zza ni's page

That's why I worded this under 'theoretically'. just wanted to be sure i was right about the rules.

Also gunning for a table story Is what this is about. our group is going to have a leadboard of who got most attacks in a round.

I'm building a sieagebreaker 2\brawler rest, to omp on shield slam>bullrush>overrun free attacks. figured once he's high enough to add bashing finish luck can bring a very nice outcome..

Azothath, if one have taken bashing finish in the normal way (and not like, say a ranger weapon style feats) then he also have shield master...
('Add your shield's enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls made with the shield as if it was a weapon enhancement bonus.')
Edit: never mind, you brought that as aditinal proof that shields are weapons.

they are listed in the fighter's 'close' weapon group as well as in the martial weapons table.
they are weapons, martial ones at that, not even simple weapons.

Bashing finish has:
"Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit with a melee weapon, you can make a shield bash attack against the same target using the same bonus as a free action."

Since a shield is a melee weapon and a shield bash can crit, theoretically could an unlikely extremely lucky person continue on getting extra attacks from critting each shield bash?

not exactly sure what you are asking, but let's break down what's involved:
normal varisian tattoo feat (don't know why you skipped adding this) give +1 to caster level of all spells in a chosen school of magic. it also grant a 3/day spell like ability.

all this does not in fact increase spell dc.

the tattooed sorcerer gain this feat instead of her Eschew Materials bonus feat. and in case she doesn't have the spell focus requirement for this feat she can pick the school of magic it effect. again that does not grant her the requirement, this only pass the need for one. and while spell focus does increase a school of spells dc, the Varisian tattoo feat, by itself, does not.

now the archtype has a special rule - all bloodline gained spells, even those not of the said school chosen for the Varisian tattoo feat, are also effected by it (and gain that +1 to caster level). so the feat end up effecting all of the chosen school spells + the blood line spells the character get.

the 'Enhanced Varisian Tattoo' class ability give the character a spell like ability, which in this case is based on an actual spell so it uses that original spell level for dc, not the character's half level. (so that part you wrote about the character level doesn't come in for dc, and in case of multi class character might also not come in for spell caster level). it deoes, as you say uses the character's cha for the dc. (so the end result is 10+original spell level +cha + whatever else the character have that effect spell-like ability dc, such as relevant spell focus)
that spell like ability, while picked from the list of spells that are effected by the feat, doesn't gain the feat +1 to caster level effect, but gain it's own class ability +2 to caster level effect. (this is here to prevent double dipping and say it should get +1+2=+3 total to caster level). the class ability allow the character to replace the spell like ability chosen spell every time she gain a new bloodline power.

i said it takes time:
Blessing (Su): At 20th level, you gain immunity to poison, to charm effects, and to spells and weapons with the evil descriptor. You can also cast magic circle against evil at will with a caster level equal to your sorcerer level.

well if u want to hurry, and GM allow for sla to work with the arcana (remmber, the debate!), then there are other ways to gain at will sla.

My fev is the ability to talk to animals, like from the trait: beastkin.
going with tattooed sorcerer for a familiar and taking that animal to be able to talk to it.
I played a halfling sorcerer raised by bunnies, convinced he himself is a large, short eared bunny. Named him 'Ussa' and his Bunny 'Gi' (look up Usagi)
GM said: 'ok, but since bunnies use their ears a lot to communicate, you have to wave your hands like bunny ears when u talk to your familiar.'
example

...

sadly no cantrip heals creatures.

Phoenix bloodline
Bloodline Arcana: cast a spell doing [fire]dmg can instead heal liv tgts [fire]dmg/2 {to Max HPs}.
Unicorn blooodline
Bloodline Arcana: cast a SplLvl spell & one tgt in LoS gets 2*SplLvl healing to Max HPs.

with a cantrip it is 2*Zero on a target in line of sight.

...

Never say never!

with the right build even cantrips can heal (it might be a stupid, gimpy,late to appear build but..)

for phoenix.
a cross blooded phoenix\fire elemental can convert his damaging cantrips into fire damaging cantrips without increasing their level (unlike the metamagic), things that increase their damage like blood havoc will make it more usfull.

as for unicorn,not cantrips, but free healing might be open non the less.
This has been a debate on the forum for a long time, and while most won't agree with me (and i realy don't want to start this argument here) I still stand by my reasoning that in the magic chapter, casting a spell like ability is said to work exactly like spells except with a few mentioned differences, so anything that is triggered by a spell should also be triggered by a sla, and the unicorn bloodline give you an at will 3rd level one.

I think part of the challenge the op set was that you start at level 20, unlike the other party members, and need to hide that part too.

Need to be careful with things such as classes that have aura, as it get a lot stronger when you high leveled.

"Chris, why do devils keep bowing to you?"
"It's part of my backstory, see i was born to a duke of hell who fell in love with a mermaid..."
"Oah, why did you get him starting on that? now he'll be at it for HOURS!"

But keep in mind, the GM might have the same (or similar) deal with other players as well...

Vigilante - the class is built to hide your secret identity (or with the right mindset any roguish character.)

You deflect any unwanted question and inquiry as part of your secret identity, not to be told to someone who you can't 'trust'. and later it's 'for their own good' so as not to be used as means to get to you.

"No, You can't come with me to me 'secret lair'."
"No, I can't tell you who I really am, but I'm doing all this for the 'greater good'."
"Of course I was able to (X\Y\Z) I'm @#$-man."

I tried to make it simple up (there) with my split in the road metaphor, but I guess people don't bother reading what other wrote any more.

let's try a different more easy to understand methaphor. a blind taste test . you get a coke, but don't know if it's cola or peppsi.
now the general illusion rule explain that if you have a proof of which it is you don't need to take a sip to see if you know, while the sub school rule explain what happen if you drink cola or peppsi.

being able to pick cola and not peppsi (because you can tell it's an illusion) doesn't change what happen later on when you drink it. but in the same way the fact shadow school changes what happen later on on fail or save paths doesn't prevent one from noticing ahead of time which is which. these are two different rules for two different things and one doesn't effect how the other works, just what you might land on the other's effect.

Use the other weapon to attack?

Technically, if all attacks hit and not crit is involved the damage of a greatsword wielded by one person with the same states of another who uses two short swords should amount to about the same:

say 18 str and base power attack of -1 to hit +2 damage:

greatsword is 2d6 base + 4 str +2 50% str for two handing it +3 from power attack = 2d6+9.

two short swords are 2(1d6)+ 4 str for main hand +2 for off hand +2 power attack for main +1 for off hand = 2d6+9.

the +50% power attack for two hands add up to be the same for main and off hand. Again assuming everything hits!

when all else fail, charge them rent...

Phoebus Alexandros wrote:

Unfortunately, your example is irrelevant. It is the equivalent of arguing that Knowledge (fruits) only allows you to identify an apple as a fruit of that type when it is put in front of you, and nothing else about it. That's not true, of course. Unless we're dealing with an unfortunately color blind pomologist, they would be able to discern the apple's coloration as well.

Likewise, unless "the same penalties as a Perception skill check due to distance, poor conditions, and other factors" prevent a character trained in Spellcraft from being able "to clearly see the spell as it is being cast," a sufficiently high skill check will allow him to be able to identify that his opponent is, in fact, casting a Shadow Conjuration. That, as others have pointed out, is proof that you're dealing with "quasi-real illusions shaped from material from the Plane of Shadow." You have no reason to believe that the shadow conjurations are real and thus there is no basis for you to be affected by them at full strength, and so on.

Again, if one wants to utilize figments, glamers, phantasms, or shadows in real time during close combat, and doesn't want others to recognize that he's not actually hitting them with the real thing, they might consider feats like Conceal Spell or Cunning Caster. Alternately, they might use environmental factors as a substitute. But just as Spellcraft can enable a sufficiently skilled and powerful spellcaster to counterspell an evocation, it shouldn't be surprising (or controversial) that Spellcraft can also enable a sufficiently skilled practitioner to shake off the worst of an illusion.

Wow, you've used so many words to build this one? Impressive.

i long ago stopped reading your posts seriously, ever since you ignored my request for an evidence (read above) and decided that lowering the debate into personal insults is the same as using reason and logic.

I might humor you with an intelligent response once you try one yourself.
So, how about using some grey matter and explaining where in the rules of shadow magic sub school is the specific rule that over run the general illusion saves rule.

again explaining what happen WHEN one make a save or fail (shadow sub school) it is not a rule about how one can or can't auto save before a roll is needed, if it does, it need to say so specifically. (and if you can't figure that much, don't bother answering at all)

zza ni wrote:

truly fortunately they are still under illusion school rules, which I stated above, even if they can deal damage. they can be still be saved against, i never said: 'null the entire spell effect', i said they get auto save, which is per the illusion school rules. In some cases, shadow magic included, this might mean less damage in some it will mean total nullification. each spell has it's own rules as to how a save works, but ALL illusion magic have the rule that a target that has a proof that the spell is an illusion need no saving throw to save against it (unless specifically called out in a spell, as per general vs specific).

as for 'no proof what so ever', if you know the target is casting 'greater shadow conjuration' (as per a successful spellcraft check to identify a spell being cast), then you know he casts an illusion. what more proof do you need?

general illusion school magic rule: if you know it's an illusion, you don't need to roll to save , you automatically save.

No, this is absolutely against the rules.

Specific beats General.

Shadow is a subschool of the Illusion school, and thus more specific.

You use the rules of the Illusion school only up to the point where the Shadow subschool says something different.

You only get the saves that the spell says it does, usually a Will save and then any additional saves by the mimicked spell itself. You do not automatically save without a roll just because it is an illusion (shadow) spell.

Everything else is a flat out lie, and violates the rules both in letter and in spirit.

Adding up to what Diago already explained which is enough on it's own. I would also like to point out that for a specific rule to change the general rule it..well.. need to be talking about the general rule!

Care to point me to the specific rule in sub school shadow that say that one can't disbealive the illusion or auto save if he has proof of it?

shadow school has specific rules as to how a save or fail works, it doesn't in fact change what also count as a save, all it does is talk about what happen when someone fail or make save. so there is no specific rulling in regards to the rule about how one can auto save.

to paint it in a way you can understand, take making the save or failing as forks in a road, the subschool of shadow magic might tell you what happen when you turn left or right. the general rule of the illusion spells on the other hand say that if you have a map (proof) you can always chose to the right path and automatically find it. the specific rule about what happen on the twist in the road has nothing to say about the ability to take the right path, only what happens after you do so.

Be kind and know what your'e are talking about before calling someone else a liar, going into personal insults when debating is low enough, doing so while being completely wrong is just sad.

You are right, I just didn't want to derail the thread further pointing that out.
Class spell list isn't the same as known spells and a sorcerer could use spell trigger and completion items for spells on his class list even if he doesn't know them. He might need to decifer a scroll with unkowen spell or use read magic before using it. But the rest shouldn't be a problem as long as he know how to activate the items (command words for wands etc.).
Hack if I'm not wrong a ranger or paladin can use wands with spells from their class list even before they get the spell casting ability at level 4.

truly fortunately they are still under illusion school rules, which I stated above, even if they can deal damage. they can be still be saved against, i never said: 'null the entire spell effect', i said they get auto save, which is per the illusion school rules. In some cases, shadow magic included, this might mean less damage in some it will mean total nullification. each spell has it's own rules as to how a save works, but ALL illusion magic have the rule that a target that has a proof that the spell is an illusion need no saving throw to save against it (unless specifically called out in a spell, as per general vs specific).

as for 'no proof what so ever', if you know the target is casting 'greater shadow conjuration' (as per a successful spellcraft check to identify a spell being cast), then you know he casts an illusion. what more proof do you need?

general illusion school magic rule: if you know it's an illusion, you don't need to roll to save , you automatically save. what a save does depend on each spell information.
there might be a specific spell that bypass this rule, but that would be under specific vs general.

I'm a bit with Diego on the whole no one spell to rule (them all) 60 others for a sorcerer. it might be raw that he doesn't need a material, but if i have a player abusing this I would be inclined to apply the raw of: (magic chapter, illusion school)" a character faced with proof that an illusion isn’t real needs no saving throw." in any way possible. wether it's knowledgeable (spellcraft) enemy rolling enough to identify the shadow conjuration spell as it's being cast and auto save vs it, as well as any character who have the said mimiced spell noticing that no material was used to cast it, or if the action to cast it differ in case of summoning (these last two will not be auto save, but will give +4 to the save as per being pointed out that something is wrong)

Belafon wrote:

Quote:

Benefit: You can cause an item that has a divination spell of 1st level or higher in its construction requirements to cast either darkvision or see invisibility. You can use this feat once per day, plus an additional time per day at base Fortitude save bonus +6, +8, +10, and +12.

That's "you can use this feat once per day."

Not "you can use this feat once per day per item."

Except it is use in conjunction with a specific item.

So? What item is require for the feat to function has no say on how many times the feat can be used. You need a fire source (such as flint and steel) to light a lamp. having two of them won't make the lamp oil last longer.

without the needed item you can't use the feat at all, with it you are still limited to the number of uses per day the feat allows, and as Belafon and Darklord mentioned it's pretty cut and clear amount. the feat is allowed to be used once per day plus once more at specific fort save bench marks. note that it say nothing about the item you use in this sentence, as it has nothing to do with the feat uses/day.

the text that say:
"Magic item mastery is stressful for the item as well as the user" explaining the limitation. it's stressful for the item, so one can't use a limited use item for it, it's stressful for thee user so a limited fort save is needed to take it and more of it to use more then once per day.

in fact unless i missed something the item used for this feat can be used by more then one character, as the feat use doesn't harm\deplete it and the limit of uses per day is set by the character's fort as the 'fuel' to run this feat.

3 feats can give you 50% of not being effected from any hostile effect with a will save(except slight sickness) via (1)racial heritage (ogre) and (2+3)Vestigial Headx2

have a look at the samurai class, the abilities resolve and that level 20 capstone. seem nice, right?
but waiting for level 20 is hard, then look at the Ronin order and the level 8 'without master' ability which has "A ronin can use this ability once during a combat.".
enjoy.

Like any other explosive, use with extreme care.

I had a GM challenge me to make a broken race as proof of concept. I won't put everything here, but Just mention I named them 'Nemesis' and gave them (among other abilities) the:

1. Static Bonus Feat (2 RP): Dedicated Adversary(Cats)
-yes, i know it has a Prerequisites and the rules say a fixed feat without one, but the gm allowed Prerequisites that require not to have something, by simply not having the race have the violating aspect.

2. Spell-Like Ability, At-Will (Instant enemy - cost 6).

you can kinda see where this is going.

If you were able to give it 6 ranks in stealth and the skill focus (stealth) it need for hellcat, see if you can also make it count as an ogre or half ogre (my human character's use racial heritage for that but i don't think the ship works). if you do, then getting it Night Stalker will negate the stealth penalty in dim or natural darkness (like at night) and add +2 to attack flat footed targets.

Mysterious Stranger wrote:

If the people at a bar cannot identify the target based on the information given the spell will not either. People at a bar would not recognize the invisible target, so the spell doe not either.

Why not? why can't the description be "A 7' tall, blue skinned troll, wearing a white hat and white pants, but is currently invisible?"

Invisible creatures can be detected, just needs a good roll on a perception check, or have one of many means to bypass invisibility. Maybe one of those bar patrons has such?

Or really, isn't "A creature that's invisible" an accurate physical description?

maybe, but since the spell doesn't use a target but look for any subject that resemble the description, asking the spell to call a subject which does not have a visible shape should prompt the hand to just beacon the air in front of it, it has the same description after all, it matches the description perfectly.

well since the game use 'Physical Description' to explain how the races usually look like, it should stand out that an invisible creature, which by definition can't be describe 'how it look likes' would have a null\negative Physical Description and won't be a valid option to be described.

I have to agree with Pizza Lord that going by name and profession is changing the spell.

The big problem seems to be that Pathfinder does not define physical description in game mechanics. Too me a physical description means what the target currently looks like. Basically, what the police would use in an APB is what it needs. If the people at a bar cannot identify the target based on the information given the spell will not either. People at a bar would not recognize the invisible target, so the spell doe not either.

To answer the OP question the reason it is God tier spell is because the game you are in is not enforcing the restrictions of the spell.

while the game doesn't define Physical Description , it does give multiple examples for it, just check some race entry for a player's character.

examples:

- Dwarf:
"Physical Description: Dwarves are a short and stocky race, and stand about a foot shorter than most humans, with wide, compact bodies that account for their burly appearance. Male and female dwarves pride themselves on the long length of their hair, and men often decorate their beards with a variety of clasps and intricate braids. Clean-shavenness on a male dwarf is a sure sign of madness, or worse—no one familiar with their race trusts a beardless dwarven man.

- Elf:
"Physical Description: Generally taller than humans, elves possess a graceful, slender physique that is accentuated by their long, pointed ears. It is a mistake, however, to consider them weak or feeble, as the thin limbs of an elf can contain surprising power. Their eyes are wide and almond-shaped, and filled with large, vibrantly colored pupils. The coloration of elves as a whole varies wildly, and is much more diverse than that of human populations. However, as their coloration often matches their surroundings, the elves of a single community may appear quite similar. Forest-dwelling elves often have variations of green, brown, and tan in their hair, eye, and even skin tones.

While elven clothing often plays off the beauty of the natural world, those elves who live in cities tend to bedeck themselves in the latest fashions. Where city-dwelling elves encounter other urbanites, the elves are often fashion trendsetters. "

- Human:
"Physical Description: The physical characteristics of humans are as varied as the world's climes. From the dark-skinned tribesmen of the southern continents to the pale and barbaric raiders of the northern lands, humans possess a wide variety of skin colors, body types, and facial features. Generally speaking, humans' skin color assumes a darker hue the closer to the equator they live. At the same time, bone structure, hair color and texture, eye color, and a host of facial and bodily phenotypic characteristics vary immensely from one locale to another. Cheekbones may be high or broad, noses aquiline or flat, and lips full or thin; eyes range wildly in hue, some deep set in their sockets, and others with full epicanthic folds. Appearance is hardly random, of course, and familial, tribal, or national commonalities often allow the knowledgeable to identify a human's place of origin on sight, or at least to hazard a good guess. Humans' origins are also indicated through their traditional styles of bodily decoration, not only in the clothing or jewelry worn, but also in elaborate hairstyles, piercing, tattooing, and even scarification. "

---------------

As we can see, the game uses Physical Description for how the creature looks like, not his profession or name so 'Dave the cook' will not be there (it might show up in ether the 'name' or 'society' entries, but those are not used by the spell)

Notes:
about #1:
" It is invisible to anyone except you and a potential subject" so the target can see the hand and doesn't need see invisibility to see and follow the hand to you. allowing the orc chief to know where you are and guide him (and his following tribe) in the fastest way to your camp is not very smart.

#2
cracks or exits small enough for ants and such to travel through might not be a secret door, it might just be small cracks in a non airtight wall of the ruin.

#3
"you specify a person (or any creature) by physical description, which can include race, gender... When the description is done, the hand streaks off in search of a subject that fits the description."
the hand search for someone that fits the physical description that you give it, anything that is made to look just like the target (looking at you doppelganger) will count as a 'potential target' and make the hand beckon it and not the real king. unless you know of a very special mark that only the target would have.
"If more than one subject in a 5-mile radius meets the description, the hand locates the closest creature."

also since this is a visual description. invisibility would still work against it. "If, at the end of 4 hours of searching, the hand has found no subject that matches the description within 5 miles..." (invisible creature by default doesn't match his normal description, he no longer look like a 5 ft human with a scar on his nose)

note:
- about secret signal, a good way to deliver a massage with this (and say, not any other massage delivering spells you might use instead) is to agree before on the target per massage you want to send. sign the healer if you want the party to come and help, peg the rogue if you want them to flee and bring reinforcement, etc.

- Pranks: this can be a very interesting prank to pull on the neighbor's mangy dog that won't stop barking...

Yea, i forgot to edit that, actually even if one could ready a coup de grace in this case i wouldn't recommend it, since he'll act before the witch used her immediate action, if she survive the damage she can bounce his coup de grace back to him, and i think the dc would be a lot higher then the familiar...

but taking a pot-shot at a helpless character (dex=0) is still fair game.

beside having the familiar provoking for performing the coup de grace, you might want to consider smart opponent actions once some of them realize what the witch is doing. if word got out or they dug enough info about her (or rolled a good sense motive or a knowledge check etc?) a well prepared enemy might just ready an action to coup de grace the witch themselves when she let herself be helpless.

all in all a risky maneuver, not much unlike 'sheathing the blade' in all of them sword dueling epic fights. (the act to use one's own body as a sheath to hold the enemy's blade to get a chance to strike them), I'd say roll with it but play the smart enemies smart enough to make it worth it when it works, and dire when failing.

Let me just highlight the main part from Toshy's nice post:
"he continues his actions once you complete your readied action."

-Until the readied action is done, unless the triggering person have a special ability etc, he can't act.

to help it make sense. the counterspelling wizard's turn was before the sorcerer's turn. and he took a very special initiative altering action to allow him to continue his act at the sorcerer's turn. so we stop the sorcerer's turn, let the wizard continue his earlier stopped turn, and only then continue the sorcerer's turn.
so unless the sorcerer has an ability or item or what-not that let him cast a quicken spell out of turn, he wait for his turn to resume.

(very special initiative altering action - from the next turn the wizard initiative change to just before the sorcerer's, no matter what it was up to now and who else act in the turn order.)

unless you have a feat or action or something that allow you (like a readied action) you can not interrupt some1 else's action. so the npc wizard who took a ready action get to try and counter-spell the Sorcerer , but the Sorcerer won't get any action, not even a quicken action to counter that counter. (and if he had any feat allowing this it would have probably be an immediate action).
so action #4 is illegal. the ready action happen in response to his casting and unless he has something special that allow it, he doesn't get to respond until after the counter spell attempt is resolved.

just a note, in my games this item (the one linked, not the one the op is trying to price) is changed to hold a maximum of 5 spells and not 5 scrolls, since by raw a scroll can have any number of spells scribed on it (you just make it longer) and this would allow a ridiculous number of spells, all to be inside the case even on one scroll, and allow casting of any of the spells within.

I think you mixed stuff up there, op doesn't want to craft his bonded item like he can, he want to designate another, already magical ring, as his bounded item. which is a different process.

to make his bounded item magical (or enhance it) he need to fulfill the item's crafting feat requirement that match his bounded item. then he can craft it into a magical item or enhance an already magical bonded item using the magic item creation rules.
one can also pay for another person to do this. (if he trust him with his bounded item that is)

to bound with a new item of the same type as his bonded item a different process is needed (that week of attuning etc) but he doesn't need any requirement beside what is describe in the process of replacing his bonded item.

Also I personally rule that the point about bounded item losing all it's abilities once the master bound with a new item should only include what the master added with his class ability of crafting his bounded item. an item that was enhanced by other means shouldn't loose that enhancement just because the master took a week to attune it and then another to attune a different item.

you may take the"Advanced Weapon Training" combat feat with the fighter bonus combat feats or normal feats as long as you have the requirements (i think it's to have the class ability of weapon training).
enjoy!

ranged spec fighter with warrior spirit?
i'd like to recommend to you the Beaming weapon ability. (not to put on the weapon via crafting, to use with the warrior spirit)

since every time you power up your weapon with a point from the ability you can only add one weapon special ability. this one let you shoot a 10th level (max power) searing light as a free action when you full attack per weapon enhancement bonus at the time you use this power. adding 5d6/5d8/10d6/10d8 (depending on target) to your full attack for each + the weapon have at the cost of +1 weapon bonus. (also note that the spell can target anyone in 200 feet range, not just the target you shoot bolts at)
do note that some DM might say the amount of beams is daily based so you can only use this once per day and the rest you will need to use other weapon abilities, but among the +1 worth weapon abilities this is golden.

you also can gain a feat every odd level, any feat.
but you still need to get the requirements to gain it. same thing here. unless specifically called out to not require any requirement anytime you want to take a feat you must meet it's requirement, as this is a general rule for gaining feats and unless you have a specific rule to overcome it (like ranger combat feats etc) you must follow it.

there is a specific ruling that if you gain a feat with requirement but then lost them (say power attack and lost the minimum str from being sapped) you don't lose the feat, but can't use it (or any feat that require it) until you get back the feat's requirements.

but as i said this specific ability doesn't say you may ignore a feat's requirements so you don't get to pick one you are unqualified to take..

we're ain't at the homebrew or game balance section, this is the Rules section.
And the rules are very clear:
If it doesn't say it stop being a two handed weapon. then it doesn't, and it uses ALL the 2 handed rules beside the ones it specifically call out to change.
If it say it work with a shield held in the other hand all together it does.

Save the homebrewing and society nerfing for their own section of the board.

Fighter's have it hard enough to scale up to casters as is, the extra feats are HIS *spellcasting* balance.
Each feat break the rules up to it and allow you to do something you just can't do without it. this is not a bug in the balance, it's a feature!

-----
side note, you got the requirements wrong, the proficiency and shield focus are a must, then you ether need to have bab +3 or 1st level fighter. it is meant to be easier for fighters to gain.

that pfs ruling is clearly a nerf they added to the feat, if it was considered using one hand then the feat would have mentioned it to begin with, as it does in so many other places where that happen. the half off str and power attack alone make a big deal enough for it to be mentioned.

that aside OP, you should probably go for a Clawhand shield for a caster with shield brace. it makes things so much easier and help when grappled (which would suck in ether casting or two-handed weapon fighting) .

the first sticky thread on the rules forum has the link on it's first post for the faq

then the motherless tiefling get blur 1/day (also +2 str and wis, which are great for monks)

intangible?
some options you might want to look at:

look up the Wayang, specifically the alt ability of Dissolution’s Child:
Once per day, you may change your appearance to look as if you were little more than a 4-foot-tall area of shadow. Your physical form still exists and you are not incorporeal—only your appearance changes. This works like invisibility, except it only lasts 1 round per level (maximum 5 rounds). This is a supernatural ability. This racial trait replaces shadow magic.

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if allowed (and you don't mind playing one, some do) then a Duergar can be realy nice here. they got invisibility and enlarge person 1/day , a bunch of immunities and +2 vs spells and such. and the +2 to con and wis also help a monk. you can pick up the innate flexibility feat to gain 2 more uses a day (and take it more then once)

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getting 1 minute of invisibility from being a heavy drinker is also an option.

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option #1:
4th level (see *note* below) unchained monk who pick up the empty body ki power (it surprisingly has no minimum level cap) can turn ethereal for 1 minute for each 3 ki used (2 ki with a charged up ki mastery ring):

"Empty Body (Su) (Pathfinder Unchained pg. 16): A monk with this ki power gains the ability to assume an ethereal state for 1 minute as though using the spell etherealness, using his monk level as his caster level. Using this ability is a move action that consumes 3 points from the monk’s ki pool. This ability affects only the monk and cannot be used to make other creatures ethereal."

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option #2:
drinking the addictive Numerian Fluids drug and getting very lucky (rolling a 100 in a d100% and then 3 in 1d10):
100 = Roll on the table below. All exceptional effects are permanent.
3 = Phasing: The drinker gains the ability to become incorporeal for 1d4 rounds as a swift action, but takes 1 point of Con damage when he does so. Phasing can be extended as a free action by taking 1 additional point of Con damage. Coming out of phase inside a solid object is instantly fatal. Phasing cannot be used by creatures that are immune to Con damage.

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option #3:
to become permanently incorporeal (not like shadowcat) you can drink the
Ghost Syrup necrotoxin (base price of 6,000 gp) and if you succumb to it and lose all of your str you permanently become incorporeal. need wish\miracle and such to come back. so make sure you got something like ghost touch armor and probably ghost touch amulet of mighty fists to be able to do things.

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option #4:
adding the Etherealness magical ability to your magic armor (add a flat 49,000 gp to the armor cost) will let you become ethereal for 1 hour a day.

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*Note*
Your wish to be able to do it at level one is kinda hard as it's an issue with breaking the game's powers balance. a level 1 character is not meant to be able to go through walls unchecked anymore then to be flying at supersonic speed and shooting death lasers out of his eyes.

Consider the unchained monk option and think of levels 1-3 as training yourself to be able to do it. (flavor wise maybe you barely flicker on and off, without a real game mechanic effect, when meditating. Until you fully grasp the ki ability at level 4)

i work a lot with AI, never trust it, always fact check. An AI will blatantly lie, and keep up lying about it up to the point you confront it with facts, at which point it will apologize ,of sort, and might still claim the lie is true in the next answer he gives.

As for Freebooter:
Freebooter replaces: Favored Enemy; Hunter's Bond; Woodland Stride -and that's all.
The AI might even give you an answer about a freebooter from a different edition or game without even telling you he does. and that's if he doesn't just use the most common answer he finds that others wrote which might not even be from the rules.

once in every 20 rolls to roll 2 more rolls doesn't slow it that much. you can throw the confirmation and 100% rolls at once.

I do not personally advocate for critical fumbles. Martial characters have it rough enough without needing to worry about one of their 6 attacks a turn causing them to decapitate themselves.

To deal with martial having more attacks and thus those with X5 the attacks then a 1st level would fumble x5 time more, i added a 2nd roll. each bab a character have (which should represent his martial prowess and expertise) is a stacking 5% to not fumble on a nat 1 (which is followed by a to hit roll to confirm the miss, like with a crit) so say a level 6 fighter rolls a nat 1 and then a miss confirmation, he has 30% to just miss and not fumble. while a level 20 would only fumble if he rolls a nat 1, then a miss confirmation and then a 100 in a 100% roll.

"a monster that has miracle as an at will ability even if its just once a day?"
I assume you mean 'as sla even once a day' not 'at will'

if it can get class levels then it's possible.

a level 10 oracle(dragon mystery)/10 exalted (any deity who has the magic/divine sub domain. like nethys or Asmu) can have:

sla - to material cost:
1/day - miracle, 1/day resurrection, 1/day any up to 7th level wizard spell (such as limited wish) from dragon magic revolution (2/day if he's an elf with fev calss bonus).
-also the other divine sub domain bonus spells as sla of levels 1,2,3,4,5,6,8.
and the exalted 1/day ability that i like to call limited miracle. all without material comp.

my wish granting dragon (oracle) build has all that and more, being an elf who is adopted by genie-kin got him to add his fev class bonus for 2/day limited wish and the ability to cast 'at will' any 0 level spell if a humanoid (himself as well) wish for it.

This could make an interesting adventure. An npc party gets a hold of the bottle but only have the word of opening and don't know what will happen when they use it. Now your city is being invaded by evil outsiders that are getting progressively more powerful.

As a GM (just to mess with the players) I would add that the long imprisonment in the bottle somewhat effected the resident's mind, now they all dress the same, look the same and answer to the name 'Bob' ,yes even the big guy at the end.

if the dragon got acid breath attack (and gm is ok with old 3.5 pathfinder feats) then I would strongly suggest getting him the Noxious
bite feat.
7 attacks a round with each getting it's own save or suck when hit are very strong!

the spell is considered to be of a higher level, but it's not is of a higher level.
So it will be harder to: counter with darkness magic\resist\dispel\make into a magic item etc (a spell for a wand might end with a spell level over 4th so can't be put into a wand etc) -things that use the spell level for consideration.
But the spell's specifics would still follow it's original spell -the creatures one can summon for example.
The fact there is a spell of higher level named almost the same doesn't make it the same spell with a higher spell level as the only difference. for example if you scribe a summon mounter II spell that is somehow effected by this feat and class ability it will not turn into a summon monster IV, they use different..well everything... and you can't use one to add the other to your spell book because the 'considered' level is higher.
It will be like saying, I can heighten my magic missile spell to be a 3rd level spell so now it's a fireball. these are different spells altogether with somewhat similar effects (and while the higher level spells can be used to summon creatures from lower level spell list, having the higher in your spell book for example doesn't mean you automatically also have the lower ones. again -different spells)

just wondering, did you also take levels in the siegebreaker class? that thing get very nasty with overrun and bull rush with just 2 level dip.

in the magic section it state (in spell effects, about bringing people back from death):

"Revivification against One’s Will

A soul can’t be returned to life if it doesn’t wish to be. A soul knows the name, alignment, and patron deity (if any) of the character attempting to revive it and may refuse to return on that basis."

so if he knows who killed him by name (and more so by alignment and patron) he might decide not to let the same person bring him back.