If you had an ability that increases your initiative for a number of rounds, would activating it have an effect after initiative has been rolled?
Specifically, this would be for an Arcanist taking the School Understanding(Divination) exploit to gain the school ability to always act in the surprise round and add half your wizard level to your initiative. Unactivated, this provides a flat +1 initiative and the acting in the surprise round, but for the cost of an arcane pool point you can act as if you had more wizard levels for a number of rounds.
I show up to play the freerpgday special Risen from the Sands using one of the level 3 pregens included in the module. My pregen dies or gains some sort of permanent condition during the adventure. It says that you normally must clear conditions at the end. Let's say the pregen gained a permanent negative level somehow.
What if I don't want to pay to have this pregen's negative level removed? For your own character, they would die, but do you care about the pregen? What if the conditions cost more to clear than the module provides? With the pregen, are you forced to clear these conditions out of your own gold? Or do you just choose not to assign it and walk away?
I know what you COULD do (e.g. assign it to a junk spare PFS number), but what is in the spirit of the rules?
Kind of confused about all of this, let me know if I'm not being clear enough.
I have played this scenario about a month ago at a convention.
I noticed in several places online people have spoken about the twist ending and how fun it is. I have been wracking my brain trying to recall what it is, and am coming up empty.
Could someone please PM me (because people don't like spoilers posted) if they know what this is referring to? I would really appreciate it. I guess the details are just hazy because it ran quite late, and at the time we were probably too elated to be done and survived to focus on what was going on.
Been working on an idea, and was hoping that running it by the forums here might help me fill in some gaps. The quick summary of the build is:
Half Orc (Sacred Tattoo, City Raised, Intimidating, Darkvision)
-Favored class bonus (Skald): Can rage an extra round/day
Traits:
-Fortune's Favored (Add +1 to any luck bonus you receive)
-Comunity-Minded (Any morale bonus you grant lasts extra 2 rounds)
Skald (Fated Champion) 1/Slayer (Vanguard) 2/Skald (Fated Champion) X
A bit more of a breakdown looks like this:
Breakdown:
Level 1: Skald (Fated Champion) 1
Feat: Skald’s Vigor – While maintaining a raging song, gain fast healing equal to the song’s strength bonus
Bonus Feat: Extra Performance – You can use performance an extra 6 rounds per day (PFS replaces Scribe Scroll with this)
*At this point, your allies gain +2 morale to Str and Con, +1 to Will, -1 AC, and you gain Fast Healing 1. You rage for 9 + CHA rounds/day.
Level 2: Slayer (Vanguard) 1
Studied Target (Ex): As a move action, study a target to gain +1 on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, Weapon attack and weapon damage.
Lookout (Ex): Add ½ Level to Initiative Checks (This appears to not be class dependant, worst case it becomes a static +1)
Level 3: Slayer (Vanguard) 2
Tactician (Ex): Add Teamwork Feat (Amplified Rage – When raging adjacent to someone with this feat, increase morale bonus by +4 to Str and Con), once per day as standard action, grant to all allies in 30’ 3 + ½ level rnds (Replaces 2nd level Slayer Talent)
Feat: ??? Generally my feats will probably go into Extra Rage Powers, but noting that those from the feat seem to only work on myself.
*At this point, if you are adjacent to an ally, any ally, while both are raging and you grant this, you will have +6 Str/+6 Con, and the Skald gains Fast Healing 3
Level 4: Skald (Fated Champion) 2
Watcher of the Weave: Gain an insight bonus to initiative equal to ½ your Skald level (Initiative will start going through the roof)
Level 6: Skald (Fated Champion) 4
Uncanny Dodge: You are never caught flat-footed, nor do you lose dex bonus to AC when attacked by invisible.
Level 7: Skald (Fated Champion) 5
Feat: ???
Far Seer: Give up spell slots to cast from Sorcerer/Wizard, Bard or Cleric lists. Spells that predict the future cost one less, spells that cause damage use one more.
Level 8: Skald (Fated Champion) 6
Rage Power: ???
Level 9: Skald (Fated Champion) 7
Feat: ???
Level 10: Skald (Fated Champion) 8
Improved Uncanny Dodge: You can no longer be flanked.
Inspiring Rage bonus to stats increases to +4, will bonus is at +3.
Level 11: Skald (Fated Champion) 9
Damage Reduction: Gain DR 1/-
Rage Power: ???
Feat: Improved Skald’s Vigor – Your allies share your fast healing while you rage song
*At this point, you grant your fast healing to allies (and gear would probably be put together to improve morale bonuses). Your initiative is quite high, and you can rage for a total of 27+Cha rounds/day (How long is combat again, generally?)
So that's the core of it. That's 3 Rage Powers and 3 Feats unaccounted for, and I'm kind of torn between focusing on two handed feats (I will probably use a reach two-handed weapon) or just picking 3 personal rage powers. Maybe something like this:
Personal Rage Powers:
-Quick Reflexes: Can make one additional attack of opportunity per round while raging.
-Lesser Spirit Totem: Spirits slam an opponent adjacent to you
-Spirit Totem: Ranged and melee not adjacent to you have a 20% miss chance
Rage Powers:
-Superstitious: Gain a morale bonus vs spells, SLAs and SUs
-Witch Hunter: Extra Damage vs Spellcasters
-Disruptive: Gain the Disruptive Feat
Vanguard Slayers gain the following ability at first level:
Lookout(Ex):
At 1st level, a vanguard adds 1/2 his level (minimum 1) to initiative checks.
Normally abilities like this read something along the lines of "adds 1/2 his slayer level".
In contrast, you see a similar ability granted by the Divination School for Wizards:
Forewarned(Su):
You can always act in the surprise round even if you fail to make a Perception roll to notice a foe, but you are still considered flat-footed until you take an action. In addition, you receive a bonus on initiative checks equal to 1/2 your wizard level (minimum +1). At 20th level, anytime you roll initiative, assume the roll resulted in a natural 20.
Does this wording make a one level dip in Vanguard extremely favourable as all characters would gain 1/2 character level added to initiative?
I have noticed that nearly all the scenarios I have played so far seem to have a plethora of consummable magic items that drop over the course of the adventure that do not usually all get used.
An Arcanist can take an exploit that allows them to consume magic items (potions/scrolls destroyed, 5 charges removed from a wand) to gain points in their arcane reservoir.
I just want to be sure that this will not penalize my fellow players. My questions:
1) If a chronicle sheet listed a partial charges wand (let's say 18 charges), and I consumed three times, would you modify everyone's chronicle sheets to a wand for 3 uses?
2) Is playing in this way in poor taste, and while not forbidden, would be frowned upon? I suppose I could just use 2PP to purchase 5x level 2 scrolls and consume them to my heart's content.
Just curious if this is coming soon, it feels like it is rolling out quite slowly. Still showing Cheliax even though I haven't played any sessions since Season 6 started as anything but Dark Archive.
You stomp your foot or strike your weapon against the ground or floor, creating a ripple of power that you can use to trip a creature. Attempt the combat maneuver check to trip the target, but instead of your base attack bonus you can use your caster level, and instead of your Strength modifier you can use your spellcasting ability score modifier (Intelligence for magi and wizards; Wisdom for druids and rangers; Charisma for bloodragers and sorcerers). This does not provoke an attack of opportunity. This spell has no effect if you cannot reach the ground or floor, or if your target is not in contact with the ground or floor.
If this were cast from a wand by a class that does not have a spellcasting ability score modifier, such as a rogue, what would your spellcasting ability score modifier be? What if you were a spellcaster, but not amongst those listed in the spell description above, such as an Oracle?
Would it be dictated by the class that crafted the wand? Would it be no bonus, and you just use your BAB and STR since those will be higher than CL1 and +0 spellcasting modifier (since it says 'you can', not 'you must')?
Here is the build that I think I have settled on for my Pathfinder Society character, would love to hear your thoughts on how it can be improved:
-Main Role: Battlefield Control
-Secondary Roles: Shut down spellcasters (at high level), Utility Summons, Quick access to utility spells
Tiefling Occultist Arcanist
Traits:
-Reactionary (+2 Init)
-Student of Philosophy (Use Int for Diplomacy to convince, Bluff to lie)
-Prehensile Tail (Retrieve object on person as a swift action)
-Vestigial Wings (+4 Fly Skill)
Feats:
1) Extra Exploit -> Bloodline Development(Arcane) -> Arcane Bonded Ring
3) Spell Focus: Conjuration
5) Augment Summons (+4 Str/Con on sumoned creatures)
7) Persistent Spell (Metamagic)
9) Evolved Summons (Add 1 Eidolon evolution to one monster you summon)
11) Extra Preparation (Prepare 1 extra level 5 spell)
Exploits:
1) (Taken by Archetype): As a standard action, pay 1 reservoir to cast summon monster I. Every two levels, increase the summon and pay 1 more reservoir (similar to Summoner). Summons last 1 min/level. Cannot have more than one of these casts in play at a time.
3) Dimensional Slide (Pay 1 Reservoir to reappear a distance away)
5) Quick Study (Pay 1 Reservoir to prepare a new spell in the place of an existing preparation)
7) (Taken by Archetype): Gain Augury and Contact Other Plane uses
9) Counterspell: Give up a spell cast one level higher and spend 1 reservoir point to counter a spell as if using dispel magic
11) Greater Counterspell: Can now use same level spell slot to counter
I have the spell Crafter's Fortune (+5 luck bonus on next Craft Skill Check, duration 24hours/level).
At the end of a scenario, can I offer to cast this (and maintain it for the downtime) on those in my scenario party to assist their day job rolls (if they are using a craft skill to determine gold earned)?
A character with the arcane bond class feature may create a bond with any item he owns, either magical or mundane, as long as the item falls within the categories permitted by the arcane bond ability (the cost for bonding with a new item still applies). If a caster later wishes to upgrade an existing bonded item, he may do so for the cost (not price) of the final item as listed in the item's statblock.
For items which can be enhanced incrementally (such as weapons or a ring of protection), the caster must meet all prerequisites for the item as outlined in the item crafting rules. For example, a nonmagical bonded dagger can be enchanted to a +1 dagger for 1,000 gp instead of the normal 2,000 gp, but the caster must be at least 5th level (a prerequisite for the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat). To upgrade the item further to a +2 dagger, the caster must have a caster level of 6 or higher (three times the item's enhancement bonus).
A bonded item that is enhanced must still conform to all the campaign rules for access to and upgrading of magical items. The final and total price of the item (not the cost) is used on the Fame chart to determine whether a caster can apply such an enhancement to a bonded item.
Facts I know:
1) I must be level 7 to modify my ring (due to Forge Ring)
2) I must have enough fame to cover its price (not crafting cost)
My issue comes from this line:
"the caster must meet all prerequisites for the item as outlined in the item crafting rules"
Let's say that I want to craft it into a Ring of Protection +2.
Requirements (Ring of Protection):
Forge Ring, shield of faith, caster must be of a level at least three times the bonus of the ring; Cost 1,000 gp (+1), 4,000 gp (+2), 9,000 gp (+3), 16,000 gp (+4), 25,000 gp (+5)
Okay, so to make it +2, I must be level 6. No issue because of the Fame Requirement.
Q: What about 'Shield of Faith' requirement? As an arcane caster, I do not have this spell. In PFS, can I pay for Spellcasting service 1/day? Do I need to buy as many level 1 scrolls of this (based on my UMD rolls) to cover my days of crafting? Or, am I simply banned, as an arcane caster, from ever crafting this item?
I know I could do either the scrolls or spellcasting services in normal play, but can I do this in PFS?
I received an email today that my order had issues:
"We are eager to ship your products, but we need your help. We do not have a payment method on file for this order. Please take a moment to add a payment method to this order at your My Payment Methods page."
This is the same credit card I have used for all of my orders. I verified that it is the same one as my other subscription, which I made just a few weeks ago and it went through fine.
Further to this, when I click 'My Subscriptions', I see:
Which is hard to understand, as the card is kept paid off, and after contacting my card provider, they see no issue why it could be declined.
I would appreciate the PDF if my downloads and was expecting immediate access. If you cannot provide me this tomorrow (13 Aug) in the morning, cancel my order and subscription.
I was hoping to have something cleared up regarding the class ability of the Occultist Archetype. It reads:
Conjurer's Focus (Sp):
An occultist can spend 1 point from her arcane reservoir to cast summon monster I. She can cast this spell as a standard action and the summoned creatures remain for 1 minute per level (instead of 1 round per level). At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, the power of this ability increases by one spell level, allowing her to summon more powerful creatures (to a maximum of summon monster IX at 17th level), at the cost of an additional point from her arcane spell reserve per spell level. An occultist cannot have more than one summon monster spell active in this way at one time. If this ability is used again, any existing summon monster immediately ends. This ability replaces the arcanist exploit gained at 1st level.
Does this mean that at level 3, I only have the option to cast Summon Monster II at a cost of 2 Arcane Reservoir points, or do I still retain the ability to cast Summon Monster I for 1 Arcane Reservoir point? I am currently reading it as the former.
Please let me know if you think this is a solid looking build. I have toyed with the Occultist Archetype (Use pool to summon monsters for 1min/level), but I felt that going Conjuration focused would come out much stronger. He will be primarily battlefield control, so probably looking very similar to most wizards:
School Savant (Teleportation) Tiefling Arcanist
Str: 7
Dex: 16
Con: 14
Int: 18
Wis: 14
Cha: 7
School Savant Abilities (Takes Conjuration>Teleportation School):
Summoner's Charm: Extend duration of summon monster spells by 1/2 your arcanist level.
Shift: As Swift action, teleport as Dimensional Door, 5'/2 arcanist levels (minimum 5'). Use this ability 3 + Int modifier/day.
Dimensional Steps: at 8th level, teleport 30'/arcanist level per day in 5 foot increments. Can bring others, divide distance between them.
Opposition Schools: Evocation, Necromancy
Feats:
1) Extra Exploit (Bloodline Arcana (Arcane) - Arcane Bond Ring)
*Idea here is that I can use it to cast opposition school spells, or anything situational for versatility
3) Improved Initiative
5) Spell Focus: Conjuration
7) Augment Summons (Summoned monsters gain +4 Str/Con)
9) Persistent Spell (Metamagic, must take saves twice)
11) Evolved Summoned Monster (Summoned monster gains 1 point Eilodon evolotion, usually magic attacks)
Exploits:
1) (Blocked)
3) (Blocked)
5) Quick Study (Spend Arcane Point to swap spell prepared for any in book)
7) (Blocked)
9) Metamagic Knowledge (Quicken Spell)
11) Metamixing (Can apply metamagic feat unprepared without increasing cast time)
Really would appreciate some help on this. Here is the relevant text:
Expanded Preparation:
Benefit: You gain an extra spell slot of the highest level you can cast. This is in addition to the number of spell slots you can normally prepare from your spellbook. You can instead add two spell slots, but both of these spells must be at least 1 level lower than the highest-level spell you can cast as an arcanist. You must choose which benefit you gain when you take this feat.
The question is: if I take this at level 1, and add another prepared spell slot, when I gain level 2 spells (at arcanist 4), will the extra prepared spell slot move to level 2 spells, or remain at level 1?
This is the easiest way to ask my question. If I had an ability that increased my initiative as a swift action, could I use it prior to the initiative rolls, or even prior to the surprise round?
I can get into more detail on this if required, but I think the above gets to the crux of the matter.
I have noticed people mention being able to buy faction boons, vanity wayfinders, things of that nature with their PP.
All I have is the free PFS guide that lists things like 2PP=750g item, or raise dead.
What should I purchase that will let me read other options to spend my PP? Are any of them being replaced soon and not worth it just yet (especially with the changes to factions about to happen)? I noticed, for instance, that seeker or secrets was superceded by the PFS field guide, but will that be out of circulation in the next month also?
Description: Used for ceremonial displays or occasionally worn (albeit with no additional benefit) over heavier armor, these robes consist of several layers of cloth and an outer layer of silk intricately woven with gold brocade designs and covered with metal studs.
Basically, cost is 30g, weight is 4lbs, AC: +1
I am playing on a low strength character, and am trying to sort out the 'accounting' involved in his encumberance. I compare this to the Harimaki (3g, 1lbs, +1 AC), and am supposing that the cost and weight was decided in this way to replace an outfit.
Would you have a problem, as a GM, if I were wearing this armor but not wearing any other clothing?
I have seen listed in many places here that you should use your first two PP to purchase a wand, probably of healing.
On board, makes sense, would love to. However, I don't see how I can do this until I reach 9 Fame. Wands are not on the always available list, and their cost limits their access until I hit 9 fame (1500g purchase limit).
What am I missing that allows me to purchase a level 1 wand for 2 PP with only 2 Fame to my name?
Hello, about to start on my first PFS character. I have read a number of threads with titles like "What you need to survive level one in PFS" and have tried to make my character something that can truly grow and develop (and survive) into something really fun up to level 12.
If anyone could please provide any advice on what I should consider changing prior to going into my first scenario, I would love to hear it. Keep in mind that the ACG is coming out in August, so I am less worried about the final mechanics (as I can change those freely until I sit down for my fourth scenario). If a min/maxed character is something that upsets you, my apologies in advance. Equipment choices and spells chosen/prepared are my primary concern:
Elf Arcanist 1
N Medium Humanoid (Faction: Grand Lodge, Religion: Nethys) Age: 125, Height: 5’8”, Weight: 125 lbs
Speed: 30’, Encumbrance: 22.5 lbs (Light Load = 23 lbs)
Init: +11, Perception: +6
Traits: Reactionary: +2 Initiative (Combat), Observant: +1 Perception, Class Skill (Faction), Fleet-Footed (+2 Initiative, Run Feat) (Race), Elven Immunities (Immune Sleep, +2 vs Enchantment), Elven Magic (+2 vs SR, +2 Spellcraft to Identify), Low-Light Vision (2x Human Distance in Dim Light)
Looking to develop a bit of background for my character. Is there somewhere I can read about the world PFS is set in, spoiler free, so that I can try to place my character in this world?
Is this the way things are usually done, or do most simply develop their characters as time goes by and they experience the world? Whenever I have done campaigns, the first thing we do is set our characters up as living people in the world, then go on to the actual adventuring later.
Alright, brand new to PFS (no PFS games, some experience with Pathfinder).
Here is my situation:
I really like the Arcanist class, but know that a 'finalized' version will be out in just a few more weeks. There might be changes, or even an archetype I would want to 'lock in' on once it comes out, and I am glad I can make that change before I hit level 2 (which will be a while anyway).
So, as a starter character, you get 150g. Doing three scenarios, on the normal track, will get you to level 2. However, at the end of each scenario, you get to 'generate' gold with a craft/profession and maybe even receive items. If I do three scenarios, then choose to 're-roll', do I go back to a 150g spend, or do I get to account for the new items/gold I received.
Caveat to last paragraph: Even if the answer is 'yes' to getting more gold, I would still consider the gold spent on items consumed such as scrolls gone if I actually used them.
The reason I am even asking is that I have an opportunity to play a scenario (Confirmation) next weekend. Wondering if it would be a waste of my time, if the progress would not be kept anyway.
I'm hoping to get a little clarity on how these things interact with each other. I'll give a mock situation as an example:
I see an enemy guarding a treasure that I have been sent to recover, and cast Charm Person hoping to use that to persuade him to let us pass freely as opposed to having to fight him. He is an appropriate CR spellcaster with skillpoints in spellcraft, but fails his save vs the Charm Person.
1) After failing, does he still get to make a spellcraft check vs what you just cast (or does he somehow forget about the spell happening)?
2) If yes to above, does that allow him to realize that a charm person was cast, and he needs to be suspicious of those around him and his own actions?
How do you properly use this spell in the real (pathfinder) world?
Thanks, sorry, new to all of this and just trying to think actions through on my downtime.
