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Hey guys,
I'm an old-time gamer who jumped from AD&D to Pathfinder (skipping 3.0/3.5 entirely) and loving every minute of the Pathfinder system.
I'm in one group who is just about finishing Savage Tides (I have a 16th level Paladin) and I'm in another group that is just starting Age of Wyrms. I've never played any of the Pathfinder series before Savage Tides, so this is all new to me (very exciting).
I've always played fighter-types, but for the new campaign I decided to try something completely different and run a single class wizard from level 1 to 20.
Here are my questions:
1.) do ranged touch attacks suffer the -4 to hit if you cast the spell at a target engaged in melee (or is that only for normal ranged attacks)?
2.) I know you can use Weapon Focus and choose ray spells. Are there other weapon feats that can give bonuses for casting spells?
3.) are there any tips sites that I can go to to help me create my familiar. I have the core rulebook, beastiary and APG and I'm having a heck of a time fleshing out my familiar.
I created a Wizard/necromancer spec for Age of Wyrms and chose a scarlet spider (APG) as a familiar. I'm trying to get all the numbers together for a tiny-sized spider.
Thanks all.
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1) yes. Point Blank Shot -> Precise Shot fixes this. But since it's a ranged touch attack, lots of casters don't spend the feats on it.
2) speaking of which.... Point Blank Shot helps, as does Weapon Focus: Ray. Technically, If you had 4 levels of Fighter you could get Weapon Specialization: Ray I suppose.
3) Not much help from me on the familiar front. But I think smaller than size Small is not really an option, and bigger than that requires Improved Familiar IIRC (and I might not). The goat and pig witch familiars from the APG were dropped because of size concerns (Medium and larger "pets" are for druids/rangers), and smaller than Small familiars have their own issues.
Hope that helps...
Improved Critical (Ray) might be helpful to get those 480 damage maximized disintegrate crits happen more than once in a lifetime.
ARCANE FAMILIAR CR 1/4
Male Spider, Scarlet
Tiny Magical Beast
Init +5; Senses Darkvision (60 feet), Tremorsense (60 feet); Perception +4
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DEFENSE
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AC 19, touch 17, flat-footed 14 (+5 Dex, +2 size, +2 natural)
hp 3 (1d10)
Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +2
Immune mind-affecting
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OFFENSE
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Spd 30 ft., Climbing (30 feet)
Melee Bite (Spider, Scarlet) -1 (1d3-4/20/x2) and
Unarmed Strike -1 (1-4/20/x2)
Space 2.5 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
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STATISTICS
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Str 3, Dex 21, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 2
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 10
Feats
Skills Climb +20, Fly +9, Perception +4, Stealth +17 Modifiers +4 Perception in webs, +4 Stealth in webs
Languages
SQ Improved Evasion (Ex), Poison: Bite-injury (DC 12) (Ex)
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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+4 Perception in webs +4 Perception in webs
+4 Stealth in webs (Ex) You gain a bonus to Stealth Checks under the listed conditions.
Climbing (30 feet) You have a Climb speed.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Immunity to Mind-Affecting attacks You are immune to Mind-Affecting attacks.
Improved Evasion (Ex) No damage on successful reflex save; half on failed save.
Poison: Bite-injury (DC 12) (Ex) Poison deals 1d2 STR damage, 1/round for 4rounds, cure 1 save.
Tremorsense (60 feet) Sense things and creatures without seeing them.
Created With Hero Lab® - try it for free at http://www.wolflair.com!
Improved Critical (Ray) might be helpful to get those 480 damage maximized disintegrate crits happen more than once in a lifetime.
It stinks to have to wait until 16th level for that(BAB+8). for a single classed wizard at least.
edit:17th level. forgot about the level bump for the maximize. though i guess you could use some of the new feats to lower the slot mod.
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In 3.5 Scarred Lands, they had a feat called "Spell Critical" or some such. It was Improved Critical: Ray, except it had as a prereq CL8 instead of a BAB of +8. It even came with a sidebar explaining that they thought critting with rays more often was a neat idea, but casters shouldn't have to wait 17 levels to do it.
Don't forget that all range attacks provoke AoO's even if you cast defensively.
Note also that apparently by the rules, if you defensively cast a ray spell, you provoke an attack of opportunity *after* you cast, as it apparently counts as a ranged attack, much like firing a bow.
I noticed this change from pathfinder as well. It seems to say that this is an additional AoO in addition to the one you could have gotten for casting the spell...so if your opponent had combat reflexes he get 2 whacks, and even if you cast defensively you still get whacked once if you use scorching ray instead of fireball. The attack for using a missile weapon would not interrupt the spell (since that's already been cast)
1.) do ranged touch attacks suffer the -4 to hit if you cast the spell at a target engaged in melee (or is that only for normal ranged attacks)?
Yes. You also suffer the enemy getting a +4 cover bonus if you need to shoot through them IN ADDITION TO the -4 to attack people in melee.Quite often in dungeon settings you HAVE to shoot through squares occupied by your friends. An effective -8 is why Ray sorcerers should take point blank and precise shot because touch attack or no, -8 gives you a good chance of missing.
2.) I know you can use Weapon Focus and choose ray spells. Are there other weapon feats that can give bonuses for casting spells?
Point black shot. Precise shot. Weapon focus:Touch. Weapon finesse.
Note also that apparently by the rules, if you defensively cast a ray spell, you provoke an attack of opportunity *after* you cast, as it apparently counts as a ranged attack, much like firing a bow.
I noticed this change from pathfinder as well. It seems to say that this is an additional AoO in addition to the one you could have gotten for casting the spell...so if your opponent had combat reflexes he get 2 whacks, and even if you cast defensively you still get whacked once if you use scorching ray instead of fireball. The attack for using a missile weapon would not interrupt the spell (since that's already been cast)
Did they change Combat Reflexes from 3.5? Where you can get more than one AoO on the same person each round?
With Combat Reflexes in 3.5, yes, you received additional AoOs (amount depending on your Dex modifier), but you could not use more than one AoO on the same opponent in the same round.
Has that changed in Pathfinder?
What you have are TWO OPPORTUNITIES for an AOO, one for NOT casting defensively and one for any ranged attack where you have to roll to hit, both of which can be negated with a 5 foot step (assuming of course you're not dealing with a warrior with Step Up) You can negate one opportunity by casting defensively but you're still subject to the former. However the attacker is still limited to one AOO per round without combat reflexes.
Crap, was hoping no one saw that. Tried deleting it. My real question is what I just posted above.
Thanks.
Presumably in the above situation, the first AOO is negated by casting defensivelyNote also that apparently by the rules, if you defensively cast a ray spell, you provoke an attack of opportunity *after* you cast, as it apparently counts as a ranged attack, much like firing a bow.
I noticed this change from pathfinder as well. It seems to say that this is an additional AoO in addition to the one you could have gotten for casting the spell...so if your opponent had combat reflexes he get 2 whacks, and even if you cast defensively you still get whacked once if you use scorching ray instead of fireball. The attack for using a missile weapon would not interrupt the spell (since that's already been cast)
Did they change Combat Reflexes from 3.5? Where you can get more than one AoO on the same person each round?
With Combat Reflexes in 3.5, yes, you received additional AoOs (amount depending on your Dex modifier), but you could use more than one AoO on the same opponent in the same round.
Has that changed in Pathfinder?
Ok, so if you are in a situation where you cannot take a 5' step away from your opponent, it is pretty pointless to cast any kind of 'to hit' spells as it is considered a ranged attack and will always provoke an AoO and you cannot cast defensively to cancel it.
No touch attack spells (melee touch attacks) are ok. And even if you cast a ranged touch attack defensively while threatened the AoO for making a ranged attack will not disrupt the spell (basically it can't because to take the AoO the ranged attack has to be made... which you can't do if the spell is disrupted). So you still get the attack -- you just get hit for doing it.
Ok, understood. Thanks. Just gets down to a point of hoping the opponent misses his AoO.
Presumably in the above situation, the first AOO is negated by casting defensively
Did they change Combat Reflexes from 3.5? Where you can get more than one AoO on the same person each round?
With Combat Reflexes in 3.5, yes, you received additional AoOs (amount depending on your Dex modifier), but you could use more than one AoO on the same opponent in the same round.
Has that changed in Pathfinder?
Ok, the only reason I asked this in regards to Combat Reflexes is from what BigNorseWolf said:
I noticed this change from pathfinder as well. It seems to say that this is an additional AoO in addition to the one you could have gotten for casting the spell...so if your opponent had combat reflexes he get 2 whacks, and even if you cast defensively you still get whacked once if you use scorching ray instead of fireball. The attack for using a missile weapon would not interrupt the spell (since that's already been cast)
Note bolded. It makes it sound like the opponent gets 2 AoO against you 'because' he has Combat Reflexes. So that would be a change from the 3.5 rules in not being able to get more than one AoO against the same opponent a round.
But I am guessing what you are saying is if I make my Casting Defensively roll, and therefore avoid the first AoO for casting a spell, it does not count as an AoO being triggered, and due to that, the opponent (who doesn't have Combat Reflexes) can still make the AoO because it is a ranged (to hit) attack spell.
Do I have that right?
Improved Critical (Ray) might be helpful to get those 480 damage maximized disintegrate crits happen more than once in a lifetime.It stinks to have to wait until 16th level for that(BAB+8). for a single classed wizard at least.
I would houserule that if a feat need a special BAB as preq and will be used by a caster for his spells, his BAB (only for this feat) = his caster level
Note that you can make as many AoO's a round on an opponent as he legally provokes. One for movment, one for attack with a non-lethal weapon, one for casting defensively, one for using a ranged attack, one for leaving a threatened square if you are in Thicket of Blades, once for not attacking you if you have Defensive Sweep, once for getting up from Prone, once for attacking a friend if you have Opportunist, etc etc.
You can easily get more then one AoO on an opponent.
==Aelryinth
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Note that you can make as many AoO's a round on an opponent as he legally provokes. One for movment, one for attack with a non-lethal weapon, one for casting defensively, one for using a ranged attack, one for leaving a threatened square if you are in Thicket of Blades, once for not attacking you if you have Defensive Sweep, once for getting up from Prone, once for attacking a friend if you have Opportunist, etc etc.
You can easily get more then one AoO on an opponent.
==Aelryinth
attacking with a non-lethal weapon doesn't provoke an AoO, only a whip and an unarmed strike (no feat or monk levels) provoke, and those are special cases with their own reasons, but a sap, a nonlethal unarmed strike (with improved unarmed strike), and merciful weapons don't provoke an AoO
Note that you can make as many AoO's a round on an opponent as he legally provokes. One for movment, one for attack with a non-lethal weapon, one for casting defensively, one for using a ranged attack, one for leaving a threatened square if you are in Thicket of Blades, once for not attacking you if you have Defensive Sweep, once for getting up from Prone, once for attacking a friend if you have Opportunist, etc etc.
You can easily get more then one AoO on an opponent.
==Aelryinth
You can only take one AoO per action.
Did they change Combat Reflexes from 3.5? Where you can get more than one AoO on the same person each round?
In 3.5 it wasn't a flat fiat against getting attacks of opportunity against the same person, it was just one attack of opportunity per type of action: So someone moving from one threatened square to another could provoke an attack of opportunity and then drink a potion causing another one. What you couldn't do was make multiple attacks of opportunity for the same circumstance, ie moving out of more than one of your threatened squares.
Did they change Combat Reflexes from 3.5? Where you can get more than one AoO on the same person each round?
In 3.5 it wasn't a flat fiat against getting attacks of opportunity against the same person, it was just one attack of opportunity per type of action: So someone moving from one threatened square to another could provoke an attack of opportunity and then drink a potion causing another one. What you couldn't do was make multiple attacks of opportunity for the same circumstance, ie moving out of more than one of your threatened squares.
This is what I was saying.
You cast a spell -- you provoke it's a ranged touch attack spell -- you provoke again -- but since it's still the same action (casting a spell that has a ranged touch attack) you only provide one time someone can take an AoO on you regardless of what all is involved with that action that provokes.
Note bolded. It makes it sound like the opponent gets 2 AoO against you 'because' he has Combat Reflexes.
I'm not sure what you mean here. If he didn't get combat reflexes he would only have one attack of opportunity per round no matter what. The entire kobold jamboree could walk past him, surround him , and drink potions right next to him and he only gets one.
From pathfinder :
If you have the Combat Reflexes feat, you can add your Dexterity modifier to the number of attacks of opportunity you can make in a round. This feat does not let you make more than one attack for a given opportunity, but if the same opponent provokes two attacks of opportunity from you, you could make two separate attacks of opportunity (since each one represents a different opportunity). Moving out of more than one square threatened by the same opponent in the same round doesn't count as more than one opportunity for that opponent. All these attacks are at your full normal attack bonus.
from the srd
If you have the Combat Reflexes feat you can add your Dexterity modifier to the number of attacks of opportunity you can make in a round. This feat does not let you make more than one attack for a given opportunity, but if the same opponent provokes two attacks of opportunity from you, you could make two separate attacks of opportunity (since each one represents a different opportunity). Moving out of more than one square threatened by the same opponent in the same round doesn’t count as more than one opportunity for that opponent. All these attacks are at your full normal attack bonus.
So that would be a change from the 3.5 rules in not being able to get more than one AoO against the same opponent a round.
Let me say again. This is NOT a change from 3.5 . You misunderstood what the rules were in 3.5 . What they were in 3.5 and what they remain in pathfinder: there is no limit to the number of attacks against a person. The only limit is once per opportunity.
But I am guessing what you are saying is if I make my Casting Defensively roll, and therefore avoid the first AoO for casting a spell, it does not count as an AoO being triggered and due to that, the opponent (who doesn't have Combat Reflexes) can still make the AoO because it is a ranged (to hit) attack spell.
More or less. In that situation the opponents combat reflexes is pretty irrelevant. The important part is that being whacked for using a ranged spell won't cost you the spell unless the shot drops you into negative hp or stuns you.