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I can agree with the rehashing....to a point. I think that everything is at least flavorful and definitely takes some creative leaps. Such as the kineticist's burn or the occultist's implements but I do agree that a lot of it is needlessly complex. I would never show a new player Occult Adventures, hell I don't know if i would full trust myself running one given that I don't have a real knowledge of system mastery.

But yes, some of the effects do definitely duplicate other classes while trying to be unique, but the alternative is 3.5 where you had 6 million classes that were shoe horned to do two things. Paizo will continue putting out new books and possibly new classes and I would rather see the ACG or OA style books rather than 3.5 prestige class plethora, though that is of course only my opinion.

As for balance, I won't throw my hat in that ring, I don't understand what separates tier one from two well enough to go into that discussion, nor was that what I intended from the thread.


Thanks, that seems to be a pretty good idea of what I was looking for. Thinking about it I did realize how not having to spend additional points would be a huge game breaker. Spell points seems to be worth a try though, have you seen it run yourself by chance Milo?


I would definitely agree with intimidate, but you could also try Perform if you're trying to distract them as opposed to piss them off. Intimidating might end up with you getting punched in the face, where as Perform with the right sub choice could just wind them up a little and it might fall into the distracting realm a little better. Intimidate should work fine though.


That's more of less what I was expecting. I wasn't really looking for the power point system, I enjoy it for psionics, but I know psychic magic isn't psionics. I was ideally hoping for how it works in the occult bestiary where you have, for example, 100 psychic energy and then spell A takes 20 energy and spell B takes 5 energy leaving you with 75 energy left for the day, but they function at whatever caster level you have. None of the augmenting or anything like that. I thought it was a good middle ground between the two.


So I recently acquired a few new pathfinder books, namely the ones listed above in the thread title, and as I skimmed through them I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed with how psychic magic worked for Occult adventures.

Fluff wise the book is great the the classes seem interesting, though admittedly I am still reading through it, but having obtained the Occult bestiary first and reading how the psychic magic worked for certain monsters with the pool of total energy used to cast working more akin to a power point pool from Ultimate Psionics, I was excited for that to be how the new classes worked. It seems though unless I haven't found the subsystem yet that they work like any other casting class on how their spells work. Personally I found this a little disappointing that there is a new system for monsters to cast but not players.

Now I know this is just my opinion but does anyone know if there are plans in the works to be able to use this system of psychic magic for the occult classes or any suggestions on how to modify it to fit the current rules? Any help is appreciated.


The only thing I see wrong is that your giving up nature's bond at level two....but you gain nature's bond at first level...if someone already mentioned that sorry. I kinda skimmed alot of the later posts in my half asleep state.

Other than that it reminds me of the "master of many forms" prc from 3.5 which i really liked, and nothing really seems unbalanced. overall it looks good i think.


Glory, with the heroism subdomain, seems like a decent choice. As does Protection with possibly the Defense subdomain. Maybe Law with the loyalty subdomain, though i know alignment domains are a little more useful when your dealing with a regularly aligned enemy. I know those aren't on your list but they had powers that seemed to be generally useful, I dunno what kind of enemies you usually run into.


If your having trouble picking two domains you could always take the crusader archetype, pick one domain (healing if that's what you need) and then follow your sword and board plan, using the extra feats to augment your AC with shield specialization since you don't plan on having a high dex.

Personally I'd go with the healing domain even if you don't need a dedicated healer only because as a samsaran you will be taking that con hit, but that's just my opinion. If you can get a custom built god, may as well try for an exotic weapon, like the bastard sword or maybe katana, depending on setting to have a little edge in melee since again, you will be slightly behind on hit points.


My vote is for Tron. Not really a supercomputer or anything, but he was the first good-aligned program I thought of, could even give him a nethys spin to his story using his rinzler(?) persona from tron legacy.


Hi everyone,

I had a curiosity question on the Signifer. If it has been answered elsewhere please direct me to it, I skimmed a quick forum search but didn't see anything.

Now I know the Signifer lets you stack inquisitor/cleric/oracle levels for the purpose of inquisitions/domains/mysteries respectively with the warrior priest feat (which you could call a feat tax but you need it for the class anyways) and you also can advance your arcane bonded object if a wizard. But my question is, why not also allow arcane school powers and bloodlines to stack? I don't think it would make them particularly overpowered since if I understand it correctly you don't gain new abilities, the ones you have just get stronger.

I have a player who is considering a fighter/sorcerer/signifer and I was going to allow the levels to stack for bloodline powers he already has. If anyone has any advice on this matter or why they levels don't already stack that'd be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!


I never understood aboleth's....I mean yea they are ancient and evil and what not.....but as far as the bestiary is concerned they're CR 7 creatures which is far from impressive when compared to a dragon. I assume that most have class levels of some variety otherwise a single high level party (14 plus) could start a single handed elimination of the whole race if they were smart about it.

But a question on topic, I haven't read to deep into the mythology but how did dragons come to golarion before the gods if apsu was credited with creating a number of them? the gods that is.


Maybe treated wasn't the right word, but I meant it is considered a whip for sake of proficiency. I'd figure it'd work like an unarmed strike without the improved unarmed strike feat....where you only deal non-lethal such as a whip being a non-lethal weapon. But again that's just my opinion thinking about it, at least as far as AoO's are concerned. As for threatening i'd probably say no re-thinking it, but I would still say it would at least remove the provoking.


As it is treated as a whip with whip proficiency i'd say no.....if you used a feat to gain proficiency with specifically the "scorpion whip" than i'd say sure since you aren't using your normal whip proficiency, and therefore it is not treated as a normal whip

but that's just my opinion


If you have access to it the 3.5 book "The Book of Exalted Deeds" has rules for redeeming evil magic items...might have something on cursed ones too.


PBR is at max a 5 DC because if nothing else you'll have hipsters drinking it ironically so quality has very little to do with it.


1: yes it treats a +1 weapon as a +3 for the duration including damage/attack rolls (DR depends on how your gm wants to calculate the bonus since it's not actually a +3 weapon it's just acting as one)

2: your character could make the assume, ya know a skeleton is obviously undead, but some animals or aberrations may look like other things so the only way to "in character" know for sure would be a knowledge roll....but a giant lizard with wings and red scales is probably the dragon you've been hunting.


In a game i recently used the spell in (carrion crown #4 against some mi-gos.) we decided that since the radius was 20 ft. it should work like a fireball (regardless of detonation point it will only reach 30 ft. as that is it's set radius) and since it specifically says it burrows from the ground it can't be conjured say in mid air.

Could you argue if there was a cliff face or wall withing 20 ft. of the creature in question that you could summon them from the wall....sure, but that wold definitely be GM discretion.


all depends on the level.....but i think i'd give it to the magus only for it's pure nova spell damage, while with the inquisitors bane ability it's a weapon attack which is more easily avoidable (spell shield magus arcana) and the inquisitor, if i recall, has bad reflex saves....so slash, slash, slash, lightning bolt, repeat.....but thats just my opinion....and i really don't wanna look the classes up to number crunch


as umbral reaver said, excess over your max hit points becomes lethal, friend of mine died to the blunt arrow trap in crypt of the everflame (hit by one arrow, crit by another) non-lethal can be pretty serious at beginning levels with an unfortunate crit


picturing the spell in my head I would say

1)Yes they would get cover unless they are taller than 10 ft. which is the spells maximum height, otherwise you would still be able to attack them with relative ease. However it would not be from all sides since they have to effectively be behind one side of the spear, but could change it each round as they move within the square (possibly a move action if you rule it as difficult terrain or free if it's a simple shift a few inches around also size dependent.)

2)Since it seems to imply that you do share space with it, and you can be tripped(without being moved into a different square) by it I'd then say it'd be possible to move through the square, but definitely it would be difficult terrain.

Of course that's just my opinion from picturing how the spell would work "realistically"


Need an ancient god of evil to tyrannize your world?

Why not zoidberg?

but in seriousness, if its staged in golarion i'd say any of the dark tapestry gods fit perfectly, if it's homebrew.......something like the lich king from warcraft before arthas, when he was more of a spirit guiding things in his favor to corrupt a champion of good or a crazed wizard who's soul transcended to divinity (like nethys but without the side who wants to protect) who is in confinement using proxies to either free him or destroy his captors out of spite.


well its important for the wizard to have fun, it's more important IMO for the group as a whole to have fun and feel relevant. my recommendation is to add monsters with moderate to high SR so that the rest of the group can fight, and the wizard when they over come the resistance can still tool on the thing their fighting. Also if their AC is magic dependent, dispel, dispel and dispel some more

It is gonna pigeon hole what you can allow them to fight but if you reskin something like a vrock to more of a parrot and switch demon traits with aberration traits, you've got a new evil parrot monster for jungle ruins. Get creative, maybe make more traps that work with reflex saves or that do int. damage (avoid int. Drain otherwise they will feel targeted)

anyways those are just off the top of my head, no idea what to do with the knowledge checks, those are basically the only skills a wizard has besides spellcraft. but best of luck.


Dear Mr. Jacobs,

I know not if you are a video gamer at all but I feel I should ask. Have you heard of this game http://www.primalcarnage.com/website/ ? Because it allows you to play as a giant t-rex and this seems relevant to your interests.

Your thoughts?


Cure Light Wounds is positive energy as far as i know. I think that's why being on the positive energy plane affects it though i could be wrong.

But yes i'd say in the case of a successful save they would only take 1/4 damage or half of half, however you wanna split hairs.


Yea but if your modifying it with a +0 modifier and reducing it's level by 1 afterwards for it's "final adjusted level" it's still a 0 level spell.

Your still treating it's actual level as lower per it's wording, as one level, even though it's adjusted by the metamagic. And as someone said since cantrip is just another word for 0 level spells, it would mean you could also argue "actual" is the key word, making it...

(1 + 0) - 1 = 0

Again though, that's just my interpretation.


I'd actually say you could use it to make it a cantrip, since by magical lineage

"Magical Lineage
Benefit: Pick one spell when you choose this trait. When you apply metamagic feats to this spell, treat its actual level as 1 lower for determining the spell’s final adjusted level."

Your lowering the actual level of the spell and not just the spell slot it takes up, so effectively a magic missile (1st level spell) with merciful (+0 adjustment) would be a cantrip since your lowering the actual level of magic missile. You'd have the drawback of lowered DC and what not....but hey it's magic missile, there's no save anyways.

Is it cheese, yes. Could it work...sure why not. But that's just my opinion.


i personally think it looks awesome, i was thinking about converting the rage mage too since its way more interesting, at least to me, than the rage prophet.

one thing i did notice is the word you use for heighten spell is a little vague, since it doesn't automatically bump it up to your max level, but by one level up to your maximum, but that's just nit picking.

definitely keep the full BAB and bump up to a d10 hit die, you need the survivability they bring once your outta rage, and you also don't wanna run into the same problems people had with the rage prophet (bonuses not being worth what your losing)

as for the rage cycling....well that depends on the players, if there playing as players than yes it could be an issue and you may wanna house rule it at the time to be one per battle or one per hour, something to that effect, but if you've got people who're actually playing the character (because let's face it i don't care how smart your barbarian is, once he's raging he's not going to think "oh let's stop being super angry and blood thirsty to gain a cheese effect with my powers" that's purely a thing optimization brings, but i won't say anything more lest the flame war begin)

lastly i would bump up the spell casting gained to be in line with the rage prophet, every other level may have been okay sometimes in 3.5 but everything has that extra jump in power now for pathfinder, and you wanna make sure you can keep up, even without your best stuff.

all in all keep up the great work, i think it looks solid, cant wait to hear how the playtest goes


1) unless you want more cantrips than yes. until 4th level it's pretty useless.

2)yes the alternate traits are just another option to take, you don't have to take it every level.

3)no, sorcerer is a different class than dragon disciple. also prestige classes cannot be a favored class so you couldn't select it anyways.

hope this helps.


Can't remember what it's called but i think its one of the midgard campaign settings has a "clock work" wizard school. probably right up your alley

it's basically conjuration but focused on summoning constructs with specialized summon monster spells


If it something that appeals to you, you could pick up a headband of wisdom, and the extend spell metamagic feat or rod thereof and start being something of a buffer. I don't know off the top of my head what druids get, but i'd start focusing on spells that help defend (wind wall against ranged attacks) and buff's like bull strength or owl's wisdom, sorry if you don't have any of these spells, again i don't remember what druids get, never played one. also if you have a decent charisma you can start buying wands or spells you wanna use, if they arent on your list just start putting points into use magic devise and start being a jack of all trades on buffs/support. you won't shine like the heavy hitters, but high level fights will be much easier if you take the time to make sure everyone is at the top of their game.


Are 3rd party classes allowed? because i know its not arcane but you could use the psionics unleashed book and taken the psychic fist and be a monk/psion or monk/psychic warrior and have "spells per say" and still punch the crap outta stuff since monk and psychic fist stack for some monk abilities


If you want something different and like 3rd party, look up a book called remarkable races by....alleria publishing i think? not sure. but it has a race called the animus that fits your bills perfectly, and as 3rd party you can't really metagame it


I don't really have a rules outlook to add, but more of a question since i thought of this same idea but with one better....if you also laced the doorknob with sovereign glue, with several doses of poison, since the PC's hands would be stuck on the door knob for more than one round would they have to make more than one save since they are in constant contact with the poison?


Well again based on the single line of the feat retuning the energy to be harmful i'd still say you could, i had a friend running a black blooded oracle for the carrion crown who modified the life mystery to be an "unlife" mystery and this feat was going to be his ace in the hole for surprise attacks when the undead werent expecting it. One of my favorite concepts i think i've ever seen. Also the race was a changling so thats always sweet.


I would say yes based on the wording they use

Benefit: A thanatopic spell pierces defenses and immunities that protect against death effects, negative levels, and energy drain, affecting the target as if the protective barrier did not exist.

For example, you could cast a thanatopic vampiric touch or enervation spell on a target under the effects of death ward, and the target would suffer the normal effect of the spell. Saving throws and SR (if any) still apply. Undead are susceptible to spells augmented by this feat, as it retunes the negative energy to be harmful to them. A thanatopic spell that would kill a living creature (such as by giving it negative levels equal to its Hit Dice) destroys an undead (though undead such as ghosts, liches, and vampires may reform as normal). Undead affected by thanatopic spells that give negative levels automatically make their saving throws to remove negative levels after 24 hours.

It says that the feat retunes negative energy to be harmful. So it might be RAI but RAW you could use this feat for any spell that deals negative energy damage, even possibly inflict spells, to harm undead


Those are good very good points, I'm curious though since i don't typically build for optimization, what is the sorc dip for? I'll probably just end up going with pure magus, just thought the concept sounded pretty cool.


Vital Strike once available is never a bad choice for a THF, lightning reflexes never hurts a melee character though i don't know how many reflex saves you'll be making. I've never been much for overrun, but the improved/greater overrun feats might be manipulate line of sight, or get you an AOO if knocked prone, so win/win. Bleeding critical will also probably be helpful, but thats much later on.

Then it just depends on if you want utility, there are feats in UM to adjust lay on hands, to do it at range, etc. so you can still get into melee and can throw an emergency heal if need be. But those are just general ideas, feel free to toss them out the window if you want too =P

Edit- Devastating Strike out of the UC is a great follow up to Vital Strike


Since talking doesn't really count as an action (or a free action if you want to count it) and you command it via speech I would rule the same way, allowing the full attack since technically the carpet is moving not the player and it isn't an action to control it. But that's just my two cents. I'm wrong a lot >.>


Well if your bringing a good amount of goblins, you could give them npc classes levels, mostly expert, and have them fill most of the odd jobs on the caravan. What's more entertaining than a multitasking cook/entertainer goblin?(i know they cant do that but it's awesome anyways) With that the caravan's reaction is pretty moot.

Just don't let them scout.....or do let them scout....depends how often you want that giant dragon flying overhead to go unnoticed.


Hi all. I'm currently about to join in on a carrion crown game at the beginning of book 4 (all they've done so far in the fight against the assassin/ghouls in the barn). I was considering trying a magus but i wanted the character to feel a little more interesting. So i was considering trying a Magus7/cleric2 (so i can get medium armor from the magus) to start as they are 9th level, taking cleric 3rd level for 10th then going straight into mystic theurge. The goal is for him to be 3/5 caster 2/5 melee with a more offense tone.

So basically I was wondering if anyone had any advice on a good race, feat build, god, gear setup....or even if the idea was worth trying at all. So far all i was thinking was Samsaran for race for the +2 int/wis but i have anything paizo published at my disposal. Anyway any help would be appreciated, Thanks!


I dunno if anyone mentioned it as i was skimming everything but, while not ideal, if your cool with 3rd party the Priest from Adamant Entertainment's (i think) Tome of secrets might be okay. you only get light armor and few weapons but you get knowledge as a free domain, 2 domain spells instead of 1, and knowledge as a free domain in addition to the two you normally pick. might be worth a look.

Edit- Sorry Wraithstrike didnt see your post. a +1 to you good sir