Xandos's page

It doesn't matter much for the purpose of this thread, but the 3.5 flurry did not work off BAB either. Monks start out getting one extra attack at first level and when the monk reaches 11th level they get a second extra attack.

Regardless the Zen Archer monk looks like a lot of fun, can't wait to get my copy of APG.

My only issue is why an alchemist would let you stand there and disable something he's holding?

rogue walks up to alchemist and reaches for the bomb, the alchemist keeps moving his hands and shifting his body to keep it away from the rogue.

I would think a touch attack at least would be needed, and some penalty for using disable device under duress, maybe provoking an attack of opportunity since you have to concentrate on disabling the the bomb.

First, This post is almost a month old, no need to reply to it.

Did you mean immortality as in "can't die of old age" or "can't die at all"?

The second case having been discussed at length here, don't forget the first: Timeless Body (Monk or Druid) is good for this.

Timeless Body does not prevent death from old age, just makes it so you don't suffer the physical penalties of getting old.

Timeless Body (Ex): After attaining 15th level, a druid no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the druid still dies of old age when her time is up.

Reincarnate is great and all, but you do need to find someone willing to cast it on you and gather 1000gp each time you use it. Granted if you only use it when you die of old age you have a lot of time to gather those resources. If your death comes unexpected however, said person also has to know that you died and have access to your corpse within a week of the event.

Too much work for me! I say just become a level 20 Oracle of Heavens!

Upon achieving 20th level, your rapport with the heavens grants you perfect harmony with the universe. You receive a bonus on all saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier. You automatically stabilize if you are below 0 hit points, are immune to fear effects, and automatically confirm all critical hits. Should you die, you are reborn 3 days later in the form of a star child, who matures over the course of 7 days (treat as the reincarnate spell).

A free automatic Reincarnate any time you die, from what ever cause. The only thing that can stop it is some spell that prevents reincarnation.

The 50 damage would not force a massive damage save.

Massive Damage (Optional Rule): If you ever sustain a single attack that deals an amount of damage equal to half your total hit points (minimum 50 points of damage) or more and it doesn't kill you outright, you must make a DC 15 Fortitude save. If this saving throw fails, you die regardless of your current hit points. If you take half your total hit points or more in damage from multiple attacks, no one of which dealt more than half your total hit points (minimum 50), the massive damage rule does not apply.

But I do like the idea of vorpal increasing the crit modifier instead of being an instant win.

The PRD lists the Massive Damage rule as when you suffer damage of at least half your total hit points, instead of just 50. 50 was from 3.5.

That should help mitigate the many sudden deaths.

This makes things dangerous at 1st level, of course.

This is not true.

Massive Damage (Optional Rule): If you ever sustain a single attack that deals an amount of damage equal to half your total hit points (minimum 50 points of damage) or more and it doesn't kill you outright, you must make a DC 15 Fortitude save. If this saving throw fails, you die regardless of your current hit points. If you take half your total hit points or more in damage from multiple attacks, no one of which dealt more than half your total hit points (minimum 50), the massive damage rule does not apply.

The PRD says half your total HP minium 50, so you can not die from the massive damage rule until you have 50 HP - your con score +1 (since you have to normally survive the attack). For example, if you have a con score of 13, you have to have 38 max HP in order to be affected by massive damage. With 38 max, if you were to take 50 damage you would be at -12 hp, unconscious but not dead yet.

However since the save DC is a static 15, it becomes easier and easier to save the higher level you are.

I don't think the intent was that alchemists could ever make classic potions. Wizards, sorcerers, clerics, etc. cast spells, but alchemists know formula for extracts. Potions have a spell component, alchemists do not know any spells, so craft potion should be useless to them. No where in the alchemist does it ever say the word spell, it very specifically does not use the word spell for this class at all. Potions require xp costs but extracts don't, so the alchemist is one up on the casters in that regard in my opinion.

The creation of an extract others can use is covered in the discoveries (infusion discovery), so the earliest you can get it is 4th level. After that any infusion you make can be shared with others, and most formula are personal effects so they bypass that potion rule by not being potions. So, not at third level but at fourth level you get to have everything you know usable by the party for no xp cost or any extra time than what you are already spending, and mostly these are effects that can't be made into potions... seems like a fair trade off.

Rules wise, I don't think you have a leg to stand on. Now for individual campaigns and such, DM rules can easily override this and let an alchemist create any potion he wants so long as he pays the costs, or let him create potions faster and easier with the feat but having another party member cast the spell at the right point. These would be house rules. And if you using house rules anyway, why care what the designers think?

Personally I use an old bonus potions PDF for new formula, alchemical items, and as ideas for rare ingredients that will yield so many vials of effect X. I think distilled light and distilled darkness make interesting new alchemical items without having too much impact in most campaigns (light and darkness are such low level spells), especially if it's not introduced at first level but is a new discovery later on.

I'm working off the playtest PDF here, so if the final rules mention potions I'd be interested to know...

I would suggest looking over the APG final playtest, as it clearly stats that alchemist get brew potions feat for free and can make any formula they know into a potion. I would also suggest looking over the core book as well as brewing potions or any magic items no longer has an exp cost.

Using the infusion discovery will allow you to make potion like items, however all extracts made by a alchemist becomes inert after 24 hours. Its good enough for quick fixes but wont work if your trying to stock pile potions to use latter.

I couldn't find where it was, but it was agreed upon during the playtest that alchemists can indeed make potions that would normally not be possible. They are an alchemist, thats what they do. Rules in specific class abilities, feats, spells should always supersede general rules.

Xandos wrote:

Don't like that you can't do a lot of damage and move in the same round, then invest in either cleave, whirlwind, vital strike, spring attack, or ranged fighting. In the proper builds each is great to have.

For the most part, you cant move and whirlwind. Unless your an oracle or have some special class feature.

oops, got a bit ahead of myself on that one, thanks for catching it!

A few corrections:

Invulnerability is DR 5/magic, and IMHO not worth a +3 bonus at all.
The -1 swim per 5 pounds no longer exists in pathfinder as far as I know.
The effects of mithral already include masterwork, including the price.
Mithral breast plate has an ACP of -1 and no movement penalties.

As for my advice with heavy armor if you are concerned about the ACP either be a fighter or buy skill enhancing magic items, they are cheep.
If you don't like the movement reduction, again be a fighter or be a dwarf and/or get boots that enhance movement. Have a mage friend willing to cast fly or haste on you helps greatly.
Don't like that you can't do a lot of damage and move in the same round, then invest in either cleave, vital strike, spring attack, or ranged fighting. In the proper builds each is great to have.

Also, the time to craft is 8 hours per 1000 gp in the items base price. I'm under the impression that the base price is the market value of the item (i.e. a +1 weapon has a base price of 2000 gp taking 2 days to craft), but my players think that the base cost is the amount paid to craft the item (half the market value, i.e. a +1 weapon would be 1000 gp taking only 1 day to craft). Which is correct?

You are correct, the base price is the market value, not what the player spends to make the item.

As for what the DC is to create the item, all i could find is a post from last august.

I believe the Magic Items chapter is correct and the DC should be 5 + caster level, but I am still looking into the issue. Either way, this will be corrected.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing

Not sure if he changed his mind after that time, but whenever we get the next errata it should be fixed.

Throw Splash Weapon

A splash weapon is a ranged weapon that breaks on impact, splashing or scattering its contents over its target and nearby creatures or objects. To attack with a splash weapon, make a ranged touch attack against the target. Thrown splash weapons require no weapon proficiency, so you don't take the –4 nonproficiency penalty. A hit deals direct hit damage to the target, and splash damage to all creatures within 5 feet of the target. Splash weapons cannot deal precision-based damage (such as the damage from the rogue's sneak attack class feature).

Alchemist bombs are splash weapons, so no precision-based damage can be applied

Dispel magic can neutralize a delayed bomb, as can a successful Disable Device check (DC equals 10 + the alchemist's level + the alchemist's Intelligence modifier).

Anyone with a decent disable device check can disarm an alchemist bomb.

nothing in pathfinder exists, but

Life Ward

School Abjuration; Level cleric 4

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, DF

Range touch

Target creature touched

Duration 1 min./level

Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)

With a brush of your hand you surround the creature in crawling shadows, a cloak of negative energy that whirls and swims across the creatures body.

A creature warded by this spell gains protection from the effects of positive energy, including magical healing. The spell can be cast upon undead to offer additional protection against the turning abilities of clerics. The subject is immune to all positive energy effects, including conjuration (healing) spells, channeled positive energy such as from the turn undead ability, or other effects that derive their power from positive energy.
This spell offers protection from the blinding effect of the Positive Energy Plane, and warded creatures gain no temporary hit points while there.