Fatespinner's page

I am a dumb person, and I have accidentally put Blood of Fiends and Blood of Angels on this order even though I already own them. Could you please remove those items and replace them with the following:

Pathfinder Companion: Qadira, Gateway to the East (PFRPG) - Non-mint
Pathfinder Companion: Andoran, Spirit of Liberty (PFRPG)

Thanks ever so much!

River Warden (Paladin)
A divinely empowered embodiment of the spirit of liberty, the river warden protects safe and fair trade throughout the River Kingdoms. These staunch defenders of the six River Freedoms garner great support from locals for the river warden's efforts to guard roads and waterways from bloodthirsty opportunists who prey on honest folk.
Class Skills: A river warden does not gain Knowledge (nobility) (Int) as a class skill; instead, she gains Knowledge (local) (Int), Perception (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str) as class skills.
Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A river warden is not proficient with heavy armor.
Detect Evil (Sp): A river warden does not gain this ability.
Aura of Awareness (Su): At 3rd level, a river warden can always act in the surprise round even if she fails to make a Perception roll to notice an enemy (but is still flat-footed until she takes an action). Both the warden and allies within 10 feet of her gain a +2 morale bonus to Perception checks and initiative rolls. This ability functions only while the river warden is conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead. This ability replaces aura of courage.
Woodland Stride (Ex): At 3rd level, a river warden gains woodland stride as the druid ability of the same name. This ability replaces divine health.
Wilderness Training (Ex): Beginning at 4th level, each time the river warden gains access to a new spell level she may choose a single spell from the ranger spell list of the same level to add to her spell list. Once made, this choice cannot be changed. This ability replaces channel positive energy.
Spirit of the Fens (Su): At 5th level, a river warden gains a swim speed equal to her base land speed and permanently gains the benefits of water breathing. Once per day as a standard action, she may grant these benefits to a number of allies within 30 feet equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1) for 10 minutes per level. At 9th level and every four levels thereafter, this ability may be used an additional time per day. This ability replaces divine bond.
The Six River Freedoms: A river warden swears to uphold the River Freedoms in all of her dealings by honoring oaths and free speech, respecting free travel and local laws, and abolishing slavery. A river warden may never imprison or detain someone without sufficient evidence that they have committed a crime. A warden must be of any good alignment and loses all class features, except proficiencies, if she ever willingly commits an evil act. These tenets replace the normal paladin code of conduct and alignment restrictions.

Spectral Lampblack
Aura strong abjuration; CL 13th
Slot none; Price 4500 gp; Weight –
Description
This chalky black pigment provides the user with a variety of benefits against detection. When liberally applied to the skin as a full-round action, the spectral lampblack cuts the user off from the ethereal plane and renders them invisible to ethereal creatures and all forms of magical sensors for 10 minutes. While under the effects of the lampblack, the user does not set off magical effects (such as traps) that are designed to respond to the user's presence unless the activation is tied to a mechanical trigger (which the user may still activate normally). Additionally, the lampblack prevents the user from utilizing extradimensional travel (as dimensional anchor) due to the nature of the barrier between planes that the item creates. Complete immersion in water or other liquid removes the pigment and terminates the benefits of the item prematurely.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, sequester, dimensional anchor; Cost 2250 gp

Howdy folks! My campaign (Fatespinner's Darkness Rising) has recently suffered the loss of a player and we are looking for a replacement! The campaign is an all-evil campaign set (currently) in the Ustalav city of Caliphas. The overarching plot of the campaign revolves around the acquisition of various artifacts in order to tap into some ancient well of evil power!

And really, I ask you, who doesn't love ancient wells of evil power?

The party composition currently looks like this:

• Human urban ranger, aiming for Red Mantis PrC. This is essentially the party's "rogue."
• Half-elf witch, aiming for Loremaster PrC.
• Human infernal sorcerer, the party "face" with a considerable Bluff skill.
• Human antipaladin, the angry meatshield beatstick of the party.

The character to be replaced was a cleric of Urgathoa, which is unfortunate because two of the other PCs are also faithful to the Pallid Princess. Or, well, okay, one is and the other one has long-term OOC plans to convert.

From my original posts, to those who are interested, here's the deal:

I will be starting this campaign at level 3 and will be using the Pathfinder Society rules for character generation (20 pt. buy, 2 traits, core races only + tiefling/aasimar, etc.).

A few other things to be aware of:

1.) I am not allowing the summoner class. I personally feel the class is disruptive and unbalanced. End of discussion.
2.) Characters must be evil. I don't want any "neutral with a mean streak" characters. If we're gonna do this, let's do it all the way.
3.) Leadership is banned. There will be plenty of NPCs to interact with over the course of the campaign. The last thing I need is several MORE of them to account for following the party everywhere.
4.) No third-party material. There's plenty of flexibility permitted within the boundaries of Paizo's vast array of published material and I am familiar with the majority of it.

This slot will not be given out on a first come/first serve basis. I'd like to hear some character concepts from interested persons and, after I've received some replies here, I'll make a decision based on what I feel is best for the campaign in the long run. Cheers and good luck!

So the Anger Inquisition gives inquisitors the ability to rage like a barbarian and, at higher levels, gives limited access to some rage powers. There is a weapon property in the APG called furious that reads thusly:

Furious: This ability can only be placed on a melee weapon. A furious weapon serves as a focus for its wielder's anger. When the wielder is raging or under the effect of a rage spell, the weapon's enhancement bonus is +2 better than normal. If the wielder has a rage power that gives a skill bonus while raging (such as raging climber, raging leaper, or raging swimmer), the wielder gains an enhancement bonus to that skill whenever the weapon is wielded or held in hand, even when not raging; this bonus is equal to the enhancement bonus of the weapon (including the +2 when the wielder is raging).

The key wording here is "+2 better than normal." The problem I'm running into is determining what "normal" is. Obviously the weapon's base enhancement bonus counts here. But what if that enhancement bonus is augmented by greater magic weapon? Or... what if the inquisitor uses his bane ability?

Bane: A bane weapon excels against certain foes. Against a designated foe, the weapon's enhancement bonus is +2 better than its actual bonus. It also deals an extra 2d6 points of damage against the foe.

In the hands of a raging inquisitor who is fighting the enemy type he has selected with his bane ability... does a furious weapon have its enhancement bonus increased by a total of FOUR? This would allow a simple +1 furious greatsword to function as a +5 weapon, handily defeating any and all forms of non-epic damage reduction the creature might possess... all for the cost of a +2 weapon and a couple class abilities! Is that really how it works? Do these two weapon properties stack with each other?

So, the chiurgeon Alchemist archetype gets to add breath of life to their formula book at 10th level. This is all fine and well but, if the alchemist is more than a 5' step from where the ally falls, it doesn't do him any good since his extracts all act like potions and thus require a full-round action to administer.

Is there any way for a chiurgeon to administer potions to allies as at least a standard action, like casting a spell would be? A feat, trait, anything?

Something that I hadn't really noticed in the entry for vampires in Pathfinder is this curious little tidbit:

Reducing a vampire's hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn't always destroy it (see fast healing).

Under the fast healing entry in the universal monster rules, fast healing is described thusly:

Fast Healing (Ex) A creature with the fast healing special quality regains hit points at an exceptional rate, usually 1 or more hit points per round, as given in the creature's entry. Except where noted here, fast healing is just like natural healing. Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation, nor does it allow a creature to regrow lost body parts. Unless otherwise stated, it does not allow lost body parts to be reattached. Fast healing continues to function (even at negative hit points) until a creature dies, at which point the effects of fast healing end immediately.

Further into the vampire entry, it tells us a few special ways of permanently dispatching a vampire. It even says that decapitation is not sufficient unless the head is annointed with holy water thereafter.

What I want to know, then, is... if one of the vampire-specific methods of destruction are not employed, is it possible to destroy a vampire with ordinary means? I know they revert to gaseous form until they return home and are then helpless... but say the party tracks it to the coffin and doesn't have the knowledges or equipment necessary to permanently dispatch it? Can they just chop the body up into little bits? Fast healing says it doesn't allow limb regrowth, so that should theoretically do the trick. Incineration seems like it would also work. What's the consensus on this?

Can a character with the shield slam feat make an attack of opportunity against an enemy charging past him with his shield and, using the free bull rush granted by shield slam, effectively prevent the enemy from being able to "charge in a straight line" and foil the charge? If so, what happens to any remaining actions the enemy has after the charge is foiled? Can he opt to simply complete his movement? Does he get his standard action "refunded" since the charge could not complete? Does he end his turn in whatever square the bull rush left him in?

Mechanically speaking, a longsword for a small creature (1d6, 19-20/x2) is completely identical to a shortsword for a medium creature. The question is, though, are they actually interchangeable? Can the gnome fighter toss his small longsword to the human rogue (who then wields it like a shortsword)? Or does the rogue suffer the "inappropriately sized weapons" penalty?

Say the gnome fighter has Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization (longsword) and the party defeats a medium-sized foe who wields a powerfully enchanted shortsword. Well, it would be a considerable upgrade for our gnomish friend.... but can he apply his feats to the new weapon or not?

So, the antipaladin's alternative to the standard paladin's disease immunity is kind of a curious critter. It allows the antipaladin to contract diseases just like anyone else would, but he never suffers any damage or penalties from them. Here's the exact text, straight from the PRD for reference:

Plague Bringer (Ex): At 3rd level, the powers of darkness make an antipaladin a beacon of corruption and disease. An antipaladin does not take any damage or take any penalty from diseases. He can still contract diseases and spread them to others, but he is otherwise immune to their effects.

Now, I have several questions about this ability. First of all, does an antipaladin continue making Fortitude saves to "fight" the disease just as anyone else would? If this is the case, then the antipaladin will inevitably cure himself of any affliction he happens to pick up (particularly with their formidable Fortitude save) in relatively short order. Can the antipaladin voluntarily choose to accept the disease and waive his chances to fight the infection? What if he is already immune to diseases (by being undead, for example)? Can he still contract them then?

Secondly, once the antipaladin acquires such a disease (or several), how does he spread them? The "diseased" cruelty only functions as the contagion spell, which defines a set list of diseases that can be conveyed. If an antipaladin goes out of his way to contract a particularly virulent or exotic disease for the purpose of spreading it... how can he do that? Does he need to bite people? Cough on people a lot? Are his weapon attacks sufficient to inflict the disease(s) he carries? What about diseases that aren't conveyed through injury? Can he grapple someone and give them leprosy?

Finally, what about diseases that aren't just diseases (like mummy rot)? The conventional paladin gains immunity to even these exotic afflictions, so I am inclined to believe that the antipaladin is similarly immune to their effect but then, can they still be spread? An antipaladin rampantly spreading mummy rot through a town would obliterate the population pretty rapidly and with little hope of stopping the infection once it started.

This ability has a lot of potential to be really flavorful, but it seems like the execution is incomplete. I'd love to hear what others think about how it should be arbitrated.

If a ranger/assassin with the Manyshot feat fires a pair of poisoned arrows at an enemy and the attack hits, does it count as 2 doses of the poison or just one because of a single attack roll? It seems to me that employing poison in this way is a really effective way of jacking up the otherwise low save DCs for most poisons.

The light of the setting sun struggled to pierce the gloomy autumn skies above Ustalav. With the dying light of summer disappearing behind the foothills to the west, the citizens of Caliphas knew that night would soon be upon them. It was the eve of the autumn equinox, a time viewed by many with dread as the cover of night would soon outpace the daylight, each day shrinking further and further into darkness.

For many, it would be the last opportunity for earnest celebration until spring. After a long day of festivities, revelry, and rampant mercantilism, the citizens rushed to pack up their stalls, secure their wares, bar their doors, and brace themselves for nightfall. Yet even as the sun still waned beyond the misty foothills at the base of the Hungry Mountains, a handful of citizens remain brave, foolish, or drunk enough to remain at the marketplace tavern: the Raven's Nest.

Within the warm and inviting tavern, the concerns of the populace seem to fade away before the promise of hearty ale and a roaring fire. Still, the crowd had thinned at dusk and only a handful now remained. The tavernkeeper, a powerfully built Varisian man by the name of Grigor, remains mostly quiet as he goes about the business of cleaning cups and pouring the last mugs of his summer brew. Not far from the door, a dark-skinned man thumbs a few gold coins pensively, perhaps considering business opportunities or wondering how things could have worked out better.

Outside, the marketplace is rapidly diminishing as merchants and performers of all kinds gather their goods and make haste towards their residences both permanent and otherwise. A few bold merchants remain, particularly a few foreigners selling alchemical reagents gathered from all over Avistan. A pale woman browses their wares with interest, but ignores their over-eager sales pitches. Her interest in shopping is momentarily distracted, however, as a red-robed man clad in traveling leathers enters the market square. He smiles and tips his feathered hat towards a few of the merchants who appear to recognize him, keeping his other arm cradled around a scroll case bearing elaborate scrollwork. The man briskly crosses the square and enters the Raven's Nest, his numerous trinkets and buckles jangling as he passes.

The robed man's entrance draws little more than a cursory glance from the Garundi near the door, but his accouterments and attire alone draw lingering stares from the other patrons. He glances around the room for a moment before approaching the bar, shaking hands with Grigor and addressing him in perfect Common: "Has he left yet?"

"Just a moment ago, Milo, but if you go quickly you can catch him before the caravan leaves!" Grigor responds in his thick Ustalavian accent.

With nothing more than a curt nod, the robed man turns on his heels and moves with haste to the doors. At a table near the bar, a well-appointed man and his somewhat surly-looking companion make note of the man's lavish trappings, the latter of which barely manages to hold back a fiendish smirk. The man's hurried exit and subsequent slamming of the tavern door seems to jar the Garundi man from his previously contemplative state.

The marketplace collectively takes note of the man's re-emergence as the tavern door closes loudly in his wake. His step quickens, nearly bowling over an elaborately-dressed Chelish man in his path. With a muttered apology, he presses on, fishing out a sealed scroll from his case and begins to break into a run. Not two steps into the road beyond the square, however, he stops abruptly and shudders before falling to the cobblestones, a trio of black arrows sprouting from his chest. For a moment, the marketplace is deathly silent with the shock of this event. It is only a moment, however, for immediately thereafter the square is filled with the shrieking of women and the rallying of the town guards outside...

We have a rogue in our party who is rapidly falling behind the other characters in combat functionality and is frankly reaching the point of near-uselessness. A large part of the reason for this is because all of the other characters in the group are hitting touch AC most of the time (the other characters being spellcasters, an alchemist, and a gunslinger).

The party is currently level 10, almost 11. They are all painfully undergeared (intentionally) but lately the gap is really starting to show for the rogue. I have been planning to have the party members come across a variety of unique items (some of which will be suited to party members, others will likely be sold for cash) and I am considering a special item for our rogue. She is currently two-weapon fighting with both a dagger and rapier. This is the unique weapon I have decided to throw in for the purposes of helping her keep up with the others (who will also be receiving special items of their own):

Guiding Light - This +1 brilliant energy dagger is made of a unique crystalline material that sheds light as a torch when activated. The weapon leaves particularly dazzling wounds when it strikes such that the wielder gains a +5 insight bonus on her next attack against that opponent made before the beginning of her next turn.

So, in brief:

• +1 brilliant energy dagger - Yeah, a +5 market modifier is high for this level, but she really needs the steroid, and the weapon itself is a dagger, not a two-hander to be power attacked with.
• Sheds light when active. This is pretty much a non-factor at this level, so I don't think this trait is worth any monetary value.
• Provides a +5 insight bonus for one attack after striking an opponent. This is the big one and I have no idea how to price it. I hope this ability will allow her to hit touch AC with the brilliant energy dagger, then use the +5 insight bonus to help her hit with the main weapon (her rapier).

Is this item's relatively high value (I'm sure) going to completely screw over the WBL tables for them? I don't expect anyone else's item is going to be nearly this valuable, but I also feel that, for it's GP value, it's not a terribly unbalancing item. Can anyone give me a ballpark on what this thing should be valued at? And am I crazy for letting a 10th/11th level party have it? Thanks!

EDIT: Just to illustrate my point, the last couple of encounters they had were against a black dragon with 32 AC and a glabrezu demon with 28. Her bonus to hit, with flanking, is +15 with her main hand weapon, or +13 when two-weapon fighting. Her chance to hit was practically nil while the alchemist and gunslinger completely dominated (the enemy touch ACs were less than 10 in both cases).

Greetings and welcome to the OOC/Discussion thread for my soon-to-be initiated all-evil PbP! Those of you who have been selected can get started on the serious business of character creation and design here... allow me to outline the character creation guidelines we'll be using for this campaign:

• I am not allowing the summoner class. I personally feel the class is disruptive and unbalanced. End of discussion.
• Characters must be evil. I don't want any "neutral with a mean streak" characters. If we're gonna do this, let's do it all the way.
• Leadership is banned. There will be plenty of NPCs to interact with over the course of the campaign. The last thing I need is several MORE of them to account for following the party everywhere.
• No third-party material. There's plenty of flexibility permitted within the boundaries of Paizo's vast array of published material and I am familiar with the majority of it.
• Core races + aasimar/tiefling only. Nothing fancy. (The possibility does exist for characters to acquire certain templates in the future, however.... mwahahahaha.)
• We will be using Pathfinder Society standard creation guidelines (20 pt. buy, 2 traits, etc.).
• Characters will begin at level 3. Hit points will be max for first level and half hit die (rounded up) for each other level, just like Pathfinder Society.
• Starting equipment will be as follows: you may have 1 or 2 (for two-weapon fighters) masterwork weapons, a masterwork suit of armor/shield (no special materials), a standard ranged weapon, a standard backup weapon (usually a dagger, kukri, or other light utility weapon), and as much mundane equipment as your character can reasonably carry (backpack, tent, climbing kit, etc.). If your class requires tools/instruments, you may have a masterwork version of that as well.
• For spellcasters or members of classes who do not use weapons or armor, you may opt to have only a standard weapon, no armor, a standard backup weapon, and a single magic item worth up to 1000gp in addition to your mundane gear and tools.
• You will have up to 900gp worth of non-mundane equipment. This can be potions, scrolls, a wand, or whatever you want from the Core Rulebook only. Characters who have spellbooks or similar means of spell preparation may use some or all of this 900gp to scribe additional spells into their books (paying the normal cost for the scroll + scribing materials). Any amount left over from this 900gp will be your character's cash on hand at the beginning of the game.

Questions are welcome if you want to know about anything I have not adequately covered here. This will be an RP-heavy campaign, so I expect character concepts to be rich and colorful without being overly contrary or prone to disrupting the flow of the game. Remember, the characters may be self-interested evil bastards, but the players should choose their concepts with an eye towards cooperation and fair play for all.

EDIT: Oh, yes, the campaign will begin in the capital city of Ustalav: Caliphas. If you're not a local, think about how/why you're there. :)

Hey all. Since I am contributing in a big way to the Reaper Kickstarter, I feel that it's probably time to find a better home for my miniatures than the egg cartons I currently keep them in (especially since I'm going to be quadrupling my collection when the Kickstarter minis get here).

So, my question is: Is there a good place online to find display cases for miniatures? I'd like something with multiple shelves, glass doors, and something that stands on its own (rather than being wall mounted). Most of the cases I've found during a cursory Google search are either very shallow (for displaying shotglasses and other collectibles) or wall-mounted (often both). I'd really like something maybe 8-12 inches deep and probably no more than 6' tall.

Suggestions? Recommendations? I could possibly get my stepfather to custom-build me a case (he's a carpenter) but if I can find something pre-made that's not too expensive, that would be best. Thanks!

I think it would be excellent to have a tagging system on the messageboards, much like Facebook or Twitter, in which you could put a tag into a post (i.e. @Fatespinner) and it would generate a PM to that user informing them that they've been tagged. This would make it quick and easy to solicit responses from particular people in a thread you feel is relevant to them that they might otherwise overlook (perhaps they don't frequent that part of the boards, or perhaps the thread is rapidly getting buried in the new posts list).

Obviously, you might want to make Paizo staff members "untaggable" since I can see that kind of feature getting abused for people asking for "official word" on rulings and whatnot, but I think it would be great for most users (especially in Play-by-Posts where maybe someone hasn't checked the thread for awhile or something in the Discussion area requires their input).

I have no idea how hard this would be to implement, or even if it would be worth the trouble, but I think it's a good idea.

Let me try this again...

Some time ago, I posted this thread into the Website Feedback forum hoping to get the situation resolved. The thread was then moved by someone from that forum to the Pathfinder Society General Discussion Forum (for what reason I have no idea). Needless to say, the thread was overlooked and forgotten.

It was recommended by someone on that thread to crosspost it to the Customer Service forum, but I declined at the time because I didn't want to post it somewhere else when someone had clearly moved the thread into (what I thought) was it's rightful place. So here I am, again, asking to have the link and character page for my character (#2198-2, Aedran Witherbark) restored so that I can track his sessions and prestige via the site. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Hypothetical situation here:

Bob the 7th-level Magus is badly damaged, having only 5 HP remaining. On his turn, he strikes an opponent with vampiric touch, gaining 16 temporary HP. Later in the round, he is subjected to a cloudkill spell, which reduces his CON by 4 (and thus reduces his maximum and current HP by 14). Now Bob is at -9 HP and should be dying, but he still has 16 temporary HP that effectively bring him above 0.

Question: What is Bob's present condition? (Assume Bob's CON score, after the 4 points of damage, is still greater than 9.)

• a.) Dying and bleeding! He needs to make a stabilization check or lose 1 HP per round, just like anyone else at negative HP. The bleeding should deplete his temp HP first, however, buying him some time.
  
• b.) Alive and kicking! Those 16 temp HP mean he's still above 0 and able to act normally.
  
• c.) Unconscious but stable! His actual HP are below 0, so he's unconscious, but the temp HP mean that he's not in danger of bleeding out as long as they last.
  
• d.) Dying and seriously bleeding! He needs to make a stabilization check or lost 1 HP per round, and that HP loss circumvents his temporary HP, depleting his normal HP instead and hastening his demise!
  
• e.) Still up, but looking dire. The HP reduction from the CON loss comes out of his temp HPs, leaving him at 5 real HP and 2 temp HP remaining.

Personally, I would go with B, but it's a dangerous place to be since as soon as the temps are gone he's deep into negatives.

Rapid Reload (Combat)

Choose a type of crossbow (hand, light, or heavy). You can reload such weapons quickly.
Prerequisite: Weapon Proficiency (crossbow type chosen).

Because it would appears that the repeating crossbow requires an exotic weapon proficiency and has it's own entry in the equipment section, do I correctly assume that a repeating crossbow (of any kind) is INELIGIBLE for this feat? Or would Rapid Reload (heavy crossbow) also include a heavy repeating crossbow? I'm curious to know the consensus on this.

We're looking to expand our pool of Pathfinder players up here in the Capital District (Albany, Troy, Schenectady, Saratoga, etc.) and we need YOU! We have a wide variety of Pathfinder Society organized play events going on and we'd like to see the player base grow for some of the larger events we're planning for the future.

In addition, I am both playing and running a few home games currently that could use an extra player or two. Please drop me a line here if you're in the area and we can make arrangements!

So, does a combination of Aspect of the Beast (for the claws), a level of monk (Master of Many Style archetype for Dragon Style, Stunning Fist, and Imp. Unarmed Strike), Feral Combat Training, Dragon Style, Dragon Ferocity, and Power Attack seriously allow a character to make a full attack with his twin claws that deal damage as a two-handed weapon EACH benefiting from 1.5x STR mod and the power attack bonus?

Two attacks, dealing 1d6+(1.5x STR)+(1.5x PA bonus) each, by level 5 as a human monk/ranger. Am I missing something? Is this legitimate?

One of my Pathfinder Society characters (#2198-2) is not displaying as an alias under my account, though his name (Aedran Witherbark) does show up in my list of sessions. I would like to be able to click his name and view the sessions that only he has credit for like I can with my other characters. Can you fix this please? Thank you!

So I'm working on a druid with the Blight Druid archetype and I really want to play up the whole "pestilence and decay" aspect of the class, while still making it mechanically sound (this is for Pathfinder Society play).

The best thing I've thought of at this point is to suffer through being largely useless until level 5 when I get miasma and wild shape, at which point I can shift into a combat animal, get in melee, and subject enemies to my miasma ability for free while I chew on them. The problem is, I've never actually done a "combat druid" before. Obviously I want high WIS for the ability and spell save DCs, but wild shape is a lot less powerful than it was in 3.5 and charging into melee with only 10-12 CON and not a lot of armor seems like a really bad idea, miasma or not. Getting more CON means sacrificing other physical stats more than I would like to, and I'd really like to avoid a negative CHA (since I intend to make use of Vermin Empathy whenever possible).

I'm soliciting advice here, for a build that will help me stay relevant and functional in the early levels and still accomplish my objective of being a plaguebringer/debuff expert throughout. Much appreciated.

I just received this order over the weekend and, while the Dragon Empires Primer that I received alongside my Dragon Empires Gazetteer is great and all, I didn't order it. I ordered the Inner Sea Primer. :\

What do I need to do in order to get the correct Primer? Thanks. :D

Reading the description of the cleric orison bleed, I noticed that it does not inflict actual bleed damage to a dying target, it merely forces a creature below 0 hit points to resume dying. This means that a creature who successfully stabilizes himself by way of a CON check (as per the normal rules for dying) could be subjected to the bleed spell and then succeed on the CON check again next round, stabilizing once more without any outside help.

I realize that orisons are not supposed to be terribly powerful, but if this is genuinely how the spell actually works, I really can't think of any reason to use it.... ever. Now, if the spell actively prevented "self-stabilization" and essentially forced the target to receive a Heal check/magical healing or face inevitable death, I think it would be a lot more practical.

There is a little bit of ambiguity in the verbiage for the spell, though. It states that the creature does, in fact, take 1 point of damage each round, but it says "That creature begins dying, taking 1 point of damage per round." Does this mean it gains the 'dying' condition, taking the damage as part of that condition (and allowing self-stabilization as noted previously) or is 'dying' in this case simply a descriptor and the spell actually deals 1 point of damage to the creature each round until stabilized by an outside force?

Please cancel this order and my continuing subscriptions. I cannot afford them at this time.

This spell causes a touched object to glow like a torch, shedding normal light in a 20-foot radius, and increasing the light level for an additional 20 feet by one step, up to normal light (darkness becomes dim light, and dim light becomes normal light). In an area of normal or bright light, this spell has no effect. The effect is immobile, but it can be cast on a movable object.

If a caster were to cast light on an object like, say, a 50' length of rope and then that rope were unfurled to it's full length and laid out along a dark hallway or dropped down into a darkened shaft, would it illuminate everything within 20' of any part of the rope? Meaning you essentially get a line 40' wide and 90' long of illumination from one cantrip cast on a 50' rope? What limitation is there? What if you cast it on a cavern wall? Does the entire wall glow? Only 1 5' x 5' section?

I ask because the idea of using a "glow rope" seems pretty damn useful to me and I wonder if it's legal.

As a counterpoint to this thread, let's talk about which classes you just don't care for. I'll start!

#1 - Summoner: I hate casters that summon stuff. It's an absolute nightmare to have all the various summonable monsters' statblocks available and, moreover, even more annoying to have the summoner's player spend half an hour declaring the movements and attacks of his upteen-thousand summoned minions. This is doubly problematic with the eidolon, as it has a mutable statblock and can be altered on the fly with evolution surge and similar spells. Ugh.

#2 - Alchemist: I just don't get this class. You hurl bombs at stuff. Okay, that's cool. And you maybe cast some primarily self-only buffs on the side. Yeah, you might make some helpful infusions for the party, but this class mostly buffs itself and blows things up. Mostly I see people taking a dip in this class for the extra tentacle attack it allows and then being a fighter and/or barbarian the rest of the way... which is a ridiculous visual, IMO.

#3 - Cavalier: For the same reason I don't like summoners, I don't like classes that rely heavily on an animal companion/mount to "do their thing." Sure, you don't NEED a mount to be a cavalier, but that seems to be a big part of their schtick. Without the mount around, cavaliers are just really weird fighters.

An interesting question came up recently in a PFS scenario I as playing at the local convention last weekend. Our cleric was trying to use his heavy shield to bash an enemy because it was more effective than using his scimitar (the enemy had DR/bludgeoning).

Clerics gain Shield Proficiency as a feat, but not Martial Weapon Proficiency (shields). Using a shield to bash is specifically listed as a martial bludgeoning weapon. The question is: Does the Shield Proficiency feat grant the ability to bash with said shield without the usual non-proficiency penalty? Or must a character possess Martial Weapon Proficiency in order to bash without penalty?

Here's why there is confusion: Improved Shield Bash lists ONLY Shield Proficiency as a prerequisite and makes no mention of Martial Weapon Proficiency. This means that a cleric could take Improved Shield Bash and STILL be swinging at a -4 penalty when using the bash. In a similar vein, it would be possible for a character to take Martial Weapon Proficiency (shield) and NOT have Shield Proficiency, meaning the shield's armor check penalty would apply to his attack rolls.

Please suspend all my subscriptions until further notice while I seek new employment. :(

So, the Crossbow Mastery feat is pretty cool (if you like crossbows) but the prerequisites are pretty steep. Granted, just about any archery concept is going to want Point Blank Shot and Rapid Shot, so those aren't really a "tax" but then you add Rapid Reload and Crossbow Mastery itself to the mix, which basically don't do anything except allow you to fire a crossbow just like a regular bow (but only one specific KIND of crossbow).

I have a character with relatively low STR (13), so I thought it would be kind of cool to go the crossbow route (I have no intention of investing more points into STR going forward) since the damage die on a heavy crossbow is a tiny bit better than a longbow, and the 19-20 crit range is pretty decent. However, said character is not a fighter, nor a ranger, and so that 2-feat tax is hurting pretty bad.

My question essentially boils down to this: How badly am I hurting myself by going this route instead of settling for a mighty (+1) composite longbow? Are there any unique functions of a crossbow that I can exploit (other than the fact that they can be fired from prone with no penalty)? Any cool feat trees that might help me out? I like the idea of this concept, but I'm worried it's going to end up so weak as to be nigh-unplayable, particularly at higher levels. For the record, the character is an inquisitor, currently level 3, and is human. Our GM also let us sacrifice the two starting traits for a bonus feat at 1st level, so I've got Crossbow Mastery at level 3... and nothing else (feat wise) except the prereqs for same. Any insight is appreciated. :)

Could you please unsuspend this order and have it charge/ship today if possible? Thanks!

Fellow board lurker Karelzarath and I are back in the saddle of EVE. Well, okay, he never left, but *I* am back and the two of us are engaged in quite starkly different activities while simultaneously engaged in common ones.

For those of you unfamiliar, EVE Online has launched the Incarna expansion, enabling players to control physical avatars of their characters in the station environments now and, while no "common areas" exist where avatars can interact with each other yet, the experience is quite novel and exciting nonetheless.

Coming into the game (or re-joining, for those of you who have been before), you are of course welcome to apply to one of our two corporations.

If running missions, mining, marketeering, and industry are your preferred activities, then look into signing up with Karelzarath's "Endrian Enterprises." The corp is currently looking to increase its numbers for the purposes of anchoring and maintaining a station in high security space for the use of research and development and we need your expertise to keep things running!

On the other hand, if you prefer to take a walk on the Dark Side, you can sign up with my corporation, the "Angellis Ater." Based in zero-security space, we are a (still young) pirate corporation with intent on running missions for the Angel Cartel and eventually becoming predators in our own right. The risk is much greater, and you WILL lose ships coming out to play with us, but the long-term rewards are potentially staggering.

It's your choice. Fame and fortune or guts and glory? You can find both of us online in the "Paizo" public channel.

Scenario: Rogue with the Shadow Strike feat, Major Magic rogue talent (obscuring mist), and the Stealth skill.

Round 1) He drops an obscuring mist as a standard action, getting both himself and his opponent in the area of effect. With his move action, he uses stealth to hide in the mist and move into a square adjacent to the opponent.

Round 2) He makes a full attack action on his enemy, gaining the advantage of sneak attack on his attacks (thanks to Shadow Strike) and then 5' steps away, gaining total concealment in the mist, and makes another Stealth check (which is listed as requiring no action since it is done as part of movement - in this case, a 5' step). Enemy moves into the square the rogue previously occupied, but must make a Perception check to find which square the rogue is now in due to the Stealth.

Round 3) Repeat until enemy dies or gets smart enough to leave the mist.

Is this legal? I will admit it's not exactly a game-breaking combo, since the enemy could very well leave the mist, dispel it, use scent or some other ability to pinpoint the rogue's square, etc. I just want to know if it is legal to 5' step into a square that gives total concealment and make a stealth check as part of that step.

Thread title pretty much says it. Here's the description of the 'grappled' condition from the PRD:

Grappled: A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler's CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.

A grappled creature cannot use Stealth to hide from the creature grappling it, even if a special ability, such as hide in plain sight, would normally allow it to do so. If a grappled creature becomes invisible, through a spell or other ability, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its CMD to avoid being grappled, but receives no other benefit.

Now, the fact that the creature takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls and CM checks except those made to grapple or escape a grapple suggests to me that a grappled creature can still make attacks against creatures outside of the grapple (albeit at the aforementioned penalty). Since grappling no longer forces creatures to share a square in Pathfinder, can a character who is engaged in a grapple still provide a flanking bonus to allies? Of particular interest is whether or not the grappler counts as a flank against the target he is grappling. The combination of a grapple-specialist monk or fighter combined with a rogue could be especially devastating, as the DEX penalty reduces the grappled target's AC in addition to the flank bonuses.

In fact, the only thing that suggests a grappling character might not provide a flank is this line: "Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity." Is being able to make an AoO against a target a factor in determining whether or not you are "threatening" it? Or is the ability to make a normal attack against the target adequate enough to establish threat?

Okay, flipping through Ultimate Magic I came across this spell called forbid action. Here it is:

Forbid Action

School enchantment (compulsion) [language-dependent, mind-affecting]; Level cleric 1, inquisitor 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Component V
Range close (25 ft. +5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration 1 round
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

You forbid the target a single course of action, which it avoids to the best of its ability. You may demand the target not take actions that fall into one of the following options.

Attack: The target cannot take any action that involves an attack roll, or uses a spell or ability that targets a foe or an area that includes a foe.

Cast: Target cannot cast spells or use spell-like abilities.

Communicate: The target cannot take any actions that allow it to communicate with anyone. This includes such acts as speaking, Bluff checks to pass secret messages, writing, and using telepathy. It does not prevent verbalizations made for purposes other than communication, such as command words or the verbal component of spellcasting.

Draw: Target cannot ready or prepare any item, weapon, component, or equipment.

Move: The target can take no act that would cause it to end up in a different location. The target does not resist being moved by others (and thus can be picked up or dragged, or can float along on a raft), but does not consciously attempt to move (including not directing a mount to move).

The target is free to take any actions not forbidden by the caster. For example, a target affected by this spell’s demand to not move is still free to cast spells, make attacks, or shout for help.

Okay, that's all fine and good, but my question is, what can it do that command doesn't already do better?

Command

School enchantment (compulsion) [language-dependent, mind-affecting]; Level cleric 1, inquisitor 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one living creature
Duration 1 round
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

You give the subject a single command, which it obeys to the best of its ability at its earliest opportunity. You may select from the following options.

Approach: On its turn, the subject moves toward you as quickly and directly as possible for 1 round. The creature may do nothing but move during its turn, and it provokes attacks of opportunity for this movement as normal.

Drop: On its turn, the subject drops whatever it is holding. It can't pick up any dropped item until its next turn.

Fall: On its turn, the subject falls to the ground and remains prone for 1 round. It may act normally while prone but takes any appropriate penalties.

Flee: On its turn, the subject moves away from you as quickly as possible for 1 round. It may do nothing but move during its turn, and it provokes attacks of opportunity for this movement as normal.

Halt: The subject stands in place for 1 round. It may not take any actions but is not considered helpless.

If the subject can't carry out your command on its next turn, the spell automatically fails.

Same level, same caster lists, same school, same descriptors, same EVERYTHING in the top section.

Now, pay particular attention to the use of command under "Halt." It says "The subject stands in place for 1 round. It may not take any actions but is not considered helpless."

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that pretty much like forbid action "everything" all rolled into one? The only difference I can see is that forbid action could prevent someone from moving (while still allowing them to attack or cast spells) or forbid them from casting (while still allowing them to move). But... why would you want to do that? If you're impairing someone's ability to act, why not impair it all the way? I'm just trying to figure out the purpose of this spell. It seems like a lesser version of command, but its the same spell level and on the same lists... am I missing something?

EDIT: On closer inspection, I notice that forbid action is "one creature" while command is "one LIVING creature." However, as forbid action still bears the mind-affecting descriptor, the only things this opens up is intelligent undead, which is a pretty narrow group. Still, its something.

Okay, I have a bit of confusion about the spell confusion.

The table shows the results of the d% roll and what actions the confused character is forced to take. However, in the last line it stipulates this: "Any confused character who is attacked automatically attacks its attackers on its next turn, as long as it is still confused when its turn comes."

So, if a confused character is attacked, they automatically attack the attacker? Meaning that you no longer check against the confusion table at all? Or you automatically attack your attacker only if a result of "attack the nearest creature" comes up?

Also, as a side note, how do you dictate the entry "deal 1d8+STR damage to self with item in hand" if the character in question isn't holding anything? Do they deal more damage to themselves with their fist than they would otherwise be capable of inflicting? Is it non-lethal damage in this case?

Excoriate

School necromancy; Level sorcerer/wizard 6, magus 6, witch 6

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M (an onion peel)

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Target one creature or see text

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw Fortitude partial; Spell Resistance yes

This spell disrupts the membranes beneath the skin of a creature, causing its flesh to slough off. If used on a living creature, this spell deals 1d6 points of Constitution damage plus 1 point for every three caster levels (maximum +5) and reduces the creature's natural armor (if any) by the same amount. A successful Fortitude save halves the ability damage and negates the natural armor reduction. Creatures who do not possess a Constitution score but still have flesh suffer only the natural armor reduction. Any creature slain by this spell has its flesh completely removed from its body. Corpses are also valid targets for this spell, in which case the spell completely strips the flesh from the target with no save (often useful for harvesting dragon scales and the like).

May 1st, 2011

The day was not so unusual for Chicago. It had rained the evening before and the streets were still damp as the morning sun made its way lazily across the cloudy sky, emerging perhaps once an hour to remind the world of its existence before disappearing once again. It was Sunday, and the churchfolk of the Windy City were emerging from their morning services and filling the dirty streets, as they had done every week before. For the millions who called the city home, this was just another day. For a select group, however, the specter of death had cast its shadow upon them.

When you saw the obituary last Friday, you could hardly believe your eyes. Professor Lucas Stampf, the very same professor who had taught some of your obligatory sociology classes, had passed away at the age of 49. Professor Stampf was not like most teachers, however. You remembered his lectures on modern hate cults, religious fanaticism, and the nature of human conflict. He had such passion, such devotion to his field of study. For a time perhaps you considered a change of major because of his influence. Some of the students mocked him for his extremism but for some reason, it stuck with you. Now, even years later, the images of a KKK rally splayed across the massive lecture hall projection screen or the image of a Palestinian woman kneeling over the body of her child in the streets of modern Jerusalem haunt your dreams when you think too much about them.

You had spent time with the professor outsider of class at least a few times, as he made a point of getting to know his students better and engage them in conversation whenever the opportunity presented itself. He was an avid patron of local bars (particularly ones with live entertainment), though nothing suggested any alcoholism or similar maladies. He simply loved to be in the element of his study: society. Rumors persisted of the professor taking some students aside after hours or otherwise making contact with them beyond the realm of school, but these rumors were never confirmed nor did anyone think twice about such things if they were true. He was personable, friendly, and fiendishly intelligent.

Regardless of the impact he had upon you, news of his death was shocking not because you recognized the name, nor because of his relatively young age. You all received a personal invitation, delivered by Certified Mail, to the funeral, held today at the Muzyka & Son Funeral Home on Lawrence Avenue. The return address of the sender was simply a P.O. Box assigned to the University you had all attended. There was no name or other indication. Compelled by either respect, morbid curiosity, or a healthy serving of both, you have decided to attend.

Arriving at the parking lot adjacent to the funeral home, you notice that there are a number of other people here. Perhaps for another funeral service, perhaps not. As you exit your conveyance of choice, a chill wind sweeps through the lot from the south. Errant pieces of litter from the street are carried on the breeze, finding lodging in the short row of bushes that separated this lot from the alley. The sound of organ music can faintly be heard emanating from within as another group of mourners enters ahead.

Just so we're all on the same page here, this is the complete entry of the spell antimagic field in the PRD:

Antimagic Field

School abjuration; Level cleric 8, sorcerer/wizard 6

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M/DF (pinch of powdered iron or iron filings)

Range 10 ft.

Area 10-ft.-radius emanation, centered on you

Duration 10 min./level (D)

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance see text

An invisible barrier surrounds you and moves with you. The space within this barrier is impervious to most magical effects, including spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. Likewise, it prevents the functioning of any magic items or spells within its confines.

An antimagic field suppresses any spell or magical effect used within, brought into, or cast into the area, but does not dispel it. Time spent within an antimagic field counts against the suppressed spell's duration.

Summoned creatures of any type and incorporeal undead wink out if they enter an antimagic field. They reappear in the same spot once the field goes away. Time spent winked out counts normally against the duration of the conjuration that is maintaining the creature. If you cast antimagic field in an area occupied by a summoned creature that has spell resistance, you must make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against the creature's spell resistance to make it wink out. (The effects of instantaneous conjurations are not affected by an antimagic field because the conjuration itself is no longer in effect, only its result.)

A normal creature can enter the area, as can normal missiles. Furthermore, while a magic sword does not function magically within the area, it is still a sword (and a masterwork sword at that). The spell has no effect on golems and other constructs that are imbued with magic during their creation process and are thereafter self-supporting (unless they have been summoned, in which case they are treated like any other summoned creatures). Elementals, corporeal undead, and outsiders are likewise unaffected unless summoned. These creatures' spell-like or supernatural abilities may be temporarily nullified by the field. Dispel magic does not remove the field.

Two or more antimagic fields sharing any of the same space have no effect on each other. Certain spells, such as wall of force, prismatic sphere, and prismatic wall, remain unaffected by antimagic field. Artifacts and deities are unaffected by mortal magic such as this.

Should a creature be larger than the area enclosed by the barrier, any part of it that lies outside the barrier is unaffected by the field.

Of particular note is this line: "An antimagic field suppresses any spell or magical effect used within, brought into, or cast into the area, but does not dispel it."

Does this mean that a spellcaster who stands within an antimagic field can still cast spells that target creatures/areas OUTSIDE the field normally? Is antimagic field effectively a nigh-impenetrable bulwark against magical attacks that enables an encapsulated mage to launch his arcane assaults from within with impunity? Obviously creatures within the field are immune to the mage's close-range attacks, and the mage effectively cuts himself off from most escape mechanism spells (dimension door, invisibility, fly, teleport, and the like), but it still seems like a pretty good deal, especially when dealing with enemy casters.

Bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or through the application of any spell that cures hit point damage (even if the bleed is ability damage).

This is the description of bleed straight from the PRD, verbatim. It actually specifies that only a spell which cures hit point damage can stop bleed damage (or a Heal check, but that's not the point of this discussion).

Ergo, the following means of restoring hit points, by RAW, do not effectively stop bleed damage from continuing:

• Channel Energy (Su)
• Lay on Hands (Su)
• Fast Healing (Ex)
• Regeneration (Ex)

Now, mind you, in the description for the rogue class's Bleeding Attack talent it says "any effect that heals hit point damage." With the Bleeding Critical feat, it says that any magical healing stops the effect. So that still leaves out Fast Healing and Regeneration, but channel and LoH will do the trick there.

But for bleed damage that comes from sources other than these, without specific caveats? According to RAW, you need an actual cure spell to be laid on you or make that Heal check to stop the arterial spray. :)

Bought this game on a Steam sale over the weekend and I must say, I am impressed. It's like a Russian hybrid of Doom 3 and Fallout 3, a post-apocalyptic horror/sci-fi. The world (what you see of it) is beautifully detailed and the writers and designers really drive the bleak reality of the situation home in the conversations of the NPCs at stations. There's also a bit of Hellgate: London influence, in that you spend the vast majority of your time moving from subway station to subway station by way of underground tunnels, though you do foray onto the surface a few times.

While most of the criticism I've seen for the game focuses on the over-emphasis of "realism" in the game, I find that the realism drives home the sense of desperation that pervades the game. Your flashlight must be manually recharged via a hand crank, various crude weapons are pneumatic and must be pumped like a glorified pellet gun in order to be functional, quality ammunition is such a rarity that it is actually used as CURRENCY in the game, etc.

Anyone who like post-apoc games or who really liked Doom 3 and would like to see a "newer" version of it is encouraged to check this one out!

This is just a placeholder thread while I wrap up the "auditions" in Gamer Connection. This is also the official avatar I'll be using as the Storyteller in the game. (This is Fatespinner, in case it weren't obvious.)

I also wanted to take the opportunity to lay out some posting guidelines to help establish some style unity for the game thread when we go live. As I said before, I'm very picky about my games and some might call me anal-retentive. Call it what you will, but I guarantee that if you can make yourself stick with the guidelines, we'll all have a lot of fun together. :)

You had been hearing the strange chanting upstairs for some time, but paid no particular attention to it. Tonight was football night, after all, and after 3 Budweisers you didn't particularly care what your weird upstairs neighbors were up to as long as it didn't interfere with the game.

In the 4th quarter, your team's quarterback throws a long bomb deep into the backfield and it looks to be a surefire winning touchdown if the defending safety can't intercept. The ball soars through the air and you lean forward in anticipation.... just as the power in your apartment building cuts out abruptly. In that instant, the murmuring upstairs goes silent and you hear what sounds like a woman's scream abruptly cut off... and the sound of something heavy slumping to the floor above.

The building remains eerily quiet afterwards. You are alone in the darkness. What do you do?

Is there any reason why a paladin can't use lay on hands twice in one round? When targeting themselves, paladins can "touch" themselves as a swift action... could they then use their standard action to do it again (assuming they have more uses left)? I don't see anything in the rules to suggest that they couldn't.

I have a paladin player in my game using the Warrior of Holy Light archetype from the APG. This archetype gives up all spellcasting in favor of some neat light-flavored abilities and additional uses of lay on hands. She's also taken the Endurance/Diehard feat chain and wants to portray a character that just will not go down. Being able to double-heal in a single round (particularly after dropping below 0 HP) would go a long way towards that goal. Is it legal? If not... why?

Another thread in this forum prompted a bit of thinking on my part about the specifics of the undead type and it's relationship with a couple of well-known "killer" spells, both of which happen to be cleric spells to boot.

Undead Traits (Ex) Undead are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, phantasms, and patterns), paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). Undead are not subject to ability drain, energy drain, or nonlethal damage. Undead are immune to damage or penalties to their physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects. Undead are not at risk of death from massive damage.

Note the section of the above that I have highlighted in italics. This fact is common knowledge. Undead are immune to spells like finger of death, cloudkill, and the like because, well, they aren't alive. Disintegrate, on the other hand, can vaporize creature and brick wall alike, so it gets a pass on account of the fact that undead are still things and things can be disintegrated.

However, there are a couple of spells that require Fortitude saves that are not useable on objects but, by all logical reasoning, SHOULD very well be useable against undead. Namely, destruction and implosion.

Destruction

School necromancy [death]; Level cleric 7
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (holy or unholy symbol costing 500 gp)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw Fortitude partial; Spell Resistance yes

This spell instantly delivers 10 points of damage per caster level. If the spell slays the target, it consumes the remains utterly in holy (or unholy) fire (but not its equipment or possessions). If the target's Fortitude saving throw succeeds, it instead takes 10d6 points of damage. The only way to restore life to a character who has failed to save against this spell (and was slain) is to use true resurrection, a carefully worded wish spell followed by resurrection, or miracle.

This spell openly claims that it obliterates the target with holy (or unholy) fire! If given a list of things that I want to use to battle undead, I'm pretty sure that "holy fire" would be #1 on that list! This spell, however, is both a "death" effect AND a spell that requires a Fortitude save and isn't useable on objects... thus undead are immune.

Implosion

School evocation; Level cleric 9
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one corporeal creature/round
Duration concentration (up to 1 round per 2 levels)
Saving Throw Fortitude negates; Spell Resistance yes

This spell causes a destructive resonance in a corporeal creature's body. Each round you concentrate (including the first), you can cause one creature to collapse in on itself, inflicting 10 points of damage per caster level. If you break concentration, the spell immediately ends, though any implosions that have already happened remain in effect. You can target a particular creature only once with each casting of the spell. Implosion has no effect on creatures in gaseous form or on incorporeal creatures.

This spell is an evocation, thus it manipulates or creates energy which, in this case, is used to crush a target in on itself. It requires a Fortitude save and is not useable on objects, thus undead are immune. Why? Why are undead immune to being crushed? If you drop rocks on them, they take damage. If you hit them with a greatclub they take damage. Why is this any different?

Yes, I know that "game rules are not necessarily logical" and that "this is a fantasy game, it's magic, that's just how it is." But in this case... seriously? Undead can't be crushed? I think an extra line needs to be added to state that these spells can specifically ignore the usual undead immunity or, at the very least, implosion should get that treatment since it's an evocation and not a death effect. It's also a 9th-level spell, though destruction is 7th-level and no slouch either.

As has been discussed ad nauseum on these boards and others, the two-weapon fighting style is grossly suboptimal from a mechanical standpoint when compared to two-handed weapons. Classes such as the rogue that are able to add significant bonus damage on a per-hit basis CAN make up for some of this discrepancy, but another major factor against two-weapon fighting... it's prohibitively expensive!

A +5 greatsword is only 40gp more than a +5 short sword, yet the two-weapon fighter needs TWO of these short swords to even hope to compare to the greatsword in terms of usefulness. Thus, the cost difference is a whopping 50,000+ gp for something that is LESS effective in general. Now, granted, two +5 short swords are actually getting a net benefit of +5 damage since EACH WEAPON is dealing +5 instead of the greatsword's single +5 but hear me out: A mechanic/system should be in place that allows the creation of a weapon "set." A single pairing of weapons that can be enchanted/enhanced/targeted as though they were a single item. There may be an increased initial cost for a "matched" set of items, perhaps an extra 1000gp or something.

"The leather wrapped around the grips of these twin short swords comes from the hide of the same demonic beast that rampaged through the village only a few short years ago. The hide serves to tie the weapons together with an otherworldly bond, greatly enhancing the ease with which they may be enchanted."

After the initial investment, though, the weapons are treated as one object for the purpose of enhancing. Perhaps one weapon would need to be designated as the "master" and the other the "slave" such that, in the event that the weapons are separated for more than a few minutes, the slave weapon loses all magical properties until brought near the master again. This would also prevent abuse in the form of players buying a "set" of greatswords and then having two separate characters getting their weapons essentially at half cost. Perhaps the "master" weapon also has one of the demon's teeth ensconced in the pommel or adorning the crossguard or something to differentiate them.

Thoughts?

Hey folks, I've just been authorized by my employer to sell off a couple of Netgear ProSecure UTM10 devices at substantial discount to anyone who might be interested. Both of them are in near-mint condition and work perfectly fine.

I'm looking to sell them for about $250 each, but I would consider a discount to anyone who wants to purchase both at once. Send an e-mail to zhensley (at) bespoke.com and let me know if you have an interest in purchasing. Make sure you mention you're from the Paizo boards in the subject line of the e-mail. Thanks!