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TIL venture officers are all sith. That explains a lot actually.
Not specific to the blog post, but a question that came up in today's game: Do large sized roc companions have reach? It's hard to tell, since there's no Bestiary entry for that sized roc. I would go with no, because the gargantuan entry has reach 15 feet with a space of 20 feet, indicating that it is large-long, so it has 5 feet less reach than its space.
Which also takes up a slot that is normally occupied by one of the big six magic items. I was also under the impression that the talisman is not PFS legal. There is also the cap of the free thinker in the head slot for 12000 gold, which lets you reroll a failed save vs a mind affecting effect once per day, which may be the best option here.
My concern was less about the price point and if it is worth it. From here on out, I need to consider my purchases very carefully and for the time being dropping $40 on one pathfinder book at all is out of the question. My concern is that it might alter my ability to utilize material that I previously had access to.
Balance issues aside, this sets a dangerous precedent. As a college student on a budget who has been playing the game for years and has many characters using the clear spindle ioun stone along with various other options that have been reprinted or might have been reprinted with the book (I do not have access so I am concerned about a number of other ioun stones and other things) I do not like the idea of having to get a new book to access gutted versions of things that I have been using for years. From what I hear, I am probably going to forgo the book altogether since it is $40 for nothing that I want and many changes that I do not want. I just hope Paizo includes some note for those of us still using seeker of secrets that it can still be used and adapted, or ideally grandfathered. Failing that, I guess I am getting some gold refunded, I just hope someone makes easy note of what exactly is affected so that people without access to the new book know exactly how their existing characters are affected. This is not the first time Paizo has done this, rewriting existing material and phasing out the old interpretation and bringing in the new one. The previous example that comes to mind is living monolith. The difference between the circumstances surrounding the living monolith's rewrite and this new book is that the living monolith is a relatively obscure prestige class and the rewrite brought it more visibility and arguably made it more viable, while in this case most society players were already aware of ioun stones and their interactions with wayfinders, and the rewrite gives you less reason to use the option. Serisan, it is okay to note that the book adds material, but they used space in the book that could have been used for entirely new material to rewrite material that has been around since before I started playing with no problem. There is always going to be a best option to pick, and ioun stones were rarely that. In fact, I enjoy the fact that ioun stones give you a reason to pick something other than the big six with your money, even if it only diverts a little bit of your cash for a little bonus.
Sent a message to the VO in question to see about getting her side of the story. I would advise against making decisions about who was right and who was wrong off of a one sided thread, I have been playing PFS in the area for a while now, and have never had trouble with the leadership. I do also agree about using names on a public forum, but knowing a bit more about the personalities involved this seems a bit strange and out of character for local PFS leadership.
There is an faq that I will look for that says the arcane caster level prerequisite is archaic, and is satisfied by effective wizard level, so that other casters who get familiars such as shamans are able to take improved familiars. I will edit my post when I find the faq. Edit: Improved Familiars: There are various ways for characters other than arcane spellcasters to gain familiars at this point, and some of those options even grant Improved Familiar as a bonus feat, but technically each Improved Familiar option requires a certain arcane spellcaster level to take it. Does that mean that non-arcane characters with Improved Familiar have a dead feature? How does it work? If it does work, can I take an Improved Familiar as some kind of variant familiar or a temporary familiar like the occultist’s soulbound puppet? The Improved Familiar description was written back when only arcane spellcasters could have familiars, and it wasn’t sufficiently future-proofed. To that end, you can always substitute your effective wizard level for the purpose of determining your familiar’s abilities for “arcane spellcaster level” to determine the available improved familiars for your character. In general, you can take Improved Familiars for class-granted variant familiars like a shaman’s spirit animal, with a few exceptions: First, temporary familiars like the occultist’s soulbound puppet can’t become Improved Familiars from the Improved Familiar feat, and those class features don’t qualify you to take the Improved Familiar feat. Second, tumor familiars, as lumps of flesh in the shape of animals, can’t become Improved Familiars. In other cases, treat Improved Familiar as if it was an archetype to see if it stacks with other familiar options: since the two things it alters from a regular familiar are that it removes the ability to speak with animals of its kind and it prevents changing the creature type for non-animals, you couldn’t make a familiar that changes the creature type of non-animals or alters or removes speak with animals of its kind an Improved Familiar.
I see three odd stats in your ability scores. Odd stats are a waste generally in pfs since you only get 2 boosts normally anyways. I would go 16 str 14 con 14 dex 10 int 12 wis 13 cha if you want to keep generally the same array, or would rework it to dump something(either int or cha) if you want to push strength higher to an 18. Either way being in the middle at a 17 does not benefit you. Since you can rebuild at first level in pfs you can even do that after playing him.
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Willing to trade multiple boons depending on the race
My understanding is that is an illegal point buy, you have to spend all of your points. However, that is also a rather bad idea, as you have 2 different high odd stats. You could take one of the 17s to an 18 and leave one at a 16, and that would be your 20 points. Assuming you were doing that with the idea of raising those with your 4th and 8th level adjustments, this is actually better for you, as instead of going through levels 1-3 with two +3s, then levels 4-7 with one +4 and one +3, and then finally having two +4s, you can go all the way through levels 1-7 with a +4 and a +3, then have both your +4s assuming you are using your level boost in that.
As far as "winning pathfinder" and invalidating encounters I could see this being a lot of fun to gm for a party who uses this especially if they do it as a well played covert ops unit. Take inspiration from Burn Notice, Michael Weston would be a great pathfinder, even if Fi fits better into the murderhobo mold. Edit: Good team play should always be incentivized, and I think the rules do this well in this case, and the GM should support this
Let me just say that you should be fine, since you seem to be following a concept and just trying to make it viable at low levels as opposed to taking the most overpowered low level options and switching them out for your endgame build. Most of the time when people object is just like when The Fox said, the first level barbarians. Let me also point out a slightly better option for getting past level 1 if you don't want to play it gimped, and that is to gm. I have only played about 2 level one games in the past year thanks to gm credit. I do not forsee any objections to this.
As written, the fighter levels counting as wizard levels for the purposes of a familiar are separate from and do not grant an arcane caster level, which is what is needed for improved familiar. Therefore, fighters cannot take improved familiar, because the rules spell it out in a way that does not explicitly allow it, and while it does not expressly disallow it, that is not how the rules work. The rules must tell you that you are able to do something for you to be able to do it, and to get an improved familiar as a fighter you must make inferences not supported by the rules. (aside: I wish that fighters could take improved familiars, because I love improved familiars myself, but I am firmly of the stance that as written they cannot)
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Willing to trade the whole set for a Dhampir, even though it is not going to happen probably. Willing to trade the whole set for a skinwalker. (this is my number one preference) Probably willing to trade the whole set for a samsaran, but I would have to think about it. Also willing to trade two to one (or even three to one if you make a compelling case) in non race boons to race boons for the Oread.
Have:
Want:
Willing to trade the whole set for a Dhampir, even though it is not going to happen probably. Willing to trade the whole set for a skinwalker. (this is my number one preference) Probably willing to trade the whole set for a samsaran, but I would have to think about it. Also willing to trade two to one (or even three to one if you make a compelling case) in non race boons to race boons for the Oread.
Also, "a lot of conventions?" They only give the seasonal boon at local conventions, even up to origins, my understanding is that unique boons are only for the big conventions like gencon and maybe paizocon. I have personally only ever seen one rebuild boon and that is from somebody who makes it a point to go to gencon.
Have:
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Willing to trade the whole set for that Dhampir, even though it is not going to happen probably. Also willing to trade two to one (or even three to one if you make a compelling case) in non race boons to race boons.
Heighten spell can be very effective with dazing spell, but getting both can be a large investment, and I have personally never done it. As far as picking up spell pen just to cast slow, I recommend the tactic of targeting foes who do not have sr with that, and using your conjuration focus on those who do have sr, that way you still have a use for the spell, but like any spell, it is never the absolute best choice, nor are you cripplingly specialized in it. Put me in the 20 int camp, but that is because I love high dcs, but I can see it not being necessary with a support/summoning build. Finally, I second Ryzoken's comments on playstyle, when you say that you welcome judgement but derisively dismiss sound judgement it creates a toxic environment. On a note- I avoided the counterspelling portion because I have never seen a dedicated abjurer at work, and cannot critique that well.
28 int at level 9 I hear?
I am guessing the recent rash of activity on this thread was set off by origins a few weeks ago. Have:
Want:
Willing to trade the whole set for that Dhampir, even though it is not going to happen probably. Also willing to trade two to one (or even three to one if you make a compelling case) in non race boons to race boons.
At first level, especially no, for the most part, probably no... The reason people love big cats is because of their high strength, large number of natural attacks, and pounce, none of which they really have at first level (only three attacks, 13 str, no pounce). You should still be fine in later more difficult content, but keep in mind that the big cat is generally well balanced against later season stuff, and in core you have less options to deal with the difficult challenges of later seasons, so it may be more conducive to the survival of your party to switch out for a cat when the time comes.
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