belbearvan's page

We've got a lot of animal companions already, but more is always nice. Personally I'm missing a frog companion.

I'm hoping for any MOUNT that doesn't advance to Large when it becomes Mature or advanced. 10' square mounts are quite a pain when the modules are designed for 5' square creatures.

Also, a flying MOUNT. For game balance purposes not available until later levels ...

Keeping your companion on level is critical if you want it to be effective. A Nimble Wolf is very strong at 8th level and beyond, but a mature Wolf is not keeping up, especially if you have to wait til 12th level to bump him up.

Hello, I am trying to use a convention game voucher I receiver awhile back. It expires today so I can't wait any longer. I have been trying to get it to work for last several days but no luck.
Can you help? Thanks.

If Paizo is really trying to bring new things to the game, perhaps a detailed analysis and mechanics set for flight and 3D adventure. Can anyone see 3D facing, flight speed impacts due to damage, damage increases due to height, along with accuracy decreases, aerial combat, etc.

Ask yourself, if you are a lord somewhere and have significant sums of money at your disposal, are you going to have specialized troops to handle beasties from any direction. Flying beasties, are out there and form some of the worst creatures to run into. Having a troop of hippogriff knights would be a solid investment in your defenses and when needed provide a substantial offensive capability.

So why isn't something like this a possibility for the mid / high level adventurer? In 1st edition it proved unbalancing (1st level gnome / roc druid anyone) but it also had very little effort put into it, a couple pages at most.

I know it would be very difficult to keep flight balanced, but that's why it might take a full book, or at least significant section of one.

That's what I would like to see.

Are you really taking Natural Ambition a 2nd time? I read it as you are taking Natural Ambition once and Ancestral Paragon once. As long as the final 1st class feat selection is not the same, the two are quite different.
For example
Natural Ambition / Sudden Charge and Ancestral Paragon / Natural Ambition / Point-Blank-Shot would be fine. They provide totally separate benefits.
Natural Ambition / Point-Blank-Shot and Ancestral Paragon / Natural Ambition / Point-Blank-Shot (attempting to get +4 damage)would be illegal. They provide the exact same benefit.

Yeh, but to cast a 7th level spell you would need a minimum 17 ability score.
Also note that for a 7th level spell, it is pretty low powered unless the RAW is correct. When you look at it, it only affects 1 creature, is affected by spell resistance and is against Fort. Also, the section addressing damage calls out "modifier" whereas the section addressing save does not.

I have never ever heard of adding the whole score to something... That would mean even if you had a 5, a truly horrible score, you'd still get a bonus.

Should this be calling out
DC = 10 + 1/2 caster level + Charisma (in the case of oracles) or Wisdom (in the case of clerics)

or
DC = 10 + 1/2 caster level + Charisma MODIFIER (in the case of oracles) or Wisdom MODIFIER (in the case of clerics)

Jolting Portent mentions the oracle in the description for save DC but it is only listed as Cleric 7.

Also the index lists "Oracle Spell Lists 212-213" but no list exists?

School evocation (electricity) Level cleric 7
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, DF
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one creature
Duration 1 round/level (D) see text
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes
The creature you designate is surrounded by a glowing red aura of vengeful fate. Once per round when the target makes an attack or casts a spell, it must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw with a DC = 10 + 1/2 caster level + Charisma (in the case of oracles) or Wisdom (in the case of clerics). If the target fails the saving throw, it takes 4d6 + your Charisma modifier (in the case of oracles) or Wisdom modifier (in the case of clerics) electricity damage. It takes no damage on a successful saving throw. You can dismiss this spell as an immediate action when its subject confirms a critical hit to negate the critical hit and daze the creature for 1 round. The attack still hits its target and deals normal damage. The effects of the daze occur after the attack.

bump...

In the Jolting Portent description it calls out the saving throw calculation as 10 + 1/2 caster level + Charisma (Oracle)or Wisdom (Cleric).
Is this correct as stated or should it be "Charisma MODIFIER(Oracle)or Wisdom MODIFIER (Cleric)"?
For my 13th level cleric with a 22 Wisdom it becomes a DC38 saving throw, which might be OK for a 7th level spell cast on a singular creature but it is definately questionable. Please verify.

2 Small corrections
The trait "Sacred Conduit" applies to all channel energy uses, therefore when using the feat "command undead", it should also be included. Also, I included improved channel feat adjustments in class abilities page as it was missing.
I know you hadn't incorporated that Sacred Conduit fully yet but I thought I would help out.

Version 0.8.9; Sheet Feat; Cell J30
="Standard Action; expend channel energy to enslave Undead w/in 30' (Will DC "&10+FLOOR(Channel_Level/2,1)+Cha_Mod_Current+IF(ISNUMBER(FIND("Improve d Channel",Feats_Known)),2,0)+Channel_Energy_DC_Mods_L+IF(ISNUMBER(FIND("Sacr ed Conduit",Trait_Summary)),1,0)&" negs) instead of healing/harming nearby creatures; may control up to "&Lvl_Clr&" HD"

Version 0.8.9; Sheet Class Abilities; Cell D50
="Standard Action (no AoO); "&3+Cha_Mod_Current&"/day, may present holy symbol to cause 30' radius "&IF(OR(ISNUMBER(FIND("Good",Alignment)),Channel_Energy_Type="Positive" ),"positive",IF(OR(ISNUMBER(FIND("Evil",Alignment)),Channel_Energy_Type="Ne gative"),"negative"))&" energy burst that affects all undead or living creatures (may exclude self), dealing/healing "&FLOOR((Channel_Level+1)/2,1)&"d6 dmg; Will save half (DC "&10+FLOOR(Channel_Level/2,1)+Cha_Mod_Current+IF(ISNUMBER(FIND("Improve d Channel",Feats_Known)),2,0)+IF(ISNUMBER(FIND("Glory",Cleric_Domains)),2,0)+ Channel_Energy_DC_Mods_L+IF(ISNUMBER(FIND("Sacred Conduit",Trait_Summary)),1,0)&")"

Great sheet, thanks for all your work,
Bel

My wifes character has been toting around a bloody Skeleton Ogre which has very comparable stats, it is quite a nice tool but its not made her anywhere close to outpowering the sorc or barbarian. Also its size sometimes keeps it or someone else out of combat.

DR5 and Fast heal 5 are not comparable to DR 10. The fast heal removes 5 hp once. With iterative attacks or multiple foes that is not applied mutliple times like DR would be.

Ask yourself is the bloodied skeleton actually that much better in combat than the regular skeleton.

20HP(from cha)
5 fast healing
4 channel resist
Deathless has no benifit in combat

the 20hp and fast heal 5 is usually only going to buy it an extra round of life agianst an enncounter balanced for 6th level players.

The huge benifit is you pay twice as much for it in onyx and then it will come back after it gets beaten down most the time.

I agree that offensively it isn't a gamebreaker and without a supporting cast it wouldn't last long but with the right tactics it can be huge; and yes, the deathless feature is the best part of it.

Thanks for the comment

It's a powerful minion, but far from game-breaking. My level 11 character has an ettin bloody skeleton, and while it's a pretty decent combatant, it pales compared to the party's figher (as it should).

And don't forget that undead minions carry some big risks. All it takes is an enemy cleric to rebuke it or enemy caster to use command undead on it and suddenly your powerful minion is an enemy! Good clerics can likewise turn or destroy it.

If you still think it's too powerful, you could always house rule that no single creature you animate can have more HD than your caster level.

Big difference between a 6th level party and an 11th level party though. Also note that by RAW, he only takes up 10HD of control and I could add quite a number of other bloody skels to help out if I wanted.

I'm also very aware of the risks but then my character development has been focused toward Command Undead and anything to aid it, so I'm trying to minimize them. Still randomness in the d20 roll can make for a bad situation.

Thanks for the comments.

A small note; many DM's would argue animating dead is an evil act and will slowly begin to corrupt your character as he uses negative energy to bring back the dead. The spell does have the evil descriptor.

I completely disagree a party of 6th level characters could not kill something with a meager 5 points of damage reduction, AC22 (I can get that at first level, come on) and 65HP. Two rounds tops for most 6th level parties.

RAW you have everything correct; but paid double the cost to animate it in Black Onyx Gems etc. This is perfectly reasonable to me; it cost you twice as much to have a somewhat renewable skeleton. Note; both bless spells and holy water are pretty common and if it dies in the area of a Bless spell (quite likely in combat) it's gone forever.

Undead specialist cleric's were already very powerful anyway, I play them sometimes and to not overshadow the party I often leave minion undead doing various tasks and just take Barry my Gray Render for a jaunt with the party instead.

On a final note, if your DM seriously isn't happy with it; a much easier and fairer fix is for the Undead to count as 20HD for control. I ask, how are you controlling it at the moment? You can't control more than your cleric level by virtue of the Command Undead feat; so you must be expending Command Undead spells to control it. Its a fair investment in gold and spells, i'd have no issue with this in my game.

Alexander,

Bel

That looks about right, except for the AC. The AC should be 15 (10 base, +4 armor, +2 natural armor, -1 size). You don't add +2 to the existing natural armor, you change it to +2.

That deathless quality is pretty good for a PC minion.

Hogarth,

Thanks,
Bel

Hi everyone,
I'm playing a nuetral alignment negative energy cleric and have used desecrate+animate dead (6th level caster so up to 24HD creation) to change a cyclops corpse into a bloody skeleton. By RAW, the bloody skel creation cost for a 10HD cyclops is 2x(HD)=20HD, which is within the casting limit. Additionally, it only counts as 10HD for control.

Noting that a bloody skel cyclops has DR5 blunt, fast healing 5, AC22, 65HP, and is deathless (regenerates from death unless actually killed by positive energy), it is almost impossible to kill at our CR level. Additionally, it has a +12 to hit and does 3d6+7 damage with its Great Axe so it can slowly chop away at most anything.

By RAW, it is legal but the actual game effect has been a bit overwhelming for my DM and has been a bit unbalancing for the party. Have I done everything right, or is there any errata out there affecting bloody skeletons and/or animate dead?

If not, the bloody skel template is on a whole seperate level from the other "special" skel types, mainly bacause it ramps with HD (DR and fast healing) and the others don't.

My DM is about to home rule it and all other special skels into non-existance by making them 4x(HD)to create, but before he does I'd like to find out whether I screwed something up or if it is just unbalanced (can we say "optimization") in the rules.

Bel

Same problem, no solution yet. Posted in another thread where people were discussing the issue with missing 'A's and mentioned it. I speculated that there might be a problem with corrupt embedded fonts and am waiting to see if our esteemed Technical Director Vic Wertz has any ideas.

I had the same problem trying to open the file in Adobe Acrobat Professional 7.0 and again in 7.1. I then tried opening the exact same file in Adobe Reader 8.1.4 and it worked much better. I still don't have any A's starting the paragraphs but at least all the tables and text are legible (instead of being dots).

It is indeed permanent (or until an intelligent undead makes its daily save).

It's good to have the people in charge taking an active role in rules clarifications.

It is permenant. For intelegent undead, that is until they save or die. For nonintelligent undead that is until they are destroyed.

In either case, you can release an undead in order to get another one (or just don't want it anymore).

That sounds great, but where do I find it identified in the rules to prove it to my DM?

I agree with you on what it was back in 3E and 3.5E, but what it is now isn't always the same.

I'm playing a negative energy cleric with the command undead feat. Reading the feat it states:

Using foul powers of necromancy, you can command undead creatures, making them into your servants...As a standard action, you can use one of your uses of channel negative energy to enslave undead within 30 feet. Undead receive a Will save to negate the effect... Undead that fail their saves fall under your control, obeying your commands to the best of their ability, as if under the effects of control undead. Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each day to resist your command... If an undead creature is under the control of another creature, you must make an opposed Charisma check whenever your orders conflict.

The line "Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each day to resist your command" clearly implies that duration can be measured in days; but doesn't actually state it.
However the line "obeying your commands to the best of their ability, as if under the effects of control undead" is clearly focused on their actions, but might also be related to duration. This led me to look at the 7th level spell Control Undead for duration but the spell is measured as 1 minute/level. So it would take a 3600+ level caster to start measuring in days, it doesn't make sense.

I'll also note that the 2nd level spell:Command Undead (same name as the Feat!) has a duration of 1 day/level (but it does a really poor job of controlling undead).

So I see 3 possibilities
1) the feat should be referring to duration and control as per spell:Control Undead (and the feat has an erratta sentence).
2) the feat should be referring to duration and control as per spell:Command Undead rather than spell:Control Undead?
3) the feat should be referring to duration as per spell:Command Undead, while actions are as per spell:Control Undead?

I'm hoping for a definitive statement from Paizo; or if this is already resolved, then a link to the thread (from anyone).

Thanks in advance

have cell phone wireless connector for netbook, will download from the floor of the convention :)

Does anyone know whether there is public access wireless within the convention center? or if not there, where the closest access is?

In answer to question #1, Vic stated in another thread that the PDF would be available at 10:00 am Pacific Time. That would be noon Central on Thursday, August 13.

Just my 2 cp.

That makes it tough to be ready for the 1:00 slot. I'm attending the Thursday morning preview/kickoff event but even so, if I don't have the pdf until after noon, I won't have much time to work out the nuances for a new character. Of course being 1st level kind of limits the number of immediate "nuances" but it makes long term planning difficult.

OK, so Thursday morning about 12:05 AM I plan on sitting at the RAM, preparing myself for GENCON. Part of this years preparation is hopefully going to include downloading a pdf copy of the Pathfinder RPG Rulebook.

Can anyone tell me:
1) At what time will the pdf's become available for purchase and download (12:01 AM Indianapolis time would be good)?
2) Do I need to have a Paizo subscription to purchase/download the pdf?
3) Do I need to buy the hardcopy version in order to purchase/download the pdf version?

Thanks in advance,

BelBearvan

However, our point-of-sale system has been designed with transaction speed in mind, and we will have one register that's going to be dedicated to Core Rulebook sales only (at least, as long as doing that is helpful).

Sorry to be the pessimist but I expect large crowds for those between-slot times; hmmm, I guess from your side that's being an optimist huh. Good Luck however you work it.

I don't know of anything dealing with magic items but you might be confusing it with cost of non-magic items like barding. Those have a size based price multiplier which can make a big impact. As such, magical barding price can be greatly varied depending on size on animal.

Lisa,
I'm planning on buying a hardback copy but I will be at GenCon when they come out. Being a GenCon veteran I know just how difficult it is to get anything that is in high demand within the Dealer's area. Lines that go forever and make a mess of the main traffic areas (really annoying other dealer's too).
Is there any possibility of Paizo allowing gamer's to pre-order and pre-pay before GenCon and then have a selected/designated "Will Call" booth for pick-up of the books? Maybe one set-up outside the dealer's area (or near the registration area) to lessen the load (and, dare I say it, maybe even available on the 12th to avoid the release rush).

I'm thinking this would reduce the delays inherent in dealing with payment and allow a faster, more gamer friendly attitude toward pre-orders and GenCon. Maybe make it a rule that all pre-orders must be picked up before Saturday evening. This way you can place any books that weren't picked up to be available "at-large" on Sunday morning and avoid the problem of bringing any home.

A database or just a logbook (think voting signature books) to be signed off upon pickup, plus proof of purchase and picture ID would be all that is necessary; no money changing hands, reduced time to pick-up, reduced impact on dealer's area.

Just my thoughts,

GenCon games...
Are all pathfinder games going to be running under the new rules or are some going to be running on current rules while others run on new rules?
Also, are any mods unique to GenCon or premiering? I believe the Betrayal in Absalon event is unique but don't know about anything else.
Finally, is there any advantage to take a premier event, beyond the fact that nobody knows anything about it?

Thanks in advance,

My son and I are signed up for all 5 Pathfinder Society events at Gencon. We are definitely looking forward to it and can't wait to get our hands on the character creation rules.

Bump

Any help out there?