Pathfinder Design Team's page

Hey there Occult Adventures fans. In order to make a FAQ page for a new product, we need some FAQs to start the page up. Today, we've taken many of the most frequently-asked Occult Adventures topics and FAQed them all. Thank you for your patience during the Gencon FAQ drought!

FAQed!

Big creatures and centered effects: If a Large or larger creature has up an effect “centered on you,” does that mean that sometimes the emanation doesn’t even affect the creature’s entire space, let alone anything else?

No, when a creature uses an emanation or burst with the text “centered on you,” treat the creature’s entire space as the spell’s point of origin, and measure the spell’s area or effect from the edges of the creature’s space. For instance, an antimagic field cast by a great wyrm red dragon would extend 10 feet beyond her 30x30 foot space, for a total of a 50 foot diameter.

Hey everyone,

For last week's FAQ Friday, we revealed some of the ACG errata that you asked for with the most FAQs. However, FAQs tend to be about a rules question with two sides (and honestly most of the other errata don't have a huge number of FAQs), so how about three tentative errata previews that you wouldn't FAQ because they weren't creating rules disputes? And since we too often focus on the reining in of overpowered options, this week we'll look at cool new benefits instead!

First the Feral Hunter, who still had two powers that didn't do anything, loses those to gain some cool benefits:

In the Feral Hunter’s Feral Focus ability, in the last sentence, after “animal focus, ” add “second animal focus, ”. In the Precise Summoned Animal ability, in the first sentence, change “if the hunter chooses OutflankAPG as a bonus feat, she grants it” to “the hunter grants all her teamwork feats”. In the Summon Pack ability, after the third sentence, add “She may increase the duration of any one summon nature’s ally spell affected by this ability to 1 minute per level. She may only have one spell with a duration increased by this ability active at a time.”

Next the Ecclesitheurge, whose bonded holy symbol ability ran too long, now has a brand new power too:

Page 91—In the Ecclesitheurge archetype’s Ecclesitheurge’s Vow ability, in the second sentence, remove both instances of the word “prohibited”. Add the following ability after the Ecclesitheurge’s Vow ability:

Blessing of the Faithful (Su): As a standard action, the ecclesitheurge can bless one ally within close range (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels). A blessed ally gains a +2 sacred or profane bonus (depending on whether the ecclesitheurge channels positive or negative energy) on attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, or saving throws or to AC until the ecclesitheurge’s next turn. The ecclesitheurge can expend 1 use of channel energy when activating this ability to increase the duration to a number of rounds equal to the number of dice of his channel energy.

• Page 91—Change Bonded Holy Symbol to the following:

Bonded Holy Symbol (Su): At 3rd level, an ecclesitheurge forms a powerful bond with a holy symbol of his deity, which functions identically to a wizard’s bonded object except it can be used to cast cleric and domain spells (instead of wizard spells) and the ecclesitheurge can grant his bonded holy symbol only magic abilities appropriate for a holy symbol or a neck slot item.
As with a wizard’s bonded item, an ecclesitheurge can add additional magic abilities to his bonded holy symbol as if he had the required item creation feat (typically Craft Wondrous Item), provided he meets the feat’s level prerequisites. For example, an ecclesitheurge with a bonded holy symbol who wants to add a wondrous amulet ability, like amulet of natural armor, to his bonded holy symbol must be at least 3rd level to do so. The magic properties of a bonded holy symbol, including any magic abilities the ecclesitheurge added to the object, function for only the ecclesitheurge. If a bonded holy symbol’s owner dies or the item is replaced, the object loses all enhancements the ecclesitheurge added using this ability.
This ability replaces the increase to channel energy gained at 3rd level.

Finally, the sniper, who traded a talent for a static ability that was strictly worse than one of the talent choices it already had, gains an actual sniping ability instead:

Replace the Sniper archetype’s Deadly Range ability with “Deadly Sniper (Ex): At 2nd level, when the sniper makes an attack against a target who is within his weapon’s first range increment and completely unaware of his presence, that attack ignores the 30 foot range limit on ranged sneak attacks, and if it is a sneak attack, he adds his sniper level as a bonus on his sneak attack damage roll. After this first attack, the target is aware of the sniper’s presence.”

~PDT

First off, we here on the Pathfinder Design Team would like to wish every player and GM a happy holidays! This being the time of year for giving, we thought it only appropriate to give you two pieces of errata today, both of which have been among our most requested and discussed rules issues. Note that these are both officially recognized as errata, despite being delivered via the FAQ!

Early this year, we made a change to the Crane Wing feat in response to a lot of player and GM feedback. At the time, we thought we were making the feat a more balanced part of the game. Many disagreed, but we decided to let the issue stand and revisit it later. Later is now! While we reduced the overall bonus to AC, it now applies to all attacks made by a designated enemy, making it more useful overall and easier to adjudicate at the table. Take a look.

Crane Wing: Does the Crane Wing feat really grant a +4 to AC against an attack before the attack is rolled? It seems like I have to play a guessing game and will probably waste the ability.

Update: Page 93 in the Crane Wing feat, in the first sentence after "you can designate” replace the rest of the sentence with “a single opponent you can see”. In the second sentence change “+4” to “+2” and “attack” to “opponent for one round”.

These changes will be reflected in the next errata.

In addition, as some of you may have noticed, there was a change made to the way reach weapons work in relation to attacks of opportunity in the Pathfinder RPG Rules Reference Flash Cards. A few years back, we changed the rules to exclude the corners, but time has shown us that it is just confusing at the table, so we decided to change it back! Now your foes will provoke even if they happen to be standing in the corners of your reach. Check out the errata.

10-Foot Reach and Diagonals: I’m confused about reach and diagonals. I heard somewhere online that you don’t threaten the second diagonal with a 10-foot reach but that you somehow get an attack of opportunity when opponents move out of that square, but the Rules Reference Cards show that you do threaten the second diagonal. Which one is correct?

The cards are correct. As an exception to the way that diagonals normally work, a creature with 10 feet of reach threatens the second diagonal. These changes will be reflected in the next errata.

Well, that about wraps up the year for the rules team. We hope that you have a wonderful holiday filled with monster slaying, treasure finding, and plenty of laughs and good times with friends and family.

Pathfinder Rules Team
Jason Bulmahn
Stephen Radney-MacFarland
Logan Bonner
Mark Seifter

FAQ

New Spells Known: If I gain the ability to add a spell that is not on my spell list to my list of spells known, without adding it to my spell list, can I cast it?

No. Adding a spell to your list of spells known does not add it to the spell list of that class unless they are added by a class feature of that same class. For example, sorcerers add their bloodline spells to their sorcerer spell list and oracles add their mystery spells to their oracle spell list. The spell slots of a class can only be used to cast spells that appear on the spell list of that class.

FAQ

Spontaneous Casting and Multiple Classes: Can I spontaneously cast spells from one of my classes using a different class’s spell slots?

No. This is only possible if you have a class feature that explicitly allows it, such as Combined Spells. This applies even if the two classes share a spell list or if one of the classes allows you to spontaneously convert that class’s spell slots into certain spells on that class’s spell list, such as cleric and druid.

PDT is back!

http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fm#v5748eaic9rrc

In FAQ/Core Rulebook/Combat:

Splash Weapons: Does the "prepare to throw splash weapon" full-round action (page 183) apply to using all splash weapons?

No. Throwing a splash weapon is an attack, and most splash weapons don't need any preparation before use, as they explode or activate on impact (all you need to do is retrieve it from where you have it stored, then throw it, spending the appropriate actions to do so).

The "prepare to throw splash weapon" entry in the table only refers to preparing a flask of oil for use as a splash weapon. The oil equipment description says:

Oil: A pint of oil burns for 6 hours in a lantern or lamp. You can also use a flask of oil as a splash weapon. Use the rules for alchemist's fire (see Special Substances and Items on Table 6–9), except that it takes a full-round action to prepare a flask with a fuse. Once it is thrown, there is a 50% chance of the flask igniting successfully.

Therefore, the full-round action listed in the table is the action required to apply a fuse to a flask of oil and light it so you can use it as a splash weapon. ("Preparing" the flask does not include throwing it, which is a separate action to attack.)