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I'm currently building a Level 5 Wizard from scratch, and I expected that I would be able to start out with a +1 Explorer's Clothes given that the +1 Potency Rune for Armor is a 5th level item. However, going over Table 10-10 Character Wealth, it seems I'm not allowed to pick any 5th level items for my character.

I find this rather weird, because going by Table 10-9 Party Treasure by Level, the row for Level 4 indicates that the party as a whole should already own 2 5th level items by the time they reach Level 5. Also, wouldn't it be a big deal for a Level 5 character to *not* have a +1 armor, given how the game is balanced around the idea of the PCs having access to such items at the appropriate levels?

What makes this a bit frustrating for me is that I was planning on making my Wizard specialise in Crafting, so even though I wouldn't be able to start with a +1 Explorer's Clothes, I would be able to Craft one just fine. Is there anything preventing me from doing that?

Am I missing something here?

The title says it all really. If I'm an Oracle VMC Cleric can I take an Inquisition or an Animal/Terrain domain as my level 3 VMC ability?

The title says it all really. If I'm an Oracle VMC Cleric can I take an Inquisition or an Animal/Terrain domain as my level 3 VMC ability?

Hi all,

I'm building a Witch with the Slumber hex and I would like for her to be able to coup de grace her helpless enemies herself. However, she has 7 Str, so her damage output is abysmal, meaning even if she would coup de grace someone they would most likely still be able to make their Fort save. So I got to thinking what would be the best weapon for her to coup de grace with to potentially boost this damage.

She's a level 6 character and we're using automatic bonus progression, meaning she can get a +1 enhancement bonus on a weapon or an equivalent special weapon quality. Here's what I came up with:

1) Coup de grace automatically hits, so she doesn't even need to be proficient with the weapon, since the only penalty for non-proficiency is a -4 to your attack roll. This is entirely irrelevant here.

2) We want a x4 crit weapon.

Combining points (1) and (2), the scythe (2d4-2/x4) is the most obvious choice. However, this still only deals a meager 8d4-8 damage. Quite terrible actually.

3) We still have a +1 enhancement bonus to play with, and thanks to Automatic Bonus Progression this can also be a special weapon property with a +1 equivalent bonus. For this, I think we could make use of the [Thundering](https://aonprd.com/MagicWeaponsDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Thundering) special weapon quality:

A thundering weapon creates a cacophonous roar like abilities thunder whenever it strikes a target with a successful critical hit. The sonic energy does not harm the wielder. A thundering weapon deals an extra 1d8 points of sonic damage on a successful critical hit. If the weapon’s critical multiplier is ×3, add an extra 2d8 points of sonic damage instead, and if the multiplier is ×4, add an extra 3d8 points of sonic damage. Subjects dealt critical hits by a thundering weapon must make a successful DC 14 Fortitude save or be deafened permanently.

Since the scythe is a x4 crit weapon, I think this would automatically deal an additional 3d8 damage on any coup de grace for a total of 8d4 + 3d8 - 8 damage, which is an average of 25 damage. This would make the DC of the ensuing Fort save 10 + 25 = 35, which is pretty impossible for anyone to hit at level 6.

My question is twofold: (1) Is all of this valid? (2) Can you do better?

The Spell Entangle requires preexisting plants, weeds, or something similar to be present in order to function at all, so it usually cannot be cast indoors (the presence of decorative plants and the like notwithstanding). I'm looking for ways to create the necessary conditions for Entangle to function in otherwise barren places without resorting to cheese like carrying around a plant all the time.

I recently stumbled upon the Witch hex Swamp's Grasp, which states:

The witch can cause an area to become an entangling quagmire.

Effect: One 10-foot square per witch level within 90 feet becomes difficult terrain for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the witch’s Intelligence modifier. If the witch uses this hex again before the duration of the previous use has expired, the effects of the previous use of this hex end immediately.

It doesn't explicitly mention plants or the like, but as far as I know "plants" is not an actual game term (aside from the creature type, which is not relevant here), let alone "weeds", etc. The other flavor terms used in the ability ("swamp", "quagmire" and "entangling") suggest to me it wouldn't be unreasonable to target such an area with the Entangle spell.

Would you say that an area affected by Swamp's Grasp would meet the necessary conditions for Entangle?

I have a question about the action economy involved with the Deliver Touch Spells ability of the Ashiftah Witch archetype. It says:

Deliver Touch Spells (Su): Starting at 3rd level, an ashiftah can use her veil to deliver touch spells. After casting a touch spell, as a full-round action, she can tear a strip from her veil and whisper to it, designating a target. She then releases the scrap of fabric, which drifts on the wind to the target and delivers the spell as a ranged touch attack. The target must be within 20 feet of the witch. The veil mends itself after the spell is delivered.

The ability mentions that she can deliver touch spells as a full-round action after casting a touch spell. I take this to mean that you cast the touch spell as part of the full round action that it takes you to deliver it, but RAW this seems a bit unclear. It could also mean you first must use a standard action as normal to cast a touch spell, and then on your next round you can use a full round action to deliver it.

What do you think?

The Torture subdomain's Painful Smite ability says:

Prior to making a melee attack roll, you can choose to convert all damage from that strike into nonlethal damage, adding your Wisdom modifier to the damage. [...]

Say I'm attacking with a greatsword and I want to use this ability. Will I have to take a -4 penalty on the attack roll because I'm using a lethal weapon to deal nonlethal damage?

The Hexenhammer's Withering Gaze ability states:

Hexenhammers study the effects of a witch’s evil eye, and can use this dark magic to steel their gaze in a similar manner. Beginning at 1st level, whenever a hexenhammer successfully demoralizes a creature as a standard action, instead of applying the shaken condition, she can apply the effects of the witch evil eye hex as if she were a 1stlevel witch (save DC = 10 + 1/2 the hexenhammer’s inquisitor level + her Wisdom modifier).

The important bit here is that this only works if you demoralize as a standard action, so it won't work with things like Cornugon Smash which demoralize as a free action. My question is about the Inquisitor spell Blistering Invective, which you cast as a standard action and states

You unleash an insulting tirade so vicious and spiteful that enemies who hear it are physically scorched by your fury. When you cast this spell, make an Intimidate check to demoralize each enemy within 30 feet of you. [...]

Would the demoralize from this spell work with the Withering Gaze ability, since the spell is cast as a standard action?

If I am a Wizard VMC Rogue for example, would I also get all the Rogue's class skills in addition to those of a Wizard?

The Enlightened Paladin gets the Ki Pool ability at 4th level, which states:

At 4th level, an enlightened paladin gains a ki pool with an effective monk level equal to his class level. The number of points in an Enlightened paladin’s ki pool is equal to 1/2 his class level + his Charisma modifier. By spending 1 point from his ki pool, he can ignore any damage reduction possessed by the target of his personal trial ability for 1 round. This ability otherwise functions as the monk ability of the same name and replaces channel positive energy.

My question is about the part where it says it "otherwise functions as the monk ability of the same name". A Monk can spend ki points to increase his movement by 20ft or gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round. Does that mean the Enlightened Paladin could also spend ki points to gain those effects? Or can he only use his ki pool to ignore damage reduction on his personal trial target? I'm a bit unclear what the word "otherwise" entails in this context.

I've been wanting to make a Dragon Disciple build for a long time. After a lot of thinking and tinkering I decided on going for a Barbarian 2 / Sorcerer 8 / Dragon Disciple 10 build focused on using natural weapons. I chose natural weapons both for thematic reasons and because my BAB will be relatively low, making natural weapons a better offensive choice than iterative attacks (especially during lower levels).

I also realize that Bloodragers exist, which basically combine the Barbarian and Sorcerer classes into a single convenient package, but I decided against this. The main reason was that I wanted more than just 4th-level spellcasting. From an optimization perspective it is probably not optimal to take all 10 levels of Dragon Disciple, instead only taking 8. Again, for thematic reasons, I decided to do so anyway, because the upgrade to their Dragon Form ability really fits with the character I'm imagining.

The flavor of my character in short is basically someone who has a demonic dragon's spirit raging within him (represented by the Barbarian's Rage ability at lower levels). As he progresses in levels, this dragon spirit manifests itself in physical changes (claws, horns, wings, and bite attacks), and in the ability to tap into the draconic energy for spellcasting.

The build I'm currently thinking about is as follows:

Race: Human
Stats: STR 16+2, CON 15, DEX 10, INT 10, WIS 8, CHA 14 (20 point buy)
Bloodline: Draconic (green dragon)
Traits: Berserker of Society, Magical Knack
Racial: Focused Study (3 Skill Focus feats over time instead of the single Human bonus feat)

Progression:
1. Barbarian 1 (Feats: Skill Focus (Knowledge planes), Raging Vitality)
2. Barbarian 2 (Rage Power: Lesser Fiend Totem)
3. Sorcerer 1 (Feats: Eldritch Heritage (Abyssal), Abilities: Claws (1d4))
4. Sorcerer 2
5. Sorcerer 3 (Feats: Arcane Strike, Abilities: Resist acid 5)
6. Dragon Disciple 1
7. Dragon Disciple 2 (Feats: Power Attack, Cornugon Smash, Abilities: Dragon Bite, Claws (magic))
8. Dragon Disciple 3 (Feats: Skill Focus (Intimidate), Abilities: Breath Weapon (1/day))
9. Dragon Disciple 4 (Feats: Intimidating Prowess, Abilities: Claws (1d6))
10. Dragon Disciple 5 (Feats: Toughness, Abilities: Blindsense (30ft))
11. Dragon Disciple 6 (Feats: Improved Eldritch Heritage (Abyssal), Abilities: Dragon Bite (+1d6 acid), Resist acid 10)
12. Dragon Disciple 7 (Abilities: Dragon Form (1/day))
13. Dragon Disciple 8 (Feats: Quicken Spell, Noxious Bite, Abilities: Breath Weapon (2/day), Claws (+1d6 acid))
14. Sorcerer 4
15. Dragon Disciple 9 (Feats: Iron Will, Abilities: Wings (60ft))
16. Dragon Disciple 10 (Feats: Skill Focus (Perception), Abilities: Dragon Form (2/day), Blindsense (60ft))
17. Sorcerer 5 (Feats: Favored Prestige Class, Abilities: Wings (90ft))
18. Sorcerer 6
19. Sorcerer 7 (Feats: Prestigious Spellcaster, Great Fortitude, Abilities: Breath Weapon (3/day))
20. Sorcerer 8

I will put the level 4 stat boost in Con and all others in Str. Combined with the stat boosts provided by the Abyssal bloodline and the Dragon Disciple class, this amounts to +14 Str, +3 Con, +2 Int and +7 natural armor at level 20. I will be able to cast 8 level spells at level 20 at an effective caster level of 18.

The build is focused around natural weapons as I said. Through the draconic bloodline, the Dragon Disciple class and the Lesser Fiend Totem rage power I have access to 2 claws, 1 bite and 1 gore attack. When transforming into a dragon I gain 2 wings and on later levels 1 tail slap attack as well for a total of 4, 6 or 7 attacks depending on the form I'm in. When my BAB becomes high enough (11+) I may also start wielding a one-handed weapon to gain 3 iterative attacks at the cost of a single claw attack (or two if I decide to wield it two-handed).

In combat I will mostly focus on being the melee damage dealer with the occasional buff/blast spell. Outside of combat I'd like to also use spells for utility and get things done through Intimidate. For flavor I also wanted to focus a bit on intimidation during combat. This is what Cornugon Smash and Intimidating Prowess are for (and I also get Skill Focus (Intimidate) for free, which certainly helps!). The idea is that my Strength and thus my Intimidate bonus will be massive, allowing me to make almost any opponent I hit shaken for 2+ rounds. As this gives them a penalty on their saving throws, I can then more easily make them nauseous with Noxious Bite that very same turn.

I think I've covered a lot of bases and I think I made a pretty good compromise between optimizing the build and staying true to the character concept. I'd like to hear any advice you may have on this build, mainly to see if I missed any potentially fitting choices! I'm open to feat suggestions, alternate multi-class progression (though I really want to be able to cast 8-level spells so I can achieve the ultimate dragon form through Form of the Dragon III), etc.

Thanks in advance for your input! (And sorry for the long post)

If I start out as a cross-blooded Sorcerer with the Draconic/Orc bloodlines and I take the 9th level bloodline power of the Orc (+2 Str which increases to +6 over time), can I also take the Improved Eldritch Heritage feat for the Abyssal bloodline and get the inherent Str bonuses provided by that bloodline and have them stack?

Assuming levels in Dragon Disciple advance both of my bloodlines (Draconic and Orc) I would eventually get +6 Str from Orc, +6 Str from Abyssal (through Improved Eldritch Heritage) and +4 Str from the Dragon Disciple stat boosts. Is this correct?

Hey everyone, I recently posted a different thread asking for advice on a spellcasting rogue. In that thread I tried making an Arcane Trickster build, but I was told that the Arcane Trickster class is more about spellcasting than it is about sneaking about like a rogue and attacking in melee. I wanted a character whose main identity was still a rogue who mainly uses his spellcasting ability to buff himself and debuff his enemies.

So I switched to the Eldritch Scoundrel archetype for the Unchained Rogue, which was precisely what I was looking for. It gives up a few things of the Unchained Rogue, but in return you get magus-like spellcasting! You can also pick Ninja Talents in addition to all Rogue Talents, expending daily spell slots to pay for ki costs.

This is essential, as it allows me to use Vanishing Trick from level 4 onward to become Invisible as a swift action and thus easily get my Sneak Attacks off. This is why 1st level Pearls of Power are so essential. Even if Vanishing Trick is for any reason unavailable, I can use Color Spray or Glitterdust to blind my opponents and also get my sneak attacks off. If I don't want to go into melee, I can also use Acid Splash, Snowball or Scorching Ray as ranged touch attacks to also trigger sneak attacks from a distance.

My spell selection is mainly focused on buffing myself (Sense Vitals is essential for insane sneak attack damage), dealing ranged touch attack damage to trigger sneak attacks and debuff my enemies (Mirror Image, Glitterdust and Slow). Since I need one free hand to cast spells, I decided to go for a single weapon instead of going for two weapon fighting. With the Elven Curve Blade I have solid damage (1d10 with 1.5 DEX bonus damage), while still being able to cast spells whenever I want.

Feats are a bit random perhaps, but the idea is to maximize my durability (Toughness, Iron Will) while also improving my sneak attack consistency (Weapon Focus, Point Blank Shot, Accomplished Sneak Attacker). Heighten Spell is there so that I can toy around with my spell levels very freely. With it, I can also ensure that Glitterdust and Color Spray remain viable even up until the late game.

Below is a 10th level build for this character to give you an idea of what it would look like in terms of stats, etc. I'm looking for any kind of feedback you may have. Thanks a lot!

Gabriel
Elf Eldritch Scoundrel Unchained Rogue 10
N Medium humanoid (elf)
Init +9

DEFENSE
AC 24, touch 19, flat-footed 17 (+4 Armor, +7 Dex, +1 Natural, +2 Deflection)
HP 80 (10d8 + 10 + 10 + 10)
+8 Fortitude, +15 Reflex, +5 Will

OFFENSE
Speed 30ft
Melee +3 elven curve blade +18/+13 (1d10+13/18-20/x2)
Special Attacks sneak attack (3d6)

Spells
0th (5/day) Acid Splash, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Light, Prestidigitation
1st (6/day) Snowball (x2), Color Spray (x2), Silent Image, Reduce Person
2nd (5/day) Sense Vitals (+3d6), Glitterdust, Mirror Image, Scorching Ray (x2)
3rd (4/day) Fly, Slow, Haste, Fireball
4th (2/day) Greater Invisibility (x2) [at level 12 and higher I don't need this spell anymore, so I will use Confusion and Enervation instead]

STATS
STR 7, DEX 25, CON 12, INT 18, WIS 10, CHA 7
BAB +7, CMB +5, CMD 22

Rogue talents 4) Vanishing Trick, 8) Slow Reactions, 12) Invisible Blade, 16) Hunter's Surprise, 20) ?
Abilities trapfinding, evasion, alarm sense, debilitating injury, rogue's edge (Stealth, Spellcraft)
Feats Rogue) Weapon Finesse, 1) Weapon Focus (Elven Curve Blade), 3) Point Blank Shot, 5) Accomplished Sneak Attacker, 7) Toughness, 9) Heighten Spell, 11) Iron Will, 13) Extra Rogue Talent (Improved Evasion), 15) Quicken Spell, 17) ?, 19) ?
Skills Stealth (+20), Knowledge (arcana) (+12), Spellcraft (+17), Perception (+13), Sleight of Hand (+20), Sense Motive (+8), Disable Device (+20), Escape Artist (+15), Acrobatics (+15), Diplomacy (+17)
Languages Human, Elven, Celestial, Draconic, Orc, Sylvan
Traits Reactionary, Clever Wordplay (Diplomacy)
Combat Gear Headband of Vast Intelligence (+2), Belt of Incredible Dexterity (+4), +3 Elven Curve Blade, +1 Mithral Chain Shirt, Ring of Protection (+2), Amulet of Natural Armor (+1), 5x Pearl of Power (1st level), Cloak of Resistance (+2)
Bag Gear Cloak of Elvenkind

A Human's favored class bonus for Rogue's is that they get 1/6th of a new rogue talent. I have two questions as to how this FCB interacts with the Eldritch Scoundrel archetype:

1) Eldritch Scoundrels do not get a rogue talent at every 4th level, starting at level 4 (and then 8, 12, 16 and 20), but can I pick this FCB even before I ever get the rogue talent class feature? That would mean I actually get rogue talents at levels 4, 6, 8, 12 (2), 16, 18 and 20.

2) Eldritch Scoundrels have a modified rogue talent ability in the sense that they can also select from the list of ninja talents. Does this mean I can also select a ninja talent whenever I would normally get a rogue talent from the human's FCB?

Thanks!

1) If I am a Druid with 13 Dex and I have the Greater Grapple feat, what happens if I wild shape into a large animal and get a -2 penalty to Dex? Does that mean I can no longer benefit from the Greater Grapple feat until I change back to a regular Druid, since I no longer satisfy the prerequisites?

2) If I wild shape into a Behemoth Hippo and I have Improved Natural Attack (bite) and Vital Strike as feats, plus I have cast Animal Growth and Strong Jaw on myself, exactly how many dice would I roll? Normally the hippo's bite attack is 4d8, so using the progression from the Improved Natural Attack page, that would be boosted to 6d8 thanks to that feat. Then Animal Growth would turn this Hippo from Huge into Gargantuan, thus turning each 1d8 into 2d6 according to this table. So now we're up to 12d6. Strong Jaw then says to count yourself two additional sizes larger for the purposes of computing the damage dealt, but since we're already Gargantuan, the total damage is doubled instead. Before that though, Vital Strike doubles the number of dice we roll.

So to summarize, the way I see it is as follows: I would roll 24d6, then add my Strength modifier, and finally I would double the total damage dealt thanks to Strong Jaw. Is that correct?

[b]3) Do I have to make a full-round attack to get 150% STR bonus instead of the usual 100% when attacking as an animal with just 1 natural weapon? (Such as the Behemoth Hippo from question 2.) Or would I also get that increased bonus on a standard attack?

Thanks so much for answering these. I may think of more questions later but I'll just add them then :)

Hey everyone,

I'm planning on playing a wildshaping melee druid in an upcoming campaign. I know that summoner druids are generally stronger, but I like the wildshaping one more from a role-playing perspective. I'm not entirely sure what would be a good build for one though, so I was hoping to get some advice from you guys. Below is a sample build I've been working on for level 7 (we're going to be doing a one shot in the near future to test our characters, and that will be held at level 7, just in case the level seemed rather random). I have listed the feats I plan on taking even after level 7 and all ability score increases from level 8 onwards will go in Strength.

Human Menhir Savant Druid 6 / Flowing Monk 1
N medium humanoid (human)
Init +3

Defense
AC: 16, touch 16, flat-footed 15 (+1 Dex, +4 Wis, +1 Deflection)
HP: 58 (1d10 + 6d8 + 7 + 7 + 7)
Fortitude +10, Reflex +7, Will +11

Offense
Melee: +1 scimitar +11 (1d6+8/18-20/x2)

Spells
0th (4/day) Detect Magic, Create Water, Light, Guidance
1st (4/day) Longstrider, Faerie Fire, Entangle, Bristle
2nd (4/day) Barkskin, Eagle Eye, Warp Wood, Cat's Grace
3rd (3/day) Greater Magic Fang (2), Aqueous Orb

Stats
STR 20, DEX 12, CON 12, INT 8, WIS 18, CHA 7 (+2 STR racial, +1 WIS at level 4; +2 STR, +2 WIS due to equipment)
BAB +5, CMB +10, CMD 25
Abilities: Nature Bond, Spirit Sense, Place Magic (7/day), Wild shape (2/day)
Traits: Reactive, Eye for Talent
Skills: Perception (+14), Sense Motive (+10), Swim (+9), Acrobatics (+5), Climb (+9), Fly (+5), Stealth (+7), Handle Animal (+4), Survival (+10), Knowledge (nature) (+7)
Feats: Monk) Improved Unarmed Strike, Monk) Stunning Fist, Monk 1) Improved Trip, Human) Dirty Fighting, 1) Power Attack, 3) Toughness, 5) Natural Spell, 7) Improved Natural Attack, 9) Greater Grapple, 11) Vital Strike, 13) Extend Spell, 15 Improved Vital Strike
Gear: Belt of Giant Strength (+2), Headband of Inspired Wisdom (+2), Ring of Protection (+1), +1 scimitar, Cloak of Resistance (+2), Wand of Cure Light Wounds (50 charges)

---

So basically the idea here is to use Wild Shape and do melee combat. If necessary I can still cast spells as well, so shaping into a flying creature and casting spells from mid air is also still a possibility, but melee is where I want the focus to be. I took 1 level in Monk so that I get Wis to AC and CMD, which really helps while I'm in my beast form. I think the Wild enchantment is just too expensive to be worth it, and this way I still get a +6 bonus through my Wis stat when I get the headband that gives +6 Wis.

I plan on casting stuff like Barkskin, Cat's Grace and Longstrider on myself to keep myself buffed and increase my AC. At higher levels I will have the Animal Growth spell and all the higher level feats (Vital Strike chain mainly) to massively increase damage for things like the Hippo. Other than that I expect I'll still be summoning some creatures, but again, I just don't want it to be the focus.

Thanks to the Monk dip I get Improved Grapply as a bonus feat as well at first level, alongside Dirty Fighting through my Human race, meaning I'll be able to grapple pretty reliably even at lower levels. Losing 1 level of spellcasting isn't that big of a deal since I'm a Menhir Savant druid and I can thus use Place Magic to increase my caster level by 1 and have it be the same as my character level again.

I would really appreciate any advice, mainly regarding the feats I've selected, my stat line and higher level equipment. Tips for my animal companion are also more than welcome!

I'm currently working on a new character for an upcoming campaign. I'm not sure what the rest of the party will be playing, but I decided I want to play a rogue-like character capable of some spellcasting to enhance their stealth and sneak attack related abilities. Out of combat I'd like to be the party's "skill monkey" in the sense that I'd like to also be able to perform a myriad of roleplaying tasks the GM might throw at us (for example, social encounters, heists, etc).

I have come up with a shortlist of things that I'd like to incorporate into the character one way or another:
- Has to be able to deal damage both through melee attacks (Dex to damage prefered) and spells (Scorching Ray would be a must since it enables sneak attack damage, but regular blasting spells would also be welcome).
- Has to deal as much damage with sneak attack as possible (without resorting to terrible feats like the one that changes 1s and 2s into 3s when rolling for sneak attack damage).
- Has to be able to reliably trigger the sneak attacks without relying solely on flanking.
- Has to be Int-based so that I have access to a lot of skill points.

I have done some research into the possibilities already, but I'd still like your opinion in case I missed something obvious. So far an Eldritch Scoundrel 4/Arcane Trickster X build sounds the most fun and seems to match my preferences closest. I was planning something like this:

Current build
Race: Elf
15 point buy: STR (7), DEX (19), CON (12), INT (16), WIS (10), CHA (7)
Traits: Reactionary, Magical Lineage
Skills/level: 4 + INT (=7)

Level progression: (I left out the class abilities I consider mostly filler)
1: Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (dagger)
2: Evasion
3: Accomplished Sneak Attacker, Finesse Training (dagger), Sneak Attack (1d6)
4: Vanishing Trick (the ninja talent), Debilitating Injury

At level 4 my character would be able to:
- cast 2nd level arcane spells;
- use Dex to hit and Dex to damage for daggers;
- use sneak attack for 2d6 (max possible for a level 4 character, despite the Eldritch Scoundrel having lower sneak attack progression);
- use Vanishing Trick to become invisible at will as a swift action and trigger a guaranteed sneak attack;
- go into Arcane Trickster from the next level onwards.

The spells I'm most interested in using with this build for the first few levels are:
0th: Detect Magic, Read Magic, Acid Splash (because it's a ranged touch attack and therefore compatible with sneak attack)
1st: Shocking Grasp, Snowball, Color Spray (if my opponents are blinded, I can also make sneak attacks against them)
2nd: Scorching Ray, Mirror Image, Cat's Grace, Invisibility, Glitterdust, Sense Vitals

Feats I'm interested in are mostly some metamagic feats like Intensified Spell and Empower Spell (both of which work well with Scorching Ray). Perhaps I could also pick up Extra Rogue Talents via feats.

Issues I have with this build
So far, so good. What's the bad news? If I only stick to the Eldritch Scoundrel archetype, my sneak attack progression isn't optimal, since they only increase the damage at level 7, 11, 15 and 19. That's why I considered going into Arcane Trickster afterwards, seeing as how their sneak attack progression would perfectly align with my build so far. However, the problem with Arcane Trickster is that their BAB progression is significantly worse than the Rogue's.

On the flipside, this progression does make it so I never miss any levels in my arcane caster class, so my spells won't be delayed unnecessarily. As a result I don't have to take the Magical Knack trait, so I can instead pick Reactionary and Magical Lineage (most likely for Scorching Ray).

Are there any obvious alternatives I'm missing here? I'm aware of the popular Wizard 3 / Rogue 1 / Arcane Trickster X progression which has the advantage of opening up level 7+ spells as well, but there are a couple of downsides to this in my opinion:
- Your BAB becomes even worse because of the 3 levels in Wizard;
- You lose Evasion;
- You lose Dex to damage for daggers;
- You lose Debilitating Injury;
- You lose Vanishing Trick;
- You will be 1 level behind on your sneak attack damage;

Obviously the fact that you get faster spell progression and access to higher leveled spells counts for a lot too, but I wanted my build to be more about the rogue aspect of my character than the spellcasting aspect. Also, I have completely fallen in love with the concept behind Vanishing Trick so I really don't want to lose that.

Concrete questions about my build
- What do you guys think of my proposed class/level progression given my intentions for this character?
- Are there any other viable (prestige) classes which give optimal sneak attack AND caster level progression that stack with the ones from the Eldritch Scoundrel? Bonus points if they have 3/4 BAB progression, but I really doubt those exist.
- What other feats would you recommend for this character? I don't think stuff like Piranha Strike or Two Weapon Fighting is worth it... I think what's most important is making sure my attacks hit despite my less than optimal BAB which is what Weapon Focus is for. Anything else?
- Right now I'm prioritizing DEX over INT in my ability scores. Would it be better to do it the other way around? The reason I picked DEX as my primary stat is because it helps with my AC (Eldritch Scoundrels are not proficient with any kind of armor), my to-hit (very important for sneak attacks) and my Reflex saves (which means evasion becomes more helpful). I'm not sure if it's worth to compromise on those things for a higher INT stat, so I'd love some input on this.

I'm sorry for the long post, but in every thread where people ask for advice I always read responses about how the person should give a clear idea of what they actually want with their character, which is why I decided to give you all a very clear picture of how I envision him :-)

Thanks in advance for any help!

Hey, I have a question about Spells that deal damage each round, but also allow for a new saving throw each round. For example, the "Breaching the Gulf" spell-like ability of starsoul sorcerers:

Breaching the Gulf (Sp): At 15th level, your caster level is increased by 3 when casting spells of the teleportation subschool. In addition, once per day you can teleport a single creature within 30 feet into the void of space if it fails a Will save. The save DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 your sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier. The target can attempt a new saving throw as a full-round action each round to return. While trapped in the airless void, the target suffers 6d6 points of cold damage per round and must hold its breath or begin to suffocate.

Say the target fails the initial Will save and are teleported to space. When exactly do they then take the 6d6 points of cold damage? At the start/end of their own turn, immediately when the spell is cast or both? Also, when do they make the new saving throws? At the start/end of their turn? Before or after they have taking the 6d6 cold damage?

Thanks for any help with clarifying this!

I recently GM'd for the first time and did a one shot at level 10. One of the PCs was a Wizard with the Babble spell. He targeted a boss enemy I had created and I rolled badly on the save. This basically took away all the suspension because as I understand it there is no way to get rid of the nauseated condition after that.

How can you as a GM make it so that if you fail 1 single save on a spell like Babble your encounter is not entirely ruined as a result? I'm having a hard time thinking of a balanced way that wouldn't ruin the fun of the player casting it, while at the same time making it so that a boss I worked very hard on is turned into a babbling idiot before it's easily killed by the party.

Thanks for any suggestions :)

Can I carry a +5 masterwork Buckler and a +5 Mithril Chain Shirt for a total AC bonus of 6 + 9 = 15 from these two items alone? I'm not sure what the rules are for enchanting a buckler and how it stacks with regular armor.

The way I understand it, shields and armors can both be enchanted separately and apply their bonuses separately as well. Additionally, with bows you don't suffer the penalties from the Buckler and the Buckler doesn't have a maximum Dex boost, so this defensive core would be perfect (a little too good to be true, perhaps?) for high Dex archers builds. They'll only be limited by the +6 Dex boost from the Mithril Chain Shirt basically, but even then you still get a total bonus of 6 + 6 + 9 = 21 AC if your Dex is high enough.

I'm playing a ranger with a horse as my animal companion. During combat I'm frequently mounted on my horse so that I can fire off full-round attacks while still technically being able to move. There are a couple of things I'm unsure of with this strategy though:

1) Since the horse is my animal companion, I can command it with Handle Animal as a free action. That means I can tell my horse to move up to 50ft and then still make my full-round attack right?

2) If I am the target of a splash attack like an Alchemist's bomb for example, does my horse also get hit? If so, against whose touch AC is the attack made?

3) Since my horse is large, it occupies 1x2 squares, so if I am mounted on it, in which square am I considered to be?

4) Follow-up to questions 2 and 3: Since my horse occupies 1x2 squares, if one of the squares it occupies is the target of a splash attack, does it (after taking full damage from the main attack) also need to make a Reflex saving throw to avoid the splash damage that would normally affect the adjacent square that is also occupied by my horse?

5) If I use Handle Animal as a free action on my turn, does that mean that the horse's turn takes place "during" my free action? For example, my turn starts, I declare I use my free action to perform Handle Animal on my horse, telling it to use an Overrun attack. After that has resolved completely and my horse has moved as a result, I finish the rest of my turn by either doing a move + standard action or a full-round attack. Would that be how it works?

Thanks a lot in advance for any help you could offer with these questions.

Hey everyone,

Just some context to start off with: I just started playing Pathfinder for the first time with a bunch of friends (also first-timers, so we're all discovering everything together!). We're currently playing the Curse of the Crimson Throne adventure as our first campaign. Since this is the first time playing this game I am a bit worried about the extent to which my choices during the early game might negatively affect my late game situation, as I have no idea what the late game is like in Pathfinder.

My character
I'm playing a Half-Elf Ranger character with the Toxophilite archetype. Needless to say, I want my character to focus primarily on archery during combat. My planned strategy would be to spend the first turn of combat to get into a nice position from which I can continuously fire full attacks that trigger all my feats (Rapid Shot, Deadly Aim, Manyshot, etc). As such, I can also spend the first turn casting a single spell such as Gravity Bow or (later on) Instant Enemy.

Stat line
All that is still a ways into the future though, as we're just starting out and I'm only Level 2 at the moment. My stat line (15 point buy) is looking as follows:

STR: 10
DEX: 18 (including the +2 racial bonus)
CON: 12
INT: 10
WIS: 14
CHA: 8

I plan on increasing DEX at every level I can. As for feats, I currently have Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot and Skill Focus (Perception). I plan on getting Rapid Shot, Deadly Aim, Manyshot and Weapon Focus (Longbow) over the next 5 levels.

Specific questions
- How important is STR as a stat for archers in the future? Personally I'd rather focus on WIS as my secondary stat for better saves and more bonus spells. I do wonder though, would it be better to go for 13 WIS and 12 STR with a composite +1 longbow?

- What would be a solid equipment progression for this character? For armor I started out with simple Leather, but I plan on upgrading this to a Mithral Chain Shirt as soon as I can. Am I also right in understanding that I can buy this Mithral Chain Shirt for 1100g and then later on spend an additional 1000g to give it a +1 enchantment bonus? As for a bow, if I keep 10 STR I think a simple Longbow will suffice?

Thank you guys for any insights you may have. Aside from the questions above I'm open to any other tips about my character. I do like to optimize him, but I also want to keep role-playing into mind a bit (so I don't want to completely tank CHA or INT, even though I don't really use them).