Drone's page

The rulership variant channeling would only be a help if the one you're helping is using charm effects. If the ruler PC is a non-spellcaster, it's pointless.
If, however, they are a fighter-type (and lawful), how about the Justice/Law variant channeling?
Is the campaign political (role-playing political maneuvering, diplomatic missions, court intrigue?) or adventuring (reclaiming the ruler PC's birthright)? If it's the former, maybe the Honor subdomain from the APG. For the latter, consider the Tactics subdomain or Weapons variant channeling.

--The Halfling cleric of Desna's Str score so low that when he attacks he can only do 1 point of damage with his starknife. Oh, and that damage is nonlethal. (This is my brother's PFS character)

-- Your 3rd-level (and 1 scenario away from leveling) TWF ranger becomes the front-line melee character in a party with a 5th-level fighter armed with a flail. While you're being flanked by sneak attack types, the fighter is using multiple rounds (!) to use Intimidate to demoralize them and the bard is using Sense Motive to see if the creatures attacking you understand the fighter. Yes, this really happened to me, but I got my revenge by getting mind-controlled by the BBEG right after being enlarged by the same bard. Fighter also died in that scenario.

-- You're the front-melee character and there's a gunslinger behind you. I have been hit by so many misfires and other nonsense that if there's a gunslinger or swashbuckler in the group, I stay WAAY in the back.

I've recently returned from GenCon and had a wonderful time playing PFS every day. However, I've noticed a trend in the scenarios being produced: the tendency to require the PCs to interact with multiple NPCs (at least 5 at a time) to get the information we need. Also, the skill checks needed to influence these NPCs don't make sense to me.
For example, in one session, we needed information from a NPC archaeologist (one of 8! NPCs at party we could talk to). My character approached him hoping to draw him into a conversation using Knowledge (History). Instead, the GM asked for a Perform (dance) check so I can dance with the archaeologist. My character is a sorcerer with a good Charisma score, but I would have had to roll really well to impress him (a need my dice seem to ignore in clutch situations). Besides, when one hears "archaeologist", one does not assume one needs a Perform check to influence them.
And no, I couldn't engage him later with my Knowledge check because he was constantly on the dance floor.
Perhaps the GM should have described where the NPCs were and what they were doing to give us a clue. I didn't ask if their actions during the party was given in the scenario text. I would have been OK with a Sense Motive check to see what the NPCs seemed to enjoy at the party and engaged them that way.

So my semi-serious request is that if the characters need information to complete a scenario then PLEASE limit it to 2-3 NPCs with some Diplomacy, Knowledge, or perhaps Bluff skill checks to influence and gain the information needed. The number of NPCs that have this information seems excessive to me also. If that many know, then it's likely common knowledge or at least accessible at a single sage or library.
We didn't need to talk to all the NPCs but, if you know the players of PF, then they will talk to everybody just in case they miss something.
I realize that there is a bigger push to role-playing in the PFS scenarios (the party's survivability chances shoots WAY up in these adventures which I am all for), but please remember that most of us put points in Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate to interact with NPCs, not Perform (dance) or, God forbid, Profession (shepherd).

A pin is maintained the same way as a grapple; a successful CMB check maintains it.
There's two stages to a grapple: grapple and pin. The first CMB check initiates the grapple and another CMB check (in a later round or with an additional attack option due to high BAB) initiates the pin. Pin is a more severe form of grapple. Pinning is an option for the creature "in charge" of the grapple only. As long as they make a successful CMB check each round they can maintain the grapple or pin. That check counts as part of their standard action for the round.
For instance, creature A grapples creature B. On A's turn, it makes a CMB check to maintain the grapple. If successful, the grapple is still in force AND it can choose to deal damage, move B, or pin B. On B's turn, it can attempt to break the pin or grapple or cast a spell/attack (as long as it isn't pinned).
If B breaks the pin, it's still grappled. Whether B is grappled or pinned, A is still only grappled.

It's like fatigued and exhausted. They're similar but one is worse.

I'm not sure why one can't lie around a paladin. Lying isn't necessarily an evil act. A lie that condemns a person to death is evil, but bragging about your "abilities" is more exaggeration than a true lie.
But, of course, your brother said not to lie TO HIM. I would assume that means you can lie to anyone else you'd like. Of course, you can increase your Bluff skill as much as you can and just beat his Sense Motive check. As long as you keep beating him on these checks, he technically doesn't know you lied. I've yet to meet a paladin who put ranks in Sense Motive; they tend to rely on their detect evil ability instead.

Our group is the Cretans from Sparta.

You could also go with A.C.R.O.N.Y.M: A Criminal Regiment Of Nasty Young Men