Alec Keeler's page

Thanks for the info! Living in an apartment complex, one sometimes worries about packages going missing.

Sharaya, would you mind taking a look at my order as well?

Yeah, I haven't gotten mine either, and am slightly concerned. I've received the last two books in fairly quick order. I'll hold off until the end of the coming week before I try getting ahold of customer support, but two+ weeks seems like a lot for shipping within the US.

Thanks, this will help me explain why it's there to curious players.

I was actually really pleased that it's in there. One of my players wanted to play a Paladin, but was having a hard time deciding which deity to worship. She liked some of what Shelyn was about, but wasn't sure about her as a whole.

So, we came up with the idea of her "worshipping" Zon-Kuthon's former self Dou-Bral. Knowing full well that he is now evil, her paladin is trying to bring him back to the light from the darkness of whatever he encountered and was corrupted by in the Dark Tapestry.

It doesn't really work out with RAW, but I thought it was a pretty cool idea. I decided that Zon-Kuthon would grant her divine power out of some twisted humor and the assumption that with his power she would eventually corrupt herself.

So I think it'll be neat for her to find the shrine to him in the chapel, and it'll turn some heads when she goes and kneels before it in the morning.

Oooh I like that a lot, Mortagon. Thanks for all the input, folks.

Regarding the Clutches ability, does the "full speed" even apply for direct upward flight? My understanding was the reason it flew at half speed upwards was because it's upwards, not because he's carrying someone.

Thanks, Amber Die Dude. I had not realized upward flight was at half speed, so that definitely helps out. I think the idea with trees is also a good one to at least allow a reasonable opportunity to come out of it alive if all else fails. At least until the thing comes back for another victim. I will definitely us a d12. I was just thinking earlier about how rarely they are used...

So the nightgaunt in the large courtyard seems... Maybe too dangerous for 2nd level. It attacks immediately when the PCs go outside and has a +17 grapple check. I don't envision a way I don't immediately grab someone and then next round just fly 80 feet up and drop for a kill. At best, the rest of the party get an attack and maybe an attack of opportunity, and the grabbed player gets a single chance to escape. Should I just keep the thing grounded until it reaches a certain HP?

There just isn't even really a chance to escape from it and find another path.

Edit: Also, how does Ratch react if Genny Two-Tail from the library is accompanying the PCs, and how does Genny react? Does she stay out of it, join Ratch if an opportunity arrises to attack?

Regarding how much the PCs do/don't remember:

** spoiler omitted **

** spoiler omitted **

When I was in a brief 2-man party, I played a Magus and my friend played an Ancestral Oracle. Worked pretty well until I used Shocking Grasp on a golem. I was still new enough not to know that was a bad idea even out of character... I learned pretty quick though.

Besides those two, and the aforementioned Paladin and Alchemist, I think Druids would fit a 2-man party well also, they're pretty well-rounded.

I'm writing a short Halloween game for some friends right now, and I'm including a lot of haunts, some from Paizo and some from a couple third party publishers. There are a lot of really cool haunts that are a little too powerful, but it's pretty easy to tone down the effect while keeping the same flavor of the haunt. The d20PFSRD has a fairly large selection of haunts, so you don't really need to but anything extra. I highly recommend using them. Cool flavor, and not usually deadly.

You could store up to the limit of items in the Polymorphic pouch and then use them after FotD, yes. It's capacity is low, so it may not grant you access to all of your items, necessarily. As far as casting spells and spell components go, I am very certain that when polymorphed, if you cast a spell requiring material components, they are removed from your pouch even if you don't have physical access to it (as long as you had them when you polymorphed). You are perfectly capable of using your own wands, scrolls, staves and spells, so long as those items are held in the polymorphic pouch.

Concerning in combat, I'd say moving a corpse (or lifting it onto your shoulders if you are strong enough) almost certainly requires a standard action, and probably one that provokes AoO's. When this arises in my games, my DM counts this as a drag action, a standard that provokes, and can move the body 5 ft. Presumably, one "drags" a corpse rather than "repositions" it. It would be difficult for many characters to lift another character that is fully equipped with gear. Except maybe a Small one. My DM does not have us roll any checks to drag a fallen companion. I don't think anyone has tried dragging a foe's corpse in combat, but I presume the same would apply (shouldn't need to make checks against something that isn't resisting, but such an action provokes AoO's). Because dragging the body is a standard action, it limits the movement in combat to 5 ft per round. This makes logical sense to me, as moving a heavy body amidst a fight would be difficult, and not something you could do at "full speed."

Dimension Door (and Teleport, same rules) would function with a corpse (depending upon the spell's specifications) regardless of whether or not it is considered a creature.

In the case that it is NOT a creature:
"You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn't exceed your maximum load."

Or if it IS considered a creature:
"You may also bring one additional willing Medium or smaller creature (carrying gear or objects up to its maximum load) or its equivalent per three caster levels."

Perhaps a corpse can be considered both or either in the case of the spell. Maybe that is a determination to be made by individual DMs.

EDIT: Upon re-reading the quote from Dimension Door concerning creatures, it specifies a "willing creature" (which is still a creature, as discussed previously :P), and therefore a corpse is considered an object for the purposes of this spell and others like it.

So wraithstrike, by your logic, a "flying creature" is also not the same as a "creature" and is therefore not alive? Qualification is not the same as exclusion. A "creature" can be many things. Relative to the game, a "creature" can by flying, moving, grappled, speaking, deaf, all sorts of things that are relevant.

Raise Dead's target qualification is a "dead creature" because it targets a creature with a specific condition.

The rules for the spell Breath of Life state:
"Unlike other spells that heal damage, breath of life can bring recently slain creatures back to life. If cast upon a creature that has died within 1 round, apply the healing from this spell to the creature."

That second sentence pretty clearly implies that a "dead creature" is also a "creature."

So again, a qualifying adjective is not the same as excluding the noun it qualifies from still being that noun.

EDIT: To Anon Visitor,
If you are in the same square as someone who is prone, you are not squeezing. Unless the corpse is animated in midair, you are not squeezing.

As far as moving a corpse goes, I'm fairly certain you don't need a CMB check against something you aren't in combat with, or something that is actively resisting your efforts. If you're knocking over a coat rack because you're mad it dropped your jacket, your DM probably isn't going to ask you to roll a trip check. Further, upon a simple reading of the CMB rules:
"If your target is immobilized, unconscious, or otherwise incapacitated, your maneuver automatically succeeds..." It is also defined as action taken in combat. I doubt you're trying to fight your fallen companion's corpse, just get it to a cart to take to the temple. Or whatever.