Gamuniga's page

The Aid action states:

To use this reaction, you must first prepare to help, usually by using an action during your turn. You must explain to the GM exactly how you’re trying to help, and they determine whether you can Aid your ally.

I don't understand what the action should be:

◾A specific action, described in some part of the rulebook?
◾Just an action lost, without any effect whatsoever?
◾The use of an actual action functionally geared to help - i.e. to aid a Strike, I also use a Strike against the same enemy?
◾If the previous case is the correct one, can I also prepare to Aid by using an activity - i.e. to aid a Strike, I cast a 2-action attack spell against the same enemy?

Thanks for any insight you might provide!

Sorry for the clickbait-y title, but the more I think about it the more I think this is how I feel: art in the Core Rulebook is not that great, bar some exceptions.
Just to be clear, I', not dissing the game: by "art is not that great", I mean to say that "art is only good, not great: I was expecting more given the budget and importance of this flagship product"

First, there's much less Wayne Reynolds that I'd like. And in my opinion Wayne is a big part of the Pathfinder "feel".

Second, some artwork is decidedly low in details in my opinion: for example, I really don't like the image on page 466, it is really basic and with very few details.

Granted, there are some really great pieces too: the culture images on pages 430-432 are fantastic.

In any case, the art does not detract at all from what I consider to be a fantastic second edition!

What are you opinions on the art?

Hello everybody,

I would really appreciate some help in understanding the Grab (Ex) Universal Monster Rule, specifically the "...simply use the part of its body it used in the grab to hold the opponent" part.

I can't understand what this "hold" entails, and what use it has.

A) is "held" a (non-clearly-defined) condition, different from "grappled"? or is just another way of saying "in a grapple", with the difference that the creature that used the Grab (Ex) is not considered grappled, only its victim is?

B) what use has this "hold" option? Take for example the constrictor snake... Is there any case in which it would make sense to use the "hold" option, giving that it occupies its only "body part", and leaves him without other attacks?

C) speaking of this, i would imagine a constrictor snake would be able to constrict one opponent with its "spires body part", while biting another one (or the same) with its bite attacks... But this does not seem modeled in the game. The snake has only one "body part" (bite)

D) even a kraken, it seems like he is not able to grab 5 PCs and keep them "grappled" (or "held", for that matter), because - even if it has enough body parts - maintaining a grapple/"hold" is a standard action, and he can do only one such action on its round. So it can mantain a grapple/"hold" on one PC, but must release the others. I see no way for a kraken for grapple/"hold"-lock PCs round over round, so that they are constantly grappled (except if they break free, of course).

E) in concluding, i cannot see the use of the "hold" option, since it entails a hefty -20 penalty which practically renders it useless. I would imagine that this mysterious (to me) "hold" option is used to model those monster (like the kraken or the snake) that can grapple one or multiple targets without needing to devote their full attention to it, and keep them "locked" and held in their grasp. But the -20 makes it almost impossible to pull off, and the standard action requirement makes it inapplicable to multiple targets.

As for the rest of the grapple/grab/constrict rules, i believe i have them nailed down, thanks to some useful resources: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat#TOC-Grapple and http://www.dorkistan.com/dorkistan/PFRPG/misc/grapple.htm - but these do not spend much words on the "hold" option.

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to clarify this for me, or at least point me to a helpful thread!

Hello everybody!

There's this purely tecnhical issue that keeps bugging me: i tried searching the forums and looking at the FAQ, but i couldn't find a clear answer.
If have a gnome fighter, what is the spell level of its "speak with animals" spell-like ability?

• "speak with animals" is listed as being bard 3, druid 1, ranger 1
  
• This FAQ entry does not apply, and it's the closest thing that i found.

Thank you for any replies, and kudos to Paizo for their wonderful products!