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Requirement(s) Nidal
Numerous expeditions to accursed regions like Nidal’s Finder’s Gulch have reinforced your already steadfast faith. Once per day, you may reroll a Will saving throw made against an attack or effect that originates from an undead creature. You must decide to use this trait after the first saving throw is rolled, but before the results are revealed. You must take the result of the second roll, even if it is lower.

Anyone notice that Finder's gulch is in Isger?

there are (at least) 3 cannon sources to indicate that this location is in Isger:
ISWG page 84, seven days to the grave page 83, and fey revisited page 44.

Looking to see if there is consensus on the meaning of the crunch text:

You gain a +1 trait bonus on Acrobatics, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Perform, and Ride checks with class skills if you spend twice as long as it normally takes to make that check.

my question is, what is the meaning of "with class skills"

Do you only get the +1 trait bonus on the 6 skills (if you take twice as long to make the check) and if that skill is also a class skill for you?

For skills such as Craft, Profession and Perform, if you are given the class skill bonus in one of these, Perform (Dance), would the class skill bonus apply to all perform options?

It seems that when a class grants one of these 3 it grants the Class skill bonus to all subs, but some traits muddy the water.

I have a couple of not particularly related questions:

1) since magic item crafting takes (usually) 8 hrs, can spells that modify skill checks with durations less than 8 hrs (or however long the crafting is taking that day) change the results?
(for purposes of this question I'm not really concerned with the retro-active inspiration spells timely and gallant inspiration) but more like spells like tears to wine etc.

2) is there any guidance for determining the caster level of a wondrous magic item to be crafted when creating a custom item or when a caster level is not listed (such as for Leshy mulch manual or Spartoi seeds (both of which simply say "varies"

skilled surgeon
Source Healer's Handbook pg. 10
Category Region
Requirement(s) Alchemist healers who hail from Qadira or Ustalav, or who have lived there for at least 1 year
Whenever you perform surgery or otherwise must deal damage to remove a condition or affliction, you roll the damage but use the minimum result unless you rolled the maximum result. The amount of hit points or points of ability damage restored each day when you provide long-term care is increased by 1.

can anyone tell me when you must deal damage to remove a condition or affliction.

I feel like it's probably lycanthropy or some other curse but I'm finding it hard to imagine when this even could be triggered - maybe I'm missing something obvious though so I thought i'd ask.

there are 2 hexes (Cursed Wound, Swamp's Grasp) and 2 major hexes (Animal Skin, Delicious Fright) in blood of the moon (pg 15).

None of them have their ability type (Su, Sp, Ex) denoted.

I've not been able to find any FAQ regarding this nor are they mentioned in the Campaign clarifications.

I've seen a few people reference them in the fora with "(Su)" following the name but the sourcebook and AON make no such references.

There are few references to these hexes on the forums and none I could find raised the issue.

Does anyone have any opinions on these four?

my opinion:
Cursed Wound SU (all other hexes that use the word curse in the description are SU)
Swamp's Grasp SP ( this on seems more debatable but ultimately is not much different than casting entangle)
Animal Skin SP (mentions it generally duplicates a spell; disguise hex is also a SP)
Delicious Fright SU (this makes changes in both the witch and the target of the hex)

http://paizo.com/communityuse
appears to be displaying prominently that the last update is

Last Updated Monday, August 10, 2010

which is a decade out of date for the last change.

I'm curious how people feel this should work

text from Construct handbook:
Custom Mechanism (Ex): An engineer can create a mechanism, a small device that assists with the execution of an activity. Creating a mechanism requires 1 minute of time and expends 1 use from the engineer’s inspiration pool. An engineer chooses a skill to associate with the mechanism when he creates it.

As an immediate action, a mechanism can be activated to grant the engineer’s inspiration die on a check of the associated skill. An engineer can create a mechanism that affects attack rolls or saving throws, but she expends 2 uses from her inspiration pool to do so. Any creature can use a mechanism, but a creature can have only 1 mechanism at a time, as multiple mechanisms interfere with each other while in close proximity.

A mechanism remains active for a number of minutes equal to the engineer’s Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). At 5th level, an engineer’s mechanisms remain active for a number of minutes equal to the engineer’s level. At 11th level, an engineer’s mechanisms remain active for a number of hours equal to the engineer’s level.
This replaces the trapfinding, poison lore, and poison resistance class features.
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so as I read it:
the engineer takes a minute to build a mechanism and, because the inspiration is expended in the creation, that point of inspiration is now vested in the mech.
there is no limit on how long it can remain invested in the mechanism nor is there any stated way to de-vest the inspiration from the device, except by using it.
Although it is not stated, it seems reasonable for this to work like a asmodean spellcasting contract, meaning that no matter how much time passes the engineer can't regain that inspiration until it is released by activation of the mech.

where I think there is more potential for confusion or abuse is in the effect:
it says it works on "...a check of the associated skill."
Does that "a check" mean (1)a single check or (2) all checks on the associated skill during the active period - this seems reasonable but...

It says "Any creature can use a mechanism"
Does the Any mean (1)all creatures, (2)Any one creature (presumably the activator), or (3)the Activator's allies in close proximity?

It doesn't define close proximity - I assume 30 feet but you could argue more or less

If it is interpreted as (2)Any/all checks and (2) any one creature which seems the most reasonable to me then...

for 2 inspiration you can give an untyped d6 to attack or saves as immediate action for several minutes.

Because it doesn't modify or replace Inspiration you can still use it the normal way as a free or immediate action. So, while you can't get 2d6 via inspiration explicitly, you can get both options at your disposal....a long acting version with a minute of prep and an immediate option without prep.

Does this seem as powerful as I think it is? Am I misreading this?

Corpse Stitcher
Description: No two Corpse Stitchers are exactly the same. A mature Corpse Stitcher’s body is a gruesome collection of parts harvested from its victims and attached wherever the Corpse Stitcher wants to improve existing abilities, or to add new ones. Extra appendages, organs and even additional heads may adorn the body of a Corpse Stitcher, sewn on with black silk from the one organ every Corpse Stitcher has - its spinner.

A larval Corpse Stitcher might be mistaken for a slug until closer examination revealed its spinner and two proto-tentacles. Corpse Stitchers mature slowly, and are unable to attach parts so big that they would dwarf their current body.

Vicious and calculating, Corpse Stitchers use acquired abilities to aid them when stalking a potential victim to harvest appendages they covet. Corpse stitchers enjoy watching conflicts, particularly bloody ones, and will follow armies or adventurers to scavenge from the fallen - seeking fresh parts that will confer new abilities, or to replace older, more decayed, limbs. Corpse Stitchers view all creatures with disdain and as merely a supply of potential parts.

Powers and Abilities: Given sufficient time and opportunity, a Corpse Stitcher may acquire the abilities of virtually any corporeal creature. After each harvest, a Corpse Stitcher may acquire a new attack or movement form, but is never able to use parts as well as the source creature. To compensate, the Corpse Stitcher may acquire additional parts to enable faster movement or more effective attacks.

Heads, attached while fresh, retain a semblance of their former selves and may grant additional powers, skills, and memories. Elder Corpse Stitchers may have vast mental stores from dozens of attached heads, making them truly formidable foes, but the anguish of so many tortured, captive, minds drives the creature deep into madness.

Spell Component Powder (Pixie Dust)
Aura Strong (No school); CL 17th
Slot None; Price 2000 gp per pinch; Weight 1 lb.
Description
This powder appears to be a fine, scintillating metallic dust and has two uses.
The first use permits a caster to apply any metamagic feats, which the caster knows, to a spell at the time of casting without a corresponding increase in spell slot level or casting time.

Each pinch is the equivalent to a normal metamagic increase of 1 spell level. As many as 10 pinches may be applied to single casting permitting multiple feats or more powerful metamagic feats such as maximize spell. For the heighten spell feat, 2 pinches are required for each spell level that the spell is increased, to a maximum of 10 pinches for an increase of 5 spell levels.

While the powder augments the spell without consuming a higher level slot, the caster must be able to cast spells of that level normally. A first level wizard, for example, cannot make use of the pixie dust in this way regardless of feats known.

The second use permits the powder to be substituted in place of the usual material components of a spell (foci cannot be so replaced). Each pinch can replace up to 1000gp of component value. At no time does the pixie dust create a particular spell component it merely replaces the energies the component provided to the spell’s casting.

Either use is highly visible in lighted areas and imposes a penalty of -4 to stealth checks made by the caster every round the powder is so used.
Pixie dust is typically stored in small silk pouches and generally is found with enough powder for 25 pinches.

Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, Mage's Lucubration; Cost 1000gp per pinch