileges for the attacker, in all cases the defender being DX-denied, but in the most extreme case (Undetected) causing the defender to be Situationally Helpless, allowing the attacker a Point Blank (30ft) range Coup de Grace, albeit with the defender gaining a +10 bonus to the save (because, they are not actually Helpless).

In such a system, the goggles would extend the Coup de Grace range to a weapons first range increment, and the Deadly Sniper ability would mimic the goggles.

my 2cp.

There is no "Situation" helpless though. The worse you will be is flat footed, and detected still means No Dex which is all that's needed for the sneak attack I am offering.

You are using a system (and rules) that simply doesn't exist and therefore there is no reason to give it attention.

Meh I was thinking an honest actual hunt and chase -- free release out into the surrounding wilderness.

It shows how cocky/arrogant the wardens are... and how good they are.

The longer a prisoner can evade capture the more respect they get from the wardens (as 'worthy prey').

Event Idea:

Once a month they can have a "prison break" -- the wardens release them and the prisoners are free for as long as they can keep from being recaptured!

Seems like something a wolf god would approve of.

The wardens try and catch them as fast as possible and such -- it's a big religious event. Perhaps security on the actual prison is a bit less when this is on going...

Oly wrote:

rainzax wrote:

I run Stealth using the terminology from Rogue Glory. Stealth successfully used means you are Hidden (as opposed to Observed) and also have one of the three relative conditions:

*Undetected - your opponent has no idea you are Hidden nearby
*Detected - your opponent knows "somebody is Hidden nearby"
*Located - your opponent knows which square you occupy and can target it

In all three cases you have the benefits of 50% concealment, DX-denial, and +2 to hit. The special case for Invisibility, if you somehow manage to fail your Stealth roll, is that you are Located at worst, but never Observed.

The change to the Sniper ability is talking about Undetected.

That's obviously the intent of the change, but it really should allow the ability to work even if "Detected" as long as the Sniper has not been "Located."

I believe the difference between knowing you are being fired upon (even if you can't see who or exactly wherefrom) and having no idea you are about to be shot at is pretty substantial.

Should the ability to take advantage of this nuanced situation be locked behind a class ability? Now that is a question worth asking that is beyond the scope of this thread.

Knowing you are being attacked is not enough to retain your dex bonus though -- I would argue just for the full round single attack (with ability to hide afterward) that allows sneak attack on the attack in the weapon's first range increment would be the right balance.

Sure it's a little harder to shoot someone that knows someone hostile is in the area but it's not as hard as hitting someone that knows you are right beside them even if they can't see you, and that's supported by the idea you are only getting one attack.

I have always been fond of this.

Generally you need consent for that.

About the only other thing you need is some guy with an anchoring magic net.

Chess Pwn wrote:

They aren't FAQs, these are pre-release errata changes.

That's right. We have already finished our part of the process, so we've got some tentative errata I can share with you guys sometimes. In the absence of any high FAQ demands for ACG errata other than the three we covered last week, we figured we would share three cool improvements where we managed to fit additional powers in without messing up the pagination. These were all still based on issues with the ACG, they just aren't really appropriate to be FAQable.

Hey Mark, I realize it isn't really something that generally happens, but can we get some of the backstory on how the sniper ability ended up where it is?

I feel like there is more here than perhaps I realize and I would be interested in knowing more about the process that put the ability where it is.

This is said with full realization that if such is provided there is nothing on my end to really... argue/comment on -- I'm interested in the process is all.

Yeah, there is of course more to it than I provided however it does make the point. Most the time the backstory should help fit the game to the point where you can easily argue it's incidental to the story/game but honestly those are probably some of the stronger backstories. So while it isn't going to be needed I agree it certainly can add to the entirety of the game and roleplaying.

More to the point a good backstory is not a reason to be roleplaying lazy either (I'm sure you have seen this happen too). On a few occasions I have finished up building a character, have his backstory in place and had the worse sensation in my live: I realized I was satisfied with the character. Which was horrible because I didn't feel any room for them to grow.

Hm... Biblo's family history was very salient to the plot of The Hobbit though (even if they absolutely massacred the book to make the abomination that was The Hobbit movies), and was pivotal to the lord of the rings.

If it wasn't his relation to Frodo then Frodo would have never come to inherent the One Ring and be the broody failure that Samwise had to save (again, and again...).

And if it wasn't for his family's history for 'weirdness' Gandalf wouldn't have sought him out.

There is a moon related piece of head gear that grants a bonus on caster level for most of the month and then a penalty for part of it.

Abraham spalding wrote:

Alright: In reference to the sniper sneak attack and "on your guard because you were shot once."

Explain to me how something like greater invisibility works for multiple sneak attacks in a round.

Because if being hidden isn't enough to allow you to continue to use the ability I don't understand how being invisible should work to do so -- especially in a melee situation.

Well, for one thing, it's gonna be a whole lot easier to dodge an arrow shot from 120 feet rather than 30 feet, or at least to turn so it hits your shoulder instead of your neck.

Two, if you have absolutely no idea anyone is about to shoot you, you are just really defenseless. If they are just invisible, you won't know where or when the arrow is coming, but at least you know that there is one coming, so you know you have to be on your toes, or at least not standing very still. That's why the sniper can score some extra damage when the target just has no idea, because they're not doing even the slightest bit of defensive maneuvering.

So I have no idea where it's coming from, but that's different than having no idea where it's coming from but it's closer and I have more idea than no idea, so I'm more defenseless than when I have no idea where it's coming from but it's farther away.

Alright: In reference to the sniper sneak attack and "on your guard because you were shot once."

Explain to me how something like greater invisibility works for multiple sneak attacks in a round.

Because if being hidden isn't enough to allow you to continue to use the ability I don't understand how being invisible should work to do so -- especially in a melee situation.

EDIT: Ah, so you *could* still sneak attack, just not outside of the range limit, and without the bonus damage.

Which seems silly since even if they know you are there they still don't know *where* and from what angle they need to protect themselves.

I would instead offer that it should be a full round action to use this ability to snipe and attempt to remain hidden and if you succeed you can continue to use it.

This would support the idea of a sniper sniping and then continuing to snipe while hidden -- which is something snipers would do (though admittedly not every time or all the time).

And if someone spends the resources to be good at doing this -- well they did spend the resources right?

Even then it's still not a *great* option since it's only once per round.

A coup de grace will not kill you if you have regeneration active, as regeneration specifically states you cannot die while Regeneration is active. However while you also cannot starve to death (or suffocate) that doesn't mean it cannot render you unconscious.

There are a couple of threads on this topic from back in beta when they were originally considering what to do with regenerate, and a few others where the developers (or maybe James Jacobs) chimed in about the interaction between regeneration and diehard/ferocious, iirc.

For me character backgrounds are the beginning to a great game, and really need to be a collaborative effort between the GM and the player.

The GM knows (should know) his campaign world, and the player knows his character. By combining this knowledge the GM and player can help the character have reasons for joining the quest/adventure/whatever and have hooks to keep the character involved/be reward through. It helps because it gives a GM what sort of game the player is looking to be part of too.

This eats up a lot of time for both the player and GM but for me all my best games were when the player and GM had the time to really flesh out that background together.

Oh it's Jiggy. Now I'm not surprised by how much I love this item.

Good work man and keep it up!

Oh, I didn't see this one. However I like the potential it shows. Good luck on your future rounds.

I have nothing to say other than I loved it each time this stiletto came up. Well done.

Nicely done -- the SR dodging ability is simply nice. Something only a player of the game would really recognize as a nuanced problem worth putting something into.

Congrats on the item. It's always nice to see items that characters can use to really interact with their surroundings instead of just means to get pass them.