Benly's page

The Sapper archetype for rogues in the Dungeoneer's Handbook says that "She shares a portion of the proceeds with the adventurers; the amount typically equals 1d10 gp per sapper level per dungeon." However, the archetype is available to PCs. Since the ability explicitly states that the shared-out d10-per-level is "a portion of the proceeds", what is a PC sapper's personal share of this loot?

Specifically, I'm looking for a way to use spells with range longer than touch as touch spells, in order to take advantage of the winter witch's Frozen Caress ability (thereby giving the spell the cold descriptor and increasing its DC via Ice Magic and potentially the Elemental Focus feat.) Essentially, I want Reach Spell in reverse. :)

Is what I'm looking for out there? I won't be all that surprised if it isn't, since it's a bit of a niche application.

So I had these lying around, and seeing another poster's take on making kitsune sorcerers more mythological-feeling prompted me to get around to posting my own. These are fairly powerful feats, since I tend to err on the side of making things a little strong and then toning them down as needed; the text is also fairly lengthy since I like to clarify my homebrews and avoid awkward ambiguities.

The Fox Sorcery feat arose from my noticing that a sorcerer gets very little benefit from taking the Magical Tail feat, so I wanted to implement a way for a kitsune sorcerer to end up as a proper nine-tailed magical fox. The three followup feats each help modify the character to fit one of the many mythological variations of the nine-tailed fox - a ghostly being that mimics the dead and spreads disease, a demon that possesses the living and eats their flesh, or an emissary from the spirits bearing good and bad fortune.

Fox Sorcery
You have integrated your spellcasting talents with your race's magical abilities.
Prerequisites: Kitsune, able to spontaneously cast dancing lights
Benefits: At first level and every odd-numbered level thereafter, you grow an additional tail, to a maximum of nine. If you know fewer than nine of the spells from the following list, you are instead limited to a number of tails equal to the number of spells you are able to spontaneously cast from this list: dancing lights, disguise self, charm person, misdirection, invisibility, suggestion, displacement, confusion, and dominate person.
Your tails grant several magical benefits. If you possess the Kitsune Magic racial trait, you may use faerie fire in place of your dancing lights spell-like ability. When you apply metamagic to one of the spells from the list above, the final spell level of the spell after modification is treated as one lower, to a minimum of the spell's original level. This does not stack with other benefits that reduce the cost of metamagic feats. If you also possess the Fox Shape feat, you may cast these spells while in fox form without requiring the ability to speak or make arcane gestures, although if you lack the ability to speak in fox form you may only make simple suggestions with suggestion. You must still speak and gesture to cast spells with verbal and somatic components in human or kitsune form, and are still subject to arcane spell failure.
Special: If you possess the Magical Tail feat, spell-like abilities granted by that feat count as knowing the relevant spell for purposes of this feat; you do not actually gain the spell as a spell known, and instead of the metamagic bonus, you gain an extra use per day of that spell-like ability. Spells known from this feat's list count as spell-like abilities already possessed for purposes of the Magical Tail feat; thus, if you know disguise self and charm person, your first Magical Tail feat will grant you misdirection as a spell-like ability.

Ghost Fox Sorcery
One of your ancestors was a ghost fox, a kitsune of great magical power who clung to life after death to spread disease and misery among the living.
Prerequisites: Kitsune, Fox Sorcery, undead bloodline
Benefits: The spells contagion and greater contagion are added to your spells known as a third-level and fifth-level spell respectively as soon as you have the ability to cast spells of the appropriate level. These spells benefit from Fox Sorcery's metamagic bonus, and if you have Fox Shape, you may cast these spells while in fox form as per Fox Sorcery. When a humanoid dies in your presence, you can choose to "learn" its image. Thereafter, when you assume human form, you can choose to assume the learned form instead of your own, exactly duplicating that person's physical appearance. This is a physical transformation rather than an illusion and grants most of the benefits of alter self, although you do not gain the associated ability score bonus. In addition to the usual benefits of magical disguise, you take on the person's voice and minor habits, gaining a +20 to both Disguise and Bluff checks to pass as that person. (This does not stack with the bonuses granted by Disguise Self or similar effects.) However, your tails remain semi-present in this form - while they will magically conceal themselves even under clothes too close-fitting to allow it, anyone who sees you naked, looks under your robes, or otherwise inspects your backside without the full concealment of clothes will spot your tails, ruining the disguise. Disguise self or similar illusions may conceal the tails, but imperfectly; anyone who interacts with you in a situation that would normally expose your tails while so disguised gets another Perception check to see through your disguise, using disguise self's bonus instead of this ability's normally-superior bonus, and anyone who actually touches the area where your tails should be will feel the tails there. You may only learn one appearance at a time at low levels, but gain the ability to learn another at fifth level and every five levels thereafter (to a maximum of five learned appearances at twentieth level.) If you learn another appearance when you already have learned your maximum number, you lose the ability to assume one of the appearances you have previously learned.
When you acquire your ninth tail, you take on some of the qualities of the undead. You may choose to be treated as either a humanoid or an undead creature for the purposes of any effect which treats the two types differently.

Demon Fox Sorcery
One of your ancestors was a kitsune who became a diabolic figure through wicked acts and dark contracts, using their powers to possess mortals and devour them.
Prerequisites: Kitsune, Fox Sorcery, infernal or abyssal bloodline
Benefits: The spells marionette possession and magic jar are added to your spells known as soon as you are able to cast spells of the appropriate level. These spells benefit from Fox Sorcery's metamagic bonus, and if you have Fox Shape, you may cast these spells while in fox form as per Fox Sorcery. As a full-round action, you may remove and devour a vital organ from a living helpless enemy. Make a coup de grace attempt against that enemy; if the enemy dies as a result, you gain the benefits of death knell. If you are damaged when you use this ability, you may choose to recover 1d4+1 hit points instead of gaining 1d8 temporary hit points.
When you acquire your ninth tail, the fiendish power within you awakens. You may choose to be treated as either a humanoid or an outsider with the (evil) subtype for the purposes of any effect which treats the two types differently.

Fox Emissary Sorcery
One of your ancestors was chosen to act as a fox emissary, given the power to convey blessings and curses from the fey spirits of the First World to the mortal world.
Prerequisites: Kitsune, Fox Sorcery, fey bloodline
Benefits: The spells bestow curse and major curse are added to your spells known as a third-level and fifth-level spell respectively as soon as you are able to cast spells of the appropriate level. These spells benefit from Fox Sorcery's metamagic bonus, and if you have Fox Shape, you may cast these spells while in fox form as per Fox Sorcery. When an ally within 30' of you makes a d20 roll and you dislike the outcome, you may cause the d20 to be rerolled as an immediate action and use the new outcome in its place. No individual may benefit from such a reroll more than once per day, and you may not grant a reroll to yourself. Once per week, you can extend a great blessing to either a community or an individual to whom you have never granted either a great blessing or a reroll. If you bless a community, they will enjoy general prosperity and well-being for a month; if you bless an individual, he will enjoy some great stroke of luck within the next month. Only one community may enjoy your blessing at a time, although you may continue to bless individuals while a community is generally blessed. The exact effects of a great blessing are always up to the GM to decide, and will generally not directly assist you as an adventurer. While you may well enjoy the goodwill and favor of those blessed, attempts to extort great wealth or enormous favors by the granting or withholding of blessings have been known to backfire from time to time, generally to the detriment of whichever greedy parties came up with the scheme to exploit the First World's blessings. The exact details are again up to the GM's discretion; the spirits of good fortune will be more likely to look favorably on a kitsune who lives comfortably off voluntary gifts than one who extorts expensive items from those under her blessing. You may extend a second great blessing per week at tenth level, and a third at twentieth level, although all restrictions on who may receive a great blessing apply as usual.
When you acquire your ninth tail, you take on some of the qualities of the fey. You may choose to be treated as either humanoid or fey for the purposes of any effect which treats the two types differently.

I don't really have the time and attention right now to make a full build out of it, but it strikes me that claw blades are pretty much what monks have been looking for - you strap it onto your natural weapon and you can enchant it right up as you please. With Feral Combat Training you can use your flurry and other party tricks with it, and Claw Pounce is something monks have always hungered for even if the BAB requirement means it comes late.

The only potential fly I see in the ointment is the line about treating the claws as a light slashing weapon instead of a natural weapon when the claw blades are on, since it's not entirely clear what that means with regards to Feral Combat Training usability.

I was mulling over the old Sandshaper from 3.5's Sandstorm sourcebook a while back and considering how it might fit into Pathfinder. The end result is something completely different, although the signature ability is still there (and no longer completely useless). Thus, the Desert mystery.

Class Skills: An oracle with the Desert mystery adds Survival, Knowledge (Nature), Perception and Stealth to her list of class skills.

Bonus Spells: endure elements (2nd), heat metal (4th), heatstroke (6th), grove of respite (8th), stoneskin (10th), dust form (12th), scouring winds (14th), horrid wilting (16th), summon elder worm (18th)

Revelations:

Sand Sculptor (Su): As a full-round action, you can sculpt ordinary sand into nonmagical objects of your choice. If you have access to a sufficient quantity of sand, dust or gravel (equal to the volume of the object to be created, you can magically sculpt it into an object up to the size of a cart or a large tent. Creating a functioning tool, armor or weapon, or another object requiring fine detail or moving parts, requires a caster level check against a DC equal to the crafting DC of the object to be created. You may only create solid objects in this manner, and while they take on many of the material properties of the objects they resemble (a sand-sculpted bedroll will be soft and comfortable while a sand-sculpted torch will burn and shed light) they are visibly made of sand and cannot duplicate the effects of special materials. You must be at least level 7 to create alchemical items via sand sculpting, and must make a caster level check against their crafting DC as with other complex items. You cannot create living creatures or edible food via sand sculpting. You can return any object you have sculpted to ordinary sand as a standard action.
At any one time, you can only maintain a combined number of sand-sculpted objects and sand-shaped servants equal to half your oracle level, rounded up. This limit increases by one if you possess both the Sand Sculptor and Sand-Shaped Servant revelations, and you may choose this revelation more than once to increase the limit by one more each time. If you are already at your maximum number, you must return one or more of your existing sculpted objects or servants to sand before creating a new one.

Sand-Shaped Servants (Su): You can shape ordinary sand into various useful lifelike constructs. To use this ability, you must have access to an amount of sand, dust or gravel equal to the volume of the creature to be shaped, and spend one minute sculpting it into the desired form. You may shape it into any creature which is normally eligible to be a familiar, a common dog, or a light horse or camel (appropriately fitted for either riding or pack use, but without barding). Other forms may be sculpted, using the same statistics as one of the listed creatures; at the GM's discretion, other animals of similar power may be available. Other than having the construct type, with the immunities and changes the type implies, these creatures are physically and mentally identical to the base creature, although they are visibly constructs made of sand rather than actual living things. They will understand your commands as well as possible given their intelligence and will serve you to the best of their ability much as a summoned creature would. You may also create a small, roughly humanoid shape known as a sand servitor, which has AC 10, 1 HP, base saves equal to your own, and capabilities otherwise identical to an unseen servant.
As a full-round action, you may take direct control of one of your sand-shaped servants, which grants you access to its senses and causes it to act exactly as you will it to (although it is still restricted by its own skills and capabilities.) You may continue to directly command your servant as long as you wish, but are effectively blind and unable to take any other action as long as you continue to do so.
You may dismiss any of your sand-shaped servants as a standard action, causing it to collapse into a pile of ordinary sand and gravel. A sand-shaped servant that is submerged in water immediately dissolves into a cloud of silt in a similar manner. At any time you are only able to sustain a combined number of sand-shaped servants and sand-sculpted objects equal to half your oracle level, rounded up. This limit increases by one if you possess both the Sand-Shaped Servants and Sand Sculptor revelations, and you may choose this revelation more than once to increase the limit by one more each time. If you have already reached that maximum, you must dismiss one of your existing objects or servants before you can create a new one.

Desert Trance (Sp): Once per day, by drinking a brew of desert spices in solitude, you can see the infinite unfolding pathways of your decisions before you. These visions last for ten minutes, during which time you can take no other actions. At the end of this time, you retain a glimpse of the future's shape. At first level, this acts as an augury spell with 80% effectiveness. At 5th level, it becomes a divination with 90% effectiveness. At 8th level, this power is equivalent to commune.

Favor Of The Wastes (Su): You are permanently treated as being under the effects of endure elements. You also gain the favored terrain class feature as a ranger of your oracle level; you must choose desert as your favored terrain and do not gain new favored terrains as you gain levels, although your bonus increases at the levels that it normally would. In addition, you do not treat loose sand or gravel as difficult terrain.

Scapegoat (Sp): Once per week, you may perform an hour-long ritual in which negative energies and evil forces are transferred from up to six individuals into a living domesticated animal. The animal is then released into the desert as an offering to the gods and spirits that dwell there; when they consume the offering, the unwanted energies are destroyed with it. All participants receive the benefits of remove curse or remove disease, as you choose. If you are at least level 10, you may choose to instead have the ritual act as atonement or break enchantment. If you are affected by an effect that would impair your ability to perform the ritual and it is an effect which would be potentially terminated by the ritual's effects (such as a curse causing your actions to have a 50% chance of failure), you may perform the ritual as if unimpaired by the effect as long as you are capable of taking physical actions at all.
Performing the scapegoat ritual requires a live domesticated animal worth at least 25 GP and a desolate wilderness into which the animal is to be released. A lower-quality animal may be used, but will require purifying ablutions costing 25 GP before it is suitable for the ritual.

Desiccating Touch (Su): As a standard action, you can perform a melee touch attack that dries your enemy's flesh like the desert sun, dealing 1d6 points of nonlethal damage + 1 point for every two oracle levels you possess and causing the target to become fatigued. Creatures immune to nonlethal damage and creatures with no significant water content in their body (such as fire elementals) take 1d6 points of damage, while creatures with the aquatic, amphibian, or water subtypes take double damage. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. At 11th level, any weapon you wield deals an extra 1d6 nonlethal damage.

Aestivation (Su): When you are buried in the earth of the wasteland, you can draw upon its power. You do not risk suffocation from being buried in sand, gravel or other desert terrain. When you are buried in sand, you can enter a torpor in which the desert spirits flow into you. You may bury yourself to enter this state, or someone else can bury you, as long as you are completely covered by natural sand, gravel, or other desert soil for the duration of your aestivation. You do not suffer the negative effects of starvation or dehydration while in this state, although you will still feel pangs of hunger and thirst. The effects of poison and disease do not progress while you are in a state of aestivation. For every 24 hours you spend in this state, you recover twice the usual amount of hit point and ability damage (four times your character level in hit points and four points of ability damage). As you gain oracle levels, the healing power of your aestivation increases. At 8th level, you also recover from one temporary negative level for every 24 hours you spend in aestivation without the need for a saving throw, or one permanent negative level for every week. Your aestivation is also capable of purging poisons and disease from your system at this level, reducing the save DC of any such affliction by 1 for every 24 hours spent in aestivation and removing it entirely when the DC is reduced below 10. At 11th level, 24 hours of aestivation will cure any condition which would be removed by a heal spell other than damage, poison, or disease, and you no longer age while aestivating. At 15th level, one week of aestivation will restore lost limbs and body parts as if regenerate had been cast. Furthermore, at 15th level, if you die and your body is buried in the natural sand of the desert for a full month undisturbed, you are affected as by resurrection.

Haboob (Sp): As a standard action, you can invoke a devastating storm of sands and wind in a 30-foot radius centered on yourself. Any creature within the area of the haboob other than yourself is subject to 3d6 points of piercing damage each round it remains in the area, and all vision is blocked; you are able to determine the location of any creature within the haboob that you would normally be able to see, but it is treated as having total concealment from you. Furthermore, windstorm conditions prevail within the haboob, although you personally are not subject to being checked or blown away. The haboob remains centered on you for its duration. You may maintain the haboob for up to one round per oracle level per day, divided up as you see fit, although beginning the haboob requires a standard action each time. In a desert area, the haboob's radius is doubled. You must be at least level 15 to select this revelation.

Desert Speaker (Su): You gain the wild empathy ability as a ranger of your oracle level. Your wild empathy only affects creatures that dwell natively in deserts or other arid wastelands. At level 5 you may speak with plants a number of times per day equal to your charisma modifier, but only to communicate with plants native to the desert. At level 11 you may instead use this ability to gain the benefits of stone tell, but only to communicate with sand, gravel, and other desert terrain.

Written In Sand (Sp): You can write a short message in the sand and speak the name of the message's intended recipient. The message is then blown away by the wind, re-forming in a cloud of sand or dust at the recipient's location and acting for all purposes as a sending spell. The recipient may speak a response aloud, and her voice will be carried to you as a faint but clear echo on the desert wind. You can use this ability once per day, plus an extra time per day at fourth level and every four levels thereafter.

Final Revelation: Golden Path
Upon reaching 20th level, you become one with the timeless desert. You are no longer subject to aging or disease. You continue to feel hunger and thirst, but suffer no ill effects if you do not sate them. You are considered to be permanently under the effects of foresight, and may cast augury at will with no material components by spending a minute in contemplation of your visions. You may not use this ability to ask the same question more than once, however.