That Darn Rogue's page

In my Pathfinder group, a debate came up.
I chose to fight defensively, taking a -4 to my hit against a redcap to gain a +2 AC against it.
One of the players who frequently runs as a GM argues that because this is Standard Action, you cannot make attacks unless they are attacks of opportunity.
It seems pretty clear to me that it occurs as you are making any attack, and the remainder of the group (GM included) agreed.

For future games where this player is the GM, I would like to have this cleared. Written as it is, I don't think he'll accept that he's wrong on it unless there has been some creator clarification, or otherwise some clearer wording somewhere in a book.

A question came up during my game today. We were fighting an alchemist who's been giving us a bit of trouble. My Swashbuckler was able to get up to her, and I proposed the idea of cutting off her component pouch to prevent her from creating more bombs to chuck our way.

There was some short debate over whether one could do that, and furthermore how it would be done.

So, there's the question. Can you disarm a component pouch from a caster/alchemist? And if so, would it be through disarm, sunder, or something else?

So, I am playing an Undead Lord. The Undead Lord has this cool class ability:

"With a ritual requiring 8 hours, an undead lord can animate a single skeleton or zombie whose Hit Dice do not exceed her cleric level. This corpse companion automatically follows her commands and does not need to be controlled by her. She cannot have more than one corpse companion at a time. It does not count against the number of Hit Dice of undead controlled by other methods. She can use this ability to create a variant skeleton such as a bloody or burning skeleton, but its Hit Dice cannot exceed half her cleric level. She can dismiss her companion as a standard action, which destroys it."

My GM graciously allowed me to begin the game with the reanimated corpse of young daughter.

Now, the class ability obviously assumes you will me discarding your corpse companion periodically for better ones, but I obviously don't intend to just throw away my daughter (or...set her on fire...), and she ain't getting any stronger.

Now, I don't want her to be very combat proficient--just reasonably durable. My GM said she'd be down for this, but I have to give her ideas for progression.

Probably the best suggestion i've heard is from my buddy--Just treat her as a familiar.

Any other suggestions?

I'm playing a necromancer cleric, and we are about to face off against an enemy necromancer. I have Improved Channel and Command Undead as feats.

My question is:
When the Necromancer coming up summons undead, and I use my Command Undead to try taking control and we come down to opposed Charisma checks, will Improved Channel give me an +2 edge to the contest?

I'm currently playing a feisty and adorable little Halfling, Mel Takook, a cleric of Besmara who has aspirations to become a Master of Storms in the Skulls and Shackles campaign.

Obviously the ability to Channel Energy is an important bit of being an effective cleric, and thus my question is:

Would Mel be able to Channel Energy while in the Whirlwind form the Master of Storms provides?

Below is the bit that gives me pause.

"The whirlwind form does not provoke attacks of opportunity, even if the creature enters the space another creature occupies. Another creature might be caught in the whirlwind if it touches or enters the whirlwind, or if the whirlwind moves into or through the creature’s space. A creature in whirlwind form cannot make its normal attacks and does not threaten the area around it."

I love the idea of become a swirling storm of healing winds and sea water--I just want to make sure it's viable.