magicalme1's page

We are thinking of playing a pretty powerful cavalier/magus teamwork combo and we both have a fair bit of experience with roleplaying and the pathfinder system in general.

Looking for any games with an hours drive so northern Atlanta and Athens are A-OK. Sunday afternoons are when we are both free. We plan on playing a pretty powerful cavalier/magus teamwork based combo.

I played a dragon disciple in a fairly long campaign and got up to about lvl 16. I went sorc1/two handed fighter5/dd10
When you have 30-40 str the bonus damage from two-handed fighter becomes pretty great and if you learn primarily buff spells you can access some really great things two handed fighters can't normally get like a +4 shield bonus and mirror images, not to mention easy access to the basics like enlarge person. If I had buff time I just cast in my full plate regardless of the failure chance.
My feats were standard two handed fair like power attack, furious focus, weapon focus, etc. honestly though two handed fighting is not feat intensive and you might be best off asking your teamates if they would like to mix it up with some teamwork feats. if not you might consider arcane armor training or you could switch it up and focus on feats to use while you are in form of the dragon. My group is A-ok with monk-esque dragons but your milage may vary. I also bought all the AC increasing feats I could get my hands on like ironhide (you get scales so you should qualify)

Why not just an orc or half-ogre or any of the other strong but stupid monsters?

If I were to make a fighter who maxes out UMD would there be any way he could cast from a wand without completely dropping his greatsword? Is there any rules precedent for simply holding a 2-handed weapon in one hand but not being able to wield it?

I think I'm about to enter a party without anybody playing a support class so I was thinking about taking a 1 level dip into sorcerer.

1:Can I cast a spell from a wand if my charisma is below 11?

2:Can I go into dragon disciple if my charisma is below 11?
requirements: Spellcasting: Ability to cast 1st-level arcane spells without preparation. If the character has sorcerer levels, he must have the draconic bloodline. If the character gains levels of sorcerer after taking this class, he must take the draconic bloodline.

3: Is there an easy low level way to get use magic device up to about 16-20 to just use a wand?

Say I have a level 15 caster who is using the words of power magic rules. If i use the target word "selected" and boost it while using an energy damage spell can I hit the same target 15 times like some kind of magic minigun or do I need 15 different targets? It seems odd but i guess this is how one creates a scorching ray type effect?
It would certainly give more value to taking improved critical ray.

It's awesome I managed to get a James Jacob post in here and I'm pretty happy with the ruling, I didn't actually WANT to break anything as the difficulty in breaking it is definitely a selling point over 3.5.

Guess I'll get used to casting scorching ray lol.

You're a level 15 spellcaster spending a sixth-level and a second-level spell each round against seven flat-footed opponents to get 2d4 + 14d6 damage to each of them. This is not impressive.

I don't see why each missile couldn't target the same creature.

Magic Missile

School evocation [force]; Level sorcerer/wizard 1

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)

Targets up to five creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 ft. apart

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes

A missile of magical energy darts forth from your fingertip and strikes its target, dealing 1d4+1 points of force damage.

The missile strikes unerringly, even if the target is in melee combat, so long as it has less than total cover or total concealment. Specific parts of a creature can't be singled out. Objects are not damaged by the spell.

For every two caster levels beyond 1st, you gain an additional missile - two at 3rd level, three at 5th, four at 7th, and the maximum of five missiles at 9th level or higher. If you shoot multiple missiles, you can have them strike a single creature or several creatures. A single missile can strike only one creature. You must designate targets before you check for spell resistance or roll damage.

I'd say the SA applies once per spell, not once per missile.

that would be a very odd ruling if the caster targeted different targets for each missile.

Surprise Spells

At 10th level, an arcane trickster can add her sneak attack damage to any spell that deals damage, if the targets are flat-footed. This additional damage only applies to spells that deal hit point damage, and the additional damage is of the same type as the spell. If the spell allows a saving throw to negate or halve the damage, it also negates or halves the sneak attack damage.

Normally one would think to apply this too higher level AOE spells but if you apply it to a quickened intensified magic missile things get pretty crazy. In a past thread I created everyone agreed that an intensified magic missile probably allows the caster to create two more magic missiles than the regular version. So since surprise spells gets around the restriction that only spells that require attack rolls can get sneak attack damage we can get in about 14 attacks per round that cannot miss. So assuming our target has no spell resistance or that we pass every spell penetration check a 1oth level arcane trickster can very easily deal 14d4 + 98d6 force damage. I'm not aware of anything that can top that.

I agree that magic missile would not get sneak attack but I"m still not sure what to do abut scorching ray. Would one ray do way more damage than the others?

How does intensify spell effect spells with multiple rays or missiles? I think in the case of magic missile it would simple shoot 5 more missiles but what about searing ray?
Would an arcane trickster get sneak attack on each new magic missile? That would be quite nice in the middle levels.

Intensified Spell (Metamagic)

Your spells can go beyond several normal limitations.

Benefit: An intensified spell increases the maximum number of damage dice by 5 levels. You must actually have sufficient caster levels to surpass the maximum in order to benefit from this feat. No other variables of the spell are affected, and spells that inflict damage that is not modified by caster level are not affected by this feat.

Level Increase: +1 (an intensified spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level.)

I know that people can pay to have their items upgraded in town for the difference of the price of the two items such that a player with a +1 amulet of natural armor can have it upgraded to +2 for 6000 gold but what if that same character takes the item creation feat? After buying the +1 version? does he use the price of the item or the cost of the item to determine how he upgrades it?

If they use price it costs 2000 gold to bring an item from the price of a +1 to the cost of a +2
if they use the cost it takes 3000 gold to bring the cost of a +1 to the cost of a +2.

just make sure your party will let you scout ahead and get in that sweet death attack before busting down the door.

+2 damage for a feat seems pretty weak at any level. I'm using a two handed weapon fighter and already doing 2d6+10 with a power attack, I'm not sure this or greater weapon specialization are worth it.

What if someone were using poison an alchemist had concentrated for the +2 to DC and 50% extra to duration and hit someone twice? The impact of the initial hit is clear enough but the second hit is like two additional doses, should it increase the DC by 4?

magicalme1 wrote:

then there is Backswing (Ex): At 7th level, when a two-handed

fighter makes a full attack with a two-handed weapon,
he adds double his Strength bonus on damage rolls for
all attacks after the first. This ability replaces armor
training 2.
I'm mostly just posting this one for anyone who hasn't read the APG and thinks that overhand chop is something you can only have if you only swing once.

It's either/or.

You only get Overhand Chop when you make a single attack, using an attack action or a charge. If you make more than a single attack, you don't get it. You don't get it when making multiple attacks, and you also don't get it on AoOs.

You only get Backswing when you make multiple attacks with the full attack action, on attacks after your first. If you don't make multiple attacks, you don't get it, because it doesn't apply to the first attack you make. This normally means you're only getting a better damage bonus (again, x2 STR instead of x1.5 STR, not (x2) x (x1.5) x STR), on your iterative attacks, which are less likely to hit anyway.

Thanks for pointing out the either or bit, I totally missed that.

magicalme1 wrote:

does steal do anything disarm didn't already do?

Yes, you get the actual item.

Think: Ready to "steal" if an opponent pulls out a potion. Opponent pulls out potion of Cure Light Wounds..... You just got a free CLW potion if you make the check :P

But I think disarm already did that, you just need a hand open to take it or it falls to the floor right?

magicalme1 wrote:

I"m in a low level campaign right now and the two handed weapon fighter variant just seems obscenely powerful. 1.5 str to damage was already the main allure of fighting with a big weapon, should he really be allowed to have double that?

Overhand Chop (Ex): At 3rd level, when a two-handed
fighter makes a single attack (with the attack action or a
charge) with a two-handed weapon, he adds double his
Strength bonus on damage rolls. This ability replaces
armor training 1.

Lets say our fighter has a str mod of +6 so he is normally dealing 2d6+9 on a hit. that average to 15 damage a swing. using overhand chop he gets +18 damage just from his str mod.
Losing out on armor training hurts a little bit but it isn't really a huge deal until higher levels when he misses out on being able to move full speed in heavy armor. Really it just lets dex be a dump stat. though they may still want 12-13 for the dodge feat.

then there is Backswing (Ex): At 7th level, when a two-handed
fighter makes a full attack with a two-handed weapon,
he adds double his Strength bonus on damage rolls for
all attacks after the first. This ability replaces armor
training 2.
I'm mostly just posting this one for anyone who hasn't read the APG and thinks that overhand chop is something you can only have if you only swing once.

Just to clear this up a bit, it says "adds double his strength bonus," indicating that he gets the missing .5, not double of the 1.5. So your example'a damage would go from the 2d6+9 to 2d6+12.

ah, thanks for clearing that up, it seems much more reasonable now.

Well Two weapon fighters have the ability to add twice their strength bonus with double slice? Why is it a problem to add this to a 2handed fighter? I honestly would have prefered it come back as a feat and not as a replacement for armor training. As it is a 2handed fighter has very few feats that add to that after power attack. Where as 2weapon fighters and sword and board fighters have lots of feats to take.

Double Slice (Combat)

Your off-hand weapon while dual-wielding strikes with greater power.

Prerequisite: Dex 15, Two-Weapon Fighting.

Benefit: Add your Strength bonus to damage rolls made with your off-hand weapon.

Normal: You normally add only half of your Strength modifier to damage rolls made with a weapon wielded in your off-hand.

I don't think that feat does what you think it does.
Also two handed weapon fighters get a few new feats as well.

does steal do anything disarm didn't already do?

why would anyone take: Sharp Senses the feat when it just replaces keen senses and turns your +2 to perception into a +4? skill focus perception and alertness are strictly better.

Also does a two weapon fighter using a one handed weapon in his off hand get no benefit from perfect balance?

Improved Balance (Ex): At 11th level, the attack penalties
for fighting with two weapons are reduced by –1 for a twoweapon
warrior. Alternatively, he may use a one-handed
weapon in his off-hand, treating it as if it were a light
weapon with the normal light weapon penalties. This
ability replaces armor training 3.

Perfect Balance (Ex): At 15th level, the penalties for
fighting with two weapons are reduced by an additional –1
for a two-weapon warrior. This benefit stacks with improved
balance. If he is using a one-handed weapon in his off hand,
treating it as a light weapon, he uses the normal light
weapon penalties. This ability replaces armor training 4.

I"m in a low level campaign right now and the two handed weapon fighter variant just seems obscenely powerful. 1.5 str to damage was already the main allure of fighting with a big weapon, should he really be allowed to have double that?

Overhand Chop (Ex): At 3rd level, when a two-handed
fighter makes a single attack (with the attack action or a
charge) with a two-handed weapon, he adds double his
Strength bonus on damage rolls. This ability replaces
armor training 1.

Lets say our fighter has a str mod of +6 so he is normally dealing 2d6+9 on a hit. that average to 15 damage a swing. using overhand chop he gets +18 damage just from his str mod.
Losing out on armor training hurts a little bit but it isn't really a huge deal until higher levels when he misses out on being able to move full speed in heavy armor. Really it just lets dex be a dump stat. though they may still want 12-13 for the dodge feat.

then there is Backswing (Ex): At 7th level, when a two-handed
fighter makes a full attack with a two-handed weapon,
he adds double his Strength bonus on damage rolls for
all attacks after the first. This ability replaces armor
training 2.
I'm mostly just posting this one for anyone who hasn't read the APG and thinks that overhand chop is something you can only have if you only swing once.