RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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p. 213 Soulbound Familiar archetype - What exactly does the soul focus ability do aside from describe how to make a new familiar if yours is killed or how to break the crystal? It replaces alertness, but doesn't seem to have an ability, aside from the descriptive text "retains its personality and memories". Is there supposed to be a mechanical effect?
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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p. 218 Greater Tenacious Hunter - is there a reason this isn't Improved Tenacious Hunter, leaving room to potentially create a Greater Tenacious Hunter feat in the future? It's pretty typical that the 2nd feat in a chain is Improved, and the 3rd is Greater, but this one skips right to Greater.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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p. 244 Nature Climbing Harness - this is almost identical to the second story harness from Shattered Star: Shards of Sin, except it's 5gp more expensive 1 pound heavier, can only be worn over light armor, and needs a standard action to use, rather than a move action. Otherwise it's a word for word copy of that item. Even if it's supposed to be an update, by choosing a different name for the UW version, it technically is a different item and doesn't default to the hardcover version of a rule supersedes other sources.
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The Verdant Shifter archetype cannot shapeshift because although the Plant Shape ability alters Wild Shape to function as the Plant Shape line of spells...
This ability otherwise functions as the standard wild shape shifter class feature.
... meaning that you cannot assume the Major Form of Aspects when the archetype replaces Shifter Aspects. I guess the insultingly short duration on Plant Shape doesn't really matter when you can't use the ability in the first place.
P. 71 Nature Warden archetype - This archetype delays the Paladin's Smite Evil progression by 4 levels (and access to smite evil) for an ability that won't be usable until 2nd level. Would it be more appropriate to replace channel energy, considering how similar the wording is to Oath of Vengeance Paladin's Channel Wrath?
Page 8 - Favored Class Options: Missing this line from Occult Adventures: "If an alternate favored class option modifies a class feature or ability, it can't be taken before the character has that class feature or ability. For example, if a class gains a class feature at 6th level, a character couldn't take a racial favored class option that applies to that class feature until 6th level, even if the benefit from that option wouldn't be high enough to add a bonus until a later level."
It is possible that this is meant to remove that, but seems to be an error since it's been shown to be the stance taken before with John Compton and of course Occult Adventures Page 84.
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I'm copying this from another thread I made, as I was advised to post it here.
The Bully Animal Companion Archetype reads:
Bully Feat: In addition to the standard feats available to animal companions, a bully can select Greater Bull Rush, Greater Overrun, Greater Reposition, Greater Trip, Improved Reposition, and Improved Trip. It can use Power Attack instead of Combat Expertise as a prerequisite to qualify for feats on this list.
It says nothing about ignoring the Int 13 requirement of those feats, which doesn't seem intentional because with an Int of at least 3, they can take those feats without them being on the Animal List anyway.
Is this a mistake?
Page 23 Basic Leshykinesis - Is this a Supernatural ability that changes the way basic phytokinesis works? or does it change basic phytokinesis into a Supernatural ability from a Spell-like ability?
Second What is your dex while mobile in tree shape? Is it still 0 since you are in tree shape? or does it return to normal because you have regained the ability to move?
I would love some clarity on the Herb Witch's Herb Lore ability, specifically, the way the Profession (herbalist) is used for Craft (alchemy) checks. It's not clear if circumstance and other bonuses to Craft (alchemy) apply - and if they don't, it makes the +4 from the mandatory Caudron hex useless, and in many cases, means the Herb Witch is still better off using Craft (alchemy) than Profession (herbalist) until very high levels (when the 1/2 level bonus finally outweighs the abundance of Craft boosting abilities/items), meaning the mechanics end up fighting the flavor.
While I'm discussing the Herb Witch - is it intentional that the Ultimate Wilderness version of the Herb With cannot cure poison or disease until 10th level now? Just suppress it for 1 minute?
The Herb Witch, in this new version, is better off crafting antiplague or antitoxen (using Craft (alchemy) NOT profession (herbalist)), and putting ranks in heal, than even bothering using their signature ability.
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Page 78. Elemental Strike (Su): At 1st level, as a swift action, an elementalist shifter can charge her melee attacks with elemental energy. The elementalist shifter can charge her attacks only with an element she has chosen with elemental aspect. Once charged, each melee attack the elementalist shifter makes until the start of her next turn deals an additional 1d6 points of energy damage based on the element she chooses when taking this action (see Elemental Aspects on page 79). This additional damage increases by 1d6 at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, to a maximum of 6d6 points of energy damage at 20th level. An elementalist shifter can’t use elemental strike while under a polymorph effect.This replaces shifter claws.
With the restriction of not being able to be uaed while under a polymorph effect, what is the purpose of this ability on the elemental shifter? If you are in your elemental form you are locked out of using a main class feature inclined for damage for the utility or being a elemental. ( which is nice but it doesnt mesh well with the archtype if your main damage mechanic is when you are not shifted as a shiftetlr.)
Seems that the FAQ is all about the Shifter:
Ok that the class was really badly implemented and people was furious about it...but UW is full of stuff that would need FAQing, especially the rules about poisons and salvaging! :-/
Why Paizo is not doing anything about them??
Skarm
Ultimate Wilderness page 206
Spiny Starfish are not listed as aquatic.
It's not a big deal but PRIONOSUCHUS is not crocodile.
It's a titanic salamander.
Is this thread dead? I have other questions about the shifter and this thread hasnt moved with answers since march.
I'd like some sort of errata as well...
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While I was excited to see this book, and theres so many fun ideas to play with...it feels pretty half baked. There are so many issues and erratta problems..and things that just don't make sense.
First and foremost...muthuaf@!$in Shifters! Conceptually I love em...but they are just so horribly done here. even with the erratta that came out addressing some of the glaring problems (like owls that cant fly etc). They just do not compare...they aren't as good at shifting as their druid cousins...and they aren't as good at fighting as a fighter. They need heavy buffs on both ends. I mean I'm cool with having limited forms, but these forms should be beastly. The minors need to be reworked...especially the ones that give out of combat buffs like stealth, or the mouse giving evasion, or the horse's endurance, but only for minutes at a time, and you have to kick it on to get it which makes these near useless.
then we have all the druid restrictions and proficiencies...can't use heavy armor, and wearing armors nerfs out one of the class's other abilities (defensive instinct) for some reason...cause putting this piece of wood on my arm makes my instincts so much worse.
d4 starting claws that don't crank up till 7th...your supposed to be making me want to use them
And lets not even get into the feat starvation for a full melee class, and the feats that seem aimed towards them but have prohibitively high prereqs (wis 19), being about the only non monster feats in any book with stat requirements that high...and the few that comes close is late game stuff with feat chains and 10+ BAB requirements
ok but enough with the ranting about shifter...theres other things too like the herbalist stuff. where you need two differing skills to find and prepare. You need either knowledge nature or profession herbalist to find them (survival situationally), and then you need craft alchemy to prep them. trying to use herbalist imparts a +5 to the dc. That should not be there! If someone's going to dump skill points into that skill, then that skill should be including the skills to do the whole task. thats not a skill you would use in any other circumstance. If there needs to be the penalty it should be on the alchemist. Its like saying the alchemist would take a penalty to try and make alchemist fire...you need weaponsmithing to make that. It just doesn't make sense
the last thing I want to rant about are the rules for the Magic Plants...they just don't make any sense and are damn near worthless as written. The only thing they would be good for is GM use as a Deus-Ex-Machina. For one....they are quite expensive, and require a 3 feat chain to grow yourself (which puts the earliest they generally could be a option at 5th if you built specifically towards it).
here lets use the palm of decadent feasts as an example. nearly 10K, produces one fruit a year that works like heroes feast for up to 4, or extended heroes feast for 1. It also must be used within the week of the solstice or it becomes worthless.
Now...if I were to say...get scrolls of heroes feast. I would be able to afford the equivalent of 8 or 9 years worth of the trees production. Castings that could be used when needed instead of at a specific time...and that can affect almost 3 times as many people (11 for your standard scroll). And unlike the 500lb tree, I can carry the scrolls around with me through the wilderness!
Not convinced, ok here how about something a little more productive...the goodberry bush. At 8k produces the effects of goodberry year round, and can potentially have up to 42 berries on it if found (yes 42, it will never hit 50 naturally per raw). But for that 8k, you could instead get about 500 castings of the spell! nearly 2 years of the plants production! And while useful, its function is not exactly a necessity in most situations, as generally a survival check is easy enough to make even untrained. And again, they only last a day off the plant so you couldn't stockpile them for an adventure.
The biggest problem with them is the line that says "they can't be kept potent for longer than a day even by effects that preserve foodstuffs" that line should be thrown out entirely. Let preservation methods be effective, so they can be brought to where they are needed. As is...they are only useful to gm's as a plot device...or to stationary campaigns, ones that stay almost entirely in one 'city'. Where wildernes exploration and such are basically nonexistant, as the time limit makes them near worthless. And considering this is a book all about awesome wilderness stuff...that seems the wrong way to go.
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tl;dr
shifter is broken weak and needs major buffs. aspects (both major and minor) either are in need of rework, or are completely boring...and not exactly clear which as is. need more feats for a full martial class. and have several dead levels (levels with no meaningful advancement), even with the eratta, which doesn't add anything worthwhile in them.
herbology should all fall primarily under profession herbalist, with other skills potentially substituting or supplementing the skill.
Magical plants are overpriced, locked behind a feat chain, and most importantly they need to be preservable. As is, they are worthless to players and only useful as a deus-ex for GM's.
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Pg. 205 - Ravenous tumbleweed
The ravenous tumbleweed has an ability called hurtling charge which says the following:
Hurtling Charge (Ex) A ravenous tumbleweed that travels at least 20 feet as part of a charge action does not provoke an attack of opportunity when it enters an opponent’s space to make a melee attack.
Unless it's written somewhere that ravenous tumbleweeds' mortal enemies are barbarians with the unexpected strike rage power, this ability doesn't actually do anything since:
1) Charging is a special attack action, not a combat maneuver, and therefore doesn't normally provoke an attack of opportunity when doing it anyway.2) Even ignoring #1 above, you don't provoke attacks of opportunity when moving INTO a threatened square in the first place. You provoke them when moving OUT OF a threatened square.
To fix this, you could change the ability to the following:
Hurtling Charge (Ex) A ravenous tumbleweed that travels at least 20 feet as part of a charge action does not provoke any attacks of opportunity from enemies whose threatened squares it passes through on the way to its target beyond those first 20 feet of movement.
If this feels too powerful for a CR 1/3 creature, another rewrite of this ability that maintains it as being solely applicable against the target of its charge (albeit situational) would be:
Hurtling Charge (Ex) A ravenous tumbleweed that travels at least 20 feet as part of a charge action against an opponent with natural reach or a reach weapon does not provoke any attacks of opportunity from that opponent for leaving any of its threatened squares.
Note that this is “into an opponent’s space,” not into their threatened area.
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Ravenous Tumbleweed is tiny, and therefore needs to enter the same square as anything it intends to attack, which does in fact normally provoke.
Creatures that take up less than 1 square of space typically have a natural reach of 0 feet, meaning they can’t reach into adjacent squares. They must enter an opponent’s square to attack in melee. This provokes an attack of opportunity from the opponent.
Thank you both, I have no idea how I entirely missed the fact that this thing was Tiny!
Must be the +8 Stealth modifier ;D