The advanced simple template states that (among other things) you increase the base creature's natural armor by +2. My question is, for a creature without natural armor, what happens? The way I see it, there are two options:
1. A creature without natural armor has no natural armor bonus to increase, so there is nothing to add the +2 bonus to.
2. A creature without natural armor has a natural armor bonus of +0, so the template increases the creatures natural armor bonus to +2.
In my head, #1 makes more sense in the game world. Just because a creature is bigger and tougher doesn't mean its skin turns into leather or chitin or something. But the barkskin spell states that "a creature without natural armor has an effective natural armor bonus of +0", which would support #2. This would seem to answer the question already, but I'm not sure whether that line from barkskin is meant to pertain only to the spell itself. That is, is the line I quoted from barkskin the rule on natural armor, or an exception to the rule on natural armor?
School necromancy [evil]
Level cleric 0, sorcerer/wizard 0, witch 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range touch
Target one animal corpse of Tiny size or smaller
Duration 10 minutes
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance no
This spell turns the mostly intact corpse of a normal animal (no larger than a common housecat) into a zombie that obeys your spoken commands. It remains animated until it is destroyed or the spell expires. No individual animal may be animated more than once by this spell. Undead created by animate animal do not count against your total HD of controlled undead.
You can only have one animate animal spell active at any one time. If you cast this spell while another casting is in effect, the previous casting is dispelled. If you make this spell permanent (through permanency or a similar effect), it does not count against this limit.
Pages 131-133 of the Bestiary contain examples of animals that can be animated by this spell. An animated animal has the following statistics:
Defense AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 12
HD 1d8+3 (7 hp)
Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2
DR 5/slashing
Offense Speed 20 ft. if Tiny (10 ft. for birds), 5 ft. if Diminutive; if the animal has intact wings, it can fly at a speed of 40 ft. (clumsy)
Melee natural weapon -2 (1 point of damage) using whatever natural attack is appropriate to the animal
CMB -2 CMD 9
Special Qualities staggered
If the GM prefers, full rules for converting a creature into a zombie can be found on pages 288-289 of the Bestiary.
Beguiling Gaze
Spoiler:
School enchantment (charm) [mind-affecting]
Level bard 0, cleric 0, sorcerer/wizard 0, witch 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one living creature
Duration 1 minute or until discharged
Saving Throw Will negates
Spell Resistance yes
The target of your beguiling gaze is impressed by your presence. You gain a +2 enhancement bonus on a single Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check against the subject. Once the spell has discharged in this way, the same creature can't be affected by your beguiling gaze for 1 minute. Creatures that cannot see are immune to the effects of this spell, as are creatures with an Intelligence score of 2 or less.
Cheat
Spoiler:
School transmutation
Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S
Range touch
Target nonmagical coin, dice, or other small object(s)
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance no
With this spell, you enchant a coin, die (or dice), or similar palm-sized object(s) being used to generate a random result such that, when thrown (as part of casting the spell), they will land as desired. Only objects small enough to fit in the caster's closed fist can be targeted by this spell.
Unless you take steps to conceal your spellcasting, any trained spellcaster (or anyone with at least 1 rank in Spellcraft) will notice that you have cast a spell, and may use Spellcraft to identify the spell as normal. Non-spellcasters will spot the casting with a DC 10 Perception check, athough they may not realize exactly what you did.
To conceal the casting of this spell, you must roll a Sleight of Hand check (or a Dexterity check if you don't have any ranks in Sleight of Hand). The result of this check is the DC for observers' Perception checks to notice the casting of this spell. Spellcasters (and anyone with ranks in Spellcraft) gain a +5 bonus to this Perception check.
Cheat does not allow you to control the result of a blind draw from a deck of cards, as the position of cards in a deck is not random, merely unknown.
Earworm
Spoiler:
School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]
Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one humanoid creature
Duration 1 minute or 1 hour; see text
Saving Throw Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance yes
By humming or singing a few bars of a catchy tune, you cause the tune to become embedded in the subject's head, maddeningly repeating itself over and over until the spell expires. The subject suffers a -1 penalty to concentration checks, Intelligence-based skill checks (Disable Device, Knowledge, etc.), and any check involving attention or concentration.
After one minute, the subject may attempt another saving throw as a free action. If the save is successful, the spell ends, and the subject is immune to further castings of this spell for the next hour. If the save is failed, the earworm persists for another hour before expiring.
Creatures that cannot hear are immune to the effects of this spell, as are creatures with an Intelligence score of 2 or less.
Fester
Spoiler:
School necromancy
Level cleric 0, sorcerer/wizard 0, witch 0
Casting Time 1 standard sction
Components V, S, M (a bit of putrefied meat)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one diseased creature
Duration instantaneous; see text
Saving Throw Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance yes
With this spell, you worsen the effects of disease in a living creature. The target of this spell immediately suffers 1 point of ability damage of a type normally caused by the disease (if the disease causes more than one type of ability damage, determine randomly which ability score suffers damage). In addition, add +1 to the DC of the subject's next saving throw to resist the ongoing effects of the disease. (If the target of this spell is afflicted with multiple diseases, fester only affects one of them, chosen randomly).
After a creature has been affected by this spell, it is immune to further castings of fester for 1 full day.
Giggles
Spoiler:
School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]
Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a feather)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one humanoid creature
Duration 1 round/level (maximum 5 rounds); see text
Saving Throw Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance yes
This spell causes a humanoid creature to erupt into a fit of giggling. The subject suffers a -2 penalty to Stealth checks, and has a 20% chance to fumble and miscast any spell with a verbal component. Depending on the situation, the subject may also suffer penalties up to -4 on Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate checks while giggling. Each round for the duration of the spell, the subject may attempt a new save as a free action. If successful, the giggling is suppressed for that round.
Jinx
Spoiler:
School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]
Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 0, witch 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration 1 minute or until discharged
Saving Throw Will negates
Spell Resistance yes
The affected creature suffers a -1 penalty on its next attack roll, saving throw, or skill check.
Muffle
Spoiler:
School illusion (glamer)
Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 minute (D)
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance no
You reduce the volume of sounds you make, including your footsteps. You gain a +1 competence bonus on Stealth checks. Also, add +1 to the DC of Perception checks made to hear you when you are not trying to be stealthy. When speaking while under the effect of this spell, the listener must succeed at a DC 5 Perception check in order to understand you (remember to apply any appropriate modifiers, as described under the Perception skill, Core Rulebook p. 102). Muffle does not inhibit spellcasting.
Sharpen
Spoiler:
School transmutation
Level paladin 1, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range touch
Target nonmagical piercing or slashing weapon
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance no
With this spell, you instantly sharpen a piercing or slashing weapon. The weapon gains a +1 bonus to damage on its next successful attack. Multiple castings of sharpen do not stack.
Spook
Spoiler:
School necromancy [fear, mind-affecting]
Level bard 0, cleric 0, sorcerer/wizard 0, witch 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one living creature with 4 or fewer HD
Duration 1d4 rounds; see text
Saving Throw Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance yes
The affected creature becomes shaken. Each round, the subject may attempt a new saving throw as a free action to end the effect. After the spell expires, the subject is immune to further castings of this spell for 1 minute.
I'm looking for feedback on all of these. I've posted animate animal before, but I included it here, because why not? I'm looking for any glaring balance issues, suggestions for improvement, stuff like that. In particular, I'm wondering a couple of things:
1. Should jinx give a -2 penalty? (I envisioned it as a sort of opposite to guidance, but I wonder if -1 is too weak considering the victim gets a save.)
2. Is sharpen a problem, given that arrows exist?
Here's my conversion of the greater doppelganger. I went with a doppelganger variant instead of a full monster build because, for one thing, it is a variant doppelganger, and treating it as such seems to be in line with the Pathfinder design philosophy. As presented, its base CR will be a good deal lower than the 3rd edition version. I don't see this as a problem in itself, considering that its CR will be adjusted upward if it absorbs a particularly powerful personality. In fact, one of the problems with the original monster was that its power could vary widely depending on the identities it had consumed, yet it had a flat CR of 12.
I also attempted to address some other areas that were either vague, nonsensical, or clumsy. I think the result works pretty well.
A greater doppelganger, also known as a mirrorkin, is a normal doppelganger with the advanced simple template, as well as a number of additional abilities. A mirrorkin will frequently have levels in a character class as well.
Challenge rating: As a normal doppelganger +2 (includes advanced simple template). When calculating the CR of an individual mirrorkin, the class levels of its already consumed identities (see consume identity ability) should be factored in to the overall CR of the encounter. Add +1 to the mirrorkin's CR for every 2 levels possessed by the highest level identity the mirrorkin has consumed (excluding divine spellcasting classes).
Defensive abilities: Instead of immunity to charm and sleep, a mirrorkin gains immunity to all mind-affecting effects. In addition, a mirrorkin is immune to any effect that detects alignment. If the mirrorkin is wearing the guise of an identity it has consumed (see consume identity ability), it may choose to reveal the identity's alignment or keep it hidden.
Special attacks: A mirrorkin gains the following special attacks.
Polymorph Rend (Su): A mirrorkin can make a touch attack against a creature that is under the effect of a polymorph spell or effect, or any other shapechanging ability. If successful, this touch attack deals 6d6 points of damage, and causes the creature to revert to its natural form unless it succeeds on a Fortitude save. The save DC for this ability is 10 + 1/2 the mirrorkin's HD + the mirrorkin's Cha modifier.
Consume Identity (Su): A mirrorkin can absorb the mind, memories, and personality of other humanoid creatures of Small or Medium size. To do so, it must spend at least 1 minute in physical contact with its victim. In general, this means the victim must be helpless. This process doesn't remove the victim's memories and personality, though it does severely damage the victim's mind, dealing 2d6 points of damage to the victim's Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma (roll separately for each). If the victim is conscious for this process, it is an extremely traumatic experience, as his thoughts, memories, emotions, and even his basic sense of self are violated against his will. If the intended victim is dead, the mirrorkin can still consume his identity. To do so, the mirrorkin must consume the victim's brain within 1 hour of his death.
Once the mirrorkin has consumed a victim's identity, it can then assume the victim's form with total accuracy. The mirrorkin possesses all the victim's memories, personality, and even abilities. Essentially, the mirrorkin now is that person; racial abilities, class levels, hit dice, ability scores, skills, feats, even alignment are matched perfectly, and even the victim's closest friends and family can't tell the difference (no disguise check is needed; the copy is that perfect). The only exception to this is divine spells and divinely granted abilities, such as a paladin's lay on hands ability. For this reason, mirrorkin rarely consume the identities of such characters. (As a rule of thumb, any class ability that can be lost by violating a code of ethics cannot be emulated by a mirrorkin assuming the identity of one of that class.) The mirrorkin still has access to its own abilities, including any class abilities it may have. At any time, it may use its own ability scores rather than those of its assumed identity (this is a deliberate act; it will never do so accidentally).
The mirrorkin always uses either its own hp total (modified by its current Con score) or the hp total of its assumed identity, whichever is higher. Any damage the mirrorkin has taken in one form remains if it changes form before being killed. If the damage taken by the previous form exceeds the maximum hp of the new form, the mirrorkin does not die immediately; the newly assumed form (whether consumed identity, normal shapechange, or natural form) will always have at least 1 hp per hit die.
[I'm not sure I like handling hp this way. My original idea was to always use the mirrorkin's own hp total, modified by its current Con, but that sort of falls apart when assuming the identity of, say, a 14th-level fighter, while still having an average of 34 hp or so. The way I have it now should work pretty well, and the few weird corner cases it produces are neither likely nor particularly problematic, but I admit it feels a bit clunky, and I'm open to suggestions for improving it.]
A mirrorkin can hold a number of identities equal to 3 + its Cha modifier. If it ever exceeds this limit, it must immediately lose one identity of its choice. Mirrorkin with the resources to do so might keep their victims alive in captivity, so they can later absorb their identity again.
Here's a strange one: does a petrified creature still count as a creature of its type, plus any subtypes, or does it count only as an inanimate object until it is restored to flesh? For example, does a petrified demon still count as a demon, or is it effectively just a statue of a demon? If someone casts detect evil, is the petrified demon detected? If someone casts dismissal or dispel evil on the petrified demon, does the spell succeed because it's an evil outsider (and does it still get a Will save), or does it fail because it's a stone object?
Challenge rating: As a normal zombie +2
Fast healing: A wormspawn zombie has fast healing equal to 1 per hit die it possesses.
Defensive abilities: Instead of DR 5/slashing, a wormspawn zombie gains DR 5/silver. In addition, a wormspawn zombie gains channel resistance +2. Anyone who strikes a wormspawn zombie with a natural weapon or unarmed attack is subject to the bestow worm ability (see below) unless he succeeds on a DC 15 Reflex save. Anyone who begins his turn in a grapple with a wormspawn zombie is automatically subject to 1d3 worms via the bestow worm ability.
Special attacks: A wormspawn zombie gains the following special attacks.
Bestow Worm (Su): A wormspawn zombie can transfer a worm from its own body to that of an opponent. It does so automatically whenever it hits with a natural weapon, or it can do so deliberately by making a melee touch attack, or by throwing or spitting a worm up to 10 ft. as a ranged touch attack. Unlike most touch attacks, the bestow worm ability has a special caveat: if the target is wearing silver or mithral armor, or using a silver or mithral shield, he may add its armor and/or shield bonus (not including any enhancement bonuses) to his touch AC against the bestow worm ability. If the attack is successful, a worm is transferred to the victim, where it latches on and begins burrowing in, and the victim has contracted the Kyuss worm infestation.
Disease (Su): Any natural attack of the wormspawn zombie carries the Kyuss' gift supernatural disease, which manifests as rotting flesh and dementia. Kyuss' Gift: injury; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 the zombie's HD + the zombie's Cha modifier; onset 1 day; frequency 1/day; effect 1d6 Con and 1d4 Wis damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. Anyone afflicted with this disease receives only half of the normal benefit from any healing effect, whether natural or magical. This effect begins immediately upon failing the initial save to resist the disease, and only ends when the disease is finally cured.
Abilities: As a standard zombie, but the worms infesting its body grant it a +4 enhancement bonus to Charisma. In addition, wormspawn zombies are not mindless, and possess an Intelligence score equal to the base creature or 6, whichever is lower.
Skills: A wormspawn zombie gains skill ranks according to its hit dice. These are usually distributed more-or-less evenly between Climb, Perception, and Stealth.
Feats: A wormspawn zombie keeps Toughness as a bonus feat, and gains additional feats according to its HD. These are generally simple feats, such as Skill Focus or Weapon Focus, or feats the base creature possessed as bonus feats.
Special qualities: A wormspawn zombie does not gain the staggered special quality. Instead, it gains the following special quality.
Curative vulnerability (Su): If a wormspawn zombie is targeted by remove curse or remove disease (or a more powerful version of either spell), many of its abilities are suppressed. The zombie gets a Will save to resist this effect. If the save is failed, the zombie loses its bestow worm ability, channel resistance, damage reduction, enhancement bonus to Charisma, and fast healing, and also loses its Intelligence score, becoming mindless. These abilities are suppressed for 2d4 rounds unless the wormspawn zombie rolls a natural 1 on its Will save, in which case the worms in its body are completely destroyed, and the suppressed abilities are lost permanently.
I'm looking at the wolverine in the Bestiary, and its skill numbers seem a bit off.
The two skills listed are Climb +10 and Perception +10.
A wolverine has 15 Str and 12 Wis. At 3 HD, it should get 3 total skill ranks. It also has Skill Focus (Perception).
So, if we assume all 3 skill ranks go into Perception, we get Perception +10 (+1 Wis, +3 skill ranks, +3 class skill bonus, +3 Skill Focus feat). This leaves no points left for Climb, which no longer belongs in the stat block at all (Climb +2 due to Str only).
If, on the other hand, we assume all 3 skill ranks go into Climb, we get Climb +8 (+2 Str, +3 skill ranks, +3 class skill bonus), which will only increase to +10 if the wolverine is raging (additional +2 Strength bonus). This leaves Perception at +4 (+1 Wis, +3 Skill Focus feat).
No matter how you juggle the skill ranks, there is no way to get the wolverine up to the numbers in the stat block.
The situation for the dire wolverine is similar. Both skills are listed at +12; either skill can reach +12 if all available skill ranks are assigned to it, but not both.
Am I missing something? Is there a racial bonus that should be included, but isn't listed? A +8 racial bonus to Climb checks would solve the problem for both the normal and dire variants, but there is no such bonus listed.
School: Necromancy [Evil]
Level: cleric 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S
Range: touch
Target: one animal corpse of Tiny size or smaller
Duration: 1 hour
Saving Throw: none Spell Resistance: no
This spell turns the corpse of a normal animal (no larger than a common housecat) into a zombie that obeys your spoken commands. It remains animated until it is destroyed or the spell expires. No individual animal may be animated more than once by this spell. Undead created by animate animal do not count against your total HD of controlled undead. The corpse to be animated must be mostly intact, or the spell will not work.
You can only have one animate animal spell active at any one time. If you cast this spell while another casting is in effect, the previous casting is dispelled. If you make this spell permanent (through permanency or a similar effect), it does not count against this limit.
Pages 131-133 of the Pathfinder Bestiary contain examples of animals that can be animated by this spell. An animated animal has the following statistics:
Defense AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 12
HD 1d8+3 (7 hp)
Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2.
DR 5/slashing.
Offense Speed 20 ft. if Tiny (10 ft. for birds), 5 ft. if Diminutive; bats and birds can fly at a speed of 60 ft. (clumsy)
Melee natural weapon -2 (1 point of damage) using whatever natural attack is appropriate to the animal
CMB -2 CMD 9
Special Qualities: staggered
If the GM prefers, full rules for converting a creature into a zombie can be found on pages 288-289 of the Bestiary.
[end spell description]
I was picturing this as a cantrip used in wizard academies to teach students the basic principles of necromancy. I was thinking of it as something viewed by the students with a certain amount of trepidation, like having to dissect a frog in biology class.
I had this vision of something like that scene in the first Harry Potter movie, where the students are trying to get a feather to levitate. Only this time, they're waving their wands over a bunch of dead animals (squirrels, pigeons, snakes, etc.), trying to get them to come back to some mockery of life. The gifted kid gets it right away, a few others get some promising twitches, others can't seem to get any movement at all and get frustrated. One kid faints when he finally gets his animal to move.
I had some "quick conversion" rules in my first draft, but I dropped them in favor of a standard stat array for the sake of game balance and ease of use. The deleted rules look like this:
Spoiler:
Defense
AC: reduce by 1
HP: 1d8+3
Saving throws: Fort +0, Will +2. Reflex saves are 3 less than the base animal.
Give the zombie animal DR 5/slashing.
Offense
Speed: if the animal has a fly speed, reduce maneuverability to clumsy
Melee: change to 1 + the creature's Strength modifier
Damage: same as base creature +1
Special Qualities: staggered
Remove all skills and feats.
I figured perfectly applying the zombie template each time the spell is cast is more trouble than it's worth for such a simple cantrip. Also, a standard stat array means the spell's power level is static, not dependent on the type of animal chosen (using the zombie template, birds of prey become optimal choices for animate animal).
I'm slowly, on an as-needed basis, converting Forgotten Realms domains into Pathfinder domains or subdomains, as appropriate. So, here's my conversion for the Hatred domain:
Hatred Subdomain Associated Domain: Evil
Replacement Power: The following granted power replaces the scythe of evil power of the Evil domain.
True Loathing (Su): At 8th level, you can give a weapon touched the bane special quality for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your cleric level. Each time you use this ability, you must choose a creature type (or subtype, in the case of humanoids and outsiders). You can use this ability once per day at 8th level, and an additional time per day for every four levels beyond 8th.
Replacement Domain Spells: 1st level- wrath (from Advanced Player's Guide), 3rd level- bestow curse, 6th level- song of discord.
I decided to make Hatred a subdomain of Evil because, for one, it's an obvious fit. Also, upon looking over the Forgotten Realms deities that grant the Hatred domain, I found that every single one, without exception (and perhaps obviously), was evil (and thus grants the Evil domain anyway). The two domains even have a key spell in common (blasphemy).
The "true loathing" power was modeled after similar powers granted by the alignment domains. The bane weapon quality is a bit weaker than the unholy weapon quality (looking at the weapon qualities in the core rulebook, bane is a +1, while holy/unholy/axiomatic/anarchic are all +2). However, I figure the ability to choose your creature type before each use balances that apparent weakness.
Wrath is a 1st-level inquisitor spell from the APG, but it's a perfect fit, and even resembles the Hatred domain power from the FRCS. Anyone using subdomains probably has the APG, but on the outside chance that you don't (and you should!), I recommend instead using doom from the core rulebook.
Song of Discord is a 5th-level bard spell. Bards start casting 5th-level spells at 13th level. Making it a 6th-level domain spell means clerics with the Hatred domain can cast it at 11th level, which is, I think, thematically appropriate. Also, this means it replaces create undead, and leaves blasphemy intact as the 7th-level spell (imagine not getting a spell called blasphemy as part of the Hatred domain!).
Hopefully this will be of use to someone. If anyone has any ideas to make it better, or sees a game-breaking balance issue I may have missed, I'm all ears... er, eyes?
