Bigrin da Troll's page

You're finding the feat overpowered the way it's currently being played at your table. That alone is enough reason to rein it in.

It should absolutely be Language Dependant. There are magic spells that do something similar, and they are language dependant. Why should a feat be better than a spell?

"Harming a creature" is literally that - hit point loss or a detrimental condition. You might - MIGHT - allow the victim to perform an action that provokes an attack of opportunity without breaking the Antagonize, but if the AoO hits, that definitely breaks the power.

The point being, if YOU, the DM, think the feat is overpowered or being abused, you need to reduce its effectiveness.

I just started playing the Shattered Star adventure path under a new GM, and as I sit with my copy of Ultimate Campaign dreaming of building a Mage Academy and a horde of loyal followers, I was suddenly struck by reminiscences of other APs where the action is rush-rush-rush and you go from level 1 to 15 in about three weeks of game time.

So, before I pre-plan my mighty business empire I ask those of you who know - is there much downtime in the default Shattered Star? Would it be easy enough for my DM to write some in? There's one other player who loves the sort of paperwork required in running an off-screen business, and a couple who'd probably appreciate the time to craft or commission custom magic items, but we wouldn't spend much table time on it - we'd do it by email.

The 'Evolved Familiar' feat allows you to choose a 1-point evolution for your familiar, and one of the options is to increase the reach of a single melee attack by 5'. I used this method to give my (Tiny) Greensting Scorpion familiar 5' reach with its tail attack.

Edit: Plural of yeti? Yetis? Just yeti still?

I think the plural of 'Yeti' is 'Abominable Snowmen'.

Is Lessons of Chaldira overpowered? Yes. Are The Powers That Be in PFS organized play likely to ban it? No, as they are (quite sensibly in my opinion) much slower to ban things that keep players alive. It's why you can buy a wand of cure light wounds for two PP.

It is overpowered. It should not be banned.

you had to throw in gunslinger didn't you..... grrr :P

Are we still allowed to call them 'gunslingers'? Isn't the more PC term 'firearm afficionado'?

I think it's a terrible idea, and I think - thankfully - that it will never happen. Every single random roll has been removed from the character creation process, and if you look at the Additional Resources you will see that virtually every opportunity to permanently alter your character sheet through random rolls is not authorized for PFS. The idea that Character A gets to be objectively better than Character B due to a roll on a chart somewhere is something the Society leadership is clearly against - and a good thing, too.

Probably not, as most Boons, Vanities, etc. that allow you to buy things for cheap (or receive things for free) specifically say "but not spell components"). Now, if the spell component in question is listed elsewhere as a separate item,* it's fair game.

*There's at least one spell with the Material Component "a suit of armour" so go ahead and grab Mwk Half-plate.

Purchases go on the Inventory Tracking Sheet. It's fine to simply put a lump sum on the Chronicle sheet.

There is currently no method for retraining traits.

There is currently no method for retraining your initial two traits, but any traits acquired from the Extra Traits feat may be changed by retraining that feat. Likewise, two new traits can acquired by taking the Extra Traits feat (which can be taken multiple times, but no character can have more than one trait from the same category).

No, if the GM forgets to note that condition on the chronicle sheet, then you, the player, should write it in and if it's not practicable to get it cleared up with original GM, then you should bring it up to your new GM at the beginning of your next session.

I direct your attention to Mike Brock's post: http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2nqg6?Do-not-encourage-cheating

Mistakes happen, and I am not suggesting blaming anyone but when a mistake is discovered it should be corrected, not ignored and the player congratulated for having gotten away with something called 'lucky'.

Was it a blank piece of paper? Because that would have made me laugh.

It's a three-quarters cost Cloak of Resistance that only applies to one-quarter of the same saving throws. It's not even a good item for native Rahadoumi or a Pure Legionnaire.

I'm desperate to play a Goblin Gunslinger (with a Blunderbuss). "This is my BOOM stick!"

So what spells are actually affected?

You've missed by far the most commonly* cast Evil spells:

Summon Monster <whatever>

When used to summon a creature with the [Evil] subtype (such as a Lemure or Dretch), Summon Monster x is an evil spell.

.

*Not counting, in PFS, Infernal Healing.

Jiggy wrote:

MrSin wrote:

Hard to count how many licks to the center of an evil tootsie pop. Some GMs thing one infernal healing should damn your soul, others are just fine with undead walking around. Bit of a can of worms because its a wide table variance with consequences for players that could be avoided.

Wouldn't be that hard to have language in the Guide stating something like:

"Casting a spell with an alignment descriptor counts as a minor act of that alignment. A single casting is not enough to shift a PC's alignment, but usage of such spells should be noted on the player's chronicle sheet. If a long-term pattern develops, an alignment shift might eventually be warranted."

Boom. Now there's no more table variation than with any other rule.

How many times casting, sessions, or whatever constitute a "long-term pattern"?

This is something I am 100% entirely comfortable leaving in the capable hands of the Venture Captains (under the wise guidance of Mike Brock).

Hello, my name is Bigrin da Troll. You killed my joke. Prepare to die (after we finish this important mission for the Venture Captain)!

"Mornin' Sam."
"Mornin' Ralph."

No, you either get a hit point plus a skill point, or an alternate bonus. You can't mix and match.

Is there a FAQ or other rules source you can point me to to support your assertion?

Smelling Salts, Ultimate Equipment (and the PRD).

Windy Escape is from the Advanced Race Guide, Sylph section. It is flat-out better than the average first level spell (or even the above-average first level spell) because it is assumed to be very rare, or of restricted availability. Unless your bard has ties to the Elemental Plane of Air, a lot of DMs will not allow you to take that spell.

What is the practical difference between having your caster level for a spell be two higher and treating it as if it were two higher for all level variable effects?

Concentration checks, Caster Level checks, Dispel checks

Kerney wrote:

BTW, what is Razimer's favored weapon?

Fear.

Surprise!

Prestige should be tied to more than buying stuff. For instance in the hell knights feast prestige could have given a PC a bonus vs. one of the npc's from their faction. For instance a taldan could have gotten a bonus vs. the old taldan hag in either knoledge local or diplomacy. It seems to me that our factions do not have much I game use to their members.

Pathfinder Guide to Organized Play 5.0, pg 25, 'Benefits of Fame'

"For every 10 points of Fame, a character gains a cumulative +1 bonus on Diplomacy checks made against members of her faction."

Be a Wizard or Sorcerer who gets an Arcane Bonded item. Choose a "phylactery" (ring, amulet, whatever your DM agrees will work) as your bonded object. Enchant it for 100,000 gold (instead of 200,000) and become a Lich yourself. The spells are easy enough to pick up, especially if your DM lets you cast a few from scrolls and become a Lich at 11th level.

Lesser Planar Ally and Lesser Planar Binding are Conjuration (Calling) spells, which among other things allow the devil in question to use its own summoning abilities and to pass through a Magic Circle vs Evil. Monster Summoning V is not. It is a Conjuration (Summoning) spell with a drastically shorter duration, and thus is not "a similar spell."

Does the "traitor" have a high Bluff skill? I think an abject apology and obvious contrition, coupled with a story about being weak-willed in the face of the enemy's foul enchantment magic that temporarily turned them against the party should buy a lot of forgiveness - probably total forgiveness and some grumbling about upping one's WILL save.

Because if the only difference in how the party treats this "traitor" when he genuinely fails a WILL save and turns against him versus when he chooses to turn against them is based on the metagame knowledge that he failed a WILL save, that's a problem.

.

P.S.: I'm assuming that this group is made up of mature individuals who are more interested in having a fun roleplaying experience than keping track of slights and plotting vegeance for every (real or imagined transgression.

If your DM lets you Vital Strike on a Spring Attack, then it's a great feat for a mobile striker. If not, learn to Fly and take the Fly-by Attack feat, which allows you to take a Standard Action (any standard action, your choice!) at any point during your flying movement.

How does one portray a subtle Necromancer? Easy, don't have a shambling horde of undead following you around! Take one or two necromancy spells per level - you know, the one's everyone agrees are quite useful such as Ray of Enfeeblement, Blindness/Deafness, Command Undead, and Vampiric Touch and never let on you're a specialist Necromancer (or Undead bloodline Sorcerer or whatever you actually are). Pretend to be just another wizard (Sorcerer, Oracle, Witch, whatever).

If you actually meant "How can I be a 'shambling hordes of undead' nbecromancer without anyone catching on," then you need A) a good disguise, B) an outrageous Bluff check, or C) a mostly-unreachable hiding place to keep the hordes. Ideally, you want all three.

Full plate & great helms on the bodies, voluminous hooded robes, a holy order under a vow of silence (or maybe even "forbidden to show their faces to outsiders"), a vehicle or extra-dimensional space to keep them in, or (for higher levels) a teleporting minion who brings the army to you or a Leo's (TM) Tiny Hut outside of town to park them.

I have a fondness for massive, mount-like Undead covered head to toe in animal skins, furs, and/or blankets (Much like how George Lucas diguised African elephants as Banthas in (1977) Star Wars.) that are then ridden by the party - or just by me.

My players are careful to differentiate between Pirates or Criminals, and Not Pirates or Criminals. Oddly, they seem to feel Pirates or Criminals deserve more attention and sympathy.

My Chelish wizard loves Drendle Dreng, as he seems to be the only VC to keep reasonable hours. Most of the others expect me to be awake first thing in the afternoon!

Am I sure that is still the case for season 0-3 adventures? Yes I am. Those adventures were written (and balanced) for an assumed party size of four players.

It should be the same as the DC to wriggle free using the Escape Artist skill. If the cave-in is severe enough that one can't wriggle out from under it with Escape Artist, then that should also prevent spellcasting while in it.

If you have an owl bear companion I strongly suggest that you take the Boon Companion feat and Skill Focus Handle Animal or buy a charisma boosting item to get a higher Handle animal score.

I recommend you buy an INT boosting item with 'Handle Animal' as the associated skill, giving you automatic max ranks in the skill without having to spend too many of your precious skill points.

Make Whole has been specifically called out as available (in cities of 5,001 or more people) at whatever caster level you need - even caster level 30 or 34 - to repair a broken or destroyed magic item.

I am unaware of a specific ruling on the general case, but the the two PFS GMs I've played with ruled that yes, you could purchase spellcasting services (remove disease/curse, dispel magic, etc.) at higher than minimum level.

The Intimidate skill says the following:

Demoralize: You can use this skill to cause an opponent to become shaken for a number of rounds. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + the target's Hit Dice + the target's Wisdom modifier. If you are successful, the target is shaken for 1 round. This duration increases by 1 round for every 5 by which you beat the DC. You can only threaten an opponent in this way if they are within 30 feet and can clearly see and hear you. Using demoralize on the same creature only extends the duration; it does not create a stronger fear condition.

(bolding mine)

This seems to quite clearly indicate that Demoralize is a fear effect, and thus a 3rd level (or higher) Paladin is immune to it. My question is how do bonuses versus Fear effects (such as the Fighter class feature 'Bravery' or a standing within a Paladin's Aura of Courage) apply to Demoralize checks. Do they raise the DC for the character in question, even though they specifically reference "saving throws" versus fear?

Ah, sorry, I misunderstood. There are a few rare (and expensive) magic items that grant a particular class feature (such as the Ring of Evasion), there are a handful of archetypes that grant a class feature to a member of a different class (such as 'Arcane Duelist' Bards at 5th level getting the 'Arcane Bond' wizard class feature with a weapon), and a tiny handful of feats that grant or duplicate a particular class feature, and several Prestige Classes that class features (such as +1d6 sneak attack or 'Inspire Courage') without requiring those features as prerequisites, but I am unaware of any comprehensive list of them.

Your best bet is probably to do an extensive search for the name of the feature you want.

"I'm sorry Journ-O-LST-3, the answer to your query is restricted to GREEN clearance. Would you like a Bouncy Bubble Beverage instead?"

Arcane Strike doesn't specify the kind of weapon to use it with. If you have a weapon, you can use the feat on that weapon, no matter if it's a manufactured or natural weapon.

Even if we accept your logic, your argument falls apart as there is no such thing as a "natural weapon." There are only 'natural attacks' and Arcane Strike only works on weapons - though, indeed, it works on all your weapons at the same time, so you can dual wield, or drop one weapon and pull out a new one all with the benefit of Arcane Strike.

A claw is a 'natural attack' - nowhere in the rules is it ever called a "natural weapon."

Keep in mind that without Improved Sunder, those tactics guarantee AOO's from the PC's. And you don't have license to alter NPC feats just so you can indulge a wish to go wholesale destruction on PC items.

It only guarantees AoOs if the PCs in question threaten - which most bow wielders do not. My Bard/Archer seems to draw the majority of Sunder attempts for this very reason.

And what of the popular sentiment that failing to earn a boon is just cause for breaking out the torches and pitchforks?

I wouldn't make such a boon require anything more than success at the mission's primary objective, for the very reasons you give. I realize that doesn't do much to restrict access to the boon, other than limit it to 1 (or 2) per person - which is why I really like the 'rotating availability' of boon races, with 2 or 3 a year being either freely available, or issued to everyone who has/earns a GM star that year. Especially if the availability is tied into the theme of the year, and it's made clear that 'phased out' races will return in a future year (even if which specific year is not yet announced).

Go to the http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/index.html and choose 'Index from the left-hand-side menu and then 'Feats Index'. Scroll to 'E' and look at all the 'Extra <something>' feats for a good start.

Spend three grand and make the weapon Imperivous?

Impervious

Price +3,000 gp; Aura moderate transmutation; CL 7th; Weight —

An impervious weapon is warded from damage and decay. A metallic weapon cannot rust and a wooden weapon cannot rot or warp, even by magical or supernatural means. An impervious weapon gains double the normal bonus to its hardness and hit points for each point of its enhancement bonus. The break DC for an impervious weapon and the wielder's combat maneuver defense against sunder maneuvers against the impervious weapon each gain a bonus equal to twice the weapon's enhancement bonus.

Construction Requirements

Cost +1,500 gp

Craft Magic Arms and Armor, fabricate, make whole

Wearing armour lowered our AC, and we liked it!

I don't think Arcane Strike works on natural attacks.

Arcane Strike (Combat)

You draw upon your arcane power to enhance your weapons with magical energy.

Prerequisite: Ability to cast arcane spells.

Benefit: As a swift action, you can imbue your weapons with a fraction of your power. For 1 round, your weapons deal +1 damage and are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. For every five caster levels you possess, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.

And while the Monk class description says

A monk's unarmed strike is treated as both a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.

that seems to be a unique power of the Monk class, not a general rule for all unarmed strikes.

Profession (Scribe). The rest is just flavour text.

I'd like to see all non-Core Rulebook races restricted to boon-only status (existing characters to be grandfathered), but at the same time increase the availability of those boons. I'm thinking something like 'One free race boon chronicle per GM star'.

Mind you, the idea mentioned upthread of having rotating, year-by-year freely available races based on the year's theme is also very appealing. My city (Calgary) has a LOT of Aasimar & Tieflings, no Tengu, and as far as I can tell, not a single race boon.

.

For Jiggy: 41

How to play a LG Necromancer? Easy - You're Dr. Frankenstein. You're obsessed with life and death and medical knowledge and convinced that with enough study, with enough experimentation, you can "cure" death. You purchase your research subjects and materials from legitimate sources and reputable dealers, you're a member of all the appropriate guilds and professional organizations, and you don't let the fact that some poor, uneducated souls believe what you do is wrong prevent you from changing the world.

Of course, you never actually hurt people* for your studies and you would be appalled by any compatriot that inflicted pain - either deliberately or through negligence. You don't lie**, cheat, or steal and you certainly don't murder in pursuit of knowledge - but there's a whole big world out full of danger out there and after you've defeated the goblin horde that threatened your village, you should be entitled to one or two corpses for experimentation purposes. You don't believe animating corpses (especially animals or beasts) as mindless undead such as skeletons or zombies is evil, since you believe mindless equals 'no soul trapped inside a rotting husk'. Pharasman clergy of course tell you differently, but clearly they're the mistaken ones. You would never create a ghoul, or wight or other, more powerful undead since that clearly does involving trapping the soul of an intelligent creature in endless torment.

*People, of course, refers those beings intelligent enough to have a conversation with and not currently trying to kill you or your race.

**You lie about your necromancy to those small-minded individuals who would condemn you out of fear or superstition, but even then you try to keep it to lies of omission.

Or, as he said, "deliberately try to fail the Grand Lodge faction mission." The secret mission that the spy (and only the spy, since as he said he only played the character when he would be the only Grand Lodge member on the mission) knew but nobody else did. What Bluff check is involved in not asking Ardahn McMerchant about the missing manuscript, or not drawing a copy of the mystic symbol tattooed on the back of the foreign slave, or not collecting a sample of the magic rock for further study in Absolom, or failing to question Badguy McVillain about the additional evil plans of his organization now that this plan has been stopped?

And now, with Ultimate Campaign, train yourself an extra (permanent) Hit Point for 3 PP and 30 gold times your level.

Alternately, for 50 gold times your level and 5 PP, you can retrain one of your existing feats into one for which you currently meet the pre-requisites, meaning (for example) a Barbarian that just hit 8th level can retrain both her 3rd and 7th level feats (for 10 PP and 800 gold) into Extra Rage Power and choose two additional 'a Barbarian must be at least 8th level to choose this power' Rage Powers - you know, in case she wanted to take 'Improved DR' three time at level 8.