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I am interested in making a Whip Magus build for PFS. The basic idea is not your standard maximize damage output. I am interested in using the reach properties of the whip with spell combat/spellstrike. Damage output is important; however I don't mind a build that focuses on support or de-buff spells that can be delivered via spellstrike (ie. Frostbite, Frigid Touch, etc.). A secondary combat goal of the character is possibly trip or other whip tricks like grapple/entangle, etc.

With the goals I have in mind, my plan is to go Fighter for the first two levels using the Drill Sergeant archetype to pick up the Tandem Trip Teamwork Feat and the Tactician ability. This also allows me to pick up Whip Mastery at 2nd level so my damage becomes lethal and keeps my BAB progression on target for 2 attacks at 6th level. I then would move into Magus for the rest of my levels using the hexcrafter archetype.

From a role-playing aspect, the personality of the character is an Indiana Jones/Librarian mix. He is a lot of muscle with some intellect and an interest in history and languages. I am choosing the Dark Archive or Scarab Sages for Faction. I have the Great Scholar as one of my traits and Magical Knack as my other trait. I am open to selecting other traits. How important are the two caster levels that Magical Knack give me? I like Arcane Temper, Eldritch Delver (which thematically is perfect), Mathematical Prodigy (thematically a good fit), Self-Taught Scholar is another good fit thematically. I also like Tomb Raider from Scarab Sages.

Anyway- here is a preliminary post of the character at first level.

Jairus
Male half-orc fighter (drill sergeant) 1
LN Medium humanoid (human, orc)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +0
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Defense
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AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 17 (+6 armor, +2 Dex, +1 shield)
hp 11 (1d10+1)
Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee whip +6 (1d3+4 nonlethal) or
. . warhammer +5 (1d8+6/×3)
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Statistics
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Str 18, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 17
Feats Phalanx Formation, Tandem Trip[UC], Weapon Focus (whip)
Traits magical knack, scholar of the great beyond
Skills Acrobatics -4 (-8 to jump), Intimidate +1, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +6, Knowledge (history) +7, Linguistics +3, Profession (librarian) +4; Racial Modifiers +2 Intimidate
Languages Azlanti, Common, Draconic, Orc, Tien
SQ orc blood
Other Gear four-mirror, buckler, dagger, light crossbow, shortsword, warhammer, whip, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, blotter (0.2 lb), fishhook (2), flint and steel, inkpen, knife for cutting quills into pens (0.5 lb), mug/tankard, pen nibs, pigment for making ink (0.2 lb), ruler, small (0.1 lb), sewing needle, signal whistle, string or twine, trail rations (7), vial, waterskin, whetstone, 28 gp
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Special Abilities
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Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Magical Knack (-Choose-) +2 CL for a specific class, to a max of your HD.
Orc Blood Half-orcs count as both humans and orcs for any effect related to race.
Phalanx Formation Allies don't provide soft cover to opponents when wielding a reach weapon.
Tandem Trip When you make a trip against an opponent threatened by any ally, roll twice and take the higher result

So after seeing the Top 32 reveal and combing through the thousands of posts about the items that didn't make it (I am still doing this), I thought it might be neat to have a thread where people could post the items they almost submitted or items that were their alternates. The best way to do this would actually be to post the item you submitted and one or two alternates you had. I will give brief reviews/critiques and invite everyone reading this thread to feel free to review/critique as well.

Please use spoiler tags when posting items so it is easier for people to read through the thread.

As the OP I will put myself out there first. Which one should I have submitted?

OR

At this point in the competition, most of us have seen many, many, many items. A lot of people, myself included, have created lists of possible Top 32 candidates and lists of items that we want to keep for our own personal amusement and use. I was examining my list and I started to notice some trends in my keep preferences as well as my voting preferences.

I find the results very interesting and contrary to my pre-contest pre-conceived notions of my voting trends. So I figured I would share with everyone and also elicit response from others who have tracked their preferences and voting trends.

My current Top 32 list has 23 confirmed items on it with 17 "border-line" items that I will cull once the voting is done. Statistics of those 40 items follow:

Armor: 8 (20%)
Rings: 1 (2.5%)
Rods:8 (20%)
Shields: 3 (7.5%)
Staves: 3 (7.5%)
Weapons: 17 (42.5%)

So I am predispositioned toward Weapons (which I knew ahead of time). The two numbers that surprised me the most were the Rod and Ring numbers. I thought I was prejudiced against Rods but there are several that I am really fond of as well as several other items in the competition I saw that had they been categorized as Rods instead of something else I would have up voted. Based on the above numbers, I am prejudiced against Rings. Pre-contest I would never have thought that of myself. I was expecting a prejudice against Staves, but so far Rings are getting the shaft... (pun intended)

I also have a list of 26 keep items that aren't Top 32 but I like or need some re-working. When I add those numbers into the mix my statistics look like this:

Armor: 11 (16.8%)
Rings: 6 (9%)
Rods: 9 (13.7%)
Shields: 6 (9%)
Staves: 4 (6%)
Weapons: 30 (45.5%)

These numbers feel a little more representative of what I thought my trends would be. I still heavily favor weapons and armor, but rings and staves normalized out.

The following is a list of items I am biased against and that I knew pre-contest I was biased against.
Soul Stealing/Sucking Items
Spell Stealing/Sucking Weapons and Armor
Evil Items
Level Draining Weapons
Technology Items
Gravity Items
Guns
Summoner Class Items
Gonzo
Items priced in excess of 100,000 gp

The following are all biases I acquired during voting, most likely due to the number of entries with these themes:
dimension door weapons
Tentacle Items
Disarming/Grappling Shields
Wedding Items (please don't hate me)

I would love to know what trends people are discovering about themselves, so please feel free to post whatever observations you have made this year!

I am wondering what the best choice for a species enemy is for PFS. I am a playing a Sorcerer/Ranger who will split to DD prestige at level 6. I will most likely have no more than 2 levels in Ranger, so the species enemy ability is really just a bonus. I thought about the Guide Archtype which gives me more flexibility for targets but only gets me one use per session most times, so that didn't really appeal to me. Also didn't appeal to me from a flavor aspect.

The character is an active worshiper of Apsu and he venerates Gold Dragons. I was trying to think of an enemy of Apsu or Gold dragons as that would be very appropriate for the character. Any thoughts or suggestions?

The Maiden's Oven
==========
Ustalav’s capital city, Caliphas, is home to the famous Pharasmin Cathedral, Maiden’s Choir. Many of Pharasma’s faithful travel to Caliphas to behold the wonders inside its vaults; however the city holds another lesser known Pharasmin shrine, The Maiden’s Oven. The influx of immigrants, money, and crime combined with the uncaring nobility created a decadent and deadly atmosphere. As the city grows, its suitable burial sites decrease. Rather than inter the poor, the criminal or other undesirables in the same location as nobility, Countess Carmilla, with the permission of Pharasmin clergy, built a crematorium. In a macabre parody of the Maiden’s Choir, the Countess dubbed the building the Maiden’s Oven.

The Maiden’s Oven is a large domed building crafted entirely of stone and located near the docks. Its single chimney belches black morbid smoke as it has for the past 16 years. The crematorium has a large shallow stone pit for depositing bodies any time of day or night with no questions asked. Both the impoverished and nobility find this arrangement quite convenient. Many bodies from the Widow’s Boudoir find their way to the Maiden’s Oven in the grey hours before sunrise. Below the crematorium is a large crypt created for the storage of remains. Its construction is ever expanding to accommodate the needs of the crematorium. Long wooden repositories similar in construction to an apothecary’s chest fill these rooms, their drawers containing the ashes of the crematorium’s patrons. Although portions of the crypt are dangerously close to the sewers and “old city”, the crematorium has never had any problems with creatures disturbing the hallowed ground of the crypt.

For its entire existence, The Maiden’s Oven has been overseen by Father Yuto Tsao, an elderly Pharasmin priest and mortician, until his recent death. Originally from the Jade Quarter in Kalsgard, he was a restless, wandering priest prior to his assignment at the Maiden’s Oven. When he learned of the Maiden’s Oven and its purpose, divine epiphany struck and he immediately went to Mother Verith Thestia, requesting to be assigned to the new shrine. She granted his request and he has been the caretaker for the past 16 years. Unbeknownst to anyone, Father Tsao was accompanied by his family guardian, a Disir named Umei. Umei was extremely loving and protective of the elderly priest, realizing he was the last in the line of the family. Happy to see her ward finally find a home, the Disir bonded to the Maiden’s Oven. Two acolytes are always assigned to the Maiden’s Oven to serve as temporary mortician’s assistants while learning the craft. Assistants only remain at the Maiden’s Oven for a couple of years before being assigned elsewhere. Other than Father Tsao, no one knows of Umei’s presence in the crematorium.

Encounter Setup
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Recently, bodies have begun to pile up in the stone pit and neighbors have heard rumors of strange, ghostly screaming sounds emanating from inside the crematorium. A local city clerk, sent to speak with Father Tsao about the complaints, ran screaming from the crematorium a day ago. His mind clearly broken from the encounter, the clerk could only babble incoherently of ghosts and dead bodies. The PCs have been sent to investigate the crematorium, discover what is happening and destroy the undead that have surely begun to inhabit the place.

Father Tsao passed away peacefully in his rocking chair three nights prior, causing Umei to go mad with grief. With her charge dead, Umei’s only purpose became protecting the corpse of her beloved master as well as preserving the sanctity of her bonded household, The Maiden’s Oven. She continued to remain unseen to the acolytes, but began using her telepathy to demand they leave. Frightened by the ghostly whispering, one of the acolytes went looking for Father Tsao in his room, but Umei killed him as soon as he knocked on the door. Several minutes after hearing his co-worker scream in pain and then fall silent, the second acolyte found the body outside the closed door, frostbite apparent on the extremities caused by Umei’s attack. Terrified by what he believed to be signs of an evil supernatural presence, the remaining acolyte panicked. Fearing that his co-worker would rise up as some sort of undead or that his spirit would be corrupted by the supernatural evil he believed to be present, he quickly took the corpse and placed it within the furnace. Unfortunately the firing of the furnace attracted the mad disir, and Umei killed the remaining acolyte as he was removing the ashes from the furnace. As a result, the ashes of the acolyte were scattered all over the floor, the dead acolyte, and the closest mortician’s table. The poor acolyte was never properly interred, creating the haunt in the ashes on the floor. Umei remains in the furnace room, slowly feeding the furnaces to keep them alight, unless tending to the mundane tasks she performed for Father Tsao, such as setting or clearing the dining table.

The Furnace Room (CR 5)
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The iron doors, emblazoned with the spiral of Pharasma encircling a black thorn-less rose, open to reveal a large domed room dominated by an iron furnace its chimney piercing the ceiling. Stone mortician’s tables are placed on three sides of the furnace and the walls are lined with books, tools, vials of liquids and jars preserving human organs. The corpse of a young dark-haired man covered in ash lies to the right of the furnace. A wooden mask depicting the face of Pharasma lies on the floor next to his outstretched hand. Waves of heat emanate from the furnace, distorting the view of a spectral Tian woman floating over one of the mortician’s tables.
PCs will not be able to open any of the doors on the furnace without one of the magical signet rings found on the corpse of Father Tsao or the dead mortician.

Creatures:
“Umei” Disir CR 4
XP 1,200
hp 37 (R2)

Tactics: Umei is aware of the party as soon as they enter the building. She will use her telepathy the entire time the party is inside the crematorium, demanding the party “Leave!”, “You don’t belong!”, or “Get out!” She will also use mage hand to float objects around to try and scare the PCs into believing the ghost stories. If the PCs attempt to engage Umei in conversation, she commands the PCs leave and not come back. She does not negotiate and if the PCs show no signs of leaving the crematorium after she commands them, she will attack the PC who initiated conversation.

If the PCs enter the crematorium during breakfast or supper time, they will encounter Umei in the dining area or kitchen, setting the table for a meal or taking away the dishes as if after a meal. At all other times, Umei will be encountered in the Furnace Room. If first encountered in another room, Umei will flee while using mage hand to fling objects in the path of the party to hamper their progress. She will attempt to lure the PCs into the furnace room where she knows the haunt is located and can assist her in their destruction. In addition to her regular attacks, Umei will try to force party members closer to the haunt in order to trigger its effects. She may also use mage hand on the objects around the table and the shelves in the furnace room. She will also try to keep the party from entering the crypt, where she will not trespass as ordered by Father Tsao.

If a PC touches the door leading to Father Tsao’s room or enters his room, Umei shrieks in a rage and immediately attacks that PC, attempting to kill the PC as quickly as possible. If the party leaves the crematorium or manages to escape to the crypts below, Umei will not follow. If Umei is reduced to fewer than 25% of her hit points, she will retreat to the master’s bedroom where she will fight to the death.

Haunt:
Wailing Ash CR 1
XP 400
NE persistent haunt (5 ft. radius)
Caster Level 1st
Notice Perception DC 10 (to hear sudden inhalation of breath)
hp 4; Trigger touch (mortician’s table and ash surrounding the acolyte’s corpse); Weakness slow; Reset 1 day
Effect When the haunt is triggered, a loud piercing scream emanates from the furnace and a burst of cremated remains spews forth from the floor. This duplicates the effects of the spell ash storm.
Destruction This haunt is destroyed by placing a handful of spewed ash on the mortician’s table, emptying three vials of holy water down the drain, and cleansing the table with a consecrate spell.

This small mottled brown and green dragon sits on a disheveled baby doll while snacking on a piece of discarded meat covered in maggots.

Filth Dragon CR 3
XP 800
NE Tiny Dragon
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Scent; Perception +8
Aura stench (10 ft., DC 14, 5 rounds)
----- Defense -----
AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +3 natural, +2 size)
hp 31 (4d12+4)
Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +5
Immune disease, paralysis, sleep; SR 14
Weaknesses light sensitivity
----- Offense -----
Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (average), swim 30 ft.
Melee bite +4 (1d4-1)
Space 3 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks breath weapon, distraction (Fort DC 14 negates)
Spells Known (CL 4th; concentration +6)
2nd (4/day) – detect thoughts
1st (7/day) – charm person, interrogation, ray of sickening
0 (at will) – arcane mark, mage hand, mending, message, open/close
----- Statistics -----
Str 8, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 16
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 14
Feats Cosmopolitan, Persuasive
Skills Bluff +10, Fly +7, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (local) +10, Linguistics +7, Perception +10, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft +7, Swim +15
Languages Common, Aklo, Draconic
SQ water breathing
----- Ecology -----
Environment city/urban
Organization solitary or clan (2-7)
Treasure standard
----- Special Abilities -----
Breath Weapon (Su) A 5ft. swarm of tiny maggots (1HD) is exhaled up to 10ft. away from the filth dragon. The breath weapon possesses all swarm traits, except as noted in this description. The swarm can immediately attack any creature in the space which it forms, dealing 1d3 damage. Creatures standing in the space where the swarm forms make a Ref save DC 14 to negate this attack. They must also make a Fort save DC 14 or become sickened for 1 round. A filth dragon can use this breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds. The swarm continues attacking for 3 rounds before dispersing. The save DC is Constitution-based. This breath weapon may be empowered using feats.
Spells A filth dragon casts spells as a 4th-level sorcerer.

Filth dragons are cunning collectors of trash and information. Skulking in the sewers below the major cities of the Inner Sea, they accumulate the discarded detritus of people’s lives for bargaining, blackmail and trade. Those adventurers who encounter the reclusive filth dragon discover a treasure trove of local knowledge.

Filth dragons are cautious yet friendly toward potential clients seeking information. In combat filth dragons attempt to subdue an enemy relying on their breath weapon, distraction ability, and spells.

Filth dragons primarily eat the refuse found in trash, feasting on rotten vegetables, eggshells, and any other discarded food item. They will also eat rats, fish, and insects. They have a particular fondness for rotten meat which provides both sustenance and defense.

Filth dragons are eclectic hoarders, possessing everything from a gold candlestick to a dented watering can. The lair of a filth dragon is a dam, comprised of accumulated trash piled on top of collected sewer muck, usually near a stagnant pool of water in the filthiest portions of the sewers. This dam possesses the stench quality (15ft., DC 14). Filth dragons store rotten food inside these “dams” to harvest maggots for nutrition and to fuel their breath weapon. Filth dragons usually live in small clans of 2 -7 dragons consisting of a mated pair and their offspring, although larger families of filth dragons do exist in larger cities.

It is rumored the filth dragons of Cassomir often exchange information with the derro of Corgunbier and facilitate a large portion of the humanoid slave trade there.

Gossiper’s Gourd
Aura moderate divination and enchantment; CL 7th
Slot none; Price 14,500 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description
This drinking gourd has a long slender neck capped with a tethered cork and is banded with a leather strap for hanging on a belt or pack. It has carved images of a mouth whispering into an ear on one side and a drinking well on the other.

The gourd allows a wearer who is untrained in Knowledge (local) to make checks as if they were trained. When filled with water from a village well or other local watering source, it grants the wearer a +2 insight bonus on Knowledge (local) skill checks and allows the wearer to speak and understand the local language. These abilities persist as long as the gourd has at least one draught of local water in it.

Drinking a draught from a gossiper's gourd filled with local water grants the imbiber a +5 insight bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge (local) and Sense Motive skill checks for one hour. Once per day, after drinking a draught from the gourd, the imbiber may start a rumor by planting an idea or suspicion in the mind of one local person (DC 12 Will to negate). This effect is similar to that produced by sow thought except the target must be from the local area.

Mixing local and non-local water renders the gourd inert until it is emptied and dried for 3 hours. No more than four draughts may be drunk from a gourd in a single day.

Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, share language, sow thought, whispering lore, creator must have at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (local) and Linguistics; Cost 7,250 gp

I have a level 3 cleric of Battle with 12 Prestige points. I was wondering if I should continue to hoard them or spend some on some new gear. Does anybody have any suggestions?

I am playing a cleric that worships sarenrae however he is not from a desert culture and the scimitar would not be a common weapon in his region. I am not looking to go power gamer or anything like that. I just think there should be an alternate choice for favored weapon that is more specific to a region or culture. The character is currently using a heavy mace and would will probably continue to use it. It is very much in the flavor of the character. I just wanted to put my opinion out there and get some response.