When you’re affected by the same thing multiple times, only one instance applies, using the higher level of the effects, or the newer effect if the two are the same level. For example, if you were using mage armor and then cast it again, you’d still benefit from only one casting of that spell. Casting a spell again on the same target might get you a better duration or effect if it were cast at a higher level the second time, but otherwise doing so gives you no advantage.
(Core Rulebook 443)
Thank you.
Thus Smite Evil on different target at the same time is not possible either.
Champion
Prerequisites divine ally (blade); tenets of good
Your blade ally becomes an even more powerful tool against evildoers. Select one foe you can see. Until the start of your next turn, your Strikes with the weapon your blade ally inhabits against that foe deal an extra 4 good damage, increasing to 6 if you have master proficiency with this weapon.
If the foe attacks one of your allies, the duration extends to the end of that foe’s next turn. If the foe continues to attack your allies each turn, the duration continues to extend.
I was discussing on Champion build today with my friends, and one of us pointed out that the damage from Smite Evil is actually not a "bonus", it's extra damage, thus it can stack.
Then, can one Champion use Smite Evil multiple times and choose a same target, and get multiple times of extra damage on his Strike?
e.g.
1 action - Smite Evil
1 action - Smite Evil
1 action - Strike with 8 extra damage.
I have a feeling of not possible but I can't convince myself by RAW.
Hi James,
I came across some text talks about Azlanti Ioun tech. It refers two examples, wayfinder and "door locks".
What is this "door locks"? I couldn't find it anywhere else.
Potions only wrote "The person applying an oil is the effective caster, but the object is the target", then when applying oil to creatures, who would be the effective caster?
And, under what circumstances is using an oil more economical in action? This view is totally new to me.
Recently when I am observing a game, i found one PC on that table had a continual flame heightened to 4-level. He explained that the spell was casted by his ally wizard before.
The guide says that every character can have one continual flame passed to next scenario. Is it legal to modify it with metamagic feats or any other abilities?
I don't think 'move' in the spell description means 'move around on the map', I think it means you get full normal movement of all your limbs, meaning that Slow and Paralysis are completely negated.
As for the 'difficult terrain' question - feel free to FAQ it Here and/or Here.
Thank you very much and I've add these thread to my favorite.
And, I still have no definite idea of the full attack part.
And in addition to being staggered, what if the spell gives me nauseated condition or dazed or sleep or sth alike.
School abjuration; Level bard 4, cleric 4, druid 4, ranger 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a leather strip bound to the target), DF
Range personal or touch
Target you or creature touched
Duration 10 min./level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
This spell enables you or a creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic ithat usually impedes movement, such as paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web. All combat maneuver checks made to grapple the target automatically fail. The subject automatically succeeds on any combat maneuver checks and Escape Artist checks made to escape a grapple or a pin.
The spell also allows the subject to move and attack normally while underwater, even with slashing weapons such as axes and swords or with bludgeoning weapons such as flails, hammers, and maces, provided that the weapon is wielded in the hand rather than hurled. The freedom of movement spell does not, however, grant water breathing.
I've been confused with FOM spell recently. The description text seems quite unclear, and my group argued for some time ( of course not playtime ).
Questions are listed below:
1.Would FOM let you move normally under non-magical influence such as difficult terrain? Since the text says "even under the influence of magic", it should still work in non-magical situation.
2.Is it possible to make full attack when under the effect of both slow and FOM? FOM let you attack as normal, and normally you can make full attack.
3.Are paralised characters under FOM still consider their DEX as 0 for their AC? FOM only let you attack and move as normal, but not defence. (Maybe they look like statues move around magically?)
Hi Mr. Mark Seifter I'm confused with something here.
I find that many spells, especially those deal sonic and force damage, have a fortitude partial save.
Since their target are not object, they don't have "(object)" after the save description.
But when consider constructs and undeads, they are immune to any effect that requires fortitude save unless the effect also works on objects, so they're immune to those spells that deals sonic and force damage with a fortitude save, this looks quite weird.
How does a Reach Cure Light Wounds work? Do I have to make ranged touch attack roll to heal my friend?
Reach Spell wrote:
You can alter a spell with a range of touch, close, or medium to increase its range to a higher range category, using the following order: touch, close, medium, and long....... Spells modified by this feat that require melee touch attacks instead require ranged touch attacks.
When cast CLW on my friend, there is no attack roll needed, so it seems that I don't need ranged touch attack to heal my friend with Reach CLW.
Though it is an auto-hit touch, i still have to touch my friend.
The problem behind is that what an attack is.
Is it an offensive action that gives effect that opponent what to resist?
Is it simply a mechanic that determine whether or not it is hit?
Only melee touch has a mechanism to replace it with an auto-hit for a willing target, so ranged touch you still have to try. Our group rules that a willing target can forgo Dex and dodge bonuses, though, in order to try to be hit. Deflection force fields, miss chances, and the like can still cause issues.
Don't forget criticals!
My group thought that critical reach healing might be a thing at one point when the APG just came out, but the magic chapter limits crits to spells that deal damage.
Thank you very much. That helps me a lot.
There are two questions related to this:
1.Will I be damaged if I cast CLW on my friend who has a Fire Shield?
2.Can I activate my Spell Storing Armor if my friend cast CLW on me?
How does a Reach Cure Light Wounds work? Do I have to make ranged touch attack roll to heal my friend?
Reach Spell wrote:
You can alter a spell with a range of touch, close, or medium to increase its range to a higher range category, using the following order: touch, close, medium, and long....... Spells modified by this feat that require melee touch attacks instead require ranged touch attacks.
When cast CLW on my friend, there is no attack roll needed, so it seems that I don't need ranged touch attack to heal my friend with Reach CLW.
Though it is an auto-hit touch, i still have to touch my friend.
The problem behind is that what an attack is.
Is it an offensive action that gives effect that opponent what to resist?
Is it simply a mechanic that determine whether or not it is hit?
I made it through at level 8 with +17 concentration bonus, it's not a success or disabled, maybe im over empathizing it.
But in occult theme ability like this is far more common.
take aggressive action against (a place or enemy forces) with weapons or armed force, typically in a battle or war.
In so sense of the word is casting a beneficial spell on a willing ally an attack.
Please stop writing your own definitions for the English language. It reduces the entire rule set to meaningless garble as even the most basic conventions of language are discarded for personal convenience.
If I cast Dimension Anchor on my monk friend to prevent him from being randomly teleported by SU of monster, he choosed to lower his SR to make me more easily to hit.
There is a ranged touch attack against a willing ally in this situation, is that an attack?
I'm afraid you're providing insufficient information for me to evaluate your claims. What scenarios are you referring to (in spoiler tags, please!) so we can look into the issues?
in general im not referring fear tactics, but some special trap or ability only affect psychic caster.
You most certainly CAN attack yourself. See the Confusion spell, result 51-75. However, doing so is at least a standard action or part of a full attack action. IMHO, YMMV.
there is another view on the problem:
Can I activate my Spell Storing Armor, when my friend cast Fly on me?
Yes, but you can use a potion of remove fear, cast intellect fortress (swift action to suppress emotion and fear effects, no emotion component), or use Logical Spell once you can act. The talisman is to break bigger fear effects so you can get to that point.
In PFS play, a wand of remove fear works better than potion, and there is a 2-level spell Placebo Effect, suppress many harmful condition with no emotional component.
but thought component can still become a obvious weak point of psychic caster on certain encounter, especially occult scheme.
It depends on what content you're using as the Occult classes are all over the place in regards to mechanics. My favorite Occult mechanic being the Talisman crafter.
Talisman crafter can also be shut down by what normally shuts psychic caster down.
In occult scheme, there seems to be a lot more elements designed to shut down psychic caster, which made occult classes hardly able to be active in explore and combat.
A typical psychic caster displays every weakness of her in occult theme, and that's very occult.
You'll need to wait for an answer in the rules forums or ask your GM if you can't wait. I don't answer rules questions here because it causes flame wars.
I've been playing PFS for about 2 years, i love occult classes and enjoyed many scenario with OA rules included.
But what i can remember from those scenarios is that the foes and traps in this world always have some abilities to shut down a psychic caster, or make them feeling disabled. Such as endless concentration, mind-affectiong effect reflection, fear aura and.....
When playing an occult scheme scenario, I often find occult classes are somehow unable to solve the problem, a wizard or a bard always works more reliably.
Why a scenario with occult scheme is more likely to make occult classes weakened?
Spells are only attacks if they target or include opponents.
Quote:
The spell ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, an attack includes any spell targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe
i think it is just effective for Invisibility spell.
NO, because if the GM allowed a defensive spell at all, you'd still have to "attack" yourself -- a standard action. Unless you get a swift attack somehow but not a swift spell, you're better off just casting both. Or admitting that you can't get both in one turn.
I referred the Reach CLW as an example that attack roll is not always an harmful attack.
A touch spell from ally is an auto-hit touch attack, but it is not an "attack" described in the Invisibility spell.
You win points for dodging the obvious title for your thread. Or lose jokes, depending. ;)
I've been very embarrassed after i find that i can't change the title of the thread, from what im arguing on with my friend to a real question that i want to figure out.
the point of the arguement is that whether or not a non-harmful auto-hit touch counts toward a melee touch attack, to meet the requirement of Spell Storing enchantment.
Cure Light Wounds requires no attack roll to hit, even though it's a touch range spell. Instead, the creature targeted gains a saving throw against the effect, which undead may wish to take. Another example of a similar spell is Bestow Curse. These types of spells work similarly to other targeted spells that allow a saving throw, such as Finger of Death. Unless the spell tells you to make an attack you don't make an attack roll.
The only way to activate a Spell Storing armor on your turn is to target yourself with a melee attack or melee touch attack. Even then, you need to successfully hit yourself to activate it by RAW.
If i cast a Shocking Grasp on myself, am i able to activate a Spell Storing armor?
JDLPF wrote:
Also, to correct another point in the OP, a spell of Cure Light Wounds doesn't require a ranged touch attack to cast when modified by Reach Spell. The base spell has a range of touch but doesn't require a melee touch attack. Instead it has a Will saving throw applied to the effect, should a creature wish to resist the spell. Spells modified by the Reach Spell only require a ranged attack roll if the original spell require a melee touch attack.
That is to say, CLW always automatically hit, even when attacking undead?
The question starts with an argument with my friend:
Can I activate the stored spell on spell storing armor by touching myself?
the spell storing says
Quote:
Anytime a creature hits the wearer with a melee attack or melee touch attack, the armor can cast the spell on that creature as a swift action if the wearer desires.
my friend insist that the word "attack" in the description is referring an offensive attack, only striking from a foe would make it possible for me to activate the stored spell. A willing creature will never trigger stored spell.
but i rather believe this only applies to invisibility spell, as the spell says
Quote:
The spell ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, an attack includes any spell targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe......
i further came up an example that Reach CLW is a ranged touch attack but will not end the invisibility effect on the caster.
but my friend believe it is a "ranged attack roll" not an "attack".
after all the only question is:
1,Can I activate the stored spell on spell storing armor by touching myself?
Thank you very much for your reply, Mr. Mark Seifter.
Here i got some other questions to bother you~
1.Does the spell storing weapon/armor automatically hit, if a Shocking Grasp is storing in it and activated on a hit? In other words, do I have to make another touch attack to deliver Shocking Grasp on activation of a stored spell?
2.Etheric Shards spell says "......the minor movements involved in attacking or defending in combat force a stationary creature to attempt a Reflex save......", does that mean a character within shards should take a reflex save every time when she makes an attack, as well as her target if it is also within the shards?
1) Since you've triggered it after the weapon hit the enemy or the enemy hit (and thus touched) you, I think it hits automatically.
2) It's in the next line right after the part you excerpted "If a stationary creature succeeds at this save, it avoids damage completely for that round..."
2)what if he fails the save?
and a sationary creature within should make this save at the beginning of his turn, or on his attacking or being attacked?
Thank you very much for your reply, Mr. Mark Seifter.
Here i got some other questions to bother you~
1.Does the spell storing weapon/armor automatically hit, if a Shocking Grasp is storing in it and activated on a hit? In other words, do I have to make another touch attack to deliver Shocking Grasp on activation of a stored spell?
2.Etheric Shards spell says "......the minor movements involved in attacking or defending in combat force a stationary creature to attempt a Reflex save......", does that mean a character within shards should take a reflex save every time when she makes an attack, as well as her target if it is also within the shards?
ETHERIC SHARDS
School evocation [force]; Level occultist 4, psychic 5, spiritualist 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S, M (broken glass)
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area one 10-ft. cube/level
Duration 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw Reflex partial or Reflex negates (see text); Spell Resistance no
You harden interpenetrated ethereal substance into deadly transdimensional razors that are invisible to normal sight. Movement through an area of etheric shards is halved, even for incorporeal creatures, and creatures entering a 5-foot cube filled with etheric shards take 1d8 points of piercing and slashing damage and must succeed at a Reflex save or take 1 point of bleed damage. This bleed damage stacks with itself and other sources of bleed damage. A creature standing within an area of etheric shards takes no damage as long as it remains completely motionless, but even the minor movements involved in attacking or defending in combat force a stationary creature to attempt a Reflex save. If a stationary creature succeeds at this save, it avoids damage completely for that round, but if it fails, it takes hit point damage and bleed damage as though it had moved through the square.
A creature forcibly moved through an area of etheric shards, such as by a bull rush or drag combat maneuver, takes a –4 penalty on its saving throw, but a creature able to see invisible or ethereal objects gains a +4 bonus, and damage to it is completely negated on a successful Reflex save.
Etheric shards are considered a magical trap, and a creature with trapfinding can use Perception to find them. The DC of this check is equal to 25 + the spell's level. etheric shards can't be disabled with the Disable Device skill.
1.if a 10-feet-tall large creature move 20 feets through etheric shards, should it succeed 2*2*4=16 reflex saves to negate every bleed damage or succeed a single reflex save to negate 2*2*4=16 bleed damage?
2.When do a stationary creature need to make a reflex save? A creature within shards make a full-attack with 6 natural weapons, does it have to make 6 reflex save if it fails every one? futhermore, if its target is within shards too, does its target have to make 6 reflex save if the target fails every one all the same?
participated as a player today and went on something weird
Spoiler:
Worms that walk:
.....Mind-affecting effects that target single creatures function normally against a worm that walks, since the creature's individual components share a hive mind.....
while the worms that walk in this scenario are immune to mind-affecting effect.
it didn't make troubles when running the scenario, but I still feel weird after story is concluded.
I agree that Force Punch should effect undead, although I can think of some reasons they didn't apply it to objects. The real intent for the undead exception is that they are only affected by fortitude save effects that don't depend on biological function. The object tag is a good proxy for that, but does seem to cause issues in these edge cases.
I would write a (object) on it with additional description says "object larger than colossal are not affected by the push effect".
Undead has "Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless)."
but Force Punch is a fortitude partial spell without (object). So, it looks like undead creatures are immune to Force Punch. that sounds weird.
likewise, Sound Burst is also a fortitude partial effect.
Or undead is just immune to the stun of Sound Burst and push of Force Punch, but it still sounds weird for Force Punch.
Sound Burst:
SOUND BURST
School evocation [sonic]; Level bard 2, cleric 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F/DF (a musical instrument)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area 10-ft.-radius spread
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Fortitude partial; Spell Resistance yes
You blast an area with a tremendous cacophony. Every creature in the area takes 1d8 points of sonic damage and must succeed on a Fortitude save to avoid being stunned for 1 round. Creatures that cannot hear are not stunned but are still damaged.
Force Punch:
FORCE PUNCH
School evocation [force]; Level magus 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Fortitude partial; Spell Resistance yes
This spell charges your hand with telekinetic force. Your successful melee touch attack deals 1d4 points of force damage per level (maximum 10d4) and causes the target to be pushed away from you in a straight line up to 5 feet per two caster levels. For every size category of the target above Medium, reduce the distance pushed by 5 feet (–5 feet for Large, –10 feet for Huge, –15 for Gargantuan, and –20 feet for Colossal) to a minimum of 0 feet. A successful Fortitude save negates the movement but not the damage.
undead traits:
Traits: An undead creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).
No Constitution score. Undead use their Charisma score in place of their Constitution score when calculating hit points, Fortitude saves, and any special ability that relies on Constitution (such as when calculating a breath weapon's DC).
Darkvision 60 feet.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms).
Immunity to bleed, death effects, disease, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning.
Not subject to nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength), as well as to exhaustion and fatigue effects.
Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature's Intelligence score.
Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
Not at risk of death from massive damage, but is immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points.
Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
Proficient with its natural weapons, all simple weapons, and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Undead not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Undead are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.
Freedom of movement temporarily frees you from "magic that usually impedes movement, such as paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web." That's not an exhaustive list, and hold person clearly falls under the description.
the explain is that paralyze is not the only effect of hold person, it also prevent you from any actions.
does that mean any effect make creature paralyzed such as Holy Word would be suppressed entirely by Freedom of Movement?
It's also really only the paralyzed condition, and you can still take purely mental conditions (although there aren't many).
psychic spells are all purely mental, wryyyyy!
i used to play hold person as it only gives a paralyze condition. but one of my friend tells me that according to description, hold person is a specific condition in addition to paralyze.
but i can't find rules or faqs that support me, so i cant move under both freedom of movement and hold person.
is there any rules can imply hold person only makes victim paralyze?
The subject becomes paralyzed and freezes in place. It is aware and breathes normally but cannot take any actions, even speech. Each round on its turn, the subject may attempt a new saving throw to end the effect. This is a full-round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A winged creature who is paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A swimmer can't swim and may drown.
the description of hold person says its victim "cannot take any actions".
then it says "....the subject may attempt a new saving throw....This is a full-round action...."
but the subject cannot take any actions to attempt a new saving throw, it looks weird.
or the victim is just paralyzed?
Paralyzed:
Paralyzed: A paralyzed character is frozen in place and unable to move or act. A paralyzed character has effective Dexterity and Strength scores of 0 and is helpless, but can take purely mental actions. A winged creature flying in the air at the time that it becomes paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A paralyzed swimmer can't swim and may drown. A creature can move through a space occupied by a paralyzed creature—ally or not. Each square occupied by a paralyzed creature, however, counts as 2 squares to move through.
With discipline of Tranquility, Psychic gets bonus spell as follow:
Bonus Spells: telempathic projection* (1st), silence (4th), mantle of calm (6th), mass daze (8th), serenity (10th), psychic surgery * (12th), mind blank (14th), euphoric tranquility (16th), time stop (18th).
Psychic gets daze (mass) as a bonus spell at 8th level, at which level she is also able to cast 4th-Level spells.
But i can also find that daze (mass) is a 3rd-Level Psychic Spell.
then I searched other disciplines, all of them get a 4th-Level Psychic spell( or a 4th-Level spell from other class) as a bonus spell at 8th level.
so I searched some bloodlines for Sorcerers (not all of them), to compare. They all get a 4th-Level bonus spell at 8th level.
is there anything wrong with bonus spell at 8th level with discipline of Tranquility?
1.I am demoralized by an illusion and shaken for several rounds. But during those rounds a team member reminds me that it is an illusion, and I success the will save. Am i still shaken after that check?
Or illusions just can't demoralize anyone?
And can I use a major image created by myself to demoralize others?
2.I want to create an illusion of a creature i never met, but i cant make a visual copy of something unless i know what it looks like. So i need to make a corresponding knowledge check. Do i need to make such check everytime i need to make such illusion? What would it be like in PFS?
3.Do a illusion that nobody believes cause soft cover?
Tricks Known 4 [3(int) + 1(eff druid lvl 1)]
Come (DC15)
Heel (DC 15)
Stay (DC 15)
Work (DC 15)
Elemental Born (air) Abilities
The creature gains Resistance/shock 5. Additionally, the creature gains the ability to run on thin air. If the creature stops moving, it falls immediately under normal falling rules. It may move at it's normal land speed in a flat plane, or spend 10 ft of movement to gain 5 ft of height. The creature also gains a bonus to it's initiative equal to half it's hit dice (minimum 1). The creature may ignore difficult terrain while running on air, even if only running above the top of the terrain.
Base Companion Stats
Horse
Starting Statistics: Size Large; Speed 50 ft.; AC +4 natural armor; Attack bite (1d4), 2 hooves* (1d6); Ability Scores Str 16, Dex 13, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6; Special Qualities low-light vision, scent
4th-Level Advancement: Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2; Special Qualities combat trained
Samurai Class Abilities:
Challenge (Ex): Once per day, a samurai can challenge a foe to combat. As a swift action, the samurai chooses one target within sight to challenge. The samurai's melee attacks deal extra damage when made against the target of his challenge. This extra damage is equal to the samurai's level. The samurai can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every three levels beyond 1st, to a maximum of seven times per day at 19th level.
Challenging a foe requires much of the samurai's concentration. The samurai takes a –2 penalty to his Armor Class, except against attacks made by the target of his challenge.
The challenge remains in effect until the target is dead or unconscious, or until the combat ends. Each samurai's challenge also includes another effect, which is listed in the section describing the samurai's order.
Mount (Ex): A samurai gains the service of a loyal and trusty steed to carry him into battle. This mount functions as a druid's animal companion, using the samurai's level as his effective druid level. The creature must be one that he is capable of riding and that is suitable as a mount. A Medium samurai can select a camel or a horse. A Small samurai can select a pony or a wolf, but can also select a boar or a dog if he is at least 4th level. The GM may approve other animals as suitable mounts.
A samurai does not take an armor check penalty on Ride checks while riding his mount. The mount is always considered combat trained and begins play with Light Armor Proficiency as a bonus feat. A samurai's mount does not gain the share spells special ability.
A samurai's bond with his mount is strong, with the pair learning to anticipate each other's moods and moves. Should a samurai's mount die, the samurai may find another mount to serve him after 1 week of mourning. The new mount does not gain the link, evasion, devotion, or improved evasion special abilities until the next time the samurai gains a level.
Order (Ex): At 1st level, a samurai must pledge himself to a specific order, typically the order of the warrior. The order grants the samurai a number of bonuses, class skills, and special abilities. In addition, each order includes a number of edicts the samurai must follow. If he violates these edicts, he loses the benefits of his order's challenge ability for 24 hours. The violation of an edict is subject to GM interpretation.
Most samurai belong to the order of the warrior and are dedicated to their lord. Those without a lord, or who chose to abandon their lord, are ronin. A samurai may instead elect to dedicate himself to one of the orders listed under the cavalier description, but such samurai are rare.
A samurai who wishes to change his order must undertake a lengthy process to dedicate himself to a new cause. When this choice is made, he immediately loses all of the benefits from his old order. He must then follow the edicts of his new order for one entire level without gaining any benefits from that order. Once he has accomplished this, he gains all the bonuses from his new order. The only exception to this is when a samurai decides to become a ronin. A samurai can elect to become a ronin immediately, losing all the benefits from his old order and replacing them with the new benefits from the ronin order. Once a ronin, however, the only way for the samurai to change to another order is through the method described above. Note that the names of these orders might vary depending upon the campaign setting or GM's preference.
Resolve (Ex): Starting at 1st level, the samurai gains resolve that he can call upon to endure even the most devastating wounds and afflictions. He can use this ability once per day at 1st level, plus one additional time per day for every two samurai levels beyond 1st. Whenever the samurai defeats the target of his challenge, he regains one daily use of his resolve, up to his maximum number of uses per day. Defeating the target of his challenge usually involves reducing the target to 0 hit points or fewer, but the GM might rule that an enemy who surrenders or flees the battle is also defeated. He can use this resolve in a number of ways.
Determined: As a standard action, the samurai can spend one use of his resolve to remove the fatigued, shaken, or sickened condition. If the samurai is at least 8th level, he can alternatively remove the exhausted, frightened, nauseated, or staggered condition. If the condition has a duration longer than 1 hour or is permanent, this ability removes the condition for 1 hour, at which time the condition returns.
Resolute: Whenever the samurai is required to make a Fortitude or Will save, he can spend one use of his resolve as an immediate action to roll twice and take the better result. He must decide to use this ability before he rolls the saving throw.
Unstoppable: When the samurai is reduced to fewer than 0 hit points but not slain, he can spend one use of his resolve as an immediate action to instantly stabilize and remain conscious. He is staggered, but he does not fall unconscious and begin dying if he takes a standard action. He does fall unconscious if he takes additional damage from any source.
Ronin Order:
Edicts: These are the oaths of Kasani. 'Discipline is the foundation. Above discipline, station. Above station, service. Above service, the hunt. I will help those who are helpless. I will be a shield for the shieldless and a sword for the swordless. But above all, I will hunt the lawless poison ones and their cursed brethren.'
Skills: Knowledge (local) and Survival
Challenge: Whenever a ronin is the target of a challenge, a smite, a quarry, or similar effect, and he issues a challenge against that character in return, the ronin receives a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls made against the target of his challenge and a +1 dodge bonus to his AC against attacks made by the target of his challenge. These bonuses increase by +1 for every four class levels the samurai possesses (to a maximum of +6 at 20th level).
Order Abilities: Self Reliant (Ex): At 2nd level, the ronin learns to rely solely on himself, even in the most difficult of times. Whenever the ronin fails a Will saving throw against an effect with a duration greater than 1 round, he can attempt another saving throw at the end of the second round of the effect. If he makes this saving throw, it has the same effect as if he had made the original save (negating part or all of the effect). In addition, whenever a ronin is brought below 0 hit points, on his next turn he can roll twice to stabilize, taking the better result.
Sorcerer Class Abilities:
Class Skill: Diplomacy
Bonus Spells: hypnotism (3rd), delay poison (5th), summon monster III (reptiles only) (7th), poison (9th), hold monster (11th), mass suggestion (13th), summon monster VII (reptiles only) (15th), irresistible dance (17th), dominate monster (19th)
Bloodline Arcana: Your powers of compulsion can affect even bestial creatures. Whenever you cast a mind-affecting or language-dependent spell, it affects animals, magical beasts, and monstrous humanoids as if they were humanoids who understood your language.
Bloodline Powers: The treacherous and yet hypnotic serpent's blood that flows through you taints your magic with a sinuous and seductive grace.
Serpent's Fang (Ex): At 1st level, you can grow fangs as a free action. These fangs are treated as a natural weapon inflicting 1d4 points of damage plus your Strength modifier (1d3 if you are Small) plus poison (Bite—injury; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 your sorcerer level + your Constitution modifier; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1 Con damage; cure 1 save). At 5th level, these fangs are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming DR and the poison damage increases to 1d2 Con. At 7th level, your poison requires 2 successful saves to cure. At 11th level, your poison damage increases to 1d4 Con. You can use your fangs for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
Traits, Feats, and Skills Traits: Arcane Temper, Oathbound
Feats: Power Attack (Lvl 1), Cleave (Lvl 3), Eschew Materials (Sor 1)
Racial Traits: reptilian, armored scales, resistant, serpent's sense
Detailed Traits:
Arcane Temper (magic): You have quick reactions and fierce concentration. You gain a +1 trait bonus on concentration and initiative checks.
Oathbound (faith): You have made a solemn oath, and you pursue that oath with headstrong determination. Once per day, you may reroll a saving throw against a charm or compulsion effect. You must take the second result even if it is worse.
Detailed Feats:
Power Attack: (Prereq: Str 13, BAB +1)
Benefit: You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls. This bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.
Cleave: (Prereq: Power Attack, Str 13, BAB +1)
Benefit: As a standard action, you can make a single attack at your full base attack bonus against a foe within reach. If you hit, you deal damage normally and can make an additional attack (using your full base attack bonus) against a foe that is adjacent to the first and also within reach. You can only make one additional attack per round with this feat. When you use this feat, you take a –2 penalty to your Armor Class until your next turn.
Background:
In her youth, Kasani found her place and her station. She drew comfort from her daily routines, stability from her lessons, and happiness from her family, even though she was nagaji and those in her adoptive village were not. Life was peaceable and ordered. It was a life Kasani enjoyed.
Some years after her adolesence, as her parents grew gray as she grew strong, Kasani ventured out with a merchant caravan after the rainy season had come to an end. She was a solid fighter, versed in several weapons with the discipline and wisdom to know when to keep them sheathed. During their travels, Kasani and the others came across a terrible sight.
The village which they'd intended to first stop at had been devastated, its people slaughtered with only a few broken survivors left behind. One such man, his head wrapped in a bloodied bandage, fell away at the sight of young Kasani as he cursed her for coming back to finish what her kind had wrought. The man's reaction shook Kasani, but as she and the others helped those they found, a clearer picture began to form.
An aghasura had laid waste to the village, tempting its simple folk in close with its serpentine dance before lashing out with hungry blades and wicked fangs. Kasani trembled at the thought of it, angered that she might be associated with such calamity for the ophidian heritage she and the dark asura seemed to share.
After helping the survivors and taking those wounded with them who would not survive on their own, Kasani served out the remainder of her duty to the caravan and her village, escorting the people to and fro until at last their journey was done and they'd come home to her village once more. A week later, Kasani bid her parents farewell and broke what ties and bonds of duty she had to her home. A new duty had presented itself to her, and Kasani could not resist its call.
The village was proud of their brave warrior and blessed Kasani with a sacred gift as she departed. Known for the mystical horses bred in their valley, her adoptive home gifted her with the finest of the herd, a gentle but flighty mare Kasani dubbed Zefā.
Together, the two set out alone to hunt down any asura they might find and to render what aid they might along the way.
Personality/Mannerisms:
Kasani is an earnest and respectful woman, driven and focused on her over arching goals, but patient and kind. While she makes it a point to be respectful and to honor custom and ceremony wherever she might be, she's also willing to subvert social mores and station if it means helping someone in need. While she isn't one to dole out food to the hungry or coins to the destitute, she will step in and intercede on behalf of those who are threatened or in danger.
Most find that Kasani has a smooth and sultry voice, though many find her unblinking gaze due to her lidless eyes unsettling. And while she is able to weave magics into her voice and gaze to capture the hearts of man and beast alike, she prefers to avoid its use against intelligent people as best she can, leaning on it only if it will avert bloodshed.
Future Developments:
Kasani will likely follow a more martial path and pick up levels in samurai over focusing on her sorcerous abilities. Her feat selections will gravitate toward honing her use of the naginata.
