MorikTheMad's page

Here is what I have so far:

Race: Halfling
Theme: Pilot

Stats @ lvl 1:
str 8
dex 18
con 11
int 10
wis 10
cha 16

Revelations:
2 plasma sheath
4 gravity boost
6 gravity pulse | blazing orbit
8 gravity pulse | blazing orbit
9 stellar acceleration, nebula storm
10 debris field
12 soul furnace
14 gravitic shield
16 glow of life
17 constellation blast, gravitic calling
18 ultimate grav
20 crush

- No defy grav--rely on jet packs when actual flight is needed, otherwise jet dash lets you jump 2x as high, should be sufficient for battlefield positioning? (Alternatively, drop gravity pulse since it gives 2 saves if you are pushing them off a cliff/etc, and grab defy gravity or agile wavelengths instead.)

Feats:
1 weap focus sm arms
3 fleet
5 enhanced resistance
7 jet dash
9 nimble moves
11 mobility
13 kasathan battle dance
15 improved init
17 constant alertness
19 indirect retreat? (not having to run in a straight line)

- I like the idea of jet dash + reasonably good base move speed + grav boost; can do things like run up a 300' building at lvl 7 (50' base, with fleet & speed suspension) with no athletics check needed.

Is this mobility overkill?

Skills:
Acrobatics for tumbling, athletics for maneuvering/climbing/etc, some stealth for scouting, and diplomacy/intimidate. (Max acrobatics & athletics, can give up some stealth & diplo/intim for minimal ranks in a few other skills as desired. Though maybe that much athletics won't actually be needed, with the other bonuses.)

General strategy:

Out of combat: Scouting (stealth & crazy mobility), social stuff (cha bonus, ranks in diplo/intimidate). Fitting hypnotic glow into the build would be nice for out of combat utility... (and also sometimes about-to-combat utility).

Combat:
Pre lvl 10:
- Generally attune photon. Use plasma sheath if enemies aren't fire resistant. (Use a cold dmg flare so without sheath you can deal with fire resist.) Use blazing orbit when it will help. Acrobatics for tumbling away (halfling bonus + class skill + dex bonus is helpful), grav boost can help position in places enemies can't get to easily, especially after lvl 6 (grav boost gives spider climb but with running allowed) and jet dash (6x speed run, no flat footed), and fleet to boost base speed. Get speed suspension when able to boost this further.

- If the terrain has a lot of stuff that would be bad to be moved into (falls, damaging terrain, etc), once grav pulse is attained, attune graviton & use that to force enemies off cliffs/onto bad terrain/etc. (Though I notice it gives 2 saves; one to resist moving at all, and a second to resist moving into bad stuff...)
- Could replace blazing orbit with distant burst; the only thing in this build it would affect is supernova. Up to 40 feet away is a big boost. I opted not to go this route--I figured it is most useful in early levels then falls off as more zeniths open up.

Post 10:
- When safe to do so, attune photon & use pre-lvl-10 strategy, building to solar acceleration zenith generally.

- If not feeling safe to do so, can position in all sorts of places (e.g., hanging off the wall too high up to melee attack) with debris field making it hard to hit you. Once grav shield is in play that would more than compensate for flat footed. (If there are platforms or something that enemy melee can't get to you on, that is better, but even if there aren't, you can hang off a wall and probably be ok.) Should succeed on the athletics check to climb, with halfling bonus, grav boost of 2/3 level bonus (attuned grav), and putting ranks into athletics.

- Grav boost from photon mode can be useful for clutch repositions, but really it is for when attuning graviton mode, all attacks while attuned will have gravitation 20 ft.

- If unable to maneuver (small, flat battlefield with no walls that can be climbed), debris field & grav shield should still provide decent defenses, while gravity pulse can help keep melee enemies away.

Thoughts/advice?

Psychokinetic Hand

Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets one unattended object of no more than 10 lbs. or 1 bulk
Duration concentration
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
Description
You point your finger at the target object, gaining the ability to lift it and move it at will from a distance. As a move action, you can propel the object as far as 15 feet in any direction, though the spell ends if the distance between you and the object ever exceeds the spell’s range. You can’t perform complex operations, such as firing a gun or using a computer, but you can shut a mechanical door or lid and work simple buttons to open or close automated doors or trigger an alarm.

Gravity Hold

This revelation allows you to move objects at a distance as per psychokinetic hand (see page 370).

When you are attuned or fully attuned, you can use the psychokinetic hand ability of your gravity hold to immobilize, lift, or move a Medium or smaller creature. The creature can attempt a Fortitude save to negate the effect. While under this effect, the target creature cannot move, but can take any other normal actions. This ability follows all of the restrictions of the spell other than the weight limit, but you can’t lift a creature higher than 5 feet off the ground. When you spend a standard action concentrating to maintain the gravity hold, the target can attempt a new save to end the effect. Once a creature successfully saves against this ability, it becomes immune to further uses of this revelation for 24 hours.

I want to verify my understanding of how this works. I think it works like this:

Is that correct?

Or does "allows you to move objects at a distance as per psychokinetic hand" mean that you are counted as always having the spell active, can spend move actions at any time to move stuff around, and only need to spend standard actions if using the 2nd portion of the ability to lift a creature and maintain that lift for more than one round?
E.g., combat starts, turn 1 you attune graviton mode and lift a creature by spending a move action. You then spend your standard action attacking. At the start of your next turn, the creature is freed unless you spend a standard action. If at any time you lose concentration, the creature is freed.

The only threads I could find on this were several years old. (I'm not sure if this community prefers a new thread over a necro in this case; if not let me know & I'll necro next time.)

Was a consensus reached on whether you can benefit from a revelation's "while attuned..." bonuses while you are attuned to the opposite mode?

E.g., if you are attuned to graviton mode, does plasma sheath provide the extra fire damage equal to half your level? (And then end after one round as you aren't in photon mode.)

Or do attunement bonuses only work when the mode you are attuned to matches the mode of the revelation?

My reading is that you only get the bonus if you are in the appropriate mode:

Some of your stellar revelations are graviton powers and get stronger if you’re graviton-attuned....

Some of your stellar revelations are photon powers and get stronger if you’re photon-attuned...

I wanted to double check my understanding as the old threads seemed uncertain, since the actual revelation descriptions (aside from zenith) generally just say "attuned or fully attuned". Given that there hasn't been discussion on this in years, I'm guessing there is a general consensus on this?

Stealth warp says:
"When you are attuned or fully attuned, you can use this revelation to reduce your sensory output so much that you can attempt a Stealth check even when you’re directly observed and lack cover or a distraction. You are not invisible, simply difficult to see clearly, and if a creature was observing you prior to your Stealth check, it remains aware of your location until you successfully reach cover or concealment."

Aware of location says:
"When you are aware of a creature’s location, you know exactly where the creature is located, but you still can’t observe the creature with a precise sense such as vision. Generally, this occurs because you have blindsense, or because the creature is hidden but you have succeeded at a Perception check to pinpoint the creature with an imprecise sense. You must at least be aware of a creature’s location in order to directly attack it, though it is considered to have total concealment from you (see page 253). It is, however, subject to area effects affecting that location."

If I am adjacent to an opponent (so they are observing me), and use stealth via Stealth Warp. If I move away, I provoke an opportunity attack. Am I considered to have total concealment from this opportunity attack?

"You can stoke the internal energy of your entire physiology, allowing you to boost your life processes. As a move action, you can spend 1 Resolve Point. If you are suffering from an affliction (a curse, disease, drug or poison), you can immediately attempt an additional saving throw at the affliction’s normal save DC. If you succeed at this saving throw, the affliction ends (regardless of how many successful saving throws it normally takes to end the affliction). Once you have used this revelation, you can’t use it again until the next time you regain Stamina Points after a 10-minute rest.

When you are attuned or fully attuned, you can also use this revelation to end any one of the following conditions you have: bleeding, blinded, burning, cowering, dazzled, exhausted, fatigued, frightened, panicked, shaken, or sickened."

For that 2nd paragraph, how does it work?
Do you spend a resolve, save against an affliction (if you have any), end one of the conditions listed in the 2nd paragraph, and then cannot use this revelation again until 10 min rest?

Or is the 2nd paragraph a separate activation; you use a move action (and a resolve point?), and just remove one of the conditions listed in the 2nd paragraph, but do not get to save against an affliction? (And then cannot use the revelation again until 10 min rest?)

"You have developed a technique to conduct maneuvers on the battlefield at range with your solar flare. You can attempt combat maneuvers as a ranged attack instead of a melee attack, with a range of 30 feet. Any weapon special properties your solar flare has that would affect certain combat maneuvers apply as normal. While attuned or fully attuned, you gain a +2 insight bonus to combat maneuvers attempted at range using this stellar revelation. You must have a solar flare to select this stellar revelation."

Grapple:
"Grapple
You hold the target in place. You must have at least one hand free to perform a grapple combat maneuver. Your target has the grappled condition, meaning she can’t move from her current space and takes further penalties until she either uses a standard action to attempt a grapple combat maneuver to grapple you (giving you the grappled condition) or uses the escape task of the Acrobatics skill to break free. If the result of your attack roll equals or exceeds the target’s KAC + 13, the target is instead pinned for the same duration, and she can’t take any actions that involve moving her limbs other than to attempt to escape.

The grappled or pinned condition lasts until the end of your next turn, unless you renew it on your next turn with another grapple combat maneuver. The condition ends immediately if you move away. As long as you have one target grappled or pinned, you cannot attempt to grapple another. The grappled and pinned conditions are further detailed in Conditions on pages 276–277.

When you renew a grapple, you can remove one item from the target’s body that can be easily accessed, including most weapons and equipment (but not worn armor). Doing so immediately ends the grapple."

Questions
1) I assume you still need a free hand? I.e., you cannot have flare in one hand, and a shield in the other, and use agile wavelengths to grapple at range.

2) What does "if you move away" mean? With normal grapple, could you move around your target, so long as you stay in range? Or does any movement, even if you are still within grapple range of your opponent, break the grapple? (My assumption is that 'away' implies increasing the distance between you and the grappled enemy.)

For agile wavelengths, would any movement at all break the grapple? Or just movement that takes you further than 30 feet from the grappled enemy? Or any movement that increases the distance between you and the grappled enemy? (E.g., if you were 15' away when you grappled them with agile wavelengths, any movement that results in you being more than 15' away breaks it?)

3) How does item removal work? With normal grapple, are you grabbing that item in the hand you had free to grapple with? Or does removing the item mean knocking it away from them onto the ground?
I assume you cannot end up with the item in your hand as a result of a ranged grapple (unless you are using this while adjacent to them, which I assume would provoke as its a ranged attack, but then you could end up with an item in your hand?)

Reposition:
"You change the target’s position to a different location still within your reach and within 5 feet of its original placement. You can move the target 5 additional feet for every 5 by which the result of your attack roll exceeds the target’s KAC + 8, but all movement must remain within your reach. You cannot move the target past an obstacle.

If you reposition a creature as a full action, you can move a distance equal to the distance you repositioned your target (up to your move speed), dragging the target along with you."

With agile wavelengths, can you use that full action reposition?

Disarm
"You knock an item the target is holding out of the target’s hands and onto the ground. If you have a hand free, you can automatically grab the item with your hand before it falls."

Does the 'automatically grab' part work if you aren't adjacent to the target?

Disarm: