Fenris Ulfhamr's page

There is mention of Eoxian body merchants purchasing corpses for reanimation, but few details. Does anyone have any insight into the legality of this trade? I mean, are there legal avenues established to purchase corpses, or what have you done to address this (if at all)?

I'm working a story arc where a group of smugglers is selling people to Eox, Apostae, etc. in a black market scenario and want to add more details for the intrigue/RP portions before we move to shoot-em-up mode.

As a longtime player, one of the most jarring things to the continuity of a game world in which our campaigns exist is a new edition or a remaster. Even when the changes are good for the game, it shatters continuity of storytelling. Why not make an in-game rationale for why things are changing? Tell me where the drow went, what evolved the dragons, what warped magic! Was there another Earthfall level event? A war of the gods? Maybe it was to gain freedom from a corrupt cabal of Sorcerers by the Sea... just gimme something to work with and and I'm in!

Events have come about that have prompted a somewhat shady challenger to run against the current respected mayor of the town our campaign is set in, as well as one of my PCs entering the race. The challenger has recently gained some headway and respect, and the incumbent mayor has recently had to deal with some troubling familial matters (but this has cost him both focus and funding for his campaigning). My party is currently exploring the megadungeon near town (and likely to soon trigger events that directly and adversely affect one or more participants), and the election I set for two weeks hence.

How would you run this election? I am leaning toward two political debate mini-games wherein my PC-candidate makes skill checks against the other two, with options for the other PCs to assist by working the crowd, digging up dirt on the opponents, glowing testimonials of the PC's deeds, etc.

I want to make this fun and interactive, but I am cool with anyone winning. Campaign specific details with minor AV spoilers posted in this thread.

Advice appreciated!

Events have come about that have prompted Carman Rajani to run against Oseph Menhemes yet again for mayor of Otari, as well as one of my PCs entering the race. Carman has the Cooperative Blade and Oseph's daughter is safe (but this has cost him both focus and funding for his campaigning). My party is currently exploring the Prisons on level 7, and the election I set for two weeks hence.

How would you run this election? I am leaning toward two political debate mini-games wherein my PC-candidate makes skill checks against the other two, with options for the other PCs to assist by working the crowd, digging up dirt on the opponents, glowing testimonials of the PC's deeds, etc.

I want to make this fun and interactive, but I am cool with anyone winning. It would be especially devious if Carman was in the lead as the team nears the end of the Prisons, don't you think? Mwahahaha...

Advice appreciated!

We resume our game this tomorrow with my party of 5 (level 6 consisting of an investigator, witch, summoner, rogue, and gunslinger) intent on going in guns blazin' into a bar filled with monsters. The logic, as explained to me, is "we'll have to fight them all at some point anyway, might as well get the jump on 'em". They have "recruited" a surly skulk NPC, promising him the fight he craves with the tavern manager, but his allegiance to their cause is flimsy at best.

The text implies the band (of monsters which is playing at the time they enter) should flee if violence breaks out and that the manager will take a few rounds to join the fray, but I dunno... I kinda don't wanna make it so easy for them to just go in and mow 'em down in little chunks. As I've estimated their odds based on the encounter difficulty tables, taking on everyone at once would be an Extreme challenge, and I'm thinking of having the skulk hold out and fight the manager 1v1 anyway.

What do you all think? how would you run it?

(note: should things go TPK, they have alternate characters waiting in a nearby lab on the same level that could possibly join to mount a rescue...maybe)

We resume our game this Sunday with my party of 5 (level 6 consisting of an investigator, witch, summoner, rogue, and gunslinger) intent on going in guns blazin'. The logic, as explained to me, is "we'll have to fight them all at some point anyway, might as well get the jump on 'em". They have "recruited" the skulk arena champ from the spa, promising him the fight he craves with the Warped Brew manager, but his allegiance to their cause is flimsy at best.

The text implies the band should flee if violence breaks out and that the manager will take a few rounds to join the fray, but I dunno... I kinda don't wanna make it so easy for them to just go in and mow 'em down in little chunks. As I've estimated their odds based on the encounter difficulty tables, taking on everyone at once would be an Extreme challenge, and I'm thinking of having the skulk hold out and fight the manager 1v1 anyway.

What do you all think? how would you run it?

(note: should things go TPK, they have alternate characters waiting in Jafaki's lab on the same level that could possibly join to mount a rescue...maybe)

This bone compass, made of the bones of sapient creatures that died violent deaths, is eerily effective when it comes to locating corpses. If you know you're Tracking a creature that's dead, you can use the compass's idiosyncrasies to your advantage and gain a +2 item bonus to your Survival check to do so. Otherwise, it works as a normal compass.

I am playing a skeleton fighter in full plate masquerading as a living half-orc fighter in the March of the Dead adventure from the Book of the Dead. I have the As in Death, So in Life feat as well as a Hat of Disguise currently active at the time, when a suspicious party member whips out a Corpse Compass. I have so far passed my deception checks when needed, and casually "revealed" myself helmetless while wearing the Hat twice, but this player remains suspicious. In your opinion, would the Compass reveal my true nature?

My group is thinking to acquire some minions to beef up their survivability so I've been reading up. I usually have 5 players, so I either adjust the encounter XP budget accordingly, or reduce the xp gained by a like amount as per the rules found in the Core Rulebook pg. 489 3.0.

Minions have to be four levels below the character (at least those created via the Create Undead ritual do, which is what we're using), and I noticed in Table 10-2: Creature XP and Role that four such creatures are the equivalent threat as a creature 4 levels higher. That is to say, adding 4 minions is akin mathematically to adding another character per these tables.

I'm thinking to adjust the xp budget accordingly, with every four such minions (at party level -4) being equivalent to another PC. Does this make sense? How do you handle this?

I'll be playing a superstition barbarian in an upcoming campaign and a friend will be playing a bard, so I've been scouring the books and forums for clarity on this issue:

First, can you resist spells that don't have a listed save in their description? For example, Inspire Courage is a 60-foot emanation targeting allies, no save listed. If a pc didn't want that spell effect, is there anything they could do besides be 61 feet away?

Second, if my barbarian doesn't know a spell was cast, do you think that would affect his anathema? Would he automatically recognize a bard singing/playing was a magical effect without making Recall Knowledge check?

Thanks!

Through painstaking comparisons of the molydei across various editions of [That Other Game] as well as balors and mariliths that persist into Golarion I have been able to conjure this faithful representation of the Molydeus (once called a "guardian tanar'ri") to keep the denizens of the Abyss under the sway of the demonlords:

Begging forgiveness if this is the wrong place to post this, but:

I have a wizard who is a would be golem constructor. The Flesh Golem is a CR7 construct with 9HD that costs 10,500 gp. The Carrion Golem is only CR4 with 4HD but costs the same... what gives?

Secondly, the Hound Flesh Golem (which is what I actually want to make, for thematic reasons) is CR6 with 8HD, and presumably costs the same as well...

Shouldn't less advanced golems (lesser CR and HD) be cheaper/easier to make?

Hail! I am an aspiring necromancer traveling through Varisia. We have made somewhat of a name for ourselves in Sandpoint as arcane researchers and problem solvers, specializing in matters of the undead. I would prefer to practice my craft openly to show the townsfolk that neromancy can be used to aid the living, but wish not to violate local law. Any and all undead in my thrall are animated from slain monsters, summoned from my Robe of Bones, or temporarily summoned via spells. Any dangerous undead captured in the field are destroyed before they can slip control. Is it possible to keep a few undead pets in my retinue (perhaps with a special writ from the mayoy/governor) or is this actually against local law?

I am seeking to create a necrocraft with a roughly canine form. The example given in the manual Beastiary 4 is generally assumed to be a biped with a claw/claw/bite routine. What, if any, concessions seem appropriate for a quadrupedal base form with only one attack (bite)?

So accordind to the item creations rules, it seems that my over 3 necromancer can craft a wonderous item that casts Cure Light Wounds all day for 2000gp (spell level 1 * caster level 1 * 2000). The party bard is assisting the crafting by casting the spell. This feels cheap somehow, but is it legal? The gm will allow it if rules support it.

In brief, assimar are "plane-touched" humanoids, those with celestial blood somewhere in their ancestry. The Heavenborn alternate racial trait states that they are "born in the celestial realms...". With me so far?

The problem is, HOW are they born in the celestial realms? A creature who has an angelic mother, say, who has a tryst with a mortal and births it on her home plane would be a half-celestial, not an aasimar (their celestial lineage is further dilute).

I can't come up with a reasonable scenario that produces a heavenborn aasimar...

I need a god for a (former) paladin who is Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral, pro-humanity/civilization/expansion, and intolerant of "evil" races such as orcs. The god can be from Paizo or TSR/WotC sources for my purposes, although one with strong equivalency in both systems might be interesting. The gods needs to be the type whose church would endorse witch hunts, inquisitions, and crusades- all the infamous Lawful "Good" stuff.

The stigmata agility for the holy vindicator PrC mentions "scarified wounds appropriate to his deity". Not being an expert of Golarion's deities myself, what sorts of wounds would be appropriate for which deities?

I am (still) trying to "update" an old deathknight NPC from an old game into Pathfinder, and the changed rules are still presenting problems. I need this to work without hombrew (problem solved!) or 3rd party stuff if possible, please.
The Facts:
It would seem that most graveknights are generated spontaneously from fallen warriors rarely at their own behest- some even wishing the curse removed:

The Gnawing Questions:
1. Is there any documentation of a fallen hero being unwillingly reanimated as a graveknight? Spoilers, or just an affirmative response with a reference, please.

2. What circumstances could result in such an unwilling reanimation of a fallen hero? Alternately, would a Good or Evil god curse a failed disciple thusly? If so, who?

3. Is there any possibility for the removal of this curse, and possible restoration to humanity? Perhaps (and least importantly) years beyond the ken of resurrection?

Thanks in advance, if you can help me tie up these loose ends!

What(if any) music do you feel best fits your roleplaying experience, and what (if any) music do you prefer while playing? As an avid metalhead, I prefer black or viking metal, heavier/faster stuff for battles, perhaps instrumentals for more relaxed scenes, or just medieval music.

An issue we have is the guy who works at the LGS on PFS days plays 90's hip-hop R&B (crap, IMO) which totally destroys our immersion. I'm probably gonna talk to him about this, but with the knowledge that not everyone loves the metal like I do, I'd first like to get a sample of what might be a suitable alternative (if not metal/medieval like I prefer).

Will Smith, badass that he is, is much better acting IN a battle scene against monsters/aliens/robots than rapping a soundtrack to mine, lol

So I have half an idea for a new summoner archetype- the dreamwalker. The only solid things I have so far is that:
-unlike the normal summoner, the eidolon is only called when the summoner is unconscious
-the {i]summoned monsters[/i] have some dream/nightmare-themed template
-the eidolon is a manifestation of the summoner's nightmares
-maybe some dream/nightmare themed spells added to the spell list?

I'd probably never actually play this unless Paizo picked it up, but any ideas- just for fun?

I've been playing a lot of the same characters from 2nd ed. D&D since the late '90s, updating them to each edition, although usually in a world nonspecific way. I even make my favorites on MMORPGs and video games like WoW and Skyrim as closely as I can, even though the RP factor is slight in these cases. Now that Pathfinder is in full swing and I'm involved in organized play and modules, I'd like to adapt them properly to Golarion.

I have a character that I originally rolled as an LE antipaladin of no specific god, who is more L than E in character. Think judge Dredd meets Darth Vader, but with a touch of humanity keeping him from being a true villain. In 4e I adapted him as a grim "unaligned" paladin of the Raven Queen. The nearly obvious choice would be convert to Pharasma, but she doesn't have paladins.

Also, given her strict stance on undead, would she ever curse a fallen follower with undeath under any circumstance? In D&D, deathknights can arise from fallen paladins, but what of Golarion's graveknights? (This is important for some end-game stuff, as I've also used high level NPC versions of some characters in games I've DMed, and I'd like to keep character details consistent if worlds are not).

Hopefully one of you better versed in Golarion and /or Pharasma can point me in the right direction.

I'm sure there's a FAQ somewhere, and I know that spells cost an additional 50% of inscription cost as an access fee, what of availability? I believe I can buy any spell from Core books (with noted exceptions) but where do I find documentation on this?

Three big querries about the Power over Undead, which grants Command Undead as a bonus feat for necromancy specialist wizards:

Firstly, the Command Undead feat states that undead commanded act as though under the Control Undead spell- a 7th level spell which exerts a level of control not unlike Dominate Person. However, there is the 2nd level spell, Command Undead, which works more like Charm Person... is this what is meant? If not, why the confusing disconnect between the Command Undead feat and the Command Undead spell?

Secondly, what sort of action is it to give orders to these undead so commanded, and how soon after initially exerting command can I issue them?

Lastly:

...If an undead creature is under the control of another creature, you must make an opposed Charisma check whenever your orders conflict.

How does one resolve such a conflict? Per command given? ...round by round? ...each time the undead come up in initiative?

I'm making one of these for a home game. The archetype's adjustments are simple:
1. Shadow callers must be fetchlings
2. Summoned creatures normally receiving the celestial or fiendish template instead recieve the shadow template. Specific outsiders are replaced by shadow-themed replacements (i.e. cloakers, kytons, shadow undead, etc.)
3. Recommendation for Shadow Blend and Shadow Form evolutions.

I'd like some advice for making the eidolon, perhaps spells? My concept is a roguish character, hiding in shadows (has some rogue levels) with shadow powers. Summoner level 5

My name is Pogrist the Great, Necromancer of the Pathfinder Society. I have just attained the third degree of proficiency in wizardry, specializing in necromancy, of course. My first few missions for the Society have gone reasonably well, but I find myself on the receiving end of unwanted enemy attentions a bit too often, receiving serious injury more than once.

I am considering bringing my faithful hound Dargon along as a bodyguard. He is a sturdy dog, trained in combat and tracking the dead, yet I fear for his safety. Also, I am forbidden by the Society to maintain any undead retainers I may acquire or eventually create, so that avenue of defense is also unsustainable.

I am well versed in Mage Armor and will likely research Defending Bone in the interim, yet these fall short at times. What protection is recommended to wizards of more conventional methods?

I am considering training for one of Cheliax's hellknight orders. I have always been handy with a bastard sword and am quite strong, but can put enough force into words and deeds that I often have no need to draw steel. I wish to uphold the law and protect the citzenry from the demonic hordes of the Abyss, but am no easy friend of devils, either- they are just a part of Chelish life, I suppose. I don't think about it much, all I know is I want to be a soldier and uphold the Law. Which order is right for me?
High STR, higher CHA, leaning toward great weapon fighting

I am considering training for one of Cheliax's hellknight orders. I have always been handy with a bastard sword and am quite strong, but can put enough force into words and deeds that I often have no need to draw steel. I wish to uphold the law and protect the citzenry from the demonic hordes of the Abyss, but am no easy friend of devils, either- they are just a part of Chellish life, I suppose. I don't think about it much, all I know is I want to be a soldier and uphold the Law. Which order is right for me?
High STR, higher CHA, leaning toward great weapon fighting

So I am thinking of creating a hellknight, noting I can join at character level 6. The two most logical classes to take for 1-5 I see as fighter or cavalier (paladin would be ideal, but I plan to roll him Lawful Neutral). That said, what cavalier in your opinion orders best fit the Cheliax motif? (I'm not 100% sold on the cavalier, so alternate build ideas are welcome). Thanks!

Hail, friends. My name is Pogrist the Great, necromancer in service and study of Osirion. It has come to my attention that many of the uninitiated masses object to the use of necromancy and blood magic, seeing it as evil. This would come as no surprise, were we not living in an advanced age. I ask that we necromancers receive the same rights and immunities as the Chelaxians do.

Case in point- spells with the "evil" descriptor. Many necromancy spells that animate or create undead creatures bear this stigma, yet so do many others:

When you use a summoning spell to summon a creature with an alignment or elemental subtype, it is a spell of that type. Creatures on Table: Summon Monster marked with an "*" are summoned with the celestial template, if you are good, and the fiendish template, if you are evil. If you are neutral, you may choose which template to apply to the creature.

Summoning devils is an evil act, yet this is dismissed.

Blood magic, such as Blood Transcription often requires the use and/or ingestion of a creatures blood. I understand that this is distasteful to the uninitiated, but when used as a means to an end (such as gaining rare spells from a fallen foe) I hardly think it evil in and of itself. The ruling against blood has also removed many of our dhampir brethren's intrinsic racial feats. I hardly see this as fair to them, or aspiring bloodmages of other races. What o the cruoromancer? The bloatmage? Blood restrictions are archaic and superstitious, and no worse I offer than what is already accepted.

Not to berate the Chelaxians needlessly, but why dismiss their worship of Asmodeus ( an admittedly evil deity), their summoning devils, and cloak and dagger conspiracies, while we necromancers seek only knowledge beyond death's door?

I do not speak for any beyond myself, but I ask not to be limited by the actions and opinions of these uninitiated, superstitious...individuals...who cannot even cast a cantrip interfering with my research.

Thank you for your support!

Pogrist the Great

Specifically, I want to purchase The Book of the Grave and Grandfather's Legacy for my necromancer. I've seen posts about buying spells and spellbooks, but none so specific to address these preconstructed ones from Ultimate Magic.

Also, is it presumed that most spells of legal source and moderate level are available in major cities like Absalom for purchase at 1.5x standard scribing cost?

I've read many threads on dog familiars, guard dogs vs. riding dogs, and the GUIDE TO PATHFINDER SOCIETY ORGANIZED PLAY from the "Year of the Demon" download. And yet...

What I'd like to do is play a necromancer who has a dog (like a bulldog) that is somewhat useful in combat. At higher levels, when ( not if) the dog eventually is killed, I want to reanimate him as a zombie (and eventually a carrion or flesh golem at the highest levels) so my necromancer's favorite pet can remain with him throughout his career in some form or another.

Sure, I can re-skin the pig familiar as a dog (similar stats plus scent ability), but I'm more interested in an undead minion (eventually at least) that can scale up somewhat.

So my official rules questions are as follows:
1. Can I buy a (small) guard dog or (medium)riding dog per the "Always Available Items" clause for use in PFS games?
2. After attaining 3rd level and the Lesser Animate Dead spell) can I reanimate my undead hound before each session (paying the material component cost repeatedly. if I must) and take him along?
3. Is there any possibility of golem creation in PFS games at higher levels, or are all item creation feats/abilities out of bounds?

Thanks!

So I researched some ways to make a werewolf PC suitably awesome. Namely, taking the Natural Weapon path as a ranger, and perhaps the Wild Stalker archetype to gain a few barbarian rage powers such as Beast Totem. (Thoughts/suggestions welcome)

The remaining question is what the racial modifier would be.

Challenge Rating: Same as base creature or base animal (whichever is higher) +1

...and wolves are CR 1. Does that make my modifier +1 or +2? Is it different for natural vs. afflicted lycanthropes?

I'm looking to make a werewolf PC, and was trying to calculate the CR/level adjustment. Couldn't help but notice a serious disparity in power between the werewolf and other lycanthropes.

For example: tigers and bears are large creatures, hence large hybrids with decent damage output. Wolves- not so much. Why no claw attacks so prevalent in cinema? The werebat has them, yet no bat base animal has claw attacks... Seems odd.

Any "legal" fixes?

Before you make a melee attack roll, you can choose to spend one use of your channel energy ability as a swift action. If you channel positive energy and you hit an undead creature, that creature takes an amount of additional damage equal to the damage dealt by your channel positive energy ability. If you channel negative energy and you hit a living creature, that creature takes an amount of additional damage equal to the damage dealt by your channel negative energy ability. Your target can make a Will save, as normal, to halve this additional damage. If your attack misses, the channel energy ability is still expended with no effect.

Channeling energy causes a burst that affects all creatures of one type (either undead or living) in a 30-foot radius centered on the cleric. The amount of damage dealt or healed is equal to 1d6 points of damage plus 1d6 points of damage for every two cleric levels beyond 1st (2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, and so on). Creatures that take damage from channeled energy receive a Will save to halve the damage... This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity....

Wouldn't the unmodified ability be better in dealing with undead since it targets all within range AND is unreliant on an attack roll? Am I missing some benefit about the Channel Smite feat?

I have a cleric whom I wish to make a suit of Celestial Plate Armor and Celestial Shield for. The spells required for construction include fly, featherfall, and overland flight. Problem is, some of these spells aren't castable by my character (i.e. not on my cleric spell list, nor in my domains). The spell overland flight is only available to clerics who have the Trade domain. How in the heck can I make this work? Scrolls? Even if so, don't I need to find cleric scrolls (with the trade domain, I guess). Is there another way?

I'm making a cleric/holy vindicator. Some prestige classes grant new spells per day as you progress with the text "+1 level to (arcane/divine) spellcasting class" on the progression table. I get that this affects the acquisition of new spells, higher level spells, and number of spells per day- but does this affect caster level?

At the indicated levels, a vindicator gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a divine spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain other benefits of that class other than spells per day, spells known, and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If he had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming a vindicator, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for the purpose of determining spells per day.

So for levels where no additional levels of spellcasting are given (such as level 1,5, and 9 of the holy vindicator) will my character's overall caster level still increase?

Vital Stike is a full round action that doubles weapon damage via precision damage, and Sneak Attack adds D6's of damage if the target is denied its DEX mod, yes? Given the right set of circumstances, could they stack?

Can you cast while using this spell?

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/shadow-projection

My aim is to find a way to clone a powerful undead creature as its original human form (albeit far less powerful)for a unique plot twist in my campaign, and the 2nd ed. D&D rules allowed for this...whaddya think?

Suppose you have an undead creature, like a vampire, lich, or deathknight. If a sample of its flesh were taken (perhaps whilst it was still alive), could it be cloned as the original, uncursed creature it started from? The rules for the Clone spell state:
"When the clone is completed, the original's soul enters it immediately, if that creature is already dead."
If undead are soulless, are those souls free to enter a new body? This seems to be the case as some forms of undeath can be reversed with strong clerical magic.

Additional cloning rules:
"To create the duplicate, you must have a piece of flesh (not hair, nails, scales, or the like) with a volume of at least 1 cubic inch that was taken from the original creature's living body. The piece of flesh need not be fresh, but it must be kept from rotting."

The simalcrum was actually my first thought, but their inability to heal or advance makes their utility marginal at best. The OLD clone spell created a vital., living clone of the creature with memories and everything up to the point the sample was taken. The clone and the original could only coexist on the same plane for a short time, as one or both would go insane and destroy the other or themselves. Seemed to suggest a "soul share" issue.

So, my question remains: is there an established game mechanic that supports the possibility of a powerful undead creating a lower-level living clone of itself to, say, adventure to find a cure for the original undead form? Just became relevant in our bi-weekly game, so any additional help is appreciated!

I had a Maho Tsukai (Blood Mage) character many years ago from Oriental Adventures and want to revive him for Pathfinder. I've read up the Blood Magus and Bloatmage prestige classes, but these don't quite fit...needless to say, the original Maho Tsukai is clunky and outdated. Is there another I'm not aware of?

Does the use of Cestus/Spiked Gauntlets/Brass Knuckles still count as unarmed attacks for purposes of abilities like Flurry of Blows? The text seems ambiguous" while it doesn't list these weapons under Flurry of Blows, the individual weapon entries seem to indicate that they modify Unarmed Strike (which IS included). Thoughts?

Suppose you have an undead creature, like a vampire, lich, or deathknight. If a sample of its flesh were taken (perhaps whilst it was still alive), could it be cloned as the original, uncursed creature it started from? The rules for the Clone spell state:
"When the clone is completed, the original's soul enters it immediately, if that creature is already dead."
If undead are soulless, are those souls free to enter a new body? This seems to be the case as some forms of undeath can be reversed with strong clerical magic. Further:
"If the original creature gained permanent negative levels since the flesh sample was taken, the clone gains these negative levels as well."
Does this factor into the equation?

My aim is to find a way to clone a powerful undead creature as its original human form (albeit far less powerful)for a unique plot twist in my campaign, and the 2nd ed. D&D rules allowed for this...whaddya think?

What happens if a cleric changes alignment, or even more drastic, deities?
The rules under Ex-Clerics say only:
" cleric who grossly violates the code of conduct required by her god loses all spells and class features, except for armor and shield proficiencies and proficiency with simple weapons. She cannot thereafter gain levels as a cleric of that god until she atones for her deeds"

Does this imply a cleric can gain more cleric levels from a different faith? How does this work? What of changing domains between different gods?