Q: With Omlan Atlan's Dopplespell, would it be possible to reduce the time needed to use the non-capstone ability down to a 10 minute ritual rather than a 1 hour ritual? I think a 10 minute ritual is still long enough to negate its combat effectiveness, but short enough that it could be recreated between fights that have a breather afterward.
Yup, that's where the Reserve Spirit feat comes in. It's a full-round action to do the swap, but I have used it to great effect when I realized that one of my spirits was going to be less than ideal for an upcoming encounter.
Then I will probably be picking the feat up ASAp :). Also, oopsy for calling it retainer for some reason.
A 20th-level binder gets the capstone empowerment of any spirit that they form a good pact with. See the second part of Occult Mastery, page 6 of the playtest document. I missed that until a few days ago.
Good catch. I suppose I never look at 20th level abilities all that often as I never reach them haha. That said... how does that ability work with permanent pacts?
Good catch. I suppose I never look at 20th level abilities all that often as I never reach them haha. That said... how does that ability work with permanent pacts?
Based off the following:
In addition, the occultist suffers no penalties for disobeying the personality influence of a spirit that she made a poor pact with and automatically acquires a spirit’s capstone empowerment when she makes a good pact with it, regardless of her binding check result.
Since a permanent pact is always a good pact, by the wording you should always get the capstone empowerment. You would still need to attempt the binding check to get the vestigial companion, though.
Since a permanent pact is always a good pact, by the wording you should always get the capstone empowerment. You would still need to attempt the binding check to get the vestigial companion, though.
Cool. That might be a fun option.
20 dice roll (from cyclops helm) + 10 (1/2 Binder level (at lv. 20)) +9 [28 CHA including Headband of Alluring Charisma] + 5 Flexible Pactmaking + 2 Constellation focus + 2 Spirit focus = 48. Darn. 2 under. I'm sure there are ways to up the CHA quite a bit more. Perhaps those tome magic items. Doesn't matter at 20th as much though, since it won't influence you and his physical sign just sounds cool.
Now I have to see if I want leadership or reserve spirit at lv. 7... I'm thinking leadership.. so reserve spirit here I come at lv. 9... eventually.
Q: Any chance at getting an STR bump for Cromwell's major ability?
Not unless I change the bonus type to either morale (so it doesn't stack with rage) or enhancement.
Q: Is the accuracy pact augmentation supposed to start earlier in lv.? Or is the ability to take it at 1st, then 4th etc a typo (which I assume it is considering augmentations start at 3)
No, its not supposed to be earlier. Figuring out how to make this one work has been a pain in the butt; its going to have to be restrict it to 6th, 12th, and 18th.
Q: If Tartarus is meant to be impossible or near impossible to make a good pact with, is there an actual need for a DC to bind it?
You don't have the whole book yet, and even then we'll likely add options that improve binding DCs. It is an incredibly difficult spirit to bind, though; if you want it, you'll have to work it. (No one's counted the bolster binding spell in their calculations for binding him yet, for example.)
Q: Any chance Scribe Binder Tattoo will be tweaked so its more useable?
Nope. Its relatively cheap for what it does and it does what it needs to do perfectly.
Q: With Omlan Atlan's Dopplespell, would it be possible to reduce the time needed to use the non-capstone ability down to a 10 minute ritual rather than a 1 hour ritual? I think a 10 minute ritual is still long enough to negate its combat effectiveness, but short enough that it could be recreated between fights that have a breather afterward.
No. The simulacrum dying is intended to be a penalty. (Which is another reason why Muse Istago's VC needed to go.)
Since a permanent pact is always a good pact, by the wording you should always get the capstone empowerment. You would still need to attempt the binding check to get the vestigial companion, though.
Specific (the feat) trumps general (the class feature). You still need to make a check to get the major granted ability.
Q: Any chance Scribe Binder Tattoo will be tweaked so its more useable?
Nope. Its relatively cheap for what it does and it does what it needs to do perfectly.
I see. Then, just to confirm, you're trading a feat and money to decrease the binding time by 1 minute or does it skip more than just 1 minute? I might not be understanding it correctly.
You don't have the whole book yet, and even then we'll likely add options that improve binding DCs. It is an incredibly difficult spirit to bind, though; if you want it, you'll have to work it. (No one's counted the bolster binding spell in their calculations for binding him yet, for example.)
I can definitely understand him meaning to be extremely hard to bind, and it is true that we don't have the whole book to know if we can too. Since I'm currently looking at it from an occultist class stand point, the bolster binding spell didn't figure into my calculations. Of course, there was at least one spirit that gave access to spells, so maybe it'd be possible through that way. In any event, fair enough. If it came down to it, and I had to use Tartarus (or wanted to really really badly) and I thought I'd end up making a poor pact, I'd just have to tell my team mates ahead of time to lock me in a sound proof room away from people for a while haha.
Q: Any chance at getting an STR bump for Cromwell's major ability?
Not unless I change the bonus type to either morale (so it doesn't stack with rage) or enhancement.
Understood. Your decision of course, but I do personally hope that this might happen in the end. But again, all up to you.
Thanks again for addressing my questions sir. :)
6th Level Spirits
To correct some information I gave on Omlan Atlan earlier, the major ability is always lesser simulacrum. It is still a great ability.
Alrik of Malkeborne, Albino Prince of Chaos
A new spirit that can destroy souls and has some other useful abilities.
Ruinous Strike: As a standard action you make an attack with a melee or ranged weapon you wield and deal an extra 1d6 points of damage per 2 binder levels. The capstone causes anyone slain by the ability to have its soul utterly destroyed. While the damage isn't as good as other majors (Loathix deals 1d6/level, save for half) the "destroy soul" ability can be quite amazing--that pesky lich won't bother you again, nor will those ghosts or anything else born from a soul. Of course, destroying souls could also get you in some trouble with powerful beings, so maybe the damage should be 1d8/2 levels instead.
Aura of Disaster: While bound to Alrik all creatures within 10 ft. need to make a Fort save or be sickened. A save prevents this ability's effect for 1 day. Useful, but if you make a poor pact no one is going to want to be around you.
Chaos Blade: You gain proficiency with the bastard sword and any bastard sword you wield gains anarchic. Unlike other weapon-granting abilities this one gives you proficiency in the weapon, and the bastard sword is a good weapon to have.
Effortless Armor: You are unimpeded by medium armor and it does not reduce your speed and your armor check penalty is lessened by 1. The reduction increase by 1 for every 5 binder levels. Note that this does not grant you proficiency with the armor, which I think would add more to this spirit.
Torturer's Lore: Bonus on Heal and Knowledge(Nature). You can also use bleed and stabilize at will.
Vestigial Bond: You replace aura of disaster to gain deathwatch and status as at-will abilities. If you take a standard action to use status on an enemy then you can't be flanked or rendered flat-footed by that enemy. This can save you from taking massive damage from rogues or other flat-footed based damage. Worth the exchange.
Influence: You're moody, which wouldn't be so bad, but the real problem is that you desecrate any holy shrines or sites you come across. A really bad influence to have.
Damian Darkstar, Prisoner of the Void
Damian Darkstar, a pilot trapped in the void of space, and a spirit that can emulate a modern-day superhero.
Breathless Wake: You create an 20 ft. vacuum that causes 3d6 damage the first time a creature enters the area and suffocation as long as the creature stays in the vacuum. It also acts as the silence spell and the vacuum lasts for 1d4+1 rounds. The capstone lets you move the area of effect each round. A great anti-caster ability and can be useful against melee as well (see below).
One with the Dark Beyond: You have a constant life bubble, which synergizes great with Damian Darkstar's major. You can breathe freely (underwater, vacuum, etc.), are immune to inhaled attacks, and protected as endure elements. This is a great ability.
Reverse Gravity: You can use an ability that duplicates reverse gravity for binder level rounds/day.
Starflight: You gain a fly speed of 60 ft. (perfect) and you can fly through outer space. I don't see this coming up often, but it's still a great ability for the flight alone.
Weightless Zone: You can nullify gravity as a standard action, functioning as levitate or hostile levitation. A really useful ability for the at will ability alone--you can levitate your party and then use your own flight to give them horizontal movement.
Vestigial Bond: You gain a star worm, which is like a viper, except it's immune to the effects of a vacuum and can fly. This replaces reverse gravity and is worth it.
Influence: You become clingy to your friends and become afflicted with OCD (for non-combat situations). The OCD aspect is really devastating as currently written.
Death Howls, Knights of the Ghostlands
Death Howls has received a few upgrades and is even more useful.
Ghost Strike: This ability has been cleaned up and no longer deals extra damage without the capstone but can affect both corporeal foes (touch AC) and incorporeal foes (as ghost touch). With the capstone you deal an extra 1d6 untyped damage per 5 binder levels. A nice ability due to being able to harm two types of difficult creatures--high AC and incorporeal.
Ether Sight: Cleaned up and reduced to binder level/minutes a day.
Etheric Step: This ability replaces Touch of the Departed (which is wrapped into the major ability). You gain a pool of etheric points equal to your level, and as a standard action you can activate a blink effect for 1 minute, or at 15th level, ethereal jaunt for 1 round. This is a really nice ability as well.
Untouched by Cold: Same as before.
Wisdom of the Elders: This ability has been toned down and buffed at the same time; limited to 3+Cha/day it can now affect one target multiple times in a day.
Vestigial Bond: Same as before, but cleaned up.
Influence: It explicitly states that you wear pretty much underwear or a loincloth. Not too bad as influences go, but it can cause problems at noble functions or some more prudish towns/villages.
Demos Kalagos, Sworn Enemy of Time
This spirit has gotten stronger in some regards and weaker in others but is still an overall great choice for binders.
Time Trick: Same as before, but the wording has been cleaned up. Still a great ability to save an ally or prevent an enemy from pulling off a huge attack.
Borrow Time: Buffed to allow you to take two swift, two immediate, or one of each. With all the immediate action spirit abilities this is a great change.
Magic Tricks: A rename and rework of Trapfinding. Sleight of Hand replaces Perception as a skill bonus and you can cast prestidigitation and mage hand at will. The Perception change hurts your ability to find traps, but at least you can still disarm them as well.
Create Trap: This ability has also gotten some changes that make it weaker--when you bind Demos Kalagos you choose 1 ranger trap and that trap is the only one you can place. It's still a full-round action and can be used 3+Cha/day instead of the once per creature that saves per day--this allows you to place more traps at once and can have multiple traps affect the same target, but with the reduction to one trap type the limited uses seem too limiting. I haven't played too much with ranger traps, though, so there may be something I'm missing here.
Resist Space and Time: A slight change here--you're now immune to aging effects instead of "spells that alter your age" as well as the slow spell and you treat all teleportation effects as if they were harmless.
Vestigial Bond: Demos now grants a Vestigial Bond, which is a huge buff over previously (nothing). You can cast haste or slow 3+Cha/day. At 15 you can cast alter age once a day, and at 20 you can cast time stop once a day. You replace borrow time, but this can buff your party, so it's worth getting.
Influence: Same as before.
Everrona, Goddess of the Earth
A nurturing, motherly spirit that has some very nice abilities.
Drain Experience: Negative levels. As a melee touch attack you can cause a target to gain a negative level (1d4 with the capstone). Once the creature gets more negative levels than its HD it dies and is reborn as an infant of itself. This doesn't work on nonliving creatures or creatures that don't discernibly age, but still, very powerful. It also gives you the ability to turn your worst enemy into your child so you can raise them to be good (or evil, depending upon the party). This can create a lot of good out-of-combat experiences as well.
Childhood Form: Fort save or be turned into a Youth as flames of youth. Creatures who gain additional HD based upon age gain a +4 bonus. No limitations per day. Another fun ability and you can charge the rich money for them to run around as kids again.
Cycle of Growth: As a standard action your ability functions as plant growth or diminish plants. Unlimited uses per day, so feel free to help out farmers with their crops or become your own Johnny Appleseed.
Entombment: 3+Cha/day you can entomb an opponent in the earth as imprisonment. This only lasts 1 round/level but it can be great for saving your party.
Second Childhood: You are affected by a constant youthful appearance. You also gain a tongues effect with any creature younger than Adult. Combos well with Childhood Form and great for those who want eternal youth without actually changing form.
Vestigial Bond: You gain a silvanshee agathion as a familiar. This replaces entombment.
Influence: You love children and treat them as your own. A good influence to have unless your archenemy is a demon-possessed child.
Hi'Ryia, The Eternal Keeper
A Samsaran spirit to add to the racial lore spirits and has power over life and death and is a very strong spirit to have.
Flow of Life: This ability functions as either telekinesis or telekinetic charge and you use your Cha for the combat maneuvers. The capstone turns this into a swift action, but it is expended for 7 rounds. A good ability for its variety of in-combat and out-of-combat uses.
Guide the Cycle: REINCARNATE. 3+Cha/day, you can reincarnate a slain animal or humanoid. It's a 10-minute ritual, and there is a 1 day delay until the creature reincarnates, but this is great anyway. Loved one dead? Bring 'em back! Favorite pet died? Bring 'em back! This fits great for any good-aligned character. Also, there is a 1% chance of coming back as a samsaran. Don't like the options for Samsaran? Then check out Samsaran Compendium by Alexander Augunas! You'll pray for that 1% chance!
Lesser Flow of Life: You get mage hand at will and can grant a touched weapon dancing for binder level rounds/day.
Life Blood: You take 1d6+half binder level in damage to heal a living creature the same amount. A creature can only benefit once a day from this ability, but it's a great emergency or after-battle patch up.
Unity in All Things: This ability is replaced by any minor ability that belongs to a 5th level or lower Starless spirit. A great ability.
Vestigial Bond: You can cast mass cure moderate wounds 3+Cha/day. At 13, and 15 this is upgraded to serious and critical. At 17 you can also gain breath of life (2/day at 19). This replaces unity in all things.
Influence: You offer sound advice and never turn down a request for help. Pactsworn Champions who like healing have found their max-level spirit.
Jayna Warlock, Traveler of the Worlds
Another one of my favorite spirits, and even more so now with her revisions.
Jayna's Wish: Same as before, but with three major differences. First, the spells are cast as spell-like abilities, so you need to worry about casting failure, concentration, provoking, etc. It scales even better than before, increasing the maximum spell level of spells you can cast. The capstone doesn't let you cast 5th level spells, but instead allows you to empower a spell-like ability cast by using Jayna's wish. Even if you get 5th level spells slower I'd rather have it continue to scale. A superb change.
Aspect of Seven: Same as before, but having the "empty" minor is worth her major.
Song of Elemental Fury: Not as strong as before--while the damage scales much better (1d6 per 2 binder levels) it is now limited to 3+Cha/day. This change is also worth her major.
Song of Rising Barriers: Same with Song of Elemental Fury, this is limited to 3+Cha/day. Also worth her major.
Song of Waning Elements: A slight buff, the elements have their resistance/reductions modified: air (electricity), earth (acid), fire (fire), metal (DR/magic and piercing), void (sonic), water (cold), and wood (DR/magic and slashing).
Vestigial Bond: You can now gain a Small elemental--this replaces rising barriers. Getting something instead of nothing is always nice.
Influence: You find insult in goodwill or charity directed toward you, but you act kindly otherwise. Not a terrible influence.
Loresir Claw, The Headless Dragon
You can now bind the Jabberwock.
Eyes of Flame: As a standard action ranged touch attack you fire twin rays of fire from your eyes for 1d6 fire damage/binder level. The capstone causes those who fail their Reflex save to catch on fire. You can't target a single creature with both rays, but even with that restriction this is a great ability.
Burble: You gain a breath weapon that causes confusion (Will negates) for 1d4 rounds, limited to once per creature per day. Very nice.
Jaws that Bite, Claws that Catch: You gain a bite attack and two claw attacks, and if you already have one of the natural attacks its damage die increases. You gain grab with your claws and your bite has a x3 critical multiplier. It's a polymorph effect, so it doesn't stack with other polymorph effects, but this is still nice.
Planar Acclimation: For all effects for planes you are not considered extraplanar. Some nice protection if your party travels the planes.
Whiffling: SONIC BOOM. 60 ft. line, 2d6+binder level damage, Reflex save for half. Not tons of damage, but it's also not limited in use.
Vestigial Bond: You gain a giant gecko that has the fey template, replacing jaws that bite, claws that catch.
Influence: You love rhymes and wordplay and laugh at them and you include at lease one nonsense word when you speak. Not a terrible influence but it can annoy your party (or insult those of higher station than you).
Ma'Zad and Aza'Mi, Lovers in Battle
A unique conjoined spirit, males bind Ma'Zad and females bind Aza'Mi. Note that this bonds with the gender of your soul, which means you can't trick the spirits. Only divine intervention can change the gender of your soul. Both spirits have good abilities.
-Ma'Zad-
Thrown to the Wind: You make a trip attempt as a standard action, but you use your binder level as your BAB and your Cha instead of Str. You target flies backwards 10 feet for every 5 your roll exceeds your target's CMD. The capstone actually rips 1d4 magic items from your target's body and on a natural 1 the wind rips the very clothes of their back. This ability deals no damage, and the capstone is situational, but it can be useful.
Battlefield Reflexes: You gain a +2 bonus (untyped) to your Dex and you gain the benefits of Combat Reflexes; your Dex bonus increases to +4 if you have Combat Reflexes already.
Ice Skean: As a standard action you create a supernatural dagger of ice, as icicle dagger except it posses a +1 enhancement bonus per 4 binder levels and it has frost, ghost touch, keen, or returning, and you can change the ability your dagger has as a swift action. Note that as icicle dagger it melts if it leaves your hand for more than 1 round. A very nice ability.
Preemptive Strike: The first opponent who hits you with a melee attack provokes an AoO from you. Limited to once a combat based on the wording.
-Aza'Mi-
Storm of Spears: When making a full-attack action, you give up your normal attacks to conjure up dozens of magical javelins, hurling them at each opponent within one range increment. This is a free action to activate and you can't get any additional attacks from feats, spells, or abilities. The javelins have a +1 enhancement bonus per 4 binder levels. The capstone lets you add distance, seeking, shock, or thundering. Another great ability.
Battlefield Reflexes: You gain +2 Str (untyped) and Power Attack. If you have Power Attack you gain +4 Str instead.
Luna Toxin: Your blood is poisonous and you can coat your weapon with it as a move action without poisoning yourself. It's cured by 1 Fort save, but it also lasts for 5 rounds per use, so it's just an added bonus.
Wreathed in Black Roses: You gain a +9 armor bonus to your AC and DR 5/adamantine. The thorns also act as armor spikes. Full Plate mail without the Full Plate Mail. This is a great minor ability.
-Either-
Lover by Nightfall: You gain darkvision 90 ft. (or +30 ft. if you already have darkvision), you can cast produce flame as a spell-like ability at will, and when you succeed on a Diplomacy check to increase a creature's attitude it increases by two steps if you are within 30 ft. of a fire. A nice bonus.
Vestigial Bond: You gain a giant spider and it replaces preemptive strike or wreathed in black roses.
Influence: You act honorably but don't grant mercy to those of fewer HD than yourself.
Merickel, Hero of False Destiny
Merickel's legend is more depressing than before, but his abilities have been buffed to compensate.
Steal Destiny: The ability has been cleaned up and weakened some--your destiny mote now only applies to your rolls, not another target's. Still a great ability.
Banishment: Same as before.
Freedom of Movement: A buff, you can now cast freedom of movement 3+Cha/day.
Hero's Tools: Another buff, you have the same proficiencies but now also gain a +1 insight bonus to attack/damage per 4 binder levels with those weapons.
Merickel's Greatsword: Another tweak, you lose the vorpal quality at high level but the enhancement bonus progression is much better.
Vestigial Bond: Same as before, but cleaned up.
Influence: Same as before, but you also try to actively disprove prophecies.
Minezon, The Untouchable
Minezon is underwhelming for a Level 6 spirit, but his major can be situationally good.
Untouchable Tenacity: As an immediate action you reduce all hit point damage dealt to you by half, but it doesn't stack with damage reduction or resistance. The capstone allows you to spend points from your blood pool to reduce the rounds the ability is expended. This is great for when you're about to take large amounts of damage (or have no other reduction).
Blood Pool: You gain a blood pool with a number of points equal to your Con mod. You can spend 1 point to gain +2 alchemical bonus to Str and Dex for 1 minute or add +2 to the save DC of granted abilities for 1 round. You can spend 3 points to cast haste on yourself. This is nice, but there's not a good way to regain blood pool points.
Consume Blood: Spend 1 blood point and heal binder level hit points. A minor heal, but with your major this can be more effective.
Detect Vitality: You gain a constant status effect that targets all creatures in a 15 ft. cone and it gives you the caster level / binder level of all the targets. Useful and stacks well with Alrik's Vestigial Bond (or should).
Stirge's Sting: When you maintain a grapple you can deal 1d4 Con damage instead of dealing damage. If you reduce a target to 0 Con you regain 1 blood point. This is. . . underwhelming. I guess you can drain blood from all the corpses after a battle to regain 1 blood point each, but it seems a little weak considering most of your powers burn blood points. Then again, get a bag of tricks or buy some chickens or chipmunks and you can build up a lot of blood points at once.
Vestigial Bond: You gain a stirge but lose stirge's sting. Not worth it since you need to be able to regain blood points.
Influence: You are addicted to the taste of blood and must lap up spilt blood outside of combat. Gross.
Primordial Titans, Martyrs of the Betrayed
The Titans are slightly buffed compared to before.
Primordial Shout: Same as before.
Armor Proficiency: A slight buff--you gain proficiency with all armors and the armor penalty reduction is -1 / 4 binder levels (and now stacks with other reductions).
Blade Barrier: Another buff, you can cast blade barrier 3+Cha/day.
Titan Lore: Same as before.
Titan's Grasp: The proficiencies are the same, but instead of being able to use oversized weapons any two-handed weapon you wield is affected by lead blades.
Vestigial Bond: No longer nothing, you gain an aura of godslaying for one turn--this ability can disrupt divine spellcasting, but you're limited to 3+Cha/day. Replaces blade barrier.
Influence: Worse than before, as you remind others that you are above their petty woes and you refuse aid to any who suffer from mortal matters.
Rasputin, The Bleeding Ringmaster
Rasputin has returned to the center ring having undergone some revisions of his powers.
Freakish Touch: A buff--someone who fails is permanently disfigured, while with the capstone even if someone saves they're afflicted for 1 round / binder level.
Bilocation: Another buff and wording has revised to better explain the ability. Can be used 3+Cha/day, up from Cha/day.
Cloak Trick: Cleaned up, and a slight reworking. It no longer requires a cloak, mantle, or similar item, but it's limited to 3+Cha/day. You only teleport if your Sleight of Hand check exceeds your opponent's attack roll by 10 or higher, but after this teleport the enemy is considered flat-footed. The limited uses hurts, but it also applies to all ranged and melee attacks.
Master of the Ring: Same as before.
Whip Mastery: Slightly weakened; you no longer gain Greater Whip Mastery.
Vestigial Bond: A buff here since he didn't grant one before. You now gain a carnival animal that uses the new carnival animal template and replaces bilocation. Carnival animals have several abilities (in addition to their base form) and are constructs. Also, they burst into confetti and streamers when killed, so they're great for parties.
Influence: Same as before, but better worded.
Serapith, The Scouring Light
Serapith's light now scours better and his other abilities have also received buffs.
Scouring Light: The damage on this ability has been buffed to 2d6/binder level and the capstone now imposes a penalty to Serapith's favored enemies' attack rolls.
Angel's Wings: Buffed, this now grants a fly speed of 60 ft.(perfect) and can be used a number of hours equal to binder level.
Serapith's Protection: Another buff, you'll have +5 deflection bonus to your AC and +10 resistance bonus on saving throws at 20.
Smite Enemy: Weakened slightly by being limited to 3+Cha/day, but if Serapith's Favored Enemies are still all humanoids this was necessary.
Wrath of Daylight: This ability has been cleaned up and now also affects creatures with light vulnerabilities as daylight and dispels magical darkness effects with a level equal to or less than your maximum spirit level. Another good buff.
Vestigial Bond: Same as before.
Influence: Currently reflects Jayna Warlock's influence.
P186, Alrik of Malkeborne, Legend: "...Prince Alrik was handled the gleaming bastard sword..."
P187, Damian Darkstar, Vestigial Bond: Calls the companion both a "star worm" and "void worm."
P188, Death Howls, General: Death Howls has a possessive form listed as "Death Howls'" while Circe's Runes has a possessive form listed as "Circe's Runes's." Which is the correct possessive?
P188, Death Howls, Totems: "You are a gnoll or write your letter during Death Howls' ceremony in Gnoll, requiring the ability to write in Gnoll."
P189, Demos Kalagos, Manifestation: "You soul is projected..."
P190, Everrona, Ceremony: "...a handful of seeds and swallow all of the at once..."
P190, Everrona, Legend: "...the elf lad sword to never emerge..."
P193, Jayna Warlock, Legend: "...university but her genies professors scoffed..."; "...all the proof that occult scholars need in her theories."
P193, Jayna Warlock, Jayna's Wish: "Aspect of seven" needs to be italicized.
P195, Loresir Claw, Totems: "Loresirc claw's seal is drawn by a fey creature."
P195, Loresir Claw, Legend: "The only known way to slay the Jabberwock takes back to ancient times..."; "According to legend, a nameless her of old..."
P196, Ma'Zad and Aza'Mi, Legend: "...why these wars lasts for several centuries..."
P196, Ma'Zad and Aza'Mi, Thrown to the Wind: "...for every 5 feet by which you your trip attempt exceeds your target's CMD."; "...rolls a natural 1 on its Reflex save, its drops all..."
P198, Merickel, Legend: I can't find a definition for "dabber" that makes sense in this context.
P200, Minezon, Legend: "...from his suffering via potion that would..."; "...his mother arrived in Hell tear-eyed..."
P200, Minezon, Legend: "Minezon's mother watched her son's soul vanish before her eyes, all but the few last drops that would spend the rest of their days searching Hell in vain for its missing mother." This sentence is unclear to me.
P201, Primordial Titans, Description: "The war so gruesome that the titans who perished..."
P201, Primordial Titans, Legend: "An ancient relic...tells that of the god's primary weapon...; a master assassin..."
P201, Primordial Titans, Personality: "You are compassionate towards are."
P202, Rasputin, Freakish Touch Deformities, Inverse Limbs: "..and it cannot hold or active objects..."
P202, Rasputin, Freakish Touch Deformities, Second Head: This refers to being permanently staggered, but the deformities are already permanent in duration.
P202, Rasputin, Ceremony: "...you stick iron nine nails into..."
P202, Rasputin, Manifestation: "...blood oozes from around the tails..."
P203, Rasputin, Master of the Ring: "...one rank in any of these skills, you make take 10 on..."
P204, Serapith, Signs and Influence: Refers to Jayna Warlock's Signs and Influences (I believe this has already been mentioned).
Q: Damian Darkstar, Personality Influence: What is reasonable to be considered a "non-combative" action? What type of action (free, move, standard, full-round) does this apply to? Would a binding rituatl be counted as a "non-combative" action that you need to repeat? What about asking a question or paying a bill?
Q: Demos Kalagos, Resist Space and Time: "You treat all teleportation effects as though they were harmless." How does this affect you if someone teleports you over dangerous terrain? How would it interact with Hostile Juxtaposition?
Q: Everrona, Childhood Form: Flames of youth, if used on a construct, undead, or object restores hit points. Does this ability still allow that?
Q: Jayna Warlock, Jayna's Wish: "At 13th level and every 2 levels thereafter, increase the maximum spell level that Jayna's wish can cast by 1, to a maximum of 6th level spells at 17th level." This progression isn't correct--it starts with 4th level spells, so it should cap at 7th level spells at 17. What is the correct progression / maximum spell level?
Q: Loresir Claw, Eyes of Flame: The capstone mentions a failed Reflex save, but the major ability doesn't mention a Reflex save.
Q: Ma'Zad and Aza'Mi, Thrown to the Wind: Is the range on this ability melee? In addition, with the capstone, is the Reflex save mentioned here the same Reflex save used to protect against the ability or is it an additional Reflex save? The 1d4 magic items ripped from the target--if the target has no magic items, are these 1d4 other items instead? If the target only has two magical longswords wielded and you roll a 2, does that mean your target is then disarmed?
Q: Ma'Zad and Aza'Mi, Battlefield Reflexes: Is the ability bonus supposed to be untyped?
Q: Minezon, Untouchable Tenacity: Can you choose which attacks to apply this ability's benefit to? I'm guessing it's "all or nothing," but it would also cause damage that would have been reduced to 0 by an ability (a bunch of 1 damage fire attacks with resist fire 5) to inflict more damage than they otherwise would.
Q: Minezon, Blood Pool: Is there a maximum amount of blood pool points you can have?
Q: Minezon, Vestigial Bond: If you choose the stirge companion, you lose your ability that allows you to regain blood points. Without the ability to regain blood points Minezon is even more underwhelming with his abilities.
P203, Rasputin, Master of the Ring: "...one rank in any of these skills, you make take 10 on..."
I don't see an error here.
Q: Damian Darkstar, Personality Influence: What is reasonable to be considered a "non-combative" action? What type of action (free, move, standard, full-round) does this apply to? Would a binding rituatl be counted as a "non-combative" action that you need to repeat? What about asking a question or paying a bill?
Anything you do outside of combat is a non-combative action. You basically manifest OCD symptoms with this influence. (The description has been simplified to represent this better in the next build.)
Q: Demos Kalagos, Resist Space and Time: "You treat all teleportation effects as though they were harmless." How does this affect you if someone teleports you over dangerous terrain? How would it interact with Hostile Juxtaposition?
This is a horribly-worded ability because it technically doesn't do anything, least of all resist teleportation. Its going to look like this, coming soon to a build near you:
"and you gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against teleportation effects."
Q: Everrona, Childhood Form: Flames of youth, if used on a construct, undead, or object restores hit points. Does this ability still allow that?
It shouldn't. Also, this ability is grossly underpowered for a 6th-level spirit (her "lesser" ability is second childhood). Here's the update:
"You gain the ability to cast greater flames of youth† as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. Unlike the spell, you cannot target nonliving creatures such as constructs or undead with this spell-like ability."
Q: Jayna Warlock, Jayna's Wish: "At 13th level and every 2 levels thereafter, increase the maximum spell level that Jayna's wish can cast by 1, to a maximum of 6th level spells at 17th level." This progression isn't correct--it starts with 4th level spells, so it should cap at 7th level spells at 17. What is the correct progression / maximum spell level?
Its supposed to be 6th level spells. (5th at 14 and 6th at 17).
More after work.
AoE was boring. Here's the new ability.
"Circe’s Fury: You infuse one target that you can see with the rage kept within Circe’s Runes, all creatures within 20 feet to become affected as moonstruckAPG (including yourself). You can use this ability a number of times each day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier."
I just looked up that spell... Yikes... A little unclear on the updated ability; one line say's you pick one target, the next say's all creatures within 20 feet including you. I think I would prefer it as a single target spell over an AoE that potentially effects you as well. I actually liked the old AoE damage ability, it could have been more interesting by allowing a Will Save for 1/2 damage (a rare save for direct damage ability's, but fitting for Circe's)
Edit: I just realized this might mean you choose one target within line of sight, and then everyone within 20 ft of that target gets hit with Moonstruck? If thats the case... Holy crap is that powerful.
P203, Rasputin, Master of the Ring: "...one rank in any of these skills, you make take 10 on..."I don't see an error here.
It says "make take" instead of "may take," but someone else may have reported the error before me.
It says "make take" instead of "may take," but someone else may have reported the error before me.P203, Rasputin, Master of the Ring: "...one rank in any of these skills, you make take 10 on..."I don't see an error here.
To be fair, I had to read over it several times before my brain stopped autocorrecting it - and that was with the knowledge of what was exactly wrong.
7th Level Spirits
Bercilak Hautdesert, The Green Knight
Some more Arthurian Lore creates another spirit, and this spirit is pretty amazing.
Buffoonery: You curse a target with buffoonery for 1 minute, which translates to the target losing all weapon and armor proficiencies, is not considered trained in class skills, and all terrain is difficult terrain. This is a curse effect and is great against non-casters; casters won't really be penalized by it. The capstone makes this permanent.
Devoted: You gain +4 vs. mind-affecting effects and you get the benefit of the slippery mind rogue talent.
Regenerate: You can cast regenerate 3+Cha/Day on yourself only. This is a good ability, upgraded to great against any hazard or monster that can separate you from your limbs.
Sacred Submission: You can cast dominate person 3+Cha/day but you can only target fey and outsiders with the evil subtype. At 20th level it can affect all targets and acts as dominate monster. You can only have one target dominated at a time, but this is still a strong ability.
Unbreakable Body: You're immune to Str/Dex/Con damage and you can walk around headless while your body still relays its information to you. You're staggered, but your head can stilll act, which means you can still use your granted abilities. Combines with regenerate, fits with the legend, and is a great party trick.
Vestigial Bond: You exchange sacred submission to gain an insight bonus of half your binder level to aid another, as well as +1/5 binder levels. You can also use aid another to grant a bonus to your ally's next ability check, concentration check, or saving throw. This is a great ability and allows you to buff your allies immensely. Note that you can only have a single vestigial companion, but multiple vestigial boons. This will allow your companion to aid you (or your allies) and is a great ability.
Influence: You uphold the edicts of the Order of the Lion and you must protect others with your life. Not a bad influence to have, honestly.
The Crow, Prince of Just Shadows
This is a great spirit and has some great abilities.
Shape Shadow: This ability functions as shadow conjuration or shadow evocation except it can only be used on conjuration/evocation spells of 5th level or lower that have an instantaneous duration, increased to 6th level spells at 15 and 7th level spells at 18. The capstone allows you to duplicate spells of any duration. A highly useful ability that is great both in-combat and out-of-combat.
Dark Wings: You can transform into a crow at will, as beast shape III.
Duel Wield: An ability that is a play on words and grants both Two-Weapon Fighting and Weapon Finesse.
Shadow Image: You can get an ability that functions as mirror image 3+Cha/day, or greater invisibility if you spend three uses of the ability.
Shadow Fortitude: You gain the benefits of heavy fortification as well as automatically stabalizing and succeeding on saving throws vs. massive damage.
Vestigial Bond: You replace dark wings with the ability to summon a murder of crows as summon swarm 3+binder level/day.
Influence: You punish all wrongdoers and always act in pursuit of justice. An influence that's not bad to get if you're a good character.
Dead Kings, Echoes of Grandeur
Dead Kings' abilities are all good, and the major allows you to reduce the duration your majors are expended.
Unleash Forbidden Secrets: As a melee touch attack you deal 1d12 damage for every 3 binder levels and all of your expended granted abilities (including this one) have their expended durations reduced by 1 round. The capstone allows you to use this is a ranged touch attack. While it may not sound like it does much damage, the benefit of this ability is being able to reduce the expendature of your major abilties. With this ability and rapid recovery you can get your abilities to only be expended for 3 rounds, down to 2 rounds if you are an Elf and selected the spirit as your favored class option. Being able to also deal damage is a bonus.
Command of the King: You can issue a command that functions as geas-quest. You can use this 3/day, with a limit of once per creature per day. Really nice since geas-quest has no saving throw, even if the maximum duration is the duration of your pact.
King's Palace: You gain access to an extradimension palace that functions as mage's magnificent mansion. This is made better by the fact that objects left in the palace persist between pacts with Dead Kings.
Lore of the Dead Kings: YOu can an insight bonus to all Knowledge checks and you can cast legend lore 1/day. Nice bonuses.
Incarcerate: You can cast one target into an extraplanar dungeon, which functions as maze. You can only banish one creature per time and can only affect a target once per day. A great ability, even with the limitation of one creature at a time.
Vestigial Bond: You gain a king crab familiar instead of command of the king. Not worth the exchange in my opinion.
Influence: You act as a stereotypical member of your race and remind people of your lineage when its called into question.
The Elysium Choir, Innocence Slain
The Elysium Choir returns with changes, some good and some bad.
Tranquil Peace of Elysium: This ability has undergone some changes--a creature can not benefit from the breath of life effect half-your maximum spirit level times/day, but the capstone won't be used much anymore. It requires a 10,000gp diamond, takes 10 minutes, and can only be used 3 times/day. I feel that all of these restrictions are unnecessary and it could do with less. It also functions as resurrection instead of raise dead.
Celestial Performer: Bonus to Sense Motive and Peform(sing).
Life's Grace: You use this ability as a bardic performance for a number of rounds equal to your binder level. You grant a +1 sacred bonus on attack rools, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws for every 4 binder levels. A great ability as in most cases, with most parties, you'll always gain its benefit.
Pursuit of Peace: YOu can cast sanctuary 3+Cha/day.
Shattering Chorus: You deal 1d6 sonic damage per 6 binder levels to one target as a swift action, full damage to objects. Limited to 3+Cha/day which limits how good this ability is, but there is no attack roll or saving throw so that's a bonus.
Vestigial Bond: Same as before, but you have the option of having up to six birds, so you can have one at full level, two at half level, etc. A buff.
Influence: Same as before, but now you never initiate violent/aggressive confrontations.
Jormungandr, He Who Encircles the World
Jormungandr has limitations imposed on some of his abilities, but his major has been buffed.
Equalize: This ability has been buffed--temporary hit points granted by the capstone lasts for an hour, and a creature no longer gets a bonus to the save if it has lots of hit points.
Eternal Cycle: This ability has been cleaned up, but the reincarnation is delayed by 1 day and the pact you have with Jormungandr is a poor pact for a week. A great ability to ensure your survival.
Resistances of the Great Serpent: Same as before, but cleaned up.
Poison the Sky: Same as before, but cleaned up and limited to 3+Cha/day.
Stir the Ocean: Same as before, but limited to 3+Cha/day. I think it would be better to have hydraulic torrent be at-will and the others limited. It's not often that control water or vortex comes into play in most campaigns.
Vestigial Bond: Same as before.
Influence: Ouch. This hurts a lot more. Lightning and thunder now terrifies you and you must be in at-least ankle deep water at all times. If control water wasn't limited times per day this would be easier to meet, but otherwise this is much worse than before.
Lord Saruga, Soul Eater
Lord Saruga has had his major ability buffed, but his minors weakened. Overall he's stronger for it.
Summon Horde: This ability has changed, but I think it's an overall buff. You summon 5d6 lizardfolk instead of 2d6 and there's no limit to the number you can summon, but they only persist for 4 rounds. They do use your binder level as their base attack bonus and the capstone grants them an insight bonus on AC, saving throws, and damage rolls made with melee/ranged weapons equal to half your binder level. A much better ability and much more useful.
Devour Mind: A gross and evil ability that replaces the old hide hordes. You devour a target's brain to gain a bonus to a skill that the target had 1 or more ranks in and you gain access to the target's languages and memories. Extremely useful for when you need to know a passcode or some other secrets, but you'd better make sure to hide this from your companions.
Inspire Fanaticism: This ability has changed from its previous version. Against reptilian humanoids it's now mass charm person instead of dominate person, and all other creatures are affected as lesser confusion, whose duration is only 1 round (instead of 1d3). It is also is limited to 3+Cha/day. With the buff to Lord Saruga's major I'm okay with this change.
Lizardfolk Toughness: This has also received minor tweaks--you receive a natural armor bonus equal to your maximum spirit level, but it is not changed to an enhancement bonus if you already have a natural armor bonus. You no longer gain a more powerful version of hold breath if you already had the ability. As with inspire fanaticism I'm okay with these changes to have the buffed major.
Saruga's Curse: Some more changes--limited to 3+Cha/day, limit of once per creature per day. The duration of the reincarnation effect is permament, however, and so makes this more useful. As written it can also bring back your dead friends (albeit as lizardfolk, so they may be mad at you). You can also use it on yourself if you want to be a lizardfolk.
Vestigial Bond: Same as before.
Personality: Cleaned up and not a terrible influence to have.
Mare Loviatha, Ice Queen
Mare Loviatha is almost the same as she was before.
Wrath of the Ice Queen: Same as before.
Burden of Guilt: Same as before, but cleaned up.
Dark Horn: Same as before.
Mare's Whispers: Same as before.
Mounted Prowess: Same as before.
Vestigial Bond: Same as before, but the unicorn has lost the magic circle against good effect.
Influence: Same as before, but cleaned up.
Musha'Vadu, The Shadow-Bones Emperor
Musha'Vadu has received some buffs and is stronger than before.
Shadow Storm: Buffed to cause 1d6 negative energy damage/binder level. Great for evil binders with undead minions or a group of dhampir allies.
Shadow Conjuration: Cleaned up and now limited to 3+Cha/day. With the buff to the major this was needed.
Shadow Walk: Buffed to now be shadow walk without exceptions and is usable 3+Cha/day.
Siphon Age: Cleaned up to now function as siphon age, one of the new aging spells in the grimoire. Usable 3+Cha/day.
Umbral Sight: Same as before, but cleaned up. Still a good bonus.
Vestigial Bond: Same as before.
Influence: Same as before, but cleaned up.
Portenta, Seer of the Orphic Eye
Fuse Flesh: Same as before, but cleaned up--both saves are also now Will saves.
Dream of Destiny: Same as before, but cleaned up and works better.
Orphic Foresight: Same as before.
Spirit Step: Buffed to be binder level minutes/day instead of binder level rounds.
True Sight: A slight buff to be binder level rounds/day instead of half binder levels+Cha/day.
Vestigial Bond: Same as before, but it's a random animal companion now.
Influence: Currently has Mare Loviatha's.
Quicksilver, Warrior of the Wastes
An excellent spirit who has a wide range of great abilities for melee-focused binders.
Combat Burst: As a full-round action you can perform one of the following:
- Make three melee attacks against one opponent within reach.
- Move up to your speed and make two melee attacks at any point during your movement.
- Make one melee attack against all opponents within reach.
These attacks are made at your highest BAB and each is made with a separate attack roll. Each time you crit while using combat burst you reduce the abilitie's cooldown by 1 round, to a minimum of 1 round. A really nice ability for anyone who wants to be a front-line binder.
Desert Mastery: You gain favored terrain (desert) as a ranger, with the bonus equal to half your binder level. Awesome for desert campaigns, situational otherwise, but with Quicksilver's other abilities this is no penalty.
Desert Skin: You gain a natural armor bonus equal to half your binder level, but it's limited by your armor's max Dex bonus. Still, a great ability, and if you're Dex based, superb.
Quick Step: You can take two 5-foot steps during a full-round action (works with combat burst) or you can make one 5-foot step without counting it against the amount of movement you can normally make during your turn. A great ability and makes you able to adapt to combat quickly.
Weapon Smithing: You can cast fabricate 3+Cha/day, but it requires a source of heat 110 degrees Farenheit or hotter as a focus component. Useful even it it requires a heat source.
Vestigial Bond: You gain a camel that replaces quick step. I probably wouldn't make the exchange, personally.
Influence: You are recklessly optimistic and offer to help any good, common folk you encounter. A good influence to have for most adventuring parties.
Silent Step, The Limbless Monk
Silent Step is a monk spirit who gives you several monk-like and cold-based abilities.
Icicle Lance: You make an unarmed strike as a standard action, causing 1d6 points of damage per binder level, half cold and half piercing. The capstone allows you to use it with Stunning Fist as a swift action. While there are limitations for using this attack there is no resisting the damage.
Hoary Fists: You gain the benefits of Imporved Unarmed Strike and you deal damage with unarmed strikes as one category larger.
Ice Storm: You can cast ice storm at will, limited to one storm at a time.
Throat Strike: You gain the benefits of Stunning Fist and instead of inflicting stunned you can inflict the caster croak spellblight.
Vow of Silence: As a standard action you can create an area of silence that surrounds you--this allows you added versatility against casters.
Vestigial Bond: You gain a goat as a familiar and it replaces ice storm.
Influence: This one hurts. You do not speak. At all.
Wendigo, The Ever-Hungry
Wendigo has some really nice abilities, even if they aren't damage-oriented.
Wendigo's Walk: This ability acts as wind walk. With the capstone you can you take an opponent you are grappling with you and end the grapple, causing the target to turn back to normal and fall. While this isn't really a damage-oriented ability, it has great defensive and utility uses and with the capstone can be used to drag wounded allies from the fray.
Consume Mana: You gain spell resistance equal to 13+binder level and when a spell fails to overcome it you heal binder level hit points. A very nice ability.
Gnawing the Bones: You gain a 20 ft. burrow speed and can cast allfood at will. Another useful ability.
Iron Stomach: You are immune to ingested poisons and any effects caused by rotten food. You never feel full or bloated. This is "meh" but it will protect you from assassins who poison your food.
Maw of Consumption: You gain a bite attack or increase the damage of your bite if you already have one. Your bite ignores damage reduction and harness as if it were adamantine and gains the grab special ability as well as not provoking AoOs when making sunder attempts with it. Note that this isn't a polymorph effect, so it stacks with anything else that gives you a bite attack. This is an ability any combat-focused binder would appreciate.
Vestigial Bond: You replace consume mana with the ability to cast heroes' feast 3+Cha/day.
Influence: You are always hungry and are always eating. Could be much worse.
Witch Yaba
Another real-world legend turned into a spirit, this spirit allows you some of the abilities of a witch, and is quite good.
Unhinge the Spirit: As a touch attack you cause your target to suffer one negative level each turn for the next 4 rounds. A Will save negates an application of a negative level, but saves separately for each one. The capstone causes the target to suffer 1d4 negative levels each turn instead of 1.
Dancing Hut of Witch Yaba: You can't have the legend without the chicken-legged hut. You can cast secure shelter as a spell-like ability once/day and it has a duration of 1 day. You can also animate a hut into an animated object, as the witch's hut hex, and this works on the hut created by secure shelter. A useful ability for safety and travel.
Hexes of the Witch Queen: You gain the benefits of the following witch hexes, using your binder level as your witch level: agony, child-scent, and cook people. While limited in use for a good character, an evil character can benefit greatly from these hexes.
Mislead: You can fool enemies as mislead 3+Cha/day. This is used as an immediate action, which greatly enhances its use.
Witch Senses: Darkvision 60 ft. and constant see invisibility. If you already possess darkvision you can penetrate supernatural darkness. A great ability.
Vestigial Bond: You give up unhinge spirit but you turn your animated hut into a beast. It turns into a Huge construct with ability scores equal to your Cha, a bite attack with grab, swallow whole, +10 natural armor bonus to AC, and DR 15/adamantine. It also counts as a familiar for special abilities. If you're on a battlefield this is a great exchange, less useful if you're in a dungeon.
Influence: You loathe those that have slighted you and never pardon or grant mercy. Rough to have if your party doesn't understand not to provoke you.
Yith'anu, The Body Snatched
This kitsune spirit has returned with buffs to his abilities.
Mind Freeze: You paralyze a target within 30 ft. as hold monster. With the capstone, a target that fails its save suffers -2 on saving throws vs. Yith'anu's abilities. The hold monster effect is based on your binder level and so you can have multiple targets paralyzed at a time. A definite buff from before.
Gregarious: Same as before, but the penalty also counts against opposing your skill checks.
Mind Wipe: Same as before, but the target also suffers a -4 penalty to all skill checks.
Mind Swap: Same as before, but limited to once per creature per day. Still a great ability to infiltrate into an enemy hideout.
Telepathy: This replaces the old abductor's analysis and allows you to have telepathy with a range of 5 ft./binder level.
Vestigial Bond: Some changes to this ability--your fox form now functions as beast shape II and there is no longer an occult fox form--you gain the spell-like abilities no matter your form. It has also been changed to replace mind wipe instead of mind swap.
P205, Bercilak Hautdesert, Name: The name is "Bercilak Hautdesert" but there are places he's referred to as "Bercilak de Hautdesert."
P205, Bercilak Hautdesert, Description: "...Bercilak's was cast into the..."
P205, Bercilak Hautdesert, Totems: "...when you perform the Bercilak hauntdesert's ceremony."; "charm person" should be italicized; "You perform Bercilak de Hautdesert's in the company of one or more..."
P205, Bercilak Hautdesert, Devoted: "Slippery mind" should be italicized.
P206, The Crow, Shape Shadows: "...except that shape shadow can replicate one conjuration or evocation seplls of 5th level..."
P207, Dead Kings, Legend: "...as whatever kings and rulers that the binders knows of..."
P208, Elysium Choir, Totems: These refer to The Crow's totems.
P208, Elysium Choir, Legend: "...and slaughtered all 77 of Heavens choir angels where they hovered."
P208, Elysium Choir, Shattering Chorus: "You sing a high-pitched note that shatters wrecks creatures or objects..."
P210, Lord Saruga, Summon Horde: "...functioning as summon monster IIV..."
P212, Mare Loviatha, Legend: "Loviatha rode off to the gave..."
P214, Musha'Vadu, Legend: "When their father passes, the older brother inherited his father's throne..."; "Musha was the younger prince's name, and he was determined to inherit his father's from his younger brother..." This also refers to Musha, the younger prince, inheriting the throne from his younger brother (of which he is).
P215, Portenta, Legend: "The legend of Portenta the Seer is acts as a warning..."
P215, Portenta, Vestigial Bond: "Awaken" should be italicized.
P215, Portenta, Signs and Influence: Refers to Mare Loviatha's instead of Portenta's.
P216, Quicksilver, Legend: "In another, cleaver quicksilver..."; "...gave a greedy giant a poisoned coin to weaken him before battling it with a bow forged..." Refers to the giant as both "him" and "it."
P216, Quicksilver, Combat Burst: In the capstone, "combat burst" should be italicized.
P217, Silent Step, Totems: "You are a martial artist master..."
P217, Silent Step, Legend: "When Silent Step awoke, he was among brothers." Should be "his brothers?"
P217, Silent Step, Icicle Lance: The capstone's second reference to "icicle lance" needs to be italicized.
P217, Silent Step, Physical Sign: "When you activate one of Silent Step' granted abilities..."
P218, Wendigo, Description: "...the Wendigo and its satiable lust for flesh..."
P218, Wendigo, Legend: "By the spring thaw the boy could stand his craves no longer:..." The colon should also be a semi-colon.; "Some day that Wendigo, alone and without..."
P219, Witch Yaba, Legend: "Whether as a bogeyman, a wise crown, or a conqueror of worlds..." There should also be a comma after "worlds."; "...tales of Witch Yaba have span throughout..."
P219, Witch Yaba, Dancing Hut of Witch Yaba: "Witch's hut" should be italicized.
P219, Witch Yaba, Hexes of the Witch Queen: The witch hexes should be italicized.
Q: General: Should spirits refer to "Personality Influence" or "Personality?" I've seen both in various spirits.
Q: Bercilak Huatdesert, Buffoonery: This ability doesn't mention any saving throw. Also it mentions "no longer considered trained in class skills." Does this mean the target doesn't gain the +3 class skill bonus or that the target loses all ranks in all class skills?
Q: The Crow, Vestigial Bond: Is this ability supposed to be 3 + binder level times a day?
Q: Dead Kings, Command of the Kings: This ability functions as geas-quest, which doesn't allow a saving throw, but mentions penalties to the saving throw.
Q: The Elysium Choir, Shattering Chorus: Should this ability have a saving throw or attack roll?
Q: Jormungandr, Personality: When this says that lightning and thunder "terrify you", this still doesn't impose mechanical penalties, correct? If you made over-sized boots filled with water would that count as being "at least ankle deep in water?"
Q: Lord Saruga, Summon Horde: Concerning abilities that last for 4 rounds--if you have Rapid Recovery your cooldown is then 4 rounds as well. With this ability, for example, can you cause the lizardfolk to be persisted instead of resummoning new ones?
Q: Lord Saruga, Inspire Fanaticism: I don't see "mass charm person" as a spell in my Pathfinder books, only "mass charm monster." Should it function as "mass charm monster" instead?
Q: Lord Saruga, Saruga's Curse: This ability refers to "a creature cannot be the target of this hex again for 1 day." Does this ability qualify as a hex for all purposes? In addition, this doesn't specify a living target, so can you use it on your dead allies to bring them back to life?
Q: Mare Loviatha, Burden of Guilt: If a creature attacks itself with an object in hand that has additional properties (for example, a flaming sword or a poisoned dagger) are they also affected by the additional properties?
Q: Mare Loviatha, Vestigial Bond: You gain a unicorn animal companion that has a gore attack. Since the unicorn shares your abilities and has dark horn, does this mean that the unicorn has two gore attacks?
Q: Portenta, Vestigial Bond: How do you determine the random animal companion? Does the GM select one or is a roll on a given table?
Q: Weapon Smithing: Does this still require the heat source for non-metallic uses of fabrication? For example, creating a shirt?
Q: Silent Step, Icicle Lance: Should this be renamed to something other than "Icicle Lance?" The name would normally conjure to mind a ranged attack or maybe an attack that has reach. The capstone refers to "...causing your Stunning Fist..instead of icicle lance's usual effects." The usual effect of icicle lance is dealing cold/piercing damage, so I'm not sure what "usual effect" this is referring to. Also, the Stunning Fist combat feat allows you to use it once a day/4 levels. Is it intended that the capstone of the major ability would only ever be applicable 5 times/day?
Q: Wendigo, Physical Sign: "When you activate one of Wendigo's granted abilities, your legs explode into stubs and instantly regrow." This sounds like it would have a mechanical effect as your height instantly changes from normal to normal minus legs.
Q: witch Yaba, Unhinge the Soul: Does the capstone cause the target to suffer 1d4 negative levels a round for 4 rounds, or does it cause the target to suffer 1 negative level a round for 4 rounds, plus an additional 1d4 negative levels?
Q: Witch Yaba, Witch Senses: If you already possess darkvision, does it count as the see in darkness special ability, or does it only apply to darkness created by supernatural abilities and not magical abilities?
Q: Yith'anu, Gregarious: This mentions "that creature suffers a -2 penalty to the DC of your Charisma checks..." This sounds like a penalty to the DC of your actions instead of a penalty to the creatures rolls.
Q: Loresir Claw, Eyes of Flame: The capstone mentions a failed Reflex save, but the major ability doesn't mention a Reflex save.
Fixed.
"Creatures damaged by eyes of flame catch on fire unless they succeed on a Reflex save."
Q: Ma'Zad and Aza'Mi, Thrown to the Wind: Is the range on this ability melee? In addition, with the capstone, is the Reflex save mentioned here the same Reflex save used to protect against the ability or is it an additional Reflex save? The 1d4 magic items ripped from the target--if the target has no magic items, are these 1d4 other items instead? If the target only has two magical longswords wielded and you roll a 2, does that mean your target is then disarmed?
Getting a fairly comprehensive rewrite:
"Capstone Empowerment: The supernatural winds created by thrown to the wind attempt to rip 1d4 items from its person and deposit them in a random square within d100 feet. Roll on the items affected by magical attacks table in Chapter 9 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook to determine which items are affected, if any. A successful Reflex save negates this effect. If the target rolls a natural 1 on this Reflex save, all items on its person are affected (including its clothing)."
Q: Ma'Zad and Aza'Mi, Battlefield Reflexes: Is the ability bonus supposed to be untyped?
For now, yes.
Q: Minezon, Untouchable Tenacity: Can you choose which attacks to apply this ability's benefit to? I'm guessing it's "all or nothing," but it would also cause damage that would have been reduced to 0 by an ability (a bunch of 1 damage fire attacks with resist fire 5) to inflict more damage than they otherwise would.
Minezon is getting some rather substantial changes to improve his playability, so I'm not going to comment on your questions. I'll let you take another pass at him in the next version instead. ;-)
Speaking of which, any chance of a google document or something similar to list all the errata you've already made? It's pretty tricky to keep up with it in this thread since it's in several different posts, and some of it updates previous errata from earlier posts
I don't mind if you repost something. When all five of the current chapters have been reviewed, I'm going to upload an updated version of the document; everyone will get an e-mail notifying them.
Honestly, there have been SO many changes in this initial document (as I expected there might be) that cataloging them would have taken away a LOT of time from me answering your questions and providing feedback, sad to say.
I just looked up that spell... Yikes... A little unclear on the updated ability; one line say's you pick one target, the next say's all creatures within 20 feet including you. I think I would prefer it as a single target spell over an AoE that potentially effects you as well. I actually liked the old AoE damage ability, it could have been more interesting by allowing a Will Save for 1/2 damage (a rare save for direct damage ability's, but fitting for Circe's)
Edit: I just realized this might mean you choose one target within line of sight, and then everyone within 20 ft of that target gets hit with Moonstruck? If thats the case... Holy crap is that powerful.
Looking at it, about half of that ability is pre-change and the other half is post-change. I'm going to have to revisit it.
Update to Circe's Fury:
"Circe’s Fury: You unleash the fury of Circe’s Runes, causing all creatures within 30 feet to become affected as moonstruckAPG. You can choose whether or not to include yourself in this effect. You can use this ability a number of times each day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier."
Thanks for the update on that.
Any chance of the Mage Constalation Aspects getting some attention? Not sure about anyone else, but I would love to see the Elemental Ray replaced with something more interesting (compared to the Angel ray, it's just not very good).
Also, the Spirits seem to be gaining an awful lot more Spell-like abilities than in Vol 1 and 2. Is that intentional, or simply a result of there being so many new spirits?
Thanks for the update on that.
Any chance of the Mage Constalation Aspects getting some attention? Not sure about anyone else, but I would love to see the Elemental Ray replaced with something more interesting (compared to the Angel ray, it's just not very good).
Also, the Spirits seem to be gaining an awful lot more Spell-like abilities than in Vol 1 and 2. Is that intentional, or simply a result of there being so many new spirits?
I'm planning on taking another pass through the spirits after the initial one to look at abilities that function as spell-like abilities (and so are supernatural) and those that are spell-like abilities and make comparisons. Feel free to do the same, as the more the better. To go with that:
Q: Is there a method use to determine if a spirit has spell-like abilities or supernatural abilities so we can keep it in mind while reading the document?
Q: Is there a method use to determine if a spirit has spell-like abilities or supernatural abilities so we can keep it in mind while reading the document?
1) Space. Will letting this function as a spell-like ability save space? A good example is that we have tons of a special rules that allow to spell-like abilities that are granted as granted abilities, such as the one that states that you need to provoke a material component if the cost is more than 1 gp. Many of the issues with Vol 1 and 2 spirits were due to the fact that we didn't have room to add all of those important little balancing elements that go into designing spells (see #2).
2) Balance. Some spells shouldn't be allowed to ignore concentration checks / spell resistance, and the like. Many with expensive material components shouldn't be allowed to ignore those. (With some exceptions.) A great example is the aging spells, which are only ever really blocked by spell resistance (making the supernatural ones VERY powerful).
Q: General: Should spirits refer to "Personality Influence" or "Personality?" I've seen both in various spirits.
It should always be Personality Influence.
Q: Bercilak Huatdesert, Buffoonery: This ability doesn't mention any saving throw. Also it mentions "no longer considered trained in class skills." Does this mean the target doesn't gain the +3 class skill bonus or that the target loses all ranks in all class skills?
The first one. Fixed. Also, updated this ability so it also increases the target's spell by 25% with all types of spells it casts.
Shattering Chorus
Fixed to require a ranged touch attack.
Q: Jormungandr, Personality: When this says that lightning and thunder "terrify you", this still doesn't impose mechanical penalties, correct? If you made over-sized boots filled with water would that count as being "at least ankle deep in water?"
Whelp, that last sentence might be the most munchkin sentence in the entire thread. Enjoy your new influence:
"Personality Influence: Your body shakes each time you see or hear lightning or thunder. Each hour after sealing your pact with Jörmungandr, you must lick and kiss every inch of your bare feet."
Q: Lord Saruga, Summon Horde: Concerning abilities that last for 4 rounds--if you have Rapid Recovery your cooldown is then 4 rounds as well. With this ability, for example, can you cause the lizardfolk to be persisted instead of resummoning new ones?
Nope. The ability now includes this line:
"You cannot have more than one summon horde ability activate in this way at one time. If this ability is used again, any existing summon horde immediately ends."
Q: Lord Saruga, Inspire Fanaticism: I don't see "mass charm person" as a spell in my Pathfinder books, only "mass charm monster." Should it function as "mass charm monster" instead?
Yes. The second part about other creatures has been updated to state that it functions as confusion rather than mass confusion.
Q: Lord Saruga, Saruga's Curse: This ability refers to "a creature cannot be the target of this hex again for 1 day." Does this ability qualify as a hex for all purposes? In addition, this doesn't specify a living target, so can you use it on your dead allies to bring them back to life?
No. It only works on living creatures. [Updated]
Q: Mare Loviatha, Burden of Guilt: If a creature attacks itself with an object in hand that has additional properties (for example, a flaming sword or a poisoned dagger) are they also affected by the additional properties?
No, because it doesn't use the weapon's damage, just like the spell of the same name.
Q: Mare Loviatha, Vestigial Bond: You gain a unicorn animal companion that has a gore attack. Since the unicorn shares your abilities and has dark horn, does this mean that the unicorn has two gore attacks?
No. [Updated.]
"Dark Horn: While you are bound to Mare Loviatha, you gain a gore attack that deals 1d6 points of damage (or 1d4 if you are Small). If you already possess a gore attack, it deals damage as if you were one size category larger. Any gore attacks you possess bypass damage reduction as an evil weapon would. You must show Mare Loviatha’s sign in order to receive this benefit."
Q: Portenta, Vestigial Bond: How do you determine the random animal companion? Does the GM select one or is a roll on a given table?
However your GM would like to determine it. [Updated.]
Q: Weapon Smithing: Does this still require the heat source for non-metallic uses of fabrication? For example, creating a shirt?
Yes.
Q: Silent Step, Icicle Lance: Should this be renamed to something other than "Icicle Lance?" The name would normally conjure to mind a ranged attack or maybe an attack that has reach. The capstone refers to "...causing your Stunning Fist..instead of icicle lance's usual effects." The usual effect of icicle lance is dealing cold/piercing damage, so I'm not sure what "usual effect" this is referring to. Also, the Stunning Fist combat feat allows you to use it once a day/4 levels. Is it intended that the capstone of the major ability would only ever be applicable 5 times/day?
Yes. It basically saves you on the action economy because it lets you use icicle lance and Stunning Fist during the same round. Normally both are standard actions.
Q: Wendigo, Physical Sign: "When you activate one of Wendigo's granted abilities, your legs explode into stubs and instantly regrow." This sounds like it would have a mechanical effect as your height instantly changes from normal to normal minus legs.
Nope. Its that fast, plus Wendigo's occult powers help you stay aloft for the instant it takes your legs to regrow. (Check the Pathfinder Bestiaries and look up Wendigos to understand why this isn't changing.)
Q: Witch Yaba, Witch Senses: If you already possess darkvision, does it count as the see in darkness special ability, or does it only apply to darkness created by supernatural abilities and not magical abilities?
As see in darkness. [Updated.]
Q: Yith'anu, Gregarious: This mentions "that creature suffers a -2 penalty to the DC of your Charisma checks..." This sounds like a penalty to the DC of your actions instead of a penalty to the creatures rolls.
It is worded weird. [Fixed.]
P219, Witch Yaba, Hexes of the Witch Queen: The witch hexes should be italicized.
Incorrect. Class features are not italicized when they are referenced. Only spells.
Q: Jormungandr, Personality: When this says that lightning and thunder "terrify you", this still doesn't impose mechanical penalties, correct? If you made over-sized boots filled with water would that count as being "at least ankle deep in water?"Whelp, that last sentence might be the most munchkin sentence in the entire thread. Enjoy your new influence:
"Personality Influence: Your body shakes each time you see or hear lightning or thunder. Each hour after sealing your pact with Jörmungandr, you must lick and kiss every inch of your bare feet."
*Laughs* Sorry, just trying to look at it from different angles and what a player might due to keep Jormungandr bound in a landlocked campaign. :) (Besides just not making a poor pact.)
Nope. Its that fast, plus Wendigo's occult powers help you stay aloft for the instant it takes your legs to regrow. (Check the Pathfinder Bestiaries and look up Wendigos to understand why this isn't changing.)
Ah--that makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.
Incorrect. Class features are not italicized when they are referenced. Only spells.
Whoops--sorry about that--don't know why I thought otherwise.
Whoops--sorry about that--don't know why I thought otherwise.
If Paizo had a style guide (which they might) I would guess that it was 32 pages long and had more amendments than the United States constitution. (Which is actually pretty easy to do.)
Whoops--sorry about that--don't know why I thought otherwise.If Paizo had a style guide (which they might) I would guess that it was 32 pages long and had more amendments than the United States constitution. (Which is actually pretty easy to do.)
I've heard they do, but they have no desire to share it outside their offices basically because it's a living document and not set in stone.
So, Silent Step's totem says you cut out your tongue... do you get it back?
sorry to intrude. I don't have access to the playtest but I wanted to request one thing if possible. Could you make a table for class background generation like that done in Ultimate Campaign for the occultist class? I'm pretty sure there was one in the second book but I want to make sure it makes it into the grimoire.
Thanks.
sorry to intrude. I don't have access to the playtest but I wanted to request one thing if possible. Could you make a table for class background generation like that done in Ultimate Campaign for the occultist class? I'm pretty sure there was one in the second book but I want to make sure it makes it into the grimoire.
Thanks.
That will be returning in Chapter 9: Esoteria.
So, Silent Step's totem says you cut out your tongue... do you get it back?
Yeah, when the Constitution damage is healed. [Updated; it will say that you mutilate, rather than outright remove, your tongue in the next build to avoid this question.]
Q: General: Should spirits refer to "Personality Influence" or "Personality?" I've seen both in various spirits.It should always be Personality Influence.
The following spirits have "Personality" instead of "Personality Influence:"
Loathix
Mishpo
Noble Marius
Omlan Atlan
Pavatu
Rattenkonig
Teu and Lae
All 6th Level Spirits, except for Death Howls
All 7th Level Spirits
All 8th Level Spirits
All 9th Level Spirits
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Q: When looking at Personality Influences, how crippling should they be? Is it dependent upon the level of the spirit or other factors?
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I also wanted to mention how much I enjoy a lot of the Personality Influences for the good-aligned spirits that make you act like a good person.
For example, with Everrona, Goddess of the Earth, the Personality Influence is:
"You love children and are kind and nurturing to any children you encounter. You must treat all children as though they were your own."
Combined with her Childhood Form and Cycle of Growth abilities, this can make a binder bound to her and suffering her influence to spread kindness and joy as she travels, acting as a positive influence in the world, as well as acting as a vengeful angel against those who harm children, using her Drain Experience ability to turn those types of people back into children whom she can put in good homes.
This helps there be more conflict as well, as any of the anti-pact magic classes would want to destroy the binder even if she was doing nothing but good acts.
This expands the amount of Pact Magic adventures possible and makes Pact Magic overall more robust as well as a more "neutral" force in the world.
Great job!
I agree. Honestly, my current binder (Occultist in Skull and Shackles) is NOT a nice guy (at least to people not on his crew), and is bound to one Fiend Spirit or another about every other day. He personifies what the "Anti-Pack Magic" critics would rally behind (also... well.. Pirate).
The Good Aligned Spirits, on the other hand (which there are a lot more of now) totally make me want to play an Occultist who bucks the trend and try's to stay away from the more corrupting influences. An interesting challenge with plenty of temptation.
Q: When looking at Personality Influences, how crippling should they be? Is it dependent upon the level of the spirit or other factors?
It has nothing to do with Spirit Level or what abilities the spirit grants or anything, really. They're based off of the spirit's personality, the events that surround its transformation into a spirit, or the aspects about its own personality that are the most important to it.
For example, if I was turned into a spirit, I might force my binder to write constantly while bound to be, because the stimulus of writing would likely be what I missed most of mortal existence. That's what I would want to spend my brief reintroduction to reality doing.
This expands the amount of Pact Magic adventures possible and makes Pact Magic overall more robust as well as a more "neutral" force in the world.
Great job!
Thanks!
I agree with the others. Even if I'm aiming to keep the personality influences to a minimum, especially since I love 3/4s of the dark beyond constellation, this class is so well flavored that I find it easy to come up with characters that will be fun to role play.
For example, the one I'm about to play in the modern campaign has ladies falling all over him, and normally he'd love to partake in that, except he refuses to in case some day he makes a bad pact and they get hurt / killed because of it. Essentially causing him to live a life without romance unless he gives up using the spirits, which he knows he can't do.
First real playtest for me should be tonight or this weekend, I'll probably chime in with what I had experienced gameplay wise if or when it comes to it.
My first playtest will be on Sunday, I should have a report up sometime in the evening.
I'll be able to playtest around level 4-5ish next Wednesday.
It'll probably be a gestalt game so I might try out the Occult Scholar archetype for some options there.
I don't think this was mentioned yet (though it's hard to tell), but General Hessant's Dazing Strike ability doesn't seem to have a duration for how long they're dazed, though I presume it's supposed to still be 1 round.
Yes, its supposed to be 1 round [Fixed.]
Niggles: If you don't have a penalty to AC when charging to increase (by being, say, a catfolk with Nimble Striker off the top of my head), does Reckless Charge still have a penalty to AC? I presume yes.
— Yes. Using Nimble Striker as an example, Nimble Striker would nullify the –2 penalty that charging normally takes, but the binder would still take the penalty from using Achaeolos's recklessness.
Is the bonus from Mastery of Rivers to Constitution checks to continue running if you have a swim speed supposed to be only when taking the run action while swimming, or just all running? As written, it's the latter, but since the ability's focused towards swimming and this part only comes online if you have a swim speed, it seems a bit odd.
The latter. The ability is being renamed athleticism to reflect this.
With Partial Transformation, it's certainly thematic to be reduced to the intellect of a beast, but what are the repercussions? It seems like something there could be a lot of table variation about, with more extreme interpretations not allowing you to flank (but wolves!), understand the speech of others, even claiming you wouldn't be intelligent enough to end the ability before it runs out for the day...maybe it should just be an Intelligence penalty?
Its based off of the spell Baphomet's blessing. Being reduced to 2 is exactly what its supposed to do, because its supposed to reduce you to a bestial level of intellect. (Of course, "bestial" doesn't mean "idiot.")
Q: General: Should spirits refer to "Personality Influence" or "Personality?" I've seen both in various spirits.It should always be Personality Influence.
The following spirits have "Personality" instead of "Personality Influence:"
** spoiler omitted **
I cleaned up all of those spirits' personality influences. Check'em when the new document comes out to see if they still make sense.
What are everyone's thoughts with this version of the ability?
I wanted to make sure to get the best feedback I can on the use of the new Marat this weekend, does this look about right for you're latest addition of him?
Major: Defend the Ward (No change from Beta Doc)
Alarm: While you are bound to Marat, you gain the ability to cast alarm as a spell-like ability at will. You cannot have more than one alarm spell active at one time. If this ability is used again, any existing alarm immediately ends.
Bodyguard: No Change
Marat’s Protection: While you are bound to Marat, you can protect yourself with his spirit or his armored body. If you choose Marat’s spirit, you gain shield as a constant spell-like ability while you are bound to Marat. If you choose Marat’s body, you gain the ability to summon a masterwork suit of scale mail as a full-round action. The armor vanishes if removed or if you summon a second suit. At 3rd level and every four levels thereafter, your scale mail gains a +1 enhancement bonus to its AC, to a maximum of +5. At 9th level, you can summon Marat’s body as a suit of full-plate instead of scale mail.
Marat’s Shield: While you are bound to Marat, you gain the ability to cast shield of fortification as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. At 7th level, this ability grants you the ability to cast greater shield of fortification instead.
Look about right?
Q: Moy, Vestigial Bond: Is "simulacrum" simply a descriptive term or is it supposed to be like the spell? The description states that it is a simulacrum but then states that it has HD equal to binder level - 2. A simulacrum has only half the HD of what it is made of, so would this mean that after applying the limits of the spell that it is a (binder level - 2) / 2 HD creature?
Q: Vestigial Companions, General: For those companions that are humanoid companions, how does the binder determine the stats of the companion? Are they created via point-buy (as normal NPCs) or are they based off an entry in the Bestiaries/NPC Codex?
Q: Vestigial Companions, General: For those companions that are humanoid companions, how does the binder determine the stats of the companion? Are they created via point-buy (as normal NPCs) or are they based off an entry in the Bestiaries/NPC Codex?
Read the vestigial companion section and see if that answers your question before I do.
I wanted to make sure to get the best feedback I can on the use of the new Marat this weekend, does this look about right for you're latest addition of him?
What are everyone's thoughts with this version of the ability?
I'm getting ready to send out v2 of the playtest document (which also includes MAGIC ITEMS!), so you'll be able to check for yourself!
For Gwendolyn's Ghost's Personality Influence, what happens if you don't - to your knowledge - have a true love? Does the DM come up with a true love you're having visions of but haven't met yet, or do you fall in love with someone randomly for the duration and view them as if they were your true love, or what?
I have some space to kill on that page, so I'll humor this question in the official description. If I have to clarify something / write more somewhere else, though, this'll be the first thing that gets cut.
"Personality Influence: You are constantly beset by daydreams of your true love. If you have not met your true love, there is a 50% chance that Gwenolyn’s Ghost shows you the silhouette of your true love; otherwise, he shows you his true love instead. Whenever you speak, you must relate the conversation back to your true love in some manner."
Thanks for the shout out in the backer Email! That was really nice!
I just downloaded the updated document. First thing I looked at was the new Constellation Aspects for the Hero Constellation. Excellent. Now to really dig in!
Also checked out Marat, looks good, I'll give a report on him (and any other Spirits I get to use) on Sunday.