Mus's page

Not necessarily, but somebody has to make this item, and if it's really hard to get somebody to make it, you can expect it to be considerably more rare than its computed list price would suggest. I mean, you aren't expecting Lord WalDeMart to find the rare people who can make it and express it to wherever it might be needed, are you?

I kinda get where you're coming from, but it seems a bit silly. After all, potions of level 3 paladin spells are specifically listed with prices in the very same chapter of the core rulebook that gives those availability guidelines. If they wanted them to be unusually hard to find compared to other items of similar value, couldn't they have just said so? And paladins don't have limited spells known, so there's no reason potions of untold wonder would be any more rare than potions of any other level 3 paladin spell.

As for the story side of things, yeah I would actually expect magic item shops in large towns to be buying potions off traveling merchants from distant lands, tracking down crafters who can fill gaps in their inventories, and so on, not just relying on whoever happens to live in the area. I'd assume that's all part of the unspoken background operation that explains why their selling prices are twice what PCs can get away with — customers are paying for selection.

And as a side note, I'm not sure I actually see why a paladin with Brew Potion would be so rare. Surely NPCs aren't all optimizing their feat selection for adventuring or dueling, and putting some resources toward bolstering your larger community's ability to fight evil at the expense of your own personal glory sounds like a fairly lawful good thing to do. Besides untold wonder there are half a dozen worthwile potions or oils that paladins are the sole or cheapest source for, maybe twenty more that they're as good a source for as anyone else, and unlike most casting classes a single paladin with Brew Potion can brew every last one of them. Don't see why they'd be especially hard to find.

But really I'd almost never expect that sort of analysis to matter, because when it comes down to it that seems like an exhausting way to handle shopping. "You want to buy a lesser extend metamagic rod when you get into the city? Let's see... there are thirty-seven casters in the region of 9th level or higher, but only two of them took Craft Rod because feats are scarce. One's a sorcerer who doesn't have Extend Spell and can't make a DC 27 Spellcraft check because he wanted to max out his social skills, and the other's a druid who's philosophically opposed to the institution of retail. Sorry, no luck." Makes sense for MacGuffins, not so much for buying basic magic gear. If it's not an unusually low-magic game, that's what the availability guidelines are there for. But that's just my take on it, your experience may vary.

it was faqed a while ago. (in 2016)

im not getting that from that FAQ

Yeah that's the FAQ I was referring to in my last post, clearly interpretations differ and I can see how either of you reached the readings you did, it seemed ambiguous to me. I'm not especially concerned since the build works either way, at most you'd have to tweak the source of healing you use.

Since a Paladin would have to invest one of their scarce feats for Brew Potion, and since they would have to be fairly high level to cast Untold Wonder, it means that your party would need to have a fairly high level Paladin for a patron.

Or they could just... buy it, right? Like, from a shop. In a town where most 2,000-gp items are readily available.

I mean, do you normally expect PCs to have a specific patron who personally crafts them every item they want to purchase?

the anatomy doll won't heal the Dhmpir.

the negative energy need to call out that it heal undead to work. not damage the living. same as a cleric channeling energy.

I'm genuinely not sure if that's true. You're of course accurately describing how channel energy works, but that's a direct result of the rules for channel energy. Meanwhile the positive/negative energy FAQ specifically calls out channeling as unusual, though it's not quite clear what the default expectation is for abilities that don't specify. It looks like a negative energy effect that doesn't heal undead will say so explicitly (e.g. chill touch, blood crow strike). My best reading is that a dhampir hit by umbral strike would suffer the blindness and the cold damage but be healed by the negative energy damage, and likewise a dhampir whose blood was used on an anatomy doll would be affected by the sympathetic link and the sickened condition as normal but be healed by the negative energy damage.

If not, they'll just have to rely on a wand of infernal healing until they can afford boots of the earth.

Glad you like it! Fair concerns. The build is certainly dependent on being able to find the potion, though I'll note if you're using the magic item availability guidelines it does fall within the base value for a large town (or small city, depending on the CL you want), which means "a 75% chance that any item of that value or lower can be found for sale with little effort in that community."

As for the rhamphorhynchus, they are at least of a body type with "grasp/carry — yes" in the magic item slots table, but it's absolutely GM discretion whether they can stab or twist the doll effectively, and I suspect most real-life pterosaurs would probably need to use their mouth to exert any serious force. If all else fails you can always just activate the doll yourself as long as you're not in combat and don't need your standard actions for anything else.

Mostly I just love the image of an alchemist gaining power not through any sort of proper study, but by drinking a ludicrous hodgepodge of concoctions to contort their mental state in a way that would normally produce a disastrous feedback loop but in the right combination unlocks nigh-omniscience. It fits very nicely with the vetala flavor. Plus it allows for some mechanical options that need a little love — making ragechemist viable is hard enough, and I'm pretty sure this is the only reason anyone would even consider playing one that's not strength-based. Not to mention some of the weirder possibilities that getting such a high Int score at this level opens up, like occult rituals.

Found an absolutely wild shenanigan that comes online at 4th level:

vetala-born dhampir alchemist (ragechemist) 4
ability scores: max Int, dump Str/Wis/Cha
traits: Called, Enduring Mutagen, Student of Philosophy
drawback: Headstrong
feats: Splash Weapon Mastery, Extra Discovery
discoveries: precise bombs, tumor familiar, extend potion
favored class bonus: mutagen duration
key gear: anatomy doll, potion of untold wonder

Use alchemical allocation with your potion, then drink your mutagen. Have your rhamphorhynchus familiar start continually biting you for damage and twisting the doll to heal you back up with negative energy. Fail saves against your rage mutagen to get escalating penalties, which are translated into bonuses thanks to untold wonder. So you end up with absurdly high Intelligence and Will bonuses that last for hours and give you unparalleled skill checks plus massive damage with your splash weapons.

Hi, glad to have you here!

"It's actually just an expression ... most of us don't drink poison on missions either, like at all."

Prosperity chuckles. "As a matter of fact, I drink poison on missions quite frequently." They open their jacket to reveal three small glass bottles strapped to the inside, containing what appear to be to be ale, mucus, and tar respectively. They wink. "You think this is fun, wait till you see me on one of these rascals." They glance over at Zoa, who somehow snuck out of the satchel again and is licking the last drops of whiskey from an overturned bottle. "As for Zoa, I think she's on the same page as you are."

"Spectre, can you reproduce a couple copies of the symbol outside Big's shop?"

"Certainly." Retrieving writing supplies from the coach, Spectre quickly sketches out four copies of both the lettering and diamond from the sign they saw in their vision. They offer one to each of the others.

"Can someone work up a solicitation?"

This task takes Spectre longer; they jot down a draft to show the others, and if it meets approval they select the highest quality ink and parchment to carefully letter in the short message.

"Plus I do my best crafting when I'm at least a bit tipsy," Prosperity chimes in. "Last Long Shadows I got absolutely wasted and managed to implant a zombie's pineal gland into my own skull. Not an easy task." Zoa clambers out of the now bone-dry flagon, hissing fiercely at the group before returning to Prosperity's satchel. "The lady says, meanwhile, that she can outdrink all ten of us put together." Prosperity glances around the group and shrugs.

Then Spectre gets back to work, following the procedures Q's dossier laid out for connecting the coach to the lightning rail so they can begin the journey to Sharn.

Spectre finally draws out a large handful of seemingly random junk from their bag. "Here we are. Each of these can be used exactly once, and I can't replace more than one per day. So certainly use them, but don't waste them and don't lose them." These are hex tokens, fully transferable single-use hex repositories created with the alley witch's hex trader ability — take a look. Prosperity created a big stockpile of tokens for different hexes during their retirement using paragon surge and Extra Hex. Time to share the joy!

They hold out the first two items to Moonraker, a small capsule full of white powder and an even smaller green pill. "These should go well with that remarkable voice of yours. Put the powder under your tongue and you'll be able to speak and understand any language for seven minutes. Or swallow the pill, and you'll be able to speak to and understand animals of a chosen type for the same length of time." Tokens for the tongues hex and feral speech hex.

They turn to Goldeneye, offering a wing nut and a rudimentary syringe. "The nut should help you put those claws and sword to best use — toss it over your shoulder and you'll be able to fly for seven minutes. The syringe is for any medical needs; if you jab someone with it they'll be able to shake off minor impairments for seven minutes or resist them more easily for a day. Don't worry, you don't need a circulatory system, that's just how the magic is triggered." Tokens for the flight hex and ameliorating hex.

To Skyfall, they present a small closed fan and a folded handkerchief. "These might be helpful in a pinch, especially if you plan to go flying off on your own. Neither is primed until you open it. After that the first person the fan touches will be healed of minor wounds. The first the handkerchief touches will be put into a brief enthralled daze." Tokens for the healing hex and seduction hex.

Finally, they pivot back to face Null. In their hands remain two crude dolls, barely more than straw wrapped in cloth. One has a simple smiley face on it, the other a frowny face. "These seemed to suit you, and they'll come in handy if you ever need a little boost to use your persona to the fullest. If you touch someone while squeezing the smiling doll, they'll like you better for about 45, 50 seconds. If you're squeezing the frowning doll, they'll instead like someone else worse for that same time, your choice of anyone within sight." Tokens for the charm hex and discord hex.

Excellent! Don't want to jump past anything someone wants to do during that hour, whether conversation or getting the coach moving, so feel free to continue that scene with the assumption that Spectre is quietly casting in the corner.

When their spell is finally complete Spectre goes stock still. They take in the view of Mr. Big shaving, carefully studying every detail. Perception: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (20) + 20 = 40 What's the room like, any particular features? A window? How about sounds? You said they can tell it looks like his home in Sharn, I assume because of that Knowledge check from earlier... do they know specifically where in Sharn that is?

Once they've committed to memory all they can with their normal senses, they press on their eyes and chant another incantation, this one just a few seconds long. Casting detect magic once more. It has a 40% chance of working through the scrying sensor, let's say above a 60 on a d%. 1d100 ⇒ 61 Scraped by! Thank you dew of lunary. Spectre slowly scans for magic in every direction. Any magical auras within 60 ft. of Mr. Big?

One last question, and this is some shameless munchkinry but I have to ask: Q described the telescope he gave us as allowing you to teleport to a point you can see. Scrying lets you see the target's surroundings with your full visual acuity. Did Spectre's examination of the telescope's magic give any indication as to whether it would work through scrying?

The silence in the wake of Goldeneye’s demonstration stretches on for a long beat, as though no one is particularly eager to share much about themselves. Finally Spectre shrugs and cracks their knuckles. ”Alright then, I might as well get into it.” They reach into their satchel and pull out a crystal vial of pure water, holding it up to the light. ”The ancient wisdom of my people says that the key to controlling a mortal is to gain power over their soul.” Spectre swirls the water in the vial for a moment. ”I disagree.” They unceremoniously pop out the stopper and dump the water onto the floor of the coach.

”Most of my magic exploits the fact that at the end of the day, we’re all basically just electricity and meat — or metal, as the case may be,” they add with a nod toward Goldeneye. ”With an arcane spark to the right nerve or gland, I can manipulate your biology just about however I please. I can stop you from hearing, or seeing, or moving, or breathing. I can put you to sleep, debilitate you with vertigo, heighten your suggestibility, tamper with your memories. If the circumstances are right I can manipulate your body like a puppet or raise it as a living corpse.” They smile sheepishly. ”But now I’m just bragging.”

Spectre draws another vial of liquid from their satchel, this one a pale yellow. ”What you need to know is that one of my most effective techniques involves transferring certain afflictions from myself to another, generally within ten or twenty yards.” They open the new vial. The liquid inside smells sharp and strong, almost but not quite like vinegar. Dew of lunary alchemical power component. ”So if I appear to harm myself in battle or ask one of you to harm me, no need to assume that my mind has been addled by some sort of enchantment. I can take a little pain.” Filling a small dropper with the yellow liquid, they slowly and carefully deposit one drop in each of their eyes, wincing slightly as they blink a several times in rapid succession.

”I can channel similar magic to remove some afflictions, though typically I would need to expend either time or resources to do so.” Spectre produces an ornate silver mirror that looks a bit too large to have fit in the satchel they drew it from. They lay the mirror flat on a nearby seat. ”Let’s see, what else… I can be fairly stealthy. I can hold my own in a con. In my retirement I’ve taken up crafting magical devices — nowhere near the level of Q if that telescope is half as good as advertised, but enough to build up a bag of arcane tricks.” The next object they pull from their satchel appears to be a 12-inch iron bar lined with small plates and spikes. They absently twist and fiddle with the various protuberances as they speak. ”I make it my business to know anything worth knowing, and a few things that probably aren’t. I can transmit whispered messages within sixty yards, and will default to doing so when we're in public.” In almost no time, the bar takes on the shape of a very peculiar headset, complete with spectacles and ear trumpets. Spectre puts it on, seemingly oblivious to how ridiculous it makes them look. Turning their traveler’s any-tool into a masterwork tool for Perception.

”Ah, I almost forgot!” They produce the vial of Mr. Big’s blood that GQ provided, removing the stopper and setting it on the mirror. Zoa pokes her head up onto the seat and takes a deep sniff, then directs a rapid string of hisses toward Spectre. ”Zoa would like me to inform you that she’s fully amphibious, much stealthier than I am, capable of wand use, and equipped with an excellent sense of smell. She can also stay alive and conscious after almost any injury and heal completely in a matter of minutes — emphasis on almost. That last trait I’ve worked to replicate through my boots, but it’s a pale imitation at best.” As Zoa slinks away, Spectre retrieves the image of Mr. Big from the dossier and places it next to the blood.

”And of course, there's my divinations. Not my typical brand of magic but I’ve made them a side-specialty of their own. Like I said, I like to know things, and in this line of work there’s really no substitute.” Spectre sits down in the midst of the items they’ve strewn about, crossing their legs gingerly. ”Speaking of which, it’s about time I start scrying. I think I’ve shared more than my share, so I’ll try to keep the chanting to to a minimum while the rest of you speak — I promise I’m listening.” They close their eyes and start mouthing words. Beginning to cast scrying.

Spectre grins. "I appreciate that, but I couldn't care less what pronouns you use for me, and I don't have any particular desire to spend time "correcting" people. Please don't misgender Zoa though." Zoa hisses inscrutably. "I can use the same number method as the rest of you. I do like the idea of being able to check in without making it obvious that it's a test, but pronouns won't work for the same reason as code names — if someone is impersonating one of us, they'd be able to pick them up quickly just by listening to our conversations. How about this: if any of us asks another "how's your leg?," no matter the context, they're asking that person for their confirmation number."

Got it! Of course no worries if real life things are getting in the way of posting, but when you get the chance let me know if I detect any auras from GQ.

Spectre relaxes slightly as their teammates show no signs of being disguised or polymorphed. Before leaving they add, "I might ask any of you for a confirmation number at some point in the future to verify your identity. Let's say... nineteen plus the number of letters in your code name. And yes, Null counts as four, don't try to get clever. Please figure out your number now and remember it, because if you can't provide it when asked I will assume you've been impersonated or possessed. I hope you'll do the same for me."

Nope, Opi's Hat of Disguise is basically her Emergency plan - too many targets can see through illusion, or at least detect that an illusion is there. She can lie about her parents being adventurers or the like for why she has several items on her, but her appearance is mostly nature with some makeup to help.

Cool, Prosperity's just checking to make sure nobody's currently using magic that might suggest they're an imposter, so Opi doesn't raise any concern. Jury's still out on Cari though.

So wait, can Zoa take a scent also, like a police dog sorta? If you let them sniff the blood, would that give them a bonus to perception? Just kinda wondered, I know they aren't a dog, but still.

Oh good question! The rules for scent do say "creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights" but maybe he'd have to actually be bleeding or have blood on his clothes? At the very least I'm assuming Zoa's been around gnomes before and can distinguish their smell in general, so she should be able to help spot him if he's invisible/disguised as another race/behind an illusory wall/etc., which is the sort of thing I'm mostly worried about. But she'll definitely take a whiff when Prosperity uses the blood for scrying.

"Documents as well?" Prosperity rolls their eyes. "I'm starting to get a bit tired of this game where you feed us information crumb by crumb. Where was this stone? Where were these documents? Who knew of their existence and locations? What sort of protections were in place to safeguard them? Is anything known about how this gnome circumvented those protections? Did he have any prior involvement with either the stone or the documents? Who witnessed the thefts, or otherwise provided the information that he was responsible? Was any other evidence found at the scene? Have all others who were in communication with the stone been informed that it was stolen? And I'm sure you want to be secretive about these proclamations, but is there anything you can tell us about what they entail or when they were planned for?"

Also, I'm in love with Bartholomew.

That is way too adorable.

The cutest part is he has some fun familiar things that give him compression and a slow flight speed — I'm imagining him squeezing down to the size of a golf ball or poofing up to float around like a little balloon.