A Few Questions about various rules.


Rules Questions


Hi,

i read the Corerulebook and today created the first characters.

Some things I am not so sure about:

1.
At first level in 3.5 you got (a fixed nuber + int mod) x 4 skill points to distribute.

This is not the case any more and you just gain as many skill points at first level as at any other level correct?

2.
What about your starting HD?
In 3.5 you got your full HD + CON Mod. at first level.
I see nothing of the sort in Pathfinder have I missed something?

I am asking because I thought that with pathfinder the "luckfactor" for mages would be reduced.

In 3.5 they had a d4 so with no CON Mod. 4HP at 1st level.

Now they have a d6, but since I nowhere saw that this is to be given full this results in an average of 3.5HD. So the starting situation for mages has worsend? If I overread something a page reference might be a nice thing.

3.
Gorgons Fist:
The Feat-Descrtion says it can be used when a enemy is slowed (as is the case with scorpion strike) but not exclusivly. Does this also make any enemy slowed down by heavy armor a valid target of this ability?

4.
Weapon Specialization:

The prerequisites say: Weapon Focus, 4th level Fighter.
Does this mean, that you have to have Weapon Focus AND be a Fighter of 4th level or does it mean, that you have to have Weapon Focus OR be a Fighter of 4th levl?

5.
Shape shift:
Here are the rules not very clear or my understanding is flawed.

When you take Elemental Body IV for example it states:
It function lile EBI meaning you can shapeshift into the form of an elemental with the exception, that this allows you to change into the form of you huge elemental... so far so good.

Lets take a look at the earth elemental:

You gain +8 size bonus to STR, -2 penalty on DEX, +4 size bonus to CON, and +6 natural armor. The modifications are applied to the stats you have while in humanoid form.

Whats aboud everything else? Do I draw all other values form the stats of the monster as printed in the monster manual?

So like 228hp +27 melee slam attack, earth mastery, push and earthglide and so on? Or does it work in some other way i failed to understand?

Thanks in advance
Greetz Ganzir


Ganzir wrote:
This is not the case any more and you just gain as many skill points at first level as at any other level correct?

Correct.

Ganzir wrote:

In 3.5 you got your full HD + CON Mod. at first level.

I see nothing of the sort in Pathfinder have I missed something?

You have missed something, but it seems many people are. I want to say pg 12... But give me a few moments to verify.

EDIT: Yes it is pg 12 under Hit Points.

Ganzir wrote:

4.

Weapon Specialization:

The prerequisites say: Weapon Focus, 4th level Fighter.
Does this mean, that you have to have Weapon Focus AND be a Fighter of 4th level or does it mean, that you have to have Weapon Focus OR be a Fighter of 4th levl?

Both.

Ganzir wrote:

5.

Shape shift:
Here are the rules not very clear or my understanding is flawed.

When you take Elemental Body IV for example it states:
It function lile EBI meaning you can shapeshift into the form of an elemental with the exception, that this allows you to change into the form of you huge elemental... so far so good.

This is another area that is comonly missed. To understand everything you get from the X Shape spells, you have to look in the Magic chapter under the Transformation School description. Pg 211-212.


Ganzir wrote:


2.
What about your starting HD?
In 3.5 you got your full HD + CON Mod. at first level.
I see nothing of the sort in Pathfinder have I missed something?

Also Page 16 under Constitution "You apply your character’s Constitution modifier to: Each roll of a Hit Die (though a penalty can never drop a result below 1 - that is, a character always gains at least 1 hit point each time he advances in level)."

Ganzir wrote:


3.
Gorgons Fist:
The Feat-Descrtion says it can be used when a enemy is slowed (as is the case with scorpion strike) but not exclusivly. Does this also make any enemy slowed down by heavy armor a valid target of this ability?

That question makes me laugh as it is a very fair question. The only "core" answer I can say is that Armor Slows your speed (reference Speed in Armor) it does not reduce your speed which is what Scorpion Strike and Gorgons Fist say. On the other hand getting yourself encumbered it does say "reduced speed" page170. So if carrying too much stuff you would be fair game for Gorgons Fist. I am pretty sure the intent of the feat is not to let you use it on every non-dwarf character wearing medium or heavy armor.

Edit I did find another rules reference actually from the tumble thread. "you cannot use acrobatics to move past foes if your speed is reduced due to carrying a medium or heavy load or wearing medium or heavy armor." This sentence seems to again show that armor does NOT reduce your speed, it slows it, and that only being encumbered reduces speed.

The Exchange

Ganzir wrote:


1.
At first level in 3.5 you got (a fixed nuber + int mod) x 4 skill points to distribute.

This is not the case any more and you just gain as many skill points at first level as at any other level correct?

Yes, but you get 3 bonus points for class skills, so you end up getting the same total number of points that you did in 3.5 for class skills.

The Exchange RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16

snobi wrote:


Yes, but you get 3 bonus points for class skills, so you end up getting the same total number of points that you did in 3.5 for class skills.

yep ... if you choose to put four ranks in each skill on your 3.5 character (instead of spreading our smaller bonuses over a larger number of skills) and if you restrict yourself to class skills under both systems.

Other notes worth observing:

  • Under Pathfinder rules, characters taking a level of "favored class" can choose to gain a bonus skill rank.
  • Unlike 3.5, Intelligence boosts for a Pathfinder character --either from attribute boosts at 4th and 8th Levels, or from wearing an attribute-boosting magic item for 24 hours-- provide retroactive skill ranks. In the case of magic items, those skill ranks are hard-wired into the item at the time of its creation.


OK thanks so far everyone.

Let me get back to the topic of shapeshift just to get things right.

To make matters simpel lets assume, we have a character with 10 in every ability score. This character shapeshifts into a huge earth elemental using the spell "Elemental Body IV" (let us assume for this example, that he can cast this spell although his ability score wouldn't normally allow him to do so):

His ability Scores are changed als follow

STR 18
DEX 8
CON 14

AC 16 (assuming his armor class before transformation was 10)

The spell description states (you gain darkvision 60ft, push and earth glide)

In addtion the rules for polymorph (pg. 211 - 212) apply:

+20 Bonus und Disguisechecks (to pass as an huge earth elemental in my case)

Quote:
Each polymorph spell allows you to assume the form of a creature of a specific type, granting you a number of bonuses to your ability scores and a bonus to you natural armor

These are the modificaitons I stated above.

Quote:
In addtion, each polymorph spell grants you a number of other benefits, including movement types, resistances and senses [...]your base speed changes to match that of the form you assume.[...] In additon to theese benefits, you gain any of the natural attacks of the base creature. These attacks are based on your base attack bonus, modified by your Strangth or Dexterity as appropriate, and use your Strenth modifier for determining damage bonused.

OK I already gained Earthglide which is similar to borrow and therefor a movement type I guess (btw. I using the stats of an elemental given in the Monster Manual, since Pathfinder Beastiary isn't released yet), I get darkvision (sences)

All Elementals have immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning. Do I get these as well? Since each polymorph speel grants resistances as stated above, and these look pretty much like reistances.

The base speed of an earthelemental is 30ft. so no change here. Now for the Natural attacks:

The monster entry states: Slam +27 melee (2d10+11 / 19-20)

Assuming my base attack bonus is 0 for matters of simplicity:

I get Slam +4 (since STR 18 of my new form grants a +4 Bonus)
And the damage ist 2d10+4 (19-20) correct?

Quote:
While under the effect of a polymorph spell, you lose all extraordinary and supernatural abilities that depend on you original form. You also lose any class features that depend upon your original form, as well as any natural attacks and movement types possessed by your original form. You also lose any class features that depend upon for, but those that that allow you to add features still funcion. [...] Your new form might restore a number of these abilities if they are possessed by the new for

OK since the character I descriped here had no feats and so on he loses nothing, but does he gain all the feats of the monster? In case of the huge earth elemental that is: Alertness, Awesome Blow, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical, Improved Sunder, Iron Will, Power Attack?

Further does he gain the 228HP of this monste while changed? If so, do I convert the damage on a percentage base when he changes back?

For example the new form als 228HP his original form 100, while in the new form he loses 114HP, does that mean when he changes back he has 50?

Or does he use his normal HP?

Elemental Type states immunity to critical and flanking does this apply as well?

If the new form has any spells or spell like abilities and so on (which an elemental hasn't) do I gain these as well.

A sample transformation in the rule book would have been a got idea, since it might have answered some of my questions.

Greetz
Ganzir

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Ganzir,
It says can grant those things, not does. It grants you the natural attacks of the form, but everything else depends on the spell description. At least, that's my reading.

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