Take level 20 as an example. The best poison you can create via batches at that level has a DC of 37. Among the level 20 creatures in the bestiary, there is only a single one that doesn't auto-succeed on that check (barring natural 1s), and even that one succeeds on a 5. An alchemist could create a DC 46 poison at that level, which would have at least about 30-40% chance to work against most level 20 creatures.
I'm a bit confused here. Both Tears of Death and Black Lotus Extract have DCs in the 40's. I'm probably misunderstanding what Blave said; I'm just seeking some clerification because it seemed to me like poisons had a generally better rep in PF2E than previously.
And I'm also now considering a poisoner alchemist who multiclasses into rogue so they can apply a wider array of poisons to their weapons. Should be pretty nasty.
As a MC Alchemist you only get to advance your Advanced Alchemy to 15th lvl. Which means that you'd have to craft the lvl 20 poisons the hard and expensive way. (which of course you could choose to do)
Note that this is intended for GM reading and advice. Minor spoilers ahead, so if you intend to be a player you are hereby warned.
Show:
TLDR: What are your suggestions for good news bulletins to present to the players?
I'll be kicking off a campaign in a while and thought it would be a good idea to post ASN24: ABSOLAM STATION NEWSFEED 24 bulletin updates between sessions.
Building on the excellent start by Black Dow in this thread I thought it would be fun to expand. It's just a brilliant mechanic to drip feed the setting, locations, organisations etc to the players.
The way it's presented to the players is that among the massive flux of media and thousands of news cases these are a few of the tidbits that the characters for some reason picked up on, perhaps 3-5 of these bulletins will be presented for each session.
These can be real news events, gossip, unsubstantiated rumors, fake news etc etc. Some of these will be completely untrue. In between some foreshadowing of future events will also be available for the observant player. Timing is naturally essential when it comes to the foreshadowing bullets. Also, bullets will be made for when the players have done something that will become public knowledge (E.g. resolving the Drift Rock situation)
So far what I've come up with is:
ASN24: YOUR STATION. YOUR NEWS
Foreshadowing:
• Starfinder society confirm ongoing recruitment drive in wake of scoured stars incident, which saw 80% of personnel numbers lost.
• Acting First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo enlists mercenaries to assist Starfinder operations. Critics claim Starfinder integrity jeopardized by dubious sponsors. (The first mandate)
• Quarantined Derelict tug - the Acreon claimed by both astral extractions & hardscrabble collective. Ship’s Missing crew still unaccounted for. (AP#1)
• Streetgang shootout in Drifter’s end. Level 21 Crew and the Downside Kings implicated. One innocent bystander killed, three more wounded. (AP#1)
• Exploration rights for Salvations End awarded the Starfinder Society. (Claim to Salvation)
• Thasteron prices continue to plummet, Maro economists fear worst recession since the Gap. (Red fugitive)
• Tune in to the ever popular Scrap Battle contest tonight. Proudly sponsored by the Salvage Union. (The commencement)
• Sugar-pop sensation Strawberry Machine Cake set to release latest album StarSugarHeartlove!!!
• Master of Stars still undergoing repairs. Foreman quoted saying working conditions appalling.
• Spike deaths suspected Xill infestation. ABSEC requests any citizen with information step forward.
• Qubarat University professor defends genocide on formians in public lecture. Formains in uproar, professor suspended.
Locations:
• Investigation into series of gruesome murders in the Eye halted by red-tape. Foul play by Palisaders claimed by official.
• Cornucopia building in Parkside under pressure – real-estate investors is allegedly willing to invest several tens of million credits to develop luxury accommodation.
• Star player Fidera Nook of the Absalom Assailants found guilty in cheating. He is fined and quarantined for the next five games. The talented Brutaris player will miss the finals. Fans in uproar, demand Fidera be spaced.
• Swordlight Cathredal to host the Veskarium contigent of faithful pilgrims. Knigh-General Halaina Lymikin appointed chief-host, representing the Church and the Knights of Golarion simultaneously.
• Castrovel’s lashuntas and formians celebrate 30 years since the landmark peace deal, ending millennia of conflict.
• No progess has been made in cleansing The Bureaucratic Subroutine from Station 01 orbiting Aballon. Persisten rumors that the Aballon government hinders efforts in finding a cure.
• Misguided Atheist attack on the Gathering of Vessels. Perpetrator yelled “There are no gods, the gods are delusions!” repeatedly while shooting a laser pistol wildly. Security footage shows his head suddenly caving in on itself, incapacitating the shooter. He was declared dead on the scene.
• Speculation are ripe that a security breach has been found in the Golden Vault. AdbarCorp officials deny this claim, though the corporation has been hiring an increased number of security experts.
• A particularly dense outing of the Six Tip Gang decided to pick a fight in the SecRes Pavillion. All 13 gang members hospitalized. Turns out hyperleaf laced with a hallucinogen does not enhance combat capabilities.
• New bill proposed to the Syndicsguild to fund a cleansing of the Ghost Levels. Noted experts at the Arcanium argue against, noting that the ecosystem may contain the key to the stations function or destiny.
• Station Brown-out due to Starstone attemptee. Starstone Defenders regretfully admits security breach as infamous cat-burglar Jua Heistu was killed when attempting to reach the Starstone. Defender spokesperson dissuades anyone from attempting – “No-one has successfully reached the Starstone since the end of the Gap, it is suicide”.
• Technomancers for the Astral Extractions mining company have discovered new magical uses for corpsicum, vast influx of credits for Candares
• Life Innovations sign deal with Lausill civ for body augmentation tech.
• Castrovelian Xenowardens foil megafauna poachers. Rumors that the poachers were sentenced to hard labor in formian factories have as yet not been confirmed.
• Fullbright sun-farm sacked in raid on Verces. Stewards reportedly tracked down the perps in the Outlaw Kingdoms.
• Scientists alarmed as Nisis, the largest asteroid in the Diaspora, seems to grow. Measurements confirm growth by several centimeters annually since 314 AG. Sufficient data collected to discount statistical variance. Scientific community baffled.
• The River Between turned dark, attackes reported by sailors plying the special waterway. Traffic declined since the coming of the ‘Diaspora Wyrms’.
• Recent Dreamer prophetic song does not predict degeneration of stars. Barathu famed interpreter claims meaning is: terrible calamity avoided.
• Shipment of thaumogen from Liavara intercepted by ABSEC. Sophomore Arcanamirium student implicated, faces expulsion and harsh sentence, claims personal use only.
• Tens of Thousands of Shirren today participated in a tribute to the Mortal Incarnation of Hylax on Nchak. Tourist businesses thrive and report massive earnings.
• Maraquoi mass exodus continues as throngs of natives seek opportunities throughout the Pact Worlds. Traditionalists and activits warn that the Maraquoi are endangering their culture and fundamental right to advance at their own pace.
• Pact Worlds colony ship “Eternal Bliss” Bound for Arquand set for departure within the month of Gozran. Organizers defy warnings from previous settlers about colonizing the planet thought to be self-aware.
• Refugee Neskinti report brutal quelling of rebellion on Gjor III. The Azlanti Star Empire has not issued an official statement, but denies that a rebellion has taken place at all.
• Most secure prison in the galaxy not so secure after all? Rumor has it that a prisoner known only as the Wren has successfully escaped Daegox 4. A Deagox Corporation spokesperson vehemently denies this and claims wishful thinking conjured up by the criminal mind.
• Recent attacks by Colossi on Volkaian and Ykarthan settlements on Daimalko spur Daimalkans to cut any outsider contact. Claims a second Awakening sparked by outsider influence.
• New Horizons Luxury Retreats efforts on terraforming Jedarat progresses according to plan. Recently discovered ancient ruins increase interest in the planet as perfect resort world. New Horisons stock goes north.
• Scientists predict that Orikolai will collapse inward onto itself within centuries. The toroid shaped worlds artificial stabilization processes experience gradual decay. Urgency is required to discover secrets of the Creators.
• A powerful solar flare has yet again caused planet wide disaster on Kasath. The Great Families oversee salvage operations. Pact World offers of assistance rejected.
Organisations:
• New creedence to the conspiracy theory that rogue elements within the Xenowardens were responsible for the Stardust Plauge as data cache is retrieved from derelict Greenguard bio-fighter.
• Omenbringer battlegroup suspected part of the Corpse Fleet observed near Bretheda. Caution is advised.
• Refugist faction have begun construction of ‘Homeworld’ in the Diaspora. Already several asteroids have been pulled together by tractor beam and gravity gun. AAF encourages androids and sympathizers from across the Pact Worlds to contribute.
• Strong Absalom spokesperson Silek Odegard spouts claims that Aballonian-produced euphonics is a ploy to wage a cultural war. Denied by the Aballonian ambassodor.
• Reports that yet another NatuReal Compounds Ltd junglebox has gone silent are as yet unconfirmed.
• Sarenraite scholars hypothesis: the energy is so great at the center of the sun that time itself begins to warp, making the civilizations in the sun’s depths not representatives of the past but of the future
• Launch of the colony ship ”Unexpected Joy” sponsored by the Those Who Become faction on Aballon. Mineral rich planet in the Vast quoted as destination.
• Alleged AAF terrorist Green-23 resurfaces seeking arbitration by the Machine Court. Green-23 is wanted by the Stewards for the murder of 246 sentients in the Nisis incident. The Stewards have officially requested extradition of Green-23, however no reply has been forthcoming on this issue from the Aballonian government.
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I noticed a sentence in the CRB describing Apostae:
"This arch is similar to those that link many of the system’s worlds—and a functioning ring of such portals within the city provides access to most of the other Pact Worlds"
So I started wondering if there are any descriptions of these portals, how common they are and how available they are. Presumably these are the same type of magical portals as used by the elves of Castroval. If so,
- Which of the Pact Worlds have them?
- Does one (or more) exist on Absalom Station?
- How available are they? Can anyone use them (for a fee perhaps)?
- Would they be the preferred means of transportation for shorter missions where a starship is not required?
- Being instantaneous, would they have an effect on how information flows in the Pact Worlds (rather than dealing with the time-delay of the Drift (when travelling physically) or light speed (when broadcasting messages)?
- Are there other consequences will a network of portals have?
Have any build guides shown up yet? I'm thinking like the ones for PF where a massive amount of work has been done to write up some good guides with color coding and analyses, e.g. like these ones:
http://zenithgames.blogspot.no/2012/11/the-comprehensive-pathfinder-guides. html
Yup, he his crammed for feats. No two ways about it. Though I don't think weapon finesse and such is a huge deal for the Very Helpful Halfling. After all, he's not interested in hitting his opponents, only in using aid another. Hitting AC 10 to trigger aid another is something he can do unless he rolls a natural 1...
By all means, incorporate anything you find useful - let me how how they play if you want, I'd be interested to know :)
PS: The mouse swashbuckler was a cool class, I hadn't noticed that one before.
One of the key features of this build is being able to dish out teamwork feats, specifically harrying partners to provide aid another bonus the whole round and not just on their next attack - this will make your frontline fighters hit even high AC enemies with all their iterative attacks and using power attack etc etc.
Compared to the first build, his saves and hit points are the same but AC is up by 2 due to cautious fighter, meaning he is even more survivable.
Inspire confidence will still affect all allies for +3/+3 to hit/dmg.
Aid another bonus is at +11
Swift aid bonus is at +8
All adjacent allies will get a +2 to AC from Blundering defense.
Aid another to FF#1 will give +14 to hit (including inspire confidence)
Swift aid to FF#2 will give +11 to hit (again including inspire confidence) - Alternativly using both swift aid and aid another on FF#1 for +22 to hit (Allowed by RAW?)
Allies qualifying for Bodyguard will get +13 to AC on AOOs (including blundering defense)
Aid another bonus will last the whole round, making sure that the BBEG has a hard time hitting your peeps.
Toss in some haste/heroism/finale spells as needed.
With all modifiers he is at +9 to hit so barring a natural 1 he will hit AC 10 and succeed on aid another.
Build:
Race:
Halfling
Attributes: (not super important, but the numbers below should be attainable with magic items)
Str 8
Dex 20
Con 18
Int 10
Wis 12
Cha 22
Alternate Racial Traits:
Fleet of Foot (base speed of 30 feet)
Traits:
Helpful halfling (+4 to Aid another)
Battlefield disciple (increase aid another by 1 on attack rolls)
Starting off at level 1 with Holy Tactician, alternating with Arcane Duelist until level 6. Then Arcane duelist all the way.
Feats:
Lvl 1 - Combat expertise
Lvl 2 - Arcane Strike (Bonus feat from AD)
Lvl 3 - Combat reflexes
Lvl 5 - Bodyguard
Lvl 5 - Escape route (Bonus feat from HT)
Lvl 7 - Harrying partners
Lvl 9 - Swift Aid
Lvl 9 - Disruptive (Bonus feat from AD)
Lvl 11 - Cautious halfling
Lvl 13 - Blundering defense
Lvl 13 - Spellbreaker (Bonus feat from AD)
Lvl 13 - Medium armor prof. (Bonus feat from AD)
Lvl 15 - Lingering performance
Skills:
Acrobatics 3 ranks (gain a +3 dodge bonus to AC when fighting defensively)
...the rest
Items: (Wealth by level - 240000 gp)
Gloves of arcane striking (5000)
short sword, Benevolent +2 (18000)
Mithral breastplate, benevolent +3 (20150)
Large shield, guarding +3 (16000)
Ring of tactical precision (11000)
Amulet of natural armor +3 (18000)
Ring of protection +3 (18000)
Belt of dexterity & con +4 (40000)
Headband of Charisma +6 (36000)
Metamagic rod of quickening, lesser (35000)
Cloak of resistance +4 (16000)
To hit:
BAB 12
Size (small) 1
Str -1
Combat expert. -4
Fight Def. -4
Ench. 2
Inspire confidence 3
Total 9
Aid another bonus Attack / AC
Helpful halfling 4 / 4
Ring of tact. 1 / 1
Arcane str. gloves 4 / 4
Battlefield disc. 1 / 0
Benevolent arm. 0 / 3
Benevolent weap. 2 / 0
Total 11 / 11
Swift aid bonus Attack / AC
Swift aid 1 / 1
Ring of tact. 1 / 1
Arcane str. gloves 4 / 4
Battlefield disc. 1 / 0
Benevolent arm. 0 / 3
Benevolent weap. 2 / 0
Total 8 / 8
So I was reading some posts about the aid another action and possible uses of that... and the bug hit me again. So, I thought, let me see if I can stand on the shoulders of giants and come up with a build that could be interesting and viable to play.
All paizo books are allowed, no third party.
Now this guy very much lives up to the helpful halfling description: "You see nothing wrong with letting others achieve greatness so long as the job gets done" and feels very in tune with how halflings are described. Your front line fighters will love you and the amount of additional damage the party is able to dish out will likely increase quite a bit.
He is also fairly survivable with very good AC, very good saves easily hitting the blue category in this table and has a decent amount of hit points to boot.
He's a poor to mediocre hand to hand combatant by himself, but that's not really the focus of the build. What he does bring to the table is this: Increase Aid Another bonus to ridiculous levels and make it stick the whole round.
Move close to a frontline fighter and buff him for:
+15 to hit
+4 damage
+14 AC
AND
+14 to hit
+4 damage
+11 AC
for another frontline fighter.
Without casting a single spell (of which he has plenty)
Now, two things are somewhat unclear to me and may change the numbers slightly:
1) Can you fight defensively to use aid another? (-4 to hit isn't so daunting when you only need to hit AC 10)
2) Swift aid as it is worded is a less effective aid another action for a less effort (swift action) - +1 bonus vs. +2 bonus. In this build I have assumed that it is an aid another with a -1 modifier, so that all the other additives to aid another will work the same way (e.g. the helpful halfling trait with normal aid another gives a +4 bonus, with swift aid it gives a +3 bonus). Has anyone seen a clarification for this?
Please comment, critiqe and make suggestions to improvements, point out rules or errors etc.
Play example:
So how this may play out:
Round 1 - new encounter, roll initiative
Swift action: Start singing battle hymn (inspire confidence)
Standard action: Use Battlefield presence to give all party members the Harrying Parther teamwork feat
Move action: Move next to your frontline fighter
Free action: Offer your other frontline fighter to join you in the ranks (move adjacent to you)
You are now providing everyone in your party a +4 competence bonus to hit and damage. If someone moves to attack the ally next to you, you get to use an attack of opportunity to give them an extra +11 AC (Bodyguard) which will last until the beginning of my next turn (Harrying partners).
Round 2
Free action: Assign your shield enchantment bonus AC to fighter #1 for +3 AC (Guarding shield)
Free action: Activate combat expertise and fighting defensively
Swift action: Swift aid another (fighter #2)
Standard action: Aid another (fighter #1)
If you can attack and hit AC 10 (with -8 to hit for fighting defensively and combat expertise activated) you are now providing +15 to hit, +4 damage and +3 AC for fighter #1 AND +14 to hit, +4 damage for fighter #2.
With Harrying partners this means that fighter #1 and #2 will have this bonus not only for their next attack, but for all attacks until your next round. Which means that in all likelihood, all their attacks will hit, including later iterative ones. So even though you yourself do not inflict a single point of actual damage, the odds are that you will be the cause of the PARTY getting more hits in and not being hit as often in return. Being the halfling that you are you will be bobbing and weaving like crazy, trying not to get hit, all the while distracting your enemy and assisting your allies.
If anyone attacks fighter #1 or #2 you can use AOOs to provide them with an additional +11AC. (Or anyone else adjacent to you, you have 7 AOOS available to you every round, so you could potentially do this for a lot of allies.
Note that I haven't even mentioned spellcasting. You can of course also count on the normal bard buffing by haste, good hope, heroism etc etc as well as life savers like the "finale" spells when needed.
With some time to prepare, or a lull in the battle, you could also cast "Coordinated Effort" to give you and 3 allies the benefit of the Escape Route teamwork feat, making positioning easier.
Your party should love you.
Build:
Race:
Halfling
Attributes: (not super important, but the numbers below should be attainable with magic items)
Str 8
Dex 20
Con 18
Int 10
Wis 12
Cha 22
Alternate Racial Traits:
Fleet of Foot (base speed of 30 feet)
Traits:
Helpful halfling (+4 to Aid another)
Battlefield disciple (increase aid another by 1 on attack rolls)
Starting off at level 1 with Holy Tactician, alternating with Arcane Duelist until level 6. Then Arcane duelist all the way.
Feats:
Lvl 1 - Combat expertise
Lvl 2 - Arcane Strike (Bonus feat from AD)
Lvl 3 - Combat reflexes
Lvl 5 - Bodyguard
Lvl 5 - Escape route (Bonus feat from HT)
Lvl 7 - Harrying partners
Lvl 9 - Swift Aid
Lvl 9 - Disruptive (Bonus feat from AD)
Lvl 11 - Lingering performance
Lvl 13 - Extra performance
Lvl 13 - Spellbreaker (Bonus feat from AD)
Lvl 13 - Medium armor prof. (Bonus feat from AD)
Lvl 15 - Master performer
Skills:
Acrobatics 3 ranks (gain a +3 dodge bonus to AC when fighting defensively)
...the rest
Items: (Wealth by level - 240000 gp)
Gloves of arcane striking (5000)
short sword, Benevolent +2 (18000)
Mithral breastplate, benevolent +3 (20150)
Large shield, guarding +3 (16000)
Ring of tactical precision (11000)
Amulet of natural armor +3 (18000)
Ring of protection +3 (18000)
Belt of dexterity & con +4 (40000)
Headband of Charisma +6 (36000)
Metamagic rod of quickening, lesser (35000)
Cloak of resistance +4 (16000)
Other odds & ends (ca. 7000)
Saves:
Fort 4+4+3+6+4 = 21
Ref 5+8+1+6+4 = 24
Will 1+8+3+6+4 = 22
AC:
Base 10
Small 1
Dex 5
Armor 6
Ench. 3
Shield 2
Ench 3
NA 3
Deflect. 3
Combat expert. 4
Fight Def. 3
Total 43
Male HP 27, AC 19/11/19, F+5 R+2 W+5, Init +1, Perception +3 Cleric / 3
Ventar observes Albrekts venture into the sewage, sees him topple over and disappear and taps his index finger pensively on his goatee. As Albrekt finally emerges from the sewage, Ventar wakes from his apparent hard-thinking and quips, perhaps a bit too light hearted:
"Albrekt, I think that should count as one of your yearly baths, the smell will surely improve as a result. Now, will you bring the corpse over to this side please?"
There is no maximum number of primary natural attacks. For monsters, the soft ceiling is "however many natural attacks, when the average damage is tabulated, does not excessively exceed the creature's expected high average damage for a creature of its CR according to Table 1–1 of the Bestiary."
For characters, though? There is no by-the-book limit apart from common sense and whatever limit your GM sets.
Thinking about it this thread might have been more appropriate in the "advice" category. My intention was to see if we could find a build that will give many primary natural attacks for a PC. Could be a fun and playable concept.
So far I have the APG barbarian in the lead with 3 (4 if counting haste attack)
