Nigel, tumour monkey's page

The monkey needs Poisoners Gloves, and for PFS the Extra Item Slot (Hands) feat. They can be loaded with infusions, or even the mutagen, and monkey can 'stab' its master with touch attacks to deliver the goodies!

Drokk's monkey, Nigel, lives inside his hunchback. He has special hatches in Drokk's armour to climb through in order to 'merge' (reattach). The hatches are just flavour - every suit of fullplate is custom made after all.

"Eee-eeek ook-ok-ok-ooook ooook eek!"

Nigel jumps up and down on Drokk's shoulder, barely able to contain his excitement.

Nigel will replace Drokk's armour, prior to completing the manoeuvring of the behemoth, and will and switch the golembane scarab and vicious amulet again. Having done so, he concentrates on the scarab to see if the stone statues are in fact more golems.

know.religion vs corpse woman: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20 If successful, would like to know spellcasting ability and SLAs; Nigel communicates any information to Drokk.

"Eeeekk!!!"

reflex: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Nigel dodges around, using Drokk's body as cover, and avoids harm. Improved evasion.

Nigel applies a Holy Weapon Balm to Drokk's blade as the doctor advances.

move action to retrieve from haversack, standard to apply.

"Eeek! Oo-ooook! OOOOK!"

As Drokk deliberates between potential targets, Nigel gives him advice and uses the second Poisoner's Glove to deliver an extract of True Strike to his master.

know.planes: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

"Eeek, oo-oo-eek. Oook!"

Nigel disappears back inside the Doctor.

A hatch on Drokk's armour pops open, and with a wet squelch the tiny monkey-tumour Nigel emerges. Nigel holds tight to the spikes of Drokk's heavy plate as the Doctor flies over the broken subterranean landscape.

"Eeek! Oo-oo-ook?"

"Oook!"

Nigel opens a hatch and with a wet squelch merges with Drokk's hump. standard action - hatches are just flavour.

A tiny, lumpen, grey creature vaguely resembling a monkey opens a hatch on Doctor Drokk's hunchback and emerges with a wet 'pop!' It looks similar to its predecessor, yet slightly different. More serious, with a greater gleam of intelligence in its eyes.

know.history: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18
know.nobility: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23

"Eeek! Ook-ook eek!"

A familiar that is active on a battlefield is a legitimate target. Admittedly, I did not anticipate the golem following up the AoO like that.

This little monkey has survived a lot of abuse in his time, including being deliberately targeted by daemons, caught in multiple breath weapons and other AoE attacks, and willingly entering a trap so that the Doctor could make notes and share them with a fellow "scientist."

Drokk will grieve, then think about growing another Nigel.

Nigel tries to feed the Twitch Tonic to Svetlana.

I am happy with him provoking AoOs. I think he can take a hit or two. He'll take the +2s from BoF is that's OK please, for an AC of 21.

The tiny monkey grabs a vial from the haversack atops his master's hunch, and before the hulking alchemist moves to engage the stone golem Nigel hops onto Svetlana's shoulder, pouring the contents of the vial into the Hellknight's mouth.

Actions: remove Twitch Tonic from handy haversack = move; hop onto Svetlana = 5' step (Nigel has a climb speed if it matters); put Tonic in conscious character's mouth = standard (would be a full round to apply to a paralysed character, so I think a standard is correct here). The Twitch Tonic gives Svetlana an immediate additional save against the Stagger effect of the Slow, with an +2 alchemical bonus.

Nigel finishes forcing the Twitch Tonic into Drokk's mouth, then draws a tanglefoot bag out of the Haversack.

"Oook. Ee-EEK!"

Nigel hops up and down furiously atop Drokk's hunchback. He fetches a vial from the Haversack, and begins forcing the contents into his master's fanged mouth.

It's a twitch tonic. Takes a full round action to administer, so that'll be two standards.

Nigel tries to throw off the influence of the aspis spell....

will vs confusion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

The poor creature is confused. He can't do any meaningful damage to himself or others, but it does rob us of his help steering, sadly. If he gets an "act normally" result he'll drink a meditation tea for another save at +2, and if that fails on a second "act normally" result he'll just reattach to Drokk.

Nigel helps drive the cart.

ride, aid another: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

"Ooooook!"

"Eeek! Oook oook oook!"

Nigel attempts to help steer the cart if allowed

ride, aid another: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

Used to bouncing around atop Drokk's hunchback whilst the Doctor sprints into combat or flies through the air, the clattering mine cart is no great problem for the little tumour monkey.

"Eeek. Ooo-oook! oook!"

Why would he need to stand up to merge?

The tumor can reattach itself to the alchemist as a standard action.

That's all the rule says about a tumour familiar reattaching. It's reasonable to say they need to be in the same space or perhaps adjacent spaces.

Tumor Familiar (Ex) (Ultimate Magic): The alchemist creates a Diminutive or Tiny tumor on his body, usually on his back or stomach. As a standard action, the alchemist can have the tumor detach itself from his body as a separate creature vaguely resembling a kind of animal suitable for a familiar (bat, cat, and so on) and move about as if it were an independent creature. The tumor can reattach itself to the alchemist as a standard action. The tumor has all the abilities of the animal it resembles (for example, a batlike tumor can fly) and familiar abilities based on the alchemist’s caster level (though some familiar abilities may be useless to an alchemist). The tumor acts as the alchemist’s familiar whether attached or separated (providing a skill bonus, the Alertness feat, and so on). When attached to the alchemist, the tumor has fast healing 5. An alchemist’s extracts and mutagens are considered spells for the purposes of familiar abilities like share spells and deliver touch spells. If a tumor familiar is lost or dies, it can be replaced 1 week later through a specialized procedure that costs 200 gp per alchemist level. The ritual takes 8 hours to complete.

I think that the reason for the nerf to tumour-protector familiars in Ultimate Wilderness is because some people have interpreted the combination as allowing the Shield Master ability to work whilst the familiar is "attached". I would agree that this is a bit broken, but it is not how I interpret the rules.

I've never played Nigel as being able to use Shield Master or Bodyguard whilst attached. Attached, to my mind, means merged, ie inside the host (the master). As such, an attached familiar is not targetable, but cannot take meaningful actions and only grants its standard familiar bonus (plus alertness, if that hasn't been traded away). It becomes "non-participatory" until the master uses a standard action to "detach". There is an exception to this in the feat "Die for Your Master".

As a standard action, the alchemist can have the tumor detach itself from his body as a separate creature vaguely resembling a kind of animal suitable for a familiar (bat, cat, and so on) and move about as if it were an independent creature.

A tumour familiar is only a separate creature when detached. When attached, it is part of the alchemist and therefore cannot be independently targeted.

(If a familiar inside a familiar pouch has total cover, a familiar that is a tumour inside the master's body must have total cover too, especially if the master is wearing heavy armour).

I think that allows Nigel to act this round, since the channel renders him conscious. A stabilisation roll is not an action.

Nigel merges with Drokk - there is a sickening squelching noise as he disappears into the alchemist's hunchback. Standard action for Nigel. He now has fast healing 5.

An iron vial of holy water lies on the floor where Nigel dropped it. All Drokk's potions and the like are stored in iron vials to avoid breakage in these kinds of circumstances. See inventory on character sheet.

The tumour-protector thing is a new nerf in Ultimate Wilderness. The book has not yet been listed in Additional Resources or Campaign Clarifications, so as things stand we are still legal, per Ultimate Magic and Familiar Folio.

reflex vs frost breath 1: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19 =12 damage incoming
reflex vs frost breath 2: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26 =13 damage incoming

If Nigel takes 16 damage, and Drokk 17, from the melee attacks, that means that he is reduced to -8hp. This round he will get a stabilisation roll.

stabilisation, DC 18: 1d20 ⇒ 1

Nigel applied the Oil of Bless Weapon to Hakaam's sword last round, so Hakaam's attacks are bypassing DR/Good now.

Nigel screeches, then goes limp and silent, shrouded in ice. His lumpen little chest still quivers with ragged breaths.

Nigel notes that Hakaam's weapon is adamantine. He moves to apply the Oil of Bless Weapon to Hakaam's blade. This will provoke an AoO if the Daemon still has one available.

Hakaam, if you do not want the Oil of Bless Weapon applied just say. It will allow you to bypass DR/good, but you won't get the benefit of auto-confirming crits because your sword is Keen.

Nigel then withdraws a vial of holy water from the Handy Haversack.

The strange creature stands ready to protect Drokk against incoming attacks.

bodyguard 1: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20
bodyguard 2: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
bodyguard 3: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
3 successes.

Nigey-monkey also tries to throw off the shackles of Abaddon:

will save vs slow: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

Go on Nigey-monkey!

Nigel stands ready to defend his master. He holds the the vial of blessed oil, waiting to determine whether he should apply it to one of Drokk's weapons or that of an ally.

He screeches as Drokk's amulet causes him some pain. "Eeeek!"

bodyguard 1: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
bodyguard 2: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22
bodyguard 3: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29
3 successes. Drokk gains +2AC against the next three eligible melee attacks this round.

Nigel will be delaying until we see what Hakime does, and what results any attacks she makes have.

know.planes, nigel using drokk's ranks: 1d20 + 9 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 9 - 1 = 28

Nigel also remembers the ceustodaemons from Tian Xia. He screeches in Drokk's ear. Alas Nigel cannot speak a language, he can only speak with his master. He tells Drokk the creatures' spell like abilities and resistances.

"Eeek! Oook, oo-ooook!"

Nigel, sensing this will be a hard battle, jabs Doctor Drokk under an armour hatch with one of his gloved hands. The glove injects Drokk's battle-infusion, and instantaneously long spines erupt from the Doctor and vine-like growths emerge from him.

Nigel then reaches into the handy haversack next to him and withdraws a small bottle (Oil of Bless Weapon). So that's a move action withdrawing the oil, and a standard to jab Drokk with his admixture-vial infusion of Thorn Body (duration 8 rounds), and Vine Strike (duration 8 minutes).

Nigel uses Bodyguard (he's a Protector archetype familiar) to protect Drokk against the next three melee attacks he faces this round.
bodyguard 1: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31
bodyguard 2: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17
bodyguard 3: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21
All three successful, so Drokk gets +2AC against the next 3 eligible attacks this round.

Drokk does not agree with drawing the daemon out of the armoury. Three reasons. One, Drokk is almost maximally buffed now, some of you guys are pretty squishy, and Drokk is willing to tank here. Two, Drokk wants to make amends for his previous failure against these creatures. Three, we all heard the lightning attack from the other chamber, we know in character there's a second threat out there: better to focus fire than to run into the second threat simultaneously.

Perched atop Drokk's shoulders, Nigel screeches in pain as the lightning plays about him.

reflex save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

Nigel bodyduards Drokk:

bodyguard 1, prayer: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 11 + 1 = 22
bodyguard 2, prayer: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 11 + 1 = 31
bodyguard 3, prayer: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 11 + 1 = 13

Nigel bodyguards Drokk.
bodyguard 1, prayer: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 11 + 1 = 14
bodyguard 2, prayer: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 11 + 1 = 26
bodyguard 3, prayer: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 11 + 1 = 32

save vs fear: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

"Eeek, hik hik, ekk!"

Nigel is unimpressed by the Yeth Hound's howling.

Nigel bodyguards Drokk. (Apply to first three eligible melee attacks).

Iso, Prayer is up.

bodyguard 1, prayer: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 11 + 1 = 20
bodyguard 2, prayer: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 11 + 1 = 21
bodyguard 3, prayer: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 11 + 1 = 13

"Eeeee, ooooky ooooky oook!"

know planes, drokk's ranks: 1d20 + 9 - 1 ⇒ (7) + 9 - 1 = 15

Just to note that Drokk also pinpoints the enemy caster, thanks to scent gained from Beastmorph mutagen.

"Eeek, hih hih ooook!

bodyguard 1: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29
bodyguard 2: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
bodyguard 3: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

Employ bodyguard against first three eligible melee attacks against Drokk.

Note that Drokk's current buffed AC is 32, without Bodyguard bonuses.

Nigel's knowledge check, Drokk's ranks: 1d20 + 9 - 1 ⇒ (16) + 9 - 1 = 24

"Ooook, hik hik!"

To emphasise his point, Nigel reaches into the Handy Haversack and grabs a flask of holy water, flinging it at the vargouille. (Assuming that the Know Planes confirms that it's an evil outsider).

holy water flask vs evil outsider, ranged touch: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12damage: 2d4 ⇒ (4, 4) = 8

If the grenade misses it will cause 1 point of splash damage to the vargouille wherever it lands. Range increment is 10'.

If the vargouille is not dead, Nigel then closes his eyes tight, and adopts his best "blind ninja" pose, in order to defend Drokk. (if the vargouille is dead, Nigel does not close his eyes).

bodyguard aid another 1: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12miss chance 1: 1d100 ⇒ 62
bodyguard aid another 2: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30miss chance 2: 1d100 ⇒ 29
bodyguard aid another 3: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23miss chance 3: 1d100 ⇒ 9

with a 50% miss chance it looks like Nigel is entirely ineffectual :/

Perhaps Nigel is more observant.

The grotesque little creature perched atop Drokk's hunch is much more excited than his master to be in this strange place, full of sights and sounds not to be found in an alchemist's laboratory.

perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29

"Eeee. oook, pfffft?

"Eeeee, hik hik huk, eee, glubgubber!"

Nigel slaps the back of Drokk's great helm.

Typically Nigel will use his AoOs against the first three melee attacks against Drokk per round, but this will vary depending on circumstances. If Drokk is toe to toe with a Marilith and three dretches, Nigel will be ignoring the dretches! Let's assume the first three attacks until I post different tactics - which will depend on what the enemies are doing, and how many buffs Doctor Drokk has up.

I prefer separate initiatives for combat-active companions, but with block initiative it might not matter beyond the first round.

Ok, makes sense to me.

Nigel has Combat Reflexes and Bodyguard (Protector archetype variant), so whenever combat breaks out he is able to use up to 3 attacks of opportunity per round to boost Doctor Drokk's AC by 2 against a melee attack. Nigel only fails to make the AC10 attack roll on a 1. I can pre-roll these AoO's round by round, or you could make the roll whenever Drokk is attacked in round 1 or a surprise round, as you prefer.

GM, how do you want to handle Drokk's familiar? Nigel typically plays an active role in combat, between Protector-Bodyguard usage, fetching things from the Handy Haversack, and tossing grenades. Do you want to roll separate initiative or have him act on the same count as Drokk?

So an invisible stalker is immune to invisibilty purge, which would make it visible to all people, fine. The question is, if i use see invisible, would i be able to see it? This effect doesnt cause it to become visible, just lets me see where it is at for sure.

If I am in an adventure and come across skeletons and know everything about them from running a game before, am I metagaming for knowing?

Or is it only if I used a club, when I may usually use a rapier, to hit it and my character doesn't have religion knowledge and knows nothing of skeletons?

Now another scenario that happened recently. In a game a creature hits a PC and does damage and 2 stat drain. From playing for awhile I can tell that at 3rd level 2 stat drain seems a bit, odd. So I look up the monster we are fighting. I could also be wrong, so I don't interrupt game play until I can confirm something.

After looking it up, I see that, uh oh the GM has simply misread how the attack works and mixed in a special ability by mistake. I point this out and as usual the GM gets a bit upset that now I have interrupted the game to point something out that happened 2 dice rolls earlier. In this situation though, it was a big deal as he hit one player 4 times which would have been 8 stat drain.

Then I don't use any knowledge of the creature in game, I don't mention hey it has DR or you can do such and such to hurt it. I play my PC as if he didn't have a clue what this thing is, just kill it!

Would you consider that metagaming? Also would you have let the whole battle played out, checked the mosnter post battle and then have to retro the entire battle?

Some advice on this please.

~Binary

If I have a wizard with divination it says I always act in surprise round. Does this mean that if there would normally not be a surprise round I could cause one by acting in the surprise round? For example, negotiations seems to be going well with the Dragon, then I get a glimpse of the future and see the bard in his mouth as lunch, knowing this is going to happen could I act first, ie surprise round,when there may not have normally been one?