Archomedes's page

Having level independent durations is good. I like the new duration on mage armor. However, buff spells have gone down to between 1 minute to ten minutes. This decrease feels more low magic and low fantasy to me than perhaps what was intended.

I feel like having a hand full of duration increments is probably a good idea from an accessibility standpoint. Plays can ask "Is this a one minute, 4 hours, or 24-hour spell?"

4 hours seems like an improvement to me over the 10 minutes per level former duration of long-term buff spells. It allows them to be cast as part of a preparation phase without having to rush right away from encounter to encounter to get the most use out of the spell.

If you are trying to avoid the paradigm of casters eating the martial or skill monkey's lunch by self-buffing then you could have them have a reduced personal duration such as ", or 10 minutes personal." for spells that allow casters to circumvent having to make skill checks or on spells that improve their combat capabilities. (Although a utility polymorph spell that lets you keep a shape for hours would be very nice.)

As things stand, one-minute durations make it impossible to prepare for difficult encounters except to demand spells from casters from round to round. This change does not feel more accessible over the last edition to me.

Just assigning a new duration increment to these spells seems an easy fix that would take up no more space in the rulebook.

i just remembered this ability from the water orm and thought that it would be helpful as a social talent in order to help a vigilante get into costume

Elusive (Su) Water orms are rarely discovered except by their own choice. As a full-round action while in water, a water orm can move up to its run speed (200 ft.) without leaving any trace of its passage (identical in effect to pass without trace). An elusive water orm gains a +40 circumstance bonus to its Stealth check. In addition, when not in combat, a water orm is considered to be under the effects of a nondetection spell. These effects function at caster level 20th and cannot be dispelled.

Maybe call it flee the scene? How many playtesters would find something like this helpful?

A classic trope of the caped crusader genre is the hero with superhuman abilities, whether they are faster, stronger or more durable than the average man while in their vigilante alter ego.

I feel that the avenger could benefit from a progression into superhuman territory, differentiating the specialization from standard full BAB high skill point per level classes.

To my design sensibility, the class feature would be added to Avenger Specialization go something like this:
Superhuman(Ex): While in vigilante identity, the avenger vigilante possesses superhuman attributes. At first level, the avenger gains a +2 inherent bonus to either Constitution, Dexterity or Strength, chosen the first time that he dons his vigilante identity. He gains this benefit each time he dons his costume. This increase is treated as temporary until the Avenger has spent 24 hours in vigilante identity. The temporary hit points gained by the temporary constitution increase remain lost even if the vigilante switches identities multiple times in a day, and are refreshed when the vigilante has rested for 8 hours, though these hours do not need to be consecutive.
At 3rd level the avenger chooses a second ability score among Constitution, Strength and Dexterity to assign a +2 inherent bonus to. A5 5th level he gains a +2 inherent bonus to the Ability Score among the three he has not yet selected. At 7th, 9th and 11th level he increases one of these bonuses from +2 to +4. At 13th, 15th, and 17th level he increases one of these bonuses from +4 to +6. At 19th and 20th level he increases one of these bonuses from +6 to +8.

This way all three ability scores have their modifier increased before the bonus accrues again to the same score, so you don't wind up with a ridiculous strength or dexterity score, but you can surpass the limits that a similar character could achieve. Normally inherent typed bonuses are only available much later, so the bonus stacks with whatever other tricks the vigilante is picking up, but moral, enhancement or even alchemical as a bonus type works just as well depending on how you are flavoring the source of the bonus. I settled on inherent scaling up to +8 because no other class would get this kind of bonus. The most you can get from wishcrafing or tomes would be +5. I initially typed it as a moral bonus, but quickly realized that a moral bonus would make more sense for something the vigilante was hyping themselves up to or pushing themselves to do, which is another common trope in the vigilante genre.

"Superhuman" abilities scores would allow for a wide range of concepts and also serve as a replacement for "That thing that other full BAB classes get that boosts their to hit and damage beyond just having full BAB." And also gives the avenger something of their own that is iconic among the more martial of archetypal vigilantes. The first ability score you choose to increase can only be increased again at level 7, and maybe by that point you want to choose a different one. Maybe you started with strength, but you prefer through the course of your career to emphasize your alter ego's durability so you choose to increase constitution at level 6. Any way you increase it your character is gradually becoming better rounded and more of superior specimen when in their alter ego.

For those vigilantes that have superhuman abilities as their entire shtick, an associated talent could be something like this:
Superhuman Surge(Ex): The vigilante is capable of superhuman displays of strength, speed, and endurance. As a swift action a vigilante may push beyond their physical limitations, gaining a +4 moral bonus to Constitution, Dexterity, or Strength for a number of minutes per day equal to their vigilante level. these minutes need not be consecutive but they must be spent in one minute intervals. At 8th level you may gain this moral bonus to two ability scores, at 16th level you gain this bonus to all three ability scores. The bonuses granted a barbarian's Rage class feature overlaps with the benefits of this ability score increases from Superhuman Surge.

I think moral works better for a temporary surge of additional juice to whatever ability score for the purpose of a combat or perhaps the duration of a feat of superhuman heroism beyond the vigilante's baseline.

And other talents could key off of that one or reinforce the kind of unique superhuman capabilities a super might have for example:
Vengeful Surge(ex): When a critical hit is confirmed against the vigilante or an ally within line of sight you may activate superhuman surge as an immediate action, gaining the benefit for one minute. This does not count against your uses for superhuman surge per day.

Giant's Power(Ex): The vigilante possesses the proportional strength that belies his size, hurling chucks of stone with ease and shouldering the weight of cascading stone. The Vigilante increases his size for the purpose of calculating encumbrance by one category and gains a bonus on saving throws against avalanches and cave ins, debris from crumbling buildings and the like equal to his strength bonus and gains the rock throwing and rock catching special quality. Thrown rocks deal 1d6 points of damage for a medium vigilante (1d8 for a large vigilante and 1d4 for a small vigilante) + 1&1/2 times the vigilante's strength modifier. While benefiting from the Superhuman Surge talent, the vigilante is treated as one size larger for the purpose of rock throwing and an additional size category larger for the purpose of encumbrance.

Super Speed(Ex): The vigilante can move in a superhuman blur. As long as the vigilante gains a dexterity bonus from a class feature he gains a 30 foot enhancement bonus to his base speed. At 4th level while in a Superhuman surge he gains the benefits of blur while moving, at 8th level he additionally gains the benefits of haste, at 16th level he can make an additional attack while making a full attack and the enhancement bonus increases to 60 feet.

Triggered Transformation(Ex): The vigilante's double life is unstable, and the avenger in him rises to the surface when provoked. When the opportunity presents itself for a character of the vigilante's alignment or creed to do preform a strongly aligned deed, such as a good vigilante stopping an unjust act or an evil vigilante harming a vulnerable innocent, the vigilante must make a DC 15 will save. Failure results in an involuntary change from social to vigilante identity. The vigilante may voluntarily fail such a save if he so desires. When this talent is selected the vigilante may choose whether the change causes a surge in mass and shift in bone structure, doubling the character's weight and rendering his regular clothing to shambles, making him more difficult to recognize, if not the vigilante loses the bonus to disguise granted by dual identity.

Hello all. There were a number of posters providing reviews of all of the items entered in the competition last year.

I would like to provide my reviewing services as well.

Any meta-critique advice from the seasoned pros on methodology to use as I prepare for this undertaking?

Draft 1 here Scrapegrace Witch Archetype.

Work in progress, still need captone honings, and few balance considerations were made as I was more focused on including iconic terrifying witch abilities.

The genesis of this idea was a river kingdoms archetype I brainstromed based on Gyronna and some of the more horrific depictions of witches in films and fiction.

Critique and ideas are welcome and appreciated.

I want to teach new players how to fantasy wargame and role play. Whats a good system to start with? Preferably something easy to GM easy to create characters for, and with much fewer rules systems to master.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

I'm fishing for ideas from the creative forum community. I'm starting a campaign at level 5 out of a marshy town at the edge of a mangrove swamp. The swamp contains the ruins of ancient civilizations, and all manner of reptilian threats, as well as tribes of intelligent humanoids.

I have some first time players, and I'm looking to throw a variety of encounters at them, as well as give them role playing experiences. I also have a loose overarching storyline for them to delve into, with an ancient reptilian engineered, magic and alchemy powered devastating climate change event referred to in ancient writing as the "Writhing Tide."

I'm already going to be introducing regular and distinctly evolved looking advanced versions of megafauna and reptile species, as well as swamp orc/ogrekin (from merrows or marsh giants) as well as hydras bred as an ancient weapon of war. Jungle gricks seem like fun, and bullywugs are going to be the comically brutish sluggers that the party runs up against.

I'm going to be introducing some new monsters as well. A race of velociraptor more intelligent than the average human emerging once more after hundreds of millions of years as a part of an unseen reptilian master plan. I'm also going to create wurms as giant vermin, importing the concept from magic the gathering. Lots of hit points, lots of raw damage, inexorable tramplers, et cetera.

I'm looking for ideas on traps and hazards to use in ancient half sunken temples and the byways of the vast bayou/jungles I'm setting my game in. What sort of monsters or folk do you imagine drifting, lurking or rampaging through primal, uncharted forests and swamps at the end of civilization?

What would your imagining of an event known as the "Writhing Tide" be? What shapes would you see the reptilian master plan taking as it crawled, swam and plodded its way toward realization?

And most importantly what could a small band of adventurers, hirelings and mercenaries do to oppose it? What ancient knowledge would they need to be armed with?

In your home game, would you allow a medium character to wield a small size double hackbut the same way a large character can wield a medium sized double hackbut?

This double-length rifle uses a pair of trunnions to mount its barrel into a swiveling mechanism fastened to a lightweight, two-wheeled carriage.

It takes a full-round action to set up the carriage. The carriage has a hind leg, allowing the wielder to wheel the device about and immediately prop it for stability during combat. Unlike other two-handed firearms, you must fire the double hackbut while it is mounted, or else firing it imparts a –4 penalty on attack rolls and the recoil knocks the wielder prone. A Large or larger creature can fire a double hackbut one size smaller than it is without its mounting as a normal two-handed weapon and without the danger of being knocked prone, but takes the normal penalty for firing an inappropriately sized weapon.

(I would, personally, but maybe that is just me. Take a -2 penalty, do 2d10 points of damage base, as a two handed side arm. Good with a minimal investment of feats in deadly aim and vital strike, bad to rely on if you aren't a musket master. As the damage doesn't scale well when compared to a two-hander barbarian or fighter with a viscous weapon.)

I didn't make it to round 2 in RPG Superstar 2013, so I'm posting the archetype I created for feedback and general home game use.
It includes the Mechanized template in it's word count.

The mechanized simple template can be used to create mecha-dinosaurs from regular dinosaurs and giant robots from giants with little additional work.

If there is enough enthusiasm I might re-write this into an alternate base class with unique spells, feats and Numerian technology based evolutions.

Let me know that you think:
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Mechanist (Summoner) 450 - words
Mechanists blend the super-science of the Silver Mountain with magic. Exiled by the Technic League who feared their power, the Mechanists moved their practice to The bordering River Kingdoms. Finding kinship with outlaws and exiles, Mechanists often hire themselves off to pirate crews.
Class Skills: The mechanist gains Disable Device as a class skill.
Mechanical Genius (Ex): A mechanist uses Intelligence, rather than Charisma, to determine all class features and effects relating to the summoner class, such as the Spells and Summon Monster class features.
Mecha Eidolon: At 1st level the summoner's Eidolon becomes enhanced by the Summoner's blending of conjuration and super-science. The Eidolon gains the mechanized template.
This replaces Life Link as well as the Eidolon's Evasion, Devotion, and Improved Evasion.
Automaton Summoner (Su): At 1st level Creatures summoned by the mechanist's summon monster spells and spell-like abilities gain the mechanized template if they would normally gain the celestial or fiendish template.

The Mechanist removes elementals, and outsiders from the lists of what he can summon with his Summon Monster spell-like ability, adding the following to those lists:

Summon Monster: Clockwork Spy**.
Summon Monster II: Animated Object (Small).
Summon Monster III: Clockwork Servant**.
Summon Monster IV: Animated Object (Medium).
Summon Monster V: Animated Object (Large), Clockwork Soldier**, Gearsman Robot†.
Summon Monster VI: Animated Object (Huge).
Summon Monster VII: Alchemical Golem*, Animated Object (Gargantuan).
Summon Monster VIII: Animated Object (Colossal), Myrmidon Robot†.
Summon Monster IX: Clockwork Leviathan**, Iron Golem.
* Bestiary 2
** Bestiary 3
† Inner Sea Bestiary

Annihilator Class Allies (Su): At 19th level, a Mechanist adds Adamantine Golem*, Annihilator Robot†, and Clockwork Goliath** to the list of creatures he can summon with his Summon Monster spell-like ability.

Mechanized (CR 0 or +1)
Mechanized creatures dwell in Axis, their living bodies made partially or entirely out of component parts. Mechanized creatures are summoned by the summon monster spells of a Mechanist
A mechanized creature's CR increases by +1 only if the base creature has 5 or more HD. A mechanized creature's quick and rebuild rules are the same.
__Rebuild Rules:__Defensive Abilities: gains Mecha-Resiliance (Ex) resistance or immunity to Mind affecting effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, and stun effects as noted on the table; gains Para-constructed (Ex) For the purposes of effects targeting creatures by type (such as a ranger's favored enemy and bane weapons), this creature counts as both it's own type (such as animal, humanoid (giant), or outsider) and construct.; A mechanized creature gains Constructed (Ex) (see inevitable subtype, Bestiary2, page 307) if the base creature has 11 or more HD; Weaknesses Vulnerable to Electricity.

Hit Dice__________Mecha-resiliance_________________Hardness______Special_______ _______
__1-4_______________+4_________________________---_________Para-constructed _______
__5-10______________+8_________________________5__________Indefatigable____ ______
__11+______________----_________________________10_________Constructed_____ ______

This goes out to the Judges.

In round 2 and beyond, are we allowed to create and include properly formatted rage powers/domains/hexes/arcana as long as we include the requisite archetype/monster/encounter in our submission and do not exceed our word count?

What if the ninja trick/mystery/eidolon evolution/animal companion etc is archetype specific and fits the theme of the archetype?
The Catfolk Rogue, Grippli Alchemist, and Winter Witch are examples of precedence for inclusion of archetype specific abilities alongside the archetype's entry.

I see the inclusion of Archetype exclusive options as a way to avoid shoe-horning players into giving up choices at certain levels for static, archetype granted pseudo-choice abilities while allowing the archetype to have a unique suite of abilities available to it.

The rogue's attack deals extra damage (called "precision damage") anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target.

I guess I have a number of different but similar questions about sneak attack.

If a target's dexterity bonus from a base score of 10 or 11 and thus it has a +0 modifier to AC, is it considered denied it's dexterity bonus to AC since it receives no bonus from it's dexterity ability score?

If a target's dexterity bonus from a base score of 9 or lower and thus it has a -1 or greater penalty to AC, is it considered denied it's dexterity bonus to AC since it receives no bonus from it's dexterity ability score?

If a target's armor has a max dex bonus of +0, and thus gains no dexterity bonus to AC, is the target considered denied it's dexterity bonus to AC?

I'm designing a class to replace the monk in my home games. I want something that is mechanically stronger and creates greater verisimilitude in both fluff and cruch than the current pathfinder monk.
The class mixes the practice of martial arts, iron hand conditioning, the cultivation of the spirit through qigong, and glimpses of enlightenment through the contemplation of mystical koans to gain supernatural effects.
I want to post it here, upload it to d20pfsrd.com and release it as an illustrated OGL PDF after I'm finished tinkering with it.

I have most of it done, but I am trying to flesh it out with abilities gained at higher levels. So I ask you Paizonians, what verisimilitude issues crop up when you imagine the base monk in your fantasy setting?
What features does the pathfinder monk already have that you wouldn't want to lose and why?
What cool things do you want a martial artist to be able to do?

I want my lion animal companion to have Improved Grapple, but Improved Grapple has Improved Unarmed Strike as a prerequisite. I'm not even really sure what a lion would do with improved unarmed strike.

For that matter, if I were advancing a giant spider, and I wanted to give it improved grapple, would that spider need improved unarmed strike? Is a spider really going to go around punching things?

Are there rules I am missing somewhere?

Greetings

I am a GM with a houseruled anti-paladin of tyranny that has the ability to smite chaos. I like the pathfinder version of smite, but the group of players is so large that I wind up running lots of small monsters instead of bigger ones.

I am considering tracking smite chaos by rounds rather than uses per day. Like barbarian rage rounds. Has anyone tried doing this with similar x/day abilities like cavalier's channenge or an inquisitor's judgement?

If so, what were your experiences? If not, what do you think of the idea?

Rage Mutagen

At 2nd level, whenever a ragechemist creates a mutagen that improves his Strength, that mutagen grants the ragechemist a +6 bonus to Strength, a +2 bonus to natural armor, and a –2 penalty to Intelligence. Furthermore, while under the effects of this mutagen, whenever the alchemist takes damage, his rage grows, with detrimental effects. At the end of each turn that he takes hit point damage, the ragechemist must succeed at a Will saving throw (DC 15, or DC 20 if any of the damage came from a critical hit that turn) or take a –2 penalty on Will saving throws and to Intelligence. These penalties end 1 hour after the mutagen ends and stack with themselves. If the penalty lowers the ragechemist’s Intelligence score to 0, the ragechemist is comatose until 1 hour after the mutagen expires.
This ability replaces poison use.

The alchemist mutagen class feature specifies that it grants a +4 alchemical bonus to an ability score. Barbarian rage specifies that it grants a moral bonus to ability scores, and spells like bull's strength grant an enhancement bonus to ability scores.

The above class feature seems to grant an untyped bonus of +6 to strength, meaning the bonus from rage mutagen would stack with with any other bonus. I think the intention was to add an additional +2 whenever an alchemist brews a strength enhancing mutagen. The ability could use a bit of clarification.

Is this ability supposed to grant a net +2 increase to strength when using strength based mutagens, or is it really supposed to pump the user up to +10 (+4 alchemical, +6 untyped) strength at level 2?

I support it either way, it sounds like a wicked option to have at your disposal as an Alchemist 2/ Barbarian X

So heres my question.

If the fighter with throw anything used my Paladin as an improvised ranged weapon against an evil dragon that I had declared my smite evil against, does my smite evil damage get added to the base damage that I deal as an improvised ranged weapon.

I suggested that the damage would apply, I'd like a second opinion on whether or not the smite evil damage being applied was rules kosher, as I plan on playing a gnome paladin in the future and find this to be a hilarious tactic.

(The party was up against a CR 14 red dragon at level 5, I was the AC tank and I was last in the initiative count. Cut us some slack for the munchkin-ing > o >;;)

The question: Does Selective Spell work with a spell modified by Lingering Spell? If so, does movement inside of the lingering spell end the protection of Selective spell?

In example, lets use fireball. I hurl a lingering fireball at a mob of enemies, selecting 3 or more allies that aren't affected by the spell. Allies then charge into the lingering fireball cloud and smack around the enemies within the spell, taking 5 foot steps back in order to gain concealment in the cloud and force enemies to move into another square of the lingering spell to take damage from that spell again for entering the area of the spell once more, do something on their turn without moving, or delay until my turn ends and the fog of fire dissipates.
Does this work the way I think it does?

If so, I am going to have tremendous fun with lingering spell and a selective metamagic rod.

Advanced Feats[/b]]Lingering Spell (Metamagic)

You spell clings to existence, slowly fading from the world.

Benefit: You may cause an instantaneous spell that affects an area to persist until the beginning of your next turn. Those already in the area suffer no additional harm, but other creatures or objects entering the area are subject to its effects. A lingering spell with a visual manifestation obscures vision, providing concealment (20% miss chance) beyond 5 feet and total concealment (50% miss chance) beyond 20 feet.

A lingering spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.

Advanced Feats[/b]]Selective Spell (Metamagic)

Your allies need not fear friendly fire. (haha literally)

Prerequisite: Spellcraft 10 ranks.

Benefit: When casting a selective spell with an area effect, you can choose a number of targets in the area equal to the ability score modifier used to determine bonus spells of the same type (Charisma for bards, oracles, paladins, sorcerers, and summoners; Intelligence for witches and wizards; Wisdom for clerics, druids, inquisitors, and rangers). [u]These targets are excluded from the effects of your spell.[/u] A selective spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.

Spells that do not have an area of effect do not benefit from this feat.

Fireball

School evocation [fire]; Level sorcerer/wizard 3

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M (a ball of bat guano and sulfur)

Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)

Area 20-ft.-radius spread

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw Reflex half; Spell Resistance yes

A fireball spell generates a searing explosion of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to every creature within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage. The explosion creates almost no pressure.

You point your finger and determine the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A glowing, pea-sized bead streaks from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball at that point. An early impact results in an early detonation. If you attempt to send the bead through a narrow passage, such as through an arrow slit, you must “hit” the opening with a ranged touch attack, or else the bead strikes the barrier and detonates prematurely.

The fireball sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in the area. It can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the fireball may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.

Arcane Bond (Su): At 1st level, you gain an arcane bond, as a wizard equal to your sorcerer level. Your sorcerer levels stack with any wizard levels you possess when determining the powers of your familiar or bonded object. This ability does not allow you to have both a familiar and a bonded item.

A bonded object can be used once per day to cast any one spell that the wizard has in his spellbook and is capable of casting, even if the spell is not prepared. This spell is treated like any other spell cast by the wizard, including casting time, duration, and other effects dependent on the wizard's level. This spell cannot be modified by metamagic feats or other abilities. The bonded object cannot be used to cast spells from the wizard's opposition schools (see arcane school).

Does this text mean that a sorcerer with a bonded item via this bloodline power can carry a spell book and spontaneously cast any one spell in that spellbook once per day?

I thought I would ask for clarification.