Mesmerist Spirit Walker archetype Continued Animation ability question.

[Pantorts]

I am currently playing a Spirit Walker Mesmerist and I am having trouble wrapping my head around the Continued Animation ability. I have many questions about the ability and want to see if it can be cleared up for me. To clarify, I understand how the ability is supposed to work, but the rules dont seem to match. Anyways, on to the questions.

Question 1: it says you use the ability when the target dies. How do I know when the target dies? Many enemies get knocked unconscious before they die. Do you attempt to use the ability when they get knocked unconscious and it fails if they aren't dead?

Question 2: The ability says that the target gains temporary hit point equal to twice my class level when the ability works. Does the target go to 0 hp first, and then gain temporary hit points, or do they start at negative whatever they were at and then you add the temporary hit points, which would mean that this ability would fail most of the time? The rules are not clear.

Question 3: The target is affected as if by dominate person. I know what happens if they make their initial will save, but what happens if they make a later save to act "against their nature"? Do they then immediately die, or do they stay around, uncontrolled for the duration of the ability? Rules are unclear.

Bonus Question 4: Since the target "counts as undead", wouldn't dominate person no longer work on the target? What about the stares as well?

Thank you in advance.

[James Risner]

If you know how it's supposed to work, then you know how it works ;-)

1) Tell your GM you want the option to activate, so he should then ask on each dying monster/NPC.

2) KISS = It has hp equal to the temporary hit points.

3) not covered, most likely you'd lose control and it dies again. Table Variance, ask your GM.

4) anything targets it must work on undead. The dominate person isn't an issue as its part of the effect making it be treated as undead.