Secane's page

@Samurai,
Thanks for this list of alternative spells. It looks really nice.
I'm not sure if my gm will go for it, but I will show it anyway.
Thanks!

OMG, the Vigilant Seal is pathfinder's SCP Foundation!

Vigilant Seal - “protect, contain, and destroy.”

SCP - "Secure, Contain, Protect"

@Skystarlit1,

Oh mind, you said it Skystarlit1. Those are the points that have us all unhappy.
*I don't agree with every point and I do feel there should be more to the list, but its pretty much spot on.

On point 2. I'm playing in 5ed right now. The limit on the difference between someone trained in a skill and someone who is not, feels very unrealistic.
It breaks the suspension of disbelief, when a weak in strength character can move something that a clearly stronger character can't.

On point 6. I want to compare Skyrim and Dragon Age. Both are great RPGs, but you know why people still play Skyrim years later? (Other then mods)
Cos Skyrim don't force a backstory into the gameplay. You are whoever YOU want to be. You write your story!
*Both are CRPGs

It makes the story and your character come alive! Cos whatever you do, you earn it in someway. It becomes a living game, not just a number cruncher.

Should a game give some reward for a character's backstory? Yes
Should a game be heavy handed in enforcing backstory as part of a character and tied it to game mechanics? No! It pigeonhole a character into a certain role and don't allow a character to grow out of it (not organically atleast)

Once something is a game mechanic, people will compare them. Guides and players would start picking 1 over another for their game benefits.
*Look at Reactionary (+2 trait bonus on initiative checks). Its a trait you will find on more characters then any other trait in PFS. Everyone's character seems to have been bullied as a child. Did people pick that for backstory? Or for its mechanical benefits?

I’m not talking about a GM rolling behind a screen, I’m talking about a GM rolling for the player. Skill check that have the Secret Trait are rolled by the GM not the player.

Solution:

So now, the player gets to roll and the GM gets to play out the results.

@Kondenado, as a metric system user, I have to agree with John Lynch 106.
Imperial does feel more old timey. After all it came about organically. Even the terms used in imperial, like pounds, meant different amounts in difference places in real life. Imperial itself is kinda forced to standardise somewhat in the modern age.

Metric is really good in real life, but remember its origin. It came about after a large number of countries decided to standardise units of measurement. To help improve trade, makes life easier for everyone and basically be less confusing.

Since Golarion only uses 1 common system (as far as we know). There isn't a need to have metrics, as everyone is using that one system.
From a system, story and history (in-world Golarion) perspective, there isn't a need.

The more science-based Starfinder on the other hand... lol...

The play test, as is, feels like programming language. It make sense from a system coding point of view, but the end user may not understand or use it well.

This means the system really don't look nice to readers as is.

PF2 needs to sell the story too and not the just the math.

Iomedae protects!

Just finished playing a great 10-11 tier Core game with my Cleric of Iomedae and it was... great!

In the last fights, I was using Glory Domain's Divine Presence (Su) every turn to rob the enemies of the chance to hurt my party.

In classic PFS, the Glory domain is hardly pick by anyone. And if they do, they would often pick the heroic subdomain instead, thanks to the heroism aura. There are just so many other better options for most clerics to pick from.

But here in Core games, the Glory domain really shines! And its helped by the whole party winning initiative. (Improve Initiative is also very popular here in Core games. Feats that people usually couldn't be bother with in Classic.)

I just had to delay till after my party had made their attacks, before throwing up Divine Presence and seeing the enemies struggle to even land hits on my party. I'm not even a caster cleric with a way high wis to boot! But a melee combat cleric with 20 str.

Love the fact that in Core the party actually works better together. We have to rely more on each other to succeed!

Now that I'm thinking a bit more about Resonance.. What about switching it from a resource that you spend to a capacity that you build up?

[[M]] Magical Resonance
Your body can only handle a certain capacity of magic resonating with your spirit. Your maximum resonance is your level + your Charisma modifier on each day. Any action or investment that costs a [[M]] counts up to this maximum capacity.
If your body tries to resonate with more magic, there is a chance your body will reject the magic. If you're at maximum resonance, you can attempt to activate or invest an item anyway. You need to attempt a flat check (a d20 roll with no modifiers) against a DC equal to 10 + the number of points you go over your maximum resonance capacity. So the first item has a 50% chance of working, and it gets more risky from there.

I really like this proposal. It reminds me of how the over use of magic is handled in some fantasy settings.

For example, in the circle of magic books, magical healing gets harder on a person who have received too much magical healing. The mage describes it in-world as the lingering older healing spells are fighting the fresher newer healing spells.

Pathfinder 2 needs to stop looking at the system purely from a mechanical or math only view and focus too on the flavor and in-world setting.
Both the math and flavor needs to work hand in hand for a good game system.

Otherwise PF2 would be no different from 4ed D&D, where the math and need to balance everything was made to the point that the game resembles a very stale CRPG instead. Turn away the very people that come to Pathfinder.

Really hope that the designers are taking our words to heart. We are not posting to spite Pathfinder 2.0. A new system is great! Especially after so many years of material build up in PF1.0.

We are posting, cos we really care about Pathfinder and want PF2.0 to be great and fun to play in.
Don't alienate your fans just for the sake of change.

P1: Then I'll drink my Dragon's Breath Potion and show him what real morning's breath smells like!

P2: Don't be stupid, you only have 2 RP left. Complete waste of the potion and you'll be SOL if you get knocked out.

P1: Oh yeah, never mind I'll just full attack then.

This is a good example of why Resonance(RP) just seems odd. Its purely mechanical and don't make sense from a roleplay point of view.

How is Resonance even explained in-world? That's something that really needs to be thought out first.

"items have levels now"

Where have I seen that before.... its just so familiar....

Oh right!

....4th Edition D&D....

@wraithstrike, Your break down of FoM is correct.

Once you have FoM on, the vast majority of movement restricting effects would just fail on you.

Even something like Tanglefoot bag would fail. Its kinda covered in by FoM spell description.

@DeathlessOne,
I know you are trying to find a way to get past FoM's protections using a mundane means, but it just doesn't work that way.
You would need dispel or a Barbarian's Spell Sunder to break it.

A clever Spellcaster can dispel or better yet switch to using the environment against a target under the effects of FoM.
If you can't use black tentacle, then maybe blow up the ceiling and have it collapse on the target. FoM can't help someone trapped under a ton of rocks.

For martial characters, stop trying to grapple or restrict someone under FoM, just beat the target up! FoM don't protect a target from damage or attack of opportunities.

Will there likely be a new world/region setting book for Golarion or the Inner Sea region in the PF2.0?

I didnt know about those Talismans. I used the unfettered shirt which allowed me to use FoM once per day. It's 5000 gp, which also isn't bad.

Unfettered shirt cost 10k. It is 5k to craft it.

Its price is why some prefer the talisman.

I ran We be Goblins recently at a local mix games event. It was GLORIOUS!

My players had a ton of fun being goblins And I pretty much lost my voice after doing goblin speech for 4 hrs.

Congratulations Richard!!!

You have been a great VC for Singapore all this years! Congrats on finally getting your 5th Star!

AoN for information on a source, feat, spell etc. Also for making any PFS character

d20pfsrd for game rules and quicker GMing (since creature abilities are usually linked to their rules.)

To be very honest, if it wasn't for both of these sites, I and likely many in my local PF community would have quit PF a long time ago.

NO ONE wants to have to dig through 3 dozen+ books to make a character.

AoN and d20pfsrd, keep it up!

Create Pit

School conjuration (creation); Level arcanist 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, summoner 2, summoner (unchained) 2

Casting
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (miniature shovel costing 10 gp)

Effect
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect 10-ft.-by-10-ft. hole, 10 ft. deep/2 levels
Duration 1 round + 1 round/level
Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance no

Description
You create a 10-foot-by-10-foot extradimensional hole with a depth of 10 feet per two caster levels (maximum 30 feet). You must create the pit on a horizontal surface of sufficient size. Since it extends into another dimension, the pit has no weight and does not otherwise displace the original underlying material. You can create the pit in the deck of a ship as easily as in a dungeon floor or the ground of a forest. Any creature standing in the area where you first conjured the pit must make a Reflex saving throw to avoid falling into it. In addition, the edges of the pit are sloped, and any creature ending its turn on a square adjacent to the pit must make a Reflex saving throw with a +2 bonus to avoid falling into it. Creatures subjected to an effect intended to push them into the pit (such as bull rush) do not get a saving throw to avoid falling in if they are affected by the pushing effect.

Creatures who fall into the pit take falling damage as normal. The pit’s coarse stone walls have a Climb DC of 25. When the duration of the spell ends, creatures within the hole rise up with the bottom of the pit until they are standing on the surface over the course of a single round.

The hole/pit is 10 feet by 10 feet, aka 2x2 squares. If a creature ends its turn on a square adjacent to the pit, they risk falling in.

Pit = 10 feet x 10 feet, aka 2x2 sqaures

Square adjacent to the pit = any square adjacent to the 2x2 pit

CupcakeNautilus wrote:

Gisher wrote:

The Fox Shape feat requires a Charisma of 13 and a BAB of +3.

Unless you take the "Superior Shapeshifter" Alternate Racial Trait, which gives it to you for free at level 1.

The OP stated that this was for a PFS character, and Superior Shapeshifter isn't PFS legal.

Thanks for pointing that out. I will pick up the fox shape feat, later down the line. And maybe select a Cha based discipline instead.

So any advice on feats and discipline?

In many recent PFS games, it is becoming overwhelmingly clear that Str is effectively useless as an ability score. As Dex builds are simply equal to or way better then any Str build.

There are now many ways to use Dex for attacking and melee damage. Not to mention that many of these Dex builds benefit from an increase in the attacks of opportunity they have via Combat Reflexes.
Even range attacks are useless against Dex builds with feats like Cut from the Air.

With so many options leaning heavily towards Dex, why even brother with making any Str-based character at all?

Is the Pathfinder system even doing anything to balance this?

Strength
- Attack
- Melee Damage
- CMB
- CMD
- Carry weight
- Str Skills (Climb, Swim)

Dexterity
- Attack (Weapon Finesse, Advanced weapon training)
- Damage (Advanced weapon training, style feats, Slashing Grace, Agile weapon)
- CMB (Some combat maneuvers can use Dex if Dex is used to attack and there is a feat to use Dex for all maneuvers)
- CMD
- Attack of Opportunity (Combat Reflexes)
- Initiative
- AC
- Reflex saving throws
- Dex Skills - More then Str ones (Escape artist, Stealth, Disable Device, Fly, Ride, Slight of hand)
- STOPPING attacks via Parry and Repose

Just looking at the pros of each ability score and its clear Dex clearly leads in almost every way.
Hope that future source materials can make Str builds viable again.

Just a quick re-post of a previous reply of mine to this same topic.
*Added update on Advanced Weapon Training and Advanced Armor Training!

ALL archers (fighters, rangers, slayers, zen archers, etc) are POWERFUL damage dealers.

It really is more about what you want out of your archer.

Fighters - More consistent damage output, just pure damage
And LOTS OF OPTIONS, Thanks to Advanced Weapon Training and Advanced Armor Training.
1) More consistent to hits (due to weapon training)
2) Higher static damage (due to weapon training)
3) Tons of feats
4) Overall more armor (thanks to armor training)
5) Not afraid to wear heavier armor
6) You are always at max possible strength, aka no need to spend time on buffing etc. You are always ready to start shooting
7) less overall skills
8) Able to handle most foes with the right feats
9) Advanced Weapon Training and Advanced Armor Training(!!!!) These 2 made Fighter SO MUCH MORE BETTER NOW!!!
You can have skills, cool combat abilities and even out of combat abilities. All to give this class so much more options.

Ranger - More than just damage
1) Earlier access to some feats via combat styles (Improved Precise Shot,etc)
2) Good against specific enemy types
3) Spells! + buffing
4) Tons of skills
5) Tons of out of combat and in combat class features (tracking, etc)
6) More self-dependent (able to spell heal of of combat, etc)
7) May need to spend time buffing for more damage (gravity bow, etc)
8) Spells are unfortunately limited in supply.

Slayer - Ranger with no spells, but more damage output
1) Earlier access to some feats via combat styles (Improved Precise Shot, etc)
2) Able to study aka add damage to any enemy
3) Sneak attack = more damage
4) Tons of skills
5) Slayer Talents!
6) Plenty of out of combat and combat class features
7) No spells when compared to the ranger
8) Able to handle most foes. Just like a fighter

Zen Archer (Monk) - A LOT of arrows in the air!
1) More arrows when full-round (flurry) attacking
2) Lots of archery feats given for free!
3) Nice monk class features
4) Nice amount of skills
5) Less static damage per shot, but lots of arrows
6) Abundant Step(!)
7) Able to pull off shots other classes can't
8) Good saves
9) Ki is a powerful, but also limited resource

As you can see archery comes in every flavor. There are very few cons, it REALLY is just what YOU want!

Further clarification, both versions of the Grenadier the Pathfinder Society Field Guide and the Monster Codex version are the same.

I just realize that selling back stuff in SF is only 10% of the purchase price. Instead of 50% in PFS.

With no way to upgrade equipment in SFS, is the 10% sell back for equipment really viable in SFS?

I'm asking this, as this whole buy at 100%, sell at 10% system, just seems to encourage players to save on money, by holding back on buying anything till later, when better equipment is available. Riding on the efforts (and purchases) of other players to complete missions instead.

Whats the point of getting a lv 4 armor, when you know you could save money by holding out and get the much better lv 7 armor version instead?

Anyone who actively upgrade their weapon and armor as they level, will have a lot less wealth per level, over someone that don't buy till later levels.

It just seems like the weirdest way to discourage people from being actively useful to a party.

*One item that can be upgraded is the personal implant. Why can't that be the same for the other equipment?

Eloritu is a really a cross universe Mystra.

This time She/He will not make the same mistake as the weave. This time the nerf is not just on lv 10+ spells. This time She/He is here to stay...

I'm looking for advice on my build. I would like to optimize my hit and then damage as much as possible, even though the Archer archetype was used for roleplaying purposes.

If you wish to optimize attack and damage, don't use the Archer archetype.

Go straight up fighter.

Why? Cos the Archer archetype losses access to the Gloves of Dueling

These wonderful gloves -
1) Up your attack and dmg by a flat +2 each.

2) Prevents you from losing or dropping your bow, which is death sentence in combat for an archer.

3) Give you A LOT more out of the Advanced Weapon Training options.

Archer's Expert Archer (Ex) does not work with Gloves of Dueling (as per the faq)

Also the normal fighter can wear up to heavy armor and still be an archer.

If you are playing a homebrew and your GM allows Gloves of Dueling to work with the Archer Archetype, then go with the Archer. Otherwise a normal fighter would make you a more damaging and tanker character.

I'm asking this cos firstly, the Harrow Deck(all versions) is out of print on Paizo's store (as far as googling goes).
Which makes it REALLY weird that a Harrow Deck is still listed as a requirement to use of certain archetypes and feats, like Varisian Pilgrim's lv 8 - Blessing of the Harrow (Su)

Not only must you own the Inner Sea World Guide book/pdf, you must own an out-of-print product to make use of archetype.

Secondly, while there seems to be a couple of copies available else where online, the shipping (to my county) + product cost is way too expensive for a single archetype's ability.

It feels like a uncalled for tax to players who already own the Inner Sea World Guide to hunt down an out of print product like the harrow deck. The AA after all keeps pointing out that "The Harrow deck may be used if it is an actual Harrow deck. Any alternative means to simulate the Harrow deck usage, such as a normal deck of cards or dice, is not legal"

More worryingly! I want to point out that some of these 3rd party sources of the Harrow Deck has forced the prices way high for a copy.
Look at this link Pathfinder Chronicles: Harrow Deck by Paizo Staff

That's $45.00 vs $15.99 for the original.
The Deluxe Harrow Deck version does not currently list a price.

I hope that the Varisian Pilgrim archetype and the Harrow Deck as a requirement for play, can be looked into, so as to give players a fair use of Harrow Deck affected archetypes, abilities etc.

Finally, for the Inner Sea World Guide's cleric archetype - Varisian Pilgrim, it says in the additional resources...

Upon gaining 8th level, the Varisian Pilgrim may gain the 8th-level ability Blessing of the Harrow as long as the player possesses a Harrow deck.

Since this ability is a MAY gain.

Blessing of the Harrow (Su): At 8th level, once per day the pilgrim may perform a harrowing for herself or another creature. This is otherwise identical to the blessing of the harrow from the harrower prestige class (Inner Sea World Guide 276). This replaces an 8th-level domain power of the Varisian pilgrim’s choice.

Nope, didn't like the evil boons.

They make you feel like you are being punished for playing good characters.

I had good PCs reject them for roleplay and felt being cheated for doing so.

GM: Hi everyone! Thanks for coming together for this small "horror" campaign of ours.

Now I know you have many questions, so let's get started!

First things first, YES! The Book of Erotic Fantasy is legal and we will be using everything from it.

Now, on to roleplay questions...

ALL archers (fighters, rangers, slayers, zen archers, etc) are POWERFUL damage dealers.

It really is more about what you want out of your archer.

Fighters - More consistent damage output, just pure damage
1) More consistent to hits (due to weapon training)
2) Higher static damage (due to weapon training)
3) Tons of feats
4) Overall more armor (thanks to armor training)
5) Not afraid to wear heavier armor
6) You are always at max possible strength, aka no need to spend time on buffing etc. You are always ready to start shooting
7) less overall skills
8) Able to handle most foes with the right feats

Ranger - More than just damage
1) Earlier access to some feats via combat styles (Improved Precise Shot,etc)
2) Good against specific enemy types
3) Spells! + buffing
4) Tons of skills
5) Tons of out of combat and in combat class features (tracking, etc)
6) More self-dependent (able to spell heal of of combat, etc)
7) May need to spend time buffing for more damage (gravity bow, etc)
8) Spells are unfortunately limited in supply.

Slayer - Ranger with no spells, but more damage output
1) Earlier access to some feats via combat styles (Improved Precise Shot, etc)
2) Able to study aka add damage to any enemy
3) Sneak attack = more damage
4) Tons of skills
5) Slayer Talents!
6) Plenty of out of combat and combat class features
7) No spells when compared to the ranger
8) Able to handle most foes. Just like a fighter

Zen Archer (Monk) - A LOT of arrows in the air!
1) More arrows when full-round (flurry) attacking
2) Lots of archery feats given for free!
3) Nice monk class features
4) Nice amount of skills
5) Less static damage per shot, but lots of arrows
6) Abundant Step(!)
7) Able to pull off shots other classes can't
8) Good saves
9) Ki is a powerful, but also limited resource

As you can see archery comes in every flavor. There are very few cons, it REALLY is just what YOU want!

Just an update.

The party ultimately convinced the paladin to step in as ruler "for now".

I prepared for every outcome, but they decided that 6k is not something they want to drop on a familiar.

Azten wrote:

Oh, good, yet more proof Wild is no longer +3 worthy.

I don't see this changing much for the vast majority of characters that are interested in wild armor. Usually a druid isn't a dex monster, and shaping into a big nasty means they aren't piling on more dex than normal anyway. The only thing they really take a hit on is the speed penalty, and that is really pretty minor.

I guess I think if wild was ok before, it is pretty much ok still.

I'm playing an Eagle Shaman in PFS, and this FAQ is pretty significant.

Now this FAQ just grounded my character... The irony is I would be expecting to cast Fly on my eagle or Roc wildshape just to have a good fly skill.
(My druid has the fly spell via domain spell.)

I have to note that in a homebrew, where spells like ironwood can be make perm, it won't be that big of a deal to druids, as they don't have to pick up Wild armor to have a good AC score.

Is it possible to play lv 7 pregens (and applying the credit to the same character) so many times that a character goes from lv 7 to ABOVE lv 12 when the character finally hits lv 7 and applies all the credit earned?

With the new errata, the Occultist archetype is really too weak to work properly.

I feel thew new errata is overkill on the Cha requirements. It seems a heavy handed approach to making the Arcanist more "sorcerer", whereas pre-errata, the arcanist was decidedly more wizard in feel.
It just doesn't scale properly into the higher levels. :(

The sad thing is that it really affects the Occultist archetype badly, whereas in the past, you need to give up your spells to fuel the summon monster ability, now you can't even do that without giving up your strongest spells, which scales badly.

I may just take a plunge into the cheese pool that is Occult Adventures and make a psychic character instead for this character.

Is the Occultist archetype for the arcanist worth getting?

It looks really cool to be able to summon 1 monster as a standard action, but the cost to actually use it seems to increase exponentially, when compared to the amount of arcane reservoir points the arcanist gets per day.

The archetype also lacks any feat support.

Lastly, does feats like summon good monsters or summon neutral monsters work with the occultist or summoner's summon monster (sp)?

I've been tossing around a few ideas within my group as well as others about a highly survivable character who doesn't wear armor.

...

Your build assumes you are not locked down by spells or otherwise unable to act.

If so, why not try the hp tanking Paladin?

Race - Tiefling

Feats:
- Fey Foundling - heal an additional 2 points per healing die rolled
- Greater Mercy - heal 1d6 more if no mercy is applied.

Favored class - Paladin Tiefling - +1 hp healed when lay on hand on self.

Items -

Inheritor's Light - Any cure spells or lay on hands effects used to heal the wielder of this blade heal an additional 1 point of damage per die, up to the effect’s normal maximum healing amount.

Bracers of the Merciful Knight - When worn by a paladin, he is considered four levels higher for the purposes of determining the uses per day and healing provided by his lay on hands class feature.

With this setup at lv 6 you can heal 6d6 + 24hp each turn.
You don't have to care about AC, as you can simply out heal any damage most enemies can deal you in 1 turn.

Really like this character.

It is very refreshing to have an iconic adventurer whose family and life is not all dead or tragic.

That she becomes an adventurer because she wants to, with fate only aiding her on that path. With no dark secrets, traumatizing monsters or deaths.

For the record, my indian colleague saw Rivani's artwork and said that her outfit make sense from an indian inspired view and that's a big plus!

So, I looked at the Portable Hole, and for the life of me I can't figure out what it's supposed to be used for.....

.....It just seems odd that such a useless item is so expensive relative to the Bag of Holding that serves a similar purpose.

A Portable Hole is clearly meant to be used in combination with a Bag of Holding as a tactical weapon.

Combined they are effectively a "BABY NUKE"

By placing a Portable Hole inside a Bag of Holding, you get the equivalent of a 10-foot radius portable nuke that can remove most creatures from play by throwing them into the Astral Plane (hopefully permanently)

Together they are greater than the sum of their parts.

While there are more powerful (and expensive) options to remove creatures from play. A Portable Hole + Bag of Holding is one of the cheapest known permanent removal weapons available for adventurers.

Feast of Ravenmoor is great for lower level (3) characters.

Its set in a village right next to a river in a forest/swampland area and can easily be fitted into any river hex in Kingmaker.

So, what happens if you gain immunity to an ongoing condition? And lose the immunity later? What happens then?

Basic Question: How does immunity interact with ongoing conditions? Does it cure or suppress these conditions?

Example, you gain Poison or Disease Immunity -
1) Do you get cured of the poison or disease?
2) Do you become a carrier of the poison or disease, aka immune yourself, but able to spread it to others?

And if you lose the immunity to Poison or Disease -
3) Do you regain the ongoing Poison or Disease condition? (aka, your not cured by the immunity.)
4) Gets cured by the immunity, but is now susceptible to being re-infected/poisoned.

Example 2, you are paralysed, then gain immunity to being paralyze -
5) Do you regain the ability to move? (As long as you remain immune to paralyze.)

And if you lose the immunity to being paralyze -
6) Are you completely cured of the paralysed condition? But can be paralyzed again?
7) You become paralyzed again (until the ongoing paralyze ends.)

Any clarification would be welcome.

1) Take a lv of Gunslinger. *Edit: Grow a beard, you will look more serious.

2) Have 3 daughters (Adopt if necessary)

3) Marry each daughter to the ruler of A, B and C respectively.

4) Invite all 3 of your now son-in-laws back home for a family dinner.

5) Sit at the dinner table with your Double-barreled musket on your lap.

6) Get them to start talking to each other.

7) Peace

Edit: Oh and remember to get them grant you a suitable title like "Grandfather of the New Nation" or something similar.

EDIT 2: On 2nd thought, it may be better to pull this off as the MOTHER-IN-LAW. It can generate more fear/respect from your son-in-laws.

Remember! If you do go with MOTHER-IN-LAW, you could always threaten to "MOVE IN" with any of them... ...to help them keep the peace... with a musket...

*Oh! And remember to start talking about grand kids. Nothing sinks the warmongering ways of a warlord faster then his MOTHER-IN-LAW breathing down his neck over having grandkids.

The Tetori Monk archetype is what you are looking for.

You will be able to grapple targets that are usually unable to grapple at higher levels. With access to most of the required feats.

The problem was that I was flying straight up?

...

If the DM had said that that was the reason I would have not flown straight up...?

@felinoel, did you cast the fly spell on yourself? Or did the GM forced it upon you?

If you prepared and choose to cast fly on yourself, shouldn't you have the responsibility to read up on the spell and how flying works?

And yes the GM could have reminded you, but you should not expect it from every GM. Even more so if your in PFS and playing a lv 5+ character.

Also what hard copy/PDFs will I need to get in order to play a Tengu monk with archetypes and exotic weapons. (Include anything I will need to play in general)

I would suggest looking up a site like www.archivesofnethys.com

The archives lists the source book (and page) for all the resources/spells/feat/class etc.

By cross referencing your character's feats/class/etc, you can have a good ideal which books/pfs you need for your character. This would save you a money, as you can just buy what you need for your character.

In addition, the archives kindly labelled what is PFS legal with a PFS logo. (You would still want to double check the additional resources page, as the Archives does not differential between races/class/etc that require a boon to unlock and those that always accessible.

*I'm suggesting www.archivesofnethys.com instead of www.d20pfsrd.com, as the d20pfsrd often renames materials, which can be very confusing for players and GMs.

Breakdown of grappling a Target -

Round 1)

You: You grapple Target successfully

Target: Tries to break free and fails or does not try to break free and decides to hit you instead OR enjoys being grappled by you and ask you to continue doing so.

Round 2)

You: Maintain your grapple with a +5 circumstance bonus on the grapple check. If you succeed you can perform one of the actions listed under the grapple rules.

Target: 1.- Tries to break free again and fails or does not try to break free at all = you continue to enjoy the +5 circumstance bonus on following checks
2.- If Targets break free, you don't get the +5 circumstance bonus anymore.

----------

Alternative flow of events:

Round 1)

Target: Goes first

You: You grapple Target successfully

Round 2)

Target: Tries to break free and fails or does not try to break free and decides to hit you instead OR enjoys being grappled by you and ask you to continue doing so.

You: Maintain your grapple with a +5 circumstance bonus on the grapple check. If you succeed you can perform one of the actions listed under the grapple rules.

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Hope this clears it up!

Just cause something is legal for play, does not make it inherently good or evil. Its what you/your character does with it that makes it good or evil.

Remember that while under the effect of "Panicked" you must flee from the source of fear.

Logically this means once you have actually fled from the source of your fear and are effectively out of sight, some distance away and no longer able to determine where the source of fear is, you could stop and cast remove fear on yourself.

So while "fleeing" you cannot do anything else other then flee or use any means to flee including magical/item bases options, but once you have "fled", you can stop and cast spells to remove the condition on yourself.

I have an imp familiar who disguises himself as a cat. How do I protect him from divinations that might reveal his true nature...

There is ANOTHER way other then disguise to get your party to accept an imp familiar.

(!)Note(!) - This is pretty intense way to RP, Please do not do the following if you or your party are in anyway uncomfortable with such RP.
Also real life physical or physiological abuse is BAD. Don't do it, stop others from doing it! Below is purely for RP purposes. As you are both master and pet, you are effectively talking to yourself.

Method: Redirect any hatred of your imp to yourself. Make the party sympathize with your pet instead.

How?
1) Be a CRUEL master.
-1a) Keep you imp on a leash. Tag on it often and in a violent manner, aka make it clear to the party, your the master and the imp is your "slave".
-1b) Blame the imp for any mistakes and problems, no matter how unreasonable. The party got ambush? Imp's fault for not noticing. Party failed diplo? Imp's fault for being present.
Reason: the purpose of 1) is to make the party feel for the imp. And hate your character instead.

2) RP your Imp
- RP your Imp's suffering. Make it beg and plea you for mercy. Get it to cry. Cry out when it gets hit by you for the slightest mistakes.
- Make it sneaky beg the other party members for simple comforts like... water or food. Or even healing.
Reason: You want to make it clear your Imp is suffering and taking abuse from you.

3) Offer to kill off your Imp, is any party member is upset with an Imp in party.
- Offer to kill off your imp, if any party member like a cleric of a LG deity complaints about it.
- BUT! Choose a painful death and make sure you RP the Imp, knowing this and goes into a full mental break down as he begs for his life.
Reason: Make your party members very uncomfortable with killing off your Imp.

4) Make the Imp the party's pet. Imp helps party.
- Once you have the party realize how badly you are treating the imp, but the imp to become the party's responsibility.
- Get the Imp to brave dangers to save/help your party mates.
- Make the party love the Imp.

Conclusion: Tuck at the hearts of your party mates to have them sympathize, care and love the Imp.

WARNING: Again don't do this if your party or you are uncomfortable with such evil RP. It is really more for a BBEG type PC.

WARNING2 (evil parties): If your party are murderous kill-them-alls, the method above will not work. The party needs to have hearts and feelings.

All Cleric. Just normal clerics. They can fill anything.

Oracles because they are the same idea.
Shamans because they are unique yet the same idea.

D8, 3/4bab, medium armor, boosting abilities, good weapon options, spells, and healing.

2nd this.

One very important thing to remember is that at mid to high levels, the party will start facing enemies that can do ability score damage and drain.

The above classes are the ones that can repair such damage.

With the inclusion of domain spells and abilities, clerics can fulfill any number of roles in a party.

The Weapon in the Rift

Spoiler:

While the party battled the Allip, he went back to try and recruit the 2 Hound Archons to help them. I decided that he could technically use his wayfinder as a way to allow the archons into a different room.

I think this is a brilliant ideal on his part. I makes lots of sense and I'm kinda surprise that other parties did not think of doing so.

Should you encounter this again, I would suggest letting the 2 HA help out the npcs, aka giving the party a couple more rounds to solve the encounter.

If you abandon your party, your neutral.

If you abandon your party AND lock the door behind them, your evil.