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 Recent Posts
The player of Guntermann is one of my "extended local" group players. He's a great guy and a great character...
It looks like Ripoff's attack sequence has an extra +2 in it somewhere. Based on what I am seeing it should be +8 (FOB BAB) +6 (Str) +3 (enhancement) +1 (WF) = +18, not +20. Am I overlooking something? On the other hand, I think you have his basic damage too low (it should be 2d6 + 11 [+6 Str, +3 enhancement, +2 Weap Spec] before Power Attack) Also, when I run the numbers (at the +18 mark) I'm coming up with a DPR of roughly 50 before Power Attack (which looks it's just about the same) or ki points. I think something must be getting double counted. (Excluding crits, just for a scratch-paper comparison, if the attack is at +18 and is going for a 24 AC, that's a .75 chance to hit. Having a +13 to hit is a .5 chance, so the non-crit DPR starts at [.75 + .75 + .5 + .5] * 18 average damage, or 45 damage. There's no way crits are going to get you an additional +12 DPR...)
Rules-wise, there's nothing evil about it, there's just something [evil] about it. However, I seem to recall a post from a developer (and this was a long long time ago, so I'm not going to go looking for a link) that suggested using an [evil] spell was an evil act in his games, which would not automatically cause an alignment shift or anything but could, over time, have an impact on the character's alignment. As others have stated, though, it's not a game rule at all, just something to be worked out between player and GM. From a role-playing perspective, and particularly in the case of the "Punisher" style character you've described, I think it would be more interesting to consider it an evil act, and roleplay through the slow but steady impact such an action begins to have on his outlook (and alignment), until he eventually faces the choice of whether to become one of the monsters he has been fighting... (I've been thinking about this a fair amount because I've been considering whether to make a character who uses pain strike or not.)
I keep having the urge to write up some new cavalier (samurai) Orders: the Order of the Crab, the Order of the Crane, etc. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that when I get to the Order designed to act as bodyguards for their Clan's spellcasters, I will find myself the target of legal action from J. K. Rowling...
That's when you send the eidolon home to kick back on its home plane and put your summon monster SLAs to work.
Universal monster rules, definition of the (incorporeal) subtype: An incorporeal creature's attacks pass through (ignore) natural armor, armor, and shields, although deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor) work normally against it. Since coat of many stars is not a force effect or a deflection bonus, it has no benefit against incorporeal attacks.
I am not familiar with this rule/ruling. Can you supply a reference? EDIT: Because it sounds like you might be talking about the ruling that states a ranged touch attack that is cast defensively still provokes an AoO. Which is not actually a change from 3.5, though it wasn't made explicit until Pathfinder.
I'd second most of what Ashiel said, with the possible exception of the reach/spiked gauntlet question, but that's mostly an issue of the buckler, and you have the same question already with regard to the longbow. Does someone else in the group have a sufficiently high Perception check that they'll be able to point you at the traps when you're going to be disabling them?
Now you have made me want to make an aasimar monk X/paladin 2 using Sacred Mountain.
You couldn't in 3.5, but the restriction was removed in Pathfinder. The Brutal Pugilist bonus basically gives you a +1 to your CMB and CMD for grapples.
This is right, though.
You could use the savings for a headband of inspired wisdom +2 and a ring of protection +1, both of which would also help your survivability. More than anything else, your weak Will save is what would concern me. Even with bravery, your character only has a 50/50 chance of not freaking out and running away the moment a bone devil - a not-uncommon CR 9 opponent - shows up on the scene. Anything you can do to boost that save would be a good thing.
Knowledge (local) covers humanoids, so that's pretty key as well.Um, what? Knowledge (local) doesn't cover races, it covers specific people. I think you'd want Knowledge (nature) for human and humanoid races. * Local (legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, humanoids) I'm not saying it makes sense, but it is the way it works.
Alternatively, you could start with the quadruped and buy the tail, tail slap and reach evolutions, plus some extra armor or a beefier bite maybe. (I'd suggest buying the wing buffet evolution, but you're up against the natural attack limit as it is.) You'd have a better Strength base to start from, so that might be a better option...
You can't get a Large eidolon until 8th level, so you're going to have to rethink your plans unless you're willing to go with a Small race after all. A Small character could have a pretty decent draconic mount by 5th level, though, I think: Serpentine base form (5th level, 8 evolution points total):
So you have wings, two claw attacks, a bite attack (with reach!), and a tail slap, all on a serpentine body that nevertheless has four legs. Sounds pretty draconic to me!
For most inquisitors, I would definitely recommend Knowledge (planes), because odds are you're going to be dealing with outsiders at some point. Knowledge (local) covers humanoids, so that's pretty key as well. Beyond that, I'd suggest arcana, dungeoneering and nature in roughly that order, due a combination of how likely an adventure is to include monsters from that category and how often monsters from that category are going to have special abilities, immunities or weaknesses you're going to want to know about. The others are largely outside a generic inquisitor's purview, though specific concepts will have specific demands, so your mileage may vary.
You're right because some traditions become obsolete, morally wrong, or politically incorrect over time. But a language is not a mere tradition that one can throw over one's shoulder because it suits them <- notice the gender neutrality of this sentence? It is gender-neutral, but number-wrong. According to traditional grammar rules, "them" is right out, because you've switched from the singular "one" to the plural "them." As a sidebar, for linguists who are more interested in descriptive ratherthan proscriptive grammar, the push to use "they" or "them" as neutral pronouns is indicative of a language that is, if you don't mind some anthropomorphism, "feeling" the lack of a neutral pronoun and trying to fill that gap. That strongly indicates that, for some portion of the English-speaking populace, "he" isn't getting the job done.
For those keeping score at home, this level 10 monk has a +17 to hit unbuffed, or +18 when flurrying. So yeah. There's room for upward growth.
Inasmuch as there is an "overarching plot" of Season Two (even though it began at the end of Season One), it's the Shadow Lodge plotline, and I'd like to make sure my home group gets to play through that story. Can anybody provide me with a (spoiler-free) list of the scenarios that touch directly on the Shadow Lodge conflict?
Half-elves do not receive elven weapon proficiencies, so no Curve Blades for them unless EWP (or they gamble with Heirloom traits). The Ancestral Arms alternate racial trait can cover this option, if such things are allowed. I also feel like I should point out that you've actually got a pretty decent set of rolled stats for a gnome or halfling paladin - even with the Strength penalty you'll have a decent score, assuming you put one of those 18s in Strength, and if the other goes into Charisma, starting with Charisma 20 is nothing to sneeze at. A gnome paladin with a greatsword or greataxe would be a surprisingly solid option with those stats...
A bunch of good stuff Every time you post that, TOZ, I have an urge to go through the specific suggestions and rewrite it for a purely Pathfinder game, and every time, my innate laziness prevents me. Nevertheless, the general concept - active spellcasting trumps passive healing just about every time, use item-based healing, and actually do the math on how much healing you're getting for your gold - is completely valid. And in terms of not locking the druid or cleric (or oracle) into a pure-healing mode, remember that while Pathfinder may not have lesser vigor, it does have lesser infernal healing - and that's a wand you can buy for a wizard or sorcerer!
I don't think my Hexblades will be replaced by Hexcrafters; some of the Hexblade's abilities (like Arcane Resistance, Mettle, Unluck Aura, and their Hex Curse) are still viable and I doubt the Hexcrafter will have any of those. Arcane Resistance and Mettle aren't likely, but I can't see how the hexcrafter won't get misfortune or evil eye, which may not be identical to the hexblade abilities but are certainly close enough for jazz.
How's that, now? Her BAB is +6 and her Str modifier is +1. She would get +2 for each Disarm feat, for a total of +4. Wouldn't that give +11 / +6? You don't get to add your Strength in if you're using Weapon Finesse - it replaces the Strength mod, it doesn't add to it. On the other hand, the weapon's own +1 enhancement bonus to attacks does apply, so the end number is in fact the same as what you have here.
I don't see why you think it is cleric only?If you include subdomains.... Not long after the APG came out, there were some second- and third-hand reports that someone at Paizo had stipulated that subdomains were cleric-only, and I think the ruling even made it into Hero Lab. But the reports, if they were true, never received any confirmation, and of course the FAQ and PRD eventually made it clear that things worked the other way.
Also, I think the aquaphobia thing is pretty freaking cool, personally. Take it in game, don't harsh on the player for playing a non-optimal character. If the events are as described, I think that party started it when they decided to drag her through the waterfall. That's a pretty damned aggressive action, and I'd be really pissed if someone decided they were just going to pick up my character and move her wherever they decided she should go.
In its defense... sorta... it does apply to all the creature's attacks for that round, regardless of whom they are against. So you could kinda maybe halfway see it as a "floating" Dodge that is applied to whoever the foe attacks... ...but there is no way in Shelyn's green knickers that I would skip Power Attack to get it.
Show me a sorcerer that can teleport at will as a swift action at level 1 (supernaturally!). Show me a sorcerer that can choose to change any spell they cast into a different energy type of choice at will and add damage to it. Show me a sorcerer who can always act in the surprise round and gets a bonus to initiative and gets to pick a reroll each round. Can change their spells each day as needed. Can have spells they didn't prepare for the day ready to use through their own efforts and class abilities. Can choose a whole school of magic to use spontaneously with a single item. Can use metamagic at no cost and no time extension. Can permanently summon creatures to obey them. I generally agree with your points, but this is not a compelling argument tactic here, because you can make an almost identical list for sorcerers as well. Show me a wizard who can heal at range, do damage at range, and have a limited effectiveness alignment detector, all in one power. Show me a wizard who can cast charm person on a zombie. Etc.
As Blazej noted, if they were just feats, they would be available in much larger quantity - a wizard, regardless of race, gets at least 15 feats over 20 levels, but could only pick up 4 arcane discoveries (or 5 if you can swap Scribe Scroll for one, which I am rather hoping is the case, for PFS reasons).
(nod) The argument would be this, in essence: if initiative has been rolled, then even one minute is too long. If initiative hasn't been rolled, then the difference between 1 minute and 15 minutes is only worth a feat slot (particularly since, in order to use that element of the ability at all, you have to leave spell slots open - i.e., to reduce your available capabilities overall). Like I said, I'm not necessarily convinced, but I can see the argument.
If I were a betting man, I'd put some gp down on the idea that Paizo's decided that the alchemist's ability to do the same thing - i.e., rearrange his extracts prepared list with a minute's preparation - hasn't broken anything, so there's little reason to believe that it would break the wizard either. I'll be interested in knowing if they're right in actual play, but I can definitely see the perspective.
The number 1 reason for 3.5 players to switch to PF is, they jumped on the 4e bandwagon and sold off all of their 3.5 stuff and then developed buyer's remorse.I don't think that's the number 1 reason. I still have all my 3.5 stuff. In fact, I've been hunting for more of it since Pathfinder Beta came out. I'm still looking for a Magic Item Compendium priced at under $60. I also still have all my 4E stuff. I play Pathfinder because I like the changes. Some people say it isn't innovative enough, but I'm ok with that. I like that they took a lot of the little improvements and good house rules people have been using and compiled them all together. Yeah, not even a little bit here either. I never switched to 4E, and when the Pathfinder Core released I had 30+ 3.5 books weighing down my bookshelves. I did finally sell them almost all off, but that was just last summer, and was the result of me a) needing money to get to GenCon and b) confronting the fact that I hadn't picked up a non-PF rulebook in nearly a year (i.e., since PF came out). The only "buyer's remorse" I feel at all is about some of the Eberron books I sold, but in truth, I'd probably be converting all that stuff anyway, so... To address the larger point of the topic, I have to admit I find the "I stayed with 3.5" midset completely alien. I'm pretty interested in studying alien mindsets, though, so I'm glad to see the comments coming!
There is one particular element of Serpent's Skull that might make it worth considering more strongly for your purposes, and that is that it comes with the extra NPC bodies you're looking for built-in. The first adventure, Souls for Smuggler's Shiv, strands the PCs on a tropical island with a group of PC-classed NPCs - a ranger, a fighter, a rogue, a cleric and a bard. It would be extremely easy to use those characters to "fill out" your sister's party as she adventures, and she could even rotate through them as she thinks one or another of the group might be most useful to her at a given point.
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