Berkeley Hunt's page

Since Core was announced, I've seen a lot of posts from people voicing their concerns. I've also seen a lot of threats to quit PFS because of the change.

It may be because I'm dense, or because I'm in a large market city with several PFS options, but I'm having trouble understanding the real threat that Core poses to Normal Society play.

Since I've been among the voices that could well be considered dismissive of these concerns, I thought it only fair to try to offer an area free from judgment (at least mine, no guarantees). However I do ask that posters follow a loose format when posting:

First, identify your specific concern or concerns, e.g.,

• "I am concerned that Core tables will leave me without enough people to seat a Normal table" (details here will help immensely, such as "we only have 4 - 5 players each week and two have expressed interest in Core. I'm concerned we'll have weeks where neither mode can have a table.")
  
• "I do not want replays available only to characters under a limited set of rules."

Second, most importantly, for each concern you have identified, please propose a possible solution that the Campaign could implement to avoid impacting Normal play, e.g.,

• "Please only schedule Core tables after a Normal table has a minimum number of players."
  
• "Please consider opening up a single replay of each scenario regardless of play mode."

tl;dr
If you have a concrete reason to believe that Core will negatively affect you, please explain why and offer a possible solution.

Blatent theft of formatting...
WHO ARE YOU?
Hello, I'm Sammy T Redward!

I'm hoping to sneak in some testing of at least one of the new classes before the PFS playtest window closes at the end of the month.

HOW ARE YOU PLAYTESTING?

I exclusively play PFS, so my playtests will be in sanctioned modules or official PFS scenarios. These are almost all tables with open sign ups. This means party sizes will vary, player system mastery may be lacking and the ideal balanced party you theorycraft may not be the one you actually play with. But it also means that table variation on rules should be minimized and the encounters I experience can almost be directly compared to other people's run-throughs.

Same here.

WHAT SCENARIOS ARE YOU PLAYING
The menu currently looks something like this:
-Emerald Spire (level 2)
-The Horn of Aroden
-Black Waters

WHAT ARE YOU PLAYTESTING?
I was all set to play an Occultist in Emerald Spire tonight when I had a last minute change of heart and hastily assembled a Spiritualist. I find the Occultist appealing on many levels, but the Spiritualist looks like a fun, flavorful way to play my favorite type of character--support--on a companion class chassis.

WHY JEALOUSY?
For combat, the two most obvious choices for Phantoms are Anger and Hatred. Without them, you're immediately paying a Feat tax in Weapon Finesse if you want to have a prayer at hitting something.

Then I realized that I was trying to play the Spiritualist like it was a Summoner. The Phantom is just not going to be anything like the combat monster that is the Eidolon.

I probably still would have gone with one of the above, but when I read Jealousy the flavor clicked so perfectly with my concept--GOB Bluth as a spirit haunting his brother Michael--I couldn't pick anything else.

WHAT'S YOUR CURRENT BUILD AND WHY?

NICHAEL (Spiritualist)
RACE: Human. Feats and Skill points. No matter the class, I can't get enough.

STATS: STR 10, DEX 18, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 14, CHA 10

The goal here is survivability. The Phantom exists to Antagonize-tank enemies. The Spiritualist exists to keep the Phantom alive and buff the party. Doing damage is going to be a distant second.

I could have further dumped STR and CHA, but I didn't want to. STR for safety reasons and CHA because when GOB isn't manifested I want to make use of his Skill Focus: Bluff.

TRAITS: Reactionary to get the buffs out early. Desperate Focus because Psychic casting is going to make Concentration checks very nasty. Tomb Raider to get Perception as a class skill (I have a boon).

FEATS: (L1) Weapon Finesse & (Human) Toughness. Need HP to keep GOB kicking.

SPELLS: Mage Armor and CLW. Can't afford wands yet. Will swap out prior to rebuild at L2.

ARMOR CLASS: 18. Chain Shirt + Dex.

GOB (Phantom)
I chose Jealousy for RP reasons, but decided to make the Favored Enemy: Self aspect my overarching goal.

FEAT: Weapon Finesse. Jealous Combatant only works if I connect.

Class Skills: Disguise (to make the Deceitful bonus feat...worth it? Eh...) and Sleight of Hand, because it's Gob Bluth. And not Escape Artist, because it's Gob Bluth.

I also figure Disguise may come in handy if I actually want to try to pass my ectoplasmic brother off as something living in front of company.

Emerald Spire

I'd do a write-up, but SammyT's is far more detailed than mine would be. And I really only need two words:

Phase. Lurch.

I was playing a L2 module with a brand new level 1, so my expectations were very low in terms of being able to accomplish much. I still managed to disappoint.

I landed one alkali flask with the Spiritualist and one hit with the Phantom, on a Zombie that died before it could try to hit me. Which is actually really good, because GOB had 6 hp at full.

Phase Lurch, on the other hand, was indeed game-changing. I wouldn't say game-breaking. It mostly eliminated a bunch of surprise rounds. We were far too low-level to really be able to prep before entering a room (I had two spells, and the first, Mage Armor, was burned the second we started).

Even when I start making GOB invisible to scout, he'll still leave a trail of slime on the wall, alerting anyone in the room that something is happening.

In retrospect, I shouldn't have even bothered with Phase Lurch. I wasn't hitting anything and I was in constant danger of death. The Phantom should have been incorporeal from the beginning.

I'm very much looking forward to trying this character in a more traditional scenario with investigative and social elements. I think it's where the more utilitarian aspects of the class will have a chance to shine.

L2 build and continuing plans to follow in the coming days...

In most games, people just pop a potion of Fly and treat their movement the same as it is on the ground. I recently learned this isn't actually how it works, so I made a guide to Flying, specifically geared towards someone who doesn't normally Fly and probably doesn't have ranks in the skill.

Presenting here for feedback before I add it to PFS Prep:

PFS Guide to Flight

Note that this also means the (at least local) common practice of summoning an eagle and letting it wail on people requires that the Eagle make a DC 15 Fly check to hover in place.

I'm working on updating my GM intro--the little speech you give when players sit down at your table. I know some people don't care for them, but I find it helps to set the ground rules and hopefully avoid potential conflicts later in the game. Here's what I've got so far:

"Hi, I'm Rob, and I'll be your GM today. A few things you should know:

(rolling)
"One, I roll all my dice out in the open unless it is specifically supposed to be hidden (like rolling a Disguise check for you). This means if you get crit, you get crit. On the upside, it also means that if you one-shot the bad guy, he'll stay down. There will be no magic sliding scale AC.
(tactics)
"Two, I strive to be tough but fair. Low level bad guys, like inexperienced players, will make mistakes. Higher level opponents will not be so careless. If you charge into a fight with a raging barbarian swinging a greataxe, your character may die. If you decide to eat several AoOs to get into flanking position, your character may die. If you neglect to cast a spell defensively, you may lose that spell. And your character may die. I will do my best to warn you of such dangers...once. It will be on you to take that advice or learn from your mistakes. I'm not out to kill PCs, but I do try to play NPCs to the height of their intelligence.
(rules)
"Three, this is PFS, so I play as close to RAW as I can. That said, I do make mistakes and I welcome any and all corrections. If there's a disagreement, we'll try to look up the rule if it can be done quickly, but if things bog down, I'll make a call and we'll move on.
(behavior)
"Fourth, and perhaps most importantly: this is a social game. We're all here to have fun. If the actions of your character are making other players uncomfortable, that's not okay, and I'll ask you to dial it back. If your character is dominating any particular aspect of the game, I may ask you to dial it back. Please consider your fellow players and do everything you can do to help them shine.
(you can do wha?)
Finally, if your character has any special quirks or is likely to do anything particularly, please let me know about it now so we can sort out the rules before we get started. If I'm unfamiliar with it, I may ask you to provide the rules source."

"If you don't feel comfortable with any of the above, I will not be offended if you wish to move to another table."

Is there anything you like to tell your players before you start your games?

As the title says. Is an Amulet of Mighty Fists an appropriate target for the Inspired weapon special ability?

This special ability can be placed only on simple weapons, hand crossbows, rapiers, shortbows, short swords, and sword canes...

So simple weapons only.

This amulet grants an enhancement bonus of +1 to +5 on attack and damage rolls with unarmed attacks and natural weapons.

Alternatively, this amulet can grant melee weapon special abilities, so long as they can be applied to unarmed attacks.

So you can apply any melee weapon special ability that can be applied to unarmed attacks.

Table 1-4: Simple Weapons

Unarmed Attacks
Unarmed Strike

So Unarmed Attacks (of which Unarmed Strikes are a subset) are listed as simple weapons.

It seems relatively clear-cut to me that it should work, but I'm interested to see any arguments against it.

Do the Alignment-based Warpriest Blessings confer their bonuses to ammunition when used on a ranged weapon? Or do they only work for melee (and maybe thrown?) weapons?

Relevant text:

The Holy Weapon special weapon ability explicitly does. Bless Weapon explicitly does not. So there's precedence both ways.

I'm planning to retrain my playtest Investigator into the Empiricist Archetype. She's level 6, with 4 levels of Investigator.

Here are the class features the Empiricist Archetype replaces by 4th level:

Ceaseless Observation (Ex):...This ability replaces poison lore and poison resistance.

Unfailing Logic (Ex): ...This ability replaces swift alchemy.

And here's the relevant retraining rule:

To gain an archetype that replaces standard class abilities you already have, you must spend 5 days for every alternate class feature you would add, subtract, or replace by taking that archetype. At the end of the training period, you lose the standard class features and replace them with the archetype's alternate class features (if any).

(emphasis mine)

Since Ceaseless Observation replaces both Poison Lore and Poison Resistance, would that count as one class feature change or two? My assumption would be two, but the 'or' there is a little ambiguous.

My Titan Mauler Barbarian is soon to be level 14. As of level 12, her penalty for wielding oversized weapons is reduced by 4. Due to the weapon sizing rules, this is useless in all but two cases, as far as I can tell: a Huge Sun Blade and a Huge Aklys.

In the Always Available Items, the Guide includes the following:

All basic armor, gear, items, and weapons from Chapter 6 of the Core Rulebook, including Small and Large-sized items.

Beyond that, I can't find any mention of inappropriately sized weapons.

So my question is:
Can a PFS character buy items, mundane or magical, other than Small, Medium or Large as long as it is within their Fame limit?

Please post a brief description of your character here, including, but not limited to:

• Name
  
• Race
  
• Class(es)
  
• Faction
  
• Physical appearance
  
• What you've been up to since your "retirement"

In addition, please PM or email me a link or attachment of your current character sheet. If you don't have your character in electronic form, you can fill it out in your character profile page (link here) or just give me a breakdown of the following:

• AC breakdown (source of any bonuses and total, including any planned buffs like Mage Armor)
  
• Highest Attack Breakdown (all bonuses and total) or Highest Spell DC Breakdown (all bonuses and total)
  
• Highest Damage Breakdown (all bonuses and total)
  
• Highest Skill Check Bonus Breakdown (all bonuses and total)
  
• Most Expensive item you own

You can find the PbP here.

Note:
In the interest of keeping things moving, I'd like us to apply Painlord's PbP Rule of Two:

Designed to reduce dithering, this rule suggests that after one character has suggested an action (or course of action) and it is seconded, that's what the party does and the GM should go along those lines. The other players are still welcome to post other actions, but the GM may assume that the seconded action is where/what the party is going/doing. This helps keep momentum moving AND reduces the stress on the GM on knowing when to proceed.

Discussion page here

Spring is in the air of Absalom, the City at the Center of the World, and the great metropolis rumbles with activity; overloaded caravans clatter into the Coins District, majestic ships sail into the harbor and boisterous crowds fill the streets to enjoy the first warm day of spring.

From the gates of the Grand Lodge, young Pathfinder Society pages hurry forth to deliver letters...

Relevant text:

So normally, with no action you can make a Knowledge check to identify a creature (DC = 10 + CR, or 5 + CR / 15 + CR depending on rarity), and you can't try it again.

So with Kirin Style, as a swift action you can identify a single creature (DC = 15 + CR, independent of rarity), and you explicitly can try it again in a subsequent combat.

---

The Question(s):
Is the Knowledge check to identify a creature when using Kirin Style the same as a standard Knowledge check to identify?

If it is, this means that if you want to use Kirin Style (or the Feats down its chain) you have to wait until the second round of combat to make your knowledge check (due to the swift action needed to activated the style), and you'll likely get less information (due to a generally higher DC).

It also likely means that if you fail your Knowledge versus one of a group of similar creatures, you can't try it on any of the other creatures in that group.

If it is not, does that mean you don't get information on the creature when you make your Kirin Style knowledge check (i.e., you only get the benefits stated in the feat: a bonus AC and Saves)?

Also if they are not the same, will a failed standard Knowledge check preclude the ability to identify using Kirin Style? If they're not the same 'thing', I would assume not.

If that is the cases, a standard round would look like this:
Round 1: Swift action to enter Kirin Style, no action to make a Knowledge check (DC = 5/10/15 + CR), receive information if check succeeds
Round 2: Swift action to identify with Kirin Style (DC = 15 + CR), gain benefits if check succeeds

Is that right?

A Pathfinder Society Scenarios for levels 7–11.

Nearly every nation has contributed to the Mendevian Crusade, but few are willing to send additional aid to assist the Pathfinder Society directly. Owed a favor the elves cannot refuse, Pathfinders travel to Kyonin to secure a force of some of the finest demon-hunters in Avistan only to find that the hunters are missing in action. Can the Pathfinders extract the lost elves from the depths of Tanglebriar, or will they become the latest casualties of Treerazer’s domain?

---

To sign up, please post the following
Character Name
PFS #
Race Class(es) Level

Please also update your PFS character profile on paizo.com or have some way of giving me access to an electronic version of your character sheet.

---

This scenario will be run as part of the Pathfinder PBP Game Day 2: A Hymn of Wind and Fire event. Boons will be available, as is the norm for conventions.

The game play thread will open on April 5th, 2014, and we must finish by July 5th 2014.

Please only sign up if you are fairly certain you will be able to post at least once every 24 hours (it's okay if stuff comes up, but please make a best effort to be attentive).

It's probably too late for this since the update is already out, but can the Development team please revisit the Beast Rider archetype for Cavaliers?

At 1st level, a beast rider forms a bond with a strong, loyal companion that permits him to ride it as a mount. This mount functions as a druid's animal companion, using the beast rider's level as his effective druid level. The animal chosen as a mount must be large enough to carry the beast rider (Medium or Large for a Small character; Large or Huge for a Medium character).

Medium beast riders can choose a camel or horse mount at 1st level. At 4th level, a Medium beast rider can also choose an allosaurus, ankylosaurus, arsinoitherium, aurochs, bison, brachiosaurus, elephant, glyptodon, hippopotamus, lion, mastodon, megaloceros, snapping turtle (giant), tiger, triceratops, or tyrannosaurus as his mount. Additional mounts might be available with GM approval.

• allosaurus - medium @ level 4
  
• ankylosaurus - medium @ level 4
  
• arsinoitherium - medium @ level 4
  
• aurochs - medium @ level 4
  
• bison - medium @ level 4
  
• brachiosaurus - medium @ level 4
  
• elephant - medium @ level 4
  
• glyptodon - medium @ level 4
  
• hippopotamus - medium @ level 4
  
• mastodon - medium @ level 4
  
• megaloceros - medium @ level 4
  
• snapping turtle (giant) - medium @ level 4
  
• tiger - medium @ level 4
  
• triceratops - medium @ level 4
  
• tyrannosaurus - medium @ level 4

This means that upon reaching level 4, a Medium Beast Rider either

• is no longer limited to a mount large enough to carry him or
  
• has 17 options for a mount, 15 of which he cannot legally select.

In the case of the former, as far as I can tell, there are no rules outside of the one quoted above that indicate what size differential is required for a mount to be considered 'appropriate.' Which would mean that a level 4 Medium Beast Rider can ride a Medium creature as long as it's strong enough to carry him and his equipment (most of them aren't).

It seems there's no single place for all this information, so I'm trying to compile a list. If this is not meant to be public, please delete the thread.

I'll update the list as more information comes in.

5-01 Glass River Rescue 1 - 5 Grand Lodge, Osirian, Quadira
5-02 Wardstone Patrol 3 - 7 Cheliax, Sczarni, Silver Crusade

EDIT: If you do have information to add, please keep it in spoiler tags.

I'm looking for advice on a Gunslinger 5 / Shieldmarshal 7 build. This will be for PFS, so please keep that in mind. The goals for this character are, in no particular order:

• to deal a decent* amount of damage in combat
  
• to work reasonably well in melee as well as at range
  
• to scale well from levels 1 - 12 (so no 'slow burn' builds)
  
• to avoid any questionable/grey-area** build tactics
  
• to provide utility to the party outside of combat (he's going to have decent skill ranks in Perception, Sense Motive, Diplomacy, Intimidate and Knowledge: Local)
  
• to be fun to play

The first 5 levels will be Gunslinger. I'm still trying to figure out if it's better to take the Pistolero archetype (I won't be using the "double Dex to damage" regardless). I will be using a Dagger Pistol (unless anyone has a convincing alternative). I want to be able to reload with one hand but still be able to switch between melee and ranged with my iterative attacks. I was going to use the Axe Musket, but I'm not sure whether the Musket Master's Rapid Reload (Muskets) applies to all 2H firearms, and the Shieldmarshal's melee judgement bonuses are for light blades only.

Any and all advice and constructive criticism is welcome. Thanks!

Human Gunslinger / Shieldmarshal
@ Level 1
Str 16 Dex 15 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 14 Cha 7

L1: Rapid Reload (Dagger Pistol), Point Blank Shot

melee mwk dagger +5 (1d4+3)
ranged mwk pistol +5 (1d8+1) or mwk dagger +5 (1d4+4)
(point blank shot applied)

L3: Deadly Aim
L4: Quick Draw

@ Level 4
Str 16 Dex 16 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 14 Cha 7
melee mwk dagger pistol +5 (1d4+3) or dagger +5 (1d4+3)
ranged mwk dagger pistol +5 (1d4+5) or mwk dagger +5 (1d4+8)
(point blank shot, deadly aim applied)

L5: Power Attack
L7: Precise Shot

@ Level 8
Str 17 Dex 16 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 14 Cha 7

melee +1 dagger pistol +10/+5 (1d4+11) or +1 dagger +10/+5 (1d4+11)
ranged +1 dagger pistol +10/+5 (1d4+11) or +1 dagger +10/+5 (1d4+12)
(power attack, point blank shot, deadly aim applied)

L9: Weapon Focus (Dagger Pistol)
L11: Opening Volley

@ Level 12
Str 18 Dex 16 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 14 Cha 7

melee +1 dagger pistol +14/+9/+4 (1d4+13) or +1 dagger +13/+8/+3 (1d4+13)
ranged +1 dagger pistol +14/+9/+4 (1d4+13) or +1 dagger +13/+8/+3 (1d4+14)
(power attack, point blank shot, deadly aim applied)
(optional +2 to attack or +3 to damage with Judgement up)

@ Level 12 w/ Belt of Physical Perfection
Str 20 Dex 18 Con 16 Int 12 Wis 16 Cha 7

melee +1 dagger pistol +15/+10/+5 (1d4+14) or +1 dagger +14/+9/+4 (1d4+14)
ranged +1 dagger pistol +15/+10/+5 (1d4+14) or +1 dagger +14/+9/+4 (1d4+15)
(power attack, point blank shot, deadly aim applied)
(optional +2 to attack or +3 to damage with Judgement up)

*by decent, I mean reasonable for a full-BAB martial character, but not necessarily optimized-drop-anything-in-one-round
**"cheese" aside, I want to avoid as much table variation as possible, so I'd rather not be reloading all 6 barrels of a Pepperbox in one round, for example

FAQ request: Does no good deed go unpunished?

The Dagger Pistol, Axe Musket and Warhammer Musket all contain something similar to the following language:
"It can be used as both a musket and a battleaxe." (/pistol/dagger/etc.)

Are these weapons treated as separate for the various weapon/group specific Feats and Special Abilities?

e.g., does a Fighter with Weapon Training in Firearms get a bonus to the ranged and melee attacks and damage, or only the ranged elements?

Or perhaps a shorter question, is there such a thing as Weapon Focus (Axe Musket)?

If so, one would reasonably assume it applies to both functions of the weapon. Otherwise, how would you know which function it does apply to?

If not, one would also reasonably assume that Rapid Reload (Muskets) applies to the Warhammer Musket and Axe Musket, since those weapons are "used as a musket."

(or Knowledge (Planes) for an Aasimar/Tiefling)

1) It only seems fair when the PCs can learn whatever detail they want about their opponent with a sufficient roll.

2) If so, how would one handle the rarity of the "monster" for determining the CR? I think it would be fun if Fame entered into the equation somehow...maybe something like:
10 + CR (level - 1) + (30 - Fame)

So identifying a level 2 PC with 6 fame is DC 35. No one's heard of Dingus Twerply. Identifying a level 9 PC with 42 Fame would be DC 7, or about as easy as identifying a Goblin as a Goblin.

Especially considering very few NPCs would have sufficient Knowledge skill ranks to make any kind of check, I feel like this would be a fun surprise for players:
"In your time with the Society, word of your accomplishments has spread. Wary of your legendary reflexes, the sorceress casts defensively even though you've already taken an Attack of Opportunity."

Campaign management has said that they would be willing to revisit the rules on what constitutes proof of ownership for Additional Resources.

• One proposal has been to allow players access to the PRD.
  
• Another proposal has been to begin including unique codes in printed material to allow owners to register their books.
  
• Another is to have a GM sign a chronicle sheet acknowledging that the player owns the source in question.

1) Additional Resources will still require players to own the material (in the interest of keeping Paizo, and therefore PFS, afloat)

2) Players will still be responsible for having an official copy (digital, print, photocopy, etc.) of the Additional Resources on hand (to allow GMs the ability to review the material)

EDIT:
Not that I have any control over this thread, but I'd prefer if people stick to constructive criticism here. If you see a problem with someone else's proposal, modify it or present your own.

I'm a simple guy that prefers simple classes, but I run a lot of games. This means I have to take the players' word when they tell me how their gunslinger/alchemist/summoner/etc. works.

I'm trying to pull together quick reference guides for GMs for some of the more complicated classes. The idea is to have a quick reference to help a GM deal with these classes without
a) slowing combat to a halt to figure out how everything is supposed to work or
b) letting the player set all the rules for their character

With respect to b), I'm not so much concerned with players cheating as I am with them misunderstanding rules and then propagating those misconceptions.

Since, as I said, I don't really understand these classes all that well, I'm looking for some help. Corrections and additions very much welcomed.

First up: the Gunslinger.

Firearms:
PFS only allows Early Firearms:
Buckler Gun, Coat Pistol, Dagger Pistol, Double-barreled Pistol, Dragon Pistol, Pepperbox, Pistol, Sword cane Pistol, Axe Musket, Blunderbuss, Double-barreled Musket, Fire Lance, Musket, Warhammer Musket (available starting weapons in bold)
Firearms are not on the always available list of purchases.

Touch AC:
Firearms target Touch AC when attacking within the weapon's first range increment.

Outside of the first range increment, the firearm targets normal AC, taking any penalties from extra range increments (maximum 5).

Misfires:
Firearms have a misfire value. If the die roll falls within this range, the weapon gains the broken condition.

Common Misfire ranges:

• Pistol: 1 (1 - 2 using alchemical paper cartridges)
  
• Musket: 1 - 2 (1 - 3 using alchemical paper cartridges)
  
• Double-barreled Pistol: 1 - 2 (1 - 3 using alchemical paper cartridges)
  
• Double-barreled Musket: 1 - 3 (1 - 4 using alchemical paper cartridges)

Ammunition:
(to-do)

Reloading:

• Reloading provokes AoOs.
  
• Reloading requires a free hand.
  
• You cannot normally load an early firearm underwater or fire any firearm underwater.

Common Reload times:

• One-handed Firearms: Standard Action (Move Action with Rapid Reload or Paper Cartridges, Free Action with Rapid Reload and Paper Cartridges)
  
• Two-handed Firearms: Full-Round Action (Standard Action with Rapid Reload or Paper Cartridges, Move Action with Rapid Reload and Paper Cartridges)
  
• Special: The Musket Master archetype allows a 3rd-level Gunslinger to treat a musket as a one-handed firearm as long as they have one point of grit)

First question(s):
If a group is playing an Adventure Path and that AP gets sanctioned for PFS in the middle of the campaign, is the group eligible for ongoing "pregen" chronicles for the sections that they complete after it is sanctioned?

If so, do they get credit for sections completed post-sanction, or begun post-sanction?

Example:
A group starts AP
AP is sanctioned while they're in the middle of the second book

Can they:
a) get credit for everything (not likely)
b) get credit for everything from the second book on
c) get credit for everything from the third book on

Second question:
Has Skull & Shackles been officially sanctioned yet? I only remember seeing the announcement that it would be, but no official release. The rules are available on the AP books, and you can report it as part of a GM session.

This belt grants its wearer a +4 enhancement bonus to Constitution, and the wearer is immune to effects that would push, pull, or forcefully move the wearer. This offers no protection from teleportation effects.

The belt does not make you immune to Grapple. However, if a Large creature grapples a Medium creature using Reach, the grappled must be moved to a square adjacent to the grappler:

If you successfully grapple a creature that is not adjacent to you, move that creature to an adjacent open space (if no space is available, your grapple fails).

If a creature wearing the Elemental Earth Belt is grappled by a creature that is not adjacent, are they moved? If not, does the grapple fail?

Does the Halfling alternate Racial Trait Warslinger apply to all sling weapons (slings, sling staves, double slings), or only Slings?

This thread got me thinking...

How would you rank the combat maneuvers in terms of effectiveness/usefulness? It's probably worth dividing the question into whether you're taking Improved or Greater Feats for the given maneuver, as those can have a significant impact.

Without too much contemplation, here's my list:
Grapple (Improved) - With only Improved Grapple, you won't be doing much of the fancy stuff, but you have an edge on enemies that will grab you and you can life very difficult for spellcasters. Grapple is the king of combat maneuvers, and this will never be rendered obsolete by size. Standard action.
Trip (Improved) - -4 to AC is a really nice debuff, but it has the opposite effect for your ranged allies. Essentially immobilizes enemies unless they choose to take the AoO for standing up. Can be used in place of an attack. Size limited.
Disarm (Improved) - They can't crit you with their greataxe if they don't have a greataxe anymore. Also good for taking holy symbols away from enemy clerics. Can be used in place of an attack.
Bull Rush (Improved) - Knocking someone off a cliff is a good way to end a fight early. Also useful for giving allies some breathing space or clearing a doorway. Standard action. Can be used in a charge. Size limited.
Sunder (Improved) - Disarm is better at taking away weapons, cutting through armor takes big damage and/or adamantine weapons. More clever uses (i.e. sundering component pouches) can yield some fun results, though. Can be used in place of an attack.
Reposition (Improved) [APG] - You really need to stack CMB to move someone more than one space. Still, can be useful for awkward positioning in close quarters. Standard action. Size limited.
Dirty Trick (Improved) [APG] - They can spend a move action or wait a round for the debuff to go away. Really not worth the action economy in most cases. Standard action.
Overrun (Improved) - Target can choose to avoid you. Only really seems useful for getting into flanking position or getting through a chokepoint. Standard action. Can be used in a charge. Size limited.
Drag (Improved) [APG] - It's the opposite of Bull Rush, but without any real upside. Standard action.
Steal (Improved) [APG] - You can't use this to take attended objects. You can't use this to take objects that are in a bag or pouch. Only really useful for taking someone's spell component pouch, and Sunder is better for that. MEH. Standard action.

You could probably rearrange the bottom three in any order without much of an argument from me. Maneuvers get a bump if they can be used as an attack as you'll get more out of them.

You can create a melee simple or martial weapon that lasts for 1 minute for every oracle level you possess. This weapon is appropriate for your size and entirely made of metal (even if it would normally include non-metal parts, such as a spear's shaft) but functions as if it were a normal weapon of its type. You are considered proficient with this weapon. The weapon disappears after 1 round if it leaves your grasp. At 3rd level, the blade is made of cold iron. At 7th level, 15th level, and 19th level, the blade gains a +1 enhancement bonus. At 11th level, the blade is made of adamantine. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.

So, at 11th level, the weapon is made of adamantine. Could the Oracle choose to make it out of cold iron instead (presumably to overcome DR)?

I wanted to run a quick straw poll of the GMs here to see what would be the best way to handle potential table variance that is baked into a character's build.

My current approach is to lay out the issues before we start, making it clear that I'll accept his or her ruling either way. But I also recognize that making those kinds of calls is not how a GM necessarily wants to start a game.

Would you prefer it if a player came to you with these issues up front, so you could get the ruling out of the way and not bog down gameplay later?

Or would you prefer to not have one more thing to deal with when you're going through all of the other scenario prep already, and deal with it when/if it arises?

Either way, in the future I plan tp bring print-outs of the relevant rule sections and/or FAQs. But I could also see how even that could come off as defensive or combative.

The Guide to Organized Play spells out how alignment infractions are to be handled for PFS. It also specifically covers what happens when a character becomes evil, as that is the only alignment change which can remove a character from play.

I have seen several GMs threaten alignment changes for Evil acts here on the forums. I have, on occasion, seen GMs warn players of potentially Evil acts in play.

I have never seen, on the boards, or in person, a GM warn that a player was making a Lawful, Chaotic, Neutral, or Good action and that they would be jeopardizing their alignment.

It seems like characters are on a constant slope towards Evil, and the only way to get return to Neutral or Good is through an atonement.

Is this intended? Should Barbarians be on guard against following too many rules? Is a Monk sneaking into someone else's house risking the ability to take further levels? If a Druid is too Good, will she lose her spells and animal companion?

First things first:

A courageous weapon fortifies the wielder's courage and morale in battle. The wielder gains a morale bonus on saving throws against fear equal to the weapon's enhancement bonus. In addition, any morale bonus the wielder gains from any other source is increased by half the weapon's enhancement bonus (minimum 1).

I noticed that Hero Labs was not applying any increase from my Barbarian's Courageous weapon to her morale bonus from Rage. I submitted a bug, and got this response:

Increasing the effectiveness of every other morale bonus on the character would be an incredibly large benefit, and would be worth far more than a +1 enhancement. My reading of this ability is that if anything else grants a morale bonus to saves vs. fear, that specific bonus gets improved, which keeps this enhancement useful when someone casts bless.

I had thought the broader interpretation was accepted as fact, but this take is not unreasonable. It is a particularly powerful weapon enchantment for Barbarians.

I know that Hero Labs is not an official source, but it would be nice to know if I should be manually increasing my morale bonuses.

Super corner case time:

If I have an Aasimar Oracle of Metal with...

You gain a pair of gleaming feathered wings that grant a fly speed of 30 feet (average maneuverability) if wearing light armor or unencumbered, or 20 feet (poor maneuverability) with a medium or heavy load or medium or heavy armor. Fly is a class skill for you.

And Armor Mastery...

You become more maneuverable while wearing armor. You can move at your normal speed in medium armor that is made of metal. This does not grant proficiency in armor. At 5th level, whenever you are wearing metal armor, you reduce the armor check penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 0) and increase the maximum Dexterity bonus allowed by your armor by 1. At 10th level, and again at 15th level, these bonuses increase by 1.

Who is wearing Mithral Full Plate...

...Heavy armors are treated as medium, and medium armors are treated as light, but light armors are still treated as light.

What is my flight speed?

Is it 20 feet with poor maneuverability for Heavy/Medium armor?

Or is it 30 feet with average maneuverability for heavy armor, treated as medium, in which I move at normal speed?

My head hurts.

The belt magnifies the wearer’s momentum whenever she

charges, granting her a +2 bonus on bull rush and overrun maneuvers. Furthermore, when the wearer makes a charge attack, her melee weapons and natural weapons deal damage as if they were one size category larger than they actually are.

Does this apply to charges made while mounted?

TL;DR:
Do we have a responsibility to make a character who can (physically, mentally, socially) function and behave as a viable party member? Or should the rest of your table just suck it up and deal with whatever misanthrope shows up?

Follow-up question: What can/should GMs do to deal with characters who are dragging the party down?

For items like a Ring of Spell Storing or a Ring of Counterspells, are we allowed to assume that a character has cast the spell into the item in advance of the scenario?

Okay, I'm probably missing something obvious here, because:

A monk of the empty hand treats normal weapons as improvised weapons

and:

Starting at 1st level, a monk of the empty hand can make a flurry of blows using any combination of unarmed strikes or attacks with an improvised weapon. He may not make a flurry of blows with any other weapons, including special monk weapons.

But since he treats all weapons as improvised weapons, doesn't that mean he can use flurry with any weapon?

How are we supposed to handle Animal Tricks outside of those listed in the CRB? Does a character make their Handle Animal Check before or after the scenario and have the GM add it to their chronicle sheet?

1) I know that when enchanting armor spikes, they are treated as separate from the armor. Does that also mean that the cost of Mithral armor spikes would be 5050GP (10 lbs x 500GP/lb + 50GP)? The armor in question would also be Mithral, if that is relevant.

2) Can armor spikes be added to armor after purchasing, or do they need to be included when the armor is first acquired?

Thanks!

I'm looking for a kill-switch for my Barbarian, in case of Domination or Confusion. I've seen the Syringe Spear and a Potion of Calm Emotions suggested for just such a use here by James Jacobs, but in the same thread others say such a potion is not allowed. Is that true, and if so, why?

Massive Weapons (Ex)

At 3rd level, a titan mauler becomes skilled in the use of massive weapons looted from her titanic foes. The attack roll penalty for using weapons too large for her size is reduced by 1, and this reduction increases by 1 for every three levels beyond 3rd (to a minimum of 0).
This ability replaces trap sense.

As written, all this does is grant characters the ability to use a +1 size (Small->Medium, Medium->Large) 1-handed weapon two-handed with no penalty at level 6, or a +2 size (Small->Large, Medium->Huge) light weapon two-handed with no penalty at level 9.

Is this the intent, or are Titan Maulers supposed to be able to ignore the limitations (but not the penalties) on using larger weapons?

Rage of the Wild (Ex)

At 4th level, a wild stalker gains the Rage ability as the barbarian class feature, but its barbarian level is considered to be his ranger level –3.

This ability replaces hunter’s bond.

Others have pointed out that the Wild Stalker archetype probably contains some errors with regards to what powers are replaced and when. They also suggest that Rage of the Wild setting the Barbarian level to the Ranger level -3 for Rage doesn't explicitly mean anything, and have interpreted that it is to be used to determine when level-limited Rage Powers are available.

If that's the case (and is it?), do levels from Wild Stalker stack with Barbarian class levels? For example, can a Barbarian6/Wild Stalker5 select Rage Powers which require a Barbarian level of 8?

There does not appear to be any explicit rule on the appropriate size of a mount in relation to its rider, however it is frequently implied, and generally assumed, that the mount must be at least one size category larger than its rider.

Medium beast riders can choose a camel or horse mount at 1st level. At 4th level, a Medium beast rider can also choose an allosaurus, ankylosaurus, arsinoitherium, aurochs, bison, brachiosaurus, elephant, glyptodon, hippopotamus, lion, mastodon, megaloceros, snapping turtle (giant), tiger, triceratops, or tyrannosaurus as his mount. Additional mounts might be available with GM approval.

The allosaurus, ankylosaurus, arsinoitherium, aurochs, bison, brachiosaurus, elephant, glyptodon, hippopotamus, lion, mastodon, megaloceros, snapping turtle (giant), tiger, triceratops, and tyrannosaurus are all medium-sized creatures at level 4.

My reading of the RAW gives the following two options:

• a) that a medium-sized beast rider cavalier can ride one of these medium-sized creatures as a mount without penalty upon reaching level 4

• b) that a medium-sized beast rider cavalier can choose one of these creatures to replace its horse or camel at level 4, but will be unable to ride it until level 7, when it becomes a large creature

a) seems to be in the spirit the class was intended, but then there's the problem of load. Even if the medium cavalier can ride the medium creature, a medium lion/tiger (for example) with a Str of 13 can only carry a heavy load of up to 225 lbs.

b) seems to be the strict reading if we are to assume that a mount must be one size larger than its rider, but it seems counter-intuitive to remove a class feature mid-progression, and then return it three levels later.

Can we get a clarification on the appropriate size of a medium Beast Rider's mount at level 4, and whether said mount can be used as a mount prior to level 7?