Can you cast the Helping Hands spell to let you qualify for feats that require 4 hands, such as Four-Handed Hacker? The spell states that you actually grow extra hands, so it's not just some conjuration like unseen servant helping you out, they are YOUR hands for the duration of the spell. Additionally, Four-Handed Hacker doesn't say anything about you needing to be a race with 4 arms, just that you need "four or more hands" (specifically hands not arms).
Obviously if this works, you would only benefit from the feat while the spell was active, of course. But does it work?
Helping Hands:
Helping Hands
Source Galactic Magic pg. 76
Classes Technomancer 1, Witchwarper 1
School transmutation
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets one willing creature
Duration 1 minute/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
Description
First developed by resourceful skittermander technomancers, you or a targeted creature sprout two vestigial hands that can hold and manipulate objects. While this spell is active, the target gains a +2 circumstance bonus to Engineering and Sleight of Hand checks. Each round, this spell grants the target one additional move action that can be used to manipulate objects, such as to activate an item, draw a weapon, or reload a weapon. This spell doesn't allow the target to attempt additional attacks.
Four-Handed Hacker:
Four-Handed Hacker
Source Character Operations Manual pg. 21
When you hack a computer, it’s a two-front war.
Prerequisites: Computers 1 rank, four or more hands.
Benefit: When you use the hack system task of Computers, if you have two hacking kits, your hacking attempt takes half the time (minimum 1 full action). You can also add, destroy, disable, remove, or repair a system or module in half the usual time.
Followup question: Could Helping Hands be used to qualify for feats that require 4 arms (not just hands) such as Fusilade. I think a strict RAW reading would be no, since technically Helping Hands says nothing about giving you arms, just hands. Though I have a feeling it's intention was to give full arms because having JUST hands grow out of your body without arms attached is kind of a horrific image...
Fusilade:
FUSILLADE (COMBAT)
You use your numerous limbs to lay down a hail of fire.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1, four or more arms.
Benefit: As a full attack when you are wielding four or more identical small arms, you can fire them all simultaneously to duplicate the effects of an automatic weapon. You use all of the ammunition in all the small arms used, and you treat this as an attack in automatic Mode. Add all the ammunition expended from all of your small arms when determining the maximum number of creatures you can hit.
I love the flavor of the Harvest Parts feat. Bit I'm a little unsure exactly how much the maximum discount on an item crafted with harvested parts is.
Harvest Parts wrote:
Benefit(s): You can attempt a Craft or Heal check, as though making a trophy, to gain usable resources from a creature that has been dead for less than an hour. Only creatures with a CR of 1 or higher yield usable parts. The value of the parts you harvest is equal to the creature’s CR squared × 10 gp (increases to CR derived from class levels or templates do not contribute to this value). This value can be used only as raw materials for crafting alchemical, masterwork, mundane, or magic items. Items crafted using creature parts must be made of a suitable material—typically bone or hide, with metal only in extraordinary cases. No more than a quarter of a crafted item’s cost can be supplied with harvested parts. Harvested parts remain usable for 2 days before they rot (unless used to craft objects or somehow preserved). Creature parts that are harvested in this manner can’t be bought or sold in most settlements.
Bolded part is where my question is.
Is the "items cost" referring to the items normal market cost, or does it refer to the raw materials cost?
So say I'm crafting a +1 cloak of resistance, 1000gp market value, for 500gp of raw materials. If I use harvested parts to supplement it, can I use up to 250gp of harvested parts (1/4 market value) or only 125gp of harvested parts (1/4 raw materials)?
Would these two allow one to use bodyguard at range? The typical rule is "specific trumps general". But both of these are feats, both change the typical rules for aid another, so neither is really more specific than the other so I'm not quite sure here.
bodyguard wrote:
Benefit: When an adjacent ally is attacked, you may use an attack of opportunity to attempt the aid another action to improve your ally’s AC. You may not use the aid another action to improve your ally’s attack roll with this attack.
mage hand trick wrote:
Ranged Aid (base attack bonus +1): You’ve learned to use your mage hand to tug at an opponent’s hair, clothing, and equipment. You can use the aid another action at range, attempting a ranged touch attack instead of a melee attack.
So my group is making the switch in a few months from Pathfinder to Starfinder, and I'll be GM'ing it. I'm a very long time Pathfinder veteran, but will be totally new to Starfinder, but it appears the switch won't be terribly difficult since it seems like 80% of the rules carry over.
I've been reading extensively all that I can find about the system, but there is one thing I'm not fully understanding that I hope some Starfinders like yourselves could help clear up. BP.
1) How do the players get BP? Is it awarded to them for completing missions and defeating enemy starships, much like credits? Or is it just something that happens automatically whenever they level up?
2) If the players want a new ship, do they sell the old one to recover a percentage of the BP used in making it? Or do they get to just liquidate the BP completely getting back 100% of it to spend toward a new ship so that there is never any BP loss?
3) On a similar note to the previous question, can Ship components ever be salvaged from enemy ships? Or must they always be purchased with BP? Can ships and components be sold for BP?
Based on the wording in the book it sounds like a fair bit of this is up to the GM but I'm not entirely sure, and my group likes to stick pretty loyally to the rules. But if that's the case, and the above questions are intentionally left up to the GM, then I'm curious to know how all of you out there handle these questions at your tables, and if you have any recommendations for a budding Starfinder GM?
The Sacrament Alchemist is an alchemist archetype and has an ability that is a bit unclear to me.
Divinely Inspired Alchemy wrote:
(Su)
At 3rd level, a sacrament alchemist’s faith inspires him with ideas for novel alchemical achievements, although the mental strain means that he can’t reliably repeat them. Once per day while preparing extracts, for a period of 24 hours, a sacrament alchemist can gain an alchemist discovery for which he qualifies. He treats his alchemist level as 2 lower for the purpose of this discovery.
This ability replaces swift alchemy.
I bolded the part I'm a bit confused by. What exactly is affected by the 2 levels lower thing?
- Qualification for the discovery in question?
- DCs and level-based effects of only effects granted by the discovery?
- DCs and level based effects of ALL effects of an ability that is modified by the discovery, even if the discovery does not affect that part of an ability? (ie choose Smoke Bomb as discovery, does this lower the bomb damage too? Or how about caster level for extracts used with the Infusion discovery?)
The immense Tortoise is a creature printed in the Bestiary 4. It is a Colossal (5x5) creature with the trample ability and only 20 base speed.
My question is, how is the tortoise able to use it's trample ability when it's movement speed isn't enough to bring it's full 5 squares past even an enemy that's right in front of it, with only 4 squares of movement speed?
Normally you can't end your movement on top of an enemy. Is there a rule somewhere about creatures with significant size differences being able to occupy the same square? Would make sense, but I can't find it if there is.
Source Alchemy Manual pg. 10
Price 4,000 gp; Slot wrists
Cytillesh spores seeded beneath the subject’s skin enable the subject to extend and contract fungal vines from its wrists and forearms at will. The subject gains two vine attacks per round, which count as secondary natural attacks with a reach of 10 feet. These vines deal no damage, but the fungal-grafted creature can attempt to pull a struck target up to 5 feet toward itself, as the pull universal monster ability (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 303).
If a player were to have this Fungal Graft and then quaff an Enlarge Person potion, what is the reach of the Reaching Vines?
A) 10ft, because Enlarge says that only your Natural Reach increases, and Reaching Vines doesn't use your Natural Reach?
2) 20ft, because Enlarge Person doubles your reach
Three) 15ft, because Enlarge essentially just adds 5ft to your attacks' reach.
IV) 0ft, because reasons...
=) Orange, because the voices in my head told me so.
Say I'm a sorcerer with the Solar bloodline whose arcana adds +1 to each die of damage spells for fire spells I cast.
Solar Bloodline Arcana wrote:
Bloodline Arcana: Whenever you cast a spell with the fire descriptor, if it deals damage, it deals +1 point of damage per die rolled.
I cast a spell whose description specifically states that it can catch targets on fire, say Greater Flaming Sphere.
Flaming Sphere Excerpt wrote:
...Any creature that fails its save against the sphere catches on fire. If a creature catches on fire, the DC to extinguish the flames is equal to the DC of this spell....
Does the 1d6 damage per turn become 1d6+1 because being caught on fire was part of the spells effect. Or not, because being caught on fire is considered an environmental effect that the spell simply triggered.
In the case of Greater Flaming Sphere, and many (but not all) such spells, the DC to extinguish the fire becomes equal to the spells DC which would imply that the target is "magically" caught on fire and is still a property of the spell. If so, what about the ones that don't do that?
I'm torn. Any RAW, official, unofficial, or simply opinion responses are welcome.
For instance, say a fighter takes the Advanced Weapon Training ability Warrior's Spirit, and enhances his longsword with Holy, then hands it to the Ranger. Does the enhancement stay while in the Ranger's hands or go away?
Warrior's Spirit:
Warrior Spirit (Su) The fighter can forge a spiritual bond with a weapon that belongs to the associated weapon group, allowing him to unlock the weapon’s potential. Each day, he designates one such weapon and gains a number of points of spiritual energy equal to 1 + his weapon training bonus. While wielding this weapon, he can spend 1 point of spiritual energy to grant the weapon an enhancement bonus equal to his weapon training bonus. Enhancement bonuses gained by this advanced weapon training option stack with those of the weapon, to a maximum of +5. The fighter can also imbue the weapon with any one weapon special ability with an equivalent enhancement bonus less than or equal to his maximum bonus by reducing the granted enhancement bonus by the amount of the equivalent enhancement bonus. The item must have an enhancement bonus of at least +1 (from the item itself or from warrior spirit) to gain a weapon special ability. In either case, these bonuses last for 1 minute.
If I use Ally Shield on an ally wearing a Ring of Tactical Precision with Ally Shield stored in it, does the cover bonus granted by the feat gain a +1 from the ring?
Ring of Tactical Precision:
This steel ring is inlaid with adamantine swords and shields.
The wearer gains a +5 competence bonus on Profession (soldier) checks, and anytime the wearer gives or receives a numeric bonus from a teamwork feat or the aid another action, that bonus increases by +1. By wearing the ring for 1 hour, a creature may imbue it with a teamwork feat he knows for 24 hours. During this time, any creature wearing the ring may use that feat when cooperating with the creature that imbued it, but not with other creatures even if they possess the same teamwork feat. If the ring is imbued with a new teamwork feat, it replaces the previous feat.
Ally Shield:
Whenever you are the target of a melee or ranged attack and are adjacent to an ally who also has this feat, you can initiate this feat to skillfully pull the abettor into harm’s way or dodge behind the abettor as an immediate action.
You gain cover against that attack (and only that attack). If the attack misses you but would have hit you if not for the cover bonus to your armor class, the abettor becomes the target of the attack and the attacker must make a new attack roll (with all the same modifiers) against the abettor’s armor class.
I am building a character who is a Half Giant using a cannon as a two handed firearm.
Can I use Blast Shot ammo and Vital Strike together? Blast shot uses language very similar to the scatter firearm quality but specifically ISN'T scatter as there are also numerous differences, particularly the absence of any language about not including extra damage from precision, vital strike, etc the way scatter does. In fact it even says "it deals it's normal damage on a hit".
Any rules interpretations or even just opinions are welcome.
Blast Shot:
Instead of a single hard ball, this ammunition is a bundle of large pellets, balls, or pieces of scrap metal, propelled a short distance by black powder and attacking all creatures and objects within an area. Both cannons and fiend’s mouth cannons can fire this kind of ammunition. When such a siege engine fires this ammunition, it hits every creature and object within a 30-foot-cone burst. The siege engine makes attack rolls against each creature and unattended object in the burst. It must miss every creature or target to misfire, and a misfire generates the normal effect. It deals its normal damage on a hit, but does not ignore the hardness of objects.
Scatter Weapon:
A weapon with the scatter weapon quality can shoot two different types of ammunition. It can fire normal bullets that target one creature, or it can make a scattering shot, attacking all creatures within a cone. Cannons with the scatter weapon quality only fire grapeshot, unless their descriptions state otherwise. When a scatter weapon attacks all creatures within a cone, it makes a separate attack roll against each creature within the cone. Each attack roll takes a –2 penalty, and its attack damage cannot be modified by precision damage or damage-increasing feats such as Vital Strike. Effects that grant concealment, such as fog or smoke, or the blur, invisibility, or mirror image spells, do not foil a scatter attack. If any of the attack rolls threaten a critical, confirm the critical for that attack roll alone. A firearm that makes a scatter shot misfires only if all of the attack rolls made misfire. If a scatter weapon explodes on a misfire, it deals triple its damage to all creatures within the misfire radius.
I am building a character who is a Half Giant using a cannon as a two handed firearm.
Can I use Blast Shot ammo and Vital Strike together? Blast shot uses language very similar to the scatter firearm quality but specifically ISN'T scatter as there are also numerous differences, particularly the absence of any language about not including extra damage from precision, vital strike, etc the way scatter does. In fact it even says "it deals it's normal damage on a hit".
Any rules interpretations or even just opinions are welcome.
Blast Shot:
Instead of a single hard ball, this ammunition is a bundle of large pellets, balls, or pieces of scrap metal, propelled a short distance by black powder and attacking all creatures and objects within an area. Both cannons and fiend’s mouth cannons can fire this kind of ammunition. When such a siege engine fires this ammunition, it hits every creature and object within a 30-foot-cone burst. The siege engine makes attack rolls against each creature and unattended object in the burst. It must miss every creature or target to misfire, and a misfire generates the normal effect. It deals its normal damage on a hit, but does not ignore the hardness of objects.
Scatter Weapon:
A weapon with the scatter weapon quality can shoot two different types of ammunition. It can fire normal bullets that target one creature, or it can make a scattering shot, attacking all creatures within a cone. Cannons with the scatter weapon quality only fire grapeshot, unless their descriptions state otherwise. When a scatter weapon attacks all creatures within a cone, it makes a separate attack roll against each creature within the cone. Each attack roll takes a –2 penalty, and its attack damage cannot be modified by precision damage or damage-increasing feats such as Vital Strike. Effects that grant concealment, such as fog or smoke, or the blur, invisibility, or mirror image spells, do not foil a scatter attack. If any of the attack rolls threaten a critical, confirm the critical for that attack roll alone. A firearm that makes a scatter shot misfires only if all of the attack rolls made misfire. If a scatter weapon explodes on a misfire, it deals triple its damage to all creatures within the misfire radius.
The Brawler Archetype Shield Champion allows for some pretty iconic Captain America style moves.
Under the "Returning Shield" ability of this archetype it states:
"If a shield champion has additional attacks from a high base attack bonus, these additional attacks can be ricochets off an earlier target. The distance to each additional target adds to the total range of the shield, and range penalties apply, but there are no additional penalties for attacking in this manner."
Since the shield is actually ricocheting off targets rather than returning to you for each throw, could you ricochet the shield around cover doing this?
Or even bullrush (Shield Slam) with it from a different direction, perhaps bullrushing him to the side and out of cover by doing this?
So say there is an enemy behind a chest-high wall firing a crossbow at you, and you have 2 iterative attacks. Could you throw the shield at a wall off to the side, literally attacking the wall section with your first attack and then ricochet it off to hit the enemy around his cover with your second attack to bypass the cover?
X B--- CCC/ X
X X / X X
X / X X X
G X X X X
B= Baddy
G = Goodie
/ or - = Path of shield
C = Cover
PS - I am aware of the Equipment Trick (Shield) feat that does something very similar, but that is not the topic of this thread.
So, in my PFS groups I've gotten a reputation for coming up with off the wall builds that few sane men would create just for the lols.
This time I wanted to create a 100% PFS legal way of having an animal companion do all the talking. So I came up with this:
-Be Human, select Eye for Talent racial alternative (+2 Int).
-Be Sacred Huntmaster Inquisitor, get a Velociraptor companion. Name him Sir Raptor.
-Put a rank in Sir Raptors Linguistics skill to be able to understand Common.
-Get Extra Magic Item Slot feat for Raptor. Buy him a Headband of Intellect ASAP (one with ranks in Diplomacy for the lols)
-At level 4 give Sir Raptor a +1 Int for a total so far of 7. We now have a companion with a player level intelligence.
-At level 4 Inquisitors gain access to the Tongues spell as a 2nd level spell (earliest in the game). Have the Inquisitor cast this on Sir Raptor when needed.
Ok, nothing unusual here, we've all seen this stuff before. Heres where things get really silly:
-Be sure the Inquisitors Int is 9.
-Purchase a spell of Bestow Curse to cast upon the Inquisitor to take a permanent -6 penalty to intelligence. In PFS, harmful effects don't go away at the end of the session and bestow curse is permanent. So it will carry over indefinitely until dispelled (don't dispel it)
-Sir Raptor with an Int of 7 and charisma of 14 now has a human inquisitor companion with an intelligence of 3, who regularly casts the Tongues spell on Sir Raptor enabling him to speak, among other buff spells.
-With Sir Raptors Tongues spell, 14 Cha, and ranks in Diplomacy thanks to his Headband we now have a 100% PFS rules savvy animal companion party face by level 4. :)
Gravy:
-Give Sir Raptor the feat Extra Traits. Pick stuff like "Extremely Fashionable" and other High Class traits.
-Purchase Top Hat and monocle. Or another Extra Item Slot Feat and buy a Hat of Disguises or Sleeves of Many Garments. Sir Raptor is now the best dressed member of the party.
-Have the Inquisitor Companion take Magical Lineage (Tongues) and get Extend spell to increase duration of Tongues, we want that spell on Sir Raptor for as long as possible.
Any suggestions to help this silly build along, furthering the illusion that I am actually playing the raptor and the inquisitor is merely his "animal companion"?
100% PFS legal suggestions please. :)
I'm going to be running The Devil We Know: Part 4 on Thursday and reading through it I found myself extremely disappointed by the final battle and felt that another encounter earlier in the scenario would have made a much more climactic and appropriate final encounter (including story-wise). We just ran the previous 3 back to back and I think everyone is hoping for a grand finale, which as written falls incredibly short.
Would it be reasonable to swap those two encounters (changing nothing else about them other than when the players encounter them) on the grounds that the players will have a much more enjoyable experience overall as a result, rather than walking away from the table saying "That was it?".
So a fellow PFS GM and myself have been having a rather heated debate about whether or not you can Fight Defensively as a Standard action when casting a Ray or other ranged touch attack spell.
My stance is Yes, since Fighting Defensively as a standard action does not make any mention of it needing to be a "weapon attack" simply an "attack" as a standard action. As has been established in the past, a touch attack spell is an attack in every sense of the word, even being able to add sneak attack damage to it. As long as the "attack" and "as a Standard Action" requirements are met, you may fight defensively.
His stance is No, since Fighting Defensively is itself it's own Standard Action and therefore would be unable to be combined with another standard action spell casting, regardless of whether that spell is an "attack" or not.
Both points have validity. Anyone care to weigh in?
How does a Kitsune's Change Shape ability interact with a Disguise Self spell?
Kitsune Change Shape:
Change Shape (Su) A kitsune can assume the appearance of a specific single human form of the same sex. The kitsune always takes this specific form when she uses this ability. A kitsune in human form cannot use her bite attack, but gains a +10 racial bonus on Disguise checks made to appear human. Changing shape is a standard action. This ability otherwise functions as alter self, except that the kitsune does not adjust her ability scores.
Disguise Self:
You make yourself - including clothing, armor, weapons, and equipment - look different. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller, thin, fat, or in between. You cannot change your creature type (although you can appear as another subtype). Otherwise, the extent of the apparent change is up to you. You could add or obscure a minor feature or look like an entirely different person or gender.
The spell does not provide the abilities or mannerisms of the chosen form, nor does it alter the perceived tactile (touch) or audible (sound) properties of you or your equipment. If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on the Disguise check. A creature that interacts with the glamer gets a Will save to recognize it as an illusion.
So we have two +10's here. In what situations, if any, would these two stack?
1) If you try to Disguise yourself as a specific human (like the Town Mayor)?
2) How about a non-specific Human? (some random Human)
3) How about a non-specific non-human humanoid, like an elf? (some random elf)
(I am aware of the Realistic Likeness feat, for the purposes of this thread, assume this Feat is not involved)
So I've read the re-skinning FAQ but I'm a little unsure what it meant about re-skinning items.
I have a character that claims to be royalty (though is unable to prove it). I want to take the Flagbearer feat for this character but I don't like the flavor of a royal-type character holding his own banner. It doesn't fit.
Am I allowed to change it from a flag to, say, a scepter or something, maintaining all of the mechanical requirements of the feat (held in one hand, disarmable, not functional as a weapon, etc)? Also, I actually have both the Herald and Porter vanities, can one of them "hold" the flag for me outside of the battlefield while I hold said scepter which functions as the flag in all ways except aesthetics?
Say a creature is Shaken from Intimidate or some other unstackable fear effect and is then subject to a Cause Fear (Frightened).
Both Shaken and Frightened mention a -2 penalty to pretty much everything, since penalties always stack would those indeed stack to a -4 or was Frighten's description intended to imply that it already includes Shaken and therefore wouldn't stack with itself?
This is not yet another Fear Escalation thread. I don't care about making them Panicked. The question is entirely about stacking the stated penalties.
Is it -2 or -4 total?
We all know that when casting SM or SNA that you can summoning 1d3 creatures of one level lower or 1d4+1 creatures from two levels lower.
However my question is: When summoning multiple creatures do you choose which creature to summon first and then roll the dice to determine how many or the other way around?
For instance, say I cast SM IV to summon 1d3 monsters from the SM III list. What I want is 3 Aurauchs so that they can use their Stampede ability (requiring, three or more of them). But, if I roll less than 3, I'd rather have something else, like leopards or whatever.
So can I roll first and THEN pick the creature. Or do I have to pick first and then roll.
Just how much power does a GM have to make the scenario as fun as possible for the group?
The next scenario I am running is the Mists of Mwangi:
Spoiler:
In this scenario it is the very conservatively laid out Blakros Museum. The initial entryway having 3 doors. The problem I see with this one is that if the players pick the middle door by either chance or metagaming it will lead them directly to the final encounter, and since the secondary success condition simply involves NOT killing the guys in the side rooms then the players can very easily beat the entire scenario, even accidently, in less than 30 minutes and get full credit.
So I was wondering, would it be within my power to simply say the middle door is locked (with a high enough DC to deter but not prevent lockpicking) and the key is on Sheg's keyring?
This question is primarily a PFS question but I suppose it applies to the general game as well so I'll put it here.
Many of the AP's offer expanded summon monster lists for "priests" of a particular religion.
Since priest is not a defined term in Pathfinder and since the AP's themselves say that many classes including Wizards and Sorcerers can be part of a priesthood does that mean that simply worshiping that particular deity is enough to gain that expanded summon list?
Again, I'm primarily asking for PFS since the answer is likely "Ask your GM" for home games.
Say I cast SM II to summon a Small Lightning Elemental and have it do a charging disarm to make enemy drop his (metal) sword.
Will Metal Mastery and Spark Leap stack? And the disarm would gain the Charge bonus too?
Small Lightning Elemental:
Metal Mastery (Ex)
A lightning elemental gains a +3 bonus on attack rolls if its opponent is wearing metal armor, is wielding a metal weapon, or is made of metal (such as an iron golem).
Spark Leap (Ex)
A lightning elemental gains a +10 bonus on bull rush, disarm, overrun, and trip attacks when it charges a creature against whom its metal mastery ability applies.
-
Base CMB: +1
Metal Mastery: +3
Spark Leap: +10
Charge: +2
= +16
Part 2) Disarm says you take a -4 penalty if you perform a disarm while unarmed, however you can also choose to automatically pick up the weapon if you are unarmed. So can the elemental (who has a slam attack and is therefore armed) decide to treat himself as unarmed and take the penalty but also pick up the weapon? Would this remove the Charge bonus?
I noticed, what I am fairly certain, is a slight error in the wording of the Story Summoner's ability Summon Arcana.
It forgot to mention that you would only add said template to one of the asterisked monsters.
So am I reading this correctly that currently, RAW you can apply a template to, say, a Lantern Archon?
Summon Arcana:
At 2nd level, a story summoner can use a complete harrow deck he owns as an additional focus component for his summon monster spell-like ability. When he does so, the summoner draws a random card from the deck and applies a simple template to the summoned monster based on the card's alignment: celestial (any good), fiendish (any evil), resolute (any lawful), or entropic (any chaotic). If a card has more than one alignment—such as a lawful evil or chaotic good card—the summoner can choose which template to apply to the summoned creature. This ability allows a story summoner to summon and command creatures normally prohibited by their alignment.
So I am aware of the FAQ ruling that an animal companion must be on both lists for the effective druid levels to stack, however:
If you have levels in Druid with a companion not on the Cavalier list, like a Roc or Dire Bat, and then take a level of Cavalier do you gain the Mount feature's ability to ignore armor check penalties while riding your animal companion and/or the Light armor proficiency for it?
Cavalier Mount:
A cavalier gains the service of a loyal and trusty steed to carry him into battle. This mount functions as a druid's animal companion, using the cavalier's level as his effective druid level. The creature must be one that he is capable of riding and is suitable as a mount. A Medium cavalier can select a camel or a horse. A Small cavalier can select a pony or wolf, but can also select a boar or a dog if he is at least 4th level. The GM might approve other animals as suitable mounts.
A cavalier does not take an armor check penalty on Ride checks while riding his mount. The mount is always considered combat trained and begins play with Light Armor Proficiency as a bonus feat. A cavalier's mount does not gain the share spells special ability.
A cavalier's bond with his mount is strong, with the pair learning to anticipate each other's moods and moves. Should a cavalier's mount die, the cavalier may find another mount to serve him after 1 week of mourning. This new mount does not gain the link, evasion, devotion, or improved evasion special abilities until the next time the cavalier gains a level.
So if a character is:
1) Wearing Banded Mail (-6 armor check)
2) Is non-proficient with it.
3) Carrying a Heavy Load (-6 armor check penalty)
What is the total penalty to, say, Acrobatics?
a) Do 1, 2, and 3 all stack? (-18)
b) Do 1 and 3 not stack but 2 stacks with either? (-12)
c) Does it only take the highest penalty (-6)?
Encumbrance by Weight:
Depending on the character's carrying capacity, he or she may be carrying a light, medium, or heavy load. Like armor, a character's load affects his maximum Dexterity bonus to AC, carries a check penalty (which works like an armor check penalty), reduces the character's speed, and affects how fast the character can run, as shown on Table: Encumbrance Effects. A medium or heavy load counts as medium or heavy armor for the purpose of abilities or skills that are restricted by armor. Carrying a light load does not encumber a character.
If your character is wearing armor, use the worse figure (from armor or from load) for each category. Do not stack the penalties.
The Mounted Rules are muddy at best. Here's a couple mount related questions I wanted cleared up if anyone can:
1) Does the mount get to attack during a Ride-by-Attack?
2) A Mounted Charge usually requires a direct line toward the target, but Ride-by-Attack says that you can continue the charge in a straight line. How is that possible since you would be unable to move through the target during the charge?
3) Can the mount perform the Trample (Monster Ability) while the rider performs the Charge action? Mounted Charge requires both the rider and mount to perform the Charge action, which the mount could Overrun with normally, but could it use his Trample ability instead of the Overrun?
4) If the Mount and Rider attempt an Acrobatics check to avoid attacks of opportunity for moving through threatened squares, who needs to roll the Acrobatics check: Rider, Mount or Both?
4a) Same for Jumping?
5) Mounted Charging with a lance deals double damage. Is this double just the weapon dice damage or double the weapon dice + flat bonuses like strength and power attack (but obviously not dice bonuses like sneak attack and flaming).
6) When not performing a Mounted Charge, does the mount and rider receive their own actions as normal? I.e. Mount could double move and Rider could pull out a potion as a move then drink it with a standard?
7) And speaking of potions, can you feed your mount a potion? What sort of set of actions would that be?
EDIT: Added
8) The Beast Rider Archetype for the Cavalier lists a great number of potential mounts a medium creature can ride at 4th level. However, nearly all of them are only medium themselves at 4th level. Is this a mistake or a specific exception to the unwritten larger mount rule?
Related spoilers:
Basic Mounted Rules:
These rules cover being mounted on a horse in combat but can also be applied to more unusual steeds, such as a griffon or dragon.
Mounts in Combat: Horses, ponies, and riding dogs can serve readily as combat steeds. Mounts that do not possess combat training (see the Handle Animal skill) are frightened by combat. If you don't dismount, you must make a DC 20 Ride check each round as a move action to control such a mount. If you succeed, you can perform a standard action after the move action. If you fail, the move action becomes a full-round action, and you can't do anything else until your next turn.
Your mount acts on your initiative count as you direct it. You move at its speed, but the mount uses its action to move.
A horse (not a pony) is a Large creature and thus takes up a space 10 feet (2 squares) across. For simplicity, assume that you share your mount's space during combat.
Combat while Mounted: With a DC 5 Ride check, you can guide your mount with your knees so as to use both hands to attack or defend yourself. This is a free action.
When you attack a creature smaller than your mount that is on foot, you get the +1 bonus on melee attacks for being on higher ground. If your mount moves more than 5 feet, you can only make a single melee attack. Essentially, you have to wait until the mount gets to your enemy before attacking, so you can't make a full attack. Even at your mount's full speed, you don't take any penalty on melee attacks while mounted.
If your mount charges, you also take the AC penalty associated with a charge. If you make an attack at the end of the charge, you receive the bonus gained from the charge. When charging on horseback, you deal double damage with a lance (see Charge).
You can use ranged weapons while your mount is taking a double move, but at a –4 penalty on the attack roll. You can use ranged weapons while your mount is running (quadruple speed) at a –8 penalty. In either case, you make the attack roll when your mount has completed half its movement. You can make a full attack with a ranged weapon while your mount is moving. Likewise, you can take move actions normally.
Casting Spells While Mounted: You can cast a spell normally if your mount moves up to a normal move (its speed) either before or after you cast. If you have your mount move both before and after you cast a spell, then you're casting the spell while the mount is moving, and you have to make a concentration check due to the vigorous motion (DC 10 + spell level) or lose the spell. If the mount is running (quadruple speed), you can cast a spell when your mount has moved up to twice its speed, but your concentration check is more difficult due to the violent motion (DC 15 + spell level).
If Your Mount Falls in Battle: If your mount falls, you have to succeed on a DC 15 Ride check to make a soft fall and take no damage. If the check fails, you take 1d6 points of damage.
If You Are Dropped: If you are knocked unconscious, you have a 50% chance to stay in the saddle (75% if you're in a military saddle). Otherwise you fall and take 1d6 points of damage. Without you to guide it, your mount avoids combat.
Charging Rules:
Charging is a special full-round action that allows you to move up to twice your speed and attack during the action. Charging, however, carries tight restrictions on how you can move.
Movement During a Charge
You must move before your attack, not after. You must move at least 10 feet (2 squares) and may move up to double your speed directly toward the designated opponent. If you move a distance equal to your speed or less, you can also draw a weapon during a charge attack if your base attack bonus is at least +1.
You must have a clear path toward the opponent, and nothing can hinder your movement (such as difficult terrain or obstacles). You must move to the closest space from which you can attack the opponent. If this space is occupied or otherwise blocked, you can't charge. If any line from your starting space to the ending space passes through a square that blocks movement, slows movement, or contains a creature (even an ally), you can't charge. Helpless creatures don't stop a charge.
If you don't have line of sight to the opponent at the start of your turn, you can't charge that opponent.
You can't take a 5-foot step in the same round as a charge.
If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you cannot draw a weapon unless you possess the Quick Draw feat. You can't use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn.
Attacking on a Charge
After moving, you may make a single melee attack. You get a +2 bonus on the attack roll and take a –2 penalty to your AC until the start of your next turn.
A charging character gets a +2 bonus on combat maneuver attack rolls made to bull rush an opponent.
Even if you have extra attacks, such as from having a high enough base attack bonus or from using multiple weapons, you only get to make one attack during a charge.
Lances and Charge Attacks: A lance deals double damage if employed by a mounted character in a charge.
Weapons Readied against a Charge: Spears, tridents, and other weapons with the brace feature deal double damage when readied (set) and used against a charging character.
Ride-By-Attack:
Benefit: When you are mounted and use the charge action, you may move and attack as if with a standard charge and then move again (continuing the straight line of the charge). Your total movement for the round can't exceed double your mounted speed. You and your mount do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the opponent that you attack.
Trample:
Trample (Ex) As a full-round action, a creature with the trample ability can attempt to overrun any creature that is at least one size category smaller than itself. This works just like the overrun combat maneuver, but the trampling creature does not need to make a check, it merely has to move over opponents in its path. Targets of a trample take an amount of damage equal to the trampling creature's slam damage + 1-1/2 times its Str modifier. Targets of a trample can make an attack of opportunity, but at a –4 penalty. If targets forgo an attack of opportunity, they can attempt to avoid the trampling creature and receive a Reflex save to take half damage. The save DC against a creature's trample attack is 10 + 1/2 creature's HD + creature's Str modifier (the exact DC is given in the creature's descriptive text). A trampling creature can only deal trampling damage to each target once per round, no matter how many times its movement takes it over a target creature.
Acrobatics:
Move Through Threatened Squares
In addition, you can move through a threatened square without provoking an attack of opportunity from an enemy by using Acrobatics. When moving in this way, you move at half speed. You can move at full speed by increasing the DC of the check by 10. You cannot use Acrobatics to move past foes if your speed is reduced due to carrying a medium or heavy load or wearing medium or heavy armor. If an ability allows you to move at full speed under such conditions, you can use Acrobatics to move past foes. You can use Acrobatics in this way while prone, but doing so requires a full-round action to move 5 feet, and the DC is increased by 5. If you attempt to move through an enemy’s space and fail the check, you lose the move action and provoke an attack of opportunity.
Jumping and Falling
Finally, you can use the Acrobatics skill to make jumps or to soften a fall. The base DC to make a jump is equal to the distance to be crossed (if horizontal) or four times the height to be reached (if vertical). These DCs double if you do not have at least 10 feet of space to get a running start. The only Acrobatics modifiers that apply are those concerning the surface you are jumping from. If you fail this check by 4 or less, you can attempt a DC 20 Reflex save to grab hold of the other side after having missed the jump. If you fail by 5 or more, you fail to make the jump and fall (or land prone, in the case of a vertical jump).
Lance:
Benefit: A lance deals double damage when used from the back of a charging mount. While mounted, you can wield a lance with one hand.
Weapon Feature(s): reach
Beast Rider:
At 1st level, a beast rider forms a bond with a strong, loyal companion that permits him to ride it as a mount. This mount functions as a druid's animal companion, using the beast rider’s level as his effective druid level. The animal chosen as a mount must be large enough to carry the beast rider (Medium or Large for a Small character; Large or Huge for a Medium character). The beast rider does not take an armor check penalty on Ride checks while riding his mount. The mount is always considered combat trained, and begins play with Endurance as a bonus feat. A beast rider’s mount does not gain the share spells special ability.
Each time the beast rider increases in level, he can choose to select a new, more impressive mount better suited to his increased power.
Small-sized beast riders can choose a pony or wolf mount at 1st level. At 4th level, a Small beast rider can also choose an allosaurus, ankylosaurus, arsinoitherium, aurochs, bison, boar, brachiosaurus, elephant, glyptodon, hippopotamus, mastodon, megaloceros, riding dog, giant snapping turtle, triceratops, or tyrannosaurus. At 7th level, he can also choose a dinosaur (deinonychus or velociraptor).
Medium beast riders can choose a camel or horse mount at 1st level. At 4th level, a Medium beast rider can also choose an allosaurus, ankylosaurus, arsinoitherium, aurochs, bison, brachiosaurus, elephant, glyptodon, hippopotamus, lion, mastodon, megaloceros, giant snapping turtle, tiger, triceratops, or tyrannosaurus as his mount. Additional mounts might be available with GM approval.
In addition, a 7th-level or higher Medium beast rider can select any creature whose natural size is Large or Huge, provided that creature is normally available as a Medium-sized animal companion at 7th level (like a bear). To generate statistics for such a mount, apply the following modifications:
Size Large
Ability Scores Str +2, Dex –2, Con +2;
Increase the damage of each of the mount’s natural attacks by one die size.
A beast rider cannot choose a mount that is not capable of bearing his weight, that has fewer than four legs, or that has a fly speed (although the GM may allow mounts with a swim speed in certain environments).
Anytime a feat or ability allows a mount to make a hoof attack, it can make a claw, slam, or other analogous attack instead.
This ability replaces the standard cavalier's mount and expert trainer abilities.
Any of these you guys wanna help clear up would be great. Thanks in advance!
At 4th level, a strategist learns to train his fellow adventurers in the nuances of squad combat. By spending 10 minutes and expending 1 use of his challenge ability, the strategist can grant the use of a teamwork feat that he knows to up to four of his allies, similar to the tactician ability. As with tactician, allies need not meet the prerequisites of the granted feat, but they retain the use of this feat for 10 minutes plus 1 minute for every two levels the cavalier possesses, as long as the cavalier is visible and can be heard by his allies. If the cavalier falls unconscious or cannot be both seen and heard, his allies lose the benefit of the granted feat until the condition is remedied.
This feature for the Cavalier Strategist Archetype seems odd to me. I feel as though I'm reading it wrong.
Does this ability really imply that you need to hangout outside the BBEG's door doing stretches and cardio for 10 minutes so that you can gain it's benefits for the next 10+ minutes?
Alternatively: Does it actually mean you spend 10 minutes at the beginning of the day training your allies, then you may activate it at any time like the normal tactician ability and the duration is instead 10+ minutes? This would make more sense but I'm less sure that this is what it says.
If so has anyone seen this ability in action before and seen it used well?
Tower Shields have always kind of tripped me up. Wanted to get some clarification on how they tick.:
Tower Shield:
Benefit: In most situations, a tower shield provides the indicated shield bonus to your Armor Class. As a standard action, however, you can use a tower shield to grant you total cover until the beginning of your next turn. When using a tower shield in this way, you must choose one edge of your space. That edge is treated as a solid wall for attacks targeting you only. You gain total cover for attacks that pass through this edge and no cover for attacks that do not pass through this edge (see Combat). The shield does not, however, provide cover against targeted spells; a spellcaster can cast a spell on you by targeting the shield you are holding. You cannot bash with a tower shield, nor can you use your shield hand for anything else.
When employing a tower shield in combat, you take a –2 penalty on attack rolls because of the shield's encumbrance.
Question #1:
1) So if you use a tower shield to grant cover, does it grant total cover even in situations that wouldn't normally grant total cover such as:
M X X
X P X
X X X
(M= Monster, X = empty space, P = Player with the shielded edge on the north side of 'P')
This situation would normally only grant normal Cover but am I reading it right that it would grant Total Cover instead?
Question #2:
2) If you are large sized and use a tower shield to grant total cover. Do you only get a single spaces edge of cover or do you now have an edge that is two space-lengths long?:
M X X
X P P
X P P
(M= Monster, X = empty space, P = Player's space with the shielded edge on the north side of 'P')
Question #3:
3) In either of the above scenarios are you, the wielder of the shield, not subject to these cover penalties? Can you make AoO from behind the shield at no additional penalties (beyond the -2 the shield gives as as normal). How about your teammates?
Pushing Assault (Combat)
A strike made with a two-handed weapon can push a similar sized opponent backward.
Prerequisites: Str 15, Power Attack, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: When you hit a creature your size or smaller with a two-handed weapon attack modified by the Power Attack feat, you can choose to push the target 5 feet directly away from you instead of dealing the extra damage from Power Attack. If you score a critical hit, you can instead push the target 10 feet directly away from you. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunities, and the target must end this move in a safe space it can stand in. You choose which effect to apply after the attack roll has been made, but before the damage is rolled.
What would happen if you tried to Pushing Assault someone through Difficult Terrain? Would it not work or work just fine?
Logic would say it would work just fine because difficult terrain is just uneven ground not air made of Jello-pudding. But I'm looking for RAW answers here.
Are Varisian Idol's legal for Pathfinder Society or not? In the Additional Resources sheet it lists them as illegal from the Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide but are legal in the Crimson Throne Player's Guide...so what gives?
I understand this question has been asked before in THIS thread but it's also been over a year now and there have been multiple updates to the Additional Resources sheet and still this hasn't changed.
Any idea why this might be, or have there been an official umbrella ruling about such things I missed?
Prerequisite(s): Worshiper of a god of gluttony, disease, and undeath.
Benefit(s): You can drink potions, elixirs, or other potables as a swift action without provoking attacks of opportunity.
Normal: Drinking potions is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
I bolded the controversial parts.
So I imagine this little abomination has come up before. But what exactly is it supposed to do and what is it capable of doing? I ask primarily for Society where "Ask your GM" isn't really going to work due to too much table variation and you'd never get a concrete answer.
Official answers preferred, naturally, would love for a developer to jump on and give us their opinion on the matter but as that is unlikely to happen I would welcome everyone else's opinion.
What do you think this thing does and what would you consider is a potable?
Looking into making a character focusing on buffing and wanted to look into using aid another. Came across these two things:
Swift Aid Feat:
"Benefit: As a swift action, you can attempt the aid another action, granting your ally either a +1 bonus on his next attack roll or a +1 bonus to his AC."
-and-
Helpful Trait:
"Benefit: Whenever you successfully perform an aid another action, you grant your ally a +4 bonus instead of the normal +2."
Winged bottle is a magic item from the Alchemy Manual:
"A winged bottle can be filled with the contents of an alchemical splash weapon as a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Three times per day, on command, the bottle sprouts crystalline wings and takes flight. The owner can move the winged bottle to any space within 130 feet as a move action; if given no direction, the bottle floats in place. While flying, the bottle is able to drop its contents as a splash weapon with an attack bonus equal to 3 + the owner's Dexterity modifier. The owner must have line of sight to the bottle in order to direct it. Three rounds after being activated, a winged bottle loses the power of flight and drifts safely to ground." Emphasis mine.
My question is: does the bottle need to be commanded to drop it's payload with an action or is that part of the move action command. Additionally, does this work like Flyby Attack where the bottle can drop it's payload anytime during it's move or only at the end? The wording is rather ambiguous. Official ruling would be preferred, general consensus works for me too though!
