1) Just a simple question referencing a Martian word from "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert A. Heinlein.
2) Have used Grok and variants as the basis of several characters' names: Grok, Korg, Igrok, etc.
3) Been using it as an online handle since mid-to-late 90's. I now twitch whenever someone refers to a certain AI.
4) USA
Incorporeal is a higher level ability for some classes/bloodlines/ archetypes:
Spiritualist:
Incorporeal Bonded Manifestation: When a spiritualist uses this ability and chooses incorporeal form, she becomes shrouded in a haze of insubstantial mist, granting her concealment against ranged attacks. At 8th level, the spiritualist can better affect incorporeal creatures with melee attacks; her unarmed strikes and melee weapon attacks are treated as if they had the ghost touch magic weapon special ability. At 13th level, the spiritualist can take a standard action to become invisible (as the invisibility spell) until the start of her next turn. At 18th level, the spiritualist gains the incorporeal subtype and a fly speed of 30 feet (good) while using this form of bonded manifestation.
Undead bloodline Sorcerer:
Incorporeal Form (Sp): At 15th level, you can become incorporeal for 1 round per sorcerer level. While in this form, you gain the incorporeal subtype. You only take half damage from corporeal sources as long as they are magic (you take no damage from non-magic weapons and objects). Likewise, your spells deal only half damage to corporeal creatures. Spells and other effects that do not deal damage function normally. You can use this ability once per day.
Formless Adept Psychic:
Formless adept Formless Body: A formless adept gradually sheds his body, taking on increasingly nebulous forms. A formless adept can assume a formless body as a standard action. He can remain in each formless body type for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. The rounds don’t have to be used consecutively, but must be used in 1-round increments. Resuming his physical form takes another standard action; otherwise, the formless adept continues spending rounds of formless body until he runs out of them. The formless adept must return to his physical form before assuming a different formless body.
Blurred Body (Su): At 1st level, a formless adept can act under the effect of a blur spell. At 5th level, the formless adept can use this ability for a number of minutes per day instead of rounds per day. These minutes don’t have to be used consecutively, but must be used in 1-minute increments.
Gaseous Body (Su): At 5th level, a formless adept can become gaseous as gaseous form. At 13th level, the formless adept can use this ability for a number of minutes per day instead of rounds per day. These minutes don’t have to be used consecutively, but must be used in 1-minute increments.
Incorporeal Body (Su): At 13th level, a formless adept can become incorporeal (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 301).
This ability replaces the psychic discipline and discipline powers class features.
I thought everyone knew a guitar is an axe. So take a level of swashbuckler and use dwarf favored class option:
Dwarf (Advanced Class Guide pg. 69): Add 1/4 to the swashbuckler’s effective class level to determine the extra damage she deals because of the precise strike deed when wielding a light pick or a heavy pick. If the swashbuckler has the Slashing Grace feat or another similar effect, she can treat the battleaxe or handaxe as a one-handed piercing melee weapon, and she gains this benefit when wielding the appropriate weapon for the feat as well.
Agreeing with the above, you're also right about the world making considerations for such things. Inheritance laws and succession lines probably incorporate some legalese about resurrections invalidate claims of the resurrected (specifying lengths of time, etc). Not that that won't stop potential conflicts if the GM wants, but it would be something the inhabitants of a world could expect.
The major Golarian nod to this issue is the Red Mantis using magic to identify resurrected targets for reassassination.
Could add items similar to existing items that provide benefits, like
Android Trail Rations (1 lb, 2gp): small green cubes with the consistency of dense bread, but with a jelly-like center of a blue substance. An android that consumes only these rations for at least one week receives a +2 bonus when using their nanite surge ability (or +4 hit points if they have the repairing nanite ability).
But I'd be hesitant about shuffling too much around where there is potentially major gameplay rules issues as per the other replies.
Easier to just have an android be a little weird about eating. Always combines all food together (dumps bread and ale into the stew), ingests the rinds of gourds or stems of grapes, drinks any potable liquid without reaction to taste - water, wine, vinegar, or soured milk, etc.
As for trying to come up with an entire android-specific cuisine that differs significantly from other humanoids, along with appropriate rules to align with getting drunk or possible food poisoning could be interesting, but may cause some issues.
Ideas for a more "artificial person diet"- adjust prices to be equivalent
Lantern oil - replace ale
Acid - replace wine
Candle - replace bread
Magnet - replace meat
Marbles - replace cheese
The players are rolling up new characters. That was never in doubt. What had/has me concerned is the disposable character attitude. For this book in the AP replacing characters is not that much of a chore, but it does mess with plot hooks for later books that have been established.
But once you hit book 2, and especially book 3, it is much harder to integrate a new character. It is one thing to ask a random stranger to go explore dangerous ruins with you. It is a different matter to ask that same stranger to rule a country with you.
Depending on class/play style of the new character, it usually helps to either integrate as "an old friend/relative" to surviving PCs or as an "expert" brought in to help, then RP the rise in trust and authority.
Kingmaker is practically the 4X AP, so random encounters are expected.
I second, (or third, fourth, whatever, I didn't count) the "roll new PCs." Learning that actions have consequences is important for Kingmaker, as those stakes rise greatly as PCs establish themselves as rulers. The encounter was fair from the perspective that they had every opportunity to avoid it.
Players will learn to scout and retreat, and how to help their PCs live to fight another day.
Without doing a full audit, I do have a couple of quick questions.
Why are the claw attacks at reduced To Hit and only half STR damage? Should be same as sting, usually.
You have language: Ancient Osirion; does it actually speak or does it just understand? Perhaps it requires a formal challenge in Ancient Osirion before a proper combat begins with the blessings rewarded.
Giant scorpion (in Ancient Osirion): "Are you worthy, challenger?"
PC (with knowledge or understanding Osirion): "Yes, worthy of the Trial of the Gods"
*Giant scorpion takes on the golden armor and abilities of Selket's Chosen
PC (without knowledge of Osirion): "That scorpion sounds weird; let's kill it!"
*Fight is with a regular giant scorpion, no special rewards, and another scorpion becomes the Chosen elsewhere
For the blessings - I would suggest looking at either minor blessings from warpriest class (blessing must match deity domain/subdomain) and/or the 1st level power of a cleric domain (same restrictions as above), and character level equals cleric or warpriest level. Should provide enough variety that players can choose different options, and the power level should be rewarding without being overpowering. May have to consider fixed uses per day or 3 + best of INT, WIS, CHA; also, possibly make best mental stat for determining DC's.
... So, you do not get to add twice your WIS bonus to AC even though both classes allow you to add your WIS bonus to AC.
So, you get neither bonus until one you are 4th level in one of those classes.
Quick correction here: these two specific archetypes would stack their ability scores to AC because scaled fist adds CHA and sacred fist adds WIS. Other monks would be WIS based and not double dip WIS, as stated above.
Also:
Sacred Fist wrote:
AC Bonus (Su): A deity protects her sacred fist as long as he is unarmored and unencumbered. A sacred fist adds his Wisdom modifier (minimum 0) to his AC and his CMD. In addition, a sacred fist gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC and CMD at 4th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels thereafter (to a maximum of +5 at 20th level).
These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the sacred fist is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load. This counts as the monk ability of the same name, and the sacred fist’s warpriest levels stack with monk levels for determining the benefits.
So yes 4th level for AC bonus with the 2/2 multiclass. Call it dodge or untyped, because it won't make any difference really; as a GM, I would go with whichever class you plan to have more levels.
Taking the magic exemplar trait is another way for spontaneous casters to get a couple metamagic spells out each day without increasing casting time, along with the option of taking multiple traits from the magic category through the additional traits feat.
Basic 5e rule is usually damage + status effect on failed save, half-damage and no status effect on success. General status effect is poisoned: disadvantage (roll twice, take lower) on attack rolls and ability checks.
If you want a quick conversion formula, do something like 1d6 HP damage for 1d2 ability damage and 1d8 for 1d3 ability damage, maybe double this for CON damage poisons.
Possible status effects in lieu of repeat ability damage: lesser poison/ greater poison or tiered failure (failure by more than 5 or 10, for example)
STR - fatigued/exhausted
DEX - staggered/paralyzed
CON - sickened/nauseous
INT - confused/stunned
WIS - dazzled/dazed
CHA - shaken/frightened/panicked
Of course, if you want to add the advantage/disadvantage system, you can simply have the 5e rule of disadvantaged rolls while poisoned.
Gold as XP is certainly not the way PF1 is set up for, but you could simply assign CRs to areas for exploration or other activities associated with adventuring that will help you track XP.
Giving the found treasure trove a set CR, and thus XP value, means that whether they sell or hoard they still get the XP.
My general advice would be to focus on whether the actions have a mechanical advantage or if they are just flavorful descriptions.
Jumping onto and riding a wyvern for a round or two is mechanical, and would require the appropriate acrobatics jump check as well as the grapple check. Or let it be an attack, but without the grapple, then the wyvern can easily shake her off.
If she is wall jumping behind an enemy to help get in flanking position - acrobatics, probably as if moving through threatened spaces. It is OKAY for you as the GM to make up the checks and DCs you feel are necessary on a case-by-case basis.
However, if she is just describing her cartwheeling down the corridor followed by a final backflip before stabbing the enemy in the face - that's just the rogue being awesome, no check required.
OT:
The number of permutations with archetypes definitely makes any comprehensive tier list mind-bogglingly complicated. Also, wouldn't it be nice to try and focus rankings made versus expected CRs/DCs for level, rather than versus other classes. Not that it'll stop such arguments, but at least a new player (at least new to the class) would have a good idea that it's a strong choice in that area.
Power level is probably okay, although maybe drop the ranged attack penalty to -2, so it's not stepping on Cloak of Winds too much.
Should be Evocation or Transmutation school.
Should add a costless material component (dandelion seed, bit of kite string, or the like).
As clerics don't usually get haste (nor cloak of winds), so you have the right idea to gate it behind deities. This can be done by adding special casting rules for appropriate deities individually, or more generally by tying it to the domain(s).
Slightly more specific ideas/suggestions to build in:
1) Always tell the truth, but never the whole truth
2) You can be flexible with "true, from a certain point of view" logic
3) View those who tell outright lies as "dishonorable demons"
4a) Part of your out-of-hell experience is that you dislike sadists, but find comfort in strict hierarchy - and try to create rules and clearly defined roles for yourself and others around you
4b) You call out anyone who seems sadistic - even if it is just friendly ribbing; you also insist people "stay in their lanes" for roles - even if it is they start the campfire, when that is YOUR JOB
5) Fire is our friend. It is a purifier, it is the great "reset button" in nature for when the forest becomes too chaotic with underbrush, it brings life to otherwise inhospitable places, it is necessary for making the best tools and weapons, and allows even mere humans to see through the darkest of nights.
6) Anyone who dislikes fire is wrong in the head, and you will try to bring them around to appreciate fire
7) You always seek out the ruler of the area you are at, make an effort to learn their laws (written and unwritten), and then make your judgement as to whether they are worthy of your obedience or should be overruled by your higher authority - and corrected
The variant channel option for luck is flavorful, and gives adds buff/debuff at the cost of healing power.
But yes, as Joynt Jezebel said, guides are helpful as there are a lot of options! Clerics can be played a lot of ways from frontline combat to pure caster. You'll need to narrow down what you want if you want more detailed build advice.
2 Adding a template to character races isn't the way PF1 normally goes about things. It gives some characters a power boost, that is fine for NPCs, but it does not really work with PCs.
Unlike my other suggestions this isn't a gentle criticism. If you give one PC a template unless you give the other PCs one too, which alters the power of everyone, the PCs who miss out will scream the house down. I would.
If you want to make the idea idea more compatible with the game as is for PCs you could re-do these ideas as archetypes. Some such archetypes exist already e.g. Asmodean Advocate for the cleric. But that means major changes to your idea, which is what I mean by this not being a gentle criticism.
A follow-up on this that may require less reworking - make this a variant of VMC (VVMC?). Abilities become available at levels 3, 7, 11, 15, and 19 at the expense of feats. Give Deific Obedience feat either at level 3 and your powers starting at level 7, or 1st power at level 3 and Deific Obedience feat at level 7. Maybe add the bonus of allowing Chosen to choose which path of obedience they want (Evangelist, Exalted, or Sentinel) either exclusively or as though given Diverse Obedience as a bonus feat.
To create a mummified creature, a corpse must be prepared through embalming, with its internal organs replaced with dried herbs and flowers and its dead skin preserved through the application of sacred oils. Unlike with standard mummies, a mummified creature’s brain is not removed from its skull after death. Injected with strange chemicals and tattooed with mystical hieroglyphs, a mummified creature’s brain retains the base creature’s mind and abilities, though the process does result in the loss of some mental faculties. Once this process is complete, the body is wrapped in special purified linens marked with hieroglyphs that grant the mummified creature its new abilities (as well as its weakness). Finally, the creator must cast a create greater undead spell to give the mummified creature its unlife
A 20th-level spellcaster can use create greater undead to create a bodak, but only if the spell is cast while the spellcaster is located on one of the evil outer planes (traditionally the Abyss).
FAQ:Channel Energy: If I have this ability from more than one class, do they stack?
No—unless an ability specifically says it stacks with similar abilities (such as an assassin's sneak attack), or adds in some way based on the character's total class levels (such as improved uncanny dodge), the abilities don't stack and you have to use them separately. Therefore, cleric channeling doesn't stack with paladin channeling, necromancer channeling, oracle of life channeling, and so on.
So track separately your uses per day and number of dice.
Absolutely just speculation here, but some possible points:
1) Achaekek targets those who would "usurp divinity," so those that are not gaining their divinity at the expense of existing gods may avoid the deadly mantis (he doesn't just hang out at the Starstone whacking everyone that attempts the Test)
2) Achaekek targets "mortals," so, as an AI, Unity might not have been on the hit list
3) "Evil entity attempts godhood" is such a common story trope that we can't have Achaekek constantly ruining the stakes; we'd have a major adventuring industry collapse
4) He's busy or on vacation
A swift action not on your turn is indistinguishable from an immediate action. If you used your swift already, you can't take an immediate until the start of your next turn.
Again, we are in RAI territory. What is more likely? That the devs intended a double-swift loophole, or that what you describe is semantical rules cheese?
We're obviously not going to agree on this point, so I'll leave it there.
Pretty sure the bolded part is incorrect.
Immediate Action wrote:
Much like a swift action, an immediate action consumes a very small amount of time but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. However, unlike a swift action, an immediate action can be performed at any time—even if it’s not your turn. Casting feather fall is an immediate action, since the spell can be cast at any time.
Using an immediate action on your turn is the same as using a swift action and counts as your swift action for that turn. You cannot use another immediate action or a swift action until after your next turn if you have used an immediate action when it is not currently your turn (effectively, using an immediate action before your turn is equivalent to using your swift action for the coming turn). You also cannot use an immediate action if you are flat-footed.
An immediate action counts as a swift, but the reverse is not true. A wizard can quicken a spell and cast a standard action spell on his turn, and then later cast feather fall after his turn over. He would then be unable to do another quickened spell (nor any other swift or immediate actions) on his next turn because he doesn't have a swift available. However, after that turn is over, he could use an immediate action again.
As for a GM call, ruling that a readied swift after a turn in which a swift was used counts like an immediate action so that the character cannot use a swift during its next turn is probably not unfair.
Also associated with leukodaemons and Apollyon are (CR 6) planar swamp corudulegasters and (CR 8) Shagals: "packs of shaghals roam the desolate plains of Abaddon, where they serve various daemons as guard dogs and sentries."
Clerics of Ng can do basically whatever they want so long as nobody is 100% sure what they're up to. Ng will never tell you if you're doing it right or not.
Yeah, as Azothath said, several of the Eldest are pretty laissez faire (or lazy fairy gods).
Also, the demon lords and daemons (Horsemen) are pretty much cool with dissing all the other deities. They certainly don't care much what you do as long as you swear your soul to them. Rovagug and Ahriman are straight nihilistic deities, so as long as you smash things, you're in their evil graces.
[https://www.aonprd.com/DeityDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Milani]Milani[/url] (CG) is all about rebellion and revolution (fighting for better, freer changes in society - you can't wait on the gods to do it for you), and she has healing in her portfolio as well. Although she is a "beacon of hope," it is easy to imagine a devotee struggling to maintain that faith while fighting for freedom in a despotic nation built upon slavery and cruelty. Bad mouthing the gods would probably be overlooked by Milani, as long as the PC is still trying to bring about changes that matches her ideals.
Worrying about "contributing enough" is definitely a common issue, so this is a very fair question!
While damage is the default measure, buffing party members or keeping them alive is fairly important, too. Debuffing enemies or distracting mooks can make the battle much safer. If PCs performed their roles and the combat was a victory, they contributed - even if the job was just being a look out and nothing showed up for them to fight.
Think about what you would like to do, how you would like your PC to do it, and talk to the group about how to incorporate it into the game.
A bard doing knowledge checks to call out advice or aid other to boost to-hit or AC while performing inspire courage is still an asset to the team. Combat can devolve into a play-by-numbers discussion, so having a bard interject some color commentary can help keep the combat descriptively fun.Role playing out those actions verbally can help boost your immersion into the combat, which in turn can help with the "feeling of contributing." Also, just reacting to the actions of the party in combat and playing up the support through cheerleading. Another good way to support the party is to help remind them which buffs and debuffs are active so they'll remember every temporary +1 to-hit and damage they have. A cleric can always rub in that the barbarian is getting that +4 STR bull strength from the blessing of [insert deity].
I guess another way of looking at it, is to not focus on what you did, but what the overall results were. Did you do your job? Buff allies, heal allies, debuff enemies? Then congratulate the barbarians and fighters for smashing the opposition, applaud the amazing spells cast, and celebrate the victories!
Irori (LN) is a good choice. He became a god on his own, so doesn't care all that much about other deities. He is all about self improvement and has fighting and healing in his portfolio.
Wood + Metal = Saw, I kinda hate this one, all saw blades and axe blades and a breath weapon of choking sawdust. Not a fan, anyone got a better idea for a synergy of wood and metal? Something, something involving ironwood, or the concept of thorns (which could be interpreted as woods attempt to harness the pointy properties of sharpened metal tools?). Eh, need to ponder this one some more.
Definitely go with ironwood or living steel. Maybe allow them to use claws or change to slam attacks.
Maybe special stats like:
Speed: No fly speed (or reduce to clumsy)
Defense: increase natural armor +2 (to +5 total)
Fast healing: only active after being hit by metal or wooden weapon (or while wielding a wooden or metal weapon, if proficient)
Breath weapon: cone of ironwood splinters 1d8 piercing damage (or no breath weapon, instead proficient with all simple melee weapons)
SLA: thorn body 1/day, lead blades 1/day
The feat affects crowds and improves your ability and speed at getting information through diplomacy. The diplomacy skill to change attitude only works on one creature per attempt. In other words, specific NPC patrons may or may not be part of the generally improved attitude - at the GM's discretion.
So for 1) It is an automatic success IF you can successfully sing for 10 minutes in a language most of them understand, which may not always work out.
2) Crowd attitude doesn't equal NPC attitude, so as I noted earlier, GM doesn't have to let them stack.
As for crowd size - the only strict definition comes from Performance combat, which says large crowds are 101-300 creatures, and so is probably not relevant here.
Size of the Crowd:
Larger crowds are harder to sway to one side or the other. It takes great shows of daring or a progression of numerous displays of crowd-pleasing actions to get them to change their attitude. Presented here are the general crowd sizes and their effects on the DC to improve crowd attitudes and gain victory points.
Small Crowd: A small crowd contains no fewer than two and no more than 25 creatures. It does not increase the base DC of all performance combat checks.
Medium Crowd: A medium crowd contains no fewer than 26 and no more than 100 creatures. A medium crowd increases the DC of all performance combat checks by +2.
Large Crowd: A large crowd contains no fewer than 101 and no more than 300 creatures. A large crowd increases the DC of all performance combat checks by +3.
Massive Mob: A massive mob is made up of no fewer than 301 creatures, and its numbers can expand into the thousands. A massive mob increases the DC of all performance combat checks by +4.
Of course, most of the taverns from Inner Sea Taverns have typically 4-40 patrons, so that is a far better indicator of the intended crowd size. Likely tending toward the greater number or more, since coming across a large group outside of tavern means that a good number are probably not looking to drink, or they would be at the tavern. Along that line, some groups are still going to balk or refuse the booze anyway - like on-duty guards.
If we base the feat on requiring everyone gets drinks, then 5gp will buy 250 cups of ale. If the GM decides it takes two cups of ale to get the commoners drunk enough for the feat to work, then you have up to 125 commoners singing along. NPCs with higher CON scores will require more booze to get tipsy/drunk/soused, so fewer would be affected by lesser quantities of alcohol.
Therefore I would say the axe is made from simple iron and it's special black color comes from the powerful magic inhabiting it.
By following the steps to destroy the artifact it reverts to its original state - a simple iron axe.
Can't believe I missed that.
So it's not even a steel weapon. It's just a highly magical iron axe.
Thanks!
EDIT: Hang on. Earlier in the description it's described as a "dull black alloy." A simple iron axe isn't made of an alloy. Iron is not an alloy...UNLESS they're not talking about a mixture of two different metals (Iron and some other). I suppose they could be talking about an "alloy" of Iron and REALLY powerful magic. Hmmm...maybe Mythic, or even Divine power is mixed in there?
All iron tools and weapons are alloyed in some way. Wrought iron is a common example that would appear as black iron.
The ability does not negate all things based on alignment. If you look at the text of the ability a paladin committing an evil act still falls, due to the class feature Code of Conduct. That seems to me a good indication that the ability does not override class features.
The detect alignment spells are notorious for not being completely accurate. Any character that relies completely on them is asking for trouble. At best they give the character a reason to look further. The spell See Alignment is much more useful for this but would not work on someone with Beyond Morality.
I can see where DeathlessOne is coming from and could agree with this, but I would point out that the fact you cannot identify the source is going to cause some suspicion. By the third round you can determine the location of each aura.
I think negating all alignment effects, or always having the most favorable alignment, was very much the intended purpose of this path power. The author felt the need to explicitly state that violating ethical codes, other than alignment changes, can cause the loss of powers.
This isn't the rules forum, so we can all add our two coppers in a friendly way. I add this next take with full knowledge that it sounds overly lawyerly, but please bear with me. I'm just elaborating on my reading rather than arguing in earnest. "Attempts to detect your alignment don't return any results." Mysterious Stranger first highlights the phrase "your alignment," and then goes on to differentiate that alignment auras can come from multiple sources: a character's personal alignment, subtype, class, deity, items, spells, "actively evil intents," most recent meal, etc. All true! However, I'm going to focus on the word "Attempts," and the phrase "any results." If a hypothetical paladin uses detect evil on a hypothetical Beyond Morality mythic character, I would argue it is an attempt to identify that character's alignment. It doesn't say, "attempts to detect your alignment fail, and instead only detect auras from class features and subtypes." Sorry if that sounds a little snarky; my point is I think it would be very rare that characters casting Detect X on other characters are not trying to find the alignment of those characters. Mysterious Stranger also points out that players relying on alignment detection spells completely are asking for trouble, which I might interpret (also based on my own experience) that players often assume the results are the creature's alignment. This goes back to my point that the common intention is to "attempt find the creature's alignment."
As for the original idea, I think it would be interesting to have the Malebranche retrain all the antipaladin levels into paladin. Maybe using the banishing warden archetype, with the conceit that its duty is to prepare the realm by removing all the other evil outsider rivals to world conquest. Should be able to stay generally within the code while banishing demons and daemons.
This apparent hero of countless battles against demons and other evil creatures would love to recruit a party of adventurers to help expand its influence and assist in the goal of purging demons. And how can they really argue against its encouragement that they give some coin to the local Asmodean orphanage?
You have no alignment. You can become a member of any class, even one with an alignment requirement, and can never lose your membership because of a change in alignment. If you violate the code of ethics of any of your classes, you might still lose access to certain features of such classes, subject to GM discretion. Attempts to detect your alignment don't return any results. If a class restricts you from casting spells with an alignment descriptor, you can cast such spells without restrictions or repercussions. If you're the target of a spell or effect that is based on alignment, you're treated as the most favorable alignment when determining the spell's effect on you. Any effects that alter alignment have no effect on you. If you lose this effect, you revert to your previous alignment.
Lots of things happening here, so easy to find disagreement.
So let's try to break it down.
No alignment. I'd argue this is more the fluff bit, so on to the crunch.
Become a member of any class... Ok, so you can now be a paladin without being LG, a monk without being LX, a barbarian/monk/paladin/druid multi class, etc. Non-alignment based ethics still apply, like druids wearing metal.
Attempts to detect your alignment don't return any results. This seems to be the first area of real disagreement, but I'm reading this as it does what it says: detect alignment spells just come back blank when used on the creature. Class, subtype, and deity are all irrelevant; it simply returns 404 error, alignment not found.
If a class restricts you from casting spells...Spell restrictions do not apply- eg. clerics of LG deities can now cast Evil and Chaotic spells. Casting spells with an [evil] descriptor is no longer an evil act for many purposes (like causing paladins to fall), as the text specifies "without restrictions or repercussions." How they use it may still violate other ethics, of course.
If you're the target of a spell or effect... Now the good stuff: alignment smites don't work; spells/effects that heal good and harm evil treat character as good; holy and unholy weapons won't cause additional damage; carry around a chaos emerald and an orb of pure law without penalty. Okay, the last one is arguable because the wording shift of "spell or effect" to just "spell's effect," but I think that was just common, casual language reduction.
Any effects that alter alignment have no effect on you Fairly straightforward, nothing can force an alignment change.
If you lose this effect, you revert to your previous alignment. Also fairly straightforward, lose your mythic powers or otherwise lose/retrain this ability and you go back to the alignment you were when it was taken. Your multiclassed barbarian/paladin/monk/druid loses any abilities as per class description on alignment changes.
Size: A spiritualist’s phantom is typically the same size as the spiritualist. A spiritualist can have a phantom that is one size category smaller than her, and if she is Small or smaller, she can have a phantom one size category larger than her. A phantom is always a humanoid-shaped creature, and looks somewhat like it did in its past life while manifested, though the emotional turmoil of its existence usually warps its appearance in some way.
Quote:
Slam Damage: Phantoms have two slam natural weapon attacks. Those attacks’ damage is based on the size of the phantom and is sometimes modified by the abilities of the phantom’s emotional focus. Table 1–11 gives the damage by spiritualist level of the slam attacks made by a Medium phantom. See Table 1–12 for the damage of such attacks for Small and Large phantoms. Often, an individual phantom manifests in a form that makes it appear as if it had weapons or other natural attacks. Regardless of their apparent forms, the phantom’s attacks still deal the slam attack damage listed on Table 1–11 or Table 1–12.
While incorporeal, phantoms can deal slam damage only to other incorporeal creatures - and would do so based on their size.
However, phantoms can be described as almost anything: they can have exotic weapons or natural weapons, armor, etc. but still have the statistics as given. So describing yours a quadruped should be fine as it doesn't give any mechanical changes.
I respectfully disagree that this must be a standard or move action. Under the assumption that benefits should be beneficial, if the target had to sacrifice their attack to spread the zeal, then that should have been explicit.
Argument for move: the spell is being redirected.
From aiming a spell - "Some spells allow you to redirect the effect to new targets or areas after you cast the spell. Redirecting a spell is a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity."
However, this applies to the caster. The target is the one making a selection, and that selection is not casting a spell. The spell even avoids referring to any of the additional beneficiaries as targets. The only target is the initial creature to gain benefits.
Argument for standard: if not specified, it is a standard action. Ju-mo quotes Using a special ability, but it does come up as a phrase in several places such as warpriest's using a blessing, or oracle's revelations, so it can feel like a general rule.
But the spell's effect is not a special ability, nor any of the other categories, so these defaults do not necessarily apply.
The only other spell that I could find in my totally-not-at-all-exhaustive search that had targets making per -round choices without a specified action is blessing of fervor, which similar to the warpriest minor war blessing. These choices would not make any sense if they required a standard action to choose. So a free or not an action rulings would be reasonable. One notable difference is that blessing of fervor specifies start of turn, while contagious zeal just states once per round. This would allow the selection to happen, say, after moving closer to the creature.
I think the idea (not necessarily RAW or RAI) behind the spell was for it be cast on a frontline combatant, who would then "inspire" additional allies in the fray with a direct shout out. I don't think this being a free or even not an action is unbalanced, but wouldn't say a GM ruling it as a standard action is in the wrong either.
Don't worry everyone, someday everything published in Occult Adventures will be perfectly understood, and all rule disputes definitively settled. Until then, GM's call!
The PF Troupe
1) Busker/Juggler: ranged with "tricks"
2) Magician/sound striker: caster support, counter magic, and a slightly expanded repertoire of spells.
3) Daredevil/ flame dancer: skills and blasting
4) Fortune teller/ sandman: roguish prognosticator + lullaby singer
5) Masked performer: keeping versatility in the bard band.
The Hippies (aka The Natural Ones):
1) Animal speaker/Erastil faith singer (plant growth): summons and buffs, archer for combat
2) Thundercaller/ Gozreh faith singer (air lightning): blaster
3) First world minstrel/ savage skald/ songhealer: summons, rages, and resuscitates
4) Voice of the wild: ranger and druid buffs, can be the more melee martial of the merry band
5) Flamesinger/ flame dancer: blaster and least popular bard in the forest
The non-blasters will probably pick up animal ally feats. Plus, they will probably adopt every creature they can.
Floating somewhere around on these messageboards from several years ago is a post (which I don't even know how to begin searching for) in which somebody posted a PFS-legal (not sure if it was ever actually used in PFS) build including 1 level of almost every martial class.
I never considered what a character like this would actually look like.
I would probably go with immune to self but not to others.
I here you, but I have to ask, "In what world does that make any sense?"
How is a Solar Dragon immune to its own Primal Fire, but not immune to another Solar Dragon's Primal Fire? The breath weapons aren't any different, are they? Bestiary 4 doesn't say each Solar Dragon's Primal Fire breath weapon is somehow "personalized" anywhere.
Is there precedent for your interpretation with any other dragon, or any other monster for that matter?
I should have rephrased that as my strictly RAW interpretation, not necessarily RAI or how I would rule it in my game.
As there are breath weapons that form clouds and pools, as well as possible abilities to reflect a weapon back at the dragon, a creature's immunity to its own breath protects it from those effects.
The rule says its own breath, not immune to breath weapons of its type. Compare to other effects: Harpy's captivating song which has the phrase "When a harpy sings, all creatures aside from other harpies within a 300-foot spread must succeed on a DC 16 Will saving throw or become captivated."
Gaze attacks, "A creature is immune to gaze attacks of others of its kind unless otherwise noted."
Stench: "All living creatures (except those with the stench special ability) within 30 feet must succeed at a Fortitude save"
If you think of this "primal fire" ability more akin to the "divine power" of flame strike or the "unearthly cold" ability of the winter witch PrC, it may make more sense that it can even overcome the solar dragon's fire immunity when it comes from another solar dragon.
Azothath makes a good point that (if I'm reading correctly) this can be seen as an add-on to the base breath weapon, rather than the breath weapon itself.
39: Plane of Silence
A demiplane spontaneously created by all the silence spells ever dispelled, where sound and the perception of sound is impossible. This naturally inhibits all spells with verbal components (like plane shift), performances based on audible effects, and other abilities that require sound or vocalizations. Communication is restricted to the visual or tactile: sign-language, charades, and mime. Oddly, even telepathy only works when sending visual ideas/images but not words as sounds.
Because even the perception of sound is blocked, it is a popular destination for those suffering from tinnitus.
14. The Even More Lost continent where forests, rivers, and even mountains change locations when no one is looking. Compasses still point north, but north isn't always in the same direction. Oddly, all constructed mazes or labyrinths here can be traversed easily by walking in a straight line, despite any efforts of the architect.
Hitting for Cha damage is usually not particularly effective, but it is in combatting a character that uses it to boost saves, damage, and AC.
Muscaria's Fort save is against addiction, the Cha damage is no save. Of course, enemy has to trick the paladin into ingesting it.
Calpinas also have a low DC for exhaustion and only +6 on attack, but with 7-12 rolls for a colony, odds improve some Cha drain happens on the grapples.
Spells like shocking image, thorn body, and fire shield all are also no save on hit. These bypass the hard to hit AC.
