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Balabanto wrote:
In the case of Wish, that is not correct. Wish specifically says you must spend the XP in the description. This is why often, you'll see things noted in modules like "So and So has X number of XP for casting Wish spells." There is no difference between a spell-like ability and casting a spell as far as all the other mechanics of the game are concerned.

Spell-Like: Spell-like abilities are magical and work just like spells (though they are not spells and so have no verbal, somatic, material, focus, or XP components). They go away in an antimagic field and are subject to spell resistance if the spell the ability resembles or duplicates would be subject to spell resistance.

Animate Dead specifically says you must place an onyx in the corpse's mouth in the spell description. But if you're using Animate Dead as a spell-like ability, it has no material component.

Enervation specifically says you point your finger and utter an incantation. But if you're using Enervation as a spell-like ability, it has no somatic or verbal components.

Gate specifically states that the 'calling creatures' function of the spell has an XP cost. But if you're using Gate as a spell-like ability, it has no XP component.

Nystul's Magic Aura specifically notes that the small square of silk must be passed over the object you're casting the spell on. But if you're using Magic Aura as a spell-like ability, it has no Focus component.

There is certainly a difference between a spell-like ability and casting a spell as far as "all the other mechanics of the game" are concerned.

If, for some reason, you find the Monster Manual quote unconvincing, consider the description of the Summoning subschool:
A summoned creature cannot use any innate summoning abilities it may have, and it refuses to cast any spells that would cost it XP, or to use any spell-like abilities that would cost XP if they were spells.

Notice that spells have XP costs, whereas SLAs would cost XP if they were spells. Since they're SLAs, however, they don't.

-Hyp.


Balabanto wrote:
Uh, except that Wish has an XP Cost of 5000. :)

In Pathfinder Alpha, the 18th level non-specialist wizard can use Wish 1/day as a spell-like ability. Spell-like abilities don't have an XP cost.

-Hyp.


Vic Wertz wrote:
If forums get more than 100 threads, the older threads get pushed into the archive, which is searchable but not browsable.

Sounds good in theory, but the threads I'm talking about don't appear to have made it into the archive either.

-Hyp.


Alex Draconis wrote:
Iron kingdoms tried to remove Awaken, thing is they didn't remove limited wish. So I just wished for an awaken like effect because remember it can duplicate the effects of a lower level spell.

But if Awaken doesn't exist as a 5th level spell, there's no baseline to determine if granting sentience to an animal is within the powers of Limited Wish...

-Hyp.


Jason Bulmahn wrote:
I have just talked to our esteemed web master about it, and we will be making some changes soon I think.

Does your esteemed webmaster know if threads that have vanished are recoverable?

As far as I can tell, quite a lot of what people posted in the first couple of days has simply disappeared.

-Hyp.


Frank Trollman wrote:
Gate is not a summoning spell. It is a Calling spell. A summon spell is just like a fireball or a wall of stone - it's not really a separate critter. A Calling spell teleports an actual creature from a real place to your immediate vicinity. And the limits of summoning (such as having the effects of their abilities expire when they do or not granting anyone any XP for their defeat) don't apply.

Well, not gaining XP isn't a limit of summoned creatures.

It's a limit on creatures that an enemy summons or otherwise adds to its forces with magic powers (DMG p37).

So it doesn't matter if the evil wizard Summons or Calls a demon to fight you - you won't get XP for the demon either way, just for the wizard.

On the other hand, you're not discussing a creature that an enemy summons or otherwise adds to its forces with magic powers; you're talking about a creature that you summon or otherwise add to your forces with magic powers.

So that paragraph doesn't apply in the first place... the question now is whether something you're adding to your forces constitutes an encounter in the first place.

"Did the PCs defeat the enemy in battle? Then they met the challenge and earned experience points."

If you added the creature to your forces with magic powers, is it an enemy? Or, if the party have to fight something you added to your forces with magic powers, does that make you the enemy, and thus to gain XP, you're the one that must be defeated?

-Hyp.


Stebehil wrote:
I had 101 or 102 threads at times, but it seems to be limited somehow. I guess that this is another of the bugs that plague the boards.

Oh, marvellous.

I didn't bother keeping a copy of my two pages of feedback, since I knew it was available on here.

Gone now.

-Hyp.


Jason Bulmahn wrote:
There is some talk of spliting the boards up by chapter or some such mechanism.

One question...

I notice that a lot of threads that existed yesterday don't exist today.

Have they already been moved to new folders, or have they been removed as you read them, or does the board automatically discard threads as the number in a folder increases above 100?

When I try to follow links to threads I know were there (because they're in my browser history), I just end up at the folder index...

-Hyp.


Geron Raveneye wrote:
A creature with a type and subtype is still part of that creature type, only with modifications. All effects that affect this creature type still affect the creature, except if the effect excludes any modifications that are created by the sub-type.

I think you're missing a point. The Augmented subtype doesn't tell us what you are, it tells us what you were.

A cat is an Animal.

But once we cast Awaken on it, it is no longer an Animal. It is a Magical Beast (Augmented Animal).

A raven is an Animal. Once it is made into a familiar, however, it is no longer an Animal. It is a Magical Beast (Augmented Animal).

A human Dragon Disciple is a Humanoid. Once he undergoes Apotheosis, however, he is no longer a Humanoid; he is a Dragon (Augmented Humanoid).

The Awakened Cat and the Familiar Rat are not affected by Speak With Animals; they are not Animals. The Dragon Disciple is not affected by Hold Person; he is not a Humanoid.

Geron Raveneye wrote:

A Dragon Disciple who has undergone apotheosis, and changes into a half-dragon, gains the dragon creature type, and hence is not affected by Hold Person anymore. A familiar is not subject to Speak with Animals because it has been turned into a Magical Beast and is not affected anymore by anything that affects animals.

Right. And the Awakened Cat has been turned into a Magical Beast, and is not affected any more by anything that affects animals... like a second casting of Awaken.

Unless you Polymorph him into a dog, changing him from a Magical Beast (Augmented Animal) into an Animal (Augmented Magical Beast).

(Or possibly an Animal (Augmented Magical Beast, Augmented Animal). I don't know how far back the Augmented subtype chains.)

-Hyp.


Frank Trollman wrote:
I am contending, among other things, that the rule "Even so, they are magic items that can no longer be created, at least by common mortal means." puts you on extremely shaky grounds when trying to create them with a "mortal wish" that is usable 3 times a day.

"not by common mortal means" is less restrictive than "not by mortal means", and Wish is explicitly "the mightiest spell a sorcerer or wizard can cast".

If some mortal means are available, as implied by the qualifier, what better than the mightiest spell to achieve it?

-Hyp.


Frank Trollman wrote:
The Staff of the Magi is an Artifact with no cost. Wish allows you to create a magic item of any cost. So a Staff of the Magi is literally not on the list of things that Wish can produce.

Wish allows you to create a magic item. It does not require that magic item to have a cost; rather, it requires you to pay twice the normal XP cost. Given that Wish as a Sp ability ignores XP cost, that cost becomes irrelevant.

Are you contending that an artifact is not a magic item? The description of Minor Artifacts states "they are magic items".

Frank Trollman wrote:
Technically any creature which stops being an Animal Type because it has an Int higher than 3 gains the [Augmented Animal] Subtype, which means that they are still targetable by any spells which target animals. So really you don't need to do anything funky Reawaken. Once you've targeted yourself once, you can target yourself again and again.

A creature with the Augmented Animal subtype has that subtype because it is no longer an animal.

A human Dragon Disciple who has undergone Apotheosis is not subject to Hold Person. A familiar is not subject to Speak With Animals. The Augmented subtype doesn't mean you're treated as your old type.

-Hyp.


master0fdungeons wrote:

I must not understand the PRPG Alpha 1 cover rules. It says under ranged "Lines that run along the edge of a hard surface or creature count as being blocked."

So if you are in a 5' wide hallway with an opponent any corner of your square will run along the wall to two of the opponents squares corners. This can't count at 2, which will give him cover +2, can it?

Jason Buhlman has replied to this, stating "Oops - this should say 'Lines that run along the edge of a hard surface or creature do not count as being blocked.'"

-Hyp.


Set wrote:
But with the Animal turning into a Magical Beast, it's already getting some extra hit points, as well as changes to BAB, saves, etc.

It retains its d8 hit dice and its 3/4 BAB. Both Animals and Magical Beasts have good Fort and Reflex, so even if it would get Magical Beast saves (which it doesn't), they'd stay the same.

The key is in the Augmented Animal subtype:

Augmented Subtype: A creature receives this subtype whenever something happens to change its original type. Some creatures (those with an inherited template) are born with this subtype; others acquire it when they take on an acquired template. The augmented subtype is always paired with the creature’s original type. A creature with the augmented subtype usually has the traits of its current type, but the features of its original type.

d8 hit dice and 3/4 BAB are features of the Animal type. d10 hit dice and full BAB are features of the Magical Beast type. Since the awakened animal is a Magical Beast (Augmented Animal), it retains the features of the Animal type - d8 hit dice and 3/4 BAB.

-Hyp.


Rezdave wrote:
IOW, significant examples and intent is missing from the SRD.

Exactly my point. The examples and intent are missing from the SRD, and thus where those examples and intent give a shading to the rules, that shading is also missing.

If the rule says X, and we can tell from the example that the intent is Y, there's a case for ruling Y.

But when the rule says X and there is no example, there's no case for ruling Y.

Rezdave wrote:
Once you're already sentient, you can't be awakened ... if the spell is cast on you it would have no effect. It would be like casting animate object on an animated object.

You can't cast Animate Object on an animated object, because the spell targets an object, and an animated object is no longer an object but rather a creature.

You can cast Awaken on a sentient animal, as long as it is an animal, because that is what the spell requires.

Rezdave wrote:
True, but his "3rd Level" XP -buy still ends at 5999 XP and everything thereafter is LA-buyoff rather than level XP.

LA buyoff? LA buyoff is a variant rule, and doesn't mean what you're describing here.

Rezdave wrote:
Wrong. A 2nd Level character has between 1,000 and 2,999 XP with an additional LA buyoff up to 9999.

You're making up words. An ECL 4 character has between 6000 and 9999 XP, whether that ECL is made up of class levels, racial hit dice, or LA.

Rezdave wrote:
Now it's Shadows for you guys. So what? I think the precedent and intent is clear that Spawn do not create Spawn.

To me, the intent is clear that a creature slain by a shadow rises as a shadow, and therefore uses the MM entry for "shadow". ... which includes the Spawn ability.

-Hyp.


Rezdave wrote:
It is strange that there is no explicit limitation, but I think this is to allow the DM flexibility. Because the spell specifically references transporting the caster to the location of a staff of the magi rather than simply dropping it in their hands, and because of the partial fulfillment clause, the DM has options.

If you were playing D&D 3.5, you might have a case. But Pathfinder RPG is an OGL game, and is based on the SRD, not on the PHB, and the Staff of the Magi example does not appear in the SRD. Thus, there is not even an implication that "wishing for an expensive magic item" falls outside the bounds of "wishing for a magic item", and so the Staff of the Magi in an SRD-based game is not a 'greater effect', and the 'dangerous' clauses don't come into effect.

Unless Pathfinder RPG specifically alters the SRD text of the Wish spell to fix the problem... which is what Frank is advocating.

Rezdave wrote:
Hence, no wishing for items that give wishes. Or if you do get them, then they arrive discharged per the "partial fulfillment" clause noted above.

Again, partial fulfillment only applies to 'greater effects', and in the SRD version of Wish, wishing for a magic item is never a 'greater effect'.

Rezdave wrote:
However, the spells grants an animal “humanlike sentience.” It does not grant “an increase in Intelligence” or other stats.

It grants +1d3 Charisma. The target requirement is 'Animal or Tree'; if you're an animal or tree, you're a valid target, whatever your Intelligence.

Frank's conceded that Wildshape is no longer a way to become an Animal, but in the SRD, Polymorph still permits it; however, we know that Polymorph is certainly one of the things Pathfinder RPG will tackle. It remains to be seen if in so doing, they close the Awaken loophole.

Rezdave wrote:
Actually, Lycanthropy gives you a Level Adjustment so that you now have an ECL. It does not give you actual levels.

It doesn't give you levels, or XP. Frank is not suggesting it does.

A 3rd level character has between 3000 and 5999 XP (let's say he has 5000). If he contracts Lycanthropy from a wererat, he now has a level adjustment of +2; instead of becoming a 4th level character at 6000 XP, he now doesn't hit 4th level until 15000 XP.

But then he gets hit by a wight, and loses a level. He is now a 2nd level character with a +2 LA. A 2nd level character with a +2 LA has between 6000 and 9999 XP. Because he got here via level loss, his XP total becomes the midpoint of this range - about 8000 XP.

He has gained 3000 XP by losing a level, because level loss sets XP to a fixed amount in the midpoint of the range, but his XP was already outside the normal range due to the imposed LA.

Rezdave wrote:
ECL, not levels, and besides you can’t arbitrarily trade Levels anyway.

I'd argue that, as a 2nd level character with 8000 XP, in a 3.5 D&D game he'd run afoul of the 'Advancing a Level' text on PHB p58; he would immediately advance to 3rd level, but any XP in excess would be discarded. He would be left with 5999 XP, one short of advancing a second level - so the Difference Engine strategy has netted him 999 XP in this case.

Now if he goes out and gains 1 XP through adventuring, and then repeats the cycle, he'll end up 1 shy of the next level, so it's still a viable exploit.

In an SRD-based game, I have no idea what would happen, since the SRD itself contains no advancement rules.

Rezdave wrote:
This has been dealt with before. Now the Monster Manual has separate entries for “Vampire” and “Vampire Spawn”.

Vampires create Vampire Spawn. Shadows create Shadows. This is not ambiguously written.

-Hyp.


Russell Akred wrote:
As a player that loves his stealth, I would raise the required +2 to a +4 or more for using cover and stealth. I don't want Humans hiding behind Halflings it is just weird.

There's no difference in the rules between hiding behind a halfling and hiding behind another human; the cover bonus doesn't change until there are two size categories of difference.

Whether he's behind a human or a halfling, his cover bonus is still +2.

-Hyp.


Jason Bulmahn wrote:
Lines that run along a hard edge do NOT count as blocked.

Much more intuitive!

-Hyp.


Image link - Click for Pictures!

The Ranged Cover rules have a few issues.

In Image 1, we have a five-foot-wide corridor, guarded by an orc. The corridor is well-lit and featureless - no nooks, crannies, or shadows.

The thief comes up the corridor towards the orc.

The thief has a +2 cover bonus to AC, since no matter which corner of the orc's square we measure from, lines to two corners of the thief's squares run along the edge of a hard surface, and are therefore blocked. As a result, even though he has no concealment, the thief can use Stealth to hide from the orc.

On the other hand, when the thief tries to throw a dagger for the sneak attack, the orc gets the same +2 to AC!

-----

Compare Images 2A and 2B.

In 2A, with the orc out in the open, he has a +2 cover bonus to AC against the archer. In 2B, where he's moved behind the swordsman, his cover bonus has diminished to +1.

Compare Images 2C and 2D.

In 2C, with the orc out in the open, he has a +2 cover bonus to AC against the archer. In 2D, where he's moved to interpose the swordsman to some degree, he has no cover at all.

-----

In Image 3, there is a halfling between the wizard and the orc. Not only does the orc have a +6 cover bonus to AC and a +4 bonus to Reflex Saves against the wizard, in addition, the wizard has no line of sight at all (since lines to all four corners of the orc's square are blocked), and thus cannot cast targeted spells like Magic Missile or Charm Person.

-Hyp.


deathsausage wrote:

Possible balance issues:

Infinite 0-level spells. (acid ignores hardness, thus acid splash every round would take about ten minutes to burn through a door the rogue can't pick)

This is incorrect, based on a passage that admittedly isn't worded as well as it could be.

When you attack something with hardness, you subtract that hardness from the damage dealt. Generally, things with hardness are objects, but it's possible to have a creature with hardness - consider the Animated Object, a creature with the Construct type.

When you deal Cold damage to an object, the damage dealt is divided by four before you subtract the hardness.

When you deal Fire or Electricity damage to an object, the damage dealt is divided by two before you subtract the hardness.

When you deal Sonic or Acid damage to an object, you don't divide the damage at all; apply it normally. What is 'normal'? Don't divide, and if there's any hardness, subtract it.

Consider the following passages from the FAQ, for what they're worth:
Hardness applies to acid and sonic attacks. These
attacks deal normal damage both to creatures and to
objects, and thus would deal normal damage to an
animated object (less the effect of the hardness). You
would subtract 5 points for hardness from whatever
damage a Melf’s acid arrow spell deals to the
animated table in your example.

and

Hardness applies to all types of damage unless specifically
stated otherwise by the effect. (Page 165 in the Player’s
Handbook is sometimes misinterpreted to suggest that hardness
doesn’t apply to acid and sonic damage; in fact, the phrase
“apply [damage] normally after a successful hit” simply means
that the damage isn’t halved or quartered, as other energy
damage is.)

-Hyp.


p50 Charm Domain
See Dazing Touch p47

p56 Strength Surge
I presume if the enhancement bonus to Str is applied to an attack roll, it has no effect on the damage roll?
The text references "when the reroll is used" - cut and paste error?

p56 Dimensional Hop
If you bring other willing creatures with you, must they be adjacent? Holding hands?

p56 Sun's Touch/Nimbus of Light
You note on p44 that you've unified the rules for positive and negative energy, but the Sun Domain contains positive energy effects that explicitly have no effect on living creatures. The two items appear at odds.

p57 Weapon Master
Can more than one feat be active at a time? For example, in Round 1, can I expend 2 rounds of Weapon Master to gain the Dodge feat for 2 rounds, and in Round 2, expend 1 round of Weapon Master to gain the Mobility feat for one round, using the original Dodge feat to meet its prerequisites?

-Hyp.


Up to p50 so far...

p14 Combat Trick
"A rogue may gain a combat maneuver feat in place of a rogue talent."
Does this refer to 'Combat Feats', or to the feats that affect Combat Maneuvers (Improved Trip, Improved Disarm, Improved Bullrush, Improved Overrun, Improved Grapple, Improved Sunder)?

p14 Surprise Attacks (Ex)
Firstly, Improved Uncanny Dodge relates to flanking; it's Uncanny Dodge that relates to flat-footedness. Secondly, a character with Uncanny Dodge can be caught flat-footed; it's just that they retain their Dex bonus in that circumstance. Any ability the Rogue has that triggers off the flat-footed condition rather than the loss of Dex bonus should still work in the surprise round, even if the opponent has Uncanny Dodge, because while he retain his Dex bonus, the opponent is still considered flat-footed due to Surprise Attacks (Ex).

p19 Familiars, Spell Resistance
You note that "another spellcaster" must beat the SR. There's an implicit assumption in there, but I'm not sure if it's:
a/ The familiar takes a standard action to lower its SR when the master wishes to cast a spell on it,
b/ The master's spells always bypass the familiar's SR (even if, for example, he inadvertently catches the familiar in a Fireball), or
c/ The master may elect to bypass the familiar's SR at any time, but need not.

Option b means essentially treating the familiar as an extension of the wizard, since "A creature’s spell resistance never interferes with its own spells, items, or abilities" (assuming this wording from the SRD is unchanged) - a wizard with SR who accidentally catches *himself* in his own Fireball is out of luck.

p21/22 Acrobatics
"While you are using Acrobatics in this way, you are considered flat-footed and lose your Dexterity bonus to your AC (if any)"
This phrasing suggests two effects of using Acrobatics in this way: a/ flat-footed, and b/ loss of Dex bonus. Thus, even with Uncanny Dodge (which prevents loss of Dex bonus due to being flat-footed), the character will still lose his Dex bonus to AC due to using Acrobatics (which Uncanny Dodge does not address).
"While you are using Acrobatics in this way, you are considered flat-footed and thus lose your Dexterity bonus to your AC (if any)" circumvents this problem.

p25 Fly
"Being attacked while flying: You are not considered flatfooted while flying."
Does this mean "Flying does not make you flatfooted", or "A flying creature is never flatfooted"?

p32 Combat Expertise
"You can only choose to use this feat when you declare that you are making an attack or full-attack action with a melee weapon."
Is this "[attack or full attack] action" or is it "[attack] or [full attack action]"? Someone who charges, for example, makes an attack with a melee weapon, but they're not making an attack action with a melee weapon.
This would be better described as "making an attack action or full attack action with a melee weapon" or "making an attack with a melee weapon", respectively.

p33 Intimidating Prowess
The benefit should perhaps be phrased "You may add" rather than "Add", in case a penalty to Str or a bonus to Cha makes it undesirable to use Str modifier.

p37 Dazzling Display
Is the Intimidate check specifically the Demoralize Opponent use of the skill, or can it be used to change an attitude?

p39 Spring Attack
Benefit is missing the phrase "As a full-round action".

p40/41 Cover, Ranged
This means that if I'm standing in a 5-foot-wide blank corridor, ten feet from an orc, he has a +2 cover bonus. Is this intentional?
Similarly, since the corridor provides me with a +2 Cover bonus to AC from the orc, I can also use the Stealth skill to hide from him. Ten feet away, in the five-foot wide, blank corridor.

p44 Sunder
"You can attempt to sunder an item held or worn by your opponent as part of an attack action in place of a melee attack."
Does this mean that Sunder cannot be part of a full attack action or charge action, for example?

p23 Deception vs p44 Feint
The descriptions are contradictory; the Deception skill says your opponent is considered flat-footed (which means Uncanny Dodge will prevent a sneak attack), while the Feint maneuver simply says they lose their Dex bonus (which Uncanny Dodge won't prevent).

p47 Dazing Touch
Duration of the dazing effect? Is there a save?

p49 Wish (Sp)
Spell-like abilities have no XP cost... intentional?

-Hyp.


Interestingly, I don't get the avatar.

-Hyp.


Erik Mona wrote:
Huh. Maybe I was confused. I still think it should be 3,000 or maybe even 4000.

It's 4000. In the MIC format, base price is at the top of the stat block. You're looking at the Cost to Create at the bottom (2000).

-Hyp.


Origami Unicorn = Dream: nice!

But there should be a note that it can circumvent the mind-affecting immunity of constructs.

-Hyp.


CastleMike wrote:
Winners: Robe of Useful Items as described in SRD.

300 words; auto-rejected.

-Hyp.


Vic Wertz wrote:
Technically, you could solve this puzzle even if you only spoke French, Portuguese, or Pig Latin.

Having solved the puzzle, I'm not convinced someone who only spoke Portuguese would get it...

And I think http://titanic-games.com/******* would be funnier than http://titanic-games.com/??????? :D

-Hyp.