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So. A character with the leadership feat can recruit a cohort with a level of up to 2 levels below his own (depending on leadership score), but as per the leadership table he can't actually have a cohort of higher than 17th level even when he himself reaches level 20. A bit weird, but it was like that in 3.5 as well.

The noble scion prc has the following ability:

At 2nd level, a noble scion gains the Leadership feat as a bonus feat. He can recruit a cohort up to one level lower than himself. At 10th level, he can recruit a cohort of the same level as himself.

So how would this work with a noble scion of 18th level or higher? By RAW you would certainly still be limited to a 17th level cohort, but this is a rather important class feature of the otherwise power starved noble scion.

Would you consider it overpowered (well, more than usual) for the noble's leadership to bend these rules, either by waiving the limitation altogether (somewhat questionable due to the power of most capstone abilities) or impose a level -1 restriction at 20th just as a regular character with leadership, allowing for a 19th level cohort?

Precise Strike (Ex): At 3rd level, while she has at least 1 panache point, a swashbuckler gains the ability to strike precisely with a light or one-handed piercing melee weapon (though not natural weapon attacks), adding her swashbuckler level to the damage dealt. To use this deed, a swashbuckler cannot attack with a weapon in her other hand or use a shield other than a buckler. She can even use this ability with thrown light or one-handed piercing melee weapons, so long as the target is within 30 feet of her. Any creature that is immune to sneak attacks is immune to the additional damage granted by precise strike, and any item or ability that protects a creature from critical hits also protects a creature from the additional damage of a precise strike. This additional damage is precision damage, and isn't multiplied on a critical hit. As a swift action, a swashbuckler can spend 1 panache point to double her precise strike's damage bonus on the next attack. This benefit must be used before the end of her turn, or it is lost. This deed's cost cannot be reduced by any ability or effect that reduces the amount of panache points a deed costs (such as the Signature Deed feat).

Brawler's Flurry (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a brawler can make a brawler's flurry as a full-attack action. When doing so, a brawler has the Two-Weapon Fighting feat when attacking with any combination of unarmed strikes, weapons from the close fighter weapon group, or weapons with the "monk" special feature. She does not need to use two different weapons to use this ability. A brawler applies her full Strength modifier to her damage rolls for all attacks made with brawler's flurry, whether the attacks are made with an off-hand weapon or a weapon wielded in both hands. A brawler can substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers for unarmed attacks as part of brawler's flurry. A brawler with natural weapons can't use such weapons as part of brawler's flurry, nor can she make natural weapon attacks in addition to her brawler's flurry attacks. At 8th level, the brawler gains use of the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat when using brawler's flurry. At 15th level, she gains use of the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat when using brawler's flurry.

So.

A first level human swashbuckler picks weapon focus (nine-ring broadsword) and slashing grace for her first level feats, gets to at least 3rd level swashbuckler and 2nd level brawler. Am I correct in assuming that she can now use brawler's flurry to essentially two-weapon fight with her nine-ring broadsword (a one-handed, martial, and slashing monk weapon) and still benefit from precise strike? If so, how viable would you say that this character would be?

According to This post by Jason Bulmahn you can use the feats granted by Brawler's Flurry (i.e. Two-Weapon Fighting for this build) to qualify for other feats (but only for use with brawler's flurry). So eventually nabbing improved and greater two-weapon fighting doesn't seem like a tall order for a dex-based swashbuckler with slashing grace.

The character would still suffer from quite some mechanical drawbacks (full-attack reliance, poor saves, reliance on a rarely found exotic weapon etc.) but given the right circumstances the payoff in terms of damage output seems like it could be rather significant.

Thoughts?

So I've got a player who wish to play as a small character (a gnome specifically) AND focus on intimidation as he's got a backstory as an enforcer with plausible deniability (who would believe a gnome to be a legbreaker, right?)

But of course, that pesky -4 size penalty to intimidate is a bit hard to build upon without "wasting" your feats, abilities etc. so we've been looking for options that makes this concept viable without skill focus and traits just to get him to a baseline medium creature's level of intimidation.

Thus far, we've only come across two abilities that cater to this sort of play: Taunt and Nightmare Scars. However, the former uses bluff, and only to demoralize, which kind of defeats the purpose, even with reflavoring, and the latter might be really good, but it's restricted to followers of Lamashtu. I also believe that those feats ignore ALL size penalties to intimidate, rather than just treating them as a medium creature (I believe that the penalties are based on the actual difference in size rather than a static value for each size category)? Am I correct in this, and does anyone have any other feats/abilities that accomplishes the same?

Anyhow, the campaign is mostly urban, and most foes will be medium sized humanoids. Thus far I'm thinking of either making Nightmare Scars a general feat rather than one associated with Lamashtu, or to allow my player some access to the race builder for alternate racial traits (he's imagining a character based around the more unsettling features of evil fey and such), but I thought that I may as well see what other players and GM's thinks of the issue.

So, despite the drama surrounding the arcanist I find myself quite liking the class, which is notable since I generally tend to shy away from the arcane spellcasters, and I found myself wanting to actually try one out, especially with my favorite prestige class, the Magambyan Arcanist!

However, there are a couple of mechanical issues with such a combination, so I'd figure I'd check what peoples' take on the matter is.

Issue 1: Qualifying for Spell Mastery
Technically, Spell Mastery has the prerequisite of "Wizard level 1", which always struck me as silly now that we have several arcane casters using spellbooks. Furthermore, the prestige class itself seems to suggest that witches may qualify for the class, using their familiars in lace of spellbooks. Doesn't seem to be an issue for me outside of PFS, which I can't say I'm planning to play anytime soon.

Issue 2: Class features
This is clearly the meatier part of the issue, and two class features in particular stand out:

Intoned Recollection

At 3rd level, by performing a special ritual, a Collegiate arcanist can prepare a spell into an open arcane spell slot with 1 minute of preparation. The open spell slot cannot have been one that was filled previously that day and was expended; it must have purposefully been left empty at the beginning of the day when the Collegiate arcanist prepared her spells. She must be able to read her spellbook or have mastered the spell with the Spell Mastery feat in order to prepare it with this ability. She doesn't need to rest for 8 hours beforehand, but all other requirements of the preparation process still apply.

At 9th level, she can do this as a full-round action, provided she has her spellbook in hand or has mastered the spell with the Spell Mastery feat. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Intelligence modifier.

Spontaneous Spell Mastery

At 4th level, a Collegiate arcanist can “lose” any prepared spell to cast a spell of the same spell level or lower which she has mastered with the Spell Mastery feat. She can use this ability once per day, plus one additional time per day at 8th level.

So how would these abilities work with the arcanist, if at all? Arcanists do technically have prepared spells, but since their method of casting is different I'm at a loss for how to apply them. My inclination is to have Intoned Recollection work as usual, and have Spontaneous Spell Mastery work by expending a spell slot since this is roughly equivalent to a wizard losing one prepared spell, and I feel that having the arcanist actually "unprepare" one of her prepared spells seems a bit too harsh of a ruling. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

I'm a relatively inexperienced GM and I've been playing through the Wormood Mutiny with four players, two of whom have no prior knowledge of RPGs outside of World of Warcraft. The latter two players in particular struggles to remember the base rules as is (especially since we mostly game monthly), and I have a hard time imagining that they'd have much fun with the many variant rules in the AP (Plunder, Infamy, ship-to ship combat etc.)

I've considered cutting some of these and possibly altering others. Does anyone have similar experiences or thoughts to share on how to best handle the issue?

I've always had a soft spot for golems, so I though I'd try to make a construct crafter for an upcoming game of Kingmaker. Problem is, as always, the cost associated with the crafting.

So I though I'd use an Alchemist with the Clone Master archetype to get some cheaper and more rapidly produced minions (I'm aware of the debate regarding alchemists and crafting feats, but my DM is okay with it).

For the most part I'm clear as to what the simulacrum spell allows, but I'm curious about one instance in particular. I want my "primary" golem to be a Shield Guardian. Would the copies still benefit from the SG abilities, and if so would they be "keyed" to the same amulet?

Thanks in advance.

So I'm currently running a 3rd level half-elf Rogue with the Charlatan archetype who pretends to be a wizard (a quarterstaff, wears robes in place of armor, carries a "spell book" that's actually filled with elven poetry etc.). As we're about to advance to level four I've been thinking of taking Major Magic (Silent Image)for my rogue talent (already snatched Minor Magic at level two).

And so I got to thinking. Since using a SLA requires no verbal or somatic components but still takes as long to cast as the normal spell, would I be able to "fill in" with gestures and chants on my own to create the impression that I'm actually casting another spell? And if so, would that be Bluff, Spellcraft or something else?