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...Sacred Summons, a feat from Ultimate Magic, says “…summon creatures whose alignment subtype or subtypes exactly match your aura…”.Wouldn't the varioius celestial/fiendish/etc. creatures count though to round out the summoning options? Alas, apparently not. Celestial/fiendish doesn't grant an alignment subtype (subtype = null). If it worked that way it would apply to almost everything summoned (probably not RAI). Q: Any chance the CREATIVE team will update the Summoning lists with creatures from the other Bestiaries? Cooler still, Tome of Horrors (Complete and Part 4)?
James, this is not a rule question – it’s a creative question :-) Sacred Summons, a feat from Ultimate Magic, says “…summon creatures whose alignment subtype or subtypes exactly match your aura…”. Looking at the breakdown the only possibilities (by aura) are:
Questions from a CREATIVE PERSPECTIVE: 1) Why are only Good and Evil clerics effectively able to take this feat?
James, hope you had a great Thanksgiving! The Core Cleric has a sentence in the description “While the vast majority of clerics revere a specific deity, a small number dedicate themselves to a divine concept worthy of devotion — such as battle, death, justice, or knowledge — free of a deific abstraction. (Work with your GM if you prefer this path to selecting a specific deity.)” Pathfinder has several examples: - Diabolism
Q: Was the sentence from the cleric class 1) a holdover from 3.5 (missed in editing); 2) a rules decision; 3) a creative decision; 4) a mistake; 5) other (please explain)? Q: Is the answer to "Can a cleric have a divine concept instead of an actual deity?" different when asked from a creative perspective as opposed to a rules perspective? Q: Are divine concepts limited to those published by Paizo or can a PC design a concept (with GM approval)?
What about the Fate Inquisition instead of a domain? Granted Powers: Augury (Sp): Once per day, you can use augury as a spell-like ability. Agent of Fate (Su): At 8th level, when you use your augury spell-like ability, you gain a benefit that lasts until the end of your next combat. If the result was “weal,” all curing effects used on you cure an additional +1d10 hit points. If the result was “woe,” your melee attacks deal an additional +1d6 points of damage. If the result is “weal and woe” or “nothing,” you gain a +2 insight bonus to your Armor Class.
James, no snarkiness intended... I thought I'd recently read that a tiefling has fiendish blood that's been inherited but if one of his parents were a fiend that would make him a half fiend by definition. The logic goes that a tiefling has trace amounts of fiendish blood that can surface even generations later but a half fiend literally has 1/2 of the blood from each parent. Q: Does that modify your response or is your response still good? (and I apologize if this sounded impertinent - it's late :-) )
James what would be a good horror movie to watch right now?...are the two best horror movies I've seen this year so far... Q: What about this En attendant Partage Un max?
Q: Why doesn't the Blindness condition modify Reflex saving throws? It modifies many other Dexterity based attributes (skill checks, AC, etc.) For example, a blinded character has just as much chance as the non-blinded version of the character when a fireball is lobbed at him - even though he doesn't see the fireball coming.
if you have other feats which allow you to apply a set numerical bonus to any aspect of this spell Just my two cents: I'd think the Additional Traits feat doesn't meet the criteria. It is an "other feat" but it does not "allow you to apply a set numerical bonus to any aspect of this spell". The traits it provides might do something but traits do not impact Spell Perfection (regardless of how the trait was acquired). BTW - does anybody know how many FAQ candidate requests you need for a Developer to weigh in? We have 31 total :-)
Added:
Please mark the original post as a if you’d like to see a developer clarify Spell Perfection.
Check:
A check is a d20 roll which may or may not be modified by another value. The most common types are attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws. Editor’s Note: Includes: To Hit (TH), Caster Level check (CL Check). Does not include: Damage (DAM), Difficulty Class (DC) Difficulty Class (DC):
Whenever a creature attempts to perform an action whose success is not guaranteed, he must make some sort of check (usually a skill check). The result of that check must meet or exceed the Difficulty Class of the action that the creature is attempting to perform in order for the action to be successful. Editor’s Note: DC is not a Check but Spell Perfection allows modification to DC with the Spell Focus feat. That implies DC is a Statistical Score. Feat:
A feat is an ability a creature has mastered. Feats often allow creatures to circumvent rules or restrictions. Creatures receive a number of feats based off their Hit Dice, but some classes and other abilities grant bonus feats. Editor’s Note: no distinction between “regular” feats, metamagic, combat or mythic… Level:
A character's level represents his overall ability and power. There are three types of levels. Class level is the number of levels of a specific class possessed by a character. Character level is the sum of all of the levels possessed by a character in all of his classes. In addition, spells have a level associated with them numbered from 0 to 9. This level indicates the general power of the spell. As a spellcaster gains levels, he learns to cast spells of a higher level. Editor’s Note: is Level a statistical score? There are three defined: Class Levels, Character Levels and Spell Levels. Caster Level equates to Class Level (is it the same)? Statistical Score:
Definition of “Statistical Score” is key to understanding the nuances of Spell Perfection RAW/RAI. I’ll start a separate thread... Thanks Pupsocket, Calth, kinevon, Onyxlion, Bandw2, Archaeik, andreww, Ravingdork, Franko a, Aelryinth, Berti Blackfoot and Scavion for weighing in on the subject! […and the 26 folks that have marked it as a FAQ candidate!!!]
Oh Gods - I hadn't considered Mythic feats... I've got the book but no experience with the rules set. I'll add what I can figure out and leave it to the other posters to help.
The quoted comment refers to Jason Bulmahn's past comments on using Heighten with Spell Perfection: DEV Comment #1: 12/13/2010
DEV Comment #2:
12/13/2010
My goal isn't to argue the PROs / CONs of a specific viewpoint; it is to have a Developer FAQ Spell Perfection and clarify RAW / RAI. I was making an observation that the Developer comments we have are that the two "may not work together in any way".
James, no question - just a . Thank you for listening, thank you for sharing insights to the inner workings, thank you for taking the time to answer questions, thank you for being so nice with your answers :-) You're the most accessible of the Paizo giants - that's why you get asked things that aren't really in your realm. for being here for us!
Incorporated feedback/observations – especially WRT the definition of BONUS. Please continue to mark the original post as a FAQ candidate if you’d like to see a developer clarify Spell Perfection. Bonus:
Bonuses are numerical values that are . Most Bonuses have a type, and as a general rule, Bonuses of the same type are not cumulative (do not “stack”) — only the greater Bonus granted applies.
A set numerical bonus is a +x to some aspect of the spell where X is an integer. That's one way to read it. Mathematically, x2 is also a set numerical bonus. If a developer would clarify if this is addition only (versus addition/multiplication) that would help. At first glance, you would thing Intesified Spell would work, but the bonus is not actually set, its a range of 1-5 depending on your level, so spell perfection doesnt apply. I disagree. +5 is a "set numerical bonus" - even if you can't fully use it. Piercing Spell doesnt apply because it is a penalty on the target rather than a bonus to the caster. I see your point - and it's been presented multiple times in other threads. This is where "any aspect of this spell" has to be clarified. Piercing Spell changes an aspect of the spell, expressed in terms of the target's SR. (Or, at least that's one way to look at it without a Developer clarification.)
I think Jason Bulmahn's past comments indicate Heighten can't be used for the free metamagic feat but it should still be able to be applied (at cost) to the spell. In that case it would be a set numerical bonus (i.e., +X DC) - wouldn't it? I think you're correct on the doubling rules (my bad).
Just registered to ask a question on Spell Perfection and various feats.These are questions you should bring to the rules boards so that folks can hit the FAQ button. James, that's back from 2012 - and no enlightenment. I took your advice and posted on the Rules Questions thread tonight - SPELL PERFECTION *DEFINITIVE* FEAT LIST? Q: It's been four years folks have been looking for clarification. Is there anything you can do to help escalate? Even just mention in a staff meeting?
Q: What are the feats that will work with Spell Perfection? I've searched the boards and found snippets of insight but nary an official response from a developer. I'm hoping to collect all knowledge re: Spell Perfection in one thread... HISTORY:
Spell Perfection was introduced with the Advanced Player's Guide (APG) in August 2010. The APG was errata'ed once on 12/01/2010 - no errata was given for Spell Perfection. No reference exists in the various FAQs. Multiple threads exist trying to get clarification since 2010 but nothing official. For example:
These are questions you should bring to the rules boards so that folks can hit the FAQ button. The description says “if you have other feats which allow you to apply a set numerical bonus to any aspect of this spell (such as Spell Focus, Spell Penetration, Weapon Focus [ray], and so on), double the bonus granted by that feat when applied to this spell.” The uncertainty is with the definitions of: ● set
Can these terms be defined with respect to Spell Perfection? Q: What are the other feats that will work with Spell Perfection? From various threads it looks like the contenders are: FEATS:
● Augment Summoning: +4 → +8 STR/CON [Spell Perfection would only apply to one specific Summon Monster spell.] ● Bloodmage Initiate: +1 DC → +2 DC [same effect as Spell Focus, which is specifically mentioned as allowed] ● Elemental Focus: +1 → +2 DC [same effect as Spell Focus, which is specifically mentioned as allowed] ● Mage's (Varisian) Tattoo: +1 → +2 CL [similar effect as Spell Focus, which is specifically mentioned as allowed] ● Spell Focus: +1 DC → +2 DC [allowed] ● Spell Focus, Greater: +1 DC → +2 DC [lessor version allowed] ● Spell Penetration: +2 → +4 [allowed] ● Spell Penetration, Greater: +2 → +4 [lessor version allowed] ● Spell Specialization: +2 → +4 CL [similar effect as Spell Focus, which is specifically mentioned as allowed] ● Superior Summoning: +1 → +2 # of creatures ● Tenacious Transmutation: +2/+1 → +4 CL vs Dispel/+2 rounds Duration ● Weapon Focus (ray): +1 ATK → +2 ATK [ allowed] ● Weapon Focus, Greater [ray]: +1 ATK → +2 ATK [lessor version allowed] ● Weapon Specialization (ray): +2 → +4 DAM [similar effect as Weapon Focus, which is specifically mentioned as allowed] ● Weapon Specialization, Greater (ray): +2 → +4 DAM [similar effect as Weapon Focus, which is specifically mentioned as allowed] ● Witch Knife: +1 → +2 DC [same effect as Spell Focus, which is specifically mentioned as allowed] Metamagic: separated because of speculation they may not be allowed at all (except for the initial, free, metamagic): FEATS (METAMAGIC):
● Burning Spell: +x2 → +x4 spell LVL DAM ● Empower Spell: 50% → 100% DAM ● Enlarge Spell: x2 → x4 Range ● Extend Spell: x2 → x4 Duration ● Focused Spell: +2 → +4 DC vs one target ● Heighten Spell: +X → +2*X DC ● Intensified Spell: +5 → +10 LVL cap ● Piercing Spell: +5 → +10 SR ● Tenebrous Spell: +1 → +2 CL/DC ● Widen Spell: x2 → x4 Area DEV Comment #1: 12/13/2010
DEV Comment #2: 12/13/2010
FAQ: June 2013
The rules for crafting without magic are broken so badly they continue to cause grief in our weekly gaming group. It doesn't help that a 9th level Wizard can craft just about anything in under a minute using a Fabricate spell. Q: Any chance of seeing an updated crafting rules subset in Pathfinder Unchained or sometime relatively soon?
James - Is there any creative / design decision (not ethically or morally offensive) that could be forced upon Pathfinder by the powers that be that would make you resign? To borrow an example from another universe, a "Greedo shot first" type mandate. Or, no matter how creatively repugnant the decision might be, you'd say "you're the boss" and make the best of it?
James, the most frustrating aspect of Paizo is the slowness (or complete absence) of getting answers to rules questions. The old Dragon Sage Advice column was a favorite - the ability to ask a neutral third party with insight and rules knowledge. Q: Why can't this be resolved? Is it a monetary issue, philosophical viewpoint, territorial issue, conspiracy, other? I'm not trying to get you or anybody else in trouble - just trying to understand why a company I love won't do the obvious thing to make the fans happy...
Dear James - Pathfinder has been called "D&D 3.6", a honorary title indicating the strong roots of the OGL 3/3.5 rule set but with improvements. Some sub-systems - like magic item creation - didn't get as complete a workover from 3.5 as others. It seems they won't either without a new version of the rules. Do you think - someday - there will be a new edition of the Pathfinder rules? Would it be evolutionary (minor improvements to the existing rule set based on years of game play) or revolutionary (a big departure like D&D 4.0 / D&D 5.0)?
James - 1) Which deities wear underwear and which do not? 2) For the male deities, what is the ratio of boxers to briefs to thongs to commando? 3) What is the most common material used for underwear of the gods? 3)a) Do any of the gods have magic underwear? 3)a)a) If magic underwear exists, what varieties exist? 4) Do underwear colors match the deity's favorite colors or do they vary? 4)a) If they vary, are they generally white? 5) If there was a sub-race of gnomes that specifically existed to steal underwear, what would their stats be? Motivation? Nation(s) in Golarion they typically inhabit? 6) If I were going to play a gnome of this type, what type/color of underwear would I normally wear? 6)a) Would the color/type depend of class/alignment? If so, can you provide a matrix for all possible permutations? 7) Who created underwear and will that person/creature/deity be featured in an upcoming Bestiary/AP/other? 8) If somebody attempted to magically craft underwear for Rovagug, how many square yards of material would be required and what would the DC check be? 8)a) What skill would be required? 9) What color/type of underwear was Mayor Kendra Deverin wearing during the Swallowtail Festival at the beginning of Rise of the Runelords? 10) What color/type of underwear are you wearing right now? Follow-up Question: If annoying I apologize - in a roundabout way I was trying to be funny while working up to my real question. My perception of a significant percentage of questions on this thread takes the form of the above. I know it's "Ask James Jacobs ALL your Questions Here" but sometimes I wonder about the reasoning/purpose behind a question...
My real question: What kind of question (on this thread) annoys you and do you have any advice/guidance on "good" question etiquette? I already know you like to answer the questions yourself, and you don't like rules questions, but is that the exint of etiquette? And, truly, if this was annoying I apologize. I appreciate the time you take to answer our questions and I enjoy your responses (especially the tongue-in-cheek ones) greatly. Oh, and no need to answer questions #1-10 above.
...What you put on a board can reach across space AND time. It's possible to be offensive to someone in the distant future in this way because what you type today may not have the offensive connotations it has 100 years from now. ...so be mature about it when someone IS offended, offer an apology, and do your best to find out what it was you did to offend so you can remember that in the future and avoid it. Wow, James Jacobs - your wisdom transcends time and space. Good answer :-)
It's the person who gets offended that gets to decide if something is offensive, after all. If I'm offended by that statement then you're in the wrong and owe me an apology? I understand trying to avoid offending anyone but it seems like everything is offensive to somebody. Doesn't common sense come into play also? [If I've offended anybody by this post I apologize in advance :-)]
Q: What is the best response to “Have you stopped beating your wife?” Before you discount the question please understand that this is the basic form of a question posed by a bully to entrap a target into giving an answer that makes the target look/feel bad. Your opinion/guidance is greatly appreciated.
Right now Itchy's last post is most valid. he is working on converting it to This page now Absolutely awesome - thanks Itchy (and everybody else on this thread) for making this happen. I started A Lesson in Taxonomy based on these recommendations. Going to follow the order from here on out. |
