Xavier319's page

Basic question in the title. I have a player who has gotten his hands on some Galvanic Gauntlets, which are extremely thematic for his character. The question is, he's wondering if he gets the Conductive quality on his weapon, if he can use it with any of the abilities of the gauntlets. The gauntlets (shown below) have several abilities, one that functions like a shocking grasp, one that gives your unarmed strikes shocking, and later shocking burst. The main question is, Conductive states that you can channel supernatural and spell-like abilities through your weapon, so do any of the galvanic gauntlet abilities count? This lead to me asking, are magic item abilities like this supernatural, or spell-like, or neither?

Secondary question. The activation of the electric tough ability is a standard action, correct?

Galvanic Gauntlets

Price 1,882 gp; Slot hands CL 5th; Weight 2 lbs.; Aura faint evocation; Scaling prize

These gloves are woven of a fine copper mesh and wire, and infuse the wearer’s hands with an electric charge. The wearer can use the galvanic gauntlets to make a melee touch attack dealing 1d6 points of electricity damage. She gains a +3 bonus on the attack if the target is wearing metal armor or is composed of metal.

7th Level: The touch attack’s damage increases to 2d6 points of electricity damage.

9th Level: If the wearer uses her hands to make unarmed strikes (including when making a combat maneuver check to damage an opponent in a grapple), those attacks deal an additional 1d6 points of electricity damage on each hit, as if she were using a weapon with the shock weapon special ability.

11th Level: Any item held in the wearer’s hands gains a powerful static charge, and any creature attempting to disarm the wearer of an object she is holding (or to make a steal combat maneuver against the gloves themselves) takes 1d6 points of electrical damage and must succeed at a DC 19 Fortitude save or be staggered for 1 round by the shock. This static charge does not harm items the wearer is holding.

13th Level: The shock ability of the gauntlets improves to the shocking burst weapon special ability.

15th Level: Once per day when the wearer hits a creature with the gauntlets’ touch attack, she can create electric arcs that strike nearby creatures. This functions as though the target of the attack had been the primary target of a chain lightning spell (Reflex DC 19 half), though the hit creature doesn’t take any additional damage.

Here is the original thread I am basing some of my thoughts off of...
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tv1s?UnRogue-Finesse-Training-and-NonStandard- Weapons#1

Now, in the above thread, to cut a long-story short (it's not that long actually), you need to have a TYPE Of weapon that can have weapon finesse applied to it to gain dex to damage. They came to a basic consensus (sort of) that effortless lace wont do the job, which is fine, but my question becomes can a class feature change that?

Alright, so I am playing a Westcrown Devil, that has the ability "Classically Trained" at 1st level, which states:

Classically Trained (Ex)

A Guild Devil can use Weapon Finesse with a longsword sized for him when he wields it one-handed, even though it is not a light weapon.

this is the EXACT same type of verbiage that is used for weapons like the rapier that read:

Benefit: You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls with a rapier sized for you, even though it isn’t a light weapon.

Considering this, AFTER you gain your first level in Westcrown Devil, can you then take (or retrain) your Rogue's finesse to apply to the longsword, since now, it is a TYPE of weapon that (at least for you) can have the weapon finesse feat applied to it? I feel this falls within the rules understanding that the others came to above, as for the Devil, the longsword is a type of weapon that has the ability to have weapon finesse applied to it, and it is not getting it from an temporary item. Since both of the abilities are class skills, I see no reason why it would not work. I agree you cannot take it BEFORE you get Classically trained, but I say you can after. Thoughts/reasons?

Simple question. Being a slotless magic item, I assume that you only need to have it on your person in order to gain the benefits?

Pearl of the Sirines

Aura moderate abjuration and transmutation; CL 8th

Slot —; Price 15,300 gp; Weight —

DESCRIPTION

This pearl is worth at least 1,000 gp for its beauty alone, yet if it is clasped firmly in hand or held to the breast while the possessor attempts actions related to the pearl’s powers, she understands and is able to employ the item.

The pearl enables its possessor to breathe in water as if she were in clean, fresh air. Her swim speed is 60 feet, and she can cast spells and act underwater without hindrance.

CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS

Craft Wondrous Item, freedom of movement, water breathing; Cost 8,150 g

I won't go into a bunch of details, as they are in another thread and you can read them if you like, as it has some important info about the situation. Thanks for helping with this!

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2up9v?Could-a-Tiefling-Inquisitor-be-a-Hellknig ht

The main question is (and this is not a rules question, but a character question): Does a domain have to be directly related to the ideal that the inquisitor follows, or can the domain/powers be something that personally resonates with her and her life, and helps her further her goals?

Example, a reptilian looking tiefling, who's ideal is law and fighting the cults and different mystic organizations that gnaw at the hidden areas of society (Hellknight of the Pyre), who grew up in the sewers and developed a deep kinship with the other reptiles that were there, and has the crocodile domain. It suits her fighting style of ambush and hunting silently with explosive action, and feeds directly into her pursuing of law and hunting cults. The 'ideal' stuff seems very vague on purpose, and I want to do this right and not feel like i'm munchkining. It's against her character to actually worship a deity, having lost patience with the gods.

I wont go into the extended backstory for this character that I am setting up, but the short of it is that she is a Tiefling (strike one) inquisitor that gains her powers from an ideal not a major deity (strike two).

My idea is that she has honest conviction and desire to see cultists, subversive ideas, and the like stamped out so that society can be protected. She has the crocodile domain (GM approved this), and has a scaley look about her, making her parentage obvious. After researching the order of the Pyre, they dont like those who gain powers from unclear sources, and they dont like tieflings. However, she wouldn't go away, applying to be an armiger over and over. FInally they took her in, interrogated her, tortured her, questioned her powers and how she got them, and determined they came from a firm conviction in the ideals of the measure and the chain, and that she sees this as an ability to rise above her accursed body.

My idea was that they would send her off as a questing armiger, having determined that she is sound of spirit, mind, and heart, only questioning her parentage, and not thrilled that she doesnt worship a particular god (though the lictor is an atheist, and this character isnt far behind, finding religion a drug for the weak, gaining her powers from her own hate/belief/desire to protect society). SO they would allow her to become an armiger, and send her off as a questing armiger, to gain prestige, or die.

It's just the surface, but my real question is, does this sound like something that could happen in the Order of the Pyre? My research says that the order is more concerned with upholding the beliefs and values of Chellish society, and keeping out subversive and manipulative ideals, not specifically ideal-focused divine casters. They also dont like Tieflings, but it doesnt say they would never allow one, just that it is extremely unlikely. They are probably hoping she'll just go off and get herself killed.

Opinions?

I know anything is technically 'legal' in non PFS, but I'm talking about raw/balanced/etc. A player wants to play a Wyrwood, but likes the flavor of the clockwork template better. +2 dodge to AC, Lightning reflexes for free as a bonus feat, but electric vulnerability. It's a +0 template, so what are the thoughts on players adding those to their race choices to try something new? I wouldn't allow one that actually has a CR adjustment, but this one seems like a clean swap.

It's that simple. Do kineticist blasts of any type suffer the attack penalty for being used under water? Or is it just the physical ones? What about the ones that do physical damage but have no physical projectile, like the void gravity blast?

I'm guessing not, due to the fact that they are not 'ranged weapon' but ranged attacks gained via class abilities. I just want to make sure and verify RAW however.

I'm sure this has been discussed, but my search has not answered the question I have. Many seem to accept that everyone gets an automatic perception checks against invisible targets. IF that's RAW, I'm fine with it, but what bothers me is the word "invisible". It means, by definition NOT visible.

Now, RAW question is this. The invisibility spells states the following...

"Of course, the subject is not magically silenced, and certain other conditions can render the recipient detectable (such as swimming in water or stepping in a puddle). If a check is required, a stationary invisible creature has a +40 bonus on its Stealth checks. This bonus is reduced to +20 if the creature is moving. "

It says other conditions can render the recipient detectable, indicating that in the absence of those things (stepping in a puddle, swimming, pushing a curtain aside to walk into a room) you are NOT detectable by sight via the perception skill. As in, you would not even get a skill check to SEE the INvisible creature.

I ask as a GM, not as a player, so no power gaming intended so please keep knee-jerk reactions to yourself. I am curious about actual rules. If someone is invisible, walks into a room, does the guard get a perception check? It doesn't matter if he CAN make the check, does he GET one? My contention is that barring any details that would give the guard some way to notice the invisible creature visibly, he would not. Sound is a completely different question.

What is the RAW here?

Alright, the Ectoplasm master archetype adds all necromancy sorc/wiz spells up to level 6 to your alch spell list. I have a few questions about interactions.

-Clearly,personal and touch range buffs that you use on yourself do not need infusion
-how about things like animate dead? You're not actually having the infusion leave your person while you administer it (via syringe?) and the like, does it not work?
-Attack spells, such as vampiric touch, same idea, you are not actually having the extract leave her person, is infusion needed?
-how do attack spells with range, like ray of enfeeblement work? does it become touch range? can you just not use it? If you have to throw it, that would require infusion
-does not having infusion have the effects of the extract itself end if it's not on you? I dont think so since it just says the extract itself become inert, not its effects.
-do you have to roll to beat SR with an extract of vampiric touch, for example?

Sorry if some of these are obvious to you, I'm honestly struggling to mesh these two systems, and their ability description doesnt define how anything works.

So, let's use "Emergency Force Sphere" which says...

Effect 5-ft.-radius hemisphere of force centered on you

So, does this extend five feet from the caster's square in all directions? or does it make a 10x10 square centered on one of the caster's corners? My instinct tells me it radiates five feet in every direction from the caster's square.

Title says it all. Does Protective Penumbra prevent the blindness and dazzled from the Shadowbound Oracle Curse (temporarily at least)?

Shadowbound:
"You are blinded for 1 round when exposed to normal or bright light and dazzled while in such a lit area. You gain darkvision to a range of 30 feet."

Protective Penumbra:
"This spell keeps the target slightly in shadow. A target with light blindness, light sensitivity, or vulnerability to sunlight (such as vampires and wraiths) may ignore penalties from those qualities. The spell gives the target a +2 bonus on saving throws against nonmagical hazards related to bright light, such as glare or sunburn."

I know my title is a bit sensationalist, but my point stands. I feel that the symbol spells (such as symbol of death) are so expensive to be unusable. They are great for bad guys to put in their dungeons, but I have seen several classes that seem to want to focus around symbol spells, such as Runeguard and Lore Oracle. These classes encourage you to use SYmbol spells, but they cost so much money just to cast they aren't worth it.

Am I missing something? Does anyone have any ideas how to make them more usable?

I have a player wanting to run a spirit guardian in an upcoming campaign. here's the page for it, you get access to it via a feat.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/guardian-spirit -cr-varies

He is wondering if he gives the guardian armor or a weapon or other things, since it's the SAME creature, does it take it with him wen he disappears,and have them again when he re-summons it?

I'm not asking for if you think this is powerful or not, i'm asking for RAW interpretations.

So the fluff about them states...

"A drake can be a powerful ally to one who understands how to deal with its surly and obstinate attitude. Such a character is called the drake’s “charge,” as drakes refuse to refer to another being as their master. While drake companions enjoy accumulating hoards of shiny treasure, they adamantly refuse to wear barding, armor, or clothing items of any kind (belts, boots, and so on); they can wear magical jewelry such as amulets or rings but will agree to wear only one such item."

So clearly they did this as a balance attempt to keep them from spiraling out of control, and to limit the number of slot-based magic items (you could give them slotless ones).

The question is thus. The party gives him little stuff to use in combat, wands, alchemy, scrolls. Clearly you'd have to 'give' them to him, since he wouldnt accept a loan, just on the agreement he'd help the party out with those items. Would it be reasonable to say he could be convinced to wear a pair of little pouch things, to carry his shiney bits, treasure, and small magic items in? Otherwise, he wouldnt be able to at all. So I'm talking little saddle bag type things to carry HIS stuff in, not magic backpacks or big packs on his back. I dont think it's unreasonable, and could be very cute/funny.

The draconic druid archetype's wildshape is kinda wacky. Until level 10, you just get +1 natural armor and a 1d6 bite attack for each use of wild shape, for the 1 hr per level. At 10, it states that your wild shape, if you use two uses, acts as form of the dragon I. My player wants to make sure that this still lasts for 1hr per level. I'm inclined to say yes, since it gives up a LOT, and it doesn't say otherwise, and wild shape lasts for 1 hour per level.

Second question, since he turns into a dragon, he is asking if he needs natural spell to cast. My inclination again, is that he does not. Dragons are capable of speech, and somatic components, and can still wear various magic items such as belts and rings and bracers, so he could hang his spell component pouch from a belt and be fine.

Just double-checking to make sure I'm not off base here.

So this question stems from a player of mine playing an eldritch scoundrel. He wants to know if he strikes with the tail attachment with his tail terror feat, can he deliver a charge of a touch spell?

The only reason I ask, is because it seems very vague as to whether the tail attachment is treated as a manufactured weapon or a natural one, or both (like monks unarmed strikes)? I could see it one way or the other, RAW.

If he cannot deliver it with the blade, then can he strike with the tail itself as a primary, or is it forever stuck as a secondary if he's not using the weapon? It's just mildly confusing as it is written.

Alright, if you're polymorphed, and you use a polymorphic pouch in order to hold your spell components, so you still have access to it after you change shapes, how much manual dexterity do you need to use them? Could a velociraptor pull out some guano? (this is assuming you are already using still spell and a ring of eloquence in order to cast while polymorphed). since you're not actually performing the somatic components, all you need to do is pull out the material, could you even use your mouth?

Alright, I have a player who is playing a polymorphing wizard. He is miffed that bracers of armor dont actually help his AC when polymorphed, so he wanted to make a higher level version of Mage Armor. This would be a researched spell, obviously.

His idea was 3rd level, functions just like mage armor, but it provides +4 armor bonus, and an additional +1 for every 4 caster levels, capping at +8. This seems good to me, but I wanted your thoughts. The ONLY change I might make would be a minor costly material component, like a 10-50 gp gem or dust or something.

So, I've run several games at this point, from beginning to high level completion. And I'm not sure how much of an impact item creation feats have had. I do not allow totally custom magic items, nothing that isnt in the books. But I do allow them to make their own items by taking the feats, mostly for the money discount. I also allow them to stack up to three effects on one item, such ass boots of feathered step/striding and springing/spider climb, paying 50% more for every secondary enchantment. What are your thoughts on this? I feel like the item crafting feats, as long as you dont allow them to make up their own items (like a ring of shield or pro evil or whatever) aren't that bad, but do you think allowing the stacking of multiple effects on one item (even with increased cost) to be too powerful and unbalancing?

Thoughts? Reasons? I'm honestly curious for some discussion here. Thanks!

So, I did a search and could not find a topic about this, though I know its been mentioned several times in other threads. Multiattack's requirement is that you have three or more natural weapons, and so players cannot usually take it. However, you can use magic to satisfy feat requirements, such as a belt of strength giving you enough strength to take power attack, and If you ever take off the belt, you temporarily lose the effects of the feat until you put it back on again. So, could you take multiattack if you practice enough with say, polymorph effects, or as a druid who can wild shape? My thought is that you could, but you would lose the effects of the feat any time that you do not satisfy the requirements, aka three or more natural attacks. So if you took it, you could not use it say, if you were using your bite as a secondary with your sword, but if you polymorph into leopard, you would be able to use the feat for as long as you satisfy the requirements.

Thoughts on this both RAW and not?

If you take the racial heritage feat...

Prerequisite: Human.

Benefit: Choose another humanoid race. You count as both human and that race for any effects related to race. For example, if you choose dwarf, you are considered both a human and a dwarf for the purpose of taking traits, feats, how spells and magic items affect you, and so on.

and choose kobold, can you then take tail terror since you meet all the prereqs?

Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1, kobold.

Benefit: You can make a tail slap attack with your tail. This is a secondary natural attack that deals 1d4 points of bludgeoning damage. Furthermore, you can augment your tail slap attack with a kobold tail attachment. For the purpose of weapon feats, you are considered proficient with all kobold tail attachments.

Catchesis says...

If a Hell Knight enforcer has the Warrior Priest feat, his Hell Knight enforcer level stacks with other divine spellcasting classes for determining the effects of those classes' domain powers, inquisitions, and mysteries. This doesn't grant any new powers or abilities. In addition, a enforcer with the Warrior Priest feat gains Alignment Channel (chaos) as a bonus feat, and treats his Hell Knight enforcer levels as cleric levels when determining the amount of damage chaotic outsiders are either healed or dealt, and when determining their saving throw DCs to halve this damage.

So since it says that it "stacks with other divine spellcasting classes for... mysteries" does that mean all aspects of the mysteries? Such as any revelations you already have, any you pick up via extra revelation, and it seems, that since it would advance your mystery, that you'd still get your mystery spells, as they are a PART of the mystery that it's advancing. Obviously it wouldnt give you anything for your curse, as that's a separate class feature. Am I reading this right by RAW? How about your final revelation? If you go Oracle 10/Signifier 10, will you get your final revelation? Since it advances your mystery? since at level 20 you'd be taking the level in oracle, it would grant you new abilities, and those levels would stack with the signifier levels.

Thanks.

Or is it all just optional rules? I'm curious if any of it will make it into PFS, or is it all just in the realm of alternate rules like feat retraining?

Okay, so maybe I'm missing something here, but the 'hunch' use of the sense motive skill, a DC 20 check to get...

Hunch: This use of the skill involves making a gut assessment of the social situation. You can get the feeling from another's behavior that something is wrong, such as when you're talking to an impostor. Alternatively, you can get the feeling that someone is trustworthy.

This seems amazingly powerful. Let's say a player is playing a spy type character, and encounters an enemy in their stronghold. The player has a massive bluff check, great disguise, and is all ready to go. The guard rolls a DC 20 check for sense motive, does he automatically detect them as an impostor or that they are untrustworthy? Does the player even get to roll any of his skills? Like I said, maybe I'm missing something here. Thanks for your feedback.

-Xavier

The trait is "On Guard" and it reads thus...

You gain a +1 trait bonus to Initiative checks, and if you are able to act during the surprise round of an encounter, you can draw a weapon (but not a potion or magic item) as a free action during that round.

Does that mean you can, in this very specific situation, draw a concealed weapon as a free action? Considering the limited scope of the trait, I'm inclined to say yes. Thoughts?

The title is the question. Does the prc evangelist's assigned class ability let you advance a prc, or just a base class?

So for the Trap Breaker archetype for alchemist, you can turn your bombs into landmines. they're mechanical traps and people set them off by going into the square. now it says you put your bomb into the trap, so does that mean the thing that sets it off is 'hit' by the mine, or does the mine ONLY do splash damage? it already costs two bombs to put down a mine, so it seems pretty bad if you dont get the full effects. anyone know?

Scrolls are spell completion items...

Spell Completion: This is the activation method for scrolls. A scroll is a spell that is mostly finished. The preparation is done for the caster, so no preparation time is needed beforehand as with normal spellcasting. All that's left to do is perform the finishing parts of the spellcasting (the final gestures, words, and so on). To use a spell completion item safely, a character must be of high enough level in the right class to cast the spell already. If he can't already cast the spell, there's a chance he'll make a mistake. Activating a spell completion item is a standard action (or the spell's casting time, whichever is longer) and provokes attacks of opportunity exactly as casting a spell does.

Arcane concordance says...

A shimmering, blue and gold radiance surrounds you, enhancing arcane spells cast by your allies within its area. Any arcane spell cast by a creature within the area gains a +1 enhancement bonus to the DC of any saving throws against the spell, and can be cast as if one of the following metamagic feats was applied to it (without increasing the spell level or Casting Time): Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Silent Spell, or Still Spell (you choose the metamagic feat when you cast arcane concordance).

Does this mean that casting a spell from a scroll within the area allows the application of the metamagic and the boost to DC? Since casting a spell from a scroll IS casting a spell, and when doing concentration you still apply feats and such that add to your concentration since you are finishing the casting yourself? Just curious if it works.

Alright, the detective bard gets this bard performance...

Careful Teamwork (Su): A detective uses performance to keep allies coordinated, alert, and ready for action. All allies within 30 feet gain a +1 bonus on Initiative checks, Perception, and Disable Device checks for 1 hour. They also gain a +1 insight bonus on Reflex saves and to AC against traps and when they are flat-footed. These bonuses increase by +1 at 5th level and every six levels thereafter. Using this ability requires 3 rounds of continuous performance, and the targets must be able to see and hear the bard throughout the performance. This ability is language-dependent and requires visual and audible components.

Now, if he uses that, and everyone gets a bonus for an hour, does the feat discordant voice work for the entire hour? RAW it seems to.

also, the spell saving finale seems like it would work as well, as it as written. any thoughts?

Can you make a move along a diagonal around a corner that includes a wall and a door? like going around a corner, is that allowed going around the corner like a diagonal? especially if moving out in front of the doorway is in someone's threat range? would you ignore/bybass the Attack of opportunity?

Alright, so in the magical marketplace, there's an option for clockwork prosthetics as a magical item. They replace lost (or intentionally removed) limbs. An example is the clockwork arm, which weighs 20 lbs. The question is this...

Do you count the weight of the prosthetic toward the characters carry weight, considering they are not really CARRYING it, it is attached to their body in place of one of their limbs? I understand they are still bearing the weight, but not in the conventional sense. Would you just add that weight to the character's body weight, and not to their equipment load?

My thought is that it would add to the character's body weight, and not to their equipment load. Yes they are carrying it, but it's not like carrying 20 lbs of scrap metal in a backpack. Thoughts?

Can a witch that has become ethereal, via Ethereal Jaunt (Samsaran Mystic Past Life or UMD!) still affect people with their hexes? Considering it's not really an attack and if it's one of the hexes that is a supernatural ability (Evil Eye for example).

Can a witch that has become ethereal, via Ethereal Jaunt (Samsaran Mystic Past Life or UMD!) still affect people with their hexes? Considering it's not really an attack and if it's one of the hexes that is a supernatural ability (Evil Eye for example).

Alright, sound striker bards get this...

Wordstrike (Su): At 3rd level, the sound striker bard can spend 1 round of bardic performance as a standard action to direct a burst of sonically charged words at a creature or object. This performance deals 1d4 points of damage plus the bard’s level to an object, or half this damage to a living creature.

From the way it's worded, there is no attack role, and it appears you can use it on ANY object. Such as an attended, held item, like a wand, ring, headband, etc. These are all expensive, powerful fragile magic items. Can you use word-strike to sunder equipment? It doesn't seem to say you CAN'T, but that seems very powerful.

If you play a small version of these races, it states apply the proper modifiers for being small. Does that mean the modifiers to attack, move speed and hide and such, or the actual stat modifiers as well? The reduction to strength and increase in dex for going down a size cat?

The warpriest destruction blessing sates "you can touch an ally and grant.."

Can you touch yourself and give yourself the benefits of that blessing? or is it ONLY others?

It appears to me that the only bardic performance that is based on ranks in performance skills is the fascinate and counter-song. Do you need ANY ranks for inspire courage and the like? or is one good enough?

That's pretty much the question. What do you guys think is the better spell? Fly allows for much greater speed, but requires a skill check to be effective and has a tenth of the duration.

When someone grabs the Improved Familiar feat, they are looking for a particular something. Usually it's combat survivability, SLAs, special abilities, and a UMD buddy. In short, extra actions. Many familiars have several of these things, but no one has all of them, and certain choices are seen as clearly superior than the others.

Through several wizard and witch guides, I have seen pseudodragons get a bum rap, usually rating an orange (read as 'meh..' or so so) rating. These guides are amazing and I use them myself, they are better than anything I could put together. I am currently working on choosing an improved familiar and I have come do a startling discovery: Pseudodragons are actually quite good. The purpose of this post is to explain my reasoning and get some feedback from others.

Let's look at what the little dragon does NOT have. The big ones are SLAs and DR. He has no spell-likes, which reduces his versatility at lower levels, and makes it so that he does not have many tricks that you do not have to pay for. Some good examples of SLA-heavy familiars are the little Lyrakie Azata, who has cure light wounds, silent image, and several other useful SLAs.

The other thing he does not have is fast healing or DR. Several familiars have DR of 5 (one even has a DR of 10) that is overcome by magic to chaotic. Many also have a Fast healing of 2, or even regeneration, greatly increase their survivability and reducing between combat healing costs.

The Pseudodragon's statistics are decent but not great. His strength is high enough to carry a decent amount, being a quadruped, and if he is polymorphed, he gains the +4 before the polymorph effects are applied, bringing his base strength to 11. his other stats are good, but not exceptional.

Now, what he does do well...

He is a dragon, giving him great base saves, decent base BAB, and his class skills are fantastic, most pointedly he has UMD as a class skill, which makes up for his 10 CHA. The above Lyrakie is noted as having a 20 CHA for UMD use, which gives a +5, though the little dragon gains a +3 for having it as a class skill, almost as good. He also has a bevy of strong class skills, and his stealth is massive. He can also speak, and has 'hands' so he can use UMD.

He has blindsense. This is worth a section of it's own. He has 60' blindsense. he can see invisible creatures, and then use a glitterdust scroll on them. he can automatically sense ambushes and yell out a warning. He adds an entire layer of protection for the party that is normally very difficult to achieve.

He has telepathy 60'. It's great, he can link the party up, talk to anyone for the party. He can coordinate the party silently. He can act as a translator.

SR. He has a spell resistance of 12, while not great, at the highest levels he has a 5% (natural '1' on a d20) resistance to magic. Just making them roll is enough.

He has a natural attack that has poison. The DC is not great. But the effect puts you to sleep. AKA, dead. If anyone succumbs to his poison, it's a one-way ticket to coupe de grace town.

And another huge one that I'm sure many dont realize, he has reach. Pseudodragons are tiny, giving them a natural reach of 0 ft. His tail gives him reach of 5 ft. This means he can deliver touch spells, aid another, and make attacks with his poison without actually entering someone's hex, increasing his versatility immensely. Having weapon finesse even more increases his ability to land touch spells and attacks

His movement is slow, but he has a long flight speed with good maneuverability. and his immunity to sleep and paralysis is good, and might save his life from time to time.

So, those are my thoughts. Feel free to agree or disagree!

Alright, the Oracle class states...

"An oracle casts divine spells drawn from the cleric spell lists."

Now, we see from time to time, there are spells that say at the top of the spell "Cleric X" and do not say "Cleric/Oracle X", are these spells prohibited from oracles, or were they just left out because of sloppy editing? And even if they were left out on purpose, it states in the Oracle Class that they cast spells from the cleric spell lists, meaning any spell a cleric can cast, an oracle can as well, yes? Further confusing things. generally spells that are only usable by one of the two dual spell lists (Sorcerer/Wizard and Cleric/Oracle) specifically point out in big bold letters that "only wizards may cast this spell" or "ORACLE ONLY", and the like.

I'm just double checking. From what I can tell, an Oracle can learn and cast any spell that is on any cleric spell list (barring domains of course). So spells like sure casting and burst of radiance which only list 'cleric 1' and 'cleric 2', but no mention of oracles, are not prohibited.

This is confusing me. They are constructs, but they have a con score. I checked my print copy of the source material, and yes, they have a con score. Does this mean they can go to neg con for hit points?

The title says it all. If i have a small earth elemental as a familiar, can it do stuff like wear armor, use wands, carry equipment? It is the only familiar with a truly solid body, and they CAN hold a rigid and normal form. they can speak and manipulate objects. Is there any ruling anywhere that says if they or cannot use equipment like this?

Here's a question. In the magical item rules, it states an optional rule is allowing secondary enchantments on items after the first for a 50% mark-up. You could, for example, make Boots of striding and springing, with a secondary of Feathered step, to ignore difficult ground.

I know this is not PFS legal, since it is an optional rule, but how many of you use this system, what restrictions do you levy on it to limit power? I was thinking two additional enchantments past the first max, but they must, in some way, relate to the previous. For example, a cloak of resistance cannot have a cape of the mountebank as a secondary, but could have something related to saves or protection (Subject to DM discretion of course).

Thoughts?

What do you guys think of them? I've seen so many beat-clerics that are evangelists, or summoners that are evangelists. Sure it's effective, To me, it just seems like a waste of all of those spontaneous spells. In a party of fighters (ours has three, a paladin, inquisitor and ranger), it feels silly to make yet another melee character. Our other is an evoker wizard, so I figured making an enchantment focused caster cleric would be effective. Trickery domain (deception), spell focus and greater in enchantment, etc. Grab a guided weapon and a level in fighter to get power attack and heavy armor back. That way I can fight, benefit from my own bonuses, control with mind spells, and still support the party and add to attack and damage with my performance. And it'll be a blast to use bluff and perform to sway people to my religion. It gives the party something we lack (control via mind effects), as well as additional melee support. the other idea is just to make a summoner. While there is a neutral and good summons feat, there is no evil summons, leaving the lawful evil (i worship asmodeus) list severely lacking for sacred summons.

But I digress, what do you guys think of enchantment focused evangelist clerics? I think they could be done quite well, and with trickery/deception, it adds confusion into the mix as well.

For illusions and most importantly shadow conjuration or shadow evocation. If they see you cast it and succeed at their spellcraft check, and identify it as a shadow spell or an illusion, do they get a +4 to their save? That seems like a really heavy penalty to illusions.

I know about the secret signs feat, sadly it ONLY works with spells that have somatic components only, so not most illusions.

Alright, I know when you interact with a shadow spell, you get a save to reduce it's effect. Let's say you cast mage armor or ablative barrier...

Invisible layers of solid force surround and protect the target, granting that target a +2 armor bonus to AC. Additionally, the first 5 points of lethal damage the target takes from each attack are converted into nonlethal damage. Against attacks that already deal nonlethal damage, the target gains DR 5/-. Once this spell has converted 5 points of damage to nonlethal damage per caster level (maximum 50 points), the spell is discharged.

The person you cast it on chooses to fail their save, so it's 'real' for them. When someone strikes you, do they also get a save to reduce the effectiveness of the spell to 20% of normal? (thereby reducing the armor bonus to +1 and the damage blocked per attack to 1, instead of five) Or would the only person that gets a save be the recipient of the spell?

Thanks!

This is a pretty simple question. If i cast a spell that has no visible effect, such as charm person, or other effects that aren't reflex saves. If they fail or make the save, do they know it? If I try and charm someone and they make their save, do they KNOW they've made a will save? I looked over the magic section and couldn't find anything. Any thoughts?