| 3 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
I'm a little unclear on some of the spell poppet features of the Gravewalker/Witch.
"The following familiar ability works differently for a gravewalker:Deliver Touch Spells (Su): At 3rd level or higher, a gravewalker can use her poppet to deliver touch spells. After casting a
touch spell, as a full-round action, the witch can designate a target and stab a pin into her poppet, delivering the spell as a ranged touch attack. The target must be within range of her aura of desecration ability (see below)."
So does the poppet gain all of the normal familiar abilities (communicate with it's type, scrying, etc...)and if so.....
What's constitutes creatures of it's type ? (other poppet's ???)
What are it's HP ? AC ? etc ???
Also, the Gravewalker lists "Beast of ill omen" as a suggested Hex for the Gravewalker, which implies the poppet is subject to effects that are written for familiars....does this include feats ???
It just occured to me that it makes more sense for it to follow the abilities of a wizards arcane bond item.....opinions ?
Aura of Desecration (Su): At first level, a gravewalker can create a 20-foot-radius aura of evil power. This aura increases the DC of channeled negative energy by +1 and the turn resistance of undead by +1. At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, the radius of the aura increases by 5 feet, to a maximum of 70 feet at 20th level. This ability replaces the witch’s 1st-level hex.
"This ability replaces familiar", so yes much more like the Wizards Arcane Bond Item
After re-reading the familiar rules, IF the poppet still functions as a familiar in most circumstances....it does answer many of my questions regarding HP/saves/etc.....
I'm still confused as to if the witch gains empathy/speak/scry etc in regards to the poppet ?
The Poppet is an inanimate object, more like an item than a creature, and so doesn't gain any of the qualities of a familiar.
I'm not so sure about that.....
"The following familiar ability works differently for a gravewalker" Then goes on to explain how touch spells are delivered....
This implies (at least in my mind) that the rest of the familiar abilities function as normal.
Excuse the bump.....but I'm really hoping to get an "official" answer from someone ;)
not to mention how you add new spells into it with a scroll or another witches familiar. just to make things more unclear.
not to mention how you add new spells into it with a scroll or another witches familiar. just to make things more unclear.
Those are easy enough to re-flavor.....
For scrolls, just burn them down to ash and stuff the ash in the poppet.
From another familiar, just pluck a few of it's hairs, and stuff those in the poppet ;)
Any ideas as to how to get Jason...or Sean....or some such to notice this thread and advise ?
Doesn't look like I'm likely to get a response....so I guess I'll just stop stressing, and handle it as seems logical.
Yeah handle it how seems most logical but leaving a statement with the player that IF you receive an official answer you might or might not change it, depending on how much it might impact your story.
Actually, I am the player....another member of our group is trying his hand at GM'ing Carrion Crown (YAY).
The ability allows you to deliver touch spells as a ranged touch attack, like a voodoo doll. That's how it "delivers touch spells." Its still an inanimate object and doesn't run around touching people.
Yes, I know that ;)
However the wording implies that you still gain the other abilities of having a familiar as you progress, both within the text of the ability, and that it recomends a hex that only effects familiars (Beast of ill omen).
Ah I misread. Everything else would be as familiar advancement I'm sure but it is confusing.
Exactly why I was trying to get an official ruling.....
As it stands, I'm looking at the following....
Skill bonus None listed, so probably not.
Hit dice: equal to witch for purpose of effects based on HD.
Hit points: 1/2 of witch total HP.
Saving throws: Use witch's.
Skills: I'm thinking NA
Alertness& Share spells: Works as normal.
empathic link: Not sure ???
Evasion: NA
3rd level
Deliver touch spells: as outlined.
5th level
Speak with Master: Not sure ???
7th level
Speak with animals of it's kind: Other poppets ???
11th level
Spell resistance:Works as normal.
13th level
Scry on familiar: works as normal.
The poppet is still a familiar.
Here, the best way to think about it might be as a sentient puppet, it can't do anything other than what the witch does for it, but there's a sentient mind inside it. An eldritch spirit placed their by the patron. It would learn spells the same way as any other familiar, either by communing with another familiar (either poppet or normal), or by scroll (as said above, just don't mix it into liquid, just dusts in it's mouth). It still has HP (if it's attacked specifically) and everything else, it just can't move under it's own power.
EDIT : As to speak with master, I think all witch familiars can automatically speak with their master's from level 1, since they have to commune with them (implying they have to be communicating with each other), since the familiar is telling them how to do the spells.
Honestly, I can see a poppet whispering in the ear of it's gravewalking owner, it's voice filled with gritty graveyard dirt. :)
The poppet is still a familiar.
Here, the best way to think about it might be as a sentient puppet, it can't do anything other than what the witch does for it, but there's a sentient mind inside it. An eldritch spirit placed their by the patron. It would learn spells the same way as any other familiar, either by communing with another familiar (either poppet or normal), or by scroll (as said above, just don't mix it into liquid, just dusts in it's mouth). It still has HP (if it's attacked specifically) and everything else, it just can't move under it's own power.
EDIT : As to speak with master, I think all witch familiars can automatically speak with their master's from level 1, since they have to commune with them (implying they have to be communicating with each other), since the familiar is telling them how to do the spells.
Honestly, I can see a poppet whispering in the ear of it's gravewalking owner, it's voice filled with gritty graveyard dirt. :)
Exactly what I'm getting....I just wish they had been a little clearer ;)
My witch is a gravewalker. I am treating his poppet as a sentient being inside a puppet. It "talks" to my witch telepathically, meaning nobody else can hear it. We have yet to encounter another witch, but I would expect my familiar to be able to interact with theirs.
My witch is a gravewalker. I am treating his poppet as a sentient being inside a puppet. It "talks" to my witch telepathically, meaning nobody else can hear it. We have yet to encounter another witch, but I would expect my familiar to be able to interact with theirs.
That's more or less exactly how I'm treating it.....at least until I hear otherwise ;)
Now for added CREEPY we just need an animated object version available with improved familiar ;)
For even more creepy, I'd suggest playing a halfling and taking the Childlike feat. Then, every morning(or whenever) that you commune with your poppet for spells, you have a tea party...
For even more creepy, I'd suggest playing a halfling and taking the Childlike feat. Then, every morning(or whenever) that you commune with your poppet for spells, you have a tea party...
For extra creepy, get Eldritch Heritage feat to allow you to heal yourself to drink blood. Then have the tea be blood.
OK....now that I'm feeling a little clearer on how the spell poppet functions I have another idea to tackle......
Can anyone think of a way to add aditional abilities to the poppet ?
What I would like to do is figure a balanced way to allow the poppet a form of "Spell storing" or have it function as if under the influence of an "Imbue with spell" type ability.
The Wizard Item bond allows one spell of any level castable once per day at first level....I'm thinking something more along the lines of Int mod per day you can cast any spell stored in the poppet (even if you didn't prepare it that day) as a feat that can be taken.
For even more creepy, I'd suggest playing a halfling and taking the Childlike feat. Then, every morning(or whenever) that you commune with your poppet for spells, you have a tea party...For extra creepy, get Eldritch Heritage feat to allow you to heal yourself to drink blood. Then have the tea be blood.
+10000
This is genius. I didn't want to make a DMPC for this game, but it is so damn tempting now.
As for the feat idea, losing a spell for another Int/day seems a bit strong. Maybe if there was a bit more cost to it it would be okay. I don't know, I'm a little sleepy right now to say for sure.
As for the feat idea, losing a spell for another Int/day seems a bit strong. Maybe if there was a bit more cost to it it would be okay. I don't know, I'm a little sleepy right now to say for sure.
Ya....I'm thinking I need to look into actually "enchanting" the poppet in the same manner a Wizard would enchant a bonded item.
Then more or less follow the rules for a ring of spell storing.
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I'm considering a Gravewalker myself and could really do with some official response with regard to the Spell Poppet.
It wouldn't be so much of a problem if I was in a campaign game as the GM and I could agree something together. However, as this is a character for PFS I really could do with some clarification.
I love the idea of a witch talking to its creepy little doll. Especially when it makes a decent mental skill check during an In Character discussion.
*Witch holds doll to her ear.* "Mr Scruffle says you're lying."
Working on the assumption that it is sentient albeit not ambulatory, then what are its WIS/CHA scores?
Does it have a CON score at all?
What are its Base Saves?
What type is it? Construct?
Does it have any additional Natural Armour or does it have Damage Resistance as per an object?
Does it have class skills? If so, what?
What skill is it's skill point in?
What Feat does it have?
Any and all of these questions answered would be very handy guys. As I said, as it is for PFS I can't really just make assumptions.
