Siddhartasam's page

mdt wrote:

LOL,
Man, and I have a degree in math too. ;) Shows what happens when you post after doing the whole work 12 hours a day for 2 weeks straight.

The math should be:

For damage as level x -> x+1, use nd?, where:
n = [((number of dice at current size)+(2 x number of dice at current size))/2)]
and
? = your die type.

Use this except where directly contradicted by existing tables.

And...... math fail.

LOL,
Man, and I have a degree in math too. ;) Shows what happens when you post after doing the whole work 12 hours a day for 2 weeks straight.

The math should be:

For damage as level x -> x+1, use nd?, where:
n = [((number of dice at current size)+(2 x number of dice at current size))/2)]
and
? = your die type.

Use this except where directly contradicted by existing tables.

EDIT: the above character would presumably be carting around a gargantuan sword for this to work, and pick it up once in rage monkey form. Same for wand of lead blades (in order to avoid everything melding into monkey).

Some thoughts for in-game rules:

Can an ape wield a weapon (assuming he has relevant proficiency)?
-somewhat addressed above, but is there any rule text for or against?

Can a druid in ape wild shape wield a weapon using proficiencies from his human form? Would you/could you take additional exotic weapon proficiencies to allow for this?

Does a druid in huge ape form wielding a weapon accrue oversized weapon penalties when wielding a huge weapon?

I think that this would be game-breaking. Consider Druid takes feat - exotic weapon use Bastard sword for one-handed use at 1d10. He then grabs an oversized one to use two handed (following oversized weapon rules) and hits with a 2d8 weapon at -2 to connect in human form. When he morphs into a giant ape (lev 6 with ape shaman) he could pick up a (med->large->huge) weapon for use with no penalty, or a gargantuan one at -2. Four size increases to 1d10 moves to (->2d8->2d10->4d8->4d10) as best I can figure. Progression by size is contradictory but generally points to that stepping.

These numbers are already kind of nuts.

Then he uses a wand of Lead Blades to bump up to 8d10 (->8d8->8d10).

8 x 5.5 = 44 base weapon damage per hit at level 6.

When cleaving or vital striking, this gets more absurd.

When strength damage (20base+4buff+6size) from a +10 bonus stat and power attack doesn't really matter anymore, the game has been broken.

44 + 15 str + 3 PA = 62 avg damage, or 106 on a VS. Without crits.

As far as I can tell, this would even be PFS legal. THe build allows for 4-6 barbarian levels to build on raging.

Thoughts?

Does flung poo count as a splash weapon or a light thrown weapon, or is this contingent on diet within past 24-48 hours?

Would Spicy food add +1 acid or +1 fire damage?

For anyone having a hard time envisioning how a whirlwind trip would work, I would point you towards [any kung fu movie ever]. An especially good demonstration may be found here (fast forward to 58 second mark: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=kung+fu+hustle++youtube&view=detail &mid=D60DD8D860C086030FDDD60DD8D860C086030FDD&first=0&FORM=NVPF VR)

With tiger stance, can you pick the combat maneuver (i.e. trip, overrun) and apply any bonuses from other sources, or is this just a straight CMB check?

As DM, I would house rule it the latter way. It would seem within reason to allow supplemental CMB variants of this (even though they would not trip or overrun) to add flavor; I charge him, swipe legs and go for stabby time!

Magus/Arcane Strike questions:

If a magus takes the arcane strike feat, can he/she use the weapon enhancement bonus from the feat to 'buy' weapon properties, as per his/her pool ability? The flavor seems to support this.

The two options of pool activation and arcane strike bonus don't stack (per Jason Buhlman), so they might be deemed essentially the same thing.

Would this combo essentially allow constant bonus without needing to spend pool points?

Does arcane strike have a max number of activations per day?

Also, is it wrong to hide laxative chips in santa's cookies if he doesn't exist?

I think that the Strong Jaw ruling makes it clear that the goal is not to uber-max the damage dice.

However, it seems to make sense to me that improved unarmed damage should transfer to humanoid forms. Otherwise...

*In the PFSRD test kitchen*

[Baleful Polymorph!] You were a Half-Elf, and now you are a full Elf! Your slightly pointier ears and imperceptibly more delicate features have rendered your 15 levels of Monk skills to crap for the duration!
///or///
You have died of dysentery, but were found by a L7 Druid. You have been reicarnated as the same race, but in "an entirely new young adult body!" Sure you look good, but because you changed bodies into a different make of the same model, you lose all class skills reasonably related to your physical form! Hope you have a wish or a miracle lying around.
_______________________________________________________

I think that wild shaping or polymorphing into a form that is at least in the same family (i.e. humanoid to humanoid) as your original should not take away the skills discussed in this thread. I would kind of understand a penalty to hit in WS, but that does not exist anywhere in the literature and would pretty much nerf the druid. The lack of such a penalty seems to suggest that knowing how to attack (as represented by BAB) carries through to other forms, along with blocking/deflecting (AC), avoiding bad things (saves) and even the ability to use US's.

Bear with me for a moment, and consider that a Sorceror or Mountain Druid archetype would logically keep Improved Unarmed Damage bonuses in his/her Giant Form I/II. You still have arms that are armed and fingers that fing. You can still kick people like Bruce Lee or punch like whoever beats up Chuck Norris in his nightmares. The monk would still hit with knuckls, muscle and bristly chest hairs. Why would being bigger make that any harder (beyond the already imposed dex penalty from size)?

I will be (very likely) moving to Pittsburgh this January, and would love to play in or DM some Pathfinder. Been table-topping for about 20 years, but mostly got into it these last 7. I also really like the Deadlands world and system, if anyone is up for that.

How is the gaming community in the area?

Congrats on the stamina to answer close to 25,000 posts.

Here's another set:
Roc companions have two talon attacks with grab and one bite attack.

On a charge, am I correct that they only get one attack, even if both claws are involved (raptors seem to do this while attacking)?

If the roc (or any other creature with two grab attacks) makes a full attack and hits with both, how does that work? Is there a bonus to hit after the opponent is grappled? Can the attacker not make a second attack, as that 'uses both [hands]'?

Would the grappled condition option of "You can inflict damage to your target equal to your unarmed strike, natural weapon, [etc..]" mean both talons used to grip, and/or would bite be allowed.

Finally, how might you GM an attempt by a winged or quadruped creature to pull, lift or otherwise move an opponent, especially one smaller than them? That is very open, I know, but consider that mobility is not really hindered by using claws/bite to grab hold of an enemy. Maybe drag, with opposed strength checks?

Thanks!

I'm pretty sure no. Although, look into the synergy between going 4 druid, 3 wizard (or 4 sorceror dual blooded empyreal/arcane), 10 Arcane Heirophant. AH is from a backwards compatible splatbook Races of The Wild. Levels in it give you: +1 to wild shape level, +1 to companion level, +1 to arcane caster level, +1 to divine caster level, merge companion(s) and familiar(s) into companion familiar(s) with druid companion physical stats, wizard familiar int and special abilities.

Yeah, all of those bonuses, for ten levels. So, at PFS max of 12, assuming they let you back compatibilify, you would be:
Druid spellcasting @ L9 -> 5th level spells (most of the good ones, too)
Wizard casting @ L8 -> 4th level spells, not bad.
Wild shape @ L9.
Companion (with boon) total of 12 levels of both companion and familiar to divvy up.
And ability to cast through your companion, target it with self spells, and load your companion with touch bombs, using its to hit.

Hmmm.

If anyone knows how to hide this reference text, please edit my post to do so, or let me know how to do it. I apologize for the long post.

The real question is: is powerful charge a static bonus, or does it increase with a)size changes (a la animal growth) b)inherent base dice increase/decrease (improved natural weapon) c)spell-increased weapon damage (strong jaw)?

I think that to keep the numbers legit, it has to be static. That is how it is worded:
"When a creature with this special attack makes a charge, its attack deals extra damage in addition to the normal benefits and hazards of a charge. The attack and amount of damage from the attack is given in the creature’s description."

Not to munchkin it but consider: Lev 9 Druid Level 3 Mammoth Rider PRS

Choose an arsiniotherium steed - [spoiler=arsiniotherium]"Arsinoitherium- Attack gore (2d8);... Special Qualities powerful charge (gore, 2d8)" [spoiler]

We start with 2d8 base.

Then we do this PRS lev 1 change:
"Gigantic Steed (Ex)- A mammoth rider's steed increases to Huge size..."

Now we are huge, and the gore attack goes up to eithr 4d6 or 3d8, depending on which of several damage tables you consult. (that's covered in other threads). We will go with 3d8

Cast animal growth (Druid 5, transmutation - "The target animal grows to twice its normal size and eight times its normal weight. This alteration changes the animal's size category to the next largest...")

Gargantuan! now we go to 4d8. (and strength hovering around 40 with Bull's Strength)

Alternatively, Strong Jaw (Druid 5, transmutation - "enhance the power of that creature's natural attacks. Each natural attack that creature makes deals damage as if the creature were two sizes larger than it actually is. If the creature is already Gargantuan or Colossal-sized, double the amount of damage dealt by each of its natural attacks instead." This would take us to 8d8 base gore damage.

All of these modifiers generally apply to all attacks.

If powerful charge is based off of gore, the improved natural attack would ratchet all numbers up one step, for 8d8 and massive strength or 16d8 with slightly reduced strength.

So does powerful charge stack the same 2d8 when your pet is 10,000 pounds of angry rhino-beast?

Would vital strike double up to 16d8/32d8, before strength bonus or crit?

Multiply 3 times using Pack Lord to build a herd, and we're talking craazy numbers.

Please clarify before I rampage Golarion with my army.

Per D20PFSRD's carrying capacity page:

"Bigger and Smaller Creatures: The figures on Table: Carrying Capacity are for Medium bipedal creatures. A larger bipedal creature can carry more weight depending on its size category, as follows: Large ×2, Huge ×4, Gargantuan ×8, Colossal ×16. A smaller creature can carry less weight depending on its size category, as follows: Small ×3/4, Tiny ×1/2, Diminutive ×1/4, Fine ×1/8.

Quadrupeds can carry heavier loads than bipeds can. Multiply the values corresponding to the creature's Strength score from Table: Carrying Capacity by the appropriate modifier, as follows: Fine ×1/4, Diminutive ×1/2, Tiny ×3/4, Small ×1, Medium ×1-1/2, Large ×3, Huge ×6, Gargantuan ×12, Colossal ×24."

So following the eagle/pegasus model:

An eagle (small animal, str 10) can only carry [3/4*100=75] lbs in flight.

If the pegasus were a halfling's mount it would be medium, but as a quadruped would actually get a bonus to lift (according to RAW) allowing it to carry [1.5*300=450] lbs with str 18. RAI would probably not apply the four legged bonus when they are just dangling there.

I think that limiting access to armor in flight is based on both the weight lifted AND the difficulty of flying safely in heavy jangling bits of metal. Dragons seem to rock on with high Nat AC, as the difficulty maneuvering is apparently offset by the delicate counterbalance of strategic lack of armor at the "bare spot over the dragon's left breast."

Questions re: Multiple Companions. Tags: Celestial, Servant, companion, arcane, hierophant, boon, boon companion, pack, lord, druid.

Thanks for the info on Celestial Servant. Fun times ahead!

PS. great job on the game and the culture surrounding it. You folks at Paizo have given the game new life it really needed.

Questions re: Multiple Companions. Tags: Celestial, Servant, companion, arcane, hierophant, boon, boon companion, pack, lord, druid.

Tryin to get some answers here, avoid stinky cheese and find the flavor. I hope the essence of the questions come through my extensive quoting. Please feel free to edit this post to contain those 'spoiler' bits for clarity.

First: With the Pack Lord archetype for Druid, what is the intent of the feat Celestial Servant ("Your animal companion, familiar, or mount gains the celestial template and becomes a magical beast, though you may still treat it as an animal when using Handle Animal, wild empathy, or any other spells or class abilities that specifically affect animals") for multiple companions?

Is it limited to the one companion, as per literal use of singular in text? Can it be taken multiple times, once for each companion, even though this stipulation is usually written out? Might it apply to all companions, as the levels are split between them, and arguably some of the magic spirit as well?

Second: Again with Pack Lord - the Boon Companion feat is currently written to affect both companions and familiars "The abilities of your animal companion or familiar are calculated as though your class were four levels higher, to a maximum bonus equal to your character level*", yet the suggested errata "to a maximum effective druid level" from http://paizo.com/forums/dmtz2zgd?Animal-Companions-and-Boon-Companion#34 makes this a little confusing.

Does the Boon Companion 'level up' arcane familiars too?

Third: This may be out of your department, as it is a class from 3.5, but PF is 'backwards compatible' and all that, so here goes: The prestige class Arcane Hierophant (AH) from Races of the Wild effectively fuses arcane and druidic magic, with some cost to power of each.

How might 'companion familiars' who level up in both druidic and familiar progressions be affected by Boon Companion?

Do the levels count for both progression sources, or does the character choose one?

If the feat is taken while player has maxed out levels of AH (@ 10) does Boon Companion grant progression from both tables to an effective AH level of 14?

Fourth: Can a Pack Lord have more than one Companion Familiar? or do subsequent Companions have to choose between familiar and companion status?

These aspects all have awesome synergy with both flavor and power, but I was hoping for some guidance from on high before unleashing a Holy army of Celestial Roc SpellFonts on the unsuspecting forces of Cheliax and creating a new Druidic forest in their domain.

edit out all instances of 'badger' and 'musteloid' for "even-toed ungulates."

Consider Shaman of the Cloven-Hoof:

Shaman of the Cloven Hoof
A shaman with this totem calls upon the dual nature of his/her spirit animals for guidance - peaceful grazers among friends, they fiercely defend against those who would threaten their herd.

Nature Bond
A Cloven-Hoofed shaman who chooses an animal companion must select a horse, cow, goat or sheep (including ram). If choosing a domain, the Cloven-Hoofed shaman must choose from the Animal, Earth, Community (Family subdomain), and Protection (Defense). Additionally, the Cloven-Hoofed Shaman must eat a strictly vegetarian diet. Any knowing breach of this means that he/she becomes an Ex-Druid as noted in the class description. (Getting blood and such in one's mouth while savaging an enemy does not count.)

Wild Empathy (Ex)
A Cloven-Hoofed shaman can use wild empathy with herd animals (cows, goats, &c.) as a full-round action with a +4 bonus.

Totem Transformation (Su)
At 2nd level, a CLoven-Hoofed shaman may adopt an aspect of their Totem while retaining their normal form. She gains one of the following bonuses:

•movement (movement speed +10, add one movement increment to total distance allowed during Run or Withdraw actions)
•senses (low-light vision, scent)
•natural weapons (bite [1d4], 2 hoofs [1d3, secondary] for a Medium druid) At level 6, weapons become: Bite [1d4], Gore [1d8], 2 hoofs [1d4, secondary].
•Fleet (+10 size bonus to jump checks made while running, Endurance feat) At level 6, add Acrobatic Steps feat effect while using this totem transformation.

While using totem transformation, the Cloven-Hoofed shaman may speak normally and can cast speak with animals (animals with cloven hoofs only, i.e. even-toed ungulates) at will. Using this ability is a standard action at 2nd level, a move action at 7th level, and a swift action at 12th level. The Cloven-Hooved shaman can use this ability for a number of minutes per day equal to her druid level. These minutes do not need to be consecutive, but they must be used in 1-minute increments. This is a polymorph effect and cannot be used while the druid is using another polymorph effect, such as wild shape.

Totemic Summons (Su)
At 5th level, a Cloven-Hoofed shaman may cast summon nature's ally as a standard action when summoning animals with cloven hooves, and these summoned creatures gain temporary hit points equal to their druid level. A Cloven Hoofed shaman can apply the young template to any even-toed ungulate(s) to reduce the level of the summoning spell required by one. She can also increase the level of summoning required by one in order to apply either the advanced or the giant template, or increase it by two to apply both the advanced and giant templates.
This ability replaces a thousand faces.

Wild Shape (Su)
At 8th level, a Cloven-Hoofed shaman's wild shape ability functions at their druid level –4. If a Cloven-Hoofed shaman takes on the form of a musteloid, use their druid level + 2.

Bonus Feat
At 9th level and every 4 levels thereafter, a badger shaman gains one of the following bonus feats: Back to Back, Lookout, Improved Overrun, Improved Natural Armor, or Trample. A Cloven-Hoofed shaman must meet the prerequisites for these bonus feats.
This ability replaces venom immunity.

Just a thought, because so many of the shaman types are overly focused. Give increased width of creature types for increased restrictions. Note that cloven hooves covers creature from wee pygmy pig to Behemoth Hippopotamus.