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I’m looking to get some ideas on building a gnome illusionist. This character will be using the free archetype variant and can use all (including uncommon and rare) official character options. I expect them to get to 20th level. I am open to all options, including a universalist acting as an illusionist or the other extreme of runelord specializing in illusion. Additionally, I’m looking at some synergistic archetypes like spell trickster or something similar. Has anyone had any experiences using an illusionist and had any combinations that worked well and others that didn’t?

I am trying to come up with some unique fun concepts and I thought about using a fighter that archetypes into wrestler using a Gil hook to grapple with. Before I get too far building the concept out and introducing the character into the game, I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything and that the build works with RAW.

Any thoughts on this?

Thinking about running a campaign with the free archetype variant rule with the first 3(minimum) free archetype feats being required to be taken in the hellknight armige, hellknight signifier, or hellknight archetypes once the pre reqs are achieved. I’m Canvassing for cool character build ideas, traditional, and non-traditional hellknight builds that my players can look at to give them some ideas.

Both are good arguments. Since I doubt Paizo would make a scenario where you invest 3 feats to make sure can’t use the full benefit of your class as the normal/preferred style, I tend to think they apply. If some new interpretation comes out, then retraining will be fine, and I’ll play a more powerful vanilla monk.

Would this include Mystic strikes and metal strikes? I would assume so based on the other answers, but want to be sure. I like the flavor, but my campaign group would likely not survive if I had to take a 3 feat tax to suck significantly worse than a standard monk.

Couple of scenarios came up in our session this weekend.

First was a battle with a creature that caused damage to the weapon used against it. We didn’t see anything specific in the rules, so we used the hp and hardness of the material in the back of the core rule book. Is there any bonus to it based on the potency bonus?

Second scenario was two separate issues during a sanctuary usage by our cleric. An area of effect spell and the second instance where a monster used a two action ability to attack everyone within reach. Long story short we decided no attack trait, no save to overcome sanctuary, however, when a multi action strike (which obviously has the attack trait) was used to hit multiple targets do you lose the attacks to everyone else? The spell description says you lose the action, but I wanted to see if there was anything out there that I had missed.

Thanks in advance.

Obviously, PF is high fantasy and the bonuses that you gain for magic items and spells and such seem to be baked into the balance formula, but what things would you change, what rules would you modify, what spells would you eliminate or restrict, and what items would you allow (maybe an easier way of looking at it)?

A couple of changes that seem to make sense would be that your dying condition value would become your wounded condition value when brought back, and wounded 3 (or more) would result in a permanent deformity. Additionally, I would make +1 potency and striking runes (or +1 potency and resilient runes) more like the old exceptional quality or masterwork items and the +2 and greater true rare magic items. Limit magic shops and formulas for higher level magic items.

What other things?

Very nice. Thank you

Wanted to reach out and see if anyone had some unique mounted combat characters, or optimized mounted combat characters out there. Thought about a halfling dog rider or perhaps a goblin rider or even just a human cavalier. They don’t seem to do a lot of damage at first glance, so I wanted to make sure I could contribute in combat.

How are you all adjudicating the Investigator feats such as “Connect the dots” or “whodunnit” etc?

What tips do you have that can make interaction/game mechanic more fun?

Wow, I have no idea how I missed that. It’s literally right there. Lol. Very sorry. Thanks.

Can you take a multi class feat such as “advanced dogma” Multiple times (assuming prerequisites are met)?

Hi all, looking for a rules clarification on attacks that ignore hardness (such as shattering blows barbarian feat) going against a character with a shield that uses shield block. Would you ignore the hardness (up to the value of shattering blows) of the shield therefore doing more damage to the creature?

Example 1: defender has shield raised with a shield that has hardness of 5 attacked by above barbarian with a damage roll of 45 and uses shield block reaction

Result 1: Defender takes full 5 Damage then the rest is split between their self and the shield... (totaling 25 to defender, 20 to shield)
Result 2: split all 45 damage between shield and defender
Result 3: shattering blows feat doesn’t apply to shield block
Result 4: some other option

Example 2: defender has a Shield raised with a shield with a hardness of 15 Attacked by the above barbarian with a damage roll of 45 and uses shield block reaction

Result 1: defender takes 5 damage, ignores 10 and the rest is split between defender and shield (totaling 20 to defender and 15 to shield)
Result 2: defender ignores 10 damage and split the remaining 35
Result 3: shattering blows does not apply
Result 4: some other option

Thanks in advance

My reading of AoO is that any strike that the creature can do can be done. So if a creature has an attack plus awesome blow or attack plus knockdown or claw plus grab or bite plus swallow whole, then they can use that attack plus the additional effect. Is that correct?

Is there no save for a stone golem when a Stone to flesh is cast on it?

I’m from the old living greyhawk days and played Some 1st ed PFS. My group is thinking about playing several scenarios. We started with Absalom Initiate a few days ago. We had a blast with it, and the players played some great characters. It clicked really well, and I feel this group will want to advance as much as they can. My questions are:

1. How high are the PFS scenarios planning on taking characters? Is it level 12 like in the past? Level 20? (There are consumable magic item selections up to level 19 I think).

2. If they are planning high level adventures would they be in parts due to the time constraints associated with high level play?

3. Would the high level adventures be run only at Conventions like PaizoCon and GenCon or available like all the rest? (I’m not against that. Some of the fun of living Greyhawk was traveling to play certain scenarios)

Thanks for your responses in advance

Very good. Thank you. I misunderstood that part.

Can I do that since it is using 2 bonuses to strength?

Thank you very much for the responses. The reason I am asking is because I am trying to build a cavern elf with the following stats for a pathfinder society game.
Str 14
Dex 10
Con 10
Int 10
Wis 18
Char 14

I can’t find a way to do it, but maybe someone here can find a way?

Is the optional rule for voluntary flaws as seen on page 26 in the core Rulebook allowed in pathfinder society games?
Thanks in advance

Very good. Thank you. It is as brutal as I thought. I like it.

It would seem to me that if you are taking persistent damage and go unconscious, you would continue to take persistent damage. In that case you would continue to progress down the dying track every round since you take the damage before any flat check is made. My question is two fold:

1. Does persistent damage, in fact, continue after a PC becomes unconscious therefore moving you down the dying track?
2. If the character continues the damage, do they still get to make the flat check if they are unconscious?

I have been playing as if the answer is “yes” to both. Please let me know if I am doing this mechanic correctly.

Thanks in advance

I know this has been asked before, but it wasn’t included in the October Core Rulebook update. I am hoping to get some clarification. I think it is pretty clear on page 445 that checks move up one degree of success on a natural 20. On page 278 it states that an attack roll of 20 is a critical success. I have been playing those rules as written for the last 8 months meaning skill checks and saving throws aren’t necessarily critical successes, but attack rolls are. I am wondering if that was written by design or a mistake in the text? I would think if it were a mistake, it would have been included in the update? Just wanting to play the game the way it is supposed to be played. Thanks for you input in advance.

Would a human who selected natural ambition as a 1st level ancestry feat be able to use ancestral paragon general feat at 3rd level to select natural ambition? With the overall result being the character has 3 1st level class feats? It doesn’t seem like they would but thought I would ask since It’s a little complicated.

I was hoping someone could clarify the new trap rules. In order to get a perception check to find a trap, do you need to actively check every 5 feet, or do you get a check when you come up on a trap.

Reason I ask is that I'm playing a rogue and am trying to see if I need to slow down the game with multiple rolls, assume that I get my passive perception, or a situational roll when a trap is near.

If it is situational, then why have the rogue trait "trap spotter"

Thanks in advance.

I'm an Orthopedic Surgeon. The Idea of universal healthcare has tremendous unintended consequences. Many physicians would quit healthcare completely. There are a lot of 50+ year old docs that are sick of government telling them how to treat their patients. Another unintended consequence is that 2/3 of this thing is financed with Medicare cuts. God willing, all of us will be on medicare in the future and you don't want to be part of the algorithm that shuts care to you down. Make no mistake, you can't cut $500 billion out of medicare without making tough decisions (and your doc won't be making that decision BTW). Not to mention that medical companies make profits to subsidize the risk for thier Research and Development. Without the profit motive advancements in medical care would cease.
Real Reform is:

Number 1: Health Savings Accounts (HSA’s) that are tax free, rolled over year to year, 100% portable, and gain interest using safe investments. Your employer invests money into an HSA, tax free, and you, in-turn, purchase your own policy, tax free. (I've done the math this works REALLY well)

Number 2: Open up insurance companies to compete across state lines. This, again, gives the people the choice, the power, and stimulates competition.

Number 3: Allow physicians to deduct a percentage of the Medicare reimbursement when they provide care to those that are uninsured. This would be a very good incentive for physicians to care for the uninsured.

Number 4: Pass National Tort reform. While malpractice premiums only account for a small amount of medical costs, the practice of defensive medicine may be the biggest reason while health costs increase at such a steep rate.

Number 5: Tax credits for those who do not qualify for Medicaid, and do not have access to an HSA through their employer. Those credits are used to buy individual insurance plans

Number 6: Sanction a private company to provide a secure “MySpace” type internet site that personalizes every American’s health record. When you get an x-ray, EKG, or blood test, it gets uploaded and helps eliminate the waste in medicine, and prevents need to do the test again because the surgeon or facility is unable to retrieve one done by your primary care physician just days ago.

Number 7: Maintain competition in the health industry. Any health entity that lacks competition stands to increase the cost of healthcare. This includes pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, and even hospitals.

I live it everyday. COMPETITION IS THE KEY TO DRIVE DOWN COSTS. Insurance companies would have to compete like never before if individuals, not employers, bought healthcare. Think Geico or statefarm for health insurance. Universal Healthcare is very unpopular among physicians. You will see a mass exodus from medicine from the older docs and most of the younger docs (myself included) will get out when our $250k loans are paid off.