thelemonache's page

1) The Clocksmith wizard gets Craft Construct.

2)

FAQ wrote:

Crafting and Bypassing Requirements: What crafting requirements can you bypass by adding +5 to the DC of your Spellcraft check?

As presented on page 549 of the Core Rulebook, there are no limitations other than (1) you have to have the item creation feat, and (2) you cannot create potions, spell-trigger, or spell-completion magic items without meeting their spell prerequisites. So racial requirements, specific spell requirements, math requirements (such as "caster level must be at least three times the enhancement bonus"), and so on, are all subject to the +5 DC rule.

Minimum caster level for the crator can be bypassed by increasing the DC.

The CL of the construct can be lower than the CL of the creator.

3) Clockwork is a construct subtype from the Bestiaries; Steam-Powered Construct is a template from the Contuct Handbook. I doubt they were meant to work together.

4) I don't see "The caster level of the clockwork creature’s creator is 10th or the CR of the clockwork creature -1, whichever is higher (minimum 1st)." in either the template or the subtype, and a search in Archives of Nethys doesn't find a match. What is the source?

you cant bypass caster level for constructs:

you're right about the clockwork template though, its labeled 3PP and i missed it! so there is no template for clockwork base then, its just the subtype?

Also, they are meant to work together, if you read steam powered clockwork it says "this gains the clockwork subtype with the following changes" but its kind of moot if that other template is 3pp anyway. :)

ok i found in the subtype itself, it lists the 150%. so i guess that half is answered, still confused on the caster level portion:

Difficult to Create (Ex) The time and gp cost required
to create a clockwork is 150% of normal. Construction
requirements in individual clockwork monster entries
are already increased.

Steam-Powered Clockwork doesn't spell out a cost or caster level, which makes me think it follows clockworks cost and caster level. but:

"The caster level of the clockwork creature’s creator is 10th or the CR of the clockwork creature -1, whichever is higher (minimum 1st)."

how can it be minimum first if its minimum 10? also clockwork toy golem and mechanical efreeti are both caster level 7, so is the "whichever is higher" just a typo? Can a clocksmith wizard not use its level 1 clockwork craft construct ability until caster level 7 anyway??

And whats the cost on steam powered? theres a popular excel spreadsheet out there that says 150% cost, the clockwork itself says 2,000 times its CR in gold pieces (which is not 150% if normal construct pricing guide says CR squared right?).

lots of confusion here, maybe its written somewhere else that i didnt see?

Do you want Crocodile domain for grappling or sneak attack? Since you mention improved familiar, that's clearly part of it.

I wanted the familiar and the sneak attack. Yeah slayer does sound exceptionally cool, I just read up on Ankou's Shadow last night and it seems full of holes and fun, which is my kind of class haha.

As for bloodrager, I've never actually played one before, they seem really popular with my play group, so i always felt like there wasnt room for me to play one. Worth looking into though!

Been working on a gestalt shadowy druid build. Feyspeaker, crocodile domain, improved familiar, archery. I can do really cool and really fun things, but like, It's missing something...like a group synergy angle. other side of gestalt, im leaning toward familar adept wizard for the illusion concentration handoff, shadow oracle, or court poet/totem (tiger) skald for the stats and more shadow stuff, but none seem overly synergistic with druid.

Any thoughts on a party synergy angle? Darkness makes people mad usually, at least skald can sing people to see in darkness?

Hellcat stealth on a flying colossal animated object ship is the goal, but is there any feats out there that negate the stealth penalty for being colossal?

What raw stealth bonuses are there aside from skill focus and stealthy?

What magic slots if any would a colossal animated object sailing ship even have? :)

Summoned creatures are very different. The actual summoned creature itself has no existence before or after the summon monster/summon nature's ally spell is cast, and thus any items it's equipped with have nowhere to come from and nowhere to go. If a summoned monster is a creature that, in its actual stat block, has gear, that gear is with the monster when it arrives, but vanishes as soon as the monster or spell effect is slain/ends. And any additional gear...

The template to build the creature says they can be summoned with calling spells too, like planar ally. Wouldnt that suggest they are real creatures somewhere, like the eidolon?

if I make a permanent change to a guardian spirit.....like transfer a tattoo to it.....does it keep that tattoo with future summons?

"A guardian spirit is always exactly the same creature, with memory of all the events that occurred while previously summoned; multiple versions of it can’t be summoned."

What about regular magic items? Spells with permanency? Polymorph any object?

An arcane lock spell cast upon a door, chest, or portal magically locks it. You can freely pass your own arcane lock without affecting it. If the locked object has a lock, the DC to open that lock increases by 10 while it remains attached to the object. If the object does not have a lock, this spell creates one that can only be opened with a DC 20 Disable Device skill check. A door or object secured with this spell can be opened only by breaking in or with a successful dispel magic or knock spell. Add 10 to the normal DC to break open a door or portal affected by this spell. A knock spell does not remove an arcane lock; it only suppresses the effect for 10 minutes.

Arcane Lock does not do something per round, but it is clear that If you cast it on a door, then the door is considered as affected by the ongoing effect of Arcane Lock even after the spellcasting.

this is a great example, and I understand where you are coming from, but i still see a big difference between "is affected" and "being affected." I agree the door "is affected" by the spell, just like when you polymorph you "are affected" but the sentence is talking about being "being targeted or affected by a spell" which I strictly read as something changing, adding, affecting beyond what it already has. I think if it really dispelled all spells and shut them off, i think it would explicitly say so, i think the nature of the sentence is saying "no new things or changes" not "no existing things or changes."

in my poison example, I think if you already failed 1 round of poison, your negative stats would stay when you merged, but round 2 would never happen because it cant affect you anymore, but the negative stat already affected you and would stay.

I repeat: including ongoing effects. Being polimorphed is an ongoing effect. You can dislike it, but that is how it works.

i repeat, yes its an ongoing affect, but it does need to "affect" you anymore. its not that kind of spell. You are affected at the time of casting, after that it doesnt continuously try to "Affect" you with anything. You are affected already. has nothing to do with liking your answer, i just disagree with it.

thelemonache wrote:

Melkiador wrote:

Quote:

While the familiar is melded, its body becomes part of the synergist’s and can’t be targeted or affected by any means (including ongoing effects)

The familiar is no longer affected by polymorph while melded.

hmmm I disagree. It says targeted or affected. The ongoing affects is like Burn, or poison, something that each round has to "affect you." It does not say spell effects end or turn off. You are already affected by the polymorph, no need to be affected again by it.

Quote:

Symbiosis (Su): At 1st level, a synergist gains the ability to meld or unmeld with her familiar as a standard action. While the familiar is melded, its body becomes part of the synergist’s and can’t be targeted or affected by any means (including ongoing effects), though the familiar can still communicate its feelings empathically. The symbiosis causes the synergist to adopt some basic physical features of the familiar and grants additional abilities based on the synergist’s level.

yeah i read that. It says "cant be affected" but you're already affected. its not doing something more to you each round. This clause is so that you can save your familiar from bleeding or burning that continuously try to "affect" you. A polymorph spell doesnt continually try to "affect" you. it tries once, when you cast it.

Quote:

While the familiar is melded, its body becomes part of the synergist’s and can’t be targeted or affected by any means (including ongoing effects)

The familiar is no longer affected by polymorph while melded.

hmmm I disagree. It says targeted or affected. The ongoing affects is like Burn, or poison, something that each round has to "affect you." It does not say spell effects end or turn off. You are already affected by the polymorph, no need to be affected again by it.

I think this works? I was trying to find ways to get some of the better things from beast shape 4. Is there anything stopping me from turning my familiar into a dragon with dragon 3, and then symbiosis to get it myself without myself turning into a dragon?

I feel like the original attacker qualifies, no?

Redirect Attack (Ex)
Prerequisite: Advanced talents

Benefit: Once per day, when a rogue with this talent is hit with a melee attack, she can redirect the attack to strike at an adjacent creature with a free action. The creature targeted must be within melee reach of the attack that hit the rogue, and the creature that made the attack against the rogue must make a new attack roll against the new target.

They can clearly get "parts" like eyes, and limbs to match your imagination...but can they use the prehensile hair hex? :)

[Although all air elementals of a similar size have identical statistics, the exact appearance of an air elemental can vary wildly between individuals. One might be an animated vortex of wind and smoke, while another might be a smoky bird-like creature with glowing eyes and wind for wings.]

Hello!

Courtly Companion

my confusion is here: if the levels didn't stack for anything, it would simply say "Levels in other classes that grant animal companions do not stack." but instead it says "Levels in other classes that grant animal companions do not stack with levels of courtly hunter for the purpose of determining the abilities of her courtly companion." And I've always wondered, does that mean levels in other animal companion stack for the normal companion stuff and just not the courtly companion bonuses? for example, could i take "Mammoth Rider" at level 10 and made it huge, but it falls 1 level behind on the bonus Int??

All valid interpretations. MY own, I think returning to the original spot isn't the intent, though with no intent spelled out, I think this really just needs GM input. "return to your body" but your body vanished. Your body does move from its original location, it "vanishes." It's not invisible, it literally ceases to exist for the duration, I would count that as technically being moved. This part just has GM, finish this half written spell written all over it.

For example, here is how greater possession was written (not magic jar, but very similar): "This spell functions as possession, but when you possess a host, You enter the host’s body and your physical body vanishes. You are ejected to the closest empty square upon expiration of the spell or upon the host’s death."

That last part was likely the intent, but perhaps the author assumed by tagging another spell, all these confusions would be cleaned up by existing spells existing doctrine.

As for the spells, it comes down to...Are the spells cast on the soul or cast on the body? I think they are clearly cast on the body, because you cant target your soul with it. So, I share skin a creature, I cast wildshape on that body, I then end the share skin, and all spells cast on that body are still there, meaning in my example, wildshape would still be on the shared skin creature, and I would my vanished body would reappear with whatever spell effects were still on it before i left and were still in duration.

Does the timing on this combo work? Can a wizard basically use it to never provoke as long as he is healing his target at the same time?

Safe Curing (Su): Whenever you cast a spell that cures the target of hit point damage, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity for spellcasting.

Healing Grace (Su): Whenever you cast a spell that has targets, affects creatures in an area, or requires an attack roll, you may heal creatures affected by the spell a total of 1 point of damage per level of the spell. This healing may be spread out between the targets of the spell in any way you choose. If you assign any of the healing to an undead creature, it instead takes 1 point of damage for each point assigned. At 11th level, the amount of damage cured increases to 2 points of damage per level of the spell. This healing occurs when the spell is cast and has no effect on creatures that enter its area after the spell is in place. At 20th level, the amount of damage cured increases to 3 points of damage per level of the spell.

I'm trying to understand how to tackle durational challenges.

Share skin is 1 minute per level. Lets say I am level 11 and I share skin with my animal companion, and then use wild shape. What happens at the 11 minute mark when share skin ends? Do I pop out wildshaped? Does animal companion remain wildshaped since the duration was on it's body not "mine" and thus I pop out as a person leaving my wildshaped companion behind? What happens?

Synthesist summoner?

It's banned at every table I've ever played in. Paizos little "oopsie" archetype. :)

Mind Swap works if you want to keep your body occupied in case of emergency.

If you just need the form of your pet, Share Shape is good.

I'm mostly trying to clean up my carbon footprint a bit and put all my characters into one figure on the map, and maybe have a bit of fun combat utility, using your animal companions strength and your mental stats sounds fun too. She skin is nearly perfect, its just too bad its 1 minute per level and I have to wait until level 11.

A fun goal is to combine animal companion with a familiar, just like the nature shamans level 16 ability (but that comes way too late). There is a hunter archetype that plays with this idea a bit, but doesn't really go the direction I wanted it to go.

You want Greater Possession, an 8th level spell.

Nice! I also found "share skin" so far

Is there any way similar to Familiar Melding that let's you possess either a familiar or animal companion without leaving your body behind?

I feel like my group has always operated under the idea that untyped/unmentioned healing is positive energy. So things like Fire God's Blessing that heals for 1 hp if you deal fire damage, its untyped. So would that be positive energy by default or just literally untyped?

weird, ive seen that bug before where it double posts. not sure how to delete the other one though?

Expect some table variation, but probably yes. However, it doesn’t seem to be a great combo. You would need to already be inhabiting your familiar, which means your usual body is in really bad condition. And summoning spells are fairly short on average with long cast times. But maybe I’m missing some other info.

Most of my combos are bad combos XD I get more excited about fun than power. Though im sure there are some cool things that can be done to really optimize this if thats the goal. It reminds me of old 3.0 shapeshifting, where you gained physical stats and powers and it gives you a new HP pool that has a damage cap, so like if some guy hits you for 500 damage with a fireball, the summons HP acts as a cap, killing it and you pop out unharmed after to do it all again. Niche, fun, whimsical, and right up my alley hehe.

how do these two interesting things work together:

Twin Soul (Su)
At 10th-level, if the witch or her familiar is gravely injured or about to die, the soul of the dying one immediately transfers to the other’s body. The two souls share the surviving body peaceably, can communicate freely, and both retain their ability to think and reason. The host may allow the guest soul to take over the body temporarily or reclaim it as a move action. They can persist in this state indefinitely, or the guest can return to its own body (if available) by touch, transfer into a suitable vessel (such as a clone), or take over another body as if using magic jar (with no receptacle).

Greater—Summoned Shell (Sp)
Whenever the familiar’s master casts a summon monster spell, if the familiar is within the spell’s range, it can choose to inhabit the body of one creature summoned by the spell. While inhabiting the body, the familiar maintains its own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores and its familiar powers, but otherwise gains the statistics and abilities of the summoned creature.

When the spell ends, or the summoned creature’s hit points are reduced to 0, the familiar is expelled without suffering any negative effects.

Crucially, does this allow me to basically become whatever creature i summon?
If not...where do i go?

I'm back to trying to make a tiny character again. I already have the trait equality for all, but i want to make the super max bonus to combat maneuver. I want to be tiny and hit a dragons CMD for cool points. It has to be generic combat maneuver, because a few of the tactics i want to use just say to "do a combat maneuver check" rather than the traditional grapple, dirty trick, etc. So I know most bonuses to hit will help, so like slayer comes to mind...what can you all think of to max out CMB checks? Aid another would technically help but takes action (assisting gloves possibly).

barbarian does some good stuff, but i was thinking dex since im tiny, maybe redistribute might to fix barbarian for me?

i was thinking more like shurikens hehe

Would it give the same aid another bonus that i normally give since it's "on my behalf"? I normally give +6 depending on the type of aid.

I'm confused on the english here. "On your behalf" makes it sound like it uses aid another as if it is me, but then it says or for an ally. was that just another way of saying that it can aid me instead? Does this guy get all my aid another cheese to go with it if its aiding on my behalf?

I replaced the other actions with X just to focus on the one specific action I'm confused on:

On your turn, the spiritual squire can do one of the following: X, X, X, perform the aid another action on your behalf or for one of your allies, X.

I thought everyone knew a guitar is an axe. So take a level of swashbuckler and use dwarf favored class option:

Dwarf (Advanced Class Guide pg. 69): Add 1/4 to the swashbuckler’s effective class level to determine the extra damage she deals because of the precise strike deed when wielding a light pick or a heavy pick. If the swashbuckler has the Slashing Grace feat or another similar effect, she can treat the battleaxe or handaxe as a one-handed piercing melee weapon, and she gains this benefit when wielding the appropriate weapon for the feat as well.

Rock on!

i love it hehe

I know Fighters can do it, but not until level 9 which is way too late in the game.

"Fighter’s Finesse (Ex) The fighter gains the benefits of the Weapon Finesse feat with all melee weapons that belong to the associated fighter weapon group (even if they cannot normally be used with Weapon Finesse). The fighter must have the Weapon Finesse feat before choosing this option."

My angle would be for a Flying V body on an electric and call it the Curve Blade, full distortion but good pick-ups, mash the frets with one hand but play it Spanish on the other.

Extra damage points for stringing it right and playing left like Jimi.

That sounds awesome haha

I was really hoping not to get hung up on a side argument about the size, so again lets operate under the stated assumption. Modern guitars for sure i would say are 2 handers, but I have an old classical guitar in my basement that is definitely within category, and a backpacking guitar that's even smaller.

Imp Weapons are crucially not weapons, so you normally cant take things that affect weapons with it or require you to be holding a weapon etc. Weapon finesse falls into that category, thus if you ever aim to take finesse, you first must at least have equipment trick, and you are correct, it doesn't make it light.

So...the question remains how do i finesse it? :) There's got to be a weird class/feat combo out there to pull it off, right? Effortless Lace wont work since its being summoned every combat, and arguably doesn't have a "grip." Hinyasi lets you treat imp weapons as weapons from the close fighter group, but not yet enough to qualify for finesse on its own. Any ideas?

Hi! I would argue that a guitar-like weapon is a one handed bludgeoning, right? Let's operate on that theory for now. How would i finesse it?

The specific build: A Duettist/Striker Bard with two levels of Eldritch Guardian (to give familiar all my combat feats). Uses Shikigami Style with the cantrip Summon Instrument, and Equipment Trick to let me treat it as a weapon (so I can use weapon buffing/altering stuff like weapon finesse). STR is too easy!! Let's go dex!!! :)

I've been stuck on the "treats all weapons as improvised weapons" part of the monk of the empty hand. There's a lot of temporary weapon/item creation spells, like shadow weapon, holy ice weapon, flame blade. Trying to find ones that would be worth taking.

1 level of monk of the empty hand
2 levels of Hinyasi Brawler to be able to treat imp weapons as the close fighter group

interested to see how these two abilities interact, one forcing you to treat weapons as imp weaps and one forcing you to treat imp weapons as close. Probably just get to choose at that point whenever it suits you? Or treat as both simultaneously?

like most of my builds, this is just for nonsensical science, so let's not get hung up on silly questions like "but why would you?" XD It's also rules questionable, but I'm sure we can come to some kind of viable/legal agreement hehe.

attempting to use an improvised magic item with the weapon shift chain and shikigami style chain. Maybe a high level scroll or something fun.

Weapon shift: "When you use your wild shape ability, any melee weapons you are wielding and proficient with meld into your new form.."

to handle the improvised weapons aren't weapons rule:
equipment trick: "you can treat it as either a normal weapon or an improvised weapon, depending on which is more beneficial for you."

to handle the not proficient with improvised weapons rule:
Improvisational focus: "You are considered proficient with the improvised weapon..."

The only benefit would come from Greater Weapon Shift with Shikigami Manipulation:
"While using Shikigami Style, you can treat any magical item you’re using as an improvised weapon as if it granted an enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls equal to the item’s caster level divided by 4 (minimum +1), to a maximum bonus of +5."

So with these theories in play, what kind of cool spells or items would we use to do fun things with? For example, 1 level of monk of the empty hand could get you "treats normal weapons as improvised weapons" and maybe a flame blade could suddenly have enhancement bonuses that scale with your level, turning paws into fire attacks. Maybe a summon instrument cantrip if that would count as a magic item. Emblem of greed? there's got to be some goodies out there. :)

Just to be clear on this, when it says it "gains the statistics" does that mean attack bonus/saves/hitpoints? or can it use its own bab if its higher. Example, can a 10th level familiar jump into a level 1 eagle from a summon monster 1 and use the familiars superior attack bonus and its dozens of combat feats I gave it from eldritch guardian? Hit points don't make sense but i'm just trying to understand where the line is on generically "gaining statistics." With similar abilities like possession, you keep your BAB, its just a new body, but this goes out of its way to say you gain its "statistics and abilities."

Greater—Summoned Shell (Sp): Whenever the familiar’s master casts a summon monster spell, if the familiar is within the spell’s range, it can choose to inhabit the body of one creature summoned by the spell. While inhabiting the body, the familiar maintains its own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores and its familiar powers, but otherwise gains the statistics and abilities of the summoned creature. When the spell ends, or the summoned creature’s hit points are reduced to 0, the familiar is expelled without suffering any negative effects.

the devotee of the hooded ability is confusing to me though. it says you get the template while riding, but can't change shape while riding. it suggests they can use change shape otherwise, but if you're not riding it, there's no template. so like, why not just say "except change shape" instead? it's as if it's intended to have change shape all the time.

nature warden PrC focuses on the AC.

That's a nice looking PrC!

viglante has a warlock archetype that at least has the unlimited blast that can even do touch attacks and gets 6 levels of wizard spells, but the old school warlock that got 1d6 every two levels for a blast is where Kineticist is at. Kineticist is my fav class.

for artillerist, i've never played one of those, but a quick read reminds me of alchemist bombs, clockwork alchemy, and seige mage depending on what youre going for.

ok my current fun build idea that I'm making for "science" is getting as many bonuses for an animal companion as possible. What things do you all know of that give things like class features and cool permanent buffs to animal companions?

this is just the spaghetti at the wall stage, so try not to think of a viable build just yet, lets just compile all the options and smash the build together at the end. :)

list I know of off the top of my head:
eldrict heritage chains (can even give a perma water blast)
chameleon adept gives them wildshape 1
share class feature feat can give a few things
devotee of the hooded gives them the fey touched template
celestial servant feat (aasimar) gives them celestial template
eye for talent racial (human) gives them +2 to a stat (likely int for how i play)
hunter can give teamwork feats
mammoth rider increases size to huge
nature shaman gets a combined familiar and animal companion at level 16 (aint no one got time for that though)
Totemic Initiate feat chain gives a totem rage power (kinda costly and limited though)
The Bear's Jig bardic masterpiece can temporarily "awaken" an animal companion (limited)
monstrous companion can give actual class levels (but at what cost....)

What else yall got? Bonus points if you get them ways to be humanoid at will (like fey-touched template, rakshasa bloodline from eldritch heritage, etc)

thelemonache wrote:

ok we finally started the game. i ended up going with human/undine water/wood. going to combo winters cluch with ravel and the wood temp hitpoints gate bonus at level five (trying to "finish" one stage of the character at 5 and 11 with the last half of the campaign as a victory lap).

You cannot "combo" winter's clutch and ravel of thorns, because they're both stances. You can only have one up at a time.

your thinking of winter sleet, winters clutch make difficult terrain:

basically the combo is just to make the areas around me difficult terrain and move the aura into it so that its difficult and hazardous to try and persuade them into just attacking me instead of trying to get past me.

ok we finally started the game. i ended up going with human/undine water/wood. going to combo winters cluch with ravel and the wood temp hitpoints gate bonus at level five (trying to "finish" one stage of the character at 5 and 11 with the last half of the campaign as a victory lap). it fit the character so much better as a fisherman/shipwright to have wood and water powers so that inevitably made my choice for me. my impulses were winters clutch, guardian tree, and weapon infusion with natural ambition.

so now i have some time to choose between the scrolls/staff useage impulse or getting another of the many good wood/water impulses at level 2. i feel like playing in melee might limit my scrolls and staffs, but the idea of it sounds really usefull. this is a kingmaker campaign so there is lots of out of combat time.

I love where this is going. :) A kitsune with wings and hybrid form is soooo close to a Maftet. Maybe i can convince my GM to let me do a kitsune thats a cat instead of a fox?

I'd love for an official sphinx race! Reskin Anadi, starts as a winged cat with a human form and then at fifth level hybrid form to a full fledged sphinx. Kitsune are in the same boat, maybe even beastkin could pull it off? Awakened animal is close too, though their minus to int isnt the best for it.

What ideas do you all have? I think you just need to be a cat with wings, and a hybrid form? Doesn't have to be large for this discussion. :) I just think Sphinx's are really cool and always wanted to play as one.

thanks everyone! :) Familiars seem like a lot of work for what you get out of them in this system. They do seem fun though.

I really like Fast Recovery and Robust Recovery, especially on a high Con character. I've been able to take my time strolling through gas chambers when the rest of the party was forced to flee the area because of similar abilities. It really goes a long way towards making my character feel tough as nails.

does fast recovery stack with "dream may" from changeling?

"In addition, sleep is more restorative for you. You regain HP
equal to your Constitution modifier × double your level (instead
of just × your level),"

I'm having trouble understanding familiars as the title said. So lets say I wanted to build out a Kitsune Star orb, or a Kineticist elemental familar...I only get 1 ability per day for a star orb and two for kineticist familial unless i take the familiar master archetype, correct? How could I, as an example, get a kitsune star orb that could become an imp, when imp requires 7 abilities but familiar master maxes out at i think 6?

Thanks!