Take a look at one of the level 1 powers of the evocation (generation) subschool.
Wind Servant (Sp): wrote:
As a standard action, you can generate a blast of air that hurls an unattended object (or objects) or an object in your possession up to 30 feet in a straight line. If you have a free hand, you can catch an object hurled toward yourself. You can move objects weighing up to 1 pound per wizard level. Objects are not thrown with enough force to cause damage, although fragile objects like alchemical weapons shatter on contact with a creature or hard surface. To hit a creature with an object, you must succeed at a ranged touch attack. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier.
At first glance, this power appears both straightforward and mostly useless. One guide refers to it as "not anything to write home about," while another remarks that "this is what mage hand is for."
But on closer examination, it seems like it could offer a lot more. So I've got a few question, just to make sure I'm not reading too much into this.
First, a couple basics:
1. If you use the blast to hurl an unattended object, how close does it have to be? Adjacent? Line of sight?
2. If you use the blast to hurl multiple objects "up to 30 feet in a straight line," do they all have to move in the same direction? The same distance?
Now, to the big stuff:
3. Does this ability allow you to make attacks with several alchemical weapons at once?
The wording strongly implies that it does, specifying that they shatter on contact and require a ranged touch attack to hit, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't some catch. So a level 7 generation wizard could spend a standard action to make ranged touch attacks to hit a nearby enemy with seven flasks of acid, dealing 7d6 points of damage if all attacks hit? Or hurl seven flasks of acid/alkali combined with a hybridization funnel for 14d6 points of damage? Or hurl a tanglefoot bag, ghast wretch flask, and some shard gel to make an enemy entangled, sickened, and surrounded by caltrops?
4. If yes, do these alchemical attacks benefit from bonuses to damage like a paladin's smite evil or an alchemist's Throw Anything?
Could a wizard 7/alchemist 1 with a 22 Intelligence score spend a standard action to hurl seven flasks of acid for 7d6+42 damage? Could a level 7 paladin with VMC wizard spend a standard action to hurl seven flasks of acid at a smite target for 7d6+49 damage?
Have you ever looked at two Pathfinder creatures and thought "why not both"?
A while back, I stumbled across the amalgam creature template and used it to create an adamantine tarrasque. Basically, the template uses a fairly interesting process to combine two types of creature into one. This seems to me like it could open up loads of fun possibilities, and I was wondering if anyone would have any suggestions for potential combinations. It's a third-party template, but the basic question applies to Pathfinder in general: what sorts of creatures would you like to see combined?
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Does an angel's protective aura (and the constant lesser globe of invulnerability it provides) permanently prevent it from ever using any of its personal or touch range spell-like abilities (or spells) of 3rd level or below?
If not, how does it work?
Corollaries:
Is a globe of invulnerability intended to broadly suppress all spellcasting below the given level, regardless of whether offensive or defensive, and regardless of whether performed by the caster, their enemies, or their allies?
If so, does this hold true for an angel's protective aura?
Can an angel's protective aura or the lesser globe of invulnerability it provides be voluntarily dismissed? If so, what sort of action does it take to dismiss it and reinstate it?
Are there any rules for the dismissal or suppression of auras in general?
Relevant Quotes:
Protective Aura (Su) wrote:
Against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures, this ability provides a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws to anyone within 20 feet of the angel. Otherwise, it functions as a magic circle against evil effect and a lesser globe of invulnerability, both with a radius of 20 feet (caster level equals angel's HD). The defensive benefits from the circle are not included in an angel's statistics block.
Lesser Globe of Invulnerability wrote:
An immobile, faintly shimmering magical sphere surrounds you and excludes all spell effects of 3rd level or lower. The area or effect of any such spells does not include the area of the lesser globe of invulnerability. Such spells fail to affect any target located within the globe. Excluded effects include spell-like abilities and spells or spell-like effects from items.
I was considering some of the new material from the weapon master's handbook and how it might complement a sohei monk build, and I eventually decided to give it a try.
Sohei, Master of Weapons wrote:
Male human monk (qinggong, sohei) 8
LN medium humanoid (human)
Init +9; Senses Perception +12
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 18 (+2 Dex, +5 armor, +2 natural, +1 deflection, +1 dodge)
hp 60 (8d8+24)
Fort +9
Ref +9
Will +8
Defensive abilities ac bonus (not in armor), evasion, purity of body, still mind
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee+1 elven branched spear +15 (1d8+19/x3)
unarmed strike +10 (1d6+10)
+1 elven branched spear flurry of blows +14/+14/+9/+9 (1d8+22/x3)
unarmed strike flurry of blows +9/+9/+4/+4 (1d6+12)
Special Attacks flurry of blows, ki weapon, weapon training 1 (spears)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th; concentration +9)
1 ki point - barkskin
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 22, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 7
Base Atk +6; CMB +13 (+2 when tripping, +5 with spear, -2 with Power Attack); CMD 25 (27 vs trip, 32 vs disarm and sunder on spear)
Feats Combat Reflexes, Cut from the Air, Difficult Swings, Dodge, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Sidestep (1 ki point), Weapon Focus (elven branched spear), Weapon Style Mastery
Traits Bred for War, Reactionary
Skills Acrobatics +13, Perception +12, Sense Motive +12, Stealth +13
Languages Common
SQ devoted guardian, ki pool (5 points), maneuver training, monastic mount
Other Gear +1 fortuitous elven branched spear, +1 chain shirt, belt of giant strength +2, cloak of resistance +1, cracked dusty rose prism ioun stone, cracked opalescent white pyramid ioun stone (elven branched spear), gloves of dueling, ring of protection +1
Thoughts? Suggestions? Improvements?
Is this something that could be feasible in combat, or is it a lost cause?
Has anyone attempted something similar?
The Generation focused arcane school's Lingering Evocation ability looks like it could combine excellently with the spell Litany of Righteousness. Problem is, that spell appears only on the paladin and inquisitor spell lists.
Is there any way to combine these effectively into a single build? Maybe by getting Litany of Righteousness on the wizard spell list, or by getting an arcane school on a divine caster?
Does the Burglar archetype's Distraction ability allow the character to evade detection by scent, tremorsense, blindsense, blindsight, or another means of non-visual detection?
Distraction (Ex) wrote:
At 8th level, whenever a burglar is detected while using Stealth, she can immediately attempt a Bluff skill check opposed by the Sense Motive skill of the creature that spotted her. If this check succeeds, the target assumes that the noise was something innocent and disregards the detection. This only functions if the creature cannot see the rogue. This ability can only be used once during a given Stealth attempt. If the same creature detects the rogue’s presence again, the ability has no effect.
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There seems to be a somewhat unresolved issue related to this FAQ.
Certain abilities change whether or not a skill is based on Strength or Dexterity, as clarified in the FAQ. Do these abilities also change whether or not an armor check penalty applies to that skill?
This question has been brought before.
Wisdom in the Flesh and Armor Check Penalty armor check penalty and x to y Wisdom Armor Penalty
The problem is that each of these was before the FAQ, and the answers seemed to be based on the assumption that such abilities don't actually change what ability score a skill is considered to be "based on." Now we know for certain that they do.
But the rules in this area are still somewhat contradictory.
Equipment wrote:
Armor Check Penalty: Any armor heavier than leather, as well as any shield, hurts a character's ability to use Dexterity- and Strength-based skills. An armor check penalty applies to all Dexterity- and Strength-based skill checks.
Using Skills wrote:
Armor check penalty applies to all Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks.
Skill Descriptions wrote:
Armor Check Penalty: If this notation is included in the skill name line, an armor check penalty applies (see Equipment) to checks using this skill. If this entry is absent, an armor check penalty does not apply.
So does the armor check penalty change when the relevant ability score changes, or does it stay with certain skills, regardless of changes to the relevant ability score?
Is there anything preventing the combination of the feats Press to the Wall and Gang Up to achieve constant flanking against an opponent, as long as that opponent is adjacent to two squares occupied by solid objects (such as the floor)?
It was established in this thread that Press to the Wall would allow you to flank with the floor, if you are in a flanking position (in this case, above your opponent).
With Gang Up, no flanking position is required. There must simply be two other allies threatening the opponent. And with Press to the Wall, each solid, immovable object that occupies a square counts as an ally threatening the opponent.
It looks like this would work, but it seems almost to good to be true.
Does freedom of movement allow a creature to move through a magic circle against evil?
Freedom of Movement wrote:
This spell enables you or a creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement, such as paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web.
Magic Circle against Evil wrote:
The creature cannot cross the circle's boundaries.
If it does, does this prevent binding creatures such as proteans with the planar binding spells, or can the caster simply use mundane methods of restraint, with all other aspects of the spell working normally?
Named bullet has a peculiar interaction with melee thrown weapons.
Named Bullet:
NAMED BULLET School divination; Level inquisitor 4, ranger 3, sorcerer/wizard 4, witch 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M/DF (an item from the selected creature or creature type)
Range touch
Target one piece of ammunition or one thrown weapon Duration 10 minutes/level or until discharged
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless, object); Spell Resistance yes (harmless, object)
You imbue the target with deadly accuracy against a selected creature type (and subtype for humanoids or outsiders) or a specific creature you know and can name. When used against the selected creature, the ammunition never misfires and is unaffected by concealment (but not total concealment), and at a range of 30 feet or less, the attack targets the selected creature's touch AC. When the target hits the selected creature, you must overcome that creature's spell resistance, or this spell has no effect. A normal hit scored using the target against the selected creature is considered to be a critical threat and deals 1 extra point of damage per caster level (maximum 20), which is not multiplied on a critical hit. A natural critical hit deals the same extra damage, but that damage is multiplied due to the critical.
Once the target is used to attack the selected creature, successfully or not, this spell is discharged.
Thrown Weapons:
Thrown Weapons: Daggers, clubs, shortspears, spears, darts, javelins, throwing axes, light hammers, tridents, shuriken, and nets are thrown weapons.
Topic 1: Named Bullet can be used on thrown weapons. Daggers, clubs, spears, and many other melee weapons are thrown weapons.
Question 1: Can Named Bullet in fact be used on melee weapons that are thrown weapons?
Topic 2: Named Bullet never says anywhere that it only has an effect on ranged attacks. In fact, several times it emphasizes that the weapon must simply be used to attack and hit the selected creature.
Question 2: If the answer to Question 1 is yes, does Named Bullet have any effect on melee attacks made on the selected creature with the chosen melee thrown weapon?
Topic 3: Named Bullet states that using the weapon to attack the selected creature ends the effect.
Question 3: If the answer to Question 2 is no, does making a melee attack with the chosen thrown weapon against the selected creature still end the effect?
So I've come up with a gestalt build based around an interesting shenanigan I found with Toppling Spell, Vicious Stomp, and the Wolf Style feat line. And I'm looking to make it better.
Basics of the build: Level 8, druid on one side of the gestalt, a brawler/fighter/monk mix on the other. He uses a toppling magic missile (aspirant's bond, Naga Aspirant ability) to make trip attempts against 5 enemies, with a +26 trip bonus. Any enemies that are tripped fall into an adjacent square of his choosing (Wolf Trip). He then gets an attack of opportunity against all of them with a +16 bonus against AC-4 (Vicious Stomp). If he's flanking any of them (and chances are he will be, because he chooses where they land), he gets to add his Wisdom (+7) to the attack roll (pack tactics Wolf Domain ability). If he hits them, the damage will activate Wolf Savage, giving them a DC 23 Fort save vs. bestow curse.
Side notes:
Firstly, this build is entirely theoretical, which means that I'll shamelessly minmax as long as it doesn't hurt the build overall. This also means that I'm not worried about it being playable at any level other than 8.
Secondly, I understand that this build isn't going to be able to use its tripping shenanigans on creatures that are immune to trip. I'm okay with that; it's just a drawback of tripping in general. The character has other druid spells and other party members. I'm created this build with the expectation that the character would be heavily dependent on tripping, and I'm just trying to make it better at what it does.
Finally, just so you know, I'm making a couple of slight assumptions about the rules as a basis for this build. I'm assuming that Toppling Spell functions like a normal trip attempt except as otherwise specified, and is therefore affected normally by feats such as Improved Trip, Fury's Fall, and Wolf Trip, the last of which I brought up in this thread. I'm also assuming that armor does not impede a monk's AC bonus ability when they are using Wild Shape and the armor is melded into their form, as has been discussed on a few threads in the past.
Anyway, here it is:
Stat block (in medium air elemental wild shape form):
Male human druid (naga aspirant) 8 // brawler (snakebite striker) 2/fighter (lore warden) 4/monk (master of many styles) 2
LN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +18
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 30, touch 26, flat-footed 24 (+6 Dex, +7 Wis, +4 natural, +1 deflection, +1 insight, +1 luck)
hp 74 (6d10+2d8+32)
Fort +14,
Ref +15,
Will +17
Defensive Abilities aspirant’s enlightenment, evasion
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (perfect)
Melee unarmed strike +16/+11 (1d6+8), slam +9 (1d6+6)
unarmed strike brawler’s flurry +14/+14/+9 (1d6+8)
slam +14 (1d6+6)
Special Attacks pack tactics 10/day, sneak attack +1d6, Stunning Fist 5/day (DC 21), wild shape 3/day, whirlwind (DC 12), Wolf Savage (DC 23)
Druid Spells Prepared (CL 8th; concentration +15)
4th - strong jaw, something, something, something
3rd - aspect of the wolf, something, something, something, something, something
2nd - bloodhound, something, something, something, something, something
1st - hunter’s howl, toppling magic missile x6
0 (at will) - something, something, something, something
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 7, Dex 22, Con 16, Int 7, Wis 24, Cha 7
Base Atk +8; CMB +8 (+16 with Weapon Finesse, +18 to trip); CMD 32 (34 vs trip)
Feats Ability Focus (Wolf Savage), Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Fury’s Fall, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Natural Spell, Racial Heritage (Nagaji), Stunning Fist, Toppling Spell, Vicious Stomp, Weapon Finesse, Wolf Savage, Wolf Style, Wolf Trip
Traits Gifted Adept (magic missile), Wayang Spellhunter (magic missile)
Skills Acrobatics +10, Escape Artist +10, Fly +18, Heal +11, Perception +18, Knowledge (nature) +11, Sense Motive +11, Stealth +17, Survival +16
Languages Common, Druidic
SQ wild empathy +6
Combat Gear first level pearl of power
Other Gear agile amulet of mighty fists / amulet of natural armor +1, belt of incredible dexterity +2, +1 brawling padded armor, cloak of resistance +1, dusty rose prism ioun stone, headband of inspired wisdom +2, jingasa of the fortunate soldier, ring of protection +1
--------------------
Gifted Adept +1 CL with chosen spell
Wayang Spellhunter reduce cost of metamagic by one for chosen spell
1: Druid//Brawler BAB +1, Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +2
2: Druid//Fighter BAB +2, Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +3
3: Druid//Fighter BAB +3, Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +3
4: Druid//Monk BAB +4, Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +5
5: Druid//Monk BAB +5, Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +6
6: Druid//Brawler BAB +6, Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +7
7: Druid//Fighter BAB +7, Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +8
8: Druid//Fighter BAB +8, Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +9
I have a few areas I'm looking for particular advice on.
Trip bonus with toppling magic missile: Right now, it's at 26 (9 CL + 7 Wis + 6 Fury's Fall + 2 Improved Trip + 2 Maneuver Mastery). Is there a good way to get it higher? Trip bonus is my primary concern, but I also want to improve other statistics: attack bonus, AC, Wolf Savage DC, etc.
Feats: I thought Ability Focus (Wolf Savage) would be more useful than Greater Trip. Was I wrong? Any important feats I'm missing? Any more efficient way to accomplish what I have now?
Magic Items: I was hoping to get Wild stoneplate or something to boost my AC, but it was quite expensive and prevented me from getting brawling armor. Should I have gotten it after all? I also decided a monk's robe probably wasn't worth it. Was I wrong? Finally, I was considering dropping the amulet of natural armor and just using barkskin, maybe spending the money on upgrading my cloak or buying more pearls of power. Should I do that? Any important magic items I'm missing? Any more efficient way to accomplish what I have now?
Spells: Here, I'm sort of at a loss. I don't have much experience with casting druids above low levels, so I haven't settled on any spells beyond magic missile and the domain spells. I have access to a very nice selection of spells from the Naga Aspirant archetype. I get some handy buff spells from my domain, but I could use more. I also have the Wis for spells that have saves, and the Dex and BAB for spells with attack rolls. I'm just not sure what to pick. I will probably prepare greater thunderstomp once, just in case the placement of enemies is too perfect to pass up. Other than that, I could definitely use suggestions.
If you use a spell or other ability to trip several enemies from a distance, such as by casting toppling magic missile, does the feat Wolf Trip still allow you to pull the creature into an adjacent square when it falls prone, regardless of the distance between the caster and the target?
Toppling Spell:
Benefit: The impact of your force spell is strong enough to knock the target prone. If the target takes damage, fails its saving throw, or is moved by your force spell, make a trip check against the target, using your caster level plus your casting ability score bonus (Wisdom for clerics, Intelligence for wizards, and so on). This does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If the check fails, the target cannot attempt to trip you or the force effect in response.
Wolf Trip:
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all combat maneuver checks to trip as part of an attack of opportunity. While using Wolf Style, whenever you successfully trip a creature, as a free action you may choose an available square adjacent to you for the tripped creature to land prone in.
Let's say you're a level 4 good inquisitor who took the teamwork feat Lastwall Phalanx.
You also have Solo Tactics, which can be used along with Lastwall Phalanx as briefly discussed in this thread.
You also have a bag of 100 lizards (let's assume they have an attitude of helpful towards you, thanks to the party druid).
You set or dump the bag into an adjacent square.
True or False: You now have a +100 sacred bonus to your AC against the attacks of evil creatures and a +100 sacred bonus to saves against the spells and abilities of evil creatures.
And would this work in PFS? (The feat is apparently legal.)
Do polymorph spells, such as Beast Shape, give a natural armor bonus, or do they give a bonus to natural armor?
Relevant Rules for Polymorph Spells:
Polymorph: A polymorph spell transforms your physical body to take on the shape of another creature. While these spells make you appear to be the creature, granting you a +10 bonus on Disguise skill checks, they do not grant you all of the abilities and powers of the creature. Each polymorph spell allows you to assume the form of a creature of a specific type, granting you a number of bonuses to your ability scores and a bonus to your natural armor. In addition, each polymorph spell can grant you a number of other benefits, including movement types, resistances, and senses. If the form you choose grants these benefits, or a greater ability of the same type, you gain the listed benefit. If the form grants a lesser ability of the same type, you gain the lesser ability instead. Your base speed changes to match that of the form you assume. If the form grants a swim or burrow speed, you maintain the ability to breathe if you are swimming or burrowing. The DC for any of these abilities equals your DC for the polymorph spell used to change you into that form.
Example of the Rules for Beast Shape I:
Small animal: If the form you take is that of a Small animal, you gain a +2 size bonus to your Dexterity and a +1 natural armor bonus.
Medium animal: If the form you take is that of a Medium animal, you gain a +2 size bonus to your Strength and a +2 natural armor bonus.
If they give a bonus to natural armor, does this bonus have a type?
If they give a natural armor bonus, is a creature affected by such a spell able to use their original natural armor bonus instead, if it is greater?
I'm looking for advice on how to improve an extremely hypothetical bloodrager build I made just for the fun of it.
I've had some ideas floating around my head for a while, and I've tried to combine them into a build that just does a lot of damage.
ragegorepummel:
Human Bloodrager (Bloodrider/Primalist) 12, Monk (Sohei) 1
Fey Bloodline (swapping out all bloodline powers after the first)
So that's the build.
It seems like, with the right equipment, it could get up to something like +28/+28/+23/+18 (3d6+132) (assuming the single +28 confirmation roll succeeds) before buffs, or about 410 DPR against an average CR 13 opponent.
Things I'm wondering about:
Bloodrager vs. Barbarian
The build is too feat intensive for Extra Rage Power anyway, and Mounted Fury is incompatible with Invulnerable Rager, so it looks like it's just
Bloodrager: Spells, Level 1 Bloodline Power, one trait (barbarian has to get Adopted (Enlightened Warrior))
vs.
Barbarian: +4 AC vs spells (human favored class bonus)
Bloodline
I picked Fey on a whim, just because this will be getting a critical pretty much every round.
Is there a better option?
Rage Powers
Any necessary ones that I missed?
Disemboweling Tusks seemed nice at first, but it now seems sort of plain since it isn't multiplied like all of the other damage that's dealt. Is there something that I should replace it with?
Traits
Any suggestions?
Self-buff spells
Any suggestions?
Magic Items
So far, my thoughts for ideal items:
Helm of the Mammoth Lord (8500 gp) (if I can't get this, I'll have to take lesser fiend totem)
Horsemaster's Saddle (12000 gp) (if I can't get this or a ring of tactical precision, I'll drop Amplified Rage and possibly Ferocious Mount, freeing up feats)
+1 (or greater) Brawling Mithral Breastplate (8000 gp)
Boots of Speed (12000 gp)
Belt of Giant Strength +4 (16,000 gp)
Greater Hat of Disguise (12,000 gp)
Miscellaneous Protective Gear (standard Cloak/Ring/Amulet, Jingasa, Ioun Stone)
Other stat-boosting gear
Greater Magic Fang + Permanency (hopefully a 16th level caster shouldn't be too difficult to find, about 10000 to 11000 gp)
Anything I'm missing here?
Is there a rule preventing creatures from attacking with multiple natural attacks from the same limb or part of the body during a single full-attack action?
Examples:
a tiefling alchemist with the alternate racial trait for claws and feral mutagen to get four claws
a barbarian with Lesser Fiend Totem and a Helm of the Mammoth Lord to get two gores
All of the relevant rules text seems to refer only to the combining of manufactured and natural attacks, and not to the use of multiple natural attacks.
Natural Attack Rules from the Bestiary:
Natural Attacks Most creatures possess one or more natural attacks (attacks made without a weapon). These attacks fall into one of two categories, primary and secondary attacks. Primary attacks are made using the creature's full base attack bonus and add the creature's full Strength bonus on damage rolls. Secondary attacks are made using the creature's base attack bonus –5 and add only 1/2 the creature's Strength bonus on damage rolls. If a creature has only one natural attack, it is always made using the creature's full base attack bonus and adds 1-1/2 the creature's Strength bonus on damage rolls. This increase does not apply if the creature has multiple attacks but only takes one. If a creature has only one type of attack, but has multiple attacks per round, that attack is treated as a primary attack, regardless of its type. Table: Natural Attacks by Size lists some of the most common types of natural attacks and their classifications.
Some creatures treat one or more of their attacks differently, such as dragons, which always receive 1-1/2 times their Strength bonus on damage rolls with their bite attack. These exceptions are noted in the creature's description.
Creatures with natural attacks and attacks made with weapons can use both as part of a full attack action (although often a creature must forgo one natural attack for each weapon clutched in that limb, be it a claw, tentacle, or slam). Such creatures attack with their weapons normally but treat all of their natural attacks as secondary attacks during that attack, regardless of the attack's original type.
Natural Attack Rules from the Core Rulebook:
Natural Attacks: Attacks made with natural weapons, such as claws and bites, are melee attacks that can be made against any creature within your reach (usually 5 feet). These attacks are made using your full attack bonus and deal an amount of damage that depends on their type (plus your Strength modifier, as normal). You do not receive additional natural attacks for a high base attack bonus. Instead, you receive additional attack rolls for multiple limb and body parts capable of making the attack (as noted by the race or ability that grants the attacks). If you possess only one natural attack (such as a bite—two claw attacks do not qualify), you add 1–1/2 times your Strength bonus on damage rolls made with that attack.
Some natural attacks are denoted as secondary natural attacks, such as tails and wings. Attacks with secondary natural attacks are made using your base attack bonus minus 5. These attacks deal an amount of damage depending on their type, but you only add half your Strength modifier on damage rolls.
You can make attacks with natural weapons in combination with attacks made with a melee weapon and unarmed strikes, so long as a different limb is used for each attack. For example, you cannot make a claw attack and also use that hand to make attacks with a longsword. When you make additional attacks in this way, all of your natural attacks are treated as secondary natural attacks, using your base attack bonus minus 5 and adding only 1/2 of your Strength modifier on damage rolls. Feats such as Two-Weapon Fighting and Multiattack can reduce these penalties.
One standard use for the Horizon Walker is using the Terrain Mastery rogue (or slayer) talent and the Terrain Dominance ability to get insanely high favored enemy bonuses against anyone native to your chosen terrain.
I was wondering if the following two abilities combined could greatly increase the DCs of rage powers:
"Terrain Dominance: At 3rd level, a horizon walker learns total dominance over one terrain he has already selected for terrain mastery. When dealing with creatures native to that terrain, the horizon walker treats his favored terrain bonus for that terrain as a favored enemy bonus (as the ranger class feature) against those creatures.This bonus overlaps (does not stack with) bonuses gained when fighting a favored enemy."
"Amplified by Hate (Ex): At 9th level, a hateful rager adds half her favored enemy bonus to the DC of any rage power she uses against a favored enemy. This ability replaces trap sense +3."
Does anyone know if these would interact? It seems like they would, but I'm not quite certain.
Question: How does one tell whether a slam attack is associated with a particular limb?
This issue has come up a couple of times in the past, and as far as I know, it has never really been resolved.
The primary problem with this is the bestiary.
It contains many creatures that seemingly use arms to slam. Examples:
Genies
Mariliths
Storm Giants
It also contains many creatures that seemingly do not use arms to slam. Examples:
Animated Objects
Dolphins
Gelatinous Cubes
Even worse, it contains some creatures that are pretty much up in the air. Examples:
Apes
Earth Elementals in a shape that's humanoid enough to hold weapons
Zombies
There's a quote from the bestiary:
"Creatures with natural attacks and attacks made with weapons can use both as part of a full attack action (although often a creature must forgo one natural attack for each weapon clutched in that limb, be it a claw, tentacle, or slam)."
And a quote from a magus FAQ, of all places:
"For example, unarmed strikes, claws, and slams are light melee weapons associated with a hand"
But neither of those change the fact that there are clearly creatures that make slams without using arms.
So, how can you tell?
This can't really be determined just with common sense, and it can be very important to many characters that use natural attacks to fight (coughapeshamanscough).
If there are multiple stirges that hit with their touch attacks against the same target, how does the grappling work?
The grappling part of the combat section seems to imply that it is always impossible for multiple creatures to grapple independently of each other. But this seems like a very different situation than just effectively using Aid Another to give an ally a +2 bonus. There isn't even a grapple roll, really.
Specific issues:
Could multiple stirges all deal Constitution damage at once?
Could the target escape from all stirges with one grapple or Escape Artist check?
I was mildly inspired by the Conqueror Ooze, and I was considering possible ways of improving on that raw amount of damage. So here's a build I wanted to run by people: The Conqueror Hippopotamus:
Half-Orc Bloodrager (Rageshaper) 12 [Destined Bloodline, or something else, it doesn’t matter all that much]
with a
Samsaran Arcanist (Brown-Fur Transmuter) 10
cohort
If a cohort isn't an option, this can be achieved with the help of a brown-fur transmuter party member. If one is lacking, you could theoretically do this on your own with a 4 level dip in druid, or a lesser version of this with a wand of Beast Shape II. But at that point it would probably just be surpassed by the Conqueror Ooze.
Feats:
1 (Bloodrager (Rageshaper) 1): Power Attack (retrained at 6th level to Furious Finish)
2:
3: Furious Focus (retrained at 6th level to Vital Strike)
4:
5: Improved Natural Attack (Bite)
6:
7: Leadership
8:
9: [insert useful feat here]
10:
11: Improved Vital Strike
12:
Actions in Combat:
Whichever person rolls higher initiative delays so that the Brown-Fur goes right before the Rageshaper.
The Brown-Fur’s actions:
Standard: Cast Beast Shape III on the Rageshaper to transform him into a Behemoth Hippopotamus
Swift: Cast Strong Jaw on Rageshaper with a lesser metamagic rod of quicken
Move: Place a Cloak of Fangs on the Rageshaper’s shoulders
Later turns: doesn't matter; buff/defend self/retreat
The Rageshaper’s actions:
Free: Enter rage, give benefits of True Strike to self
Move: Move up to 50 feet and end adjacent to most powerful enemy
Swift: Activate Cloak of Fangs
Standard: attack with Greater Vital Strike and Furious Finish (allnight to avoid fatigue)
Later turns: repeat
Damage:
4d8 base
6d8 Bestial Aspect
8d8 Improved Natural Attack
8d8 base before buffs
16d8 Strong Jaw
24d8 Cloak of Fangs
24d8 base after buffs
72d8 Improved Vital Strike
576 Furious Finish
576 total (before any damage bonuses)
This is enough to one-hit a tarrasque (or it would be, if they could be killed).
The best part of this build is that it doesn't rely on many ability scores or magic items in order to work.
There are some possible problems that I can think of. Among them are the following:
Would all of these damage increases stack? It seems like they're different enough, but I can't tell for sure.
Is the Cloak of Fangs a polymorph effect? It says absolutely nothing about that. Alter self is one of the requirements, but that has no mechanical effect as far as I know.
What action would it be to put the cloak on the Rageshaper after they were turned into a hippopotamus (hippopotamuses do, in fact, have shoulder slots)? Is there a way to have the cloak not be transformed when the Rageshaper is, or to activate the cloak after it is transformed?
Question: Which of the following spells could they cast on themselves while entering a rage?
A. Oracle spells cast using bloodrager spell slots.
B. Bloodrager spells cast using oracle spell slots.
C. Neither.
D. Both.
Greater Bloodrage:
At 11th level, when a bloodrager enters a bloodrage, the morale bonus to his Strength and Constitution increases to +6 and the morale bonus on his Will saves increases to +3. In addition, upon entering a bloodrage, the bloodrager can apply the effects a bloodrager spell he knows of 2nd level or lower to himself. The spell must have a range of touch or personal. If the spell's duration is greater than 1 round, it instead lasts for the duration of the bloodrage. This use consumes a bloodrager spell slot, as if he had cast the spell; he must have the spell slot available to take advantage of this effect.
Greater bloodrage counts as the barbarian's greater rage ability for the purposes of feat prerequisites, feat abilities, magic item abilities, and spell effects.
Combined Spells:
A mystic theurge can prepare and cast spells from one of his spellcasting classes using the available slots from any of his other spellcasting classes. Spells prepared or cast in this way take up a slot one level higher than they originally occupied. This ability cannot be used to cast a spell at a lower level if that spell exists on both spell lists. At 1st level, a mystic theurge can prepare 1st-level spells from one of his spellcasting classes using the 2nd-level slots of the other spellcasting class. Every two levels thereafter, the level of spells that can be cast in this way increases by one, to a maximum of 5th-level spells at 9th level (these spells would take up 6th-level spell slots). The components of these spells do not change, but they otherwise follow the rules for the spellcasting class used to cast the spell.
Spontaneous spellcasters can only select spells that they have prepared that day using non-spontaneous classes for this ability, even if the spells have already been cast. For example, a cleric/sorcerer/mystic theurge can use this ability to spontaneously cast a bless spell using a 2nd-level sorcerer spell slot, if the character had a prepared bless spell using a 1st-level cleric spell slot, even if that spell had already been cast that day.
My question is this: Could a character with the pounce ability perform a full attack after a charge in a surprise round?
I'm pretty sure the answer is yes RAW, but I can't find any specific ruling on this, and I wanted to check.
The reason I'm asking is that I created this build which uses that mechanic to do insane amounts of damage.
Relevant quotes:
Charge description, page 198, Core Rulebook:
"If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you cannot draw a weapon unless you possess the Quick Draw feat. You can't use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn."
Surprise round description, page 178, Core Rulebook:
"If some but not all of the combatants are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin. In initiative order (highest to lowest), combatants who stated the battle aware of their opponents each take a standard or move action during the surprise round. You can also take free actions during the surprise round."
Pounce description, page 302, Bestiary:
"When a creature with this special attack makes a charge, it can also make a full attack (including rake attacks if the creature also has the rake ability)."
"If a creature with pounce is under a slow effect, and it charges, does it still get its full attack from pounce?
According to the rules as written, pounce would allow the creature its full attack, despite the slow effect. (This happens because there is no "partial charge" action.)"
Does anybody know of other rules, FAQs, or posts that might confirm or refute this idea? Any input will be appreciated.
