Hyluss VanWyck's page

I can only speak to the version of the spell that ultimately made it into print, and do not take my reading of it as any sort of canonical rules advice, but yeah, IMO it's exploitable. It's very, brutally exploitable, and frankly it's exploitable by intent. It's also horrifically, unquestionably evil as it treats souls like reagents and commodities, and kills the target creature like snuffing out a candle, replacing its soul with another.

The original source of the spell in-game, in-setting was the daemon associated grimoire 'Withered Footsteps of the Dire Shepherd' which inexplicably self-corrects if the text is corrupted during translation or copying. The putative author's name (or title?) also shows up in the oddest places, but it originates a lot of soul-based spells and information on soul-devouring creatures. It's evil/Evil/EVIL, and use of the spell is likewise among the worst that's out there. It's exploitable but there's a metaphysical cost.

You have no idea how happy this makes me, I think I can convince my GM now, when the time comes. We're only level 9 right now but it's clear that by the end of this game we're gonna need every bit of power we can achieve, and I don't feel like dying at the hands of some rampaging demi-god, which may or may not be what we're up against. Plus my wizard doesn't have to sacrifice 20 virgins to achieve lichdom or go to hell, hooray!

Sorry for the thread necro, but I don't think my silly little question is worth a new thread, and seeing as how the creator of the spell responded to this one, I'm hoping to get his opinion.

If you cast parasitic soul on a creature of another type, lets say a minotaur for this example, and then you meet an unfortunate end sometime later. What would happen if your party members reincarnated you? As far as I can tell your type changes to monstrous humanoid when you possess the minotaur, and reincarnation is supposed to make you a new body that's the same type of creature isn't it? So your new body would be another monstrous humanoid but you would no longer be subject to the restrictions on activating abilities that magic jar or parasitic soul impose. Am I interpreting this right? Because if so then I'm gonna go find a Dragon or some other baddie and take his body on a very lethal joy ride. Thanks in advance for any advice.

The developers have clarified that the act of casting even a silent, stilled spell has visual manifestations that make it obvious you're casting a spell. They leave the details up to the GM, but suggest that the glowing runes in most spellcasting art are appropriate. So basically you glow like a Christmas tree and can't cast in public secretly without some feats that AR variously bad, expensive, and limited.

I forgot about the whole light show; Makes the problem infinitely worse. I guess my deception and deceit oriented witch is pretty harmless now.

Even if you get rid of the verbal component, you are still obviously casting. The answer is that you usually need to isolate people before magicking them, or else use mass spells to target everyone. There are also a few feat chains or prestige class features (enchanting courtesan, mainly) that let you cast in social situations.

Verbal components are the biggest give away though. you don't even have to be looking at the guy casting a spell to hear that part. If you try to cast charm person on the barkeeper in a crowded tavern, it's the shouting of "THIS IS A SPELL" that's going to give you away not some light jazz hands.

Hyluss VanWyck wrote:

wraithstrike wrote:

SU's tend to follow the same rules as spells unless otherwise stated and targeted spells allow you to know.

That's what I would say but my GM seems to think that since there is no explicit statement that they follow those rules, that they don't apply.

There is no explicit statement, but in that case SU's are also not subject to line of effect rules for spells so they can ignore wall of force and other barriers that stop spells, and line of line rules also. When you make a witch and start to sleep hex people on the other side of walls he might change his tune. All you would have to do is use detect magic to locate the square and then target them.

Better yet use evil eye since it doesn't reference a spell. :)

That sounds like a very amusing idea, but precedence says that he will just say that SU are subject to line of effect anyway. One thing I want to know is how this issue hasn't been addressed yet in the game's life span; it seems like something that really needs some clarification.

SU's tend to follow the same rules as spells unless otherwise stated and targeted spells allow you to know.

That's what I would say but my GM seems to think that since there is no explicit statement that they follow those rules, that they don't apply.

I'm currently playing a debuffer witch and my GM is insisting that I have no way of knowing if my hexes were successful or not. This is becoming increasingly frustrating for me since I never know what I should be doing at any given time because I don't know what I've already accomplished, and I don't want to waste a limited resource like a spell if the enemy has resisted evil eye and misfortune. I know that there is a rule saying that spells let you know if you fail but it doesn't seem to apply to supernatural abilities but I don't see why Paizo would design a class that can't even know if it's being effective. Is there anything official out there I can show my GM to convince him that I should know when hexes fail?

I don't believe there is a saving throw. As it says in the quote you provided "failure by 5 or more means the inveigler has dominated as though using a dominate monster spell". As I read it it seems to strongly imply that there is no saving throw. At least not for the stronger effect.

Subject rather self-explanatory, If I put a melee enchantment like impact or wounding on a melee weapon with a the natural ability to be thrown,like a spear, does that enchantment function when I throw the weapon?

So I was rather bored yesterday evening and was just flipping through some of the rules and came across the rules for monstrous PC's here: http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/monstersAsPCs.html

At first I simply thought "neat" and moved on, but then I remembered the Monstrous cohorts from the Leadership feat and realized that there was a huge difference in levels between these two rules. I the above link it gives an example of a minotaur character. The minotaur character counts his CR as his character level and he's in a group of level 6 adventurers so he gains 2 class levels and the rules say to give him bonus levels too since his natural minotaur abilities have diminishing returns in higher levels.

Compare that to a griffon from leadership who is the same CR as a minotaur and therefor considered just a strong overall yes has an effective cohort level of 8 and does not gain the extra levels that the monster PC character does.

I understand that someone might say that since cohorts are added on top of existing characters they are very powerful, but why are the effective levels so bloated and there's already the fact that they always have to be at least 2 level below you.

Are you sure you want to give him speech? He might sound like this.

That is actually a great idea. Sam the eagle is totally going to be my inspiration now.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I think the ring of eloquence is my best shot and we have a guy who can craft it as well. Its a shame there is no equivalent of awaken for magical beasts. I find it odd that you can make a intelligent talking cow but the multitude of already sentient beasts cant talk without wearing a special item.

Giant eagle understands Auran language, you can spend single skill rank in Linguistics to learn that language so you will be able to communicate with your cohort. It won't be able to respond, though.

With the help of spells such as telepathic bond you could possibly communicate both ways.

Unfortunately no one in my party can cast telepathic bond. If at all possible I'd like it if he could actually speak seeing as how his perception skill will be much higher than mine and could warn the group of danger.

I'm wanting to take leadership to give my cavalier a giant eagle for a mount and I don't want it to be just a flying replacement for the horse;I want him to be a character of his own. I can't find anyway for the two of us to understand each other though and I can't find a thread where this has been addressed.