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There are enemies in this scenario that have an offensive ability, but have no explanation on how it functions unfortunately. The robots in both tiers have "Self-Destruct" as an offensive action, but it doesn't state how much damage it does, what the save is, or even the radius. There was the hope it was explained under the Universal Monster Rules, but it is not an ability that can be found there.

There are three (non-starship) creatures I could find on the Archives of Nethys that have a self-destruct ability, but unfortunately they are all different (quoted underneath this post.

So what should I do with this ability? Just pretend it doesn't have it and ignore it? Or give it a version of what the other three monsters have as found on the Archives?

When an Azlanti battle robot’s Hit Points are reduced to 10 or fewer, it explodes on its next turn in a 10-foot-radius burst, even if it has already been destroyed. Creatures within range take 3d6 piercing damage (Reflex DC 14 half). As a full action that provokes attacks of opportunity, a creature adjacent to the robot can attempt a DC 24 Engineering check to disarm the self-destruct mechanism before it detonates.

When an Azlanti stellar scout’s Hit Points are reduced to 10 or fewer, it explodes on its next turn in a 15-foot-radius burst, even if it has already been destroyed. Creatures within range take 5d10 piercing damage (Reflex DC 21 half). As a full action that provokes attacks of opportunity, a creature adjacent to the scout can attempt a DC 34 Engineering check to disarm the self-destruct mechanism before it detonates.

A cybernetic zombie self-destructs when it is reduced to 0 HP, dealing an amount of electricity damage equal to 1d6 + the zombie’s CR to all creatures in a 10-foot-radius burst. A creature can attempt a Reflex saving throw to reduce this damage by half. This ability destroys any cybernetic or technological components that could have been salvaged from the zombie.

Currently I’m preparing to run this scenario, and there are two questions that popped up (both mechanical in nature):

1). I was sure one should be able to walk on the floor while underwater, and that your base speed would be halved. But after looking around the underwater rules, I cannot find the option to just walk across the bottom (only swimming). Am I misremembering the rules? Can one literally only swim while underwater?

2). The eels have an electric aura that messes with technological equipment. Although I assume that most battery-based weapons count as technological, the biggest question is if armor also counts? The save isn’t high and it wouldn’t shut down environmental protection, but the drop in armor class will be significant for a round.

So I noticed the Energy-Relay Gloves and a rules question popped up that keeps running rampant in my head: can the effect of this magic item activate extra damage that requires an energy type? For example cold/hot Siccatite or maybe the Reverberation Amplifier? If the answer is no, than that is okay. It's just that the question is stuck in head at the moment.

Warriors across the Pact Worlds commission these gloves to gain versatility in the type of damage they deal. A set of energy-relay gloves is permanently configured to one damage type selected from among acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. The gloves count as a worn magic item unless you install them in armor, taking up one upgrade slot.

If you hit with a weapon attack while wearing energy-relay gloves and deal additional damage, you can convert that additional damage to the gloves’ type. The gloves can convert additional damage from a class feature, a feat, and the additional damage dealt on critical hit, but they can’t convert additional damage from equipment, changes to a weapon’s damage dice, or spells. Using the gloves doesn’t change whether the attack targets EAC or KAC.

Objects formed completely of siccatite are immune to cold damage and fire damage, making them crucial components in items that are in constant contact with severe heat or cold.

A weapon made of cold siccatite that deals cold damage, whether inherently or from a weapon fusion, deals 1 extra cold damage plus 1 extra cold damage per 6 item levels, up to +4 at 18th level. A weapon made of hot siccatite that deals fire damage gains the same amount of extra fire damage.

Adding specially modified arabuk antlers to your armor allows you to harness their amplifying properties for your own sonic attacks. The armor upgrade makes a soft clicking sound reminiscent of an arabuk’s hunting clicks. This sound and the antler’s amplifying properties impose a –8 penalty on your Stealth checks while wearing this armor. When you use a weapon to deal sonic damage to a single target, you deal additional damage equal to half the weapon’s item level. In addition, once per day as a reaction when you would take sonic damage, you can overcharge the amplifier to reduce that damage by half.

Hi all. I was browsing the races that one can play, for I have way to much ACP and should do something with it. It was during this browsing I noticed something with the Aasimar and Tiefling entries:

Because of their innate curiosity, humans are more likely to dally with outsiders, and as a consequence, a significant percentage of planar scions living in the Pact Worlds are descended from humans. However, because humans are far less populous than in pre-Gap eras, planar scions descended from other humanoid races are now far more numerous.

So apparently Aasimars and Tieflings aren't "human-bound" anymore in SFS, and can be Vesk-based Tieflings, Halfling-based Aasimars, and so on according to the rules. But since I remember these were more a less also the rules in PF1, PFS1 ruled that all the Aasimars and Tieflings had to be human-hybrids (and thus not Aasimar Elves).

1). Is this in SFS still the case, or could Aasimars and Tieflings also be descended from other humanoid races in organized play?

Then there is also another thing that piqued my interest:

Size and Type: Planar scions are often Medium, and all are outsiders with the native subtype.

So apparently they can also be small or large, and I assume that is in case of Aasimar-Gnomes (which would be small) or Tiefling-Shobhad (which would be large).

2). But can a Tiefling-Orc also be small? Although I hope that this to be the case (for I find small-sized Tieflings based on medium sized creatures hilarious), it might not be allowed because it works both ways (making something bigger than it is supposed to be). Or is there a predetermined size for all Planar Scions in SFS or on the boon itself? I haven't downloaded the boon for its text, because I want to be sure that I want to use it as well before spending the points.

As I was rereading the scenario before I run it in a couple of days, a couple of questions popped up:

1). Is there any way in SFS to recover from a Disintegrate effect? Because I can see it happen in this scenario.

If the answer is no, should I just avoid using the infest ability? Because an irreversible death at this high a level is just a slap in the face, especially since it can happen so early in the scenario.

2). Bitic and his helper are mentioned to have modified ranged laser weaponry that deals various damage types. I cannot find the weapon in the stat blocks, however. Can I just assume it deals the same damage as their ranged options presented in the stat blocks? Because I think I'll describe it as some sort of nanite cover around their weapon, that ceases it's cohesion on the weapons when the enemy is defeated (allowing them to have the laser weaponry mentioned, without doing something strange to the party's loot).

3). More of a general question: can one cast spells that target through the see-through wall? I mean things like Slow, Mind Thrust, Hold Person, Slice Reality, Summon Monster, etc. I actually think not, but I cannot find the rules around it. I know Laser Weapons can go through (non-magical) see-through barriers, but I do not know about such spells.

So I was reading through Tech Revolution and spotted the Electrical Attunement Solarians. It immediately set some gears moving in my head, for I had difficulty forging a character in a particular way and this fitted perfectly. Couple of days ago I noticed something however: The Destructive Discharge ability that functions as your Zenith requires a fortitude save, and it doesn't seem to affect objects. This means that Constructs and Undead are by default immune to it, which to me seems to be some sort of oversight? They can certainly by affected by the electrical damage from the Solar Weapon/Flare, but the moment one overcharges to launch this electrical zenith, the creatures are suddenly unharmed...

While planning my Oracle in advance, I stumbled upon the Oracle feat known as Divine Access. Now I have tried wrapping my head around the rules in Society when it comes to "having access" and I wanted to confirm with the rest of the people here this is how it works:

1.) When taking this feat, an Oracle of Bones can choose a Deity that provides the Death or Undeath domains. This Deity does not have to be any Deity that your character worships or reveres, nor has to be within acceptable alignment range (as is for Clerics). It is however restricted to the Character Options of Society play, meaning that the Deity needs to be of "Standard Availability" (So yes for Urgathoa and Zyphus, but no to Kabriri and Zura).

2.) When said Oracle of Bones picks Barzahk for the Divine Access feat, it is allowed to add up to three spells, the spells that are in Barzahk's list: Longstrider, Knock, and Teleport. That last one is Uncommon and is not allowed to be chosen/learned by anyone under regular circumstances. But because the feat (and choice of Deity) gives the option of picking Teleport, it is legal in society play to pick it up, right? So such an Oracle is allowed to pick and cast the Teleport spell though this method, correct?

So I recently had a thought on which my first reaction was "why wouldn't it be like that?": If one, for whatever reason, installs two different Electrostatic Fields in one's armor, would an enemy that hits you take the retaliatory damage from both armor upgrades? So both the 1d6 of the Mk I and the 2d6 of the Mk II?

I know resistance doesn't stack and takes the higher one, but is that the same for the retaliatory damage? I couldn't find any rule or reason why they wouldn't both deal damage back, but it is also possible that I simply overlook something here.

(P.S. I mainly play SFS, so I'm mainly asking what the rule is, not how another GM would rule it. If there is no rule however, then I guess the main consensus is the rule that should be followed)

While preparing this scenario I noticed that some things are missing in several stat-blocks:

1. The Reflex DC for the grenades in encounter A (both subtiers). An educated guess makes me believe it should be DC 10 or 11 at low tier, DC 11 or 12 in high tier.
2. The ranged "to hit" modifier for encounter D (subtier 3-4 only). Yet again, educated guess would make it +5 (as the bonus on melee attacks is also raised by 1).

Other than those errors, I didn't spot anything confusing or strange. The story is good and I can't wait to run it.

Yesterday I used the spell Etheric Shards, and something came up that I and the people at the table didn't really knew how to properly rule. I concerns a part near the end of the spell description.

You harden ethereal matter into interplanar blades that are invisible to those who cannot see into the Ethereal Plane. Movement through an area of etheric shards is halved, even for incorporeal creatures, and creatures entering a 5-foot cube filled with etheric shards take 1d8 slashing damage and must succeed at a Reflex saving throw or gain the bleeding 1 condition. The damage from this bleeding stacks with itself and other sources of bleeding. A creature that remains motionless within the area takes no damage, but such a creature is flat-footed unless it moves enough to defend itself, which forces it to take damage and attempt a saving throw.

Etheric shards are a magical trap. A creature trained in Mysticism and within 30 feet of the area can attempt a DC 35 Perception check to sense the shards. The shards cannot be disabled, but they can be dispelled.

Bolding mine. So what does that part actually mean?

2. If 1 is yes, then does it force a save for any action taken (move action to grab weapon, standard to shoot) or does it only trigger once.

3. What about being forced to make a reflex save (versus Grease or a Overheat), is that enough to trigger "defensive movement".

4. If someone falls prone (either by own volition or due to trip/Grease), does that trigger a reflex save?

5. What about spell casting? Is that enough movement to trigger. Because if yes, that is a serious debuff.

All in all, I guess the main question is: what is enough movement to defend oneself (and what is more than that, because it is set as a lower bar)? I mainly play Society, so "ask your GM" usually doesn't lead to any solutions. And although a Dev response is of course appreciated, they're probably too busy to answer (and I'm of course at the back of the question-line). So I am mostly hoping for a nice consensus or something like that.

Dear Paizo Devs,

I have a recurring problem with being unable to report for the event with the numbwr 280969. Although I have been made a reporter by the owner of that event number, the event does not show up in my list of events for which I can report. Now usually I just give the player numbers to another reporter, because we cannot figure out why I can't do it, but maybe it is time that I just ask here to see what the underlying problem might be.

I do know that the event in question used to have the number 37557, for which I too was an reporter. But when the organizer changed, so did the number. And no mather how many times I'm being added as reporter for the new event, I cannot find it in my list.

Could someone whose area od expertise this is check this problem for me? Mainly because the event is going to take place soon again and I'm GMing as well

Many thanks in advance.

I'm currently running a home-campaign and I'm looking for some ideas. I had decided to implement a certain amount of creatures which are considered side-quests/optional bosses (which also drop an unique item that my players can use). Although I already have several creatures up and going for the campaign, I still need several more. So I wanted to ask for some suggestions.

So the creatures that I still need are to represent the following themes:
1. Gullibility
2. Repression/lack of self
3. Emotional smothering
4. Rebellion
5. Forced togetherness/disharmony
6. Dependence
7. Isolation
8. Unfairness (specifically of law)
9. Stalling
10. Unbalance/Extremes
11. Disaster
12. Confusion
13. Unfriendliness/hostility
14. Self-Doubt

As for the rules:
I. Please keep it to first-party creatures (so beings from the Bestiaries and Adventure Paths)
II. Alignment doesn't matter. If a particular Angel best represents something, then so be it. Most of these creatures will have their alignment set to Neutral anyway.
III. CR is adjustable; if the creature fits the theme, then it can be weakened/strengthened to be a proper challenge later (by use of templates, removing/adding hitdice, but absolutely NO Class levels). Although anything with a original CR above 18 might be to powerful to properly balance afterwards.
IV. My players and I are mostly PFS players, and I wish to stay way from the usual suspects that can be found there. So I would like to state that Goblins, Orcs, Zombies/Skeletons, humanoids, and most of the Demons are very unlikely to make the cut. These creatures are tossed at you almost all the time in PFS and they are growing kinda stale.

Thanks in advance to those that are willing to search along these lines with me.

I've been playtesting the Witchwarper class at my local lodge for the past few weeks and allowed it to sink in before I would write anything. I think I'm good to give it an objective go at the moment, so here I go. Do realize that I will not have played above lvl 10, so the high level abilities will not be taken along (as I have no insight in it).

The Physical Chassis:
The Witchwarper gains 5 hp/stamina, 4+Int skills, 3/4 BAB, Reflex as good save, and with Charisma as key ability score.
As can be seen (and as I experienced), the chassis is physically weak compared to other classes. This is not meant as a negative point, it is a caster class after all; the HP/Stamina and BAB are to be expected.

That Reflex is the only good save is a headscratcher for me though; as a caster class I kinda expected it to be Will, but apparently the flavor demands a less coherent mind? It makes the defenses of the Witchwarper fragile though, as Wisdom and Constitution are not main stats to raise for the class, leaving it with terrible Will and Fortitude saves, but most likely stellar Reflex saves (as Dexterity is one of the main can-do-all abilities in Starfinder).

The only thing I disliked on the chassis is the 4+Int amount of skills. The only classes that gain this skill amount are Solarions, Soldiers, Technomancers and Mechanics. But the latter two are Int based (thus probably have 7 a 8 skills per level), and the former two are Full-BAB damage-dealers (who lament their lack of skills, but make up with sheer combat prowess). The Witchwarper seems to be drawing the short end of the stick here; Int is not a main stat, so they will not have a lot of bonus skills. You'll have a few good skills (most likely "talk your way outta here" skills aka face), which become completely irrelevant if there is an Envoy around. And on top of that there are not enough skill points to go around to be "decent" in other things without heightening your Int. Any other 3/4 BAB class that is not Int based has at least 6+Int, so why doesn't the Witchwarper have that?

Proficiencies
Light Armor only and Basic Melee, Small Arms and Grenades.
The usual caster fair, with the inclusion of grenades. I have no special things to mention here, it are the expected proficiencies. Having grenades is great, though. Yes, they are expensive, but the option is amazing to have against things that resist your spells/class abilities.

Spell list
A difficult one to review at the moment, as the complete spell-list has not been revealed yet. Currently it seems that the list consists of Status Removal, (Area) Control, with some damage-buffing for allies. It makes it pretty clear what kind of caster it is supposed to be: a spellcaster that controls the battlefield by tossing the enemies in a disadvantage. It also means that the Witchwarper is completely reliant on someone else to take those enemies out. A Witchwarper on its own is never going to win (well, maybe not never, but you get the idea), as it is not in the possession of a good damaging spell until level 7 (when it it can get Explosive Blast, which for some strange reason has made the cut for the spell-list). This is of course dismissing Summon Monster as a viable tactic, and I hope that Witchwarpers also get their unique summon on the list (as Mystics get First World and Technomancer Robots).

Class Features
Infinite Worlds
One of the main abilities a Witchwarper gets. I have a bit of a double feeling for this one; I like it, it is really flavorful. But at low levels (1-6) you have very few uses of this, and it is very situational. Starting level 7 this ability begins to shine brighter as you grow stronger, with lowering/raising the floor and increasing/decreasing wind, gravity and radiation (with the latter a bit less strong due to armor-interactions). It just seems useless in a lot of low level encounters (due to shootouts being the main course of action, and elemental hazards not being part of the enemies tactics).

Paradigm Shift
THE MAIN THING of a Witchwarper. It works a lot like the Hexes of the Pathfinder's Witch/Shaman: you can use each of your known shifts once per person per day. It unfortunately also suffers from the same problem as the Pathfinders Hexes: some are just better/less situational than others. And since you do not get a lot of them (and new ones keep opening up at each interval) there is no reason to take those other ones except for flavor/specific build reasons. This was the reason there were so much Slumber Witches, and I believe Evil Eye/Cackle are still the main choices when Hexes are lost due to archetypes. I rather not see that happen with the Witchwarper, but I also do not want to see all the Paradigm Shifts being lowered to a state of uselessness to prevent something like that. Maybe what I'm advocating is an extra low level (at lvl 1-3) Paradigm Shift, but then from a select list of more situational shifts then the "can-be-used-anytime" ones (like Push Grenade, which is awesome, but extremely situational). This also immediately semi-counters the "single big boss syndrome" problem that arises a lot in low-level PFS scenarios: once you use your paradigm shift at that boss, your done with this class ability. Better hope you can do other things as well, because these bosses usually last a few rounds...

Compound Sight
The standard "+x to skill every three levels" ability in a new coat: you get to choose to which skill it applies, for it is not dictated by your class. At level 9, you pick another skill the bonus applies to. The only thing I find a bit useless is the fact you can change to which skill it applies at each level up. My experience with such "can be changed" abilities, is that they do not change unless the party changes drastically. They usually stay in the same skill over and over. I could also be the only person thinking this, but as far as I'm concerned that part of the ability can be scrapped (good for the word-count, I guess)

Spell Penetration
Don't get me wrong, Spell Penetration is not a bad feat. But the Witchwarper does not get a lot of spells that interact with this feat (at the moment). This may change as the spell-list is updated, but at the moment it is a feat that might get taken starting lvl 7 or 9 when those spells start to show up on the list. Spell Focus will be taken by 90% of the Witchwarpers at lvl 3 to up those Save DC's, which seems like a feat that should be obtained through the class at lvl 3 instead of Spell Penetration.

Alternate Outcome
An amazing ability, rerolls are very powerful. I have nothing to add to that.

Starship Combat
Here is a problem, which is amplified by the lack of skill-points per level. The Witchwarper gains no class-skills to shine in starship combat except for the Captain seat, a seat usually taken by the Envoy (who is better at it) or the Mystic (because he has nothing better to do). Yes, you can get the other skills through resource uses (themes/feats/those few skills you get), but it will usually be outclassed by the other classes in the other seats. As it stands, the Witchwarper does not have a specific niche in these combats where it shines, it is just there.

TL;DR: The Witchwarper seems to be a fine class meant for battlefield control, which has the class-abilities to make it work. Although it has all the characteristics of a caster class (proficiencies/hp/stamina/BAB), it also has a couple of headscratchers (only Reflex as good save? 4+Int skills is abominable). It gains Spell Penetration instead of Spell Focus (something I would change back), and is low on class-ability uses on low levels (at higher levels the uses are more than enough, but getting there is a slog). The class-ability choices have some real pearls, which unfortunately outshine some fun abilities that would be taken if more choices where allowed to be made. The spell-list is still incomplete, but showcases the core is (area) control and support, as its class-abilities also do in a different way. It does not have a niche in Starship Combat, except that it is an excellent Captain if there is no Envoy in sight.

All in all a good caster class, that suffers from some chassis problems.

Due to the recent Additional Resources updates, Distant Realms came back to my attention. In it, there is a Spiritualist archetype known as the Quintessentialist that has become legal. Now, I’m a sucker for these kinds of archetypes (there is lots of RP-potential is this one), but the more I think about it, the more questions it kinda raises. Maybe I’m overthinking things, but as a PFS regular, I like to know exactly what I’m getting into rules-wise. So I want to ask a series of questions about the archetype, and maybe I can get some of them answered? I do not expect a developer to answer (would be nice though, don’t be shy!), so I would also settle for the common consensus.

1. So the Exemplar, which is presented as an alternate, positive version of oneself, states that it only takes over the ability scores of the Spiritualist, but advances as a Phantom. So an Exemplar of a human would still have Darkvision and that of a Dwarf would still have 30ft movement, correct? (With an Exemplar of an Undine not having a swim speed).
2. It states that the Exemplar can be granted the weapons/armor/items the Spiritualist is equipped with when summoned, but originally Phantom’s cannot wield weapons or wear armor. Does this archetype circumvent that original inability? And if it does, does the Exemplar have the same proficiencies as the Spiritualist?
3. If the Exemplar can indeed use the weapons of the Spiritualist, then I assume that the incorporeal version of the Exemplar still cannot attack corporeal creatures (even if it uses ghost touch weapons), due to the limitation incorporeal Phantoms have, right?
4. The Exemplar class feature only alters the Phantom class feature. Does that mean that the Exemplar still counts as a Phantom for the sake of feats? (for example, Phantom Ally)
5. The Exemplar can be granted your feats. Am I correct to think that it gains those on top of the feats it already got from the Phantom progression?

Some of these questions might seem redundant, but they were included for completeness. What does the communal mind of the message boards think?

While building a character for use in PFS, I came across the Apocryphal Subdomains from Pathfinder Player Companion: Divine Antholgy.

Now, as a domain using character, can a druid with this trait take a apocryphal subdomain like the Alchemy Subdomain (which is normally related to the Artifice/Magic domain) as long as he worships either Brigh, Haagenti, Norgorber* (for Artifice only), Orgesh* (for Magic only), or Qi Zhong? Or does the domain choice presented in the Nature's Bond class feature override the extra choices that the trait offers?

I myself hope that the trait adds to the list, so I could make a more "unique" type of druid character for PFS. But since I'm not sure if it works this way, I turn to the forums in hope of a consensus on this particular rules-interaction.