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This was an utter delight!

Matthew Morris wrote:

Though why Iomedae and Saranrae get it...

Sarenrae makes sense to me. She has hidden worshippers in Taldor and Rahadoum and tends to encourage having her agents help people even in places where her religion is forbidden. No specific explanation for Iomedae, though; it might be one of those quirky unexpected domain-picks to add character/flavor to a deity.

I can't make official clarifications, but the reason I personally ascribed the Clandestine inquisition to Iomedae is that her church operates clandestinely in Rahadoum. For example, see the Sword Pit: http://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Sword_Pit

I gotta say, I am really liking the Ruse spells in this book. I hope to see more of them in the future.

I'm glad to hear it! Those were my brainchildren. :D

Have I missed something or do a couple of the feats in the book not really do anything?

specificly the sense assumption/relationship ones since arent they already coverd by the sense motive skill anyway?

Good question! As the author of those two feats, I can't offer official rulings, but I can explain why I wrote them this way. Sense Motive's default "get a hunch" function has generally been interpreted to provide less specific information than these feats do. Note that you don't have to talk about things obviously related to the relationship or your potential lie in order to use the feats; they represent being exceptionally adept at figuring out little clues in just about any interaction that meets their limitations. Without such a feat, you can still improvise that use of the skill as your GM deems appropriate (more below).

BigNorseWolf wrote:

I'm seeing a lot of what I was afraid of here: Rumormonger like options. Options that don't expand the use of skills, bur rather by their existence constrain the use of skills only to people with a feat or special ability- feats skill focused characters don't have to spare.

Determining that two people have a relationship is just a sense motive check, not sense motive and 2 feats. Knowing whether a fib is going to be outrageous or easy is something the player/character should have some idea of before they start spinning their yarn. Aiding someone's disguise with a bluff is just a creative aid another, not a feat. Telling if someone knows how to use that sword at their hip is something fighting types know,

One of the reasons people complain about caster/skill disparity is that the expanding system has expanded the capabilities of magic. "Abilities" that already do what the skill does constrains them and makes just getting a spell to do it an even better option.

Yeah, I hate to agree... but I do. I really love the rules make cool things like these are codified into the rules, but I wish it didn't take a feat to do it.

Expanding the existing skill system or utilizing the skill unlocks would be fantastic.

I guess a good reason to keep it in feats is that it keeps the game simple. As soon as they put rules in for using Sense Motive to determining two people have a relationship, people familiar with that rule may feel that they need to make use of that option whenever a situation arises. It clutters the skill page on the PRD if they include it. It is difficult to find if they don't include it directly on the skill page. At least with them as feats, only the people who took the feat will spam the skill use and it keeps the information contained in a relevant location.

Still, definitely lame for feats to remove something you've been doing without a feat.

My philosophy is that the feat is only there to do these things better. A feat is not an excuse to forbid improvisation—it's a lower bound on how challenging it should be to improvise. By all means, let the player use Sense Motive after a lengthy exchange to guess a relationship or how believable a lie is without a feat. Just consider imposing a penalty or raising the DC such that the feat is worth it, and remember feats often let you accomplish something without as much to work with or without navigating as many roleplaying hurdles. Without the feat, you might be at greater risk of being found out or encountering other challenges.

Thanks for reading!

Tenacious Spell...

Is awesome. Very cool. Excellent for PCs and NPCs alike. I look forward to the look on my players' faces when they dispel some ultra-important buff on a BBEG only to discover it lingers for another 1-4 rounds.

That's mine, too! I'm glad you like it. :)

Alexander Augunas wrote:

Gisher wrote:

I love the Liberating weapon special ability. It's like wearing a lesser version of a Ring of Freedom of Movement, but cheaper and without taking up a slot.

And the Sharding weapon special ability is freaking amazing for thrown weapon builds! You can sink your money into enhancing your melee weapon(s), and then also use those for ranged attacks without ever letting go of your weapon(s). Unlike a Blinkback Belt, it could be easily combined with a Belt of Mighty hurling for STR builds.

David and I both REALLY like thrown weapons and we both felt like there wasn't much support for them in the game. We actively tried to support character concepts that lacked strong options (such as me writing a sling-focused fighting style), and we both wanted to make sure that there were multiple ways of being good with thrown weapons.

So, you have the blinkback belt, which is the easiest to get of the three current options in the game, but its also the most taxing because it effectively takes away your enhancement bonus to Dex / Str. Next, you have the sharing special ability, which is REALLY cool visually and while it takes up more gold resources than the blinkback belt, it doesn't occupy any item slots. Finally, you have the Ricochet Shot weapon master feat, which costs no gold, but instead takes up a feat slot and either requires you to be a fighter or to take a feat tax.

Overall, there are several different options to achieve the same end goal with different benefits and drawbacks, and I think that's a strength for the game overall.

There have been a lot of threads bemoaning the difficulties of building thrown-weapon characters. I think you've made a lot of people very happy. I'm one. Thank you.

As writer of that section, I'm very glad you think so. Thank you! :)

I love the book, mostly stuff like Weapon Tricks, the Divine Fighting Styles or the Advance Weapon Training options which provide numerous bonus' based on pretty normal character advancement.

However stuff like the "Arm Bind" weapon trick is absolutely amazing. One of the issues with maneuver's like Sunder/Trip/Disarm and the like is that unless the campaign is built in a specific way eventually all the feats put into the choices become worthless. For example moving from fighting mooks to fighting dragons.

Arm Bind provides Disarm with sustainable use across the entirety of a characters life, however it'd be nice to see similar things for the other maneuvers. Something like Sunder being able to target natural armor or weapons or Trip being able to target winged monsters for example. In summary, it'd be nice to see more Weapon Tricks for different weapons, maybe following on from the Smashing Style line and make it hammer exclusive.

Anyway great book, hoping the ideas are carried forwards.

Thank you! I wrote that trick for that very reason, and I will be keeping an eye out for other opportunities to employ the idea.

Wow! We're well on our way there as long as we keep sharing this. Thanks for your interest, everyone! I'm really looking forward to bringing another new class to life. :D

If you have more questions after the #RPGChat, you are still welcome to ask them here (or on the Kickstarter itself if you're a backer).

Thank you for backing, folks! Another proud contributor here. :D

Please remember to share this as widely as possible, whether you are a backer or just know other gamers who might find it interesting–this can still make it, but it needs as many eyes as possible to see it. (Especially like and retweet us on Facebook and Twitter if you use those; Facebook doesn't show every post to everyone who follows the poster and Twitter feeds usually stream by too fast for one tweet to be seen.)

Heine Stick wrote:

goldomark wrote:

What does that ceremony spell do?

It givesa +2 luck bonus against divorce checks? *rim shot*

It provides a boon based on one of four possible ceremonies (Funeral, Holiday Fete, Marriage, and Naming). In addition, the cleric can create additional ceremonies based on his domains.

This will sound odd, but I'm assuming that various marriage rituals differ from deity to deity. Which kinda makes me wonder, what, say weddings look like when performed by the darker faiths like Zon-Kuthon, Urgathoa, or Lamashtu. What? I have a perverse curiosity.

Just my 2 copper, but...

I'd personally expect Lamashtu's to be sexualized and to involve sacrifices by a bride in the hopes that the goddess would bless her womb with many goddess-touched offspring. This deity seems like the sort to encourage a woman to take multiple husbands, presuming she bothers with such a long-term alliance.

A marriage performed in the name of Zon-Kuthon or Urgathoa seems to me likely to be a relatively simple or improvised affair, since these deities don't really seem to have much divine interest in marriage. The big, ritualized, significantly sacred/profane marriages seem likely to be found only among faiths revolving around love, marriage, fertility, or contracts, and outside of places where religion is restricted (such as Nidal), I'd expect people to most often be married by a priest of such a deity as Abadar, Asmodeus (especially political marriages), Erastil, Gozreh, Lamashtu (as mentioned above), Pharasma (especially if there is a pregnant bride or a bride who desires many successful pregnancies), Sarenrae (especially marriages formalizing relationships built on an exceptional degree of honesty/forgiveness), or Shelyn (especially those who marry for love despite any trouble it causes).

Phooey. Valvalis's Initiative should be +9, her flat-footed AC should be 20, and Kainazzo's Swim modifier should be given. (It's +16.)

Rubicant a.k.a. "Rubicante" CR 15
51,200 XP
LE Medium outsider (fire, native)
Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +30
-----------------------------------------
Defense
AC 31, touch 17, flat-footed 24 (+6 Dex, +1 dodge, +14 natural)
hp 241 (20d10+120)
Defensive Abilities burning blood, cloak of flame; Immune fire; SR 28
Weakness vulnerable to cold
Fort +18, Ref +14, Will +19
-----------------------------------------
Offense
Speed 60 ft.
Melee 2 slams +28 (2d6+8 plus burn)
Special Attacks burn (4d6, DC 26), glare
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th)
At will—fireball (DC 21), mass cure critical wounds, plane shift (self and willing creatures only)
5/day—fire storm (DC 24), raise dead
3/day—quickened fireball (DC 21)
1/day—greater teleport (self only)
-----------------------------------------
Statistics
Str 26, Dex 22, Con 23, Int 16, Wis 25, Cha 23
Base Atk +20; CMB +28; CMD 45
Feats Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Critical (rays), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (fireball), Spell Penetration
Skills Acrobatics +29, Diplomacy +29, Knowledge (arcana) +23, Knowledge (history) +23, Knowledge (nature) +26, Knowledge (planes) +26, Perception +30, Sense Motive +30, Stealth +29
Languages Common, Ignan, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft.
-----------------------------------------
Ecology
Environment magical towers
Organization solitary or with the King and Queen of Eblan
Treasure standard
-----------------------------------------
Special Abilities
Burning Blood (Ex) Elemental fire of amazing intensity flows through Rubicant's veins. Whenever he suffers damage from a piercing or slashing weapon, this fire explodes out for a moment, subjecting all creatures within 30 feet to his burn ability (Reflex DC 26 negates).

Cloak of Flame (Su) As a standard action, Rubicant can cover himself with his magical cloak and activate it with a command word. For the next 3 rounds, the cloak grants him immunity to all acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic damage so long as he wears it, but prevents him from using any of his other supernatural abilities or spell-like abilities of 5th level or higher.

Glare (Su) As a standard action every 1d4 rounds, Rubicant can focus his gaze with burning intensity upon one target within 30 feet. A ray of heat strikes the victim, dealing 15d6 damage if Rubicant hits with a ranged touch attack (+26 attack modifier; critical threat range 19-20).

Valvalis a.k.a. "Barbariccia" CR 13
25,600 XP
LE Large outsider (air, native)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +24
-----------------------------------------
Defense
AC 29, touch 18, flat-footed 24 (+9 Dex, +11 natural, -1 size)
hp 189 (18d10+90)
Defensive Abilities vortex of hair; Immune death effects, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, petrification, poison, polymorph effects
Fort +16, Ref +15, Will +17
-----------------------------------------
Offense
Speed 40 ft., fly 90 ft. (perfect)
Melee 2 slams +25 (2d6+8)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks whirlwind (3/day, 10-60 ft. high, 2d6+8 damage, DC 26)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th)
At will—calcific touch (DC 20), control winds (DC 21), plane shift (self and willing creatures only), suffocation (while in whirlwind form only; DC 23)
-----------------------------------------
Statistics
Str 26, Dex 29, Con 21, Int 16, Wis 22, Cha 23
Base Atk +18; CMB +27; CMD 46
Feats Ability Focus (suffocation), Flyby Attack, Furious Focus, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Vital Strike, Power Attack, Vital Strike, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (slam)
Skills Acrobatics +30, Fly +38, Knowledge (arcana) +24, Knowledge (geography) +21, Knowledge (nature) +24, Knowledge (planes) +24, Perception +24, Sense Motive +24, Stealth +30
Languages Auran, Common, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft.
-----------------------------------------
Ecology
Environment magical towers
Organization solitary or with Sandy, Cindy, and Mindy
Treasure standard
-----------------------------------------
Special Abilities
Vortex of Hair (Su) Valvalis's hair shields her from harm and deflects hostile air effects. This ability grants her a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws against air spells and abilities that manipulate air or wind. In addition, so long as she is in her whirlwind form, she gains DR 15/— and can use suffocation as a spell-like ability.

Kainazzo a.k.a. "Cagnazzo" CR 12
19,200 XP
LE Large outsider (native, water)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +21
-----------------------------------------
Defense
AC 27, touch 12, flat-footed 24 (+3 Dex, +15 natural, -1 size)
hp 172 (15d10+90)
Fort +17, Ref +8, Will +17
-----------------------------------------
Offense
Speed 40 ft., swim 90 ft.
Melee bite +23 (1d8+8) and 2 claws +23 (1d8+8)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks recuperative withdrawal, water barrier
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 11th)
At will—control water, plane shift (self and willing creatures only), hydraulic torrent
-----------------------------------------
Statistics
Str 26, Dex 16, Con 22, Int 17, Wis 23, Cha 22
Base Atk +15; CMB +24; CMD 37
Feats Combat Reflexes, Great Fortitude, Furious Focus, Improved Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (bite), Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills Bluff +24, Diplomacy +24, Disguise +21, Intimidate +24, Knowledge (arcana) +18, Knowledge (local) +18, Knowledge (nobility) +21, Knowledge (planes) +21, Perception +24
Languages Aquan, Common, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft.
SQ change shape (any humanoid; alter self)
-----------------------------------------
Ecology
Environment dark underbelly of government
Organization solitary or with guards
Treasure standard
-----------------------------------------
Special Abilities
Recuperative Withdrawal (Ex) As a full-round action, Kainazzo can withdraw into his shell. This ability is similar to a total defense action (+4 dodge bonus to AC and cannot make attacks of opportunity). At the beginning of his next turn, he recovers 5d8+30 lost hit points.

Water Barrier (Ex) As a standard action, Kainazzo can surround himself with a barrier of water. This barrier grants him concealment and causes him to gain vulnerability to electricity. If he is dealt electricity damage while the barrier persists, it is dispersed. If Kainazzo already has a barrier, he can unleash it as a minor tsunami (as the tsunami spell, but the duration is only 2 rounds) as a full-round action.

FF4 being a personal favorite of mine, I'd be happy to stat those up real quick. I'll start with Milon/Scarmiglione.

Milon a.k.a. "Scarmiglione" CR 10
9,600 XP
LE Medium undead (earth)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 100 ft.; Perception +21
-----------------------------------------
Defense
AC 24, touch 15, flat-footed 19 (+5 Dex, +9 natural)
hp 136 (13d8+78)
Immune cold, undead immunities
Weakness vulnerable to fire
Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +13
-----------------------------------------
Offense
Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft.
Melee bite +16 (1d6+6 plus poison) and 2 claws +15 (1d6+6)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks touch of opportunity
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th)
Constant—deathwatch
At will—darkness, plane shift (self and willing creatures only), poison (DC 19), shocking grasp, silence (DC 17), stone shape
3/day—animate dead, create undead
1/day—create greater undead
-----------------------------------------
Statistics
Str 22, Dex 21, Con —, Int 15, Wis 20, Cha 20
Base Atk +9; CMB +15; CMD 28
Feats Combat Reflexes, Lunge, Power Attack, Step Up, Toughness, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (bite)
Skills Bluff +21, Intimidate +21, Knowledge (planes) +15, Knowledge (religion) +18, Perception +21, Stealth +21
Languages Common, Infernal, Terran; telepathy 100 ft.
-----------------------------------------
Ecology
Environment desolate mountains
Organization solitary or mob (with 4 advanced ghasts)
Treasure standard
-----------------------------------------
Special Abilities
Poison (Ex) Injury—bite; save Fortitude DC 21; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Con; cure 2 consecutive saves. The DC is Charisma-based.

Touch of Opportunity Any time Milon can make an attack of opportunity against a foe, he can cast a touch spell of 4th level or lower as an immediate action. If he does, he makes the spell's touch attack as his attack of opportunity.

I don't give my party a fight on simple terrain unless a simple fight makes sense or the encounter needs to be quick. Otherwise, I embrace the terrain rules to keep fights interesting for everyone. In fact, I created a set of guidelines to quickly generate such terrain and help keep things interesting both tactically and story-wise. Just pick the table that suits the area you're in and roll a few times for what the scenario is like. You can see these guidelines in my "Random Encounters Remastered" line of PDFs (link to a search with all three installments shown).

Dreamstitchers
Alignment: CE
Headquarters: Dreamspun Bower, Court of Ether, the Darklands
Leaders: Sister Griselda
Structure: Smuggling ring
Scope: Regional
Resources: Magic items worth nearly one million gold pieces total, easily blackmailed clients, and spell-warded hideouts in backwoods and slums of much of Avistan and Garund

From refined pipe pesh to crystalline stolen dreams to happy memories distilled into sweet ambrosia, the Dreamstitchers trade in pleasures of many sorts. These witches, bards, and rogues collect their wares among the desperate and offer them to whomever can pay the price in treasure, memories, or favors of increasingly dubious morality. Many members claim to deliver their customers from the joyless constraints of "civilized" society into steady bliss, carefully hiding the origin of their esoteric magic among vile hags. Generally, they use bribery, blackmail, memory erasure, and threats of assassination to coerce officials and adventurers into staying out of the way.
Structure and Leadership
The first Dreamstitcher, a hag known as Sister Griselda, began with two witch apprentices, teaching them all she knew of manipulating dreams. They, in turn, gave Griselda the choicest treasures they could steal with her teachings and sold much more on the black market. Eventually, they moved on to recruit more shadowy allies. Over the past four centuries, they have spun an ever-widening web of mistresses and apprentices and criminal associates across the Inner Sea. Only the leaders know of activities beyond their immediate circle, preventing turncoat members from doing much damage to the Dreamstitchers as a whole.
Goals
Although most Dreamstitchers present themselves as enlightened agents of happiness, only a few of the most gullible and idealistic initiates believe it. Most merely use this philosophy as a way to lure in rich and influential customers. A small circle of Dreamstitchers needs only to hook a few high-profile targets on their addictive wares to nearly control a locale. Currently, Griselda is focused on getting key officials of Andoran in her pocket in order to destabilize the nation much like its revolution-torn neighbor Galt, making ever more customers desperate for an escape from reality’s woes.
Public Perception
Most people find the Dreamstitchers' dealings to be obviously shady in character, if an effective form of dalliance for those with discretion or little shame. However, those who feel oppressed by society's expectations sometimes wish so strongly for their promise of unfettered happiness to be true that they believe it regardless of common opinion.

Clockwork Conscience
Aura moderate enchantment; CL 10th
Slot neck; Price 22,000 gp; Weight —
Description
This pendant of remarkably fine mithral appears to be a glistening clockwork hornet hanging from a thin chain. If the owner becomes stunned or dazed while the hornet is worn against her skin, this item buzzes to life instantly and stings her within a split second. The painful sting deals no damage, but magically shocks her back to her senses at the beginning of her initiative count, reducing the stunned or dazed condition to staggered and thereby allowing her to act that round.

In addition, if the owner is compelled to directly harm herself or her allies by a mind-affecting effect, the hornet also stings, but its magical effect is reversed. When stung in this way, the wearer must attempt a Will save (DC 18) or be dazed for 1 round instead of acting.

The clockwork conscience can sting only once per day.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, daze monster, heroic finale or heal; Cost 11,000 gp

Ravingdork wrote:

Telepathy does not allow you to detect people that you don't know are there. Telepathy does not let you read thoughts and/or rip information from peoples' minds.

What telepathy DOES do is allow you to broadcast your thoughts and feelings telepathically. If a non-telepath was so inclined, they could do the same towards a telepath, who is able to receive ONLY those thoughts and feelings that are so broadcast.

I concur.

As do I... but I think the rules are too vaguely written here, and I want to get something official from this, or at least an opinion from a qualified member of the Paizo team. Alternatively, is there any conclusive reference to how this works with monster telepathy?