I'm currently creating a High level medium character and noticed that there are 3 spells listed as being 6th level medium spells. Which is an issue since Mediums only get up to 4th level spells known from the medium spell list.
Normally I would think this is just an issue with d20FPSRDs data entry, but I checked my personal copy of Arcane Anthology and Emblem of Greed explicitly lists Medium 6. I am unsure about the other two since I don't own blood of shadows.
So i'm pretty confused on how this works exactly, I know medium can get up to 6th level spells from spirits but those are pulled form different lists, so how exactly do these 3 spell play out?
As someone reading the NJO series and also prepping to run my first game of SWSE I was very surprised to find that the Vonduun Crab Armor is weaker than most other armors when it comes to avoiding laserfire, lightsaber attacks, getting stabbed, and being by with explosives. It's better for resisting stuff like poisons and the like though.
This feels really odd to me since in most novels the armor is described as being exceedingly strong and hard to pierce with blasterfire and jedi can't even cut it with lightsabers, instead finding gaps in the armor.
I fail to see how a designer could look at that and decide that stormtrooper armor is more likely to keep someone alive. Even in the novels, most other armors don't hold up well under sustained fire.
I'm not running any Yuuzhan Vong in my game most likely but I have a hard time wrapping my head around how Vonduun Crab Armor ended up as good as an armored flightsuit.
Active Defense
If you are using a shield and you are attacked by a creature you are aware of while not flat-footed, you may spend an attack of opportunity to increase your shield bonus to AC against that attack by +2. This decision must be made before the roll is made. For every 4 points of base attack bonus you possess, the increase to your shield bonus provided by this talent increases by 1. Talents with the (deflect) tag grant additional effects to this ability. Each use of active defense may only benefit from one (deflect) talent. You may expend your martial focus to use active defense in place of spending an attack of opportunity.
cover ally:
Cover Ally
As long as you have martial focus, you may use active defense to benefit an ally when an ally within your shield’s reach is targeted by an attack.
if a level 1 fighter with a heavy shield used cover ally would the bonus granted be +4(Shield bonus+active defense bonus) or would it just be +2 from active defense
So I'm going to be running an evil intrigue based campaign soon, and I plan on setting it in the River Kingdoms, specifically Pitax.
Ideally the players are going to start off as their own group, eventually move to seizing some sort of power as a faction within Pitax, and after they have gained sufficient political power King Irovetti is going to take issue with them, That encounter is most likely going to end with Irovetti dead and the party in control of Pitax. I plan on using the Kingdom building rules for that but that's a long way down the line and party derails happen pretty often.
My main problem is I don't really know how to get the ball rolling with them. Like How to start them off in this society, and what type of plots and schemes I should be running.
So any ideas that could help guide the early sessions of the campaign before I can start building around the party would be very helpful.
There has been a lot of controversy over Goblins being +CHA.
This is mainly due to many people believing in the "Monster races" concept. Though there are many exceptions, such as those who believe that a race of creatures known for living amongst garbage, with hideously large mouths, needle teeth, and oversized heads should have a bonus to social interaction rather than a penalty.
Whatever the reason for believing the shouldn't have CHA as a bonus, I believe that falls tot he wayside when we talk about why Paizo made goblin a core Ancestry.
It's their unofficial mascot. It has been for a long time, and they've capitalized on this we the We Be Goblins line. However, just because real people find goblins endearing, and enjoy playing them doesn't mean that they should be a +Cha race. Especially when they are noted for how terrible they are to interact with.
Additionally there is very little in their ancestry writeup that makes them appear charismatic.
However there is a decent bit that points towards them being good tinkerers
Ancestry text:
"Others are
endless tinkerers and view their companions’ trash simply as components of
gadgets yet to be made."
This seems like a key indication that Goblins should be a +INT race instead.
Let's take a look at goblin society for a minute here.
It i stated that goblins fear the written word, and because of this they have maintained a very primitive society.
But, even though Goblin society has an aversion to learning goblins have always been good at picking up new tricks to make things burn, and have made some pretty decent homes out of junk. So while as a society they may not be very smart, as a race they seem to be able to grasp new ideas quite easily.
So if we changes their stat lineup to +DEX +INT -WIS, we have a race that instead of being a cute, likeable bunch of trashmonging, green pyromaniacs who for some reason have an affinity for magic(resonance), we have a race of scrappy scavengers, who despite their dumb decision making that leads often to an early death, have an affinity for making junk do just what they want it to and are very good at figuring out how to make a couple of different powders go boom.
I understand that they start to fill some of the design space as elves, and many people will be worried about seeing goblin wizards.
However I feel that this helps to give them more of their own identify that makes more sense in universe than goblins going from being universally disliked to being naturally endearing.
Special: A steel broom may be used as part of a dirty trick attempt to blind an opponent, When attempting a dirty trick this way you gain a +2 bonus. Additionally you may add this weapons enhancement bonus to said check.
A steel broom is a a wooden shaft attached to a head composed of many thin steel wires, these wires are designed to find small gaps in the headpieces of armored opponents and allow for easier damage to the eyes. However the steel wires are fragile on their own and are prone to bending and breaking.
Is there no way for a character to gain increased proficiency in weapons/armor outside of level?
I understand the Barbarian not getting armor proficiency for free, or high level weapon proficiency for free, but is there no option for it even with feat investment?
Or that the fighter can't gain expert in armors lighter than heavy no matter what, even with their feats?
It doesn't seem right to me that classes have no way of bolstering their weaknesses even with feats.
Maybe I'm missing something but shouldn't their be ways(at least for martial classes) to boost their proficiency(even if at a slower rate than classes who have it as their main schtick) outside of what is directly granted by their class?
So from what I've heard Doomsday Dawn is going to be five part AP told from five different groups perspective. The reasoning being they wanted to get as much varied data as possible. This they allow everyone to play 5/12 classes.
My question is can Doomsday Dawn be passed around members of the group so that there isn't one GM the whole time?
I have a 5 person group and we are all very excited about the new edition but I don't think any one of us want's to get stuck GMing the whole time.
In a game I am running I have a mixed world of spheres of power and vancian casting.
I have a bounty hunter coming after the party with the mana siphon talent.
relevant text:
Your destructive blast saps the magic energy from your target, funneling it to you. A mana drain blast does nonlethal damage using d4 dice instead of d6 and your target must make a Fortitude save or lose 1 spell point. This loss increases by one die size (1d2, 1d3, 1d4, 1d6, etc.) for every five caster levels. You gain an equal number of temporary spell points that last for one round per caster level, though you cannot receive more spell points than your target loses. These temporary spell points do not stack with spell points from other targets, other instances of this ability, or any other source and expire after 1 round per caster level.
However the entire party are vancian casters. So I was wondering how to run it against them so that it still effects them.
I was thinking of running it as spellcrash except with no spell level limit(not that it matters in this case) and the casters losing one spell per spell point lost, and the spherecaster gaining one spellpoint per spell lost.
Is this a balanced way of running this effect?
Does anyone know a way it could be done better?
I'm running a game where my players are going to be escaped drow pit fighters that are trying to reach the surface by going through the darklands after a cave in on the arena wall.
I wanted help with some sort of encounters they would face along the way.
The party will be 3 players(Potentially 4) With an average optimization curve, and a 20 point buy.
I already have one encounter planned, which is the pit fight with a Cytillipede.
I'm hoping for some good non combat based challenges to add in as well, because I can quickly make up a combat encounter without much trouble.
I am working on a build for an unchained rogue/weapon master fighter that utilizes the Sap Master feat line. Since it only specifies a blunt weapon used to deal non lethal damage I am looking at using a Greatclub and Knockout training in order to activate sap master.
I also wanted to get Dex to damage with the Greatclub via finesse training and
Fighter's Finesse
Finesse training states
Uncahined Rogue wrote:
starting at 3rd level, she can select any one type of weapon that can be used with Weapon Finesse (such as rapiers or daggers).
Since it does not specify a light weapon would a Greatclub be a viable choice for finesse training if taken after 4 levels of weapon master fighter, which allows me to use weapon finesse with the Greatclub? As the Greatclub is now a weapon that can be used with weapon finesse.
I don't want a familiar or animal companion, but for an upcoming character idea I want to purchase a nonmagical rat for my PFS character. I don't plan on using it in combat, but I do want it to have some sort of grounding in rules and not just be a flavor thing.
When Starfinder was first released I created a lot of homebrews of the various Mass Effect races. I figured I would share them here for people to use, as well as get some advice on tweaks for them.
I am aware that the Krogan is a bit strong, but I hope that the ability score penalties would help balance that out somewhat.
I am also aware that Geth having construct immunities may be potentially unbalancing. As well as the teamwork feat ability, thought hat only matters if you are playing with backwards compatibility.
Anyway I'd be glad to hear any thoughts on changes that should be made to make things more balanced, or be a better representation of the races.
In an Upcoming game I will be playing an ecclesetheurge cleric and I wanted to make a flashcard of all the useful but situational spells on the cleric list. Things that are magic bullets for their specific scenario but aren't very common.
So does the community have any good suggestions for them?
In the standard fighter/wizard/rogue/cleric party, assuming no overstepping of boundaries(The wizard invalidating the rogue via spells) what does a wizard handle?
The fighter kills things with a big stick
The rogue deals with non combat challenges such as traps, social scenarios, and locked doors.
The Cleric keeps everyone alive via condition removal, healing, and buffs.
What does the wizard do besides haste and fly, that is unique to him?
In my current campaign I am looking at picking up an intelligent undead under my control because I have some fun abilities I can pass to melee fighters but they don't work with our only melee fighter.
I'm looking at a skeletal champion. My dm has already ok'd the idea, but I need already way to control the undead permanently.
I'd rather not deal with abilities that grant a save every day.
In a game I am currently playing, I have a Samsaran Cleric/Druid Gestalt that I am aiming to make into my groups batman. I want to be prepared for everything.
I want suggestions on what spell would be good candidates for use with the bonded holy symbol of the ecclesitheurge. Like "OH CRAP" spells that aren't reliable enough to be prepared every day or are usually forgotten about due to how niche they are.
Also my Druid has the druidic herbalism nature bond. And I have been crafting lots of potions, but I was wondering if there are any really specific ones that aren't immediately apparent.
Also my GM let me split my mystic past life spells across my two spell lists and here is my list.
holy sword 4 cleric
lead blades 1 cleric
raise dead 5 druid
invisibility druid 2
animate dead druid 3
Restoration druid cleric 3
I plan on making potions of raise dead as soon as I hit 7th level due to the herbalism ability and pairing that with my potions of restoration for free resurrection on tap at all times.
In an upcoming game I've got a gestalt cleric/shaman and I'm wondering what type of spells would be best to pick up with mystic past life. I'm looking at holy sword to buff an allies weapon, but I'm not sure what else to grab.
I was contemplating a build for a vesk soldier that makes use of the vesk claws. I have a couple of questions though.
Would the armor storm 1st level ability work with the vesk weapon specialization. It says treat it an unarmed attack made in heavy or powered armor as being made by a battleglove. Is it still an unarmed strike? Does it still gain the 1 1/2 level damage bonus? How would improved Unarmed Strike work here?
as a more general question, would this build fall behind other melee builds? I feel like it would be very strong with large amounts of static damage but the dice would be low.
All the time when I see people giving new players advice they lean towards spontaneous casters. They always say that spontaneous is better because they don't have as much to deal with, but why would you recommend a class that must deal with its poor choices for many levels instead of the class that can change its mind every day. And for people who say they suffer from decision paralysis when preparing spells don't you have the same issues when you pick spells at level up? It shouldn't be a problem at the table unless you rp out every morning preparing spells, unless nobody else picks out a list of spells to prepare and only changes them when the situation demands it. What are your thoughts on the whole situation?
In a game I have been playing I am a 5th level unchained monk. I have just been granted botht he strength and rune domains. Using my monk level as my cleric level.
I was wondering if there are any feats worth looking at that would be available to me now that I posses the domain class feature. I looked at warrior priest but that is a trap option no matter who you are, and neither of the granted powers are usable with domain strike.
then at third level going for combat reflexes and at fifth taking vicious stomp, then Greater trip at 7th. I don't really have a plan from there.
I know that my stats aren't the most optimal but I was wondering if there was a more efficient feat path. I guess I could drop deflect arrows but it's very useful low levels as it can negate an enemies entire turn. Would it be worth it to switch up the order? Like combat reflexes at 1 and vicious stomp at 3 and dirty fighting at 5?
One of my players recently picked up the Alchemy Manual, for use in my game. I don't have it with me and I don't feel like searching d20pfsrd for what all is in it.
Are there any particular items or abilities that I need to be on the lookout for? I want to know before my next session so i can just give him a list of what isn't allowed.
Basically I have been having an itch to run a game that hearkens back to some older school dungeon crawls. All monsters, loot and rooms would be randomly generated via random tables. As would player stats. I am on the fence about character race so that would be a personal preference. Also I will want the 4 basic classes(Cleric Wizard Fighter Rogue[Unchained]) before taking any other classes. 6 player cap but I may run a second game if there is sufficient interest.
Stats: 3d6 in order.
Races: Core only
Classes Core with Unchained classes being allowed if desired.
Roll for gold and HP in thread.
If you roll for your race it is a d7 as follows
1: dwarf
2: elf
3: half elf
4: Half orc
5: halfling
6: Gnome
7: Human
I'm located in Eastern Standard time but I post at almost any time of the day.
So I had an idea for a paladin who wants to try and get Ultimate Mercy as soon as possible and I think I have a build coming together that could get it and use it by level 5. Right now it's a rough idea and I haven't thought it through very much but here's the plan
Start
Human paladin 1
STR 14
DEX 13
CON 13
INT 7
WIS 7
CHA 20
Feats Fey Foundling, Power Attack
At second level we've got 6 uses of lay on hands.
At third level we take greater mercy
at fourth level we gain nothing of note for this idea
at fifth level we retrain power attack into extra lay on hands. we also take Ultimate mercy. We have 9 uses of lay on hands.
By this point we should have obtained a headband of alluring charisma +2 bringing our CHA to 22 and giving us 10 uses of lay on hands.
Now if anyone at your table dies you wait a day and raise them for free.
Now the problem here is that most of our damage was coming from Power Attack. So at level 5 we drop in damage substantially.
so for level 6 we dip a level of fighter and pick power attack up as our bonus feat.
Then at seventh level we retrain that fighter level to a paladin level and take power attack as a normal feat.
I know this idea isn't the best but I really like the idea of being able to raise dead for free really early. Do you guys think that this can be viable? I know that first level saves will be bad and even with taking a skill point FCB I'll only have 3 skill points per level.
Are there any glaring holes in this that I didn't account for? Any way to improve it?
In all the paladin threads I've seen about people wanting to avoid falling or to have more lax restrictions on the paladin class I've never seen someone mention the Redeemer (you'll have to scroll down a bit, my link-fu isn't very strong)
I realize that it's only for half orcs but a human or half elf could pick it up with racial heritage as a first level feat. While it's slightly inferior mechanics wise and doesn't get rid of too many restrictions it can help if you want to have an evil character in the party.
Is there any particular reason that this archetype is ignored?
Let's say I have a 10th level wizard who wants to trap himself and an enemy in an arena made of stone, could he use wall of stone to create 4 walls around him and his opponent so that they cannot leave but there are multiple squares between them and the walls. Would this allow a saving throw? Would the enemy get free movement put of the wall?
If this question isn't clear enough I'll reword it later. I'm typing from a phone right now.
So I might be playing in a gestalt way of the wicked campaign soon and was wanting some advice.
I want to play a Wizard/Cleric focused on buffing/debuffing and control with crafting thrown in as well.
Build rules:
Third level.
Gestalt of 2 classes.
A single template (with ability score increases removed) is available at the cost of levels equal to the CR increase (e.g. quickling fighter 1/rogue 2) and can be chosen later instead of at character creation.
Automatic Bonus Progression(though weapon/armour abilities don't count against attunement and an individual weapon/set of armour is limited to +5 worth of abilities).
Stat array of (18,16,14,12,10,8).
Allowed races and classes are Paizo.
+2 Skill ranks higher than the normal that you get per level.
1 feat per HD/class level instead of per 2HD/class level(Leadership and Sacred Geometry banned).
Maximum HP per level.
1,500gp.
houserules:
The three feats, Power Attack, Deadly Aim and Combat Expertise are no longer feats but combat 'options' that any character, NPC or monster may use at any time they choose. Characters count as having these feats for the purpose of qualifying for other feats and abilities.
The feat Weapon Finesse no longer exists and any character, NPC or monster may use their dexterity modifier in place of their strength modifier with any 'finessable' weapon. Characters count as having this feat for the purpose of qualifying for other feats and abilities.
The feats Two-Weapon Fighting and Vital Strike automatically upgrade into their Improved and Greater versions when the requisite BAB and DEX score is reached, they count as themselves AND the Improved and Greater versions once the requisite BAB is reached for the purpose of qualifying for other feats and abilities.
ANY Improved Combat Maneuver feat now automatically scales into it's Greater version when the BAB prerequisites are reached and counts as both feats for other prerequisites. Performing combat maneuvers now only provoke AoO's from a failed combat maneuver attempt.
Expanded Crafting
Crafting base weapons/armour/etc. still works the same with the required Craft(item) skill requirements with the added ability to take metal materials from existing items. For example, you find a Cold Iron longsword but want a Cold Iron Greatsword. Put 1/3 the original weapons worth towards the crafting cost of the new weapon (10gp in the Cold Iron Longswords case of the 33.3gp required raw materials for a Cold Iron Greatsword). This makes reforging existing weapons better than simply buying the raw materials.
In a similar vein to an Arcanist ability, special abilities from other weapons, shields, armour or almost any magical item can be 'cannibalised' and added to another weapon in replacement of the spells usually expended, rendering the original weapon mundane. For example you take the magic from a +1 Frost Longsword and add it to your +2 Longsword, ending up with a mundane Longsword and a +3 Frost Longsword(paying the usual amount of gold such a bonus increase would incur minus half the cost of the cannibalised weapon).
My current Idea is an Abjurer/Cleric of Groetus who took the madness and darkness domains.
stats:
CN Human Abjurer/Cleric of Groetus 3
Init 2; Senses ; Perception 11
DEFENSE
AC 10; Touch 10; Flat-Footed 10
HP 27; Non-Lethal —
Fort 5 ; Ref 2 ; Will 8
Resist 5 force
OFFENSE
Speed 30ft;
Spells Known/Prepared
W=wizard spell C=cleric spell D=domain spell.
2nd—Glitterdust(W), Protection From Arrows(W), Bull's Strength(C), Aid(C), Blindness/Deafness(C[D])
1st—Grease(W), Shield(W), Obscuring Mist(W), Disguise Self(W), Bless(C), Doom(C), Bane(C), Confusion, Lesser(C[D])
0th—Detect Magic(W), Light(W), Ghost Sound(W), Create Water(C), Detect Poison(C), Mending(C), Guidance(C)
Opposition schools are divination and enchantment.
STATISTICS
Str 8, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 20, Wis 18, Cha 14
Base Atk +2; CMB 1
Feats blind fight, scribe scroll, Craft Wondrous Item, Brew Potion, Skill Focus(Spellcraft)
Skills Bluff 9, Craft: Weapons 9, Diplomacy 8, Knowledge Arcana 9, Knowledge Dungeoneering 9, Knowledge Engineering 9, Knowledge History 9, Knowledge Nobility 9, Knowledge Planes 9, Knowledge Religion 9, Perception 11, Sense Motive 10, Spellcraft 14, Use Magic Device 3
Languages common, infernal, abyssal, necral, elven, draconic.
SQ Arcane Bond(Item[mwk Quarterstaff]) (Ex/Sp), resistance (Ex), Protective Ward 8/day (Su), Channel Positive Energy 2d6 (Su), Touch of Darkness 7/day (Sp), Vision of Madness 7/day (Sp)
Gear Pearl of power 1st level, Travelers any tool, Trail Rations(10); Money 249 gp
I also don't know much about the AP except that you get to be evil. The GM said that we are already past the prison break and are acting under a man named Thorn(I believe that was his name)
But I mainly want advice on feats, spells or archetypes that could help me fill out this role better. Anything published by paizo is allowed.
In the Abjurer specialty school the ability just says to pick one energy type. Does that mean I could pick sonic or force resist? What about positive/negative energy?
I picked up Bestiary 3 recently and as soon as I saw the Ecorche I fell in love. The thing is so cool, however it's a bit high as far as CR go and I was wanting to throw a version of it at a much lower level party. I was thinking of using it as a boss fight to go against a rather large party of level 3 players. I understand that singular monsters are bad as far as encounters go so I was thinking of using an NPC that would go with the party and after what would appear to be a "boss fight" both in and out of game I'd spring the Ecorche on then. The only problem is I don't want to completely annihilate the party. So does anyone have any good tips for making a lower CR Ecorche maybe around CR 5-6 ish.
TL;DR Any ideas for making a CR-5-6 Ecorche that retains the flavour of the monster but not its strength.
