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Tripping Strike: "If your confirmation roll exceeds your opponent’s CMD, you may knock your opponent prone as if from the trip combat maneuver."

Trip Combat Maneuver: "You can only trip an opponent who is no more than one size category larger than you."

Does the size limitation still apply? You are not using your normal CMB with size modifiers and trip maneuver modifiers. You aren't actually performing the maneuver, you're simply confirming a crit. And there is nothing in the rules against critting an opponent two size categories larger. Tripping Strike isn't an actual trip combat maneuver, but rather the result of the crit confirm roll is that they are "knocked prone as if from the trip combat maneuver".

The combat maneuver also says: "Some creatures—such as oozes, creatures without legs, and flying creatures—cannot be tripped." However, this bit is where it's talking about the effects of trip, whereas the size restriction is in the paragraph about the circumstances of how to initiate the trip. Being knocked prone as if by trip isn't a valid thing that can happen to a flying creature or ooze, but it clearly is a valid thing that can happen to a regular large creature, it's just a matter of the conditions under which you're able to do it or not.

Is there any ability that would allow you to operate a voice controlled effect stealthily? The carpet of flying is "controlled by spoken directions". I don't believe the DC to overhear whispering is all that high. So presumably if you're trying not to draw attention to yourself, you have to get off your carpet first, which wastes time if things go south and you need to get back on it.

FWIW I already do have the ability to communicate with telepathy. The description of telepathy says "can mentally communicate with any other creature within a certain range that has a language." The carpet has language, apparently, but I don't think it would qualify as a "creature".

The description of the construct subtype is "A construct is an animated object or artificially created creature." A carpet of flying certainly seems like an animated object. It's basically an artificial mount, with its own move speed and actions. But there isn't anything in the item description that specifically calls it a construct or gives it a stat block like a creature.

Really the carpet of flying is incredibly vaguely defined all around. There's inherently a lot of interpretation involved in trying to make it work. But I don't know if it's just wishful thinking or justifiable that I might use telepathy to issue commands to an animated magic item that takes voice commands.

So the Wall of Flesh Teamwork Feat says it treats you as one size category larger for "CMD and the way combat maneuvers and abilities affect you".

So presumably this means it doesn't treat you as larger for how your combat maneuvers affect others or CMB?

Basically you need two people to both get the feat and stay adjacent just for a measly +1 CMD and nothing to CMB? There are much easier options for getting +1 CMD than a teamwork feat. That seems extremely weak. Though "abilities" does seem a bit open ended. Does that mean like if someone tries to demoralize you with intimidate this might mean they don't qualify as larger than you and get a +4? Any ability of any kind that is influenced by size?

I'm trying to make a small race (not halfling or gnome) effective at tripping people, and there are just so few options out there for overcoming that limit on not tripping people two size categories larger. When I first saw this feat I was hoping it might provide the means to trip one size larger. But now looking closer I'm afraid it may not provide any useful offense, merely very weak defense.

1) Does Ki Throw count as a Ki Attack for the purposes of Ki Focus? It is an unarmed attack move that allows you to spend Ki points and has Ki in the name. The way Ki Focus is worded makes me think those are example Ki attacks rather than an exhaustive list, and Ki Throw seems to fit the bill to me.

2) Ki Throw says if you trip someone with an unarmed attack, you can reposition them anywhere you threaten. Does that mean only places your unarmed attack threatens, or anywhere you threaten with your weapon? If you kick someone adjacent to you, can you Ki Throw them to a square you threaten with your reach weapon? I mean it doesn't make a lot of sense that you would be able to, but going by RAW it seems pretty clear that you can send them anywhere you threaten. It would make more sense if you can't, but if so then it's poorly worded.

3) If #1 is true, does that mean that you can Ki Throw someone when attacking them with a Ki Focus weapon, potentially over a large area if it's a reach weapon?

4) If #3 is true and #2 is false, would a Ki reach weapon change the answer to #2 so that you can reposition them from reach weapon threat to unarmed threat and vice versa?

In general, most typed bonuses do not stack with other bonuses of the same type. Effects that give a bonus to attack rolls generally give a bonus to CMB. Certain effects also give a bonus directly to CMB. Does a typed bonus to attack roll not stack with a typed bonus directly to CMB, or are they considered separate types of bonuses for the purposes of stacking?

Specifically, I'm looking at the background traits "Opportunistic" and "Bred For War". One gives a straight up +1 trait bonus directly to CMB, and one gives a "+1 trait bonus on attacks of opportunity".

It seems to me that this is analogous to having a +2 trait bonus to strength, which would ultimately result in adding a +1 to your CMB as well, but it still stacks because it's a different type of bonus. My interpretation is that a bonus directly to CMB stacks with a bonus to attack roll, since they're two different values that ultimately get added together, rather than bonuses to the same value, just like a bonus to strength would stack.

However, I'd like some clarification/opinions on this interpretation.

Related to that, what exactly is a "bonus on attacks of opportunity?" I'm assuming that's only to the attack roll and not damage, even though some traits explicitly say they're for the attack of opportunity attack roll.

How do you deal with fellow party members who feel that stealing from the rest of the party is just good roleplaying? If their character is supposed to be a chaotic neutral thief, I can't really give any particular justification for why they'd deal fairly with the rest of the party, but it certainly isn't a fun style of play for me effectively having a party member working against me with nothing I can do about it.

The in character thing for us to do the when they were caught working against us would clearly be to kick them out, since we can't trust them well enough to work with them. But out of character that's effectively ending the campaign and possibly creating bad blood outside the game. Yet the player doesn't feel any out of character compunctions about working against us when we can't really react appropriately in character for out of character reasons.

Besides that, one plays the least optimized character, also for roleplaying reasons, so they contribute little mechanically. What should help make up for it is their skills, but for roleplaying reasons they either won't use them, or will use them for personal gain, making things harder for the rest of us. They'll run schemes and try to steal from people in town, and if they succeed that's their money, not the party's. Yet when the consequences come we'll all have to deal with them.

At the rate we've been going, it seems like everyone but those two will be well behind wealth by level guidelines. I have a few essential items I wanted for my build, for both mechanical and roleplaying reasons. I even invested in the item creation feat to ensure I'd be able to get them. If we got a normal amount of wealth, I should easily be able to get them well before the end of the campaign. But now I'm concerned that I'll get the cheapest a couple of levels higher than I'd hoped and not get the other two by the end of the campaign at all.

Is it possible to intentionally craft cracked or flawed ioun stones based on their market value, or do you have to pay the price of crafting a regular one and then fail the check by the right amount?

I came up with a custom item that I'd like to craft for my witch (subject to DM approval). Feel free to use it yourself, or provide feedback on whether you think it needs adjustment.

The idea to keep in mind here is that it is intended more for RP reasons than to provide a mechanical advantage. Mechanically, the witch is able to use the Cackle hex outside of combat twice per round, thus theoretically extending her Fortune hex indefinitely. It's possible, but very undignified to be laughing all day, and it's kind of a sloppy mechanic to presume an arbitrarily large number of rounds of a buff saved up prior to combat.

The idea here would be to accomplish something similar to extend Fortune by playing an instrument outside of combat, except with a finite cap to the duration. The mechanical downside to this would be the same as cackling, which is that you're making noise and can't be stealthy. Within combat, I don't expect this item to be particularly useful since you can already keep extending things with a move equivalent action (especially useful when you don't need to use your own move action for mobility due to a flying mount like broom). Also the full hands and attack of opportunity is a significant disadvantage to combat use.

Bewitching Concertina
Aura: faint transmutation; CL 5th; Weight 4 lb
Slot none; Price 4,500 gp (standard)

This concertina appears simple and well worn when idle, but when played gives the impression that it is ornately carved and gilded, and emits a rich tone incongruous with its small size. It qualifies as a masterwork instrument, providing the standard +2 circumstance bonus to Perform (keyboard) checks. When successfully played by a performer with the Cackle hex, it increases the duration of all hexes normally extended by Cackle. Playing in this manner is a standard action, requiring two hands, which provokes attacks of opportunity.

The performer must chose a tempo to play, which will determine the Perform (keyboard) skill check DC: Adagio (DC 10), Andante (DC 15), or Allegro (DC 20). If the check is successful, the duration of hexes affected by Cackle is extended by +1, +2, or +3 rounds, respectively, for all listeners within 30 feet. If it succeeds by an excess of 10 or more, the duration is extended by an additional round. If it succeeds by an excess of 5 or more, it also affects listeners between 30 and 60 feet by half that amount (rounded down). If it fails by more than 5, then the effects of the performers hexes subject to cackle are dispelled for all listeners within 60 feet. Targets who cannot hear the concertina, such as by silence, deafness, or sonic immunity are not affected.

The maximum remaining time that the concertina may extend duration to is a total number of rounds equal to the performers caster level. For example a level 10 witch may use the concertina to extend the duration of her hexes within listening range to a maximum of 10 rounds remaining duration. They may then maintain that state indefinitely by continuing to play.

Construction Requirements:
Craft Wondrous Item, cackle hex or Hideous Laughter, Perform (keyboard), Adoration; Cost 2,250 gp

I had some questions about the broom of flying, and mounts in general as they pertain to witches.

I'm planning to craft my witch a broom of flying as soon as she can afford it. The description is a bit vague on how it works, but from searching around for interpretations, I understand it to work essentially like a flying mount. Which means I can move around using the mount's move but still perform a standard action, to cast a spell or hex, and also use my own move equivalent action, in this case to cackle.

So is there any mechanical disadvantage for a caster not to just ride a combat trained mount all the time (at least outdoors or in areas that are easy to navigate for a large animal?) Does it affect your Armor Class or other defenses in some way? Is there a chance of extra bad things like falling off when you get hit? It mentions the penalties for charges and double moves, but if you're making single moves is there any reason to not want to be on a broom?

Being able to move freely and cackle seems like a big advantage, so I'd like to just plan on staying on the broom for every combat. Even if it means only hovering a few feet above the ground while in a confined indoor area, I would think a medium character on a broom would still fit in a normal 5x5 space, and the broom wouldn't get spooked, so there is no reason not to ever do it. That's why I'm concerned if there is some defensive downside to it, or some other reason that I might not want to be on the broom literally all the time.

If I'm hovering 10 feet off the ground, does that mean most medium creatures can't hit me without reach or ranged weapons, and don't threaten me if I move over them? Are there any defensive advantages to being on higher ground than a ranged attacker?

The broom description says the broom is able to fly as if affected by the overland flight spell (+4 on fly skill checks). Does this mean for complex flying maneuvers that it uses my fly skill + 4, or that its own fly skill is fixed at 4 and my skill is irrelevant? If the latter, then the broom would not be a good enough flyer to hover reliably (DC 15), and there's nothing you can ever do to improve it, so that's a significant disadvantage. The Carpet of Flying is a very similar item, but it specifically words it as "gives a +5 bonus to fly checks", which makes me think that it's adding to the user's fly skill as a base.

It says that you can cast normally if the mount takes only a normal move action. There is a concentration check if it takes a double move. I'm going to go ahead and assume this applies to a supernatural ability like a witch hex as well, even though it doesn't specify. Even just a single move plus hex plus cackle would be awesome.