Leucrotta63's page

I am going to be playing a Witch with the 3rd party (Flaming Crab) Feytouched Hexer archetype, but couldn't help but notice that the 'Faerie Wings' they supposedly get at 5th level says it 'replaces the witch's 5th-level hex'....

Except that Witches don't get a hex at 5th level. They get one at 4th, 6th, 8th, etc. This makes me wonder if they actually meant the Hexer gets the Wings at 4th level instead of a hex (especially considering the Faerie Wings are not as good as the Flight hex, which would grant Fly at 5th level--but ALSO gives Feather Fall at will, Levitate once/day, AND a bonus on Swim checks...so getting the Fly from Faerie Wings a level earlier doesn't seem unbalanced).

Anyone seen an errata on this?

I had a similar quandary to this one:

I am trying to determine how to apply several different multipliers to Carrying Capacity, all on the same character. In this case:

--28 Strength base
--Muleback Cords (adds effective 8 Strength, making it 36 Str)
--Size Large Quadruped (* 3)
--Ant Haul spell (* 3)

Since Str 36 is off the Carrying Capacity chart, we are supposed to multiply the numbers for a Str 26 by 4 to get base carrying capacity. Is that result then * 3 (for large quadruped) and then * 3 again (for Ant Haul)? Or would I add all multipliers together as a single multiplier and then apply only once (4 + 3 + 3 = multiplying a Str 26 capacity * 10)?

It comes out to completely different numbers depending on whether you apply each multiplier one at a time or not...

Also, my DM said you have to be 'under' the weight or somehow already considered 'carrying' it before these benefits apply...in other words, you might be able to carry around a catapult, no problem, but LIFTING it in the first place still only uses your base Strength....

I am trying to determine how to apply several different multipliers to Carrying Capacity, all on the same character. In this case:

--28 Strength base
--Muleback Cords (adds effective 8 Strength, making it 36 Str)
--Size Large Quadruped (* 3)
--Ant Haul spell (* 3)

Since Str 36 is off the Carrying Capacity chart, we are supposed to multiply the numbers for a Str 26 by 4 to get base carrying capacity. Is that result then * 3 (for large quadruped) and then * 3 again (for Ant Haul)? Or would I add all multipliers together as a single multiplier and then apply only once (4 + 3 + 3 = multiplying a Str 26 capacity * 10)?

It comes out to completely different numbers depending on whether you apply each multiplier one at a time or not...

Also, my DM said you have to be 'under' the weight or somehow already considered 'carrying' it before these benefits apply...in other words, you might be able to carry around a catapult, no problem, but LIFTING it in the first place still only uses your base Strength....

To more specifically point out said rule...

MagicChapter, CRB wrote:

Polymorph spells cannot be used to assume the form of a creature with a template or an advanced version of a creature.

As the druid's wild shape ability functions as Beast Shape, the rules for Polymorph abilities apply, even this one.

Aw crap. Well, I guess Warcat it is, then, if I want a Huge feline, though I really wish they would address the omission of Rend from the list of abilities gained at Beast Shape III. I see no good reason to deny that ability to a Druid's Wild Shape when it seems relatively fitting to animal shapes that may have it.

When a Druid reaches sufficient level to be able to turn into Size: Huge animals, is there any rule prohibiting simply applying the Dire Creature Template to an existing (non-Dire) animal and using that?

The Dire template specifically says it can be added to any animal that is not already Dire, but that still leave the door open to quite a few.

I have a Feral Hunter with the Wild Shape class ability who just hit 8th level and has access to Huge animals, and has a preference for changing into feline forms, but there is a distinct lack of any size Huge cats (except the Warcat, which comes with its own set of problems, such as no access to the Rend ability via Wild Shape).

Even a so-called 'Dire Tiger' in the Bestiary is no better than a standard Tiger as far as base damage for natural attacks, movement speed, or anything else that Wild Shape would give, so that's hardly worth using. Taking a regular Tiger and applying the Dire Creature Template is MUCH better (speed 50', claws doing 2d6/bite 3d6, etc), so that seems a no-brainer.

The Warcat (from Belkzen, the Hold of the Orc Hordes) as listed in the d20pfsrd is shown as having a Space of 15' and a Reach of 15'...is this a typo? It seems to be based on the Creature Size Rules as Written diagrams which also show a Huge (Long) creature as having a reach of 15', the same as a Huge (Tall) creature. Are those rules in error as well? It is worth noting that in the actual Creature Size table, a Huge (Long) creature is listed as having a 10' reach....

In every other diagram example, a Long creature has 5' less reach than a Tall creature of the same size. Only the Huge (Long) has a Reach equal to its Space in the diagrams. The more I think about it, the more it seems the diagram is just flat-out wrong and was never corrected.

On a few different Traits, it lists "+1 caster level" added to one or more spells known as a benefit, but the bonus is NOT specified as a "Trait bonus". For instance:

Gifted Adept

Benefit: Pick one spell when you choose this trait—from this point on, whenever you cast that spell, its effects manifest at +1 caster level.

Outlander (Lore Seeker)

Benefit You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (arcana) checks, and Knowledge (arcana) is a class skill for you. If you cast arcane spells, pick three spells on your spell list. You are particularly adept at casting these spells, so they function at +1 caster level when you cast them, and their save DCs (if any) gain a +1 bonus.

...So, would these caster level bonuses stack?

A question on using the Ring of Revelation which dovetails with your unofficial sidebar ruling on using Use Magic Device to trick the ring---

I have an Oracle of Flame in my game who is employing Use Magic Device on his Ring of Revelation to Emulate a Class Feature and trick it into letting him access a revelation from the Lore Mystery (specifically "Sidestep Secret"; adds his Cha mod instead of Dex mod to AC/Reflex saves...in combination with a high base Charisma, a Headband of Alluring Charisma, and Celestial Armor with its Max Dex mod of +8, his AC goes through the roof).

Is this a legal use of the Use Magic Device skill on the Ring? On the surface it seems as though it probably is, but I'd appreciate any feedback, even unofficial.

The Order of the Shogunate for Samurai gives an ability at 2nd level called A Calm Soul. It reads:

"At 2nd level, the order of the shogunate samurai has learned to steady his mind and calm his soul in the face of impending doom. The samurai adds a morale bonus equal to 1/2 his class level to all Will saves. Furthermore, at 20th level, the samurai is immune to fear and fear effects."

It is that second sentence I question--is that a typo? Do they mean to say "at 2nd level"?

Leucrotta63 wrote:

The rules as written for a Sorcerer with the Crossblooded archetype say she knows one less spell per spell level than normal...does that literally mean she would learn NO spells of a level in which she would receive 1 new known spell?

That is exactly what it means.

Leucrotta63 wrote:

For instance, a 4th level Sorcerer would ordinarily gain access to 2nd-level spells, and learn one 2nd-level spell....so a Crossblooded Sorcerer would learn none and have to wait til 5th level? That seems immoderately harsh. I would think the 'minimum 1' exception should be applicable here...

You are free to house rule it, of course, but you are asking the question in the Rules Forum. So, harsh or not, your sorceror doesn't get second level spells until 5th level.

This is really necessary to balance out the huge benefits of having two Bloodlines. High charisma or the human FCB can make up for a lost spell. The high will save sorceror can take a hit to wisdom, but delaying access to higher spell levels is the real penalty.

While I understand your angle, I'll point out that having a high Charisma or the Human FCB will NOT help here, because high Charisma does not affect 'spells known', only spells castable per day, and the Human benefit only adds a spell known of one level below the highest level he can cast. Neither case would mitigate the loss of access to the next higher level of spells. Yes, the Bloodline benefits can be nice, but I submit that forcing a Sorcerer (who is already a level behind a Wizard in terms of spell levels, an acceptable trade for the spontaneity) to wait that extra level for any access at all is not only penalizing the character, it's penalizing the party as a whole, who would be relying on that character to be able to hold up his end of things. Having, say, 1 extra point of damage per die on damage spells or a 1-higher DC on the saves doesn't quite make up the deficit IMO.

The rules as written for a Sorcerer with the Crossblooded archetype say she knows one less spell per spell level than normal...does that literally mean she would learn NO spells of a level in which she would receive 1 new known spell?

For instance, a 4th level Sorcerer would ordinarily gain access to 2nd-level spells, and learn one 2nd-level spell....so a Crossblooded Sorcerer would learn none and have to wait til 5th level? That seems immoderately harsh. I would think the 'minimum 1' exception should be applicable here...

The rules as written for a Sorcerer with the Crossblooded archetype say she knows one less spell per spell level than normal...does that literally mean she would learn NO spells of a level in which she would receive 1 new known spell?

For instance, a 4th level Sorcerer would ordinarily gain access to 2nd-level spells, and learn one 2nd-level spell....a Crossblooded Sorcerer would learn none and have to wait til 5th level? That seems immoderately harsh. I would think the 'minimum 1' exception should be applicable here.

Does a Monk using Brass Knuckles use the Brass Knuckle damage or his own Unarmed Strike damage? Would enchanted Brass Knuckles add their enchantment bonus (or equivalent magical weapon enchantment, such as Flaming/Frost) to a Monk's Unarmed Strike?

When using Cleave, does the attacker have to finish the Cleave with the same weapon he started it with? For example, could a Fighter begin a Cleave with a reach weapon at a foe 10' away, then switch to Armor Spikes or a Spiked Gauntlet and finish the Cleave against a foe within 5'?

For that matter, does a Great Cleave all have to be with the same weapon?

'Tis a strange archetype, indeed, but one of my favorite classes to play. Goofy wording aside, I play it so:

1) Intelligence will not contribute to attack, only to damage and CMB for grapple. At high levels it is sometimes better to straight-up grapple an opponent because the bonus will be increments higher that your to-hit bonus. And you only get 1x Int to damage, because that's what it specifies.

Preface the following: when you make a successful grapple check, move the creature adjacent to you if it wasn't already before.

2) In theory, yes, you could attack with your hair, free action grapple the opponent, and then take an attack with a weapon. However, because of the rules of how natural attacks and manufactured weapons work together, it is your hair that is the secondary attack...so some planning may be required in your rolls.
2a) A strong alternative would be to have a touch spell active. Since you will not gain the grappled condition, you grapple, pull adjacent, and then make a touch attack (a natural attack).

3) Pathfinder generally assigns "limbs" to attacks. I'd say your hair is "one limb", especially if you are grappling with it, so you wouldn't be able to make AoO's with the hair.

4) Yeah, see the grappled rules. If you successfully grapple, the creature is pulled adjacent to you. The only reason you would use "Pull" is if you chose to not grapple. And considering the goofy wording in that you don't get to add intelligence to your CMB to Pull, I'd stick with grappling, it's boss anyway.

5) Hair does Bludgeoning damage unless you have the feat Weapon Versatility. Not a rule, per se, but it's most like a Slam, so that's the analogue I'm going with.

Hope that helps a bit!

Interesting take on it...I had also asked James Jacobs (PF Creative Director) and here's what he had to say:

>>>"Here's how I'd answer them in my game:

--I would let the witch modify her hair's attack and damage with Int. Str wouldn't enter the picture.

--She has to hit a foe with her hair, but when she does, she gets to try to grapple them as part of that attack. It should work like the grab universal monster ability.

--As with ALL primary attacks, if you attack with a weapon and the limb you use to make that attack isn't the one you use to make the primary attack, yes, can then opt to make that normally primary attack as an additional secondary attack. Creatures with the grab ability generally are better advised to not spend the time maintaining a grapple but just take advantage of the grab ability each round (unless, of course, they want to do something like pin a foe).

--Once her hair is grappling a foe, she can't use it to also attack another. She only has one hair attack.

--I'd suggest the foe remains in the square, since the witch doesn't have the pull ability."<<<

From other forums, it seemed the general consensus on using touch spells with the hair is that the hair attack itself triggers the touch spell to discharge...As per the Combat rules: "Alternatively, you may make a normal unarmed attack (or an attack with a natural weapon) while holding a charge...If the attack hits, you deal normal damage for your unarmed attack or natural weapon and the spell discharges. If the attack misses, you are still holding the charge."

The RaW for the White-Haired Witch archetype definitely raise more questions than they answer:

--Does the hair attack receive the Intelligence bonus to hit as well as damage? This only seems to make sense. Also, the wording "plus the witch’s Intelligence modifier" seems rather open-ended...is this in addition to a Strength modifier to damage? If so, since it is the only primary natural attack, would that be 1 1/2 times Str mod to damage (or for that matter, 1 1/2 times the Int mod)?

--Since it is a Free action to grapple an opponent on a hit with the hair, can the Witch then use a Full Attack action to attack the grappled opponent with a weapon in that same (first) round? (Obviously she could not do so in subsequent rounds, because at that point maintaining the grapple would require a Standard action.) If she can do this, is the weapon considered a secondary attack?

--Since the Witch is not considered to have the grappled condition when grappling a foe with her hair, if her hair had reach, would she still receive attacks of opportunity with her hair against other foes provoking with movement? If so, could she grab/grapple them as well? Or is the hair considered to be completely occupied when grappling one foe?

--If the Witch hair-grapples a foe at reach (10', 15' or further away), does the foe remain in the square they were grappled at that distance, or are they automatically pulled to a square adjacent to the Witch, as per usual grapple rules? (Since the RaW explicitly state the Witch is NOT considered grappled, and since there is a special "Pull" hair attack available at 6th level WHW, it seemed to me that said grappled victim would simply be stuck in the square in which he was grappled...unless perhaps he won a grapple check and used the option to "move yourself and your target up to half speed", thus allowing him to move closer).

--What kind of damage does hair do: B, P, S, or some combination?

Ah, also on the topic of the White-haired Witch, the question arose (and this is a biggie)....

If the Witch hair-grapples a foe at reach (10', 15' or further away), does the foe remain in the square they were grappled at that distance, or are they automatically pulled to a square adjacent to the Witch, as per usual grapple rules?

Since the RaW explicitly state the Witch is NOT considered grappled, and since there is a special "Pull" hair attack available at 6th level WHW, it seemed to me that said grappled victim would simply be stuck in the square in which he was grappled (unless he won a grapple check and used the option to "move yourself and your target up to half speed", thus allowing him to move closer).

Leucrotta63 wrote:

The RaW for the White-Haired Witch archetype definitely raise more questions than they answer:

1) Does the hair attack receive the Intelligence bonus to hit as well as damage? This only seems to make sense. Also, the wording "plus the witch’s Intelligence modifier" seems rather open-ended...is this in addition to a Strength modifier to damage? If so, since it is the only primary natural attack, would that be 1 1/2 times Str mod to damage?

2) Since it is a Free action to grapple an opponent on a hit with the hair, can the Witch then use a Full Attack action to attack the grappled opponent with a weapon in that same (first) round? (Obviously she could not do so in subsequent rounds, because at that point maintaining the grapple would require a Standard action.) If she can do this, is the weapon considered a secondary attack? Or would the hair attack have to be secondary, even if it came first in the round? In that case, if the hair is considered secondary, does that also apply a -5 to the grapple check?

3) Is there anything stopping the Witch from attacking a foe with a weapon, then attacking with the hair as secondary that same round and grappling the foe (as a free action due to the grab ability)...holding the foe in the grapple til just before her action the following round, then releasing them to repeat the process?

4) Since the Witch is not considered to have the grappled condition when grappling a foe with her hair, if her hair had reach, would she still receive attacks of opportunity with her hair against other foes provoking with movement? If so, could she grapple them as well? Or is the hair considered to be completely occupied when grappling one foe?

These all would be great questions to ask on that book's thread so that they can be FAQed.

Here's how I'd answer them in my game:

1) I would let the witch modify her hair's attack and damage with Int. Str wouldn't enter the picture.

2) She has to hit a foe with her hair, but when she does, she gets...

How does one write to that book's thread? I'm new to these forums and haven't quite gotten that proficient yet...

The RaW for the White-Haired Witch archetype definitely raise more questions than they answer:

--Does the hair attack receive the Intelligence bonus to hit as well as damage? This only seems to make sense. Also, the wording "plus the witch’s Intelligence modifier" seems rather open-ended...is this in addition to a Strength modifier to damage? If so, since it is the only primary natural attack, would that be 1 1/2 times Str mod to damage?

--Since it is a Free action to grapple an opponent on a hit with the hair, can the Witch then use a Full Attack action to attack the grappled opponent with a weapon in that same (first) round? (Obviously she could not do so in subsequent rounds, because at that point maintaining the grapple would require a Standard action.) If she can do this, is the weapon considered a secondary attack? Or would the hair attack have to be secondary, even if it came first in the round? In that case, if the hair is considered secondary, does that also apply a -5 to the grapple check?

--Is there anything stopping the Witch from attacking a foe with a weapon, then attacking with the hair as secondary that same round and grappling the foe (as a free action due to the grab ability)...holding the foe in the grapple til just before her action the following round, then releasing them to repeat the process?

--Since the Witch is not considered to have the grappled condition when grappling a foe with her hair, if her hair had reach, would she still receive attacks of opportunity with her hair against other foes provoking with movement? If so, could she grapple them as well? Or is the hair considered to be completely occupied when grappling one foe?