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I like the rules for firearms scatter weapons, and was considering a way to apply it crossbows. I'm not sure whether it would be for any crossbow or for repeating crossbows only (taking the place of a magazine), but here's what I came up with:

Splinter Box
A splinter box attaches to the top of a crossbow, and resembles a magazine for a repeating crossbow. However, it doesn't feed bolts into the crossbow's string. Instead, a plate is set up so the string pushes it, and the plate forces all the bolts inside the splinter box out the front of the box itself. This makes precise aim impossible, but allows multiple targets to be hit in one shot.
Treat an attack with a splinter box as a scatter shot, as per the firearm rules in Ultimate Combat (15' cone, attack roll for all targets at -2). A splinter box costs and weighs as much as a full case of crossbow bolts.

Thoughts?

It's always been a bit of a pet peeve of mine that potions are made as 'magic items', rather than alchemical formulae. It makes perfect sense for an alchemist to brew up a healing potion, with no magical powers needed. I hunted around the forums a little, but didn't find anything like that. Does anyone have any mechanics for 'mundane' potion-making?

My first instinct is a feat requiring 3 ranks in Craft (alchemy), which allows you to create potions with an alchemy check of 15 + caster level of the potion (15 = base 5 + 5 for not using the spell + 5 for not using Brew Potion). Does that seem too low, or about right?

So I'm starting out in a new campaign soon, and it's gotten into my head that it would be fun to try roleplaying an ascetic. The real sense of the word, not the "synonym for monk" that's occurred in some feats. Look here for an idea of what I mean:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ascetic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asceticism

This is of course rather tricky to do in Pathfinder. The closest I've come so far is a monk with the vow of poverty and maybe some others like truth. It seems like that would be difficult to make actually effective though. Does anyone have an idea of how I might pull off such a character?

Something that popped into my head just now, when I was lamenting that hexes are the purview solely of witches (and some maguses, but not until level 4). I love the hexes, but don't like playing prepared casters.

Suppose a rogue archetype (call it a Hexweaver, or something) received a hex every odd level instead of sneak attack. Basically a controller rogue instead of a striker, to slip into D&D4E terminology. Any obvious problems with that? It definitely sounds like something that would be fun to play.

Here's an archetype I put together for the ninja, which gives it some monk abilities at the cost of sneak attack, plus a few other changes.

Shadow Fist Ninja
A shadow fist ninja does not wait, idle, for the right moment to strike; she brings the fight to her targets, assailing them with a hail of deadly blows.

Monastic Training
A shadow fist ninja gains the AC bonus, flurry of blows, and unarmed strike class features of a monk of the same level.

This ability replaces sneak attack.

Battle Sage
A shadow fist ninja can spend a ki point from her ki pool for an extra attack only while executing a flurry of blows. She gains the option to spend a ki point as a swift action to gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round. At level 4, a shadow fist ninja with at least 1 point in her ki pool can treat her unarmed attacks as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. She does not gain any further ki strike abilities.

A shadow fist ninja uses Wisdom, rather than Charisma, to determine the size of her ki pool and the effects of or saves against ninja tricks.

This alters, but does not replace, the ki pool and ninja trick abilities.

Fast Movement
At level 3, a shadow fist ninja gains the fast movement class feature of a monk of the same level.

This ability replaces no trace.

Ki Power
Beginning at 4th level, a shadow fist ninja may select a qinggong monk ki power in place of a ninja trick.

Does this look good? Anything I'm missing? Have I screwed up somewhere? Any thoughts would be appreciated!