sanguine's page

Do I need to get Feral Combat training to use Snake Style while in Wildshape?

FCT seems to suggest that you only need it in order to be able to apply the effects of style feats to my Natural weapon attacks (Which would be the 'Can do piercing damage' part of Snake Style).

The main body of the feat doesn't affect my attacks, as it's a defensive style, so it would seem it works, provided I fulfil the Prerequisites of the feat (Improved Unarmed Strike, Acrobatics 1 Rank, Sense Motive 3 Ranks).

Anyone know for certain?

Just wondering, as I might be playing a Monster PC Campaign in the near future and I wanted to play a Barghest pretending to be a Goblin.

I'm not sure if the GM will decide simply to use the base ability scores for the monsters or to use Rolls + Racial Ability Score adjustments, but if he does go with the rolls + adjustments, how do I figure out the adjustments for a standard Barghest?

Do I take 10 away from the even scores and 11 away from the odd scores or ?

Why not just take Clustered Shots instead? Makes all your shots count as 1 hit (Means you get any bonus damage from each shot added - Unlike Vital Strike), means that DR only comes off once AND the combined total is used for Daeth from Massive Damage (If you're using that rule)...

But it brings to mind an additional question: Could the character in question move five feet away, and avoid the Step Up? Moving 5 feet is not always the same thing as a five-foot step. In difficult terrain, this would certainly be the case. But what about in normal terrain? Step Up only triggers on a five-foot step. What I'd then be unsure about is being able to declare "I'm moving 5 feet" vs. "I'm taking a five-foot step." Generally, the five-foot step is more beneficial to the person moving, but in this case, it isn't.

In most cases, moving 5 foot instead of taking a 5 foot step will provoke an AoO anyway...

If you don't have spell focus for the school of the newly chosen spell, the feat should become inactive as it does not meet the prerequisites for the feat.

Basically, you check whether you meet the feat's prerequisites when you try to use the feat. You don't meet them? Then no feat for you!

Should you pick up Spell focus for the spell's school at a later date, the feat should become active once again.

Yeah, I'm kinda surprised the others haven't carved him to chutney, tbh - Color Spray, then Charm Person? If it was a monster they'd be carving him a new one, things shouldn't change just because they know it's a PC.

You might also check he could stay invisible that long - Invisibility only lasts 1 minute/level...

The only thing I think needs explaining is the last part I've bolded.

As it is the 'Eidolon' Summoner class ability that summons the eidolon as a separate creature and a Synthesist does not get that ability you do not gain it's base saves.

At no point does the RAW say you gain the Eidolon's base saves, therefore you do not gain the eidolon's base saves.

Fused Eidolon: A synthesist summons the essence of a powerful outsider to meld with his own being. Instead of appearing as a separate creature next to the summoner, the eidolon appears around the synthesist, so that the synthesist seems to be inside a translucent image of his eidolon. The synthesist directs all of the eidolon's actions while fused, perceives through its senses, and speaks through its voice, as the two are now one creature.

While fused with his eidolon, the synthesist uses the eidolon's physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), but retains his own mental ability scores (Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma). The synthesist gains the eidolon's hit points as temporary hit points. When these hit points reach 0, the eidolon is sent back to its home plane. The synthesist uses the eidolon's base attack bonus, and gains the eidolon's armor and natural armor bonuses and modifiers to ability scores. The synthesist also gains access to the eidolon's special abilities and the eidolon's evolutions. The synthesist is still limited to the eidolon's maximum number of natural attacks. The eidolon has no skills or feats of its own. The eidolon must be at least the same size as the synthesist.

While fused, the synthesist counts as both his original type and as an outsider for any effect related to type, whichever is worse for the synthesist. Spells such as banishment or dismissal work normally on the eidolon, but the synthesist is unaffected. Neither the synthesist nor his eidolon can be targeted separately, as they are fused into one creature. The synthesist and eidolon cannot take separate actions. While fused with his eidolon, the synthesist can use all of his own abilities and gear. In all other cases, this ability functions as the summoner's normal eidolon ability (for example, the synthesist cannot use his summon monster ability while the eidolon is present). This ability replaces the class's eidolon ability, bond senses, and life bond.

The Relevant points are in bold.

AFAIK, you use your base saves.

You add your Modifiers.

(Remember that you gain the Eidolon's Str/Dex/Con Scores, so you effectively gain their Modifier on Fort and Reflex saves and your normal Wisdom modifier on Will saves.)

You don't use the Eidolon's Saves or it's ability modifiers.

Multiclassed synthesists are in serious danger of sucking in combat as by RAW the fused synthesist uses the eidolon's BAB, not their own.

That got FAQ'd to work the same way as Monk FoB, ie you still add the BAB from other classes as normal.

Hmm, from what I am reading unless I have something confused that is a no-go...

if you use an oversized weapon it counts as a step up on the one-handed/twohanded etc scale.. and you aren't allowed to use it if it would make it anything other than light, 1h, or 2h....
So no oversized 2 handers, and no undersized light weapons, basically.
You could do a gargantuan 1hander or a colossal light weapon though.

As it's not a PFS campaign I'll be using the RAI Titan Mauler Rules from Jason Nelson: http://paizo.com/forums/dmtz4qa7?Titan-Mauler-what-can-and-cant-it-wield#3

This is a freaking awesome concept... I am going to have to steal it :)

Yeah, it's in no way an optimised build - I think I'd piss the group off if I optimised and facerolled the campaign.

I just wanted to have a huge character running around with a colossal weapon for a giggle.

Let me know how it turns out?

Yeah, I wouldn't be going higher than 15/16 Charisma, as I'd be taking 6 levels of RAI Titan Mauler for a non-optimised local non-PFS campaign.

Thinking Colossal Scythe on a Huge Biped Synthesist ;)

/sigh.

No, the +10 FC is not added to the Temp HP from the Eidolon, because I've not included that calculation in any of my posts because it's IRRELEVANT to the discussion...

RAW the Synthesist uses the Eidolon's Con score to determine his HP's when fused. This is HIS HP's, not the Temp HP's from the Eidolon itself.

If it makes you feel any better, I'll do the full blurb.

Summoner's HP, not fused, Con 10: 8hp (Max HP from 1st Level Summoner at d8) + 9*5=45hp (Averaged from 9 Levels of Summoner at d8) + 0 hp (From Con score of 10) + 10hp (From 10 levels of Favoured Class Bonus) = 63hp.

Summoner's HP, Fused, Con 21 (From Eidolon's Con Score): 8hp (Max HP from 1st Level Summoner at d8) + 9*5=45hp (Averaged from 9 Levels of Summoner at d8) + 50 hp (From 10 Levels of Con score of 21) + 10hp (From 10 levels of Favoured Class Bonus) = 113hp.

Eidolon's Temp HP, Fused, Con 21: 8*6=48hp (Averaged from 8 HD of Eidolon - 10th Level Summoner, remember? - at d10) + 50 hp (From 10 Levels of Con score of 21) = 98hp.

As I said, the Temp HP from the Eidolon part of the Synthesis does NOT come into the equation of how much REAL HP the Summoner has AT ANY TIME...

How am I double dipping on HP from Favoured Class? a 10th Level Character would have 10 hp from Favoured Class if they took hp every level. The only thing that changes between the two examples is the 50 hp from the increase in Con due to being fused.

Unless I'm missing something from

Whenever a character gains a level in his favored class, he receives either + 1 hit point or + 1 skill rank.

While fused with his eidolon, the synthesist uses the eidolon's physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), but retains his own mental ability scores (Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma). The synthesist gains the eidolon's hit points as temporary hit points. When these hit points reach 0, the eidolon is sent back to its home plane.

gains the eidolon's armor and natural armor bonuses and modifiers to ability scores.

I've bolded the parts I'm looking at - I can wrap my head around most of the issues with the Synthesist, but I'd like people's view on this particular point.

10th Summoner with Con 10, Huge Eidolon with Con 21 (13 Con base, +8 for Huge).

Assume that the summoner has a base hp of 8+(9*5)+0 from Con+10 Favoured Class = 63 hp when not fused and a base hp of 8+(9*5)+50 from 21 Con+10 Favoured = 113 hp when fused (Because he uses the Eidolon's adjusted Con while fused).

Does this mean that if (through using Fused Link to prevent damage) he brings his own hp below 40 hp at any time should the eidolon be banished/dismissed/sent back to it's own plane somehow, he instantly dies as the loss of the increased Con score from the Eidolon drops his hp to a negative score higher than his base Con?

There's some great open design feats for big E to use a single enormous weapon that's just hilariously hard hitting, but that's all I see in an optimized build for weapon using big E's really.

Any Suggestions? I'm contemplating a silly RAI Titan Mauler/Huge Evolved Synthesist character if my current character dies in my local game (Thinking of going Titan Mauler 6th to use a Colossal Heavy Pick on a Huge Evolved Fused Eidolon for Crit goodness).

Basically quicken spell is a useless feat for a spell caster until level 9.

Technically, Quicken spell can be used as early as Lvl 5, with Magical Lineage - you have to choose a cantrip or Orison for the trait, so it'll suck, but it's doable.

1) & 2) It's a bit ambiguously worded. The reference to if the weapon is destroyed could be read as 'whilst it is enhanced by Divine Bond' or it could be read as you choose a weapon for this ability as the line about if it is destroyed says you can't use it for 30 days after it is destroyed. I would go with explanation no.2 - you could a specific weapon when you gain the ability and that's the only weapon the ability works with.

3) It stacks with the Enhancement.

"For every three levels beyond 5th, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +6 at 20th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon bonuses to a maximum of +5, or they can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: axiomatic, brilliant energy, defending, disruption, flaming, flaming burst, holy, keen, merciful, and speed. Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property's cost (see Table: Melee Weapon Special Abilities). These bonuses are added to any properties the weapon already has, but duplicate abilities do not stack."

I've bolded the relevant parts.

On another note - would it work with Spell Resistance tests?

Only if they're inside the 40' radius burst... Which can be cast as far as 80' away...

Remember it is:

a 9th Level Spell - they're all pretty powerful.

all the targets need to be within a 40' radius spread - you won't run into many situations where that many things are that close together.

only close range normally - which means a range of 80' at CL22.

a Fort Save Negates the damage completely - most similar spells normally still cause some damage even on a successful save.

On another note, would Thanatopic Spell allow Harm to affect Undead?

RAW seems to suggest that Thanatopic spell only works on things that do death effects/Negative Levels, etc rather than straight up damage.

Yes, but he's not looking to save (Cure, not Cause) - it's a way to get an infinite cast Cure spell. Are you allowed to put a beneficial spell into a trapped item?

Can you use Spell Perfection & Preferred spell to add 2 MetaMagic feats to a spell? Normally you can only add one, as far as I can tell.

I'm a Dwarf Cleric that wasn't to specialise in the Harm spell.

I'm currently going Spell Focus/Gtr Focus (Necromancy), Spell Pen/Gtr Pen (Necromancy), Reach/Heighten/Persistent Spell Metamagics & Spell Perfection (Harm), allowing me to either boost the range on my Harm or the DC or force any successful saves to be rerolled.

Would adding Preferred Spell (Harm) allow me to add one metamagic feat for Perfection and one for preferred? For example, use Preferred/Reach to boost the Harm to a close range spell as a 7th level slot, then use Perfection/Persistent to force saves to be rerolled (The spell being effectively 9th level and legal according to Spell Perfection's wording)?

I'd probably still take it anyway in order to allow me to cast more Harms using the higher level slots, but was wondering.