Seamus Luckleaf's page

So this is going to sound ridiculous, but my nephew has got it in his head that he wants to make a character with a goose theme. His first thought was a druid who can wild shape into a goose, but it was unclear how to do that in the rules. A goose as an animal companion or familiar might work for him, though. I haven't looked at the summoner class in 2e - can an eidolon look like a goose?

Any recommendations for a geese themed PC? This is for PFS, so RAW only.

Been playing first edition Pathfinder for over a decade now. Still doing a home campaign with friends, but stopped playing PFS in public when the pandemic started. Before that, I bought the 2e Core Rulebook and played enough to get my first 2e PFS character up to level 4 or 5 (I forget now), but I was still doing 1e more than 2e, so never picked up any additional books or made a second PC.

I'm hoping to get back into PFS in the near future, especially since I just bought my first Gen Con badge since the pandemic started. I know most of the rules are on the Archives of Nethys home page. But in Society play, you have to own the books in order to use character options on your PC. So what would everyone consider the most important/best books to buy, given that most focus is on character building, not GMing?

And before you ask, no I don't know what type of character I want to make. I'm the type who looks through the rulebooks and finds options that make me want to create a character that uses that cool thing I just read about. But after decades of D&D/Pathfinder 1e, there was nothing that exciting and new in the 2e Core Rulebook, other than finally being able to make a goblin PC, which I think may be part of why I was slow to embrace the new version.

So I haven't been doing nearly as much 1e PFS lately, and I'm pretty far behind the times these days. I'm trying to figure out how many replays I have available, and how to track them, so I can jump into a game that some friends are doing of an adventure I've already played.

Back before 2e, I used my GM stars to replay some adventures until I ran out of available replays. Then I used a boon to "recharge" the stars. Then I replayed another 3, so I still have 1 left based on stars. And I have another old boon to recharge them again. So that's 5 available replays, where I'm seriously considering saving the last 4 to play Eyes of the Ten with a 2nd character.

But I know there was also some sort of one time replay award given out around the time of the switch over to 2e. I just don't remember exactly what it was or how it works, and I haven't been around here much lately, so I don't really know where to look. Can someone refresh my memory?

So champions can select a mount as their divine bond. And for a small sized PC champion, a medium sized pony should theoretically work. Or a goblin riding a medium sized wolf after level 6 (the wolf is apparently too small to carry the gobbo from levels 3-5).

The problem is that these medium sized creatures don't get an increase to their carrying capacity for having extra legs, the way they did in 1st edition. Thus, they can carry a small sized creature... but not a small sized creature in the heavy armor, shield, and weaponry that a champion is likely to be wearing. The champion is just too heavy for their mount to avoid being encumbered. And what kind of mount would they be with the clumsy condition and slower speed?

Am I reading this correctly, or is there some way around this that I'm missing?

Actually, now that I'm doing the math, even a large sized horse will be straining to carry a medium sized champion in full gear, though at least they can actually pull it off without being encumbered... barely. The encumbrance rules for non-humanoids just seem off to me.

A goblin enters, wearing armor, a shield, and a rapier sheathed at his hip. Oddly, he has what appears to be a keg strapped to his back, along with a standard adventurer's backpack.

He puts down his shield, then removes the keg and backpack. Grabbing a mug that was dangling from his belt, he fills it with ale from the keg, drinks it all in one long chug, and then refills it. He turns to look at you, as if noticing that other Pathfinders are present for the first time, raises his mug in your direction, and begins singing.

"Mighty Cayden, god of drunks,
Chose his champion - Me! I’m Grunk!
Wine and ale, I try ‘em all,
Drown myself in alcohol,
No need to read my god’s decree,
Everyone, everywhere must be free!
When evil slavers try their tricks,
I run ‘em through with pointy sticks!"

His song ended, Grunk laughs like a maniac for a few seconds, before taking a smaller drink from his mug. He then turns to look at you with his beady red eyes.

"So... who are you?"

When I "focus" the forum to see only threads I'm subscribed to, it's showing me a lot of threads I've never seen before. My best guess is that it's showing me every thread from any subforum I've visited recently.

So I know Paizo has been having issues with their web site and all, but it seems to be relatively stable for now. So it seemed like a good time for me to download the Playtest rulebook and give it a look.

But I can't find it. I only get links to buy the hardcover and softcover versions when I type "playtest" into the search box at the top of the page, but no pdf version.

I was told at Gen Con by Paizo employees that the playtest rulebook would be free to download. Is that true? Can someone provide a link? Where is it?

I'll be with some friends at Gen Con who used to play RPGs regularly years (decades) ago, but mostly just play 1 or 2 games per year at Gen Con these days. They've done Pathfinder with pregens at past Gen Cons and enjoyed it. From playing with them, I know that they just want to roll some dice and bash some monsters, so they're not overly concerned with skills or plot. Any recommendations for which scenarios they'd most enjoy at Gen Con this year?

I was thinking From the Tome of the Righteous Repose should be a good dungeon crawl for them, where we can go bash some beasties. I've played and GMed it already, but it's replayable, so we're good.

What else is on this year's Gen Con schedule that's relatively combat heavy? It doesn't have to necessarily avoid skills and a plot (Pathfinder adventures never do), but I know they'll want lots of combat.

I'm making a new PC for a campaign (unlike all my PFS PCs), and I'm trying to figure out what deity he'd worship.

The character is an occultist, interested in objects of historical significance. He wants to go exploring ruins and seeking out such items. So basically, he's an archaeologist. Which deity would be most appropriate for that, given that it's very much his primary personality attribute. Also, he's an elf (probably from Kyonin) if it matters.

The best I can find is Desna, as the goddess of explorers. I couldn't find any that are focused in history or preserving old items, though I suppose that could fall under Shelyn's artistic area. But the items he's interested in aren't necessarily artistic - they could be anything from armor and weapons to everyday household goods.

Given the hundreds of Golarion Deities, you'd think there would be something related to history, but I can't find it.

Do you have to play a pregen when playing this quest series, or can you bring your own level 1 PC?

"Hello, my new friends!" begins a tall, thin lashunta man. "My name is Garak, and I work as a tailor at a custom clothing shop here on Absalom Station. I often enjoy talking to my customers on a wide variety of subjects as a I measure them and help them pick out clothing, so I've acquired a varied education on unusual subjects over the years. After the Scoured Stars incident, some of my Starfinder customers suggested that my breadth of experience might be useful to the Society, so they asked me to join and help fill the ranks. I'm not sure what help a plain, simple tailor like me will be, but here I am."

"As I said, I just love talking to people, learning who they are, what they do, etc. So please, tell me about yourselves."

This is an in character introduction thread for Starfinder Society PCs. How do you introduce your PC at the gaming table? The first paragraph above is roughly how I introduce Garak when I play him.

I played Starfinder for the first time this weekend, in a Starfinder Society game.

The final boss was a spellcaster. Being experienced Pathfinder players, our entire group didn't approach him, instead readying attacks to disrupt his casting every round after we saw him casting in the first round. He did nothing the rest of the battle except get shot when he tried to cast. Granted, the GM probably should have had him pull out a gun and start firing back, but that's apparently not what he was built for. After all, he's a spellcaster, so he was supposed to be casting the whole time.

So in Starfinder, everyone's far more likely to be using a ranged weapon than in Pathfinder, armor classes are lower, and there are no concentration checks to save your spells if you get hit for even 1 point of damage while casting.

Does spellcasting in combat ever actually happen in this game? Because I just don't see how it can. I was thinking of making a spellcaster, but now I'm starting to wonder if mystic and technomancer are just "trap options", other than utility builds that don't cast in combat.

Given the odd number of starting stat points from the normal point buy method, I could totally see starting with a 13 int or wis and using the level 5 stat boost to get to 15, and picking up Connection Inkling or Technomantic Dabbler. But are they worth it? What level 0 and 1 spells are still worth picking up at that level?

Is there a way to buy a pdf and gift it to someone else if I have their email address, but not their avatar name here?

The SFS Guide says that the Reincarnate spell is banned in SFS. However, Mystics of the Xenodruid connection are supposed to automatically get it as a known spell when they reach high enough level.

In PFS, such banned features are usually replaced by something else, but nothing like that is mentioned in the SFS Guide. Do Xenodruids get a replacement spell instead?

I didn't see a thread for this yet, so I thought I'd start one. I've only just started reading the Core Rulebook, but I've already found two obvious mistakes. Having a master thread to list them all would be handy.

Page 26: Under the section for applying ability increases while leveling up, the example given is about a stat that goes up at level 4. Since those boosts happen at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20, this is obviously a mistake, and the example probably should have been at level 5.

Page 31: The Icon's Theme Knowledge ability says to increase the DC of checks made in their area of expertise by 5. It's pretty obvious that they meant to say to decrease the DC, as it does for the Theme Knowledge ability of other themes.

Everyone feel free to contribute if you find other obvious mistakes or typos in the book. Also, this is the type of thing that would probably make for a good "sticky" thread for future reference, if the mods agree.

You've all arrived in the city of Aspenthar in the nation of Thuvia. Feel free to introduce yourselves to the other party members. (ie dot in)

Players for this game: Chaosorbit, Hádanka, Whims Josser, Ilmakis, Luke_Parry, Celebdan Barhador, and Jayori Bissumbhur.

Yes, that's 7 people. Due to the nature of this scenario, there will still be plenty for all of you to do, without spreading things too thin with that many players, so I've decided to take all 7 in this one.

Please check in and provide the following information:

Player name
PC name
PFS #
Faction
Day Job Roll
Have you played/GMed this scenario before?
Anything weird/special I need to know about your PC?

So with all the talk about Gen Con and shopping lists on the forums lately, I figured I'd combine the two into a single topic. Gen Con's vendor room is probably the biggest shopping area for gamers in the world (other than the internet). What are you planning to buy?

Personally, I have a few new PCs without appropriate minis. Also, some older PCs, because the ones I've been using minis that don't really look like them. For instance, I've been using a generic tribal green skinned orc guy for my half-orc pirate. He's green, but other than that, not really right.

So my list is:

1. Minis for my PCs, preferably prepainted plastic.
2. Faction pins from the Paizo booth. I bought 3 of them last year, for the factions where I have the most PCs, but I'll definitely buy at least 1 more (maybe all 4) this year.

I won't be purchasing the Starfinder rulebook at Gen Con. Since I couldn't get into a game at Gen Con since they sold out so quickly, I figured I can wait to buy it afterward. So I pre-ordered it from my local store, which has a special deal running on pre-orders for it. I believe in supporting local stores whenever possible, especially the ones that let us meet there to play every week.

I suspect I'll think of something else to add to the shopping list, but I can't think of what right now.

What's on everyone else's shopping list?

I have ideas for new PFS characters, and I worked out the mechanical details, but I'm having trouble coming up with a personality, alignment, deity, back story, reason for joining the Society, etc.

Let's start with my grippli ranger. I picture this guy as a wild hunter in the jungles with a longbow, blowgun, and poisons (he has the Poison Darter archetype). Blood of the Beast says that the grippli from the Valashmai jungles in Tian Xia are wilder and more warlike than their Mwangi counterparts. I kinda like that idea. I see this guy as a wild warrior in the jungles, covered in warpaint, stealthing around in the trees, and striking suddenly from range.

So why would he leave the jungle to join the Pathfinder Society? What alignment is he? What deity does he worship, if any?

As I said, I've worked out mechanical details, but I'm having a hard time figuring out who this guy is.

This is for Pathfinder Society, so Paizo only, PFS-legal, etc.

I'm designing an archer who does things other than just straight damage with a longbow. Here's what I've got so far:

I'll probably carry a net, just because I'm proficient, to use here and there at low level. At higher levels (6+), I'll probably make sure to have a blowgun to use occasionally with the Poison Darter's sneak attack, if I can get set up in advance with good stealth. But it's not something I'll really focus on, since it's such a lousy weapon, and ranged sneak attacks are tough to set up.

Mostly, I'll just shoot things with a composite longbow a lot, using my poison and hunter tricks to debuff the heck out of them on top of the normal damage. I still want to do some damage, but I don't mind being a little less optimized in that regard for the debuffs.

Before level 5, my only debuff is the poison doing 1d3 dex damage. But once I hit level 5, the concept kicks into high gear. Assuming I have a wisdom headband by then, I'll have 7 poison uses and 6 hunter trick uses per day at that level. My poison will sicken enemies on top of the dex damage, with a DC 16 fort save, and Tangling Attack will automatically entangle when I hit, with no save. The poison save DC and uses per day of both will increase as I advance, so they should be useful throughout my career.

Does anyone have any suggestions for other stuff I could do to be more effective, or have more ways to debuff enemies from range without magic? What order should I take other feats and hunter tricks?

I have a few traits I'm looking at, but nothing that I consider essential to the build, so I'm open to suggestions there, too. And yes, I know about Deadeye Bowman, but I don't know if Erastil worship really fits this guy's personality.

I know these have been asked and answered regularly, but the sheer quantity of threads and debates makes finding a current, accurate ruling difficult.

1. When you play a higher level pregen and put the credit on a level 1 PC, does it have to be the first xp for that PC, or can you put it on any level 1?

2. Can you put a GM credit from a higher level adventure on a level 1 PC the way you can with a pregen credit?

So I'm looking at making a grippli ranger with the Poison Darter archetype from Blood of the Beast for PFS. Yes, I have the race boon. This doesn't look like an ultra-powerful archetype, but definitely different, so it could be fun.

I'm just worried about being too weak to be useful. Debuffing an enemy's dex with poison will be a little helpful, but isn't the most useful thing to specialize in. My primary weapon will be a blowgun that does 1 point of damage (no strength mod). I'll get sneak attacks starting at level 4, but only at range with that weak weapon, which is hard to pull off.

What are some rogue talents or alchemist discoveries I could pick up with the archetype to make my poison and/or sneak attacks more useful? Or should I forget the poison use combat style and just stick to the usual archery style for my ranger combat feats?

For that matter, how will I deny my enemies their dex to even get sneak attacks, other than just pumping up my initiative and stealth skill (which should be easy as a small, dex based PC).

One option is to just ignore the blowgun and sneak attack and play this guy as a straight up archer ranger with a longbow. I'll have the poison use that I put on a couple of arrows before combat starts to lower enemy dex (and sicken them starting at level 5). It's clearly not as good as the favored enemies, wild empathy, and hunter's bond that I lose, but it wouldn't totally suck.

Any suggestions?

Is the spell Detect Psychic Significance useful in PFS? I'm considering it for my skill monkey/casting occultist.

Since occultists get the object reading ability that lets them id magic items without spellcraft, I don't feel the need to get Detect Magic. Besides, other party members generally have it for just generally scanning an area.

Guidance is always useful, so I was leaning towards that. But DPS just seems to fit the personality of an occultist too well to resist. I just want to know if it would be a complete waste, because it'll never be useful in Society play.

A wrinkled, silver haired old elf with an odd third eye in the middle of her forehead enters and looks around.

"Excuse me, dears. Maybe one of you can help me figure something out."

"My name is Noranti. You may have seen me in the Grand Lodge, where I've worked as a chef for the past few years. But now, Venture-Captain Valsin has asked me to go out in the field with Pathfinder agents, to make sure they eat properly on their missions, and share my breadth of experience, since all my knowledge might help them. And I figure I can look for gems for that nice, wise dragon while I'm out there."

"But my question is about this wayfinder that I got from the quartermaster. I have an interest in old objects with storied histories, so I specifically asked for a wayfinder that isn't shiny and new, but one that's been used by others before. He looked at me funny and gave me this."

She holds out a dull, scuffed wayfinder.

"It works fine as a wayfinder, but I'm pretty sure it still has a partial spirit within it. I think the last Pathfinder who owned it left part of their soul inside when they died. I think it must have been a healer of some sort, because my herbs and medicinal cures seem to be more potent now that I have it."

"It looks like there might be initials engraved here, like that nice halfling girl told me they do for new Pathfinders after their confirmation missions. But they're faded, so I'm having trouble reading them. Maybe with some polish, I'll be able to determine what the initials are."

"Does anyone know what healer in the Pathfinder Society died, and left me their wayfinder, with part of their soul inside?"

So who wants to tell me about their dead PFS PC, so I can build it into the story of my new character?

Since it's relatively obscure, let me explain what's going on. She's an occultist with the haunt collector archetype. Since a compass can be used as the implement item for conjuration spells, I gave her a wayfinder for that purpose. And it's her level 2 implement, which I used with the archetype to trade out the normal resonant power for conjuration in order to get the medium class's hierophant seance boon, among other things. So basically, I give up extended duration on Glitterdust eventually in order to get +2 HP healed whenever I cast cure spells (and I already have Cure Light Wounds known).

But the fluff behind that is that the wayfinder is haunted. I thought it would be fun to add some flavor and have it be haunted by an actual deceased PFS PC. Let me know if you have an appropriate former character in mind.

I know, I know, we talk about this all the time, so I should know this stuff. But I do have two questions.

EVERGREEN ADVENTURES

All Tier 1 and 1-2 adventures can be replayed an unlimited number of times with a 1st-level character for credit. The Tier 1 and 1–2 adventures can also be played with a 2nd-level character once for credit in each campaign mode (Core and Standard Modes). GMs receive another Chronicle sheet each time they run one of the Tier 1 and Tier 1-2 adventures, but can only apply a Chronicle sheet to one 2nd-level character per adventure per campaign mode.

First of all, that bolded part surprised me. Tier 1 adventures can be played with a level 2 now??? So I could do First Steps 1 with a level 2 PC? Isn't that new?

And second question, because the wording isn't 100% clear, I think: Can you both play and get GM credit for the same tier 1-2 adventure with level 2 PCs? Non-hypothetically, I already played The Consortium Compact with a level 2. When I GM it this coming Saturday, can I put the credit on a different level 2? Or do I have to put it on a level 1, because I can only get credit on a single PC at level 2 with that one?

This will begin on August 25, when the game day begins.

• This is CORE.
  
• I try to post daily, and at least once on the weekend, so I'd prefer players who can do the same.
  
• This is a skill/social heavy scenario, but there is some combat. Come prepared.

So this question came up in the play by post forums. If a PC already has xp from being played/GM credit/whatever, can you add a race boon to it while doing a level 1 rebuild?

Some of us think you can, since level 1 rebuild lets you change anything, even race. Others think that because the race boons say they have to be applied to 0 xp PCs, you can't apply them when rebuilding a PC that already has xp.

Can we get an official ruling?

Having played this 4 times and GMed it 7 times, I can't believe this has never come up before. But I'm currently GMing it again in PBP, and I have a rogue trying to lockpick the chests in Amenopheus's basement. Unfortunately, there's no disable device DC listed anywhere in the adventure.

So opinion time - should these be easy or average locks? According to the Core Rulebook's description of the disable device skill, easy is DC 20, while average is DC 25. I wouldn't go higher than that on a level 1 adventure. Same question for the door to the room.

Either way, the rogue only hit a 19 when he took 10 initially, so I told him he failed. Now he's trying again without taking 10, and he broke a 20, but not a 25, so I have to make a decision.

Continuing my annual tradition of starting this thread a few days too late, since I probably should have started it a week ago...

Anyone want to get together to play at Gen Con? It would be nice to meet and play with some of the people I've interacted with here on the forums. I'm only doing 3 sessions of PFS this year at Gen Con:

[1] Thursday afternoon: Haven't bought a ticket yet. Already played most of season 8 as they came out, so I'll probably go for one of the new season 9 scenarios. Also considering 7-99 Through Maestrom Rift, since I never got around to playing that one.
[2] Friday evening special at subtier 3-4. Have room for 4 more players.
[3] Saturday evening special at subtier 3-4. Have room for 4 more players.

Even if you're not interested in joining me on these sessions, feel free to use this thread for your own recruiting that doesn't include me.

I'm thinking it might be interesting to play a character who started out in life wanting to be a paladin, trained enough to get there at level 1, but fell immediately, because they have a problem with rules. So 1 level of ex-paladin with probably a CG alignment, followed by subsequent levels of other classes.

A single level fighter dip is actually a popular option for some builds, for the armor and weapon proficiencies, along with a bonus combat feat. Paladins get the same armor and weapons, other than tower shields. Paladins don't get the bonus combat feat, but they do get +2 on will saves that fighters don't get, which is the equivalent of the Iron Will feat. So mechanically, a single level of ex-paladin is the same as a single level of fighter, with Iron Will as your bonus feat, no tower shields, and different class skills.

But what to do with the PC after level 1? What class would actually get something useful from that +1 BAB, and armor and weapon proficiencies they might not normally get, so this isn't just a wasted level?

I'm thinking stuff like rogues and ninjas, which could use the extra weapons, or a cleric benefiting from the heavy armor proficiency. But I've already got enough of those, so I'm looking at maybe some of the newer classes that I haven't played. Maybe the hybrids in ACG, or the occult classes. Maybe even vigilante, which I've barely looked at, and have no idea how it works.

There's an odd thought - vigilantes get two alignments, right? What if one of them is LG, and they're multi-classed as a paladin? I guess lying about your identity would violate any paladin code, so it would still be an ex-paladin.

Anyone have any suggestions?

This would be for Pathfinder Society, so Paizo sources only, PFS legal, etc.

You've all been summoned to the office of Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin in the Pathfinder Grand Lodge in Absalom. When you arrive, Valsin is busy lecturing another group of Pathfinders, leaving the group of you to wait outside his office for a few minutes. This would be a good time to introduce yourselves and get to know each other.

Please provide the usual information:

Player name
PC name
PFS #
Faction
Day Job Roll
Have you played this scenario before?
Anything weird/special I need to know about your PC?

As I said, it'll take me a couple of days to get everything set up and ready. I'm shooting for starting the game this weekend. In the mean time, I'll set up the game play thread, and you can all introduce yourselves in character there before the adventure begins.

Paizo's Gen Con schedule is now online, and it includes four SFS scenarios, numbered 1-00, 1-01, 1-02, and 1-03.

1-00: Claim to Salvation is a level 4 pregen-only scenario that seems to be the setup for the setting and the Society in game. I don't know what I'll be doing at Gen Con yet, but I'm likely to make playing that one a priority.

Hopefully, this won't be restricted after Gen Con, so anyone will be able to GM it, even outside of conventions. I really don't want to see the stupidity like we've seen with some of the PFS specials in recent years when it comes to that. (setting up an entire season's plot line in the Gen Con specials, and then making it nearly impossible for people who can't attend big cons to EVER play them)

Anyone else have anything to say about the SFS scenario descriptions or anything?

Recruitment thread. Post here, and I'll do a lottery in 10 or 11 hours, giving priority to those who previously said they wanted to play this in The Flaxseed discussion thread.

Game will start later this week or this weekend. Please be able to post daily on most week days, and once per weekend.

Corporate thugs, with the Chicago PD as their accomplices. :(

I have a boon that lets me play a ratfolk in Pathfinder Society, and I've never done an alchemist before, so I'm going for a bomb tosser. Here's what I've got so far, trying to plan through a PFS career (up to level 12):

Str: 10 (2, -2 racial)
Dex: 16 (5, +2 racial)
Con: 12 (2)
Int: 19 (13, +2 racial)
Wis: 12 (2)
Cha: 7 (-4)

I put points in strength for carrying capacity. I'll be in armor (mithral chain shirt by level 2), and I'll want to carry acid flasks and holy water that weigh 1 lb each at low levels, when I don't have enough bombs to last an entire adventuring day. Actually, holy water could be good my entire career, given that some demons and devils will be immune to normal bomb damage, even if I take discoveries for various damage types.

Traits: Student of Philosophy, Firebug

Archetype: Trap Breaker - Gives up the poison stuff for roguish bonuses on trap finding and disabling, lets me disarm magical traps, and can use bombs as landmines, which I can't imagine ever actually using.

Skills:
Keep maxed: Perception, Disable Device, and Craft (Alchemy)
Train some: Spellcraft, Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge (Arcana), Fly
Maybe train a little: Other knowledges, Linguistics, Sleight of Hand, Appraise, Use Magic Device

Feats:
1: Throw Anything (Bonus)
1: Extra Bombs (Bonus, replaces Brew Potions in PFS)
1: Point Blank Shot
3: Precise Shot
5: Extra Discovery
7:
9: Rapid Shot
11:

Others feats to consider: Two Weapon Fighting, Extra Bombs, Extra Discovery, Additional Traits, Improved Initiative, Iron Will

Discoveries:
2: Precise Bombs
4:
5:
6:
8: Fast Bombs
8:
10:
12:

I'm looking at Infusion, Frost Bombs, Tanglefoot Bombs, Cytillesh Bomb, and Spontaneous Healing for levels 4, 5, and 6, though I have to decide which to leave out, and what order to grab them.

I'm thinking I'll use the racial favored class bonus at levels 3-8 to get an extra discovery at level 8, rather than doing it right away for a discovery at 6, just because there are too many good ones that become available at 8. That way, I can get Fast Bombs at 8, along with something like Force Bombs, Confusion Bomb, or Blinding Bomb at the same time. Though now that I'm looking at the 5 discoveries I want in 3 levels (4, 5, and 6), I may reconsider so I can get 4 of them by 6th level.

Other discoveries I'm looking at for level 6+ are Grease Bomb and Wings. At higher levels, there's Sticky Bombs and Madness Bombs.

Extracts:

I still need to go through these. I'm sure there will be a lot more that I want to prep and hand out as infusions than the number I can make per day. And I'll definitely want all the utility stuff in my formulae book, and leave some unprepared in the morning, since I can make them in one minute as necessary during the day.

Noteworthy Equipment:

Tail Blade - From the Advanced Race Guide. For 11 gp, I always threaten with a weapon, without taking up a hand.
Acid Flasks and Holy Waters - Good enough when I don't have enough bombs per day.
Cap of Human Guise (800 gp) - Also from the ARG. Could be fun for roleplay on a ratfolk, and/or infiltration missions.
Normal "Big 6" items (Cloak of Resistance, Mithral Chain Shirt, Ring of Protection, Amulet of Natural Armor, Dex Belt, Int Headband)
Wands of all the best utility spells from the alchemist list (Cure Light, Comprehend Languages, Endure Elements, Shield, Reduce Person, Lesser Restoration, Resist Energy, etc)
Most expensive potions I can afford, to be used with Alchemical Allocation
Boro Beads
Sipping Jacket
Poisoner's Gloves

So, any suggestions? What order should I take those feats and discoveries? Any other feats, discoveries, equipment, etc that I need to make a note of?

Do I really need Rapid Shot and/or Two Weapon Fighting after taking Fast Bombs, or will that just drain my bombs too quickly? I suspect I'll wait and see how he plays before making those decisions around levels 7 through 11.

Any other suggestions?

So it was established years ago that the only improved familiars that can even attempt to use wands are the ones with hands, which according to this PFS FAQ are the brownie, faerie dragon, imp, lyrakien azata, mephit, quasit, and sprite. This also means that non-improved familiars can't use wands, even if they were born with hands, so that rules out your run of the mill monkeys.

The problem is that this FAQ is from March, 2012. Can we get an update that includes new familiars with hands that have been introduced to the game since then? I only know of one offhand (the xiao introduced in Bestiary 5, which is already PFS legal), but it wouldn't surprise me if I was missing more.

So I'm making a new PC with high intelligence and low charisma, and I was debating the Pragmatic Activator trait to use int instead of cha for Use Magic Device. Note that it's already a class skill.

But what's it really used for? Is it worth investing a trait and a ton of skill ranks, since it has to be maxed out to be useful? It's mostly just for scrolls and wands, right?

I guess it's mostly about what scrolls and wands you think would be useful for the individual PC. In my case, I mostly play PFS, where you can buy scrolls and wands freely, so availability isn't an issue.

I'm intentionally keeping this general, rather than talking about my specific build, because I want to start a conversation about what spells make great scrolls and wands for UMD, and what types of characters would be best to train or avoid this skill.

WARNING: This thread contains spoilers for several season 3 scenarios dealing with the Hao Jin Tapestry. Due to the nature of the conversation, it's easiest to just spoiler the whole thread in the title and give this warning up front, so we don't have to bother with spoiler tags going forward.

Don't read this thread if you haven't played the Rats of Round Mountain scenarios.

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So now, on to the point of the thread.

With ratfolk boons becoming more common, I've decided to make my first PC who wasn't born on Golarion: He's one of the rats of Round Mountain, inspired by the Pathfinders who visited his homeland 4 years ago to leave the Hao Jin Tapestry and become a Pathfinder himself. The problem is that I don't remember enough of the details of those scenarios, because I played them 3+ years ago and never GMed them.

Specifically, I remember the basics of the final bosses in both parts of Round Mountain, but I don't remember the reaction of the rat folks, or how friendly they would be towards the Pathfinders who helped free them from those enemies. Didn't they treat the rakshasa in part 2 as some sort of god before the PCs killed it? What exactly is the story there again?

I'm just trying to get the view of the "common man" among the ratfolk of that community at the events of those two adventures. And if someone could remind me of the names and other details of the important NPCs (especially the dragon and rakshasa), that would help, too.

So the maximum age for a PC in Pathfinder Society is 349 (elf in the old, but not venerable, age category). I'm about to play an elf close to that age for the first time, and I want to play up the borderline senile elder aspect for personality.

When such a character starts rambling about "Back when I was young...", how would that sentence end?

Obviously, Aroden was still around, and most people didn't know who Iomedae was. Naderi is the only deity I can think of who is that young, though I wouldn't be surprised if there are others I don't know about. Some nations have changed, especially around the World Wound and Eye of Abadengo. Much of Tian Xia was ruled by the Lung Wa dynasty, which has since fallen.

What else?

What has been everyone's experience with this spell in PFS play? I haven't really seen it used much at all. I suspect that's because many players, including myself, avoid it for fear of wild table variation in how the judge will let them use it.

I found this thread, where the big debate was whether or not you could use it to convince bad guys to attack their friends. But that's not really what I'm looking for here.

I'm actually making a casting/skill/support occultist, and dumping charisma, so that's the only type of skills she won't be able to do. I was thinking of taking this just as a substitute for diplomacy in asking a bartender for information or talking my way past a guard, but I'd never even consider using it in a combat encounter. That's what more powerful enchantments are for. :P

Bear in mind that as an psychic caster, my spells won't have verbal, somatic, or material components, though she has an implement as a focus (she clutches her necklace when casting enchantment spells), so nobody will know she's casting a spell.

This seems like the type of thing the spell was actually designed for, so I'm hoping not to run into too much table variation from GMs. What do the rest of you think?

My newest PFS PC is an elderly elven woman spellcaster. I picture her as a chef first, so a mini holding a pot or pan would be ideal. Any recommendations?

So all the discussion on the forums seems to agree that if you're going to build a PC using the medium class from Occult Adventures, you pretty much have to focus on the champion spirit. That's really the only spirit that's useful for a normal adventuring day. And it's mostly strength based two handed weapon builds, since mediums don't get any bonus feats to help them pull off more feat intensive combat styles.

So has anyone come up with any sort of viable adventuring medium that doesn't focus mostly on the champion spirit? Or even if they do focus on that spirit, can you pull off any combat style effectively other than a big, two handed weapon and Power Attack?

I guess archery could work with the champion spirit, but it's slow going to get the many feats necessary to be good at it. If you're not human, you won't even get Precise Shot until level 3. I suppose the champion spirit bonus and seance bonus could make Deadly Aim somewhat unnecessary, which is good since a 3/4 BAB class can't really afford the penalty to hit. So this will always be a sub-par archer compared to classes with bonus feats to be great at it (ranger, fighter, zen archer), but I guess you could be passable.

Any other suggestions for medium builds that don't just try to impersonate a barbarian with a great sword?

Katana: Specifically constructed for samurai, katanas employ multiple types of steel combined in a distinctive forging process. The result are swords noted for their wickedly sharp yet slender, gently curved blades, designed to make graceful hacking strokes capable of severing opponents' heads and limbs. Though finely balanced, these blades are difficult to master. Characters can use a katana two-handed as a martial weapon, but must take the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (katana) feat to use it one-handed.

Looking at the bolded sentence at the end, anyone with martial weapon proficiency is considered proficient to use a katana with both hands. Is that good enough for weapon feats like Weapon Focus and Improved Critical that require you to be proficient with the weapon to take the feat?

My paladin of Shizuru, who only uses the katana with both hands due to lack of proficiency with her goddess's favored weapon (which is still a sore point for me) really wants to know.

1. Does the FAQ about alchemist crafting in PFS also apply to investigators?
2. Can investigators use their inspiration on day job rolls?

So I've been looking at the occult classes, trying to come up with my next PFS character idea. The mesmerist class seems interesting, but I'm trying to figure out how it plays at low levels, before you have enough spells per day to cast all day long.

Because I already have a few low level front line PCs, I'm trying to avoid doing a martial themed mesmerist, and stick to mostly casting and other class abilities. Against things with minds, I can do hypnotic stare + Daze all day long, and pull out more potent spells as necessary. At higher levels, trade out Daze, and by then, I should have enough spells per day to cast better stuff more often.

But before picking up psychic inception at level 3, to use mind affecting stuff on monsters that are usually immune, what does a mesmerist do in combat against undead, oozes, vermin, constructs, etc? This is pretty much the same question I had when I made a bard who specializes in debuffing things with minds, but at least bards always have Inspire Courage and wands of Cure Light Wounds to fall back on.

Even after level 3, until you get enough spells per day to cast every round (probably level 7+), I'm still trying to wrap my head around how the class should play.

So I've decided to do a gnome illusionist for my next PFS PC, just because it's an old trope that I've never done before. I know with their charisma bonus, they make better sorcerers than wizards. But I've already done a couple of sorcerers, bards, and other spontaneous casters, and I kinda got bored of casting the same spells over and over. I want to do a prepared caster just for the wider variety of spells.

So I'm thinking of doing an actual illusionist, even though there are schools with better powers, just because I'm more interested in being unusual than uber-optimized. The powers are actually pretty good, even if they aren't the best of the best. But there's also the shadow subschool, which also has good powers, so I'm a little torn between the two.

So I've been looking over the spells, trying to decide on opposition schools.

I know the obvious is enchantment, because single target save or suck spells tend to be worthless if the enemy saves, so that's an easily skippable school. But for an ADHD Golarion gnome that wants to use a wide variety of spells throughout his career, enchantment does actually have some fun options. I just wouldn't make it my primary offense, but I could see mixing one or two enchantment spells into my prep once I have a lot of spell slots per day.

I keep looking at divination for an opposition school. Especially in PFS, where the adventures are short, and you don't need to use heavy duty divination to find the plot, this does seem like an easily skippable school, except for screwing up Read Magic and Detect Magic. But magic items are easily accessible in PFS, so wands could easily compensate for those. So I think this could work.

I was actually considering abjuration for an opposition school. That one has a lot more spells I'll want, but most of them are still pretty good as scrolls and wands. This would mean giving up on Dispel Magic, though.

Another possible opp school is necromancy. I see this guy as a fairly silly character, so while this school has a few decent spells, it might be too dark for him. And really, other than maybe Blindness/Deafness, what would I miss?

For feats, I obviously want Spell Focus and Greater in illusions, and I'll need Spell Penetration and Greater eventually. I may also want more Spell Focus feats for other schools that I use a lot, but I'll have to decide which those will be.

I'm also looking at some gnome and/or illusion related feats that could work well for him like Effortless Trickery, Shadow Gambit, and Threatening Illusion. All 3 of those look like they'd occasionally be useful, but aren't good enough to build a PC around, especially if I'm going for spell variety, rather than a sorcerer casting the same illusions over and over.

To go along with the silly gnome theme, I'm taking a trait to get bluff as a class skill with a +1 trait bonus, not dumping charisma, and getting a familiar with the Decoy archetype. So the skunk will also have bluff as a class skill, and be able to speak all my languages (mimicking my voice perfectly) starting at level 5.

That could be fun to play with. And yeah, skunks look like cool familiars, so I'm definitely going there. It's worth it for the +2 fortitude and a twice per day stink spray that can nauseate (or at least sicken, even if they make the fort save) an enemy.

I haven't decided on a second trait. I'm trying to decide if there's a spell I want to specialize in enough to take Magical Lineage. I was thinking maybe Major Image, and using that to put Threatening on it for free, but I just don't think it's worth that big an investment. I might just end up with a generic trait for +2 initiative or +2 concentration.

So, anyone have feat suggestions? Traits? Ideas about the oppositions schools, and spells worth using a lot, or making sure to avoid in opposition schools so I can always cast them?

Oh yeah, and I need a recommendation for good, silly names for a gnome and a skunk. And suggestions for random ADHD, bluff-addicted silliness to throw at the table. I'm going for VERY chaotic neutral on this one. I'm actually tempted to have him change his name before every adventure, and change the skunk's name every time, too, until the skunk can speak for itself at level 5.

Maybe I'm imagining it, but I could have sworn that the Skull & Shackles Pathfinder Battles set included a half-orc pirate. But I just looked through the set on this site, and I'm not finding it. Does this mini exist? I have a half-orc pirate PC and I'd like an appropriate mini for him.