Lem

Neils Bohr's page

Organized Play Member. 236 posts (271 including aliases). No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 5 Organized Play characters. 1 alias.



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I'm not sure if I'm over complicating necrocrafts or not, but I want to pit my players against some large, and bigger, necrocrafts. Where I'm uncertain is how much do I adjust the base stats for increased size?

The necrocraft table only lists a hit die increase and construction point increase. From there I'm certain I should apply the size modifiers to AC and CMB/CMD. I'm not sure if I should apply a size adjustment to their stats. The only reference I know of for that is to adjust to medium or small before polymorphing, and then the various polymorph spells.

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.


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I'm looking for ideas on interesting creatures to turn into undead and where they would be found. The party is level 5, but they don't necessarily have to challenge the party or be for immediate use.

I'm specifically thinking of regional things. Like great ape skeletons in mwangi, or strix zombies in Cheliax. This is mostly about flavor, so they're not always seeing human undead.


We're at level 8 mythic tier 2 in wrath of the righteous. I have four levels of Oracle that I'm thinking of retaining, since life link seems to be becoming very under whelming.

Is there any reason I should keep these levels?


I'm running an undead fighting campaign, and one of my players asked what languages would be useful. I hadn't really thought about it. Before I give them ideas about regional languages I thought I'd look into what languages intelligent undead speak.

From a quick check through the bestiary for intelligent undead I'm familiar with it seems they all know common, and abbysal is pretty common. I saw one entry with draconic. Are there any other languages intelligent undead commonly speak?


I'm hoping to find some suggestions for how I can hide my necromancer NPC as a cleric of Saranrae. I'm aware of undetectable alignment, which mechanically is probably all I need. However, I'm not aware of a way to make them detect as good. I'm hoping you all may have some suggestions for good flavorful options. The cleric will be level 5ish if it matters.


I'm looking for suggestions on a secondary weapon to give to an undead hunter, that would be thematic. My original thought was a wooden stake, but that's really only for vampires. What weapon would be useful for the most types of undead?


A player of mine wants to build a monk. They are planning unchained monk because it's easier, but they are really interested in monk of the empty hand.

I'm running a 25pt buy with some eliminated feat taxes, most importantly they just get weapon finesse and agile maneuvers for free,as well as power attack. I know this would help with being MAD and get builds off the ground faster, but would it be enough to make vanilla monk of the enmity hand strong viable? I know vanilla flurry would still be more complicated and less powerful, but if that's the only issue we may be able to work around it.


I'm planning on running some very undead heavy one shots for friends because our gm wants to play a character.
One of the players really wants to play a witch, so I'm thinking of allowing him to grab the undead bloodline arcana as a trait and having it apply to hexes as well. This seems like it is equivalent to a feat, so I want to make a few other undead fighting feats available through similar traits.
The only other feat I can think of that is specifically for fighting the undead is turn undead. I don't want to offer command undead as a trait because that would be problematic for the story, they'll have to spend a feat in that if they want it. What other feats could I offer?


I'm planning on running some one shots for friends, for them re try out new characters. Since these would be largely disposable characters I was considering having them be part of a paramilitary organization, allowing for mixing and matching characters, a reason for the one shots to start, and potentially where they get their gear.

To that end I was thinking of having the big 6 be standard issue and leave them pick what they want with the rest of their wealth by level that I'd calculate out. The first question is, do you think this is a good idea to speed up the process? The second question is, at which levels do they get boosts to the items? I was planning on going by the automatic bonus progression, but that didn't seem to be the whole story for armor and weapons as it seems to count on players to still by enhancements for the items just not the straight +x ones.


I'm playing an oradin in wrath of the righteous, and I need some advice on where to go with my feats.

I'm currently spirit guide Oracle 4/ hospitaler, oath against fiends paladin 3. I'm dex based with regular and mythic weapon finesse for dex to attack and damage, fey foundling, combat reflexes, bodyguard and in harms way. From here I'm going to grab power attack and it's mythic version, but I'm not sure where to go from there. I'm thinking two weapon fighting to hit with my shield also, potentially stand still, or celestial eldritch heritage and it's mythic version. Then fill in spare feats with more survivability from dodge, toughness, and shield focus.

Which direction would you go? Any other ideas are welcome.


one of the potential campaign ideas I'll be running soon is an avengers/justice league all vigilante group. I'm thinking they won't have any healing, since I'm not banking on anyone taking the only divine casting archetype I'm aware of.

I'm planning on having the group based in a calistrian temple and giving them access to "free" healing potions. My question is how many should I give them and how much should I charge their wealth by level for it?

I'm planning on starting them at level 4, so I was thinking 5 cure moderate and 10 cure light for a group of 5. Them charging them half the price to their wealth by level as if they crafted them.

I'm having a hard time deciding what would be appropriate, any advice is welcome.


I'm going to be starting a new PFS character soon, and I was thinking of building a character focused on making my animal companion a real combat machine while my character would be built for casting.

At first I figured it was a given that this character would be a druid, but now I'm thinking a nature Oracle might be viable, I don't have the book for lunar, which would be better. It seems the trade off is a very limited animal choice for far better buffs on the spell list, do you think this trade could be worth it?

I'm currently looking at putting several of my characters feats into evolved companion. If you have any other advice on this kind of character I'd love to hear it.


I had an idea I thought would be fun for an upcoming campaign, but I need help implementing it. I want to make some home brew traits that will be assigned based on things that happen in the first session. I would start them with one trait, or two with a drawback.

Since these will be randomly assigned I'm hoping to keep them universally applicable. I don't mind if they're stronger than a regular trait, but not too much.

So if you have ideas tell me the trait name, it's benefit, and the circumstance that would lead to assigning it.

For example:
Watch and wait
+1 trait bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, armor class and spell DCs vs creatures with a higher starting initiative than you.
Assigned for having the lowest initiative in the first combat


If I cast a spell with a casting time longer than one standard action, and had somatic components, in armor when does the spell fail?
For example, if I cast a spell that takes a full round and fail due to arcane spell failure, can I take my move action, or am I locked into a failed spell for a full round?


I'm hoping to make a PFS cleric of Ra, but if rather not have to buy a single book of an adventure path to do it, are the ancient osirion gods in any other sources?


I'm wondering if I've missed any trade offs I should be aware of.
The major points seem that Arcane trickster trades base attack bonus progression and three rogue talents for better will saves and better sneak attack progression.
What are your thoughts?


I'm wondering what kinds of creatures would make sense to use in a campaign based around fighting the cult of rovagug. Outside of humanoid cultists, orcs and trogldytes, would it make sense to use some aberations? Where there are evil wizards and clerics there can easily be undead. I'm just trying to avoid having combats become stale from always fighting the same things. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.


I want some advice on building an intelligent item, but first I want to make sure my understanding of them is correct.

An intelligent item is essentially just a regular magic item that gets the ability to perceive the world around it, communicate to it's owner, bestow negative levels on those who don't have a matching alignment, and potentially compell the host if they fail a will save. I don't recall anything about skill ranks, so I'm guessing a perception check would just add the items wisdom bonus and it couldn't use any trained only skills like knowledge, correct?

I'm wanting to build an intelligent weapon for a potential side arc to a campaign I'm working on. I want the weapon to be chaotic evil and bent on destroying religious shrines. So I figured I'd make it a cursed +2 ominous or vicious weapon, not sure the type yet. the curse would not allow the player to rid themself of the weapon or speak of what it is trying to make them do. As for the intelligent part I'd make it telepathic for sure, so it can whisper into the players head, then add some flavorful abilities until I get to an ego score of around 8 so that it would require a bad roll on the save to end up dominated.

The real advice I'm looking for is whether you think this is too much. I'm thinking this would give some opportunities for good roleplay for the character that picks up the weapon, possibly resulting in some hero points. Of course all of this could be avoided with a good spellcraft check. Would you enjoy the role play opportunity, or do you think a negative level is too high a cost for an interesting non-combat encounter?


Transformation has a material component of a potion of bulls strength, which you drink as part of the casting and it's effects are subsumed by the spell. This is all well and good when you are casting it on yourself as it was designed, but who has to drink the potion when a brownfur transmuter casts this on the fighter?

If the fighter has to drink it does one of you have to ready an action to drink the potion and cast at the same time?


Could a magus use spell combat to cast monstrous physique, changing into a gargoyle, and finish the spell combat using all of the gargoyle's natural attacks at a -2 penalty?


I had an idea for a campaign where the PCs would be common people elevated to mythic power levels.
So my question, before I put to much thought in it, is whether you think having a 10 or 15 point buy before going into mythic would be too punishing to the PCs?


If I wanted to apply the half dragon template to the PCs using PC races and classes, how should I handle HD and APL?

For HD I'm mostly looking at the breath weapon, it grows based on racial HD, which the PCs won't have. Should I allow the breath weapon to scale with class level, considering it's a once per day ability?

I'm concerned with balancing encounters also, should I consider my party as having a +1 or +2 to APL?


If I had a level 4 magus with the two weapon fighting and quick draw feats, could I use spell strike and spell combat to cast chill touch, with the free attack to deliver the first charge, deliver the second charge with my normal attack, then on my second round quick draw another weapon and deliver the other two charges with two weapon fighting?

I know this would be suboptimal, but it seems fun and flavorful for a necromancy focused magus I was considering.

Edit: before it comes up, spell combat requires a free hand, spell strike does not.


I'm starting a new PFS character and I'm considering a Magus, but I'm getting a bit concerned about losing spells, On my bard and wizard I've never had to roll a concentration check, let alone cast defensively. I'm hoping to get some insight to help me figure this out.

1) I know I can decrease my to hit score to increase my concentration, but with half BAB and already taking a -2 for spell combat how much can I really decrease my to hit and still expect my attacks to hit my target?

2) Is concentration the reason people recommend shocking grasp as the major damaging spell? so I could prepare it in higher level slots with metamagic and not increase the concentration check?

3) I see a lot of people saying that combat casting isn't necessary, but it seem like you'd still have a substantial chance of losing your spells, something like 35-40% at level 5, is this just a "cost" of playing a magus?

4) Would I be better off taking wand wielder at 3rd level and casting shocking grasp for a little bit of magic damage and a free attack?


I have an oradin in a campaign that will be going mythic, to tier 10, and level 20, will lifelink become worthless once we pile on all the different healing abilities, and basically doing away with permanent death?

I took spirit guide for my oracle levels anticipating a potential problem like this, but I'm considering taking the extra revelation feat for lifelink, and I'm wondering if it would be a waste.


In going through these forums I've come across, several times, the assertion that that the chain shirt is the best armor for dex based characters. Why is this the general wisdom?

Is it because it's easier to hit the "maximum armor" of a chain shirt only needing a +4 to dexterity?

Is it because you can get mithral versions of it? shouldn't darkleaf cloth make that un important?

Am I missing something? this doesn't seem as straigh forward to me as it seems to be asserted.


I'm working on a backup character for my conjurer wizard. I'm thinking may go with a witch. My question is if I only use hexes in combat will I still be contributing enough at higher levels?
We're not a power gamer group, so I don't need it to be optimal, just useful.
My plan is to save my spells for out of combat utility and oh s@%$ moments. I'm looking at using evil eye, misfortune, fortune and cackle mostly, are there better options? I haven't looked at major and grand hexes much, but they seemed underwhelming at first.


I'm looking at spicing up my 6th level PFS two-handed fighter with some maneuver feats, but I'm having a hard time deciding what is worth it, because I've never used them much.

Due to running an adventure path that gives society credit I jumped from 4th to 6th, and have two feats to spend. I was considering improved overrun and charge through, improved unarmed strike and improved grapple, and improved sunder and either improved overrun or bullrush, but I'm unsure which would be best.

I don't have combat expertise, nor will I ever be able to get it, so the feats with that prerequisite are out. beyond that which maneuvers would be best?

Grapple seem like it would be the standout, because it can be use on any corporeal creature without the size restrictions.


I have a pistolero in PFS and I plan to multiclass him after once I have dex to damage.

My current plan is to get some extra arms, mutagen and sneak attack damage from the vivisectionist, so I can dual weild and load my pistols and pump up my dex and damage.

Then take the rest of my levels in urban barbarian for some dex increasing rage.

My plan is to use two double barrel pistols and make my opening salvo all four barrels. I'd take a -8 penalty to hit, but it would be against touch AC.

If I had both mutagen and rage going at level 10 I could conservatively have a dex of 30, giving a +10 bonus, which once you include a +9 bab, point blank shot and the to hit penalty my opening salvo would have a +12 bonus to hit against touch AC. Depending on whether I get dex to damage on each shot, or for each pistol I'd be looking at damage of 4D8 + 44 if all shots hit, with and extra 2-4D6 if I spend the grit and/or have sneak attack damage.

Did I miss something?
Would this actually be viable?


So deadly aim is recommended in every gunslinger build I've seen, but it specifically says it doesn't apply to touch attacks, so is this only for when you're out of your range increment or has this been changed?

deadly aim:
Deadly Aim (Combat)
You can make exceptionally deadly ranged attacks by pinpointing a foe's weak spot, at the expense of making the attack less likely to succeed.

Prerequisites: Dex 13, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all ranged attack rolls to gain a +2 bonus on all ranged damage rolls. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every +4 thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.

Emphasis mine


I'm interested going the body guard route with my Oradin tank in an upcoming campaign, and I just found out that the only other melee will be a rogue.

Is there a way for me to trigger the rogues sneak attack while adjacent, or should I give up on the body guard idea?

If there are teamwork feats, or a feat/rogue talent that would work I'd be interested in those as well, so we can discuss the idea.


I'm trying to get some utility arrows for our ranger to trick him out like Hawkeye or the green arrow.

I've seen the smoke arrows and blunt arrows in ultimate equipment, but I'm looking for some more.

I'd prefer to stick with paizo material, but I might be able to use third party if there is something good.


Is there any reason this wouldn't work? it gets the first level mystery for life link, and then opens up some nice versatility.

It potentially opens some nice cheese as well, if life link oracle ability and the life link hex stack. you could potentially double your life links, taking less of an oracle dip, or double link people for more HP per round transfered.

I asked about the cheese in the rules forum, but never got a response, so I'm not really sure if it will work.


If I were to take a spirit guide Oracle with the life mystery and then take the life spirit, selecting life link for both, would I get double the number of links?

If it did double up, could I place one of each links on the same creature to double the link healing?


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We're about to hit level 3 and I'm planning on taking craft wondrous item. For a party of fighter, druid, ranger, rogue, summoner, and wizard, what are some of the early, inexpensive wondrous items I should be making right away?


I'm wondering if a Gunslinger (Mysterious stranger) 1/ paladin (divine hunter) 2/ oracle 4/ paladin (divine hunter) x could work as an effective oradin?

I know hospitaler is the typical paladin choice for oradin, but I'm not wanting to give up my smite evil uses, since we'll be fighting demons and devils.


I'm wondering how other people handle what spells your prepared casters have on non adventuring days, especially for dedicated casters.

What I've been doing is preparing one or two really useful spells out each level and leaving the rest empty in case that day turns into an adventuring day.


So with a bonded object for a wizard, if I don't have it available, I have to make a concentration check to cast spells. Would I have to do the same for spell completion items like scrolls?


How would I go about making a hidden stash for my wizard that I could get to even if imprisoned and all my stuff has been taken?

Secret chest would be great if it didn't require a miniature that could be taken from me.


Can you cast Rime Icicle dagger to entangle an enemy for one round with every attack, or not, because you are creating something and not damaging them with a cold spell directly?

Rime Spell:
Ultimate Magic Feats wrote:

Rime Spell (Metamagic)

Creatures damaged by your spells with the cold descriptor become entangled.

Benefit: The frost of your cold spell clings to the target, impeding it for a short time. A rime spell causes creatures that takes cold damage from the spell to become entangled for a number of rounds equal to the original level of the spell.
This feat only affects spells with the cold descriptor. A rime spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.

Icicle Dagger:
Ultimate Magic Spells wrote:

ICICLE DAGGER

School conjuration (creation) [cold]; Level sorcerer/wizard 1, summoner 1, witch 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range 0 ft.
Effect one icicle
Duration 1 minute/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You create a masterwork dagger out of ice. The dagger deals 1 point of cold damage in addition to normal dagger damage. If the dagger leaves your hand for more than 1 round, it melts and the spell ends. At 6th level, the dagger functions as a +1 frost dagger. At 11th level, it gains the returning property when thrown, melting away and reforming in your hand just before your next turn.


I'm having a little trouble deciding if my build is structured well, or even worth the feats I'm picking.

I'm building a human wizard, with my main focus on area denial/control. There is another character that will be summoning as their primary focus, so I won't be doing that. I thought it would be a fun side mechanic to aim for "spontaneous" dazing blast spells for when the situation is right, but I'm not sure if the feat cost is worth it.

We're starting at level 2, so I will be playing through the lower levels if that makes a difference. what I have so far is:

1)Spell focus(evocation) - Human)Spell specialization(burning hands)
3)craft wondrous item
5)greater spell focus(evocation) - wizard)craft magic arms and armor
7)dazing spell
9)greater spell specialization
wizard)quicken spell
11)opposition research

I'm not married to craft magic arms and armor, so if there is something I'm missing that would be the one to go.

I'd update my spell specialization as I go and change it back to burning hands at 8 to allow spontaneous dazing burning hands at 9, then go back up the list of spells.

is this way to many feats for one cool trick?
Am I missing something I really should have?
Should I not be putting spell penetration off so long?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


As I've said in the title there are a druid and a summoner in my party, and I'll be playing a wizard. Summoning is obviously covered, and the druid plans on being a wildshape melee combatant.

My plan is to do battlefield control with buffs/debuffs as necessary. My question is what school to pick, I'm looking at the enhancement subschool or the teleportation subschool. I'm open to other options as well. However, I was planning on picking necromancy and enchantment as opposition schools.

I'm leaning towards teleportation, even though I wouldn't use the increased summon duration, because being able to zip around the battlefield seems very useful. Enhancement has a more useful static power with the stat boost, but I'm less excited about the on use buff actions I'd get from the school. Both have spells at each level that I'd want to cast each day, so that isn't really a concern.

Thanks in advance for any help you're able to give.


Other than the name, why do you think the blunderbuss wasn't included as a starting choice for musket master?
From what I understand the blunderbuss is most effective at low levels, so why not allow musket masters pick the blunderbuss when it will be most useful?


If you have Dex to damage, like from finesse training, would you add 1.5 x your Dex modifier on the two handed elven curve blade?


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I'm confused by the claws listing for the bloodrager draconic bloodline. It just says at 1st level you grow claws, it doesn't say while bloodraging like the abyssal bloodline.
So, are the draconic claws permanent, or should they work like other claw entries?


I may have a bit of a character creation addiction.

I'm starting to think about a back up character for my cleric in a home game. I currently fill the buffer/healer role, as well as face and I'm also the rogues flanking buddy. I'd like to continue in this role, but with a different class.

I'm playing a bard in a PFS game, so I'd like to steer clear of that. I was thinking possibly a battle Oracle, though I'm not dead set on the mystery, or a kinetic chireurgeon (sp?).

The kineticist would make it tougher to fill the face roll, but it seems interesting. I'm open to other classes, so what would you guys pick to fill this roll?


This is more of a thought experiment, but I may try it at some point.

Is it possible to build an effective melee fighter who can cast both Arcane and divine spells? Such as by Multiclassing a War priest and a magus.

I know you'd be very MAD to make this work, but it was an idea that popped into my head and thought I'd see what the community could come up with.

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