Olvan

JoeElf's page

* Pathfinder Society GM. 331 posts. No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 17 Organized Play characters.



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Our GM said to just ignore the text from Hero Lab, and we could play with those options, even though the supplemental sheets said nothing about them.

Part 3 spoiler:
The 2 extra Mythic feats are available for this game only, if you own Mythic Adventures.


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I have completed parts 1 & 2, and I have just 1 question as I prepare to play in part 3.

Part 3 spoiler:
Do we get the 2 extra feats for having 3 mythic tiers? In Hero Lab, the mythic feats all say "this selection is not available to Pathfinder Society characters," except for Dual Path. Even the option for Bonus Non-Mythic Feat is flagged with that text.


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The solution is to get to level 7, where you can use your swift action to study your target and then also have your standard and move actions or full attack action available.

In terms of core rules, bards have even worse action economy with their performances [move at 7th, swift at 13th], but those do buff the whole party as a tradeoff. Their buffs' action economy [like a slayer's] also improves only with leveling up.

If you need to move and also to study your target, you can get a quick runner's shirt for 1000gp for a once per day buff. "Once per day as a swift action, the wearer can take an additional move action to move and then immediately end his turn, losing any unspent actions. A character must wear this shirt continuously for 24 hours before he can activate this ability."


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Derklord wrote:
RoseCrown wrote:
The rapier sadly is not a light weapon - which is why you want this little gem.
Which doesn't do anything for TWF, because it's a general rule option, and neither "feat, spell, or special weapon ability".

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/two-weapon-fighting-combat

If you have the TWF feat and the Effortless Lace on the offhand weapon, Hero Lab lets you use 2 rapiers or 2 longswords at the -2 step in the chart. And I have done it that way many times too in home games [since the Lace is banned in PFS]. My interpretation is that the magic item works with the TWF feat, since that's indeed a feat. {Note that Hero Lab does apply a benefit though even if you don't have the feat, which is incorrect from what you are saying [that I agree with]}.


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Level 7 is where it's at. You can start performing as a move action, you get access to Haste, Good Hope, and Dispel Magic, and you get another feat to boost either Inspire Courage [Extra Performance and then Master Performer], archery [Deadly Aim], spells, or knowledges. Get yourself a lesser rod of extend for 3000, and you can pre-cast the Good Hope and Haste, 1 or 2 times each, per day.


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HeroLab shows this:
50 [automatically] masterwork adamantine durable arrows = 3050 gp (61 gp each)
50 cold iron durable arrows = 100 gp (2 gp each)
50 alchemical silver durable arrows = 150 gp (3 gp each)
50 [automatically] masterwork mithral durable arrows = 12550 gp (251 gp each)

HL is calculating 3.75 lb per 50 mithral arrows, but I can't determine the rest of its math {making me doubt these results}.

50 masterwork cold iron durable arrows = 400 gp (8 gp each)
50 masterwork alchemical silver durable arrows = 450 gp (9 gp each)


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You're a full caster with a fixed spell list. Knowing that list is probably most important to helping you. I assume the rogue in your party already knows your list, so you won't be giving anything away by posting it here?


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I would like to see Aid Another codified better.

1. Make it clear that all skills can now be used untrained (including with Aid Another), and that Aid Another has no Critical Failure chance [I hope].

2. Make it clear that it can be used on all skills.

I always hate when the GM says "Roll Perception" or "Roll Sense Motive" and half the people sit around with their d20's idle. I don't care what the skill is: assume we're talking about Stealth: maybe you signal to your teammate that she's still too exposed and not enough in the shadows... it's just a +2 for your standard action, usually outside of combat [where there is no action to lose really].

3. Pick a direction: either the character of the person who's been doing the most [talking] to make the main check (which is really annoying when the character with [charisma] dumped just happens to have the most [talkative] player) or the party selects one character to re-iterate in-character the best argument the table of players arrived at. The rest can either roll their own check [which would risk a critical failure for that character] or make the assist.

4. Explain how to do an Aid Another on a saving throw. When exactly does that come up? You make your save vs. Hold Person but a teammate fails. You then take your next round's standard action to do Aid Another on your adjacent ally?


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BigNorseWolf wrote:
Stealth. Please figure out if someone can stealth while you look at them or not.

And if you can ever attack more than once from stealth. Maybe now that full round actions are dead and multiple attacks are part of your 3 actions, if you start in stealth, you could move once and still attack twice from stealth, losing the surprise bonus only at the end of the round... [at least once you have a certain level]


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Wands of CLW are great at level 1. They easily heal you in 1 or 2 charges, and the 750gp expense was meaningful, such that you basically had to give up buying a +1 weapon or armor.

Wands of CLW are terrible in combat even at level 5 or so. You need to be healing more than that 1d8+1 if you are spending an action to heal, so you really need at least CMW or multiple dice of channeling for in-combat use to justify it in the action economy.

The issue is that the CLW wand is now so cheap for out of combat healing, and done officially, requires a bunch of rolls, taking up table time. Instead, the rule could be that you can "Take 5" for out-of-combat use: assume the d8 rolled a 4, add your +1 for the level, get 5. And it makes the math pretty easy. 2 charges [and 2 rounds spent] for every 10 hp.

Wands of CMW, on the other hand, are just too expensive at 4,500 gp. That kind of money buys both +1 weapon and armor, or a headband/belt.

Healing Skill needs a buff. Remove the number of charges on a Healer's Kit (talk about minutiae in tracking...), encourage Take 10 out-of-combat (assuming the user has a +10), reduce the Treat Deadly Wounds time from 1 hour to something reasonable, and have it heal more hp. You could start with the Combat Healer Squire features for Dress Wounds but increase the time from one full round action to 1 minute, allow it to heal real HP damage (level * 3 of real HP, instead of just d4 + level in temporary HP), allow it to work 2 or 3 times per day per recipient, and allow it to work on all creatures.

"Dress Wounds (Su): At 2nd level, a combat healer squire can hastily dress a deadly wound for her knight, temporary alleviating his suffering. This ability acts in all ways like using the Heal skill to treat deadly wounds, except the combat healer squire only needs to take a fullround action to use this ability. The hit points healed are temporary, and only last 10 minutes, but they are not lost first like temporary hit points. A combat healer squire can only use this ability on her knight, not other creatures. A knight cannot benefit from this ability more than once per day, and cannot be treated for deadly wounds with the Heal skill within 24 hours of being subjected to this ability. This ability replaces divine grace."


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I'm pretty sure it works like this:

Under Intelligence in the CRB: "your character always gets at least 1 skill point per level." So, I am using that in comparison for the Max function. And it only makes sense to apply it to the Class + Intelligence to get a floor of 1 point, then apply other bonuses.

Max ([Class bonus + Intelligence modifier ], 1) + Race Trait + Favored Class Bonus + feats (Cunning), etc.

Let us take your example another step and say Intelligence modifier = -3 to make it more clear:
Max (2 {for fighter} - 3 {for negative Intelligence} = -1 vs. 1) = 1
Add Human = +1
Total = +2

1/5

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It's the World Wide Web. Surely they could have the PFS forum linked on the page twice; once under Pathfinder and once under Organized Play.

If we're looking for anecdotes, I use mostly the Advice, Rules, and Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild. I am playing neither the card game nor SFS at present, and lots of others at my very active lodge are the same. But I don't know if they use these forums frequently at all...


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Use the rule as written. Otherwise rogues lose their initial sneak attacks and their (and others') abilities of 1/2 of Uncanny Dodge mean nothing. Don't like it? Invest in Improved Initiative, Uncanny Dodge, and armor that works while flat-footed.


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Interacting with an auditory illusion could be as simple as hearing the sound. "Most Perception checks are reactive, made in response to observable stimulus." Or maybe requiring a move action for Perception "study it carefully" = "Intentionally searching for stimulus is a move action." At minimum, attempting to talk to it = "interact with it in some fashion." If no legitimate response comes from the illusion as you attempt diplomacy or whatever, bam, saving throw. It's up to the GM whether you even need to take an action or if you just get the save (is merely hearing the illusion enough via passive perception).

Based on this, I would lean towards spend an action:
"Creatures encountering an illusion usually do not receive saving throws to recognize it as illusory until they study it carefully or interact with it in some fashion."

Then, you need make exactly 1 successful save.

Ventriloquism:
"You can make your voice (or any sound that you can normally make vocally) seem to issue from someplace else. You can speak in any language you know. With respect to such voices and sounds, anyone who hears the sound and rolls a successful save recognizes it as illusory (but still hears it)."

There is nothing in here that you need to successfully make multiple saves. Even when you do make multiple saves for other spells, it's usually in the target's benefit, like with Hold Person. You keep saving to get out of it, or the duration runs out. You don't get forced to make saves until you fail.

The duration on the spell is 1 minute per level, and not concentration. The caster doesn't keep the spell going, so the prospective victims don't need to save after their first success. It's a level 1 spell; none require multiple successes on saves with no further action from the caster. Chill Touch requires successive attack rolls to keep the effect going; Snapdragon Fireworks requires a move action to keep the effect going.


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JoeElf wrote:

Remove Paralysis, level 2 Cleric spell.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/r/remove-paralysis/

Scroll = 150 gp.
Oil = 300 gp.
Wand = 4,500 gp.

Or, you know, be an Elf (says JoeElf).

Wow. There should be some clearer delineation that one is in the Starfinder area vs. the Pathfinder area. I was looking at the Rules forum in the PF area, and clicked 1 link that said nothing about SF, and ended up "answering" a question about which I do not know the rules system.


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Your area of effect is the 20 foot radius, but you can center the effect up to 100 feet away, but you can indeed catch allies and enemies in the AoE, intended or not.

Any PC in the radius could elect to fail their save if they are under charm/compulsion to attack party members, to then become calmed as a noncombatant.

Any PC in the radius could try to make their save if they are under a beneficial spell that they want to retain and/or if they do not want to become calmed as a noncombatant.

The GM would probably want to make the same types of determination for the opposition based on what effects are on each opponent.

See a similar thread I had on Suppress Charms and Compulsions (though that spell allows the caster to pick the intended targets, and not just a flat radius of effect).

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2usnn?Suppress-Charms-Compulsions-and-volunteer ing

Note that it does take a standard action to drop one's spell resistance, so PC's with SR who are compelled to fight for the enemy may want the caster to delay until after they have dropped their SR and then they can really fail the save.

1/5

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Well, initially I was just worried that with only 12 PP at the start of the day, and spending another 1 PP to get an item of 100 gp, I stupidly only had 11 PP. With the successful completion of the module's level for +4 PP, that only gets me to 15 PP, and I thought the character was **dead-dead** since I always hear only about 16 PP to get raised. I didn't want the table to know, because my best friend had basically triggered this monster to appear by being foolish, and I had been a bit of an annoyance at the table earlier. Also, people had already spent real money to get our table to $50 at the store so my Con score would be treated as 10 higher under the retail support program.

But "*You can buy raise dead using ... 8 PP and 2,450 gp" solved all that.

I may indeed try to GM some games soon enough. That would definitely help this character, my -2. My -1 is doing alright, so that all works out.


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There was an "actual" class called the Jock. It was in an April (Fool's) edition of Dragon Magazine #72. [The edition also had the first occurrence of the Cavalier class, which was really nice at the time.]
https://www.annarchive.com/files/Drmg072.pdf
Magic items made for Jocks:
Hockey Stick +5, Holy Terror: In the hands of any character other than a jock, this will perform only as a hockey stick +2. In the hands of a jock, however, it is a +5 weapon which will also knock out 1-6 of the opponent’s teeth on a natural roll of 19 or 20. This occurrence will reduce a character’s charisma by 1 point, or reduce a monster’s biting damage by 1 point.

There were other items in the Jock class alone, and I am sure lots more over the various April editions of Dragon.


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It would seem the only issue is if there is a skill point requirement on your desired class feat, and then only if the class feat is not a bonus feat that ignores prerequisites.

Applying everything else in the order Chemlak listed would almost always help in meeting the feat prerequisites, since the general feat selection (the one where you do not bypass prerequisites) is dead last.


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Let us assume that you know who is an enemy caster among the opponents, and further, that caster is level 13 about to heave a 7th level spell and you are level 11.

Dispel Magic readied:
DC of the check:
DC = 11 + the spell’s caster level (13) = 24.

Dispel Magic check:
d20 (10 or 11 average) + your CL (11) = 21 or 22 on average.

This is very much not a certainty; it is not even likely to work.

To disrupt the spell exactly:
dispeller's d20 of 13 (12/20 = failure = 40% success rate) + your level of 11 = 24.

Magic Missile readied:
Concentration check forced by a readied damaging spell:
Injured while casting, DC = 10 + damage dealt + spell level

Magic Missile with 5 missiles = 17 or 18 damage average [assuming the opponent does not have shield, etc., and that you are not specialized in MM.]

Concentration Check required = DC 10 + 17 damage + SL 7 = 34

Concentration Check average:
d20 + CL + ability score = 10 or 11 on average, + 13 CL, + 8 ability score of 26 at 11th level = 31 = failure on average

For the concentration check to fail by 1 exactly:
opponent's d20 of 12 + 13 CL + 8 = 33 (and fails by 1 for the DC of 34)

12/20 = "dispel" success = 60% success rate for Magic Missile to disrupt

On a higher caster/spell level difference, the Dispel Magic is even less likely to work, whereas the Magic Missile remains equally likely to work.

It certainly seems that Dispel Magic is not overpowered for use in counterspelling, when it can be outdone by Magic Missile. Taking the feats to increase Dispel Magic will certainly influence this math, but the +4 for Dispel Focus and Greater Dispel Focus is only going to flip the 40% success rate for the dispel in the case above to a 60% success rate, that is equal to the magic missile. The Magic Missile is a lower slot, requires no feats, and actually does damage to the opponent also.

Note that in neither of these cases do you need Spellcraft to ID the opponent's spell, and Spellcraft rolls are generally not difficult to succeed at in any event for casters.

1/5

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Here is a simple paraphrased example just from looking at the open item with the most FAQ on it: "Do Bardic Masterpieces work when you have another Bardic Performance going?"

Solution 1: No.
Solution 2: Yes.
Solution 3: some mix based upon the combination (longer than a round; costs more than X rounds of performance; whatever)

Note that the player's alternative in #1 (and eventually to solve those in #3 that do not mesh together initially) may be just wait until level 10, and then get Virtuoso Performance.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/v/virtuoso-performance/

It really should not be that hard to codify after 2+ years.

And why should PFS be different from "regular" Pathfinder? Can't we just have one PDF document {the Guild Guide alone - condense everything else into it} to list out PFS differences (no leadership feat; most crafting banned, happy side of medium is your hit points after 1st level, 20 point buy, etc....)?

Do we really need to reference separate blog posts [over several people and years], errata [separated by book], campaign clarifications [271 items on that page have "—" {= just a quick way to get an approximate count}], additional resources, the iconics [people actually look at them to find how the rules should affect their abilities], and the Guild Guide?


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You can block exactly 0 attacks with Opportune Parry and Riposte using the feat Amateur Swashbuckler.
"Choose a 1st-level deed from the swashbuckler’s deeds class feature (you can’t select opportune parry and riposte). "


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I have to say Cloistered Cleric. You lose medium armor and shields AND suffer diminished spellcasting. For benefits, you basically are only gaining bardic knowledge and a bump from 2 + Int skills into 4 + Int skills.

It should really get 6 + Int skills and retain full casting [maybe in exchange for drop to a d6 hit die and 1/2 BAB].


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It really depends on what level we're talking about, how optimized the rest of the party is, and whether they are really paying the full value of the item. Something this powerful should also be taking up at least 1 hand.

Just progress through these:

Wand of Magic Missile,
1-5 missiles, requires UMD or the spell on your list, 50 charges, 1 hand
1 missile, SL 1, CL 1 = 750 gp
2 missiles, SL 1, CL 3 = 2,250 gp
3 missiles, SL 1, CL 5 = 3,750 gp
4 missiles, SL 1, CL 7 = 5,250 gp
5 missiles, SL 1, CL 9 = 6,750 gp

Quarterstaff of Entwined Serpents
http://www.pfsdb.com/magicitems/quarterstaff-of-entwined
2 missiles, no UMD required, 1 hand, infinite uses, includes Eschew Materials feat
5,050 gp

Metamagic Rod, Quicken
quicken a spell 3 times per day
35,000 gp (lesser), 75,500 gp (normal), 170,000 gp (greater);
With a level 9 casting of Magic Missile as a level 1 spell, you could use the lesser rod, but still just 3 times per day.
To take the level cap off of the number of missiles with a custom spell(once you are casting at 11th level to get a 6th missile), you would need the normal rod.
To double or triple the number of missiles (from 1 per 2 levels to 1 per level or more) AND remove the cap with a custom spell (to exceed 5 missiles), that spell would have to be level 7+, you would need the greater rod. And it still just works 3 times per day.

Also, if you have this much focus on the spell, you may want to use some features of The Force Missile Mage prestige class from Dragon #328.
http://raugh.net/marhaven/notebook/missilemage.pdf
Big benefits:
Level 1 + Level 5: 1 extra magic missile
Level 3: a force missile mage's magic missiles penetrate shield spells and brooches of shielding as if they didn't offer protection from the spell.


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Ultimate Magic also lists maximum single target damage of 20 dice of d6 should be a level 6 spell [page 130]. And a d4 + 1 is the same 3.5 average per die as a d6 assumed in the chart for arcane spells. Further, this spell has no saving throw, unlike what the table assumes (which could easily push this spell to level 7).


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Take Magic Missile and:
1. Remove the 5 missile limit.
2. Increase from 1 missile per 2 levels to 1 missile per each level.
3. Cast it at level 20 to get 20 missiles.

Total damage = 20d4 + 20 = average of (20 * 2.5 + 20) = 70 average damage

The major missile spell from 2E came in at level 5, but by default only did #1 above (though obviously #3 would be a natural extension). It was somewhat weak for a level 5 spell, but adding in #2 above should make the spell about 6th level.

Range = medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) = 300 feet at level 20.

Price = 1,800 gp * CL 20 * SL 6 = 216,000 gp.

At 70 damage per round almost without fail, at a sizeable range, you are probably outclassing an average level 10 archer, plus you still have all the other spells/abilities/whatever of your chosen class.


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You may want to start with this thread.
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ub8k?Continuous-magic-missile-enchant

Here are items that you could use to model the gloves with.

One casting of 5 magic missiles would end up somewhere between these two crowns, and each of these is only going to allow one casting per day for their price.

Crown of Blasting, major
Price 23,760 gp; Aura strong evocation; CL 17th; Weight 1 lb.
On command, this elaborate golden crown projects a blast of searing light (5d8 maximized for 40 points of damage) once per day.
Construction Requirements
Cost 11,880 gp
Craft Wondrous Item, Maximize Spell, searing light

Crown of Blasting, Minor
Price 6,480 gp; Aura moderate evocation; CL 6th; Weight 1 lb.
On command, this simple golden crown projects a blast of searing light (3d8 points of damage) once per day.
Construction Requirements
Cost 3,240 gp
Craft Wondrous Item, searing light

Wand of Magic Missile, 5 missiles at level 9
The price of a wand is equal to the level of the spell × the creator's caster level × 750 gp = 1 * 9 * 750 = 6,750 gp

Staff of Minor Arcana
Price 8,000 gp;
Magic Missile = 2 charges = only 5 uses before it must be recharged.
Uses the bearer's level to determine how many missiles.

Quarterstaff of Entwined Serpents
Price 5,050 gp
At will, the wielder can use the staff to cast 2 magic missiles; also allows Eschew Materials

For your particular request:
25 magic missiles at will seems over the top (and for sure 25 castings of 5 each = 125 would be way too excessive). That would equal the wand times 5, infinite charges, with no chance of being disarmed (unlike the wand or staff) also as they are in glove form.


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Paizo should really just put out a new table of what attributes apply to what melee weapons [include ranged missile weapons used in melee here {the 1% use case for these}], ranged missile weapons (only for transfer to ammo {the 99% use case for these}), thrown weapons, and ammo itself. Then in the future, update the table with any new attributes {or weapon types} that come into the game.

In home games, the GM can obviously do whatever; but at least PFS will have a simple one place stop to look for these rules interactions.


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Versatile Weapon (APG): Bypass some DR, AND also acts as Magic Weapon, Greater (Weapon gains +1 bonus/four levels (max +5)), though for 1 minute/level rather than 1 hour/level.

If you are a Bard, you have spell list access to Versatile Weapon as a level 2 spell at character level 4 (but neither Magic Weapon nor Magic Weapon, Greater).

1/5

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PATHFINDER SOCIETY
ROLEPLAYING GUILD GUIDE

Version 8.0—August 4, 2016

Minimum Fame Required Maximum Item Cost
Under 5 0 gp
5 500 gp
9 1,500 gp
13 3,000 gp
18 5,250 gp
22 8,000 gp
27 11,750 gp
31 16,500 gp
36 23,000 gp
40 31,000 gp
45 41,000 gp
49 54,000 gp
54 70,000 gp
58 92,500 gp
63 120,000 gp
67 157,500 gp
72 205,000 gp
76 265,000 gp
81 342,500 gp
85 440,000 gp
90 565,000 gp
94 680,000 gp
99 800,000 gp


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Rysky, Your quote means that as long as the 6 targets are within 1 move action of the caster (so that it occurs within the one round limit you quoted), the caster can indeed touch them all as free actions, after having cast the spell as a standard action.


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Possible feat chain for 1 accurate and damaging attack:

Weapon Focus at BAB +1
Power Attack at BAB +1
Furious Focus at BAB +1
Vital Strike at BAB +6

Now you've given up iteratives for 1 accurate and damaging attack. If you have to move + attack and cannot get a full attack in, this is actually not that bad, especially with a 2H weapon and good Strength.


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This still doesn't solve the problem of having bought the CRB, ACG, APG, Unchained in hardback, and still needing WMH and AMH softcover; not just in the books but in HeroLab too if that's the way you build your characters while playing PFS. It's ridiculous.

I find it hard to believe that the rage mechanic fix for the Barbarian could not have been done in a couple of pages in Unchained, and then actually Unchained the Fighter.


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The PRD does not say whether the Initiative Count includes the modifier or not, nor does it indicate whether there is a numeric tracking of the tie-breaker. I think it should. If two characters have the same d20 roll, and the same modifier, the tie break is only rolled on round 1, and not rolled every round. The two with the tied initiative then remain in the same order. If you have skipped your action and elect to go later, you should be able to slot yourself anywhere in the order, including between 2 characters that have the same initiative + modifier as each other, even when your modifier is a different number, or would have to be assigned a tie breaker number yourself.

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/combat.html


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The PFS rule FAQ makes things nice and simple.

"Does casting evil spells cause an alignment infraction?

Casting an evil spell is not an alignment infraction in and of itself, as long as it doesn't violate any codes, tenents of faith, or other such issues. Committing an evil act outside of casting the spell, such as using an evil spell to torture an innocent NPC for information or the like is an alignment infraction. For example: using infernal healing to heal party members is not an evil act."

Rename the spell Slow Healing, make the components some herbs instead of blood or holy/unholy water, put it on every caster class's spell list, and be done with it.

Ditch both Infernal Healing and Celestial Healing. Solved.

Now the spell is functional for arcane casters, and can sub for divine casters when out of combat, and you won't have Paladins saying "Do not cast that on me" despite there being the FAQ for PFS.


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The starting questions for any skill check should be:
"Are there distractions or threats (such as combat) to make it impossible for a character to take 10?" = Cannot Take 10

Then it should be this:
"Does the DC appear to be 10 + your modifier, or less? Is there an insufficient bonus to you/the party for exceeding the base DC to risk a roll?" = Try Take 10.

If the Take 10 is allowed (no distractions or threats) and the DC assumption is correct (e.g. you did not underestimate the length of a long jump), you succeed.

You have the requisite skill ranks, class skill bonus, ability modifier, and miscellaneous modifiers to bypass this obstacle without having to cast a spell, and your skills actually mean something.

Note: if you underestimated the DC, then even the Take 10 with all your modifiers can fail.

The GM should tell you before character creation just what they think constitutes a distraction for skill checks. If you find it reasonable, you can invest to make a Take 10 for an average/routine DC. If you find it unreasonable (or the rules disallow it and/or Take 20, e.g. UMD), you may want to invest enough to make a "Take 1" for an average/routine DC.

And if they have a house rule that says a 1 on a skill roll is an automatic failure, and that you always have to roll, find a new game, or be sure to play a caster (since mundane skills will be very risky in that scenario, particularly with a low skill rank / low intelligence class).


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There is a time limit in PFS. The goal is to complete the missions in the time allotted. Generally, more dice = better chance of success.

In a combat, do the fighters give the casters complaints when they are out of spells and just using a sling/light crossbow/whatever? No. The spell-less casters get to throw their 1d20 every round in the combat situation. It is expected they should try something to aid the group, and they are hurting the team if they are not even trying.

Is it really that big a deal to let the fighters throw 1d20 once per encounter, likely once per the session, in an attempt to aid (in some minor way) the Diplomacy or a spot check in Perception? For the other skills (e.g. Knowledges, Profession, Craft) they will likely have no points, and cannot even make most of those checks untrained at all.

In PFS, if you don't get to throw one die in a half an hour (and in a social/exploration setting those parts can run that long), the fighter got to do absolutely nothing for 10-15% of the allotted time.

This is really petty. They let the party face run the dialog, and just want to do an Aid Another at the end. It takes all of 10 seconds to get a d20 roll and modifiers applied, and that's so offensive that you have to penalize not just them, but the party?

Now, had I been informed of the -5 to the real roller for getting a total of 5 or less (getting 5 less than the DC10 for the aid roll), I like to think I would not have a charisma-dumped character try when the upside is only a possible +2. But after sitting around for as long as some of those interactions run, I too may have just chanced it to have my character have some chance of advancing the story outside of just pure combat.

1/5

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Suggestions in terms of ease:

1. Play the monster games to get to level 2. Your hp cushion is much better there, and you can get a wand of cure light wounds or infernal healing. Even if you cannot cast those spells, it is very likely someone else can. A level 1 Paladin or Ranger has no spells, but can still use the wand of CLW. A level 1 Sorcerer or Wizard does not have to have infernal healing selected for her spells to use the wand.

2. Get the Strategy Guide. It has 2 or 3 basic builds for each class, and a good list of spells and items for selection. Each non-caster should have at least a melee and a ranged weapon. The characters with +1 BAB can switch weapons during a move action in case you had a rapier equipped but are facing a flying creature and need a bow out. Each character should have a way to see in the dark (e.g. sunrods or special vision).

3. Avoid being hit. Stay together until you can get flanking on the enemy. Use 5 foot steps when in range of the opponents attacks. Use Withdrawal if there are multiple opponents in your face, not a move action. You can double-move and only face attacks of opportunity after the first 5 feet. Then come back to combat (hopefully after getting healed).

4. Casters need something to do once their level 1+ spells are gone. Whether that is a light crossbow (which is a simple weapon that a sorceress or wizard or cleric can use) or sling (for druid) or a cantrip with damage, it should not be hard to buy one with your starting money at 150 gp.


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Fighters:
Should have 2 good saves: Fortitude + Reflex.
Should have 6 skill points per level.
Should be able to complete two feat trees by 10th level, ignoring all prerequisites except for BAB (so TWF doesn't require extra Dex, Combat Reflexes does not require extra Int).
Should be able to take Advanced Weapon Training from level 2, not 5.
Ditch Bravery, and just give Iron Will.

So, I just made them equal to Ranger. My estimation is that Ranger spells = one feat tree, and Ranger Favored Enemy = Weapon Training with entire groups of weapons at the earlier level.

Casters, particularly the Wizard:
Should not get the huge WBL boost from crafting at half cost.
Should not have to deal with feat trees with extreme limits any more than should the martials.
Should not be able to deal damage without breaking invisibility, including having summons/minions do so. Note: Greater Invisibility eliminates this restriction.

So, I didn't equal out the Single Attribute Dependent vs. Multi-Attribute Dependent effects of the C/MD, but without super cheap crafting, something is done about it.
Stealthy Martials are on equal footing by the time Greater Invisibility is available to casters

Invisibility bonuses to stealth should be cut in half. The bonus of +20 while moving (and especially +40 while still) is ridiculous.
A Stealth of 30 should act as Invisibility (e.g having a +20 and doing Take 10).

So, now the Rogue or other stealthy character is not automatically worse off than a 3rd level arcane caster.

Attacks:
Weapon Focus for +1 to attack now works on weapon groups. Weapon Focus negates critical fumbles. Unless we're making every spell require an attack roll and a save, critical fumble rules really make Martials incompetent compared to casters.
Add Weapon Expertise as a feat that lets all characters with +6 BAB move AND attack with multiples, but not stacking with any other multiple attack. Then Pounce, etc. are not creating inequality among martials, and Haste isn't near mandatory.

There. Now Martials are competent (particularly Fighter), and Casters are a little more reasonable. How do we bring up the monsters' power for the extra attacks of Weapon Expertise, and what to do with Vital Strike builds?


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If the party has a character with Disable Device, cannot the character just Take 20? Would that not take about the same time it would take to hack through whatever the dagger is being employed for, and not create the problems of noise creation, being unable to relock, and risk of internal contents breaking?


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So the game starts a Fighter at age 15 and a Wizard at 26 - I always forget that. That does make the skill dichotomy sensible, but still quite unfair to the Fighter class. And makes little sense for Elves and Dwarves at 100+ years old.

I would surely use all my skill points at least from levels 1 - 10 when I would finally get Perception up to something that may have a chance to find a Rogue using Stealth with a +20 modifier for being invisible. And the ability to ID the opponents via some Knowledge checks. And the ability to Heal minor scrapes on my own (if the Heal check did even a d4 + level or d4 + Ranks). And being able to Climb, Swim, and Ride in a heavy armor...

I can see not giving an Int-based caster classes any more than 2 + Int since they're going to have a high Int anyway, and we don't need the level 1 Wizard to be a better skill monkey than the Rogue or Bard.


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In the old days, Fighters got:
the best Constitution bonus (they got +1 to +4 while non-warriors got +1 to +2)
the best saves in the game
the best hit die in the game [excluding the ridiculousness of Rangers getting 2d8 at level 1]
the best THACO [BAB] in the game [unchanged, but now shared with a lot more classes]
the best armor and weapons selection in the game
the 2nd best XP chart for leveling up in the game
Full Attack every round

In the old days, Wizards got:
the lesser Constitution bonus (+1 to +2)
the worst hit die in the game (d4)
terrible THACO [BAB] in the game
no ranged touch attacks
the worst XP chart for leveling up in the game
detrimental casting times [besides just summoning]
deservedly protected like an old lady in the early stages, to balance out the high level spells vs. lower martial character power exchange later


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None of this below will absolutely fix a fighter at high-level vs. a high-level caster, but it is at least something:

Skills are non-game breaking, and great for getting mundanes a bit of narrative power. However, Fighters really got no love here in the game.

Skills: grant 6 + Int for skills, or at least 4 + Int for skills for the mundanes. Having only 2 on a mundane character is really offensive. Is a fighter spending that much more time working on weapon training and specialization compared to a barbarian, ranger, or others that he can't find the time to learn to Climb + Swim + at least 2 others? Now he can get UMD and Flying for high level use, in addition to Climb + Swim and a couple of others for actual out of combat use.

Perception: every class should have an option to get Perception as a class skill. If you can't spot the spider in its web, or the swarm coming, or oppose a Stealth roll at all effectively, you shouldn't even be an adventuring class. Yeah, I am giving the Cleric, Wizard, Sorceress, etc. Perception in addition to fixing Fighters and Cavaliers.

Class Skills: If not Perception for all, give the Fighter the Sensate's class skills. Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Feats: give 1 or 2 General feats at level one. Now you can get Iron Will or whatever else to help balance out poor saves, or Skill Focus to [partially] remedy the skills issue [so they can at least add Perception]

Pounce: give some feat tree to get Pounce. I don't care if you put in a prerequisite as Fighter level 6 [or higher] (to keep this away from Rangers and Paladins who have enough class features, and to give some benefit to longer term members of the class), and even add prerequisite Acrobatic for balancing it out. The level 20 swordsman has to walk 10 feet, and so now only gets as many attacks as a level 1 commoner that was 30 feet from the monster?


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Starting point:
The tug-of-war: strength and initiative checks with one paladin, one rogue, one wizard, and one caster cleric is not a combination for success. So I had to start with throwing the module right there. With a good party mix, I don't see how you could do dex checks, or a book reading contest, or anything without it being contrived. Further, Ruby selecting the PC's out of a crowd when they don't look "beefy" at all is silly.

The assassins at the inn is a TPK waiting to happen:
I played this with some new players, and had the inn laid out with individual rooms. Sleeping characters at level 1 trying to make a DC 20 perception check is an abject failure. For a 4 person party this is terrible. At least 2 assassins would kill 2 PC's quick (I can't imagine that at least 2 PC's don't fail that check), and then get into a pair of 2-v-1 situations.

I had a couple of level 1 fighters as town guard show up to avoid a TPK.

I really should have just arranged the Inn so it could sleep 4 in the room, and if anyone got a 20, they would wake the whole party. And if not, at least they could try to cast a sleep spell on all the opponents at once, set up some flanking, etc.

For the Plague House, I did level the party after they cleared a level. I didn't total up the XP of the group, but without that extra dose of hit points, they have zero chance against the rats and the gelatinous cube.

That's as far as we have gotten so far. And I already know I am going to have to do a video game-style leveling in the midst of the orc rush. The party won't survive 100 orcs with no magic spells left and no chance to overnight rest to get them back without destroying reality.