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I've had a go at combining the two. Trailblazer is modular enough that there really weren't any problems with it.

I haven't used the mashup in APs specifically, but I've been able to run other modules without any problems.

Though, aside from the rest mechanic and action points, I tend to think of Trailblazer as closer to 3.5 than Pathfinder.

I'm agreeing with the interpretation put forth that you pick one and apply all feats to that creature's attempt as applicable.

It's elegant, and it works.

Leadership with the mount as cohort is probably best.

I'm going to buck the trend a little bit and say Cavalier 4, just long enough to qualify for horse master, isn't too bad of a move for the right fighter. The Gendarme Archetype is pretty decent for this dip, if you don't want to have to worry about teamwork feats and tactician.

Overrun:

An adventuring cavalier, Sir Mugsy the 42nd, who sits atop his mighty steed Stompy, spots a lone goblin, who we well call Piddles, in the midst of the road. Sir Mugsy wheels his horse and rides down Piddles. And rules confusion hits.

Sir Mugsy and Stompy try to overrun Piddles. Who is actually doing the overrun? Use the mount's CMB, or the rider's CMB? Assuming Piddles does not avoid, who does the goblin have the option of striking at, mount, rider or either?

Sir Mugsy has Trample, but his mount has Improved Overrun. He and his mount attempt to overrun a goblin. If you said that Sir Mugsy was doing the overrun, does Stompy having Improved Overrun do anything? Same question for Charge Through and Greater Overrun.

Alternatively, Sir Mugsy has Trample and Improved Overrun. If you said that Stompy was doing the overrun, does Sir Mugsy's Improved Overrun do anything? Same question for Charge Through and Greater Overrun.

Thanks!

You might find a number of ideas in this thread.

Thank you, but I had already read that thread; it is concerned with the best way to acquire a powerful animal companion, and has minimal advice on the build of the animal companion itself.

Alright guys, I'm looking at playing a Cavalier, or a multiclassed cavalier with the horse master feat. I have very little experience with animal companions.

I've got a very good idea what I'm going to do rules wise for the character(Ride by attack lance when mounted, trip focused when not mounted), but I have no clue what to do with the horse. And I want an awesome horse.

How would one go about optimizing a cavalier's horse? Should I aim for hp and saves? Damage? Anything really excellent? Any trap feats?

Is bumping Int to 3 a good investment? Would spring attack or trample be a better route for the horse? Would either of those actually work with ride by attack?

It would also be a good idea to remember the capricious, playful, and utterly sociopathic nature of the dark fey. Have some of the traps and illusions be only minor irritants, while others would be sure death for non-pcs.

For example, have a brace of rabits enchanted to look like ogres. A harmless enough prank. Have a followup encounter in the next day or two with a brace of trolls/ogres/etc enchanted to look like rabbits.

Make sure to include specifics if the party fails an illusion check and gets lost.

On a failed will save/perception check: You notice a group of individuals off in the distance. Upon closer inspection, they are the pcs. If any attempt is made to interact with the illusions, they fade away and the pcs find themselves in a recognizable location with hours/days of travel lost.

So, how would one go about doing a strength based rapier build?

I've liked the rapier fighter concept for a while, but I could never get the mechanics to my liking.

Single hand is right out, and the rules specifically disallow two handing it.

If you go with two weapon fighting, double weapons, or two light weapons are objectively much better.

Maybe focus on using the offhand for disarm/trip? You could throw break guard and impaling critical in too to buff damage. Sure, damage would only be moderate, but most opponents after a round in melee would end up prone, with their weapon knocked away, and full of rapier holes.

Hey, that's not a bad idea. Gonna go build it, see if I can find any flaws.

I'll second a few things above.

If the players use it as an excuse to be disruptive and infighting, evil campaigns are nigh impossible. If they don't, it's not any harder than a regular campaign.

If you're willing to fish for ideas, or want a premade evil campaign, Way of the Wicked is excellent.

Eh. Here's something I whipped up:

Map

A map is a sketch of an area, ranging from crude drawings of a town on cheap parchment to exquisitely drawn and detailed continental geography on expensive vellum. With a map, a character gains a bonus to survival checks to keep from becoming lost or avoiding natural hazards while in the area the map covers. The character can also make knowledge geography checks with a bonus regarding the area the map covers, even if untrained. If untrained, the character can only succeed up to a certain DC using the map. Most maps are available for populated and semi populated areas at the rough and standard qualities. At a DM's discretion, maps may also give circumstance bonuses to checks based on large scale operations such as trade, war, and governance.

Map(Rough) 10 gp
A rough map is typically charcoal on cheap parchment and only sketches the largest terrain features accurately. A significant amount of the map is guesswork, especially scale. Adventurers tend to be surprised by what a rough map leaves out. A rough map grants a +2 bonus to survival checks to keep from becoming lost or avoiding natural hazards. The caracter can also make knowledge geography checks with a +2 bonus, even if untrained. If untrained, the character cannot exceed DC 12 difficulty on knowledge(geography).

Map(Standard) 100 gp
A standard map, typically ink on good quality parchment, catchs all major and some minor terrain features. Most distances are somewhat accurate. Most traveling merchants have a map of this quality. A standard map grants a +3 bonus to survival checks to keep from becoming lost or avoiding natural hazards. The caracter can also make knowledge geography checks with a +4 bonus, even if untrained. If untrained, the character cannot exceed DC 18 difficulty on knowledge(geography). A standard map also grants a 10% bonus to daily travel speed.

Map(Detailed) 500 gp
Most detailed maps are used by governments, churches, and large organizations. They tend to have some color, show all major and minor terrain features, and be very accurate. A detailed map grants a +4 bonus to survival checks to keep from becoming lost or avoiding natural hazards. The caracter can also make knowledge geography checks with a +6 bonus, even if untrained. If untrained, the character cannot exceed DC 23 difficulty on knowledge(geography).
A detailed map also grants a 20% bonus to daily travel speed.

Map(Exquisite) 2000 gp
A Master Cartographer's masterwork. These full color microscopically detailed maps are incredibly rare. Only royalty, merchant princes, and high church officials typically have access to such maps. In fact, such maps are often considered state secrets. They show all terrain features in a stunning amount of detail to a an exacting degree of accuracy. A detailed map grants a +5 bonus to survival checks to keep from becoming lost or avoiding natural hazards. The caracter can also make knowledge geography checks with a +8 bonus, even if untrained. If untrained, the character cannot exceed DC 28 difficulty on knowledge(geography).
An exquisite map also grants a 30% bonus to daily travel speed.

Most maps only show relatively small areas. Larger maps or bundles of maps are available, but as size increases, so does price. For the area you want covered, multiply the price by the following multipliers. If the area has never or only partially been mapped, the price may increase as well at the DM's discretion, not to mention the time required to explore and map the area.

Local x1
Regional x3
National x6
Continental x12

Most effective has been Celestial Kitty. Quadruped with pounce, bite, lots of claws, lots of natural armor. Heinously overpowered.

But favorite? Favorite goes to my burrowing grappling serpentine eidolon with poison and swallow whole.

Lots of tremors references. Lots of enemies disappearing.

Thanks! This looks neat.

Did a search, but didn't see anything.

When an air elemental transforms into a whirlwind, is there any limit on how often they can do it/how long they can stay in that form?

Generic whirlwind ability description says "for up to 1 round for every 2 HD they have." It also says the the format is "Format: whirlwind (3/day, 10–30 ft. high, 1d6+6 damage, DC 15); Location: Special Attacks."

Air elementals do not have the per day listed.

So, the way I'm reading it is that a small air elemental(2 HD), can use a standard action to transform into a whirlwind for 1 round, use a move action to cause trouble, and then revert to normal form at the start of the elemental's next turn, but the elemental can do that as often as it wants.

I recently did a summoner for an 11th level one shot. I don't have the sheet with me, so I might be off in a specific or two.

Half-Elf, favored class bonus to evolution points. Arcane heritage to get himself a familiar, improved familiar and muleback cords so he could be carried around. Didn't actually end up using that trick. Superior summoning, and predecessors. Everything else went to extra evolution.

Eidolon was a quadruped with a bite, four claws, energy attack(acid), maxed out improved natural armor, pounce, trip, rend, and large size. He also sported a cloak of resistance, amulet of mighty fists(acid, keen), and a strength item. Feats were power attack, combat reflexes, and improved natural attack(claw). Or was it weapon focus(claw)?

So, how was it? Absurd. The eidolon would pounce something, bite it, get a free trip attempt(usually successful), claw like a mad cat, and then rend. If everything hit, and it usually hit(with the exception of a lich), damage was between 130-150. The first unlucky recipient was a yeti who went down to -104 hp.

By contrast, with the improved natural armor evolutions and mage armor up, enemies needed to break the mid thirties to hit the eidolon's AC. Which only happened once, for a rather weak hit.

The dungeon was fire themed, and we had to face a casters. Spell Resistance and fire immunity via greater evolution surge were put on the eidolon to great effect.

The eidolon did finally get frozen by a lich's touch, but before that happened, it kept the lich occupied by itself for two rounds, at which point the lich's minions were dealt with and the full party could curbstomp the lich.

DBlue wrote:

Expert Trainer is in there, so I get full mount/animal companion progression.

How do you figure that?

PFSRD: wrote:

At 4th level, a cavalier learns to train mounts with speed and unsurpassed expertise. The cavalier receives a bonus equal to 1/2 his cavalier level whenever he uses Handle Animal on an animal that serves as a mount. In addition, he can reduce the time needed to teach a mount a new trick or train a mount for a general purpose to 1 day per 1 week required by increasing the DC by +5. He can also train more than one mount at once, although each mount after the first adds +2 to the DC.

Or do you just mean the "Boon Companion" feat?

My apologies, I meant to type Horse Master, for which expert trainer is a prerequisite. Horse Master lets you use character level to calculate your cavalier mount instead of cavalier level. Therefore, it is much better than boon companion over the long term if you qualify for it.

I'm not too worried about losing the mount. I will pick up the suggested wands, but I'm only putting a relatively small overall portion of my feats and resources into my mount. I've pretty much got the character figured out. It's the animal companion I'm still playing around with.

I've put together a pretty fun looking human Fighter/Cavalier mashup. Expert Trainer is in there, so I get full mount/animal companion progression.

What makes for an awesome horse?

First stat boost is going to intelligence to qualify for all feats. Eye for Talent is definitely a consideration.

Definite Feats:
Power Attack
Improved Overrun
Charge Through
Greater Overrun

Under Consideration:
Dodge
Mobility
Spring Attack
Eldrtich Claws
Nimble Moves

Is it worth investing in magic items? Str boost, saves boost, amulet of mighty fists, horseshoes, and maybe enchanted armor are the ones that jump out at me.

Thanks!

Yeah, the spring attack in that list just makes no sense thematically. If I hit that limit, I'll probably just swap back to dragoon. Actually, it looks like 8 levels of gendarme gets me everything I want, including all feats from that list except unseat and spring attack. On the other hand, 4 levels of gendarme gets me everything I need.

Tentative build is Dragoon 1/Gendarme 8/Dragoon X. Or maybe a Dragoon 1/Gendarme 4/Dragoon X.

Banner makes a little more sense now, but the wording is still awkward.

Thanks guys.

So, I'm looking at making a cavalier/fighter using the gendarme and dragoon archetypes respectively.

Two questions:

One, the gendarme states:

Bonus Feats: A gendarme trains to be a mounted terror, almost to the exclusion of all other abilities. He gains bonus feats at 1st level, 5th level, and then every three levels thereafter, but must select these bonus feats from the following list: Improved Bull Rush, Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, Spring Attack, and Unseat. If the gendarme has already selected all of the listed feats, then he may select his bonus feats from those feats listed as combat feats. This ability replaces tactician, greater tactician, master tactician, and the standard cavalier's selection of bonus feats.

What happens if you have selected all feats you have prerequisites for? IE, you have everything but spring attack, but don't have the prerequisites for spring attack? Or are prerequisites ignored?

Two, I'm a bit confused on how the dragoon and cavalier banner bonuses interact.

Banner (Ex): At 9th level, a dragoon may attach a banner to his lance. This is identical to the cavalier class feature. The bonuses provided by the dragoon's banner increase by +1 for every five levels beyond 9th (to a maximum of +3 at 19th level). Cavalier levels stack with his dragoon level for determining the effect of his banner, and he can take the better banner progression. This ability replaces weapon training 2, 3, and 4.

So, they stack. At what point do they start stacking? Would they only start stacking once I have 9 levels of dragoon? Would 1 level of cavalier let me use the better banner progression?

Thanks in advance!

Hey guys. Long story short, I might get to play in a longer campaign, if everything works out liked planned. So, a character concept:

Flavor:

Once, a foolish young half elf named Cae'ir ventured into places best left abandoned. There, he found an altar of great value and even greater age.
Approaching it, Cae'ir awoke an ancient being of fur, fangs, and malignity, a demonic wolf spirit.
Now the spirit could have eaten Cae'ir in one bite, but he had use for the half-elf.
The spirit, still bound to the altar required greater power to free itself.
In exchange for his life, Cae'ir agreed to a pact. He would send the wolf spirit the power of 100 mages. The wolf spirit separated a piece from himself, and attached it to Cae'ir to watch over the elf, and both bind and empower him.
From there, Cae'ir left the ruins. Despite his best efforts, he could no more rid himself of the presence than he could his own heartbeat. Instead, he learned a measure of control over it. And now, his adventure begins.

Mechanics:
Half Elf Summoner mostly focused on buff magic.
Quadruped Eidolon.
Spell Resistance as soon as possible?
Flight?

This is where I could use help, for both flavor and mechanics. My flavor alright? So, what's the best way to make an eidolon that chews through mages?

Ok. So the legendary PFRPG will be released within a month. I'm debating picking it up.

Sell, or unsell me on it. Of course, there's a twist. :)

I generally play variant handbooks such as Iron Heroes or Arcana Evolved. With this in mind, what's in Pathfinder rpg that would be applicable to the variant handbooks?

This actually has to do with the combination of the ranger capstone ability and favored enemies.

Master hunter states in brief that once per day you may force a favored enemy to make a saving throw or die.

What happens when the favored enemy is normally immune to death effects, such as undead or constructs?

Is master hunter a death effect? Would a zombie be immune to this ability? Or is it an exception?