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I'm a GM and my group is using Sending to find a missing person. It's supposed to be harder than that to find out if this person is alive or not, so how can I block the spell's function? I thought about Mind Blank, but Mind Blank has nothing in its description about blocking messages, just that you can't divine anything about the creature who is mind blanked.

Are there any rules/erratas on this?

I have a player who has a reputation as a bit of a munchkin and in my game he plays a budding Arcane Trickster (Wiz/Rog). He's started cooking up his own spells and already it has gone a bit sideways. His first spell was called Shocking Ray and is supposed to be a ray version of Shocking Grasp (at the same level). I allowed this off the bat but have later understood that it was a mistake for me to do that, because it allows him to do far too much damage from afar without having to close in on the enemy. Also I think he has neglected the cap on the number of damage dice (5d6 like the original spell), but I'm not quite certain. (I'll have to check up on that.)

This time, however, he wants to construct a spell that merges two existing 2nd level spells (Scorching Ray and Acid Arrow) into a single 3rd level spell. This is the result:

Acidic Ray (Sor/Wiz 3)
School: Evocation [acid]
Casting time: 1 SA
Components: V, S
Range: Short
Effect: One ray per three casting levels above 5th level (maximum four rays at level 14)
Save: None
SR: Yes
Description: One or more acidic rays spring from your hand and speeds towards its target. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack. Each ray deals 4d6 of initial acid damage with no splash. For every three caster levels you possess, the acid, unless neutralized, lasts for another round (to a maximum of six additional rounds at level 18) but then dealing only 2d6 damage. The rays may be fired at a single enemy or separate enemies, but all targets must be within 30 ft of each other.

In my opinion this is far too good on such a low level, and my second problem with it is that it merges two spell schools in a way that I don't find compatible with the rules. If the acid lingers, it should be conjuration, but then it should not have SR and also should not do this much damage. I reckon there's a reason why Acid Arrow does d4 and not d6. A friend suggested I raise the spell level to Sor/Wiz 4, but there are no good damage spells on spell level 4 and I'm betting that, too, has something to do with power levels and game balance.

What I'm looking for is not advice on how to handle the player - I know him and if it comes down to it I'll just tell him he has to stop designing his own spells. What I AM looking for, however, is advice on how to change the spell so that it isn't so overpowered and so it fits better with how other spells are designed in Pathfinder. I've read the chapter on spell design in Ultimate Magic, but without clear cut rules I'm honestly pretty confused.

OK, it might be that I missed a memo or something, but I really wonder about this:

If a spellcaster becomes a ghost, can he use his spells as normal, or would his spells have a 50% miss chance against corporeal creatures?

I can't find any rules clarification on this.

So I GM a campaign and I have a bard in the party who is always using a net. He isn't proficient with it, but he still only needs to hit the touch AC of his enemies, so it's pretty effective.

My grief with this, though, is that I think it's getting TOO effective. Every single encounter I set up, he's entangling enemies left and right and they have to spend a full round getting rid of the nets. And yes, he has SEVERAL nets since I don't feel comfortable restricting the number of nets he can buy (the campaign is set in a huge trade city).

Am I being too paranoid, or is this a flaw in the rules?

For shot on the run there is a feat, and for ride-by attack (melee) there is a feat, but what about ride-by shooting? Is there a feat for that?

In a campaign where most of the characters would be interested in fighting evil... how do you build a challenge that won't instantly be smushed by the paladin, while the challenge also won't instantly smush the rest of the group?

I might come off as a bit slow in this post, but my problem is this:

My group (I'm the GM) consists of five level 5 characters. Let's say I want to create an evil mirror party for them to have a showdown with. How much XP would that be, and what CR would the mirror party be?

Let's say I created five NPCs, all at level 5, with normal PC class levels (one fighter, one rogue, and so on)... my book says they would be considered CR 4 apiece, but added together a CR 8 - can this be right? There's a difference in XP value there: CL 8 = 4800 XP, while CR 4 x 5 = 1200 XP x five (= 6000).

I honestly don't get it. I might just be really bad at maths.

If a druid is bound (for instance by rope or manacles) and wild shapes into an animal bigger than himself, will the restraints break? If he turns into an animal smaller than himself, can he just slip out of the bonds? And finally, if he turns into an air elemental, can he just slip away, or fire elemental, can he just burn through ropes?

I imagine there are simple answers to these questions, I just haven't found them. I'd say yes to all of these, but a high level druid would then be almost impossible to keep restrained.