J-Spee Lovecraft's page

I mostly love 2e and I'm starting my first session this Friday. But I feel like the XP allowance system kinda sucks and I feel like every creature should just have their XP listed like they did in 1e. Is it just me? Maybe I'm not understanding it correctly and my stupid caveman brain is just confused. HEELP MEE.

I saw that Lost Omens has mega fauna companions and all I wanna know is what ones are featured in the book. Thanks!

Hey, so I know that you generally don't want to put your familiar directly in harm's way, but how much damage do familiars do with melee attacks? The familiar entry mentions that they CAN attack, but I don't see anything about their natural attacks or whatever.

I'm pretty excited about these dudes being playable soon. Also, I'm impressed that you guys are going out of your way to give the "savage" ancestries a lot more depth. Kudos.

What's the deal with the Dancer Bard? It's in the sample build sidebar for the Bard, but it doesn't have a suggested 1st level Feat. Also, I didn't notice anything in the Bard class description about dancing, but I'll admit I may have missed it because I skimmed through as Bards aren't interesting to me. Even so, I would like to know what's going on with it in case one of my players wanted to be one in the future.

We still can't have a Large bear as an animal companion. WHY???

More than any other class, I was looking forward to making a Mutagenist. But it's plagued with too many issues and I can't help but feel that it was just sort of slapped together as an afterthought. Instead of taking care to give it the traits that everyone loved about Vivisectionist, Master Chymist, and the kooky and weird discoveries like tentacles and tumors, they just gave it abilities that do nothing (a lot has changed since the play test). Is the Mutagenist still worth it? Are the developers aware of the issues that plague the Mutagenist? Will there be errata fixing it? Do the developers even care? Please! I WANT ANSWERS, DAMMIT!

Do the Beastmorph and Visionary Researcher Alchy archetypes go well together? Like, can a Researcher's friend get feral mutagen stuff and pounce/grab/constrict/etc. from Beasty? I wasn't sure because SRD says this: "If the researcher has discoveries or other abilities that alter or increase the benefits of the mutagen, these apply to the experimental mutagen (though the drinker only gets half the numerical bonus of the mutagen)." The part about only getting the numerical bonus confused me. HALP, I R DUM.

Is there any way to make a vivisectionist/beastmorph alchemist and get bombs without having to burn a discovery? I know beastmorph gets them but vivisectionist doesn't. HALP.

Is there any way to make a vivisectionist/beastmorph alchemist and get bombs without having to burn a discovery? I know beastmorph gets them but vivisectionist doesn't. HALP.

I'm making an alchemist who's obsessed with animals and who has a career in taxidermy. Some of his goals include grafting animal parts to his body (the Monstrous Grafts, Tentacle, and Wings discoveries) and animating his taxidermy animals (the Alchemical Zombie discovery or possibly incorporating the Taxidermied template somehow). My only problem is I can't decide what archetype to choose. His obsession with animals could be represented by Beastmorph, but his sort of hacking and grafting style could be best suited to the Vivisectionist (as well as a reluctance to use bombs, as they could damage a subject's skin and ruin the taxidermy process), and yet the Reanimator could work for bringing his taxidermied creatures to life. What do you guys think would work best?

I was looking at the cannibalism subdomain and the granted power "Consume the Enemy" and I was wondering, can you cast Magic Fang on yourself to beef up your chompers? If you met the prereqs, could you take Imp. Natural Attack for your bite? Also, if this ability were used by a Large creature, would the damage be higher? HALP!

Couple questions:

Why does the giant blowfish have a 30ft. land speed?
And why is the giant porcupine not available as an animal companion and why is the normal porcupine not available as a familiar?

So, I was trying to figure out a way to make an alchemist that transforms into an insectoid form (similar to Baxter Stockman or Seth Brundle from The Fly) but the closest thing I can find is the Beastmorph archetype. Is there another archetype that might work better or should I just try and create my own?

So, I've been wanting to stat up a wizard who has an opossum familiar but I've been having a rough time deciding exactly how its feign death special quality would work. Would it be a bluff check or maybe a disguise check to appear as a dead body? Am I in the right forum?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

So, I've been wanting to stat up a wizard who has an opossum familiar but I've been having a rough time deciding exactly how its feign death special quality would work. Would it be a bluff check or maybe a disguise check to appear as a dead body? Am I in the right forum?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

So, I've been wanting to stat up a wizard who has an opossum familiar but I've been having a rough time deciding exactly how its feign death special quality would work. Would it be a bluff check or maybe a disguise check to appear as a dead body? Am I in the right forum?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Animal Archives came out not too long ago and it was definitely one of my favorite paperback Paizo products, but I was a little disappointed that there were only stats for eight animals. Having said that, I'd like to take some time to type up multiple animals that I feel could be useful as companions or familiars (or food). Feel free to leave feedback or even post varmints of your own.

Thanks!

Herd Animal, Cow
CR 1

XP 400
N Large animal
Init -1; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +9
DEFENSE

AC 12, touch 8, flat-footed 12 (-1 dex, +4 natural, –1 size)
hp 19 (3d8+6)
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +0
OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee gore +4 (1d6+4)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks stampede, trample (1d8+4, DC 14)
STATISTICS

Str 16, Dex 9, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 5
Base Atk +2; CMB +5; CMD 15 (19 vs. trip)
Feats Endurance, Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +9
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Stampede (Ex)

A stampede occurs if three or more creatures with stampede make a trample attack while remaining adjacent to each other. While stampeding, the creatures can trample foes of their size or smaller, and the trample’s save DC increases by +2.
ECOLOGY

Environment temperate plains
Organization solitary, pair, or herd (3–30 and 1 bull)
Treasure none

Cattle are raised as livestock for their leather, meat, and milk but are sometimes used as draft animals. The statistics provided represent cows, while the statistics for the aurochs in the Pathfinder Bestiary can
be used to represent bulls.

Cow Animal Companions
Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 30 ft.; AC +1 natural armor, Attack gore (1d4); Ability Scores Str 14, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 5; Special Qualities low-light vision, scent.

7th-Level Advancement: Size Large; AC +3 natural armor; Attack gore (1d6); Ability Scores Str +8, Dex –2, Con +4; Special Qualities stampede, trample.

Catfish CR 1/8

XP 50
N Tiny animal (aquatic)
Init +3; Senses blindsense 30 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +4
DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 size)
hp 3 (1d8-1)
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +1
OFFENSE

Speed swim 30 ft.
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
STATISTICS

Str 2, Dex 17, Con 9, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 6 (can’t be tripped)
Feats Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +4, Swim +11
SPECIAL ABILITIES Defensive Spines (Ex)

As a swift action, a catfish can lock its spiny fins into place to injure potential predators. Any creature attempting to grapple the catfish takes 1 point of nonlethal damage on making a grapple check. The catfish can relax its spines as a free action.
ECOLOGY

Environment any freshwater
Organization solitary, pair, or school (3-6)
Treasure none

These whiskered bottom feeders are among the most widespread fish on Golarion and can be found in nearly any body of fresh water. The catfish presented here is an 18-inch, 3-pound bullhead catfish but a wide variety of other fish exist.

Walking Catfish (CR 1/8): These strange fish are able to survive for long periods of time out of water. They are hardier than other catfish (Con 12) and have a base land speed of 5 ft. They also have the Water Dependency special quality.

Madtom (CR 1/4) : These tiny catfish possess venom glands near the base of their fin spines. Any living creature struck by these spines must succeed a Fortitude save (DC 9; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; cure 1 save) or take 1d2 Con damage. The DC is Con-based.

Electric Catfish (CR 1/2): Found in the Mwangi Expanse, electric catfish emit a potent electric shock to stun prey and potential predators. They lack the barbed fins of other catfish but can make a touch attack (+5; Weapon Finesse bonus feat) with their whiskers that deals 1d3 electricity damage on a successful hit. On a critical hit, the creature struck must make a DC 9 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. The DC is Con-based.

A spellcaster who can acquire a familiar can choose a catfish as a familiar. A catfish familiar grants its master a +3 bonus on Swim checks.

Penguin CR 1/6

XP 65
N Tiny animal
Init -1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +3

DEFENSE

AC 12, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (-1 Dex, +1 natural, +2 size)
hp 4 (1d8)

Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +2

OFFENSE

Speed 10 ft., swim 40 ft.
Melee bite -2 melee (1d3-4)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

STATISTICS

Str 2, Dex 9, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6
Base Atk +0; CMB -3; CMD 3
Feats Endurance
Skills Perception +3, Swim +7
SQ hold breath

ECOLOGY

Environment cold aquatic
Organization colony (11-30)
Treasure none

Penguins are flightless birds native to Golarion’s polar seas and ice floes. They prey on fish, squid, and small crustaceans.

A spellcaster who can acquire a familiar can choose a penguin as a familiar. A penguin familiar grants its master a +2 bonus to Fortitude saves.

I'm not sure if you guys are still interested at all but I've recently started attempting to convert the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness again. I've started with size. TMNTOS had 20+ size categories and that seems a bit much to me, so I figured Pathfinder's sizes would work best for simplicity's sake. For those of you unfamiliar with the Ninja Turtle RPG, each animal you get to play as has a certain number of "bio-e" points (I'll call them "mutation points") that you get to spend on things like bipedal posture, speech, human-like appearance, and even psionics. The larger a creature is, the less points it has but player's who want to play as, let's say, an elephant, can get points back by changing to a smaller size. Since an elephant would be size category Huge, it could change to Large size to gain 5 points in the old game or, if the player wanted to make it man-sized, it could become Medium and gain 10. Now, since Pathfinder doesn't have as many sizes, I'm not sure if it should still cost 5 points to change size or if it should cost less. Also, changing size affects certain stats, your AC, certain skills and Combat Maneuvers. Most of it can just be found in the universal monster rules in the Bestiary, but I added what I thought the stat bonuses should be per size. Here's what I was thinking so far:

Fine: Str -8, Dex +8, Con -6, AC/Attack +8, CMB/CMD -8, Fly Skill +8, Stealth Skill +16
Diminutive: Str -6, Dex +6, Con -4, AC/Attack +4, CMB/CMD -4, Fly Skill +6, Stealth Skill +12
Tiny: Str -4, Dex +4, Con -2, AC/Attack +2, CMB/CMD -2, Fly Skill +4, Stealth Skill +8
Small: Str -2, Dex +2, Con +0, AC/Attack +1, CMB/CMD -1, Fly Skill +2, Stealth Skill +4
Medium: Str +0, Dex +0, Con +0, AC/Attack +0, CMB/CMD +0, Fly Skill +0, Stealth Skill +0
Large: Str +4, Dex-2, Con +2, AC/Attack -1, CMB/CMD +1, Fly Skill -2, Stealth Skill -4
Huge: Str +6, Dex -4, Con +4, AC/Attack -2, CMB/CMD +2, Fly Skill -4, Stealth Skill -8
Gargantuan: Str +8, Dex -6, Con +6, AC/Attack -4, CMB/CMD +4, Fly Skill -6, Stealth Skill -12
Colossal: Str +10, Dex -8, Con +8, AC/Attack -8, CMB/CMD +8, Fly Skill -8, Stealth -16

As far as Human Attributes are concerned, here's what I've got:

Hands
None: A basic paw, hoof, or wing. The character cannot pick up or grab objects with the appendage and suffers a -20 to all Craft, Disable Device, and Sleight of Hand skill checks (as well as any other checks left up to the GM's discretion). Average Mutation Point Cost: 0

Partial: The paw/hoof/wing grows digits and a non-opposable thumb. The animal can now grasp and carry objects. Manual dexterity is rough but possible, incurring a -4 penalty to Craft, Disable Device, and Sleight of Hand checks and a -4 penalty to attack rolls made with weapons other than the animal's natural weapons. Average Mutation Point Cost: 2

Full: A hand with a fully opposable thumb. The animal suffers no penalties to skills or attack rolls. Average Mutation Point Cost: 4

Speech
None: The animal has no vocal cords capable of speech and can only communicate with other animals of its kind by making growls, squeaks, clucks, etc. Although the animal can't speak, it still may understand the languages of other creatures if it has an Intelligence score of 3 or higher. Average Mutation Point Cost: 0

Partial: Vocal cords are equivalent to that of a parrot. While everything said can be understood by friends, strangers may have difficulty and must succeed a DC 15 Intelligence check to understand the animal. The voice will be growly, grated and animal-like and the animal can only speak one language, despite how many languages it may understand. Average Mutation Point Cost: 2

Full: Sophisticated vocal cords equal to that of most humans. The animal can speak any language it can understand. Average Mutation Point Cost: 4

Upright Stance
None: The animal can't stand up without support. If the animal is a quadruped, it gains a +4 bonus to CMD to resist Trip attempts and animals with extra legs (such as insects, arachnids, cephalopods, etc.) gain an additional +2 to CMD for each additional leg they may have. Some animals (like eels and snakes) can't be tripped. In addition, quadrupeds can carry heavier loads than bipeds can. Multiply the values corresponding to the creature's Strength score from Table: Carrying Capacity in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook by the appropriate modifier, as follows: Fine ×1/4, Diminutive ×1/2, Tiny ×3/4, Small ×1, Medium ×1-1/2, Large ×3, Huge ×6, Gargantuan ×12, Colossal ×24. Average Mutation Point Cost: 0

Partial: Like a bear, the animal can stand on its hindlegs to fight.
While standing in this way, the animal can only move half its base speed and suffers a -4 penalty to Acrobatics checks. The animal must fall to all fours in order to run. Average Mutation Point Cost: 2

Full: The animal can stand fully upright like a human and has the same range of movement. It loses any bonuses it may have had to CMD for having extra legs, as well as any increased carrying capacity. Average Mutation Point Cost: 4

Appearance
None: Character still looks pretty much like an animal. In other
words, a wolf character with hands and bipedal stance would still
have a wolf-shaped head, black nose, snout, fur, and pointed ears
at the top of the head. Nobody will mistake this creature for human, as Disguise checks made to do so automatically fail. The character receives a -4 penalty to Diplomacy checks when dealing with unfamiliar humans, but gains a +4 bonus to Intimidate checks. Average Mutation Point Cost: 0

Partial: The character looks vaguely human and can pass for human
in a bad light. Extreme features like heavy fur, long snouts and
pointed ears are all reduced. At night, the character can pass for human if disguised in clothes that cover up the animal features (-4 penalty to Disguise checks). The character receives a -2 penalty to Diplomacy checks when dealing with unfamiliar humans, but gains a +2 bonus to Intimidate checks. Average Mutation Point Cost: 2

Full: This fully transforms the character into something that can easily pass for human, though not exactly normal. Hair will
appear in normal human amounts. The body will take on a completely
human structure, and the features like eyes and teeth will look
more or less normal. Animal characters will never look completely
human but, with this option, they won't be immediately suspect. For example, a badger character would still have a badger-like face, badger-like streaks in the hair and a stocky build. People will tend
to say "that ugly guy looks like a badger", not "that badger looks
like a human". Average Mutation Point Cost: 4

Okay. That's all I've got so far. Holla back.

What are some sample grippli names? I noticed there weren't any in the Advanced Race Guide.

Does ability focus work on the grippli's alternate racial trait, toxic skin? I know it says that it applies to special attacks and I didn't know if that would count.

I've been a huge fan of TMNT (for the record, not the 2007 film) since I was a wee lad and I just recently discovered that there was an rpg based on the comics that came out in the 80's. I found a link that contained a scribd page that featured the entire core rulebook and I almost peed with excitement...that is, until I realized how archaic and annoying the system was. Don't get me wrong. I love the way characters are generated in this game. I love the levels of mutation you can choose. I love the character backgrounds. I love the possibilities for character customization. It's just unfortunate that almost every other aspect of the system sucks. I would really like to go through the lengthy task of converting this to more of a Pathfinder-style setting (but something more akin to d20 Modern) but I could really use some help. Below is a link to the core rulebook in case you aren't familiar with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness. I'd really like to hear your thoughts and opinions on my current obsession. Thanks!

- Spee

Do you guys remember the cave dinosaurs from 3.5 that were created by yuan ti and used to guard their underground lairs? Well, I was wondering if "The RPG Company That Cannot Be Named" owned the rights to cave dinosaurs or yuan ti and also whether or not anyone has bothered to convert either. I think I remember seeing yuan ti in a 4e book, so odds are they're unavailable but I figured that the cave dinosaurs could've been specially bred by another subterranean race like troglodytes or derro. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

Does anybody know where I can find stats for Derro dogmoles?

I can't seem to find rules for giant skunks, giant porcupines, or giant frilled lizards as animal companions. The stats weren't in the Bestiaries those creatures debuted in, and I wasn't sure if maybe they appeared in another auxillary book or if they Paizo neglected them completely. If the latter is the case, do any of you have homebrew rules for using them as companions? Thanks!

Sometimes I just like making stats for normal animals.

Catfish CR 1/8

XP 50
N Tiny animal (aquatic)
Init +3; Senses blindsense 30 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +4
DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +2 size)
hp 3 (1d8-1)
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +1
OFFENSE

Speed swim 30 ft.
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
STATISTICS

Str 2, Dex 17, Con 9, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Base Atk +0; CMB +0; CMD 6
Feats Skill Focus (Perception)
Skills Perception +4, Swim +11
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Defensive Spines (Ex)

As a swift action, a catfish can lock its spiny fins into place to injure potential predators. Any creature attempting to grapple the catfish takes 1d3 damage on making a grapple check. The catfish can relax its spines as a free action.
ECOLOGY

Environment any freshwater
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure none

These whiskered bottom feeders are among the most widespread fish on Golarion and can be found in nearly any body of fresh water. The catfish presented here is an 18-inch, 3-pound bullhead catfish but a wide variety of other fish exist.

Walking Catfish (CR 1/8): These strange fish are able to survive for long periods of time out of water. They are hardier than other catfish (Con 12) and have a base land speed of 5 ft. They also have the Water Dependency special quality.

Madtom (CR 1/4) : These tiny catfish possess venom glands near the base of their fin spines. Any living creature struck by these spines must succeed a Fortitude save (DC 9; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; cure 1 save) or take 1d2 Con damage. The DC is Con-based.

Electric Catfish (CR 1/2): Found in the Mwangi Expanse, electric catfish emit a potent electric shock to stun prey and potential predators. They lack the barbed fins of other catfish but can make a touch attack (+5; Weapon Finesse bonus feat) with their whiskers that deals 1d3 electricity damage on a successful hit. On a critical hit, the creature struck must make a DC 9 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. The DC is Con-based.

A spellcaster who can acquire a familiar can choose a catfish as a familiar. A catfish familiar grants its master a +3 bonus on Swim checks.

Next up is the giant catfish. I'll post it later.

- Spee

Some sort of monster preview for The Bestiary 3. It's November and there hasn't been a table of contents posted or anything. Also, wasn't it orginally supposed to come out this month? The website says it isn't coming out until December. I understand things sometimes get pushed back but I guess I'd just like to see one or two monsters as a teaser. That's all.

- Spee

I have the Goblins of Golarion guide and it's very helpful, but I'm getting ready to start a very goblin-oriented campaign and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for goblin weapons (and possibly armor) other than the dogslicer and horse chopper. I was thinking of a small spear called a rat gigger that is mostly used for hunting tiny animals, but can break off inside of a larger opponent on a critical hit. Any advice on damage mechanics or any other ideas?

I'm getting ready to run the Crown of the Kobold King adventure but I decided to change the kobolds into goblins (I just got Goblins of Golarion)and the reason for the kidnapping plot is to feed a hungry barghest that needs the sacrifice to feed on to become a greater barghest. I also changed the kobold king into a goblin head honcho named Kavak Hoofsplitter (Barbarian 1/Fighter 3/ Ranger 1) and the crown of the kobold king became a cap of the goblin boss. I'm still trying to decide on the benefits the cap bestow on the wearer. I'm set on a +2 bonus to Dex and maybe resist fire 5 since goblins have a penchant for burning things. The original crown grants a +2 bonus to charisma and natural armor, plus it makes the wearer immune to a dragon's frightful presence and cast spells at a +1 caster level if they're a sorcerer.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to what other benefits the cap could grant. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

Does anyone have any suggestions for a sumotori archetype for the monk? There used to be one in 3.5 from some 3rd party book I can't remember the title of. I was thinking it would get some bonuses to bullrush or something. Maybe cause your character to be treated as being one size category larger or something. I dunno. I'd like suggestions. Thanks!

- Spee

I was getting ready to use the lycanthrope template the other day to create a werebat, when I noticed that the hybrid form is supposed to use the base humanoid's speed. So, a human werebat wouldn't be able to fly, a human wereshark can't swim and a werebadger would be unable to burrow? What's the point of their hybrid forms then, except for them being able to utilize weapons? I thought I saw a werebat in a module that had a fly speed, but I don't remember the title of the book. Should I just ignore this portion of the template?

- Spee

Sooo, this may seem like a dumb question but if a druid multiclasses and takes on another class that normally grants it new weapon proficiencies, does it have any restrictions? I know they can't wear metal armor without losing the ability to cast spells but I wasn't sure if wielding different weapons would handicap them in the same way. Like, could a druid 3/barbarian 2 wield a battleaxe without being prohibited from casting spells? HALP!

- Spee

Umm...why doesn't the druid's ape companion ever get rend?
The damn bear and cats get grab! Why can't my ape rip people's faces off like the Connecticut chimp?
Why?!?

- Spee

So, I have a request for three druid-related feats.

1.) A feat that allows animal companions to increase in size as they level. Basically, a feat that will actually allow an elephant (or other similarly-sized animal) to grow to the Huge size category.

2.) A feat that allows druids to take vermin as companions.

3.) A feat that allows druids to take ooze companions. I know this feat already exists, but I wasn't sure if it was made by the time official rules were released.

Any help would be appreciated.

FANX!

- Spee

Where can I find stats for the pig, fox and goat that are mentioned as possible familiars for the Witch?

- Spee

Where do I find stats for the animals listed as familiar options for the witch?

HALP!

- Spee

Maybe a stupid question, but can spells that require you to touch another willing creature be cast on yourself?

Just wondering.

Holla back.

- Spee