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Can a warpriest use his fervor ability to cast spells that have no targets? Here is the relevant text:

As a swift action, a warpriest can expend one use of this ability to cast any one warpriest spell he has prepared with a casting time of 1 round or shorter. When cast in this way, the spell can target only the warpriest, even if it could normally affect other or multiple targets. Spells cast in this way ignore somatic components and do not provoke attacks of opportunity. The warpriest does not need to have a free hand to cast a spell in this way.

Clearly this disallows casting hold person on an enemy or bull's strength on an ally. But what about spells that have no "target" entry but instead have an "effect"? For example:

• Can a warpriest use fervor to conjure an obscuring mist?
  
• Can a warpriest use fervor to cast a summon monster spell?
  
• Can a warpriest use fervor to cast flame strike on an area of his choice?
  

I'd like to throw hordes of rampaging baboons against the players in my current game. Looking over the rules, the swarm subtype doesn't allow Small creatures, but the troop subtype seems to fulfill a similar role.

Some of the mechanics here are inspired by gibberlings from the Forgotten Realms.

My biggest question is whether CR 8 seems appropriate. The hit points are a little high, but the AC and damage are low, and a baboon horde doesn't have any magical abilities.

Screeching Baboon Horde (CR 8)
XP 4,800
N Small animal (troop)
Init +6; Senses low-light vision; Perception +17

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+1 natural, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 size)
hp 121 (22d8+22)
Fort +16, Ref +17, Will +10
Immune troop traits, mind-influencing effects
Weaknesses troop traits, fear of fire

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee troop (5d6 plus grab and trip)
Space 20 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks screech, grab (Gargantuan)

STATISTICS

Str 12, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 5
Base Atk +16; CMB +16 (+20 grapple); CMD 28
Feats Alertness, Blind-Fight, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Skill Focus (Climb, Perception, Acrobatics)
Skills Acrobatics +15, Climb +14, Perception +17

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Screech (Ex)

A horde of screeching baboons makes a tremendous cacophony of screams, wails, hoots, and other sounds. Any creature who can hear this noise automatically takes a –2 penalty on all concentration checks.

In addition, all creatures who hear the screaming must make a Will save (DC 18) or become shaken for as long as the noise continues. Creatures who make their Will save are immune to this effect for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Fear of Fire (Ex)

A horde of screeching baboons that takes damage from fire must make a Will save (DC 20) or cower for 1 round.

ECOLOGY

Environment warm forest
Organization solitary, mob (2–4), or frenzy (5–15)
Treasure none

Sometimes baboons will congregate into huge herds tearing across the landscape and devouring everything in their path. Baboons in such a horde work themselves into a frenzy, and attack any living creature they see. Only magic or a barrier of fire can stop the advance of a screeching baboon horde.

A single screeching baboon horde consists of 30-40 individual creatures, but they move and attack as a unit.

For campaign-specific reasons, I'm considering giving one of the PC's in my current game (an 8th-level witch) access to the following spells. The players in the campaign are very good optimizers, so if there's a way to break the game with these spells they'll find it.

My questions are:

1. Do the spell levels of these spells seem appropriate? I'd like for these spells to be powerful (i.e. top tier) for their levels, but not overpowered.

2. Will these spells break my game? That is, are they so good that I'll need to nerf them later to keep the game balanced?

Here are the spells:

Summon Item
Level: Witch 2
Casting Time: 1 round
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 round/level

This spell summons any one item (mundane or magical) with a value of up to 1000 gp/level. The item appears in your hand, and must be small and light enough for you to carry.

Though these are the only restrictions on the summoned item, the item must be in exactly the same condition when the spell expires as it was when it was summoned. Swords must be wiped clean of blood, shields must not be dented, and so forth. Consumable items cannot be consumed, no power with a limited number of uses per day may be used, and charged items must not have any charges expended. Failure to adhere to these guidelines will lead to [extremely negative campaign-specific consequences].

Quick Casting
Level: Witch 4
Casting Time: 1 round
Components: V, S, M
Range: personal
Target: you
Duration: 1 round/level

Once during the duration of this spell, you may cast any one spell you have memorized as a free action, even if it is not your turn. This spell must have a casting time of 1 round or less, and cannot be enhanced with any metamagic feats or other effects. A single spellcaster cannot make use of quick casting more than once in a 24-hour period.

I'm playing a druid for the first time in a new campaign. We're starting at level 2 with a 19 point buy and 4300 gp, and we probably won't play past level 8 or 9.

The rest of the party is an oracle of life, a melee-focused investigator, and a TWF ranger. I really want to play a dinosaur-focused druid, and those seem to be best at melee, but I'm going for a hybrid approach since we don't otherwise have a controller. Please critique my build!

Note: The GM has a house rule that all PC's get a number of traits equal to 2 + Cha modifier, which means Charisma doesn't make a good dump stat. Just about anything "loose core" (CRB, APG, ARG, UC, UM, UE, ACG, all bestiaries) is allowed, except for certain restrictions on arcane magic.

Druid Build

Human druid 2 (saurian shaman)
Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 15 (+1 at 4th level), Cha 12

Feats: Spell Focus (conjuration), Augment Summoning, Power Attack (3rd), Natural Spell (5th), Superior Summoning (7th)

Traits: Dirty Fighter (+1 damage when flanking), Reactionary (+2 initiative), Missionary (+1 DC/CL for euphoric cloud, aqueous orb, slowing mud)

Animal Companion: Spinosaurus with Light Armor Proficiency & Power Attack

Gear: Horn lamellar armor (dragonhide is disallowed), masterwork scythe, chain shirt barding for spinosaurus, cloak of resistance +1, Dire Collar, Armbands of the Brawler, various mundane items, alchemical items, and scrolls

The spinosaurus is a melee beast at 2nd level with 1d4+5 claws/1d6+5 bite (including Power Attack), and the dire collar ups this to 1d6+6 claws/1d8+6 bite when active. I figure in most battles I'll cast for a round or two (including activating the dire collar or my totem transformation) and then wade into melee.

It seems to me that the Mythic Fighter vs. Wizard thread contained the kernel of a good idea, but was derailed by the "who would win in a fight" focus.

My question is: As a campaign approaches high levels, would it make sense for a GM to give martial characters (and only martial characters) mythic tiers?

The goal would be to mitigate the caster/non-caster discrepancy that shows up in high levels, where the fighter in the party sometimes feels like they aren't contributing relative to the wizard or the cleric. Perhaps if, say, the fighter was getting roughly one mythic tier per level starting at 11th level, it would help them to keep up.