Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Intrigue (PFRPG)

So I was wondering if anyone actually has a decent (non skill monkey) Lion Blade build or ideal the bard/rogue/Lion Blade seems like a really terrible build with the mass penalties to the bab and no spell casting progression. I think the inspire competence requirement is probably the biggest downside to the PRC.

You can also snag inspire competence with the Storyteller archetype for the Medium, the Sensei and Wanderer archetypes for Monk, and, of course, as already mentioned, the Deadly Courtesan archetype for the Rogue.

so here is the thing inspire competence is a level tax which is applied on top of a very steep 3 feat tax (I mean improved int is ok I guess) which is applied to a very high attribute tax (dex rogue, con because you don't like dying, cha for bard stuff, int is now used to determine dc for skills with the class) which is applied to a 16 skill tax.

The worst part is Inspire competence is overshadowed by the private one your giving yourself (oh and it requires the subject to hear you). Also from what I can see you may still have to spend a standard action to activate your performances.

On top of this you are taking a penalty to your BAB which the prestige class expects you to be in combat and perfect strike requires a charge on a flat footed for or spring attack (another 3 feats). Also you end any hopes of spell progression.

The Deadly Courtesan may be a good build up for the class but requires a boon for PFS.

Any of the previously listed options for Inspire Competence, plus a one level dip into any class that gets sneak attack at 1st, plus the Accomplished Sneak Attacker feat.

They get a unique poison named after them and a spell that lets you convert one poison into another on the fly. There's also some fluff on the Daggermark guilds in the River Kingdoms section.

A whole section on the River Kingdoms? May we get some hints at least as to what else can be found there?

In the spell description for implant urge it says the saving throw is "Will partial" but there is no lesser effect that would make it "partial." It only has the one effect. Was it meant to have an effect that was non-negateable or was the spell supposed to be "will negates?"

For those of you who have had an opportunity to analyze the new spells in this book ..... do any of you have any insights as to which ones are the most intriguing in regards to added utility, combat performance, etc.?

Is it just me, or am I noticing more Alchemist extracts meant to use on enemies being added to their formula list?

Exactly what purpose does the spell Dream Reality have as an Alchemist extract? Alchemist extracts only work and affect the Alchemist (unless he has that discovery to grant it to others, but what enemy would drink this without being forced somehow?)

So what good are extracts that are meant as offensive to enemies?

VERY good question, Barachiel. Is Dream Reality in this book? I'm not familiar with it.

Is it just me, or am I noticing more Alchemist extracts meant to use on enemies being added to their formula list?

Exactly what purpose does the spell Dream Reality have as an Alchemist extract? Alchemist extracts only work and affect the Alchemist (unless he has that discovery to grant it to others, but what enemy would drink this without being forced somehow?)

So what good are extracts that are meant as offensive to enemies?

I presume in this case you're meant to only be able to use it with the Infusion discovery and would try to trick someone into drinking it.

Dream Reality could be used by a spy to forget instructions he gave an agent ("take these plans to the Dagoba system") and avoid interrogation. Presumably only higher level effects than Modify Memory could recover it, and it blacks out more stuff and doesn't leave a permanent aura. Since Alchemists don't have limited extracts known and this is an intrigue book it makes sense.

For those of you who have had an opportunity to analyze the new spells in this book ..... do any of you have any insights as to which ones are the most intriguing in regards to added utility, combat performance, etc.?

These were the ones I liked or thought might be broadly useful.

Brightest Light: An upgraded Daylight (level 4 and hr/level duration) that is a hard counter to Deeper Darkness (automatically dispels 3rd and below darkness spells that enter its area of effect).

Calistria's Guardian Wasps: Sets a day/level wasp swarm trap. Level 3 and no expensive material component, so you can build up several interlocking applications so that enemies can trigger several at once. (It's a 10x10 area, but triggered if you come within 20' without saying the password.)

Commune with Texts: Definitely gives you a max roll when you do research checks to deplete knowledge points in a library. Also gives you a the ability to get books to tell you about their past users similarly to Stone Tell. There's also some less clear fluff about instantly finding what you want in a library, but that sort of conflicts with the research checks stuff.

Dream Reality: For minute/round the target acts normally, but when the spell expires they forget all details of what happened during that time, like it was a dream. Not subject to the same easy recovery or permanent spell aura of Modify Memory. Great when you have to leave a witness alive but don't want him to come after you or testify. But it's pretty high level, 5/6.

Inveigle Person/Monster: Like charm person, but it makes it friendly to everyone. Seems intended to stop combat, since the whole party is now a friend, not just the caster. Can also be used to create a party friend/helper so that a low Cha caster can hand off wrangling duties to the face.

Nex's Secret Workshop: A mass Nondetection effect. Hide all objects and people within close range.

Recorporeal Incarnation: Wear someone's corpse as a long term disguise, not subject to most magical means of discovery and gives you a lot of abilities of the corpse (immunities, weaknesses, weapon proficiencies, spell resistance) so that you won't get found out too easily. I think this is a reprint of what the party uses to imitate drow in a certain AP.

Rotting Alliance: Level 8 so you won't really see it much, but curses a group so that if they are ever within 100' feat of another member of the group in a given day they have to save against 1d6 Con and Cha damage. You can't heal the damage if you stay together, you can't remove the curse unless you're near another afflicted. The ultimate magical restraining order.

Sealed Sending: Like Sending, but you send a scroll with a longer message to any location you have seen, so you can arrange for someone you don't personally know to pick up the message from a dead drop.

True Skill: True Sight for skills! Sort of. Lasts min/level, you pick a skill when you cast it and the next time you make a check with that skill you receive an insight bonus of half caster level.

Violent Accident: Level 2, curses the target from long range (no save) so that sometime over the next day an event will happen (falling roof tiles, runaway wagon, slip and fall, whatever) that inflicts 1d8 per level (max 5d8, reflex half) damage to the target. An interesting way to torment PCs or have NPCs assassinate low level victims that you have to investigate.

Recorporeal Incarnation... I think this is a reprint of what the party uses to imitate drow in a certain AP.

This is correct. ^_^

Thank you, Slithery D! I just ordered this book - so I'll especially zero-in on those spells you mentioned.

Could a Wiz get some info on the Perfect Scholar?

Could a Wiz get some info on the Perfect Scholar?

It is a Monk archetype that modifies class skills and Perfect Self, loses Still Mind, Slow Fall, and Tongue of the Sun and the Moon, gains Lore (as a Bard), Learn from Failure, and Eye of the Sun and the Moon. An Unchained Monk loses his 4th level ki power instead of Slow Fall. This archetype focuses more on reading than a standard Monk does.

Secret Wizard wrote:

Could a Wiz get some info on the Perfect Scholar?

It is a Monk archetype that modifies class skills and Perfect Self, loses Still Mind, Slow Fall, and Tongue of the Sun and the Moon, gains Lore (as a Bard), Learn from Failure, and Eye of the Sun and the Moon. An Unchained Monk loses his 4th level ki power instead of Slow Fall. This archetype focuses more on reading than a standard Monk does.

Sounds pretty interesting - what does Learn from Failure do, more or less?

David knott 242 wrote:

Secret Wizard wrote:

Could a Wiz get some info on the Perfect Scholar?

It is a Monk archetype that modifies class skills and Perfect Self, loses Still Mind, Slow Fall, and Tongue of the Sun and the Moon, gains Lore (as a Bard), Learn from Failure, and Eye of the Sun and the Moon. An Unchained Monk loses his 4th level ki power instead of Slow Fall. This archetype focuses more on reading than a standard Monk does.

Sounds pretty interesting - what does Learn from Failure do, more or less?

When you miss on an attack or fail a research check, you get an insight bonus (+1 at 4th and another +1 for every additional two levels) when you retry against the same target. Only works once per day for each target.

Slithery D wrote:

Most of those deities I get, but Cayden? It's because he's the god of booze, right?

"You sure look a lot hotter now that I've had those ten ales!"

I am also guessing that this particular inquisition is really best reserved for the less action-heavy campaigns. It'd be a bit hard to use most of those in your average dungeon crawl.

Still and all, it sounds good.

Some PCs aren't very picky. When your 10 levels below the earth, ya gotta take what is offered.

Unless one's hand can be considered a willing partner.

"Hold on fellas! *huff huff* I'm almost there!"

Secret Wizard wrote:

David knott 242 wrote:

Secret Wizard wrote:

Could a Wiz get some info on the Perfect Scholar?

It is a Monk archetype that modifies class skills and Perfect Self, loses Still Mind, Slow Fall, and Tongue of the Sun and the Moon, gains Lore (as a Bard), Learn from Failure, and Eye of the Sun and the Moon. An Unchained Monk loses his 4th level ki power instead of Slow Fall. This archetype focuses more on reading than a standard Monk does.

Sounds pretty interesting - what does Learn from Failure do, more or less?

When you miss on an attack or fail a research check, you get an insight bonus (+1 at 4th and another +1 for every additional two levels) when you retry against the same target. Only works once per day for each target.

SQUEAL

It is very similar to the original, but with 'more'. More requirements for entry, more class skills, more abilities, more usefulness added in to the abilities it had. Their hands down best ability is the new 'Crowd Strike'. Allows them to treat any crowd square as an ally for flanking and to use Stealth sniping to remain hidden on MELEE attacks when attacking from a square with at least one other creature within one size category of themselves.

Still trying to figure out the melee stealth snipe. You can't end your movement in an occupied square (barring extreme size differences) so how is the Lion Blade making melee attacks from an already occupied square to crowd strike?

Still trying to figure out the melee stealth snipe. You can't end your movement in an occupied square (barring extreme size differences) so how is the Lion Blade making melee attacks from an already occupied square to crowd strike?

"Crowds: Urban streets are often full of people going about their daily lives. In most cases, it isn't necessary to put every 1st-level commoner on the map when a fight breaks out on the city's main thoroughfare. Instead, just indicate which squares on the map contain crowds. If crowds see something obviously dangerous, they'll move away at 30 feet per round at initiative count 0. It takes 2 squares of movement to enter a square with crowds. The crowds provide cover for anyone who does so, enabling a Stealth check and providing a bonus to Armor Class and on Reflex saves."

Basically, crowd squares are an abstraction. They represent areas that people are constantly moving through rather than the location of a single individual. They aren't really 'occupied'. Thus, my understanding is that it IS possible to end your movement in a crowd square. Otherwise, the bonus to AC and Reflex saves wouldn't make sense.

That said, RAW a group of Tiny Lion Blades could be brutally effective by all 'hiding' behind each other in the same square while making stealth melee attacks. :]

doc the grey wrote:

Luthorne wrote:

psychie wrote:

In addition to the previously requested rogue talents and enchanting courtesan prerequisites, I would also appreciate info on the rogue archetypes and the vigilante talents.

Thanks!

** spoiler omitted **...

You actually can take harsh judgement as any vigilante, the Zealot already has there own version of this just with the full suite of options for judgement rather than the smaller list this gives.

While I'm not going to quote anything, given it's a week until the pdf comes out, you might want to reread the last sentence of Harsh Judgment.

Crapspackle, you are correct. That makes that ability far less appealing than it was before. Wanted to see a Brute of a demon lord with the ability to throw down judgements when he's all hulked out. Hate having to house rule around s~#@ like this...

Nexian Spellspy - which makes this archetype?

Nexian Spellspy - which makes this archetype?

Exactly. It's a WITCH, not which.

but what kind of archetype abilities?

Whadda mean what kind of abilities? It's witch archetypes. :p

Stop torturing him. :)

Nexian Spellspy

Familiar is altered so it no longer delivers touch spells, instead it can be the point of origin for divination spells.

4th level hex replaced with ability to store divination results and provide those results when you are the target of divination.

Just noticed this, dream reality is listed as an illusion (compulsion) [mind-affecting] spell, but compulsion is an enchantment subschool, and the spell certainly seems like it could be an enchantment spell, so...is it supposed to be one? Asking mostly since I was looking around at occultist spells, for whom school matters more than most classes...

That's come up before. I think it's meant to be illusion (phantasm) [mind-affecting]. I base this on (1) the description where everything seems like a dream matches up with similar dream effects that are phantasms and (2) there are already plenty of enchantment effects that alter memories, so this gives some diversity and a reason to exist.

Fair. Different question. Anaphexia Thought-Killer: what the hell? We're apparently giving up a social talent on an even level and a vigilante talent on an odd level. Can we get some clarification on this typo please, it's kind of an extremely important distinction.

We have gotten a few emails about this recently (actually, the same email, multiple times, from different email addresses ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) so I thought it best to address it here for future reference.

All abilities replacing either a social or vigilante talent should be learned one level earlier than indicated in order to replace the correct type of talent at the right level. Thus, it gains monastic communication at 1st level, silent to magic at 5th level, thought-scent at 6th level, and false reading at 14th level. All other level-dependent aspects of each ability (such as silent to magic applying to both identities at 10th level) remain unchanged.