I'd have them make a Will Save. DC equal to the Wish DC. If they make their save, they become a Wyrmling with the normal physical ability scores, natural weapons, movement speeds, natural armor, and other abilities specific to their type. Note, they would not get the standard Dragon spellcasting. Their class and HD are not touched, and they keep their minds. They are just a 1 year old Wyrmling now.
If on the otherhand, they fail the will save, they lose all their memories, classes etc, and become a full on 1 year old Wyrmling. Time to reroll (and laugh if the resulting Wyrmling attacks the other party members and gets slaughtered).
Note, if they don't specify a type of True Dragon, I'd determine it randomly.
If Psionics is permitted Soulknife with the Soulbolt Archetype could perhaps, be rather frightening. Maybe add in the Gifted Blade Archetype to get some actual manifesting ability.
. . . You're a Vigilante aren't you? Your secret identity, is clearly that of a Count, who spends his time sitting in a throne in a dark castle in Transylvania filled with monsters waiting for chain-whip wielding fools to come challenge him!
I'll spread the word far and wide! I hope you didn't like having a secret identity! Because it won't be secret anymore!
On topic: It's the Disguise Skill, a spell or two, and maybe a Feat pretending to be an entire class.
I understand that this thread seems more about the battling aspect of the dual identity, but what I really don't get is why the dual identity has to be a class. Typically, a class has a core concept to it that can't be replicated by character concept alone. Really, really broadly, say that wizards are defined by learning to cast spells. If I were a normal NPC, I couldn't just write that mechanical advantage into my character.
I COULD write a dual identity into my character, though. A basket salesman could easily slip into the identity of some masked vigilante with no mechanical advantage being built into his character. Couldn't a wizard be a vigilante without taking levels in this class? All he needs is to not cast spells when doing his daily underwater basket weaving job, and make a disguise check to change his appearance when he wants to cast spells. The core concept of the vigilante to me seems to be the dual identity, and I feel like characters shouldn't have to BE an official vigilante just to have two identities.
This class just seems to have a really weak core concept going here. I hope that my above disjointed rambling makes some semblance of sense to you guys...
Pretty much my second issue. The character I mentioned, I could probably do that with reasonable amounts of ease using a few low level spells and some skill checks.
The multiple alignments, and scrying immunity is about the only thing I can't do at low levels.
Speaking of multiple alignments, what is the justification for keeping the character one step away?
I'm going to just quote myself from another thread, as I feel it describes my thoughts perfectly:
Legowaffles wrote:
Vigilante: Ah, heck! Cities under attack! Deal with them the best you can guys, I'm gonna go get changed!
Party Members: Ok, we'll try.
FIFTY Combat Rounds Pass
Vigilante: . . . Guys, what's with the party? We should be repelling the attackers!
Party Members: Uh, ya, about that? Sorry, we've decided we don't need you in the party. We cleaned them up over 45 Combat Rounds ago.
After this event, the Vigilante hung up his cape, and became a normal civilian, never again to fight for Justice, for, as his companions pointed out, he can't do anything. His companions went on to become the saviors of the Prime Material Plane however. So good for them.
EDIT: I'd like to say, that if it took Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne 50 Combat Rounds to change, their cities would have been wiped off the map hundreds of times by now.
In absolute honesty, about the only time I can see myself using this class at this time. . . Is a 1 Level dip in a Gestalt build for a character who is LN publicly, and an absolute bastard (LE) inside. The dip would be used to more easily hide it from the other party members.
The reverse of course, could work for an Evil campaign.
Vigilante: Ah, heck! Cities under attack! Deal with them the best you can guys, I'm gonna go get changed!
Party Members: Ok, we'll try.
FIFTY Combat Rounds Pass
Vigilante: . . . Guys, what's with the party? We should be repelling the attackers!
Party Members: Uh, ya, about that? Sorry, we've decided we don't need you in the party. We cleaned them up over 45 Combat Rounds ago.
After this event, the Vigilante hung up his cape, and became a normal civilian, never again to fight for Justice, for, as his companions pointed out, he can't do anything. His companions went on to become the saviors of the Prime Material Plane however. So good for them.
EDIT: I'd like to say, that if it took Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne 50 Combat Rounds to change, their cities would have been wiped off the map hundreds of times by now.
I haven't actually looked at the document yet. Haven't gotten around to it.
My initial thought however, would be not to put this system in the hands of the players, but to have the DM use it to create say. . . Ancient weapons made with forgotten forging techniques and such without handing out the generic +x magic weapon of the week.
This would also prevent the players from taking advantage of the system to abuse loopholes.
Verification: You say +1 to two attributes every 4 levels instead of 1? Can I put both +1s into the same stat, effectively granting +2 to that stat? Or would I have to put them into different stats, say Strength and Intelligence?
I am next up in my group to DM a campaign, and I have decided I wanted to do a somewhat enclosed urban setting on a floating landmass/city, so that is the base of my setting. I am making the city fairly massive in scope so that there is plenty of different areas to mess around in. I am also making magic very common in this game.
I have come across some questions that I'm sure my players will bust me on, so I am looking for better and/or more informed imaginations to help me define this concept better.
Some examples:
How does the city get it's water? Could it have rivers?
What would weather be like?
Could they grow crops on the landmass over the long term?
How could a large metropolis regulate flight, teleportation, and other non-standard travel methods on a city wide scale?
How would trade with other nations, ground based or floating, work?
In some cases I could pull out the arbitrary " its a magical world" card, but I would like to have well reasoned answers.
What do you all think?
How magical and/or technologically advanced are you wanting this place to be?
You could have rivers generated by magical items that repeatedly generate water as though from Create Water.
You could use such items to generate large amounts of power as well. Said power could be used to somehow keep the city/landmass afloat.
Blocking Teleportation could be done with objects that cast Dimensional Lock every X Days. Perhaps have said objects distributed in such a manner that there are a few places you can teleport too/from.
As for flight. . . Modify the idea for blocking teleportation such that you have pillars above, to the sides, and below the landmass. Inside the pillars at the end when be objects that maintain an Antimagic Field (probably a custom, level 9 version, with a much higher radius).
You could use those pillars to hold large propellers used to keep the place afloat I suppose. Power using water generated electricity.
Food is no issue either for the high magic/technologically advanced idea. If crops on the surface of the place aren't doable, grow them inside it using artificial sunlight and the like.
Control Weather could be used to make the weather behave.
Obviously, the cost of creating such a place would be massive. . . I'm still sniping it for my own eventually campaign however.
Empower doesn't work with Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Eagle's Splendor, Fox's Cunning, Owl's Wisdom, Bear's Endurance, or their Mass versions, as the bonus is not variable.
Casting Time: 1 Round
Material Components: V, S, M (Ink made of blood worth at least 25 GP)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one dying or recently dead creature
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
Description:
You draw forth the ebbing life force of a dying creature or one that has died in the past round, forcing it into a soul tattoo upon your body made with the ink. If the creature is alive and fails its saving throw, it dies and you capture its soul in the ink. If the creature is dead, you automatically capture the soul.
If you are a souldrinker, you may cast this spell and expend 5 soul points to create a soul tattoo with the equivalent of one basic soul.
Only one soul tattoo can be created from a particular dying creature. Any attempt to resurrect a body whose soul is trapped in a soul tattoo requires a caster check against a DC of 11 + your caster level at the time you cast this spell. Failure results in the spell having no effect, while success erases the target’s soul tattoo and returns the creature to life as normal. If you are in an unholy location, such as that created by the unhallow spell, the DC of this check increases by +2.
1. Randomly I believe.
2. When he appears, he rolls initiative. He moves when his initiative is reached the round after his arrival. Note, I am considering the end of the round to be the same as the beginning of the next round. He would also be flat-footed until he actually acts (barring an ability that prevents that).
In your example, if the Wizard rolls a 29 for initiative, he would go first the round after he arrives.
120. Because it'd be more fun to make them all happy by being their hero and saving them only to cook them all alive the next day. Disbelief, fear, confusion. Excellent spices to any meal!
At the start, take 2 levels of Soulknife. For your Blade Skills, take Focused Offense at Level 2. This lets you use your Wisdom Modifier on attack and damage rolls in place of your Strength Modifier. Make sure one of your Powers Known is Inertial Armor
Take 4 Levels of Nature Oracle. Make sure one of your chosen Revelations is Nature's Whispers, adding your Charisma Modifier instead of your Dex to AC and CMD. Take Divine Protection to additionally add your Charisma modifier to all saving throws.
The remaining levels in Soulknife improve your manifesting, and more importantly, give you a +5 Enhancement Modifier to your unarmed strikes. Opening up the neck slot to use with an Amulet of Natural Armor.
Given 25 Point Buy, it would be reasonably easy to obtain a 13 Str, 12 Con, 18 Wis, and 18 Cha without dumping any stats (requires a +2 to Wis and Cha though).
If you take the Focused Defense Blade Skill you can add your Wisdom Modifier as a Dodge Bonus to your AC and CMD whenever you fight defensively, use Combat Expertise, or the Total Defense Action.
At 20th Level, before feats or any other abilities, you would be capable of manifesting Inertial Armor at ML 14 for a total of +7 Armor Bonus lasting 14 hours.
NOTE: The Gifted Fist explicitly uses their normal unarmed strike damage if it's higher. However, their critical threat range does not appear to be overridden. In additional, you are explicitly permitted to deal bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing damage. As such you could deal your Monk's Unarmed Strike damage as bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing damage with a threat range of 19-20/x2 before any additional modifiers (Keen anyone?).
I don't suppose anyone noticed that Empty Body can be your 1st Ki Power, allowing you to use Etherealness at level 4?
Seems slightly out of place.
As has been stated a few times, this is a typo. Word from on high is the intent is for it to be available at 18th.
Kinda weird that they would unlock the ki powers, make them customizable / available at various levels, then lock them back in their good old spot... hmmm...
It's for the Monk. What did you expect?
EDIT: Also, we can't do anything that might let the Monk of all classes be anywhere near comparable to even 4 spell level casters like the Paladin.
. . . Sadly, I've never played in a game that got past 9th. So I'm not even entirely certain what I could do to abuse Time Stop short of teleporting away. . . Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can't use say, Fireball, but Delayed Blast Fireball would work with Time Stop?
I had an idea for a Gestalt character who would be publicly considered a really good guy. The kind of character even a Paladin would respect (though, probably not always agree with). However, in reality, he'd be an evil bastard who uses linguistics to tell lies, and always manages to tell the truth without being noticed for what he is.
A poor, starving man on the roadside? Companions unwilling to share a little coin? The character would give the poor man some food (if the character had any) as well as 5 GP (far, far more than a commoner would make in a year if memory serves). Asked why, he would say "It was the right thing to do." With absolute honesty.
Effectively, doing/saying things that make people perceive him as a really good guy. In such a scenario, giving the poor man coin and/or food, goes along with the idea. Makes it more unlikely he would ever be pegged for the Villain he is until he was ready for it.
In short, he would be a Villain with Good Publicity. Fun fact: his role model has an image in the linked to page.
Vigilante would seem to be perfect for this character.
Stormbolts are one of my all time favorite spells. Granted, they're ridiculously high level, but they're a 30' rad. spread lightning spell that does 1d8/level and stuns. All of that is awesome enough, but it's the fact that it's a fort save that is truly fantastic. It's one of the few Area damage dealing spells that are.
Sculpt sound is fantastic for getting around lie-detecting magic. It's much better than glibness, because you can say the truth (that you're a murdering cultist) but you sculpt the sound to say that you're a hero. Since you're not lying, the spell can't pick up on it.
Time Stop is one of the few spells that can be simultaneously extended, empowered, and maximized.
most people miss that liberating command requires a immediate action from the caster AND the target, thus preventing them from casting it on themselves to effect.
How the hell do you manage to cast Time Stop (a 9th Level Spell), Extended, Empowered, and Maximized (a +6 Adjustment). Even if you use a Rod of Maximize, that still leaves a +3. I'm reasonably certain there is a trait that would reduce that by one. That leaves +2. Short of levels 21 and up, I can't seem to understand how you make that work.
Sorry, I was just reading Ultimate Psionics where some powers require you to burn an ability score (True Creation for example) as an offset of being otherwise over-powered. This ability score burn heals at the rate of 1 per day (which is really not that bad, making someone happy in exchange for a one day of one ability score less).
I honestly like the Ability Burn idea. Wonder what the DM would say to the idea of allowing Ability Burn to fill in for expensive material components. Perhaps with a Feat Chain?
Eschew Materials > Ability Burn 1 (1 Point fills in for 1,000 GP in Materials) > Ability Burn 2 (1 Point fills in for 2,500 GP in Materials) > Ability Burn 3 (1 Point fills in for 5,000 GP in Materials) > Ability Burn 4 (1 Point fills in for 10,000 GP in Materials) > Ability Burn 5 (1 Point fills in for 20,000 GP in Materials).
. . . Possibly overpowered. It'd definitely require wording, such that you could only use one of those options for a single spell, and you can't use an option that would be worth more than the Material Component used. Examples:
Wish: You could use Ability Burn 5 then supply 5,000 GP in materials, but you could not use Ability Burn 5 in combination to negate the Material Cost.
Atonement: You would be unable to use any of the Ability Burn feats with this, as even Ability Burn 1 is valued at more than the cost of an Atonement.
Raise Dead: You could use Ability Burn 3 to totally pay the cost. You could not use Ability Burn 4 or 5. You could use Ability Burn 1 or 2 to partially pay the cost, then provide the rest in materials.
The feat chain could be expanded fairly easily. Add in a 500 GP, 7,500 GP, 15,000 GP, and 25,000 GP variants at appropriate spots. Make the Ability Burn feats general, then they aren't appropriate for any Caster Class bonus feats as far as I'm aware. For the low low price of all 10 general feats a Sorcerer/Wizard/Cleric/Oracle/Druid/etc receive, they can now cast wish in exchange for lowering their Casting Stat for the day.
Where x is your speed, will with absolute certainty, reveal your Movement Speed due to Encumbrance/Armor. Note, if x/15 results in a decimal, truncate it.
Keep in mind, this is not rules legal, it's my opinion.
My group has been using Fractional BAB for years. My advice: don't tie the fraction applied to the HD. If the class normally has 3/4 BAB (Rogue for Example) they get 3/4 BAB each level. If they normally have 1/2 BAB (Wizard for example) they get 1/2 BAB each level. If they normally have full BAB (Fighter for example) they get 1 BAB each level.
In other words, the Dragon Disciple would get 3/4 BAB. I'd imagine that this is also the Intent. By Unchained RAW however, they would get full BAB.
A Spell Component contains Everything that is, and ever will be. Up to, and including, an Artifact designed to destroy the fabric of reality itself.
Unfortunately for good guys and bad guys alike, these things are only available for the briefest of moments: When you reach into it to cast a spell with a material component with no listed cost. Said thing is then gone for eternity after use.
Suggestion 1 (leaves the target alive, if you can call it that):
Well. We need knives, tongs, fire, branding tools, salt, nails, stitching supplies, and target to enjoy our utmost attention. Healing spells not required, merely beneficial (to make sure the target isn't accidentally killed during the process).
First, start with the targets hand. Either one, flay the skin from it. Cover it in salt, then cover the salt covered hand in bandages (don't want the salt getting away). Make sure to nail the bandages to the hand for extra certainty! Do the same to the other hand. Then sew their lower arms together.
Stick the tongs in the fire awhile to heat them up, then have your minion hold open the target's mouth so you can grab their tong with the extremely hot tongs. Stick a few nails through the poor fools tongue. Then, stick the tongue (with nails through it) into the idiots mouth, and have it sewn shut.
Heat up a knife, then stick it into the targets eyes. Carefully, you don't want to accidentally kill the target of your irritation! Then, sew their eyes shut.
Make sure the target is stripped (if they weren't already, you've clearly been doing something wrong), then nail their knees together, and stitch the target's lower legs and feet together.
Finish the preparation stage by using a burning brand on their chest and back. We want the fools allies to learn a lesson.
Finally set this abomination loose into society. The ultimate torture from this process is the reaction of everyone that sees the subject.
For security purposes, if you have access to magics beyond simple healing, I suggest using said magics to make interesting things happen when you try to help this fool. For example, removing a nail could result in a chain lightning spell. Perhaps removing the bandages on a hand results in a bestow curse, removing the other results in contagion. Perhaps the bandages themselves, have explosive runes facing inwards. Thunderstones in the sealed eye sockets?
Suggestion 2 (Ends in insanity or death; Requires, generous DM):
Requirements: Healing Spells. A big brute capable of reliably cleaving through limbs. Minions capable of holding the target receiving the pleasure of your company. Works off the idea that you could restore a hand to an arm it's been cut off of by putting the hand (or other body part, obviously, this doesn't work for the head) to the arm's stump and casting a cure spell within a minute of casting. NOTE: That is not so far as I am aware, rules legal. Hence it requires GM approval.
Quite simple really. Have the minions stick the targets leg or whatever, out on a chair in front of them. Leave the knee over air. Have the brute cut through the leg at the knee. It's simply swinging down, brutes may lack brain power, but they can at least swing an axe down. Quickly put the leg back to the stump, and heal it. Repeat.
Variation for dealing with Paladins and other goody too shoe types: Make them watch as you do it to their friends, family, allies, and other loved ones. Bonus points if you can make them fall all the way to Antipaladin status by driving them mad like this.
Suggestion 3 (Ends in (probably multiple) Death(s)):
My personal favorite. I have yet to get to do it sadly.
For this, you determine who the target of your displeasure cares and trusts for most. Sadly, if it's a cold hearted person this method is probably not appropriate. Mind switch the target's loved one. Use said target to kill the person you dislike horribly.
Did the Baron really irritate you? Does he have a pretty young wife? Are the two deeply in love? Mind Switch the wife my friends! When the wife (you) and the Baron go to bed, give the Baron a taste of your affections: A poisoned dagger, straight through the heart. Hope your DM uses the Unchained Poison and Disease rules! Bonus Points for additional mind screwing: end the Mind Switch just as the wifes hands are covered in the Baron's blood, holding the dagger that has gone through his heart, and the light in the Baron's eyes going out, with the most exquisite, look of betrayal upon his face.
Obviously, the previously mentioned is merely an example. For best results, the Body Snatcher prestige class grants additional power to the Mind Switch spells that would be useful. Access to the targets memories for instance. The ability to force the subject to make a second will save or be dazed for as long as it remains in your body is a definitely good one.
Suggestion 4 (Ends in (probably multiple) Death(s)):
For this, you want something like Control Body. The idea is to control the target's body, but not their mind. Force them (or rather, their body) to kill their friends, family, and other loved ones.
We need something like Control Body as we want the target to be entirely aware of what is happening, and realize they are utterly powerless to save themselves and their friends and family. Either leave the target alive at the end (probably as a broken shell of their former selves) or kill them.
I'm sure I could come up with other fun things decent and upstanding individuals such as the PCs and NPCs that would do the things outlined in this post could do.
I usually build my own characters around a similar idea. The Alignment system is something I dislike so much my biggest issues with the Monk, Barbarian, and other classes is the Alignment Restriction.
If I DM, Loyalties are in, Alignment is out. I'd use either Subjective Morality, or Radiant and Shadow probably.
Very true. Honestly, I doubt it'd take much effort to convince him to make the Ki Pool equal to Monk level+Wisdom Modifier. Fortunately, he's reasonable.
My DM suggested leaving the Ki Pool the same size, and instead making it so you can spend a Full Round Action to "center" yourself, and thus regain 1 Ki Point.
If this were done, I'd almost certainly change Perfect Self to constantly regen 1 Ki Point each round.
I want a style strike that can only be used with pelvic thrusts.
Elvis style?
(Amusingly - Elvis did have a black belt in American Kenpo - one of the more vicious & dirty-fighting martial arts.)
Elvis Strike: The monk makes a pelvic thrust while crooning convincingly. If the attack hits, he may roll a Perform (sing) check and treat the result as a Diplomacy check to change the target's attitude. The monk must attack with a pelvic thrust to use this style strike.
Except, as noted, a Monk can only perform Unarmed Strikes with fists, elbows, knees, and feet. Aside from not allowing headbutts (preventing the Head-butt Style Strike from being usable), he cannot attack with Pelvic Thrusts. Sadly Mark, this means that you're perfect Style Strike simply is not usable.
More importantly: When can we expect to see that list of Style Strikes and/or Ki Powers you came up with that didn't make the cut on the Paizo Blog?
I figured out why a few of them are at 7th: at one point ki powers came at odd levels. I'd definitely make them 6th. Also, when people talk about adding more, remember that there is limited pagecount allotted. When checking my list of ki powers, there's a few really cool ki powers that didn't make the cut for pagecount, which I'll be likely to share with you guys once the book is out! (the one that reduces the cost of all ki powers by 1, minimum 1, seems like it would be of particular interest to many...)
I think you mentioned somewhere up thread, a setup for a Monk to have a scaling Enhancement Bonus or some such that didn't make it in because it "seemed to complicated". If I'm recalling correctly, can I assume you'll be sharing that with us as well?
My scaling enhancement bonus (and other math number things usually on magic items) idea that I wanted to get into the book got in—they totally found the pages for it! :happydance: It's for everyone, and it lives in Chapter 4. Don't miss it!
Excellent.
AndIMustMask wrote:
Mark Seifter wrote:
Charon's Little Helper wrote:
Mark Seifter wrote:
(the one that reduces the cost of all ki powers by 1, minimum 1, seems like it would be of particular interest to many...)
Curious - would that stack with the Ring of Ki Mastery. (Not that there are currently, nor likely to be many ki abilities which cost 3+ ki normally.)
Funny you should ask. It did have "This ability does not stack with the effect of the ring of ki mastery and similar effects." in it.
SIGH.
Feat not, my assumption is these would be simply posted in the Thread. As such. . . Including them would be a house rule. Downside is you can't count on every DM including them. Upside is, some will. The bigger upside is, some will, and could be convinced to either "forget" that line exists, or just straight up increase the size of the Monk's Ki Pool.
I figured out why a few of them are at 7th: at one point ki powers came at odd levels. I'd definitely make them 6th. Also, when people talk about adding more, remember that there is limited pagecount allotted. When checking my list of ki powers, there's a few really cool ki powers that didn't make the cut for pagecount, which I'll be likely to share with you guys once the book is out! (the one that reduces the cost of all ki powers by 1, minimum 1, seems like it would be of particular interest to many...)
I think you mentioned somewhere up thread, a setup for a Monk to have a scaling Enhancement Bonus or some such that didn't make it in because it "seemed to complicated". If I'm recalling correctly, can I assume you'll be sharing that with us as well?
Please hold off just a little bit longer in posting the text of abilities from the book. We're almost there, guys!
Unfortunately, I find that with the lower will save, my Unchained Monk that I do not possess, can no longer make the saving throw to not post the text of abilities from the book that I also do not possess.
You should definitely end his suffering, by simply posting the entirety of the Unchained Monk here. Come now, would anyone really mind if you did so?
Diplomacy:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
More Seriously: . . . Does the Unchained Monk truly not limit Natural Attacks? That'd be hilarious on my future Dragon Monk idea.
