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Actually, Appearance of Life spell is an illusion spell and "makes undead creatures of Medium size or smaller appear as if they were living humanoid creatures." Living humanoid creatures do have shadows and reflections, so presumably this spell would create the illusion of them. Anything wrong with my logic?
Oh yeah, I see what you mean, you effectively become an actual humanoid since undead immunities are either Ex or Su and so are all vampire powers. Ironically, weaknesses don't seem to be, so you would still burn in sunlight etc presumably. Pretty useless spell, though maybe for an NPC villain who's a ghoul and wants to pretend to be human and foil PCs casting Detect Undead it might be worth it. Disguise Self RAW doesn't seem to help vampires much, as they can only turn into other creatures of their type, so you could become a zombie or a lich, but not a humanoid technically. But then presumably that wasn't RAI as I've been reading Ashes at Dawn and pretty much all the vamps have disguise self prepared or carry a hat of disguise if they aren't a caster. They would seem to have zero reason for that spell RAW. In one instance a vampire does actually use a hat of disguise to pretend to be human I noticed. I guess disguise self would be the best bet for a vampire to have a reflection and a shadow then, but it should have to look elsewhere to foil Detect Undead then.
Fleshy Facade spell states "This gives the target the appearance of a living creature of the type it was when it was still alive." So does this spell give a humanoid vampire a shadow and/or reflection as those would seem to be part of its "appearance... when it was still alive"?
Thanks for the info guys/girls. Seems like the consensus is clear even if it isn't directly addressed in the rules. It's actually something I'd never considered for spells with a long duration. Suddenly spells like Eagle's Splendor become really useful and make spells like Charm Monster or Command Undead significantly more powerful.
I can't find an answer to this. Example: If I am a sorcerer with CHA 18 and I cast Eagle's Splendor then cast Disguise Self the DC would be 17 to disbelieve (if interacted with). But if Eagle's Splendor then runs out, but the same Disguise Self is still ongoing, does the DC drop to 15 or stay at 17 until the end of that casting of the spell? Is there a rule for this somewhere that I can't find?
Thanks for all the suggestions, def some good ideas in there. To be honest, I'm less worried about how to hand out loot and more with whether I should hand it out. No one wants me to make the megadungeon easier with more loot than was intended so I'm really just trying work out how this adventure was intended to be run as far as loot goes.
Thanks for that Tacticslion, I've read a few of those and will check out the others. Maybe I'm asking something that doesn't really have an answer, expecting someone to say something like "Rappan Athuk was written for first edition so it's supposed to award random loot according to the creatures entry in the bestiary, hence why there is so little loot included in the book" or alternatively, "Rappan Athuk's designers stated they included very little loot deliberately to make it harder, so no loot except what's in the book". But maybe it is just a case of leaving it up to GM so I need to make a decision on how I'm going to do it.
Thanks for the input, I'll check out that loot generator. I've considered just keeping an eye on WBL and assigning loot to keep it balanced. But the one thing that has left me disinclined to do that is that Rappan Athuk is considered a mercilessly difficult megadungeon and we're running it to face that challenge specifically. The last thing I want to do is make it easier (or heaven forbid, harder) by handing out more loot than was intended by its creators, hence why I'm trying to really work out how Rappan Athuk is 'supposed' to be run.
I'm sure I've just totally missed something, but I can't figure out the loot situation from random encounters. I've run adventure paths before where the loot is all built in, so I've never had to think about it. Now I'm planning to run the Pathfinder version of Rappan Athuk, which is intrinsically difficult and the group is looking forward to testing themselves against it. But it has a lot of random encounters and a lot of the '32 bandits live here' type stuff, with no loot specified. Is the adventure written with the expectation that the PCs will get random appropriate loot from those encounters? Basically, if I hand out loot for random encounters is WBL going to make the adventure more easy than it is supposed to be (which we don't want), or will it be at the designed difficulty level if the only loot players get are those specifically laid out?
If a sorcerer has a page of spell knowledge, adding a new spell to his list, then uses beast shape to become an animal, causing his equipment to meld into his form, does he still have access to the spell from the page of spell knowledge? Does he lose the spell from his list because he is no longer a 'bearer' of it, or, is the added spell a continuous effect and he would still have access to it? Note: Sorcerer has the psychic bloodline, so only needs thought and emotion components to cast spells.
So the group has used Dominate Person on an alchemist who has an Alchemical Golem, with him controlled they have had him order his golem to cease attacking. Can they now order the alchemist to instruct his golem to obey their orders, effectively gaining the golem as an additional party member? Can they then take the golem to town and sell it? I can't see what's stopping them from doing either of those things unless I've missed something. To be clear, I'm not looking to find some excuse to get the golem off them, I can work around it, just wondering if there's a flaw in this technique as I can't really find any rules on selling constructs or transferring ownership etc.
I can't see how they aren't supposed to get the 50ft speed, it would be pretty silly. The spell description just doesn't seem to say they do, or that the target ever gets a land speed greater than 30ft. Odd.
Thanks for the clarification of what I was thinking. Couple of points I'm still not getting though. Does he also gain 50 foot speed? Does he gain the +4 CMD against trip attacks and x1.5 carry capacity for being a quadruped? Does the vampire lose his slam attack since he has no arms? yes, yes, yes, no you can slam with more than just arms Doesn't Beast Shape I provide up to 30ft movement and Beast Shape II doesn't add to that, so wouldn't the wolf not get the 50ft movement? I know that doesn't make a lot of sense but the rules seem to say that. they can use still/silent spell and eschew materials), spell like abilities or supernatural abilities ,so kinetisist could use their kinetic blasts Gaseous form specifically calls out supernatural abilities as not working, though kineticist should be fine I think.
I have a vampire coming into my campaign soon and am trying to make sure I have their forms and effects right. Am I right that these are the changes applied to the vampire. Wolf Form: Gain low-light vision, scent, +2 nat armor (stacks with vampire nat armor), 1d6 bite (counts as magic for DR, plus does energy drain) with trip Does he also gain 50 foot speed? Does he gain the +4 CMD against trip attacks and x1.5 carry capacity for being a quadruped? Does the vampire lose his slam attack since he has no arms? Dire Bat Form: Movement goes down to 20ft but gain flying 40ft with good maneuverability, +4 nat armor, 1d8 bite (counts as magic for DR plus energy drain) Does he also get -1 attack, -1 AC, +1 CMD & CMB for being large? Presumably he doesn't get blindsense? Keep his slam attack? Gaseous Form: gains fly 20ft with perfect maneuverability, become immune to sneak attacks and critical hits, loses supernatural abilities (dominate, change form etc), loses armor, shield & nat armor bonus to AC Does he swap his DR/silver & magic for just DR10/magic or does his original DR overwrite it? Presumably can't attack but it doesn't say so directly. Also presumably can still be harmed as normal by magic & silver weapons. Note: I realize that the gaseous form produced by reaching zero hit points is impervious to damage.
Thanks for the input guys.
Since vampires can apparently be non-evil I have an issue with a vampire that will soon have access to a Holy weapon. By the rules I can't find anything that means a non-evil vampire couldn't wield one and neither would it take a negative level from it. Just seems inappropriate. Am I missing anything rules wise?
Thanks for all the great input guys. Yeah, I misread a line in the spell description and thought you got your first feature for free. Glad this idea works as it's obviously more cost effective and cooler than teleport circle. It was mainly to link a city to an outpost, which would effectively mean that the outpost would have immediate access to all the city's strengths in terms of reinforcements, trade etc. I guess there is an extra component of your demiplane being invaded or something, which can't happen with a teleport circle. In either case, whether using a circle or a portal, the entrance itself would have to be defended - still, a demiplane would seem to make that easier in many ways i.e. timeless feature with summon monster IX or something.
John Murdock - I'm not quite following you. So when you cast create demiplane you choose either the Etherial Plane or the Astral Plane in which to make you're demiplane. So, say you cast create demiplane in your house and pick the etherial plane. By choosing the portal as your 'free' feature your house now has a permanent portal to your demiplane in the etherial plane. Walking through that portal will take you to your demiplane. Now, while within your new demiplane you cast the spell again, and again choose portal as your feature. Where does that second portal lead? Does it lead to your house? Or can you specify where it goes like the 'Gate' spell it replicates? Gate spell description: 'a gate spell functions much like a plane shift spell, except that the gate opens precisely at the point you desire'.
So one way to permanently link two locations is to use two teleport circles, one each way and then make them permanent which has a total cost of 2x 22500gp = 45000gp. I was thinking that another way is to use greater create demiplane with a portal, then from within it cast create greater demiplane again to make a second portal from it to the second location, then make the demiplane permanent for 22500gp - so total cost 22500gp, much cheaper. However, in the Greater Create Demiplane spell it does state that such a portal 'can only be used for planar travel', which seems to indicate that both your portals would be close to each other in the material plane. So is it the case that once you create a demiplane all it's portals would then be physically next to each other in the material plane?
Thanks for the cool suggestions, I'll check out those resources and see if I can put something together. Yossarian - yeah, I get the campaign pacing you're talking about but after Skull's Crossing then Hook Mountain then Jorgenfist I think they're a bit tired off dungeon crawling for the moment, I don't want to drop them straight into Runeforge, which literally locks them in a colossal dungeon for a ton of sessions. I want them to have a bit of time to do some other stuff, craft, smell the roses, feel like they're changing the world a bit etc.
So my players completed Jorgenfist, found the library and convinced all the giant tribes to go home. Jorgenfist is now lying empty with all that historically significant stuff under it. They were previously doing Thassilonian research at the Archives in Magnimar and have met Archisa Aparna, a pathfinder at the Museum of Ages who has been buying Thassilonian artifacts off them. Now they want to approach her about organising a major expedition to Jorgenfist to basically man the place, guard the walls etc and make the library the greatest historical discovery in Varisia - the book does describe the library as being the greatest repository of information on Thassilon ever found. I think it's a great idea but my question is how do I work out something like this? I know I could hand wave it as 'the Pathfinder Society likes the idea and funds it and you're welcome to use the library whenever you like', but I'd prefer to spend some time on it, do a bit of kingdom building which seems to be how they would like to do it as well. Are there any rules for something like this somewhere? How much would it cost them to launch a major expedition? Surely a resource like the library would produce a valuable outpost but how do I work that out? Any suggestions welcome.
Yeah, like I said in the OP, I know the general consensus is that it doesn't work but it's not 100% clear. For instance just saying that 'harmless' doesn't mean anything in the description is either a) true and sloppy writing by Paizo or b) not true and means something. Either way you would think they would make a ruling on it. I guess the fact that SR comes up so much in play and there is no ruling probably means they're happy with the consensus.
Was there ever an official response or errata on Spell Resistance and spells with Spell Resistance: Yes(harmless)? I know the general consensus is that it always applies whether spells are harmless or not. Still, there seems to be room for doubt in everything I've read so just wondered if there was an official line on it that had turned up at any point.
I don't see why that wouldn't work, money aside. No need to even wait for level 3, if you're an unsworn shaman you can take the Fetish hex at level 1, which gives you craft wondrous item.
Wraithstrike - makes sense now. Thanks for clearing that up.
No, that's his statblock from the original 3.5 version of Fortress of the Stone Giants, I'm using the new Pathfinder rules reissue in the Anniversary Edition where he is Transmuter 11 not 14. He isn't using the defending property in the stats, his AC is 32 and is +4 armor(mage armor), +3 dex, +1 dodge (feat), +11 natural, +4 shield(it states as soon as close combat starts he uses quicken shield) & -1 size, totaling AC 32.
"+1 defending spell-storing (vampiric touch) club" that under the GMW's effect become mostly a "+4 defending spell-storing (vampiric touch) club". I guess it's a mistake then. It says in his description "Mokmurian casts mage armor and greater magic weapon on his club every morning after he prepares his spells. Once he learns that the PCs are coming (likely via the headless ogre's head), he casts resist energy (to resist a type of energy he knows the PCs favor, or otherwise lire), see invisibility, and stoneskin. If he suspects the PCs are very close, he casts fly and uses his wand of bear's endurance. All of these effects are incorporated into his stats above." His attack with the club is +22 in the stats. So that's 14 BAB & 7 STR & +1 enhancement bonus = 22? They seem to have forgotten his -1 for being large. With greater magic weapon he would be +23 to hit surely.
I'm running Rise of the Runelords Chapter 4: Fortress of the Stone Giants(Anniversary Edition) and am reading up on Mokmurian. It states that each morning he puts greater magic weapon on his club and that is presumably included in his profile given its 12 hour duration as Bear's Endurance from his wand (with a presumably 3 min duration) is included. So his club is listed as a +1 defending spell-storing (vampiric touch) club. Has he used Greater Magic Weapon to add special abilities to his club? I can't find anything to say that's possible in the spell's description. Also if it is possible then where did he get the vampiric touch spell he stored in it? He doesn't have it prepared on his list for the day. If it isn't possible then why isn't the bonus from greater magic weapon on his club, presumably making it a +4 defending spell-storing club.
Making a custom construct seems to be very complicated in general, although it's pricing is quite simple - CR squared x 500. Then I thought of a simpler way to do it by taking a regular monster and basing the construct off it. My question is, is this a simple way to design and price a construct that follows the rules? 1) Pick a monster with just racial HD
Ah right, got it. So that's what I was missing. Good to know. Thanks guys.
Hang on a minute, I still don't see where it states that a creature possessing DR/Magic makes its natural attacks count as magic. I mean it has the DR sure, but where does it say that transforms its attacks?
Dr Styx - There doesn't seem to be any direct reference to Shadows being on the Shadow Plane that I can find, despite the name, just that they're incorporeal. Didn't catch the breath weapon thing though, was thinking of it as just energy damage. Claxon - I haven't heard that having DR/Magic does that. Do you have a reference?
Good to know. Thanks for the info.
Okay, so I was checking out Shadow Projection and for a level 4 spell it seems like for some really tough creatures it is pretty much a guaranteed win for the price of a single level 4 spell. It seems like most monsters that use natural attacks and aren't immune to ability drain often have no defense against this spell. For example, a Tor Linnorm (CR21) or Black Magga(CR15) - as far as I can tell they can't harm you because you're incorporeal and every time you hit them with your touch attack they would lose 1d6 STR. At zero strength they would pass out and be easy to kill. They can run away I suppose. I feel like I must be overlooking some rule somewhere, because a level 7 wizard using 1 spell and then taking down a CR21 creature on their own without any risk seems ridiculous. EDIT: Fixed where I said energy drain instead of strength drain.
So the rules state that a Bloody Skeleton's HD count as double when they are raised. They also state that a corpse with more than 20 HD cannot be raised. So my question is does that mean a bloody skeleton cannot be made from more than 10 HD, since the HD count as double? So you try to raise a 20 HD corpse as a bloody skeleton but you count its HD as 40, so it cannot be raised? My guess is that since the HD only 'count' as double, rather than being actually doubled, that a 20HD bloody skeleton is fine, but I wanted to get some other opinions on it.
This is confusing me a little. A Hat of Disguise says that you cannot appear as a different type, only a different subtype. So if I am humanoid(elf) I could appear as humanoid(human) for instance, which makes perfect sense, but not as a dog, which wouldn't make sense. But say I'm an Aasimar or a Sylph or something like that, even though I have only a few minor appearance differences from a human, like metallic hair or skin markings, because my type is Outsider, I can't make myself appear human with the hat. I can however, make myself appear as things with massive differences, like a Barghest and be the aforementioned dog(kinda). Am I understanding this wrong?
Yeah you're right, was calculating that at healing 1 a second for some reason.
Interesting though. I can't find any reference to the 1-1/2 price for combat-training with regards to anything except dinosaurs, but presumably it's the same for a regular animal that would be more available like a bear or a wolf. The few examples I can find of a combat trained animal, like a horse, seem to cost half as much again as the untrained animal. It would add a new dimension to the Chosen Child trait, a child that was chosen by an enormous combat trained bear :)
Am I understanding this right? So a deinonychus costs 600gp and buying a dinosaur combat trained costs 1-1/2 the cost, so a combat trained deinonychus costs 900gp. So by taking either the Rich Parents or Chosen Child trait, which allows the player to start with 900gp, you can basically buy a battle trained deinonychus, which has 4 attacks, pounce and a 120ft charge distance for the cost of 1 trait?
Hmm, yeah I hadn't noticed that there was no price attached, that makes infernal healing even better, a level one spell slot for basically a full heal.
So I'm thinking of playing a Wyrwood, they're great due to all the immunities, but the main issue is that healing spells don't effect them due to their construct type. Here's a few ways I can see to heal one, does everyone agree these will actually work. Make Whole - the obvious one, but not available until at least level 3. Boots of Earth - 5000gp to buy or 2500gp to create, provides fast healing as long as you don't move, great, but not for early levels. Infernal Healing - Level 1 spell that provides fast healing for a whole minute, so a whopping 60hp with one spell. One of its components is unholy water which costs 25gp. The spell is evil though. Celestial Healing - like Infernal Healing but with a duration of only a round a level, plus needs holy water (so 25gp) for a small amount of hp, seems a terrible option. It's not evil though. Mimic Fibres, alchemical item that costs 30gp or 20gp to create, that repairs 1d10+10 to an object made of wood (Wyrwoods are made of wood). It seems this should work on them as they are objects (hence why they don't count as living for regular healing spells) Take a level of sorcerer with the Impossible Bloodline and then any regular healing spells you cast will work on yourself. Take a class with channeling and select the variant channeling Forge, and your channels will heal yourself.
Thanks for the confirmation all.
Does this work? I choose Aasimar for my race, then select the alternate racial trait Scion of Humanity, gaining the type Humanoid(Human). Do I now meet the human prerequisite for the feat Racial Heritage, allowing me to choose half-elf and learn the spell Paragon Surge?
That's great. Thanks for clearing that up guys.
A retraining question. Say I'm gunslinger 1/wizard 5, then I go back and retrain level 1, following the official rules. Does that effectively shunt all my levels up. So could I take a 6th level in wizard and end up being wizard 6? Or am I now left with a level 1 gap that I have to fill with a first level of another class, not wizard?
Thanks Snowblind.
So Protection from Evil states that "While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target." So if an evil creature tries to use Charm Person on someone who already has Protection from Evil on themselves then it has no effect. My question is that if the creature is casting Charm Person as an SLA, so it has no verbal or somatic components, would the target be aware that the creature had tried to control their mind. Could they make a Spellcraft or Knowledge Arcana skill check to figure out that the creature had just tried to magically influence them?
Meatmutton, yeah you're right, my mistake I was thinking of the heavy crossbow going from a standard to a move. Thanks for the clarification all.
Hmm, so what about reloading a crossbow? A light crossbow is a move action to reload, with rapid reload that becomes a swift action. So you can reload it as a swift, leaving your move action free to move. But can't you also choose to reload it as a move action if you want your swift action to do something else?
I always assumed that you could use a longer action for anything you could use a shorter action for. So for example, something you could do as a swift action, you could do as a move action instead of moving. Is this correct though? So, for example, if you've already used your swift action but then you fall off a cliff, can you cast Feather Fall as a move action? Or a standard action? Or both? |
