Yonman's page

Joining the Guard
The PCs have an opportunity to join the Korvosan Guard during Chapter 1. If you wish, you can use the Organizational Influence rules found on pages 109–114 of Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Intrigue to track the PCs’ place in the organization, using the stats below. The rate at which the PCs can earn influence points and favors in the Guard is left to you.

KORVOSAN GUARD
LN strong (Chapter 1), moderate (Chapters 2–3), or weak (Chapters 4–6) organization
Size 700 members (at start of Chapter 1)
Key Members
Field Marshal Cressida Kroft (LN female human aristocrat 1/fighter 9)
Values The Korvosan Guard values order, bravery, and honor, but also appreciates those who can think for themselves and do not blindly follow orders.
Public Goals The Korvosan Guard seeks to protect the citizens of Korvosa and the city itself from all dangers.
Private Goals The Guard wishes to prevent any one person or organization from achieving too much power in Korvosa; during this campaign, this increasingly places the Guard at odds with the monarchy.
Allies Church of Abadar, Church of Pharasma, Sable Company Enemies Queen Ileosa, Gray Maidens, Queen’s Physicians, Red Mantis
Membership Requirements Membership into the Korvosan Guard normally requires months of training, but in the PCs’ case, Cressida grants membership during Event 9 of Chapter 1 (see page 36).

Influence Limitations In order to achieve Rank 2, the PCs must show that they are not Queen Ileosa’s agents (helping Trinia escape at the end of Chapter 1 achieves this). In order to achieve Rank 3, the PCs must perform a great service to Korvosa’s citizens (helping to end blood veil at the end of Chapter 2 certainly counts). If the PCs wish to advance to Rank 4, they must take a personal stance against the queen that puts their own lives at risk (publicly accusing her of engineering blood veil is not enough unless the PCs have indisputable proof, but rescuing Neolandus Kalepopolis at the end of Chapter 3 also counts).

Benefits The following benefits don’t include the specific rewards written in the adventure.
Rank 1: borrow resources (100 gp), gather information
Rank 2: borrow resources (500 gp), recovery 1, retrain
Rank 3: borrow resources (1,000 gp), command team (1d6 3rd-level martial NPCs), recovery 2
Rank 4: borrow resources (2,500 gp), recovery 3

New Benefits The Guard grants the following uncommon benefits.

Recovery 1: If the PCs spend a night recovering in Citadel Volshyenek (Chapters 1–3) or the Dead Warrens (Chapters 4–6), healers among the Guard restore all lost hit points and each PC can benefit from one of the following spells: lesser restoration, remove blindness/deafness, remove curse (CL 5th), or remove disease (CL 5th). This benefit isn’t available during Chapter 2 due to limited resources.

Recovery 2: Add break enchantment, restoration, and raise dead to the spells available to a PC during a night of recovery. The borrow resources benefit can be used to cover or defray the cost of expensive material components for spellcasting.

Recovery 3: Add heal, greater restoration, and resurrection to the spells available to the PCs during recovery. Retrain: See page 117 of Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Intrigue.

Moonlight Stalker Master (Combat)
You leave your opponents swinging at shadows while you slide elusively through the darkness.

Benefit: While you have concealment, your opponents’ miss chance against you increases by 10%. If an opponent misses you due to your concealment, you can spend an immediate action to move 5 feet, this movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity and does not count as a 5-foot step.

So if your opponent has a full attack and he misses you on his first attack, you take a 5 foot step away from him and out of his threatened space does he lose the rest of his attacks on you?

So I understand that the enhancement bonus of the black blade goes up, but you can also increase it by using your arcane pool correct? Does it override the original bonus or does it stack?

Defensive stance States:
A stalwart defender can maintain this stance for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Constitution modifier. At each level after 1st, he can maintain the stance for 2 additional rounds per day. Temporary increases to Constitution, such as those gained from the defensive stance and spells like bear’s endurance, do not increase the total number of rounds that the stalwart defender can maintain a defensive stance per day.

A belt of mighty constitution is considered a "permanent" increase after 24 hours?

Suppose Opponent A charges Opponent B.
Opponent C readies an action to move if Opponent B is charged.

So if Opponent C moves in between Opponent A and B, what is Opponent A's Charge outcome?

How does Laori Vaus summon shadows with her Summon Monster spell?

So, does trample work with Evasion since it's a reflex save?

Evasion (Ex)
At 2nd level or higher, a monk can avoid damage from many area-effect attacks. If a monk makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if a monk is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless monk does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Trample (Ex)
As a full-round action, a creature with the trample ability can attempt to overrun any creature that is at least one size category Smaller than itself. This works just like the overrun combat maneuver, but the trampling creature does not need to make a check, it merely has to move over opponents in its path. Targets of a trample take an amount of damage equal to the trampling creature’s slam damage + 1-1/2 times its Str modifier. Targets of a trample can make an attack of opportunity, but at a –4 penalty. If targets forgo an attack of opportunity, they can attempt to avoid the trampling creature and receive a Reflex save to take half damage. The save DC against a creature’s trample attack is 10 + 1/2 the creature’s HD + the creature’s Str modifier (the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). A trampling creature can only deal trampling damage to each target once per round, no matter how many times its movement takes it over a target creature.

So I understand that each +2 headband has an associated skill that gives the wearer maximum ranks in it.

My question is does the same wearer get the additional skill points to spend from having the increased intelligence as well?

Headband of Vast Intelligence

Say an opponent is using dispel magic to counter your spell and another party member has a readied action to counter, can he counter the opponents dispel magic spell used to counter your spell?

you use the entire attack bonus of your phantom, STR/DEX included. just calculate it as if your phantom is the one making a slam attack even though it isn't manifested at the moment.

Okay, second question. What about things like items the phantom has, spells on both the spiritualist AND the phantom, and activatable feats if the phantom has Power attack

"So is this as if the Phantom was attacking? I.e. If the Phantom has weapon focus or improved natural attack (tentacles) could it increase everything or is it based off of the Spiritualist?"

yes, as if the phantom was attacking.

so you would benefit from the phantom having weapon focus or a Greater Magic Fang cast on it, but you wouldn't benefit from a Heroism spell cast on yourself.

Okay, so what about the ability modifier of the Phantom? Does this apply or do you use the Spiritualist ability modifier?

Ectoplasmic Bonded Manifestation: When a spiritualist uses this ability and chooses ectoplasmic form, she gains an ectoplasmic shield that protects her without restricting her movement or actions. She gains a +4 shield bonus to Armor Class; this bonus applies to incorporeal touch attacks. The ectoplasmic shield has no armor check penalty or arcane spell failure chance. At 8th level, the spiritualist also sprouts a pair of ectoplasmic tendrils from her body. Once per round as either a swift or a standard action (spiritualist’s choice), the spiritualist can use one or both tendrils to attack creatures within her melee reach (using the attack bonus and damage dice of her ectoplasmic manifested phantom) or to manipulate objects. She can even use that action to have one tendril make an attack and the other manipulate an object, as long as that object can be manipulated with one hand. At 13th level, the phantom’s ectoplasm clings to the spiritualist like a suit of armor. This grants the spiritualist a +6 armor bonus to AC without imposing an armor check penalty, an arcane spell failure chance, or any reduction in speed. At 18th level, the spiritualist can take a full-round action to attack all creatures within her melee reach with her tendrils (using the attack bonus and damage dice of her ectoplasmic manifested phantom). When she does, she rolls the attack roll twice, takes the better of the two results, and uses that as her attack roll result against all creatures within her melee reach. If the better attack roll threatens a critical hit, the spiritualist chooses one target that she hit to confirm the critical hit against. The other attacks that hit are considered normal hits rather than critical threats.

So is this as if the Phantom was attacking? I.e. If the Phantom has weapon focus or improved natural attack (tentacles) could it increase everything or is it based off of the Spiritualist?

Where does the Upasunda insight bonus to AC come from?

So a fighter with an Intelligence of 8 gets hit with a maze. Am I correct in assuming that he can't escape for 10 minutes because he could never get a 20 on an ability Intelligence check?

SO i'm playing Strange Aeons the Adventure path and the party gets hit by a Haunt as detailed below:

CONDEMNATION OF FAILURE CR 13
XP 25,600
NE unyielding haunt (60-ft. radius)
Caster Level 13th
Notice Linguistics or Perception DC 25 (for affected creatures to be able to see the words begin to crawl and glow)
hp 26; Trigger proximity; Reset 1 hour

Effect When this haunt triggers, dozens of inscriptions begin to glow and project illusory vignettes of the failures they record. Each of the affected creatures sees one of its own failures, subjecting it to a crippling wave of regret and nihilistic despair. All creatures with an Intelligence score of at least 3 in the haunt’s area gain 1d4 negative levels (DC 16 Fortitude half).
Special Unlike most haunts, the condemnation of failure resists its victims’ attempts to neutralize it. It attempts a saving throw with a +15 bonus against any attempt to neutralize the haunt before it manifests. Any time the haunt succeeds at such a saving throw against an effect that would normally deal it damage, the haunt instead takes no damage.
Destruction The haunt is destroyed if Aeptolinu is dead and a nonevil creature casts atonement while inside the haunt’s area to purge it of its guilt.

It doesn't distinguish if they receive temporary negative levels or permanent, so my question is does it always start out as temporary? How do I interpret what these negative levels start out as?

yonman17 wrote:

Okay then if my players are going to a location they think is 400 miles south east, how exactly do i determine where they end up if they’ve never been there before?

They determine where they try to go the same way people did before the development of modern navigational tools.

"Our destination is 400 miles to the SE. That is approximately an 8 hours walk while Shadow walking. The maps says that halfway there we will reach Mount Fang, its shadow will be visible, so we can check if we are en route. Then there is the Dark Woods, they should be even darker in the Shadow planes. When we leave them when we will be in our destination area."
Not precise, but when your destination is "about 400 miles SE" that is what you get.

Then you decide or roll some dice to see how much "off-target" they are.

You can have them make some skill checks (something like the lowest value between Knowledge Planes and Knowledge Geography) to see if they can narrow the area or if they end off course by a wide margin.

In some of the latter books, there are rules for exploring an unknown area, those can help you decide what they meet.

Okay so let's assume the said destination is somewhere 400 miles south east. They have no map, no landmarks. How would you determine how off course they are to the destination. I was thinking of using Survival and the "Getting Lost" rules, but there isn't any random distance/direction rules for where they end up if they are lost.

Shadow Walk
Wind Walk

Do I understand this correctly that both of these spells basically give people an incredible speed whether it's overland movement or in combat movement?

Shadow walk is 50 miles/hour is 440 feet/6 seconds.
Wind walk is 60 miles/hour is 528 feet/6 seconds.

I have a group that is arguing that you have increased speeds even in combat.
If that's the case this spell is ridiculously overpowered.

Second, for Shadow Walk, are you essentially invisible to those on the Material plane when you're traveling on the shadow plane?

Does the shadow walk spell go from Point A to Point B and then end shunting them in a random direction or can you go back and forth between the material and the shadow plane without the spell ending?

I see the direction that one can interpret as either/or:

1) Spell is distinctly only said movement per round and not per move action
OR
2) Spell moves a certain distance based on a move action. Therefore the caster can take two move actions.

Alchemist Promethean archetype

see Sympathetic Alchemy (Su) at 1st level.

Use Magic Devices and get a wand of Make Whole

Didn't see Azothat's reply, so I guess since it just says only 30 feet per round it doesn't matter how many move actions you have it's bound by the spell's description

It's a Construct, so by definition under constructs:

Constructs can also be healed through spells such as make whole. A construct with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality

Certain spells you need a move action to direct a spell such as Flaming Sphere.

Since it says "The sphere moves as long as you actively direct it (a move action for you); otherwise, it merely stays at rest and burns.", does this imply a caster can spend two move actions to move it up to 60 feet in one round?

Divine spellcasters prepare their spells in largely the same manner as wizards do, but with a few differences. The relevant ability for most divine spells is Wisdom (Charisma for paladins). To prepare a divine spell, a character must have a Wisdom score (or Charisma score for paladins) of 10 + the spell's level. Likewise, bonus spells are based on Wisdom.

The above sections states that Divine spell caster prepare their spells in largely the same manner as wizards do. That means by default the divine prepared caster follows the same rules as a wizard. Any changes to how their spells work have to be specified or they are still subject to the same rules as the wizard.

The reference to losing prepared spells is under the Arcane Spells section. There is no mention under the Divine spells section upon death and loss of spells.

I guess I shouldn't assume that using Breath of Life causes a loss of spontaneous spell slots, but I find it weird that Raise dead makes them lose 50% of them.

The Arcanist is treated like a wizard for this.

So you are categorizing an Arcanist as a wizard so it would lose all prepared spells but None of their spell slots? What conclusion do you have to determine this outcome.

Okay, what does an Arcanist lose when he dies with respect to his prepared spells and spell slots.

Death and Prepared Spell Retention (Arcane casters)
If a spellcaster dies, all prepared spells stored in his mind are wiped away. Potent magic (such as raise dead, resurrection, or true resurrection) can recover the lost energy when it recovers the character.

Nothing is listed for Divine spellcasters so I assume they retain the spells.

Raise Dead

I assume the following happens to these classes if resurrected by Breath of Life
1. Wizards = loses all spells
2. Sorcerers = loses all spell slots (from the reference of Raise Dead)
3. Divine casters = retains all spells

Raise dead
1. Wizards = 50% chance of losing each prepared spells
2. Sorcerers = 50% chance of losing each spell slot
3. Divine casters = retains all spells

So, big question. What happens to Arcanists? Do they lose their prepared spells AND their spell slots upon death?

Why is a Bhole's natural reach 60 feet?

Bhole

Diego Rossi wrote:

It is an 11-year-old thread.

That said, the easiest solution is to check the internet for the breaking point of hemp rope.
Surprisingly it requires a bit of research (I was really surprised seeing that the hemp ropes sold on Amazon don't list their breaking point), but it is still on the first page of a Google search:
- hemp rope with a diameter of 0.78" weights 1 lb for 7.5' of length and has a breaking load of 4092 lbs;
- hemp rope with a diameter of 1.17" weights 1 lb for 3' of length and has a breaking load of 5840 lbs.

In-game hemp rope weighs 10 lbs for 50', so 1 lb for 5' of rope. It is midway between the two. To make it simple, we can say it has a breaking load of 5,000 lbs.
That is the value of new or well-kept rope, for the often abused adventure's rope we can play safe and say it is about 2,000 lbs. Beyond that, there is a risk of it breaking.

I'm now inclined to search the breaking point of spider silk.

Why would you make regular hemp rope a higher weight capacity than a Rope of Climbing which is a magic item?

I saw that the Zygomind has the Entrap ability but what causes this Entrap to occur? i.e. is it a physical attack?

The problem with everyone's numbers is a rope of climbing says it can carry up to 3,000 lbs.

This value is significantly lower than some of your projected values above. I therefore have used a hemp DC 23 STR check to equal the max load it can carry, i.e. 600 lbs.
Then, just made it simple, I said if you shorten the length of a 50' long rope to 25' by doubling up on the rope you can carry 2*600 = 1200 lbs of weight.

Are you asking if you can use the ability on yourself if you are paralyzed, or if you don't have a hand free? The consensus is "no." Paladin lay on hands is worded very similarly and definitely requires a free hand.

Not to say people won't try to split the language to argue the opposite.

Yes, and thanks for the clarification.

Touch Treatment (Su)
At 3rd level, the mesmerist can help allies shake off harmful conditions—especially those that affect their minds—by channeling psychic energy through his healing hands. He can use touch treatment a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. Using the ability is a standard action (or a swift action if the mesmerist uses it on himself ), and the mesmerist must be able to touch his target. He can remove one condition from one target each time he uses this ability. At 3rd level, he can remove any condition on the minor conditions list. At 6th level, he can remove any condition on the minor or moderate conditions list, and at 10th level, he can remove any condition on the minor, moderate, or greater conditions list.

If you cast it on yourself are you always considered to be touching yourself?

I have a question for the Undercity sections D2 and D6.

D2. Defaced Gallery (CR 14)
The passage to the south leads to area D1, the north exit
leads to the south entrance of area D3, and the eastern
passage splits into two routes that lead to the west and
northwest portions of area D6.

D6. The Guardian Gat e (CR 14)
The west and northwest tunnels lead to the eastern
forked halls of area D2. The northeast tunnel leads to the
southern entrance in area D4. The southeast hall leads to
the west entrance of area D7.

I can't post a picture of a map here on the forums but I don't understand in area D2 what two passages they are referring to since the "split" references a "Y" intersection that trails off to the southwest.

It's a specific call out in the rules because many creatures have advantages in that way that would make a character much more powerful. They are "natural" but specific trumps broad and, in this case it seems very straight forward that you just can't do it. It probably also disallows Rend, rake, and pounce as those technically allow extra attacks. They wised up by the time they put out the summoner class. They stopped allowing all the natural attacks for free from being a thing as it was way to strong for a pure martial to get these abilities on top of what they already have.

I'm going to assume natural and automatic abilities would be similar to say all "Ooze" Traits. They would be blind, not affected by critical hits, but still susceptible to mind-affecting abilities for instance.

Possession spell

It says you retain the natural abilities and automatic abilities of the creature. What constitutes "natural" and "automatic"
You don't get more attacks with more limbs, I would assume that is "natural".

So, what if one of your party members has an intervening object, does the entire group get relocated or just that one person?

Does this require a standard action to use or is it just like looking through an object.

Could a fighter still fight while looking through one?

Dimension Door states: If you arrive in a place that is already occupied by a solid body, you and each creature traveling with you take 1d6 points of damage and are shunted to a random open space on a suitable surface within 100 feet of the intended location.

So if you're on the 2nd floor of a building, could it conceivably teleport you onto another floor?

I assume you mean you are targeting an enemy with Crane Wing, and the +4 AC does not go away until you miss someone within the +4; a nat 20 ignores this entirely. Since you haven't missed to get the crit threat, you haven't removed their +4 Crane Wing AC.

Thanks that makes sense

Crane Wing

If you hit with a natural 20 and your critical confirmation roll is 4 less than needed to hit, does the attack miss or not confirm? I’m confused what actually happens.

The rules read,

Spike stones impede progress through an area and deal damage. Any creature moving on foot into or through the spell’s area moves at half speed. In addition, each creature moving through the area takes 1d8 points of piercing damage for each 5 feet of movement through the spiked area.

Any creature that takes damage from this spell must also succeed on a Reflex save to avoid injuries to its feet and legs.

I'm seeing some folks state that the Reflex save is made one for the move through the area, while others state the save is for every 5 foot square. Is there any definitive ruling on this?

I don't think there's an official ruling but the syntax would indicate that if you move 30' through an area you take 6d8 points of damage, not 1d8 damage each 5 feet. Therefore, you make one reflex save for one movement action.

Generally speaking, it should be assumed that any effect affecting you also affects your gear. Otherwise we'd get a lot of naked adventurers when they use class abilities that doesn't explicitly specify that the gear follows their teleport.

So yes, the Phantom can bring items.

It would not be able to bring a creature. But it could stuff a creature in a Bag of Holding and carry that through the barrier.

That makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.

So a phantom can use magic items and I researched that it the items drop to the ground when it goes incorporeal or when manifested in the spiritualist's consciousness.

However, what about when it is in ectoplasmic form and it phase lurches through walls? Do the items drop to the ground again? That brings more questions if it can carry a creature or a bag of gold can it phase lurch through the wall?

Phase Lurch (Su)
A phantom in ectoplasmic form has the ability to pass through walls or material obstacles. In order to use this ability, it must begin and end its turn outside whatever wall or obstacle it’s moving through. An ectoplasmic phantom can’t move through corporeal creatures with this ability, and its movement speed is halved while moving through a wall or obstacle. Any surface it moves through is coated with a thin, silvery mucus that lingers for 1 minute.

Inspire Greatness (Su): A bard of 9th level or higher can use his performance to inspire greatness in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet, granting extra fighting capability. For every three levels a bard attains beyond 9th, he can target one additional ally while using this performance (up to a maximum of four at 18th level). To inspire greatness, all of the targets must be able to see and hear the bard. A creature inspired with greatness gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependent. Inspire greatness is a mind-affecting ability and it relies on audible and visual components.

Do these bonuses HD apply as racial HD? So they get all of the respective bonuses for increased HD such as BAB, saves, skill points, etc?

I would like to know how this is handled, I searched and didn't seen to find a consensus.

CRB wrote:

Concentration: The spell lasts as long as you concentrate on it. Concentrating to maintain a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Anything that could break your concentration when casting a spell can also break your concentration while you’re maintaining one, causing the spell to end. See concentration on page 206.

You can’t cast a spell while concentrating on another one. Some spells last for a short time after you cease concentrating.

1. No. It is not one of the requirements.

2. Yes. See the cited text.

Great thanks

So if you are taking a standard action to concentrate:

1. Do you have to have line of sight or effect with the spell or the target?
2. Do you have to make concentration checks if you take damage?

I'm running a Strange Aeons game on Roll20, and we're starting What Grows Within next session. Does anyone have suggestions for battlemaps I could use for some of the semi-random encounters in the streets of Neruzavin, like the ambushes by Seeded creatures, or the fungal Juggernauts?

I took would like some battlemaps for Neruzavin streets.

Yes, it looks like it should be CR13. A miscalculation may have been made by the author on the part of treating the nightmares as NPCs. Normally, an NPC with class levels has less gear than a PC, and has a CR equal to level -1.

As to difficulty...for my group, it wasn't much of an issue. Your milage may vary?

I guess even if they get wiped the most they will wake up with is a madness and a splitting headache.

But a few of them are pretty dangerous PCs and those extra abilities especially from the nightmare template is pretty deadly

I was looking at the section where the PC's fight their dream reflections and it says to apply the Advanced creature simple template and the nightmare creature template. It then says the dream reflection should be CR 8, making this a CR 12 encounter.

That's incorrect, each dream reflection should be +2 making it a CR 9 (assuming the PC's were level 7). Making the encounter a CR 13 instead of 12. Does this not sound like a little too powerful?

Pretty simple how far do you sink when you fail a swim check in water? There is no reference to it that I could find.

A tome eater only has one implement, his bonded book. The book counts as an implement for all the schools he knows. However, he must split his mental focus between the schools.

Let’s take a first level tome eater with an Int of +4. Let’s say he chose abjuration and conjuration as his two schools of magic. He can’t just say “I have 5 points of focus in my book so I count as having 5 points in each school.” He has to split them. Say, two in conjuration and three in abjuration.

If he chooses to invest two in conjuration and keep 3 generic, he can’t put those three generic into abjuration until the next day.

Thanks for the clarification. It’s better than I thought it was. I thought he can only have points in one implement school at a time.

Tome Eater

I'm a little confused how the Bonded Tome ability works with respect to Focus Powers.

What does it mean that the occultist has to "Split" it's Mental focus. Does that mean he can only have on Implement activated at a time?
How does that work if he has 9 Mental Focus and only puts 4 in one implement, can he switch to a different one later?