Moonwalker's page

9 posts. No reviews. No lists. No wishlists.


RSS


Allow me to start by pointing out the two known facts: a) There is indeed no general ruling on what qualifies as "the attributes of a spell", but we know that b) distant spell or extended spell affect one of those attributes, namely range and duration, respectively.

Everything else is subject to interpretation. Personally, I would only include what is listed in the spell description format, i.e. school, casting time, range, area, effect, targets, duration, saving throw, and spell resistance; thus ignoring possible additions in the descriptive text, if they do not refer to one of these nine attributes. Since Paizo authors - as most people - are linguistically not particularly competent or aware of coherence, one can make an educated guess at best. The GM's experience is the best judge in most cases, and he has the last word anyway.

Lastly, it is unambiguous to me from the RAW that spellshot does in fact alter the effective range but not the range of the spell itself (nor its casting time). Hence, I would argue that this is no exclusive magic hack.


In my humble opinion, reasonable conclusions are not drawn from physics but from semantics and thereupon based deduction necessary for Starfinder.

Question 1: What does it do?

Semantics 1:
Starfinder Core Rulebook, page 88 wrote:
You are immune to the harmful environmental effects of outer space and vacuum. You also gain a fly speed of 20 feet while in space. [...]

Conclusion 1: You do not suffer from certain Conditions or Environmental Rules such as Off-Kilter or Suffocation, and you can fly.

Question 2: Where does it take effect?

Semantics 2:
Collins English Dictionary wrote:

Space is the area beyond the Earth's atmosphere, where the stars and planets are.

The six astronauts on board will spend ten days in space.
[...]
...outer space.

Conclusion 2: You benefit from it if you are in actual outer space or in comparable circumstances such as Zero Gravity.

As always, the Game Master is the final arbiter - for better or worse!


HammerJack wrote:
The vibrogarrote isn't big advantage over a wire garrote, which is basic melee, for an operative.

At max. potential, the difference would be:

Damage: 5d8 S; Critical: bleed 2d6 (Garrote, Monowire) vs.
Damage: 10d6 So; Critical: deafen (Vibrogarrote, Ultrasonic).

I find the advantage significant.

HammerJack wrote:
It also isn't really any better against casters than it is against anyone else, unless you have Improved Unarmed Strike, a third arm with another melee weapon, a bite attack, or one of the other ways of still threatening an AoO while two of your hands are full with the garrote.

I wasn't aware that spells no longer have (verbal) components.

If you're going to completely ignore full attack in favour of trick attack anyway, it is a nice-to-have feature.


Operative's Arsenal grants you proficiency as well as specialization for advanced melee weapons, longarms, heavy weapons, or any one special weapon of your choice.

In melee, you could use the Vibrogarrote for silent kills, which is extremely effective against casters (though it's not SFS legal), or the Zero Knife, including Trick Attack damage. Both are examples for advanced melee Operative weapons.

You could also use ranged weapons beyond small arms with Trick Attack (excluding damage) but such would be a situational advantage at best.


Locotomo wrote:

When I read through the description, I would say it´s a mistake and no (Su) but (Sp), because it can be dispelled :)

Excellent point - thank you for your quick answer! :-)


Character Operations Manual, page 83 wrote:

Spider Climber (Su)

[...] You gain spider climb as a constant spell-like ability. [...]

Since there is no entry in the errata section on this one and I want to combine it with the Spellbane feat - which is it?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Thank you both for your answers!

I was suspecting the same at first but this explicitly refers to the DC only, not to other Balance rules.

Core Rulebook, page 136 wrote:
In all of these cases, the DC is modified by the same environmental circumstances that apply to the balance task of Acrobatics (see page 135).


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Character Operations Manual, page 9 wrote:
Athletes who chose Acrobatics at 1st level can move at full speed while balancing and do not fall prone on a failed attempt to tumble through an opponent’s square.

What does the quote refer to? There is no rule which says one would fall prone on a failed attempt to tumble through an opponent’s square under the Tumble rules in the Core Rulebook, page 136.


I would like to confirm the (other) implications of the answer given: Surveillance Wraith is an Extraordinary Ability, which can be activated with a Standard Action and by spending a Resolve Point, lasts for an hour per level, and has a DC of 15 + character level - am I getting this right?