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The Secrets of the Taskshaper (PFRPG) PDF

4.50/5 (based on 4 ratings)
RIP0103E

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Wanted: Players who wish to choose the feat, skill, or ability they want when they need it.

This new base class is designed for use by player characters at every level of play, allowing the character to emulate skills, feats, class abilities, and monstrous abilities. The taskshaper can also change shape from alter self to form of the dragon. The taskshaper can curse shapeshifters, trapping them in forms of the PC's choice, or with but a touch turn a foe into a music box playing the PC's theme song. This class can also be easily introduced into any new campaign with a simple plug-and-play first-person introduction.

The Secrets of the Taskshaper is brought to you by the same designer who crafted the hugely successful Book of Monster Templates and the best-selling Feats 101. In addition, the product is the third book in "The Secrets of" series, following The Secrets of Martial Mastery and The Secrets of Divine Channeling.

Author: Steven D. Russell
Cover Artist: Joe Calkins
Pages: 5

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4.50/5 (based on 4 ratings)

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I am the shapeshifter you are looking for.

5/5 —

Shapeshifters seem to be a big desire among role players and I've never seen them done better than they are in this product. Taskshapers start with the ability to make minor shape changes to themselves granting themselves temporary abilities or bonuses but quickly progress into shapeshifting into other people, then into animals and even more exotic forms as they level.

But a taskshaper's control isn't limited to transforming himself into normal forms, they can do much, much, more. Imagine having the ability to control your body so well that you can (temporarily) ignore any condition, even death. (Just imagine, someone stabs you in the heart but your control of the body is so great that you can force the veins themselves to press blood on through thus keeping yourself alive for a short time.) Or if you want a creepy Cuthulhu esque shapeshifter their control lets them grow tentacles if you so desire, even while in other forms.

But they're not just shape shifters, they're taskshapers, the ultimate mimic. In fact one of their abilities is called just that, mimicry, and ensures that they can do just that. Need to use scrolls like a wizard? You can do that. Wield a weapon like a fighter? Ditto. Impersonate and replace someone important? Got that in spades.

So if you're looking for a shape shifting class, or if you just look back and remember Gogo of FFIII fondly, you should check out the taskshaper is definitely for you.

5/5 —

The Secrets of the Taskshaper introduces to the game an interesting playable option for those players looking for the “every character”. I grew up on a steady diet of Marvel comics as a kid, and recognized what I can only assume is the influence of the character known as Taskmaster. Trust me, that's a good thing for those not in the know.

A slim 10 pages, with covers, OGL, and yadda yadda yadda....let's get to the goodies, shall we? Buy this book. Honestly....I could stop right there, as I know no better compliment to give this PDF, but I know that that would be construed as an opinion, and not a review, hence we shall continue, for the sake of those still reading.

The Taskshaper is a full 20 level playable class with a Moment of Change pool that they receive at level 1, and build in size throughout their progression. These moments of change allow for some fairly cool perks, with most of them being still on a small enough scale that the character is not insanely over balanced in regards to “How well does it play well with others?” The ability to swap feats for ones they've seen, flip flop skill ranks with each other, each with strict round limits. Gain a bonus to a dice roll by literally altering your body.....that's right, I said altering....Taskshapers are often mistaken for dopplegangers and changelings, due to a great many of their interesting abilities. But they are far more, and something different entirely. Imprint feats and class abilities, impersonate others, or change shape as per the spell. And folks, we're just getting started here, there are so many possible options for what one could do with this class, and those handy little moments of change...at the top of the level range you can imitate through Monstrous Adaptation almost any attack of any living creature you have been in contact with, or simply unmake anything you choose to touch....and by unmake, we're talking total devastation, think the spell disintegrate.

Now, does this class have the capacity to be abused into next week? Sure. Which is why it should only be played by a player who is not just looking for a way to destroy their GM's game, in short it belongs in the hands of a mature player who understands the power at their fingertips, and is willing to put in the book keeping required to keep track of the immense amount of imprints this class will pick up throughout a career simply by observing.

Art wise, I do believe everything here was stock art, but it's from Joe Calkins and Hugo Solis, so it's all of fairly good quality. I only noticed one editing mishap, and that was due to a bullet spacing issue, so it caused no concerns or problems in reading the material. As I said earlier, Buy this book....read it, absorb it, then re-read it. There's brilliance here in what can be done with this. Easily earned the 5 star rating.

Nifty changeling/shapechanger race/class

4/5 —

This pdf is 10 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page SRD and 2 pages advertisements, leaving 5 pages for the new base class of the taskshaper, so let's dive in.

The pdf starts with the trademark quality prose I've come to expect of Rite Publishing books, an IC-told story about how Auberyon, Soltice king of the fey, abducted people and changed them, altered their memories even, to become taskshapers and how they escaped from their bonds.

The Taskshaper-class gets d8, 6+Int skills per level, can select 10 skills at character generation to be class skills, can use any weapons, armors and shields and can use any spell-trigger or spell completion item as if the spells were on her list. The Taskshaper also gets medium BAB, a good Fort and Ref save.
We're in for a jack-of-all-trades-like class, which becomes apparent when reading e.g. the Moment of Change ability: Starting at first level and improving each level, they get the ability to use change-points from their pool to change one of their feats for one round into a feat whose usage he has witnessed in-game. Mechanics to properly understand a feat for purpose of this ability are given. They can also use these pool points to gain minor plus 1 bonuses or temporarily change skills.
Furthermore, they can choose from a list of 9 shaped capacities that range from being better at emulating others over improved skill- and feat-changes to mimicing class abilities.

Later, they also get consecutively better at shapechanging, starting with alter self and culminating in the ability to use form of the dragon III and giant form III.

If that were not enough, his modularity is expanded upon by the option to select from 8 different so-called Ability Shifts that range from the possibility to negate one incoming attack via an opposed attack roll, over being very agile and fast to transformation attacks to be delivered via touch.

The taskshaper does not stop there, though: At 10th level, the taskshaper can choose from another set of 8 abilities that range from a chance to negate crits, doubling her range as well as the ability to change her mind as well into the person/creature she impersonates. Especially this ability, Become the Mask, has the potential to be roleplaying/storytelling gold.

Finally, the capstone ability is a devastating touch that may dissolve almost everything, befitting of level 20.
The pdf closes with a sidebox telling the DM to insist on PC-taskshaper bookkeeping.

Conclusion:
Oh boy. Doing the math to look for balance concerns for this class really made my brain hurt and I can only imagine how designing/balancing it must have been. Editing and formatting are top-notch, I didn't notice any typos and formatting adheres to RiP's two-columns standard. Layout is ok, as is interior art. The cover is not one of my favorites, especially when compared to other RiP-covers. What to make of the class, then? Well, this is probably the most versatile class I've seen so far for PFRPG and an extremely ambitious design goal. While, as far as my math-skills go, I didn't notice any way to abuse the hell out of the taskshapers abilities, it should be noted that a DM willing to let a player play one HAS to enforce the perception-rules to use class abilities/feats and shapechanges and NOT handwave them. If a player who is known for shoddy book-keeping on his/her character sheet plans to play one of these guys, strongly discourage him/her. Bookkeeping is necessary to balance this class and due to the shapechanging abilities, some work is required on part of the player. The pay-off, though, should be worth it - this class features some very nice ideas and its other-worldly flair can lend a cool new experience to your game. On the downside, though, I think that the book might have profited from either even more abilities, racial feats or the like - alternative capstone abilities would also have rocked. Alternatively, I would have loved to see a section on their psychology and customs expanded, as they surely have some interesting RPG-potential. Or a critter who hunts the escaped taskshapers for Auberyon...something along those lines. Thus, while the taskshaper succeeds at its design goal, it left me wanting a bit more out of the pdf - not much, but I missed something. It just didn't feel as well-rounded as some ther race/class-books by RiP and thus, my final verdict will be a solid 4 stars.

A book about a new race/class of shapeshifters.

4/5 —

The Secrets of the Taskshaper by Rite Publishing

This product is 10 pages long. It starts with a cover and credits. (2 pages)

Next it jumps right into the new class/race, the Taskshaper. They are children stolen by the fey and changed into a new race. At one point many of them fled the fey realm back to the mortal realm. Now they are a new race/class open to PC's. (4 pages)
D8, 6 skills, medium BaB, all weapons and armor.
Class Abilities. They gain these abilities as they level. Some they get most they have to pick like rogue talents are done.
Moment of Change – 3 + caster level uses. Can be used to fuel special abilities.
Imprint Feat – trade a feat for any other feat for a single round.
Imprint Skill – Trade skill ranks from any str or dex based skill to another for a single round.
Modified Advantage – add a +1 to any D20 roll.
Impersonate - able to mimic someone they have touched. +5 to disguise checks.
Imprint Class Ability – Can mimic any class ability they have seen a class do, they do it as if they was half their level in said class. Such as backstab done by a 10th level Taskshaper, would be as if they was a 5th level rogue.
Improved Imprint Feat – as above but can do two feats at once.
Improved Imprint Skill – as above but with any skill.
Improved Modified Advantage – as above but at a +2.
Innate Armor – can gain natural armor for a short period of time.
Mimic Defense – gains a bonus to ref and fort saves for a short period of time.
Shaped Attack – gain a natural attack for your size. Higher level gain more attacks.
Shaped Resistance – Gain a energy resistance for a short period of time.
Change Shape – Starts like alter self, at higher level gain beast shape, elemental, plant, giant and eventually Dragon.
Perfect Copy – Makes themselves look exactly like someone else.

Ability Shift – more powerful abilities. Start with 1 point can eventually have 5.
Avoid Attack – Can make a contest melee attack to cause a attack to miss.
Dynamic Form – increase all mobility speed you posses.
Even More Changes – spend a ability shift point to get more Moment of Change points.
Shape Lock – Can tell another shape changer by touch, can force them to change shape.
Shift Condition – Can temporary ignore any one condition for a short while.
Touch of Change – functions similar to baleful polymorph.
Touch of Stone – functions similar to Stone to flesh spell.
Touch of Transformation – functions similar to polymorph any object.

Advanced Shapes – They cost two moment of change points.
Become Mask – Can mirror a touched persons personality.
Form Intention – gains a bonus to AC and saves for a short period against one creature.
Improved Imprint Class Ability – As above but equal to their level -3.
Master of Shapes – Allows the spending of two moments of change in one round.
Monstrous Adaption – Like imprint class ability but works on extraordinary and supernatural abilities of monsters.
Regenerate – gains natural regeneration for a short period of time.
Shaped Anatomy – Can possible avoid crits.
Stretch – can double their natural reach.

Unform – once per day can attempt to unform anything they touch works similar to disintegrate with high damage.

It ends with a OGL, 2 pages of ad and back cover. (4 pages)

Closing thoughts. The fluff for this race/class is pretty interesting. The art is fair to good. The class is a bit heavy on book keeping and the writers make note of that with a side bar. I honestly really have no idea if this class would be strong or weak. It is so different I think it would take a lot of play testing to be sure. My gut says it isn't and may even be a bit weak as it has limited number of powers per day. My impression is at times the class will dominate and at other times be a bit of a wall flower.

It is different and interesting, but it just didn't grab me as much as their previous race/class books did. I am not sure why, maybe it was all the book keeping. Or that it comes off as a jack of all trades at times while at other times it is a bit plain. I am just not sure, it just didn't grab me though like the In the Company of Giants and Gargoyles books did. So in the end I felt it was a neat idea that was done ok. So whats my rating? I ended up giving it a 3.5 star. I didn't feel it was good enough for a 4 but thought it was better than average which is a 3 to me.

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Thanks for getting this up.
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This sounds totally awesome!! Seems like a combination of the Factotum and the Blue Mage style char from Final Fantasy. If that's true I will buy this book ASAP.

I am not a final fantasy player so I cannot say.

It was based on comic book characters like taskmaster, prometheus, mimic, morph, copycat, and beast boy.
Dark Archive
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

reviewed.

Thanks for taking the time to do a review of the product Dark Mistress.

I would like to say that this is just a class and not a race class combo. Any race can learn to become a taskshaper. Sorry if that was not clear,

Did you have any suggestions on improving the product? I felt the real drawback to it is that perhaps I did not do as much fluff as I usually do for a race, but then the format for pathfinder introducing new classes does not allow for a lot.

Steve Russell
Rite Publishing
Dark Archive
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

It's just a class? Oh... well the fluff as written made me think it was a combo. It talks about stealing children and taking them to the land of fey and changing them. So I by that I thought they was both like the giants and gargoyles books where.

As for improving it? Well I think a few things I would have done had I done it is.
1) Make some of their minor abilities at will abilities at higher levels. Especially things like alter self at the higher levels. Or if not at will then usable X number of times a day. Though that would be more resource management.

2) I think it might be a little bit resource math heavy. I mean you have 2 different power pools of points, 3 different types of powers. two using the same power pool but at different costs, one costing one point and the other two points. Yet you can convert one pool to the other with one of the abilities. I just seeing that as possible being hard to keep track of and easy to confuse people with.

3) I think it is maybe a bit to focused on shape changing. Since they are fey created maybe giving them a few few like abilities would have helped.

Don't get me wrong, it is good. I just feel it could have been better.

Well the pool framework is entirely based on the Time Thief (its almost exactly the same) and is why its dedicated to Owen.

Taking it away from shapechanging and going spell-like I was worried that would be stepping on the druid's toes. The idea was to be a shape for any task :)

You can of course imitate a monsters supernatural ability to do something close to spell-like.
Dark Archive
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

I wasn't suggesting taking it all away, only make a few of them spell like abilities.

Yes I was aware of the similarities to the time thief. It was doing a one shot game with one that made me notice the amount of book keeping it took.

Plus this is just my personal view. From the fluff perhaps made me think more fey and less just shape shifter.

In my playtest I compared it to the book keeping of a sorcerer and did not notice too much of a difference but as Ben McFarland has said, its alot more book keeping than a fighter :)

I will have to think on the spell-like abilities.
Dark Archive

Just wondering how long the shaped capacities last. Is it just one round or are they permanent? I know improved modified advantage is just a single check.

Impersonate: is for the duration of the impersonation
Imprint Class Ability: "that could be performed as a single action ".
Improved Imprint Feat: "For one round" .
Improved Imprint Skill: "for one skill check".
Improved Modified Advantage: "to any single d20 roll"
Instant Armor: "for one minute per class level,"
Mimic Defense: until you select a different condition to defend against.
Shaped attack: until you select a different natural attack
Shaped Resistance: until you select a different energy type.

Really like this product. I was looking for a Chameleon/Shape-changer and this seems to fit the bill.
A couple of questions however - the way I read it, the Change Shape ability functions exactly like the spells as far as duration go - is that right? From Dark Mistress' comments about making the lower level ones at will abilities I think I have interpreted it correctly.
I would like to see lengthier possibilities for the shape change - about an hour a level as Wild Shape would be ideal. Perhaps a Shaped Capacity to increase the length of your Shape-Changing? Or equivalents to Extend Spell and Persist Spell? It is very hard to infiltrate the bad guys temple disguised as a bugbear servant in only one minute per level, plus I really like the idea of playing in animal shape most of the time.
I've also been looking at the Bestial Druid from Kobold Quarterly, which is excellent as well albeit, it only does shape-changing. This class has a lot more flexibility.
While I'm making a Wish List, it would be good to be able to retain an imprinted feat for longer as well - whilst you can imprint Track or Trapfinding using this, you will soon run out of Moments of Change, and then you have used all your options for the day. Obviously, Imprinting say Master Craftsman and the relevant skill would be awesome too, though that may be a little too much.
Anyway, that's just my two bob. Great Product, and I'll be looking carefully at all Rite's releases in the future.
Dark Archive
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Yes it works like the spell it mimics. Which is alter self at first, later beast shape etc. It does use the power pool change moments so it could be reuped.
Dark Archive
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Nice review end.

The duration can be extending by spending additional moments of change and the upper abilities do allow you to get additional moments of change.

I hope at some point things slow down so a lot of the input and playtest reports I am getting now, can be added to an updated version of the class.

Thanks for the review End. I think where it falls down is that it used the class format and not the racial format of previous ideas. Realy folks its not a race its a class you could be any race and be a Taskshaper.

I think in the future if I do more classes I am going to go beyond the standard and give more than want the standard class description from pathfinder gives.
Dark Archive
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Rite Publishing wrote:

The duration can be extending by spending additional moments of change and the upper abilities do allow you to get additional moments of change.

I hope at some point things slow down so a lot of the input and playtest reports I am getting now, can be added to an updated version of the class.

Thanks for the review End. I think where it falls down is that it used the class format and not the racial format of previous ideas. Realy folks its not a race its a class you could be any race and be a Taskshaper.

I think in the future if I do more classes I am going to go beyond the standard and give more than want the standard class description from pathfinder gives.

it's the fluff the fluff made it sound like a race. :)

Dark Archive

Does a taskshaper have to have Imprint Class Ability before taking Improved Imprint Class Ability?

yes

OK, so I'm late to the party on this one, but I found it, lol. And was impressed with it.

Glad you enjoyed it KTFish7 :)

We are just glad you came to the party, we don't care when you show up.

Thanks for taking the time to do a review of our product ShadowcatX

Nice review, ShadowcatX! The taskshaper is still imho one of the most iconic 3pp-classes out there.
Dark Archive

I need a big question answered on this one, in regards to Imprint Class Ability:

If I imprint a class ability that gets better as the class gains levels, do I:

-Assume that when that class ability says:
"at the (the class that grants the ability)'s x level, the ability increases by +y" and "the DC is equal to (it lists a number) plus the character's level in (the class that grants the ability)"
And other such examples, that I replace the class that grants the ability with Taskshaper (at half level, or her class level minus three for Improved Imprint Class Ability)?

-Assume that the class level of the original user is the level that the ability imprints at, and that I can only use it at that imprinted level or half my taskshaper level (or her class level minus three for Improved Imprint Class Ability), whichever is lower?

-Assume that the class level of the original user or half my taskshaper level (or her class level minus three for Improved Imprint Class Ability), which ever is lower, is the level that the ability imprints at?

Does this question make sense? I can use examples, if you'd like. I've been playing this class for a little while now, and have some observations, but before I make them, I'd like this question answered.
Goblins Eighty-Five wrote:

I need a big question answered on this one, in regards to Imprint Class Ability:

If I imprint a class ability that gets better as the class gains levels, do I:

You calculate all variables via half your taskshaper class level (or -3 with improved imprint class ability)

So for your a second level taskshaper having just taken the Imprint class abiltiy you have see your paladin ally use smite evil and make the percception check to imprint it, you then spend a mote of chance to activte the ability and add your cha modifer to your attack roll and add +1 to your damage (half your taskshaper level).

The same would be true for a DC calculation that looked like 10 +1/2 your cleric class level + your char modifier would be 10 + 1/4 your taskshaper class level + your wisdom modifier.

Your a jack of all trades not a master of all trades.
Dark Archive

Then might I suggest adding this detail to the class ability? Something stating:

When a class ability states that the class's level must be used to calculate the power of the ability, the Taskshaper character acts as if it had half of their Taskshaper levels in the ability's class, but only for the purpose of calculating how the ability works.

We had a heck of a time trying to figure out how this ability would work otherwise, because this is not actually stated.

Also, if you had levels in the class that has the ability you've imprinted, would it stack with your taskshaper half-level for the purpose of using the taskshaper's 'Imprint class abiltiy'? Would it stack the other way around (Half-Taskshaper levels for making the ability work for the original class)? Could someone imprint themselves using the ability, by looking in a mirror, for example, or would intrinsically know their own 'other' class's abilities for the imprint class ability, or would they have to watch someone else use it? What happens if another Taskshaper uses an ability from imprint class ability; can you imprint it? How about another Taskshaper imprinting another Taskshaper's class ability, assuming they saw it used?

Sorry, I really love this class, but it leaves a lot of questions.
Pathfinder Maps Subscriber

Are there alternate favored class options for Taskshaper anywhere?

So far I have only written one for the Lurker (half-gnome/half-cloaker) which can also be used for gnomes: Add +1/4 to the taskshaper's moments of
change pool.

Steven D. Russell

I have a few questions about how the imprint class ability class ability works.

First, lets say my character imprints smite evil and uses it on an evil target. How long does the smite evil effect last, is it just for that round or is it the same duration as the paladin ability, also how many times per day could I use smite evil.

Secondly, can my taskshaper imprint a passive class ability that he has seen and suceeded on his perception check on. For instance could he imprint woodland stride.

Lastly, if my taskshaper imprints rage, as the barbarian ability, how long does that last.
duskwolf wrote:

I have a few questions about how the imprint class ability class ability works.

First, lets say my character imprints smite evil and uses it on an evil target. How long does the smite evil effect last, is it just for that round or is it the same duration as the paladin ability, also how many times per day could I use smite evil.

It lasts for the duration the ability is listed for based on you being "half her class level" so if your an 8th level taskshaper and the ability lasts 1 round per class level it lasts 4 rounds.

Its based on both how many times a day the class ability can be used by a character "equal to half her class level" plus each use costs a moment of change.

Quote:
Secondly, can my taskshaper imprint a passive class ability that he has seen and suceeded on his perception check on. For instance could he imprint woodland stride.

you can only emulate an abiltiy that can be performed as one action. So you could not emulate a constant ability.

Quote:
Lastly, if my taskshaper imprints rage, as the barbarian ability, how long does that last.

again based on "half her class level" so so if your an 8th level taskshaper and the ability lasts 1 round per class level it lasts 4 rounds.

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Thanks for the prompt reply : ).

I have one more question, can a taskshaper learn an ability that is used as part of an action. Such as sneak attack for instance, or the rogue talent positioning strike.

Thx in advance.
duskwolf wrote:

Thanks for the prompt reply : ).

I have one more question, can a taskshaper learn an ability that is used as part of an action. Such as sneak attack for instance, or the rogue talent positioning strike.

Thx in advance.

Yes. though again it would sneak attack would be at half her class level and each time you attempted to perform a sneak attack you would need to spend a moment of change.

For the Improved Imprint Feat ability, it sounds like you trade in two feats you currently posses in order to use one feat you do not.

Eg, I have Improved Initiative and Weapon Finesse, I could trade both of them in for say Dodge.

Is that right? If so, it doesn't seem like such a great ability for an improved version, even if the number of feats you can choose is increased a bit.

No you trade two feats for two feats.

How many abilities/feats/whatever can I imprint? Is there an upper limit, or is it just "as many as I've made the roll for, bookkeeping ho"?
Kerian Valentine wrote:
How many abilities/feats/whatever can I imprint? Is there an upper limit, or is it just "as many as I've made the roll for, bookkeeping ho"?

There is no upper limit the same way there is no upper limit to a wizard's spellbooks.

the usage limit is based on how many moments of change you can use in a round (max 2) with improved imprint feat, you could therefore switch out a maximum of 4 feats for 1 round. So you could spring attack, if you had a dex of 13.
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I just got this the other day, and I'm excited to play one, but I also had a few questions...

1. On Imprint Class Ability, do you have to pick your class abilities even before you gain this ability? For example, if I've played a taskshaper since level 1, but I wait until level 6 to pick Imprint Class Ability as a shaped capacity, I would have needed to keep up with 4 abilities from character creation, plus any I've seen?
2. For that matter, can I witness Class Abilities and imprint them before I have Imprint Class Ability as a shaped capacity?
3. How do class resources work? For example, if I imprint a Barbarians Rage ability at 2nd level, it can last up to 4 + Con rounds (that being the daily allotment of rage. If I use up all these rounds, and I re-imprint Rage, does it fail, or do I have another 4 + Con rounds?
4. Flavor wise, what happens if you imprint an Alchemists Bomb ability? Are you growing explosive organs to throw? Because that would be awesome.
5. Can you imprint class abilities you already possess? I've seen comments about imprinting Ability Shift to gain essentially limitless moments of change (though I'm guessing that could potentially be fixed by the ruling on question #3).
6. Assuming you possess Master of Shapes, is there anything stopping you from imprinting the same class feature twice? I didn't see anything explicitly, and maybe there's something in the core rules, but I wasn't sure. This seems like it is another cheesy way to break the class.
7. Are the natural attacks granted by Shaped attack primary or secondary?
8. Do all the advanced shapes cost 2 moments of change? The description only says "many" but no abilities have a cost listed. I'm also guessing that Master of Shapes is passive, and has no cost.
9. Do you gain any knowledge the creature has when using Become the Mask or is it just very strong personality? For example, a nefarious murderer cuts a poor villagers throat, and escapes. A taskshaper stumbles onto the scene, and touches the villager before they die, but they die before revealing who killed them. If the taskshaper uses Become the Mask, can the villager persona reveal who killed him?
10. Is the DC for keeping control on Become the Mask meant to get harder with your stats? Anytime I use it, I should dump any +CHA gear for +WIS?

...that's all I can think of for now.
Quote:
1. On Imprint Class Ability, do you have to pick your class abilities even before you gain this ability? For example, if I've played a taskshaper since level 1, but I wait until level 6 to pick Imprint Class Ability as a shaped capacity, I would have needed to keep up with 4 abilities from character creation, plus any I've seen?

You pick and start keeping track once you have the ability.

Quote:
2. For that matter, can I witness Class Abilities and imprint them before I have Imprint Class Ability as a shaped capacity?

No.

Quote:
3. How do class resources work? For example, if I imprint a Barbarians Rage ability at 2nd level, it can last up to 4 + Con rounds (that being the daily allotment of rage. If I use up all these rounds, and I re-imprint Rage, does it fail, or do I have another 4 + Con rounds?

It fails.

Quote:
4. Flavor wise, what happens if you imprint an Alchemists Bomb ability? Are you growing explosive organs to throw? Because that would be awesome.

The flavor is up to the player (and the adjudication of the GM), but remember the taskshaper is meant to let you keep your disguise as a actual member of that class so what you should be doing is putting your hand in your bag and pulling out some air that you polymorphed into a alchemist's bomb so you maintain your disguise.

Quote:
5. Can you imprint class abilities you already possess? I've seen comments about imprinting Ability Shift to gain essentially limitless moments of change (though I'm guessing that could potentially be fixed by the ruling on question #3).

Yes but see rule 3, its not an exploit so doing so is useless.

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6. Assuming you possess Master of Shapes, is there anything stopping you from imprinting the same class feature twice? I didn't see anything explicitly, and maybe there's something in the core rules, but I wasn't sure. This seems like it is another cheesy way to break the class.

Yes but see rule 3, its not an exploit so doing so is useless, and remember bonuses from the same source don't stack.

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7. Are the natural attacks granted by Shaped attack primary or secondary?

You get one primary and all other's are secondary

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8. Do all the advanced shapes cost 2 moments of change? The description only says "many" but no abilities have a cost listed. I'm also guessing that Master of Shapes is passive, and has no cost.

yes but I am out of town right now and don't have access tot he manscript, so I need to double check that.

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9. Do you gain any knowledge the creature has when using Become the Mask or is it just very strong personality? For example, a nefarious murderer cuts a poor villagers throat, and escapes. A taskshaper stumbles onto the scene, and touches the villager before they die, but they die before revealing who killed them. If the taskshaper uses Become the Mask, can the villager persona reveal who killed him?

You get all its knowledge, but remember you can do the same thing with speak with dead which is a 5th level ability, and this is a 10th level ability, if your running a murder mystery at that level you should have destroyed the body anyway.

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10. Is the DC for keeping control on Become the Mask meant to get harder with your stats? Anytime I use it, I should dump any +CHA gear for +WIS?

Its the effective nature of a Cha based saves. With or without gear, your DC will higher than your save because your save is equal to 1d20+ 1/3 your tashshaper level + your Wis modifer, and your DC is 10 +1/2 your taskshaper level + your Cha modifer, and I expect as a taskshaper and your focus on disguise is going to make your base Cha higher than your Wis, of course your bonuses goes back to being temporary bonuses for 24 hours if you do this but sure you can be a munchkin and do this.

Quick question I need clarified before I let this class be used in a 1 on 1 campaign.

Change Shape acts as Alter Self, and Perfect Copy lets someone perfectly copy an individual.

What point then is there to the Impersonate ability? Is the Taskshaper supposed to be able to auto-success with anyone who happens to see or know this specific individual?

Edit: In that regard, might I suggest actually putting whatever bonus you get for changing your shape to a specific individual in the Perfect Copy ability? Perhaps +10 circumstance bonus like the Kitsune's "Realistic Likeness" feat? Perhaps allow Impersonate's circumstance to stack with it?

The point of the impersonate ability is that it adds an additional untyped bonus to disguise checks. It also can be used with mundane disguises rather than being limited to magical disguises which true seeing would see right through.

You already get a +10 circumstance bonus for using alter self.
Scarab Sages

First of all I love this class. by far and away. It's beautifully well done.

I have a question about this class.

When they shapeshift do you treat their armour like a druid wildshaping?

AS in it changed with them and becomes part of their form or resizes to fit their new form and it retains all their bonuses aside from their armour bonuses.

Going to start a game with a TS (So excited!) within a week so keen to find out.

Thanks in advance.

"This ability functions as the alter self spell... This
ability emulates additional spells based on your class level"

All of the listed spells have the Polymorph subschool, so they follow all of the rules for the polymorph subschool. (This was done on purpose).

Also the class was updated in The Secrets of Adventuring with all the various feats and magic items and corrected some balance and wording issues.

I am looking at playing a Taskshaper in a PbP. Planning on buying the Secrets of Adventuring PDF if my submission is accepted for the game, but until then working with the SRD to try to get the mechanics set in my head.

All that said, I have a question about basic and improved versions of imprint feat and imprint class ability...

So the basic versions both read "can only select a list of _____ from the Pathfinder®Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook (TM) equal to 3+ her class level."

Both of the improved versions read "the taskshaper is still limited to the list ____ she can emulate, though this list increases by 3 + her Charisma modifier."

It seems like this could actually reduce the number that you know without having witnessed because it no longer scales with class.

If I am understanding correctly (which I might not be) when I level I gain an additional known feat from the Core set of rules in the same way a wizard gains some spells known (because my class level went up).

But then when I take the improved versions, as written, this scaling by class stops happening...I think.

Am I understanding the rules wrong, or should the improved versions read "increases to 3 + her class level + her charisma modifier"?

Thank you for the clarification. I love that we have access to the publisher for FAQ stuff like this.

scaling does not stop, it increases by charisma modifier.

increases to 3 + her class level + her charisma modifier

Cool beans. Thanks.

Hopefully I will get picked in this recruitment...which means you will get a sale. ;)
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