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I have a question about exactly how Elemental Fist works. It says:

When you use Elemental Strike pick one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. On a successful hit, the attack deals damage normally plus 1d6 points of damage of the chosen type. You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus a failed attack roll ruins the attempt).

Now, is Elemental First its own special attack (as in, as a standard action, make a single attack...), or is this something that I can activate and it applies to all of my unarmed attacks for that turn (so a monk could use it to great effect with flurry of blows)?

I'm looking to build a monk that uses Elemental Fist. I've been reading over the various archetypes, and of course Monk of the Four Winds (MotFW) and Master of Many Styles (MoMS) have caught my eye. I can't take both, because they both replace Perfect Self. I prefer the MoMS, but losing flurry of blows just seems...harsh. That's sort of a monk's bread and butter.

So, assuming I want to go straight monk for 20 levels (no multiclassing), which archetype(s) will best help me fulfill the role of elemental-damage-wielding melee combatant? I've considered Monk of the Sacred Mountain, or even Hungry Ghost Monk. Also, which of the Qinggong abilities are best to grab?

Also, randomly, is there a monk ability (or an ability via a magic item that I monk could use) that pulls enemies closer?

Okay, so I want to make a melee alchemist, very likely one that fights bare-handed. Here's the thing: I'm playing in a comedy campaign, and I want my mutated form to be a Power Ranger.

Yes, you read that correctly.

So, through judicious use of discoveries, feats, the Master Chymist PrC, Beatmorph archetype, etc., make me the best dude that can transform into a Power Ranger. Or, if you can somehow build a better Ranger via another class (still preferably a melee unarmed combatant), that's cool, too (we can just fudge the "morphin' time" bit with flavor). While a want a good, solid build, I'm less concerned about a perfect/ideal build than building something memorable that will still hold its own.

I'm building a human revolver-wielding gunslinger (mysterious stranger archetype) for my wife. She cares more about roleplaying than combat and game mechanics, but still enjoys dealing out damage. We've got everything but the feats sorted out. The campaign will be starting at 5th level. Here's her current feat layout:

1: Deadly Aim, Point Blank Shot
3: Precise Shot
4: No Name (grit) (this is a must-have for my wife)
5: Rapid Reload (revolver)
7: Two-Weapon Fighting
8: Improved Critical (revolver)

After that, she was looking Blind Fight and Ricochet Shot Deed, Secret Stash Deed, and perhaps Weapon Focus (revolver) (is this needed, when she's targeting touch ACs?). Is Precise Shot needed (same reason--she's targeting lower ACs)?

Thoughts? Remember that this doesn't need to be an uber-maximized built--just an effective one. Regardless, she really wants to dual-wield the revolvers and to get No Name at 4th level.

The APG added favored class options for all of the base classes to that point. Are there favored class options for the gunslinger? My wife is rolling a human gunslinger, and I wanted to see if she had other options for her favored class "point."

It seems like the craftable poisons listed in the main PF book all have DCs that are rather low for mid- to high-level play. For a class like the assassin or alchemist that will use poison a lot, how can poison be kept as a viable tool against creatures with higher Fort saves?

Is there any way to have a familiar (improved or otherwise) take a feat? I'd like to get a brownie improved familiar and have it take the Cooperative Crafting feat. Is this possible in any way?

I was looking at the Vivisectionist archetype for the alchemist and noticed the spell anthropomorphic animal. What is the point of this spell? I just cannot imagine any genuinely useful purpose for it, beyond "oh, look, I'm Dr. Moreau."

Also, I'm torn between the Vivisectionist and Chirurgeon archetypes. I want to play the party healer. Chirurgeon makes more obvious sense, but the Vivisectionist archetype could be played up as a mad surgeon sort of character.

I'd like to make an archer for an upcoming campaign. Anything in the PF SRD is open game. I've been looking over the fighter (taking bow-related feats), the ranger, and the zen archer monk variant. The zen archer looks pretty cool, but from a pure BAB/damage perspective, does it "win" against the fighter's higher number of feats?

To be honest, while I want a powerful character combat-wise, I'm even more interested in quirkiness and versatility. Any advice is welcome--thanks!

All right, further question. Suppose I was a necropolitan with the Swarm-Shifter template. Once I took four levels of a class with a good BAB (such as fighter, even), I'd qualify for the Warshaper PrC (since I'd have the shapechanger subtype).

That said, how exactly would the Warshaper abilities interact with a swarm form? For example, perhaps Morphic Weapons would allow the swarm form to deal damage as if in the next HD bracket (basically +1d6 more damage). How would the Morphic Reach ability work? As per the Swarm-Shifter template, you turn into a 10' (large-sized) swarm. Would Morphic Reach effectively allow you to attack is if you were a 20' swarm (5-foot additional reach in all directions)?

Or is the Warshaper just a waste of time for an undead character (Morphic Immunities is useless for an undead, as is the Con bonus from Morphic Body) who turns into a swarm?

If your Con modifier is negative, do your hit points gained per level "bottom out" at 1 or 0? That is, if I have a -2 Con modifier and roll a 2 for my new hit points, is the effective roll 1 or 0?

Mathematically, 0 makes more sense, but that means that a low-Con character (Raistlin, I'm looking at you) will functionally never gain hit points.

I'm sure this is covered in the Core Rulebook, but I don't have my copy here.

My wizard has the Improved Familiar feat and has obtained a celestial owl. The celestial template adds SR based on the creature's modified CR.

Does the familiar's CR change as it advances (since, as a familiar, its HD increases as my character levels up), or is the CR static?

There are some excellent Excel-based character sheets out there, including offerings from erian_7 and Kor (Ogre's Sheet). I'm specifically looking to see if there are any that currently support the Diabolist prestige class and/or the new materials from the APG (the two above sheets both plan support for these in the future).

All right, this should be fun. I'm looking to try to build an arcane archer based off of the Xechariah NPC from Planescape: Torment. To recap, this is an archer who, though blind, unerringly hits his targets. Obviously we'll have to stretch the "unerringly" part a bit, but that's beside the point.

So, using only core rules, what would you recommend here? I know that the blind part will be the hardest, but I'm interested to see what people come up with (ideal feats, spells, etc.).

Specifically, would you use a wizard or a sorcerer? It seems to make sense to either have a wizard or a sorcerer with the Arcan bloodline so that you can get a bonded bow (and enchant it as you level up). Would you go ranger or fighter?

I own the PF Core Rulebook and the Bestiary. I think I might be purchasing the Advanced Player's Guide once it's available.

Beyond these, what are the absolute must-have products? My budget is limited, so I want to know the books/products that really add something to the available meta-game.

I have a feeling that the first or second reply is going to point out that I'm being an idiot, but that's fine.

I'm reasonably new to PF. I own the Core Rulebook and the Bestiary. I keep reading about Bloodlines; where are they found?

I have a feeling I'm about to open a real can of worms with this question. (This might not even be the correct forum for this question; please move it if it belongs elsewhere.)

I'm building a wuxia-style monk for a new PF campaign. I see this guy as on the path to enlightenment, with an emphasis on personal and "spiritual" discovery. I'd like him to take a vow of poverty primarily for role-playing purposes (empty-handed attacks, no magic items, etc.), though as we all know, the math in 3.x/PF assumes a certain number of stat/defense-boosting magic items. I want a character that's both math/combat viable *and* fun to role-play.

Enter Vow of Poverty (from the BoED). Yes, I know it's generally (or perhaps universally) accepted to be stupidly powerful and broken. Still, it's a mechanical way to make up for a mechanical deficiency regarding a role-playing choice.

I've spoken with my DM about the feats (Sacred Vow and then Vow of Poverty). She's willing to work with me but feels that, as written, it's too powerful. She didn't have any specific suggestions as to how to tone it down yet still balance the "loss" of two feats and all magic items. I also don't have any specific ideas.

So, given years of (negative) feedback on this optional feat, how would you go about making it fair and balanced, yet still desirable for a player to take?

I'm a veteran of 3.x, but new to Pathfinder. Our gaming group is just about to start a new PF campaign, and I'd like to play a monk, specifically a wuxia-style monk, ala Crouching Tiger (impossible leaps, grace over strength, etc.) or even the Matrix movies (yes, I know this was covered more by 3.x's psychic warrior feats). I see this character as generally peaceful and with the goal of personal enlightenment (probably LN).

Our DM has asked us to start at 3rd level and use the 24d6 "dice pool" method for generating ability scores. I've divided my dice up as such:

Str: 4
Dex: 5
Con: 3
Int: 3
Wis: 6
Cha: 3

I want a character that's combat-viable, but I really do want to concentrate on that acrobatic grace that so defines Crouching Tiger. I'm planning on a human character, and I'd prefer to stay as core as possible.

So, am I dividing up my ability dice in a reasonable manner? Which feats should I move toward (both for my first three levels and for farther down the road)? Any other suggestions?

Thanks!