Saint_Yin's page

I've been searching high and low for specifics on how manacles interact with a character. There is only one statement that isn't about calculating the price or how to escape manacles, which is:

Manacles can bind a Medium creature.

When looking through conditions, there aren't that many that explicitly state a creature is "bound." To be specific, the two debuffs that include "bound" is Helpless, and Pinned. Since Pinned also states the creature cannot move, I doubt it's that. Since Helpless states the creature is at an opponent's mercy, I doubt it's that either since a manacled creature can run away.

Looking down the line, my strongest suspicion is that manacles are supposed to act as a Grappled effect, but that also mentions the creature cannot move, and there isn't a numeric value for manacles' Grapple CMB. This makes it hard to gauge if/how the manacles would disrupt spellcasting, if at all.

My question is: What exactly do Manacles do to a creature? Are there any penalties, and if so, what are they?

How about instead of mischaracterizing our view, you ask? You don't round immediately, you round at the end of each calculation.

Level / 2 is the calculation for panache, level / 2 * 2 is the DR calculation.

Now, what does your mistake make you look like?

Alrighty. So you agree that the mathematical equation should first be completed before you round? Why, would you look at that. Inequalities are a part of mathematics. You either get to be right about the panache or the invulnerable rager, because your stance makes you wrong in one or the other as long as you apply the same rules to both questions.

I've not read through all these pages, but I might as well voice my opinion anyways. Two is less than half of five. You don't need to round every time a partial number appears in an equation. You only need to round if the final result would end in a non-integer value.

Checking what's a half of something is not a final result.

I don't see why either of you are still poking one another. The basis of the thread is formed on a logical statement: Swift actions take less time than move actions, which take less time than standard actions. Should a character be allowed to sacrifice larger time-consuming actions to perform actions which consume less time?

I'm of the belief that faster actions are allowed to take the place of more time-consuming actions.

Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores depend partly on the new body. First eliminate the subject's racial adjustments (since it is no longer necessarily of his previous race) and then apply the adjustments found below to its remaining ability scores.

Reincarnate "partly" depends on the new body. It clarifies what part from the new body is replacing which part of the old body in the next sentence, that being "racial adjustments" to the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores.

The part of the old body that is still used would be the base scores. A race with 14 con (without racial modifiers) reincarnated into a human would still use that 14 con, even though a base human in the bestiary has 11 con.

Also, if intelligence were lost, you'd be losing a skill point per level. That wouldn't make sense.

This thread is to clarify any rules question about how the Primal Companion Hunters works (RAW) or should work (RAI). It has gotten my attention as a relatively more balanced version of Synthesist, and would like to clarify possible imbalances as to whether they're intended or not. To help with future searches, I'm focusing on the specific archetype, which according to my rather generic search does not currently exist in the Rules Questions forum.

Onto the questions!

1) Can/Should the Primal Companion Hunter (PCH) break the maximum number of natural attacks on themselves?

An animal companion transformed in this way cannot exceed the maximum number of attacks available to the eidolon of a summoner whose class level equals that of the hunter.

Assuming the PCH has an Antelope as their companion, this means the companion has 1 natural attack available from itself, and the evolution pool can add attacks until the total reaches the maximum number of attacks for an eidolon of equivalent level. At 20, this is a maximum of 7, so 6 attacks can be added. The abuse comes from this addendum:

If a primal companion hunter's animal companion is dead, she can apply these evolutions to herself instead of to her animal companion.

Since the first quotation states the maximum only applies to the animal companion, limbs permitting, the Hunter should be able to exceed the maximum number normally available to an eidolon, so long as the Hunter is not considered "an animal companion."

2) What is the effect of the large evolution on small, large, or huge creatures?

An eidolon grows in size, becoming Large.

I would assume a small creature would increase two size categories, while a large creature would not change in size. Since the bonuses are not typed as size, I assume those benefits are granted regardless.

The only case I am not sure about is PCH's prestiged into Mammoth Rider activating the effect on their Huge-sized mount. Would it decrease a size category to large? The wording of Large states it "grows," meaning it probably shouldn't shrink to achieve the set size category.

3) Should a PCH be allowed to take the Extra Evolution feat?

The rest are tied to this one:
-What occurs when a PCH multiclasses into Summoner, then takes the Extra Evolution Feat?
-What generally happens with a PCH multiclassed in Synthesist?
-Should evolution pool benefits from different sources consider extra sources at all times?

Example: Player picks PCH, kills companion, then takes Synthesist. Ignoring the natural attacks mess, they devote one evolution pool to stacking an attribute (such as strength), then devote the other evolution pool to increasing their size category. If the pools were tied, they would've had to spend twice as many evolution points for those strength attribute increases because they're benefiting from the Large evolution. However, the two are separate and neither breaks the rules until both are active on the same target.

(BTW, since a lance is used to punch through the armor of enemies, it totally counts for Pummeling Charge)

I like where this is going. Because a cup can can be filled with punch, it totally counts for Pummeling Charge.

Entirely as expected, I ran the numbers and found Kobolds are indeed the best. You can find the note sheet here.

Assuming the PC cannot dip into other classes:
Level 20 Dragon Herald will get +74 diplomacy at all times.

Assuming the PC can dip into other classes:
14 Dragon Herald/2 Alchemist/1 Infiltrator/1 Wizard/1 Sorcerer/1 Synthesist can get +116-+122 depending on what level spell is cast beforehand and it's for exactly one check.

This is excluding custom magic items, of course.

As always, Kobolds are the best, and diplomancy is no exception.

+2 Racial - Jester or Wyrmcrowned.
+2 circumstance bonus to "good creatures" - Redeemed kobold feat.
+2 to "all non-reptillian humanoids" - Golden Scales trait (note: not written as a trait bonus)

So if you play a good-aligned golden-scaled kobold, you've got +6 to diplomacy (more or less) that won't be had with other racial choices.

One can take adopted[kobold][Golden Scales] with any race if their DM is sleeping and there are better possible diplomacy sources for racial+circumstance available through classes or another race. Being an avid kobold player, I willfully ignore such possibilities.

Decided to write out an alternative archetype to naga aspirants designed more to allow any race to pick it up and choose what creature the PC wants to be most often.

It can be found here.

Balance changes from the original:
Aspirant's Bond:
-Instead of a specific list of added spells, the Aspirant may now choose one subschool, and gain access to all arcane spells of that school.

Aspirant's Enlightenment:
-Generalized to affect all saves related to their chosen creature.

Naga Shape:
-Renamed to Alternate Form.
-Size bonuses and penalties now related to starting size of creature and final size. Compared to before: Medium to large gains +2 strength/+2 con (down from +4/+4), small to large loses 4 dexterity (up from 2).
-Now grants druid access to their chosen creature at level 4 (down from 6).

Augmented Form:
-Streamlined to improve uniqueness.
-Number of possible selections has increased from 3 to 5 (Before: 9th, 13th, 17th | After: 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 18th). These extra 2 selections can be used to negate the 2str/2con loss from Naga Shape's rebalance.
-Now costs Nature Sense along with previous costs.

I believe the alterations make it relatively balanced for a majority of possible selections, especially existing possible druid shapes. I am concerned it may take slightly too much power out of wild shape, but I digress.

Casts "detect sarcasm".

There is no sarcasm whatsoever. Each point made is technically right purely RAW, which is the best and only kind of right. And we all know kobolds should never have something in their favor. In fact, I believe greater weakness shouldn't give any bonus, as I can't fathom what it would be like to have +2 to charisma, wisdom, or intelligence. It just makes kobold rogues, monks, or fighters even more powerful, and that is not what I want to have happen.

As we all know, kobolds are the race that's far too overpowered when used for any melee class (most notably monks, fighters, and rogues), and I believe I've found the source of the issue: kobolds are breaking several race creation rules. Without a doubt these egregious misappropriations of the race-creation ruleset should be rectified post-haste, for every kobold is simply too strong as it is. In fact, reading any more of this post is valuable time you could be using to agree with me along with the fact that kobolds are mind-bogglingly strong because of these cripplingly over-strong boosts in power level.

1) Kobolds make use of the Greater Weakness attribute allocation. And while it may appear kobolds are hampered by this, in reality they are breaking the rules by having a +2 bonus to dexterity. As proof, I'll quote the exerpt on Greater Weakness:

Greater Weakness (–3 RP)

Prerequisites: Pick either mental or physical ability scores.
Modifiers: Members of this race take a –4 penalty to one of those ability scores, a –2 penalty to another of those ability scores, and a +2 bonus to the other ability score.

As one can see, the rules of Greater Weakness requires the bonus to be a mental stat if the penalties are to physical stats. All kobolds have had far too much physical stats for balance purposes according to this rule clarification, thus why the race has been too strong.

2) Rather than placing the +2 racial bonus to perception outside of Crafty and naming it something strange like Keen Senses, kobolds received this boost as a ninja-buff. It is clearly proof that kobolds are snaking their way into overly high racial power levels through the inclusion of such a broad skill with so many uses, and any dev in their right mind would have made sure that if any buff were to be given to kobolds, it would be a bonus to Profession[dance]. I am not entirely sure how this perception boost made it in, but the primary suspect at this time is hoodoo.

Fortunately, this act did not alter the alternate racial feats which take away Crafty, so as long as a DM makes sure no kobold player keeps Crafty, they can rest easy that this imbalance in the kobold's favor will not affect their game.

3) The final issue I've found with kobolds is in their alternate racial trait known as Dragonmaw. It replaces a measly 2 RP-value trait, but the cost to get such effects puts it through the roof, and in-fact also breaks the rules for bite attacks on a race.

You see, Bite as a natural attack is supposed to start 2 size categories below the base race. It can be taken a second time to increase the bite to 1d3, but after this point it is disallowed from being taken again. This means Dragonmaw must grant Improved Natural Attack(bite) (2 RP cost) after the base (2 RP), but let us not forget it adds 1d6 of any element of damage onto an attack.

The only way to describe this boost would be a 1st level quickened spell with additional power boosts to allow it to be no action and take no save in conjunction with not being considered a spell, so it'd be like 10 RP just for the 1d6 elemental damage.

This totals out at 14 RP for this trait alone, but to be safe I'd consider it 15 because there's so much added by it. This is clearly too strong as it pushes kobolds into the Monstrous Races category, so no GM in their right mind should ever allow a kobold player to get this bite attack until it is properly balanced.

* * *

You can now post your signatures in agreement that these things need to be looked into before kobolds can be considered even somewhat balanced, because clearly they just have too much in their favor as it is.

Ah, you guys write far too much keep up. I'm sure it's a necessity to maintain some sort of universal correctness, but I'll try to keep my thoughts on this as simple as possible:

Killing has no strict alignment ruling, it's the individual motivations behind it. This includes killing to live, instigating fights, or other such things which result in some potentially good-aligned character dying.