Sigh... Too much anticipation for Wrath of the Righteous, I suppose...
Looking ahead to building a character to take on the Worldwound, and dallying with an Angel-blooded Aasimar Paladin (possibly Sacred Servant or Oath Against Fiends; Sadly, can't do both).
This combination would be too situational in most circumstances, but for a frontline melee-type in an AP nearly fully focused on a war with demons...
Angelic Blood:
Your blood is infused with holy power.
Prerequisites: Con 13, aasimar.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against effects with the evil descriptor and on Constitution checks to stabilize when you are reduced to negative hit points (but not dead). Furthermore, each time you take bleed or blood drain damage, each undead creature or creature with the evil subtype that is currently adjacent to you also takes 1 point of damage.
Stigmata:
Stigmata (Su): A vindicator willingly gives his blood in service to his faith, and is marked by scarified wounds appropriate to his deity. He may stop or start the flow of blood by force of will as a standard action; at 6th level it becomes a move action, and at 10th level it becomes a swift action. Activating stigmata causes bleed damage equal to half the vindicator's class level, and this bleed damage is not halted by curative magic. While the stigmata are bleeding, the vindicator gains a sacred bonus (if he channels positive energy) or profane bonus (if he channels negative energy) equal to half his class level. Each time he activates his stigmata, the vindicator decides if the bonus applies to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, Armor Class, caster level checks, or saving throws; to change what the bonus applies to, the vindicator must deactivate and reactivate his stigmata.
While his stigmata are bleeding, the vindicator ignores blood drain and bleed damage from any other source and can use bleed or stabilize at will as a standard action.
In addition to this combination, you get:
The Pros
-Vindicator's Shield ability (which is not terrible, if you use a shield... Not sure about that, yet)
-Full BAB
-A +1 to all saves (not exactly great, but not a handicap either)
-Knowledge (planes) as a class skill (I can see this being very beneficial in this AP)
-Intimidate, Climb, and Swim as class skills (I've never understood why Paladins don't get Climb and Swim, anyway... Seriously, they're not exactly overpowered skills...)
-The situational immunity to bleed damage from other sources seems like it might be very useful in this AP. The Savage template from the Mythic Playtest included bleed attack, and that seems to me to be a likely oft-used template in WotR.
The Cons
-Two levels of Prestige Class (losing two levels of Paladin, and all that entails...)
-Losing 1 level of casting
-Skill Tax: Knowledge (religion) 5 ranks
-Feat Tax: Alignment Channel (as a Sacred Servant, in this AP, I might actually use this. But, with that and Angelic Blood, that's two feats gone. If I decide to use a shield for the Vindicator's Shield ability, that's a feat-heavy build. So, there's that...)
Just looking for any thoughts, opinions, or feedback...
At 4th level, a stonelord gains the defensive stance ability, as a stalwart defender (Advanced Player's Guide 277), and may select one defensive power at 8th level and every four levels thereafter. Levels of stalwart defender stack with her paladin levels when determining the total number of rounds that she can maintain her defensive stance per day. A stonelord does not gain any spells or spellcasting abilities, does not have a caster level, and cannot use spell trigger or spell completion magic items.
What is the Stonelord's "Stalwart Defender class level" for determining his Defensive Power abilities?
Examples: At 8th level, when you gain your first Defensive Power, if you chose Renewed Defense, would you heal 4d8+Con modifier hp?
At 8th level, can you take Defensive Powers that require 4 levels of Stalwart Defender, such as Fearless Defense, Immobile, Increased Damage Reduction, or Unexpected Strike? What about Mighty Resilience, which requires 6 levels of Stalwart Defender?
A buccaneer develops the ability to fight with the hilts and flats of his weapons, aiming to leave his victims alive. He can use a weapon that normally deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage with no penalty on his attack roll.
This ability replaces bardic knowledge.
When using this ability, does the damage type change? For example, does my rapier still do piercing damage, or does it become bludgeoning damage?
There have been a few different threads covering this type of class. I have been kicking around a few ideas, myself.
Basically, it's built similarly to the Paladin/Ranger style, but with an Arcane flavor. Full BAB, good Will and Fort. Spells are gained at the same rate as Paladin/Ranger. I haven't built the spell list yet, but it will probably be a very refined, pared-down version of the Wizard/Sorcerer list.
I have never done this before, so criticism is welcome.
The Aether Guard:
Aether Guard Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10.
Class Skills
The aether guard’s class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcane) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the aether guard.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Aether Guards are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Incendiary (Ex): An aether guard can summon the power of the elements to greatly empower his physical attacks. As a swift action, the aether guard chooses one type of elemental damage (acid, cold, electricity, or fire) and adds damage of that type equal to his aether guard level to all melee attacks. Starting at 1st level, he can add this damage for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Intelligence modifier. At each level after 1st, he can summon this power for 2 additional rounds. Temporary increases to Intelligence, such as those gained from spells like fox’s cunning, do not increase the total number of rounds an aether guard can use this power. An aether guard can end this power as a free action.
Fluid (Ex): At 2nd level, an aether guard can cast arcane spells while wearing light armor or wielding a light shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. At 8th level, an aether guard can cast arcane spells while wearing medium armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. At 14th level, an aether guard can cast arcane spells while wearing heavy armor or wielding a heavy shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Spells with a somatic component still require the aether guard to have at least one free hand.
Solid (Ex): At 3rd level, an aether guard gains a +1 bonus to saves and CMD. At 10th level, this bonus increases to +2. At 17th level, this bonus increases to +3.
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, an aether guard gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells which are drawn from the aether guard spell list. An aether guard must choose and prepare his spells in advance.
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, an aether guard must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an aether guard’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the aether guard’s Intelligence modifier.
An aether guard can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score. An aether guard may know any number of spells. He must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour communing with the elements while contemplating his brands. While communing, the aether guard decides which spells to prepare.
Through 3rd level, an aether guard has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, his caster level is equal to his aether guard level – 3.
Branding (Ex): An aether guard must commune with the elements while contemplating his brands each day to prepare his spells. He cannot prepare any spell which he has not branded upon his body.
To learn a new spell, the aether guard must perform a ritual combining the four elements with the arcane power of the spell. By shaping stone ore with lightning and fire, and tempering it with pure water, he creates a unique brand charged with the power of the spell. When the brand is heated and applied to his skin, he permanently adds that spell to the list of spells he can prepare each day. Despite the process, branding does not cause injury to the aether guard or significantly alter his appearance. There is no limit to the number of spells the aether guard can learn this way. The time and cost of this ritual is the same as a wizard adding spells to his spellbook.
At 4th level, the aether guard gains knowledge of one 1st-level spell at no cost. At each new aether guard level after 4th, he adds one spell of any spell level he can cast (based on his new aether guard level) to his repertoire.
Elemental Bond (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, an aether guard forms a powerful bond with the elements allowing him to summon aid from the elemental planes.
Once per day, as a full-round action, an aether guard can summon a small elemental. This is the equivalent of casting summon monster II as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this effect is equal to the aether guard’s class level. At 9th level, the aether guard can instead summon a medium elemental. At 13th level, he can instead summon a large elemental. At 17th level, he can instead summon a huge elemental.
Insubstantial (Sp): At 6th level, an aether guard may cast feather fall at will, as a spell-like ability. At 12th level, the aether guard can cast levitate, three times per day, as a spell-like ability. At 18th level, the aether guard can cast fly, once per day, as a spell-like ability.
Caustic (Ex): At 7th level, while Incendiary is active, whenever a creature successfully deals damage to the aether guard with a non-reach melee weapon or natural weapon, or otherwise touches the aether guard, including combat maneuvers and melee touch-attacks, that creature takes 2 points of energy damage from the aether guard. This energy is of the same type selected for incendiary. At 11th level, this damage increases to 4 points. At 15th level, this damage increases to 6 points. At 19th level, this damage increases to 8 points.
Charged (Su): At 16th level, while Incendiary is active, the aether guard gains the benefits of the haste spell.
Quintessence (Ex, Sp): At 20th level, the aether guard becomes a pure conduit for the elements. He no longer chooses a single type of energy when activating Incendiary. The bonus damage counts as all four energy types. Also, the bonuses from Solid increase to +4, and the aether guard becomes immune to knockdown effects. Lastly, the aether guard ignores the maximum weight limits while using the fly spell-like ability from Insubstantial. This ability does not apply to other castings of the spell fly.
The short version is this: We have a player who constantly makes mistakes with his character.
These mistakes are hard to categorize, and I believe they are genuine. Some examples are:
- He went a whole session using a class ability for a Level 8 Oracle. He only has 5 levels of Oracle, but applied the ability because his character is level 8.
- He has applied metamagic feats to wands and scrolls.
- He has taken feats for which he does not meet the prerequisites.
- He uses items (like armor and weapons) with which he is not proficient, without applying a penalty.
- Mostly, he only half-way remembers how his class abilities, feats, spells, magic items, etc. work. So, he either uses them wrong or forgets to apply penalties, or uses them when he doesn't have the ability to do so, or gets upset when we tell him that they don't work the way he thought.
With the constantly expanding number of classes, alternate classes, and archetypes, as well as feats, alternate spellcasting and combat rules, it is becoming increasingly difficult to remember what abilities a character has. I don't believe anyone in my group would intentionally cheat (this person included), but I feel like repeated offenses require some kind of action. Basically, I'd like to be able to say, "If this continues to be a problem, ______________ is going to happen."
The problem: I don't know how to fill in the blank... Your thoughts?
I find this odd that this has never come up for our group before, but...
A spellcaster NPC (either a Cleric or an Oracle, I never saw her stats) was entangled and casting defensively. Under RAW that requires a (15 + spell level) and a (15 + double spell level) Concentration Check. I am of the opinion, however, that making two checks at the levels appropriate to each individual situation doesn't do justice to the RAI.
Parsing out the numbers:
Casting a 4th Level Spell while entangled = DC 19
Casting a 4th Level Spell defensively = DC 23
Concentration bonus for a Level 8 Spellcaster with 18 in the relevant stat = +12
Odds of Success = 35%
Concentration bonus for a Level 8 Spellcaster with 18 in the relevant stat and Combat Casting feat = +16
Odds of Success = 63%
So, my question is: Should a spellcaster facing two different distractions make two different checks, or one modified check?
If, for example, you decide that (15 + spell level) + (15 + double spell level) = (15 + triple spell level), then you get a modified DC 27. The odds of success change to 25% without Combat Casting and 55% with Combat Casting. Does this seem more appropriate? Or does it seem like a lot more math, where none is needed or desired?
My character in Carrion Crown discovered the Canopic Stone after defeating the Vilkacis [spelling?]. A good Knowledge (Religion) check and some basic deduction and he (my character) knows that it contains the spirit of the creature. He is also just the kind of person that might try to use the power of a Vilkacis, believing that he could control it (he has Command Undead). What I don't know, is how it works mechanically.
Is the Canopic Stone a Spell Trigger, Command Word, or Use Activated in the sense of how it can be used to summon the creature?
Could a Use Magic Device check allow me to use it?
Under the "Creating a Vilkicis" entry it says that you can summon one once per day. Can it be dismissed? How long does it last? Or does it stay until destroyed?
If it is destroyed, can it be summoned again the next day? Or do you have to wait 2d4 days?
Suppose my Level 8 Bard acquired a Staff of Fire to add some offensive power to his repertoire. Obviously, to use this item, he has to succeed on a DC 20 UMD check. But, what about recharging this item?
Would a UMD check allow him to "fool" the staff into believing one of the spells is actually on his spell list, allowing him to add a charge to it? If so, what is the DC? Is it 20, also?
Also, would it be possible to use UMD to substitute say, one level 3 and one level 2 spells (what the bard actually has access to) in place of a level 5 spell, so he could add a charge? What would the DC of that check be? Maybe, 20 + the level of spell to be duplicated, and the spell slots are lost whether or not the check succeeds?
In my current group, we are having a very serious problem with the players outright refusing to fill any of the major (or even minor) roles in the party. This has been a problem since the inception of the campaign, when I tried to get everyone together for party planning.
First, I had not wanted to play a tank (only because I had played the tank in our last campaign, voluntarily and happily I will add, and wanted to do something different), but ended up rolling a barbarian when everyone else was dead set against playing a tank. Then we had to coerce another player into being the rogue. He ultimately was incredibly dissatisfied with his character and basically ran him straight into a golem so he could roll up a new one. Finally, one player was literally railroaded into being the healer, merely due to being the last one to arrive at our planning session. All in all, it was not an auspicious start...
The original party began like this:
Orc Barbarian (me)
Human Cleric (7 Con + no desire to be a healer = 90% of our healing resources went to saving him, followed by very early death)
Changeling Rogue (spec'd almost entirely for dps, meaning very low perception, no social skills, and ultimately what amounted to a suicide)
Human Monk (more on this later)
Gnome Summoner (a magical crit followed by an unlikely draw from the crit hit deck followed by a horrible roll on a VERY generous save DC... Well, he got planeshifted)
Elf Sorcerer (unfortunate rampant absenteeism by the player means this is really a non-presence in the campaign)
From the beginning, nobody put any ranks (at all, yes really) into knowledge or social skills, nobody prepared spells for buffing, debuffing, utility, or crowd-control, nobody had any sort of ranged dps except for (a few) attack spells. The GM had to seriously fudge some things just so we could have a chance to figure out what was going on. It was bad.
Player deaths have exacerbated the problem to the extreme. My own, last night, leaves the current party composition:
Elf Fighter/Bard (building to a spring attack style duelist)
Human Monk/Cleric (multi-classed after previous healer's death, heals when necessary, but does very little else, i.e. no buffs, no combat, no direct damage spells, some minimal crowd control)
Half-Orc Barbarian/Rogue/Alchemist (don't really know what to say... low hp, decent AC, low dps, low skills, self-only buffs, and bombs seem to do more damage to party members than enemies. this character seemed to have been built in response to my first suggestion that party roles were not being met, though I'm not sure how this helped...)
Changeling Magus (good dps, but very little else)
Currently, we have a healer and dps and well, nothing else. My Orc Barbarian, who can only Intimidate, has had to function as the party face, because nobody else can, or will. Knowledge checks are generally in the teens or lower. Nobody can spot a trap, and we have no way to disarm one if we found it. Getting through a locked door generally involves me smashing it. Combat starts with the barb/rogue/alch and the magus self buffing while my barb soaks a ton of damage and tries to interpose himself between enemies and group (usually unsuccessfully).
If you've read this whole post to this point, I'm sorry. That was just me venting some frustration. I think this campaign is about to implode. I believe I am finished with it, until we start something new. But, when that time comes... How do you and yours work out party roles, and how do you enforce them?
P.S. Please do not suggest a new group. These are my friends and we have played campaigns before and never had this problem. In fact, I have never seen anything quite like this...
I'm sure this has been answered before, but:
If a character wielding a lance normally deals 1d8+5, while mounted and charging, does it deal 2d8+5 or 2d8+10?
Our group has gone back and forth on this, with multiple readings and multiple interpretations. As an example, I am going to use the Girallon from the Bestiary.
Bestiary wrote:
Melee bite +10 (1d6+4), 4 claws +10 (1d4+4 plus rend)
.....
Special Attacks rend (4 claws, 1d4+6)
In this example:
1. On a full attack action, does the Girallon have 5 primary attacks or only 2 primary attacks?
2. As a standard action, can the Girallon use 1 bite or 4 claws, 1 bite or 1 claw, or all of it's attacks.
3. If the Girallon is staggered, can it make 4 claw attacks or 1 claw attack?
4. As an attack of opportunity, can the Girallon make an attack with 4 claws or only 1 claw?
5. Does the rend special attack trigger for each claw after the first or only if all 4 claws hit?
Basically, I think the major question is whether "4 claws" is one action with four dice rolls, or four actions with one dice roll each? Sorry if that seems ridiculously semantic...
As far as mutagens and extracts go, an alchemist generally prepares those in advance and then only has to drink them at the time of his choosing. But, what about bombs? Would an alchemist ever need to make a concentration check to create a bomb?
APG wrote:
Creating and throwing a bomb requires a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
Also, what if the alchemist is under the effects of "Rage", or a similar condition?
APG wrote:
...swiftly mixing various volatile chemicals and infusing them with their magical reserves...
Are alchemists always 100% successful at this? If not, what are the consequences of failure?
This is NOT another Paladin Code/morality-alignment question. Please.
The situation is this: In my current campaign, I'm playing a LE Dhampir Necromancy Specialist Wizard. The "E" in his alignment is mostly because he dabbles (well, completely delves into) the foulest magic he can find, in pursuit of his own ends. Otherwise, he's not really a "bad guy". He's fairly charming, obeys the law, has never once harmed an innocent, etc...
Recently, a player has rejoined our group after a several-week hiatus (a combination of character death and National Guard service), and dropped a Paladin on us. That didn't alarm me, honestly, though I knew that I would need to be very subtle about my characters actions in a RP sense. However, the second he joined our group in-game, he detected evil. Then did so again as soon as we awoke the next day. Then every person, plant, and gazebo we passed throughout the session.
Fortunately, as we are only Level 4, and I'm not a Cleric, he couldn't get a read on me, but that only buys me the rest of this level (1 or 2 more game sessions). I pretty much already lost the ability to summon undead (without starting a feud with his character), and I really don't want to have to waste my limited resources hiding my alignment every single day. How do you rein in the Geiger-Paladins?
A number of the Barbarian's Rage Powers have prerequisites, such as, "A barbarian must be at least 4th level (6th level, 8th level, etc.) before selecting this rage power."
Does this refer to class level or character level?
School enchantment (compulsion)[mind-affecting]; Level bard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
You must have a bardic performance in effect to cast this spell. With a flourish, you immediately end the performance, and one creature within range affected by your bardic performance can make a move action or a standard action of their choice.
Lingering Performance wrote:
The bonuses and penalties from your bardic performance continue for 2 rounds after you cease performing. Any other requirement, such as range or specific conditions, must still be met for the effect to continue. If you begin a new bardic performance during this time, the effects of the previous performance immediately cease.
1. Does Lingering Performance still function if you cast a "Finale" spell? Or does the spell's effects cancel the performance's effects?
2. Can you cast the "Finale" spells during the 2 rounds after you end a bardic performance, if you have the Lingering Performance Feat?
3. On the round in which you are casting the "Finale" spell, do you need to use a free action to maintain the bardic performance (essentially reducing the number of rounds remaining for the day), or can you cast the spell at the beginning of your turn, without losing a round of perform?
The Level 3 Antipaladin ability Plague Bringer says, "He can still contract diseases and spread them to others..."
What are the mechanics of spreading a disease? Does he just need to be in close contact with others? Does he add "Disease" to his special attacks? Is it limited to Natural or Unarmed attacks? Can it be added to Armed attacks, and does that require an action?
When making a full attack, if you miss on your first attack, you can forgo making any other attack for the rest of your turn to reroll that attack at your highest base attack bonus.
I am building an Antipaladin/Assassin as a nemesis for my players, and I am wondering:
Would using this feat allow me to get a second chance with a Death Attack or with Channel Smite? Or are those abilities spent as they would normally be on a missed attack?
