Ben Ehrets's page

AI claims Wild Empathy has been replaced, but unless my eyes deceive me, the archetype write up does not say that.

Freebooter's Bane replaces favored enemy.

Freebooter’s Bond replaces hunter’s bond.

Fast Swimmer replaces woodland stride.

That appears to be it for abilities that are replaced.
I understand the AI can be wrong.
I just want to be sure I'm reading right. Thanks

"CLASHING ROCKS (Ex)
A plankta can scatter its rocky mass into multiple fragments with a shared consciousness and a shared pool of hit points, though it loses its stony cover ability when it does so.

These fragments churn and clash, dealing 4d6+14 points of bludgeoning damage per round to all creatures in a 60-foot-radius sphere in the water (extending up to 10 feet above the water’s surface). Activating or maintaining this ability is a full-round action. If it chooses not to maintain this ability, the plankta’s body reforms automatically at any point in the area. The save DC is Strength-based."

A SAVE DC IS MENTIONED, BUT THERE'S NO DISCUSSION OF WHAT THE SAVING THROW WOULD ACHIEVE. Or what kind of saving throw it would be. Reflex?

There is a 9th level druid spell called Clashing Rocks which includes
"If the target fails a Reflex Saving Throw, it is also buried under the resulting rubble as if by a cave-in.

If the clashing rocks miss the target, the target still takes 10d6 points of bludgeoning damage from falling rocks and is knocked prone. A successful Reflex save reduces this damage to half and the target remains standing."

Whatever the save is for, being Strength-based DC means a lot of characters are going to fail this saving throw. If it includes being knocked prone every round, yikes!

I'M ALSO NOT SURE HOW CHARACTERS WOULD ATTACK THE FRAGMENTS. How many fragments? Are we assuming characters could just swing anywhere in the area of effect and hit a chunk to inflict damage on the whole?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Earsend is a mix of horrifying, bizarre, and amusing. I want to be sure I understand how it works.

Tonight I had a player with Earsend as a new spell send his ear into some seacaves. The spell says the character can "hear as well as you normally could from your animated ear’s vantage point". I get that, no problem.

But I think it can also SEE? Because Earsend says the little construct works like skinsend, and skinsend says
"Your possessed skin is identical to you in all ways, except the following: It has only half the number of hit points you had at the time you cast the spell, and cannot be healed above this maximum; construct type, traits, and immunities; Str 3, Con —; DR 10/piercing or slashing; and compression (as the universal monster ability). Your skin can take any actions you could normally take in your own body (such as to fight or cast spells)."

Senses are not directly addressed, but would seem to fall under "identical to you" without being one of the exceptions. I guess, by the same logic, it can also talk?!

And if it indeed has construct traits, does that mean the ear has lowlight and darkvision?

If the ear cannot see, it's kind of useless as a scout beyond being a listening device you could place. But I'm interested to know if I'm interpretting the ear's senses correctly. Thanks in advance for all thoughts.

If I follow correctly, I can buy limbs with hands for an eidolon. I also need to take care of weapon proficiency one way or another. And I know eidolons can have equipment that appears and disappears with them. But is there a way for a weapon to actually be part of the eidolon?

This is mostly a fluff thing. I understand it might be more practical to just equip the eidolon with a manufactured sword which it holds onto. It's just important to the story that the eidolon is one with the sword.

What is the practical difference? I'm not sure. I guess it means the sword can't be enchanted like an item, but on the other hand it can't be destroyed either. Maybe it can't be disarmed?

Should/can this be purchased, or am I looking at probable hand waving?

My small level 7 party got devastated by a tick swarm. I'm not sure if I judged it correctly.

Tick Swarms have blood drain
"Blood Drain (Ex)
The creature drains blood at the end of its turn IF IT GRAPPLES A FOE inflicting Constitution damage." (emphasis mine)

Swarms traits include:
"Traits: A swarm has no clear front or back ... Also, they cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, and THEY CANNOT GRAPPLE AN OPPONENT." (emphasis mine)

So is tick blood drain
1. Automatic, no grapple required. (nasty, but I suspect this is the answer)
2. a result of a special case where the tick swarm may make a grapple attack - although this seems unlikely since the tick swarm has no CMB (CMB -) and one would have to calculate it.
3. judged some other way I am missing

Thanks in advance

Long ago, when the class was called "Thief", almost every player running a character that used D6 for hit points felt it was mandatory to be a kleptomaniac lawbreaker who cheats his friends at every opportunity. Even Tolkien seemed limited to "burglar". It was a great new day for the game when the class went Rogue, so to speak.

The class description of rogue currently in the test book, with its emphasis on stealing, is an unfortunate step backward. More troubling is the sleight of hand and disable device meld into a single skill called "thievery". Conflate them, okay, but don't tie a skill by its title to moral choices for its use.

Just one simple example: I could see a paladin who has learned to clear traps. It would be annoying to hear a DM call for the paladin to make a thievery check.

I suspect the problem arose because it's challenging to find an effective term for open locks/disable device which also covers sleight of hand. Maybe Sleight of Hand is the better catchall? Or something like "Skill of Hand". Infiltration? I'm not sure. Just please not "thievery". We've come too far.

Such as: Can a male druid use wildshape to become a hen or ewe?
Can a female druid wildshape into a bull, or would she have to be a cow?

Firedrake Pistol
"This hefty +1 flaming pistol is elaborately carved with its barrel in the semblance of a roaring dragon and its grip wrapped in polished red dragonhide. When firing ordinary ammunition, the wielder may choose to have the firedrake pistol deal all of its damage as fire damage instead of normal damage. In addition, as a standard action the wielder may expend 1 unit of ammunition and create a cone of fire equivalent to burning hands rather than resolving that shot as a normal attack."

If a gunslinger chooses the option to "deal all of its damage as fire damage", can the gunslinger add, as fire damage, the bonuses that come from Deadly Aim and/or Gun Training?

I'm guessing yes. My hesitancy is wondering if feats and abilities are seen as PART of "its" damage or if they are seen as ADDING to "its" damage. I strongly suspect the former, but would like to be sure.

Example: Gunslinger Base Attack Bonus 8; Dexterity 20; Has Gun Training with Pistol
Uses deadly aim.
Attack roll: Base 8 + DEX 5 +1 pistol - 3 deadly aim = +11 attack
Damage: 1d8 base +1 pistol + 5 DEX (gun training) + 6 deadly aim = 1d8+12 (critical x4) all fire damage ?

Edit: and would there also be +1d6 for Flaming?

When you Summon Nature's Ally or Summon Monster, when the creature appears, does it get a full attack/action?

It seems this may have changed to "yes" in Pathfinder.

These have been so useful for playing on virtual tabletops and so fun to have the unique pictures of what was appearing in various modules. Even when cartoonish or simple, they go a long way helping players and DM picture creatures, adversaries, and allies. I'm guessing they aren't Paizo's big money makers, but they contribute to my wanting to continue my subscriptions to adventure paths and modules.

Bruno the Battler, a human, is hit with a Baleful Polymorph spell. He misses both saving throws and turns into a fish with all the permanent changes including having the CHA, INT, and WIS of the fish.
Bruno the Flounder dies soon thereafter.
A druid comrade of Bruno's casts Reincarnate on him.

What happens??

Does Bruno the Flounder still count as a humanoid (albeit with a permanent effect upon him) or is he now a flounder that might come back as sea bass, halibut, crab, or some such?

If he does come back as a humanoid, say an elf, is he now an elf with the CHA, INT, and WIS of a fish, or does he go back to his human mental stats?

I understand that Reincarnate gives Bruno a new body for which "all physical ills and afflictions are repaired". I don't know whether or not Baleful Polymorph counts as a "physical ill" or "affliction". (My guess is that it does, but I'd like to be sure).

Or the answer might be held in: the spell "creates an entirely new young adult body for the soul to inhabit FROM THE NATURAL ELEMENTS AT HAND" [emphasis mine]. So are the elements at hand fish remains because that's what they are now, or are they considered still human remains with a permanent magic effect on them that does not change their true essence?

My Plunder & Peril module jumps from page 48 to 51. I don't know if I'm missing 49+50 or if the numbering is off. Can someone tell me if I am indeed missing a page? If I am missing a page, what are my options?

I've spent a few hours surfing now, trying to wade through Sage Advice and other places, and I can't quite find a definitive answer on this.

Do psionic effects like Id Insinuation or Personality Parasite require "Line of Effect"?
I understand the part where force walls give line of sight and not line of effect, but I'm having trouble determining whether mind-affecting spells and powers require Line of Effect.

The specific situation is a psion trapped in a solid (not barred) Force Cage with the captor on the outside taunting her. She would like to give zap him if at all possible.

Any opinions would be dandy, but if someone knows where this is spelled out anywhere, that would be even more super.

Thanks in advance.