Dryades's page

Ashen Wind

Is it the Sickened? I doubt it since it is usually extra specific if a condition that has a default duration/goes away by itself is overridden by a different duration (Interstellar Void for example).

Is it the area of effect? If so, I'm guessing it forces the save when cast, but the usual conditions laid out on when future saves are missing such as: when a creature enters, starts its turn, or ends its turn in the area.

Both effects, maybe?

Most of my 'minionmancy' experience has been with the eidolon so all these companion, pet and familiar rules are still pretty new to me. Pardon my ignorance.

I'm stuck between these two outcomes:

#1 Minions regain their actions at the same time as the creature they serve, which is at start of that creature's turn.

#2 Minions regain their actions when they are commanded.

The specific interaction I'm checking for is if I Haste my minion on my turn. If #1 is true, it is quickened but does not immediately gain that extra action since it already regained its actions for that turn, similar to Hasting myself. If #2 is true, it does gain that extra action the next time command it since it hasn't regained its actions until then.

I'm mostly on the #1 is true side, but these two instances give me pause. Animal Companion and Pet has these respective lines implying #2:

Animal Companion - "Your animal companion has the animal and minion traits, and it gains 2 actions during your turn if you use the Command an Animal action to command it"

Pet - "It has the minion trait, meaning it gains 2 actions during your turn if you use the Command an Animal action to command it"

They seem to both assert it works that way because the minion trait says so, but imo, the minion entry doesn't really assert the #2 scenario as strongly as they suggest. Tbf, I don't think the minion trait asserts the #1 scenario that strongly either.

Thoughts?

Spirit Familiar & Stitched Familiar

I just assumed they were magical since they used your spell DC but they actually don't have any trait that would indicate that.

Do effects that have multiple options count as separate effects for each different effect, as in they can exist together, or do they all count as duplicate effects, as in only one instance applies?

I have two examples relevant to my new sorcerer:

1. The imperial bloodline blood magic imperious defense can grant myself either an AC or saving throw bonus. Can I have both bonuses up at the same time provided I cast two spells that benefits from blood magic in one turn, or do they as duplicate ‘imperious defense’ effects so only one instance applies?

2. The resist energy spell has several energy damage resistance options it can grant to a target. Can I have two instances of resist energy on a target each for a different damage type resistance, or do they count as duplicate ‘resist energy’ effects so only one instance applies?

If the Containment spell is cast and succeeds on a target that is physically grabbed or grabbing another, does that condition automatically end?

Is it before or after you check which damage roll was greater?

For example, a level 5 summoner & eidolon get damaged with the same effect. The summoner saves for 18 damage and the eidolon saves for 17 damage (it has some resistance from reinforce eidolon). 18 damage is taken as the greater effect. Using Reactive Dismissal will reduce the damage by 10.

Would it reduce the specific 17 damage the eidolon saved to 7, but since the summoner still saved for 18 damage, they still take 18 damage? OR Would the reduction apply to the overall greater damage roll between the two, in this case 18, so they take 8 damage?

I have another question/scenario that will likely be answered by that already. I'll put it in spoilers just in case.

If I Boost Eidolon for my Act Together action, can I squeeze in that Extend Boost?

I assume no because I think, as per simultaneous actions rules, you can only squeeze in a free action in the middle of another action if it has a trigger, which Extend Boost doesn't have.

Additionally, to rule out as much as possible, I couldn't just Extend Boost outside of the Act Together either, huh? Because Extend Boost wouldn't recognize the Boost Eidolon inside Act Together as the next action?

I'm looking for some direction on what conscious mind to pick for a new game. I'm not really tied to a particular one at the moment.

The only exclusion I'd say is Infinite Eye just because I was able to play one in a one-shot recently. I like playing support so it seemed up my alley but my Unleash Psyche turns weren't too exciting with the lack of innate offensive cantrips. I did use Parallel Breakthrough to take Telekinetic Projectile which was great and did help. All of the support cantrips are great, but my limited offense felt wasteful of the Psychic's blasting potential.

So now I want to try a more aggressive conscious mind. I'm pretty settled on Emotional Acceptance though. It's what I used with that previous Psychic and it worked really well, and I'm probably going to be the main face of the party so the charisma casting will be for the best. I think Oscillating Wave and Silent Whisper interest me a tad more than the others in terms of style. My concern for Oscillating Wave is if what you get from the energy gimmick is worth the effort. For Silent Whisper, I'm concerned with how limiting the exclusively mental damage cantrips actually are. The other ones seem cool too but could probably use a second reading from me.

Does anyone have any positive experiences with the other conscious minds? Even with Infinite Eye, honestly, since a one-shot didn't exactly make me an expert.

TL;DR - Sell me on a conscious mind!

Violent Unleash is a feat that makes you stunned 1 on your own turn. I am not so sure how that should play out. Either...

1. You lose the 1 action on your next turn.
2. You lose your entire current turn since you can't act and 1 action on your next turn.
3. You lose 1 action this current turn.

Maybe it's something else entirely? 1. sounds awkward. 2. sounds too bad to be true. 3. I'm sure is how it's actually supposed to work but since you already regained your actions, does stunned miss the opportunity to reduce your actions?

Amped Forbidden Thought on a failed save is similar so it has me asking the same questions. The one difference is that stunned isn't applied at the start of the creature's turn. So stunned surely can't reduce your actions anymore but since you can't act after the fact, you're unable to use your remaining actions?

Do they keep going if it's something that can still affect the Summoner like persistent damage, since you share HP, or do they pause and resume when the eidolon is manifested again?

Are their number of limbs and free hands simply determined and/or limited by the eidolon's form or is there something else?

I didn't think this was going to be relevant to my eidolon until I started considering grappling. My construct eidolon is a mechanical hydra with two arms, no legs, one big tail, and a head for each evolution feat it has. Other than shaping its unarmed attacks (bite and tail), these were all purely aesthetic choices. Fortunately, I'm only level 4 so it's pretty far off from being too relevant but probably a good idea to ask this now.

Here are some scenarios I ran into that got me thinking about this:

1. Luckily, I gave my eidolon arms, but if I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to grapple with it since grapple requires at least one free hand? Although, I would think if I could get some of its many heads designated as 'free hands' instead, with GM assist, I could grapple with those?

2. Is there an actual limit to how many limbs and free hands an eidolon could have then? Could I have just created a hand hydra with more than enough free hands that could make it grapple as many things it wants? That seems super cheeky and I don't even know how comfortable I am with that. I think my GM would give it two functional free hands at most no matter how many limbs it has. I probably would too.

3. How about limbs in relation to its unarmed attacks? I gave my eidolon's secondary tail attack grapple through advanced weaponry. It has one tail, so when it grapples with that, it loses the ability to strike with the tail, right? Would it have been better to give grapple to the bite attack then since it has multiple heads? In this configuration, if only one head is grappling, it would still has access to both attacks. Additionally, those heads are also free to grapple more targets since the grapple trait nixes the free hand requirement. This smells similarly cheeky as the free hands situation.

I don't think I realized how much the eidolon's aesthetic form could affect a gameplay mechanic this much, at least with my current understanding of things. I'm pretty happy with my eidolon though so it's now more being more conscious about its attacks and how I configure their traits with feats I decide on in the future. However, I do think I'm missing a key ruling or two with either grappling or eidolons here, both of which I'm not the most well-acquainted with, so anything helps.

I settled on a Construct Eidolon for a game. In short, the GM isn't allowing me to veer away from the suggested attack damage types and for the construct, it's sadly just bludgeoning. I at least want two different damage types, you know?

He feels like it's an intentional balance decision with the construct's inherent customizability, so he just doesn't want to break away from that mold right now. He does admit his it's his first time GMing for a Summoner so I can see why he's particularly cautious. It's also our first time in a game together (friend of a friend) so I'm minimizing crazy requests. Just going through all the other rule 0 housekeeping, it does seem like a huge RAW type of guy for and I want to respect that.

All that considered, are there any other appropriate approaches I could try to convince him to change his mind? I tried using the rules but it hysterically backfired because it puts the onus on the GM for this exact situation.

The skeleton PC bleed thread got me rereading the Undead Eidolon entry and made me realize Construct and Undead Eidolons are both classified as living creatures through their initial abilities despite their traits. These eidolons are the two I'm considering for a Summoner I'm making, so I'm invested. Does this have any significant interaction consequences I should be aware of?

For construct eidolons, I think it's mostly a non-issue. I don't think there are many things that specifically target constructs that would muddle anything that targets it as a living creature. It just gives it another avenue to be targeted, for better or worse. However, undead eidolons are simultaneously undead through its trait and living through its initial ability, and there are many things that have different effects based on the target being undead vs living.

The eidolon having negative healing solves spells like Harm and Heal that only deals damage and cause healing. How does a spell like Chill Touch work though? It wouldn't deal damage because of negative healing, but would it cause the undead eidolon to make both fortitude saves, one for being a living creature and the other for being undead?

Construct is on the top of my list atm, but I'm not set on a particular eidolon yet. I just know for sure I don't plan on taking any feats to add or change damage types so I'm sticking with the basic ones. I think I'm taking bludgeoning for the 1d8 primary attack, but I'm stumped for the 1d6 secondary attack.

Piercing or slashing? Is there a typical ideal physical damage type combo? As a spellcaster main, I'm uncomfortable with this much physical damage choice.

Quick Mount says

You and your mount can spring into action at a moment's notice. You Mount the creature and Command an Animal to issue it an order of your choice.

Using the Mount action while mounted is used to dismount while mounted. Would using Quick Mount while mounted allow me to do the same?

Is it me or are mummies the only undead option that doesn’f specify or allude to their undead hunger? It’s easy to spot for the others but I can’t for the life of me find where it’s mentioned for the mummy archetype.