AlenaRyu's page

Yes, the codex seems like a good resource but each time Ive consulted it Ive found the examples there don't quite fit and I have to modify heavily. (err this guy is way to weak for a stone cutter, wheres divination on this guy, I need a fortune teller? etc.)

But thanks, I think I have a better understanding where these fit in.

Heh. Welcome to tabletop gaming. The more involved you get, the more 'custom' stuff you'll find yourself wanting to make.

For what it's worth, you can always consider 're-skinning' existing NPC statblocks, without actually changing anything. I once had a mob that consisted entirely of fishermen, but rather then statting them out properly, I just took the Goon NPC from the srd, (who normally wields two swords) and just claimed he was attacking the players with a spear, and he just attacked twice.

They never knew the difference. Its a great way of getting that 'sort of close but not really' situations resolved.

Guardian Spirit can't be applied to a humanoid, only to a creature that is a valid Improved Familiar choice. It's used in conjunction with the Summon Guardian Spirit feat. Since you're already homebrewing and pulling in unbalanced third-party feats, you're going to need to look at overall fairness anyway.

In answer to your question, no, Smite doesn't deal hitpoint damage. It's a buff to other attacks.

Thats actually a good point. Crap.

Hey all. Got me a quick clarification question I'm looking to have answered.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/guardian-spirit -cr-varies

I'm applying this template to a paladin the party unceremoniously had slain in the wild, (long story - evil campaign), whose coming back as a Guardian Spirit for some ghostly revenge. But as I update the guy's old stat block, I find myself stumbling on a peculiar rule.

"Special Attacks: If the guardian spirit has extraordinary or supernatural abilities that deal hit point damage measured in dice, the number of dice increases by an amount equal to the level of spell used to conjure it – 3. If the ability requires at least a standard action to activate and has an instantaneous duration, the damage increases by an additional die."

Now this guy is using a 3rd Party Feat called "Improved Smite", which adds +3d6 holy damage to his Smite Evil attacks. Which brings to mind the question - would this damage increase apply to something like Smite Evil, which, while it does no damage in it of itself, acts as a buff to make the guy's regular, non-supernatural attacks stronger?

Hey there, ho there.
I'm looking for a convenient way to track individual monster health, particularly when one of the monsters is hurt, but the others arn't.

I'm considering purchasing these: http://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Status-Markers-Original-Colors/dp/B00GFCI4X2 /ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1445647223&sr=8-2&keywords=wet+erase+to kens , and writing in dry-erase just how much damage a given creature has taken, a much less irritating process then the paper-flags-on-plastic-tokens our group uses now.

Before I go spending the 20-something bucks on what amounts to colored magnets though, I'm wondering if the PF community has found anything better? Perhaps a cheaper or more effective way of tracking different HP values on a board?

I've been looking at these too, http://www.amazon.com/Privateer-Press-Minature-Game-Minions/dp/B004E8HUDO/r ef=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1445650244&sr=8-5&keywords=Mkii+tokens, but I'm not sure if they're 1 inch tokens, and I'm disapointed by the lack of varied colors...

When these have run out, they'll still be available as PDF copies, right?

Here is the thing, most of the dervish features stack. Unless it is specified as a separate battle dance.

"Most"?

As far as I can tell...

Dervish Dancers have 6 different Battle Dances at max level, of which one can be 'active' at a time.
Inspire Courage, Inspire Greatness, Inspire Heroics, Rain of Blows, Razor's Kiss, Leaf on the Wind.

While performing any of the above battle dances, the following buffs are active (and indeed stack with one of the above battle dances).
Fleet, Dance of Fury, Battle Fury.

Versatile Dance is active regardless of weather or not the Dervish is Battle Dancing. (They're not literally dance-jumping. Its the same as an acrobatics check. They just use their dance training to perform the acrobatic act in question.)

Am I correct?

James Gibbons wrote:

the ability states "This works like bardic performance, except the dervish dancer only affects himself, and does not need to be able to see or hear his own performance"

Since your new to pathfinder don't forget to bring this tidbit to other areas of the metagame as it comes up a lot
"like -game mechanic-" Is it's self a mechanic terminology. It's been defined a hundred times in the forums. It means it works in all ways like that mechanic, it draws from the same pool, it doesn't stack, it requires the same prerequisites and unless stated otherwise acts as the other ability in no vague way at all.

Well darn. :P Ah well. Still a pretty cool class. But thats a good rule of thumb to keep in mind.

Gracias sir. Now I just gotta confront the group about my mistake. Feels kinda weird to suddenly have to switch how I've been playing her all this time. ^^;

But doesn't that also mean that there's absolutely no point in performing a....

Holy crap I just realized the mistake I made.
There IS a point in a Battle Dance of Inspire Courage, over a Bardic Performance of Inspire Courage.
All those extraneous buffs. The increased move speed, the Dance of Fury....blargh. XP

the ability states "This works like bardic performance, except the dervish dancer only affects himself, and does not need to be able to see or hear his own performance"

Since your new to pathfinder don't forget to bring this tidbit to other areas of the metagame as it comes up a lot
"like -game mechanic-" Is it's self a mechanic terminology. It's been defined a hundred times in the forums. It means it works in all ways like that mechanic, it draws from the same pool, it doesn't stack, it requires the same prerequisites and unless stated otherwise acts as the other ability in no vague way at all.

Well darn. :P Ah well. Still a pretty cool class. But thats a good rule of thumb to keep in mind.

Gracias sir. Now I just gotta confront the group about my mistake. Feels kinda weird to suddenly have to switch how I've been playing her all this time. ^^;

Oookie dokie. I've been staring at the Dervish Dancer archtype for a good long time now. I've spent hours seeking out some small bit of text to clarify my confusion over the subject, but here is my question:

Is Battle Dance a limited ability? Or is it supposed to be infinite, akin to switching specific stances?

It seems clear to me, focused on the wording, that the ability to Battle Dance does NOT replace Bardic Performance. The Dervish Dancer DOES give up several of the better types of performances in the process (frightening tune, suggestion, ect), but still maintains a number of basic Bardic Performances, such as Inspire Competence.

Its worded as if these two are separate abilities. So my question (and the source of all my confusion) is, do these abilities draw from the same pool?

There is no indication on eaither page that says "You have a pool of 'song magic' that you use up to perform". It says you can use Bardic Performance a number of rounds per day equal to 2x Bard Level + Cha mod, (similar to many spell-like abilities, such as 'disguise self'), save for an irritatingly vauge statement that "This ability functions like Bardic Performance".

The Dervish Dancer page also lists all of the other restrictions and specifics about what a Battle Dance does, (stops being effective if the Bard is prevented from moving, starts as a move action, but must be ended in order to begin a new Battle Dance) but NEVER mentions a limited amount of Battle Dance uses.

With all this stated, I've personally read the archtype as follows:

The Dervish Dancer is a specific breed of Bard that focuses less on party support, and more on melee combat.

In exchange for much of the versatility and party-support that comes with the standard suite of Bardic Performance abilities, it gains the ability to "Battle Dance", which amounts to the ability to provide bonuses to themselves, and ONLY themselves, but to do so infinitely.

The Dervish Dancer obtains a number of Battle Dances, of which only one can be active at any given time. (Inspire Courage, Inspire Greatness, Inspire Heroics, Rain of Blows, Razor's Kiss, Leaf on the Wind). Leaf on the Wind is special in this regard. While most performances take a Free Action each round to maintain, Leaf on the Wind takes a standard action, preventing the Bard from actively fighting while its active.

While Battle Dancing, a number of additional effects activate. Fleet (Movement speed up), Dance of Fury (ability to move and attack in the same turn) and Battle Fury.

Of these, only Battle Fury seems really overpowered, and you don't get it till 20th level, so its kind of supposed to be. :P

The Dervish Dancer is still only capable of wearing light armor, and is proficient with a variety of relatively small weapons, the greatest of which is the Schimtar.

All in all, you wind up with an insanely mobile melee class. While not as tanky as a Fighter or a Paladin, (who both get better BAB, armor, HP, weapons, and the like), the Dervish has alot more versitility, able to switch between offensive and defensive fighting on the fly, in addition to maintaining bardic spells.

Its a neat class, but I personally don't believe its overpowered or anything.

But...I'm still kinda new to this game. And I'm open to oppinions. What do y'all think