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Would a level 1 be acceptable for this module? I see it's for 1-5 but if the rest are 3-5 I don't want to be a burden and will leave it for the next.

I also have PCs in another adventure, so if someone is waiting for theirs, I gladly pass it to them.

Can anyone clear something up for me? In the Additional Resources for PFS, First Mother's Fang has an asterisk next to it. There's a note up top about things that two asterisks, but I can't find the meaning of just one.

Is there any way to get your snake Improved Grapple? If so, I would totally give up trying to do damage at all, and just have the constrictor focus simply on grappling. Then they are fish in a barrel for you to beat on.

I don't really see the point of the meteor hammer. If you make a trip attempt and DON'T knock them prone but instead just pull them closer... then you've basically wasted a successful attack to basically do what you could have done by moving 5 feet? Better to knock them prone, then 5ft step up for your snake to attack and grapple them. I still think double-chained kama is better, it's more flexible in terms of switching it back and forth between reach and close-range.

Oops, I see the confusion now. What I want is to find a way to get the maneuver to damage as well, that way I can lock the battlefield down, hurting people as I pull them into my grappling snake. To find a way to add damage to the control.

Is there any way to get your snake Improved Grapple? If so, I would totally give up trying to do damage at all, and just have the constrictor focus simply on grappling. Then they are fish in a barrel for you to beat on.

I don't really see the point of the meteor hammer. If you make a trip attempt and DON'T knock them prone but instead just pull them closer... then you've basically wasted a successful attack to basically do what you could have done by moving 5 feet? Better to knock them prone, then 5ft step up for your snake to attack and grapple them. I still think double-chained kama is better, it's more flexible in terms of switching it back and forth between reach and close-range.

It's the movement, generally if I move up, trip, there's no 5 foot step left to move up and attack. For regular attacks I could always move my full distance up and just have the snake attack, but it's an interesting idea to have a wide reach of AoOs that pulls everyone in.

As for getting my snake Improved Grapple, I'm trying to find a good way to get him 3 INT so I can make him a grapple machine already.

Anyone have an clever ideas for a Meteor Hammer? It has some interesting things that might synchronize well.

I can make a Trip Maneuver with Reach, but if I succeed I drag them 5ft closer, allowing my Snake to attack then grapple. I start with Combat Expertise and meet the INT 13 Requisites for free, so Improved Trip and the correlating feat tree are easy pickings.

It provides a +1 Shield Bonus to AC.

I can switch it to instead become a Double Weapon without Reach, then attack with just one end, effectively giving it 5-10ft Reach. Unfortunately this is a free action at the start of my turn, meaning no Reach AoOs so I doubt that would see much use.

Some major flaws in it though. If I do trip them, pull, and have my snake attack, that's a turn spent where I have to land a Trip Maneuver, an attack, and a grapple maneuver, all for 1d3+3 and grappled. If I get Greater Trip, I can't AoO on my pull because in "reach" mode I can't make the AoO, they're now 5ft close. Maybe something like a Cestus could, but that's not exactly the most damaging tactic.

On the flip side, ranged grappling can be a big lockdown tactic, because once they're inside my "bubble" they get one AoO grapple attempt moving away from the snake, and another trip/pull attempt when leaving my threatened square.

Any ideas on how to somehow get damage out of my trip or drags, or to somehow get the snake doing worthwhile damage?

Here's the deal. Building a Level 1 Mother's Fang/Emissary Cavalier for PFS, but I'm not sure where to take it.

Before choosing my Level 1 Feat, I have:
Mounted Combat
Combat Expertise (and qualify as having 13 INT for feats with it as a prerequisite regardless of my INT)
Exotic Proficiency (One Melee and One Ranged of my choice)
An additional bonus feat at Level 2

I also start with a Large Serpent Mount instead of the usual Horse. However, here's where my path splits into 3 ways I could go.

1: Starting with Mounted Combat, I could go the usual Lance Charger route. However, I really don't want to for a myriad of reasons. This is for PFS play, which means it will cap at level 12 and a large portion of my playtime will be low-level in pre-made modules. That SCREAMS narrow pathways, corners, and large teams. All that combined with a large mount means I'm not going to see much charging and I'll effectively have wasted a large chunk of my feats for most combats. Additionally, I'd be wasting my free Exotic Proficiency because most enchantment money would sink into the lance. Finally, having a sick Giant Snake mount only to play like every other Cavalier in existence is boring.

2: Starting with Combat Expertise, and that nifty "always meet 13 INT rule," and starting with Fauchard Proficiency, and functionally larger range by taking up more space by occupying my mounts spaces, I could set up for a mobile reach/trip build. It also has a more "exotic" feel for a Cavalier, which I like from a flavor point.

3. I could use a Falcata, and battle up close and personal. This would allow my snake to fight as well, which has one interesting caveat. When a Snake lands its bite attack, it can grapple as a free action. This would allow me to close the distance, snake attacks, grapples them, and I attack them while they're open.

I can't figure out what direction to take it, so does anyone any advice that might help, or perspectives I may not be seeing? Any obvious shortcomings I may not see, or rules that will set me one way or the other? Any ideas in general?

PS: Is there any way to get a mount to INT 3 fairly quickly? I want to get my mount "Death Roll." Thanks in advance!

http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fn#v5748eaic9thg wrote:

In general, if a class feature grants multiple subfeatures, it’s OK to take two archetypes that only change two separate subfeatures.

So, I guess we can assume that weapon proficiencies and armor proficiences are subfeatures of the "Weapon and Armor Proficiency" class feature.

Your Google-Fu is stronger than mine, thanks for the help!

That's a tough one. I could see someone arguing that "Weapon and Armor Proficiency" is a class feature, and that both of these archetypes modify that class feature. I personally wouldn't risk it in PFS unless you always expect to have the same DMs in which case you could just ask them.

I had that thought, but while Mother's Fang has it listed under Weapon and Armor Proficiencies, it explicitly says it alters Weapon Proficiencies, not Weapon and Armor Proficiencies.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A mother’s fang is proficient with all simple and martial weapons.

Additionally, a mother’s fang is proficient in one exotic melee weapon of his choice and one exotic ranged weapon of his choice.

This alters the cavalier’s weapon proficiencies.

The Emissary text entry is less direct about what it alters, but when it lists its changes, it's listed strictly under Armor Proficiency, not Weapon and Armor Proficiencies.

Armor Proficiency

An emissary does not gain proficiency with heavy armor.

As Mother's Fang calls out Weapon Proficiency as what it changes, and Emissary makes no mention of changing Weapon Proficiency anywhere in its entry, it would seem they change them independent of each other and can both taken.

First Mother's Fang and Emissary. Mother's Fang gains Exotic Weapon Proficiency with a single exotic melee weapon and single exotic ranged weapon, altering Weapon Proficiencies.

Emissary loses Heavy Armor Proficiency, altering Armor Proficiencies.

The two don't touch on anything shared, but do both alter different proficiencies. Can they both be taken?

Looking for PFS legal.

You can draw a weapon as part of a movement provided you have a BAB of at least one. If I'm mounted, sheathe my lance (PC move action) and my mount moves, can I draw another weapon as part of the movement? The draw isn't a move action, so it's not taking 2 move actions in one turn.

Little foggy here, can anyone clarify?