Mighty Squash's page

So Distant Realms give us the Quintessentialist spiritualist, who summons an exemplar rather than a phantom. it is an upgrade and faster to summon but the spiritualist is crippled and takes 1d6 damage per round while using it.

Can anyone think of a way to make it a viable character? I love the convept but every way I look at it I can't find a way to make it playable (it really only seems usable for an NPC who is only expected a short shelf-life).

I am assuming that

Druidic

All druids speak Druidic as a free language (it does not
count against their maximum number of languages
known). Druidic is available only to druids.

Languages: all languages on page 251 may be learned via the Linguistics skill;

(though there should still possibly be an "except Druidic" tag in the additional resources).

My question is if it trumps the

You have a natural understanding of the Druidic language.

Prerequisites: Linguistics 1 rank, cannot be a druid.
Benefit: You gain a +5 bonus on Linguistics checks made
to decipher writings in the Druidic language. If you have 10
or more ranks in Linguistics, add Druidic to the list of bonus
languages available to you.

from Faiths and Philosophies (which is a PFS legal feat). I think the feat's specificity should make it win over the general rule, but the guide vs. additional resources vagueness on Druidic made me think I should check with those who understand better.

There are at least a couple of two handed finesse weapons. Is there any archetpe or feat feature anyone can think of to get around the light or one-handed piercing melee weapons limitations on most of the Swashbuckler class features? Slashing Grace gets around the piercing but not the handedness.

I'm running Dragon's Demand in Campaign mode for a local PFS group, and I can't find any reference to what to do with rewards etc if the characters steal things from Hunclay Manor in Chapter 2.
The text seems to assume parties will always be honest about that part of the adventure.

What would be an appropriate way to penalise the group for stealing a rather valuable collection of spellbooks?

My search-fu is failing me today, so:

When a deity grants a domain with spells that have alignment descriptors opposing the deities, does the cleric get to cast them or may it just end up with some less useful domain spell slots?

There are a couple of Empyreal Lords that offer Death, which has a lot of [evil] spells. One (Damerrich) even offers an evil spell as a spell-like with its Celestial Obedience.

I'm part of a group that is running the sanctioned levels of The Dragon's Demand, and learned too late that there was a fun looking alternate play method.

Has this been offered with any other modules? If so, which ones (so that I may buy them)?

The PFS specific weirdness on familiar weapon finesse introduced here doesn't seem to be in the Campaign Clarifications.

Adam Mogyorodi wrote:

Mike, I'm interested in knowing how this will effect familiars who normally get Weapon Finesse. That feat is completely redundant for familiars, because it is written into the familiar feature that they use Dexterity or Strength, whatever is higher. Is it as good as it sounds, or does a familiar who gives up Weapon Finesse lose access to this feature?

If a familiar gives up Weapon Finesse, they lose access to this feature.

Does that mean this ruling is not actually a PFS rule, or am I missing something?

I am pretty sure there are ways to get weapons of shields to count as holy symbols, but for some reason my brain just keeps jumping to the Create Reliquary Arms and Shield feat, but as it is not allowed in PFS, I am assuming one can not buy items created with it.

Could I get some suggestions of other ways to make shields or weapons count as holy symbols?

Mind Thrust I has mind-affecting but the higher level versions do not?
The other undercastable spells that have descriptors (Ego Whip, Id Insinuation, and Psychic Crush) all keep the same descriptors as they level up.
Is Mind Thrust supposed to stop being mind-affecting, or is this in error?

It seems like it ought stay mind-affecting from the "This attack has no effect on creatures without an Intelligence score" text that later versions of the spell do nothing to alter.

Is it possible to use the Bludgeoner feat on a ranged bludgeoning attack, or does some other rule make it melee only?

I love this archetype, but realised in reading people's complaints about Mindblade that this has the same issue.

The class is psychic casting but the archetype gives the equivalent of spell combat.
Am I reading something wrong, or does the -10 penalty on concentration checks to spells with thought components make it pretty much impossible to use this spell combat?
Doesn't that cripple the whole schtick of the archetype?

Was just flicking through Bestiary 4 and noticed that the Broken Soul Lillend has the evil subtype rather than the good.

CE Large outsider (azata, chaotic, extraplanar, evil)

Nothing in the template says anything about changing subtypes and the alignment subtypes say they are retained if the creature changes alignments.

Good Subtype: This subtype is usually applied to outsiders native to the good-aligned outer planes. Most creatures that have this subtype also have good alignments; however, if their alignments change, they still retain the subtype. Any effect that depends on alignment affects a creature with this subtype as if the creature has a good alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. The creature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. A creature with the good subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields are good-aligned (see Damage Reduction, page 299).

Is there a rule on this that I am missing?

Is there a class/archetype other than Kensai that would allow a first level character to get Whip Proficiency and Weapon Focus (Whip) at first level without having to use their starting feat.

I feel like there ought be a fighter archetype that gives Whip proficiency, and then the fighter bonus feat for focus would do it - but I can't seem to find one.

This class feels rather like the Master Spy (if mechanically very different).

Will it absorb the Master Spy iconic the way Magus did to Eldritch Knight?

To be fair it also feels like it could eat Assassin and maybe, even, Arcane Trickster.

I'm pretty sure that in a game using VMC that cohorts using VMC ought work without real problem, and as they must be taken at first level it is not possible to try and put VMC on Animal Companions, who don't have the INT for it at the start, or technically exist as 1st level controllable entities.
My question is how would VMC work with Eidolons? They are played from their first HD and have the feats to take as VMC, but they aren't exact characters and have their own rules so I'm not sure.

Or it could just be the fact it is almost 4am making me unable to see the obvious answer.

Is there any (ideally PFS legal) way to get Arcane Strike on a pure fighter?

I'm assuming I'll have to dip a level of magus or bard, as I can't seem to find a way and am not exactly sure what spell-like abilities can be used to qualify for these days (I was off the boards for a while and they don't seem to be being used how they were when I left). So this is basically just seeing if there is some obvious method that I am overlooking.

The Agile Maneuvers Combat Trick from Unchained starts "You can spend a number of stamina points equal to your Dexterity Bonus". The Combat Stamina rules state you can spend "up to 5 stamina points" on an attack.

Does this mean the moment your Dex bonus hits +6 that you can no longer use the combat trick on this feat?

I feel it should have said "up to your Dexterity Bonus" rather than "equal to". As it is written it is charging those with +5 Dex modifier extra to give the same benefit as +4, which also seems a little off.

I'm somewhat confused as to why there are subtype requirements on evolutions.
Not just because some make little sense (such as requiring a subtype and a base form that can't exist together) but also that some subtypes end up quite limited as to possible results.

Agathions can't take mount, but are fluffed as looking like animals and can be both the appropriate base forms - they seem like they would make more sense to have as mounts than the purely biped devils who get listed.
Whereas Azata are basically blocked from natural weapons - yes they get martial weapon proficiency instead, but that just emphasises the "where do the weapons go when the eidolon is banished, this halfling summoner can't carry that great big sword" problem.

The introduction to unchained says the subtypes are to flavour the summoners choice but they are looking much more like they will simple block certain evolutions from being taken - and worse that this will sometimes be cause by alignment. The one step alignment limit means LG summoners can not have an eidolon with mount at all.

School transmutation [earth]; Level magus 3, sorcerer/
wizard 3, witch 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a chunk of adamantine worth 100 gp,
or a chunk of cold iron or silver worth 20 gp)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets one weapon per level
Duration 1 minute/level (see text)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You lend the nature of adamantine, cold iron, or silver to the targeted weapons, with the following effects:
Adamantine: The weapons overcome DR/adamantine and ignore hardness less than 20.
Cold Iron: The weapons overcome DR/cold iron.
Silver: The weapons overcome DR/silver.
No other advantages or disadvantages of these metal types apply. For example, a weapon given the nature of adamantine is not automatically masterwork.
This is able to affect non metal weapons. If you grant the target weapons the property of cold iron, the spell lasts half as long as normal.

My problem here, in order to make a weapon act as if cold iron for 1 minute/level you need cold iron of the same value as a cold iron battleaxe. Assuming raw cold iron would be at least as much material for gold as that already made in to a weapon, the spell would need over 5lb of cold iron (I've assumed some of the weight of a battleaxe is a wooden handle).

The trade goods prices from Ultimate Equipment make the amount required much less, as they value cold iron at 50 gold per pound. While this makes the above spell a lot more sensible, it makes the game world economy insanely broken. Cold iron battleaxe cost 20 gold, the materials needed to make it cost well over 200 gold....

Somewhere, something isn't working.

Kin Guardian: You are dedicated to defending members of your family. When you use the aid another action to give a member of your family a bonus to AC, increase the bonus by 2. This increase is a trait bonus (and therefore doesn't stack with increases granted by other family members using this trait). This trait has no effect when using the aid another action to increase a family member's next attack roll.

Is there a description somewhere about how closely related someone has to be to count as family? It seems like there should be but even Ultimate Campaign's write-up on lineage and family is pretty much just vague fluff to encourage deeper back-story building, and that includes distant relatives.

Would the loss of the bonded item affect casting in the casters other class?

If a wizard attempts to cast a spell without his bonded object worn or in hand, he must make a concentration check or lose the spell.

It doesn't say anything about it needing to be a Wizard spell, and I've seen more than a little dipping to get things that boost spellcasting to boost other classes, so would this negative effect do the same thing?

I've started working on a new homebrew setting, having decided my last one was too much just a map for the core rules to sit in. So I thought I'd build some flavour to it by have some creations unique to it.

It may be a bit too heavy on the fluff text, I got a bit caught up.

But if anyone feels like giving it a look over, I'd appreciate any feedback, especially as to how well balanced it looks and I had to try and work out approximate point costs for a couple of things myself. I'd also appreciate feedback on the movement speed, having trouble deciding if standard is right or if it should be slow.

Click here

The links in it are to the prd where possible, going to the d20pfsrd for a couple of things.

Is the hubris flaw overcome by any immunity to fear?
If so, doesn't that mean mythic paladins can basically just choose to have no flaw?

Did anyone else read the mythic Color Spray description and think how much more awesome (/broken) it makes a Heavens Oracle.

This is assuming Awesome Display stacks with it.

Just starting a new level one character and thought it would be beneficial to have a (non-combat) mount.
Any suggestions on what would be good?
I'd originally thought a goat, but my combined weight of character and stuff would be a medium load to it (if only by a couple of pounds).

Side Note: Grippli are surprisingly heavy for their height, scaled to human they would have BMIs in the 36ish range and the picture in the ARG doesn't say clinically obese to me. There must be metal in their bones.

I'm about to enter a new campaign, at first level, and am trying to come up with a concept to work with. I like the flavour of the spellslinger but am not so convinced by the mechanics.

Can anyone who has played one tell me how they fared?

If I'm reading the rules right, then crafting checks would generally be done as taking 10 (unless a higher number was needed and the player was gambling on it).

Can you take 10 on the checks to craft magic items? If so, it seems like it would basically happen by default so why is there even a rule for accidentally making cursed items with a bad skill check?

Basically I'm hunting to see if someone has already done the hardwork of making a list of the spells that are verbal only, or if there is some way to filter for them on the prd or pfsrd?

Does anyone know?

So, Catfolk can get Aspect of the Beast without meeting the requirements by taking a similar racial feat. I guess I'm sort of okay with that.

What bothers me about it is Kitsune. There ARG art shows claws and they have the shapechanger subtype (making Aspect of the Beast seem not a big step) but they do not appear to be able to get it without being a druid, ranger or lycantrope (and I've no idea how natural shapeshifters go as werebeasties, it seems they ought be better at it).
The art, it teases me.

I can't seem to find an answer to this in the FAQ or errata for APG, but have they ever tidied up the fact that at level 20 a Protean Bloodline sorcerer gets immunity to the positive effects of his own bonus spells?

Or is there some rule hidden somewhere that a spellcaster can overcome his own immunities when he wishes it?

Is the issue of what happens when you get reincarnated as a different race while having a racial archetype been addressed somewhere in the Advanced Races Guide?

I'm looking but failing to find anything on it, and it does seem it could be rather problematic.

If there isn't anything addressing it in the book, how do you lot think a GM ought rule on it?

These three feats do not seem to stipulate that they apply to creatures summoned with spells. So does that mean they can be applied to creatures summoned by the character in other ways?
Can a First Worlder, or a Summoner with a level of Druid, take one of these feats to apply to their eidolon?

My search fu failed to find anything very definitive, just JJ making an offhand 'no' without any explanation and somewhat in disagreement with what the RAW seems to look like.

Where does it actually say that base forms can't be changed when levelling? The Evolutionist archetype clearly works on the assumption that it does, but I'm going blind trying to find it in the Summoner class and Eidolon descriptions.

I know it must be there somewhere, I'm just completely failing to see it.

Does anyone know the rationale behind giants all being Humanoid? I was just flicking through Bestiary 3 and the 'Cyclops, Great' struck me as at least as monstrous as some of the other monstrous humanoids, but it is still humanoid.

I'm sure this has been explained somewhere, but my search-fu has failed me.

Wizards can get Feral Speech with a feat equivalent and Witches with a hex (which I guess is also a feat equivalent), but I'm failing to see any way that Druids can get it. The closest I can see is the much more limited Wild Speech which can only talk to the kind of animal you are currently wild shaped in to and for a limited amount of time per day.
Fluff wise, Feral Speech seems far more of a Druid power, so what am I missing? Or is it just that Wizards and Witches can choose to have basically unlimited speak with animals and Druids can't?
It just seems a bit dumb that Druids are getting the short end of teh stick on a power that seems innately Druid-y.

Voices of the Spheres: At 2nd level, an empyreal knight learns to speak and read Celestial, if she could not already. This ability replaces divine grace.

If the character gaining this already speaks Celestial, does that mean it is forced to give up divine grace in exchange for nothing?

I've always sort of thought those passing for human would look like six or seven year olds but on a whim decided to check statistical average heights for children. Taking male halflings as having an average height of 3'1 as is given by Table 7-3 of the CRB, and comparing it to the table at www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41l021.pdf (making the assumption the CDC has reasonable reliable data about such things), matches that to the average height of a not quite 3 year old boy.
Halflings are tiny.
The 3'4 maximum height the table gives halflings matches the height of a 5 year old in the shortest 5th percentile.

This does change the way I'm going to have to think about Childish feat Halfling NPCs I set about my players - for one thing, it ups the cute and helpless factor.

I'm mostly just curious as to if how tiny a 3ft person actual is was only a surprise to me or if other people had assumed it wasn't quite so little.