Maveten's page

also death from above doesn't work the way you think it does.

Quote:

Whenever you charge an opponent from higher ground, or from above while flying, you gain a +5 bonus on attack rolls in place of the bonuses from charging and being on higher ground.

also death from above doesn't work the way you think it does.

Quote:

Whenever you charge an opponent from higher ground, or from above while flying, you gain a +5 bonus on attack rolls in place of the bonuses from charging and being on higher ground.

The way i think it works is that when i have the higher ground vs an opponent (say im on the ground and he is inside a trench) and i charge towards him (provided im eligible to charge), i get a +2 AR from the charge and +1 AR from having the higher ground.

Anyway this thread isnt about the feat, its about what constitutes the criteria for having the higher ground versus an opponent. I kindly thank you all for your input and by all means more opinions are wanted and welcome but please hit the faq button while ur at it so maybe we can get an official response.

Greetings, fellow traveller.

No links, no official source, just common sence:

I apply the example with being on horse-back as benchmark in my games.
To get the bonus you must be at least 3ft. above your opponent and on stable ground - so no jumping, flipping or somersaulting. Table is fine, a bench, chair or stool is not.
Flying/hovering in that height would count as stable "ground" in my games (be it via magic/spell or wings).

Ruyan.

Nice interpretation, we use it almost the same in our games but including chair bench etc. I guess you are right they are not that higher a ground and are somewhat unstable to qualify as solid higher ground but i guess a table can also be that way sometimes:D It all comes down to the situation and decision on the spot i guess.

I have tried to search the messageboards but i havent found anything that solves the matter. The only references in the pathfinder books i have found are all in the Crb:

a)Table 8-5 with attack roll modifiers in page 195 saying that being on higher ground gives +1 bonus to melee attack rolls.

b)Combat while mounted in page 202 saying: When you attack a creature smaller than your mount that is on foot, you get the +1 bonus on melee attacks for being on higher ground.

c)Trenches on page 431 saying: Creatures outside a trench who make a melee attack against a creature inside the trench gain a +1 bonus on melee attacks because they have higher ground.

Also there is the feat Death from Above in Ultimate Combat which hints that if you are able to fly and you hover above ur target attacking him you gain the bonus of higher ground.

Now what actually consitutes being on higher ground? Does jumping and attacking my target mid air makes me having the higher ground? Does climbing on a table and attacking my target gives me the higher ground? If so what is the minimum height that i must acquire in order to gain the bonus of higher ground?

Thanks in advance!

Is it a morale bonus to the saving throw?

It doesnt state anything in the feat description so it is an untyped bonus. And by RAW all untyped bonus stack with other bonuses.

Healing Nonlethal Damage: You heal nonlethal damage

at the rate of 1 hit point per hour per character level. When
a spell or ability cures hit point damage, it also removes an
equal amount of nonlethal damage.

Cold and exposure deal nonlethal damage to the victim. A

character cannot recover from the damage dealt by a cold
environment until she gets out of the cold and warms up
again. Once a character has taken an amount of nonlethal
damage equal to her total hit points, any further damage
from a cold environment is lethal damage.

Question is, a character cannot recover from the damage dealt by a cold enviroment until she gets out of the cold and warms up again naturaly, meaning he cant heal nonlethal damage at the rate of 1 hit point per hour per character level, or does this restriction applies at the magical healing aswell? In the cold and dangers section of crb it doesnt mention anything for magical healing, but in the Starvation and Thirst section it specifically states that:

Nonlethal damage from thirst or starvation cannot be recovered until the character gets food or water, as needed—not even magic that restores hit points heals this damage.

So what is the case for recovering nonlethal damage from a cold enviroment in order to benefit from magical healing? Does the character benefits normally towards healing nonlethal damage while still in a cold enviroment, or she has to get out from the cold and warms up and then get magical healing?

There is no weapon focus (grapple). www.d20pfsrd.com is not the official prd.

There is, read Weapon Focus from Core Rulebook, or you will face Jiggy's wrath as i did:P

Maveten wrote:

I have never heard in Pathfinder at least the Weapon Focus(grapple).

Whenever you're not sure if something made it into Pathfinder or not, the first step is to check the Pathfinder Core Rules:

CRB wrote:

You can also choose unarmed strike or grapple (or ray, if you are a spellcaster) as your weapon for the purposes of this feat.

For future reference, the official PRD (not to be confused with the fan-made SRD) is available for free from the same domain (Paizo.com) as the messageboards, so even if the SRD is blocked at work or whatever, if you have access to the boards you have access to the PRD. :)

Yeah just minutes ago noticed that, im punishing myself in shame with a whip right now:(

To play devil's advocate here:

Weapon Focus (Combat)

Choose one type of weapon. You can also choose unarmed
strike or grapple (or ray, if you are a spellcaster) as your
weapon for the purposes of this feat.
Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected weapon, base
attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make
using the selected weapon.

I guess the real FAQ question here is if Weapon Focus(Grapple) benefits both the normal grapple with the two free hands and the weapons with the special grapple ability:P

So, you could take Weapon Specialization(grapple)? How the heck would that work?

First i guess you mean Weapon Profficiency not Specialization. Second no, grapple isnt a weapon, its a special combat maneuver. And it seems you havent read the post from Jiggy which is quite self-explanatory on the situation.

I have never heard in Pathfinder at least the Weapon Focus(grapple). Maybe as StreamOfTheSky said it is a remnant from 3e or something. A far as Weapon focus(Trip) is concerned, there is no need for such a feat since you have the Weapon focus(Flail) for example, benefiting your weapon as well as your trip maneuver. Now for weapon focus(dirty trick) i cant tell, since its description is quite vague and the GM is the final arbiter of what can be accomplished with this maneuver.

I found the Garrote in the Adventurer's Armory, it is a two-handed weapon, doing 1d6 slashing dmg on a succesfull hit and although it has the grapple special quality the text in the book for the garrote states different from the succesful critical from your link.

Garrote: A garrote is a length of wire or thin rope with wooden handles at both ends. The wire is placed across a victim's throat and crossed behind the neck; when the handles are pulled tight, the garrote strangles him. In order for you to use a garrote, your opponent must be helpless or unaware of you. You must make a grapple check (though you avoid the –4 penalty for not having two hands free) to successfully begin garroting your opponent. Sneak attack damage does not apply to a garrote. Your garroted opponent must make a concentration check (DC 20 + your CMB + level of the spell he’s casting) to cast a spell with a verbal component, use a command word item, or use any magic requiring speech. You gain the following additional option when grappling with a garrote.

Choke: You cut off your target’s air supply so he has to hold his breath (see Suffocation on page 445 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, and the Swim skill on page 108). Any round you do not maintain the choke, your opponent can take a breath and restart when he has to begin making Constitution checks.

Either way, Garrote is a legit weapon thus making Weapon Focus(garrote) work with the special grapple ability from the AA towards grappling your unaware opponents by RAW imo.

Weapon focus (grapple), why does this exist? If you are grappling with a weapon, like those with the grapple weapon property, does weapon focus apply? Would it be weapon focus(weapon in question) or weapon focus(grapple)? Would enchantment bonuses apply to cmb rolls with a grapple weapon? Are there other combat maneuvers that you can take weapon focus with, such as weapon focus(dirty trick)? If not, why is grapple an exception?

Because usually grapple is used with your body parts and when u dont have two hands free u get a -4 penalty on the maneuver roll, Weapon Focus(Unarmed Strike)applies to grapple.

When you attempt to perform a combat maneuver,

make an attack roll and add your CMB in place of your
normal attack bonus. Add any bonuses you currently have
on attack rolls due to spells, feats, and other effects. These
bonuses must be applicable to the weapon or attack used to
perform the maneuver.

I have never heard of grapple weapons before. Can you state an example?

The target is personal, and it's specifically meant to suspend the mentioned conditions.

Unless it was possible to cast it, it would have no use, so I believe yes.

The duration is 1 round/ level meaning its supposed to be cast as a precautionary measure in the forthcoming rounds. I cant understand the logic behind the "deeming the spell useless so it must be cast during paralyzed confused and dazed". If this was true, then this is too good for a 2nd level spell even if it is only personal.

Actually there was an errata in 3.5 that stated that temporary hit points from different effects stack, but not from the same spell/effect. Say you are a 10 level sorcerer casting false life on yourself and vampiric touch over and over to your target.

You get 1d8+10 temporary hit points from false life(average 14)and from your first vampiric touch on the target you deal 5d6 dmg on your target, average 17 dmg gaining that as temporary hit points as well.

Now you have a total temporary hit points on yourself 14+17=31 but you should track them seperately. Say if you get hit by an attack you subtract the old temporary hit points, in this case false life since it was cast earlier and then you continue subtracking hp from the temporary hp from vampiric touch.

Now if u didnt get hit and you get to cast a second vampiric touch, lets say this time you deal 20 dmg. It doesnt stack with itself, meaning your 17 hp from your first vampiric touch fade and get refreshed by the new stronger 20 temporary hit points from the second casting. Always take the stronger effect from an effect cast twice.

So bottom line is, temporary hit points from different sources stack, when hit always subtrack the damage from the older effect, and when you get temporary hit points from the same source they dont stack but get refreshed by the stronger effect.

Unless im mistaken, Precise shot eliminates the -4 penalty of accidentaly hitting your comrade, soft cover is +4AC to your target cause your comrade is essentially blocking you from having a clear shot. You can eliminate both these penalties with Precise Shot and Improved Precise Shot, Precise shot for the -4 penalty and Improved Precise Shot for the cover bonus to your enemy.

Oracle Revelations wrote:

At 1st level, 3rd level, and every four levels thereafter (7th, 11th, and so on), an oracle uncovers a new secret about her mystery that grants her powers and abilities. The oracle must select a revelation from the list of revelations available to her mystery. If a revelation is chosen at a later level, the oracle gains all of the abilities and bonuses granted by that revelation based on her current level. Unless otherwise noted, activating the power of a revelation is a standard action.

I wonder how i missed that:( its kinda late here and im sleepy i guess... Thank you!

Im interested in creating an Oracle and i find lots of abilites from Oracle Mysteries in the UM interesting, but lots of these dont state what type of action they require. for example:

Ancestral Weapon (Su): You can summon a simple or martial
weapon from your family’s history that is appropriate for
your current size. You are considered proficient with this
weapon. At 3rd level, the weapon is considered masterwork.
At 7th level, 15th level, and 19th level, the weapon gains
a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus. At 11th level, the
weapon gains the ghost touch weapon property. You can use
this ability for a number of minutes per day equal to your
oracle level. This duration does not need to be consecutive,
but it must be used in 1-minute increments. The weapon
disappears after 1 round if it leaves your grasp.

or

Spirit Shield (Su): You can call upon the spirits of your
ancestors to form a shield around you that blocks incoming
attacks and grants you a +4 armor bonus. At 7th level, and
every four levels thereafter, this bonus increases by +2. At
13th level, this shield causes arrows, rays, and other ranged
attacks requiring an attack roll against you to have a 50%
miss chance. You can use this shield for 1 hour per day per
oracle level. This duration does not need to be consecutive,
but it must be spent in 1-hour increments.

And there are plenty others in the same pattern. Does anyone have a clue as to what type of action they require in order to be activated? Im guessing they require a standard action but asking never hurt anyone.

Thanks in advance!

Yep AvalonXQ is correct. Its +1 AND this bonus increases by +1 for every 4 level the cavalier posseses. So its 1:+1,4:+2,8:+3 and so on.

If there was a question in the roleplaying matter, it should be why barbarians dont always power attack while under a rage not the other way around:P

According to page 14 of Bestiary an Animated Object has a number of Construction Points based on its HD. You can spend a Construction Point to gain an additional slam attack apart from the standard single slam attack. My question is can this ability be purchased more than once?

Thanks in advance!

Wow i was under the impression that Empower Spell worked only on the die roll of the spell and not on the numerical bonus. Say for example an Empowered Slay Living would do (12d6*1.5)+ caster level. So it does (12d6+caster level)*1.5 huh. Was it RAI from the begining or it was errataed at some point?

Healer’s Blessing (Su): At 6th level, all of your cure spells are treated as if they were empowered, increasing the amount of damage healed by half (+50%). This does not apply to damage dealt to undead with a cure spell. This does not stack with the Empower Spell metamagic feat.

Now if i am a 7 lvl cleric without healing domain and i cast a Cure Critical Wounds i heal 4d8 + 7. If i have healing domain do i heal:

a)(4d8+7)*1.5
or
b)(4d8*1.5)+7?

Thing is the ability's explanation says increasing the amount of damage healed by half(+50%) implying the a) but the as if they were empowered and the fact that it does not stack with the Empower Spell metamagic feat kinda leans me towards b). What is the case?

Thanks in advance!

Belt of Strength and Bull's Strength are both enhancement bonuses to Strength so they dont stack. Only the highest enhancement bonus applies.

Btw if you are hell bent on going with full AC build, you should consider taking Antagonize feat for your eidolon from UM. Eidolon speaks the same languages the summoner does, has an Int score of 7 at least, gets 6+Int skill ranks per HD and apart from the base skills the eidolon gets you can choose 4 additional skills to be class skills for the eidolon. Take Sense Motive, Diplomacy and Intimidate and voila! You have a nasty talking eidolon taunting your enemies to smack their faces into its high AC.

Yep the math is correct but as fueldrop noted, its a heavy investment towards ac. Your eidolon will fall behind heavily in other combat aspects. Also about the bestiary reference, your eidolon shouldnt be compared to monsters since its a built in feature of a class that is one of its strongest points and customizable by the summoners preference. So if you want high AC i dont see anyone stopping you rulewise:D

Yes! Combine it with mage armor,shield and temp hp from false life and vampiric touch and quite a tanky sorcerer we have here:p

I was meddling with a Sanguine(Undead)Bloodline Sorcerer and was quite dissapointed as Defending Bone(DR5/Bludgeoning) doesnt stack with DR 5/nonlethal(mentioned at spell)but Ablative Barrier is quite awesome. Next spell lvl though Stoneskin is probably better but its 10/adamantite and 10min/lvl while Ablative Barrier is effectively DR 5/- for hours/lvl.

Good thing you pointed that spell out i was unaware of that! Thanks!

Maveten wrote:

By RAW yes i find it correct.

I always thought that particular trait was quite broken imo, in its existance it is mandatory to be acquired for a multiclass character or a character with levels in a caster class and a prestige class that penalizes her caster level.

I give no wrong to any DM that doesnt allow it in his story out there.

I never quite understood this reasoning, could you expound? How is it 'broken'?

I mean is Point Blank Shot 'broken' for archers? Is that even more mandatory for archers?

As a wizard that elects to go say Pathfinder savant and lose a caster level, would you take magical knack as mandatory over say magical lineage? Always?

What I think I'm seeing is that you think that this should be something built into those multiclasses/PrCs as a general rule. That's fine just like you could decide the same thing about Weapon Finesse (for example) that it shouldn't require a feat but rather be an elected way to fight with certain weapons.

Certain class combinations are already comparatively weak. Denying them a way to be competitive seems punitive. But then again I think I would be in favor of a general feat that you could take multiple times (applying to a different thing each time) that raised something by 4 (i.e. Boon Companion the companion level, Practiced Spellcaster the caster level, etc). But then again I don't think that there should be over a dozen 'extra _____' feats out there either.

But if you're saying that let's deny the only way for these combinations to mitigate the horrible hit they take, then I disagree and I *certainly* can't see how you would call such things 'broken'.

-James

Let me quote APG:At its core, a character trait is approximately equal in power to half a feat, so two character traits are roughly equivalent to a bonus feat. Yet a character trait isn’t just another kind of power you can add on to your character—it’s a way to quantify (and encourage) building a character background that fits into your campaign world. Think of character traits as “story seeds” for your background; after you pick your two traits, you’ll have a point of inspiration from which to build your character’s personality and history.Alternatively, if you’ve already got a background in your head or written down for your character, you can view picking his traits as a way to quantify that background, just as picking race and class and ability scores quantifies his other strengths and weaknesses.

First considering multiclass or prestige class characters this trait is by no means equivalent to half a bonus feat.

Second, to me traits should be all about roleplay and flavor. Where is the diversity and the uniqueness of different characters if they all share the specific trait?

Dont get me wrong i just dont treat traits as feats. Feats are special tricks or abilities a character has acquired through training, luck, or as a quirk of his or her birth. Traits are and should be ways to make your character unique and strengthen his backround. It kinda ruins the feeling when 9 out of 10 multiclass or prestige class characters pick up this trait doesnt it?

By RAW yes i find it correct.

I always thought that particular trait was quite broken imo, in its existance it is mandatory to be acquired for a multiclass character or a character with levels in a caster class and a prestige class that penalizes her caster level.

I give no wrong to any DM that doesnt allow it in his story out there.

If i am to interpret this Bloodline Power for a sorcerer as far as a bonded item is concerned, a sorcerer can cast once per day a single spell that he knows from his limited(compared to a wizard) list of spells known, without being able to modify it with metamagic feats.

If his bonded item gets destroyed or not worn or held, he gains the drawbacks of it like a wizard does(Concentration DC 20+spell lvl)whenever he tries to cast a spell?

If this is the case then it is more a burden than a bonus as a bloodline power considering the limited list of spells known for a sorcerer in my opinion. Of course having a familiar as a sorcerer is pretty cool but a bonded item for a sorcerer doesnt seems like a viable choice for me.

Am i missing something here? Maybe the bonded item could make you cast any spell the sorcerer can cast from the sorcerer/wizard list? I guess that would be broken:(

Thanks in advance!