Kaigon the Miscreant

Khaddar Khaggan's page

105 posts. Alias of Purplefixer.




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I don't see a GM reference thread anywhere, is this not a thing anymore on the Paizo forums?

That said, the Dead Thief opportunity on Page21 has a Shadow Rune on his leather armor. He cannot *have* a Shadow Rune on his leather armor, there's no Potency Rune there. Without a fundamental rune, you cannot have property runes on equipment.

From Core Rulebook p580
```The number of property runes a weapon or armor can have is equal to the value of its potency rune. A +1 weapon can have one property rune, but it could hold another if the +1 weapon potency rune were upgraded to a +2 weapon potency rune. Since the striking and resilient runes are fundamental runes, they don't count against this limit.```

I don't think this rule has been changed in the Remaster, either, which means this should be erroneous? Why would you give Level 1 PCs an item they can't use, anyway?


Anyone else have an issue with TPKs fighting Iron Taviah? The Iron Cage ability lasted one action (slippery rogue!) but by the time the party downs Iron Taviah they're in no shape to take the immediate 2d8 acid damage from the roiling stomach juices. One character is already down, and the second drops immediately. There's no coming back from this as the acid continues to boil everyone alive.

Has anyone else had this issue? How, as a GM, are we supposed to run this RAW and have anything but a TPK? What's the expectation here? How did this function at the table during Paizo's in-house playtest?


The Gaslighter archetype for Mesmerist has an ability called Horrid Mask:

Horrid Mask (Su): At 3rd level, as a standard action, a gaslighter can implant a maddening phantasm in the mind of the target of his hypnotic stare, causing the target to perceive its own reflection as corrupted in some disturbing way. This is a mind-affecting fear effect, and there is no saving throw. The target is simultaneously captivated and horrified by the sight of its own reflection, and in any round in which the target can see itself in a mirror within 30 feet, the gaslighter can trigger his painful stare against the target without dealing damage. This is a gaze attack, and the creature can avert its eyes to attempt to avoid it. Any creature holding a visible mirror that attempts to demoralize the target can choose to add the gaslighter’s Charisma modifier to its Intimidate check instead of its own. Horrid mask lasts until that particular hypnotic stare ends (often when the target moves away from a mirror). The gaslighter can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier.

Which damage is dealt for this? Your personal damage, or the ally damage?
What happens if you apply Manifold Stare to this ability? Do you get to start your turn at 9th level applying 3 lots of your stare damage and debuffs to this target?

On that note, how much damage does the mesmerist actually DO with his painful stare? At 6th level, if my mesmerist of strength ten hits with a dagger for 1d4 damage, does triggering my painful stare deal 1d4+2d6+3? (The word increase is the trigger here, in the painful stare description.)


Our Westmarches Style Earthdawn 4e game has taken off, and we're looking for more, and more active, players. Westmarches is a game style that allows for multiple GMs running multiple games during the week, with players driving the action by seeking out their own plotlines and following up on leads the GMs seed through the adventures they run.

"What happened to the Duke's Manservant?"
"Who are the cultists we fought in the last adventure?"
"This thread sword has a companion shield, where would I find that?"
"I need a new Troajin Mount."

Players may find themselves in ever-rotating teams of new adepts, using fantastic magic to cast spells, to swing swords, or to sneak better than normal people could ever hope to, and all while forging an intuitive connection that means they learn new talents in days, not months.

The game is played through this discord: https://discord.gg/HnVMgRM

For an in-depth explanation of the Westmarches style:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGAC-gBoX9k&t=1s


(Reposting this to hopefully drum up great interest for what I hope will be an amazing and growing community of players.)

Earthdawn West Marches style game

Post by BrandenV » Sat Aug 19, 2017 12:30 pm (Fasa Forums)

So after posting about my campaign I managed to get enough players and more interested in joining. I figured I would see what the interest level would be in a west marches style set up for Earthdawn. Nothing is solid right now but I have seen enough people playing Earthdawn online that I think there might be enough interest for me to put the time in putting this all together.

So if you are interested in this style of thing for Earthdawn and would be willing to play/gm for it just post in here. I also have a discord server set up for gauging interest the link is https://discord.gg/HnVMgRM . It is pretty bare bones at the moment but if people are interested I will flesh it out.

For those unaware of what the west marches style game is in a rough overview this video is decent for giving an explanation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGAC-gBoX9k&t=1s

Another option is of course to just try to use the current set up of living campaign stuff that Fasa is putting out right now. Taking any ideas at this point i am mainly looking to trying something that will have a good pool of players and gms.


What happens?

Literally, what happens if I take 5 levels of Psychometrist (the Vigilante archetype that uses Occultist tricks to spice up his repetoire) and then a level of Occultist at 6? How do those class features interact? These same questions have been bothering me for a while now when it comes to the other MCArchetypes, like the Mutagen Mauler or Mutation Warrior and taking levels of Alchemist.

Specifically, can I now use my V6 Psychometrist Implement Choice to get the Transmutation power to defy gravity, which normally requires O7 to choose, and isn't available to the Psychometrist in vanilla useage without waiting for the Level 12 choice (OUCH!)?

Do I pool my (INCREDIBLY MEAGRE) Focus from Psychometrist with my Occultist focus? Are they separate pools?
(Note: It seems to me like the half-level (aka half-speed) increase to focus pool for the Psychometrist is in error. You hardly get to use any of these abilities at all during the day. Three fireballs at level six and no other supporting abilities at all?)

Am I using separate lvl 1 implements and implement powers entirely with no crossover whatsoever?


So our party will be starting Strange Aeons in a couple more months here, and one of the characters I'm looking at is a Leper type character who wears full rags and, upon peeling off the cowl, could have any number of faces underneath.

I want a thousand-faces kind of character, possibly a passable shape-shifting combatant who can use surprise natural weapons and monstrous abilities, despite lacking his own identity.

Druid is an obvious way to go, but the lead-in for the ability I want (wild shape) is a LONG way into the character progression. The shape-shifter ranger is actually terrible, with no abilities that allow actually... shape-shifting. Which is weird.

I looked at the Metamorph, but Monstrous Physique seems *terribly* balanced for a character to build around. If I could get the higher stats on a medium sized character (gargoyle? bugbear?) it might be a more attractive option, but I'm just not sure.

There doesn't seem to be a pure shape-shifter archetype for Druid, or anything that gets better, earlier access to wild-shape, so how do you get there? Is there any way to mimic a lycanthrope? What about anthropomorphic animals (as per the spell)?


From the Ask James Jacobs thread:

Spoiler:

1) Can an Earth Elemental use Earth Glide to gain the improved cover of creatures chest-deep in water, while still attacking 'creatures on land' with no penalties for itself?

2) Can an Earth Elemental wear equipment? In which slots? Does equipment and gear an Earth Elemental carries go into the ground with it? Can it entomb things?

3) Can an earth elemental take creatures with it when it earth glides, and if it can, can it entomb creatures by making grapple or reposition combat maneuvers?

1) Sure!

2) Yes; assuming it's human shaped, in all the human shape slots. If it's not human shaped, then all the slots that it has that makes sense. It can't carry things with it into solid rock when it earth glides. If it wants to bring its gear with it into the ground, it has to burrow normally without earth glide.

3) No. See #2 above.

Earth Kineticists gain the Earth Glide ability, but they leave all their gear behind when gliding. Can we get a specific errata exception for this?

I can see why Geyser was left out as an earth infusion when pairing these abilities together (no one wants the LOE geyser effect from directly below with tremor sense targetting!), or why spray was left out of sandstorm attacks (sand effectively flowing like water when given the opportunity as it is only VERY TINY BOULDERS), but this seems prohibitive. Having all your permanent bonuses turned off because you took a 5' step to avoid trouble is going to quickly nullify the use of that talent.


It appears that once you've caught the 18str enemy fighter in your Psychic Duel, he has no recourse but to feebly flail at you with his 1d4 greatsword for 1d4+4 damage by spending one of his attribute granted MP.

Do normal combat options apply? No movement is necessary, and attacking with a construct is a full round action.. but can a monk flurry of blows? Can a fighter power attack? Can a character go full defensive?

Am I wrong in my assumption?


So... I am driving my alchemical steam device. It moves forward five feet as an acceleration action, from a stop. That's great.

Next turn, since I only wanted to move forward five feet... it goes forward TWENTY FEET as I try to stop! AHHHHH! *crash*

Why do I have to be an expert to have even a 50% chance to dock my corvus?

I'm guessing this is not RAI?

Goblin Squad Member

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My wife and I have been discussing the merits of a game without combat. She's a pacifist, RL, and has only just started to get enthusiastic about a Pathfinder character who deals whopping, steaming, make the GM cry levels of damage. (Thank the designers for a Halfling Titan-Mauler Barbarian... >.<)

Still, when we played SW:G the thing she wibbled on about for -days- was the ability to get in and play a dancer, or doctor, or engineer, and -never- have to swing a weapon. She wants to do much the same thing with PFO, and it sounds like she -just might- get the chance to do that, playing a cleric of Erastil.

Yes. She's going to stay at home in the kitchen and bake me a pie. ;p

Still, gender-roles and the only chauvinistic deity on Golarion aside, to make a character like that playable, you have to make crafting fun.

One of the very best ways to do that is to give characters the ability to really, really, really specialize. Give basic functionality to anyone and everyone, but make it a 10,000 hour trip to be the world's best platemail crafter. IE:

Long, story-driven example:

Jaundaluv Greymantle, the Half-Elven artisan, has set out to be the world's best Full-Plate designer. Our beloved protagonist begins in the neutral aligned nation to start with, betting on his platemail being a commodity all will want, and being basically unconcerned with anything that doesn't begin with comm- and end with -erce. Jaundaluv makes a few friends, a fighter-archetype and a paladin-of-Abadar-archetype, who hope to make use of the craftsman's skills later on.

Hoping for some usefulness in the realm of 'getting the materials I need to craft', Jaundaluv begins with the basic training of the Rogue, learning to sneak and hone his perception, and picking up the weapon skills required to use light weapons. A few hours later, he's already working on his crafting skills, learning basic light armors while Fighter and Paladin trek along beside him, having a merry old time foraging for food, running afoul of some goblins and hobgoblins, and prospecting for decent iron and/or copper. Sure enough, by the end of the day, Jaundaluv has gathered hides, copper, iron, and fiber/cloth necessary to try his first unlocked recipe: leather armor.

Following the clear, large-lettered onscreen instructions with glowing arrows and interesting sound-effects, he places the materials into the forge/bench/widget and creates six leather straps, twenty copper rivets, four iron buckles, a leather armor chest-piece, a leather armor skirt, leather pauldrons, and leather boots. He carries these over to the next widget in the public crafting space, and bangs out his first set of basic, +2 AC Leather Armor.

... A year passes...

After learning all basic recipes, Jaundaluv began specializing in heavy armor. He can master-craft heavy armor out of dragon-hide, mithral, even adamantine. He can stain and lacquer heavy armors in interesting designs and colors, and do chaising in gold and silver. He can theme armor with bats, wolves, crows, bulls, demons, angels, inevitables, fish, flames, ivy, or stags; though he never bothered to branch off and get the themes for butterflies, 'super heavy', 'skimpy', stars, or skulls. Moreover, he can get the most out of his armor well before it's enchanted, making more resilient, lighter armor than most smiths, IF he can get better metal. After seven thousand hours of work, the smith-mark of Jaundaluv Greymantle is known across the River Kingdoms as being the -very- best plate you can buy.

Goblin Squad Member

We know stealing and looting is going to be in the game, but what do you do when you want to catch your antagonist?

Well... that's downright -simple-. This is DnD, so, as always, 'A Wizard Did It'.

Create 'clues' in a robbed house or establishment, or -right in- the player inventory, and allow any number of skills/magic powerz to affect that clue. Legend Lore should reveal the thief, as should Commune, as should sufficient Gather Info/Diplomacy in a 'warm/cold' style of investigation.

EXAMPLE: You walk along and your bandoleer potion-slot goes suddenly empty, replaced with a little golden 'ticket' that needs investigation skills. You notice, and turn instantly around to discover that the thief has already disappeared into an alleyway. You give chase. You lose the suspected thief somewhere in the alleyways of the Empyreal City. You examine the ticket. The clue opens a little navigation/compass/wayfinder on your HUD that leads you to the place where you were robbed, and a parchment scroll with an outline of a head on it. Talking to ANY NPC in the area allows you to fill out the clue, bit by bit, until all the little edges and details of the wanted poster are filled in. You may then pay gold to a settlement to make reproductions of that poster and you may post them in approved locations. ANYONE who clicks on that poster gets a lore/check to see if they recognize the individual thief created on the poster. If they do, that thief is flagged as red/hostile/aggro to them for 5x INT hours. Attacking that thief is worth a reward from the city/bounty from the aggrieved party.

These same clues could be left behind if your house is robbed, but they last much longer.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas?

Dedicated Voter Season 6

Dustkicker Boots

[Edited by Sean Reynolds to hide item content, see below.]


The Stonelord Dwarven Racial Paladin Archetype gets an earth elemental companion instead of a holy bond weapon or horse. Cool!

Earth Elementals can use earthglide and tremor sense to determine where creatures are in relation to the ground. Cool!

Earthglide 'treats earth and stone like water'. Several points need to be clarified via rules jargon in order to specify EXACTLY what these terms mean in order to unbreak my game, please.

Does an earth elemental earth-gliding 'chest deep' allow attacks with improved cover out of the earth, as per attacks from land into water? Do Earth Elementals then suffer a -2 to hit and a half-damage penalty on their bludgeoning attacks?

Do water elementals suffer a -2 penalty to hit and half-damage penalty on their slam attacks while under water?

Do two earth elementals fighting underground treat each other as blind but aware of each other's spaces?

If a water elemental fights near a volcanic vent does it take fire damage from the boiling water?


Has anyone noticed how you never actually meet a Rum addict? Apparently because they're all -dead-.

Why is everyone on the Wyrmwood not dead already? After being reduced to a 1hp wreck by con damage from drinking the mandatory rum rations (1d3 con damage, unresistable, every night) the player fails a single check, takes his whipping, and is dead as a stone in a single strike of two lethal damage. That's one hit point, and -1 = -Con. Dead.

Looks like the inner sea is safe forever from piracy! All pirates die within two weeks of boarding a pirate ship and swilling their rum.

Same goes for anyone who tries Pesh even a single time, only a hundred times worse because you can't resist addiction.

Without magical aid, these drugs are lethal. How is anyone supposed to survive them?

Goblin Squad Member

Apparently one of the most decisive ways to ensure you're part of the starting 4500 is to have a solid guild ready to go by launch, according to the blog posting. May I suggest we begin making our guilds here and now...? I think one thing is fairly certain... the majority of us here will be interested in joining *RP* guilds!

Name: Guild-Name-Goes-Here
Alignment Axis:
LG|NG|CG
LN|TN|CN
LE|NE|CE

OOC Structure: How is the guild run?
RP Level: Basic? Intermediate? Advanced? Softcore? Hardcore?
IC Structure: Form of Government? Magocracy, Plutocracy, Fledgeling Monarcy, Military Dictatorship, Anarchic Parliament, Bunch Of Dancy Elves (A Jazzocracy)?
Purpose: Why did you come to the River Kingdoms?
Information: IC Summary. Give it to us by knowledges.
Know: (???) - DC 10: Basic information anyone might know.
Know: (???) - DC 15: Information those in the more privledged circles might enjoy.
Know: (???) - DC 20: True aims, hidden agendas.

===========================================================

Name: Argent Legion (ArL)
Alignment Axis: Hard Left (LN, LG, LE, TN)
OOC Structure: Meritocracy (the more you put in the more say you get)
IC Structure: Capitalist Totalitarian Military Republic
RP Level: Intermediate Hardcore (IC actions = IC consequences, new RPers welcome!)
Purpose: To bring order to the chaos and civilization to the wilds.
Information:
Know: History, Local, Nob/Royalty - DC 10: The Argent Legion is a primarily martial branch of allied soldiers espousing order for the good of all. Led by Sir Brill dyCazar, the legion rides with banners high to oppose banditry, savage tribes, and the restless dead. Silver weapons are a badge of honor and all ranking members are known to carry them.
Know: History, Local - DC 15: Spellcasters are uncommon amongst the Argent Legion, but not unheard of. The Knight Commander is one of Andoran's famed Eagle Knights, having stood vigil over their deadly fortress and returned proud and upright. A native of Falcon's Hollow, Brill joined an adventuring Fey Enchanter named Willem and an ... . The legion accepts allies of all stripes, but prizes the military discipline of cavaliers, fighters, and paladins over the often self-centered goals of spellcasters and more roguish individuals.
Know: History - DC 20: The silver weapons stem from the founders initial adventures in Andoran, where lycanthropy runs rampant. Brill claims personal credit for over one hundred werewolf kills, and even more outlandish feats, such as single-handedly slaying a hydra, wrestling a manticore to the ground bare-handed, and defrauding a corrupt guild system in the darkwood rich community of Falcon's Hollow. The Argent Legion really is founded on precepts of order and control, seeking to (mostly benevolently) sweep as much of the River Kingdoms as possible under sway in order to ensure safety and prosperity where possible.
Know: History - DC 25: Brill dyCazar left the Eagle Knights with full honors and immediately took his commendations to the Swordlords of Restov, where he met with several of the ranking masters to discuss the merits of a powerful and organized military ally directly to the south. After a few weeks of discussion and a signed contract he took a small cadre of men to the southern border, entering the Greenbelt through Oleg's Trading post to begin taming the bandit community thereabout. Men were recruited one by one from the ranks of bandits and soldiers, given second chances or put to the borders branded, or to the blade. The Legion as it stands today are all loyal men, reformed or pristine, and behave as a single command of trouble-shooters and lieutenants under the innovative knight's command.
Know: History - DC 30: However, those more in touch with the true history of the knight know that Sir dyCazar killed a Lumber Consortium knee-breaker when he was only twelve, whacking the man on the back of the head with a shovel while his prostitute mother was mid-abuse. The man's torn scalp painted the room with blood, and as the young boy fought to finish the job while the concussed fellow staggered and wove drunkenly around their single-room home breaking everything he could lay hands on, something in the kid came unhinged. Blood forevermore held an unhealthy fascination for the boy, and as his inevitable younger sister became embroiled in their mothers profession, he would go on the threaten and beat many other less-than-scrupulous-men. Neighborhood pets weren't exactly spared his youthful attentions, either, and 'something wrong with that boy' was a common expression around the community. Until he was picked up by the sherrif to channel his angers and urges into a more constructive direction at the age of seventeen, he would continue to be a bully and a known killer. The need to see and touch blood would continue to haunt him, eventually driving him toward a career that appreciated that particular craving: Adventuring. He managed to rise in esteem and leave much of the dirt clinging to his heels behind, but those familiar with his past still sometimes see an unhealthy glint in the thirty-year-old knight's eyes.

Goblin Squad Member

This is so important, I had to make my own post for it. This is something I feel very strongly about, and has been far too overlooked in every game since StarWars: Galaxies.

MORE THAN JUST COMBAT! For crying out loud, please... please... please... Mini-games, even as transparent as a rail shooter mini-game, should be available to give us other interaction with the world. Look at puzzle-pirates and the way they handle crafting and ship building and... Let anyone click a button to make a sword. Let that sword take a full minute to be knocked out. And make sure there's a deep economy around that sword (iron and some generic 'flux' unless you want to get specific and leather strips/straps whatever) to make the player economy run. Then pound out the sword, which takes no input from the player at all... until he wants to make masterwork. Masterwork should be a mini-game all its own, and should be different for armor, weapons, and ANYTHING ELSE. Three different thematically themed games that are more than 'button one... button two... button one... button three... finish.' Bubble popping, logic puzzles, anything interesting with scalable challenge. Look how popular angry birds is! Want to make Cold Iron? Now you're looking at Difficulty #2. Mithril? Difficulty #4. Adamantine? Difficulty #10... which should be HARD. Give us bar games! Give us jousts and arena competitions! (With the appropriate buildings, of course) And give us bardic competitions! Make music playing and composition an ACTUAL THING. Make them stored client side, they don't have any game effects, and let the bards play them on demand and be able to trade them... These things would make this game INCREDIBLY long lived... they give people something more to do than grind. Any game I can play on an iPhone should be inspirational enough to get your attention here... This is a critically overlooked niche in MMOs that you shouldn't deny your fanbase.

I would love to hear people's opinions and suggestions for minigames, and really for anything other than combat that will engage you as a player and make the world more evocative and attention grabbing.


An ally is dying with -1 HP and 4 subdual damage. Our friendly cleric casts Aid on him. What happens?

Does he regain consciousness? Does he continue dying with a few extra HP to suck up the slow bleed toward oblivion?


*Does the Aid Another "attack" (especially those such as the one needed for Bodyguard) suffer from miss chances due to concealment?

*How about other bonuses such as cover?


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After an EPIC five hour fight scene, Kimandatsu, Omoyani, four ninjas, two trolls, and a partridge in a pear tree just incapped and captured my party samurai/two-handed fighter/style-monk and our cavalier/holy-shield paladin. The ranger and alchemist escaped, but there's a simple reason they had so much trouble with this highly epic encounter...

Kimandatsu does not live at C6. She lives at C16. My interactive map has C16 where C6 should be. I only realized this issue AFTER the fact.

>.<

Bad typo is bad.


Is the ONLY way to increase mobility to take the Enhanced Caravan Caravan Feat?


Psionics, as written by Dreamscarred Press, are a limited 9-level Spell Point System. You rest, refresh your pool, and then manifest your powers until you run out of points for the day, just like a wizard running out of spells.

Since my Multi-Class idea has been soundly hammered into redundancy by Elghinn Lightbringer and his fantastic multi-class archetype thread I'm now taking stock of what else the community is interested in.

One of the things I'm hearing bandied about is the interest in a COMPLETELY alternate form of Psionics, such as perhaps a spell-like ability style of advancement focusing on the styles of Psionic Mastery. Limitless use powers with limited boosting during the day that would create a new hybrid-class perhaps?

What I want from you is what you would like to see in this kind of system. What kind of abilities are psionically iconic for you? How versatile does the system need to be? Does it need more than a single class, or is the sorcerer/witch/cleric/oracle bloodline/domain/mystery/revelation model enough to satisfy? Should psionics be broken into disciplines? Should it lay alongside as another form of purely mental magic, or should it be completely separate? Should it be a Vudran-style mental mystic to parallel the monk, or a wild-talent-like sorcerous eruption in any culture at any time?

No criticisms here. Throw your ideas against the wall and we'll see what sticks.


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Character Name: Gochin Tajima - Samurai of the Jade Throne (Tien Human Two-Handed Fighter 1, No Daichi and Katana), and Tristan "Doesn't Have A Last Name" (Half-Elf Ranger 1)
Catalyst: The Swarms of Skitterfoot
Reason: As presented, Skitterfoot whips the snot out of the PCs. Maybe because my party always failed their Cause Fear saves, but of 3 PCs, one ran away, the second pulled his alchemists fire and dropped it, rolling a 1, and was down the next round, the other went in to save him, and went down too. When the girl came back and dragged them out of the doorway, Skitterfoot let them go.

Character Name: Full Party Wipe
Catalyst: Tsutamu the Ronin Skeletal Champion
Reason: Round 1: Critical Hit against the cavalier. Round 2: Critical Hit against the fighter. Round 3: Cleave against the fighter takes both fighter and ranger to -HP. Tsutamu took 13 damage.

Had Tsutamu stabilize them and drag them away from his precious treasure, but they came back the next day and almost wiped again. I had to give them the quest reward early, let them level, and then come back and get him at Level 2.

These characters really can't fight CR 2 and 3s at level one!

(20 point buy)


To start with... WTH~!? You replaced a class feature with ONE POINT OF LINGUISTICS? And not just any class feature... one of the most useful class features of the paladin!?

Justification? Explanation? Does anyone understand why they did this?


I know I've seen it. I'd put a picture on a milk carton asking "Have You Seen Me?" but people would be confused by a blank square on a milk carton.

Is there one for pathfinder? Can anyone remember seeing the tiny gelatinous cube familiar before?


*What are the guidelines for animal companions?

*What do you pay for specific animal companion abilities like trip, natural armor, great strength, or rage?

*What is the most armored animal companion?

*What is the most damaging animal companion?

*What is the most tool-box/useful animal companion?

I'm helping my wife work up her Tyrantmaker campaign, and for the aberration laden continent down under, we're trying to come up with new and alien wildlife for people to take as animal companions and familiars. Beyond floating jellyfish, plant-frogs, and furry snakes, I want to know just what I can 'get away with' for the value of any given animal companion without upsetting the balance.

In so doing, that means finding the benchmarks and value levels for the animal companions as they exist, and I'd love to get some input.

Thus far I know NO ONE SHOULD EVER TAKE A THYLACINE. Apparently Tasmanian Tigers went extinct for a reason... they're crap animal companions. Apes, on the other hand, do a bang-up job with decent AC, and heavy damage as a large sized creature with three attacks and excellent strength. The Roc seems to lead the pack for AC, with a 17 base dex and 8 natural armor before any other considerations for animal companions are added at level 7. So what does this all mean? Other than Roc and Ape, what are the 'good choices', and is there any mechanical reason (outside of flavor!) that someone would want to pick a wolf or cat?


16 people marked this as FAQ candidate. Staff response: no reply required.

I'm having difficulty finding this anywhere on the forum.

I'm going to try a Qinggong Monk/Ninja/Fighter Hybrid, looking to get some high-fantasy kung-fu power of the demi-elemental Suli. My only hiccup thus far, other than the aggravation of NOT getting to pick abilities when you would normally get to pick the abilities with the Qinggong Archetype, is whether or not Slow Fall counts as only ONE instance, or as multiple instances?

If I give up slow fall for Barkskin, do I get slow fall 20' at level 6? Or is Barkskin worth Slow Fall for the remainder of my career?


Running the module as written, our party consisted of:

Reagan Bellemonte, of the famous Bellemonte family, a Dhampir Necromancer.
Roland Harsk, of the not quite so famous Harse Harsks. Roland was a Zen-Archer monk.
Caleb of Veldrayne, the Assling Warlord/Cavalier/Entrepreneur.

We had no difficulties starting at the first, and began to quickly breeze through encounters. Anything the Zen-Archer couldn't kill in one round, or the Necromancer couldn't control in one or two spells, we used diplomacy or bluff to bypass, or simply mopped up with an additional spell.

By the end of the campaign, we were level 14.
Lord Reagan Bellemonte of the Whispering Way (NE Vampire 1/Nec 3/Master Necromancer 6/Blood Magus 4)
Roland Harsk (LN Half-Elf Zen Archer Monk 13/Rogue 1)
Commander Caleb Veldrayne, esq. Proprieter of Caleb's Trading Company and Caleb's Dog Soldiers (Inventiveness ftw! N Aasimar Warlord 1/Outsider (Tiefling) 2/Hound-Master Cavalier 11)

Lady Andaisan? Two rounds. One to shoot her to death, one to control her with Command Undead.

The WHOLE of Scarwall? Ten hours. We had to rest for a few hours to get some spells back. Shortly after Scarwall was when we created our own time-dilation demi-plane.

The final encounters? Waltzed through the castle, dealing over 150dmg per round from the Zen Archer, with the occaisonal Finger of Death or battle-field shaping Spiritwall (Spellcompendium) or full attack from the Commander or Legatus (our 12HD Bloody-Skeleton Glabrezu) to clean things up.

We found the maps, apprehended the Fake Queen, gave her and a head-band of opposite alignment to Sabina Merrin, and reinstalled Juju Zombie versions of Domina Arabasti, Eodred the Great, and Lord Arbast Arabasti as the new Triumvirate Rulers of Korvosa. Easily controlled undead minions, to be sure, but their amulets of charisma and 3/day CL5 Gentle Repose should keep them in good order as they make their decisions and continue to govern through ETERNITY. With a 25k donation from the wizard to the city to continue running until they could pay the loan back. That should buy the city out of debt for a while. (6bp according to Kingmaker. Better ditch some territory to lower those control DCs!)

With the maps, we simply scryed the Sunken Queen herself, teleported to the area, used a bound imp to scout inside the building after handily finding the illusory entrance with permanent detect magic and a spot check of 50+, and then scrying on the imp servitor, teleported from the entry-way to the chamber of blood where Ileosa was conducting her ritual.

In the instant we appeared, one arrow was fired and a wall of iron was dropped over the entryway. The arrow did no damage, of course, but that wasn't it's purpose.

Remember the temple of Ergathoa from the fight with Lady Andaisen? Did you know the bowl of blood in there is Ergathoa's blood? We punched a vial of Ergathoa's blood into the ritual. You really wanna suck the life-force out of her? Go ahead. We'll let you.

She dropped her clones. The next round, Ileosa was dead from a single full-attack action from the Monk and a Finger of Death from the Necromancer. The dogs and the cavalier mopped up the simulacra. Demons teleported in, but the room was bisected with a Spiritwall at the 6.5 foot mark, giving medium creatures room to stand, but not allowing the PIT FIEND we had managed to anger through use of the Harrow Deck of Many Things any room to continue attacking us.

Round 3, the room is bisected, the simulacra are almost dead, the demons are teleporting away in terror. Round 4, no more simulacra. Two rounds of waiting, and a chance to cast a buff and Dimenson Lock the when the pit-fiend and erinyes came back. Round 6, everything starts dying. The pit-fiend runs to the top of the room and can't escape after a second Spiritwall is cast, and gets his Wisdom cursed (-6 permanently, sucka.)

Even with the GMs decision thta the fight was going to be too easy and giving DR 10/Serethtiel to Ileosa, and full HP for both the Pit Fiend and Ileosa, they were all dead by round 10. The pit fiend got one full round attack and while the necromancer was grabbed... he just dismissed the spiritwall, giving the Zen Archer a clear line of fire to the Demon.

Level 14. Too easy.


Why would you give a natweps ranger multi-attack?

What purpose does it serve unless you also give the ranger a cloak of the manta ray?

Does the ranger ever get more than two attacks ever?

If he doesn't, isn't it terribly unbalanced?


Inner Sea World Guide PDF didn't load into my downloads, hardcover book with adventure path shipped yesterday. Did I do something wrong?


The Necromancer's Athame (Pathfinder APG) is a no-slot wondrous item that resembles a dagger, or possibly a flute.

Do you have to be 'wearing' this item, say on a belt-thong, to gain its benefits, or must you wield it like a dagger or wand?


For your critique, suggestions, and perusal. I present the God-King, a King-Maker focused prestige class, in ten levels. Inspiration taken from the War-Priest (Complete Divine) and the Battle Herald (PFAPG).

God-King PrC:

The God-King is the battle leader, founder of the community, central focus of faith, and the inspiring patron of all people within his purview.
Nobility comes easily to the God-King, and his people love him for it, as long as he maintains the
loyalty of the people with his own dedication.
HD: d10

REQUIREMENTS
To qualify to become a God-King a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Alignment: Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral
Skills: Diplomacy (7 ranks), Perform (Oratory) (7Ranks), Profession (Soldier) (2 ranks), Profession (Administrator) (2 ranks), Knowledge: Religion (5 ranks)
Feats: Skill Focus: Diplomacy, Selective Channelling
Special: Patron Deity must be either Abadar or Erastil.
Special: Channel Energy class feature.
Special: Able to cast 1st-level spells.
Special: Must be the ruler of a territory with at least 1 settlement.
Special: At least one cohort, follower, familiar, companion, or special mount feature, whether by class feature or feat.

CLASS SKILLS
The God-King's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge: Engineering, History, Local, Nobility and Royalty, Religion (Int); Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis)
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

CLASS FEATURES
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A God-King gains proficiency with all martial weapons.

Spells per Day: At every level except first, fifth, and tenth, the God-King gains caster level and spells per day as if he had also also gained a
level in a divine spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain other benefits of that class other than spells per day, spells known, and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If he had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming a God-King, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Channel Energy (Su): The God-King’s class level stacks with levels in any other class that grants the channel energy ability.

Spirit of Nobility: The God-King gains the Nobility Domain as long as she is within 10 miles of the territory that she rules. If she is not a cleric, she follows all rules for a cleric with the Nobility Domain, including adding one additional spell to each spell-level she can cast, which must be cast from the Nobility Domain spell list. Levels in the God-King prestige class stack with the levels of any other class which grants a Domain for qualifying for domain
Granted Powers.
The cohort granted from Leadership attached to this domain cannot be used more than 10 miles from your borders, but while within them can serve as a seneschal, taking the role of Co-Ruler until you are married.
Each week the ruler is not in the nation, unrest increases by 1.

Inspiring Command (Ex): A God-King uses her keen tactical acumen and decisive judgement to lead others to victory, as well as her mastery of command to assist his unit in battle.
All God-Kings may use inspiring command to
inspire courage (as the bardic performance ability); bard and God-King levels stack to determine the bonuses provided by inspire courage.
At 1st level, and every three levels thereafter (1, 4, 7, 10), the God-King chooses one command to learn. Unless otherwise noted, these abilities provide a competence bonus equal to the God-King's inspiring command bonus to her and to all allies within 60 feet able to see or hear her.
Commands marked with an asterisk have the same range as above but only affect a certain number of allies (which can include the God-King).
Issuing an inspiring command is a move action.
At 6th level, this becomes a swift action.
Maintaining an inspiring command is a
free action that cannot be disrupted, but
its effects end immediately if the God-King is killed or otherwise prevented from taking actions (such as being dazed, helpless, or stunned).
The God-King cannot have more than one command in effect at a time. She may use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to Charisma modifier + 1, plus 2 additional rounds per God-King level. She may use rounds of bardic performance to issue inspiring commands, but not vice versa. Inspiring commands are language-dependent, mind-affecting effects. The God-King cannot maintain an inspiring command and a bardic performance at the same time (this does not preclude abilities such as persistent command or the Lingering Performance feat, which continue an inspiring command or bardic performance after the God-King stops maintaining it). If the God-King is leading an army, the army may benefit from this effect. Inspiring Courage grants the Army +2 OM.

Battle Magic*: One ally gains a bonus on caster level checks and concentration checks equal to the God-King's command bonus. Alternatively, the Spellbreaker Army Tactic (p56 Kingmaker 5).
Inspire Hardiness: Allies gain DR/— equal to the God-King’s inspiring command bonus. This grants an army the Significant Defense Special Ability (Kingmaker 5 p57).
Inspired Tactics: Allies apply the God-King's inspiring command bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls, on combat maneuver checks, and as a dodge bonus to AC against any attacks of opportunity provoked by combat maneuvers. This adds a new Strategy Value to the Strategy Track:
Inspired +2 +1 +1
Keep Your Heads: Allies apply the God-King’s inspiring command bonus on Will saves and concentration checks. +1 Morale.
Pincer Maneuver: Allies apply the God-King’s inspiring command bonus to attack and damage rolls when flanking and as a dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity provoked by movement (including standing from prone). This grants an army the Expert Flankers Army Tactic and a +1 to Damage Mod.
Rally: Allies affected by a fear effect may attempt a new saving throw against each fear effect on them; this new save has a bonus equal to the God-King’s inspiring command bonus.
Reveille: Allies affected by exhaustion, fatigue, or sleep effects may attempt a new saving throw against each such effect; this new save has a bonus equal to the God-King’s inspiring command bonus. Allies who are sleeping normally automatically awaken when this
ability is used.
Scatter*: A number of allies equal to the God-King’s inspiring command bonus gain the benefits of the Wind Stance feat. +1 DV.
Shake It Off*: One ally subject to an ongoing condition may attempt a new saving throw to negate the effects with a bonus equal to the God-King’s inspiring command bonus. This ability does not help against instantaneous effects, effects that require recurring saving throws to
avoid additional penalties (such as diseases and poisons), or effects that do not allow a saving throw. This grants an army the Spell Resistance Special Ability (Kingmaker 5 p57).
Sound the Charge: Allies apply the God-King’s inspiring command bonus to attack and damage rolls. Charging allies increase their speed by 5 feet times the God-King’s inspiring command bonus. This grants an army an overall DV +2 for the combat, and a +2 OM for the first round of combat, due to the powerful charge into advantageous terrain.
Sound the Retreat: Allies gain the benefit of the Lightning Stance feat. The God-King must have the scatter ability to select this ability. This grants an army the False Retreat Army Tactic.
Stand Firm: Allies apply the God-King’s inspiring command bonus to CMD and on Fortitude saves. This grants an army the Defensive Wall Army Tactic.
Teamwork: Allies add the God-King’s inspiring command bonus on skill checks or attack rolls made when using the aid another action, and if successful, the assisted ally increases the aid another bonus by an amount equal to the God-King’s inspiring command bonus. This grants an army the Cautious Combat Army Tactic.
Tuck and Roll: Allies apply the God-King’s inspiring command bonus on Reflex saves and Acrobatics checks. +1 DV.
Seigebreaker: Grants the Seigebreaker Army Tactic, or grant allies a +10 damage bonus against inanimate objects.
Cry Havoc: Grants the Relentless Brutality Army Tactic, or a +4 to attack and -4 to AC to all allies.
Unorthodox Assault: Grants the Dirty Fighters Army Tactic, or a +6 to CMB for a -3 AC cost.
Sniper Support: Grant the Sniper Support Army Tactic, or grant all allies a bonus to hit equal to your Inspiring Command, and a bonus to damage equal to your Inspired Tactics +1. Allies making attacks from concealment may automatically make Stealth checks to remain hidden even after the attack, without moving, if they beat the Passive Perception (Perception value +10) of their targets.
Taunt: Grants the Taunt Army Tactic, or demoralizes the entire enemy combat group, giving all enemies who fail a Will Save (DC = 10 + ½ Character Level + Charisma Modifier + Inspiring Command bonus) a -2 to all d20 rolls.

Voice of Authority (Ex): A God-King is skilled at shouting commands over the din of the battlefield and signalling allies when speech is impossible. She gains a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks with creatures with which she shares a language. In addition, her allies gain a bonus equal to the God-King’s class level on Perception or Sense Motive checks to hear her commands or interpret her secret messages conveyed with Bluff.
The God-King’s levels stack with cavalier levels for the purpose of the cavalier’s tactician ability.

Easy March (Ex): At 2nd level, allies within 60 feet of the God-King can hustle or force march during overland travel without ill effects for a number of hours per day equal to 1 hour times her inspiring command bonus. This feature only functions while within the bounds of the God-King's domain, but may also apply to any single army the God-King serves as leader of.

Allied Channelling (Su): Going beyond the effects of merely channelling energy, the God-King can apply his healing to the entire army that he leads, healing even grievous wounds. An army can be healed by a single use of Channel Energy, up to a maximum number of dice equal to the Army's Challenge Rating. In smaller scale, the God-King's channel energy affects only allies, or only undead enemies, chosen each time the ability is used. The feature is no longer limited by the cap dictated by Selective Channelling.

Spirit of Generosity: While governing, the people ruled by the laws of the territory of the God-King are inspired with generous spirit and confidence in their ruler. The initial unrest generated by withdrawing funds from the kingdom coffers is negated, though a failed loyalty check will still cost the city the standard unrest penalty. Further, the government of the city is an enlightened Autocratic Theocracy. This increases the Stability and Loyalty of the kingdom by +2 each, at the cost of -1 Economy. The magical focus of the God-King creates a surplus in farms and livestock blessed by the God-King. Once a month, if the God-King has access to the Plant or Animal Domain she may designate a single Farm Hex as 'Blessed', increasing it's production to 3 permanently. Each time a blessing is bestowed, make a stability check for each previously blessed Farm Hex, with failure ruining the farm.
Each week the God-King spends outside the boundary of the kingdom creates one additional consumption in the next month.

Privilege of State (Su): It is said that rank hath its privileges, and this feature exemplifies that privilege. The God-King may add his Charisma Modifier to all saving throws as long as he is within the boundary of his nation.

Improved Leadership (Ex): A God-King with the Leadership feat adds her inspiring command bonus to her leadership score. In addition, the great confidence of the people in their ruler's ability to control the nation and retrieve it from the brink of utter disaster allows the unrest level to reach 13 before hexes must be shed, and rise to a total of 26 before the nation collapses.

Spirit of Exploration (Ex): The regent is not the only source of intelligence in the country. Information gathered from adventurers, merchants, and royal explorers leads to greatly accellerated exploration for the God-King. This inspiration informs the God-King of all resource and land-mark hexes within one space of his kingdom automatically, allows a God-King to treat all spaces as roads, doubling their movement speed on the exploration map, and possibly allowing exploration of more than one hex a day. Make a diplomacy (gather info) check at the beginning of any month in which the God-King participates in exploration, with a DC of 5. Each 5 by which the DC is exceeded allows one hex of exploration at this increased speed.
Additionally, a God-King with the Travel Domain ignores difficult terrain and receives the benefit of Woodland Stride while within ten miles of their kingdom.
Each week the God-King spends outside her territory of the kingdom costs 1 BP.

Ruling Spirit: The God-King gains the Community Domain as long as she is within 10 miles of the territory that she rules.
The Unity ability can be used to apply the saving throw bonus to an entire Army that the God-King leads.
Each week the God-King spends outside her territory increases the unrest level by +1. This stacks with the unrest gained from Spirit of Nobility, which can lead to significant levels of unrest.

Purified Channelling (Su): No longer limited to the specifics of channelling energy, the God-King can now damage undead -while- healing her allies while defending her territory. While in the boundaries of her own nation she may spend two uses of Channel Energy and deals damage to all undead in the area and heals all allies for a like amount of damage. If used in an army, the damage and healing are halved, but apply to all armies in the hex.

Persistent Commands (Ex): At 10th level, a God-King may allow her inspiring commands to persist even if she is incapacitated and unable to maintain them. If the player chooses, the effects of the God-King's inspiring commands persist for a number of rounds equal to her Charisma bonus (these count toward her number of rounds per day limit). This ability does not apply if the God-King intentionally stops maintaining an inspiring command — only if she is dazed, held, stunned,
killed, and so on, and is unable to maintain them. If the God-King recovers from incapacity while an inspiring command is ongoing, she may resume maintaining it as a free action.

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special Spells per Day
1st +1 +1 +0 +1 1st Command, Channel Energy, Spirit -
of Nobility, Inspiring Command (+1), Voice of Authority
2nd +2 +1 +1 +1 Easy March +1 level of spellcasting class
3rd +3 +2 +1 +2 Allied Channelling +1 level of spell-class
4th +4 +2 +1 +2 2nd Command, Spirit of Generosity +1 level of
5th +5 +3 +2 +3 Inspiring Command (+2), Privilege of State -
6th +6 +3 +2 +3 Improved Leadership +1 level of spell-class
7th +7 +4 +2 +4 3rd Command, Spirit of Exploration +1 S/cLevel
8th +8 +4 +3 +4 Ruling Spirit +1 level of spellcasting class
9th +9 +5 +3 +5 Purified Channelling +1 level of spellcasting
10th +10 +5 +3 +5 4th Command, Inspiring Command (+3), -
Persistent Commands


Please see this.

The spoiler about half way down the page has the mechanics nicely formatted.

The GM asked me to post this for her so the community could review and suggest.


I'm not getting a lot of feedback on the homebrew forum, and I guess this is really more of a rules question... I have a set of custom spells, and I'd like them mass-edited for legality. So far the responses have been favorable, but I'm always leery of how abusive spellcasting can be when you start adding the custom element into the game, especially when it's a uses per day thing like a spell that can be stuffed into a wand.

LINK TO SPELLS THREAD


A few of the PCs in our Crimson Throne game want to be vampires (using the benefits gained from friendship with The Whispering Way) and I was wondering what the changes were from 3.5?

1. Vampire PCs had a six level drop in 3.5, and in PFRPG its only a +2 CR? Can this be even sort of right? That seems extremely cheap. Particularly when, after four levels, one of those drops off... Are you SURE it's only a two level bump?

2. What about a Dhampyr who gets turned into a Vampire? Most of their racial abilities fall right off. Are they just getting less benefit for the privledge of being a vampire?

3. Has anyone ever had a vampire PC in their game as written in the PFBestiary? How did they balance?


I've developed some custom spells for my necromancer spellbook (viewable here: New Necromancy ) and was wondering how they stack up.

To further research, I need to know what people consider the benchmark arcane spells for each level? What is the baseline of power at Spell Level 3? Fireball? Hold Person? Fly?


I've added these spells to my necromancer spellbook in our Curse of the Crimson Throne campaign, and am wondering what the community thinks. Is there anything in here I need to fix to make them game legal, and is there anything I should fix or alter to make them more balanced?

Opinions and constructive criticism please!

Necrotic Reserve
The Necrotic Reserve is a pool of temporary hit points granted by necromantic or undead effects, including the temporary hit points gained by level draining undead like vampire spawn, or wraiths. The temporary hit points of a Necrotic Reserve are not damaged by effects that cause negative energy damage, and instead deal damage to regular hit points, as normal, in the cases where a Necrotic Reserve is granted to a living creature. The points in the Necrotic Reserve still do not stack with temporary hit points gained from other sources, such as the Aid spell, or a Warlord's Inspiring Word class feature. Necromancy spells that fuel, feed from, or affect the Necrotic Reserve are listed as Necromancy (NR) spells. Spells from the base set that should be considered Necromantic Reserve are:
2 False Life
3 Vampiric Touch
4 Enervation
9 Energy Drain

Shadow of the Grave
School Necromancy (NR)
Level Sorcerer/Wizard 1
Casting Time Full Round Action
Components V, S, M (Drop of Blood), F (part of an undestroyed undead creature, valued at least 10gp)
Range Personal
Target You
Duration 1hr/level (D)
Drawing forth the essence of the undead flesh, you cast upon yourself a shrouding aura that can be charged with negative energy. If you would take negative energy damage (as from an inflict spell) while at full hit points, you gain temporary hit points (a Necrotic Reserve) up to your caster level x2 (to a maximum of 20 temporary hit points at Level 10). Further damage past this amount, or damage from negative energy, does not reduce these temporary hit points, and goes into your regular hit points as normal.

Blood Pool
School Necromancy (NR)
Level Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Casting Time 1 Minute
Components V, S, M (part of an undestroyed undead creature, valued at least 10gp)
Range touch
Target undead creature touched
Duration 24 hours (D)
Save Will Negates (Harmless) Spell Resistance Yes (Harmless)
The essence of the undead craves life. Even in this small portion of an undead creature, the link between the material plane and the negative energy plane remains active. Crushing the portion into your palm, you create an undead reservoir that bolsters your own negative energy charge. Temporary hit points that would normally be gained by level drain or vampiric abilities (including spells and spell-like abilities, such as Vampiric Touch) instead charge the Blood Pool. A point from the Blood Pool can be spent as a standard action to heal one point of damage. Points from the Blood Pool can be spent as a free action to fuel abilities that rely on Necrotic Reserve, such as Channeled Necrotic Infusion, and Channeled Bone Dance.

Necroshell
School Necromancy [evil]
Level Sorcerer/Wizard 3
Casting Time 10 Minutes
Components V, S, M (One helpless corporeal undead creature)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 24 hours (D)
As you tear apart the undead creature in a highly ritualised fashion, laying out it's bones in a pattern around you, you absorb it's undead essence into yourself, causing your skin to wither and your eyes to gleam with a malevolent light. While under the effects of this spell, non-intelligent undead see you as an undead creature and do not react to your presence or actions, unless specifically told to do so by their controller. Intelligent undead see you as an undead creature, but may then react as usual to the presence of other intelligent undead.
As long as this spell remains in effect, you receive a penalty to all diplomacy checks with living creatures equal to half your caster level (round down), and a bonus equal to half your caster level (round down) on all diplomacy and bluff checks with intelligent undead. You also add half your caster level as a resistance bonus on saves against poison and disease.
While under the effects of a Necroshell, you are considered an undead creature for all spells and effects that specifically affect undead creatures. A successful turning or rebuking attempt against you (treating you as an undead creature of your Hit Dice) ends the spell, but does not otherwise affect you. Attacking an undead creature in no way negates this spell.

Undead Struggle
School Necromancy; Level Sorcerer/Wizard 1
Casting Time Full Round Action
Components V, S, M (bone shards or dust from a destroyed undead creature)
Range short (25'+5' per level)
Target 1 undead creature
Duration concentration
Save Will negates (see text) Spell Resistance Yes (Harmless)
Forging a link between the caster and the undead creature, this spell creates a visible crackling black streamer between the two bodies, a glittering mote of light traveling back and forth on the streamer to give a clue as to which creature is winning the struggle.
When first cast, an intelligent undead may make a will save against the spell, but a non-intelligent undead gets no saving throw. The undead is under a daze monster effect, as long as the caster does nothing other than concentrate on the spell and chant in each round of the spells concentration. Neither the caster nor the undead creature are helpless, but neither may take any action (other than concentrating on this effect) as long as the caster continues to concentrate. At the end of each creature's round, the subjects take 1d6 negative energy damage (for the caster) or 1d6 positive energy damage for the undead, as their life forces cancel one another out violently.

Channelled Necrotic Infusion
School Necromancy(NR) ; Level Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S, M (An increasing amount of grave dust)
Range short (25'+5' per level)
Target 1 creature
Duration concentration to 1 round/level
Save Will negates/partial (see text)
Spell Resistance Yes
When casting this spell, you use your own connection to the negative energy plane to pour uncontrolled negative energy directly into your target. If the initial saving throw against this spell succeeds, the spell has no effect. Otherwise, each round the target may make a new save to resist the effects for that round. Once the initial save is failed this spell continues to work no matter where the target goes, or how they hide, unless they enter a non-dimensional space, or enter the positive material plane, which causes an immediate and violent reaction when the infusion pushes into that realm of pure creativity. On any round in which the save fails, the target takes 1d8 points of negative energy damage, +1 per 2 caster levels (to a maximum of +5 at level 10). As usual, undead are healed by this damage. It costs you one point from your necrotic reserve each round you concentrate on this spell.
While this spell is accruing points, an application of positive energy of any sort (such as a cure wounds spells, or Channel Energy) removes these points in relation to the effects of a Channelled Necrotic Siphon first.
*If this creature has been affected by a Channelled Bone Dance during the last hour, the save DC to resist this spell is increased by +2.
*Special Requirements: This spell must be cast with one empty hand, and with either a second empty hand, or a wizards implement (such as a rod, staff, or wand). While the somatic component is handled by the implement tracing the necessary patterns in the air, the other is used to handle the increasing material components. This spell cannot be stilled or quickened. Material components always apply to this spell, even if the caster has Eschew Material Components. If you are not undead when you cast this spell, you suffer 1 negative level.

Channelled Necrotic Siphon
School Necromancy (NR); Level Sorcerer/Wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S, M (an increasing amount of dried leeches)
Range short (25'+5' per level)
Target 1 living creature
Duration concentration to 1 round/level
Save Will negates (see text)
If the initial will save against this spell is successful, then this spell has no effect. If it is unsuccessful, this spell deals one point of negative energy damage in the first round, and fatigues the target for 1 round per caster level. On your turn each round, the target must save again, or take escalating negative energy damage equal to the number of failed saves. Passing the saving throw negates the damage for that turn, but does not end the spell. When this spell ends, you immediately recharge your necrotic reserve equal to the damage dealt.
For example, if the target fails the first save, they take one point of negative energy damage. If they fail the next four subsequent saves, they take 2, 3, 4, and five damage on each of those rounds. If they then make the sixth save, and fail the seventh, they will suffer no damage on the sixth round, but take 6 negative energy damage on the seventh round. They are fatigued through this entire duration.
*A creature who has unhealed damage from a Channelled Necrotic Infusion receives no spell resistance against this effect, and this spell has an additional effect. In addition to dealing damage, as above, you also gain fast healing equal to the damage dealt on the round the damage is dealt. Thus, on the fifth failed save, you would gain fast healing 5 until the start of your next turn.
*A creature who has survived a Channelled Bone Dance in the last hour receives a -2 penalty to the save against this spell.
*Special Requirements: This spell must be cast with one empty hand, and with either a second empty hand, or a wizards implement (such as a rod, staff, or wand). While the somatic component is handled by the implement tracing the necessary patterns in the air, the other is used to handle the increasing material components. This spell cannot be stilled or quickened. Material components always apply to this spell, even if the caster has Eschew Material Components. If you are not undead when you cast this spell, you suffer 1 negative level.

Channeled Bone Dance
School Necromancy (NR)(Evil); Level Sorcerer/Wizard 4
Casting Time Varies
Components V, S, M (The castoff chaff of cut black onyxes)
Range short (25'+5' per level)
Target 1 living creature with a skeletal system
Duration Instantaneous
Save Will partial/negates (see text)
If this damage from this spell results in the target being reduced to 0 or less hit points, a Bloody Skeleton is immediately torn free from the body, and ready to follow your commands on your initiative in the next round. This skeleton is controlled undead under all the same rules as Animate Dead.
*If cast as a swift action, this spell has no material component, and reveals the general state of health of the target, including its level of hit point damage (half, very little, nearly all), its exact hit dice, and its exact ability damage. A successful will save negates this effect. This effect has no Necrotic Reserve or Material Component.
*If cast as a move action, it has the above effect, and immediately deals your caster level in negative energy damage, with a Will Save for half damage. This effect requires one point of Necrotic Reserve per Hit Die of the creature.
*If cast as a standard action, this spell deals 1d4 negative energy damage (to a maximum of 15d4) per caster level. This effect requires one point of Necrotic Reserve per die of damage.
*If cast as a full-round action, this spell deals 1d6 negative energy damage (to a maximum of 15d6) per caster level. This effect requires one point of Necrotic Reserve per die of damage.
*If cast as a 1 round action, this spell deals 1d8 negative energy damage (to a maximum of 15d8) per caster level. This effect requires one point of Necrotic Reserve per die of damage.
*If cast with two 1 round actions, this spell deals damage equal to 8 damage per hit die of the creature. This effect requires one point of Necrotic Reserve per die of damage.

*If the target has been infected by a Channeled Necrotic Infusion the skeleton created has maximum hit points per hit die.
*If this spell is cast on a creature drained by a Channeled Necrotic Siphon the DC to resist this spell increases by +2.
*Special Requirements: This spell must be cast with one empty hand, and with either a second empty hand, or a wizards implement (such as a rod, staff, or wand). While the somatic component is handled by the implement tracing the necessary patterns in the air, the other is used to handle the increasing material components. This spell cannot be stilled or quickened. Material components always apply to this spell, even if the caster has Eschew Material Components. If you are not undead when you cast this spell, you suffer 2 negative levels.


So our GM got her hands on a Kingmaker series... the first four APs anyway... and decided to start running it.

We just had a five day gaming session.

Best... game.... ever...

From Level 1 to Level 6, we're into the second book and building our own city.

I say again...

Best... game... ever...

Dark Archive

Did the OP get deleted?


This is inspired by the discussion had here.

I see a lot of mention of the undead not supposing to be evil, but there are a few things you have to remember in a world like DnD, where the status of the soul are verifiable and CONCRETE.

1) Planar Absolutes have obvious and far reaching consequences when paired with the ability to detect those Absolutes. Even a redeemed Devil has the (Evil) subtype. There is no escaping these absolutes, and even the redeemed Devil still has the urge to do Evil, they simply choose not to.

2) Planar Influence, as in the first point, cannot be sidestepped by simple free will, and it can be argued that native outsiders DO NOT HAVE free will; They are forced to enact their archetypes unless something acts to alter them. It is in the Fire Elemental's nature to burn, and in the Earth Elemental's nature to dig. If the Fire Elemental burns down your village, it is not done with malice, but simply because that is what Fire Elementals do. If the Earth Elemental undermines your fortress, it is not done with some sadistic vengeful glee, but again, simply because that is what Earth Elementals do. When a Demon is let loose, they rape, torture, destroy, and sow havoc and heartbreak wherever they go, defiling all they touch, with an unholy glee, because that is what they do. It is their nature.

3) The Undead. The Undead are as much tied to the infinite entropy of the Negative Material Plane as the Elementals are to theirs. They are denizens, as much as the Djinn and Marid, created by the entropic storm which constantly hungers to destroy all that is created. That willfull, hatefull, sentient hunger infuses all negative energy constructs, driving them to destroy and kill living things. This is why they are Evil. In Pathfinder, the Negative Energy Plane -created- the Shadow Plane, trying to forge its own creation in the same way that the Positive Material Plane spawned the Prime Material. It seems to be very much... alive... after a fashion.

4) Undead Behavior: Unintelligent Undead have no motive force but the drive instilled by negative energy to destroy everything that lives. When uncontrolled, they stand still.. waiting... until some motive impels them. A rat that runs by impels them to stand, and move, and stalk, and hunt, looking for the rat until another living thing runs across the stalking undead. Then it changes focus. Whatever the most immediate living thing is, the zombie shambles toward with all due shamble, until it can tear into some tasty brainz. Unintelligent Undead with a controller must be specifically told to do -anything-. Their inherent impetus, that Negative Energy Instinct, if you will, is supressed. They stand quietly by while you carve chunks of rancid meat from their carcasses, or bolt metal restraints through their arm-bones. Uncontrolled Undead can be assumed to have a single, over-riding command.

"Kill the Living."

Please, think on this, and discuss. Turn or Rebuke my argument.


So I want to make a trap.

Or rather, I want a trap put in my 14th level party's stronghold. None of US have wasted points on craft trap, but we have an engineer on staff... an 8th Level Expert with maximum ranks in Craft Trap and a +1 modifier.

With standing check of 12, we expect this guy to be pretty dang good at his job. We want to put a pit trap with a hidden trigger bypass in front of the prison door, so anyone trying to spring the baddies has a nasty surprise in store for them. After determining that the camoflauged rotating floor pit trap is an automatic reset, it's going to cost 4500gp (CR3, 3x1000gp = 3000gp, x1.5 for automatic reset) to create. And with only a DC 20, that's not unrealistic, so he sets to work.

DC20, natural 20 on the roll = 400sp worth of work in the first week, and we're on our way.. but... wait... that's 40 gold...

Is it seriously going to take 113 WEEKS to build? SERIOUSLY!? TWO YEARS and nine weeks for a -CR3- trap?! For an 8th level character?!


Have people tackled the Master Specialist and Blood Magus prestige classes?

I think that as a straight conversion, Master Specialist should continue to increase the values of your Specialist Wizard Abilities, and then the standard skill/HD update.

What about Blood Magus? Should that class get a BaB/HD increase to 1/2 & D8?

Opinions? Onions?


1 person marked this as FAQ candidate.

At the bottom of page 41 it says:

Quote:

15 TPA, 1 CPA: Sell an item for 100% of its

full value rather than 50%. The character must
spend (in gp) 25% of the value of the item for
this benefit.

Can anyone give me an example? I'm not sure I understand what this means?

Say I have a 4500gp wand. Do I get 4500gp for the wand, and are then required to immediately spend 1125gp on something from that merchant, or does it mean I am effectively getting only 75% of the items value, a 25% bonus for 1 CPA?


I'm playing a Necromancer in our Sunday Night game, and am looking forward a great deal to the day when I can make my own zombies and skeletons, -particularly- the fancy new Juju Zombies, Bloody Skeletons, Burning Skeletons, and Fast Zombies. Is there any way I can add these versatile and unwavering minions to my repertoire?


"Spellstrike (Su): At 2nd level, whenever a magus casts
a spell with a range of “touch” from the magus spell
list, he can deliver the spell through any weapon he is
wielding as part of a melee attack. If successful, this
melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the
effects of the spell. Instead of the free melee touch attack
normally allowed to deliver the spell, a magus can make
one free melee attack with his weapon as part of casting
this spell. If used with spell combat, this does not grant
an additional attack."

How does the Magus make an Off-Hand attack by striking through the only weapon he can carry, with the cost of somatic components being 'one free hand'. How often does it come into play that you can use Spellstrike and Spell Combat at the same time?

Suggestion: Give the Magus Somatic Weaponry at first level. Either as a feature or as a resurrection of the 3.5 feat. Allow them to use a weapon to cast somatic component spells.


Currently, the top of my list is 'Elemental Spell' from the APG.

There have been others, and I'll add them as I find them, but what's the point of Elemental Spell, exactly?

As a sorcerer or bard it -might- be worthwhile, but otherwise you're looking at a one level penalty on a spell for no good reason. Dealing with only the 'big four' elements, and not even causing an acid spell to bypass spell resistance, it seems like a complete waste to me. Wouldn't this feat have been better served with a 0 level penalty? In ~95% of circumstances, lightning ball is identical to fireball.