Atticus Blackstone's page

For wand use I would recommend looking into improved familiar...

Keep also in mind that the ONLY legal pre-gens are the ones downloadable from the Player Resources section in the Pathfinder Society area of this messageboard. Pre-gens from the NPC Codex are NOT valid.

According to Additional Resources:

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: NPC Codex

The 1st and 7th level iconic characters found on pages 274-297 may be used in place of the downloadable pregenerated characters found on Paizo.com. The 12th level iconics are not permitted for PFS play. The text in the box on page 275 should be noted before using the iconic characters. The animal companions on pages 298-307 may be used as long as the character meets all the prerequisites to obtain an animal companion.

Since it's a warhammer, can clerics of Torag use their actual weapon as their holy symbol?

There's a feat called "Blessed Hammer" from ISG.

"Your god's power radiates from your warhammer.

Prerequisite(s): Ability to cast 3rd-level divine spells, proficient with warhammer, worshiper of a good deity or deity of crafting.

Benefit(s): You can use any warhammer you wield as a holy symbol when casting spells that require a divine focus or when you channel energy.

Furthermore, as a swift action when you cast a divine touch spell, you can choose to have the warhammer carry the charge of the spell instead of your hand. When you deliver a touch spell with your warhammer you can do so as part of melee attack made with the warhammer. If you drop the warhammer or the warhammer is disarmed while carrying a charge, the charge is lost."

I love the build but here's a few things I found:

Are you trying to make AoOs, using your bodyguard feat, while using full-defense? It doesn't seem to be possible...

Some of your feats require you to have an intelligence of 13. I would recommend putting 13 right away and raising your 13s or 15s to 14 and 16 respectively at level 4, 8 and 12. That way, you could probably raise your wisdom from 11 to 12, thus gaining a +1 will save, some skills and even gaining a bonus level 1 cleric spell...

Keeping your ally close but using a whip seems to imply all your allies will also have to be at a certain distance. Have you considered a reach weapon instead? I know it means you would have to drop the shield but it might be worth it...

I've noticed a typo on p.8 :

Oracle: Oracles with the Nature spirit receive animal growth as a bonus spell at 10th level instead of awaken.

Shaman: Shamans with the Nature mystery receive animal growth as a bonus spell at 10th level instead of awaken.

(oracle should have the mystery, shaman the spirit)

What is friend is looking for is Keros Oil!

Keros Oil

paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateEquipment/gear/alchemicalWeapons.html#_ keros-oil

Anyone?

Let's resurect this bad boy...

I got a few questions regarding the scenario (I'm GMing it next week). Some help from somebody who had GMed it would be appreciated!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Download THIS.

Thank you!

I've never bought a Pathfinder Paper minis product before. Any chance we could get a pdf preview to see what it looks like? (artwork, page layout, how to "assemble" the minis, etc.)

Makes more sense now... Thanks!

Anyone?

Sandman

I'm not sure I can see the point of using it. When would a sandman use it? What are the benefits? All I can see is losing abilities with no real advantage. What am I missing?

Awesome! Thank you guys for all the ideas...

I'm currently leaning forward a "The Bourne Identity" type character similar to Pharast who was rescued and trained by a former RMA.I'll probably be slayer/monk with maybe an arcane class as well (bard?) Obviously, the amnesia forces me to reconsider some aspects of the build I was aiming towards but that just means the character won't be as optimized as he could be (I originally was thinking warpriest/slayer with lots of strength and a bunch of feats related to 2WF and dirty tricks and it turned out really well but I don't think a warpriest of the Mantis God is appropriate anymore...)

Now, I need to get a mini as well! :)

Hi James! Thanks for taking the time to answer questions in this thread. I've got a few for you:

1. How does one become/is recruited to become a Red Mantis Assassin?
2. Is there some sort of test to prove your worth/skills to become one?
3. Is there any reason for a priest of Achaekek not to trust the Red Mantis? Would it be possible for one to be an ennemy of the RMA?
4. What could force a RMA to leave the organization and joing the Pathfinder Society?
5. Why are the Merry Widows a splinter cult of Achaekek?
6. Can anybody be safely "released" from being a RMA?
7. If I understand correctly, the RMA were only a cult part of the church of Achaekek while their main temple was still in Rahadoum. Is it safe to assume that the RMA are now very powerful and in charge of the church itself? Are there any internal factions within the church that would oppose the control from the RMA?
8. Are there any planned products that will explore the RMA further?

Thanks in advance!

I doubt the RMAs have a test that one passes or fails. Pass or die, maybe.

There might be something there... Maybe the character did die during the test and was brought back...

Where would I find more information on the group itself? From what I understand, they seem to have some sort of nasty intelligence/spy network and might have divination magic to magically "know" when somebody needs them/wants to use their services.

What alignment are you looking for the character to have? What class levels? What race?

I was thinking LN human, possibly slayer, but I am open to changing it if it makes a more interesting backstory (like an Aasimar!) :)

I did read on the home island/city, as well as anything I could find on Wikis. I like the idea of implicating Torch (especially since I played Mantis' Prey not a long time ago!) but was afraid I didn't know the backstory enough to make it plausible. I like your ideas though!

What about infiltrating the Society for a job but something happened and the character was saved by the very person he was supposed to assassinate (altough it seems very unlike Torch to save somebody so it could be someone else). Moral dillema from the character and he decides to pay back his savior by joining the Society. Would the Mantis dispatch assassin to bring him back into the fold? What if he they thought he was dead?

I also got a few options/ideas:

- Put GM credits into the new character to represent the experience and start playing the character around level 5 or 6. The character wouldn't have the actual prestige class obviously but it doesn't matter, I'll try to figure out how to emulate it through various options.
- What if the character trained to be one, hence the fighting style, etc. but failed the test for some reason (is there a test to become a Red Mantis?)

Hi there! I was looking at a new character for PFS and I was looking at a backstory for a "former" Red Mantis Assassin. I am not looking for a build here but for ideas on why would a Red Mantis Assassin join the Society and be loyal to the Decemvirate. Ideas so far: blood debt to a member of the decemvirate, political/enemies within the Red Mantis, reformed assassin looking for vengeance against his former colleagues, but nothing concrete. Would anybody mind helping me out?

Hi all! I'm pretty sure I have read it somewhere but after 15 minutes of searching the messageboards, I have given up!

Are you allowed to use a current archetype on a playtest class? What I am looking for is the "drunken bloodrager", i.e. a bloodrager with the drunken brute archetype (replacing fast movement for drunken rage). I vaguely remember SKR saying not to but I am wondering if it's official or just a suggestion...

Thanks!

Fa la la la la la la la la!

Sometimes, the complexity of a story can't be reflected by the simplicity of the alignment conundrum. How about there's no wrong or right answer? I know Pathfinder, like its predecessors, tend to lean towards black or white but I like my shade of grey (only one tough, no fifty of them!) BTW, congratulations on your story! I'm totally going to shamelessly steal it and see what some players will do in that situation. I can see how certain nationalities would be appalled by it while others would be ok with it (Andoran vs Cheliax for example). Unless a character is a paladin, I wouldn't worry about it. I would just enjoy the philosophical dilemma associated with the story. I would even pursue it more. What if a redeemer paladin was actually working with the orc tribe, trying to convert them to Sarenrae? Said paladin could totally be mad at the PCs and willing to hunt them down for their crimes. How twisted would that be? Should they fight a servant of good? Should they betray their employer? Should they atone for a crime that actually might not be a crime?

Sorry if I'm not actually answering your question, I just wanted to express my thoughts about the story...

I find "Mists of Mwangi" has a nice backstory, can be quickly done (easily in 3 hours) and is pretty linear. There's a few scenes were RP can be interesting (if you're good at adding dramatic tension and spookiness to your encounters). Encounters are not that tough (although one could become a TPK if all the players can't make their saves).

I also just GMed "Prince of Augustana". This one is also fast, very linear with a bit of RP. It has 3.5 rules though so some nostalgic players will find it funny that npcs are using spiked chains with a 10" reach :) The maps can be hard to understand at times. The scenario itself is a quick read.

Just some thoughts...

Aspirant's Bond (Ex): A naga aspirant gains a spiritual connection to the serpentine deities worshiped by the nagas. At 1st level, and each time she gains a druid level, she may add one of the following spells to her druid spell list.

0—acid splash, bleed, daze, mage hand, open/close, ray of frost; 1st—charm person, divine favor, expeditious retreat, mage armor, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, shield, shield of faith, silent image, true strike; 2nd—acid arrow, detect thoughts, invisibility, mirror image, scorching ray, see invisibility; 3rd—dispel magic, displacement, fireball, lightning bolt, suggestion; 4th—divine power, greater invisibility.

Let's say you select magic missile and add it to your druid spell list. I am pretty sure the spell becomes divine but I just want to make sure...

Thanks Jalroy but I already know about the Meet and Greet. I was thinking of doing some sightseeing but now I have a very limited amount of time due to my flight being delayed. I was not planning on doing any gaming that night (that's what the next 3 days are for!) but I am willing to reconsider if I can't decide on what to do...

So, it appears my flight has been delayed and I'm going to arrive at the hotel around 7-8 pm on Thursday night. I am Canadian and I have never been to Seattle. Is anything happening not too far from the hotel? How easy is traveling from the hotel? I feel like I have only one thing I can see/go to. Any suggestions?

Swarmbane clasp could allow you do deal normal damage so you would be able to sneak attack a swarm.

Swarm:

A swarm made up of Tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons. A swarm composed of Fine or Diminutive creatures is immune to all weapon damage. A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernible anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits or flanking.

Swarmbane clasp:

The wearer’s weapons, unarmed attacks, and natural attacks deal full damage to swarms, regardless of the swarm’s immunity to weapon damage (if any, although damage reduction applies as normal).

Sneak attack:

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.

Of course, you need to find a way to deny the swarm of it's dex bonus. Beat its initiative or attack it while being invisible (they don't seem to be immune to invisibility). alternatively, you could feint a swarm (weird I know) at -8 (int of 2 - animal intelligence).

HOWEVER, let's look at this important piece of information:

The rogue must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot.

And since...

A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernible anatomy

... one could easily extrapolate that you can't sneak attack a swarm.

The real question here is probably if you can have a vital spot if you don't have a discernible anatomy.

Personally, I would allow it since I feel that rogues need that extra damage. I know that "feelings" are not RAW material but if you can sneak attack an incorporeal shadow with a ghost touch weapon, IMHO you can sneak attack anything unless it says CLEARLY so.

An incorporeal creature is immune to critical hits and precision-based damage (such as sneak attack damage) unless the attacks are made using a weapon with the ghost touch special weapon quality.

Thanks guys! It's actually for PFS so I just wanted to get some opinions before telling the guy...

Is there an actual rule about not having any penalties using a grapple weapon even if you don't have free hands?

Lot's of "I'd say" and "I think", but I'd like something more solid than that...

I think a character would take the -4 to hit if he makes an attack with it (1D3 dmg!), but I am not sure he would when using a combat maneuver (grapple). Is the character attacking with the weapon or simply using it as part of a combat maneuver? Also, I just found this:

Humanoid creatures without two free hands attempting to grapple a foe take a –4 penalty on the combat maneuver roll. If successful, both you and the target gain the grappled condition.

Aside from the fact that having a penalty for not having to free hands using a grappling weapon seems weird and counterproductive, would the character have...

-8 to grapple? (non-proficient, no benefit from wp, no empty hands)
-6 to grapple? (non-proficient, no empty hands, but benefits)
-4 to grapple? (non-proficient, disregarding stupid empty hands rule in this case, no benefits)
-2 to grapple? (non-proficient, disregarding stupid empty hands rule in this case, benefits applied)
+0 to grapple? (you gain nothing but a tsk tsk from your GM for attempting to gain a lame +2 to your grapple check)
+2 to grapple(benefit only, with the tsk tsk from your GM but he can't do anything because the rules back you up)

Tried to look for an answer in the forums and rulebook but couldn't find anything...

Let's say you use a weapon like the Dan Bong from UC. It's an exotic weapon that does 1D3, has range, blocking, etc. The text is the following:

These short, blunt sticks are held in the hands to enhance unarmed martial techniques.

Benefit: They provide the wielder with the ability to lock an opponent and target pressure points that grant her a +2 bonus on her combat maneuver to grapple.

Also, looking at Exotic Weapon Proficiency (EWP), it says:

Choose one type of exotic weapon, such as the spiked chain or whip. You understand how to use that type of exotic weapon in combat, and can utilize any special tricks or qualities that exotic weapon might allow.

Benefit: You make attack rolls with the weapon normally.
Normal: A character who uses a weapon with which he is not proficient takes a –4 penalty on attack rolls.

My question is... Can you use it without being proficient (without EWP) and still get the +2 to grapple? The flavour text from EWP says you need the feat to "utilize any special tricks or qualities", so I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to use the "blocking or monk" properties but what about a benefit listed in the description of the weapon? I am confused with terms like special tricks, qualities and special weapon features (if they're all the same or not).

First, disregard any "play another game" comments, they are not useful at all (c'mon folks, this guy is asking for help!). Here's what I would do:
1. I would finish the module you're currently playing, making sure I add an NPC or two for the RPers (if possible). Make sure a good RP sequence provide some sort of advantage (info about a specific monster, how to avoid traps, etc.) to incite the combat-oriented players to RP a bit more.

2. What about puzzles? What about having some sort of puzzle during a fight? The combat-oriented players will fight while the RPers have to solve a riddle, puzzle, etc. You might have to change your GMing style a bit, but as you said, if you're fairly new to GMing, you might not know it yet (aside from your own playing style). Try a few things. There is nothing wrong with trying something new once in a while (investigation sequences, chase scenes with RP in them, fights they have to avoid/flee from, 5 seconds to decide what your character is doing or you go on delay - to speed up combat, etc.)

3. Try to incorporate RP into combat. Why not give a circumstance bonus if one of your players describe his movement well? (borrowed from Exalted cited above) This might force your min-maxers to roleplay a bit in combat to gain extra bonuses. What about performance combat? If would slow things a bit but "might" interest your RPers...

4. Pick scenarios/modules well. Murder's Mark has a lot of RP while Ruby Phoenix is a bloodfest with some RP in it (you can, of course, modify what you want if you're not playing PFS. Ruby Phoenix could become a mini-campaign with more investigation/RP scenes in it and Murder's Mark could easily benefit from more fights, including fun combat demos at the carnival).

5. Select a campaign style that will benefit from diverse playing styles. Have you considered a Kingmaker-type campaign for example? (you get to explore, RP, kill stuff, build a kingdom, everybody should be happy!)

6. As mentionned previously, talk to your players; communication is the key. If you guys want to continue, everybody, yourself included, might have to adjust to the group's playing style.

Hope it helps!

I like the Thorn River Exploration Company...