What is a star child?
Sometimes a bugbear! Some other times, a kobold!
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The Gang Up feat lets you flank when two other allies are adjacent to an opponent. Aside from party members, what counts as an ally? Summoned monsters? An Eidolon? NPCs fighting with you on your side?
On the selective spell / antimagic field subject... one interpretation is that the protection from the spell only applies to your allies, not the equipment they carry or spells active on them. So they themselves would be immune to the effects but none of their equipment and spells would be. If anything I would interpret this that they could still cast spells on themselves that had a duration of instantaneous (such as a cure spell or a paladin's lay on hands).
The other interpretation I would find of this is that a metamagic feat is a type of magical effect, therefore negated by the antimagic field. Though it makes sense for a metamagic effect to be considered magical it is actually not stated.
I think how it should work is much like immunity to magic works, and effect of the spell that allows for spell resistance they are immune to. Spell effects that do not allow spell resistance are typically physical effects that are simply propelled or instigated by magic.
My understanding is the antimagic field doesn't exist for the selected targets. (They're immune to the spell.)
Gear is generally considered part of the character for any effect that doesn't otherwise specify, so their gear is also unaffected.
However, this also means that if you cast fireball into the antimagic field, the people "immune" to the antimagic field are all capable of taking damage from it. Antimagic field only suppresses, it does not dispel, nor does it block line of effect. The fireball is still there, it just didn't have any effect within the antimagic field. The antimagic field is not in effect on the selected targets so as long as they're withing the radius of the fireball from the selected point on the map, they're getting hit.
This also means that selectively immune targets within an antimagic field are legal targets for every single spell in the book.
Does selective antimagic make a lot of monsters less scary? Yeah. But if you throw a mage at that party they're going to find out it's not an end all solution.
The Gang Up feat lets you flank when two other allies are adjacent to an opponent. Aside from party members, what counts as an ally? Summoned monsters? An Eidolon? NPCs fighting with you on your side?
All of those are allies.
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I am making a human paladin for an upcoming game and gleefully checked out the human favored class option for paladins on page 29...
Paladin: Add +1 to the paladin's energy resistance to one kind of energy (maximum +10).
Paladin's don't have this class feature! Arrrggghh!
I already posted a notice on the typo/errata thread 'here', but in the meantime does anybody have any suggestions? I know that I can just go with the normal hit or skill points, but I would love to expiriment with my character's flavor!
Human paladins who take that favored class level DO have that feature. It gives them energy resistance equal to the number of times they take it.
Human paladins who take that favored class level DO have that feature. It gives them energy resistance equal to the number of times they take it.
Interesting take. :)
My storyteller will probably argue against it, but I'll try that one for sure. (Indeed, I feel stupid for not coming up with that one myself.)
Human paladins who take that favored class level DO have that feature. It gives them energy resistance equal to the number of times they take it.Interesting take. :)
My storyteller will probably argue against it, but I'll try that one for sure. (Indeed, I feel stupid for not coming up with that one myself.)
Here's a relevant quote from the APG, p. 9
"In most cases, these benefits are gained on a level-by-
level basis—your character gains the specified incremental
benefit each time she gains a level. Unless otherwise
noted, these benefits always stack with themselves. For
example, a human with paladin as a favored class may
choose to gain 1 point of energy resistance each time she
gains a level; choosing this benefit twice increases this
resistance bonus to 2 per level, 10 times raises it to 10 per
level, and so on."
Hope this helps.
I guess the real question is whether or not the racial favored class options can add a new ability or merely add to an existing one. (Most obviously only add to existing class features.)
After some close scrutiny I found several that do indeed add completely new abilities. (Dwarf oracle, dwarf paladin and elf ranger, just to name a few.) Sure enough, the human paladin offers a completely new class feature.
I really should have investigated the chapter with more scrutiny before posting my question. Sorry, everyone!
Zurai, Mynameisjake, thanks for your time and help!
On Weapon Adept (Monk Archetype), Perfect Strike, and Non-core Monk Weapons:
I'm a little confused by Weapon Adept/Perfect Strike. Namely, in that the feat lists all melee Monk quality weapons from core (kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, and siangham) as valid for use with the feat. Clearly, it intends for this ability to be useable with Monk quality weapons. However, ones not in the core are excluded by the feat (IE Temple Sword in the very same book).
This is confusing to me as it severely limits the variety to be seen of Weapon Adept Monks that will arise from expanded source material presenting new weapons with the Monk quality (meaning the can be flurried, etc.)
Was this intentional by design or was it intended to be 'monk weapons' but instead the list was given to avoid Shuriken or any future ranged weapons with the Monk quality as being included?
+1. Also, could a Weapon Adept's WF and WS be applied to an Unarmed Strike? I assume the PS can, as it is described in the feat section.
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We have questions about the APG pilum, it is a weapon from the Adventurer's Armory that introduces a new mechanic to deal with shield users, but we're unsure of how that game mechanic works.
Page 179 of APG:
[...]Like ammunition, a thrown pilum that hits its target
is destroyed. If you hit a shield-using opponent with a
pilum, he loses the AC bonuses from that shield until he
takes a standard action to pry the remnants of the pilum
from his shield.
It is what it does, or does it and also deals damage to the character?
I don't know if applying the "does what it says" doctrine or the "if we wanted to say so we would have said that it replaces damage" doctrine :pThe action used to pry the pilum from the shield provokes an AoO or not?
Furthermore: I understand that you loose the shield bonus to AC and the enhancement shield bonus AC, but not the special abilities of the shield (if magic) and other benefits/penalties.
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We have questions about the APG pilum, it is a weapon from the Adventurer's Armory that introduces a new mechanic to deal with shield users, but we're unsure of how that game mechanic works.
It is what it does, or does it and also deals damage to the character?
The shield-damaging effect is in addition to the normal damage for the pilum.
It doesn't say it provokes an AOO, so it doesn't provoke an AOO. :)
Furthermore: I understand that you loose the shield bonus to AC and the enhancement shield bonus AC, but not the special abilities of the shield (if magic) and other benefits/penalties.
You only lose what the pilum description says you lose: the AC bonuses.
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Can Inquisitors take Subdomains, or just Clerics?Already covered but it's just Clerics.
So far, the only source for this has been second- and thirdhand reports. Frankly, I'm going to allow them for everyone in my home games, and I'm not sure why other classes with domain access wouldn't get them anyway, but it matters for Pathfinder Society at the very least, so can we get an official, in-person reply to this question from somewhere?
With regards to the half-elf Ancestral Arms racial trait:
Ancestral Arms: Some half-elves receive training in an unusual weapon. Half-elves with this racial trait receive Exotic Weapon Proficiency or Martial Weapon Proficiency with one weapon as a bonus feat at 1st level. This racial trait replaces the adaptability racial trait.
Does the character need to meet the +1 BAB prerequisite to take this racial trait? I would assume not (since I can't think of any +1 BAB classes that don't have martial weapon proficiencies), but usually bonus feats explicitly state whether the character needs to meet the prerequisites or not.
With regards to the half-elf Ancestral Arms racial trait:
Ancestral Arms: Some half-elves receive training in an unusual weapon. Half-elves with this racial trait receive Exotic Weapon Proficiency or Martial Weapon Proficiency with one weapon as a bonus feat at 1st level. This racial trait replaces the adaptability racial trait.Does the character need to meet the +1 BAB prerequisite to take this racial trait? I would assume not (since I can't think of any +1 BAB classes that don't have martial weapon proficiencies), but usually bonus feats explicitly state whether the character needs to meet the prerequisites or not.
Racial traits override prerequisites when they give feats. So no, the half-elf doesn't have to have a +1 BAB to gain the weapon proficiency, they just have it.
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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With regards to the half-elf Ancestral Arms racial trait:
Ancestral Arms: Some half-elves receive training in an unusual weapon. Half-elves with this racial trait receive Exotic Weapon Proficiency or Martial Weapon Proficiency with one weapon as a bonus feat at 1st level. This racial trait replaces the adaptability racial trait.Does the character need to meet the +1 BAB prerequisite to take this racial trait? I would assume not (since I can't think of any +1 BAB classes that don't have martial weapon proficiencies), but usually bonus feats explicitly state whether the character needs to meet the prerequisites or not.
I'd say that they don't need to meet it, since as a racial trait it's assumed to be something that they start out with a priori to even becoming an adventurer and acquiring a BAB (as opposed to the bonus feats that a fighter or monk might choose).
You're right, though, I should have said so explicitly.
How does the Rage power Guarded Life work?
I can think of two ways:
You are hit for 20, which knocks you to -11, you are level twelve, so you take 8 lethal and 12 non-lethal.
or
A 12th level barbarian is knocked to -1, they lose their rage hp’s (is it still two per level at that point) and drop to -25, 12 points of damage is converted to non-lethal, so they are instead at -13. At -13 most barbarians are likely to still be alive.
Which is most likely?
And with Paizo's hit -1 and lose your rage hp's is either version all that useful past level 11?
Racial traits override prerequisites when they give feats.
That's plausible, but note that there are only two core races that give bonus feats as a racial trait -- the half-elf's Skill Focus and the human's Bonus Feat -- or one race if you exclude the human (I'm certain the human needs to qualify for his feat normally).
Note that various racial traits give proficiency with a weapon, but that's not a bonus feat, per se.
Jason -- that's what I figured.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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How does the Rage power Guarded Life work?
I can think of two ways:
You are hit for 20, which knocks you to -11, you are level twelve, so you take 8 lethal and 12 non-lethal.
or
A 12th level barbarian is knocked to -1, they lose their rage hp’s (is it still two per level at that point) and drop to -25, 12 points of damage is converted to non-lethal, so they are instead at -13. At -13 most barbarians are likely to still be alive.
Which is most likely?
The latter is the case. Note that you also immediately stabilize if you're at negative hit points due to lethal damage.
And with Paizo's hit -1 and lose your rage hp's is either version all that useful past level 11?
Sure, for three reasons:
1. It helps you not DIE when you drop negative while raging. (See your own example above - drop to -1, de-rage, and go to -25 = DEAD, drop to -13 and stabilized + having 12 points of NL damage = ALIVE)
2. The invulnerable rager barbarian archetype (and a few other character abilities, like the undead-bloodline sorcerer) give you DR that is specific to nonlethal damage, which would apply against the converted nonlethal damage from an attack.
3. If you get cured up while you're negative+nonlethal, you get to double-dip on curing (since cure spells that heal lethal heal an equal amount of nonlethal).
Sure, for three reasons:
1. It helps you not DIE when you drop negative while raging. (See your own example above - drop to -1, de-rage, and go to -25 = DEAD, drop to -13 and stabilized + having 12 points of NL damage = ALIVE)
2. The invulnerable rager barbarian archetype (and a few other character abilities, like the undead-bloodline sorcerer) give you DR that is specific to nonlethal damage, which would apply against the converted nonlethal damage from an attack.
3. If you get cured up while you're negative+nonlethal, you get to double-dip on curing (since cure spells that heal lethal heal an equal amount of nonlethal).
My issue is that at level 11 you immediatly lose 33 hp's when you go unconscious. Even with the feat you're losing 22 hp's. So at best this power will save you if you have a really high Con and are only knocked into the very low negatives.
That's why I was wondering if I was missing something. The power's usefulness is greatly reduced at level 11 and higher.
Just to make certain I've got it right:
An 11th level raging barbarian is dropped to -5, they lose their 33 bonus hp's when they stop raging, and end up at -38. Then 11 of those lost hp's are converted to non-lethal, effectively putting the barbarian at -27 lethal and 11 non-lethal. Unless they have a huge natural con, they're still dead, just from going to -5.
Though this rage power does work well with the feat that lets Barbarians continue to rage after they go unconscious.
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???
My APG pdf says the Energy Resistence for Human Paladins caps at 10.
He's referring to the fact that the example given has a truly egregious error. It says that "choosing this benefit twice increases this resistance bonus to 2 per level, 10 times raises it to 10 per level, and so on". Essentially, the example says that you get Num_Times_Taken^2 energy resistance, or 400 if you take it every time for 20 levels.
The actual favored class bonus just says you get +1 energy resistance to a cap of 10. The example is just completely wrong.
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Sure, for three reasons:
1. It helps you not DIE when you drop negative while raging. (See your own example above - drop to -1, de-rage, and go to -25 = DEAD, drop to -13 and stabilized + having 12 points of NL damage = ALIVE)
2. The invulnerable rager barbarian archetype (and a few other character abilities, like the undead-bloodline sorcerer) give you DR that is specific to nonlethal damage, which would apply against the converted nonlethal damage from an attack.
3. If you get cured up while you're negative+nonlethal, you get to double-dip on curing (since cure spells that heal lethal heal an equal amount of nonlethal).
My issue is that at level 11 you immediatly lose 33 hp's when you go unconscious. Even with the feat you're losing 22 hp's. So at best this power will save you if you have a really high Con and are only knocked into the very low negatives.
That's why I was wondering if I was missing something. The power's usefulness is greatly reduced at level 11 and higher.
Just to make certain I've got it right:
An 11th level raging barbarian is dropped to -5, they lose their 33 bonus hp's when they stop raging, and end up at -38. Then 11 of those lost hp's are converted to non-lethal, effectively putting the barbarian at -27 lethal and 11 non-lethal. Unless they have a huge natural con, they're still dead, just from going to -5.
Though this rage power does work well with the feat that lets Barbarians continue to rage after they go unconscious.
Ah, I see what you're saying. I was thinking still in the +4 CON zone, not +6. Well, in that case you're right, it would be less useful at higher levels, unless you also have the "rage when unconscious" power.
Hmmm... I just reread the power again, and really it doesn't say one way or the other, but it also in the end doesn't matter whether you take the hit to drop you negative and THEN get the nonlethal damage conversion from guarded life, or if it goes the other way around.
Your barbarian rage ends when you become unconscious, not when you are reduced below 0 hp.
You drop unconscious when you get dropped below 0 by lethal damage.
You also drop unconscious when your lethal + nonlethal damage exceeds your hit points.
So whether we use your case #2 above (unconscious because dropped to negative lethal hp before guarded life kicks in), or your case #1:
How does the Rage power Guarded Life work?
I can think of two ways:
You are hit for 20, which knocks you to -11, you are level twelve, so you take 8 lethal and 12 non-lethal.
(unconscious by a combination of lethal and nonlethal damage exceeding his hp after Guarded Life kicks in)
In either case, the barbarian ends up unconscious, which means his rage ends, which means as a high-level barbarian he's boned.
Guarded life is going to be very useful for lower-level barbarians to stay alive. For higher-level barbs, you have a couple of choices:
1. Don't bother with it at all.
2. Take it and combine it with "raging while unconscious" power.
3. If you're in a home game vs. PFS, you could think about allowing guarded life to scale with enhanced rage powers, or introducing an "Greater Guarded Life" rage power that increases the amount of nonlethal damage it converts when you have the increased rage bonuses at high levels.
Anyone up for a nice swim in that lava pool over there?The example is just completely wrong.And hilarious.
You don't need 400 fire resist for that. You only need 1. Yes, I'm serious.
Immunity or resistance to fire serves as an immunity to lava or magma. A creature immune to fire might still drown if completely immersed in lava (see Drowning).
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Anyone up for a nice swim in that lava pool over there?The example is just completely wrong.And hilarious.You don't need 400 fire resist for that. You only need 1. Yes, I'm serious.
Immunity or resistance to fire serves as an immunity to lava or magma. A creature immune to fire might still drown if completely immersed in lava (see Drowning).
I love it when people take a swim in lava with their ER: fire, and promptly fail the Swim checks :)
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Anyone up for a nice swim in that lava pool over there?The example is just completely wrong.And hilarious.You don't need 400 fire resist for that. You only need 1. Yes, I'm serious.
Immunity or resistance to fire serves as an immunity to lava or magma. A creature immune to fire might still drown if completely immersed in lava (see Drowning).
Yeah, I've read that. But if you only have resist fire 1, and you are completely submerged in lava, I'm still rolling 20d6 (-1) and you're taking it -- take it up with the senior judge at the event if you have a problem ;-)
(Interestingly enough, that resistance does nothing to prevent fire damage from boiling water -- henceforth, all lava pools are really boiling mud pots...)
Resistance to fire serves as lava immunity? That is just goofy.
Was that a 3.5 rule, or did Paizo come up with it?
Ken
It's a 3.5 rule, although I suspect it's a misprint.
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It's a 3.5 rule, although I suspect it's a misprint.Resistance to fire serves as lava immunity? That is just goofy.
Was that a 3.5 rule, or did Paizo come up with it?
Ken
DMG, page 304, same wording. I think the intent was "An immunity or resistance to fire serves as an immunity or resistance to lava or magma." Insert two little words and it makes so much more sense...
Home games, I tend to go with these rules...
I wholeheartedly agree that it was intended to be "immunity or resistance to magma and lava", and that's the way we play it in our home games. I was just pointing it out for amusement's sake.
I wholeheartedly agree that it was intended to be "immunity or resistance to magma and lava", and that's the way we play it in our home games. I was just pointing it out for amusement's sake.
Be a man and go with RAW :p
Says the pig! :)I wholeheartedly agree that it was intended to be "immunity or resistance to magma and lava", and that's the way we play it in our home games. I was just pointing it out for amusement's sake.Be a man and go with RAW :p
I don't understand your anglo-saxon humour guys but this pig have to go, I have spam for dinner (whatever it is, sounds terrible) :O
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The Focused Spell metamagic feat says: "When casting a spell that affects or targets more than one creature, you can choose one target or creature within the spell effect. That creature’s saving throw DC to resist the spell is increased by +2."
Suppose my wizard casts Focused Glitterdust and a single enemy is within the area of effect. Can he increase the DC by +2 for that one enemy? Technically, the spell is not (currently) affecting more than one creature, even though it's capable of doing so.
Considering that you are losing 1DC by having the +1 level adjust on the spell for 'focused' I don't see it unreasonable to allow it to make an area spell into a single targeted spell.
It's a kind of silly metamagic given it's cost and effect.
I'd be using a metamagic rod, naturally. :-)
Here are some questions for your consideration:
1. Human Favored Class Options:
Is it just me or does fact that classes of the fixed-number-of-spells-known-type (Sorcerers, Bards, Inquisitors, Oracles and Summoners) get an extra spell every level seem a little overpowered?
Especially when you compare that to the fact that the spellbook-type classes (Wizard, Alchemist, Witch) get the same bonus?
2. Alchemist Bombs:
"The damage of an alchemist’s bomb increases by 1d6 points at every odd-numbered alchemist level (this bonus damage is not multiplied on a critical hit or by using feats such as Vital Strike)."
Does this mean the basic damage (ie 1d6 + Int) IS subject to the crit multiplier and Vital Strike (with Vital Strike it would just be the 1d6, since it doesn't multiply ANY kind of "bonus damage")?
More generally, if any damage dice above the first 1d6 are considered "bonus damage" shouldn't the notation in the alchemist's table be 'Bomb +1d6' (at level 3 up to 'Bomb +9d6' at level 19)?
3. Armored Coat:
"If worn over other armor, use the better AC bonus and worse value in all other categories; an armored coat has no effect if worn with heavy armor."
This sentence doesn't really make any sense to me. Why would one want to wear this Armor over another one? If the armor underneath has a lower AC bonus, then it's better to just wear the coat. And if the armor underneath has a higher bonus, then one shouldn't wear the coat.
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Here's another one:
4. Witch's Patron Spells:
"Wisdom: ... 12th - globe of invulnerability (greater)"
Since there is no spell by that name in the rulebooks, I suspect the intended spell was "globe of invulnerability".
3. Armored Coat:
"If worn over other armor, use the better AC bonus and worse value in all other categories; an armored coat has no effect if worn with heavy armor."This sentence doesn't really make any sense to me. Why would one want to wear this Armor over another one? If the armor underneath has a lower AC bonus, then it's better to just wear the coat. And if the armor underneath has a higher bonus, then one shouldn't wear the coat.
I, for one, am glad that they specified what, exactly, happens when you wear the coat over armor, because if they hadn't, the very first question would have been, "so what happens if I wear my coat over my armor?"
I can easily point to half a dozen different items that have been published that would really, REALLY have benefited from one extra line of crunch to explain how the item in intended to work. Adventurer's Sash, anyone?
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Hopefully that's a mistake, or a human paladin lvl 20 will have Energy Resistance 400...Human paladins who take that favored class level DO have that feature. It gives them energy resistance equal to the number of times they take it.Here's a relevant quote from the APG, p. 9
"In most cases, these benefits are gained on a level-by-
level basis—your character gains the specified incremental
benefit each time she gains a level. Unless otherwise
noted, these benefits always stack with themselves. For
example, a human with paladin as a favored class may
choose to gain 1 point of energy resistance each time she
gains a level; choosing this benefit twice increases this
resistance bonus to 2 [b]per level, 10 times raises it to 10 per
level, and so on.[/b]"
Uh... definitely, if that`s what the RAW reads each level not only additively adds resistance, but would increase the benefit of each previous level taken with this favored class option... Which I`m pretty sure is not the intent.
Basically, the text needs to have the ¨per level¨ part )bolded in quote) taken out, which is inaccurate.
Unless the ability is seriously much more powerful than I think it is, the amount ¨per level¨ never changes, the total amount only changes when you taken more favored class levels with this option.
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Unless the ability is seriously much more powerful than I think it is, the amount ¨per level¨ never changes, the total amount only changes when you taken more favored class levels with this option.
The mistake is in general section which explains how new favoured class bonuses work. The actual Human Paladin favclass bonus explicitly states that maximum ER gained is 10.
Ah, I see what you're saying. I was thinking still in the +4 CON zone, not +6. Well, in that case you're right, it would be less useful at higher levels, unless you also have the "rage when unconscious" power.
(I`m coming at this from having discussed variant approaches to the `subtract all Rage Bonus HPs when you drop Rage` problem during Beta)
An approach which I think would have scaled better with levels would be A) enabling Raging while Unconscious (along with DR vs. Nonlethal alt Class Ability) AND B) Scaling the Point of Death beyond mere -CON, which wouldn`t kick in until a certain Barbarian level, depending on your CON (and which like the current Rage, doesn`t reduce healing needs)... And that could really be just one Rage Power, IMHO. I really could have seen changing the point of death being part of one of the variant ¨Kits¨, but then again, I also think it`s what the Barbarian should really have instead of Rage HPs.
I do think the lethal to nonlethal conversion is a nice feature that fits the Barbarian vibe (just MORE)
I can`t remember if I posted this before, but I`m really impressed with your direct and honest feedback on the APG, especially including your own work in it. If Paizo is looking for somebody to be in charge of Errata and FAQs, either on the boards or behind the scenes, I think you`d be a good choice... IF you wanted that job, of course :-)
To the Selective Spell debaters:
You're all trying to squeeze too much out of this feat!
The first line of the feat is "Your allies need not fear friendly fire"It only effects damage. Not vision, not magic resistance, only damage of that spell.
Move along, nothing to see here...
I guess that means Deadly Aim doesn't work on creatures without weak spots, Far Shot increases the number of range increments you can attack at, Greater Overrun forces the opponents to move even if they don't want to, Greater Sunder can only be used on weapons and armor, Improved Iron Will can only be used against mental attacks, Improved Overrun can only be used against fleeing enemies, Improved Sunder can only be used against weapons and armor, Magical Aptitude gives you the ability to cast spells, Pinpoint Targeting only works against armored enemies, Shatter Defenses makes the targets helpless, etc.
In other words: flavor text is flavor text. It has little bearing on the actual mechanics of a feat.