ptlans's page

Does anyone know of a good way for a PC to be a mad-scientist, monster creator?

The following are not options due to GM banning or just causing too much arguing:
Simulacrum
Alchemical Simulacrum
Trompe L'oeil

This might just leave me with craft construct, craft poppet and grow plant creature but I'm hoping there are more options.

Can a simulacrum of say, a vampire, create spawn?

I am aware that simulacrum per the spell cannot be healed save with a laboratory. They have half the HD and the stats/abilities appropriate to that HD. However things like wish SLAs, spawn creation and many other very powerful abilities are not touched on.

The alchemical simulacrum is stated to be a creature, not a supernatural affect. It isn't an illusion. Is it an untyped creature? Is it a construct? Is it the same creature type as the one the simulacrum is based off of?

It's not a creature. it's a blob of meat that is no longer able to support its own weight so it collapses into a mess on the floor.

Enjoy the BBQ

Interesting way to produce cheap meat and or fertilizer. Still if it is meat, there is no such thing as "generic" meat. All meat comes from a living thing. Though I suppose you could just say that this flesh is made up of unique "stone flesh."

Inert flesh means it's like a sculpture made of meat rather than an actual body IMO. Whether that meat is more like beef or pork or chicken isn't really covered anywhere.

Sorry, I had meant what does the flesh or meat of the statue count as. As in what creature. I figured it wouldn't be covered but stranger things have been commented on by the devs and I was wondering if any of them had in the past or if there was any consensus on the forums or just interesting ideas to determine the flesh's origin.

If a statue is targeted with this spell it turns into "inert flesh." How do you determine what this flesh is? GM fiat? Roll on the reincarnation table to determine its race? Is it actually feasible to use polymorph any object to create life using a fleshed statute?

ptlans wrote:

If anyone can provide clarity (not opinions) on just what the Mystic Theurge actually provides, I would greatly appreciate it. Something official like a FAQ or Errata quote would be awesome.

This is a really passive-agressive way to start a thread where you're asking for help. Maybe think about your tone a little.

In the past I've received a lot of replies that are mostly opinion. It tends to cause pointless arguments that bog down the thread while providing nothing of substance. That said, I didn't mean to be passive aggressive but I see your point.

What does mystic theurge actually provide?

I was under the impression that it only gives you bonus caster levels to both divine and arcane classes as well as spell slots for those classes.

For example;
A wizard 3/cleric 3/Mystic Theurge 10 would have an effective caster level of 13 for both divine & arcane casting as well as 4 spell slots in both classes for spells 1st and 2nd level (plus modifiers).

One of my players insists that it gives access to higher level spell slots as though you were leveling in your original classes in addition to what was stated above. So a cleric3/wizard3/Mystic Theurge10 would have access to 7th level spells.

In its description it doesn't say that you gain access to higher level spells, only spellslots and/or spells known if you're a spontaneous caster. If anyone can provide clarity on just what the Mystic Theurge actually provides, I would greatly appreciate it. Something official like a FAQ or Errata quote would be awesome.

A Barghest is listed as having the Feed (Su) ability

Does it lose this ability once it becomes a Greater Barghest?

Also I've been told Barghests eat souls but it isn't mentioned in the Bestiary.

The Divine Paragon, Cleric archetype, allows you to take boons but which ones specifically?

For example
Any category of boon in progression 1,2,3
1st boon of any category at 5th
2nd boon of any category at 11th
3rd boon of any category at 14th

Or progression style like below
1st boon of evangelist at 5th
1st boon of exalted at 11th
2nd boon of evangelist at 14
You have to take the first boon in a specific group to get the second of the same group and so on.

Or do you pick one specific category of boons (evangelist/exalted/sentinel) and you may only select from the one you have chosen?

An official ruling would be great but I'll take any advice.

Do the creatures mentioned in the subject line actually take the -20 penalty to CMB checks if they only use their mouths to make & maintain the grapple?

It makes no sense to me whatsoever that a croc or t-rex would have a tough time holding onto something with their jaws. Most creatures with only a bite attack or no limbs (snakes) have some kind of feature, typically strong jaws and or teeth that are angled inward, that allow them to hold onto their prey.

Is there some kind of exception for creatures like this? Or do I have to go with it as a house-rule that certain creatures are exempt from the -20 penalty while using grab with only one body part?

Why is there no fire cantrip that causes damage directly like jolt/acid splash/Ray of Frost?

Blood Money IMO was banned in PFS as it violated the Wealth by Level charts(WBL) especially over 9th level. In a game where balance is defined as everyone has to pay for everything, free stuff is an issue.

I don't know about home games.

I'm not sure that it is [evil] to trade a PC's ability score damage for material component costs. It would be evil to trade somebody else's ability scores (against their desires) for component costs.

You could modify Death Knell to provide X GP value per Hit Die, for Whom the Gold Tolls?

With regards to it being evil, I was referring to a pc forcing an npc to sacrifice ability damage via possession in place of the pc.

Modifying death knell seems appropriate, provided the gp value per HD is low enough to not be overpowered.

The normal approach involves a possession target soaking up the STR damage.

That's pretty clever albeit definitely an evil act.

The spell blood money will let you do this with strength damage. And is widely banned &/or abused. YMMV.

Now that I've read it I don't see why it would be banned. That ability damage isn't temporary. Restoration isn't cheap and healing that damage would takes days.

Is there a way to take ability damage in place of spell components?

For example taking -1 CON damage to cast Animate dead without having an onyx gem of appropriate value.

I've read discussions about it elsewhere online but I haven't found any sources for this third-party or otherwise.

I'm running a game for my pathfinder group and I'm hoping for them to stumble upon a large sized rail gun with only a few rounds of ammunition. They might be able to use this against a very powerful enemy later.

The problem is I'm uncertain what the damage dice for a large sized rail gun would be.

Medium sized is 3d10

The feat says that it gives you two additional "boons"
What are these boons?

Inspirational Commander
Source Quests and Campaigns pg. 27

Is it possible to animate vermin as undead?