I don't suppose anyone thinks it's likely (or even possible) that Paizo may end up doing a discounted price (if not a free copy) of a second printing of this CRB for those who bought the 2e book right at the start?
I'm honestly just shocked at the massive amount of typos and misstated things across the CRB. That plus some lingering feelings of Bait&Switch(*) regarding the playtest has left with with kind of a bitter taste in my mouth.
*I feel like the Playtest was sold as being a Beta; a mostly finished product that they wanted some input on. In reality, considering the amount of things that were changed, some later some right away, the playtest was much more like an Alpha/Early-Access version.
Where I'm sitting right now is that I dropped the $40 on the playtest in support of 2e, and now have that book which isn't useful in any fashion. I've now dropped another $60 on the 2e CRB which has arrived really as an unfinished product full of mistakes. And I'm gonna have to shell out more for an eventual second printing that just might be the final, finished, proper project.
I really liked 1e, and I'm really quite excited to get into 2e. I expect that it is going to become the new law of the land at my table going forward. I just can't help like feel like I've been burned pretty hard for being an early adopter here, when I really should have just waited.
Anyone else feel similarly? Not really sure what I expect of posting this, maybe just looking for some camaraderie in this.
I get the argument of the Crit. Success referencing the Success entry, but I bet there's a fix for that. The horizontal separation is an interesting idea, and at least better than the current layout.
Apologies if this has already been brought up (then I wouldn't be the only one, yay!) but I just had a formatting suggestion regarding the spell blocks.
They have so far been listed as:
Success
Critical Success
Failure
Critical Failure
And it just gives kind a jarring 2, 1, 3, 4 order to the preferred outcomes (or 3, 4, 2, 1, depending on which end of the spell you're on).
Whole thing reads more smoothly if presented as:
Critical Success
Success
Failure
Critical Failure
Know what? I take it back.
Bladebound works very well. Figure out a way to make it non-lethal, but other than that it works really well for the samurai thing, and the whole image of him having a sword and no armor, because of the Kensai thing.
Hexcrafter and Evil Eye. Cause, he's ALWAYS giving people the stink eye when things get real.
If you're okay with a bit of flair, I'm pretty much playing Kenshin as a Kensai Magus. Technically, he's a Bladebound/Kendai/Hexcrafter, but all of that's not really important.
Putting some dramatic descriptions into the spells allows for you to pull off most of what he does. Bladed Dash seems to have been built specifically to replicate the super-speed dash attack that anime swordsmen do (blink, blink, blink, then he's behind you and you've been cut open).
If you've got the feats for it, I'd go for Kirin Style feats as well. Not sure if they're super useful, as it's been a while since I've read them, but they are a fantastic way to use game mechanics to represent his "I know what you're going to do before you do" style and inner monologue.
Get a Flail, but only make the chain and striking surface invisible. You wind up with what looks like a club. Max out your bluff skill to sell the fact that maybe you just don't know how to use it properly (which is why you look funny), and when they block it, the actual flail head wraps around and smacks them real good.
Of course, then you'd need to cast silence on it too.
And if you can afford all of this, people are probably gonna start talking.
Before long, they're singing ballads about you, and everyone in the kingdom want's their own invisible weapon.
Next thing you know, the streets and taverns are filled with weapons that no one can see, left behind by careless thrill-seekers unworthy of the title 'adventurer'.
Seriously, dogs and cats, living together kinda stuff here.
Right, but he is suggesting that in order for a single round effect to be continued with Cackle, you would have to Hex then Cackle in the same round, rather than Hex, then Cackle at the start of the following round.
I could see the strong reasoning for Houseruling it. Otherwise, yeah, there is little way for a character to enjoy their own single round debuffs (Stunning Fist/Sneak Attack comes to mind).
Well, the mechanics are pretty simple. I'll put the important info here. Message me if you want to get the link to our (rough) website.
Base Caster Level
Similar to Base Attack bonus, a character’s caster level will now be determined as a shared statistic. Base Caster Level only determines the level of a spell’s effect, not the access to spell levels or spell slots.
Caster Level Progression will follow a formula similar to BAB, as below:
And then, every time you would gain a level, you instead may select an 'Epic Feat', one of which is:
Improved Spell Capacity
Benefit: When you select this feat, you gain one spell slot per day of any level up to one level higher than the highest-level spell you can already cast in a particular class. You must still have the requisite ability score (10 + spell level) in order to cast any spell stored in this slot. If you have a high enough ability modifier to gain one or more bonus spells for this spell level, you also gain the bonus spells for this spell level.
Special: You do not gain additional spells learned of this new level. These slots are useful only for casting meta-magic spells above your normal potential. This feat may be selected multiple times.
Epic Spellcasting
Prerequisite: 8 levels in a spellcasting class
Benefit: Learn a single spell from the next highest level beyond what is normally attainable for your class (Cleric/Druid/Orc/Sorc/Witch/Wiz 5, Alch/Bard/Inq/Magus/Summ 4, Pal/Rang 3). You may now cast this spell once per day. Casting an ‘Epic Spell’ requires at least a Full Round Action.
I'd like to chime in here. About a year back, I started running a Pathfinder LARP, using the E8 rules for a number of reasons.
We went with 8 instead of 6, and utilizing the 'epic' feats, allow people to reach just a little past the capstone of their class. People that have followed only a single class can reach a bit further than a multi-class person.
A fighter can increase his "Equivalent Fighter Level" to gain Greater Weapon Specialization. Spellcasters can stretch up and pick up their domain/specialist/bloodline powers.
I like 8 because warriors get their two attacks, and the second one has a valid chance of hitting. Support characters who have not multi-classed out start to dip their toes into the concept of multiple attacks, through how often they'll hit is debatable. Casters don't get them and don't need them.
4th level spells are available, the highest potential magic of mortal casters. You start to hit the really dangerous/different magic at that point. Black Tentacles, Dimension Door, Wall spells. Real game changers. I allow casters to take feats that give them 5th and 6th level spell slots in time, but no spells known, so they can only fill them with meta-magic'ed spells.
I do also allow casters who have hit max level in a single class to take the 'Epic Spellcasting' feat. In this case, you are allowed to select a single 5th level spell from your class, and you can cast that spell once per day. It becomes a signature sort of thing. Limited resurrection becomes possible, but only if you can find the guy who can do it. Teleportation can be a thing, but it's not the solution to all your travel problems.
All this talk about discouraging multi-classing, but there is one big thing we do to help it along, especially considering the low levels. We use a Base Caster Level mechanic, similar to Base Attack Bonus. BAB goes up even if you're a caster class, just slower. So does your BCL. All primary caster classes get +1 BCL per level. The intermediate casters (Paladins, Rangers; anyone who casts, but not at first level) get +3/4 per level, non-casters get 1/2 per level.
It's a lot of fun. Works fantastically for the casual nature of a LARP.
Army gathers on the designated field of battle, all in formation, shining spears and shields and all that.
A lone wizard strides out across from them.
He gestures to the left, then the right. The entire army is encircled by a continuous wall of fire, trapping them inside (along with the lone mage).
The wizard smiles at the terror in their eyes as they make a single attempt to kill him. Arrows bounce off, lances splinter against his bare flesh.
He rises up into the air and hovers over the masses as thick green smoke passes through the flame wall, slowly collapsing into the middle, ensuring that no one makes it out alive, and they all have a few precious moments to consider where they went wrong.
<How it works>
500? No. I'd have to math out the area to be affected, but I imagine 30-40 10th level wizards could do it.
Wizard Roster:
Head mage, buffed fully with nothing but protection spells and fly. (Protection from Arrows, Stoneskin, Greater Mage Armor, Shield, Barkskin Potion)
Everyone else. Greater Invisibility, Fly, Wall of Fire, Cloudkill.
The mages coordinate ahead of time, waiting for the Head Mage's signals, then they let loose with the appropriate spells.
If this is about making a statement... make one, and do it right.
He's referring to taking Magical Lineage trait, which reduces your total metamagic modifier by one for a single spell, then using Intensified Shocking Grasp to deal up to 10d6 damage (no save) with a 1st level spell?
Exploit? No. No more than a 5th level wizard learning Fireball because it will do massive damage against that horde of orcs you're about to face.
Game breaking? Hardly. Know how many monsters have electricity resistance at high levels?
Right. Spellstrike says you can deliver a spell through a sword attack when granted a free touch from casting a spell.
My concern comes from the rounds after the first, when you are no longer 'granted a free touch attack to deliver the spell'. After that first round, can you just attack with your sword to continue to deliver Chill Touches (not using spell combat or anything special)?
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Sorry, all. I'm getting ready to play my first Magus, and I've been digging through the boards here, but unable to find a good, straight answer.
Chill touch, or any other spell with an ongoing Touch ability.
I cast it, use Spellstrike to deliver the first attack, granted as part of the casting. That's fine.
In the following rounds, when I hit you with my sword, does that also activate Chill Touch?
Can I use Spell Combat to continue to deliver Chill Touches? Not actually casting anything, but taking the -2 penalty, touching you with my off hand, then hitting with the sword?
If I cast another Touch spell, the remaining uses of Chill Touch go away, correct?
Should I just skip Chill Touch because of the funky mechanics involved?
About to play my first magus, just wanted to clarify something.
At 3rd level I'll get my black blade. It is +1.
I can use my Arcane Pool to grant an additional +1, for one minute, as a swift action.
I can use my Blade's Arcane Pool to grant it an additional additional +1, for one minute, as a free action.
So, I can have a +3 sword, for a short amount of time, if I wanted to, yes?
I don't really have a 'build' at the moment. I was kinda working on it when this quandary derailed me.
The campaign will be starting this weekend, and I was just kinda looking at what he would look like over the course of the game.
I'm playing a Fetchling Summoner, with the Shadow Caller archetype. I've decided to really not 'maximize' the character, because I want to have lots of RP fun and not dominate the game when combat starts. I imagine the actual Eidolon will not come out too much, or at least not be a constant companion.
Anyway, the Shadow Caller summons his actual shadow to stand up and become the Eidolon. I don't want to power him up crazy, so I think he's pretty much just going to stick with 2 claws and rend, and then a bunch of side abilities and Strength increases. Unnatural Aura, Climbing, Cold Resistance and Damage and such.
Anyone else bothered by the particular way that an Eidolon advances?
Specifically, since you only gain an evolution point or two each level, you either need to 'bank' them to buy larger powers, or temporarily buy 'fillers' until you later cash-out and buy up the bigger ones.
Anyone find a better way to do this, or good RP reasoning for why your Eidolon can only Climb Walls some of the time?
Hello all. I'm running a LARP event based on Pathfinder, our next event is in about two weeks, and I've been tasked with coming up with a way to make all the NPC goblin rolls a little more fun.
We've decided to try to come up with as many quirks as we can, put them all in a hat, and let people draw them out every time they need to play a disposable goblin monster.
So, give me what you got! Good, bad, silly, fun, powerful, crazy, horribly underpowered, whatever!
Lock-jaw: Gain +4 CMD to retain a grapple
Psychotic: Immune to fear
Crazy-eyes: Gaze attack
Bouncey: Moves spaces equal to damage taken
I have a player in an upcoming game that wants to have her Oracle Curse be that she is Ethereal and unable to touch or be touched by physical objects, eventually culminating in an ability to walk between planes.
Thoughts on how to balance this out? Obviously, straight out Etherealness is out of the question, especially at a lower level.
Thoughts I'd had for benefits:
Mage Armor-like passive AC boost
Physical armor becomes a deflection bonus instead of armor bonus
DR/magic
Ability to use Ethereal Jaunt for a few rounds
Drawback:
Unable to willingly move solid objects
Slow speed (drifting through the Ether)
Subject to extra damage/effect from ethereal creatures/attacks
I believe the only restriction on multiple swift actions in a round is only that you cannot cast multiple quickened spells in a round.
I could be wrong, or working from an old edition's rules, but you can generally downgrade an action to the next lower type.
Standard
Move
Swift
Playing a paladin in the past, I've found no issue with being able to LoH myself, Smite Evil, then take a single attack, as long as I started the round next to my target.
Had this discussion with a Math major the other day when playing in someone's world where they didn't like (or use) the "Diagonals are 5 then 10 then 5" rule.
Our World:
π = ~3.14
Game World
π = 4
Why does Pi = 4? Well...
Circumference
c = 2rπ
Area
a = πr(sq) ← Couldn't figure out how to make it 'squared'
So, in our world, a circle with a radius of 5
c = π10
c = 31.4
a = (3.14)5(sq)
a = (3.14)25
a = 78.5
But more importantly, in our world a square 10 on each side is:
c = 40
a = 100
Other world
'Square' 10 on each side
c = 40
a = 100
also
c = 2rπ
c = (10)(4)
c = 40
a = πr(sq)
a = (4)(5)(sq)
a = (4)(25)
a = 100
Just fun alternative reality mind bending. The GM draws out a circular arena and another guy says “What the hell shape is that?” and we get into discussing alternate world physics.
Cause, think of it. In our world, if you start from a point and move 5 feet in any direction, it forms a circle. But in the world of a board game when moving diagonally costs the same amount of movement points as moving in a cardinal direction, moving 5 feet (or 1 square) in any direction ends up forming a square.
We have a rather rules strict DM at the moment, and I'm wondering what other people have done to come up with to solves the following dilemma.
When you charge you must move to the nearest square you are able to make an attack from.
Ride-by Attack allows you to continue your movement after your attack, without provoking Attacks of Opportunity from your target, by continuing in a straight line.
This straight line inevitably causes you to collide with your opponent 10 feet later and then stopping.
Even though you don't provoke attacks of opportunity, you cannot move through their space.
Overrun says you can do it as a standard action.
Ride-by attack says you must continue in a straight line.
I'm running a game that will be limited to low levels (cap is at 8th) and the question has come up of the viability of the three main fighter styles:
Two-Weapon Fighter
Two Hander
Sword & Board
Now, the Sword & Board generally falls of for sure at higher levels, but how does it compare to the others at the early levels?
We were thinking about making some houserules to make the use of a shield more attractive.
Spend a Swift Action to designate a target and gain an additional +2 AC versus that target.
Granting your shield's bonus to Reflex and Touch AC.
Grant Shield bonus to adjacent ally.
I'm about to start a homebrew campaign, but I like to check out modules and adventure paths for premade dungeons and ways to string along the story / fill in the gaps.
Any Adventure Paths / Modules that heavily feature the Fey or significantly take place in the wilderness?
Neither is healing himself in mid-battle something that shouts holy warrior, besides :
- in combat with a big evil fiend, you make an attack, 5 foot step back, drop weapon as a free action, swift to heal, pick up weapon as a move action, end turn.
That is not as awful as you make it out, if you want to heal and full attack you have to consider not using a heavy shield.
Then monster 5' steps up and full attacks.
Then you take one swing, step back, drop, heal, recover.
Then monster 5' steps up and full attacks.
This is a losing situation anywhere past 6th level.
And yeah, I argue that a Paladin being able to heal himself in the middle of battle IS part of the Holy Warrior image. His divine might allows him to stand against the darkness longer than a normal warrior (because he is kept alive by the power flowing through him).
I guess my biggest problem with this is it does away with the idea of the lone holy warrior, doing battle with multiple foes, big shield blazoned with the holy symbol of his deity, because he needs to stop every few moments to put his sword down so he can heal himself.
Can someone show me in the PRD a link that might help me out?
Does a Paladin have to drop either his sword or shield in order to use Lay on Hands on himself? I'd understand that this would be required in order to deliver a touch to an ally or enemy, but when used on oneself it becomes a swift action.
I guess, my reasoning is that Lay on Hands became a swift action if used on yourself to allow you to continue to tank, sword and board style. If you must have a free hand to heal yourself, then there is no good reason for a Paladin to use anything but a two-hander, where you can change your grip as a free action as often as you like.
Okay, our DM has asked me to find out what we, as a community, feel about a Paladin's Immunities:
Aura of Courage:
Aura of Courage (Su): At 3rd level, a paladin is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions only while the paladin is conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead.
Exactly what does this immunity function towards? The Aura that gives a bonus to allies is a little better worded; a bonus to fear effects. But the paladin's immunity just says immunity to fear.
Now, one could assume that it means that you are immune to any and all fear effects, meaning anything that attempts to affect you though the use of fear. A dragon's aura, the spells Cause Fear and Fear. Each of these abilities inflict a status upon you that falls under the heading of "Fear".
Fear Status Effect:
Fear
Spells, magic items, and certain monsters can affect characters with fear. In most cases, the character makes a Will saving throw to resist this effect, and a failed roll means that the character is shaken, frightened, or panicked.
Shaken: Characters who are shaken take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
Frightened: Characters who are frightened are shaken, and in addition they flee from the source of their fear as quickly as they can. They can choose the paths of their flight. Other than that stipulation, once they are out of sight (or hearing) of the source of their fear, they can act as they want. If the duration of their fear continues, however, characters can be forced to flee if the source of their fear presents itself again. Characters unable to flee can fight (though they are still shaken).
Panicked: Characters who are panicked are shaken, and they run away from the source of their fear as quickly as they can, dropping whatever they are holding. Other than running away from the source, their paths are random. They flee from all other dangers that confront them rather than facing those dangers. Once they are out of sight (or hearing) of any source of danger, they can act as they want. Panicked characters cower if they are prevented from fleeing.
Becoming Even More Fearful: Fear effects are cumulative. A shaken character who is made shaken again becomes frightened, and a shaken character who is made frightened becomes panicked instead. A frightened character who is made shaken or frightened becomes panicked instead.
Those seem to be pretty straight forward. The question comes in, does this also make you immune to spells with the Fear descriptor, like Phantasmal Killer or Weird?
Phantasmal Killer & Weird:
Phantasmal Killer
School illusion (phantasm) [fear, mind-affecting]; Level sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one living creature
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Will disbelief, then Fortitude partial; see text; Spell Resistance yes
You create a phantasmal image of the most fearsome creature imaginable to the subject simply by forming the fears of the subject's subconscious mind into something that its conscious mind can visualize: this most horrible beast. Only the spell's subject can see the phantasmal killer. You see only a vague shape. The target first gets a Will save to recognize the image as unreal. If that save fails, the phantasm touches the subject, and the subject must succeed on a Fortitude save or die from fear. Even if the Fortitude save is successful, the subject takes 3d6 points of damage.
If the subject of a phantasmal killer attack succeeds in disbelieving and possesses telepathy or is wearing a helm of telepathy, the beast can be turned upon you. You must then disbelieve it or become subject to its deadly fear attack.
Weird
School illusion (phantasm) [fear, mind-affecting]; Level sorcerer/wizard 9
Targets any number of creatures, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
This spell functions like phantasmal killer, except it can affect more than one creature. Only the affected creatures see the phantasmal creatures attacking them, though you see the attackers as shadowy shapes.
If a subject's Fortitude save succeeds, it still takes 3d6 points of damage and is stunned for 1 round. The subject also takes 1d4 points of Strength damage.
The problem with following this train of thought is that then a 3rd level paladin becomes immune to a 9th level spell (well, probably the instant death part of it, anyway).
The later Paladin immunities are worded slightly differently. Immunity to charm grants you immunity to charm spells and spell-like abilities, leaving you open to be tricked by someone who might seduce the character so long as no magic is used.
This summer, I plan to run a small tournament for the players in our group.
Each player builds a party of three 8th level characters and fights to see who built the best. I'm thinking a double elimination style tournament, so everyone gets to fight at least twice.
Just looking for thoughts/suggestions on what can be done to improve the experience for everyone.
Suggestions for various arena locations/traps.
Houserules to keep things balanced.
Spells/items to disallow ahead of time.
Has anyone had any luck creating a system wherein Summon Monster or Summon Nature's Ally spells become more like in Final Fantasy where you Summon a creature, or a demon, or whatever, it makes a single, fantastic attack, before disappearing again?
Anyone played with the idea of making an eidolon take on a plant shape, similarly to the Undead Appearance evolution?
Thinking about playing a First Worlder (summoner with a nature bent) and thought that having a big, mostly immobile tree as an eidolon could be an interesting choice.
Thinking ahead to the summer, I've been playing over in my head the idea of changing things up for our group just a bit lately. Take one of our normal gaming days and instead, set up a pavilion tent outside, fire up the grill, have some video games and beers and have a tournament day!
The Premise:
For Bragging Rights! (Or maybe some sort of real prize)
Each player constructs a party of five heroes to do battle in a round-robin tournament against everyone else's party until a clear winner is determined. Every party would be constructed under the same rules and wealth level. At the end, there might be some cathartic moment of killing off the best group too.
Any suggestions for construction rules? I'm thinking:
Each character will be somewhere between 8-12 (a good power level where everyone can really shine in their class)
Point buy (though an array might work well to squash ridiculous Min/Maxing, or maybe a set of arrays, one SAD and one MAD)
No crafting, only buying
Trying to decide what the arena should look like. There should be some cover for stealthy types to use, and a roof at some point to keep mages from flying outside bow/visual range. Should every fight be in the same locale, or should the arena change randomly (one fight it's all open, next fight is in a volcano, next is around a large lake)?
Also, again, was thinking that whichever party comes out on top then needs to die spectacularly. So, assuming that the parties were 8th level, is there a good way to let all the other people select any monster they like within a certain CR so that together they'd be just too much for the heroes. A good, but ultimately hopeless fight?
As a thought experiment, I've been thinking about making a summoner who generally does not have the eidolon in play, rather making liberal use of the SM ability. Got to thinking, what kind of eidolon would work well in an "Oh crap!" moment to help the party out?
A grappling eidolon would be a good one that you could keep from having to load too full of magic items that could pop out and control one tricky bad guy, right?
So here's the question:
Show a 20 level build for an eidolon optimized for grappling purposes (maybe swallowing too), making use of as few magic items as possible (assuming that a Strength belt will be required, but justify any others that make use of slots).
I think another DM in our group is thinking of running Shackled City at some point.
I've definitely heard of Council of Thieves. Capping at level 12 is probably acceptable. Anyone have good things to say about this one?
I know this question comes up a bit, but my Search Fu is not up to the task.
I'm thinking about starting to run an E8 campaign, and was looking for suggestions for Adventure Paths that people have used successfully or think would work well.
If they are the sort that could have a decent ending around level 12, or if E8 characters could actually make it through without *significant* editing of the content.
Also, is there a message board or discussion group that I could get in on somewhere where people discuss E8 at length?
Has anyone seen or heard of plans to release any updated charts for Summon Monster or Summon Natures Ally as Paizo continues to release new monster books? I understand that these are both fairly strong spells already, but adding to the available monsters seems like a reasonable request.
If not, anyone worked out a formula for figuring out what power level would be appropriate for house-ruling added baddies?
By that logic I couldn't buy barding for my mount. As long as the gp total is the same overall, it doesn't much matter who wears what.
Fair enough. So, have your Ring of Spell Turning on BATTY. Now, though, how about my alternative situation?
Now DIVINER has Leadership as well, his cohort is DIVINEE. She also gets to act in the surprise round.
She readies a Scroll of Mage's Disjunction which goes off a moment before DIVINER's Contingency Teleports him behind AM and he Mazes BATTY.
DIVINEE is lost to the ground-locked AM, but that's what True Resurrection is for.
By methods already mentioned, DIVINER knows that AM will attempt to split the atoms inside DIVINER's head today.
DIVINER prepares appropriately and heads into the large field for the showdown and waits for his spider sense (Forewarned as well as Foresight). at a height of many feet.
<tingles> Surprise round has begun.
DIVINER looks around and sees no opponent. DIVINER begins to sweat as a free action. He also readies Maze.
The sky splits as AM comes rushing from the clouds. AM and BATTY are fully committed to their charge attack, about to make DIVINER not so much dead, more-so just not alive anymore.
At a range of 30 feet, DIVINER's contingency spell activates and Teleports DIVINER 20 feet behind AM and BATTY.
Immediately after the Teleportation, BATTY is the target of Maze. BATTY is gone for the time being.
PHYSICS looks about nervously, wondering if it can be sundered by AM, but decides that it really must do its part and continues to carry AM at 860 feet per round along his previous course. This could be anywhere from towards the ground to at a dramatically high angle, but nevertheless, he is not sticking around in the immediate vicinity.
This places AM on the ground (prone), inflicts some damage (minor), and separates AM and BATTY.
Depending on how long BATTY will be gone, DIVINER may summon a few monsters at the location of the Maze spell to deal with BATTY when he returns. A few high level summons should be able to deal with a 12-15th level, non-combat optimized Synthesist in a single round before he can move back to AM for remounting.
This leaves DIVINER flying high out of AM's reach, able to rain spells upon him or possibly have a nice chat about how they can work better together.
Alternatively, DIVINER makes sure that after AM is ejected from BATTY, AM will come to a stop far enough away from DIVINER that he cannot understand the taunting shout of AM's Antagonizing because his Perception is low enough that he cannot understand AM over the ambient sounds...
Ring of Spell Turning on the mount. Plus side, at least you wouldn't get RAGELANCEPOUNCE'D that turn.
I believe that your mount is not entitled to a Ring of Spell Turning, based off the WBL guidelines. 100,000 gp item is more than the 25% that he would be allowed to purchase for himself. I don't believe that AM can gift such a Ring to him without opening up a whole WBL can of worms.
Alternatively, DIVINER also has Leadership, his cohort is DIVINEE, who readies a Scroll of Mage's Disjunction to go off on AM and BATTY moments before DIVINER's Contingent Teleport activates.
DIVINEE will be missed after being left on the ground with an angry AM, but what else is True Resurrection for anyway?
By methods already mentioned, DIVINER knows that AM will attempt to split the atoms inside DIVINER's head today.
DIVINER prepares appropriately and heads into the large field for the showdown and waits for his spider sense (Forewarned as well as Foresight). at a height of many feet.
<tingles> Surprise round has begun.
DIVINER looks around and sees no opponent. DIVINER begins to sweat as a free action. He also readies Maze.
The sky splits as AM comes rushing from the clouds. AM and BATTY are fully committed to their charge attack, about to make DIVINER not so much dead, more-so just not alive anymore.
At a range of 30 feet, DIVINER's contingency spell activates and Teleports DIVINER 20 feet behind AM and BATTY.
Immediately after the Teleportation, BATTY is the target of Maze. BATTY is gone for the time being.
PHYSICS looks about nervously, wondering if it can be sundered by AM, but decides that it really must do its part and continues to carry AM at 860 feet per round along his previous course. This could be anywhere from towards the ground to at a dramatically high angle, but nevertheless, he is not sticking around in the immediate vicinity.
This places AM on the ground (prone), inflicts some damage (minor), and separates AM and BATTY.
Depending on how long BATTY will be gone, DIVINER may summon a few monsters at the location of the Maze spell to deal with BATTY when he returns. A few high level summons should be able to deal with a 12-15th level, non-combat optimized Synthesist in a single round before he can move back to AM for remounting.
This leaves DIVINER flying high out of AM's reach, able to rain spells upon him or possibly have a nice chat about how they can work better together.
Alternatively, DIVINER makes sure that after AM is ejected from BATTY, AM will come to a stop far enough away from DIVINER that he cannot understand the taunting shout of AM's Antagonizing because his Perception is low enough that he cannot understand AM over the ambient sounds (wind, echoing thunderclap from Observed state, etc.)
I don't think that attacking AM will yield any significant benefit until you can take away his movement. BATTY must die in such a way that you still have the ability to remove yourself from AM's immediate attackable area.
Maximized Anything That Allows A Save vs BATTY wont work because of his crazy save bonuses from being AM's also raging mount.
The Anti-Magic Field idea was cool because it had the effect of neutralizing the mount IN ADDITION TO getting DIVINER out of the way of the charge with a single action. Maze on BATTY during the charge would be cool, but then you'd just have a flying AM coming straight at you, so really, your situation hasn't really improved much. :)
So, here's a thought I had about 300 posts back. Haven't had the chance to catch up on everything yet.
So, AM spots wizard and begins his charge from out of sight.
DIVINER's spider sense begins to tingle.
He's a 20th level wizard with crazy skill ranks in everything and divination spells to burn every day, so he is well aware of what AM is and is all about, may even know that today he is going to have to battle AM. This is more or less beside the point.
DIVINER looks around and sees no obvious threat in the open field he is floating over 10 - 20 ft above the ground, so he gets a good idea of what is about to happen. He readies to cast a spell when his target comes into view.
AM comes flying in at his 860 ft per round, Observed state ready to break a new record.
DIVINER makes eye contact with AM, and at about... oh, 100 feet away still he casts his readied Anti-Magic Field.
Now, the way I see this unfolding, and I could be wrong, haven't looked into it seriously yet, is first off, all magical effects out to 200 feet are suppressed including DIVINER's, so:
DIVINER falls to the ground out of the way of AM's charge.
BATTY BAT is no longer BATTY but rather a half-elf being propelled through the air at 860 ft per round with an AM on his back.
AM is having issues with the sudden lack of mount, aforementioned great speed, and no more legal target for his charge.
AM and BATTY ELF are on the ground, probably prone, 10-50 feet from DIVINER depending on the angle of AM's charge.
So, AM and BATTY ELF take massive falling damage for high-speed collision with the ground, DM might adjudicate extra damage for BATTY ELF for also being squished by AM.
This leaves us where? Initiative continues with DIVINER going next, since his readied action was triggered by AM's turn.
DIVINER dismisses Anti-Magic Field as standard action. Spells resume, BATTY ELF is now BATTY BAT again, though not currently acting as a mount (arguably: they are both prone, he was no longer a mount while briefly an elf, etc.). Since BATTY is not currently a mount he is lacking in a few important defenses. DIVINER quickens spell of BATTY killing, then takes move action to fly straight into the air 40 feet.
How do we feel about this as a surprise round and the first half of Round 1?
Wait, if it is assumed that AM travels the world, killing any castys that he sees who happen to be standing in an open field based simply off his hatred or superstition towards castys, how does he not kill the casty that he rides?
How did he use leadership to attract a casty as a follower if his goal in life is to kill any casty he sees from a quarter mile off without asking questions?
If this discussion starts to die down, perhaps we can liven it up a bit by suggesting that AM is actually CE not CN, and seeing, not only if an alignment shift will open up new avenues of attack for the casty, but maybe we can drag some of the pseudo-philosophical alignment arguments in here to get things moving again.
