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I too had made stat-blocks for the main Xenomorph types, when I have time to copy them, I'll post them.


It's strange that I didn't find any other thread about this, and also that this doubt didn't take me till now, but anyway...

You have a level 8 Paladin. She then adds +8 on all her Smithe Evil damage rolls. Is this bonus damage multiplied on a critical hit, or is it added in the end, after any doubling/tripling/whatever? (RAW, it would appear that it is multiplied.)

And if it is multiplied, what then when the critical is in a first attack against an evil Outsider, Dragon or Undead (or in all attacks against one kind of creatures, as for the Smithe Evil of the Undead Scourge archetype)? As it is written, in such cases the Smithe Evil adds 2 points of damage per Paladin level (it's not written that it is multiplied x2, but that it is 2 per level). Would it also be multiplied? (Again, as it appear to me, yes. But I'd like thougths.)


23) Constantly and incessantly trying to get in the bed of that sexy female NPC who is modeled from his little secret fantasies.


"Never!"

A Tiefling Rogue (PC) in response to an order to surrender pronounced by intelligent Skeletons; followed half a round later by a crying supplication of mercy.

_______________________________

"I'm going back to take my gear!"

A Human Rogue (PC, same player as above), after being freed from a Drow prison, and before meeting a Drow High Priestess face to face while being unarmed, wounded and alone.


I don't like much vampirism, zombification or other things when induced by viruses and the like. I prefer when those things are due to dark powers and whoever fights them is not just at the risk of losing life. Also, from the opening description I was expecting something obscure like Nosgoth's Vampires.


Couldn't see anything about these in faqs or in specific threads, so...

1)

Eidolon Skills wrote:
The following skills are class skills for eidolons: Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Stealth (Dex). In addition, at 1st level, the summoner can choose 4 additional skills to be class skills for his eidolon. Note that eidolons with a fly speed receive Fly (Dex) as a free class skill, even if they do not gain a fly speed until a later level.

Should I assume the correct wording was meant to be something like: "even if they lose their fly speed at a later level"? Because if an Eidolon receives Fly due to its fly speed, then obviously it already has a fly speed...

2)

Quote:
Unless otherwise noted, each evolution can only be selected once.
Bite wrote:

An eidolon’s maw is full of razor-sharp teeth, giving it a bite attack. This attack is a primary attack. The bite deals 1d6 points of damage (1d8 if Large, 2d6 if Huge). If the eidolon already has a bite attack, this evolution allows it to deal 1-1/2 times its Strength modifier on damage rolls made with its bite.

Should I assume (again) that this evolution can be taken up to two times?

3)

Climb wrote:
An eidolon becomes a skilled climber, gaining a climb speed equal to its base speed. This evolution can be selected more than once. Each additional time it is selected, increase the eidolon’s climb speed by 20 feet.

Although I would say yes, I'll ask anyway: does the Eidolon also acquire the +8 bonus to Climb skill checks and the ability to always take 10 and so on? The main thing that instills the doubt in me is that things like the differencies between primary and secondary attacks are explained in the Eidolon's entry (and it's good, since many players may just read the Core Book and APG and not know rules like these that are detailed in the Bestiary), while this other thing is not. This question also applies to the Swim evolution.

4)

Poison wrote:
This poison can be used no more than once per round.

Provided the Eidolon has both poisonous bite and one or more stings and makes a full attack, does this mean that it must declare to which of its attacks he will apply the poison for that round, before making the attack rolls, or that it can go freely and if at least one of its attacks hits he can apply poison to it independently?

5) About the Web evolution, regarding its use for climbing, is it to be treated as a rope? And how long? 50 ft.? How long does it last before becoming unusable?
What if another creature (be it ally or foe) tries to climb it? I mean, shouldn't she find it attached to herself? Even in the case where it wouldn't entangle her in that way, shouldn't the web be unusable for any creature trying to climb after her, since she messed it up by having it attached all over her or, at best, all over her hands, as if she was unwillingly reel it?


James, could you provide a link of any sort to which are the limits not to be trepassed (other than the OGL) if someone not beneath Paizo's wings wants to publish a Pathfinder-compatible series of books? Provided it can be done in the first place, of course; or better, what one should do to enter those wings and then do it.


The last part is quite foregone, but it's pretty nice. Very cute little Dragon.


Evil Lincoln wrote:
The original Legacy of Kain was great in its time, but trying to play it even 2 years later I was just astonished by the loading times. The art and voice acting are great, but... I am just too impatient.

I too didn't like the loadings of Blood Omen, but I think they're worth the trouble. What's more, Jake Pawloski is (or was) working on a 3D version of Blood Omen which, beyond the little magnificence of its own, shouldn't probably have those load times. Check it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g4m9BADrqQ


By speaking by strict rules, the shield bonus from Two-Weapons Defense should not be lost when flat-footed (as long as the character is wielding the two weapons), since shield bonuses are not lost when flat-footed; but I was wondering if this should be treated differently for two main reasons:
1) Weapons are not as large and covering as a shield (rather, they're usually pretty thin), which may offer some protection even when not readily set to parry an attack.
2) I tend see the purpose of the feat as using the two weapons to actively parry (by catching an enemy weapon in the crossblades of your swords or whatever, you get the idea) and thus wouldn't grant any shield bonus when the character is caught by surprise and the like.
Opinions? (Official ones, particularly.)


James Jacobs wrote:


As far as I know, no one here at Paizo played "Legacy of Kain." I certainly didn't.

Then I must absolutely recommend it to you. It's a series about vampires (with an overall dark and gothic feeling like Ustalav's) that started back on the old Playstation/PC and was concluded on Playstation 2. It has an extremely good plot and some of the most charismatic characters ever, starting from the vampire (but not just that) main characters, Kain and Raziel, to the necromancer Mortanius, the chronomancer Moebius and more. And it features some of the best voice acting and quotes ever too. Simply put, it is a must.


Hi, James, do you or any of your fellows in Pathfinder's staff know and like the masterpiece videogame series Legacy Of Kain? Did it inspire anything in Golarion or in rule mechanics of some sort?


Opening news wrote:
Jackson has threatened to move the filming to Eastern Europe, which would seem to lack the breathtaking vistas that made the "Lord of the Rings" films look like they really did take place in a fantasy world.

Then someone should make him take a look to western Europe, namely Basilicata, Italy


Reducing to one only is extremely limitating, but I think at present it should be I Am The Wooden Doors.

Lyrics:

When all is withered and torn
And all has perished and fallen
These great wooden doors shall remain closed

When the heart is a grave filled with blood
And the soul is a cold and haunted shell of lost hope
When the voice of pride has been silenced
And dignity's fires are but cinders
their grandeur shall remain untainted

It is this grandeur that protects the spirit within
From the plight of this broken world, from the wounds in her song
I wish to die with my will and spirit intact
The will that inspired me to write these words
Seek not the fallen to unlock these wooden doors


Thanks.


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Check these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FPUExZCWwY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5lA3GyuA6M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a5JCpXLcmM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQQ54NNuYTk


Considering that it happened thousands of years in the past, "He lifted the Starstone out of the sea" may be seen a simplification due to myth, an allegory or whatever. Until more in-depth official info will be carved in stone a GM could make whatever he inspired to do with that story.


Got it, thanks.
Are there other known errors to fix and does anyone know when will the errata be out?


Given this:

Judgement wrote:

Judgment (Su)

Starting at 1st level, an inquisitor can pronounce judgment upon her foes as a swift action. Starting when the judgment is made, the inquisitor receives a bonus or special ability based on the type of judgment made.

At 1st level, an inquisitor can use this ability once per day. At 4th level and every three levels thereafter, the inquisitor can use this ability one additional time per day. Once activated, this ability lasts until the combat ends, at which point all of the bonuses immediately end. The inquisitor must participate in the combat to gain these bonuses. If she is frightened, panicked, paralyzed, stunned, unconscious, or otherwise prevented from participating in the combat, the ability does not end, but the bonuses do not resume until she can participate in the combat again.

When the inquisitor uses this ability, she must select one type of judgment to make. As a swift action, she can change this judgment to another type. If the inquisitor is evil, she receives profane bonuses instead of sacred, as appropriate. Neutral inquisitors must select profane or sacred bonuses. Once made, this choice cannot be changed.

[Judgements list follows.]

I was wondering what is the purpose of a class ability like Slayer at 17th level:

Slayer wrote:

Slayer (Ex)

At 17th level, an inquisitor learns to act quickly in combat. Whenever an inquisitor uses her judgment ability, she can select one of her judgments— that judgment grants the maximum bonus from the first round of combat onward. If that judgment is changed during combat, it resets as normal.

...since it'll only add +1, or in a best case scenario +2, to the Judgement selected and will be totally useless at 20th level, since the bonuses will all already be maxed out. Same goes with the part of True Judgement that involves Slayer.

I've read people say something about the bounuses increasing over rounds (like Spahrep in this thread: http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinderR PG/rules/judgements&page=1&source=search#0 ) but can't see anything like that on Judgement's text.

So... what am I missing?


I haven't read all, since there's a ton of things said, but my opinion with the Magus as presented is simple. Said that I didn't have that many great expectations from it because I'm aware of how hard it is to balance a double-role class:
1) You have to rely on both a good Intelligence score (16 at least, in the end, to be able to cast your highest level spells) and good physical scores. More good than the Bard's, since you're supposed to normally go melee. And I suppose I don't need to teach anyone how this is hard to obtain even with a 25 points build + 4/8/12/16/20 levels increments. Of course there are magic items and other things to enhance stats, but other classes too have access to them, and monster are balanced with that already in mind.
2) At low levels you can do little more than help others flanking. Your spells are not good as a full spellcaster's and your melee is poor, both in offense (mid BAB, probably not so good Str, and most probably no combat feats to aid) and defense (not so many HPs, not so good Dex and Con, and only light armor). Maybe it would work a little more decently if Spell Combat wasn't restricted to melee, but I wouldn't give much hope to that.
3) At high levels you can still do little more than help others flanking, essentially (of course there's a much wider array of options to pick, depending on the situation, but you can picture the typical odds). Your spells are increasingly behind a full spellcaster's and your melee is still poor. While you may have a better defense since the option to wear medium and heavy armors, your offense suffers the same misfortunes of your spells: you're far behind a full fighter since your Str is (most probably) inferior to his, your BAB is (undeniably) inferior and very probably you have not a good set of feats to help you in hitting and damaging.

Of course I know that if you have both (combat and spellcasting) you can't be as good in either of the two as a class that focuses in one of them, but that is exactly the problem in making a class like this: it's ridiculously hard to make it balanced, you always end up having either a God or an almost worthless character. If you make it good at melee and add the spellcasting (or vice-versa) you'll have something too good. And if you make it not so good at both (as the Magus is now) it's not good at anything.
Can you see it fighting with a mighty beast, say a Dragon? While the Fighter and Barbarian tear its scales, while the Rogue strikes its weak spots, while the spellcasters hinder and damage it with spells, and so on... what is the role of the Magus, caught amid the fight, hardly able to hit and damage and perhaps nearly unable to do any good with his spells? Maybe in the end the Magus would become a support class in its little shadowy corner of uselessness, rather than a protagonist of the fight who storms with blade and spell as her flavour demanded.

In a view of balance I honestly think that classes like these would best never be created, unless some really, really enlightened idea is at their core.

As for now, the only thing I can think to help making the Magus more balanced would be increasing the selection, effects and duration of its Spellstrike abilities, but that would be a mere mending.


Well, ideas that one likes or not are another matter.
The trip attempt is not a thing that happens in 0,001 seconds and in an unquestionable exact moment (such as when the target raises his head at 20 inches from the ground or whatever like that); simply, the target tries to stand up (starting from getting on his knees or making an instant "Bruce-Lee-stand-up" makes no difference, unless we want to be pointlessy pedant on the matter), the wolf goes with AoO plus trip, it bites ferociously and with its fangs keeps the target down on the ground (or sends him prone again, if we want to put the flavor that he managed to get up entirely).


DM_Blake wrote:
But don't read too much into the bit that says it "interrupts" the action - this seems to imply that an AoO can prevent the action that provokes it, but this is not the case. AoOs never prevent the provoking action. If you move out of a threatened space, provoking an AoO, after you take your damage you keep moving.

The attack itself doesn't interrupt the action which provoked it, true, but since it has a tripping effect (assuming the trip is successful) which is the opposite of the action (going prone vs. standing up), the prone character should lose that single action and stay prone.

Also, if we stick to the rules too stricly we'll have that the PC says: "I try to stand up"; the GM goes for an AoO in an istant when the PC still hasn't really acted, so should not have provoked the AoO, thus entering in a pointless loop.


In fact it should work and (in case of success) simply keep the PC in prone position, making him lose his action, although since he can make a standard/move action + a move action, he can use a second move action to stand up.


Say I have a Wolf (its attack is bite plus trip) which tripped a PC.
The PC tries to get up from prone in his turn, so the Wolf gets an attack of opportunity; this brings the following questions:
1) Is the trip effect added to the AoO or not?
2) If it is, and if the trip is another success, does the character lose the move action he used to try to stand up or is it still available to him, since the Wolf made his AoO & trip before his actual action?

My guess is the answers are:
1) Yes.
2) The PC loses that single move action.
But I just wanted to be sure.


From PRD:
Touch Spells and Holding the Charge: In most cases, if you don't discharge a touch spell on the round you cast it, you can hold the charge (postpone the discharge of the spell) indefinitely. You can make touch attacks round after round until the spell is discharged. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates.

Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets as part of the spell. You can't hold the charge of such a spell; you must touch all targets of the spell in the same round that you finish casting the spell.
_______

Doest this apply to class abilities that work with touch too, like Cleric's Bleeding Touch and the like, or does it regard only spells/spell-like abilities?


Sorry for the double post, I couldn't edit the previous one, if by chance a moderator is reading, please, add together the two posts.

Hairy Dude wrote:


p. 6, Spectre: This correction to the incorporeal touch attack bonus doesn't seem to have taken account of the new Weapon Focus feat. It should be +11 (+6 BAB, +4 Dex, +1 Weapon Focus).

The Spectre has 16 Dex, so the modifier is +3 and the final +10 to attack is correct.


Hairy Dude wrote:


p. 5, Sea serpent: Power attack at BAB +15 gives -4 attack for +8 damage. With Str 34 (+12) damage should therefore be 4d8+20 (I also note that this damage is higher than normal for a creature of its size). The errata seems to give an extra +2 that I can't account for.

If it was written as if the serpent was using Power Attack, the +23 attack bonus would be wrong too.

I suppose the +22 to damage was actually a typo meant to be the old +12; they just wanted to add the critical range of 19-20 after the damage and made that +22 mistake.
As per the higher dice damage of the bite, I note that tail slap's dice damage too is higher than normal (3d6 rather than 2d8).


Ah, so right.
Not yet used to these (good) implements. :D


I'm up for dinosaurs, clarify to me if I'm making a mistake or is it the errata:

Page 83
In the Dinosaur, Brachiosaurus stat block, in the Senses line and the Skill line, change the Perception skill bonus to “+28.”

Brachiosaurus has 18 HD, so it makes 18 Perception ranks.
+1 (Wis)
+3 (class skill)
+3 (Skill Focus)
=25

The normal entry said 27, and with errata it even goes to 28? What am I missing?

Page 86
In the Dinosaur, Triceratops stat block, in the Senses line and the Skills line, change the Perception skill bonus to “+24.”

Similar to the above, except this time the normal entry seems correct to me:
Triceratops has 14 HD, so 14 Perception ranks.
+1 (Wis)
+3 (class skill)
+3 (Skill Focus)
=21

Errata says 24. Again 3 more points.


At this point I can hardly see it as a lucky coincidence.
If it was, whoever thought it should be eating his elbows for spending such luck in that rather than in a lottery ticket. :D


Thanks.


Seems like I'm the only one interested in this, since no discussion jumped out the search.
Well, you know, Andoran's flag/standard has this "Efrir Ep Bered" written upon it, and I was curious about the meaninig.
By randomly guessing I'd say "Freedom Is Everything", but of course I'd like a reliable answer, if someone has it.
Thanks.


That solves a lot, thanks.


Thanks.

One more issue;
Vital Strike states:
Roll the damage dice for the attack twice and add the results together, but do not multiply damage bonuses from Strength, weapon abilities (such as flaming), or precision-based damage (such as sneak attack). This bonus damage is not multiplied on a critical hit (although other damage bonuses are multiplied normally).

So, what about the weapon's enhancement bonus, feats such as Weapon Specialization and other things? Are they to be multiplied?
(An official answer about this would be highly preferred.)


wraithstrike wrote:
If you can't find the link let me know, and I will try to dig it up again.

Yes, please, I'm only finding arguments between the yes and no, but can't see the official statements.


I know a lot of threads exist about Vital Strike, but they're full of scattered and sometimes contradictory answers, so I'm opening this one hopening to gather all the answers in one place. And official answers, possibly. If something like this already exists, please link it, I was unable to find.

I already know some of the answers for sure, but I'll throw the questions in anyway for anyone wondering them in the future.

So... are the following cases possible or not?
1) Vital Strike + Charge
2) Vital Strike + Spring Attack
3) Vital Strike + Sneak Attack
4) Vital Strike + Cleave/Greater Cleave
5) Vital Strike as attack of opportunity
6) Vital Strike + Deadly Stroke
7) Vital Strike + Power Attack
8) Vital Strike + anything else I can't figure out at present

The answers, as far as I know, would be:
1) No
2) Yes
3) Yes
4) No/Cosmic no
5) No
6) No
7) Yes

But, please, correct me if anything is wrong and add any cases you can figure out.


Alright, as I thought, thanks.


A quick question.
Halfling Sling Staff, as PRD reports:
"Loading a halfling sling staff is a move action that requires two hands and provokes attacks of opportunity."

Now, seems like there's no way to reduce reload time to a free action (as per bows and arrows), since the Quick Reload feat can only be applied to crossbows.

So, is there an errata or the like stating that Quick Reload could be applied to slings too (or some other way to reduce the reload time) or did the designers really intended slings to inconditionately suffer a perennial reload time of a move action?


One thing I think should be totally, absolutely and utterly avoided if a Pathfinder game ever comes out, is giving it the feeling "it's D&D, and it's full of millions different mosters and items behind every corner, so we should show the greatest number possible in the game". The reason is simple: even if D&D is effectively full of countless different monsters and stuff, putting too much things into the cauldron will only make a smelly and insignificant blob. You want to cook meat? Then you don't need sugar, soup and watermelon.
I don't know if I'm able to clearly explain it, but in the end I think the game should stay focused.
Say the plot of the game is about a fallen hero cast into Hell and trying to redeem himself/herself reaching Heaven (nobody wants anymore the anonymous peasant who gets his/her village attacked and finds himself inside something greater), it should stay focused on Hell and Heaven and few more. The hero shouldn't find himself going after a mummies-infested tomb in the Elemental Plane of Earth just because "we want to show mummies", or running into dungeon crowded with twenty different kinds of monsters. Get what I mean? If the atmosphere is A, throwing inside also B, C, and all the rest of the alphabet ruins it, not enhance.


I'd like to see all the creatures mentioned in The Great Beyond (other than Archdevils, Archdemons, Archdaemons and Archangels), such as:
Umbral Dragons, Brine Drakes and all other varieties of Dragons and creatures akin;
Jyoti and Sceaduinar;
Daemons of all kinds;
Inevitables;
Formians;
Proteans of all kinds;
Agathions (hoping that they remain limited to Leonal, Vulpinal, Avoral, Lupinal and some other "cool" animal, like tigers, but not things that go towards the ridiculous as rat/horse/whale/goat/whatever-like Celestials).


Ah, right, I skipped exactly the ones i was looking for. :D

However, the fact remains that he must spend uses of a class ability to compensate the big drawbacks of another. Like saying that a Wizard who casts an Invocation spell takes XdY damage and thus must always keep ready some healing.


Aestolia wrote:
Alchemists don't have a caster level.

And if that's not enough they don't have spells at all. And potions rely on spells, not formulae.


Aestolia wrote:

Or you could just make Restoration extracts

Lesser is 2nd level, Restoration is 4th

That would count anyway as someone in the party who always needs to save a Restoration for the sake of granting the use of a class ability.

But the biggest problem is that no Restoration is in the extract list.
Only Heal, but an Alchemist gets it no sooner than 16th level.


Rokku wrote:

That gets bomb damage up to "respectable", I think. Now they just need to split the bomb discoveries up so that some of them can be combined.

1400 damage over 200 full round actions is nothing. As I saw in a recent thread, an archer can do that over about 5 rounds.

70 (average) points of damage per attack and considering that even the fourth attack always hits? What archer is it?


Well, it always mean an average of 35 points of damage, which becomes 35+35, and multiplied by 20 (not counting Int bonus) means 1400 average damage.
Enough to scare McGuyver.


It's healed at normal rate (with rest, or Restoration-series spells), since it's ability damage.

What bothers me is that it does 1d4 damage per use; it means that for just a little bonus (until you apply Discoveries to it) you won't be able to use it every day. If you do, your Cha may go down faster than it recovers, unless someone in the party always save a Restoration-series spell just for you, which is quite bothering.


+1 about Reflex and Will good saves. Inquisitor gave me more the idea of someone agile and strong willed, rather than a tough one.


I need a clarification.
"Creatures that take a direct hit from a sticky bomb take the damage again 1 round later."
Is it willing to mean that a 20th level Alchemist may throw bombs that do 10d6+whatever on direct hit and then 10d6+whatever again in the following round?
It would mean a minimum of 400d6 damage per day (20 bombs/day, 10d6 + 10d6 for each one). That's huge.