Archaeik's page

Going to bump this, as well as asking if burn is doubled when using with a conductive weapon or not.

he may choose to expend two uses of his magical ability to channel it through the weapon to the struck opponent, which suffers the effects of both the weapon attack and the special ability. (If the wielder has unlimited uses of a special ability, she may channel through the weapon every round.)

Consuming two uses is not the same as activating twice, I expect burn is applied only once.

Use a Scroll: Normally, to cast a spell from a scroll, you must have the scroll's spell on your class spell list. Use Magic Device allows you to use a scroll as if you had a particular spell on your class spell list. The DC is equal to 20 + the caster level of the spell you are trying to cast from the scroll. In addition, casting a spell from a scroll requires a minimum score (10 + spell level) in the appropriate ability. If you don't have a sufficient score in that ability, you must emulate the ability score with a separate Use Magic Device check.

Emulate a Class Feature: Sometimes you need to use a class feature to activate a magic item. In this case, your effective level in the emulated class equals your Use Magic Device check result minus 20. This skill does not let you actually use the class feature of another class. It just lets you activate items as if you had that class feature. If the class whose feature you are emulating has an alignment requirement, you must meet it, either honestly or by emulating an appropriate alignment with a separate Use Magic Device check (see above).

This is a tough call, kinda...

I'd say if you make the scroll check, you're good to activate without a CL check.

The real question is:
If I use UMD to emulate the Spells class feature, and my result gives me a Caster Level lower than the scroll I want to activate, may I make a CL check to activate the scroll instead of using the UMD:Scroll DC?

ps: I'd answer yes.

Durngrun Stonebreaker wrote:

Just think how dangerous he'll be in three more levels when his summons become permanent.

Quote:

Summoner's Charm (Su): Whenever you cast a conjuration (summoning) spell, increase the duration by a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your wizard level (minimum 1). This increase is not doubled by Extend Spell. At 20th level, you can change the duration of all summon monster spells to permanent. You can have no more than one summon monster spell made permanent in this way at one time. If you designate another summon monster spell as permanent, the previous spell immediately ends.

A corollary of something I noted earlier in the thread. This allows such a character to run around with 5 such creatures instead of just the 1 you would be allowed otherwise. Add Superior Summons for a 6th. Sure, it requires you to keep rolling until you hit the 4 on the 1d4(+1) and then use 5 2nd level spells, but that's not bad for such an honor guard.

Saying that an ability is broken because of something a 20th level wizard can do is, of course, kind of a funny concept, though.

Don't forget to tack on Added Summonings(Su) with Greater Eldritch Heritage and Spell Perfection to double Superior Summoning(and GEH by some interpretations :o ), then lastly use a rod of Empower for a grand total of 12(!)

The Protector familiar archetype was written with the assumption that you need to threaten.

A protector gains Bodyguard and Combat Reflexes as bonus feats. If the familiar is occupying its master's square, it can use Bodyguard to aid another to improve its master's AC even if it doesn't threaten the attacking foe.

Archaeik wrote:

It's not a condition of the creature, but a restriction of the spell (which function is not modified by ASM).

Also this

Conjuration wrote:

Creatures you conjure usually—but not always—obey your commands.

The relevant questions are:

Does the Mount spell allow you to give commands outside of the scope of "serving as a mount"? If not, what does "serving as a mount" entail?

Keep in mind that the Mount spell expressly provides a bit, bridle, and saddle, so whatever creature you swap to should still have those (and equipped).

Given that combat trained mounts are a 'thing' in Pathfinder, and they can specifically be taught to attack enemies, I find it pretty unbelievable that people claim that 'serving as a mount' specifically precludes attacking.

There is no indication, whatsoever, that the creature summoned as a mount is restricted by the spell to only obey non-combat commands.

I do too actually. Nothing in the mount spell suggests that you are prevented from using HA to push the summoned creature to use the Attack trick, although it doesn't arrive combat trained by default.

It's been noted that it's easily enough combat trained with another spell as well, which mitigates some of the restrictions/hassle of convincing it to fight.

And all of this disappears if the creature changes to something that doesn't need HA and with whom you can communicate. (But ostensibly it would also still willingly serve as a mount per the base spell? heh)

Edit: I think the bigger deal here is that Mount is missing the language from Summon Monster

It attacks your opponents to the best of its ability. If you can communicate with the creature, you can direct it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions.

Now, it may not be a huge deal that this is missing, since it still "usually obeys", but I suspect that it has somewhat more leeway in its actions than it would if it was conjured through SM.

The biggest deal is that Mount lacks this text

A summoned monster cannot summon or otherwise conjure another creature, nor can it use any teleportation or planar travel abilities. Creatures cannot be summoned into an environment that cannot support them. Creatures summoned using this spell cannot use spells or spell-like abilities that duplicate spells with expensive material components (such as wish).

Magic:Conjuration:Summoning covers the additional summons part, but this still leaves teleportation and expensive components, even though it's definitely not RAI.

A summoned creature cannot use any innate summoning abilities it may have.

It's not a condition of the creature, but a restriction of the spell (which function is not modified by ASM).

Also this

Creatures you conjure usually—but not always—obey your commands.

The relevant questions are:

Keep in mind that the Mount spell expressly provides a bit, bridle, and saddle, so whatever creature you swap to should still have those (and equipped).

This is like asking if your animal companion needs to know the Attack trick in order to be willing to attack without spending an action to push it; yes, of course it does.
Likewise, the AC needs to know the flank trick to automatically seek out flanking without needing to spend the action to push it.

I disagree.

If the weapon is wielded by a creature whose size matches that of the weapon's intended wielder, the weapon is treated as a light melee weapon when determining whether it can be used with Weapon Finesse, as well as with any feat, spell, or special weapon ability that can be used in conjunction with light weapons.

It doesn't actually change the weapon, it only allows a wielder to treat it like it's lighter for the listed purposes, not for every purpose.

Impact should be good to go.

Edit: I realize my point may not be clear enough.
It says "can be used ... with light weapons", it doesn't mention anything about restricting abilities that "can't be used with light weapons" (and this is ignoring that the weapon itself hasn't changed category anyway).

While I agree that you'd need a glamour instead of a figment to change the appearance of a card, it should also be possible to use a figment to either replace a card you've hidden with SoH or add a card to your hand (on top of another). For the latter, I would likely allow you a SoH check to obscure what you've done, as a successful perception check would reveal it appears you have an extra card. (The latter also makes it more dangerous to set your hand down.)

The issue is more that it takes a non-trivial amount of time to cast and to maintain, which would really start to telegraph you're doing something after a few rounds. Also, the fact that Silent Image uses a focus is possibly a minor issue you'd need to Bluff away.
You might be able to mitigate this between Quicken and Effortless Trickery though.

Lastly I wouldn't say a Silent, Still spell is "super obvious", but RAW always allows the spellcraft check to identify it... "evident" might be the word I'd use, even if they can't quite tell what you're doing.

We (generic we and specific we) have had this argument umpteen times before - I disagree with you. There is no specific rule/FAQ - expect table variance.

Pretty much only from you, who is misinterpreting the rules and twisting them to imply something they don't.

We (generic we and specific we) have had this argument umpteen times before - I disagree with you. There is no specific rule/FAQ - expect table variance.

There is a specific rule

You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your turn.

You are arbitrarily limiting which weapons your players can use. If the rule was that you only threaten squares using the last weapon you attacked with on your turn, the rules would say it. This is a permissive system.

You misunderstand what that means.

It counts as both, it has to be wholly incorporeal to benefit from incorporeal rules.
The corporeal part of the weapon still interacts with matter normally, forcing you to target normal AC. This is also why a ghost can't drag one of these weapons inside a material object (like a wall) with them.

The argument isn't that you aren't holding the weapon, but that the weapon(ray) doesn't exist at the time of activation.

FAQ requests

1.Does the Grab granted by Final Embrace apply to all of your natural weapons (including Unarmed Strike), just one, or just one type? And are there restrictions on type as in the Eidolon entry for Grab?

2.Does the 2nd level ability Constrict(Ex) gained by the White-Haired Witch archetype qualify as a prerequisite for Final Embrace?

Ignoring all the gaining abilities before you have them nonsense, Sohei weapon training absolutely stacks with base Fighter weapon training, per the Myrmidarch FAQ I posted earlier. The Myrmidarch and Sohei abilities even use the same base phrasing: gain Weapon Training as the fighter class feature. So a Sohei 6/Fighter 5 will have +2 Training in one group, +1 Training in another group (1 of these two groups must be a sohei group depending on which of sohei 6, fighter 5 was reached first) and can flurry with both groups. The exact interaction only becomes unclear when you multiple archetype modified weapon trainings that are mutually exclusive.

I was going to make a similar argument, and I do think the intent of Sohei class feature is to stack with any other Weapon Training, but Myrmidarch contains the following, which Sohei lacks. They are using it to make a counter-argument.

At 6th level, a myrmidarch gains weapon training, as the fighter ability, adding an additional weapon group every six levels after 6th (to a maximum of three groups at 18th level) and increasing the bonus on attack and damage rolls for weapon groups already chosen by +1.

This ability replaces the magus arcana normally gained at 6th, 12th, and 18th levels.

Personally, I find the highlighted portion to be a reminder, rather than the enabling factor that separates the 2 abilities.

The examples are few, but we have sufficient places where classes (although perhaps more often archetypes) reference another; the best of which may be the Oracle's Curse, since it's "levels or HD other than Oracle".
Channel is bad comparison because it's power relies on class levels(vs number of acquisitions), and very few classes allow their levels to stack for the purposes of Channel.
So, yes, WT depends on class levels, but indirectly. In theory, you could write a feature along the lines of "these levels stack w/ fighter levels to determine WT", but I don't know of one; and the WT FAQ makes it abundantly clear that any class feature which scales with 'how many times you have it' stacks with itself, no matter the source. It is not limited only to the Mydmirarch.

Monk

last paragraph of FoB

A monk applies his full Strength bonus to his damage rolls for all successful attacks made with flurry of blows, whether the attacks are made with an off-hand or with a weapon wielded in both hands. A monk may substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers for unarmed attacks as part of a flurry of blows. A monk cannot use any weapon other than an unarmed strike or a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows. A monk with natural weapons cannot use such weapons as part of a flurry of blows, nor can he make natural attacks in addition to his flurry of blows attacks.

I've seen it argued that the metamagic cost should double as well, just saying.

FAQ'd at the peril of having metamagics officially removed from the "doubled" list...

Person above linked it, what i was refering to was the very first sentence.

Quick question, would a ninja 2/monk 1 be able to ki strike or use ki points to gain an extra attack on flurry of blows or move farther or etc etc?

The 2nd part of your question doesn't demonstrate what you want. Flurry is a full-attack action and Ninja's Ki Pool allows them to make an extra attack during a full-attack.

FAQ

While it can be interpreted as people are suggesting, it is clearly not the intent of the rule.

The intent is that your specific, unique existence is erased, not every sequence of letters that resembles/matches your name during mortality.
Only your life is deleted from the universe.

For the record, a Bastard Sword is never a 2h weapon, it is a 1h weapon with a special rule about proficiency if used in 2 hands.

As was mentioned, there are a handful of feats that require an actual 2h weapon RAW.

See also

Even in the midst of fierce and furious blows, you can find focus in the carnage and your seemingly wild blows strike home.

Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack, base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: When you are wielding a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon with two hands, and using the Power Attack feat, you do not suffer Power Attack's penalty on melee attack rolls on the first attack you make each turn. You still suffer the penalty on any additional attacks, including attacks of opportunity.

I understand that taking Power Attack twice would be a waste of a feat slot because the benefits with Power Attack do not stack with itself, but I know of no rules that prohibit me from taking Power Attack twice.

You seem to be correct.

What is there now

Benefit: What the feat enables the character (“you” in the feat description) to do. If a character has the same feat more than once, its benefits do not stack unless indicated otherwise in the description.

In theory this allows multiple EH feats, each with a different bloodline.(although Humans are the only race who can reasonably handle the Skill Focus prereqs using the Focused Study alternate trait)

Alexandros Satorum wrote:

Great to felling smash plus vital strike, I thought It woudl be ruled the other way :)

I recommend stephen to not post about mount charge + vital strike, not until he have everything crystal clear, otherwise it could be a forum stampede XD

Oh, I agree. I would rather get a right answer that clears up all these nagging questions. I try not to post off the cuff and have to back track.

"Yes, darling. Sorry. I'll be right there."

Off to watch some Walking Dead with the lady. Talk to you tomorrow, everyone.

So we're clear, THIS is specifically the text used to justify Vital Strike at the end of a mounted charge.

You are adept at attacking from upon a swift moving steed.

Prerequisites: Ride rank 14, Mounted Combat, Trick Riding.

Benefit: If your mount moves its speed or less, you can still take a full-attack action.

Normal: If your mount moves more than 5 feet, you can only take an attack action.

/popcorn

Each type of armor grants an armor bonus to AC, while shields grant a shield bonus to AC. The armor bonus from a suit of armor doesn't stack with other effects or items that grant an armor bonus. Similarly, the shield bonus from a shield doesn't stack with other effects that grant a shield bonus.

"Doesn't stack" is not the same as "can only benefit from one".

Have I missed the stipulation being talked about somewhere else in the rules?

The druid may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her animal companion (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself.

Are you not a valid target of cure light wounds?

This is completely twisting the rule.

Share Spells is never invoked in this case because CLW can already target the AC normally without changing anything.

In general, it takes 7 days to retrain one level in a class into one level in another class. Some classes are more suited for this kind of retraining, as they have a similar focus or purpose—this is called retraining synergy. If your old class has retraining synergy with your new class, retraining that class level takes only 5 days instead of 7 days. Determine class retraining synergies according to the table below.

I think the question is about retraining into the new hybrid classes. (with the assumption that the hybrids/base classes count as synergies with themselves; I think this is pretty safe)

But what other classes will get synergies for retraining into these classes?

Currently the chart is reciprocal, I don't expect that to change, but the question is "do the new hybrid classes get the full list of synergies from both "parents", or do they get their own list?"

Oracle already gets this synergy with Druid, and I would expect Shaman to retain it in the event that separate synergies are specified. This means Druid should be expected to get the synergy to Shaman as well.

In terms of alternate classes, I would handle them as archetypes.

Logic + Magic is not a good combo.

Well this appears to be a mess.

The Imp Companion says to use the Animal Companion chart (with changes)

An animal companion's abilities are determined by the druid's level and its animal racial traits. Table: Animal Companion Base Statistics determines many of the base statistics of the animal companion. They remain creatures of the animal type for purposes of determining which spells can affect them.

I assume (like you), that this applies, changing all instances of animal to devil. As supported by

The diabolist may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her imp (as a touch spell) instead of on herself. A diabolist may cast spells on her imp even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the imp's type (outsider).

The problem though, is that none of the Imp's senses are listed under "special" the way the animal stat blocks are organized.

The answer therefore depends on the answer to a few other questions.

• Does the companion retain its immunities and resistances?
  
• Why do they not get standard skill points for outsiders (6 +Int)? (when AC's do get standard ranks for animals)(They appear to get 2+Int)
  
• What happened to its fast healing?
  
• Does its poison still receive a +2 DC racial bonus?
  
• And what with the poison entry? 1/round for 5 minutes?! (the base entry is 6 rounds)
  BAB wrote:

  This is the imp's base attack bonus. Imps do not gain additional attacks using their natural weapons for a high base attack bonus.

• I assume this means the imp uses fast BAB as other outsiders??? But that's not what RAW says at all, this statement implies the table is correct. Compare
  
  BAB wrote:

  This is the animal companion's base attack bonus. An animal companion's base attack bonus is the same as that of a druid of a level equal to the animal's HD. Animal companions do not gain additional attacks using their natural weapons for a high base attack bonus.

  All it does is remove the reference to your "druid level" which the PrC does not advance.

All in all, there's a lot of evidence that the imp companion is changed significantly from the base creature.

I think they should retain their senses based on the language about "racial traits" at the top of the chart. But that is only an attempt at RAI, and I can't be certain that's the intention.

Nope. Shadow is a +2 Armor Special Ability, it just has a flat cost. So you could have a +5 Shadow armor, and add up to another +3 in enchantments

Did Ultimate Equipment change the calculations?

The way I read the UE table is that you can roll for Shadow under the +2 table. (but it's still merely flat rate)

Mechanically, the effect of the spell(mirror image) is not negated, even if you fluff the spell effect to suggest that it is.

The problem with what you're suggesting is that, effectively, any AoE spell can identify the real target (if you are actively looking).
I have always understood the fluff of Mirror Image to suggest that the images also appear to be affected(they mirror the caster exactly) by AoE effects (they just aren't damaged, so they don't disappear).

Archaeik wrote:

One "round" should be considered synonymous with "your turn".

No. A round is a defined term in the CRB, in the common terms section:

"Round: Combat is measured in rounds. During an individual round, all creatures have a chance to take a turn to act, in order of initiative. A round represents 6 seconds in the game world."

And the whole of the actions that you take as your turn are considered to use the entire 6 seconds.

There is no discrepancy in allowing an immediate action spell after the end of your turn, regardless of the actual (and arbitrary) initiative count. I stand by what I said.

Since this hasn't been debunked yet

you cannot take Gentle Rest as a Quickened SLA

This creature can use one of its spell-like abilities with next to no effort.

Prerequisite: Spell-like ability at CL 10th or higher.

Benefit: Choose one of the creature's spell-like abilities, subject to the restrictions described in this feat. The creature can use the chosen spell-like ability as a quickened spell-like ability three times per day (or less, if the ability is normally usable only once or twice per day).

Using a quickened spell-like ability is a swift action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The creature can perform another action—including the use of another spell-like ability (but not another swift action)—in the same round that it uses a quickened spell-like ability. The creature may use only one quickened spell-like ability per round.

The creature can only select a spell-like ability duplicating a spell with a level less than or equal to 1/2 its caster level (round down) – 4. For a summary, see Table: Quickened Spell-Like Abilities.

A spell-like ability that duplicates a spell with a casting time greater than 1 full round cannot be quickened.

[Chart omitted]

Normal: The use of a spell-like ability normally requires a standard action (at the very least) and provokes an attack of opportunity.

Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time it is taken, the creature can apply it to a different one of its spell-like abilities.

It just says "damage rolls". It puts no restriction on the attack roll. The restriction is that the weapon must be finesseable and you must have the Weapon Finesse feat.

Interesting question, but considering a thrown weapon usually adds Str to damage anyway, I don't see how this is inconsistent, or a problem. It's not like you can start throwing this on Composite bows...

Well, I don't like most of the ones that allow rerolls since they tend to cap at 1/day and don't scale with level...

There's enough I find useful, but I did prefer 3.x where you could just substitute feats

I think he's asking about specific FC bonuses... (that replace the 1 hp/skill choice)
I'm not sure any have been printed yet.

The part that says "allows you to use the selected natural attack as if it were a monk weapon" makes me think that they then suggest that you would use the damage of the natural attack, as that is also what you do with a monk weapon (substituting the weapons damage for the unarmed strike damage).

You know, I thought I had read this thread before, but apparently not particularly closely...

On this want to point out that the "monk" property simply allows you to use a weapon during a FoB, it conveys no other special properties...

Further, I want to point out that to qualify for a monk's uas damage progression, a natural weapon must use an iterative attack because it is being treated as manufactured.

And voska so kindly pointed out, you also have to choose between sacrificing a potential natural attack (at -5/.5 str) as that limb/attack was used to make a manufactured/iterative attack.

Also, bump for FAQs

edit: corrected 'natural attack' to 'natural weapon'

Wherever it says "bonus" instead of "modifier" it should be assumed to mean what it says. And a bonus in game terms can't be negative.

You should only apply your 1x your negative Str modifier to your damage rolls.

SRD Damage

Constructs are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless). Constructs are not subject to nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain. Constructs are not at risk of death from massive damage.

Are objects really immune to PK?

On a successful hit, the attack deals damage normally and you can choose to push your target 5 feet or attempt to knock them prone.

I don't see why you couldn't use it to push them...

A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent's mercy. A helpless target is treated as having a Dexterity of 0 (–5 modifier). Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. Rogues can sneak attack helpless targets.

The character is lying on the ground. A prone attacker has a –4 penalty on melee attack rolls and cannot use a ranged weapon (except for a crossbow). A prone defender gains a +4 bonus to Armor Class against ranged attacks, but takes a –4 penalty to AC against melee attacks.

Bit tricky here... curious to see who else has input, but I'd say RAW they stack, RAI I'm less sure.

It says the bonus is "equivalent to attacking a prone target", yet a helpless target isn't necessarily prone...
Further, Helpless specifies a bonus to melee attackers vs that target, whereas Prone gives a penalty to the defender...

Honestly, I think the intent is for them not to stack, but the difference in wording causes them to.

The shield spell specifically should be priced according to the Armor(other) rules. (I believe that's bonus^2 *2500)

Others are somewhat harder to price based on "personal" and "1 round duration" shenanigans.

I would like it if there was a hard and fast rule for that type of thing, but it's not that big a deal tbh.

That has not been sufficiently proved for RAW that it is only one opportunity.

Detailing the way it could be handled by a different interpretation of RAW does not constitute houserules.

No, if you were die mid-cast on Scorching Ray from the multiple AoOs, you'd only resolve the rays you managed to roll before you died.

And I'm saying the rules aren't as well defined for this situation as you'd like to believe.

So, we have established that it has not "always worked this way" (multiple aoo's on one opponent for one action), and we have established that in 3.0 it was specifically one aoo per target per round.

I am willing to stipulate that the intent is currently multiple aoo's per target per round (not per action), but only because the specific language restricting a character to a single aoo per target per round has been removed from the rules since 3.0.

The article from WotC clearly gave an example of multiple AoOs to 1 target within 1 round (3 total in fact, which also refutes the "only 2" argument based on descriptive text in Combat Reflexes), so it's clear their official stance was such. (Even if there was much debate amongst themselves internally)

As for Pathfinder... if it's supposed to operate differently (ie. 1 AoO/target/round) than the accepted mechanics of 3.5 they need to come out and clarify it.

Now, I expect (if a FAQ comes back - and I really hope one does) that the ruling would be 1 AoO per action. I don't 100% agree with that interpretation, but I recognize the logic behind it.

Stynkk is right about the 2 archers shooting "simultaneously" each being subject to an AoO from a target with Combat Reflexes who also threatens them. And, I concur that strictly RAW, "an AoO interrupts the normal flow of actions" AND "an attack(ranged) provokes"... it doesn't matter that each ray is fired "at the same time" as those interruptions prevent it from mattering.
I said it before, I wouldn't play it that way, but it is supported by RAW. (The lesson is simple, don't use ranged attacks while threatened.)

And your bite would be at -7. -2 because you are already TWF and -5 because it's a secondary attack. Hardly game-breaking but another chance to score a sneak attack nonetheless. Oh, and take a picture of your GM's face when you reach for 5d20 for your first full-attack at level 3 :D

Any natural attacks are only at -5 as TWF specifically calls out "primary" and "offhand", natural attacks are neither.

"Blind" Oracle gets darkvision (lolololol)

UMR
do a find for natural attacks or just scroll down

anyway, the above is correct in terms of numbers

A few things I want to clarify or restate

-unarmed strike is treated as a manufactured weapon for the purposes of mixing with natural attacks

-penalties to your natural attacks are only incurred when you actually MIX them with manufactured
(just "wielding" a manufactured weapon doesn't cause the penalty -- if you hold a sword but only attack with your natural weapons, there is no penalty)

-natural attacks come in 2 forms, primary and secondary. Mixing attack types causes any primary to be treated as secondary but does not change secondary further

-TWF penalties only apply to manufactured weapons, AND only apply if you attempt to get more attacks than your current iterative progression allows you
Ex 1. BAB +1 - you get 1 attack, if you try to make more than this, you are TWF and activate the penalties
Ex 2. BAB +6 - you get 2 attacks, if you try to make more than this, you activate TWF

-per the above, this means you can use ANY combination of manufactured weapons to complete your iterative sequence
(and it is worth noting, that you don't actually need the feat to TWF, it's just really bad w/o it)

-Flurry of Blows is a SPECIAL full round action that specifically states that it cannot be combined with natural attacks.
(this can be confusing sometimes, as feral combat training describes how natural attacks can be used to REPLACE attacks in your flurry sequence, but NEVER 'in addition to')

but is still reduced for offhand weapons.

RAW is pretty clear on this.
I would also assume that Agile was written after(therefore aware of) Double Slice, and this was intentional.

As for

Guided? Where's that?

Guided

Agreed, the powers are set. Preferably when you declare crossblooded, but at the very least when the powers become available.

Per the "switch" cheese, it's not just the new powers that would become available, but any previously unselected lower level powers as well.
There's almost no way that's the intended use.

Wouldn't each attack still count as one of your iteratives? (the free action bit just describing that it doesn't take any additional time?)