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Hey everybody! (Hi Doctor Shimnimnim!)

So I am DMing this adventure Path. Let me tell you, this campaign is just causing me so much trouble right now, and there are a hundred reasons why to be completely honest. But this thread isn't about a hundred reasons, it's about just a couple. Since I write like an idiot every time I get on a forum board, I'll explain in a series of bullet points.

- I really like the Nessian Spiral bit. To me, it is the perfect culmination of the themes I saw in CoT. Ideally, I'd like the end the campaign with it, really.

- A lot of people out there have talked about doing the books in the order of 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 5/6 -> 4. this fits in perfectly with what I want to do.

- Really, what I want to do is take the Council of Thieves taking control and slow it way down, so that in a way that stuff happens less in books 5 and 6 and more like, throughout books 2 and 3 as well as in books 5 and 6.

- I can't figure out how people do it! People always suggest it but I can't figure out how to make it happen. The encounter modding is no issue at all, but what gets me is, specifically:

- How do you have the mayor go missing and the like without first having the catalyst of the manor exploding? How do you even lead to the manor exploding when the council is done for? How do you make the party care?

Discuss.

So I've been wanting to insert the pendulous staircase for my group for a while now. I love the concept of the stairs falling apart as all sorts of mayhem goes on. I'm sticking an incorporeal monster on this staircase too, I think. There's only one small problem:

I don't really get how the staircase works. For the record, the official data for the trap is as such:

A sort of double trap, the pendulous staircase menaces those who tread too heavily upon its fragile steps, threatening to crush climbers like a gigantic pendulum, but also leaving them stranded amid whatever dungeon depth they seek to escape.

The Trap: A huge but loose length of chain supports this stairway. While it is strong enough to support the stairs and considerable additional burdens, the stairs maintain their position by relying upon fragile moorings fastened into the cylindrical well. As passersby tread upon the stairs, they potentially break these moorings, causing the stairs to sway. As the central column becomes less fixed in place, it crashes against the walls, crushing climbers or sending them careening into the depths.

How It Works: This spiral staircase consists of a central pillar in a 90-foot-deep shaft. Stone steps connect the central pillar to the walls of the shaft. These steps fit into shallow slots cut into the wall. Characters who descend the staircase to the bottom discover a gap between the last step and the floor of the lower chamber.
Among these stairs, spaced approximately 15 feet apart, are several steps deliberately designed to break. These false steps appear nearly identical to the solid steps, though a DC 25 Perception check notices the almost imperceptible cracks. A character who steps on a “breakaway stair” risks falling through the broken tread and falling down to the next twist of the spiral staircase.

Once a step had broken away, any contact with the stairs sets the whole central column swinging. Each round, all characters on the steps must make a Reflex save to avoid the “pendulous staircase.” The DC of this Reflex save increases by 1 for every one of the 14 breakaway stairs that is broken. If a character fails her Reflex save, roll 1d20 and add the number of stairs broken, then reference the Pendulous Staircase Effects chart to determine how the stairs’ movement imperils the character.

Breakaway Stair CR 3
Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 25
EFFECTS
Trigger location Reset none
Effect 15-ft. fall to steps below (1d6 falling damage); DC 20 Reflex avoids

Pendulous Staircase CR 10
Type mechanical; Perception DC 26; Disable Device DC 30
EFFECTS
Trigger location Reset none
Effect swinging stairs (roll 1d20 + number of broken stairs; reference swinging stairs effect chart); DC (15 + number of broken stairs) Reflex avoids; multiple targets

Table: Pendulous Staircase Effects
Steps Broken
2–4 The stairs wobble, but create no hazardous effect.
5–8 The PCs are bounced against the wall, taking 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage.
9–12 A DC 12 Acrobatics check is required to move. More steps become unstable, and 1d4 –2 breakaway stairs snap out of place.
13–16 The PCs are struck by the pillar or slammed against the wall, taking 2d6 points of bludgeoning damage.
17–20 The PCs are thrown from the stairs, taking 1d6 points of damage for every 10 feet fallen.
21–24 The PCs are struck violently by the pillar or smashed against the wall, taking 4d6 points of bludgeoning damage.
25–28 A DC 20 Acrobatics check is required to move. More steps become unstable, and 1d4 breakaway stairs snap out of place.
29–32 The PCs are clobbered by the pillar, taking 8d6 points of bludgeoning damage.
33–34 The stairs collapse. The PCs fall from the stairs, taking 1d6 points of damage for ever 10 feet fallen. In addition, falling debris causes all PCs to take 8d6 points of damage (DC 15 Reflex save for half)

What I don't get is how these effects can happen, or any of it can, really. The steps seem to be connected to both the wall and the pillar, meaning it would theoretically hold up even if stairs were missing? How can the pillar slam against someone while it's attached to stairs they're on? How can it rock at all without breaking all the stairs on that side?

While the flavor of this trap really intrigues me, I just can't wrap my head around the specifics. Which is hugely problematic for running it, really. I was hoping one/some of you could shed some light on this thing? I guess I'd also accept other, equally wacky spiral stair based traps and hazards.

So here's the thing. The evangelist (cleric archetype) has an ability called "Public Speaking", which reads as such:

"An evangelist gains Perform as a class skill. In addition, she is trained to project her voice with great skill and effect; the DC to hear her speak in difficult conditions is reduced by an amount equal to her class level plus her Charisma modifier (minimum 0)."

But I can't find any evidence that this check ever existed in the first place! So I'm looking to find two answers:

1) What's the DC for being heard in different situations?
2) Is this the only modifier that exists? Do you roll to yell or does the recipient roll to hear?

Short version: Can a creature mount a creature that is already mounted?

Long version: "Undersized mount" allows a creature to ride a mount of the same size as the rider. "Gang Up" allows a creature to be considered flanking as long as they are threatened by 3+ creatures with the feat. I'm looking to combine these, and do that thing from the little rascals, having three gnomes stacked on top of each other who all have sneak attack. Please tell me this is a possibility. I know it's possible to do it with just two ratfolk, but that can't be taken to the pathfinder society. Alternate idea: do it with wayang, who have no strength penalty. Maybe dwarf->wayang->halfling.

The more I read through the AP, the less I care for the Endo Kline subplot. To sum it up in bullet points:

• Discovery seems to be one of the biggest themes of the AP. From a deserted island to an ancient lost city to an even more ancient city located a thousand feet below, it seems like the whole thing is about the party being explorers in a foreign land.
• But then Juliver shows up at the end of Book 3, and reveals to the party that it's actually not about them, but about this guy Endo Kline, who found this even more ancient city. From here on out, it's about finding the gems to get into the vaults ASAP.
• When you do find the gems and go to Ilmurea, you end up needing to rescue Endo Kline. Which essentially means you no longer get to explore Ilmurea, because you're on a mission. It's this wonderful looking map, but it's not for the party, really.
• Once you rescue him, he reveals every detail about the city, including its hidden purpose, and the purpose of the villains, who you guys maybe didn't recognize as the villains yet, but they're important. After that the party doesn't really have even the illusion of agency. It almost feels like they're accesories rather than heroes.

Those are my gripes, really. And I figure the best way to handle it is to remove Endo Kline's subplot entirely. This has actually worked out so far! The group is collecting the crystals, even though they have no idea what they are for yet (they have one so far, but the one in the temple district). So removing Juliver has been a success so far.

But soon I'll be in trouble, because once they get into Ilmurea, I have no idea how to proceed. I figure they'll want to look around. I can't imagine them rushing in to save a figure they know nothing about. And skipping book 5 seems out of the question because it's neat and fun.

I've read reviews of people back in book 3 who just HATED that there was that Pathfinder who somehow found Saventh-Yhi before the PCs. I figure those people were at least as bugged about the Endo Kline arc, and I'm curious to hear how they pulled these things off in their own campaign.

Other things worth mentioning:

• I have a gnome prophecy, which a new member of our team will have. It's not complete yet, but it will specify some of the PCs roles while still being vague.
• That serpentfolk from book 2 technically survived, though I haven't touched him since. They know nothing of his goal, so he could theoretically be of use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frdHMla551A&feature=youtu.be

So there's something that's been irking me about the familiar, and mostly it has to do with its skill ranks. Let me be more specific:

My group has 4 individuals, including a half-elf gunslinger with full ranks in perception and skill focus in it. It also has a monk with full ranks in stealth, and a bard with decent ranks in intelligence skills. The party also has a human witch with a faerie dragon familiar, who's invested a tiny bit in all of these.

When it comes to perception, the faerie dragon has a higher score than the gunslinger, without as much investment into it. What's more, the witch, by virtue of playing both human and dragon, can roll perception twice when situations arise. Because of this, the witch virtually always gets the higher roll.

This is true for stealth for sure, where the familiar completely outclasses the monk in a lot of ways.

On knowledge, the bard is doing pretty good still. But he's focused on it. Even then, the witch tends to do better from time to time simply by virtue of getting to roll twice on account of being two dudes.

I feel like I'm doing something wrong. I've never seen familiars addressed as a "must have" for knowledge builds, or for a good perception or good stealthy character. But here, it strikes me as the best possible tool for any skill based on receiving info (ie appraise, sense motive, knowledge, perception, spellcraft).

Am I doing something wrong, or have I just underestimated the value of the familiar? Or am I exaggerating, and this isn't as big a deal as I thought?

So, scenario: The wizard needs to move a certain amount this turn. He takes all his movement but it's still not enough. My monk has a higher strength score, and sees that the wizard needs to move a little bit still. So my monk suggests bull rushing or repositioning the wizard with his monk action. I can't see why this wouldn't be possible. Someone pushing a more vulnerable person out of the way of an oncoming attack is a common thing in media.

But what rules resolve it? Do we need to use the wizard's CMD, therefor assuming the wizard is resisting and pushing back? Can Combat Maneuver defense be an automatic failure just as saves or AC can?

So, I've been looking at the wayang's shadow puppeteer class for a while now. Mostly negatively. I keep seeing that their summoning doesn't scale very well, and is an odd illusion at that. But the more I look at it the more I start to wonder if there aren't some other options available.

But then I started seeing some advantages. Namely these (correct me if I'm wrong about these):

• Shadow puppeteers can do their summoning thing as a standard action. As a move action later on.
• When summoning multiple monsters, the spellcaster has to hope they don't roll a one. A shadow puppeteer can try to get the right number twice a round.
• Enemies can't just walk through an occupied space, no matter how weak the creature in that space is.
• Through lingering performance, harmonic spell, and shadowbard, the shadow puppeteer can keep illusions up for an insanely long time. Even if they're all killed they're a move action away from being resummoned.
• Can the shadow puppeteer use virtuoso performance to summon up a huge number of little guys? Probably not.
• discordant voice can be used still, which is nice, as can dirge of doom.

Anyway, I figure a support shadow puppeteer can be fairly potent in its own right. It can still support with a wide variety of spells, and while it loses out in terms of brute power it has constant access to move action activated moving blockades. By standing in the way you force enemies to move around you. You can consistently provide flanking bonuses to your sneak attack unit. At first level you can summon eagles, which can fly and move fast and force spellcasters to cast defensively.

When you reach level 4 you get the horse, which is an awful fighter but an incredible 2 by 2 block which can also move a hell of a lot faster than your armored fighter can. Mount these horses and run away from a difficult combat. Summon up a small earth or air elemental and have it spy on things for a bit, at very little cost to you.

Level 7 brings on the constrictor snake, and while it may have only 4 hit points it has a +9 to grapple, which can be a huge boon against wizards and the like who haven't invested themselves into fighting while grappled. It also gives the lantern archon, who can detect evil for you. A dretch can pull a stinking cloud for you, which is awful as a stinking cloud but not so bad as a fog cloud.

Level 10 gives the hound archon, which is another way of saying "magic circle vs. evil as a move action, with a range of your summon range." It also gives you the pterosaur, a flying creature that can carry you places you want to go.

Level 13 and you get the azata, who can cure serious wounds and summon a wind wall.

At level 16 you gain some 3x3 creatures to block things with. I recognize that at this point people are generally not walking around but still. While a little late, you also gain the ability to summon out a shadow lillend, who can provide your team with some sorely missed inspire courage. Summon a shadow demon (a shadow shadow demon?) for some of the fastest movement speed you will ever see ever. A Shadow Mastiff's "Bay" ability has such a huge radius that it could do some serious damage even with its low DC. A succubi can alter self as you, and if you keep resummoning it you can constantly attempt dominate monster.

Anyway, with all this considered I'm thinking that a shadow Puppeteer might be an overlooked archetype. The wayang ability to gain wizard illusion spells is also a huge plus, and I figure this is a viable concept, at least at lower levels. What do you all think?

So, when reading through a lot of Pathfinder books, I see the word "may" written. An example, for instance:

When an urban barbarian rages, instead of making a normal rage she may apply a +4 morale bonus to her Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution.

Typically, the word may means "expressing possibility" or "expressing permission". By this, there's reason enough to think the phrasing is claiming the barbarian has access to either rage OR controlled Rage as rage options (in this particular class feature, it doesn't claim the feature in question replaces rage either.) I could also see it as "the barbarian doesn't get rage, but instead has the possibility/permission of/to do controlled rage.

I see either way as working, and currently HeroLab (not an accurate source of information, I know) is suggesting it's the former. But I've seen this "may ____" phrasing a lot in archetypes specifically and descriptions in general, and I want to know if there's any catch-all rule to explain the way Paizo writers use this particular wording.

So I'm DMing a group right now who is facing a creature with DR/good or Cold Iron 10. Here's the deal: My group is mostly all new, and even the more experienced one knows very little about the technical aspects of things. No one is playing a cleric or paladin, and no one has anything cold iron or good aligned. (Our group is witch, gunslinger, bard, monk).

I realize that summon monster can bring celestial creatures in to deal with this guy. It's what happened when they had to fight a hezrou previously. But, how do I put this... almost all of the major enemies here have DR/good. And the party monk is starting to feel sort of worthless as her attacks deal 1 nonlethal damage per hit. If she could bypass this damage, things would probably be okay, but she can't, and so it's not. The gunslinger still manages to deal some okay damage, but I think they're both sick of being outperformed by 1d4+1 celestial eagles.

Anyway, I think they could buy oils of bless weapon? But let's say the next encounter is going to be one that they aren't expecting and can't prepare for.

PS does it matter that the monk is an aasimar? I keep thinking there's some way they could bypass evil like true good plane outsiders, but I can't find anything suggesting it.

So, here's what I get:

- Polymorphed creatures lose abilities that are based on their original bodies.
- polymorphed creatures don't actually change creature type

This makes sense to me for sure. However, I'm having trouble seeing if the abilities that depend on original form also apply to abilities that cover all creatures of a certain type. Is there a simple answer to this?

So I'm GMing a campgaign, and my Aasimar monk has finally getting close to high enough level to take angel wings and then metallic wings. I was certain when I read about feral combat training that it would allow the monk to add these two attacks to her flurry of blows. However, I'm now reading this is not the case.

I sort of want to houserule that it does work this way still. Actually, I sort of just want to give the monk the ability to use these natural attacks. I don't see her 14 strength flurries ruining anyone's day right now, and I don't really see why the monk who has natural weapons should be limited any more than the TWF ranger with them. (on this note, I've already ruled that her enhancement bonus to movement will apply to her natural flight in her natural form as well. All in all it's a set of rulings that I don't really get.)

BUT - I do admit I don't really understand the purpose of feral combat training in monk builds right now. So I wanted to ask all you fine people to explain to me what I would gain from using a natural attack in the place of a weapon for the sake of a thing like flurry of blows. I can see it being useful on those types that want some more damage or multiple hits with a single natural weapon that has a particular effect in addition to damage, but is there more I'm missing out on? On that note, will allowing my particular house-rule have unforseen consequences for my character?

I've been GMing games of Pathfinder on and off for a few years now, and have spent about a consistent year in a single campaign. I think it's safe for me to say that I consider myself more or less good at it.

But there's a lot that I'm still not comfortable with. Not just rules but the spaces between the rules. And I'm looking to learn from some people who could be considered "master class" if there is such a thing.

I figure there must be some amazing DMs who have recorded their sessions. I'd love to see some of these and get some ideas for myself. If anyone knows any great campaigns that one could examine, I'd love to see them

So, first thing I should say is that I'm the GM for this particular group, so the advice I'm looking for is in particular about keeping things on track without ending up with a dead party. I'm not really a killer DM: while I understand that eventually being tough on a group will make more interesting encounters, for the most part my group likes the interaction aspect of the game, which quite frankly works better when people aren't dead. If you haven't played City of Seven Spears, I suggest you not read further because spoilers abound. Anyway, without further ado..

So, my group has just entered the government district. We stopped the session just as they met up with Ugimmo, but they definitely plan on trying to conquer the district. This means that inevitably they're going to run into Akarundo, and I have no clue how they can get out of this okay. Our group consists of a bard, a witch, a gunslinger, and a crane style monk. No one has weapons that can pierce Akarundo's DR.

I should note that I changed Akarundo's stats around. In particular, he's using a heavy mace instead of a kukri, and has the the feats merciful spell, sickening spell (for use with magic missile), and bludgeoneer. The idea is essentially that instead of charming people, he uses nonlethal spells and attacks to take out his enemies in nonlethal ways. He does this because he revels in inflicting pain on others. His main spells are limp lash, touch of gracelessness, call the void, and nonlethal magic missile and fireball.

I do think they'll challenge Akarundo. They've never been challenged quite as much as they're about to be, so they'll definitely try to fight. I also predict that they'll consider running away as soon as the gunslinger and bard realize they cannot harm him. I think I'm worried primarily that this will be too late.

I've decided that, if they choose to run away, and someone doesn't make it, the captured person will live for about maybe a week. So here's the real question: What could a party do in this time to save their friend?

So, my group just completed Racing to Ruins, and we're all ultra excited about City of Seven Spears. I'm reading through it and there are ton of interesting encounters to run and such, but one monster definitely stood out: Grugonoth. From the book...

"Named Grugonoth, the half-fiend dire ape is frightening indeed, even as a statue. He stands 20 feet tall, has horns and bat-like wings, and wears bracers carved to resemble dozens of interlocked skulls."

I had an immediate desire to try and find a miniature that would properly do justice to this description, especially since huge miniatures are so very rare. Fortunately, I found a a couple miniatures at a local Game Kastle I could use to make this work. It's still a work in progress but I really really want to show people I'm so excited.

(Note: My camera is truly truly terrible but I did my best. I'll take higher quality pictures when I can if anyone is interested.)

I started with this guy, named Kabaka Kwana. I don't know what it's from but it's Huge (in both senses of the word).

I took a plastic miniature's wings off (Cannot remember which one), sawed the connecting piece off, and attached it to Grugonoth's ape body. Here he stands hanging out with the Exile and his zombie troll guardian. I considered finding some horns and bracers, but after the difficulty of placing the wings on I decided it's good enough.

Prayed that spraying on primer would make this okay. It was okay. Looks good. Here Rottilius Havellar hopes to fire his crossbow at the fiend, but it's not looking good for him.

Product's painted and almost finished now. I tried to put some arcane runes on his body and wings.. It turned out iffy, I'm no artist so oh well. I'm going to paint his eyes white and apply some lacquer to add more exaggerated shading, but other than that it's done.

My only problem now is that this guy looks like a total monster, and I'm a little worried the Gorilla King just won't sound that threatening. To that end I'm definitely considering upgrading Grugonoth to Actual Servant of Anghazan. I'm not too sure yet.