The theme I'm trying to capture is a mix of the classical Unseen Servant spell, but turned up to 11 and made the main focus, with some influence from the Servant of the Ring and Servant of the Lamp from eastern stories (can't remember the name, sadly).
Basically a Conjurer that makes a living Battlefield Control spell instead of summoning living creatures.
Hello, Paizo boards. It's been a while, but the question is am positing is nevertheless of some interest.
How to improve the Arcanist Exploit Fiendish Proboscis from Horror Realms?
First, i want you to look at the text of the ability.
From Archives of Nethys:
Quote:
Fiendish Proboscis (Su) (Horror Realms pg. 6): The arcanist can spend 1 point from his arcane reservoir as a standard action to grow a long, articulated proboscis covered with small spiky hairs. The appendage grows from the arcanist’s face and houses a highly flexible, muscular tongue tipped with a cartilaginous barbed quill. The proboscis lasts for 1 round per arcanist level, during which time the arcanist cannot speak or use verbal components. The arcanist can end this exploit’s effects early as a swift action. As a standard action, the arcanist can attack a target with the proboscis’s tongue. This is a primary natural weapon with a 10-foot reach. Attacks with the tongue resolve as a touch attack. If the arcanist uses his tongue and hits a creature capable of casting spells or using spell-like abilities, he drains a portion of the target’s magical ability and adds 1 point to his arcane reservoir (points gained in excess of the reservoir’s maximum are lost). If the arcanist hits a creature that cannot cast spells or use spell-like abilities, the tongue instead drains a portion of the target’s life force and heals the arcanist of 1d6 points of damage. Regardless of the target’s ability to use magic, the tongue’s unnerving siphoning of magical or life energy causes the struck creature to become sickened for 1 round.
Let's look at the ability, it's design flaws, and look at ways to improve it so that it is more fun, and simultaneously more balanced. Let's start by taking parts of the text, and examining it's effects.
Quote:
The arcanist can spend 1 point from his arcane reservoir as a standard action to grow a long, articulated proboscis covered with small spiky hairs. The appendage grows from the arcanist’s face and houses a highly flexible, muscular tongue tipped with a cartilaginous barbed quill.
This is mostly flavour text, but it does mean there is a cost associated with the exploit. Namely, 1 point from the character's arcane reservoir.
Quote:
The proboscis lasts for 1 round per arcanist level, during which time the arcanist cannot speak or use verbal components.
This is the first drawback of the exploit. No Verbal components means that most spells that classes with access to this exploit are off limits. It's a hard it, right? Well, not really. We'll get to why exactly that is the case in a minute.
Quote:
The arcanist can end this exploit’s effects early as a swift action. As a standard action, the arcanist can attack a target with the proboscis’s tongue. This is a primary natural weapon with a 10-foot reach. Attacks with the tongue resolve as a touch attack.
This explains the mechanics of the exploit. The important things are that it's a touch attack (pretty nice, througth mostly inconsequential), it has a reach of 10 ft. (meaning you don't have to stand in meele to use it), you can only make 1 attack with it (since it's a standard action), and you can dissmiss it without much issue.
Quote:
If the arcanist uses his tongue and hits a creature capable of casting spells or using spell-like abilities, he drains a portion of the target’s magical ability and adds 1 point to his arcane reservoir (points gained in excess of the reservoir’s maximum are lost).
This, now this is the real purpose for the exploit. Now, sure, there are some other uses, like sapping hp and applying mediocre debuffs, but this is the real reason the exploit is so powerful.
Quote:
If the arcanist hits a creature that cannot cast spells or use spell-like abilities, the tongue instead drains a portion of the target’s life force and heals the arcanist of 1d6 points of damage.
Eh. This is fine mostly. Not much damage, but it's still worth exploiting (pun intended).
Quote:
Regardless of the target’s ability to use magic, the tongue’s unnerving siphoning of magical or life energy causes the struck creature to become sickened for 1 round.
This, like the previous part, is mostly fine. Not gamebreaking, and it doesn't leave a lot of room for abuse.
"BUT WAIT!"
You might say.
"As an Outer Rift exploit, isn't it limited by the following rule?"
Quote:
All of the following exploits can be learned by arcanists of any alignment, but these exploits come with a risk. If you use an Outer Rift exploit and in doing so reduce your arcane reservoir to 0, you immediately gain the stain of one manifestation from the accursed, demonic, hellbound, or possessed corruption. The GM chooses which corruption, manifestation, and stain you receive; this stain persists for 24 hours. Reducing your arcane reservoir to 0 in this way multiple times within a 24-hour period results in a new stain for each such instance, and each time you do so you reset the timer for all stains gained in this manner to 24 hours. At the GM’s option, multiple instances of abusing exploits in this manner could result in a permanent corruption, but otherwise these corruptions are temporary and do not progress. You can never gain a gift from a corruption in this way.
And you'd be right. Well, "right". You see, while it is true that you gain a stain of a corruption, this doesn't actually matter because of the purpose of Fiendish Proboscis. You can indefinelty hold on to 2 points, activate the exploit for 1, and still have 1, thus not meeting the requierments for the above ruling. And then you have more points (if you're higher than level 1) to spend on recharging further, thus gaining infinite points in your Arcane Reservoire.
Depending on interpretation, you could even argue that the user can gain infinite healing. Since RAW, it never states that the target loses HP. Sit down, activate the exploit, and use it on an ally that can cast or your familiar, or something you've summoned or captured.
Now, i want to try and change this exploit to be more balanced without being overly powerful like it is now. It's a cool idea for sure. The implementation is what needs work.
So, my question is: how would you change the exploit to be more balanced and/or fun to use?
I'm not sure if this was asked before, but here is my question:
Is waiting for polymorph better than Feral Mutagen(https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/alchemist/discoveries /paizo-alchemist-discoveries/feral-mutagen)?
I'm starting at level 1, and I expect to level to 2 pretty soon. I want to build a polymorph alchemist in the future, and I'm asking if it is better to grab Feral Mutagen right away, or save a discovery on something else, and wait for nat. attack polymorph spells.
Hello, people, so, I'm playing a 3.5 game on Mythweavers, and our GM gave our(1-st level, geshtalt) characters an ancestral relic that advances as we level. I'm playing a Shaper/Psywar, but like a caster, I won't advance Psywar past level 5.
My question is: What effect should this ancestral relic have? I've written up a few options. Tell me if they're balanced, and which you like most.The relic is artisans tools.
A) These tools function as a rod of metapsionics, granting any power manifested while they are held a free metapsionic feat enhancement X times per day.
B) These tools provide a +X Manifested Level to any metacreativity power manifested while they are held.
C) These tools function as a Tork of power preservation, -1 PP cost to powers.
D)They hold power points which they can utilise to use metapsionic feats engrained in them on powers.
If you have any thoughts on this, or can share your own idea on the design of this artifact, post here.
Dear Paizo, i created this thread to imform of one of the biggest design problems of the Occult class Psychic. I will list them below.
1.Inferior Disciplines.
Most of the disciplines are awfull, inferior or simply lagging behind in power level of their closest counterpart - wizard spell scools and sorcerer bloodlines. Most need improvements to them to be at least bearable.
2.Weak Amplifications.
I'm not a big fan of metamagic but i understand it is essential to full-casters. Amplifications are much weaker than metamagic feats and thus make the wizard even better in power than the psychic.
3.Weird archetypes.
A good example is the Mutation mind archetype. It is on par with the Beastmorph archetype in theme and mechanics, but giving you buffs for polymorph and meele doesnt make you good at meele. If the alchemist can buff and qwaff mutagen to enter meele, wizards, sorcerer, arcanists can polymorph, heck, even their d6 HD doesnt matter. But because the Psychic doesnt get any good polymorph spells(alter self as a 4-th level spells is just weak) and they can't fall back on the Alchemists 2/3 BAB and d8 HD, they cant polymorph well, which makes some archetypes useless.
My propositions of solving these problems:
1.Make discipline spells and powers better.
Taking the Abberation discipline is making you hardy but useless, others have strange and situational powers. I whould suggest giving all diciplines better spells, especially polymorph options, crosses over with 2 and 3.
2.More different amplifications.
Perhaps make them more like arcanists' exploits.
3.Change the spell list.
I whould suggest taking away the situational spells, and maybe crafting a new spell line(Psychic augmentation I-IV for instance, or somethimg like that), or at least giving them Beast shape or Monstorous psyche line of spells.
Patjfinder is well known for being the most flexible and customizable character creation system, and i whould be very happy if the psychic was satysfying to play.
Hello forums, sooo, me and a friend on the forums have a strong desire to play pathfinder, but cant seem to find a campaign , either were not selected, or we dont like the GM's rules changes, but i feel its like a curse, i cant speak for the other guy, but i have a difficulty finding a game.
What i'm asking for is a game of pathfinder, just plain pathfinder maybe with Dream scarred press material.
If you're a GM that needs players, post here, otherwise, at least point to a player needing GM. If unable to do neither, DO NOT POST IF UNABLE TO POST A PRODUCTIVE REPLY.
I'm currently looking to play a campaign that uses geshtalt rules and starts at level 1, i was looking to play a Fighter/Psion using natural weapons throughth Metamorphosis, and it got me thinking.
Being a Fighter on one side, i was going to use medium armour, but what to do with weapons?
Metamorphosis gives me a 1d6 natural attack at level 1 which will never match my other weapons, qwestion is.
Whats better Natural weapons or manufactured ones? Keep in mind im using Dex to hit and damage.
I looked at the alchemists spell list and noticed that there are a lot of polymorph spells, so i'm asking: with what to fill your 4-6 level extract slots, besides polymorph?
So, in most pf games, people play good/neutral characters. Good chatacters usualy fight evil characters. Say you summon an archon or some other guy with DR/evil. He gets hit by his natural enemy - an evil demon. His DR has no effect on the demons attacks. What is the point of DR/evil if it doesnt protect from your main enemy?
This build is crazy but legal (i think)
1. Feral mutagen gives 1d8 bite and 2 1d6 claws.
2. Familiar gives 1d6 bite.
3. Turming into an giant octopus gives 8 1d4 tentackles and 1d6 bite.
4. Be a vivisectionist
If everything works, your attaks should be, assuming a modest 16 Str+4 from mutagen = 20 Str:
Feral mutagen
1d8+5
1d6+5
1d6+5
Familiar
1d4-2
G. Octopus form
1d4+5
1d4+5
1d4+5
1d4+5
1d4+5
1d4+5
1d4+5
1d4+5
1d6+5
Now imagine sneak attack +4d6 on everything, now
1.Nothing says the tumor familiar cant attack while attached.
2.From feral mutagen:
"Benefit: Whenever the alchemist imbibes a mutagen, he gains two claw attacks and a bite attack. These are primary attacks and are made using the alchemist’s full base attack bonus. The claw attacks deal 1d6 points of damage (1d4 if the alchemist is Small) and the bite attack deals 1d8 points of damage (1d6 if the alchemist is Small). While the mutagen is in effect, the alchemist gains a +2 competence bonus on Intimidate skill checks."
3.Sneak attack might not always be on, but you can turn invisible, or use some other method to pull the Sneak attack.
Polymorph causes you to lose abilities that depend on your original form, my question is the folowing:
Do the tentackle or wings discoveries function while polymorphed?
Hello, so i have been lurking on these forum for some time now, and i whould really want to play a reall PBP game, i havent played Pathfinder AT ALL.
The campaign i'm looking for is pretty specific:
1. Homebrew friendly
I spent most of my time here on the forums crafting homebrew, so i whould like to use my creations, namely, this one , i've been told its pretty balanced, but i can depower it if it is a problem for GM's.
Note: i may still tweak the homebrew before campaigns, but if i enter one, ill PM the GM to notify of any changes. GM still has full Veto on the changes if it becomes munchkinny.
2. Activeness
I look on the forums every day, i have not much else to do, and its really annoying when you post twise oer day and everybody else twise a week.
Thats about it. Thank you for your time reading this.
Hey folks, so i the short story for this archetype is that i looked at the Primal hunter and said "why dont druids have a similar archetype?", so i made this homebrewed archetype, enjoy.
Primal Druid
Primal shift (Su):
At first level, as a swift action, the primal hunter can call on the power of long extinct beast or new permutations to enhance himself, he gains 2 evolution points as if being a summoners eidolon to spend on evolutions, he must still meet all of the requirements for evolutions he gains, he uses his Primal druid level as his effective summoner level in order to determine the availibility of evolutions. He may use this ability for a number of minutes equal to his Primal druid level, the duration need not be consecutive, but must be spent in one minute increments. This ability replaces trackless step.
Primal transformation (Su):
At 5-th level, the Primal druid can permutate his wildshaped form to gain one evolution worth 4 evolution points, if the evolution allows more points to be spent to upgrade it, he may use leftover points to do so. He may chose to change this evolution every time he gains a level, it is active only while he is using wildshape. This ability replaces Spontainious summon natures ally.
Primal master (Su):
At 20-th level, the Primal druid can chose two evolutions when using Primal transformation, each worth 4 evolution points, this ability replaces the ability to wildshape at will gained at 20-th level.
I love polymorph, i just love it. So i have a question for you: what is the best polypher which does the folowing things:
-Relatively early game polymorphing
-Effective polymorph at most levels
-A customizable class
Now, we all heard the tale of the summoner class. Im not going to tire you with repeating it, so here's why i made this thread.
Some of us miss the summoners consept, so this thread is meant to provide a place where people can post their ideas on the rebalansing and advancment of the class.
I'll start:
The summoner needs to lose spellcasting completely in favour of summoning.
Give the summoner a new class feature - planar bond, long story short, they can either call a standard eidolon or gain the Summon SLA feature or a la synthesist, Fuse with the Eidolon.
Planar bubble- aura like ability which allows to give your outsiders some buffs depending on the chosen plane.
Probably some plane option, like a clerics domains or somthing like that.
I have a druid build as an area defender, and one of my favourite forms are giant squids. They lack a landspeed, so i need to think of a way to give myself all-day flying, particulary because i want to get planar wildshape, so ill be counting uses more sparingly. Any way to get ~permanent flight?
So it stands like this, say a druid which is not proficient with heavy armor enchants his stone full-plate with the wild enchantment, he never recieves his nonproficiency penalty or movement reduction, but still gets the AC bonus, is that correct?
Hello, as the title refers, i want to join a group for an online campaign, please post invitations, i whould like to start at 1st level.
Note: this is my first ever campaign, but its not like i didnt read anything.
My character is a radiation obsessed Blight druid, but if your group is okay with homebrew, i whould like to use a custom archetype.
My character
Spoiler:
Crunch
Vik'richir
Male
NG Deep One Hybrid Blight druid
humanoid(deep one)
Init +1
Senses low-light vision
----------------
Defence
----------------
AC 19 Touch AC 11 Flat-footed 18(+1 Dex +1 Natural Armor +4 Armor +2 shield +1 Dodge)
hp 11 (1d8+3)
Fort +5, Ref +2 Will +6
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Offense
----------------
Speed 15ft. swim 30ft.
Meele stainless steel skimitar+2 (1d6+2;18-20/2x)
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Statistics
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Str: 14 Dex: 12 Con: 15 Int: 7 Wis: 18 Cha: 7
BAB +0 CMB +2 CMD 13
SQ Nature bond(Earth domain,Radiation subdomain), Nature Sense, Vermin empathy -2;
Traits Deft dodger,
Feats Dodge
Special Abilities
Sea Longing (Ex) Every 24 hours a deep one hybrid spends in an area more than 10 miles from the sea, it must succeed at a DC 20 Will save or take 1 point of Wisdom drain.
Take to the Water (Ex) A deep one hybrid can hold its breath 10 times longer than a human can, and gains a +2 bonus on Initiative checks and Reflex saving throws while swimming
Languages Common ,Druidic, Aklo
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Skills
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Heal +7 Perseption +7 Handle Animal +2 Knolege[Nature]+2 Swim +8(racial)
Other Gear Hide armor, Heavy wooden shield, Hoc, Backpack, Chalk, 10-foot pole, Log, 82gp.
background
"If it doesnt kill you, it makes you stronger"
Tis was he told when the experiment started. Obviously, IT didnt. What was it? The elders say it's just a swarm of high energy particles,:but he saw IT, IT spoke to him. They say he had wild ravings. He left.
"If it doesnt kill you, it makes you stronger". This has become his motto. To live where no one else dares to tread. He wasnt alone. There were others like him, not like him, they had "ears" weirdness was everywhere they treaded. But he learnt from them he became the servant of IT. The Glow, they called it that, mesmerising and musterious to others, but to him, it was IT, IT was everywhere he looked, even in normals, he had changed, the fishy maw of his former form has become an eight of withering tentackles, his skin lost its few scales and became more rubbery, his eyes turned into bulbous, pitch-black orbs. He heard of a place where IT dwelt. He came to Numeria. IT was there, but he wanted more, he will have more, untill all he sees becomes a searig, exalted light, he knew IT's name, he called it the Glow.
tactics:
He's going to be an area defender that bloks chokepoints after using spells to disable enemies, gonna buy stone plate later with the wild enchantment, early game he is going to have a harder time defending but using spells is going to help, as wildshape isnt availible yet, but at 5-th level, he bevomes a serious roadblock and his spells will keep enemies that got past him a hard time, note that later on he's going to need somebody to cast mage armor anf fly on him. Then at 6-th level going into monk.Preffered form - octopus,
Giant Squid( for giant reach and protecting allies)
Hello, so i have a few qwestions about adding a new type of damage to the game - radiation damage. In fallout shelter, you can see radiation decrescing hp until cured, so as a proposal, maybe create a new radiation energy type, and i have some qwestions:
Hello,posting an archetype for druids in the post-apocaliptic future(or past) the archetype s abilities center on Mutant s and Mutations.Ok, posting:
Mutant Savant(druid archetype)
Mutant Shape: at 4-th level, a Mutant Savant gains a pool of evolution points, similar to a Summoners eidolon and that functions exactly as an eidolons evolution pool with the folowing exeptions:
*The Mutant Savants druid level = his effective summoner level for the purposesv of determining the availibility of evolutions.
*The number of evolution points the Savant has is eqwal to 1/2*his druid level+his WIS modifier.
*The Mutant Savant may never take the folowing evolutions: large, undead appearance, huge, ability score increase(mental).
In addition to this, the Mutant Savant at 10-th kevels learns how to use Mutant shape to transform into magical beasts as if using beast shape IV and at level 8 beast shape III, he may never use Mutant shape to transform into an elemental. This ability alters Wild shape and replaces Woodland stride, Spontanious summon natures ally.
Mutant empathy: a Mutant Savant can influence the attitude of any mutant creature as if it was an animal. This ability alters and replaces Wild empathy.
Nature Bond: A Mutant Savant may choose the radiation domain in addition to those normally availible to druids. This ability alters Nature Bond and replaces trackless step.
Hi, posted the domain on anothe rthread, but it deserves it's own thread.
Actively taking suggestions.
Radiation Domain
Granted Powers: your body is tempered in the nuclear fires of your soul.
Nuclear fires: whenever you cast a spell with the fire descriptor, you may substitute all instances of the word 'fire' with the word 'radiation', this damage type is the energy of short-term blasts, and does not incur ability damage.
Kiss of radiance: at 8-th level, you treat radiation poisoning as if one step weaker, which increaces to two steps at 16-th level, and three steps at level 20.
Domain spells:
1-st Burning hands
2-nd Restoration, lesser
3-rd Blindness/Deafness
4-th Fire shield
5-th Waves of exaustion
6-th Fire seeds
7-th Restoration, greater
8-th Incendiary cloud
9-th Fiery body
Im a old fan of the pf system, and am looking for an online campaign to play,
I prefer long 1-20 level campaigns, am availible all week,
Please post a comment if you need players!
hi peps
i had this idea of getting druids to turn into magical beasts (using Beast Shape III and IV) and i'm surprised that they haven't got an arhetype that lets them get an evolution pool, rangers get one - Primal Hunter
any thoughts about how is all this going to stack up?
