Varus Wreckpoint's page

They can, there's a level 6 feat for that.

The map at the beginning of the rotating gear gazetteer is wrong in several ways. At the very least, Dongun Hold/ Quantium and the Shackles are marked in the wrong place, and apparently a lot of the other locations are wrong as well.

I think generally they avoid including feats that exist for multiple classes already in the playtests so as to get more feedback on the new material. I'd be very surprised if Conceal Spell wasn't on the final psychic's feat list.

The spell only doesn't go off on a critical miss. On a miss, it still works.

Hi,
Could you please cancel my adventure path subscription? I'd like to continue with my Lost Omens and Rulebook subscriptions.
Thanks

Honestly, it sounds like maybe your table is implementing some rules wrong.
Are you using any variant rules?
Three (apparently, mostly two) lvl 11 characters able to defeat a lvl 15 monster without much issue? That should be extremely unlikely by the rules.

As for the explosive arrows, I'm assuming based on the damage that they were using greater ones (which, lvl 13, they probably shouldn't have access to yet):
They do 10d6 damage, so average 35. 4 enemies, so, assuming they all fail, 140 damage per arrow. Twice, so 280. They'd either have to almost max roll damage on both, or all the enemies would have to crit fail their saves on both (or some combo of the two). I could see that happening if they are using items above their level on mooks a few levels below them, though.
If they're using the basic arrows, it's theoretically possible to do that much damage, but given that the DC will be falling behind per level, they'd need nutty luck to get that damage.

In order to know how they should rate up against the rest of the party, we'd have to know what the rest of the party are. AC should be comparable, better than fighters/barbarians, worse than champions. Their saves should be slightly better, they've just got a bump, but not so high it should be a problem hitting them.

One thing to note is if you have the ability to make multiple strikes-as-reaction on the same turn (limited to fighters and swashbucklers AFAIK), then they would take MAP.

I agree it would make sense that she knows about it, but as far as I know, the only gate she explicitly knows the destination of is Jewelgate. Voz explicitly doesnt know where any of the gates go (other than Lotusgate).

Laslunn has reasons for being in Kintargo provided, but these are mundane slave-trade-related-ones.

Well, yes, except that the first one contained some fraction of the essence of an extremely evil god. They don't really have any reason not to think that there might be something similar in all of them.

I'm fully expecting for their curiosity to get the better of them, and for them to head through eventually.

And, honestly, if they do so before Heuberk even turns up, that will kind of solve some of the issues I've got. My problem is that Heuberk turns up, gives them additional motivation to go after the Scarlet Triad, but with no clear link to the next portal.

Apart from some awkward, meta-level, the-portal's-obviously-the-next-hook-ness, why shouldn't they head off to Kintargo first.

I suppose I'm mostly struggling how to re-frame the staggering coincidence that AFAIK Laslunn has no idea about Dreamgate, happens to be based in the nearest major city to its exit, and has sent an agent just as they have obtained the key.

I think that Deadmanwalking is right, and the best bit is to have Laslunn be looking for the exit of Dreamgate, and to have one of Heuberk's tasks be to try and obtain the key if the PCs have it.

To be clear, I don't think there's any chance they're not going to want to track down the Scarlet Triad. Between existing character motivations, and the fact that I'm intending for Heuberk to kidnap an NPC they care about, I'm pretty sure they'll take the bait.

I'm just worried they'll walk/sail to Kintargo.

Having Heuberk have something on him that points to the portal is probably the best way to go, but that's sort of how I was intending to lead into Book 4, given there's a similar lack of motivation there. Although, maybe I need it less for that book, given that Dreamgate not immediately attempting to murder them will probably make them more willing to explore.

So I'm running Age of Ashes, and my party is currently doing downtime things after finishing Book 2.
I'm wondering if I'm missing something that gives them a strong incentive to go through the second portal, using Eclipse.
It's not that they're unmotivated, character backstory's etc. give them a strong reason to want to go after the Scarlet Triad.
It's just that after Hauberk turns up and does his thing, I can see two possible scenarios:
a) They find out he's being ordered around from Kintargo. They then have motivation to get to Kintargo, but no reason to know that taking the portal will get them there.
b) They don't find out where he's getting orders from. Plot stalls until they decide to poke the second portal out of pure curiosity. At which point, what coincidence, this portal leads straight to that random guys boss!

Slightly complicating matters is that they almost died going through the first portal, so I think they might be a bit relucatant to start poking the next one without plot reasons.

I'm also already intending to have the Eye of the Wise not being in the possession of Laslunn, but to instead be in the possession of a scarlet triad agent sent to infiltrate the citadel in order to find the Jewelgate exit, to try and break up the whole beat bosss -> get key -> find out what next boss is up to pattern.

Does anyone have any suggestions/insight into how I can work the portal in more organically?
Thanks

This is also a thought i've had, I agree that basing the spell attack/save when using Spellstrike on weapon proficiency would help solve most of the problems with Spellstrike as it exists.

I see the slide casting synthesis as being the unarmed synthesis. I do agree that Magus, especially where it appears to be now in terms of power level, should probably get a first level feat.

It's not 100% clear, but probably it should only require sustaining once it has discharged.
Going strictly by RAW, given you actually cast the spell when you put it in your weapon, if you don't then discharge it your turn, and instead discharge it the next turn, you may well have to then sustain it on that same turn to get it to last.
Definitely room for some clarification there, though.
Given magus action econonmy issues, it's probably not worth using until you've got Effortless Concentration.

I've been looking for spells that work well with Portal Stride, specifically that allow you to get the full teleport distance. I think it's a really awesome ability.

As far as I can see, given the limitations of Striking Spell, and that fact that while you could in theory put buffs in your weapon but almost certainly don't want to, the only conjuration spell is:

5: Impaling Spike (This is awesome tho)
EDIT:6:Collective Transposition(1 creature only)
EDIT:8:Maze

Transmutation we have a lot more options (I am somewhat confused as to why this is another option, but hey, I'll take it. Maybe because some of these spells are time-related?). We've got:

3: Curse of lost time (could be pretty useful)
3: Earthbind (Could be useful for shooting star magi)
3: Slow (Pretty sweet)
4: Bestial Curse (Probably worse than curse of lost time)
5: Grisly Growths (Doesn't seem like you're immune to the sickness check though, which makes this risky in melee)
6: Baleful Polymorph (incapacitation, so YMMV)
6: Flesh to Stone

We'll almost certainly get more options for both in the full book though.

Kelseus wrote:

Chief Cook and Bottlewasher wrote:

Ravingdork wrote:

Only feat tax I've seen that I think qualifies is the Adopted Ancestry general feat. It literally grants you nothing on its own. You need to pick other additional, specific feats to have it do anything at all.

But you then pick the feat you want straight away. You don't spend a level or more with just a feat that does nothing

No it just says "you gain access." No where does it say "you gain a feat."

Huh. You're right. And pathbuilder doesn't give a feat straight away

I believe you might be thinking of the halfling feat Cultural Adaptability https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=60, which gives Adopted Ancestry and a 1st-level ancestry feat that that unlocks.

Additional ways to get crit specialisations for an investigator:

Mauler Archetype

Archer Archetype

Viking Archetype (Viking weapon specialization feat)

Owlbear Claw (Talisman)

Hold Mark (Orc feat)

Turbine Rowe Lumberjack (Axe thrower feat)

Martial Artist Archetype (Brawling focus feat)

I'm not sure that RAW you can't retrain the skill from your background. The rules say:
"You can also spend a week to retrain an initial trained skill you gained during character creation." (pg.481)
It doesn't limit it to the trained skills you get from class or feats.

So, based on the Lost Omens World guide:
Obviously everything outside of the inner sea is pretty sparsely covered.
Of the regions in the guide, the Impossible Lands (Geb/Nex/Alkenstar) haven't had much, although I wouldn't hold out hope for much on Alkenstar.

I'd always love to see more Numeria.

Looks great! Still working through it now, but a couple of things I've noticed:

You say there's no use for fighter class DC yet. It's a minor thing, but AFAIK relics do use it.

In your entry for the Sorceror archetype, you state that e.g. the angelic bloodline gets heal as the bloodline spell. The bloodline spells are the focus spells, so for the angelic bloodline it is the halo.

I don't think the 6 core ancestries is a big theme, per se. I think it's more that they wanted to show a bit of all 6.

Dragonic Sorceror is a great choice, but so is the Dragon Instinct Barbarian.

Alseta is a very relevant choice for a religious character. She's not in the player's guide because the book she was detailed in came out later.

If I was doing a group of PCs, I'd go with:

Elf/Halfelf Haunting Vision Cleric of Alseta
Dwarf Dragon Scholar Dragon Barbarian
Halfling Emancipated Thief/Monk Rogue
Human Truth Seeker Wizard (the local)

Also, I don't think that weapons with the [two-hand] trait will work with grasping reach, RAW. The text of the feat says "When you wield a melee weapon that requires two hands". [two-hand] weapons don't require two hands.

I think the spiked chain has its merits. The ability to trip at reach with dex sounds pretty valuable. The problem being thieves would have problems getting proficiency, and cant get crit spec. Maybe for a switch-hitter?

Bear in mind - this is a playtest. They've said that the listed options are not all of the feats available. They probably removed all the feats that are shared with other casters (metamagic, maybe some bespell weapon type deal) so they'd get more feedback on the new ones.

Probably Spellstrike Ammunition:
https://2e.aonprd.com/Equipment.aspx?ID=167
Lvl 3 item, *12 gp a pop, can store lvl 1 spells.
If you want them to be ready-to-go nukes, then say they've already got lvl 1 shocking grasps stored in them.
2d12 lightning damage, probably just give them the standard lvl 1 DC (15) - just realised doesn't need a DC, its a straight ranged attack.
Swap out the damage type for whatever you want.

These would be a bit powerful for a lvl 1 character, so might want to reduce the number.

It's a very niche Feat if Unarmed normally progresses with Simple weapons, but not actually useless given the existence of Wizards, Cloistered Clerics, and potentially other Classes who lack Simple Weapon Proficiency rising to Expert (or above).

So...not actually useless or in need of change even given the currently unofficial errata.

Ah, right, thanks. Slightly disappoinitng that the only >9th level Iruxi feat is so niche, but at least it does have a use. Thanks for the answer!

Does anyone have any thoughts as to the critical specialization issue?

So, from what I've heard, there are updates/errata pending that all classes (except monks) get unarmed proficiency equal to their simple weapon proficiency (class weapons for wizards).

Doesn't this then mean that the feat Iruxi Unarmed Expertise does nothing?

Also, have I missed something, or do the Iruxi attacks have no weapon group for the purposes of Iruxi Unarmed Cunning? I would assume they're in the brawling group, but I don't think that's stated anywhere.

If a creature has a weakness, especially to something fairly common, give it additional HP. The amount of extra HP might depend on how tough the creature should feel if you don’t exploit its weakness. A tough creature might have additional HP equal to quadruple the weakness value, ...

The extra HP is due to the weakness to (very common) slashing damage.

Yeah, the rules are more guidelines - suggested values for appropriate monsters for that level, rather than hard rules.

Varus Wreckpoint wrote:

This is great!

I have one question though - in TABLE 2–11: SPELL DC AND SPELL ATTACK ROLL, the spell DCs = corresponding spell attack roll + 8.
For PCs (AFAIK), spell DCs = spell attack roll + 10. (Core rulebook, pf 298)
Is this intentional?
Thanks!

I think that this is a error (probably a misspeling). Look at the Demilich (level 15 creature) has an extreme DC (40) and a atk roll of +30

Great, thought I missed something. Looks like it's the attack rolls that are 2 too high, 40 being the proper DC for a lvl 15 extreme Spellcaster.

This is great!
I have one question though - in TABLE 2–11: SPELL DC AND SPELL ATTACK ROLL, the spell DCs = corresponding spell attack roll + 8.
For PCs (AFAIK), spell DCs = spell attack roll + 10. (Core rulebook, pf 298)
Is this intentional?
Thanks!

Jistkan Artificer! Bad-ass golem arm all the way.

Could maybe go the other way from half-orcs etc.
So instead of being a half-oread human, you're a half-human oread.
Would keep the ability boosts from 1E, let them have a bit more variety in terms of base HP/speeds.
So the core ancestry would be oread or sylph or ...
And then you have a heritage that lets you pick from a core ancestries feats, like half-elf.