Hellim's page

I live in a populous area (Denver) with Organized Play available, however I cannot find a group to playtest with. Is there some function on the internet that I am not clued into that helps with meeting irl to play the new edition?

Things would be large and possibly dirty, what else?

The player who bravely dove into the beta Hunter class this Sunday shall be forthwith known as Pea (as in Japanese for 'pair').

Pea loved the class and all of the options it provided for mixing it up in combat with a pet, including the teamwork feats, which he wanted more of, and the Animal Focus abilities. He had a great time switching between the different animal emulations from Animal Focus throughout each fight and applied the different buffs beautifully. An enemy shadow creature tried to run away from a fight, so Pea switched from Bull focus to Falcon to track him, then Monkey, Stag, and Frog to follow him to his den. He then duo'd the creature into unconsciousness with his animal companion, a wolf. Again, he was having a great time.

We noticed that, after about five hours of play, Pea suddenly began to work his pencil madly on a piece of scrap paper. I asked what he was up to, but he asked to wait until he had fleshed out the idea. So, at the end of the night I bugged him again. He showed me a rough, and I mean messy, concept of a Hunter that basically swapped out its spell casting for sneak attack progression every other level like a rogue. I've been mulling it over for a couple of days, but I don't know what to think. Is the trade off of abilities fair and balanced? Is a rogue with a flanking animal companion too good or just logical? Will he grow bored without weird spells to cast?

I researched posts on our boards here concerning this feat chain combo and was not convinced by the decisions made by the one thread I found. Vital Strike can be used when you make an attack action; Deadly Stroke requires one to use a standard action to make a single attack. Would it be correct to assume that making a single attack is an attack action?

If they can be combined, I am also assuming that the math would work as thus:

Short Sword damage: 1d6.
Vital Strike bonus: an extra 1d6 (do not add any other damage other than the damage dice). The total becomes 2d6.
Deadly Stroke bonus: the damage would increase to 4d6.

Because Vital Strike asks us to add the results of the weapon damage dice together before adding bonuses to damage such as strength, precision damage or elemental damage, we apply Deadly Stroke's doubling power to the result after Vital Strike as it doubles normal damage. To clarify, I see Deadly Stroke asking us to calculate all damage before doubling, which would include Vital Strike because it specifically states to add the results of the weapon damage dice BEFORE adding extra flat damage or precision/elemental damage.

Deadly Stroke uses the term 'normal damage'... I wonder what would be included in normal damage. Weapond damage of course, but what about Strength bonus to damage? Challenge and Smite bonus damage? Enhancement bonus to damage?

So my three main questions are as follows:

1. Do they work together?
2. When does Deadly Stroke double the damage?
3. What is included in normal damage?

It seems underpowered...by at least 3 spell levels. Give it a party buff effect, or cast it as a swift action to fit in with the 'Burst' concept.

If an anti-pally confirms a critical hit with a conductive weapon, spends the 2 charges of corrosive touch necessary to channel his/her corrosive touch through the weapon upon the target, is the corrosive touch also a critical?

Has anyone found or heard what kind of special ability Hex is?

As in, Supernatural, Extraordinary, or Spell-like. We've been assuming it was the latter, however a multi-classing Witch/Monk needs to know the exact type in order to establish if his build is broken or not.

If it is typeless...umm...I dunno what to say. Does that mean it fits into any of those categories if they ever come up? Like we can pick and choose according to our needs at the time?