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For the purpose of movement, reach, lunge, lunge with reach weapons, etc., what happens when you move or attack in a diagonal direction on the square grid?

If I stride or step first, will my attack have a -5 penalty to hit?

I am trying to understand the ins and outs of Pathfinder 2e, and thought I would start by trying out a Human Fighter build (traditionally, a relatively simple character, so a good place to start if I don't know what I am doing).

So I am going to try to list various character choices and post it here so that people can answer some questions:

1) Is this build legal? Have I broken some rule in character generation or advancement? If so, what?
2) Is this build feasible? Have I left some glaring holes that I should cover to make the character useful to a party? Are there too many redundancies in the build?

Ok, here goes! Caveats: I heard that Gnome Flickmaces are good, so that will be the weapon I will build around. Also, I haven't looked into magic items for what I "should" have at higher levels. I assume I would get magic weapon and armour, given a choice. Stat boosting items if they exist too.

Jack (every inch a) Sailor (background) Neutral Good Human Fighter. (+2 str, +2 con)

Ancestry: Unconventional Weaponry (Gnome Flickmace). (+2 str, +2 dex, +2 con, -2 int, -2 chr) (took the two voluntary flaws).

Heritage: Versatile Heritage: General Feat: Fleet.

Language: Common.

Sailor: Skills: Athletics, Sailor Lore. Feat: Underwater Marauder.

Fighter: Skills: Stealth, Medicine, Acrobatics. (+2 str) (I will have a int penalty so I assume I am down one skill).

Feats: Sudden Charge, Shield Block (free)

Special Ability: Attack of Opportunity

Four free ability raises: (+2 str, +2 dex, +2 con, +2 wis).

So at level one: Str 18, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 12, Chr 8. (I assume I don't lose the ability to speak my only language!).

So the total of trained skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Medicine, Sailor Lore, Stealth.
total starting feats: Fleet, Shield Block, Sudden Charge, Unconventional Weaponry (gnome flickmace), Underwater Marauder.

Start with Fighter's Kit. I think I get a Gnome Flickmace for free via the feat. If not, buy it. Upgrade armour to Chain Mail (noisy, which is bad for stealth, but flexible for no penalties to acrobatics or athletics). Perhaps choose a bow in case I need to shoot someone far away and can't get at them otherwise.

Ok, on to higher levels! I won't list what fighters get automatically, but only abilities where I have to make a choice.

Level 2: Sudden Charge, Powerful Leap
Level 3: Toughness. Athletics (Expert)
Level 4: Knockdown, Rapid Mantel (stop using a shield around now, if I use one at all).
Level 5: +1 str; +2 dex, con, wis. Natural Ambition (Exacting Strike). Acrobatics (Expert). Weapon Group Mastery (Flail).
Level 6: Guardian's Deflection, Titan Wrestler (definitely stop using a shield around now).
Level 7: Die Hard. Athletics (Master).
Level 8: Sudden Leap, Combat Climber.
Level 9: Clever Improvisor. Acrobatics (Master). Floating Feat usually Felling Strike.
Level 10: +1 str, con; +2 dex, wis. Improved Knockdown, Cat Fall.
Level 11: Breath Control. Stealth (Expert).
Level 12: Lunging Stance, Quick Swim.
Level 13: Unconventional Expertise. Stealth (Master).
Level 14: Whirlwind Strike, Quick Climber.
Level 15: +1 str, dex, con; +2 wis. Incredible Initiative. Athletics (Legendary). Floating Feat usually Disruptive Stance.
Level 16: Guiding Finish, Cloud Jump.
Level 17: General Training: Canny Acumen (Will Save). Acrobatics (Legendary).
Level 18: Savage Critical, Kip up.
Level 19: Quick Squeeze, Stealth (Legendary).
Level 20: +1 str, dex. +2 int, chr. Extra trained skill from int boost: Nature (I assume going from 8 to 10 in int does not grant an extra language). Boundless Reprisals, Steady Balance.

Anyhow, thanks to anyone that bothers to read this. Greater thanks to anyone that bothers to respond!

If I use the 2 action knockdown maneuver but on the strike I get a critical success and being a 5th level human fighter with unconventional weaponry and mastery in, say, gnome flickmace, make the opponent prone on that strike, then there seems to be nothing for my second action to do since I can’t try to trip someone that is prone already. Does that second action still get used even if it does nothing? Does it still count towards a multiple action penalty?

Does the use of the fighter feat guiding finish cause damage normally (assuming you hit) as well as forcing an opponent’s movement? Or do you merely force the opponent’s movement on a hit?

Sudden Leap takes two actions and combines a leap, high jump or long jump with a strike. Quick jump shortens a high jump or long jump to one action instead of two. Does it also shorten Sudden Leap to one action?

If I raise my Intelligence from 12 to 14 at level 5 do I get an extra trained skill? An extra language known? Both? Neither?

I was wondering if anyone compiled a list of all feats, spells, etc. that are free actions.

Could I have a character that knows the shield cantrip from the arcane list, the divine list and the occult list?

If so, can I cast shield from the arcane list in round 1, shield from the divine list in round 2, and shield from the occult list in round 3?

I was thinking of making a half-elf rogue (thief) for Pathfinder 2nd edition and using the multiclass archetypes to get spellcasting in two traditions. I was curious as to what people thought were the best spells to choose for each level (from cantrip to level 8) in the cleric list and wizard list (although you can chime in for the primal and occult lists too!).

If you had a character, either human (without the double stat variant), half-elf or half-orc, who has, after racial modifications, all 12's as stats, what kind of character would you build?

I was thinking a sorcerer 5/dragon disciple X might be fun.

Perhaps a bard could also work.

Thoughts? Aside from "Why? Why would you do this to yourself?" ;)

I was wondering if there was a feat that allowed a cleric to activate a domain power as a move, swift, immediate or free action instead of as a standard action. Is there such a thing?

Feinting vs. a non-humanoid has a -4 penalty.

Feinting vs. an opponent with int 1 or 2 has a -8 penalty.

If feinting vs. a non-humanoid with int 1 or 2, does that bluff check have a -12 penalty?

Aside from spells, spell-like abilities, supernatural abilities, and other magical stuff, what non-magical things require will saving throws?

I have this idea for a brawler (snakebite striker)/VMC rogue with the snake style feats, the greater weapon spec. line, pin down, shadow strike and greater feint. This uses up the feats. For traits, I would take criminal, bullied and martial manuscript (and the meticulous drawback). This is just to set the stage for saying I have used up all the feats and traits.

Why is this relevant? Well, it means I have no space to improve my bad will save with feats and traits (without changing the character concept such that I would no longer want to play the character). And unlike the rogue or the monk or even the fighter, there are no class abilities that help with the will save or aspects of it (like a second chance vs. enchantments, or a bonus vs. fear spells).

So I would be joining a party with a bad will save progression. How bad is this? I know that I could be more easily charmed, frightened, held, fooled by illusions, etc. Can the party find ways around this? Should my character not be played?

At 15th level, the snakebite striker archetype of brawler can name two adjacent squares to count as extra squares their attacks could come from for the purpose of flanking. If this character is orthogonal adjacent to a medium sized enemy could the snakebite striker name two squares, each diagonally adjacent to the snakebite striker, such that those squares flank that opponent?

So if Sam the snakebite striker is south of Enid the enemy, could Sally name the squares northeast and northwest of Sally, which would be east and west of Enid and hence flanking Enid?

I am assuming that diagonally adjacent still counts as adjacent and that the two named squares have to be adjacent to the snakebite striker but not necessarily to each other.

Is there any way to get extra immediate actions in the same round?

If I were to run an underwater campaign (always underwater) what pc races could be played from level one?

I am a middle-aged human with middle-aged eyes, and so while admiring the Pocket Pathfinder Core Rulebook, could not comfortably read it. But I can comfortably read the pocket Bestiary 2.

Why would that be the case? Are the fonts the same size? Is the background colouring lighter in Bestiary 2? Was there a change at some point? Based on this change, which pocket books would you think I would be able to comfortably read?

Round 1 Bard inspired courage for party, sorcerer starts Summon Monster I spell.

Round 2, Sorcerer summons a Celestial Eagle, Bard maintains inspire courage.

Does the summoned Celestial Eagle get the benefits from Inspire Courage due to it being maintained by the bard (so the bard could include the eagle in round 2), or would the bard need to spend a standard action to "start over" and inspire courage, this time including the eagle among the allies.

I am a middle-aged human with middle-aged eyes, and so while admiring the Pocket Pathfinder Core Rulebook, could not comfortably read it. But I can comfortably read the pocket Bestiary 2.

Why would that be the case? Are the fonts the same size? Is the background colouring lighter in Bestiary 2? Was there a change at some point? Based on this change, which pocket books would you think I would be able to comfortably read?

I am thinking of running a short or even one shot adventure using lawful evil hobgoblin pcs that serve a fanatical lawful cult that hates arcane magic because it so often flouts the laws of the universe. So my thoughts are that pcs must be hobgoblins with no arcane or psychic magic (nor feats, items, etc. that would allow them to duplicate such). I will allow gunslingers but not vigilantes. They will be 10th level and are to be sent out against fey and elves and proteans and they will know this.

I am wondering what restrictions I should be more clear about, and what “that one guy” loopholes I should close.

Is there a way to gain the inspire courage ability without either taking a level of bard or taking the variant multi-class bard option?

What are some ways to get the vorpal effect at low levels (assume 1 mythic tier, common or featured races)?

I have a sorcerer 2 with mythic archmage tier 1 and I chose wild arcana (extra mythic power for the feat, extra mythic power for the path ability).

Suddenly instead of having 2 spells known (grease and summon monster I) I have access to every sorcerer level 1 spell with a casting time of 1 standard action or less.

How does one keep track of something like that?

I am a wishcrafter (ifrit) with the fire elemental bloodline, so I like that I have extra versatility to grant wishes (and the bonuses to caster level stack, so I can cast wild arcana spells as a fifth level caster if the spell is granting a wish - great for vanish and burning hands, I guess).

But I dunno - that is suddenly a lot of "spells known". So far I have printed a list of spells with the one line descriptions and will keep my phone handy to look up specific spells on the fly but maybe there is a better way.

I was wondering if there is a list, or a means to generate a list, of the Sorcerer spells that cannot be quickened (because of their casting time, or perhaps for other reasons, but spell level is not a disqualifying factor for the purpose of this question)?

I am playing a wishcrafter sorcerer (a bit suboptimal but fun) and am wondering what spells to take as spells that grant others' wishes and increase my caster level by one.

For example, right now I know Summon Monster I and that is great to grant as a wish at 1st level because the summoned critter lasts for 2 rounds instead of 1, making a huge difference at character level 1. I also know grease because it is useful, but it is not really for granting wishes as I don't benefit *that* much from casting it as a 2nd level instead of 1st level caster.

So what other spells should I be looking at in the future that would benefit most from my getting +1 caster level due to granting someone's wish?

I was thinking Dispel Magic, because caster level is directly involved there.

I noticed that there is a loose association with Acid and Earth in Pathfinder (Earth domain clerics get Acid Dart, Stone Oracles can get acid resistance, earth school elementalist wizards get acid cloud, the Oread race gets acid resistance). But this is not always the case (deep earth sorcerers and geokineticists have no association with acid, AFAICT, and earth elementals are not particularly associated with acid).

Now I can see the Pathfinder urge for symmetry (4 cardinal elements, 4 energy types to go with them) but maybe that symmetry is not necessary. I mean going the other way I don't think there is a Sonic elemental, nor a plane of Sound. And Pathfinder has an acid quasi-elemental, so it doesn't need to ground an energy type in Earth. And Earth is not, to my mind, associated with energy. More like solidity, really. Black dragons, that breath acid, are associated with water, not earth, for an example of another break between earth and acid.

What do you think? Should there be a strong (or weak) tie between acid and earth? Or is such a tie unnecessary?

I guess it turns on what "lasts more than one round" means here.

This is a Kineticist question (class from Occult Adventures) by the way.

I have an idea about how to beat alignment DR with an earth kineticist - I think it could be done with the variant multi-class rules and taking the Inquisitor as my other class. At 9th level I would be able to put a judgment on my weapons that allow me to beat DR/evil, say. Earth kineticists already have ways to beat most of the non-alignment DRs (except for DR/- or /mythic, I suppose)

Now while "kinetic blast" counts as a weapon for the purpose of getting weapon focus, I am not sure if it does for the purpose of Inquisitors infusing their weapons with holy power, so I might go "kinetic fist" to make it doable.

So would either or both of these ideas (judgment on blasts, or judgment on fist) work to beat dr/evil?

Pathfinder gives a lot of "capstone" powers to base classes if you follow them to 20th level. Also, there is a lot of room for customization using archetypes on these base classes.

So given that, what prestige classes are still worth looking into?

Lingering performance lets a bardic performance's effects last two rounds after one ceases performing because "the effects of your bardic performance carry on, even after you have stopped performing". Harmonic Sage (with a knowledge (engineering) DC 15 check within an artificial structure) lets a bardic performance's effects last one round after a bard ceases performing, due to "Reverberation".

So if a bard has both feats and ceases a bardic performance after having made the knowledge check while in the artificial structure, would the effects of the bardic performance last three rounds afterwards, or two?

I was wondering if there are any traits that help increase movement rate (or decrease reductions in movement rate)?

Are there any sorcerer bloodlines that are related to lawful neutral outsiders?

Hobgoblins are described as "burly and muscled" in the advanced race guide, as well as "Tall, tough as nails, and strongly built". Taller than what? Goblins? The Bestiary says they are 5' tall and weigh 160 lbs.

Militaristic, war-loving, etc. OK, fine. They are meant to be lawful, disciplined orcs according to the fluff.

But the racial description of hobgoblins doesn't match that. There is no strength bonus for hobgoblins. They do get Con, which at least matches some of the fluff, but instead of Str they get Dex. They have a skill bonus is for stealth, which is nice, but more for "quiet rogue/ninja types" than for "militaristic war types".

Hobgoblin crunch doesn't make them good warriors (well, archers, but that is very specialized - you can't field an army with *only* archers). It makes them good rogues.

Hobgoblin crunch makes for good "sneaky" types. The monster that hides under the bed or in the closet (it can see in the dark, after all).

The crunch and fluff diverge in another way. In the bestiary description of hobgoblins, "Many hobgoblin tribes combine their love of warfare with keen intellects". You'd think that this would mean either an INT bonus or perhaps some kind of skill bonus related to warfare (knowledge engineering perhaps?). But that isn't the case. It is at best an "alternate racial trait". Most hobgoblins are sneaks.

So what should give way? Should the fluff be changed to match the crunch? Or should the crunch be modified to match the fluff?

I am playing a knowledge-focused bard and noted that the focused trance ability of the Lore Oracle would come in handy (a +20 competence bonus to int-based skills, cha mod times a day, with a 1d6 rd casting time). I guess I could take a level of Oracle, but if possible I would like to keep progressing as a bard so I was wondering if there were other ways to get that ability, or at least that bonus.

I thought about variant multi-classing but focused trance is not on the lore oracle's list in the variant multi-class rules for oracles.

Anyhow, is there a feat or something? A bard spell that does a similar thing? Something else?

To complement this thread:

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2u7qh?Most-complex-class-played

What Pathfinder class would you give to someone to play if they really, really, really wanted things to be as simple as possible in play? Since there are various different ways of things being complex (complexity in chargen, complexity in daily prep, complexity in moment-to-moment play, etc.) which would be easiest, along (ideally) all the various axes of simplicity-complexity?

That is, if there were (for example) three axes of simplicity-complexity (meaning three relevant definitions each of what simplicity and complexity mean), and "dead simple" would be at point 0,0,0, what class would be closest to that ideal point? Note: I don't mean that there are three axes, "three" is just an example for the sake of the model - if you think there are fewer axes, then you have an easier job picking the simplest class. If you think there are more axes, you may have a more complex (ha!) job picking the simplest class.

This is, AFAIK, completely rules-legal. It is not an official archetype, but resembles one, so I call it a pseudo-archetype.

Sage (Catfolk Bard pseudo-archetype).

Prerequisite: Catfolk race, Int: 18 (to max out the potential - one could be less of a sage with a lower int score).

Skills: Max out all 10 Knowledge skills

*Note that Jacobs intends Knowledge (local) not needing to be sub-specialized, as per this thread:

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kdw7&page=2?Knowledge

Favoured Class: Catfolk bards get +1/2 to bardic knowledge.

So what do we gain with this archetype and what do we lose? Let us start with the latter:

Well for one thing, if you put int at 18, presumably that hurts one's other stats on a point-buy system or a "roll dice, assign stats as you see fit" system, so that could affect one's charisma, dexterity, etc.

Also, all of one's 10 skill ranks per level being assigned for knowledge means that none is left for such lovely skills as Perception, Stealth or Perform (but see below).

This also means that Countersong and Fascinate, while not lost entirely, are much less useful to this bard. Also, Versatile Performance loses a lot of its appeal, although if one's charisma bonus is higher than one's wisdom bonus, it can improve one's sense motive, and if one's charisma bonus is higher than one's dexterity bonus, it can improve one's acrobatics and fly. And it is still a way to get a (minimal) access to handle animal, which otherwise is a trained-only skill.

Finally, one can probably forget about using Perform to actually earn a decent living, since while one can still sing, dance, etc., one will be relying solely on one's natural talent (one's charisma bonus).

Ok, but what does one gain?

Well you do very well with Bardic Knowledge. Because of the catfolk favoured class ability helping out one's class ability, you gain a +1 bonus at 1st and 2nd levels, and a +2 bonus at every even level, to all 10 knowledge checks. This adds up pretty quickly. When lore master kicks in at level 5, one will already have a +16 bonus (5 ranks + 4 int + 3 class skill + 4 bardic knowledge (class and racial)), so could hit DC 26 knowledge checks (and 1x/day a DC 36 knowledge check). And it keeps getting better. Eventually at level 20 on has an astonishing +47 bonus (20 ranks + 4 int + 3 class skill + 20 bardic knowledge (class and racial)) bonus so one can regularly hit DC 57 knowledge checks and 3x a day hit DC 67. That, for example, is enough to give six useful pieces of information about the Tarrasque.

Wanna know something? Ask the Sage. Frankly I think it leaves even the Lore Master in the dust.

And this pseudo-archetype doesn't cost any feats or traits, and doesn't take into account any magic items or any increases to intelligence (although note that a headband of intellect might, by default, only give ranks in knowledge skills, which would be less useful to the sage that already has those knowledge skill ranks). You still get the bard spells (although fewer spell slots per day with less of a priority on charisma, as well as a lower DC for spells). Bardic abilities are mostly unaffected (although again the DC for some of them is lower). But the "Bread and butter" bardic performances are buffs anyhow, and those don't use save DCs anyhow. It is odd, but one does not need a single rank in any perform skill to use those bard performance abilities.

The only mystery left is why catfolk, of all races, is so very good at this. I don't know if there are any other races whose favoured class ability for bard adds to bardic knowledge.

If I use WA it says I "forfeit any bonus or extra attacks granted by other feats, spells or abilities."

So does that mean giving up "bonus attacks or extra attacks" or does that mean giving up "bonuses of any kind, or extra attacks".

If it is the latter, does that mean that I would not be able to use any attack bonus from a bless spell or the weapon focus feat?

I was thinking of a Dhamphir Cleric that takes selective channel (to spare my allies) and (lacking better ideas) Extra Channel to spam an effect that hurts enemies while healing myself.

Are there ways to be better at this? I know of a trait that raises the DC of the channel energy by 1.

Is there something else I should be doing to be better at this? Some maximize channel feat or something?

In the comic Y the Last Man, all the men just up and die in the same moment, world-wide.

I was wondering what would happen if something a bit like that happened in settings like Golarion (or other settings if you like).

I would change it somewhat and let male animals live. But I would not let male deities or outsiders live.*

So how would the setting deal with the change? Would some divine portfolios go vacant?

*I will say that this means that trans men die and trans women live.

The bloodline arcana of the esoteric draconic bloodline gives access to psychic spells to be added to one's spells known, limited by the number of spell levels one has access to (so roughly one per spell level, excluding cantrips). Also, they cannot duplicate spells already on the sor/wiz spell list.

So what psychic spells would you recommend?

What type of damage is the hair attack of a White Haired Witch? I am thinking Bludgeoning but I don't know for sure.

If one has natural attack (wings) and a fly speed, can one use the wings to attack while one is in flight? Or are the wings too "busy" flying to attack with?

If one has a natural attack (bite) and becomes a witch with the white-haired witch archetype (and so gains natural attack (hair)), can one use both the bite attack and the hair attack in the same round? Or does it fall under the "can't use the same limb for two things" rule?

So on the one hand it says it does not add to one's attacks, but on the other one can attack with it (the alchemist's discovery: tentacle).

So with iterative attacks I guess it would be instead of an attack with, say, a short sword, for one or more of the iterative attacks.

For natural attacks it is "tenatacle as part of iteratives, but natural attacks all secondary" or "everything else primary/secondary as usual, but tentacle not at all"? So if one had a bite/claw/claw routine, either one could do bite/claw/claw as primary attacks and tentacle not at all, or else one could perhaps attack with the tentacle as one or more of of the iterative attacks, and bite/claw/claw as secondary?

Or am I misreading this?