Tataka

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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8. RPG Superstar 6 Season Dedicated Voter, 7 Season Marathon Voter, 8 Season Marathon Voter, 9 Season Marathon Voter. 717 posts (718 including aliases). 5 reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 1 alias.



RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

The rules for shaping are left deliberately vague, so I thought it would be nice to have some mechanically sound guidelines for GMs who want to allow their players to use shaping when they visit the First World.

Shaping

Does this sound reasonable? Did I forget anything important?

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1. A stone boulder (usable as an obstacle/weight)
2. A couple of inflated buoyent balloons
3. A bathtub (filled with hot water and bubbles)
4. A picnic (romantic music not included)
5. A sack filled with copper coins
6. A real bed with a mattress, blankets, and fluffy pillows (stuffed animals are optional)
7. A barrel filled with water, oil, flour, etc.
8. A campfire
9. A coffin (for vampires and goths)
10. A bookshelf
11. A tent (already set up)
12. A skeleton/corpse (for necromancers, could also be useful as a decoy)
13. A wardrobe (when you can't decide what to wear)
14. A block of ice (makeshift refrigerator)
15. A dung pile (can be dropped at doorsteps or dungeon entrances)
16. A ball pit (for adventurers of all ages)
17. A giant holy symbol (size matters)
18. A glass panel/distorting mirror
19. A flower bed
20. A tower shield
21. A siege weapon
22. A cart with turnips, eggs, vegetables, etc. (possibly rotten)

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

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Several aspects of these abilities are unclear.

A comprehensive list of creatures with the attach ability from all six Bestiaries, with a short summary how their abilities works:

Spoiler:
Familiar, Weasel (Bestiary): automatically grapples foe, automatically deals bite damage each round; the maintain grapple part (as well as the bonus to CMB) seems to be missing here

Leech, Giant (Bestiary): automatically grapples foe, automatically deals bite damage each round

Stirge (Bestiary): 'effectively' grapples target, anchoring 'it' [presumably the stirge] in place

Tick, Giant (Bestiary 2): refers to the universal monster ability; can use grab at the same time?

Pickled Punk (Bestiary 4): automatically grapples foe, automatically deals bite damage each round; Target is not considered to be grappling

Brain Mole (Bestiary 4): refers to the universal monster ability

Familiar, Tuatara (Bestiary 4): refers to the universal monster ability

Blightspawn (Bestiary 5): refers to the universal monster ability

Echeneis (Bestiary 5): automatically grapples foe, can make a free tail slap against other targets while attached

Riftcreeper (Bestiary 5): refers to the universal monster ability

Wizard's Shackle (Bestiary 5): refers to the universal monster ability

Skincrawler (Bestiary 6): refers to the universal monster ability

The attach (Ex) universal monster ability was introduced in Bestiary 2:

Quote:

Attach (Ex) The creature automatically latches onto its target when it successfully makes the listed attack. The creature is considered grappling, but the target is not. The target can attack or grapple the creature as normal, or break the attach with a successful grapple or Escape Artist check. Most creatures with this ability have a racial bonus to maintain a grapple (listed in its CMB entry).

Format: attach; Location: individual attacks.

Observations:

It seems that, despite the same name, the attach universal monster ability and the individual creatures' specific attach abilities are not related to another. Attach [specific] seems to work more or less like a normal grapple (plus the creature deals automatic damage each round), whereas attach [universal] states that only the attached creature is considered to be grappling.

Note: The problematic wording of the stirge's and the weasel's ability seems to be legacy from the 3.5 version.

Problems that I see:

1) Attach [specific]: It is unclear what action the creature uses to damage its target automatically. Is it part of the grapple check made to maintain the grapple, following the normal grapple rules? Or is it a free action in addition to any grapple check made during the creature's turn?

2) Attach [universal]: It is unclear what happens to the target. The taget is not 'considered grappling', but what does that mean? Does the target gain the grappled condition? Can it move freely? And if so, what happens to the attached creature? How do Size differences play into this?

3) Attach [Stirge]: I think it should be obvious why this one is problematic.
Also, fun fact: A Tiny creature has to move into its opponent's square to attack, but once it starts grappling, it moves the grappled opponent into an adjacent square. That Tiny stirge could push around a colossal dragon!

4 Attach [Tick, Giant]: It is unclear how grab and attach [universal] are supposed to interact. Either the target is grappled, or it isn't. Please attach to Schrödinger's cat.

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I'm working on a group of creatures called perdu that are made of lost objects, but I have a hard time figuring out what constitutes these creatures. This is what I have so far:

Perdu

It feels unfocused, which is usually a sign of a weak concept. I originally wanted to create a series of monsters, each associated with a different type of object, an individual personality, and a unique set of abilities. I probably need to be more specific.

Do you have any suggestions? In a fantasy world, which mundane items would hold great importance to their owners? And which concepts do you associate with these objects?

Also, do you know of any mythological creatures that are somehow related to lost possessions?

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

Golden Toad (Jin Chan)

A CR 10 fey, inspired by the chinese legend.

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

I'm looking for some help with the concept of a character that uses mnemonic techniques to build a mind palace (or at least the pop culture version thereof, as seen on Sherlock Holmes or Hannibal Lecter).

What I can think of so far:
-perfect memory (Knowledge skills)
-organizing memorized spells in the form of loci. I could see an occultist archetype who uses mental loci in place of implements to organize his spells.
-the ability to withdraw into a personal mindscape when the character is unable to act (allowing them to use mental actions)
-protection from mind-affecting and divination effects

Do you have any further suggestions?

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Unlike other calling spells (planar ally, planar binding) which refer to outsiders, gate refers to extraplanar creatures:

Quote:

Calling Creatures: The second effect of the gate spell is to call an extraplanar creature to your aid (a calling effect). By naming a particular being or kind of being as you cast the spell, you cause the gate to open in the immediate vicinity of the desired creature and pull the subject through, willing or unwilling. Deities and unique beings are under no compulsion to come through the gate, although they may choose to do so of their own accord. This use of the spell creates a gate that remains open just long enough to transport the called creatures. This use of the spell has a material cost of 10,000 gp in rare incense and offerings. This cost is in addition to any cost that must be paid to the called creatures.

If you choose to call a kind of creature instead of a known individual, you may call either a single creature or several creatures. In either case, their total HD cannot exceed twice your caster level. In the case of a single creature, you can control it if its HD does not exceed your caster level. A creature with more HD than your caster level can't be controlled. Deities and unique beings cannot be controlled in any event. An uncontrolled being acts as it pleases, making the calling of such creatures rather dangerous. An uncontrolled being may return to its home plane at any time.

If you choose to exact a longer or more involved form of service from a called creature, you must offer some fair trade in return for that service. The service exacted must be reasonable with respect to the promised favor or reward; see the lesser planar ally spell for appropriate rewards. Some creatures may want their payment in "livestock" rather than in coin, which could involve complications. Immediately upon completion of the service, the being is transported to your vicinity, and you must then and there turn over the promised reward. After this is done, the creature is instantly freed to return to its own plane.

Failure to fulfill the promise to the letter results in your being subjected to service by the creature or by its liege and master, at the very least. At worst, the creature or its kin may attack you.

Note: When you use a calling spell such as gate to call an air, chaotic, earth, evil, fire, good, lawful, or water creature, it becomes a spell of that type.

That is strange, because the extraplanar subtype is applied to any creature that is not on its native plane:

Quote:
Extraplanar Subtype: This subtype is applied to any creature when it is on a plane other than its native plane. A creature that travels the planes can gain or lose this subtype as it goes from plane to plane. Monster entries assume that encounters with creatures take place on the Material Plane, and every creature whose native plane is not the Material Plane has the extraplanar subtype (but would not have it when on its home plane). Every extraplanar creature in this book has a home plane mentioned in its description. Creatures not labeled as extraplanar are natives of the Material Plane, and they gain the extraplanar subtype if they leave the Material Plane. No creature has the extraplanar subtype when it is on a transitive plane, such as the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, or the Plane of Shadow.

So technically, I can only use gate to call outsiders that are currently not on their native plane (a solar crusader in Hell, for example). I could also use the spell to call planewalking adventurers from the Material Plane and force them into my service (this one could at least come in handy to bring the planeshifted fighter back from the Abyss). That doesn't seem to be the spell's original intent, though.

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Neoplasms

A new monstrous species with six creatures (ranging from CR 2 to CR 17) and a template. The writeup is still a bit rough, but everything important is there and the stat blocks are complete.

Trigger warning: If tumors make you feel uncomfortable for any reason, this may not be the right thing for you.

Disclaimer: Use of medical terms is subject to artistic license.

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Apholine
The Flame
CN female Eldest of longing, self-abandonment, and the sun

CULT
Holy Symbol burning moth ensnared by a solar flare
Domains Fire, Liberation, Sun, Travel
Subdomains Ash, Exploration, Freedom, Light
Favored Weapon fighting fan
Sacred Animal moth
Sacred Colors orange, red, yellow
Temples bonfires, burnt-out buildings, desert shrines
Worshipers dancers, fire elementalists, ifrits, pyromaniacs, space travelers
Minions fire elementals, magmins, mothmen, phoenixes, shining children
Obedience Perform a fire dance in reverence of the sun, using such techniques as flame-spitting and fire-spinning. Finish your performance with a daring jump over a bonfire at the risk of combustion. You gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against fire and light effects.

BOONS
1: Flamedance (Sp) hypnotism 3/day, burning gaze 2/day, or elemental aura (fire) 1/day
2: Sunbasked (Su) You gain fire resistance 10.
3: Self-Immolation (Sp) You can assume the form of a fire elemental, as elemental body IV. You can use this ability once per day, but the duration is 1 hour/level. Any square that you leave is filled with a shroud of flames for 1 round, as if occupied by a wall of fire.

Little is known of Apholine the Flame, the mysterious Eldest who left her home in the First World to dwell in the sun's blazing glory. Much to the dismay of her followers, Apholine has been mostly silent since her disappearance, though she still grants them spells. Some followers claim to have received strange visions accompanied by the recipient's spontaneous combustion. Even the most devout believers who have traveled to Golarion's sun, the Burning Mother, couldn't find a trace of their patron, leading to speculations which sun Apholine may have sought out when she left. Subsequently, Apholine's followers have visited different planes of existence and even traveled through the vast emptiness of space in search of the sun that shelters the Flame, so far to no avail.
Before she took her leave from the First World, Apholine resembled a flame-shrouded mothman with the upper body of a female human and a burning gaze that set fire to anything her eyes fell upon. Her legendary passion consumed any lover she took in order to distract herself, leaving behind nothing but an ashen husk.
Apholinites believe in self-realization through self-abandonment, losing themselves in the Flame's all-consuming blaze. They tend to be self-centered individuals, restless, passionate, and competitive. While they acknowledge the sun's warming and nurturing side, they fully embrace its destructive power that manifests in rampaging wildland fires and city-consuming conflagrations. Apholinites regard fire as a sacred gift that is meant to be unrestrained and free, not quenched, enclosed, or controlled by human volition. Many Apholinites relish in the chaos and destruction caused by a fire disaster, and while they may help victims escape from being burned to death, they are just as likely to have started the fire in the first place, intentionally or unintentionally. An Apholinite would rather watch a town burn to the ground than help extinguish a fire before it has run its natural course. Subsequently, Apholinites often face persecution at the hands of lawful societies, who accuse them of arson and amoral behavior.
Apholinites are easily recognizable by their loose red and orange raiments and the complete lack of body hair, which they singe with an open flame. Known for their extreme practice of ritualistic self-immolation, Apholinites proudly display their burn scars to demonstrate their devotion. Desert-dwelling Apholinites expose their bodies to the unforgiving rays of the sun until their skin is covered in blisters and their eyes are blinded from its radiant brightness. Many join performance troupes as skilled fire-spinners and flame-spitters, roaming from one place to another. The followers of the Flame don't have major centers of worship, though they have a notable presence in the Burning Archipelago on the surface of Golarion's sun.

The First Sun
While the First World features a solar disk that travels across the sky, creating a rhythm of day and night, this aerial phenomenon is not caused by a true star. This raises the question where the myriad of stars that populate the vast emptiness of space on the Material Plane actually originated. When the gods worked on the First World as a blueprint for creation, they quickly realized the destructive potential of the mighty First Sun that could burn mortals and gods alike. They locked it away for safe-keeping in an unknown location and replaced it with a less terrifying version. Apholine had been around at that time, when even the Eldest where still young, and she caught a glimpse of that very first star, burning brighter than anything else in the known multiverse. Thus began Apholine's obsession with the First Sun—for she would never accept its theft at the hands of the gods—; an obsession that would ultimately lead to her sudden departure from the First World. While it seems likely that she eventually discovered the First Sun's location, it remains unclear if she ever reached her destination. Some of her followers fear that the demon lord Nurgal may have lured the flimsy Eldest to his sun and imprisoned her in his abyssal realm Kuthan. The only being likely to know of Apholine's true whereabouts may be the sun goddess Sarenrae, who seems reluctant to shed any light on the matter.

Ashen Court
In the hottest region of the Thoraso desert, Apholine's former seat of power stands abandoned now, surrounded by a charred, lifeless landscape that stretches out as far as the eye can see. Once a splendorous marble palace roofed by mighty glass domes, the charred ruins give little testimony to the building's former glory. Only ash-stirring winds blowing through the broken windows disturb the eerie silence that has claimed the wide, light-flooded halls. Yet the Ashen Court is not completely uninhabited. The silhouettes of shining children float along the corridors, ghostly abigails carrying out their chores, seemingly oblivious of any visitors.
No shadow falls inside the palace walls (treat this as an area of bright light that automatically suppresses any darkness spell or effect and negates any concealment except total concealment).
Below are some of the palace’s most notable locations.
Canopy of Extinct Stars: In the vaults below the ashen court stands an imposing glass container that shelters a myriad of buzzing fireflies, each one the immortal soul of an extinct sun. According to a First World myth, when a dying star's gas body collapses into a black hole, Apholine snatches the star's soul away before it is sucked into the Negative Energy Plane, so that one day in the far future, when the last sun has expired, these star souls can be used to rekindle the fire of creation. Due to some ancient pact between Apholine and Pharasma, the Lady of Graves not only tolerated the Eldest's role as preserver of solar souls, but also sent one of her servants, the fallen solar Shamsiel (N male unique Solar), to undertake the Flame's task after her disappearance.
Cathedral of Light: An intricate installation of mirrors, lenses, and prisms fills this ballroom with constantly changing patterns of light, which may look pretty, but aren't always harmless (in 10% of the cases, treat this as a prismatic spray). In the room's center, a band of sprites flitters around a sparkling gown of glass, drawn in by its hypnotizing coruscation. Once Apholine's favorite dress, the artifact known as the vitric gown of eternal noon has been looking for a worthy wearer for a long time, but it only accepts a dominant personality who can beat it in a competitive dance.
Orrery of a Thousand Suns: A miniature sun burns in the center of this giant orrery, crafted from different skymetals by the finest salamander smiths found on the Plane of Fire. Presumably Apholine used this device to locate the First Sun. The knowledge about how to operate the orrery has been lost with the Eldest's departure, but if rumors are to be believed, it can be used to open a planar portal to any sun in the multiverse. The dark phoenix Eosinth (CE female evil phoenix) has been trying to uncover the orrery's secrets for many years, so far without success.
Throne of Embers: Of all her entourage, only Apholine's court jester Hesphyx (CN male fire mephit bard 9) remains, waiting faithfully in the throne room for the return of his mistress. The melancholy jester's only joy is tricking the rare visitor into taking place on the Flame's orphaned throne, resulting in the immediate incineration of the unfortunate would-be successor. Recently his solitude has been disturbed by a group of heretic goblins under the leadership of Zonga Ashbiter (CE female goblin oracle 7). These misguided pyromaniacs worship the Eldest as the fifth god-hero who gave the goblin race the gift of fire.

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Exploring the possibilities of playing a heretic cleric, I realized that, strictly by the rules, a cleric doesn't actually have to believe in her faith, she simply has to worship her patron deity in order to receive her powers. The only way for a cleric to lose her powers is committing a gross violation of her code of conduct. However, it's not very clear what a 'code of conduct' actually is. Right now, we don't even know what happens if a cleric changes to a prohibited alignment. If we compare the relevant sections from both the cleric and inquisitor class, it seems rather likely that changing to a prohibited alignment would also count as a gross violation of the cleric's code of conduct, but it's not spelled out at any point.
To me, the term 'code of conduct' sounds more like a series of commandments, a list of do's and don't's, not a coherent religious system. But then again, products like Inner Sea Gods don't include codes of conduct for clerics of different faiths. Despite this, most people seem to have a clear picture of what worshipping a specific deity is all about. The small number of threads of people asking whether a cleric should become an ex-cleric seems to indicate that the authors did a pretty good job capturing the teachings of each faith. Or maybe there is a general agreement that most faiths aren't very demanding when it comes to meeting the minimum requirements for being a pious follower.

Now, to be perfectly clear, I doubt that the designers used the term 'code of conduct' to imply theological nomism. I assume they used the term because it would be easier to check whether a cleric adheres to a specific code of conduct (assuming somebody took the time to write it down at some point), whereas adherence to some nebulous core values, while more important, would be more open to interpretation.

So I'm curious: What does code of conduct meant to you? Do you write down your cleric's code of conduct? How else do you address the topic in your games?

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Playing a cleric who doubts his faith is an interesting concept--a pharasmin who studies forbidden necromantic lore to better understand death or a shelynite who creates the grotesque and bizarre on her quest to seek beauty in the most ugliest things. Most GMs would probably be lenient with a cleric who strays from the path as part of her character development. After all, the gods are patient and humankind has been given free will, including the possibility of failure. The ecclesiastical institution may declare a character anathema, but a patron deity needn't be that dogmatic and could tolerate a certain degree of heresy.

But there comes a point where a cleric becomes an ex-cleric. Playing a cleric's fall could be a rewarding roleplaying experience, but the mechanical consequences are quiet drastic:

cleric wrote:
A cleric who grossly violates the code of conduct required by her god loses all spells and class features, except for armor and shield proficiencies and proficiency with simple weapons. She cannot thereafter gain levels as a cleric of that god until she atones for her deeds (see the atonement spell description).

It is up to the GM to decide what constitutes a gross violation of the cleric's code of conduct (which is very unclear and described along general lines at best), but it's clear that being turned into an ex-cleric is a severe punishment. The ex-cleric either atones to regain his abilities or becomes a high-level commoner with better stats and equipment. I'd like to introduce some new options for players who want to play a fallen cleric.

1) Conversion. It's kind of strange that there are no rules for clerics who want to change their faith, though most GMs would probably allow it (the ex-cleric would likely need to publicly renounce her old faith and be ordinated by the clergy of her new faith).

2) Heresy. Think of the examples above. How would these characters react when they realize that their god has forsaken them? At least some of them would see their fall from grace as a temporary condition, a trial of faith imposed on them to test the strength of their conviction. They wouldn't grovel at the feet of a senior cleric begging for forgiveness--it's clear that everybody else is wrong while they are right. They would carry on stubbornly, and who knows? What starts out as a heresy may turn into a new variety of faith over time, finally reconciled with the established church and condoned by a patron deity who is willing to let a mortal follower 'make her case'.
How would one represent such a heretic character mechanically?

2a) Allowing the character to trade levels in ex-cleric into oracle levels could be a quick and dirty solution (it would certainly foreclose the character's permanent separation from her church).

2b) Another option would be to have the official church declare the cleric anathema without taking away the character's class abilities. (In a fantasy world where gods actually exist, the relationship between the church as a spiritual community and as an institution is a very interesting and sadly mostly unexplored topic, but that is beside the point here.) The heretic archetype for inquisitors seems to represent such a character concept best (note that an inquistor doesn't have to observe a special code of conduct, though she must adhere to the deity's alignment restrictions).

2c) It would be possible to take away only a few class abilities to represent the fact that the character is 'on probation' and the final verdict hasn't passed yet. Maybe using clerical abilities causes the character to become sickened, spells only work at minimum caster level, etc.

Do you have any experiences with cases like these or suggestions how to handle them?

Note: I guess there are some similarities to fallen paladins, but I'm not really interested in debates about alignment. I'm more interested in the question how to handle a player who would want to play a heretic cleric.

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Skymetal Ooze

A group of oozes based on the seven skymetals. You can even pick one as an improved familiar!

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

The idea has come up before, but to my knowledge, it hasn't been executed yet.

What I have in mind: Focused Magi

I took a different approach with each of them and some are more straightforward than others. I'm especially worried about cases in which spell combat needed to be modified, which seems essential to the magus class. Spell combat requires a special full-round action, which makes it difficult or impossible to combine with certain other options. For that reason, the astral marauder (conjuration) is still missing (I haven't figured out yet how to make spell combat work for a magus who teleports around the battlefield).
What do you think?

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Nanite Corruption

The first thing that came to mind when I read Horror Adventures. It's a first draft--what do you think?

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Made this a while ago and thought I'd share.

Fashionista An artistic archetype for bards focusing on Craft skills.

Silkling A shapechanging aberration posing as splendid clothing and feeding on the vanity of its wearers.

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

Last session, the druid's roc animal companion died during a fight with a forest drake. The party is currently level 3. Since rocs are uncommon in this area and not easily replaceable, another character used a plot twist card to find a scroll of raise animal companion in his pockets. The druid was not powerful enough to use the scroll, had to attempt a caster level check and, against all odds, produced a scroll mishap. The players immediately started speculating what could happen, but since our session ended, being the GM, I wasn't forced to make a decision yet. Having the roc companion reincarnate in the drake's body was a favorite option among my players, but is not really appropiate.
I would prefer a solution that penalizes the player for using his companion so recklessly, but opens up the option to regain his companion in the medium term (maybe as part of a small sidequest). What would you suggest?

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 8

The bard is a great, well-designed class. The only feature that I don't like about it is versatile performance. All it does is allowing players to optimize skill point allocation in a very complicated and counter-intuitive way (probably as an incentive to encourage players to invest in more than one Performance skill).

Evaluating versatile performance:

Versatile performance grants access to 8 different skills (you can have them all by level 14 if you take the right combination of performances):
Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Fly, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Sense Motive
As a party face, the typical bard will want at least some of these skills (Diplomacy, Bluff, Sense Motive) with certainty, some not so much (Fly, Handle Animal), the others fall in between (Acrobatics, Disguise, Intimidate).

At 2nd level, the bard gains two skills that he very likely will want to take, at the cost of one Perform skill that he is probably going to take anyway (oratory and sing are strong candidates). Even if he already took those two skills at 1st level, he won't have to skill them further in the future, which basically grants him 2 additional skill points per level. However, from there on, versatile performance offers only diminishing returns. Unless the adventure centers around some weird talent contests, investing heavily in additional Perform skills doesn't make a lot of sense. And the selection of useful skills the bard can take becomes smaller. At 6th level, he'll likely have covered most useful skills with his normal skill points. He's probably better off spending his skill points on skills of his choice that he'll actually use (and wait for that extra skill point he gains from his magic headband to sink into bardic performance). And it gets worse at higher levels. The versatile performances gained at 14th and 18th level likely won't matter at all because it becomes too expensive to retroactively skill Perform in order to get a skill you don't actually need/already have.

In addition to free skill points, versatile Performance has an additional benefit: it effectively allows the bard to turn three non Cha-based skills into Cha-based skills (Acrobatics, Fly, Sense Motive), resulting in a higher total skill bonus (one gets the most out of it with a circlet of persuasion). However, out of these three, Sense Motive is the only one that really stands out.

Basically, one could replace versatile performance with 2 additional skill points per level and a few skill foci at certain levels. However, that's not very interesting as far as class features go. Archetypical replacements for versatile performance include
- bonus feats
- expanded spell list
- a familiar
- bonuses on selected skills/being able to take 10 on selected skill
- bonuses to spell save DC for selected spells,
- bonuses to CMD
Many of these are more interesting than versatile performance.

I would prefer if versatile performance were more similar to arcane school or bloodline--a scaling feature that allows players to customize their character. Each performance school could grant different benefits. Percussion could have an emphasis on sonic effects, oratory would focus on language-dependent effects, dance on mobility and movement, etc. It wouldn't have to be more powerful than versatile performance, but it should be more exciting.

What do you think? How would you imagine such a replacement feature?

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Maniac

Maniacs draw their power from strong emotions (called manias) rather than bloodlines, which they can access while in a state of agitation (called rave). The Maniac originated from my recent archetype project (which, like this alternate class, I continue to edit and improve, in case you are interested).

I'm mostly happy with mania abilities, though I'm open for any suggestions (I got stuck with Love and Regret).

I'm still having trouble with the basic feature of rave, which was created as a spellcaster's version of rage. In my first draft, rave granted a bonus to Charisma and caster level with the drawback of potentially dealing nonlethal damage to the sorcerer when casting a spell. I dismissed the idea because it was too unbalanced. However, in its current version, the universal effect of rave is rather lame, which may or may not be a problem (the sorcerer already gains nice stuff from manias while raving).

Finally, I'm uncertain whether I should create a bloodrager variant based on the maniac. I'm worried that the notion of an emo-rager might be ridiculous. ("I'm so happy in love, I could punch someone's face.")

Please let me know what you think.

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This is mostly a thought experiment.

The saving throw system in its current state has some flaws. At higher levels, the gap between good saves (in combination with high ability modifiers) and bad saves (in combination with mediocre ability modifiers) grows huge. Attacks against a PC's strong save are unlikely to succeed at all, and attacks against a PC's weak save are very likely to succeed. That turns into a problem as save or die/save or suck effects with the potential to take a PC out of the fight become more common. Spending your turn paralyzed, confused, dominated, petrified, insane, polymorphed, or dead doesn't make for a great game experience, even if it's only a temporary condition. To a certain degree, it is not much different from a GM's perspective. However, I think these effects have their place in the game, both as GM and player options.

My approach would be to make saving throws less binary. In place of succeed/fail, there would be a wider spread of possible results:

saving throw result / effect
x < DC -5 ............... devastating effect (full damage + rider effect; potentially lethal effects)
DC -5 ≤ x < DC ..... major effect (full damage, major condition)
DC ≤ x < DC +5 .... minor effect (half damage, minor condition)
x > DC +5 ............... no effect

That way, SoS effects are still threatening, but they are less likely to take a character (or monster) out immediately. Failing badly against a fireball could cause the creature to catch fire; barely failing against insanity would only cause a temporary confusion; succeeding against flesh to stone might still incur Dex damage; an excellent save against poison would not require any further consecutive saves.
Additionally, for effects with repeated saves (such as hold person), each successful save could lessen the effect's severity by one step (paralyzed >> entangled + immobile >> entangled). Likewise, repeated applications of the same effect could increase its severity.

Of course, it would require an insane amount of work to create new rules for each spell or effect that requires a saving throw, even if many of them could be standardized. It would also make the game a bit more complicated. Maybe a suggestion for a future edition with a revised set of rules?

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Last week I started a personal challenge to write one archetype each week to improve my design skills.

After my first attempt with the origami master (summoner archetype) turned out to be rather complicated, I went for something simpler this time with the censor (bard archetype). Censors use their performance to forbid other creatures from taking certain actions and castigate them for any transgressions.
I'm not entirely sure whether I've covered all pitfalls with my phrasing of the interdiction and castigate abilities. As always, any feedback, suggestion, or critique would be greatly appreciated.

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Having finished my experiments with monster role templates, I'm going to practice archetypes next. My first attempt is a 'prepared' version of the summoner:

Origami Master (Summoner Archetype)

It's pretty much a first draft and I'm sure that some wording needs to be clarified. Please let me know what you think.

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I have been designing monsters recently to improve my writing skills and the following idea is a by-product of my attempts. When I stumbled over Simple Class Templates in the Monster Codex, I thought it would be nice to have more specific templates that aren't tied to certain classes, but instead to monster roles.
This is still very experimental. Below are two different examples how this could work. The first one is a lot more specific than the second one. I would like to know what you think. Would templates like these be useful in building interesting encounters? Can these templates be balanced in terms of CR? Should they be more specific or more general (or both)?

Monster Role Templates

Regent Creature (CR +1):

Outsiders with the regent template command great respect among their peers and may call upon the service of their planar kin when outside of their home plane. This template can be applied to any creature with the outsider (extraplanar) type and subtype.

Aura: Planar Conduit (Su): Each ally within 30 feet gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against spells that force extraplanar creatures back to their home planes (such as banishment, dismissal, or holy word). Each ally within this area receives a Will saving throw against spells that would normally prevent a summoned creature from entering or attacking (such as protection from evil or circle of protection from law), even if these spells normally wouldn't allow a saving throw. If this saving throw succeeds, the spell has no effect on that particular summoned creature.

Spell-like Abilities: 1/day—control summoned creature (creatures with the same subtype as the regent creature (such as angel, demon, or protean) only); A regent creature increases the success chance of any summon spell-like ability by 20%. If the orginal creature didn't have the summon spell-like ability to begin with, it gains the ability to summon another creature of its own kind with a 40% chance of success (spell level = half the creature's CR). The regent creature's caster level is equal to its total Hit Dice.

Ability Scores: +4 to Charisma.

Feats: A regent creature receives Augment Summoning and Superior Summoning as bonus feats, even if it doesn't meet the feats' prerequisites.

Protector Creature (CR +1):

Creatures with the protector template defend their chosen charge with utmost dedication.

Special Attacks: A protector creature gains the special attacks described below.

Quick Reflexes (Ex): A protector creature can make one additional attack of opportunity per round.
Retaliate (Ex): Once per round, when a creature threatened by the protector creature attacks and hits an ally adjacent to the protector creature, it may make an attack of opportunity against the attacking creature.

Feats: A protector creature gains Bodyguard, In Harm's Way and Stand Still as bonus feats, even if it doesn't meet the feats' prerequisites.

Ability Scores: +4 to Constitution.

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Eizenholt, Abandoned Duergar Mining Outpost
==========
Located in a system of secondary tunnels several miles north of the Long Walk, this small and secluded mining outpost was established by the duergar capital of Hagegraf more than twenty years ago to supply the toiling servants of Droskar with a steady flow of iron (Pathfinder Chronicles: Into the Darklands 28). Grey dwarf metallurgists smelted the ore with enormous blast furnaces and shipped their produce in small barges along an underground river to Hagegraf. However, the duergar had to abandon the site after a heavy earthquake several years ago, when the rich iron lodes suddenly developed powerful magnetic properties, making mining with metal equipment all but impossible.
Recently a clan of dark folk claimed the place as their home. It did not take them long to stumble upon the geomaw which had in the meantime taken up residence in Eizenholt, where it contented itself with feeding upon the occasional underground dweller that found its way into the forsaken ruins. Awed by the geomaw's disturbingly beautiful light, the dark folk soon began to worship the strange creature. In order to keep the geomaw docile with regular sacrifices, the clan leaders sent out raiding parties to the surface with the mission to abduct uplanders.

Encounter Setup: When the dark folk kidnap the influential Drumish kalistocrat Caradoc on one of their nocturnal raids, the PCs are offered a significant reward for the merchant prince's safe return. Having tracked down the abductors into the tunnels below the surface, braved the dangers of the Darklands, and overcome the dark folk guards, the PCs arrive at the very last minute at the ritual site to stop the bloody sacrifice. The PCs should be 7th level at this point.

Blood Crystal Pit (CR 10)
==========
A rusty iron bridge spans from the masoned retaining dam on the southern shore to the opposite side of the river. There, a huge telescope crane mounted on a massive octagonal stone base towers over the northern part of the cave. A flight of stairs on a shaky iron scaffolding rises to the crane's cockpit thirty feet above. At about the same height, a bulky container affixed to the crane hook sways lightly in the air. With the sluice gates opened, the two huge waterwheels connected to the crane's base barely move.
Assembled around a huge pit in the northeast, several dozen small humanoids wrapped in black rags dance and sing frenetically.

The PCs start the encounter in the southwest, on the southern shore of the river. Once the PCs can see inside the pit (A3), read the following:

This pit measures about fifty by twenty feet. Rusted tools and weapons cling to its steep-sloped walls. On the bottom of the pit ten feet below, two humanoids squirm helplessly in their bonds, their once-fine clothes bloodstained and torn by crystal shards and bone fragments.

A PC who succeeds at a DC 20 Knowledge (local) check can identify the two victims as the Drumish kalistocrat Caradoc and one of his Mercenary League bodyguards (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea World Guide 62–63). A PC who succeeds at a DC 15 Knowledge (dungeoneering) check recognizes the magnetized ore in the pit's walls (see hazards below).

The duergar moved their produce with the help of a waterwheel-powered crane (A2). Despite rust, negligence, and the dark folk's tampering, the device is still functional and can be operated from the crane's cockpit once the sluice gates (A1) have been closed (a full round action). By succeeding at a DC 20 Disable Device or Knowledge (engineering) check, a PC can perform one of the following maneuvers as a move action:

  • Rotate the crane in an angle up to 90°,
  • raise or lower the container by up to 60 feet,
  • extend or retract the boom by 10 feet (minimum 10 feet, maximum 30 feet),
  • drop the container's content (see trap below).
A PC who rotates the crane with a lowered container can sweep opponents in its path off their feet and possibly into the pit, as if performing a bull rush (CMB +15). Creatures inside the (emptied) container must succeed at a DC 15 Acrobatics check or suffer 1d6 points of falling damage whenever the container is moved horizontally.

The dark folk are focused on the sacrifice that is soon to take place, allowing the PCs to advance unnoticed unless they have a source of bright light with them. One minute after the PCs have entered the encounter location or once the dark folk are aware of the PCs (whichever comes first), the ritual reaches its climax (see encounter timeline below). All creatures start at the indicated locations and follow the tactics described below once combat breaks out.

Encounter Timeline

    Round 1 The dark creepers' gibbering chant rises to a crescendo.
    Round 2 The geomaw emerges from the ground near the Blackjacket, attracted by the dark creepers' incantations.
    Round 3 The geomaw bites and swallows the Blackjacket (considered a coup de grace), thereby killing him. All dark folk within line of sight are distracted by the geomaw's blood lantern ability and do not act for one round.
    Round 4 The geomaw moves towards the closest target inside the pit, if any (it does not discriminate between Caradoc, the PCs, and any dark folk inside the pit).
    Round 5 The geomaw bites its target (performing a coup de grace against a helpless victim). If confronted in melee, it focuses on its attacker.
    Round 6+ The geomaw continues to attack for as long as there are viable targets inside the pit; otherwise, it digs itself back into the ground.

Creatures:

Blackjacket Bodyguard CR —
XP —
hp 80 (currently 42) (Sellsword, GameMastery Guide 285)
Tactics The Blackjacket is tied up and helpless, unable to free himself without assistance.
Gear

Caradoc CR —
XP —
hp 58 (Merchant Prince, GameMastery Guide 285)
Tactics The kalistocrat is tied up and helpless, unable to free himself without assistance.
Gear

Dark Caller CR 5
XP 1,600
hp 52 (Bestiary 4 42)
SQ bleed (2)
Melee mwk blood crystal dagger +10/+5 (1d4+2/19–20 plus bleed)
Tactics The dark caller uses shadow conjuration to hinder the PCs, then joins the dark stalkers in melee.

Dark Creeper (60) CR 2
XP 600 each
hp 19 each (Bestiary 53)
Tactics The dark creepers focus their attention on the ritual and do not engage in combat unless attacked first (but see hazards below). They refrain from using darkness as they do not wish to obscure the light the geomaw emits when feeding.

Dark Dancer CR 1
XP 400
hp 13 (Bestiary 4 43)
Tactics The dark dancer does not engage in combat (but see hazards below).

Dark Slayer CR 3
XP 800
hp 22 (Bestiary 2 75)
Tactics The dark slayer uses its spell-like abilities and its wand to hinder the PCs.
Gear wand of shatter (CL 7th, 12 charges)

Dark Stalker (4) CR 4
XP 1,200 each
hp 39 (Bestiary 54)
SQ bleed (3)
Melee 2 blood crystal short swords +6/+6 (1d6+2/19–20 plus bleed)
Tactics The dark stalkers engage any intruders in melee under the cover of deeper darkness.

Geomaw CR 7
XP 3,200
hp 85 (R3)
Tactics See above.

Hazards:

Dark Mob (CR 4)
A mob of 20 dark creepers instigated by a dark dancer in its center (recognizable by its crude crimson jewelry) tries to stop any intruder from interfering with the sacrifice. The mob has a space of 15 feet and acts each round at initiative count 0. It can move up to 30 feet and attempt a disarm, grapple, or steal combat maneuver (that does not provoke an attack of opportunity) against one adjacent PC (CMB +12). A pinned PC is tied up with rope and dragged towards the pit in order to be sacrificed to the geomaw.
If the dark dancer is slain, the remaining dark creepers flee in panic.

Magnetized Ore (CR 2)
See GameMastery Guide 245.

Trap:

Falling Iron Ingots CR 4
Type mechanical; Perception DC 13; Disable Device DC 20
----- Effects -----
Trigger touch; Reset manual
Effect Atk +15 (6d6 bludgeoning damage), multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft. square)

Development: Once all dark folk leadership (dark caller and dark stalkers) and/or the geomaw are slain, the remaining dark folk withdraw and the PCs can leave unhindered. Otherwise, they are pursued by a small army of enraged dark folk.

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The stinger and antennae of this dog-sized wasp pulsate with a dim violet light. Intricate patterns shimmer faintly on the opalescent wings that grow in two pairs from its black exoskeleton.

Gloomwasp CR 6 XP 2400
N small magical beast
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, see invisibility; Perception +15

----- Defense -----
AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +1 size)
hp 66 (7d10+28)
Fort +10, Ref +9, Will +4; +2 vs. mind-affecting
Defensive Abilities shadow blending; Immune poison; SR 12
Weaknesses light blindness

----- Offense -----
Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee sting +12 (1d3+1 plus blacklight)
Ranged 2 light rays +12 ranged touch (1d6 plus blacklight)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th)
Constant—see invisibility
1/day—dust of twilight (DC 15)

----- Statistics -----
Str 12, Dex 19, Con 18, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 17
Base Atk +7; CMB +7; CMD 21
Feats Flyby Attack, Point-Blank Shot, Target of Opportunity, Weapon Finesse
Skills Fly +15, Perception +15, Stealth +14; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
Languages Dark Folk (understanding only), telepathy (100 ft., other gloomwasps only)
SQ corrupt light

----- Ecology -----
Environment any underground
Organization solitary, pair, cluster (3–6), or nest (7–24)
Treasure none

----- Special Abilities -----
Blacklight (Ex) A creature exposed to a gloomwasp's strange radiation emits a violet light for 1 minute (as if affected by faerie fire) and must make a DC 17 Fortitude save or suffer medium radiation poisoning (see Radiation, Technology Guide 56). The save DC is Constitution-based.
Corrupt Light (Su) Three gloomwasps can focus their light rays on a single light source within 30 feet, such as a lantern, a torch, or a continual flame, as a full-round action. The affected light source becomes corrupted, shedding only dim light and exposing all creatures within range to the gloomwasps' blacklight. An attended light source can attempt a DC 19 Will save to resist this effect. The effect continues for as long as the participating gloomwasps spend a standard action each round to focus on the light source. The effect immediately ends and must be started anew if any of the participating gloomwasps is slain, stunned, or otherwise prevented from using its light rays. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.
Light Ray (Ex) A gloomwasp can fire beams of ultraviolet light from its antennae to damage foes. These light rays have a maximum range of 30 feet. This attack overcomes damage reduction of any type and deals double damage to fungi, mold, oozes, slimes, undead, and creatures with the light sensitivity or light blindness weakness.
Shadow Blending (Su) Attacks against a gloomwasp in dim light have a 50% miss chance instead of the normal 20% miss chance. This ability does not grant total concealment; it just increases the miss chance.

Gloomwasps are the product of experiments conducted by an alliance between the Umbral Court and the dark folk living in the Shadow Caverns below the Uskwood (Into the Darklands 8). Infused with shadow magic and endowed with the ability to use light as a weapon against other underground dwellers, these aggressive creatures were created to enforce the common interest of both parties in the confined passages of the Darklands. Unforseen by their creators, gloomwasps were not only able to reproduce naturally, but also exhibited signs of increased intelligence and independence. They spread quickly into the cave systems deep below the surface, building nests in narrow tunnels and hollow rock formations.
Gloomwasps are most dangerous when encountered in large numbers and work together effectively to overwhelm prey of superior size and strength, including humanoids.

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Caverns of Steam, near Dwimovel (Darklands, Sekamina)

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Inspired by this thread, the following is a first attempt to create a system that allows rogues to use traps as a class feature. It tries to find a middle ground between the trap rules from the CRB (which obviously weren't meant to be a player option) and the ranger traps from UM (which are too oversimplified for my taste). Trap Pool is meant as an additional class feature the rogue gains at first level.

TRAP POOL.

There are a lot of variables to be considered. I'm especially worried that the option to raise the perception/save DC's makes the traps too powerful at higher levels. Please let me know what you think and feel free to point out any inconsistencies or possible balance issues.

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Staff of the Prime Mover
Aura moderate evocation; CL 10th
Slot none; Price 34,500 gp; Weight 2 lbs.

Description
This slender silver cane feels more unwieldy than its low weight might suggest, as if a hidden force impeded any attempts to change its state of motion. It functions as a +1 anchoring mithral quarterstaff and allows use of the following spells:

As long as the staff's anchoring ability is in effect, these spells work differently when cast by the wielder, as follows:
A wielder affected by kinetic reverberation not only damages his attacker's weapon, but also pushes his opponent away from himself. After being hit, as an immediate action, the wielder may attempt a bull rush combat maneuver against his attacker, using his opponent's attack bonus as his combat maneuver bonus. This combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity and the wielder does not move with his opponent.
A wielder that uses force hook charge pulls the target towards himself, instead of being dragged towards the target. If the target is a firmly fixed object or a creature holding onto a massive object, a successful Strength check is required. For this purpose, the pulling force has an effective Strength score of 30 and can pull a weight of up to 1,600 lbs. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
If the wielder uses force punch against an opponent affected by the staff's anchoring ability, the opponent is not pushed away, but the spell is treated as if it were maximized.

Construction
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Staff, force hook charge, force punch, kinetic reverberation, levitate; Cost 18,250 gp

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Despite being a much-desired option, the game is currently lacking a magus archetype that focuses on ranged combat (cough, myrmidarch, cough). Since ranged combat is one of the strongest combat styles in the game, maintaining the balance is a tricky thing. Please let me know what you think about my attempt to create a viable option (especially if you can come up with a rewrite for arcane pool that makes thrown weapons useful)!

Spell Harrier (Magus Archetype)

The spell harrier blends magical abilities with martial skill in ranged combat.

Arcane Pool: At 5th level, the spell harrier can expend points from his arcane pool to add any of the following weapon properties to his weapon: distance, flaming, flaming burst, frost, icy burst, returning, seeking, shock, shocking burst, or speed. This ability alters the magus' normal arcane pool feature, but is otherwise identical to that class feature.

Spell Shot (Ex): At 1st level, a spell harrier learns to cast spells and wield his ranged weapons at the same time. This functions much like the Rapid-Shot feat, but the extra attack is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the spell harrier must wield one or more ranged weapons in one or both of his hands. As a full-round action, he can make all of his attacks with his ranged weapon(s) at a –2 penalty and can also cast any spell from the magus spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action that requires a ranged touch attack (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). The spell harrier must have the necessary material components in his possession, but he does not have to provide any somatic components normally required by the spell. This replaces spell combat, medium armor, and heavy armor.

Distant Spell (Su): At 2nd level, whenever a spell harrier casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the magus spell list, he can deliver the spell as a ranged touch attack with a range of “close”, as if it were modified by the Reach Spell metamagic feat (without increasing the spell's level). The spell harrier may choose to spend one point from his arcane pool to increase the spell's range to “medium” or two points to increase the spell's range to “long”. This replaces spellstrike.

Improved Spell Shot (Ex): At 8th level, when the spell harrier uses the spell shot ability, he gains a +4 dodge bonus on AC against attacks of opportunity until the end of his turn. This replaces improved spell combat.

Greater Spell Shot (Ex): At 14th level, when the spell harrier uses the spell shot ability, he does not provoke attacks of opportunity for making a ranged attack while threatened. This replaces greater spell combat.

Harrying Shot (Ex): At 16th level, whenever an opponent within 60 feet of the spell harrier successfully casts a spell, the spell harrier can make a ranged attack against that opponent as an immediate action after the spell is completed. This attack cannot disrupt the spell. This replaces counterstrike.

True Spell Harrier (Su): At 20th level, the spell harrier becomes a master of spells and combat. Whenever he uses his spell shot ability, he does not need to make a concentration check to cast the spell defensively. Whenever the spell harrier uses spell shot and his spell targets the same creature as his ranged attacks, he can choose to either increase the DC to resist the spell by +2, grant himself a +2 circumstance bonus on any checks made to overcome spell resistance, or grant himself a +2 circumstance bonus on all attack rolls made against the target during his turn. This replaces true magus.

Magus Arcana: The following magus arcana is available to the spell harrier:
Accurate Shot (Ex): The spell harrier can expend 2 points from his arcane pool as a swift action to resolve all of his ranged weapon attacks until the end of his turn as ranged touch attacks. The spell harrier must be at least 9th level before selecting this arcana.

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I have always liked the idea of specific combat styles focusing on the use of certain weapons. The 3.5 splatbooks had a number of combat style feats, but they weren't exactly flavorful. For my upcoming homebrew campaign, I want to design some combat styles that are tied to specific cultures or ethnic groups (characters that belong to these groups gain the corresponding martial or exotic weapon proficiencies for free).

This is my first try to design combat feats, and I find it very difficult to balance them around the plethora of existing feats. I would like to know if these are balanced: Would you take these feats as a player and would you allow them as a DM? Also, I'm not sure about the requirements (not a big fan of feat trees). I would be grateful for any advice, suggestions, and criticism.

Here is the first series of feats. I plan to do others focussing on axes, sabres, and a few more uncommon weapons.

Whirling Fans Combat Style

This combat style focuses on the use of fighting fans.
A rogue may use her Bluff ranks instead of her base attack bonus to meet the prerequisites of these feats and to determine the effect of these feats.

Shield of Silk and Steel (Combat, Whirling Fans):
You can deflect melee attacks with your fighting fan.
Prerequisites: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (fighting fan), Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: When you wield a fighting fan in each hand, reduce the two-weapon-fighting penalty by one. When you make a full attack with two fighting fans, at the beginning of your turn, you may refrain from using your first off-hand attack. Until the beginning of your next turn, you get a +2 shield bonus against all melee attacks. When your base attack bonus reaches +6, and every 5 points thereafter, the shield bonus granted by this feat increases by 1.
Special: You get a bonus on all Bluff checks made to feint in combat equal to the number of Whirling Fans feats you possess.

Hundred Cuts (Combat, Whirling Fans):
You know how to cause bleeding wounds with your fighting fans.
Prerequisites: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (fighting fan), Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +3.
Benefit: Your attacks with the fighting fan deal either piercing or slashing damage. If you hit an opponent more than once per round with a fighting fan, you deal bleed damage equal to the total number of successful attacks in that round (provided the attack dealt at least one point of damage).
Normal: Fighting fans only deal piercing damage.
Special: You get a bonus on all Bluff checks made to feint in combat equal to the number of Whirling Fans feats you possess.

Deflecting Flip (Combat, Whirling Fans):
You can knock arrows and other projectiles off course with your fighting fan.
Prerequisites: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (fighting fan), Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +5.
Benefit: When wielding two fighting fans, you may deflect one ranged attack per round that would normally hit you. To use this ability, you must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. If you succeed at a feint (Bluff check DC = your opponent's attack roll), the attack is deflected. When your base attack bonus reaches +6, and every 5 points thereafter, you may attempt to deflect one additional ranged attack per round. When you use this feat, you may not make any attacks with your off hand until the end of your next turn. You can deflect ranged attacks generated by natural attacks or spell effects, but not unusually massive ranged weapons (such as boulders or ballista bolts).
Special: You get a bonus on all Bluff checks made to feint in combat equal to the number of Whirling Fans feats you possess.

Confounding Twist (Combat, Whirling Fans):
You can obscure your opponent's vision with your fighting fans.
Prerequisites: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (fighting fan), Improved Feint, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +7.
Benefit: When you make a full attack with two fighting fans, at the beginning of your turn, you may refrain from using your first main-hand attack to feint in combat as a free action. If you succeed on your Bluff check, your opponent loses his Dexterity bonus to AC against your next attack (as normal) and you have 20% miss chance (as if from concealment) against your opponent until the beginning of your next turn. When your base attack bonus reaches +11, and every 4 levels thereafter, the miss chance granted by this feat increases by 10%.
Special: You get a bonus on all Bluff checks made to feint in combat equal to the number of Whirling Fans feats you possess.

Dance of Silk and Steel (Combat, Whirling Fans):
You become a whirling flash of steel.
Prerequisites: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (fighting fan), Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Mobility, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +9.
Benefit: If you are wielding two fighting fans, you can, as a full-round action, combine a full attack with a single move. You may make your attacks at any point during your movement. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.
Special: You get a bonus on all Bluff checks made to feint in combat equal to the number of Whirling Fans feats you possess.

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Abjuration spells that negate magic are often all or nothing. Dispel Magic, Globe of Invulnaribility, Break Enchantment either succeed or they fail. I'd rather have a mechanic that allows for partial successes and failures (as intermediate outcomes help to contain the randomness/arbitrary nature of these spells), and therefore makes abjuration effects a more attractive option for casters.

I propose the following changes to the magic rules in general and the Dispel Magic spell in particular:

Magic:

Power Rating
Each spell has a Power Rating (PR) equal to its caster level.
Any decreases to PR don't affect the spell's caster level, but they do change the effective caster level with regard to the spell's duration and damage (if any). Reducing a spell's PR to zero or below ends the spell. If the spell's remaining duration would be reduced to zero or below, the spell ends as well.
Any increases to PR beyond the spells original PR don't affect the spell's caster level, but they do change the effective caster level with regard to the spell's duration and area. A spell's PR may never exceed twice the spell's caster level.

Fortify Spell: After successfully casting a spell with a duration greater than instantaneous, a caster may choose to recast the same spell at any time within the spell's duration to increase its PR (provided he has prepared the spell necessary a second time/ has an open spell slot of the required spell level). Recasting a spell in this way increases the spell's PR by the caster's caster level.

Dispel Magic:

Targeted Dispel: One object, creature, or spell is the target of the dispel magic spell. The spell with the highest PR has its PR decreased by 5. If you succeed on a dispel check (1d20 + your caster level) against DC = 11 + the spell's original PR, you may reduce that spells PR by an additional amount equal to your caster level. If you reduce the spells PR to zero or below, that spell ends.

For example, a 7th-level caster casts dispel magic, targeting a creature affected by stoneskin (PR 12). The caster level check results in a 19. This check is not high enough to end the stoneskin (which would have required a 23 or higher), but it reduces the spell's PR by 5 (effectively reducing the spells remaining duration by 50 minutes and faciliating further dispel checks). Had the dispel check resulted in a 23 or higher, the stoneskin would have been dispelled completely (its PR being reduced by 15, beyond the spells original PR).

Dispel Magic, Greater:

Targeted Dispel: This functions as a targeted dispel magic, but it decreases the spell's PR by 10 (instead of 5). Reducing a spell's PR to zero or below allows you to make additional dispel checks, starting with the highest level spells and proceeding to lower level spells. For each additional spell you take a cumulative -2 penalty on your dispel check.

Area Dispel: [unchanged]

The numbers probably need some fine tuning, but that is the basic idea. Break Enchantment, Dispel Evil and similar spells would work the same way as Dispel Magic.
Globe of Invulnerability would reduce the PR from hostile spells in the area (and therefore decrease their damage).

I'm not entirely sure which spell variables should be affected by a spell's PR – it's a tricky thing, because spells are so versatile and different. Obviously, number of targets and range raise too many issues.

I would like to know if this idea deserves to be pursued, which problems might arise from these changes, and if the numbers withstand scrutiny. Advice, suggestions and criticism would be greatly appreciated.

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After Paizo's announcement for a psychic magic book coming next year, I thought I'd share my own take on psionics with the Psychomancer Class. I aimed for the alchemist's level of power, versatility and customizability. I haven't been able to playtest this yet.
Comments, advice, suggestions and criticism are greatly appreciated.