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Liberty's Edge

The spherecasting from the sphere Archtypes stacks with casting from other sources, right? It says it does not but if it didn't that would be the only one in all SoP that didn't.

Sphere Vizier is what I'm looking at specifically.

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Two archetypes with:

This ability replaces the magic talent gained at 1st level.

Are compatable with one another aren't they since a SoP character gets 2 talents at first level?

This question specifically occurred to me looking at a Marshall Controller mageknight and wondering if it is compatible with Resizer.

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Two archetypes with:

This ability replaces the magic talent gained at 1st level.

Are compatable with one another aren't they since a SoP character gets 2 talents at first level?

This question specifically occurred to me looking at a Marshall Controller mageknight and wondering if it is compatible with Resizer.

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1 person marked this as a favorite.

I recently ran into a person who insisted armigers couldn't use alchemy on their customized weapons. No amount of me explaining the rules would get them to understand so I'm asking for an official person to comment. (I neither have nor want discord so please don't recommend that.)

1) Can an armiger put alchemy talents onto a customized weapon?

2) Can he retain the use of items he crafted even after he puts away his weapon, so long as he does not exceed his maximum amount of formulae at one time?

3) Can alchemy items be passed around a group in order for them to use?

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I was wondering for P6 or P8 if there are any 3PP specifically designed for them? If not are there any you feel might have special relevance in that style of campaign?

P6 and P8 are play styles where characters cannot go above the listed level and instead continue to gain feats rather than levels after achieving max level.

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I know of Retribution and Horn of Greyorn but what are some of the other best 3PP adventures?

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I am bringing a question from reddit.

Quote:

I am using the aonprd website. It shows the prerequisites as:

Alertness, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Quick Draw, base attack bonus +6 or uncanny dodge class feature.

Please can you advise which of the following this means.

The "Or" means you need one of the feats in the list

It means you need the first 4 and either the 5th or 6th.

It means you need either the first 5 or the 6th.

Thanks

I am of the opinion that without an "and" or a semicolon that any one of those items is sufficient but I could be wrong.

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Can a caster with mass enhancement select a suit of armor and a weapon to both gain an enhancement bonus?

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I was wondering if anyone had ever done a campaign setting based off of the Akashic or Incarnum magics? (Not city of the seven seraphs.) If so tell me about it. If not what do you imagine such a world to be like?

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What happens if someone gains a sphere specific drawback more than once? I was thinking about various leadership builds and came across the idea of a Dhampir with Fell Master racial trait and the Necroturge unified tradition. That would give 2x undead servants drawback though.

I'm guessing either they have to buy off the second occurrence with a sphere choice or they have to give up the 2nd instance of the bonus that it gives. But I don't know if that's explained anywhere and my mind is tired right now.

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If someone does a bullrush, and is successful by a significant margin can they "save" that distance, use drop, and then if they are successful on drop transform the saved distance into damage?

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Were there ever alternate racial traits printed for the Akashic system? I know at least one other 3PP picked Akashic up and produced content for it but I don't know if races ever got anything.

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So far this campaign setting exists more as a series of notes and ideas rather than anything else. But I figured I might put out the notes and just see if I could get feedback on the campaign setting ideas, maybe what sounds most interesting to people and what sounds least interesting or what you might suggest changing.

The 3PP I'll be drawing from is the Spheres book (totally replacing standard casting) as well as (possibly) the Pact Magic and Akashic Magic books. I'm not totally sold on those though I think Akashic Magic might have a pretty good place in the world.

And the notes:

So the Githyanki invaded the world about a hundred to a hundred and fifty years ago. They began conquering / destroying parts of it, while the world looked to mount a defense. The elves, who controlled the largest school of magic and the webway (magical set of tunnels that allowed nearly instant transport anywhere in the world) it sat on top of, used exceptionally powerful planar magic that got out of hand. They shut the webway down but it had already triggered an apocalypse of sorts. (Volcanos, tidal waves, kaiju unleashed, etc.)

The elves lost their vaunted immortality. They now age and die within 30 years of birth. Their immortal queen lies dead but magically preserved in a glass casket that elves are allowed to gaze upon. Some elves are focused on necromancy or time (or both) in an effort to regain their immortality. Other elves are just focused on fighting off the Githyanki.

Sphere magic changed, arcane magic now either preserves or defiles. Divine Magic now has a chance of wild magic. Psionics, the newest form of magic, draws it’s power directly from the lifeforce of the user.

Pact magic has been unaffected by the change in the spheres. Akashic magic actually seems to be on the rise.

Dwarves have long fought against an Illithid empire under the earth. The mind flayers were winning, but since the Githyanki invasion, the Githyanki have joined the Dwarves in battling the mind flayers. They are on fairly friendly terms.

Another occurrence since the apocalypse is that the souls of the deceased have no where to go. If the bodies of the slain are not properly buried and funeral rites performed at dusk or at dawn their bodies will disappear and they will come back the next night as undead. The undead don’t come every night, they seem to be pulled by an invisible (or black) moon (like a magical tide) that people have only noticed by watching stars flicker and disappear then re-emerge.

In the last 50 or so years dwarves who had been enslaved by the Illithid mind powers have began showing the ability to effect minds themselves. This magic is spreading like a virus almost. No one who hasn’t been the target of mind magic may develop mind magic. (Ie. The mind sphere.)

The magical webway is now sealed and barred. It can only be opened from the physical location of the school, which exists on the Warp Magical Well. (Magical Wells are places where spheres are super empowered, there’s no more than one for each sphere, and not even all the spheres locations have been found.)

The Githyanki are still a threat to most races, but a lot of the setting (and the game) would be focusing on dealing with the fall out from the apocalypse and trying to reclaim what was lost before it is lost forever (or worse, falls into Githyanki hands).

Liberty's Edge

I've got a couple of questions about the timing of spells within the spell resolution. Specifically the saving throws made with a spell.

1) I'm a thaumaturge with the lingering pain invocation. I use lingering pain, do my targets of the spell take the -2 to their saving throws from being sickened against my spell?

2) I'm using blood wrack admixture talent with the thorn blast destruction talent. Do I roll damage, give them bleeding, then make them save vs my blood spell (thus making them take -4 to their saving throw because they have the bleeding condition)? Or does the damage not get applied until after they save vs. the blood spell?

3) Put the two questions together, what penalty does the victim take saving on a blood spell then?

Liberty's Edge

Are the metamagic feats specifically mentioned in the metamagic portion meant to be the only ones added to sphere effects? Notably rime spell isn't on there despite the fact that it could logically be applied to cold damage destructive blasts.

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So I'm curious how people are using Spheres of Power.

Is it your only magic system or do you use it along side others? If others, what others? How do you think it faires with them?

What campaign setting are you using it in? What level range?

Are you using it along side spheres of might?

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1) Since the items of power supplement has re-arranged how staves work, can the enhancement sphere enhance a staff to upgrade caster level?

2) What does "always spend a spell point" mean? Can you maintain an enhancement with concentration and then upon entering combat spend a spell point as a free action to gain the minute / level? Can you cast your debuff (say steal senses), wait to see if the target fails its save, then immediately spend a spell point to avoid having to concentrate?

Liberty's Edge

So a number of feats, advanced talents, etc. require a certain caster level to be taken. I'll focus on a couple of specific items and hopefully we can extrapolate to the rest.

For a feat let's look at Energy Specialization:

Quote:

Energy Specialization

Prerequisites: Destruction sphere, 5th caster level or higher

For a talent, let's look at disintegrate:

Quote:

Disintegrate (blast type)

Prerequisites: Destruction sphere, CL 5th or higher.

Both of these require caster level 5 or higher. But what does that mean with spheres of power? Can a 5th level elementalist who is caster level 5 for destruction but only caster level 3 for other spheres take these feats? What about a fourth level incanter who specialized in destruction (and thus is caster level 5 for destruction sphere)? What about a third level thaumaturge who can be 5th caster level for any sphere, any time he feels like it? What about an Incanter who is specialized in a different sphere, like nature, and thus is 5th level for nature, but 4th for destruction?

I believe in regular Pathfinder, the RAW answer to all of these questions would be no. But that seems out of line for SoP, since that makes the incanter and fey adept (and all other full casters) qualify for destruction sphere things long before the elementalist who is a specialist at that sphere. Should caster level requirements be "caster level in this sphere"? And what about the thaumaturge?

One last question about caster levels because we're on that topic, this question is about Summoning:

Quote:

Summoning [Core]

Prerequisites: Conjuration sphere, 1st CL or higher.

Can a 3/4 or 1/2 caster, who has caster level "0 (1)" take this at first level? (Assuming that advanced talents are allowed and that they meet the other requirement?)

Okay, I lied, more questions. Let's say we have a 8th level elementalist admixture specialist with energy specialization feat (so level 8 for destruction, level 10 for his specialized element, and level 6 for other spheres). Let's say he uses an admixture feat, Time Thief for example. Is the DC for the alter time talent save based off his destruction caster level, his specialization caster level (assuming he used his specialized element), or his base caster level for the time sphere? Also, would sphere focus (destruction) increase the difficulty of the saving throw?

One last last question (for real this time). Let's stick with our Time Thief feat. Our caster is using the stone blast type. This allows him to ignore spell resistance, anti-magic fields, and it is not treated as a spell (for creatures that get bonuses to save vs. spells). Does this mean that the time talent mixed into the effect ALSO doesn't have to worry about spell resistance or anti-magic fields?

Liberty's Edge

So I'm working on a Pathfinder Eberron powered exclusively by Spheres and while a lot of the conversions are easy, shifters are a bit of a thing. I could just go with a straight conversion, but I kind of want it to blend better with spheres better than that. The wording on these is rough but they convey the direction I'm going (I think). I'm also not a stickler for RAW by the ARG, I'm just including my guesses as to points value on the traits as a kind of benchmark.

Shifters are humanoids with the shapeshifter subtype.

+2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Chr (Standard, 0 points)

Shifters begin speaking common. Shifters with a bonus from intelligence may select bonus languages from the following list (TBD). (Standard, 0 points)

They gain the basic Magical Training feat for the Alteration sphere as a bonus feat, but with lycanthropic drawback and as long as they possess the lycanthropic drawback. Additionally, as long as they possess the lycanthropic drawback they cannot use the change target’s cosmetic appearance option. They do not gain an additional talent for the lycanthropic drawback, but it may be bought off as normal. (1 point? - Basically static bonus feat, but with a drawback. Feels wrong to charge the full 2 points for it, but giving it for free seems wrong as well.)

Shifters have low-light vision. (1 point)

While under an alteration effect, they gain one additional trait of their choice from those allowed to them. (This racial trait is not lost during alteration effects.) (2 points? There isn't an extra trait feat, but bestial traits roughly the same thing, only better, and there is an extra bestial trait feat.)

Depending upon the shifter's tribe the shifter gets one of the following while under the effects of an alteration effect (this racial trait is not lost while under an alteration effect): +2 racial bonus to natural armor; +2 to strength; +2 to dexterity; (3 points? Not quite sure how to rank this. A permanent bonus to a stat is +4, a permanent +2 to natural armor is +3, but this has something of a drawback with it.)

Shifters get a +2 racial bonus to acrobatics, climb, and survival. (2 points? I know the skill bonuses could be argued to be worth 6 points, and probably are according to the ARG, but the integrated racial talent provides +1 to 3 skills for 1 point, and bluff and diplomacy are, arguably, worth more than the skills shifter gets. And let's face it, 2 points for a +2 to a skill, especially when you can get assigned a skill focus for those same 2 points and gain either 3 or 6 to that same skill is a bit much. )

If my points estimates are roughly accurate, shifters are clocking in at around 9 points, and while they possess a couple of traits that could be argues as "advanced" I think they're roughly on par with standard races.

Liberty's Edge

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What are your favorite 3PP campaign Settings and why?

Liberty's Edge

1) When using the spell strike feat, does the person using the feat provoke an attack of opportunity? I assumed they did not, because it changes the cast a spell action into an attack action (I think) but I'm not 100% sure.

2) For the prodigy, do the integrated techniques give me abilities or do they simply make abilities you already have count as links? Take the fencing ability feinting set-up, do you gain the ability to make a feint as a move action, or do you need to already have the ability to feint as a move action?

2b) If the answer is that it gives you the ability, do you only have the abilities that make links when you have a chain active? Such as with the above mentioned ability is the ability to feint as a move action a regular ability that the character now has or is it only granted while there's an open chain?

3) This isn't actually from champion of the spheres but from your chronomancer handbook. The rogue archetype time thief replaces features that the unchained rogue also gets, can unchained rogue take that archetype? I assume so, but chronomancy came out after unchained so I just want to double check.

Liberty's Edge

So I'm wanting to use the dual sphere, spell attack, vital strike, and energy blade. I get that spell attack changes my "cast a spell action" into a "special attack action" and allows these things to work together, but I'm unsure how they all play together.

Does the extra damage from energy blade get increased by vital strike? Does the attack from dual strike get increased by vital strike? Does the extra attack from dual strike get extra damage from energy blade?

I think the answers will be, in order, Yes, yes, no.

If all that is correct, if I am a prodigy, and I am using follow through (the dual wielding integrated technique) will that attack gain the increased damage from vital strike? If I'm wrong and the original off hand attack gets the damage from energy blade, will this attack get the damage from energy blade?

Last question, does this feat apply to spells crafted based on energy blade?

Liberty's Edge

I noticed SoP sometimes mentions "time increases" and +1 time increase. Is there a list of time slots available?

Liberty's Edge

So, SWAT members who through a flash bang grenade that landed in a child's play pen where he was sleeping and that seriously injured him during a raid on that house are not being charged. What do you all think?

Linky

Liberty's Edge

I was just wondering if anyone else plays War of Omens, the deck building game online. If you do, who do you play? Feel free to share your play experiences.

I mainly play the E people (whose name I can't remember the spelling of). Love me some magic. But I also only play against the AI.

Liberty's Edge

I was wondering if anyone here plays Duel of Champions. I've just recently started, less than a week in so far, but I'm really enjoying it.

It is F2P, and type 2 is relatively young so it is a good time to get in if you're curious.

Also, if you do try it (or if you're already in) feel free to send me a friend request, I'm ShadowcatX2000 on there.

Liberty's Edge

I've recently discovered Patreon.com, a website where people pledge to support a given producer of content (of whatever type) for X amount per piece of content, and was curious if any 3PP are using it and if so what you think of it? If you are not currently, what do you think of that model?

Liberty's Edge

22 people marked this as FAQ candidate. Staff response: no reply required.

Do 0HD native outsiders (like aasimar and tieflings) have all simple and martial weapon proficiencies like it states they should in the bestiary, or do they not have them like it states in the ARG?

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12 people marked this as FAQ candidate. Answered in the FAQ. 1 person marked this as a favorite.

So what constitutes a magus spell for purposes of spell combat?

Is it:

A) A spell from the magus list, even if being cast through another class's spell slots?

B) A spell cast through magus spell slots?

C) Something else entirely?

For an example of A, consider a bard 4 / magus 1 casting bladed dash out of a bard spell slot.

Liberty's Edge

Often times I'll see people talk about how they compare one class to another and because of that class ABC sucks, or fighting style ABC sucks, but when you actually look at their comparisons, they are very often times flawed. So now I'm going to examine the mistakes people make when making comparisons.

Book access:

Let's be reasonable very few people know every option in every book, so limiting book access is perfectly acceptable. However, state that you are doing (clearly! "Core only" is not clear to many people) so and be fair to both (all) builds.

Optimization:

Now this should go without saying, but I've seen it time and again, both characters should be roughly equivalently optimized. Don't intentionally give the example you're trying to show as underpowered feat or equipment choices, that just ruins your credibility. Don't worry about making them the most optimized build possible, just try and optimize them roughly the same amount.

Now maybe you are thinking "I don't know how to optimize very well". That's not a problem actually, because as long as you're not being intentionally biased you're going to "not optimize" both builds roughly equally (in theory).

This really only comes up if you're A) sandbagging a build in order to complain, B) much more familiar with one particular build style over the other. So if you're not doing A, which we have pointed out that you shouldn't do, then all you have to worry about is B and the way you deal with B is time. Put in a bit of extra time on it. Read other people's builds that they have made and look at their feat and equipment choices. It doesn't have to be tons of time but just put forth a bit of effort to optimize the builds equally.

Equipment:

Probably the second most common error I see in comparisons is a lack of equipment. Equipment exists, and not all builds profit from it equally, even if the numbers are the same. Give the builds any important equipment they can realistically expect at their level and their gold. At least, as regards to your comparison, you don't have to spend every single gold piece, nor account for every item, but give them at least the equipment that matters.

For example, if you're posting a fighter build at level 17, and you are using ultimate equipment, don't be afraid to give them gloves of dueling. Even if the other build isn't a fighter. While you might think that gloves of dueling aren't a class feature of the fighter and it will eschew your results, you will actually be more true to life than if you ignore them.

Levels:

Be aware of significant differences in different builds over a span of levels. For example look at a gunslinger's damage output change from 4th level to 5th level. In a single level they've gained a feat (which being their 3rd feat in a feat heavy fighting style will help) but more importantly they have also gained +dex to damage.

Normally I would recommend comparing various builds at 3 or so different levels, 1, 6, and 11 perhaps. (Those levels aren't anything special mind you, they're pulled out of thin air.) However, some specific comparisons only care about a small span of levels, sometimes only one, and that's fine, just know that the results at a particular level may not be the same as the over all results.

Liberty's Edge

Ever have those times where you'll say something and think "wow, if you take that out of context, it is amusing." Post all those sentences here.

My sentence for the day:

I wonder how many times I have died of dysentery.

Liberty's Edge

Here lately I've been reading more and more about the lonely coast and the various villages that dot it. I've been thinking about importing it to Eberron and the various changes that would have to go into it. But as I was thinking about it I got to thinking about how other people might have used the lonely coast or any of its villages. So do you have any stories about the lonely coast?

Liberty's Edge

So I'm considering a Samsaran mystic theurge for Wrath of the Righteous, but I've ran into some questions. . .

1) Mystic Past Life: Can I choose cure light wounds as a spell to put onto my wizard list? It is available to both bards and witches, but is a divine spell if we go with the whole list to determine its spell type.

2) Mystic Past Life: If I add a spell to my list, do I get the mythic version with it? If not, can I add the mythic version?

3) Mystic Past Life: I only get mystic past life for my casting class at first level, right? I wouldn't get it for wizard and cleric both (though that'd be sweet).

4) Are there any good aligned gods / celestials / whatever with the trickery domain and fate inquisitions? If not, I may end up going with Nethys and just going Wizard 3 / Cleric 1.

Liberty's Edge

It seems to me that there has been more releases tied to this campaign than other campaigns have had. I mean not just the mythic handbook, but also demons revisited, the demon slayer handbook, and the world wound campaign setting. Besides just the typical 6 AP modules. Did I miss any?

Seems like Paizo's cashing in on this hard. And personally, I'm glad to see that.

Liberty's Edge

Let us assume for a minute that some secret group decided it wanted to hire (money is no issue) a number of assassins (not the class, just a job title, can be mages, dopplegangers, ninjas, etc.) and use them across the whole of Golarion and targets kings, queens, high priests, archmages, nobles, generals, mayors, etc. Let us say 1,000 people across the whole world are to be targeted. Let us further say that the only restriction on these assassinations is that they must all happen on a certain night. This night can be far enough in the future that the assassins have time to plan and get into position, but remember the further into the future the strike is arranged, the longer people have to find out about it.

My question is, what percent of these assassins do you think would be successful?

(This was a hook in the old warlord ccg / rpg, and I always loved it and thought it was imaginative, but that it was kind of unrealistic that so many assassinations would succeed in a fantasy world. Just wanting to see what others thing.)

P.S.

I wasn't sure where to post this, so I just guessed advice. If this is the wrong forum I apologize.

Liberty's Edge

5 people marked this as FAQ candidate. 1 person marked this as a favorite.

Normally, taking the same feat multiple times, unless otherwise allowed by the feat itself, results in redundant benefits. However, this isn't the case with all feats. Specifically, spell perfection doesn't have text permitting it to be taken multiple times, but assuming you can choose a different spell each time it not stacking would never actually be a problem. The rules don't directly address this issue, stating only:

Quote:
If a character has the same feat more than once, its benefits do not stack unless indicated otherwise in the description.

Can you take the same feat, spell perfection for example, more than once if the feat doesn't have text explicitly permitting it?

and

If you can choose spell perfection multiple times, does that enable you to choose a different spell each time?

Liberty's Edge

What would people think of the martial classes having an option to use their bonus feats (or feat equivalents, like rogue talents) for martial maneuvers (and an initiator level = class level) from schools that thematically fit the class?

Like a monk may get access to shadow hand or stone dragon while a rogue might gain access to tiger claw or shadow hand. And would that even really be an increase in power if it took up the monk's bonus feats or the rogue's tricks?

Liberty's Edge

73 people marked this as FAQ candidate. Answered in the FAQ. 1 person marked this as a favorite.

Do prestige classes with +1 spellcasting give you blood line spells as you advance in level?

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So about a year ago I started a series of posts examining various third party classes and possible builds for those classes. I've decided to pick that back up and now we're going to examine the Occultist class from Radiance House.

The build will be a 20 point buy and examined at levels 4 and 8. I'm not trying to say that this is the only way to play the class, or even the most optimized way to play the class, but it is a way to play the class.

My prior takes on classes:

Mighty Godling

Taskshaper

--------------------------Level 4--------------------------

Level 4 Aasimar (Angelkin) (Could be the dual stat human, but angelkin is better if available, and I've already done a human for this series) Occultist

Str 19 Bab: +3
Dex 12 AC: 18 (10 + 5 armor + 1 dex + 2 insight)
Con 14 HP: 38
Int 10 Fort: +7
Wis 8 Ref: +3
Chr 16 Will: +6

Skills:
4 skills of choice (knowledge (planes), perception and use magic device recommended, other for fluff).

Feats:
Toughness, Iron Will, Flexible Pact Making, Power Attack*, Vital Strike*

* From binding the Tyrant

Greatsword +1: +9 to hit, 4d6 + 7 to damage (using vital strike, not including power attack). (Also not including the profane bonus to strength.)

So what do you do?

Well for starters you've bound General Hessant for the first couple of levels and fought with a free masterwork long sword while throwing around a significant save or suck and the ability to make foes dazed with a melee strike. Not bad for a meleer all considered though your armor class is going to be a bit low (hence the toughness feat).

At third level you could keep doing the same but you should probably switch up to Tyrant Cromwell. But decide who you want to bind up front because you're going to want to gain that +10 to binding from flexible pact making (for making the pact last 5 days) so that you always get a good bind and thus always gain your pact augmentations (probably using it to boost your to strike roll at the moment). (Don't worry about constellation aspects, they're a trap.)

So if you channel the anti-paladin, what are you going to do? Well, the simple answer is kill things. Kill things very, very well. Now if you're thinking "what makes me so good at killing things, because +2 strength part of the time isn't that great," well, you're right, his major granted ability is nice, but it isn't the draw here. Instead the draw is the gaining of Vital Strike.

Now normally vital strike isn't a great feat, but until you gain multiple attacks vital strike is the bees knees, effectively giving you 7 free damage per strike if you use a great sword and a free 4.5 damage if you use a lance (both of which he gives you proficiency in). Also remember, it is perfectly legal to use a lance when you aren't mounted as just a 2 handed weapon with reach.

Rough outline of equipment:
Greatsword +1, Chain shirt +1, cloak of resistance +1

At this level you're sporting an acceptable, though not great, AC, good saves, but very good damage, very likely rivaling the group's barbarian.

--------------------------Level 8--------------------------

Level 8 Aasimar (Angelkin) Occultist

Str 20 Bab: +6
Dex 12 AC: 17 (10 + 4 natural + 0 dex -1 size, +1 deflection +3 insight)
Con 14 HP: 72
Int 10 Fort: +10
Wis 8 Ref: +5
Chr 16 Will: +9

Skills:
4 skills of choice (knowledge (planes), perception and use magic device recommended, last for flavor). Alternatively, you could work towards filling all of Fey Baraddu's totems for the extra +2 by taking only 2 of the recommended skills as well as perform (dance) and survival.

Feats:
Toughness, Iron Will, Flexible Pact Making, Weapon Focus (claw), improved initiative, power attack*, vital strike*

* From the Tyrant

Attack routine (dire tiger form):

2 claws +17 (2d4 + 14 + 2d6) (grab), 1 bite +16 (2d6 + 14 + 2d6) (grab),

Pounce, Rake (2 claws +17 2d4 +14 + 2d6)

Spell like ability: Alter Self.

So now what do you do? Well for starters you bind Fey Baraddu. His major granted ability is beast shape 2 which allows you to pounce. In addition you gain a scaling enhancement bonus on all your natural attacks, which frees up your amulet of the mighty fist to do cool things.

For the second bound spirit, there you have a lot of flexibility, just whoever you take make sure if you didn't get a good bind on Fey to get a good bind on them (use flexible pact making to be sure) because the +4 to damage (and yes, you're now using the pact augmentations for damage because you shouldn't really need the to hit with natural weapons and being strength based). The Tyrant is probably your best bet for swift action strength boosts (which stack with pretty much everything being profane) and the bonus to AC.

33,000 gp.

Amulet of Mighty Fists +2 (Holy) 16,000
Cloak of Resistance +2 4,000
Ring of Deflection +1 2,000
Belt of Strength +2 4,000

Other suggested purchases include a wand of mage armor (or first level pearl of power if you have a friendly caster).

Over all at this level you're playing very similarly to a melee focused druid, where you give up spell casting for a few more self buffs and the ability to wildshape every 5 rounds (rather than X times per day) which allows much more interaction with the party. It seems very solid, but in no way broken.

Liberty's Edge

So we've all seen really bad optimization advice being given out, you know, the stuff so bad that all you can do is laugh at it? So let us all compile it. (Nothing from this site please, we don't want to embarrass anyone.)

1) You don't need strength on your monk, damage isn't important. Dexterity + Wisdom plus things like deflect arrows and crane style are where it is at.

2) Barbarians suck because they get knocked out of rage any time they become fatigued.

3) Barbarians suck because after they get out of a rage they're fatigued and fatigue lasts for hours.

Liberty's Edge

I'm wanting to make make a dungeon based largely on non-creature encounters. One of the encounters I have thought up is inspired by DDO and involves an orb (or orbs) that each have the ability to cast multiple shadow conjuration spells to create illusionary monsters for the pcs to battle. (And while they're battling the illusions the orbs are busy creating more monsters so you have to find and destroy the orb while ignoring the monsters.)

My problem is I can't figure out how to CR it. I mean I could set it up as a magical trap of the appropriate CR for shadow conjuration, but since shadow conjuration is really just casting worse versions of lower level spells it would seem odd to do that. And besides, most traps are fire and forget, where as this is meant to fire every round.

But this is really only one example of what I'm planning. While I'd love advice for the specific instance, I'd also appreciate generic advice on assigning CR's to challenges. Right now the only thing I can think of is see how difficult a challenge it is for my pcs and give it a CR after the fact. . .

Liberty's Edge

What do you think the value of a race point would be in gold pieces? My current thought is somewhere between 2 and 3 thousand gold for an assigned race point.

For example:

Gem of the Ifrits: While holding this ruby red gem in one hand, the bearer gains Elemental Affinity (Fire) as though he were an Ifrit.

GP: ???

I know buying their primary stats up (and grabbing spell like abilities) are dangers of allowing gold pieces and race points to be interchangeable, but as a GM and not allowing the players to craft items I think it could be handled without it getting out of control.

Liberty's Edge

If you summon a monster with a summon monster spell, and that monster has shadow conjuration, is that monster prohibited from using shadow conjuration to mimic a summoning spell?

Liberty's Edge

So I'm thinking about playing a Gunfighter / Paladin build in a pbp game and I was wondering if I could get some help on a build. The game features "guns are everywhere" so I'll have gun training at my first level of gunfighter. I was thinking something like:

Halfling Gunfighter 1 / Paladin (divine hunter) 19

Str 8
Dex 18
Con 12
Int 14
Wis 8
Chr 18

I'd rather have the skill points than a single extra point of grit. I was planning to go gunslinger to start to grab some good skills, and then finish it off with paladin. I really need help with my feats:

Feats:
Point Blank Shot, Precise shot (bonus), Rapid Shot, Deadly Aim

Those will get me to level 5. I'm not much interested in the paladin's casting so I'm not interested in using feats to expand on it.

I know two weapon fighting with firearms is usually a bad idea due to them being 1 handed weapons rather than light weapons so I was thinking about going with a revolver and a light shield or a buckler (I don't recall if the light shield lets me have an open hand for reloading).

Will I need rapid reload? Will I need clustered shots? Has something happened to make 2wf better since I last checked? Any other suggestions?

Liberty's Edge

I seem to remember someone doing some conversions of the old first edition adventures to Pathfinder, but now I can't seem to find them. I was wondering if anyone had a link to them. Heck, it wouldn't even have to be first edition adventures, just some old school adventures.

Liberty's Edge

I remember seeing, not so long ago, something along the lines of a campaign builder's guide book or a world builder's guide book. I'm not sure if it was 3rd party or not (if it is not I apologize for posting this in the wrong forum), but I think I recall seeing some third party names associated with articles in it. What I can't do (for the life of me) is find it now. If someone had the name of it or a link to it that would be much appreciated. I loved the AD&D world builder's guidebook and would love to find the new guide.

Liberty's Edge

So I've been out of the game for the past 6 months, and while I'm not sure if I'm coming back or not I would like a bit of reading material, so I thought I'd come here and find out what's come out in the past 6 months.

So 3pp what have you done lately? Non-3pp what 3rd party products have you especially enjoyed in the past 6 or so months?

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