Heymitch's page

Decanter of endless water is CL 9, prerequisite spell Control Water. DC to create is 14. If you don't have Control Water (which is a 6th level spell for a wizard), it's +5. If you can't do caster level 9, it's +5. If you want to accelerate, that's another +5. So that's a total target of 29.

Actually, that's wrong. The CL 9 is not a prerequisite, and is not listed on the requirement line of the item description. You can create a Decanter of Endless Water at any CL of 7 or greater (the minimum caster level required to cast the requisite spell Control Water). The listed CL 9 is only an example of a ready-made Decanter of Endless Water, and it could be higher or lower.

Here's the relevant text:

A creator can create an item at a lower caster level than her own, but never lower than the minimum level needed to cast the needed spell.

I suggested the possibility of confirming critical failures, much like critical hits are confirmed, but he insists that gives the players too big an advantage because they'll be critting more than they're failing.

Critically hitting more often than critically failing gives the players too big an advantage? Bizarre.

I'm not a fan of Critical Failure as a house rule. It usually works out as a way to nerf martial characters, since they're making the most attack rolls. I don't think the game requires additional nerfing of martial characters.

In a typical one minute combat, the 20th level fighter drops his sword, hits himself, or accidentally decapitates an ally twice, or more if he's hasted, using a weapon with the Speed enchantment, or usingTwo-Weapon Fighting!

And gods-forbid the high level Monk should crit an enemy more often than he accidentally hits himself in the face.

Meanwhile the Wizard unerringly casts Time Stop...

I'd say that by accepting a +5 to the Spellcraft DC, a crafter with a Valet Familiar could craft 2,000gp value in magic items with 4 hours of work, or 4,000gp per 8 hour day.

Umm...if you can't stack templates, how could you possibly build Clifford the Big Red Dog? Depending on the story, that dog can grow to Colossal size.

Some might ask why it would be necessary to build Clifford the Big Red Dog for Pathfinder? I presume that's not actually a serious question, though.

Vampiric Touch is okay, but IMO is better with the feat Reach Spell, either naturally or via a rod, than with Spectral Hand because it doesn't require an extra spell in combat to get it off.

I disagree. Spectral Hand lasts minutes per level, and gives you medium range with any touch spell up to 4th level, without raising the spell level, or relying on a 3 times/day Rod. So, it's great with Vampiric Touch, but it's also useful with cure spells and condition removal spells of all sorts.

Is your fighter tied up by a gargantuan grapple monkey? Zap him with a Freedom of Movement spell from at least 170 feet away.

Is the barbarian being dominated by the big bad? Touch him with Protection From Evil from across the battlemap, so you don't have to step into reach of that greataxe of his.

Cast Spectral Hand once, and you've opened up your tactics for the entire combat, especially if you've prepared spells for just this contingency.

I guess I don't see why a Human Rogue with (for example) a 14 Int couldn't also be a skill monkey? You'd have 1 fewer skill point per level, but you'd have 5 more points for attributes other than Dex or Int. Why maximize your skill points at the expense of everything else?

The magus is already a pretty versatile class. I really don't see the advantage.

Also, bear in mind with Arcane Armor Training that it's using your swift action to activate the feat. So, you won't have that available for anything else...

That's a tough one.

I would say no, he can't attack through the spectral hand.

The spell says, "The spell gives you a +2 bonus on your melee touch attack roll, and attacking with the hand counts normally as an attack." Since attacking with the spell requires an attack roll, using the character's Strength (or Dexterity, if he has Weapon Finesse), it's hard to see it not having a physical component. I think that if you are precluded from making a melee touch attack, you couldn't use this spell to make one at range.

I'd always imagined the spectral hand mimicking the caster's own movements, at a distance (although the spell doesn't specify).

I've always played Int x 10 as being the approximate IQ of the character. So, a 7 Int would be a 70 IQ, or Borderline Deficient on the Terman scale.

I'd expect a player to roleplay a character with an Int of 7 as though he was mildly mentally retarded.

In some circumstances, it might make for an interesting character, but I would expect the player to play it.

I realize not everyone would use a direct correlation to IQ this way, however.

If you do, it looks something like this:

7 Borderline Deficiency
8 Dullness
9-11 Average Intelligence
12 Above Average Intelligence
13 Gifted Intelligence
14 Highly Gifted Intelligence
15-16 Genius Intelligence
17+ Highest Genius

So...no love for Toppling Spell?

I think it's pretty limited as it can only be applied to spells with the Force descriptor.

Also, at low levels Toppling Magic Missiles can be nice, but in most of the games I've played the higher levels are filled with enemies that are either immune or very difficult to trip. It can't affect a flying target at all, for example.

So...no love from me.

I may be stereotyping, but I always thought that all elves were bisexual...

Go here, and search under Shadow descriptor.

You'll still need to cross-check this against the PFS list of additional resources here to make sure that the spells are allowed.

I've started re-reading the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold, since I've picked up the e-book versions.

Just finished Shards of Honor. It's as good as I remembered.

I don't think Peter Stewart is being a jerk.

If you use Herolab, the program doesn't allow the Giant template to be applied twice, but it does allow you to add any number of "Size Increases" to the creature. Making a size Small Sprite was no problem with the program.

I think you could just apply the template twice (once to increase Diminutive to Tiny, and once to increase Tiny to Small).

Death Scam is more like it. I'm just flummoxed to see how many fools have sunk money into this. It just goes to show that when you thought you'd seen the ultimate level of stupid, someone comes to lower the bar another notch.

I find your lack of faith...disturbing.

Add a two level dip in Monk (Master of Many Styles) for Crane Style and Crane Wing? You'd get Dex, Int, and Wis to AC...

Just saying...

Suppse my second-level Archivist Bard does what you suggest. She puts an 18 in Dex (even though Archivists want good scores in both Int and Cha so there's a bit of MADness at work), puts max ranks in Disable Device, buys masterwork tools, spends one of her only two traits to get a +1 bonus to Disable Device and get it as a class skill, and spends her only feat on Skill Focus... and has a +15 to Disable Device attempts.

The trait make disable device a lass skill. So it is a +4 for a total of +18.

I think if you check your math, you'll find that it really does come to a +15 (even with the class skill bonus).

I would think that you could roll your Bluff check twice (using the bonus from Perform) and take the best roll.

And I would think that you take 20 on your Bluff (or whatever) check once per day, with a result of 20 + the bonus from Perform.

So, yeah, I'd say I agree with you.

Not overpowered if you have to take 10 levels of a prestige class to get it, either...

If simply contacting any part of the body of a caster with a touch attack spell discharges the spell, then why doesn't the charge discharge whenever you yourself are struck in combat?

By that interpretation, you'd never have to make a touch attack. Just get hit, and you'd get to zap the attacker.

Also, you can get to some pretty ridiculous Strength numbers with a Synthesist Summoner.

Dragon Disciple level 2 and level 4 each give stacking (and untyped) +2 bonuses to Strength.

I would, like many others, recommend a wand of mage armor, and potions of shield.

Per RAW, you can't make a Potion of Shield, since Personal spells can't be made into potions.

What about Potions of Invigorate? 50gp each to delay the effects of Fatigued or Exhausted for 10 minutes?

but it's annoying at best that it's from a faceless company that doesn't explain it's reasoning

Ummm...Paizo is a faceless company?

<stares at the Paizo flag, a blood-soaked, gauntleted fist tightly gripping the planet, on a black background, as if seeing it for the first time...>

I don't think the Ninja class will realize it's ultimate potential until Paizo releases the Pirate, Robot, Monkey, Clown, Bandito, Werewolf, and Zombie archetypes. And you can take them all at once...

Might I suggest a Minor Ring of Spell Storing with 3 True Strikes in it? Pretty much free auto success (as long as you have greater grapple).

That's three standard actions for three castings of True Strike, in addition to your grapple checks...

Best of luck to you in trying to get a GM to see things your way...

No. You need to see your ally to gain the benefit of the Stealth Synergy feat.

If you are lucky enough to have a CL20 mage pal to cast for you, then you are effectively immune to Dispel Magic, seeing as the DC to dispel is 11+20 = 31, and the highest you can roll with dispel magic is 1d20+10. Then all you have to worry about is Greater Dispel Magic.

I don't think you are correct about that. The Pathfinder version of Dispel Magic uses 1d20+CL, and your caster level is not limited to 10 (that was in 3.5, I believe).

So, you're actually very vulnerable to Dispel Magic, unless your opponents tend to be vastly underpowered for your level (assuming you have a CL20 "mage pal").

Magical Knack gives you a 6th level spell. Amazing.

Magical Knack lets you treat your Sorcerer CL as 12, but you still have the spells known of an 11th level Sorcerer. So, no 6th level spell.

@ TimrehIX - you're thinking of 3.5 Magic Missile. The Magic Missile spell in Pathfinder doesn't interact with spells that don't require an attack roll. So, you can't blow away images with Magic Missiles (or a bunch of them with Fireballs). The target would be affected by the spell and all of the images would remain intact.

To Aarontendo...

To be honest, I haven't seen a pattern of breakages in previous sets.

I know a lot of the sculpts are very detailed and have some very thin sections in this set. I think there's a sweet spot between the complexity of the sculpt and the durability of the fig, and I think that this particular set missed it by a bit.

Both of my Gargantuan Blue Dragons came with busted off horns. Since they don't list this premium fig on the WizKids replacement form, I'd appreciate it if anyone has any info on how to get replacements for them.

Also, if anyone has a contact e-mail or phone number for WizKids, I'd appreciate that as well.

Thanks!

Another question...

I was able to use WizKids site to create 3 separate packages for return (you're limited to 5 figures per "package"), but I can't find anywhere on the site where it gives an address to ship them to.

I simply have finalized Package #s, with no ship to address, and no obvious contact e-mail.

Anyone know where to find this information?

I was just wondering if anyone else has encountered a large number of broken minis in the Shattered Star set?

I had very good luck with Heroes & Monsters and Rise of the Runelords, getting only one broken mini in each series (with 3 to 4 cases of each).

With 2 cases of Shattered Star, I wound up with 15 broken figs:

2x busted Iron Golems, one missing an arm, one missing his head...
Hill Giant ripped off it's base...
Dullahan missing an arm...
2x Night Hags missing arms...
Shriezyk with busted legs...
Mite On Spider with a busted spider leg...
Koriah Azmeren missing an arm...
Medium Fire Elemental snapped in half...
Lem, Halfling Bard snapped off his base...
4x Portioques snapped off their bases.

I'm waiting for my next game day (Friday) to open my 2 Huge Blue Dragons (they shipped a bit later than the cases), but I hear an ominous sound of tiny pieces rattling inside the package, so I think something may be broken off there as well.

I'm not sure if they've gone with different plastics, but the figures seem much more fragile than the previous sets.

Also, does anyone have any idea how long it generally takes WizKids to add a new set to their replacement product page?

And not even Bobby Flay can cook something at 800 degrees in half the time it takes to cook it at 400.

Apologize to Bobby Flay this instant!

Well, for starters, the continuous Mage Armor is a spell effect that also duplicates a specific effect listed on the table. Since it provides an +4 Armor bonus to AC, it should cost 16,000gp, not 3,000gp. (Likewise, anyone who wants continuous Shield of Faith should be paying 8,000gp for a +2 deflection bonus, not 3,000gp).

Second, since there are multiple different abilities on one slotted item, every effect except the most expensive should be increased in price by 50%.

Those two things right there raise the cost to 50,110gp.

Do your players (other than your usual GM) want to play in a game focused on traps and puzzles, as much you want to run such a game?

I ask because you mentioned they were a very combat-oriented group. It would be a shame to spend a bunch of time crafting a campaign that your players aren't really in to.

I'd put out some feelers to your group, and make sure they're on board...

For 1st level, I would get snapdragon fireworks, but only at higher level, when I could slap a bunch of metamagic on it...

For 2nd level, I would always take spectral hand, so I can do touch spells at medium range...

For 3rd level, I like vampiric touch. Now I can self-heal while hurting a bad guy, and without having to get close to him. I also really like arcane sight...

For 4th, I would always add dimensional anchor...not so fast, demon with greater teleport at will...

These aren't necessarily the first spells I would take of each level, they'd definitely make it in at some point (and I hadn't noticed them mentioned).

*Edit: Dragonamedrake did mention vampiric touch above.

Or, you could do it the old-fashioned way...

Play a Bard (or other Charisma-based character), with maxed out Perform (String Instruments) and seven Lyres of Building. Every day, play one of them for 8 hours straight. It'll be like having 4,800 workers building your dream home year round. Take Craft (Stonemasonry) and Knowledge (Engineering), just to make sure you get it right.

Seven Lyres of Building runs 91,000gp (45,750gp if you craft them yourself)...and I shall call this Lyre, "Tuesday"!!!

Or, just take Craft (Christmas Decorations), and show those losers on your block hows it's done...

If you grant an intelligent item the ability to cast a spell at will, and that spell has expensive material components, is there a rule anywhere that says the material component cost doesn't need to be paid?

Because, if not, your 1,000,000 castings of wall of stone through limited wish would cost 15,000,000,000 gold pieces. That's an expensive pyramid...

I removed some posturing. Figuring out who is the biggest Internet Tough Guy is pointless.

Nothing to figure. Pretty sure it's Chuck Norris.

I don't know if it's been stated before but:

Stop repainting and reselling the same model for 9 different runs.

It's already been done to the Heroes and Monsters set with the new bubble pack. OOOOOOOOOO, red gargoyle. succubus with different colored wings.

come on!

I love repaints. Please do more of them.

Yeah, I love repaints, too.

If you've got an encounter with multiple variants of a creature, it's nice to have a similar, but recognizably different mini to differentiate between the types of baddies.

Also, I still need a blonde Succubus...

Question: What's up with the "2,600 1/5th of a Lyre of Building" line item on your wealth-by-level breakdown? Is that a down payment?

Just a guess, but I would bet that a party of five PCs split the cost of the Lyre...

The Eldritch Heritage feat lines certainly don't seem overpowered to me.

Player One: I've invested every feat I'll ever get into various Eldritch Heritage feats! Pretty awesome, huh?

Player Two: I took Leadership! And I've got an Improved Familiar! Pretty awesome, huh?

Hey Proto!

Since I was the one who brought up the discrepancy here I thought I'd share my view on the subject. The spells don't actually give you (+x size categories) to your weapons, they read, respectively:
Strong Jaw: (edited for length) Each natural attack that creature makes deals damage as if the creature were two sizes larger than it actually is.

Lead Blades:All melee weapons you are carrying when the spell is cast deal damage as if one size category larger than they actually are.

These aren't bonuses, they are static effects. So as I understand them, casting Strong Jaw sets your damage to two size categories larger, while casting Lead blades sets it to one size category larger.

Essentially, if you were to cast Lead Blades after casting Strong Jaw, it would actually lower your damage since it sets your effective size category to one size larger instead of two.

That's how I read it anyways.

This.

Don't crossblood. It's a trap.

For sorcerers, at least. If you're dipping one level of sorcerer for a wizard or magus, it's golden. For sorcerers, not so much.

Pick one bloodline. If you want to pick up a feature or two from another, consider the Eldritch Heritage feat line.

Run screaming from crossblood, though.

I think Reach Spell is awesome for divine casters, and is very useful with protection from evil (and a bunch of other buffs). Frankly, if the Fighter with a greatsword is already under the effects of a dominate person, I'd really rather not get into touch range of him...

For wizards, sorcerers, and witches, you're much better off avoiding Reach Spell entirely, and instead take spectral hand (which is way more awesome than most people give it credit for).

Having said that, I don't think that protection from evil is that great of a selection for Magical Lineage. For that matter, I don't think Magical Lineage is nearly as attractive for divine casters as it is for arcane casters.

A magus with Magical Lineage (shocking grasp), or an admixture wizard with Magical Lineage (fireball), both kind of rock thanks to that trait. But protection from evil at range...it's great when you need it, but how often are you expecting to need it? Is it that worthwhile to be able to do it with a lower spell slot?

Reach Spell you can use on a slew of spells. I wouldn't even waste a trait to make this particular combo cheaper.

Also (although I don't play pfs, and I don't even know if the spell is allowed), wouldn't it be more fun to modify communal protection from evil? Still not worth the trait, though, imo.