Blake Duffey's page

The arsenal chaplain looks interesting. Regarding the arsenal chaplain archetype - does the sacred weapon change impact weapon damage regardless? If I wield a great axe as a sacred weapon - is it only d6 damage? In the base warpriest it looks to be the better of the two.

The arsenal chaplain looks interesting. Regarding the arsenal chaplain archetype - does the sacred weapon change impact weapon damage regardless? If I wield a great are as a sacred weapon - is it only d6 damage? In the base warpriest it looks to be the better of the two.

An animal companion with sprint (cat, small) takes the racer companion archetype (which grants sprint). What is the result?

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/druid/animal-companions#TOC-Ca t-Small

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/druid/animal-companions/animal -companion-archetypes/racer-companion-archetype

So my PC is imprisoned wearing a magical collar. It is described as a 'seamless piece of magical metal without any mechanism'. As such, my rogue is given no ability to make a skill check to remove it.

Does this seem right? Should I not be entitled to a disable device or escape artist check regardless of fluff? Or is #becausemagic a sufficient denier of skill usage?

I've looked through older posts but often wondered about this particular situation (which is something of a classical situation).

Character A wears a minor ring of energy resistance (fire)
Character B attacks character A with a flaming sword (d8 + d6 fire damage)

Does the ring provide Character A any protection from the fire damage? If not - why not? (it is fire damage, after all)

Thanks and happy gaming

I'm building a halfling rogue and have a question about the rogue talent 'fast stealth' vs the halfling alternate racial trait 'swift as shadows'

The stealth skill states: Check: Your Stealth check is opposed by the Perception check of anyone who might notice you. Creatures that fail to beat your Stealth check are not aware of you and treat you as if you had concealment. You can move up to half your normal speed and use Stealth at no penalty. When moving at a speed greater than half but less than your normal speed, you take a –5 penalty. It's impossible to use Stealth while attacking, running, or charging.

The fast stealth rogue talent says: Benefit: This ability allows a rogue to move at full speed using the Stealth skill without penalty.

The alternate racial trait swift as shadows says: Swift as Shadows Halflings possess incredible stealth even while moving through obstructed areas. Halflings with this racial trait reduce the penalty for using Stealth while moving by 5, and reduce the Stealth check penalty for sniping by 10. This racial trait replaces sure-footed.

My question is a little confusion due to the wording 'moving at a speed greater than half but less than your normal speed, you take a -5 penalty' in the skill description. What happens if you move your normal speed (20 feet for a halfling)?

Does the 'reduce the penalty for using Stealth while moving by 5 in the racial trait reduce it to zero (thereby making swift as shadows the equivalent of fast stealth + adding the sniping bonus?)

Or is the penalty for moving at 'full speed' more than -5?

Thanks

My player approached me with the following PC concept - a couple ranks in *craft-locks* would give him the appropriate knowledge to use the *minor creation* spell to magically fashion keys, thereby bypassing any need to use disable device to open locks. His reasoning was that although the lock was a 'complex' device with moving part, the key was no more complex than a dagger.

He and I had some disagreement over how I, as GM, might rule on this approach and I suggested I offer it for discussion on this sagacious forum.

Please let me know what you think.

I've always enjoyed some of the ideas presented in the 2nd edition handbooks, including the paladin's handbook. Said tome included the inquisitor kit for the paladin, which essentially was an anti-evil-mage build. He could detect/dispel evil magic, was pretty immune to illusions, etc. I'm trying to work up a campaign-specific warrior concept similar to the Templars from the Dragon Age universe.

I've gotten a few ideas (the variant channel energy, magic for example) but some things (like the spellbreaker feat) simply have too high a level minimum for a practical class. There is an alternate build for the inquisitor class (coincidence?) but I'm looking for more warrior and less arcane caster.

Thoughts welcome

Several feats (improved familiar and leadership) allow for the introduction of outer planar types into the campaign. My level 11 paladin was considering taking leadership and going with a hound archon as a cohort.

My GM and I have a disagreement on this. (we both GM from time to time, so I've been in the chair often) I feel this is an interesting role-playing choice. He feels my PC can't simply request such a creature appear (and in fact, my paladin doesn't even know such an archon exists). I find this perspective sort of annoying.

The same thing applies with the aligned critters in the Bestiary 2 and 3 that can be familiars (see: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/improved-familiar) If I have a LG arcane caster and burn the feat, I think it's perfectly fine to have a harbinger archon as a familiar. I think it's an interesting role-playing choice, well within the rules, and provides me no real advantage.

I'm not looking for 'the GM is always right comments', as that is a given - and I'm not planning on telling him he is 'wrong'. I don't even have an issue if the GM requires some minor questing to logically have the critter find his way into the group. I'm simply looking for opinions. It just doesn't seem right to me that I spend a feat and can't get the benefits that are well within the rules.

Thanks

When a paldin smites, he/she gets a deflection bonus to AC equal to CHR modifier.

Is there any reason this hasn't been errated into a sacred bonus? To me it seems to make more 'sense'. I assume either

1) nobody cared
2) game balance

is deflection considered 'better' than sacred? Right now, I lose part of my AC bonus because it doesn't stack with a ring.

I am playing a 10th level paladin. Recent campaign events have given my PC a 'new perspective' and I'm considering taking some levels of Holy Vindicator. Just looking for any input on people who have tried this combo - how you felt about the pros/cons with the stuff you get vs. the stuff you lose

Thanks

Weapon finesse applies to unarmed combat. Any thoughts on whether it would apply to a spellcaster using a touch spell?

A player I have wants to incorporate that into a build.

The normal 'core' book has a list of possible familiars, each gives a small benefit to the arcane caster (a skill bonus, for example)

There are a number of critters in the Bestiary 2 that, per their description, can be used as familiars if the caster has the Improved Familiar feat.

My question - do these grant any 'boons' like the base familiars do? Or do their added powers make up the difference?

My warrior is in melee and is adjacent to three enemies. I have three attacks as a full round action. Can I spend one attack on each enemy?

When did the warhammer lose its ranged attack?

You used to be able to throw a hammer, I'm almost certain.

In PF, there is no range for this weapon.

Maybe I'm getting old...

In the item section, it says you can't apply the disruptive ability to a sword (only to bludgening weapons)

In the paladin's section, divine bond, there is no such exclusion.

Thoughts? Can my pally make his longsword a disruptive weapon?

Per the SRD, the magic shield property Arrow Deflection says:

This shield protects the wielder as if he had the Deflect Arrows feat. Once per round when he would normally be struck by a ranged weapon, he can make a DC 20 Reflex save.

Yet the feat alone requires no save. Is this legacy from 3.5 and one needs correction? Or is there a rationale why there is a difference?

Where is the best explanation on rules for this? Our party druid is changing into numerous animals gaining movement abilities, multiple attacks, etc. (giant squid, for example)

I'd like to clarify

The SRD says thusly:

"Flames as bright as a torch (see Quick Reference at right) appear in your open hand. The flames harm neither you nor your equipment.

In addition to providing illumination, the flames can be hurled or used to touch enemies. You can strike an opponent with a melee touch attack, dealing fire damage equal to 1d6 + 1 point per caster level (maximum +5). Alternatively, you can hurl the flames up to 120 feet as a thrown weapon. When doing so, you attack with a ranged touch attack (with no range penalty) and deal the same damage as with the melee attack. No sooner do you hurl the flames than a new set appears in your hand. Each attack you make reduces the remaining duration by 1 minute. If an attack reduces the remaining duration to 0 minutes or less, the spell ends after the attack resolves."

Suppose the druid casting this spell has multiple attacks per round - can he sling multiple balls of flame, as 'no sonner do you hurl the flames than a new set appears in your hand'?

Thanks

I realize this is more of a rant than a question...

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/greater-shield-focus-combat---final

Why is this feat limited to fighters only? Wouldn't this be an ideal feat for a tankish paladin?

the feat description says: Benefit: Instead of its normal effect, you can choose to have your ability to channel energy heal or harm outsiders of the chosen alignment subtype. You must make this choice each time you channel energy. If you choose to heal or harm creatures of the chosen alignment subtype, your channel energy has no effect on other creatures. The amount of damage healed or dealt and the DC to halve the damage is otherwise unchanged.

My question - do you pick one (say evil) and you can choose to heal OR harm them?

Or do you pick an opposed pair (good/evil) - and can harm evil/heal good?

Based on the text, it seems like you pick one and can choose to harm/heal them per usage. Which seems little goofy to me. My paladin can choose 'evil' as the alignment, so I can harm them (that makes sense). But I can heal them if I choose?

Thanks

Per the SRD:

This abjuration grants a creature limited protection from damage of whichever one of five energy types you select: acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. The subject gains resist energy 10 against the energy type chosen, meaning that each time the creature is subjected to such damage (whether from a natural or magical source), that damage is reduced by 10 points before being applied to the creature's hit points. The value of the energy resistance granted increases to 20 points at 7th level and to a maximum of 30 points at 11th level. The spell protects the recipient's equipment as well.

Is the energy type (acid, cold, etc.) chosen at memorize time? Or at casting time?

Descrption says: "As a swift action, the paladin chooses one target within sight to smite"

Last night the monster was invisible. Can I smite?

Under what circumstances would a paladin cast *virtue* rather than *cure light wounds*?

What am I missing?

I am looking at skills for an elven paladin. I see this character as a noble, so I have put points into knowledge-nobility, diplomacy, sense motive. I have one more skill point left to assign and I had a general question.

Spellcraft is a class skill for paladins. It might make for an interesting choice, but I'm not sure how they would use such a skill. They don't learn spells from books, etc.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

(I have ruled out 'ride' as the armor penalty makes this skill all but useless for paladins and fighters.)