Preacher of a Dead God's page

As explained in the entry for Arcane Cascade on the Archive of Nethys

If your most recent spell before entering the stance was one that can deal damage, the damage from the stance is the same type that spell could deal (or one type of your choice if the spell could deal multiple types of damage). If the spell couldn't deal damage, this stance's bonus damage depends on the spell's school.

In the case of many elemental spells, they do not have a school, only an associated element.

As a hypothetical, let's say we cast Tremor Signs. As a magus, I then activate Arcane Cascade.

What damage is Arcane Cascade?

(I have a good answer as a house rule, and that's literally just looking at the Kineticist's basic blast to see what damage types they get with an associated element, but that's not necessarily how this works.)

I already posted a reddit threat about this subject, but I wanted to get wider opinions about the power. You can read it here.

The ability reads as follows:

Necromantic Servant (Sp): As a standard action, you can expend 1 point of mental focus to raise a single human skeleton (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 250) or human zombie (Bestiary 288) from the ground to serve you for 10 minutes per occultist level you possess or until it is destroyed, whichever comes first. This servant has a number of hit points equal to 1/2 your maximum hit point total (not adjusted for temporary hit points or other temporary increases). It also uses your base attack bonus and gains a bonus on damage rolls equal to 1/2 your occultist level. At 5th level, whenever the necromantic servant would be destroyed, if you are within medium range (100 feet + 10 feet per level) of the servant, you can expend 1 point of mental focus as an immediate action to cause the servant to return to full hit points. At 9th level, you can choose to give the servant the bloody or burning simple template (if it’s a skeleton) or the fast simple template (if it’s a zombie). At 13th level, when you take an immediate action to restore your servant, it splits into two servants. You can have a maximum number of servants in existence equal to 1/2 your occultist level. At 17th level, the servant gains a teamwork feat of your choice.

The source for the necromancy implement and focus powers.

Given this has no attached descriptors and appears to be conjuring from nothing an undead, is the power and using the power fall under the usual 'evilness' that most other undead related powers tend to fall under? Is it actually a summoning effect and not really making an undead? Was the omission of this deliberate? Is even bringing a temporary, fake but still evil undead into existence an evil act if the ability used lacks any of the relevant descriptors?

A notable additional example (and likely the prototype for the occultist version) is the Oracle Bones power, Raise the Dead, which also lacks these qualities:

Raise the Dead (Su): As a standard action, you can summon a single skeleton or zombie to serve you. The undead creature has a number of Hit Dice equal to your oracle level. It remains for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier. At 7th level, you can summon a bloody skeleton or fast zombie. At 15th level, you can summon an advanced skeleton or zombie. You can use this ability once per day plus one additional time per day at 10th level.

The mystery's source is here.

Mage armor says this:

You ward yourself with shimmering magical energy, gaining a +1 item bonus to AC and a maximum Dexterity modifier of +5. While wearing mage armor, you use your unarmored proficiency to calculate your AC.

The language here suggests that, though mage armor uses your unarmored proficiency, it isn't actually unarmored.

Meanwhile, Bracers of Armor says this:

These stiff leather armguards grant you a +1 item bonus to AC and saving throws, and a maximum Dexterity modifier of +5. You can affix talismans to bracers of armor as though they were light armor.

Obviously both this and mage armor add an item bonus, so neither work together, but the bracers of armor has no language to suggest it's actually treating you as wearing armor. This suggests you are actually unarmored.

Meanwhile, let's look at Scales of the Dragon from Dragon Disciple:

Scales grow across your body, protecting you against physical and magical threats. When you're unarmored, the scales give you a +2 status bonus to AC with a Dexterity cap of +2. Your resistance from Dragon Disciple Dedication increases to 3 + half your level.

This one is asking for you to specifically be unarmored, but grants a status bonus and not an item bonus. So presumably, it stacks with any effect that grants an item bonus to AC. But what effects actually grant that while still being unarmored? From what I can tell, only bracers of armor between the two first options I listed seem to count. Is this accurate?

(Also, I'm assuming you use the worst of the dex caps, so the scales will always take precedent there.)

So I was pondering on the edicts and anathema of Urgathoa, and I kind of realized Urgathoans given their instructions can actually reach a very unfortunate impasse.

Rare as it might be, Urgathoans can find themselves confronted with an undead looking to kill them. Unfortunately, Urgathoans must protect and not destroy undead, it's outright anathema for them to do otherwise. Urgathoans ARE encouraged to become undead upon death, but not all undead will raise them as one, nor are they allowed to sacrifice their lives, so they can't simply allow it to kill them, that's sacrifical. (Obviously this is to do with existing as long as possible to indulge in your glutton for as long as possible, so you know, not every urgathoan is becoming undead as fast as they can is what I'm taking away from that)

That process has to be basically a voluntary transition presumably, and not as an act of unexpected and forced-upon violence. I wouldn't imagine being killed by an undead and not being raised is going to cause them trouble here, but they have to do SOMETHING to protect themselves until they can get to that point where they can be animated. Or at least, make an earnest attempt to protect their lives.

Most undead are pretty much incapable of being reasonably halted or restrained short of Control Undead (Turn Undead is good only, after all), and that is immensely limiting given any reasonably intelligent undead isn't going to be in the level range to make that a useful method of self defence. Many undead also fight to the 'death', so even attempting to simply beat them into submission is a borderline violation and entirely pointless.

I know this is quite an unlikely scenario, and I may be overthinking it since it is mostly only villains that are Urgathoans, but surely Urgathoa knows not every undead is going to be willing to recognize her flock as potentially helpful allies, since she doesn't even have control over vampires for the most part, and many of them probably don't recognize her as their ancient progenitor. Hell, the one that sparked this thought was the dullahan, since they will stubbornly refuse to change their minds once they have decided a creature must die, so if that is a Urgathoan, that's a really rough situation for them. They really can't win there, and they might be falling if they don't get undeaded as soon as possible. Or at least, they'll at best just hope they can out run a horseman with a hatchet that never tires.

Anyone else got any thoughts about this weird hypothetical that actually might come up every now and again? Is this the evil version of 'the paladin falls'?

Also, does marching mindless undead into battle violate the protection edict? I feel taking control over undead and willingly sending them to battle your foes as cannon fodder is the opposite of protect, but given her followers are necromancers, this may actually be something that happens on occasion.

I was kind of spitballing with a friend about dumb stuff you can do in Pathfinder builds, and we kind of discovered an interesting combo.

The Versatile Design weapon modification allows you to treat a weapon as part of another weapon group. (Obviously this also increases the proficiency requirement so it isn't exactly free)

Sohei monks can flurry of blows with any weapon in a select few weapon groups they choose for weapon training at 6th level. This doesn't include firearms, but does include bows.

This is obviously easier said than done. Monks have no inbuilt methods of supporting firearm usage, but the idea that Equilibrium Clerics are actually legal options for monks is very amusing.

Any other oddities of the rules that allow for really silly things (either functionally workable or not)?

Hello! The mods over at the r/starfinder_rpg Discord (myself included) have an ongoing bestiary conversion project to bring all the old monsters you love into Starfinder. We would absolutely love for people here on the Paizo forums to come contribute and finish the project with us. Even if it is sending us conversions you yourself have completed on your own. Any little bit helps!

We have the instructions written out here for your perusal. You don't need to be a part of the discord or frequent the subreddit to contribute, just let us know where you found out about the project and how best to contact you on the spreadsheet.

Here is a basic stat template for your conversions. If you have any questions, post here or contact me via PM's, or come ask in the discord.

The Vindictive Bastard archetype basically grants you a ton of features for a fallen paladin, which is really cool since it gets to play around with a barely weakened paladin chassis without the alignment restrictions or just an interesting approach to the class.

But I'm confused as to which features it keeps and which one it loses. Does it keep spellcasting or any of the auras the archetype doesn't replace? Or is that gone because you have fallen and gain no features at those levels? You still seem to have magic, since you gain Locate Creature as a spell-like ability, but everything else seems to be Extraordinary abilities.

So, there was a time not too long ago where gunslingers could literally double every single one of their attacks using a double-barreled pistol/musket/shotgun. That was pretty silly, but understandably this has been nerfed.

This was not applied to the Double Crossbow. Probably because it has different rules and a pretty restrictive load time, which simply couldn’t be avoided at all.

Benefit: Make one attack roll. If the attack hits, the target takes damage from both bolts. Critical hits, sneak attack damage, and other precision-based damage only apply to the first bolt.

Drawback: Due to its size and weight, you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll if you’re proficient with it, or –8 if you’re not.

Load: Loading one bolt is a standard action; the Rapid Reload feat reduces this to a move action. Crossbow Mastery allows you to reload both bolts as a single move action.

Pretty much, nothing could get you to the free reload time to make a full attack. Essentially rendering this useless as a weapon.

Until Shadowshooting

Restriction This special ability can only be added to ranged projectile weapons (including slings and sling-like weapons).

Black smoke constantly wafts from the firing mechanism of a shadowshooting weapon.

A shadowshooting weapon never needs to be reloaded; after a shot is fired, this smoke immediately coalesces into the ammunition required to fire the weapon again. This doesn’t prevent a shadowshooting weapon from firing ordinary projectiles appropriate to the weapon.

Ammunition created by this ability is only quasi-real, and the first time each round an opponent is hit by a piece of ammunition that this ability has created, it can attempt a Will saving throw to disbelieve (DC = 15 + the weapon’s enhancement bonus). A failed Will saving throw means the weapon deals damage normally, while success means the weapon deals minimum damage against that opponent for 1 round.

Highlighted the most important part of Shadowshooting for your convenience.

With a Shadowshooting double crossbow, it looks like you can simulate the original double-barreled firearms ability to attack twice (kinda, it’s really just dealing damage twice, much like Manyshot), unleashing a stupid amount of damage output if you’re playing, say, a Bolt Ace. And if you are, you probably don’t care much about the -4 to attack rolls, since you can target touch AC by spending grit.

So, who is taking bets on which of these options is getting nerfed?

The spiritualist's phantom recall ability functions as dimension door. Does this result in the spiritualist or the fully manifested phantom losing the remainder of their turn?

And when the ability states 'manifested', does this include the partial manifestation of bonded manifestation? Could I pull a bonded manifestation into full manifestation via this ability?

I was looking at the Sharper rogue archetype and I realised that it replaces all rogue talents up to level 10. But it still suggests a lot of rogue talents at the bottom that are appropriate.

I was wondering if I can even take the feat Extra Rogue Talents if I don't get rogue talents until later. Do I still get the Rogue Talent class feature at 2nd even if I don't get to choose one that level?

Is it possible to use compound spell gems in a spellthrower fusion weapon?

At this point, I'm pretty concerned about monster math and the seemingly baffling inequalities between player statistics and monster statistics. I know we only have First Contact right now to judge, but I'm going to assume the stats are not that far off from the final product in Alien Archive, since both the monsters from First Contact and the Goblin Monark showed off in the CRB are fairly similar. Which...like, I get that its a joke monster, but I think its stats seem somewhat consistent with First Contact at the very least? So I assume they were made with the same set of rules.

So my first point will be that maybe I'm making a mountain out of an ant hill. But I want to bring up concerns regardless. So to start, let's look at the Necrovite and break down its DCs.

Necrovite's highest spell is a DC 24. Let's assume that a given character increases Wisdom by a lot. So they're a Mystic. Let's use a realistic amount of Wisdom for them to have at around...level 13. Which is probably 23 with a Mk.2 personal upgrade in Wisdom (16 start, 18-5th, 19-10th, 23 from personal upgrade). That's a +6, and then a +8 from their good will save. So +14. Then, lets say they throw in Iron Will. +16.

So, assuming all of this, you fail on a 8. Which is...not too far from a coin flip. But without Iron Will it's a 50/50. And that's on a character that is increasing their Will as quickly as they can.
If we take a Soldier, who also has a good Will but less of a reliance on Wisdom, we can assume that our Soldier started with a very humble 10. They increase it both times with both of the stat increases they got, so 14. They didn't put in a Mk. 1 or 2 because they need that for other stats.

Without Iron Will or Spellbane, it's a +10. They fail on a 14.
With Iron Will, it's a +12. Fail on a 12.
With Spellbane, it's a +14. Fail on a 10. Literal coin filp.
How much of the monster stats are assuming PC's pick up these feats?
What does a Technomancer do when they can't choose Spellbane?

I will say, having a comparison to a level 4 PC with 14 Dex and Officer Ceremonial Plate against the Space Pirate Captain attacking in melee and at range. The results are largely a coin flip. I'm going to say coin flip a lot. It comes up.

Now lets look at skills. Opposed rolls are going to come up, but lets use the most obvious CR 20 creature we have. The space goblin monark! It has a +39 Stealth. That's...really high. And because the monster creation rules are probably based on some chart, this is the baseline for a CR 20 monster. Presumably*.

So let's pair this against a level 20 operative who has overspecialised into Perception.

This operative has decided to start with 16 Wisdom, and by level 20, has 22 baseline and a Mk. 3 personal upgrade. So, 28. That's a +9. 32 perception. 38 with Operatives edge. 40 with keen senses because they're playing an elf or something. This operative takes 10, since they also have Skill Focus but it's not contributing anything because Operative's Edge is insight. So they take 10 and have a result of 50, thanks to their freaky elven eyes being hypersensitive to movement. Against a DC of 50, that goblin will succeed against the operative on a 9. Another near coin flip. And that is a character dedicating literally everything to get that check as high as possible.

What happens when a character doesn't overspecialise? They probably fail. No, they definitely fail. Nothing even compares to something the goblin gets just because it's CR 20. How is a PC meant to mathematically compete with these opponents in something that PC has overspecialised in? What on earth is the point of increasing these statistics if you're not overspecialising? What are the PC expectations at a given level to justify these stats? Are there supposed to be more +1's the PC's are meant to acquire that I'm not seeing here?

I don't mean to be flippant, but high level play seems to quickly approach completely dysfunctional past a certain point, and in the complete opposite way it's dysfunctional for Pathfinder. Your characters, even at the peak of their potential, have no chance against an equivalent opponent. This, paired with the astonishing problem with higher level starship combat is not a good sign.

BIG DISCLAIMER

*This is based on stuff before the Alien Archive. Maybe that Goblin Monark is not indicative of the final product. They did warn us about First Contact being possibly inaccurate as well. But with two months out from Alien Archive, I am a bit worried about how PC's stack up to monsters and if the higher level content is straight up too dysfunctional to be enjoyable.

BIG DISCLAIMER

I'm wondering if we can get clarification on exactly which stat throwing weapons and grenades use for their attack rolls and DC's. It says with similar frequency either Strength or Dexterity, with no real indication either way, and this has made these weapons pretty confusing overall.

Also, on top of this, do grenade launchers count as separate weapons from grenades for the purpose of Weapon Specialization? If so, this allows for a soft workaround preventing Weapon Specialization from applying to grenades, and I am wondering if that is intended or not.

So, a few people I was talking to noticed, along with myself, that personal upgrades do not explicitly prevent you from having each model boost the same ability score, as they are untyped bonuses, and there is no restrictions as we can see in the rules (thus far) that suggests that untyped bonuses from the same source do not stack (if personal upgrades are consider the same source). So, is there anything preventing personal upgrades increasing the same ability score?

(Also, as an aside, is it possible for a rules forum section to be added to the Starfinder section? I feel that since the PDF is in peoples hands, we should have a section dedicated to discussing rules questions.)

Since the effect of Ability Mastery lasts for 24 hours before being renewed in a 10 minute ritual, is it even active long enough if repeatedly applied to the same ability score to be considered a permanent increase, much like an enhancement bonus increasing magic item.

For the sake of clarity, here's the text for Ability Mastery

Prerequisite(s): Use Magic Device 3 ranks, base Fortitude saving throw bonus +4.

Benefit(s): Once per day, you can focus your thoughts for 10 minutes on a suit of magic armor or a wondrous item that has a transmutation spell of 2nd level or higher listed in its construction requirements and that occupies a slot on your body. At the end of the meditation, you gain a +2 enhancement bonus to one ability score of your choice. This benefit lasts for 24 hours. You must wear the item in order to gain this benefit; if the item is removed before this feat’s benefit ends, the benefit is immediately lost and cannot be regained until 24 hours have passed since the feat’s last activation. You can gain only one benefit from this feat at a time.

So, if applied to Intelligence, would this be effectively the same as a headband of vast intelligence +2 if you string activations within the 24 hour period?

So, say I have a halberd with the brilliant energy special ability. Could I use that halberd to strike a creature I can somehow see in the otherside of a sturdy though transparent object? (Think plexiglass)

Could an amulet of mighty fists with brilliant energy prevent me from grappling an undead creature? Actually, does it cause me to partially clip into nonliving surfaces as well?

Does a creature take the hit point damage from exposure to additional doses of poison after they have failed their initial save against the poison? Or is accelerating how quickly the creature moves along the track and the poison's duration the only effect from additional exposure?

So, when a weapon is classified as a type of weapon (bow, thrown, firearm, polearm) and is a part of a specific weapon group, is this classification interchangeable? Is it classified as that type of weapon because it is in that weapon group, or is it something inherent to the weapon?

So, would a sling be considered a thrown weapon because the weapon is a thrown weapon, or is it only a thrown weapon where the weapon group is concerned?

If a weapon was to change weapon groups and be considered a part of another weapon group, is it actually a weapon of that type?

Say I target a living creature who is currently grappling someone with Boneshaker and they fail their save. I now get to move that creature 5 feet in a direction of my choice. Since the creature is being forcefully moved, does that mean it ends it's grapple or does it move the grappled creature as well?

The spell doesn't explicitly say that it moves itself, but that I move the creature with the spell, so the grapple condition preventing the creature from moving might not apply.

I'm mostly asking this in relation to the Spell Storing rogue talent. If I was to store remove paralysis into my rogue, could I then active my Spell Storing talent to affect myself with the spell while paralysed? The rogue themself isn't casting the spell, just causing the spell to activate.

The rogue can store within himself a single targeted harmless spell of up to 2nd level. The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action. Anytime a spell that meets these conditions is cast on the rogue, and he does not already have a spell stored, he can choose to store it rather than have it take effect immediately. Anytime afterward, as a standard action, the rogue can have the spell take effect (acting in all ways as if it had just been cast on him). A rogue must have 1 rank of Use Magic Device to select this talent.

I can understand this to be a case by case scenario, of course. I just wanted opinions on this scenario, and what other abilities could be used during paralysis.

So, since the other thread on Startoss Style has highlighted some interesting stuff about the feat, I have another important question. Does Startoss Comet function with slings or sling starves? Both of these weapons are in the thrown weapon group, are treated as thrown weapons for damage, and there are ranged weapons that are thrown weapons already, like darts and javelins, that don't explicitly call themselves out as thrown weapons.

All these weapons are only tied together by the thrown weapon group and that's about the only defining way of determining if the weapons are thrown weapons or not except for melee weapons with a range in their stat block.

So, does this mean that Startoss Comet works with these weapons? The Startoss Style feat certainly does, if that helps for interpretation.

So, my fighter recently got Telekinetic Mastery. What attack bonuses and damage bonuses apply to weapons used with Violent Thrust?

1.Say, the weapon is the one he chose for Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialisation? Does he get to add both bonuses to any damage the spell deals?

2.What about Weapon Training?

3.Does Point-Blank Shot improve the damage?

4.Are you able to use Deadly Aim with the spell?

Cheers.

Since the idea has intrigued me since the strange rules interpretations thread, I want to see how well people could purposely misinterpret the rules to break the game, do something silly, or otherwise render something non-functional. For example;

1. Since the mass of an object is never explicitly stated, so long as my carrying capacity allows it, I can fit into any container an infinite quantity of objects. Therefore, filling an iron pot with the entirety of the sun and then opening it within proximity of a planet is possible, as there aren't any rules stating object restriction for how one might place an object into said container.

2. Because you are always in contact with yourself, you always discharge melee touch spells upon yourself before you can touch another creature. An extension of this is if you wear gloves or anything in the hand magic slot, you instead automatically affect those gloves with your touch spell, since they are in contact with your hands.

3. If I can autofail Fortitude saving throws, that implies a degree of bodily control akin to an enlightened buddhist monk who has obtained self-actualization. Therefore, I obtain Nirvana and ascend.

So I was recently thinking how much I loved how counterspelling was integrated as a spell in 5e and how better it actually is. The existence of counterspell as a spell, while giving a potent tool for casters, allows for more tools against enemy spellcasting other than 'Just soak the spell and put up with it'. It made spellcasters less powerful overall by really weakening their overall presence. Basically, a mage fight ends up being a series of counterspells and misdirections, and that's really fun.

So I've decided to integrate counterspelling into a spell which functions as an immediate action, slightly more difficult dispel magic effect. Question is, are the mechanics sound? Is it too easy? What problems might be worth being aware of?

Changes I'll be using for an upcoming game. They don't actually have a full caster, so the latest they will have access to it is 7th from the two bards.

In a game yesterday, a situation came up where a Tiny creature tried to move into the space of another creature which had Combat Reflexes. The Tiny creature provoked an AoO from moving through the creature's threatened squares, but there was a bit of debate about whether moving into the creature's space was a part of the same movement that provoked an AoO for moving through threatened squares, or its own trigger for an AoO.

I allowed it to be only one AoO, but I want to get a rules clarification on this. How many AoO should have happened int this situation?

As ridiculous as the title might sound, if you snipe from a hidden position (or in the open with Hide in Plain Sight or similiar features) and you are using a scatter weapon, are all targets of the attack denied their Dexterity bonus against the attack or just one of the creatures targeted by the scatter weapon? Am I even able use sniping with a shotgun? Im unsure, given that it is multiple attack rolls from the scatter quality but Sniping says you can use Stealth after AN attack roll. How exactly does scatter work with sniping, since I'm firing once.

Because it came up in another thread, I was wonder how, in light of the recent errata stemming from magic missile + smite evil, the conductive weapon enhancement interacts with abilities like Kinetic Blast when used with a scatter weapon. Scatter weapons make multiple attack rolls from a weapon attack, but does this attack fall under the rule of applying a damage effect like Kinetic Blast only on one attack roll and once per 'attack' (cone attack)? Or are they all individual weapon attacks and therefore each one can have a kinetic blast applied?

As a joke I have simply taken way too far, I have created the Coniurokineticist!

This is a rough first draft! I would appreciate a bit of feedback on abilities, weakness, problems with the writing, and what the archetype might be missing in terms of powers that are also funny and fitting in the archetypes theme.

End of the day, it is hardly serious. But if someone wanted to play a literal conspiracy bender, this might be the kineticist for them!

Since this got so much traction on reddit, I thought I'd bring it over to here.

The characters are here for your viewing pleasure

I have a pretty hefty backlog of characters, and with nothing to do with them, I thought I’d just kinda….post them somewhere. So please, use these as you wish. They don’t all have very precise editing or even codified formatting. Great, huh? This is like, a year's worth of random character ideas. Not even all those those characters are in this yet so, stay tuned. I have almost fifty of the things sitting around, waiting to be added! They don’t really get higher than about 10, as I made a few for a couple of campaigns of varying levels. There is also some level gaps. I’ll probably not post many higher than about 4, since that is a generous level to realize a build.

Note: These use 15-point buy, so they are appropriate as PC’s in some games and NPCs in all. If you use a higher pointbuy….have fun recalculating. They use average hit points rather than rolled. And, they are absolutely not meant for PFS! PLEASE DON’T ASK ME IF THEY ARE PFS LEGAL! I DON’T KNOW!

So, please enjoy these weirdos.

You can read it here, just scroll down a bit

...You also gain a bite attack that deals an amount of piercing damage appropriate for your size (1d8 for a Large creature, 1d6 for Medium, 1d4 for Small) as a secondary natural attack. You begin each combat with the sickened condition until you deal damage with your bite attack.

What I would like to know is what the 'Damage' part is supposed to mean. Is it literally any damage (like damaging objects), or does it have to be against a creature?

Can you self-damage to satisfy this condition (like biting into your own arm)?

Does sundering an object using your bite attack count for this damage?

Could you get down and start eating dirt in order to remove the sickened condition (damaging the ground)?

The feat in question

Okay so.

Since you are using a weapon to initiate the grapple, do you gain A) All feat and untyped bonuses to hit with that weapon with the initiating grapple attempt, just like you do with trip and sunder weapons, and B) The weapons enhancement bonus to the grapple and maybe to maintain the grapple.

If it's just to the imitation of the grapple, which seems reasonable given the wording of the feat implying that you kinda don't count as having the weapon in hand while the grapple is ongoing, that seems pretty decent.

This feat might be a automatic choice for grappling builds depending on how you read it, but I am uncertain since it doesn't explicitly state you get your weapons bonuses to the grapple attempt. And it does state it as 'when you initiate a grapple' so I wonder exactly when the weapon is used, after the successful attempt (which surely doesn't make sense since you wouldn't then take a penalty except for maintaining the grapple), or as you grapple using the weapon (which would give some credit to my interpretation, but otherwise seems like the intent regardless if the grapple gains the weapons bonuses or not).

Am I off the mark here and seeing what I want to see from this feat? I've not seeb this brought up elsewhere so I am curious to know if this is how this works. What do you think?

One of my favourite classes of all time was the Warlock.

The flavour of being beholden to a powerful entity in exchange for magical power made for such a fun dynamic to play around with as a DM, and for interesting characteres to play as. As such, I was disappointed to find nothing quite like the Warlock has been created in Pathfinder, even mechanically. The witch has their patrons, but they don't have as much of an impact as a Warlock's patron would, and while a DM might make a witch's patron have a more sigificant involvement in a story, there was never really anything to help this mechanics wise. Also, the Witch's hex wasn't enough like a Warlock's invocations for my liking, and being a full-caster didn't help thing either.

Truly, I wanted to play a class that was as independent from the Vancian spell-casting system as it would allow without necessarily making up new mechanics to accommodate this, in addition to creating something that was neither a caster in their ability to function all day long but still had magic powers, while also keeping pace with martials in that regard as well. This is a niche that I could only really fulfil with Warlocks.

Problem was, warlocks had a lot of issues with their 3.5 version, and those problems would only become worse if you directly port them over to Pathfinder. The lack of any resource would make them quite stagnant to play (something which Paizo's classes almost all share, particularly since even martials have access to a resource, and they even went back and gave the Fighter their own in Unchained), and they simply didn't fulfil the niche they were made for properly enough to be effective back in 3.5, and Pathfinder has plenty of classes already that can do what the old Warlock could do but better despite being resource dependant.

That last point isn't exactly what I aimed to fix. That's just the nature of trying to balance something around functioning at all times at 'full power'. Or, they effectively have the abilities available at any given time when they need them. Instead, I just wanted to make that niche appealing, able to keep up with others, and when it does shine, to shine bright, rather than be completely overshadowed by full-casters, half-caster cousins, and even the martials they are supposed to be on par with (kinda). I also wanted to provide lots of options to help customize and make unique any given warlock. An Archmage-pacted warlock might resemble a half-caster more than the Demon-pact warlock, who might resemble more of a magus or a warpriest. [That being said, I feel like I should really nerf the s@%! out of that Archmage patron...]

However, I have no idea if it's worked because I lack advice from others and I lack playtesting other than what little I have seen from my gaming group. (The class is also only playable to roughly 10th due to not having all the invocations written up as well, so bear that in mind).

So I would really appreciate some help balancing this rather substantial task, and providing feedback. I've done a bit of homebrew in my time (mostly for my own groups to use) but this is honestly my biggest project to date.

Here is the link to the Warlock Class Remastered document. It's in Google Docs so if that annoys anyone, I do apologise. There are links throughout the document to all of the separate pages for the Patrons, Invocations, Blast Shapes and the only archetype that I have drafted [super wip by the way], the Blade-pact, because that seemed to be the easiest to conceptualize.

I will really appreciate any feedback you can provide.