Trent Rakis's page

I'm a big fan of the ARPG Path of Exile (lot of fun and totally free to play if you wanna check it out)

In the game, there is a spell called Righteous Fire, that causes you to burn for a percentage of your health as fire damage and in turn it burns all foes around you for fire damage based on a percentage of your health as well.

I really like the flavor of the ability, shrouding yourself in fire and slowly burning to death while also burning your foes around you.

Anyone have any ideas on how to translate that theme into a custom spell for pathfinder?

So I have a plan for an upcoming game where I want my party to basically have to pull off sort of an Ocean's Eleven style game. They will be tasked by an important contact to steal a powerful artifact from the castle vault of a powerful and evil lord's castle during a grand ball event.

I'd rather this be an overall combat light encounter as well as we just did a rather long dungeon crawl not that long ago and players have expressed desires not to do another one for a while.

The problems I've run into:

1: I've never run a game like this before

2: Being at the level where they are at, they have a lot of magical tools at their disposal that defeat more mundane obstacles like locks.

3: A few of the guys playing have a fair bit more roleplaying experience than me, so I don't want them to just steamroll the stuff I throw at them.

Lets say I want to craft a Belt of Giant Strength +2.

It has a Caster Level of 8 and a requirement of Craft Wonderous Item and Bull's Strength.

Lets say I meet those requirements but I'm 6th level. Can I craft the belt?

In the rules it says that if you don't meet a requirement to make a magic item, you can bump up the DC by 5.

So if I'm 6th level, can I just bump up the DC to make the item form 13 to 18? Or do I have to be 8th level to make it?

As someone who uses tokens/minuatures as well as plays often on virtual tabletops, I've gotta say that every time I see a map in a module with 10ft squares I cry out in utter frustration. Every time you do this, it's so much extra work on my part as the GM to go and try and scale this map properly so that I can use figures or use it on a virtual tabletop and not run into countless problems trying to figure out spacing, reach, token size, ect.

Paizo, I love you guys, but please, you're killing me with the 10 ft. Maps. I just spent the past 5 hours just trying to perfect the maps from Jade Regent 4 when it should have taken like 30 minutes.

So I made a thread yesterday with a powerful item and it was suggested I split it up into multiple items. Since then I've come up with additional ideas for stuff I wanted to do and incorporated them into the items presented.

These items are HEAVILY inspired by the lore of the Monkey King Sun Wukong from the Chinese novel Journey to The West.

The items, with the exception of the whistle, are all part of a set called The Regalia of the Sun Wukong. Wearing the full Regalia grants additional powers to the wearer.

Looking for criticism, suggestions, and other comments.

I'm currently running Jade Regent for some friends and I like to give my players custom magic items to play with.

For my monk player I've been toying around with the idea of the Monkey King Sun Wukong and I came up with this:

Looking for thoughts/suggestions/criticism. I'm trying to keep the item in line with the lore of Sun Wukong.

I'm looking for one for my Roll20 game's character archives but I can't find one. I've found pictures of all the runelords, but nothing of Emperor Xin. If there doesn't exist an official one, does anyone know of a good fanart?

I have a play in my game that wants to know if the Shinobi Shozoku counts as armor for a monk's abilities. If so, is that different from the Shozoku of the Night Wind from Jade Regent, as that is a body slot item that is worn and used by a monk.

I ran a game a few days ago where I had two characters die in the last encounter. How should I go about awarding EXP now? Do the two remaining PCs get all the EXP split between the two? Or do I divy up the EXP by 4 for all the fights but the last one and then the EXP for the two dead characters just goes to waste?

My party was playing the end of the 1st Jade Regent module today and we ran into a rules snag.

So what would you guys have done there? I feel as if I made the correct rules call, but I can see why they were confused.

If a creature with the grab ability initiates a grapple from a distance, the rules say to move that creature to AN adjacent square. The rules however do not say which adjacent square the creature must be moved to.

Therefore, if a huge creature is facing the party in front of him, can he reach out, grab a creature, and then place him lets say in an adjacent square behind the huge creature, effectively separating the grappled PC from the party?

In the Player's guide, the section that talks about unrest says that the caravan gains unrest whenever a wagon is destroyed, but the rules lump the caravan's HP into one big pile and you don't lose anything unless your caravan loses all it's life, and then you lose everything.

So what's the deal there?

I know it sounds like a stupid question, but hear me out. I'm working on a Dazzling Display build and I've run across kinda a tricky question: is fear a mind-affecting effect?

The problem is that there is a lot of conflicting info out there:

For example: The CRB section on fear: No mention of it being a mind-affecting effect.

But then if we look at the Beastiary section on fear attacks and frightful presence, it says fear attacks and frightful presence are mind-affecting

But then if we look at what the Beastiary called a mind-affecting effect, no mention of fear:

Furthermore, if we look in the Core Rulebook under Magic, it lists fear and mind-affecting as separate descriptors

However, despite that whenever we see a fear spell, we see the following:

Which makes me ask, does the fact that all fear spells are mind-affecting mean that fear is mind-affecting or are they separate descriptors for a reason? If fear was a mind-affecting effect, why not just include it and leave out the fear descriptor.

It's all rather confusing because the rules as written don't make a lot of sense. However, if you think about it logically, it doesn't make a lot of sense to be able to intimidate say a mindless construct for example.

So ultimately I'm left asking is fear a mind-affecting effect and it was just oversight that it was left out of mind-affecting effects? Or are Fear and Mind-Affecting really two separate descriptors? For example, since the spells list both Fear and Mind-Affecting, does that mean that the condition (The Fear) is not a Mind-Affecting effect normally, but the way it is being imposed (The Spell) turn it into a Mind-Affecting effect?

Or I guess put another way, is non-magical fear not mind-affecting while magical fear IS mind-affecting? Or is all fear mind-affecting?

I'm currently running a game of Jade Regent with 5, sometimes 6 players. I've done the math, and the starting Caravan comes with 10 spots for travelers but has 6 NPCs in it.

My party is already over capacity for the starting caravan and they haven't even gotten it yet. Should I force them to buy another Covered Wagon before they start? What if they can't afford it? Should I just given them another one at the beginning?

So the other night I introduced a friend of mine to the concept of gestalt classes and he really got into it. We spent a lot of time tossing out ideas for some good options, but none of us have ever really run a game with them before.

I was curious as to what some of the best options that are available, assuming that you have the ability scores to make it work.

There are some classes that seem like they would work really well, like Paladins, Magus, Alchemist, Barbarian, Inquisitors, and Wizard/Sorcerers, with a lot of our stuff coming back to classes like Magus that have better action economy for their abilities.

So I was thinking last night about what would be my favorite build concept for an incredibly cheesy character and I settled on a character that just blows the action economy out of the water.

My final build ended up being a Master Summoner with Eldritch Heritage to get a Familiar, Leadership for a Cohort (Preferably another summoner), and Improved Familiar.

I ended up playing around with this for a while and finally reached a place where I just sat back and said to myself "You are a bad person"

So what about you guys? What are your "Never in a million years" cheesiest builds?

I'm thinking of starting a new campaign (Probably Anniversary RotRL) and I'm trying to decide on what materials to allow for the game. When I was introduced to Pathfinder, I was brought into a CRB only group and it was only somewhat recently that I've been in games and started PFS that the rest of the materials have been available to me.

While I really enjoy some of the freedom allowed by the new books, I'm not a huge fan of some of the classes (Summoner, Magus, Gunslinger) and I'm DEFINITELY not a fan of the overall power creep.

I know that I'm not going to allow any of the tiny splat books, like Player Companions. I'm probably also going to restrict Inner Seas World Guide, since I don't terribly consider it a player resource.

That leaves me with the CRB, APG, ARG, UM, and UC.

I don't really know whether I want to go with JUST the CRB, because I really do like a lot of the options in the APG like Alchemist and Inquisitor.

I'm also open to suggestions about any feat restrictions or anything of that nature (I'm already pretty sure I'm going to restrict Leadership and Crafting).

Tonight we were playing a PFS game and a friend of mine told me that there was a note in the society field guide that changed how wands work so that a 1st level Paladin or Ranger for example cannot use a wand of cure light wounds.

Is that true, and if some, could someone link me the relevant text? I was under the assumption that they functioned as they do in the CRB, where a class can activate a wand as long as they have the spell on their list, even if they can't cast the spell yet.

So I had started a thread the other day about whether or not you could spellcraft a wand to identify the spell being cast, and the reason for the thread was being I was curious as to the effect that successfully spellcrafting an illusion spell would have. I figured that I might be better off starting a new thread on the subtopic of illusions and disbelief.

Under the rules, if you can make a spellcraft check against a DC 15+Spell Level to identify a spell as it is being cast, as long as you can see the caster. If you are successful, you know what spell they are casting. This takes no action.

For illusions and disbelief, anyone who is faced with proof that an illusion isn't real doesn't have to make a saving throw to disbelieve the illusion. If someone communicates that an illusion isn't real, everyone else gets a +4 bonus to their saving throw.

So really, I guess I have two questions:

1: If you successfully spellcraft an illusion, do you auto-disbelieve it? Because if you know that what they are casting is an illusion, you must therefore know that what they create isn't real. Or do you just get a +4 to your saving throw?

2: Does the spellcraft check allow you to make a saving throw vs the spell? The rules say that you are required to either study an illusion carefully or interact with it to get a save, and while the book doesn't say so, this is extrapolated out to mean that you need to at least make a move action to study the image. A spellcraft check however doesn't require an action, which would mean that if it allows you to make a save, you are skirting the requirement that you study the illusion by making a move action.

One of my absolute favorite spells to cast in the game is Silent Image due to it's versatility. However, one of the dangers of the spell is that if your foe has Spellcraft, he can make a DC 16 Spellcraft roll (Which takes no action and isn't difficult for a caster) to identify your spell...as Silent Image. At which point, he then knows that whatever you create is an illusion and should either automatically disbelieve or at least get the +4 bonus.

Which lead to wonder. Does a Wand of Silent Image have the same limitation? Wands don't require handwaving and incantations, they just require you to point the wand and say the trigger word.

So my question is, can an enemy caster use Spellcraft to identify a spell being cast by a wand in the same way that they can identify a spell being cast normally?

I already have a Wand of Infernal Healing to handle out of combat healing, and now I have enough cash to get my second wand.

Right now I'm trying to decide between:

Enlarge Person
Protection From Evil
Shield

but if anyone else has a suggestion, happy to entertain it!

Say you have just defeated the boss of a dungeon, but your noble Paladin/Cleric was brought down in the fight. You are the only other caster in the party and they are bleeding out. You have the ability to heal them...but it is Infernal Healing.

I want to hear everyone's thoughts about both RP consequences and mechanics consequences for it.

Would your opinions change if it wasn't so much a life or death issue, but rather simply a issue of "oh, I was hurt, can you patch me up?"

Here is the statblock

I am tossing around the idea of instead of going Luck Domain, going Fate Domain instead.

The main difference is that at 8th level, Luck Domain gives you re-rolls, while Fate Domain instead allows you to force the enemy to re-roll.

Obviously Luck is great for the occasional failed saves, but Fate would be good to negate enemy crits, which can be devastating.

Posted from the Bleed thread to avoid OT discussion

Bleed in the CRB: Bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or through the application of any spell that cures hit point damage (even if the bleed is ability damage).

Bleed in the Beastiary: This bleeding can be stopped by a successful DC 15 Heal skill check or through the application of any magical healing.

Under the CRB definition, Channeled Energy does not stop bleed damage because it explicitly says Spells, while channeled energy is a Supernatural ability.

Under the Beastiary, it would because the Beastiary says magical healing, and supernatural abilities qualify as magical.

Furthermore, Regeneration and Fast Healing do not explicitly state that they stop bleeding, and since they're both extraordinary abilities, neither stops bleed RAW, however it doesn't make a great deal of sense that they wouldn't stop bleeding wounds, ESPECIALLY Regeneration, which can even grow back severed limbs.

So here's the lowdown:

I've got a 5th level human Paladin Archer (Vengeance)

Stats:

Str: 14
Dex: 18
Con: 10
Int: 9
Wis: 8
Cha: 16

Feats:

Point Blank Shot
Rapid Shot
Precise Shot

Gear:

+1 Adaptive Composite Longbow
+1 Cloak of Resistance
+1 Studded Leather

I've got two decisions to make:

1st: what to pick as my 5th feat (currently deciding between Deadly Aim and Weapon Focus)

2nd: How to spend 4K (deciding between Dex Belt, Cha Headband, and Bracers of Falcon's Aim)

For starters, lets begin by analyzing the text of the rule.

Reach (Ex): One of an eidolon's attacks is capable of striking at foes at a distance. Pick one attack. The eidolon's reach with that attack increases by 5 feet.

Seems simple enough at first glance. But the devil is in the details here.

As far as I see it, there are two problems, or should I say questions, that arise with the Reach evolution.

1st: Does the reach evolution apply to one attack, one attack evolution, or one type of attack?

When talking about the reach evolution, I typically see people split into 3 camps:

Camp 1: The reach evolution applies to ONE attack, so if an eidolon has 6 claws, it applies to ONE claw.

Camp 2: The reach evolution applies to one attack EVOLUTION, so if an eidolon has 6 claws, it applies to TWO claws.

Camp 3: The reach evolution applies to one attack FORM, so if an eidolon has 6 claws, it applies to all SIX claws.

So at first glance, this seems like a no brainer, lets look at the text of the rule again:

Reach (Ex): One of an eidolon's attacks is capable of striking at foes at a distance. Pick one attack. The eidolon's reach with that attack increases by 5 feet.

Well that seems like it solves the problem right? After all, it says clearly one attack doesn't it? So the award goes to camp 1.

Well, hold your horses there. If rules meant what they said and said what they meant, lawyers wouldn't have a job. The reality of life is that a rule that might seem clear at first glance can be made incredibly complex if you look at it long enough.

The problem here comes from another sourcebook: Ultimate Magic.

You see, Ultimate Magic contains the following.

And thus here is our problem: As you can see above, in the Aboleth, the Reach evolution is being applied to tentacles, plural.

Now, notice that the Tentacle evolution is a SINGULAR evolution, which seems like not only does it defy the crowd that says that reach applies to one attack, but also the crowd that says that it applies to one attack evolution.

There's also some other reasoning for this interpretation, abilities that modify natural attacks typically affect the attack FORM.

But I can hear you saying: "Other evolutions that effect the attack form specifically call that out" and well...you're right.

Take a look at Improved Damage

Improved Damage (Ex): One of the eidolon's natural attacks is particularly deadly. Select one natural attack form and increase the damage die type by one step. This evolution can be selected more than once. Its effects do not stack. Each time an eidolon selects this evolution, it applies to a different natural attack.

This text admittedly creates problems. One of the first things to know when interpreting a rule is that you are supposed to assume that everything is done with a purpose. If one line of text says "natural attack" and one says "natural attack form," we are supposed to assume that the word "form" was purposely left out of the first line of text.

So this creates a problem. The rules as written and the rules as interpreted both suggest that the Reach evolution applies to one attack.

However, the very SAME rules as applied by the same people suggest that it applies to one attack FORM.

This is even more problematic when you consider question 2.

2nd: Can the reach evolution be taken more than once?

Lets go back and start again by first looking at rules text.

We'll start this time with the general rule for evolutions:

Evolutions

Each eidolon receives a number of evolution points that can be spent to give the eidolon new abilities, powers, and other upgrades. These abilities, called evolutions, can be changed whenever the summoner gains a new level, but they are otherwise set. Some evolutions require that the eidolon have a specific base form or the summoner be of a specific level before they can be chosen. A number of evolutions grant the eidolon additional natural attacks. Natural attacks listed as primary are made using the eidolon's full base attack bonus and add the eidolon's Strength modifier on damage rolls. Natural attacks listed as secondary are made using the eidolon's base attack bonus – 5 and add 1/2 the eidolon's Strength modifier on damage rolls (if positive). If the eidolon only has a single natural attack, the attack is made using its full base attack bonus and it adds 1-1/2 times its Strength modifier on damage rolls made with that attack, regardless of the attack's type.

Evolutions are grouped by their cost in evolution points. Evolution points cannot be saved. All of the points must be spent whenever the summoner gains a level. Unless otherwise noted, each evolution can only be selected once.

OK! So we now know that unless the rules tell us otherwise, we can only take an evolution once.

so lets look at Reach again:

Reach (Ex): One of an eidolon's attacks is capable of striking at foes at a distance. Pick one attack. The eidolon's reach with that attack increases by 5 feet.

...uh oh. I don't see rules text there that tells us that reach can be taken more than once. Furthermore:

Improved Damage (Ex): One of the eidolon's natural attacks is particularly deadly. Select one natural attack form and increase the damage die type by one step. This evolution can be selected more than once. Its effects do not stack. Each time an eidolon selects this evolution, it applies to a different natural attack.

This is bad for us too, because as I said earlier, if there is text present somewhere, and absent elsewhere, we have to assume that the absence is purposeful. Therefore, we have to assume that because they explicitly say that the improved damage evolution can be taken more than once, and because that rules text is absent from Reach, reach therefore cannot be taken more than once.

I can already see you saying "Wait a min..."

Yep...we've returned to the Aboleth problem. Because you see, if you were in Camp 1, one way to potentially explain the Aboleth would be to say "They meant take Reach for each tentacle." Which would make sense, even if it would be a terrible way to word it.

But now it looks like that's not a possible solution. So we're back to the issue: How does the Aboleth eidolon apply the reach evolution to two tentacles?

Furthermore, take a look at this:

It seems like the Serpentine Eidolon has taken the liberty for us of deciding that the reach evolution is going to go with the bite. The obvious question here would be "Does this preclude me from ever taking reach with a Serpentine" to which I would have to say...I don't know.

BUT IT GETS BETTER!

Take a look at this:

YIKES! Now we've got a big problem here. This build is supposed to give us a 5 headed hydra by adding 4 more heads and 4 more bites to the standard Serpentine Eidolon.

But now we know that the Serpentine Eidolon already has Reach (bite). Now this leads us to an interesting pickle:

According to the rules, the Reach evolution can only be taken once.

If Camp 1 (and for this example, Camp 2) are right: We have an Eidolon with 5 heads, but only one has Reach, and we can't give any of the other heads reach, because we can only take the Reach evolution once.

If Camp 3 is right: We have an Eidolon with 5 heads, and all 5 heads have reach. This seems to me to be a lot more in line with the idea of a hydra and probably what was intended with the design.

So that's kinda where I'm at.

If you wouldn't mind FAQing this, I would appreciate it. I doubt we'll get clarification soon, but it doesn't hurt to try.

So I have a question that's been haunting me for a while, and I was reminded of it a few minutes ago by the thread asking about Augment Summoning and Summon Eidolon.

I have two different arguments for the application of the feat Augment Summoning.

Each creature you conjure with any summon spell gains a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and Constitution for the duration of the spell that summoned it.

the problem in the text lies with the clause "with a summon spell."

The argument that I hear often is that Augment Summoning only applies to spells with the word "Summon" in their name, like Summon Monster and Summon Natures Ally.

However, my argument is that I think the feat should apply to any Spell of the Summoning subtype, such as Conjure Black Pudding.

The thing is, I can't seem to find anything definitive about which interpretation is correct.

There's nothing particular about the text "with a summon spell" that suggests that it means only spells with summon in the name rather than spells of the summoning subtype.

I wanted to ask two questions about grappling to make sure that I'm understanding the rules correct.

First question: The rules say that a creature that successfully grapples a target, may deal damage equal to an unarmed strike or natural attack, as part of the standard action to maintain the grapple.

The rules also say that a creature with the grab ability may deal damage equal to the natural attack that it is grabbing with OR it may deal constrict damage if it has it, but it cannot deal both.

Therefore, my understanding is that a creature that successfully maintains the grab can either

A: Deal damage with the limb that is maintaining the grab AND deal damage equal to one of it's natural attacks, but not constrict damage

OR

B: Deal constrict damage AND deal damage equal to one of it's natural attacks, but not damage from the limb maintaining the grab.

For example, if I am grappled by a giant squid, on a maintained grapple, the giant squid can either:

A: Deal tentacle damage (4d6+3) and Bite damage (2d6+7)

or

B: Deal constrict damage (4d6+10) and Bite damage (2d6+7)

is that a correct application of the rules

Second Question

This is actually a bunch of smaller questions, but they all maintain to rake:

Creatures with the rake ability can deal their rake damage when they begin their turn grappling a creature.

If they can make the rake attacks as part of the standard action to maintain the grapple, can they just deal damage automatically, like grab/constrict, or do they have to roll to hit?

Finally, can a creature also deal damage as part of the confirmation of the grapple in addition to the rake damage, or does the rake REPLACE the ability to deal damage as a part of a successful grapple?

As an example:

A Dire Tiger pounces an enemy, getting his 2 claws, his bite, and his rake and grabs the enemy.

On the next turn the tiger confirms the grapple:

Does the tiger

1: Deal Rake damage automatically and deal lets say Bite damage automatically
2: Deal Rake damage automatically but no Bite damage from maintaining the grapple
3: Roll to hit with it's Rake attacks and deal Bite damage automatically
4: Roll to hit with it's Rake attacks but not deal automatic Bite damage from maintaining the grapple

So I need advice for a custom spell I'm making. The spell is called Mage's Pocket, and I want it to function as a low level version of Secret Chest.

Spell Mage's Pocket
School Transmutation
Level Wizard/Sorcerer 2
Components V, S, F (A sharp knife)
Range Personal
Target Self
Duration 1 day/level (D)
Saving Throw No
Spell Resistance No

Using a sharp knife, you carve a hole in your skin. This creates an extra dimensional space underneath your skin 1 cubic foot in diameter, capable of holding up to 1 pound. As a standard action, you may open or seal the extra dimensional space, which causes the cut to scar over or reopen. When the pocket is viewed normally, it appears as a normal scar. The pocket does not show as magical when viewed by detect magic, but spells such as arcane sight and trueseeing reveal it's true nature. When the spell ends, the scar heals and any items still inside are lost to the Astral Plane.

So what I'm looking for here is advice as to:

Spell Level
Duration
Effect

I really don't want this to be a very high level spell. Rather the focus of this is for low level characters to easily hide items.

We've been stuck with a problem for a while now, where our party is having difficult time dealing with monsters that target our CMDs. If it trips, grapples, awesome blows, or bull rushes, we get wrecked.

And we're not really doing bad off in other regards. We all have really good saves and our main melee guy has great AC. We're able to buff to avoid lots of problems that the enemies throw at us.

But we just keep coming up to a loss on CMD. Last game our main guy got grappled to death and there was just nothing we could do to get him out. We managed to kill the monster while it was killing our friend, but then we had to go far out of our way and spend a lot of money rezzing him.

I've tried a few things, like wand of grease, to try and help out, but it's just not been cutting it. I know there's a feat that helps non full BAB classes by letting them use their class level, but we're all so feat starved and I honestly can't see it helping that much, except for the caster.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.

Group is an inquisitor, an alchemist, a sorcerer, and a cleric.

I have a Falchion Wielding Barbarian and I have enough gold to enchant my +1 Falchion again, and I was wondering what would be better: Keen or Furious. I'm thinking Keen, but I don't have much experience with the Furious enchant.

The base weapon is a +1 Short Sword. There is a secret opening in the bottom of the blade's hilt that can only be detected by someone closely examining the blade on a DC 25 Perception check. Inside is a reservoir that holds a single dose of injury or contact poison; filling the reservoir with poison is the same action as applying poison to a weapon. 5 times a day, as a swift action, the wielder can coat the blade with a dose of the poison held within the reservoir without consuming it. The weapon also increases the DC to resist any poison coating it by +2.

Thoughts/Suggestions?

Power Attack (Mythic)

Your attacks are truly devastating.
Prerequisite: Power Attack, 1st mythic tier.
Benefit: When you use Power Attack, you gain a +3
bonus on melee damage rolls (instead of +2). When
your base attack bonus reaches +4 and every 4 points
thereafter, the amount of bonus damage increases by +3
(instead of +2). In addition, the bonus damage from this
feat is doubled on a critical hit.

What exactly is the implication of the bolded text? Does this mean that regular power attack isn't doubled on a crit? Because if so, I've been doing it wrong...forever.

Also

1: Does this mean that wielding a weapon 2h'd will result in a +4 bonus?

2: Does this mean that the Greater Power Attack ability of the Two-Handed Fighter archetype will result in a +6 Bonus?

The text of divine bond explicitly says that it cannot bypass the +5 enhancement bonus cap of a weapon. However, the rules also say that a non-epic weapon can only have a total effective enhancement bonus of +10, but this is not mentioned in the divine bond text.

My question is does the divine bond ability allow the paladin to exceed this cap, or is any enhancement above and beyond the +10 cap effectively wasted?

Is it possible to take an Improved Familiar if you are an alchemist with the Tumor Familiar Discovery? I just have this image in my head of an Kuato like figure in my stomach.

I picked up Ultimate Equipment a few weeks ago and was disappointed to find that some stuff has been left out of it. For example, the Agile weapon enchantment and the runes that act like Pearls of Power for sorcerers. Does anyone know why stuff like this was left out? It's hard to call it "Ultimate" Equipment if it's missing stuff like that.

I know that according to the rules I can purchase a +1 enchantment for my bow because it is considered always available. But what about the Adaptive property? Do I have to earn that from a Chronicles sheet or what? Can I just buy it if I have the money?

Question 1: If a summon creature with the celestial/fiendish template uses it's smite ability on a creature, does the Swallow Whole damage benefit from the Smite Damage?

Question 2: What happens to a creature that has been swallowed whole by a summon if the summon is sent back to it's plane of existence, either via death, banishment, or spell duration expiring? Does the summon creature take it's swallowed prey with it or does the swallowed creature fall to the ground as the summon poofs out of existence?

A campaign of mine is coming to a close and the party will be facing one of the BBEGs, who is a A Master Summoner Worm that Walks. But I'm wondering if that might be too much for them to handle or not.

I've got about 6 players. A paladin, a sorcerer, monk, samurai, ninja and Ranger.

We have sort of a side issue going on in another thread and I wanted more options.

Tentacle Discovery reads as follows:

"Benefit: The alchemist gains a prehensile, arm-length tentacle on his body. The tentacle is fully under his control and cannot be concealed except with magic or bulky clothing. The tentacle does not give the alchemist any extra attacks or actions per round, though he can use it to make a tentacle attack (1d4 damage for a Medium alchemist, 1d3 damage for a Small one) with the grab ability. The tentacle can manipulate or hold items as well as the alchemist’s original arms can (for example, allowing the alchemist to use one hand to wield a weapon, the tentacle to hold a potion, and the third hand to throw a bomb). Unlike an arm, the tentacle has no magic item slots."

The isssue in question is whether the tentacle attack can be combined with a natural attack regimine. We have one person who says that because the text says that the tentacle does not grant you any extra attacks, you cannot use it as a full round action in combo with Feral Mutagen or any other full round attacks.

My argument is that the "no extra attacks" text is referring to iterative attacks, and thus an alchemist cannot use the tentacle to lets say throw a bomb while he attacks with a sword, but does not affect the normal natural attack that the tentacle provides.

Thus while an alchemist may not swing a sword and then use the tentacle to throw a bomb, he may during a full round action use the tentacle attack in combination with any other natural and/or iterative attacks that he wants to make.

Which interpretation is correct, or are they both wrong?

The rules say that an inhaled poison typically fills a 10 food cube per dose. If I keep the poison in a vial or some other breakable contain, can I throw the vial and create a 10 foot cube of inhaled poison? If not, is there a good delivery method available to get the poison to the monster.

So here is what I came up with:

I have the Mutagen (Dex) already applied here. I am interested in any suggestions for spells and I also have about 17K in Gold that I haven't spent.

I was planning on also using Purple Worm Poison since I've got Master Alchemist and it's got a very good DC and the character is immune to poison.

Any suggestions are welcome.

I'm not talking Eidolons here, but actual PCs. I'm looking for a build that maxes out Natural Attacks. I have access to CRB, ARG, APG, UM, UC, and UE.

Does getting hit by the breath weapon count as a direct hit for the dispelling bomb?

I'm playing an alchemist for the 1st time (ranged) and just got alchemical allocation. What are some good potions and elixirs to use with it? I don't have infusion yet but will be getting it soon.

(Only items from CRB, APG, UC, UM, ARG, UE please!)