Applied_People's page

This may be too little or too late, but I'll add a tip or two.

- Train your party members who use Recall Knowledge to first ask, "What is the creature's lowest DEFENSE (rather than lowest save)?" Sometimes, attacking AC is the way to go even for a caster.

- Next, they should ask "Does the creature have any resistances, immunities or weaknesses?"

I have a party member who uses recall knowledge all the time and always asks, "What weaknesses does it have" first. It drives me nuts! Make that action spent on RK maximally valuable!

- You have access to Magic Missile! Stock some scrolls of the highest level you can cast. When it feels like nothing else is working, it will feel great to pull one of those out and do some non-trivial, all but guaranteed damage.

- Train your martials not to rush in before buffs, debuffs, and AOEs have been laid down. They need to understand that their haste to engage is often counterproductive and makes the encounter more difficult. They need to learn when to make tactical use of the Delay action.

- Fireball and the like are great when the positioning stars align, but you'll pretty much always be able to use a line spell like lightning bolt. Have some more party friendly AOEs in your arsenal for those times when the situation conspires against you and makes burst spells problematic.

- Lastly, scrolls and scrolls and scrolls of top level and top level-1 spells. This is SuperBidi's approach to feeling effective as a caster. Just cast big spells all the time. Having a bunch of big spell scrolls makes you treat your big spell slots less preciously. If you're always holding back and casting cantrips, this may be your remedy.

The idea of Nephellim Fleshwarp Exemplar sounds pretty inticing. With the idea being your body not being able to quite handle the divine spark now within you

That or your godbits are Lamashtan in origin.

Applied_People wrote:

I'd rather have been handed a class that everyone can play without all that baggage.

I mean, what about a divine martial who gives themselves self buffs is too much baggage to be playable? Because at its core that's what the class is as described.

You are making my point for me. Stripped of the lore / flavor (as you've just done), the class is what you describe...a divine martial with self buffs. This is something anyone can play in virtually any campaign or adventure.

So, I'm saying I would have preferred lore/flavor that didn't make it rare and so precious (Dead god stuff fell on me, and now I'm the special-est! Sqweeee!)

Not thrilled with the Exemplar flavor and rare tag. Rare means less access to the class. And the flavor means it needs to be handled a bit by GM and player to make sure it "plays nice" with the other players and the story being collectively told.

I'd rather have been handed a class that everyone can play without all that baggage.

It's just not a good fit for some games (I.e. most if not all that I've played in over the last decade). But maybe dumping the flavor for something else will make it more palatable in my group.

Guess we'll see how else the mechanics might be flavored tomorrow.

As a few others have said, the Animist doesn't feel original, at least not in the way it was billed. While that's a disappointment, I'm still excited for the class. Just wish they'd said we're giving you an old class with influences from another old class.

With regard to Exemplar, I don't care for the flavor, but I'm looking forward to digging in to the crunch tomorrow. The flavor can (and will) be discarded.

At this point you're a tank with Timber Sentinel giving additional HP.

I don't think Timber Sentinel can protect the kineticist who "cast" it.

The spell Protector Tree says, "Whenever *an ally* adjacent to the tree is hit by a Strike, the tree interposes its branches and takes the damage first."

In 2E, you do not count as your own ally.

Maybe you could argue that you are an ally of the tree? Seems a stretch but if I was playing a Wood Kin, I'd definitely make that argument to my GM.

Did the iconic on the right have a 6th finger? Or maybe what I'm taking to be a pinky finger is a part of their attire. Which would make the missing finger a ring finger.

Anyway, I like Animist as a good possibility for the iconic on the right.

Other options for the character on the left could be (along with the already mentioned Demigod) Aspirant or Ascendant. Kill a god, birth a god. It has a nice symmetry to it.

Maybe it's just at my table...but the general approach we take is:

Common = go for it
Uncommon = ask...likely to be ok...but ask
Rare = ask...and it very much depends.

I'd hazard a guess that it's not just at my table though.

I'm not just a player. I'm a GM too and take the same approach.

Again, it's nice to have toys that everyone gets to play with.

I'm surprised to get so much disagreement, but either you're all the vocal minority or I am.

Applied_People wrote:

Anyone else not thrilled that Paizo will be putting so much development against a Rare class that many may never get a chance to play?

Not really. Having Rare options is good. Gunslinger and Inventor are both Uncommon. That hasn't caused any problems.

Who are these 'many' people who won't get to play with the Rare options?

I'll answer your snarky question with a snarky question.

How did you come about the omniscience to assert that Gunslinger and Inventor being Uncommon hasn't caused any 'problems?'

Joking aside, not all tables allow Gunslingers and Inventors. It's not a stretch to imagine that some will also not allow whatever this Rare class ends up being.

I guess I feel there are other, more universal concepts I'd like to see developed before digging into niche classes (shaman, shifter, inquisitor & medium all come to mind quickly). And I don't need to go through my GM as gatekeeper to play what I want to play.

That seems like something you need to bring up with your GM.

Precisely my point. I'd rather see time and energy going into more universal options.

Anyone else not thrilled that Paizo will be putting so much development against a Rare class that many may never get a chance to play?

On Reddit, I've seen some good possibilities:

Diabolist
Strategist
Animist
Ascendant
Exemplar
Warmaster
Aspirant

This is an expansion of a concept I came across on Reddit that inspired me.

Ancestry: I like something anthropomorphic (amurrun, tengu, ysoki <wink>, kitsune and shoony are my favorites)

Background: Cook

Elements: You could go single gate Fire, but I like the idea of having all 6 elements at your disposal.

With all 6 elements (and given the investment you'd have to make to get them all), any GM worth their *salt* would let you use Basic and Expanded Kinesis to set up one hell of a camp kitchen, spawn some ingredients and cook some killer vegetarian meals.

Air: air feeds fire, air *frying*, air drying, rising dough, vacuum sealing

Earth: salt, ovens, tandoors, crockery, teacups/teapots, glassware, sodium hydroxide (lye) for pretzels

Fire: heat, flame

Metal: pots, pans, cutlery, knives, skewers, sheet pans, tins, cooking utensils, barbecues, grills, scrub pads

Water: washing, steaming, boiling, refrigeration, chilling, ice, sous vide, blanching, braising, poaching, sauces, soups, stews, broths, stocks, dough, pasta, drinks

Wood: herbs, vegetables, fruits, grains, seaweed, legumes, tea, coffee, chocolate, wood for fire, cutting boards, rolling pins, cooking utensils, chopsticks, beer, wine, liquor, liqueurs

a total of 29d8 in reflex saves, and then two blasts for 8d8 each (7d8 with Furnace Form).

Edit: Forgot that Ignite the Sun buffs your other fire impulses by 1d6 each. Level 20 pyrokineticists are terrifying.

I think I'm missing something on your math.

2x Sustain on Ignite the Sun = 2x 7d8 = 14d8
1x Blazing Wave with fire impulse junction = 12d8 at L20 +1d8 from Ignite the Sun = 13d8

So, I get 27d8 in Reflex save based damage.

For the blasts, I get:

At L20 with fire impulse junction: 5d8
Plus 1d8 from Furnace Form
Plus 1d8 from Ignite the Sun

So 7d8 per blast.

You could add some Strength damage to each via Weapon Infusion though.

What am I missing?

Could you be adding an additional 1d8 for the 2nd Sun? If so, that's called out as being only 1 die regardless of number of Suns.

Also, I think I'd prefer to get the 20 aura damage on everyone in my aura by keeping Nimbus up over a 2nd 1-action blast with MAP (avg. damage on a 7d8 hit is 31.5). I'm unlikely to hit with MAP, and I'm only hitting one creature anyway...if it's a solo boss, then fine. But otherwise, I'd keep Nimbus up.

Hey guys, I'm currently in the middle of making a Kineticist guide, But I need your help. I'd like to know anyone's thoughts on which races (particularly uncommon and rare races) would be good for Kineticists

Just in case you weren't aware, there is a very good Kineticist guide out already: HunterIV's PF2e Kineticist Guide

I don't think it was ever posted here... Just on Reddit. Might be worth a read if you haven't yet.

It is light on ancestry content though so this is a great area to give some extra love in your guide.

how do you do this MAPless shield attack?

I think Lycar is saying that you attack with the shield first (at -2 below your top proficiency) because it is NOT agile and then follow with the short sword because it IS agile (allowing you to attack at your top proficiency) for -2 / +0.

But if you reverse the order you get +0 / -4 (due to lower proficiency AND non-agile).

Applied_People wrote:

Houngan wrote:

I think this is a fun topic so I am going to attempt to keep it going. As discussed above, I understand that Tanking means more than just AC, but for purposes of theory crafting, I am going to propose what I think would be a very durable Tank. I currently play in games at a local gaming shop where the group composition is like a box of chocolates (you never know what you are going to get...) so this build will be self-sufficient without support from other characters.

In addition to the above mentioned Tonics, TV added a few more items (namely the Collar of the Shifting Spider and Troll Hide) that support the idea of an Alchemical Tank well. Please find my build below and try to top this Tankiest Tank to ever Tank!

Mutagenist Alchemist
** spoiler omitted **...

I love this build, but I have 2 questions about things I don't understand.

You mention shield blocking 6 times per round. Do you mean via casting amped shield twice? If so, I don't think you can cast it more than once per 10 minutes.

Also, you mention using your familiar to Aid you but that requires using a reaction that familiars don't get due to having the minion trait.

But maybe there's something to both of these that I'm not getting.

The good news is that neither issue really invalidates the build.

I'm glad you liked it!

I think the others have answered the question regarding 6 blocks better than I could have (thank you all!) and frankly I feel silly that I didn't realize there is a potential for 7 breaks in a combat (no reason to cancel early when on your last focus point). As this is already a familiar build, it may be worth looking into Familiar Focus for an extra focus point once per day.

In regards to the familiar using Aid, I was thinking of using a Crawling Hand for this build which allows the familiar to Aid an attack...

Oh wow! I didn't think to look at the specific familiar. I thought it was just chosen for good Alchemist flavor synergy. That's really cool.

If my tank Warpriest in Kingmaker dies or gets boring I think I'll give it a try.

Thank you for explaining!

OP, you've got several troubleshooters on the case. I bet they get you sorted out.

I also think it's cool that it doesn't usually take this bunch too long to pinpoint the problem(s) and suggest fixes.

Credit to the designers for a game that generally "just works" and to the community for it's willingness to help!

I'm bummed this is for Awakened Animals and not all of the Howl options! Surely including some Merfolk and Minotaurs wouldn't spoil the fun?

Wouldn't spoil my fun even a little, and as the OP I feel empowered to say "have at it!"

Mine is a derpy brown bear named Pablo. He wears a bowler that's about 50% too small for his head. Grappling focused Animal Barbarian. Fond of tea and biscuits.

I predict no more easy dipping into Champion for heavy armor and the champion's reaction.

You are of course entitled to all your opinions and for all I know (since I don't work for Paizo and can't say for sure) some or even all of them may be right.

But what I can speak to is my own group... Over the last 10 years besides myself and the DM, no one else has ever given Paizo a dime because they use AoN and Pathbuilder. So the prices that those of us who patronize Paizo pay subsidize those who don't buy anything but still play the game.

I imagine that something less than 10% of Pathfinder players subsidize the other 90%. That, I think, is the business model, like it or not.

I assume this is me misunderstanding the feat somehow, but here's what I think it does:

1. I start my turn with an empty gun
2a. I spend 1 action on Risky Reload
2b. As part of that action I Interact to reload
2c. As part of that action I make a Strike

If my Strike was successful, I just got a "free" action.

If my Strike was unsuccessful, my gun misfires and I must spend an action to clear the jam. But I'm no worse off (in terms of actions spent) than if I'd used, for example, Covered Reload + Strike. Still 2 actions...still a reload and a Strike. Still holding an empty gun.

I feel like you're saying I have a chance to lose actions when I use Risky Reload, and I'm saying I have a chance each time I use Risky Reload to conserve actions. Am I missing something?

Also, I think this math does not include any feats to supplement bow DPR but it does show how Risky Reload makes the arquebus competitive with a long bow without feat support (no Horngali in the calculations):

Firearms DPR

Drow...do not have black skin on Golarion.

I was curious about this. Here's what I discovered.

The page on AoN for 1st edition playable drow says: "Drow skin ranges from coal black to a dusky purple."

On the other hand, the page for NPC drow on the AoN 2nd edition page says: "their flesh adopted an unearthly lavender sheen that made the drow instantly recognizable."

In the 1e book Into the Darklands, drow skin is described as "as dark as their hearts," and the art on that page shows a very dark skinned priestess.

Conclusion: Inconclusive.

Maybe the shift in 2e language is a stealth retcon for some reason.

I like the idea of a grippli hydrokineticist.

And a hobbit...er...halfling wood kineticist that delights in using her powers to create a wooden menagerie of tiny, minutely detailed magical creatures in her downtime. Felicia Pickleweed, I think I'll name her.

I also have an idea for a metal kineticist inspired by the Steel Inquisitors of the Mistborn series: an Orc whose powers are derived from the metal spikes impaling his body...they may or may not worship Zon-Kuthon. Another level, another spike through the 'ol brainpan.

Or a metal kineticist inspired by the kandra from the Mistborn series: this one also uses the spike thing for flavor but I'd use the upcoming Ooze ancestry from the current Battlezoo Kickstarter. Kandra have such great names...FhorKood, Paalm, TenSoon.

I'd say Monks have the most of what I'll call agency. They have the mobility to go where they want, the defenses to remain there if they wish, and the free hands to Interact/maneuver as needed.

...
Monks don't have good speed, they have the best speed, speed so far ahead it strains other builds to catch up, and backed by feats that build on that.

I agree, and I love how a monk's movement speed serves to further create action economy for the monk.

One of my favorite examples of this "agency" (I like that term) is on a monk with the Medic Dedication's Doctor's Visitation.

In 3 actions/1 turn, this monk can do what would take most characters 7 actions/3 turns to accomplish:

> Move 50 feet (2 actions for the price of 1... assuming a 25 ft movement speed for another character)
> Flurry of Blows (2 more actions for the price of 1)
> Doctor's Visitation (move 50 feet...administer Battle Medicine to an ally...that's 3 actions for the price of 1)

Is this an optimal turn/approach to combat? <shrug>

Does it feel good to play? It feels great to play

With the introduction of Level 1-10 APs, a lower level guide would be useful to those players as well.

Applied_People wrote:

roquepo wrote:

Free Archetype and ABP rules. At first I thought they were yet another gestalt in disguise optional ruleset, but after playing with it, if given the choice, I don't think I would ever GM nor play a game without those.

I'm curious why you like the ABP rules. I'm interested in them, but would love to hear the perspective of someone who has used them.

Would you say more about it?

It makes GMing easier (having to track less treasure, specially the treasure that is considered mandatory, helps a lot), allows PCs to have several usable weapons while still having to specialize in one or two thanks to the property runes and makes handling and receiving loot more interesting imo. Finally, a lot of the "gold budget" you loose is siphoned into skill upgrades too, so players feel a bit more incentivized to use those.

Thank you!

From a player's perspective, I imagine there are several benefits too.

- Not worrying that you're "behind" where you should be with your offensive and defensive capabilities (and skills as you point out).

- Not having to weigh keeping the "cool" item you looted vs. selling it for half its value to fund a "basic" purchase

- Less loot haggling and having to argue for why your ranged Magus deserves a fundamental armor rune as much as or more than the frontline Champion

- Less loot management and gold distribution responsibility

Any downsides for you as the GM and/or for your players?

For example, I'm thinking the narrative might be wonky...like why is my character suddenly able to make magical attacks?

Free Archetype and ABP rules. At first I thought they were yet another gestalt in disguise optional ruleset, but after playing with it, if given the choice, I don't think I would ever GM nor play a game without those.

I'm curious why you like the ABP rules. I'm interested in them, but would love to hear the perspective of someone who has used them.

Would you say more about it?

Gloom wrote:

This is a great thing so long as it's something that doesn't drive them out of business.

That's management talk and has no place here.

Gloom there has 9? subscriptions. I'd say that's more "Pathfinder/Starfinder fan and supporter" talk than management talk.

If it doesn't violate the community rules...it has a place here regardless.

Pistolero's Retort: How often is an opponent going to crit fail an attack against a level 9+ gunslinger? Looking at average Bestiary 1 stats, the answer is only if the opponent rolls a nat 1. This holds true even for Level - 2 creatures.

An ability that comes into play only if I'm attacked and only 5% of the time even then seems mistuned. Contrast with Rebounding Assault which can be used at least once per combat (and more if you both strikes hit or you spend the actions to retrieve your melee weapon). Or with Vital shot which can be used anytime you attack a flat-footed opponent, which is an easy condition to inflict.

This one needs some tuning to be in balance with the other Advanced Deeds.

I have read Quickened Casting (on Archives of Nethys) several times, and while it says that it reduces the number of actions to cast a spell by 1, it also has the symbol for consuming 1 action itself

Quickened Casting is a free action. I looked to make sure the listing on Nethys has the correct symbol and it does. Maybe you mistook the free action symbol for the one action symbol?

Playing a Strong-Blooded Dwarf with a Shield Ally and a Moderate Sturdy Shield in AoA. My party varies in size depending on the week but we have a Heal/Harm capable Cleric, an Angelic Sorcerer, a Animal (Frog) Instinct Barbarian, a Dragon Instinct Barbarian, and an archer Fighter MC Rogue. With my current setup, I'm capable of mitigating a lot of damage to myself and my party. I'd originally planned to lean even harder into this role with Divine Reflexes at 14 and maybe retraining to take the Bastion Archetype (at 2) and Quick Shield Block (at 12).

I'll soon have an opportunity to retrain, and I'm wondering if I'm going too far down the damage mitigation route. I'm looking specifically at replacing some or all of the following: Shining Oath (2), Aura of Courage (4) (though there aren't many options at L4 and below), and Lasting Doubt (12).

Here's my current setup:

Class Feats
1. Weight of Guilt
2. Shining Oath
4. Aura of Courage
6. Shield Warden
8. Quick Block
10. Shield of Reckoning
12. Lasting Doubt

Ancestry Feats
1. Unburdened Iron
5. Dwarven Reinforcement
9. Mountain's Stoutness

General Feats
3. Toughness
7. Fleet
11. Fast Recovery

I'm considering the following combinations, but I'm open to other ideas. Shield Warden + Quick Block + Shield of Reckoning are the core of my build so I'm less open to making changes there, but compelling ideas are welcome there too.

2. Cleric Dedication
4. Emblazon Armament/Basic Cleric Spellcasting

2. Bastion Dedication
12. Quick Shield Block

2. Talisman Dabbler
12. Deeper Dabbler

2. Bastion Dedication
12. Attack of Opportunity

Thanks for your thoughts!

Greetings law abiding citizens, i made this here guide on how to be a stuck up douchebaggy smartypants. Enjoy and let me know about the grave errors i made in the making of the document

Quite Elementary Indeed

Thanks for your work! I'm always excited when a new guide is published.

Glaive? (why is the deadly still 1d8?)

Guisarme (I loved trip)

Ranseur (disarm worth it?)

Fauchard (p.92 LOCG) - 1d8, deadly d8, reach 10 ft., sweep, trip

Personally, I've really benefitted from those posters who have shared their approaches to spell preparation in 2e. And I agree that (number of spells to choose from aside), it is a more complex process than PF1 at higher levels.

I love that wands and scrolls use your caster level for determining the effects of said spell. This lets you offload situational spells even more effectively than in PF1.

Spells like Bless, Command, Fear, Feather Fall, Grease, Illusory Object and Longstrider all have legs as 1st level slots even at high levels.

At 2nd level, Blur, Enlarge, Invisibility, Mirror Image and See Invisibility are strong, no matter your level.

Anyone have more thoughts to share on the topic?

One out of nine is a pretty bad deal. If you want to use Assurance / Athletics to try making climb rolls, okay. But don't waste your time on Trip.

Checking all the CR6 creatures that can be tripped shows that 11 of 36 have a Reflex save of +7 or lower. So, roughly 30% of trippable creatures at CR3 can be tripped by a level 3 Expert in Athletics using Assurance.

Much better than the 1 in 9 your sample suggested.

What about ways to add depth to static characters subtly? That takes things from a butt of a joke or stereotype to somewhat nuanced.

It's a good question and one I think Matt Colville answers pretty well in this YouTube video on roleplaying. The part about moving from a one-dimensional character to a multi-dimensional character is particularly valid...hint: it has nothing to do with accents.

Matt Colville on Roleplaying

As the OP, I'd like to say thanks for the robust discussion. Clearly this is a complex issue and many good points have been raised.

I have a few further thoughts to add, but they don't feel very organized; so I'll just use a bullet point format.

- I don't believe there was any malice whatsoever in Mr. Mona's portrayal of Arkonis.

- I agree that considerations for such things will vary depending on the circumstances (e.g. a table of close friends, a table of strangers, or on stage in front of the public). In particular, if on stage in front of the public and acting in an official capacity as a high-ranking officer/executive of a company that is vocal in its advocacy for equality and inclusiveness, I think one should be especially thoughtful.

- I have lived in Barcelona and am familiar with the Catalonian accent. On the other hand, I am not closely acquainted with anyone with a lisp. I don't know why my mind went to speech impediment rather than accent. Without Mr. Mona's response, we won't know the truth of it.

- I wasn't personally offended. Rather, I felt cringey embarrassment and puzzlement at the RP choice.

- I'm guilty of giving offense, even with the best of intentions. Furthermore, I've even done it while using an over-the-top French accent to portray a character from Galt. So I'm not casting stones here. I'm just saying, "Hey, give this some thought."

- For those who have shared here that despite having (or having had) a lisp they were not offended, I am glad.

Numbers of stars is an easy, universal way to make that visible even to those printing out black and white copies or that can't tell certain colors apart. A colorblind-friendly pallete would be the next best thing, to at least avoid asking readers to differentiate between red and green.

Number of stars/asterisks is also search/CTRL+F friendly!

Let me preface by saying that I'm a fan, Mr. Mona. I've thoroughly enjoyed the guest appearances you've done with the GCP, and I like what you've done with both Tiny Murder Clown and Arkonis. But I found Arkonis' lisp to be a bit objectionable. I don't think it reflects the inclusivity that I know Paizo advocates and typically demonstrates.

In my opinion, the choice to use a speech impediment for laughs was misguided, and honestly, I think it succeeded only in making certain moments cringey rather than funny. Arkonis is a fun and funny character despite the lisp...not because of it.

Overall, the recordings were a delight and a resounding success, but I felt this needed to be said.

Sincerely,

Gabriel Hesson

edit: Added my name. In making my critique, I don't wish to hide behind anonymity.

The "directly after" wording was clarified during the playtest as "no, it has to be this turn, not next turn" because "ending your turn" broke "directly after."

Do you have a link to this clarification?

Turn-based combat can create the illusion of significant time lapse between turns when in reality, as soon as one's turn is over, one's next turn begins very soon after. Fractions of a second are what separate turns. So I would rule that Metamagic used in this way follows directly after (provided no aforementioned reactions, free actions, etc. take place).

How is iruxi pronunced? Is that the singular or the plural or both? If one, what is the other?

Congrats to Uncle Teddy for winning my prize! A PM will be on its way momentarily.

Merry Taigmas everyone and may the new year bring more lovely 3pp content!

What a festive idea! If it’s not too late, I’d like to join in the fun.

I’d like to be entered into the draw AND contribute a prize (winner’s choice of a title from Endzeitgeist’s Top 10 of 2017 list).

This is my way of thanking Endzeitgeist for the tremendous amount of time, effort, passion, and excellence that he puts into reviewing and celebrating the efforts of 3rd party publishers. Without his work, I would never have discovered the vast majority of 3pp material I now own. Kudos and Happy Holidays to you, Thilo!

The winner will be whoever’s roll is closest to the average of all rolls on the Dec. 24 draw. In case of a tie, the winner will be determined by a roll-off, highest roll wins.

This link Bobo! will serve you well in lieu of a full guide:

Bobo! A Bad Touch Cleric of Sivanah