RigaMortus's page

Please know that we aren't trying to beat up on you. We do want to help. The disconnect that Wraithstrike is pointing out is the fact that you want to make sure that your setup follows the rules for Pathfinder, but you have a scripted outcome in mind.
There are two main variables in Pathfinder: 1. what do the dice say? 2. what do the players do?

What if your player loses init and the demon crits her and kills her before she acts? Will you let it stand? No? Then don't make her roll until the outcome actually matters. Your knowledge check is impossible for her, so why put it in there? If she needs information, put it there in a way that the player can accomplish through guile or skill or just give it to them. Other ways are unsatisfying.
What if she said that she wanted to throw the artifact in a lake and run away? Or tell the ferret to take a hike? will you let her? The answer to that question will tell you whether or not this is her story or yours.

Looking at your GMing objectively is very tough. Us looking at it for you and critiquing it for you is tougher. But it will help if you're open to it.

The demon attacks the party searching for an artifact, and the demon nearly wins. A Barbarian lass is the sole survivor. She and an awakened Sorc ferret are given 'divine meddling' support and force the demon to break off the attack. The 'divine meddling' comes to an end, the Barbarian is back to Level 1 along with the Level 1 Sorc ferret. The two of them need to finish the battle with a weakened but still very dangerous enemy.

Trying to play this out in game is going to be nothing but frustration for your player. Fighting a demon that she has no hope of beating, all of her party dead, and "divine meddling" are all things that take away the ability of your player to make meaningful choices. She's listening to your story at this point and her die rolls don't matter.

You should probably just start the character, level one, at the end of this situation. This is where she starts: standing over the corpse of a demon that wiped out her friends and there's an awakened critter that can help her. At that point, she can now decide what to do and carry out HER plan, not yours.
Would you really kill off her character at the very first fight of the very first session? No? Then don't go to the dice and hope things come out okay, they don't matter yet.
If you expect things to go a certain way, you'll always either be disappointed as a GM or your players will have no agency over their characters and not have fun.
Just my 2CP, take them for what you will.

Another fun situation:

A cleric makes a wand from a domainspell, let's say 'shield' from the defense domain. It's allowed since it's a prepared spell.

Now the same cleric wants to use the wand he just made. Sadly 'shield' is not on the class spell list for clerics so it would require a DC20 Use Magic Device check according to the rules for using wands.

The cleric now mumbles angrily and hands the wand over to his wizard friend. The wizard sniffs the wand cautiously and says "this smells like divine magic, i cant use this!"

If the cleric has Shield as a domain spell, then it is added to their spell list. They don't need to make a UMD check to use that wand.

But you said it so well, Evil Dave. Sometimes a little repetition doesn't hurt. :)

Thanks DQ.

Incidentally, you're one of my five favorite posters on these boards.
Incidentally, you're one of my five favorite posters on these boards.
Incidentally, you're one of my five favorite posters on these boards.
Incidentally, you're one of my five favorite posters on these boards.
Incidentally, you're one of my five favorite posters on these boards.