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Pathfinder Lost Omens, PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber. Organized Play Member. 30 posts. No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 2 Organized Play characters.


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Pathfinder Lost Omens, PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I purchased, but have not received a code.


Pathfinder Lost Omens, PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Katina Davis wrote:
Apologies for the delay - this should now be available for purchase!

Not the bundle, just the code?


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Pretending to be the Red Mantis is the sort of thing that earns a visit from the Red Mantis...


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"Pages 411: The text for the wounded condition was changed for consistency, but became consistent with the wrong piece of text. This would lead to much deadlier encounters! The following changes should ensure that death and dying works the way we intended.

In the Recovery Checks degrees of success, remove all instances of "(plus your wounded condition, if any)"; that's both in the failure and critical failure entries.
Under Taking Damage, remove the final sentence that reads, "If you have the wounded condition, remember to add the value of your wounded condition to your dying value." This reminder should only apply to when you gain the dying condition after getting knocked out."

From Player Core Day 1 Errata, problem solved.


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If that could somehow happen: they'd be swallowed, and now a smaller size. It would not otherwise alter their circumstances in any way. Shrinking is not blocked by there being 'not enough space' for reasons that are fairly obvious.


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Kelseus wrote:

I mean, as a quick glance at the Aasimar feats, most of them are already in PC1. The only ones I don't see replicated are the niche liniage feats from the Ancestry guide (Emberkin, Ibyllkin) and the feats with them as a prerequisite.

The only other ones not reproduced or replaced is Celestial Resistance, Healer's Halo, Celestial Strikes and Radiate Glory.

Except for Celestial Resistance, all of these feats are from the Ancestry Guide. There is no reason they can't be used as printed, with very minor modifications (not proficient in Sylvan, but Fey, etc.).

Except for an Errata pass to change to new spell names, I wouldn't expect there to be significant reprints of contents of Lost Omens books like the Ancestry Guide.

It's actually super important to note - Player Core only covers the CRB and APG. The Ancestry Guide and Lost Omens are not covered by it, and all the missing feats are from Ancestry Guide or Lost Omens. I'd expect errata just changing the missing feats to Nephilim instead of Aasimar, and adding the celestial lineage requirement to them. If no errata, then that's what should be done.

Same for Tiefling.


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Also: It is still mechanically and tactically bad to go after a downed character instead of going after active threats and potential healers, regardless of if the enemy also goes to dying or not. The only way a downed creature becomes a threat again is if they get healed, so going after and threatening the healer (or the rest of their group if there is no clear healer) with Reactive Strikes, Grabs, etc. is more efficient and more effective than going for a double tap. This is especially true for creatures who have high damage effects or death effects, as they know that if a creature gets healed they can eventually wear them down by downing them again easily enough. Figuring out ways to get around those problems is fun, repeatedly attacking downed characters is both non-interactive and immersion-breaking (because it's a bad idea for any creature except the most mindless or vicious).

RE: Afflictions timing, the rules are (still) under Duration, which is on page 426 of Player Core. It's a general rule that applies to all durations from all effects, so afflictions do not need to have theirs spelled out separately.


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Bluemagetim wrote:
Or if the boss had a wounding weapon!! oh man that will be a nightmare.

Nope, you still have a full round. Persistent damage (still) only applies at the end of a creature's turn, and the PC's turn is moved to before the boss when they go down, which gives a full round for allies to heal them and/or help stop the bleed.


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Ravingdork wrote:
It'd be nice if we knew when poison triggered in the turn, so that we could better gauge the lethality of it in light of the new rules.

We do, it's in the rules for persistent damage and the rules for Afflictions (and the standard convention for Durations).

If persistent poison damage: You take it at the end of each of your own turns (along with making the DC 15 Flat Check).

If an affliction: If you fail your save, you suffer stage 1 at the end of Onset time (if there is no Onset, it happens immediately when you fail). From there, each stage has an Interval, and you save when that interval ends. The convention for effects with durations lasting a number of rounds is that they decrease by 1 at the start of the creature's turn that created the effect, so '1 round' means 'at the start of the creature who inflicted the effect's turn' (or on that spot in the initiative order if said creature is dead). Repeat until Stage 0, Max Duration is reached, or dead. If you are exposed to the same poison again and fail the save again, the stage immediately goes up by 1 (2 for crit fail), but it doesn't 'refresh' the max duration.

https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=351


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Revised wording from Player Core specifies that the spell cast on Spellstrike Ammo must be a 1-2 action spell, to clarify this - you are using the Cast a Spell action, using 2 actions regardless of whether it's a 1 or 2 action spell, and activating the ammo with it.

There shouldn't be any issue with casting a 1 or 2 action heal into Spellstrike Ammo (don't forget they do the same damage to undead, the bonus on 2 action is only for healing). They'll need to fire it before the end of their turn, or the ammo will deactivate.

Essentially two scenarios:

Arrow: 2 action Cast A Spell to activate (Heal), Strike the undead (reload 0 means drawing the arrow is free), on hit they take damage as normal and save against Heal.

Bolt/Bullet/Other Things with Reload 1+: Make sure ammo is loaded before start of turn, or use Risky Reload later on. Cast a Spell to activate, Strike to fire on the undead, on hit they take damage as normal and save against Heal.


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Revised wording in Player Core: "Most animals panic in battle unless specifically trained otherwise."

I would presume that the combat spell Summon Animals summons combat trained animals.

As for everything else - 'if you can communicate with it' is kind of ambiguous phrasing. Notably, it doesn't use the phrasing 'if it can understand the language you are speaking', and the minion trait notes "if not otherwise specified, you issue a verbal command as a single action with the auditory and concentrate traits". Notably, this action does not have the Linguistic trait - meaning it does not require language to be understood to have an effect. I think it should be taken to mean 'if it is deafened/otherwise unable to hear you', given nothing else in rules supports the idea of intelligible communication being necessary.


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Gortle wrote:
Dark_Schneider wrote:
Probably all parties want to have Stabilize cantrip. Beyond that there is no much discussion, as in all other cases is the same than currently

I still don't see the value there. I don't want to be lying on the ground at -6 to my AC. Are you sure the downed PC is not going to be targetted?

In most cases it's a bad idea to waste actions on double-tapping a target that is not an active threat, from a mechanical perspective. On a crit, the stabilized creature would be dropped to Dying 2, and they'd have to spend at least another action to finish them. Even if the target was Wounded 1, they'd still go to Dying 3, and require another hit to finish off. Keep in mind that there is the actual healer nearby actively healing the entire party, and it'd be much more efficient and effective to take them down to 0 HP than to double tap one creature.

Arguments can be made in the case of things like mindless creatures, starving beasts, or creatures who benefit from double tapping (via spell or getting a new ally), but those are exceptional circumstances that should be treated accordingly - Stabilizing a creature who's adjacent to a Wight is one case where it may be better to let the creature die naturally as opposed to stabilizing them, but that should only be even considered if you're totally out of healing options.


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Mathmuse wrote:

On the other hand, add the extra event that a bard friend cast Soothe on the injured character just after they dropped. The injured character is now conscious and Wounded 1. Alas, before they start their turn, that other enemy casts casts Burning Hands on the area, so the injured character drops to Dying 2 because of the Wounded 1. At the beginning of their next turn, they make a Recovery check, have a regular failure, and go to Dying 4. They are dead.

The Soothe spell did not buy the character any more time; instead, it led to a hasty death due to nasty targetting by the enemy.

That gives the unflavorful impression that magically healing a character makes them more injured, because it makes them more Wounded. The magic forces them awake at a potentially deadly cost.

This is an area where the totality of the Dying rules are important: whenever you drop to 0 HP, your initiative is moved to directly before the turn you go down. This ‘delays your turn’ so you never have to make a recovery check right after falling, and your allies have a full round to heal you. [In the circumstance you go down to a Reactive Strike or Persistent Damage or the like on your own turn, they still have a full round]

Here's an example:

Initiative Order

Baddie
Fighter
Cleric
Wizard
Bad Mage
Barbarian

The fight has been going on a bit. The Baddie lands a critical hit on the Wizard, dropping him to 0 HP. The Wizard goes to Dying 2 (downed by a crit), and the initiative order becomes:

Wizard
Baddie (current turn)
Fighter
Cleric
Bad Mage
Barbarian

The cleric heals the Wizard, bringing him to Wounded 1. Initiatives do not change. The Bad Mage hits the area with a Fireball, and the Wizard is unlucky enough to critically fail the reflex save. The Wizard drops to Dying 3 (Dying 2+Wounded 1), and initiative becomes:

Baddie
Fighter
Cleric
Wizard
Bad Mage (current turn)
Barbarian

The barbarian takes down the Bad Mage, and back to top of round.

If the cleric did not heal the wizard, the wizard would be Dead. Now, the Cleric has another chance to heal the Wizard (assuming the Baddie does not ignore the threat of the fighter or barbarian slaying them to make a spiteful double tap) his turn moving to after the Cleric's.


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By rules it doesn’t stack unless it is explicitly said to, or increase terrain difficulty unless explicitly said to - like how getting darkvision from both ancestry and heritage doesn’t give greater darkvision (but getting low-lighf and a feat that gives low-light usually does stack to dv due to feat wording). You could possibly rule it as also being uneven ground for that character, since they can’t see to navigate around what is causing the terrain to be difficult - but tbh being blinded is punishing already.


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I don't view it as a problem that you can't take Bastion at level 2 unless you are a class that already has shield block. It's similar to how you can't take Medic at level 2 unless you either spend a feat on Battle Medicine or have it in your background, you can't take Marshal without both martial weapons and diplomacy or intimidation, etc. Some dedications should be too much of a leap to take straight away - this is also the reason for multiclass dedications having stat requirements.


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Other spells explicitly do confer the properties of flung metals nowadays, see Needle Darts: https://2e.aonprd.com/Spells.aspx?ID=1375

Given that they explicitly do impart any special properties, and TK Proj has its wording indicating that 'no properties' are inherited, it's clear that if you want to use precious metal magic attacks, use Metal Darts.

(Thread's old and necroed, but I figure that this is a good cap.)


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Ravingdork wrote:

There is still ambiguity. Before the "new" rule only appeared in one place, but not the others, and so the intent was ambiguous.

Now, it still only appears in one place, and not in others, and so the intent remains ambiguous.

By way of example, the rules for the Dying condition:

https://2e.aonprd.com/Conditions.aspx?ID=11

Nothing in those rules says you should add wounded when you gain dying, because those rules are elsewhere in the book. The sidebar has a reminder, but that is not part of the condition’s rules text.

The argument you are using here is equivalent to ‘the rules for dying as a whole and the rules for the dying condition differ, so we cannot say for certain which is correct.’ The answer is that they don’t differ and both are correct, because the rule is printed in a different location. This is almost certainly an issue of organization, not one of interpretation.

If I were to speculate: during the editing process, somebody saw 'gain or increase', and thought it was confusing language to have two different words that mean the same thing, so they cut it to 'gain'. That is purely a guess.

(To make things clear as well, I am not arguing out of anger, or saying that this is absolutely a better rule - I am saying it is reasonable to view this as having been the rule all along, and I struggle to find a reason why 'specific beats general, but not if the specific only appears in one spot because then it might be an error' is the interpretation we want to go with.)


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ElementalofCuteness wrote:

Courageous Anthem (Pg.370) The Spell Description states

You inspire yourself and your allies with words or tunes
of encouragement.
You and all allies in the area gain a +1
status bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, and saves against
fear effects.

It is lacking the Auditory trait from from the how it is worded, unless it is suppose to effect deaf creatures.

Unusual Composition (Pg.105) Level 10 Bard feat. - Most compositions do not have a trait which confirms rather or not they are visual or auditory outside their description. making this feat all subjected to your DM.

(This is already the case, it’s covered by the rules of the Composition trait itself: https://2e.aonprd.com/Traits.aspx?ID=31 )


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So the big issue is that it's a status bonus.

Even if it applied to some impulses, it would not apply to their 2 action blast, which also uses a status bonus to add their con to damage. It WOULD apply to persistent burn from a later Junction, though.

I was doing a bunch of math comparing it to other burn it options, and it's not really straightforwardly comparable. Average damages won't tell the whole story.

I don't think it's 'broken' per se if you want to allow it, but there's definitely reasons why you may not want to establish precedent that impulses 'count as spells'.


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Bluemagetim wrote:
Also the playtest language ive heard about that clearly would mean to increase by the wounded value did not make it to the final version. So it may as well also not have been the intention.

https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=374

"If you take damage while you already have the dying condition, increase your dying condition value by 1, or by 2 if the damage came from an attacker’s critical hit or your own critical failure. If you have the wounded condition, remember to add the value of your wounded condition to your dying value."

CRB, the original. Pg 459. Never errata'd in 4 releases. Keep in mind that the dying rules not being errata'd has been used in this thread as evidence that the rules were clearly always intended to be that way.

Another quote:

"Wounded Any time you gain the dying condition or increase it for any reason, add your wounded value to the amount you gain or increase your dying value. The wounded condition ends if you receive HP from Treat Wounds, or if you're restored to full HP and rest for 10 minutes."

GM Screen, released alongside the CRB. Remains on the Archive of Nethys GM Screen under Death and Dying, and in printed GM screens. Both the original and Advanced GM screens contain this reminder, as far as I am aware.
https://2e.aonprd.com/GMScreen.aspx

Yes, this rule has always existed. There was ambiguity before because there was no reminder text. Reminder text was added, and people are calling that a change.


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Mathmuse wrote:
Easl wrote:
After all, there's really only a few situations where it makes a huge difference - the clearest one being where you have Wounded 1 going into a combat, you go down (Dying 2), then you get hit again while down or you fail your recovery check... = Dying 4? Or Dying 3?

I have avoided commenting on the Remastered Wounded rules because I won't own the Remastered PDFs until November 15. But I do have experience in PF2 combat.

When I read the Wounded rules in my original Pathfinder 2nd Edition rulebook, I made a mental note to talk to my players about houseruling them, because taking damage while dying and wounded seemed too harsh:

PF2 Core Rulebook, Playing the Game chapter, page 459 wrote:

Taking Damage while Dying

If you take damage while you already have the dying condition, increase your dying condition value by 1, or by 2 if the damage came from an attacker’s critical hit or your own critical failure. If you have the wounded condition, remember to add the value of your wounded condition to your dying value.
The Wounded condition seemed like to say that the character resumed dying at the value where they had left off, unless they had medical treatment that restored their deep vitality.

So this isn't quite correct.

No matter how high your Dying value gets, if Dying is removed by any means other than spending hero points, your wounded increases by 1. It doesn't go to the value Dying was at, or anything like that - it is explicitly designed to counteract 'yo-yo' healing that plagues games like 5e, where there is no reason to heal until somebody goes down - Wounded encourages more proactive healing, to prevent going down to start.

Essentially, if a character goes down to a crit, they go to dying 2. They take damage when they are inside the splash radius of a bomb, dying 3. The cleric casts heal on them, all dying cleared, Wounded 1.

Remember, wounded can be cured entirely in two ways:

1) Treat Wounds
2) Reach full HP, and rest for 10 minutes.

The latter, notably, can be done without anyone in the group having any medical skill, using only healing magic and consumables.


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Pixel Popper wrote:
aobst128 wrote:
Yeah the parentheses are bugging me too
Grammatically, removing a parenthetical doesn't materially change the meaning of a sentence. IF adding the wounded value to a failed recovery check is intended, then grammatically, the structure is completely wrong since removing the parenthetical would materially alter the instruction.

It doesn't, because it is purely referencing the general rule for wounded. IE, something you should do anyway, this is just a reminder text.

To think of this another way, let's think about the spell Stabilize. 'The target loses the dying condition, though it remains unconscious at 0 Hit Points.' We already know when you lose dying, you increase wounded value - but maybe the designers want to make sure that's communicated in the spell. In that case, 'The target loses the dying condition, though it remains unconscious at 0 Hit Points (increase their Wounded condition by 1).'


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Pixel Popper wrote:
Fumarole wrote:
aobst128 wrote:

Oh, I hadn't actually read the new rules. Yeah, adding 2 or more to your dying value on a failed recovery check while you're wounded doesn't sound right. Probably not the right interpretation.

Recovery Checks:

Critical Success Your dying value is reduced by 2.
Success Your dying value is reduced by 1.
Failure Your dying value increases by 1 (plus your wounded value, if any).
Critical Failure Your dying value increases by 2 (plus your wounded value, if any).

I fail to see how the above can be interpreted any way other than adding your wounded value when failing a recovery check...

Remove the parenthesis (e.g. "Your dying value increases by 1 plus your wounded value.") and you are absolutely correct.

Adding the parenthesis, however, confuses things. They turn the "plus your wounded value if any" statement into an afterthought tacked onto a passage that is grammatically complete without the additional statement.

You are arguing that reminder text for a general rule is not rules text. Reminder text is quite frequently put in parens.

Unless you mean to suggest that the hidden condition doesn't allow you to sneak away here, because it's in a paren: https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=45

Wow, steal has double parenthesis! How confusing it is: https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=68

Ugh, too many parenthesis! None of these are rules!: https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=28

We can ignore the income table, only parenthesis points to it: https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=23

How am I supposed to interpret all this? I should give a means of activating a magic effect? If only parenthetical reminders mattered!: https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=24


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https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=1951

A feat already exists to cover throwing two weapons.


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Like, this isn't hard unless people have had some collective misunderstanding on a catastrophic level.

Here is how it was generally understood to work before:

When a character is dropped to 0 HP by lethal damage, they go to Dying 1 (dying 2 if they were downed by a critical hit or critical failure), then add their Wounded value if it exists. For a character who has no wounded, they are at dying 1 or 2. For a character with Wounded 2, they are at dying 3 or 4 (dead without diehard).

When a creature succeeds a recovery roll, decrease dying by 1. On a critical success, decrease dying by 2. When a creature fails a recovery roll, they increase dying by 1. When they critically fail, they increase dying by 2.

When a creature has the dying condition removed by any means other than spending all their hero points (including succeeding at recovery checks), their wounded value is increased by 1.

Do we all agree that is how the majority of people have been playing, and what the rule was commonly understood to be? Like, if your wounded somehow increased while you were still dying, (which I don't believe is possible, but for the sake of argument) you would not increase your dying value, because it has already been added. It's a one-and-done. Your wounded value is not 'constantly being added to your dying value', and it isn't added together with your 'base dying value' to create a new variable, that requires expressly adding additional rules and complications not present in the text.

This is the single alteration:

When a creature who is already dying increases their dying value, for any reason, they add wounded again.

In other words: A creature who is wounded 1 drops to a normal hit. They go to dying 1, then add wounded, putting them at dying 2. Their initiative is moved to before the creature that knocked them to 0, to give every ally a turn to help them before they have to make a recovery check. They are not healed. They make a recovery check on their turn, it is a failure. They add 1 to their dying value for Dying 3, then add their wounded value again for Dying 4. If they don't have Diehard (or that one orc feat), they are dead. They could alternatively spend all their hero points on failing that recovery check to go to 0 HP and stable, wounded 1 still.

Reading it any other way requires absolutely torturing words, contradicting both the old CRB and Gm Screen, contradicting the way the rules generally function, and contradicting Player Core.


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Ravingdork wrote:
Midgefly wrote:

I could see it being interpreted as essentially this equation:

Dying Total = Dying Increase from damage or failed save + (Current Dying Value + Wounded Value)

Whereas the primarily understood interpretation of the new wording is:

Dying Total = (Dying Increase from damage or failed save + Wounded Value) + Current Dying Value

That's a very succinct way of putting it. I'm in the first camp.

And yes, I also believe that the current wording is in error, or perhaps even placed by a rogue agent.

As I mentioned, the current wording is in the original CRB, and has never been errata'd. It is on page 459. You may check.

Attempting to argue in increasingly tortured ways about how this really isn't the rule makes no sense when a) you can always not run it that way, and b) there is almost no effect on actual real world gameplay as compared to before.


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Ched Greyfell wrote:

I see it as [increase dying by 1] plus wounded value to get total.

Not [increase dying value by 1 and your wounded value] to get your total.

Then you are not reading correctly.

When it says 'add wounded to your dying value' when you go down, it has always been accepted to work like this:

Go to dying 1 (or 2 if crit), then add wounded value to that to arrive at Dying 2/3/4/whatever.

The wording has not changed.


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Nothing about how this is written contradicts the rules as originally written, and it clarifies some places where wording was weird before - the original CRB does, in fact, note to add your wounded value to your dying value when you fail a recovery check or take damage, it just does so in a different place. The official GM screen for PF2e also includes the same reminder as is in Player Core, and that was out years ago.

Here is the wording on the GM screen (released alongside the original CRB):

"Any time you gain the dying condition or increase it for any reason, add your wounded value to the amount you gain or increase your dying value. The wounded condition ends if you receive HP from Treat Wounds, or if you're restored to full HP and rest for 10 minutes."

Here is from CRB page 459 (is the original CRB that people argue has had its rules changed in Player Core):

"If you take damage while you already have the dying condition, increase your dying condition value by 1, or by 2 if the damage came from an attacker's critical hit or your own critical failure. If you have the wounded condition, remember to add the value of your wounded condition to your dying value."

It is not a change or a contradiction, it is a clarification of rules that already existed, but almost nobody was running.

Functionally speaking, this doesn't actually change much.

1) The value of the Diehard general feat is greatly increased. Being wounded 2 and dropping to a crit has always been lethal, but now being wounded 1 puts you in range of a single failed recovery check to death. Diehard expands this to 2 checks, except if you went down to a crit or crit fail your recovery.

2) The value of in-combat healing is increased, getting allies up before they need to make a recovery check even once becomes more paramount (and this is always possible due to how initiative is moved for a creature who goes to 0 HP).

3) Strategies that ignore an ally on the ground become less valuable, as it is more likely for them to die with one blown recovery check.

4) Holding hero points becomes more valuable - as does the tactic of spending them immediately on going down to prevent being Wounded!

5) GMs who play with a lot of targeting downed creatures remain exactly as lethal as before in most cases. There is maybe one edge case where this makes a creature die faster, if they drop to dying 2 with wounded 1, and succeed on a recovery check, then get attacked and crit - that will kill if you add wounded, not if you don't. It's identical otherwise.

From the perspective of Paizo devs, I can only imagine that has been mostly the equivalent of updating a readme, and getting a bafflingly furious userbase reaction that they have changed critical parts of the program.


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Player Core Pg 333., Gouging Claw is missing the Cantrip trait.

GM Core Pg 225, the rules for transferring runes include the line 'It takes 1 day (instead of the 4 days usually needed to Craft)', it no longer takes 4 days to Craft.


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Ravingdork wrote:

Broke the news to my friends. They canceled their subscriptions and pending orders the same day.

Now I don't know if I'm going to get to play Pathfinder anymore.

a) Your friends sure have some interesting opinions! It might pay for you to learn more about what they believe on a variety of topics about the welfare of other human beings, to make sure they are people who are actually going to be good friends. Sometimes you think you know people, and can count on them for anything, then they start posting about how your class of people is inherently worse than theirs (except you, of course! You're "one of the good ones"!)

b) Online works pretty well.



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I have been looking a bit on Spheres of Magic, and I definately think I will replace vancian magic with spheres the next time I run pathfinder. So now I feel like writing down some random thoughts about the system and a theoretical setting using the system.

I have seen some observations that Conjuration is overpowered, but when I look at it I get the feeling it has been nerfed quite a bit since those opinions were formed. I mean, yes the extra actions from a Companion (or two, or three) is very powerful, but my impression is that spending three feats to get an animal companion is cheaper than buying up a companion of similar power. I also miss a way to get a number of summons with the limitation that you can only summon one of them at a time, this allowing you to get (form) talents cheaper on your 2nd, 3rd and so on companions. Sort of like an array in mutants and masterminds.

Destruction seems a bit costly on the magic points, but I imagine an Elementalist with a nice Staff and some metamagic feats won't be that much behind a cross-blooded blockbuster wizard when it comes to pure damage when going all out. Ouch, I am getting thoughts of 3 spells per turn, and probably your whole magic pool burned together with your enemies.

In general though, the system opens up a lot more concepts when it comes to mages. And the only concept that is really shut down is the GOD spellcaster who specializes in doing everything better than everyone else. So a vast improvement on all fronts.

For the most part, Advanced Talents look completely fine as well. Conjuration gets Planar Binding/Ally, which is probably by far the most broken ability on the list. But at least it is broken in a way that is relatively easy to deal with as a GM. Death also has a bunch of really powerful Advanced Talents, the "broken" divinations all seem to be locked behind high levels and a significant talent tax of weaker divinations. I really love the "your spells now affect a 2 mile radius talents", Midnight + Hungry Darkness is a real BBEG combo.

I would probably also allow rituals and ritual scrolls of the old vanican spells. I would generally allow PCs to learn rituals of 3rd level or lower at the "suggested" cost of 4 times the "market price" of a scroll. The assumption would be that if a PC is willing to pay the feat + wealth to buy a ritual, then that ritual would be in high enough demand for someone to first research it, and then for other spellcasters to pay to learn it. This means cheap scrolls cannot exist, though they can be crafted by a character who has first mastered the ritual. Spells such as Invisibility, Fly, Glitterdust, and so on would be useful to get scrolls of if nobody in the party selected the correct sphere. Ritual Spells of 4th level or higher would be very rare, as the research is getting costly at that point and I prefer settings where NPCs above 10th level are few and far between.

I would still allow Alchemists and their extracts. In fact, I think I would make alchemist guilds a common and powerful political force. I might force the alchemists to pay the "ritual cost" for their extracts? This would come with a change so that they can refresh extracts that did not get consumed last day, in order to not waste the alchemist's wealth. The costs are really quite modest, it is paying 4 times the cost of a scroll which is the costly part for ritual casters.

I think Rangers and Paladins should use the Armorist progression for spheres instead of the one suggested under archetypes. Bard, Inquisitor, and Hunter could use their normal sphere archetypes. I don't really know about the magus, with how sphere casting works it feels too much like a 2 level dip bait. As for the fullcasters, I would rather just use the default sphere classes with whatever traditions are needed to get the desired flavor. Other paizo classes would be the Barbarian (as the martial who got nice things), the Slayer (for players who only wish to select a target and full attack), and probably the Investigator as a 2nd alchemy user.

I really want to use Akashic Mysteries and Path of War, and I really think Akashic Mysteries fit in a strange and mysterious way. It must be that it is a really balanced and versatile system, that is unlikely to steal anyone's thunder. Path of War on the other hand... while I am of the opinion that the Harbinger and the rest of the expanded material is completely fine in a normal pathfinder game. With spheres I think a Harbinger who used a trait or tradition to grab Hourglass or another solid control discipline would completely blow a sphere caster out of the water when it comes to debuff/control roles. As for Warlord and Warder, I believe it has been shown that at levels 1-10 they are likely to make the barbarian feel small in his pants when it comes to damage. At least until the errata for Blade and Fury arrives. I might just limit Path of War to the Myrmidon Fighter (who is still really badass, but still strictly weaker than a warlord) and the Hidden Blade rogue (who is still a rogue, probably an unchained rogue).

Psionics would not be allowed on grounds of being to close to the vanican casting I just managed to get rid of.

I would have to make the change to Sphere Crafting of magic items. I think I would limit scrolls to ritual scrolls, and potions would be monopolized by alchemists. This would nerf the Vizier slightly, but I would also give the Vizier the honor of being the only class who can craft items without having to know the correct sphere. That should be enough to make up for it. Apart from that, I think the Vizier needs to treat charges as spell points, since charges doesn't really seem to be a thing anymore, at least for the most part. Forge Ring would probably need to have its prerequisite reduced to 3rd level as most of the key magic items have been moved to that crafting feat (which I actually approve of).


I personally think that many of pathfinder's combat feats are split into feat chains of unneeded length and complexity. While a general improvement of combat feats won't fix the martial/caster discrepancy it will help martial characters who usually get a lot of bonus feats have more and better options in combat.

While I prefer feats that open up new options such as Improved Trip or Cornugon Smash, feats that give numerical bonuses such as Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization, and feats that modify numerical bonuses such as Power Attack and Combat Expertise still have their place. Numerical bonuses help players create characters who have the "best" attack bonus and damage bonus, they are also easy feats to take if you for some reason don't want to expand your options.

I was wondering if I could get feedback on if this would be a reasonable set of combat feats. If something is overpowered/underpowered or if there are any important options that I am missing. Note that I have removed fighter level requirements as having fighter only feats and then letting lots of classes "count" as having fighter levels is a horrible way to balance classes.

maneuver feats:
Combat Expertise
Prerequisite: Int 13
Benefit: You take only a –2 penalty on attack rolls for fighting defensively.
While fighting defensively or using the total defense action, you gain an
additional +1 dodge bonus to your Armor Class.

Combat Reflexes
Benefit: You may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity per round
equal to your Dexterity bonus. With this feat, you may also make attacks of
opportunity while flat-footed.

Improved Unarmed Strike
Benefit: You are considered to be armed even when unarmed—you do not provoke
attacks of opportunity when you attack foes while unarmed. Your unarmed
strikes can deal lethal or nonlethal damage, at your choice.

Power Attack
Prerequisite: Str 13, Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and
combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This
bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack
with a weapon using two hands, or a natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times
your Strength modifier (or more) on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is
halved (–50%) if you are making an attack that adds only 1/2 your Strength
modifier on damage rolls. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every
4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage
increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack
roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not
apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.

Reckless Abandon
Prerequisite: Con 13, Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: You can choose to take a -1 penalty to AC to gain a +1 bonus
on attack rolls. The AC penalty increases by 1 and the attack roll bonus
increases by +1 at 4th level and every four levels thereafter.

Karmic Strike
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes
Benefit: During your turn, you can choose to take a -4 penalty to Armor
Class in exchange for the ability to make an attack of opportunity against
any creature that makes a melee attack, or a melee touch attack against
you. The opponent that hits you must be in your threatened area, and you
resolve your attack of opportunity after your foe's attack. You must specify
that you are activating this feat, and the change to Armor Class and your
ability to make these special attacks of opportunity last until your next turn.

Improved Bull Rush
Prerequisite: Str 13, Power Attack
Benefit: When you perform a bull rush, drag, or reposition combat maneuver,
you do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender. You also gain
a +4 bonus on checks made to bull rush, drag, or reposition a foe, and a +4
bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to bull rush,
drag, or reposition you.

Counter Step
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6, Improved Bull Rush
Benefit: Whenever an enemy within your reach misses you with an attack, you
can perform a bull rush, drag, or reposition combat maneuver against it as
an immediate action.

Quick Bull Rush
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6, Improved Bull Rush
Benefit: On your turn, you can perform a single bull rush, drag, or reposition
combat maneuver in place of one of your melee attacks. You must choose the
melee attack with the highest base attack bonus to make the bull rush.

Mighty Throw
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6, Improved Bull Rush
Benefit: After making a successful check to bull rush, drag, or reposition
an enemy, you can instead choose to throw the enemy. You throw the enemy to
an unoccupied space within 10 feet of you, plus an additional 5 feet for
every 5 by which your check exceeds your opponent's CMD. The enemy does not
provoke attacks of opportunities by being thrown, but it takes 1d6 damage
for every 5 feet you throw it, and falls prone in the space it lands.

Improved Dirty Trick
Prerequisite: Int 13, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing
a dirty trick combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on
checks made to attempt a dirty trick. You also receive a +2 bonus to
your Combat Maneuver Defense when an opponent tries a dirty trick on
you. In addition, removing the condition requires the target to spend
a standard action.

Quick Dirty Trick
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6, Improved Dirty Trick
Benefit: On your turn, you can perform a single dirty trick combat
maneuver in place of one of your melee attacks. You must choose the
melee attack with the highest base attack bonus to make the dirty trick
combat maneuver.

Dirty Trick Master
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +11, Improved Dirty Trick
Benefit: Whenever you successfully perform a dirty trick, the penalty
lasts for 1d4 rounds, plus 1 round for every 5 by which your attack
exceeds the target's CMD. In addition, whenever you successfully perform
a dirty trick combat maneuver against an opponent who is still affected
by a condition inflicted by a previous dirty trick (whether your own or
another creature's), you can cause the condition to worsen. In addition
to increasing the duration of the condition as normal, you cause an
opponent who is dazzled to become dazed, entangled to become pinned,
shaken to become frightened, and sickened to become nauseated. This
worsened condition replaces the previous dirty trick condition, and
lasts for the duration of the dirty trick (including any rounds remaining
from the previous dirty trick condition) or until the opponent uses a
standard action to remove the condition (whichever comes first).

Improved Disarm
Prerequisite: Int 13, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a
disarm or steal combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on
checks made to disarm a foe or steal an item. You also receive a +4 bonus
to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to disarm or
steal from you.

Improved Feint
Prerequisite: Int 13, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You can make a Bluff check to feint in combat as a move action.
In addition, whenever you use feint to cause an opponent to lose his
Dexterity bonus, he loses that bonus until the beginning of your next
turn, in addition to losing his Dexterity bonus against your next attack.

Improved Grapple
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Improved Unarmed Strike
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a
grapple combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks
made to grapple a foe. You also receive a +4 bonus to your Combat Maneuver
Defense whenever an opponent tries to grapple you.

Chokehold
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6, Improved Grapple
Benefit: Creatures grappled by you cannot breathe or speak, and thus cannot
cast spells that have a verbal component. An opponent you have in a chokehold
has to hold his breath or begin suffocating. Any creature that does not
breathe, is immune to bleed damage, or is immune to critical hits is immune
to the effects of your chokehold.

Rapid Grappler
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6, Improved Grapple
Benefit: While you are grappling an opponent, you can use a swift action to
maintain the grapple, to escape a grapple, or to reverse the grapple. This
feat allows you to make two grapple checks each round, but you are not
required to make two checks. You only need to succeed at one check to
maintain a grapple.

Snoutgrip
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +11, Improved Grapple
Benefit: As an immediate action, whenever an opponent up to one size
category larger than you misses you with its bite attack, you can attempt
a grapple with a –5 penalty on the check. You may make this grapple attempt
even if the target is out of your reach. In addition, when you have your
opponent grappled you are holding its mouth shut, preventing it from using
its bite attack, breath weapon, or spells with a verbal component until it
escapes your grapple.

Improved Overrun
Prerequisite: Str 13, Power Attack
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing an
overrun combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks
made to overrun a foe. You also receive a +4 bonus to your Combat Maneuver
Defense whenever an opponent tries to overrun you. Targets of your overrun
attempt may not chose to avoid you.

Improved Sunder
Prerequisite: Str 13, Power Attack
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a
sunder combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks
made to sunder an item. You also receive a +4 bonus to your Combat
Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to sunder your gear.

Improved Trip
Prerequisite: Int 13, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when you attempt a
trip combat maneuver. You also gain a +4 bonus on checks made to trip a
foe and a +4 bonus to Combat Maneuver Defense to resist trip attempts.
Finally, when you successfully trip an opponent in melee combat, you
immediately get a melee attack against that opponent as if you hadn’t
used your attack for the trip attempt.

Fury's Fall
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6, Improved Trip
Benefit: When making a trip attack, add both your Dexterity modifier and
your Strength modifier to your CMB, instead of only your Strength modifier
(or only your Dexterity modifier if you are using weapon finesse). In
addition, you can trip opponents who are up to two size categories larger
than you.

Stand Still
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes
Benefit: When a foe provokes an attack of opportunity due to moving out of
a square you threaten, you can make a combat maneuver check as your attack
of opportunity. If successful, the enemy cannot move for the rest of his
turn. An enemy can still take the rest of his action, but cannot move.

Pin Down
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +11, Combat Reflexes
Benefit: Whenever an opponent you threaten takes a 5-foot step or uses
the withdraw action, that opponent provokes an attack of opportunity from
you. If the attack hits, you deal no damage, but the targeted creature is
prevented from making the move action that granted a 5-foot step or the
withdraw action and does not move.

agile and two-weapon fighting:
Weapon Finesse
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: With a light weapon, or a weapon with the finesse ability made for
a creature of your size category, you may use your Dexterity modifier instead
of your Strength modifier on attack rolls. You may also uses your Dexterity
modifier instead of your Strength modifier to determine your CMB. If you carry
a shield, its armor check penalty applies to your attack rolls. In addition,
if you have a negative strength modifier, then your strength penalty still
applies to your CMB.

Deadly Agility
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +1, Weapon Finesse
Benefit: You may add your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength
modifier when wielding a light weapon or a weapon with the finesse ability
when determining damage inflicted upon a successful attack. This modifier
to damage is not increased for wielding a weapon two-handed, but is reduced
as normal for off-hand weapons. In addition, if you have a negative strength
modifier, then your strength penalty still applies to your damage inflicted.

Parry and Riposte
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes, Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: When an opponent makes a melee attack against you, you can use an
immediate action to attempt to parry the attack. You make an attack roll
at your highest attack bonus. If your result is greater than the attacking
creature's result, the creature's attack automatically misses. You must
declare the use of this ability after the creature's attack roll is made,
but before the damage and effects from the attack has been resolved. Upon
performing a successful parry, you can make an attack of opportunity against
the triggering creature. If you make an attack wielding a weapon in two hands,
make an attack using two-weapon fighting, or use a shield, then you cannot
benefit from this feat for 1 round.

Two-Weapon Fighting
Prerequisite: Dex 15
Benefit: Your penalties on attack rolls for fighting with two weapons are
reduced. The penalty for your primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for
your off hand lessens by 6. See Two-Weapon Fighting in Combat. In addition,
when your base attack bonus reaches +6 you can make a second attack using
your off-hand weapon at a -5 penalty. When your base attack bonus reaches
+11, you can make a third attack using your off-hand weapon at a -10 penalty.

Two-Weapon Defense
Prerequisite: Two-Weapon Fighting
Benefit: When wielding a double weapon or two weapons (not including natural
weapons, unarmed strikes, or other weapons not held in your hands), you gain
a +1 shield bonus to your AC. When you are fighting defensively or using the
total defense action, this shield bonus increases to +2.

Double Slice
Prerequisite: Two-Weapon Fighting
Benefit: Add your Strength bonus to damage rolls made with your off-hand weapon.

Equal Opportunity
Prerequisite: Two-Weapon Fighting
Benefit: Whenever you make an attack as a standard action or make an attack
of opportunity, you can attack once with your primary weapon and once with
your off-hand weapon. The penalties for attacking with two weapons apply
normally.

Two-Weapon Rend
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +11, Dex 17, Two-Weapon Fighting
Benefit: If you hit an opponent with both your primary hand and your off-hand
weapon, the second of these attacks that hit deals an additional 1d10 points
of damage plus 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier. You can only deal this
additional damage once each round.

Two-Weapon Feint
Prerequisite: Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Feint
Benefit: While using Two-Weapon Fighting to make melee attacks, you can forgo
your first primary-hand melee attack to make a Bluff check to feint an opponent.

Weapon Focus
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: Select one weapon group. You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls
you make using a weapon from the selected weapon group.

Greater Weapon Focus
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +8, Weapon Focus
Benefit: Select one weapon group. You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls
you make using a weapon from the selected weapon group. This bonus stacks
with other bonuses on attack rolls, including those from Weapon Focus.

Weapon Specialization
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +4, Weapon Focus
Benefit: Select one weapon group. You gain a +2 bonus on all damage rolls
you make using a weapon from the selected group.

Greater Weapon Specialization
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +12, Weapon Specialization
Benefit: Select one weapon group. You gain a +2 bonus on all damage rolls
you make using a weapon from the selected group. This bonus stacks with
other bonuses on damage rolls, including those from Weapon Specialization.

Critical Focus
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +9
Benefit: You receive a +4 circumstance bonus on attack rolls made to confirm
critical hits.

Improved Critical
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +8
Benefit: Select one weapon group. Your threat range is doubled using weapons
from the selected weapon group.

archery:
Deadly Aim
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all ranged attack rolls
to gain a +2 bonus on all ranged damage rolls. When your base attack bonus
reaches +4, and every +4 thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the
bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before
making an attack roll and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus
damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit
point damage.

Far Shot
Benefit: You only suffer a –1 penalty per full range increment between
you and your target when using a ranged or thrown weapon.

Point Blank Shot
Prerequisite: Weapon Specialization
Benefit: When making ranged attacks using a weapon group you have weapon
specialization with, you do not provoke attacks of opportunities.

Precise Shot
Benefit: You can shoot or throw ranged weapons at an opponent engaged in
melee without taking the standard –4 penalty on your attack roll.

Improved Precise Shot
Prerequisite: Dex 19, Precise Shot, Base Attack Bonus +11
Benefit: Your ranged attacks ignore the AC bonus granted to targets by
anything less than total cover, and the miss chance granted to targets
by anything less than total concealment. Total cover and total concealment
provide their normal benefits against your ranged attacks.

Rapid Shot
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Point-Blank Shot
Benefit: When making a full-attack action with a ranged weapon, you can fire
one additional time this round. All of your attack rolls take a –2 penalty
when using Rapid Shot.

Manyshot
Prerequisite: Dex 17, Rapid Shot, Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: When making making an attack with a bow, your first attack each
round fires two arrows. If the attack hits, both arrows hit. Apply precision-
based damage (such as sneak attack) and critical hit damage only once for
this attack. Damage bonuses from using a composite bow with a high Strength
bonus apply to each arrow, as do other damage bonuses, such as a ranger's
favored enemy bonus. Damage reduction and resistances apply separately to
each arrow.

Snap Shot
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot
Benefit: While wielding a ranged weapon with which do not provoke attacks of
opportunities when making ranged attack with, you threaten squares within 5
feet of you. You can make attacks of opportunity with that ranged weapon.

Improved Snap Shot
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +11, Snap Shot, Greater Weapon Focus
Benefit: You threaten an additional 10 feet with Snap Shot.

shield:
Improved Shield Bash
Prerequisite: Shield Proficiency
Benefit: When you perform a shield bash, you may still apply the shield's
shield bonus to your AC.

Shield Slam
Prerequisite: Improved Shield Bash, Two-Weapon Fighting, Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: Any opponents hit by your shield bash are also hit with a free
bull rush attack, substituting your attack roll for the combat maneuver
check (see Combat). This bull rush does not provoke an attack of
opportunity. Opponents who cannot move back due to a wall or other surface
are knocked prone after moving the maximum possible distance. You may
choose to move with your target if you are able to take a 5-foot step or
to spend an action to move this turn.

Shield Master
Prerequisite: Shield Slam, Base Attack Bonus +11
Benefit: You do not suffer any penalties for two-weapon fighting on attack
rolls when using a shield as your off-hand weapon. In addition, you may add
your shield's enhancement bonus to attacks and damage rolls made with the
shield as if it was a weapon enhancement bonus.

Bashing Finish
Prerequisite: Shield Master
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit with a melee weapon, you can
make a shield bash attack against the same target using the same bonus as
a free action.

Shield Focus
Prerequisite: Shield Proficiency, Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: Increase the AC bonus granted by any shield you are using by 1.

Greater Shield Focus
Prerequisite: Shield Focus, Base Attack Bonus +8
Benefit: Increase the AC bonus granted by any shield you are using by 1.
This bonus stacks with shield focus.

Shield Block
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Shield Focus
Benefit: You must be using a light, heavy, or tower shield to use this feat.
Once per round when you would normally be hit with an attack from a ranged
weapon, including spells that require a ranged touch attack, natural attacks,
and massive ranged weapons), you may deflect it so that you take no damage
and suffer no effect. You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed.

mounted combat:
Mounted Combat
Prerequisite: Ride 1 rank
Benefit: Once per round when your mount is hit in combat, you may attempt
a Ride check (as an immediate action) to negate the hit. The hit is negated
if your Ride check result is greater than the opponent's attack roll.

Ride-By Attack
Prerequisite: Mounted Combat
Benefit: When you are mounted and use the charge action, you may move and
attack as if with a standard charge and then move again (continuing the
straight line of the charge). Your total movement for the round can't
exceed double your mounted speed. You and your mount do not provoke an
attack of opportunity from the opponent that you attack.

Spirited Charge
Prerequisite: Ride-By Attack, Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: When mounted and using the charge action, you deal double damage
with a melee weapon (or triple damage with a lance). You or your mount cannot
benefit from pounce or any other ability that gives multiple attacks on
a charge.

Mounted Shield
Prerequisite: Mounted Combat, Shield Focus
Benefit: You may add your base shield bonus (including the bonus from Shield
Focus but not including enhancement bonuses) to your mount's AC. In addition,
you may add this bonus when making a Ride check to negate a hit against your
mount using the Mounted Combat feat.

Wheeling Charge
Prerequisite: Ride-By Attack, Ride 6 ranks
Benefit: When you are mounted and use the charge action, your mount can make
one turn of up to 90 degrees as part of the move, as long as each part of the
move is at least 10 feet. You may make an attack during any part of this move.
Your total movement for the round can’t exceed double your mounted speed.
Allied creatures do not impede your charge, though you cannot attack from
or end your move in an ally’s space.

Mounted Archery
Prerequisite: Mounted Combat
Benefit: The penalty you take when using a ranged weapon while mounted is
halved: –2 instead of –4 if your mount is taking a double move, and –4
instead of –8 if your mount is running.

Trample
Prerequisite: Mounted Combat
Benefit: When you attempt to overrun an opponent while mounted, your target
may not choose to avoid you. Your mount may make one hoof attack against any
target you knock down, gaining the standard +4 bonus on attack rolls against
prone targets.

Unseat
Prerequisite: Mounted Combat, Improved Bull Rush
Benefit: When charging an opponent while mounted and wielding a lance,
resolve the attack as normal. If it hits, you may immediately make a free
bull rush attempt in addition to the normal damage. If successful, the
target is knocked off his horse and lands prone in a space adjacent to
his mount that is directly away from you.

Mounted Skirmisher
Prerequisites: Ride 6 ranks, Mounted Combat
Benefit: If your mount moves its speed or less, you can still take a
full-attack action.

more combat feats:
Blind Fight
Benefit: In melee, every time you miss because of concealment (see Combat),
you can reroll your miss chance percentile roll one time to see if you
actually hit. In addition, an invisible attacker gets no advantages related
to hitting you in melee. That is, you don't lose your Dexterity bonus to
Armor Class, and the attacker doesn't get the usual +2 bonus for being
invisible. The invisible attacker's bonuses do still apply for ranged attacks,
however. Finally, you do not need to make Acrobatics skill checks to move at
full speed while blinded.

Improved Blind Fight
Prerequisite: Perception 10 ranks, Blind-Fight
Benefit: Your melee attacks ignore the miss chance for anything less than
total concealment, and you treat opponents with total concealmentas as if
they had normal concealment (20% miss chance instead of 50%). You may still
reroll a miss chance percentile roll as normal.
In addition, if you successfully pinpoint an invisible or hidden attacker,
that attacker gets no advantages related to hitting you with ranged attacks,
regardless of the range. That is, you don't lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor
Class, and the attacker doesn't get the usual +2 bonus for being invisible.

Disruptive
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: The DC to cast spells defensively increases by +4 for all enemies
that are within your threatened area. This increase to casting spells
defensively only applies if you are aware of the enemy's location and
are capable of taking an attack of opportunity. If you can only take one
attack of opportunity per round and have already used that attack, this
increase does not apply.

Spellbreaker
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6, Disruptive
Benefit: Enemies in your threatened area that fail their checks to cast
spells defensively provoke attacks of opportunity from you. In addition,
the DC to cast defensively within your threatened area increases by +2.

Teleport Tactician
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes, Disruptive
Benefit: Any creature using a teleportation effect to enter or leave
a square threatened by you provokes an attack of opportunity, even if
casting defensively or using a supernatural ability. In addition, the
DC to cast defensively within your threatened area increases by +2.

Deflect Arrows
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Improved Unarmed Strike
Benefit: You must have at least one hand free (holding nothing) to use
this feat. Once per round when you would normally be hit with an attack
from a ranged weapon, you may deflect it so that you take no damage from
it. You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. Attempting to
deflect a ranged attack doesn't count as an action. Unusually massive
ranged weapons (such as boulders or ballista bolts) and ranged attacks
generated by natural attacks or spell effects can't be deflected.

Deflect Rays
Prerequisite: Dex 15, Deflect Arrows
Benefit: You can use deflect arrows to also deflect unusually massive ranged
weapons and ranged attacks generated by natural attacks or spell effects.
In addition when deflecting a thrown weapon, you can choose to immediately
throw it back against the attacker.

Lunge
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: You can increase the reach of your melee attacks by 5 feet until
the end of your turn by taking a –2 penalty to your AC until your next turn.
You must decide to use this ability before any attacks are made.

Cleave
Prerequisite: Str 13, Power Attack
Benefit: If you make a melee attack, and your target drops to 0 or fewer
hit points as a result of your attack, you can make another melee attack
using your highest base attack bonus against another opponent within reach.
You can make only one extra attack per round with this feat.

Great Cleave
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6, Cleave
Benefit: You can use Cleave any number of times per round.

Lightning Attack
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: As a standard action, you can make a single attack at your full base
attack bonus against two adjacent foes within reach. You use the same attack
roll applying it to each target.

Whirlwind Attack
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6, Lightning Attack
Benefit: As a standard action, you can make one melee attack at your highest
base attack bonus against each opponent within reach. You must make a separate
attack roll against each opponent.

Quick Draw
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: You can draw a weapon as a free action instead of as a move action.
You can draw a hidden weapon (see the Sleight of Hand skill) as a move action.
A character who has selected this feat may throw weapons at his full normal
rate of attacks (much like a character with a bow). Alchemical items, potions,
scrolls, and wands can also be drawn quickly using this feat.

Wave Strike
Prerequisite: Quick Draw, Bluff 1 rank
Benefit: When you attack an opponent within reach, you can spend a swift
action to make a Bluff check to feint that opponent. In addition, as long
as you have a sheathed weapon on your person, you threaten all squares
wihtin the sheathed weapon's normal reach and you may make attacks of
opportunity even if you are not currently wielding a weapon. You may
draw a weapon as part of making an attack of opportunity

Step Up
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: Whenever an adjacent foe attempts to take a 5-foot step away from
you, you may also make a 5-foot step as an immediate action so long as you
end up adjacent to the foe that triggered this ability. If you take this
step, you cannot take a 5-foot step during your next turn. If you take an
action to move during your next turn, subtract 5 feet from your total movement.

Step Up and Strike
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6, Step Up
Benefit: Whenever you use step up to follow a foe, you can choose to move
up to 10 without provoking attacks of opportunity as a free action. In
addition, you can make a single melee attack against the foe at your highest
base attack bonus. This attack counts as one of your attacks of opportunity
for the round.

Mirrored Pursuit
Prerequisite: Step Up
Benefit: Whenever an adjacent foe moves, you can choose to move up to your
speed as an immediate action as long as you end the move adjacent to the
foe that triggered this ability. This movement does not provoke attacks of
opportunity from the foe that triggered this ability. If you take a move
action on your next turn, subtract the distance you moved using this ability
from your total movement.

Pushing Assault
Prerequisite: Str 15, Power Attack
Benefit: When you hit a creature your size or smaller with a two-handed
weapon attack modified by the Power Attack feat, you can choose to push
the target 5 feet directly away from you instead of dealing the extra
damage from Power Attack. If you score a critical hit, you can instead
push the target 10 feet directly away from you. This movement does not
provoke attacks of opportunities, and the target must end this move in
a safe space it can stand in. You choose which effect to apply after the
attack roll has been made, but before the damage is rolled.

Dazing Assault
Prerequisite: Power Attack, Base Attack Bonus +11
Benefit: You can choose to take a –5 penalty on all melee attack rolls
and combat maneuver checks to daze opponents you hit with your melee
attacks for 1 round, in addition to the normal damage dealt by the attack.
A successful Fortitude save negates the effect. The DC of this save is
10 + your base attack bonus. You must choose to use this feat before
making the attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn.

Vital Strike
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: When making only a single attack during your turn, you can roll
the weapon's damage dice for the attack twice and add the results together
before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon abilities (such as flaming),
precision based damage, and other damage bonuses. When your base attack
bonus reaches +11, you instead roll the weapon's damage dice three times
and add the result together. And when your base attack bonus reaches +16,
you can roll the weapon's damage dice four times and add the result together.
These extra weapon damage dice are not multiplied on a critical hit or other
effects that multiply damage, but are added to the total.

Deadly Strike
Prerequisite: Vital Strike
Benefit: As a standard action, you can make a single attack. If you hit,
you deal double the normal damage and the target takes 4 Constitution damage.
The additional damage and ability damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.

Intimidating Prowess
Benefit: Add your Strength modifier to Intimidate skill checks in addition
to your Charisma modifier.

Cornugon Smash
Prerequisites: Power Attack, Intimidate 6 ranks
Benefit: When you damage an opponent with a Power Attack, you may make an
immediate Intimidate check as a free action to attempt to demoralize your
opponent.

Dreadful Carnage
Prerequisite: Str 15, Power Attack
Benefit: Whenever you reduce an enemy to 0 or fewer hit points, you can make
an Intimidate check to demoralize all enemies within 30 feet as a free action.
Enemies that cannot see both you and the enemy you reduced to 0 or fewer hit
points are unaffected.

Enforcer
Prerequisite: Intimidate 1 rank
Benefit: Whenever you deal nonlethal damage with a melee weapon (including
melee touch spells), you can make an Intimidate check to demoralize your
target as a free action. If you are successful, the target is shaken for a
number of rounds equal to the damage dealt. If your attack was a critical
hit, your target is frightened for 1 round with a successful Intimidate check,
as well as being shaken for a number of rounds equal to the damage dealt.

Hurtful
Prerequisite: Power Attack
Benefit: When you successfully demoralize an opponent within your reach with
an Intimidate check, you can make a single melee attack against that creature
as a swift action. If your attack fails to damage the target, its shaken
condition from being demoralized immediately ends.

Cruel Strike
Prerequisite: Hurtful
Benefit: Whenever you deal damage to a creature that is frightened, shaken,
or panicked with a melee attack. The creature is also sickened until it is
no longer frightened, shaken, or panicked.

Shatter Defenses
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: Any shaken, frightened, or panicked opponent hit by you this
round is flat-footed to your attacks until the end of your next turn.
This includes any additional attacks you make this round.

Deadly Stroke
Prerequisite: Shatter Defenses, Base Attack Bonus +11
Benefit: As a standard action, make a single attack against a stunned or
flat-footed opponent. If you hit, you deal double the normal damage and
the target takes 1 point of Constitution bleed. The additional damage and
bleed is not multiplied on a critical hit.

Penetrating Strike
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: Your attacks ignore up to 5 points of damage reduction.

Greater Penetrating Strike
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +11, Penetrating Strike
Benefit: Your attacks ignore up to 10 points of damage reduction.

Dodge
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: You gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC.

Wind Stance
Prerequisite: Dex 15, Dodge
Benefit: If you move more than 5 feet this turn, you gain 20% concealment
for 1 round against ranged attacks. If you take two actions to move or a
withdraw action in a turn, you instead gain 50% concealment for 1 round.

Spring Attack
Prerequisite: Dodge
Benefit: As a full-round action, you can move up to your speed and make
a single attack at any point during the movement. You can move both before
and after the attack, but you must move at least 10 feet before the attack
and the total distance that you move cannot be greater than your speed. You
cannot use this ability to attack a foe that is adjacent to you at the start
of your turn. If you use this ability to make a melee attack, your movement
does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the target of your melee attack.

Defensive Combat Training
Benefit: You treat your total Hit Dice as your base attack bonus when
calculating your Combat Maneuver Defense.

Catch off Guard
Benefit: You do not suffer any penalties for using an improvised melee
weapon. Unarmed opponents are flat-footed against any attacks you make
with an improvised melee weapon.

Throw Anything
Benefit: You do not suffer any penalties for using an improvised ranged
weapon. You receive a +1 circumstance bonus on attack rolls made with
thrown splash weapons.

Improvised Weapon Mastery
Prerequisite: Catch Off Guard or Throw Anything
Benefit: You do not suffer any penalties for using an improvised weapon.
Increase the amount of damage dealt by the improvised weapon by one step
(for example, 1d4 becomes 1d6) to a maximum of 1d8 (2d6 if the improvised
weapon is two-handed). The improvised weapon has a critical threat range
of 19–20, with a critical multiplier of ×2.

Dimensional Agility
Prerequisite: Ability to cast dimension door or to use an ability that
functions like dimension door.
Benefit: After casting dimension door or using an supernatural or spell-like
ability that functions like dimension door, you can take any actions you
still have remaining on your turn. You also gain a +4 bonus on Concentration
checks when casting teleportation spells.

Dimensional Dervish
Prerequisite: Dimensional Agility, Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: You can take a full-attack action, casting dimension door or
activating an ability that functions like dimension door as a swift
action. If your do, you can teleport up to twice your speed (up to
the maximum distance allowed by the spell or ability), dividing this
teleportation into increments you use before your first attack, between
each attack, and after your last attack. You must teleport at least 5
feet each time you teleport.

Dimensional Maneuvers
Prerequisite: Dimensional Dervish, Base Attack Bonus +9
Benefit: While using the Dimensional Dervish feat, you gain a +4 bonus
on combat maneuver checks to bull rush, disarm, reposition, or trip an
opponent.

Stunning Fist
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike, Base Attack Bonus +6
Benefit: You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your
attack roll. Stunning Fist forces a foe damaged by your unarmed attack to
make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Wis
modifier), in addition to dealing damage normally. A defender who fails this
saving throw is stunned for 1 round (until just before your next turn). A
stunned character drops everything held, can't take actions, loses any
Dexterity bonus to AC, and takes a –2 penalty to AC. You may attempt a
stunning attack a number of times per day equal to your level, and no more
than once per round. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures,
and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be stunned.

Medusa's Wrath
Prerequisites: Stunning Fist, Base Attack Bonus +11
Benefit: Whenever you use the full-attack action and make at least one
unarmed strike, you can make two additional unarmed strikes at your highest
base attack bonus. These bonus attacks must be made against a dazed,
flat-footed, paralyzed, staggered, stunned, or unconscious foe.

Monkey Grip
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +1, Str 15
Benefit: You do not take a penalty to attack rolls for wielding an oversized
weapon, but the amount of effort it takes still increases as normal.

Combat Patrol
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes, Base Attack Bonus +5
Benefit: As a full-round action, you may set up a combat patrol, increasing
your threatened area by 5 feet for every 5 points of your base attack bonus.
Until the beginning of your next turn, you may make attacks of opportunity
against any opponent in this threatened area that provokes attacks of
opportunity. You may move as part of these attacks, provided your total
movement before your next turn does not exceed your speed. Any movement
you make provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.

Bodyguard
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes
Benefit: When an ally within your reach is attacked, you may use an attack
of opportunity to attempt the aid another action to improve your ally's AC.
You may not use the aid another action to improve your ally's attack roll
with this attack.

In Harms Way
Prerequisite: Bodyguard
Benefit: While using the aid another action to improve the AC of an ally
within your reach, you can intercept a successful attack against that
ally as an immediate action, taking full damage from that attack and any
associated effects (bleed, poison, etc.). A creature cannot benefit from
this feat more than once per attack.

Bastard Sword Training
Benefit: You can wield katana and bastard swords one-handed.

Spear Mastery
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: You can treat all spears as if they have the finesse ability.
In addition, you can ready a spear with the brace quality against a charge
as an immediate action.

Whip Mastery
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: You no longer provoke attacks of opportunity when attacking with
a whip. You can deal lethal damage with a whip, although you can still deal
nonlethal damage when you want. Further, you can deal damage with a whip
despite a creature's armor bonus or natural armor bonus. Finally, you
threaten the area of your natural reach plus 5 feet while wielding a whip.

Some of these feats are copies or variations of feats found elsewhere, such as in 3.5, Pathfinder material, or Dreamscarred Press material.


A pathfinder game might be starting up near me soon. The GM said that 3rd party content would be accepted, so I figured this would be my chance to test out some Path of War goodness. With the Myrmidon archetype I figured I could build a plain soldier, who is actually quite badass. The characters also use Lore Warden and Martial Master, and the idea is to be a "generalist" fighter who favors polearms because polearms are superior weapons.

From what I heard, the characters are supposed to start naked at 6th level. So I have built two different 6th level fighters to fit into either a more lawful or evil aligned group, or a more good or chaotic aligned group.

Celix Quaran:
---------------------
Celix Quaran
---------------------
Male Human Fighter [Myrmidon, Lore Warden, Martial Master] 6
LE Medium humanoid (human)
Age 24; Height: 6 ft. 1 in.; Weight: 190 lbs.; Hair: Dark-Blonde; Skin: Fair
Deity: Asmodeus; Languages: Common, Dwarf, Elvish
Init +4; Perception +11
---------------------
Defense
---------------------
AC 12, Touch 12, Flat-Footed 10 (+2 Dex)
Hp 49/49 (6d10 + 12)
Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +5 (+2 vs. Fear and Compulsion)
---------------------
Offense
---------------------
Speed 30 ft.

Unarmed Strike +10/+5 (1d3+4, 20/x2)
+8/+3 (1d3+8, 20/x2)

Grit (2/2): +2 Initiative and Will vs. Fear and Compulsion (requires 1 grit in pool)
Unbreakable (Immediate, 1): Gain a +4 circumstance bonus on a single
saving throw
Heroic Recovery (Swift, 1): Recover an expended maneuver
Man of Action (Swift, 1): Gain a +6 circumstance bonus to Acrobatics,
Climb, or Swim.
Field Bandage (Full Round): Grant 2d6 Temporary Hit Points (10 min.).
Once per day per target, until healed by magical healing for more than the
Field Bandage gave. Also ends a single bleed condition.
Warrior's Determination (Immediate, 1): Ignore Fatigued, Shaken, or Sicken.

Martial Flexibility (6/6): Move Action, gain a feat for 1 minute.

Stance: Black Seraph Glare (+4 Profane to Intimidate, Free Action Demoralize vs.
targets damaged this turn)

Maneuvers Readeid (IL 6th)
Intimidating Force, Sanguine Barrier, Flurry Strike, Leg Sweeping Hilt
---------------------
Statistics
---------------------
Str 18 Dex 15 Con 12 Int 13 Wis 14 Cha 7
Base Atk +6/+1; CMB +12 (+14 to Trip); CMD 24 (26 vs. Trip)
Feats: Power Attack, Combat Reflexes, Hurtful, Combat Expertise,
Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Pushing Assault
Skills: Acrobatics [6] +11, Climb [1] +8, Craft (Weapons) [6] +10,
Intimidate [6] +10 (+14 Seraph Glare), Knowledge (engineering, nobility)[3] +7,
Linguistics [2] +6, Perception [6] +11, Profession (Soldier) [6] +11,
Sense Motive [6] +11, Survival [2] +7, Swim [1] +8
Traits: Bruising Intellect, Strong Faith
---------------------
Equipment
---------------------

---------------------
Maneuvers Known
---------------------
2nd- Leg Sweeping Hilt (Standard Action; Make a trip attempt with a +2
competence bonus. If successful, also make an attack at full Base Atk.)
Rising Zenith Strike (Standard Action; +11 vs. AC; 2d3+8 damage "unarmed")
Sanguine Barrier (Immediate Action; +13 vs. Attack Roll; Attack is negated)
Intimidating Force (Immediate Action; +14 vs. Attack Roll; Attack is negated)
1st- Flurry Strike (Standard Action; Make two unarmed attacks)
Brawler's Attitude (Swift Action; Gain a +4 bonus to CMB with Unarmed Strikes
when performing Dirty Trick, Disarm, Grapple or Trip)
Horizon Wind Lancet (Swift Action; Next ranged attack this round deals +1d6 damage)
---------------------
Stances Known
---------------------
Black Seraph's Glare (+4 Profane to Intimidate, Free Action Demoralize vs.
targets damaged this turn)
Stance of Piercing Rays (Deal +1d6 fire damage with ranged attacks)
---------------------
Black Thorn Knight
---------------------
Oath: By my blood and soul do I swear myself as an ally to Hell against the
many-faced forces of Chaos. I will revenge myself against those who wrong me,
with an eye for an eye and blood for blood, and teach those who come to me
seeking the tools to avenge themselves. From me my enemies shall experience
neither mercy nor redemption, and I shall drive Chaos before me as the wolf
drives the herd to stampede, until the day that I die or its taint is removed
from the world.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----
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---------------------
Background
---------------------
Celix Quaran grew up as a simple peasant boy and part of a large family of
dirt farmers working for the local backwater lord.

At his 15th birthday he was drafted into a peasant army to fight some war.
The drill sergant gave him a spear, told him to use it to poke the enemy
with the pointy end, and then told him to march. This was the start of a
5 year long campaign, during which he learnt the basics of soldiering, as
well as the horrors of war.

After the war was over and the peasant army got disbanded, Celix figured
there was no way he would go back to life as a peasant. So he started working
as a sell-sword instead. At one point he was wronged by a mercenary captain,
and while seeking the means of revenge he met an Erinyes. She took his oath
as well as a rose soaked in his blood, and in return he got the means to get
back at the one who wronged him.
---------------------
Celix is a harsh man, and perhaps a bit cruel. He is willing to use any means
available to achive his goals, and he views vengeance as an important part of
justice. Celix takes oaths very seriously, and he will stand by his comerades
above all, as he views working against or betraying his comerades as performing
a service to the powers of chaos.

Celix doesn't really have any grand goal. But he is willing to fight any fight
that is against chaotic, unstable forces that might disrupt the rule of law
and order.
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---------------------
Future Feats
---------------------
Greater Trip (7th)
Fury's Fall (8th)
Lunge (9th)
Pin Down (11th)

S'Allerie Gothan:
---------------------
S'Allerie "Allie" Gothan
---------------------
Female Human Fighter [Myrmidon, Lore Warden, Martial Master] 6
CG Medium humanoid (human)
Age 24; Height 5 ft. 4 in.; Weight 130 lbs.; Hair: Dark-Blonde; Skin: Fair
Deity: Desna; Languages: Common, Dwarf, Elvish, Giant, Goblin, Undercommon
Init +4/+8; Perception +11
---------------------
Defense
---------------------
AC 12/14, Touch 12/14, Flat-Footed 10/12 (+2 Dex/+2 Insight)
Hp 49/49 (6d10+12)
Fort +6, Ref +4/+6, Will +5 (+2 vs. Fear and Compulsion)
---------------------
Offense
---------------------
Speed 30 ft.

Unarmed Strike +10/+5 (1d3+4, 20/x2)
+8/+3 (1d3+8, 20/x2)

Grit (2/2): +2 Initiative and Will vs. Fear and Compulsion (requires 1 grit in pool)
Unbreakable (Immediate, 1): Gain a +4 circumstance bonus on a single
saving throw
Heroic Recovery (Swift, 1): Recover an expended maneuver
Man of Action (Swift, 1): Gain a +6 circumstance bonus to Acrobatics,
Climb, or Swim.
Field Bandage (Full Round): Grant 2d6 Temporary Hit Points (10 min.).
Once per day per target, until healed by magical healing for more than the
Field Bandage gave. Also ends a single bleed condition.
Warrior's Determination (Immediate, 1): Ignore Fatigued, Shaken, or Sicken.

Martial Flexibility (6/6): Move Action, gain a combat feat for 1 minute.

Stance: Silver Crane Waltz (+4 Init, +2 Reflex, +2 AC; Insight bonuses)

Maneuvers Readied (IL 6th)
Sanguine Barrier, Bronze Knuckle, Leg Sweeping Hilt, Flurry Strike
---------------------
Statistics
---------------------
Str 18 Dex 15 Con 12 Int 13 Wis 14 Cha 7
Base Atk +6/+1; CMB +12 (+14 to trip); CMD 24
Feats: Power Attack, Combat Reflexes, Pushing Assault, Combat Expertise,
Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Lunge
Skills: Acrobatics [6] +11, Climb [1] +8, Craft (Weapons) [6] +10,
Knowledge (engineering, history)[5] +9, Linguistics [4] +8,
Perception [6] +11, Profession (Soldier) [6] +11, Sense Motive [6] +11,
Survival [2] +7, Swim [1] +8
Traits: Strong Faith
---------------------
Equipment
---------------------

---------------------
Maneuvers Known
---------------------
2nd- Rising Zenith Strike (Standard Action; +11 vs. AC; 2d3+8 damage "unarmed")
Sanguine Barrier (Immediate Action; +13 vs. Attack Roll; Attack is negated)
Leg Sweeping Hilt (Standard Action; Make a trip attempt with a +2
competence bonus. If successful, also make an attack at full Base Atk.)
Bronze Knuckle (Swift Action; For the duration of the turn, unarmed attacks
deal +2d6 damage and ignore damage reduction.)
1st- Enduring Crane Strike (Standard Action; Make a melee attack, if
successful you or ally within 30 ft. heals 1d6+2 hit points.)
Silver Strike (Standard Action; Make two attack rolls and use the better.)
Flurry Strike (Standard Action; Make two unarmed attacks)
---------------------
Stances Known
---------------------
Silver Crane Waltz (+4 Init, +2 Reflex, +2 AC; Insight bonuses)
Stance of Piercing Rays (Deal +1d6 fire damage with ranged attacks)
---------------------
Empyreal Guardian
---------------------
Oath: In my own name, unsullied and bound to my virtue, and in the name of
Al'asadriel, this I swear: with my blades I shall defend the innocent from
those who theraten them wrongfully. With my eyes I shall look for evil and
with my words and deeds seek to turn it back to good, or else destroy it.
With my mercy and conviction I shall lead others into the light, and with
my courage I shall hold back the shadow, until the day I die or Al'asadriel
returns to release me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----
---------------------
Background
---------------------
S'Allerie Gothan popularly called Allie, spent her early years as part of a
large family of peasants working for a local lord at a backwaters dirt farm.

At her 15th birthday, Allie was drafted into a peasant army, handed a spear
by the drill sergant and told to march. Thus started a five year campaign
during which she learnt the basics of soldiering, as well as the horrors of
war.

After the war was over and the peasant army got disbanded, Allie realized
that returning home to the dirt farm wasn't really an option any more. She
had seen too much and done too much to return to a life as a simple peasant
girl. Instead, she travelled the world working as a sell-sword.

At one point she worked for some time with a real soldier of virtue. Allie
could see the wisdom in the old man's words and deeds, and asked him to
teach her. And so, after their job was done, he showed her the ruins of an
ancient church and had her stand vigil there for a day and a night after
which she swore her oath as an Empyreal Guardian.
---------------------
Allie is kind hearted and perhaps a bit naive. She values freedom greatly
and is open to different cultures. She seeks to make the world a better place
to live by showing by example how a warrior can act.

If her comerades wish to commit an act of evil, she will advise against it,
give her reason for disagreeing, and then firmly show that she does not stand
for such an action. If the act of evil is still committed, she will at a later
point have a talk with those responsible, trying to show them why what they
did was wrong so that it won't be repeated.

If Allie were to travel with someone who continuosly perform acts of evil,
and completely disregard her advice and show no sign of wishing for redemption,
then she will be forced to find new companions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----
---------------------
Future Feats
---------------------
Greater Trip (7th)
Fury's Fall (8th)
Improved Dirty Trick (9th)
Pin Down (11th)
Quick Dirty Trick (12th)

Are there any hidden feats I should look up because I want to grab them using Martial Flexibility? Is Lore Warden effective enough even if I ignore Know thy Enemy? Anything else I should look out for/change or any other comments?


In my opinion, these archetypes represent a major power creep compared to the core ranger. The goal is to allow the user to still feel he plays a classic pathfinder ranger, except he has Path of War goodness buffing him up to the same power level as the Warder, Warlord, Inquisitor, Bard, Magus, Alchemist and so on.

The first two archetypes are making trades that too my eyes are very close to what Dreamscarred Press deems acceptable for an archetype. I also tried to compare the full initiator version of the ranger with the Warlord, as that is the class from Path of War that is closest to a ranger (Medium Armor, full Base Atk Bonus, d10 HD).

This is in many ways a 1st outcast, written in a single evening of inspiration, so feedback about if I am on the right track or made a major oversight is very much welcome.

Martial Ranger:

--------------------
Martial Ranger
--------------------
Instead of attuning to nature, gaining the ability to cast spells. The martial ranger hones his skills with blade and bow, becoming a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Maneuvers: A martial ranger begins his career with knowledge of three martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to him are Primal Fury, Scarlet Throne, Solar Wind, and Thrashing Dragon. Once he knows a maneuver, he must ready it before he can use it (see Maneuvers Readied below). A maneuver usable by a martial ranger is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in its description. His maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance and do not provoke attacks of opportunity when he initiates one. He learns additional maneuvers at higher levels, as shown on the table below. The martial ranger must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even numbered martial ranger level after that, he can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one he already knows. In effect, the martial ranger loses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. The martial ranger need not replace the old maneuver with a new maneuver of the same level. He can choose a new maneuver of any level he likes, as long as he observes his restriction on the highest-level maneuvers he knows. The martial ranger can swap only a single maneuver at any given level, and each martial ranger level is counted as a full initiator level.

This replaces the spellcasting class feature.

Maneuvers Readied: A martial ranger can ready all three of his starting maneuvers, but as he advances in level and learns more maneuvers, he must choose which maneuvers to ready. He readies maneuvers by performing weapon drills for 10 minutes. The maneuvers he chooses remain readied until he decides to repeat this again and change them. Martial rangers do not need to sleep or be well rested to ready their maneuvers; any time he spends 10 minutes performing weapon drills, he can change his readied maneuvers. He begins an encounter with all readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times he may have already used them since he chose them. When the martial ranger
initiates a maneuver, he expends it for the current encounter, so each of his readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (unless they are recovered, see below).

Martial rangers may recover their maneuvers in one of two ways. The he may spend a standard action to recover a single maneuver of his choice. He can also spend a full-round action to adjust his fighting style slightly, recovering his Wisdom modifier in expended maneuvers (min of 2). When spending a full-round action to recover maneuvers, he can also select one target within line of sight that is not a favored enemy, and treat that target as a favored enemy until the end of his next turn.

Stances Known: Martial rangers begin play with knowledge of one 1st level stance from any discipline open to them. At the indicated levels (see table below), the martial ranger selects an additional new stance. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended and he does not have to ready them. All stances he knows are available to him at all times, and he can change the stance he is currently using as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unles otherwise stated in the stance
description. Unlike maneuvers, the martial ranger cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one he already knows.


Table:

Level---Known---Readied---Stance---Max Level
1---------3---------3-----------1----------1
2---------4---------3-----------1----------1
3---------5---------3-----------1----------1
4---------5---------4-----------2----------2
5---------6---------4-----------2----------2
6---------6---------4-----------2----------2
7---------7---------4-----------2----------3
8---------7---------4-----------2----------3
9---------8---------4-----------2----------4
10--------8---------5-----------3----------4
11--------9---------5-----------3----------5
12--------9---------5-----------3----------5
13--------10--------5-----------3----------6
14--------10--------5-----------3----------6
15--------11--------6-----------4----------6
16--------11--------6-----------4----------6
17--------12--------6-----------4----------6
18--------12--------6-----------4----------6
19--------13--------6-----------4----------6
20--------13--------7-----------4----------6

Lirya's Comment:
It is already established that with Gifted Blade vs. War Soul that 4 levels of spellcasting = 6 levels of initiation. Ranger spellcasting is quite good, with solid buffs, utility spells, and battle field control spells at every level. Path of War is about giving maritals nice things, so lets start giving!

The intention of this archetype is to be the default way to add Path of War goodness to the Ranger.


Path of the Ranger:

--------------------
Path of the Ranger
--------------------
Path of the Ranger is a path rangers can take to improve upon their personal fighting prowess.

Maneuvers: A ranger with this path may select a single discipline and gain its associated skill as a class skill (if he does not have it already). He gains limited initiating with that discipline as shown on the table below.

Once he knows a maneuver, the ranger must ready it before he can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by an initiator is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in its description. His maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and he does not provoke attacks of opportunity when he initiates one. He learns additional maneuvers at higher levels, as shown below. The initiator must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even numbered ranger level after that, he can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one he already knows. In effect, the initiator loses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. The initiator need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. He can choose a new maneuver of any level he likes, as long as he observes his restriction on the highest-level maneuvers he knows. The initiator can swap only a single maneuver at any given level. An initiator's primary initiator attribute is Wisdom, and each ranger level is counted as a full initiator level.

This ability replaces Wild Empathy and Hunter's Bond.

Maneuvers Readied: The ranger can ready 1 of his 2 starting maneuvers. He readies his maneuvers by performing weapon drills for 10 minutes. The maneuvers he chooses remain readied until he decides to repeat this again and change them. The ranger do not need to sleep or be well rested to ready his maneuvers; any time he spends 10 minutes in meditation, he can change his readied maneuvers. He begins an encounter
with all readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times he may have already used them since he chose them. When the disciple initiates a maneuver, he expends it for the current encounter, so each of his readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (until they are recovered, see below).

The ranger may only recover his maneuvers in one way, by spending a standard action to recover one expended maneuver.

Stances Known: The ranger begins play with knowledge of one 1st level stance from the discipline open to him. At the indicated levels (see table), the discipline selects an additional new stance. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended and he does not have to ready them. All stances he knows are available to him at all times, and he can change the stance he is currently using as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance description. Unlike with maneuvers, the ranger cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one he already knows.


Table:

Level---Known---Readied---Stance---Max Level
1---------2---------1-----------1----------1
2---------3---------1-----------1----------1
3---------3---------2-----------1----------1
4---------4---------2-----------1----------2
5---------4---------2-----------1----------2
6---------4---------3-----------1----------2
7---------5---------3-----------2----------3
8---------5---------3-----------2----------3
9---------6---------4-----------2----------4
10--------6---------4-----------2----------4
11--------7---------4-----------3----------5
12--------7---------5-----------3----------5
13--------8---------5-----------3----------6
14--------8---------5-----------4----------6
15--------9---------5-----------4----------6
16--------9---------6-----------4----------6
17--------10--------6-----------4----------6
18--------10--------6-----------4----------6
19--------11--------6-----------4----------6
20--------11--------7-----------4----------6

Lirya's Comment:
This ranger is trading Wild Empathy (using Diplomacy with free training on Animals) and his Animal Companion for the equivalent of the version 1.2 beta version of a Warpath nerfed into not granting the bonus abilities improving it at 1st, 4th, 10th and 16th level and without the special full-round action recovery mechanic. Wild Empathy + Animal Companion is about equal to the features granted by the Animal Domain. Animal Domain is rated as Orange (highly situational and not terribly useful but won’t break you for selecting it) by the cleric guide and Green by the Inquisitor guide (This is a recommended option. It is quite helpful in empowering your character). As a Ranger is a martial class, and thus on the list of classes it is ok to buff a bit using Path of War material, I do not feel bad about giving him a deal that is very close to the one Dreamscarred Press
wishes to give Inquisitors, and Slightly better than the one they intend to give Clerics.

The intention of this archetype is to give Rangers a taste of Path of War that technically stacks with the archetype above. The result of what you get if you combine them is called Seeker and written below.


Seeker:

--------------------
Seeker
--------------------
Seeker is short for seeker of the lost arts, they are rangers specialized in gathering and developing obscure fighting techniques from all over the world as well as from the worlds beyond.

Maneuvers: A seeker begins his career with knowledge of six martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to him are Primal Fury, Scarlet Throne, Solar Wind, Thrashing Dragon and one additional discipline of his choice. The seeker gains the associated skill of the additional discipline he chooses (if he does not already have it). Once he knows a maneuver, he must ready it before he can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by seekers is considered
an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in its description. His maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and he does not provoke attacks of opportunity when he initiates one. He learns additional maneuveres at higher levels, as shown on the table below. The seeker must meet a maneuver's prerequisites to learn it.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even numbered seeker level after that, he can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one he already knows. In effect, the seeker loses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. He can choose a new maneuver of any level he likes, as long as he observes his restriction on the highest-level maneuvers he knows. The seeker need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. The seeker can swap only a single maneuver at any given level. A seeker's initiation modifier is Wisdom.

This ability replaces Wild Empathy, Hunter's Bond, and Spellcasting.

Maneuvers Readied: A seeker can ready four of his six starting maneuvers, but as he advances in level and learns more maneuvers, he must choose which maneuvers to ready. He readies his maneuvers by going through weapon drills for 10 minutes. The maneuvers he chooses remain readied until he decides to repeat this again and change them. Seekers do not need to sleep or rest for any long period of time to ready their maneuvers, any time he spends 10 minutes in practice, he can change
his readied maneuvers. He may not ready any individual maneuver more than once. He begins an encounter with all readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times he may have used them since he chose them. When the seeker initiates a maneuver, he expends it for the current encounter so each of his readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (until they are recovered, see below).

Seekers may recover their maneuvers in one of two ways. The seeker may either spend a standard action to recover a single maneuver of his choice. He can also spend a full-round action to adjust his fighting style slightly, recovering his Wisdom modifier in expended maneuvers (min of 2). When spending a full-round action to recover maneuvers, he can also select one target within line of sight that is not a favored enemy, and treat that target as a favored enemy until the end of his next turn.

Stances: Seekers begin play with knowledge of one stance from any discipline open to him. At the indicated levels (see table below), the seeker selects an additional new stance. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended and he does not have to ready them. All stances he knows are available to him at all times, and he can change the stance he is currently using as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance description. Unlike with maneuvers, the seeker cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one he already knows.


Table:

Level---Known---Readied---Stance---Max Level
1---------6---------4-----------1----------1
2---------7---------5-----------2----------1
3---------8---------5-----------2----------2
4---------8---------5-----------2----------2
5---------9---------6-----------3----------3
6---------9---------6-----------3----------3
7---------10--------6-----------3----------4
8---------10--------7-----------4----------4
9---------11--------7-----------4----------5
10--------11--------7-----------4----------5
11--------12--------8-----------5----------6
12--------12--------8-----------5----------6
13--------13--------8-----------5----------7
14--------13--------9-----------5----------7
15--------14--------9-----------6----------8
16--------14--------9-----------6----------8
17--------15--------10----------6----------9
18--------16--------10----------6----------9
19--------17--------10----------7----------9
20--------18--------11----------7----------9

Lirya's Comment:
Let us compare this Seeker to a Warlord.

Seeker
+ Skills: The ranger has a 2 more skill points per level than the Warlord.
+ Maneuvers: This is completely identical except the seeker gains access to one disciple of his choice, instead of Golden Lion.
+ Favored Enemy: This is a potentially large boost to hit and damage, but only if you fight the correct enemy.
+ Favored Terrain: This is a solid boost to initiative and skills, but only if you are in the correct environment.
+ Combat Feats: 5 bonus combat feats that ignore prereqs, but they are limited to a single fighting style.
+ Evasion: This is a nice boost.
+ Camouflage: Easy hiding in your favored terrains is nice.

Warlord
+ Gambits: This is a superior way of regaining maneuvers, with solid built in boosts.
+ Bonus Feats: 5 bonus combat feats or teamwork feats. The warlord must meet the prerequisites, but there are no other restrictions on what feats he may take.
+ Charisma to Will: This helps the warlord slightly with his MAD problem, and the fact that he only has 1 good save.
+ Warleader: A bonus teamwork feat and the ability to share teamwork feats with his allies. Most (of the better) teamwork feats are nice but not great.
+ Battle Prowess: +1 to +3 to all attack rolls, damage rolls, CMB checks and CMD is very good. There is a slight limitation, but it is unlikely to actually show up.
+ Dual Boost: The Warlord is very limited in how often he may use this, but it is a powerful feature that can be used to create killer combos.

This seems equal enough to me. Someone who wants to play a leader of men will likely choose the Warlord, while someone who wants to play a scout, hunter, or elite soldier is likely to choose the Seeker. I did not choose to compare this to a Stalker, as I dislike the rogue chassis it is built upon. I consider it a bad class, except it has maneuvers and an easy time stacking Broken Blade and Thrashing Dragon for impressive numbers (using TWF with unarmed strikes and dex to hit/dmg).

This archetype turns the ranger into a full initiator. I believe this to be a big power-up, so do not expect it to be balanced for use alongside the weaker martials such as the Fighter or the Rogue unless those classes are heavily optimized.

Lirya