Erich L's page

The PFS Additional Resources opens up triceratops as a legal AC from the Bestiary. Similarly, it opens up the 4th level druid spell Strong Jaw from the APG, which treats a natural attack a 2 size categories greater. The triceratops' powerful charge doubles the dice damage of a charge, creature listing goes from 2d10+12 to 4d10+16. The 7th-level adjustment for a companion gore is 2d6 with a 20 Str., so base damage with Power Attack is 2d6+11. Improved Natural Attack (gore) feat ups this to 3d6+11, then 6d6+11 with powerful charge, and 12d6+11 with Strong Jaw? I ask this because the Base Damage by Size chart doesn't go that high so you have to extrapolate. Thanks for checking my numbers!

Thanks, Captain Zoom!

Is there a feat (or any other way to accomplish) that allows you to fill your regular spell slots with your domain spells? Thanks!

Yes, Dan is a very good VC, player and judge. He would not have banned this GM unless it was absolutely necessary for the betterment of his local PFS region.

PFS Additional Resources allows dire bat and roc as an animal companion:
"Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary
Animal Companions: ankylosaurus, aurochs, brachiosaurus, dire bat, dire rat, dolphin, elasmosaurus, electric eel, elephant/mastodon, frog, goblin dog, hyena, monitor lizard, moray eel, octopus, orca, pteranodon, rhinoceros, roc, squid, stegosaurus, triceratops, and tyrannosaurus;"

"Mount (Ex): A cavalier gains the service of a loyal and trusty steed to carry him into battle. This mount functions as a druid's animal companion, using the cavalier's level as his effective druid level. The creature must be one that he is capable of riding and is suitable as a mount. A Medium cavalier can select a camel or a horse. A Small cavalier can select a pony or wolf, but can also select a boar or a dog if he is at least 4th level. The GM might approve other animals as suitable mounts."

Both start as size M then can advance to L at 7th level.

Color Spray is better than Sleep. Not only is it a shorter casting time, standard action versus 1 round, allies of sleeping victims can simply take an action to wake up someone sleeping, whereas once they are stunned, victims of Color Spray are effectively out of the fight until the spell duration ends.

I have two 13th level characters: Bruni, barbarian of the Taldor faction; and Diabolos and Igor, affectionately known as Master and Slave, summoner of the Cheliax faction.

Now that I reread the paragraph it's clear to me. Thanks, Grick, for clarifying it up for me...

I have a question about the second paragraph of this spell listing. If you cast this spell before you're exposed to the poison and are then poisoned (during the 10 mins./level duration of the spell), what happens? Are you immune to any poison you are subjected to for the duration of the spell, are you immune only if you make the caster level check against the DC of the poison, if this caster level check fails do you get a regular saving throw just as if you hadn't cast this spell and were unwarded? The spell never defines what it means by "neutralized". In fact, it uses the language "cured creature". Also, "temporary" seems to refer to poisons with an onset time. Very confusing.

Ok, so I think the most optimal is Fatigued at 3rd level to sleep in heavy armor, Staggered at 6th level to maintain full attack actions as the main melee character in our party of 4 and paladin's are immune to disease, Poisoned at 9th as it's the most common affliction in the game by far, and Blinded at 12th as a paladin can't remove paralysis or being stunned with mercy after the failed save. Thoughts?

The 3 choices are fatigued, shaken, and sickened. Paladins are immune to fear so shaken would only be useful against other PCs. Next level I get access to Lesser Restoration which removes fatigue, so it seems to me that sickened is the best choice. Do you agree? Looking down the road, I have a rules question about the nauseated mercy. If a paladin gets nauseated, can she use this mercy on herself? Lay on hands is a swift action when the paladin uses it on herself and a standard on others. Swift actions: "You can perform one swift action per turn without affecting your ability to perform other actions. In that regard, a swift action is like a free action. You can, however, perform only one single swift action per turn, regardless of what other actions you take. You can take a swift action anytime you would normally be allowed to take a free action." However, the Nauseated condition says, "Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move actions per turn." It seems to me that a nauseated character could speak, a free action, if she can move, and if you can take a free action you can take a swift action = lay on hands + nauseated mercy to remove the nauseated condition. Agree or disagree?

I like the proposed changes as (a) I enjoy high level play because one has more vested in a higher level character and (b) I think that the current rules of no consequence for character death or use of consumables is nonsensical in a game where people die and spend gold on potions, scrolls and wand charges that normally disappear when used. These new rules will allow players to extend the careers of their favorite characters as adventurers after their days as Pathfinders. Good job!

I have a different Armor Spikes questions. First, can you attack with Armor Spikes when you're not grappling? The description starts talking about grappling, but then states: "You can also make a regular melee attack (or off-hand attack with the spikes, but they count as a light weapon in this case." Is this sentence still talking about while grappling or outside of a grapple? Outside of a grapple, could a 2-weapon fighter with the Two-Weapon Fighting feat attack with a one-handed weapon and then attack with his Armor Spikes as his off-handed weapon? If he were wielding a shield, could he then retain his shield bonus to AC? The part that is really confusing is the parenthetical: "(You can't also make an attack with armor spikes if you have already made an attack with another off-hand weapon, and vice versa)." This is what makes me think that while pourly worded, the intent of this weapon was to only be used in a grapple, since in a grapple you can only regular melee attack with a one-handed or light weapon and while 2-weapon fighting outside of a grapple you can attack with two light weapons (one in each hand). Thoughts?

No, we have not run Year of the Shadow Lodge in our area (greater DC metro) and yes we're looking for something like that for synDCon. I've never seen it for order on this website, so how do we get our hands on it? Do we need to contact a Paizo representative directly? Does it span all levels of play? How many judges do you need to run it? Any assistance in this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

All,

Currently, I have a quadraped eidolon with Bite and Trip. I've just leveled and considering adding Grab to the Bite. If I hit with the bite, do I have to choose between making a free trip or a free grab, or do I get to make both a free trip and a free grab? The relevant language is as follows: "Whenever the eidolon makes a successful bite attack of the selected type, it can attempt a free combat maneuver check. If successful, the target is knocked prone" and "Pick bite, claw, slam, tail slap, or tentacles attacks. Whenever the eidolon makes a successful attack of the selected type, it can attempt a free combat maneuver check. If successful, the eidolon grapples the target." I first went to the definition of free actions and all it says is: "Free actions don't take any time at all, though there may be limits to the number of free actions you can perform in a turn", without providing for when these limits occur. Core/ p. 188. I read the entry in the Core Rulebook about combat maneuvers to see if it discussed multiple combat maneuvers arising from the same attack and it was silent on the issue. Perhaps the Bestiary can shed some light on this issue, but I don't own that book. Any assistance from judges or players who play summoners with this combination of evolutions would be greatly appreciated.

Erich L.

Of the 3, which is the best over the span of levels 1-12 and why? Please provide builds (evolutions and feats) that you've found to be particularly successful...

Even better... page 305 in the bestiary:

Bestiary wrote:

Trip (Ex) A creature with the trip special attack can attempt to trip its opponent as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity if it hits with the specified attack. If the attempt fails, the creature is not tripped in return.

Format: trip (bite); Location: individual attacks

It doesn't need to qualify for trip, it's a natural racial ability.

Thanks Kakarasa!

A druid can select a wolf AC at 1st level, p. 54, which says, "bite (1d6 plus trip)". This language implies that the trip is free in addition to the damage, but p. 201 under "Trip" says that its "in place of a melee attack." A starting AC gets one feat. Because their Int. is only 2, it cannot qualify for Combat Expertise and thus Improved Trip. As such, do wolves always provoke an AoO when they trip? I don't have the Bestiary and maybe this is answered under its entry.

Does the Summoner eidolon evolution Improved Damage and the feat from the Bestiary Improved Natural Attack stack thereby allowing one natural attack form to increase in damage by 2 steps?

If the mod. was written in 3.5, if you run it now do you use the MM as written or do you use the Bestiary and convert them? Anything official on this issue released?

Does this Chelaxian feat work in conjunction with the Summoner's spell-like ability? The feat says: "Whenever you cast a spell..." and the class ability says, "a summoner can cast summon monster I as a spell-like ability...". Because they both say "cast", I'm thinking yes, but I wondered if there was anything posted on the boards clarifying this issue...

The biped base form starts out with a 16 Strength and the following free evolutions: claws, limbs (arms), and limbs (legs). Claws are a secondary attack and thus are at -5 to hit doing d4+1 each. With the Slam evolution, does it do both (1) replace these claws with 1 slam attack that is (2) primary, thus removing the -5 to hit and making the damage d8+4 since now it's the only attack the eidolon has?

"Evolution Pool" makes clear that evolutions can be changed whenever the Summoner gains a level, but can the base form also be changed?

On page 254 says "you must win an opposed Charisma check to convince it to do anything it wouldn't ordinariliy do." Does this mean that if it fails the save and then you beat it in an opposed Charisma check, you could have the target of this spell attack its allies?

In Pathfinder Society, how much gold does a Summoner or Cavalier begin play with?

Arcane archers get the ability Enhance arrows (magic) at 1st level and (elemental) at 3rd level, Imbue arrow at 2nd level, and Seeker arrow at 4th level. Imbue arrow says: "A spell cast in this wasy uses its standard casting time and the arcane archer can fire the arrow as part of the casting." Seeker arrow says: "Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action)." Similar language, but not the same. While it seems pretty clear that Enhance arrows and Imbue arrow abilities can both be used on the same arrow (the AA could shoot a +1 shock arrow imbued with burning hands, for instance), can the AA use both the Imbue and Seeker arrow abilities on the same arrow if the casting time of the spell chosen is a standard action or less--a +1 shock arrow imbued with burning hands that also goes around corners?

Is my math correct for a 11th level cavalier with a size S lance:

10th level challenge = 4d6
Spirited Charge = 3d6 + dam. mod. x3
Improved Vital Strike = 2d6

TOTAL = 9d6 + dam. mod. x3

Since a lance is a x3 crit. weapon, would a confirmed critcal hit be 11d6 + dam. mod. x5 ?

Thanks Majuba!

That was quick--thanks guys! Also, I read somewhere here in the Messageboards about rage points. Are they used in Pathfinder Society organized play? If so, how are they computed and how do you know how much each power costs? Finally, I also read that only one combat feat can be used per round. Is that rule being used in Pathfinder Society organized play?

Does a 5' step provoke an AoO from a barbarian with this rage power?

If you're mounted, can you combine Vital Strike and Ride-by Attack while attacking with a lance? What about Improved Vital Strike and Spirited Charge? If so, how much damage does each combination produce?

Arcane archers get the ability Enhance arrows (magic) at 1st level and (elemental) at 3rd level, Imbue arrow at 2nd level, and Seeker arrow at 4th level. Imbue arrow says: "A spell cast in this wasy uses its standard casting time and the arcane archer can fire the arrow as part of the casting." Seeker arrow says: "Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action)." Similar language, but not the same. While it seems pretty clear that Enhance arrows and Imbue arrow abilities can both be used on the same arrow (the AA could shoot a +1 shock arrow imbued with burning hands, for instance), can the AA use both the Imbue and Seeker arrow abilities on the same arrow if the casting time of the spell chosen is a standard action or less--a +1 shock arrow imbued with burning hands that also goes around corners?

If a summoner had a biped eidolon, it starts out with 2 claws each doing d4+3 due to its 16 strength. If it had the slam evolution, does the slam replace its base 2 claw attacks with 1 slam attack at d8+5 damage since now it would only have 1 attack or does the slam replace each claw so it would have 2 attacks each dealing d8+3 damage? It only seems worth taking under the latter interpretation...

Cavalier, Oracle, etc. Are these legal yet in Pathfinder Society Organized Play? If not, when?

Thanks,

E.L.

Under the spell description of Freedom of Movement, it is clear that the spell prevents the recipient from being grappled. Does the Liberation domain power work exactly as the spell description or is it limited to only those situations caused by a magical effect, such as a Web, Solid Fog, etc.?

I vote no to replays.

In fact, if they were allowed, I would poll the table if anyone had played the mod. previously. If at least one person replied in the affirmative, I would get up and play at another table where everyone was playing the mod. for the first time, if that possibility existed. The main reason for this would be to avoid metagaming chatter. Being an experienced player, it's hard enough to get challenged as it is...