Forty2's page

Adding my post to the cacophony: my 1-04 is also stuck on Pending.

In this thread, Sara Marie said "Scenario Subscription fulfillment has finished for subscribers", but I don't seem to have my copy of the latest SFS scenario.

Same. I see that my scenario is listed as "Pending." Is there anything I can do on my end to fix this?

I'd say that attempting an Int-based skill check with an int penalty is painful enough, and let it take the same amount of time. It's not that the drone moves slower - just that it can't do more than one thing without Direct Control.

Sniping is an interesting case, but since a stealth check can be rolled as part of the attack (and is part of that action), that seems all right.

Forty2 wrote:

And a set of Jarlslayer armor (43 Bulk) would be 1*10^43 pounds... or roughly the mass of the Earth.

I wouldn't describe 10^43 pounds as being roughly the same as 5 x 10^24 kg. Thats a few too many orders of magnitude for my taste.

Earth's mass is about 5 x 10^24 kg. Sun's mass is about 2 x 10^30 kg. Milkway galaxy is about 10^12 solar masses. Factor of 2.2 for kg to pounds conversion.

So 10^43 pounds is about one Milky way galaxy in terms of mass. Or roughly 1 billion billion earths.

Oh... yep, my math is WAY off. For some reason, I thought that dividing the exponent by 2.2 would divide the total value by 2.2, when it clearly does not.

Forty2 wrote:

Your interpretation would mean that there's no reason to take Direct Control in combat...

And your interpretation means there's no reason to ever take Skill Unit Computers or Engineering. All the checks with those skills are full actions. If you have to be using Master Control for the drone to get full actions it uses your skill ranks anyway and has no need for a Skill Unit to select that skill.

It let's[sic] your Drone use a skill that isn't already a move action (which hovering is) in place of its normal actions ([those normal actions being] either a move action or an attack) during that round.

I understand why the parenthetical would be confusing, but if you read on, you'll see that I use hacking as an example and even call out how hacking and shooting would be more than a full round of actions.

dragonhunterq wrote:

Quote:

...and every multiple of ten is an additional bulk

Am I having a moment, or does this mean that 50-100lb is 2 bulk? (5-10lb *10)

That would be cool...but result in some pretty absurd carrying capacities. Bulk 5 would be 100,000 lbs, for example.

Also, the example of Unseen Servant (and, I think, a few others) specifically handle it the other way.

And a set of Jarlslayer armor (43 Bulk) would be 1*10^43 pounds... or roughly the mass of the Earth.

Ravingdork wrote:

Class abilities CANNOT be used in starship combat unless the ability in question specifically says it can. This is expressly called out in the Core Rulebook.

Does Sidereal influence mention starship combat? If not, then it might as well not exist when flying around in a space-age dogfight.

It's actually super unclear whether skill bonuses count for that restriction. No pregen or any other character has a separate 'Spaceship Piloting' modifier or anything like that, including Operatives and the like.

Personally, I think it's clear that such bonuses are intended to apply, but the RAW do make it super unclear whether they actually do.

Skill Bonuses from your class don't affect the action itself - just the check to attempt it.

Nope. He quoted the page number, I looked it up, and it says exactly what was quoted. Readied actions disrupt spells according to the description of paragraph 4,under concentration and interrupted spells.

However, you're right in that readied actions that are not purely defensive occur just after the actions that triggered it. So it seems that 'hooray' we have found a rules discrepancy.

Houserule until a developer can respond.

Huh, fancy that.

I'd rule that only characters capable of identifying a spell (i.e. those trained in Mysticism) could make that specific of a trigger.

Computers and Engineering are options and there are tool arm mods available, so it's clear that making a repair drone was intended to be possible. The Skill Unit says that the skill can be used "when not under your direct control". If the drone doesn't have the actions to use that skill because of the limits of its AI, it implies that for them to actually use the skill, the Skill Unit has to be an exception to AI's limitations. Otherwise the skills can only actually be used under True AI at 20th level.

I believe it was intended that the AI was just supposed to limit actions in combat. It's like the AI panics in those situations and can't figure out what it should do without direction and ends up wasting a good portion of its time being indecisive.

If the Skill Unit is an exception to the AI's limitations, it might clear up one of the complaints brought up in a different thread about the hover drone. Since the hover drone has Skill Unit (Acrobatics), allowing it to make Acrobatics checks to hover on its own independent of the actions the Limited AI is doing would allow it to hover and shoot with a Limited AI.

No. It let's your Drone use a skill that isn't already a move action (which hovering is) in place of its normal actions (either a move action or an attack) during that round. Example: you need to hack a computer while a group of enemies rush toward you. Time is of the essence. You send your Drone to do the hack while you set up defenses and provide covering fire. You're using all of your actions, but your Drone can keep plugging away at the hack. Your drone can't then turn around and shoot the enemies while its busy hacking, because that's two actions. (not to mention more than a full round of actions)

Your interpretation would mean that there's no reason to take Direct Control in combat, since a Flying (or Climbing, Hiding or Swimming) Drone could take a move action and a standard action on its own. It gets even more ridiculous when you throw in Expert AI - allowing said Drones to take a move action and a (lesser) full attack completely autonomously, but lose the ability to do that if you take control. (basically getting a constant "Hurry Up" from an invisible Envoy that stops as soon as you butt in)

The other thread has (almost) come to the consensus that a Flying Drone can Hover OR Shoot under Basic Control. Doing both requires Direct Control.

Scenario C: stand back and Assume Direct Control. Fly up and open the door in 1 round.

An unarmed strike can be dealt with any limb or appendage. Unarmed strikes deal nonlethal damage, and the damage from an unarmed strike is considered weapon damage for the purposes of effects that give you a bonus to weapon damage rolls.

Normal: You don’t threaten any squares with unarmed attacks, and you must have a hand free to make an unarmed attack.

Which is correct?

Another question: since their natural weapons act as a modifier to their Unarmed Strike, would the Vesk Natural Weapon Specialization apply to Improved Unarmed Strikes? That would put its average damage about in line with a Basic Melee Weapons of your level.

I believe that your Hover drone should be able to hover, your stealth drone stealth, and any drone use its Skill Unit, overriding the Limited AI's rule of:

"If you become unconscious or otherwise unresponsive, or if your drone is ever out of range, your drone cannot take any actions until you are again able to command it or it is once more within range."

If it is overriding other parts of the Limited AI, why pick and choose? :)

Adding something that can be done does not mean that anything is overwritten.

In some situations, you may be unable to take all of your actions (for example, when you are paralyzed by a hold person spell or are acting in the surprise round of combat). The condition or ability that restricts your actions explains which actions you can or can’t take. Regardless, you can’t take a full action if you’re unable to take a standard action, a move action, and a swift action.

"Any actions" doesn't leave any room for exceptions. If it were clarified to say "any action that doesn't keep the drone in the same state (such as hovering or remaining hidden)," that would be one thing. However, if a Drone could still use any skill it had without even basic control, there would be nothing stopping it from doing whatever it wants with the skills it has, including flying, swimming, or climbing to freedom from its cruel, neglectful master.

By this design the only way a hover drone can take any standard action on its own is for it to land at the end of its move action and perform the standard action from the ground on its next turn. So in essence it is a land drone that can fly. That means for 7 lvls the only action that the hover drone can take while utilizing its 2 advanced flight mods (which make up 2/3 of the drone initial mods. its last one being a weapon mount and apparently you can't use all 3 in conjunction without crashing your drone) is a move action. any other drone can pick up these advanced mods at lvl 11 and 14 respectfully(sic) and by that time they have expert AI to prevent this from happening, which essentially makes them better flying drones than the hover drone despite it being designed just for that.

I was wrong: as written, Expert AI lets a Drone take a Move Action OR a Standard Action to Attack OR a Full Attack at -6. Any flying drone suffers from this same problem.

If Skill Unit does not override Limited AI, a Drone can never use Computers or Engineering. (except to ID things)

Everything else takes Standard or Full actions to do. Until a Drone gets True AI, it can't do those. It can take a standard action to attack, and then at Expert AI can take a full action to attack.
Unless Skill unit lets it take its own Standard or full actions, then it is useless until it gets True AI

At no point does Skill Unit state that its options are limited to what it can normally do in a round. That leads me to believe that it adds skill-based actions to the actions it can take while under Basic Control, regardless of action economy. Of course, it can still only take one action at a time without being under Direct Control.

On second reading, it looks like Expert AI doesn't give a drone a full suite of actions - It just adds a full attack to the list. I'm guessing that means no Spring Attack / Shot on the Run.

Forty2 wrote:

There are three states of command for your drone: No Control, Basic Control, and Direct Control...

That's how I believe it's supposed to be, but this system is built on general rules and exceptions. If the general rule is that a drone can only do the things outlined in its level of AI and the Skill Unit is an exception to that general rule, it would allow you to assign a drone a task that it could keep working on when you leave.

If it can "use this skill when not under your direct control", that would cover the first two states, you listed.

No Control is similar to Unconsciousness: both conditions render the subject unable to take any actions. An unconscious character can't engage in a profession because it can't take actions. A Drone under No Control is in a similar "sleep mode;" it can't use any skills because it can't take actions. Skill Unit does not supersede that.

And the Hover Drone CAN Hover on its own without falling out of the sky. If you have a Fly speed, you can take 10 on your Fly checks until wind speeds exceed a Windstorm. A 1st-Level Hover Drone has a Fly skill of +7, meaning it can take 10 for 17, meaning it can hover in Light, Moderate, and Strong winds with no issue.

However, it takes an action to do this or to move normally, so it can't shoot AND hover unless you Assume Direct Control. (until Lv7, when it can take a full round of actions without your help)

There are three states of command for your drone: No Control, Basic Control, and Direct Control.

A Drone in a state of No Control stops taking actions as soon as it loses communication with you (the range of which extends as you level). Even if you give it standing orders and leave a handheld custom rig behind, it isn't getting updated instructions as needed, so it stops altogether.

A Drone under Basic Control can use its ranks as normal so long as you can give basic commands, so a Drone with a Perception Skill Unit can keep looking for threats, a Stealth Drone can keep being stealthy, and a Computer Unit allows it to hack while you're busy with something else.

When you Assume Direct Control of your Drone with Master Control, it can use your skill ranks (with any skill, looks like) as long as it has the proper tools. However, it looks like it's just your ranks with its ability modifier and does not include a class skill bonus.

I wouldn't be surprised if I'm just misreading the stat blocks, but it seems NPC/monster weapons get them somehow. The space pirate from First Contact has a "survival knife +5" and "tactical semi-auto pistol +8." The plus quantities don't yield that amount of damage increase, though, so I suppose it's just a bonus to AR.

Melee

The creature’s melee attacks are listed here, each starting on a separate line. The attack roll modifier appears after the attack’s name, followed by the attack’s damage, damage type, and critical effects in parentheses.

...

Ranged
This entry lists the creature’s ranged attacks in the same format the Melee entry uses for melee attacks.

Meaning the GM would roll 1d20+5 to hit with the Survival Knife, etc

Answer to number 1:

Normally, you can concentrate even in a distracting situation, but if you’re casting a spell and you take damage from either a successful attack that targeted your AC or from an effect that you failed a saving throw against, the spell fails.

2. Since your Readied Action is not purely defensive, it resolves after they already cast their spell (assuming it isn't a 1 round cast), so it would not disrupt them.

2a. Readying an Action is a Standard Action that you take on your turn, so no, you could not attack and ready in the same round.

2b. Yes, if the initiative loops back to you without your Ready going off, you can act on your normal initiative.

3. See number 2. A better way to disrupt spellcasters is to get into melee and hit them with an attack of opportunity, which resolves before the spell has been cast. (See also: Step Up and Strike)

Deighton Thrane wrote:

Forty2 wrote:

I can only speculate why, but aerial combat is probably going to be more like a dogfight - with characters darting around an area as often as hovering - and less like a race to trade floating full attacks, like it is in PF.

Edit: ninja

I really don't see aerial combat being a thing at all for anything that doesn't have a perfect maneuverability. With ranged weapons being as common as they are, I see flight being used as rocket jumping to a better location, then attacking from that location to get a full set of actions.

I don't see flight in combat being a thing for those with perfect maneuverability either. They'd have to at least use their swift action which means no full attack, in fact there's not a lot of benifit to having perfect maneuverability when it comes to action use.

Why would you fly, burn actions, and be in full view of all when you could land, gain cover and attack more or do other things.

Seems silly but in the game where anyone could buy a jet pack fairly cheap I expect flying will be less common and useful than the game where you had to have decently powerful magic or wings.

Because then you're limited by your cover.

Meanwhile: your flying opponents are making Shots on the Run on your exposed side and retreating to your blind side each round virtually consequence-free. Or they're flushing you out with explosives - again - virtually consequence-free. Or they're Shooting Unwieldy Explosive weapons on the Run! Even if you wise up and Ready each round to attack when they're visible, due to how ranged attacks work, you'll be exposed to them before they're exposed to you. They'll just start making Shots on a U-turn - using your own cover against you. (Double points if your cover has no roof)

If you really want a solution to your no-flying-full-attack "problem:" cast Haste, use Haste Circuits, or be a Hit-and-Run and/or Armor Storm Soldier. Any ability that lets you move and take a full attack is golden.

In short - if you have to choose, mobility > full attacking, especially when flying creatures are involved.

I can only speculate why, but aerial combat is probably going to be more like a dogfight - with characters darting around an area as often as hovering - and less like a race to trade floating full attacks, like it is in PF.

Edit: ninja

KingOfAnything wrote:

It's a hover drone, not a hover-and-shoot drone. Seems like it does just what it says on the box.

Then why are it's free mods flight system x2 and WEAPON MOUNT?

Every drone comes with at least one weapon mount; that doesn't mean that they have to use it every turn.

If you want a fully autonomous weapons platform, you should use a different drone chassis until you get Expert AI at Lv7. I recommend the Combat Drone chassis. You can use its free weapon proficiency to get Longarm or Adv. Melee proficiency right away (or the ability to switch-hit with small arms and basic melee, if that's your style) and it comes with TWO weapon holders (melee arm or weapon mount) AND minor DR.

The Hover Drone, on the other hand, WILL require some maintenance to make use of all its systems at once (until Lv7). In exchange, it can stay out of reach of non-flying targets' melee attacks indefinitely. That's a very powerful ability to have at early levels, all things considered. I'd buy that for my move action each round (until Lv7).

Varun Creed wrote:

daviscd wrote:

Again it's not about the choice, it's about being put into a situation where there is no other choice. I'd like to have an answer for just in case.

I don't understand why you keep asking an answered question though. The rules are pretty clear?

It's seems to me everyone is saying use Master's Control, land, or don't shoot. No one is actually answering the question of if a hover drone shoots, does it end up being out of luck and falling.

No one is giving a simple yes or no answer to that.

The situation you described is impossible: your drone cannot take any actions if you become unresponsive (such as by being Unconscious or Helpless), and if you could take actions while in captivity, there's no reason for you NOT to donate your move/swift actions to give the drone a full round to save you.

If you decide not to anyway - yes - your drone would plummet 60ft after the kickback of the shot unbalances it.

Each round on your turn, after you have acted, your drone can take either a move action or a standard action to attack (your drone doesn’t make a separate initiative roll). You must be able to issue simple commands to your drone, but you don’t have to spend actions to issue these commands. To receive these commands, your drone must be able to see or hear you or be within range of your custom rig. If you become unconscious or otherwise unresponsive, or if your drone is ever out of range, your drone cannot take any actions until you are again able to command it or it is once more within range.

(Amusing observation: if a Mechanic with an Exocortex spent all their Exocortex Mods on Armor Slots, and all their 14th+ level Mechanic Tricks on Extra Mods (Armor Slots), they'd end up with EIGHT Armor Slots in their body. Nine if they're also an Android.)

Your drone gains an armor upgrade slot for an armor upgrade (see page 204). If you do not already have an armor upgrade to install, you must purchase one separately. You can install the armor upgrade only if your drone has enough open upgrade slots to meet the upgrade’s requirements. You can select this mod up to four times, each time adding an additional slot.

Is there any limitation to the type of armor upgrade that can be inserted into a Drone? Does your Drone count as a specific category of armor, or can any upgrade be inserted, including Powered Armor upgrades?

First question comes from the discounts for Armor Mods that come from the Armor Storm's "Enhanced Tank:"

You gain the Powered Armored Proficiency feat and access to improved armor. This might be the result of your own engineering abilities, having earned the trust of contacts that can get you experimental equipment, or a powerful patron giving you gear not available to the general public to help you achieve mutual goals. You can add one more upgrade to your armor than its normal maximum number of upgrade slots. If you add this bonus upgrade to heavy armor, you can select an upgrade normally limited to powered armor. An upgrade placed in this bonus slot costs half the normal credit amount.

However!

A creature can personalize armor by purchasing and installing armor upgrades, described below, which add bonuses or customized abilities to armor. Some individuals keep a collection of upgrades at hand, swapping them out as needed (requiring 10 minutes to replace the unit and resecure all connections). Explanations of entries for upgrades’ statistics follow.

So does this mean that all 1-slot armor upgrades that can be placed in your chosen armor are Half Price, and they only have to make a 10-minute stop in your bonus slot first? Or (more likely) can your "bonus slot" upgrades only be used in your bonus slot, and short out when inserted anywhere else?

My second question is about Armor Upgrades on your Light Armor while wearing Powered Armor:

The cockpit of powered armor is too small to fit a person wearing heavy armor. If you’re wearing light armor while in powered armor, you gain the higher of the EAC bonuses and the higher of the KAC bonuses between the two suits of armor, and you take the worse maximum Dexterity bonus and armor check penalty. Powered armor is normally designed to be operated by any roughly humanoid creature of Small or Medium size—only creatures not matching those criteria must have the armor tailored to fit them (see Adjusting Armor on page 196).

Seems well and good, but the Upgrades section of Powered Armor makes no mention of your other armor, only listing the amount of upgrades that can be installed in the Powered Armor itself. Does that mean you can still use Armor Upgrades attached to your Light Armor? If so: which ones?

Class features and items affect crew actions only if specifically noted in the class feature or item.

Since firing a weapon is a Crew Action, I don't think that you would get your damage bonus from photon mode if Starship Combat is considered Combat. However, bonuses to your skill checks that come from class features (Operative's Edge, Mechanic's Bypass, etc) would still apply, since they don't affect the action itself - just the check to perform it.

Edit: minor typo

Sorry to burst your bubble, Peter, but:

It is possible to create spell gems (see page 224) in the form of chips that can be slotted into a computer system. A user capable of utilizing an equivalent spell gem with access to the computer in which such spell chips are installed can cast the related spells whenever controlling the computer and gains a +2 circumstance bonus to any skill check involving these spells.

Spell chips cost 110% of a spell gem (page 224) with the same spells. When a spell is expended from a spell chip, the chip itself is not destroyed, and the spells can be reloaded into the spell chip for 90% of the normal price of a new spell chip.

Unless your GM rules that Connection Inkling and/or Technomantic Dabbler lets you use Spell Gems, only casters can use Spell Chips, as well. It bummed me out when I learned about it, too. (I wanted to load a Mechanic's Expert Rig up with Spell Chips)

The unexpected benefit to chips comes from the second line. 90% of 110% of the cost of a Spell Gem is 99% the cost of a Spell Gem. In the long run, it would be cheaper buy a spell chip and reload it eleven times than to buy a dozen spell gems.

For now: play as a Mechanic with the Overload Weapon trick, paint "Tediore" on all of your Pulsecaster Rifles, then enjoy throwing them away like grenades and buying new ones instead of recharging them. (because it's cheaper that way)

Both Connection Inkling and Technomantic Dabbler allow you to cast spells from the Mystic and Technomancer spell lists, respectively, using your level as the Caster Level. The question is: does that make you enough of a 'Spellcaster' to activate and use Spell Gems (and Spell Chips) from the associated spell list?

I met Dan when I was first getting into Society, Pathfinder, and Tabletop games in general. We played in person and Online when I moved away from the area, and I always looked forward to playing with him. He's the main reason I stuck around in my early days, and I'm going to miss him terribly.

I have a question about the Chronicle in the Core Campaign:

What happens when a Small character riding a Medium flying mount attempts to move through a Wind Wall? Nothing? Rider blown off the saddle? Fly checks?

Judging from the High Winds table under the Fly Skill, a Wind Wall seems to fit the bill for Windstorm-strength winds. (Both blow away Small flying creatures) However, I wouldn't be asking the Rules Forum if I was certain.

Thread Raised, FAQ pressed.

@Chess Pwn:

Says who? Says you?

Says a pregen, which is not a definitive source for rules adjudication.

If you took AA at 10th level, and then retrained F1 to W6, you would no longer meet the requirements for AA, specifically the proficiency with a bow.

You would not meet the minimum requirements for both PCs, so you would no longer be able to use any of the abilities of either class.

Once you again meet the minimum requirements, you would regain the abilities.

I think that is how it would work.

Edit: It would take more than just gaining proficiency with a bow to to regain requirements, since you would not have access to the BAB from EK to re-qualify for AA.

I should have clarified: the example is an Elf with Weapon Familiarity, so Bows are baked in.

I've already done a little research into this, so I know retraining base classes into prestige classes is off the table, but what if you take levels in two prestige classes, and one gives the prerequisites for the other?

For Example:

A Fighter 1 / Wizard 5 / Eldritch Knight 3 prestiges into Arcane Archer at Level 10, since that combination of levels gets it the BAB, feats, and spells it needs.

Arcane Archers gain Proficiency with all Martial weapons.

Could that character retrain out of Fighter (into Wizard 6) and still qualify for Eldritch Knight? (assuming its Fighter bonus feat isn't "Precise Shot")

Is it too late to express interest? I saw the posting on the Pathfinder Society Online Collective the other day, and I cannot overstate how much I've wanted to play this campaign since the Adventure Path was announced.

(and yes, some were shiny and chrome)

She remembered me! :D

But, yeah: going with popular opinion on this one. Amiri first, then Sajan, then RMA.

I could have seen variations on what I did. I decided vanish + combat reflexes would be a fun way to set up AoO's either on unsuspecting casters, or on people who thought they were moving save. If I went with something like trip, I could have been even more disruptive in some ways.

You are correct that the Fey Zealot is an amazing dip right now. First level spell, martial + medium armor, 6 skills, and vanishing step. Might have to be the next dip for my dip happy ranger/rogue/brawler.

It'd only be for one round, though. I don't know how "worth it" that would be... Granted: Magical Knack and some nice utility spells or Produce Flame may come in handy, but apart from that? I'm not seeing it. However, 2 Levels and Smite Evil? Without an alignment restriction? Definitely.

I wonder how well this specialization would perform with a 1-level dip in Mysterious Stranger... I imagine any Zealot would benefit (as would any Vigilante period), Adding Charisma to attack with Smite and Charisma to damage with Focused Aim. (and targeting FlatFoot&Touch AC as a fey zealot? Aces, Charles.)

I know I'm caught on this spell, but does Arrow Eruption even work for firearms? The text of the spell says "Arrow or Crossbow Bolt," but the spell was written before Gunslingers were even a thing. I have not found the answer via Google FU, but I'm guessing "no," which is a shame... for me, not the meta. I don't think that the meta can handle up to 15 Firearm Bullets exploding out, targeting touch AC to everything in range, with Smite, Focused Aim, and any other buffs on them. That would be insane. On my current statblock (adding a level of the Gunslinger archetype), I think that would be:

Dex, BAB, and +1 weapon: +9
PBS: +1
Smite: +3
Cat's Grace / Aspect of the Falcon: +3

TOTAL: +16 v. Touch to Five targets (Magical Knack)

+1 Weapon: +1
PBS: +1
Smite (evil outsider/undead/etc): +8
Focused Aim: +3

DAMAGE: 1d8+13 (to each of the five)

So, we're basically looking at an autohit... that'd be enough to clear the field of Mooks at that level, or at least soften them up enough for a gentle breeze to knock them down. And I haven't even minmaxed (Kitsune: 10 18 13 12 10 15->16 @ lvl 4)! If I dumped Wis and Int into the ocean, I could probably squeeze another +1 or +2 in there.

HOWEVER: It's VERY bursty, since you're using BOTH of your 2nd-level spells. This is best saved for the BBEG, or if you're on a long journey (encounters over multiple days).

(Focused Aim would carry for the Eruption because, even though its temporary, it is an (Ex) class feature that was applied to that attack, not a spell or spell-like ability.)

But I'm getting WAY off track. TLDR: dipping a level of Mysterious Stranger could work wonderfully for a Fey Zealot.

Forty2 wrote:

Thrawn007 wrote:

I used a halberd, and took combat reflexes. Vanishing step let me set up in advantageous positions to AoO casters trying to cast and thinking they were safe, or disrupt enemy tactics as they started taking AoO's when they thought they had time to maneuver. As far as level 1 vigilantes go, I had more success with this than I'd seen any level 1 vigilante have.

Were you at my table for the Snows of Summer last Sunday? As I recall, reach+combat reflexes builds were the order of the day that weekend; first a stalker with a bardiche and then a fey zealot with a halberd. None of the mooks could touch them before being cut down, but I guess the same would be true of any class with that combo. (Ninja with a Kusarigama or double kama, perhaps)

That's a good idea. For what it's worth, watch out--Pathfinder halberds aren't reach weapons.

it would appear that either I was duped or he mistook it for a horsechopper or another bardiche. (They're all the same in every other respect, and brace/trip/crits never came into play, so I'm not going to track him down and report an infraction)

Or a Glaive... or a Glaive-Guisarme... there are a lot of d10 reach weapons.

I used a halberd, and took combat reflexes. Vanishing step let me set up in advantageous positions to AoO casters trying to cast and thinking they were safe, or disrupt enemy tactics as they started taking AoO's when they thought they had time to maneuver. As far as level 1 vigilantes go, I had more success with this than I'd seen any level 1 vigilante have.

Were you at my table for the Snows of Summer last Sunday? As I recall, reach+combat reflexes builds were the order of the day that weekend; first a stalker with a bardiche and then a fey zealot with a halberd. None of the mooks could touch them before being cut down, but I guess the same would be true of any class with that combo. (Ninja with a Kusarigama or double kama, perhaps)

Come to think of it, two levels of Ninja would be great for a Stalker. Ki Pool off of Charisma gives you an easy way to Vanish a few times per day and get all of your startling appearance attacks with d8s and a d6. And if you're a Fey Zealot, it just adds to your swift-action vanish pool, at the cost of your BAB, spell-casting, other talents (Smite)... YMMV

I actually put GM-Credit from play-tests into a Kitsune Fey Zealot (the Fox being the vigilante). I know i'm shooting myself in the foot without the extra feat, but what can you do when the stat array looks that good? (Not to mention that I'm a sucker for thematics, and Realistic Likeness makes anything more than "Many Guises" moot.)

Basic idea: Ranged attacks, composite longbow. Buff spells like Gravity Bow, Aspect of the Falcon, and Cat's Grace (and Abundant Ammunition for when creatures with hardness/material DR show up) level at caster level to (hopefully) last entire combats and change, as opposed to wands, which are liable to fizzle out 7 rounds in, if you time them all PERFECTLY with the rogue/investigator/stalker picking the lock to the BBEG liar. And if the BBEG is a wizard specializing in control and area denial and facing you in favorable terrain, forget it! (By Way of Bloodcove or The Golemworks Incident, anyone?)

Here's were it gets fun: Kill an Evil creature with Smite on your arrow. Next round: Arrow Eruption. Smite is on ALL of those arrows. Just don't roll crap.

Level 5: Vanishing Step makes Startling Appearance much more worthwhile, targeting FlatFoot on a semi-regular basis. I wonder if Arrow Eruption can benefit from that if I'm invisible at the time of casting...

Level 9: Point-Blank, Precise, Rapid, Manyshot. I feel that I can afford to skip Deadly Aim, since 3/4 BAB doesn't get quite the bang for you buck that a Full BAB would get. By now I'd probably toy with those attractive-looking "X Entanglement" spells from ACG... if not more buffing spells. (I assume Thorny Entanglement uses your ChaMod for its attacks. 2d6 to anyone within 15' of a 40' radius on top of entanglement/difficult terrain? hahahaha... probably not the "best" for your allies.)

(I cast Raise thread)

I guess the real question is: does it count it as an untyped bonus or not.

You can do similar double-dipping with Monk/Spiritualist 4 (add Wis to AC twice), but since Whispering Spirits specifically lists its bonus as an Insight bonus to AC equal to your Wisdom, its a bit clearer.

My gut says that no, you can't double-dip Int with the Empiricist/Sleepless combo, since it doesn't give you any type of bonus, simply to add your Int to those skills. So a Trained Perception would read like Ranks + (Int+Wis) + 3 + Other Modifiers, as opposed to listing Int with the modifiers. And since you can't count ability modifiers twice in that section, it (unfortunately) doesn't stack.

Issues like these definitely need an official FAQ, though.

If a snakebite striker has the Step Up and Strike feat as well as the ability to combine movement with a feint (from possessing Improved Feint), can the Striker feint as part of her Step Up and Strike movement?

My gut says "no," since Snake Feint is specific about combining a move action, and Step Up is listed as an immediate action. The confusion comes from Step Up and Strike's "does not count toward the number of actions you can usually take each round" clause. Does it still 'count' as an immediate action? Or does it 'count' as a move action for the purposes of Snake Feint?

Tamec wrote:

Best bet is that since you have to wait until caster level 5 to get a +1 bow or the oathbow I'd go straight for the oathbow.

Actually, because of a PFS specific rule (the FAQ I just linked) you can't make an Oathbow until CL6, as it's a +2 bow.

With Magical Knack and 5 Levels of Transmuter Wizard, it should work out. The only concern at this point is the Fame minimum, and that can be solved by not playing 3xp/4pp modules.

Forty2 wrote:

Jeff Merola wrote:

Forty2 wrote:

All right, I'm hearing a lot of "Masterwork -> Oath Bow in one go."

Nah, you can go from Masterwork (Str +2) -> +1 -> +2 -> Oathbow.

But what will it cost if I go that route? If memory serves, only the first upgrade to an Arcane Bond gets the pseudo-Crafting discount in PFS (which I assume carries over to Core).

You're misremembering. You get the crafting ability with your bonded item always. See the FAQ on it.

Oh that is beautiful. I am so glad that I was proven wrong. As for waiting on +1 until Level 5... I'll just keep Magic Weapon on my list of prepped spells :) (Not the greatest solution, but I'll take it.)

Forty2 wrote:

All right, I'm hearing a lot of "Masterwork -> Oath Bow in one go."

Nah, you can go from Masterwork (Str +2) -> +1 -> +2 -> Oathbow.

But what will it cost if I go that route? If memory serves, only the first upgrade to an Arcane Bond gets the pseudo-Crafting discount in PFS (which I assume carries over to Core).

All right, I'm hearing a lot of "Masterwork -> Oath Bow in one go."

My plan now is to put Five levels of Wizard with the Transmutation School under my belt and 'lose track of' my old Arcane Bond in favor of one with a +2 STR. I'll pay the 1,000 for the replacement and be able to upgrade that to an Oath Bow.

I'm starting up a new character for the Core Campaign, an aspiring Elf Arcane Archer. At 2nd Level, he'll start taking levels of Wizard and receive an Arcane Bond (which I plan to make a Masterwork Composite [1] Longbow).

My questions are:

1. Can I (given the funds and Prestige minimum) craft my Bond into an Oathbow?
2. If yes, how would the pricing work? Half for the whole thing (13,100gp), or slice off 1k for the first +1 (24,100)? Would/Could the bow be upgraded in iterations? (+1 -> +2 -> Oathbow)
4. Can an Oathbow be made from a longbow without the proper Strength rating in the first place? Would it retain the old Strength rating for move to the Oathbow's listed rating?

For reference: The Oathbow