I'm trying to find ways to make Nightmare Fist always on without having to cast darkness or something similar (which uses a standard action) before every combat. I'm looking for magic items or long duration spells (10 min/level) or things that can be activated as a swift action.
Nightmare Fist (Combat)
You are even more deadly in magical darkness.
Prerequisite: Improved Unarmed Strike, Intimidate 1 rank, ability to create magical darkness.
Benefit: While fighting within an area of magical darkness, you gain a +2 bonus on damage rolls with unarmed strikes, or a +4 bonus against opponents that are shaken, frightened, or panicked. You also gain a +2 morale bonus on Acrobatics and Intimidate checks.
Solutions I've found so far includes Eclipsed Spell and Light cantrip. However this only works outside of normal or bright light.
Bloodrager Shadow Bloodline. Pretty sure the 4th level ability counts as magical darkness.
Warpriest with Shield of Darkness
Umbral Mage Armor (costs lots of feats)
Any ideas are very much appreciated.
Hmm not seeing how those solve my problems...
Also after reading through stuff a bit more I'm not sure the Bloodrager Shadow Bloodline will work out.
What is the Bloodrager Shadow Bloodline ability?
What is the Bloodrager Shadow Bloodline ability?
The Rogue archetype can cast darkness a few times a day. But the duration is only 1 minute per level so that doesn't really help me all that much...
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Deeper Darkness lasts 10min/level and is also magical darkness. (also a superior version and harder to dispel)
You could use UMD with a wand and it'd last 50min per casting. Perhaps get a buddy to cast it either with the wand or a pearl of power.
Or be a drow and take the Improved Drow Nobility feat to use it twice/day. Greater Drow Nobility and it is at will.
Eclipsed Spell and daylight is 10 min per level.
can you Eclipsed Spell Continual Flame? If so there's a permanent magical darkness effect for you.
EDIT:
Not sure if you're doing PFS, but if you are and the continual flame works with the Eclipsed Spell it's something that you can carry over from scenario to scenario.
Deeper Darkness lasts 10min/level and is also magical darkness. (also a superior version and harder to dispel)
You could use UMD with a wand and it'd last 50min per casting. Perhaps get a buddy to cast it either with the wand or a pearl of power.
Or be a drow and take the Improved Drow Nobility feat to use it twice/day. Greater Drow Nobility and it is at will.
Nice ...then again I likely won't find many adventureres how want to hang out in my 60 foot sphere of darkness which they can't even see through with Darkvision.
Quickened Channel and Variant Channel: Darkness.
A Darkskull with it's additional Unhallow effect keyed to Deeper Darkness.
Eclipsed Spell and daylight is 10 min per level.
can you Eclipsed Spell Continual Flame? If so there's a permanent magical darkness effect for you.
EDIT:
Not sure if you're doing PFS, but if you are and the continual flame works with the Eclipsed Spell it's something that you can carry over from scenario to scenario.
This would be for PFS. Can I metamagic spells cast from scrolls? If so this would prolly be my best bet...Don't really want to go straight cleric fo an unarmed build. Inquisitor could work but doesn't get continual flame till level 7...
Edit: From the wording of continual flame and eclipsed spell I think this should work...
Only spells that create areas of light or darkness can be eclipsed spells. If the eclipsed spell creates an area that shines like a torch or raises the light level by one step, you can choose to have the spell lower the illumination level in the affected area by one step...
A flame, equivalent in brightness to a torch, springs forth from an object that you touch.
Pay a NPC spellcaster to cast it for you.
Now you'd need some form of creating magical darkness to qualify for the feat, but your continual (darkness) that you got at lv1-2 for 110gp from some mighty wizard at the PFS lodge will last till lv20 as long as it's not dispelled.
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This would be for PFS.
If it's for PFS - avoid magical darkness entirely. Having even a 10ft sphere consistently is hugely disruptive. Don't be THAT GUY. (I figured that you were in a group which all had darkvision.)
If you want to do something similar without being THAT GUY - try Moonlight Stalker (less potential bonus damage - but has bonus accuracy) and drop smoke pellets as free actions. While unarmed isn't required, it works well with it because you can have your hands full of smoke pellets and kick them.
Pay a NPC spellcaster to cast it for you.
Now you'd need some form of creating magical darkness to qualify for the feat, but your continual (darkness) that you got at lv1-2 for 110gp from some mighty wizard at the PFS lodge will last till lv20 as long as it's not dispelled.
I don't think spellcasting services in PFS can be assumed to apply metamagic. But I might be wrong.
This would be for PFS.
If it's for PFS - avoid magical darkness entirely. Having even a 10ft sphere consistently is hugely disruptive. Don't be THAT GUY. (I figured that you were in a group which all had darkvision.)
If you want to do something similar without being THAT GUY - try Moonlight Stalker (less potential bonus damage - but has bonus accuracy) and drop smoke pellets as free actions. While unarmed isn't required, it works well with it because you can have your hands full of smoke pellets and kick them.
That's why I'm trying to find sollutions which only reduce light by one step so as not to screw everyone else over...
Also dropping smoke pellets as a free action isn't RAW either...
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if you want to help counter being "that guy" then buying a wand of darkvision could solve the problem. It would last 3 hours per use and only need to be used on people that didn't already have darkvision.
Comes in a bit more pricey at 4,500 gp, but still something you could get fairly low levels.
OH BETTER IDEA!!!
Here's the plan
Eclipsed Spell Continual flame spell level 2 functioning like darkness.
This darkness causes the illumination level in the area to drop one step. Magical light sources only increase the light level in an area if they are of a higher spell level than darkness.
Nightmare Fist activates since you are fighting within an area of magical darkness.
You now whip out your Heightened Continual flame spell level 3. EDIT(Or pay for a cleric to cast it since they have it at spell level 3)
It is now a higher level than the darkness so it increases the light level that darkness reached.
So the net effect is that you have an area of magical darkness that is at the normal ambient level because the higher spell level light spell is able to increase the light level. But you're still cancelling out any non-magic light sources and light sources of spell level 3 or lower.
Pretty sure this all checks out from this blog
BAM!!! Nightmare Fist triggered with no actual light drop for your friends. And it'll only cost you 110gp for the dark and 200gp for the light.
Man this is awesome now.
And if you're worried about the NPCs then buy a lesser rod of Eclipsed for 1500. Get a wizard to cast it as Spell level 2, and then have a cleric cast their continual flame as normal spell level 3.
The only problem is you can only carry 1 continual flame. So you'd need to get the normal version one each time you wanted it.
The only problem is you can only carry 1 continual flame. So you'd need to get the normal version one each time you wanted it.
Love your enthusiasm but didn't quite get that part...you mean I have to purchase a new continual flame every game?
Also good thinking on the Eclipse rod...
Edit: Actually doesn't look to me like continual flame is limited to 1 per person. You merely enchant objects. So you can easily enchant a ring on each hand or something like that.
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Also dropping smoke pellets as a free action isn't RAW either...
Sure it is - it's right under Free Actions
Drop an Item
Dropping an item in your space or into an adjacent square is a free action.
Not unless you're saying that a thin clay sphere which is designed to break easily won't break when dropped onto a hard floor. (seems unlikely)
Edit: If you think that, you could crush it underfoot as part of your 5ft step after dropping it as a free action.
Worst case you get a weak nat attack and use it to break the smoke pellet I suppose, but that seems like overkill.
A character may have one each of the following spells that
carries overs from scenario to scenario: continual flame
Normally permanent spells don't carry over. Like creating an undead, who normally lasts till killed, he doesn't carry over to the next scenario.
Continual flame is an exception to the rule that permanent spells don't last and limited by the rule that only one can last.
BUT there is a solution! If you play 6-10 the wounded wisp you can buy an item that works as a 3rd level spell continual flame. Being an item it shouldn't conflict with your 1 continual flame spell (that is darkness) that carries over. So for 860 and playing a specific scenario you get the combo. EDIT 2360 if buying the rod.
Also dropping smoke pellets as a free action isn't RAW either...Sure it is - it's right under Free Actions
Not unless you're saying that a thin clay sphere which is designed to break easily won't break when dropped onto a hard floor.Drop an Item
Dropping an item in your space or into an adjacent square is a free action.
Point conceded...I do have bad experiences with adventurous rulings from PFS GMs however...
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Point conceded...I do have bad experiences with adventurous rulings from PFS GMs however...
Actually - instead of the annoying solutions I mentioned above to deal with those, just make your character 7ft tall, wear platform shoes, and have him drop the smoke pellets from way above his head so that they drop 10ft and take falling damage. /sarcasm
A character may have one each of the following spells that
carries overs from scenario to scenario: continual flameNormally permanent spells don't carry over. Like creating an undead, who normally lasts till killed, he doesn't carry over to the next scenario.
Continual flame is an exception to the rule that permanent spells don't last and limited by the rule that only one can last.
BUT there is a solution! If you play 6-10 the wounded wisp you can buy an item that works as a 3rd level spell continual flame. Being an item it shouldn't conflict with your 1 continual flame spell (that is darkness) that carries over. So for 860 and playing a specific scenario you get the combo. EDIT 2360 if buying the rod.
Now all I need is a build with the ability to create magical darkness and enforcer and unarmed strike... I was thinking Unchained Monk Bloody Knuckled Bloodrager, but then I'd be lacking the ability to create magical darkness unless creating magical darkness from scrolls counts...the other option would be to go for an inquisitor...I thought I saw a first level spell that creates magical darkness somewhere.
Other ideas Order of the cockatrice(paired with the constable archetype), and Despair ID Bloodrager.
Cleric might also be good for a dip as it can get me blind fight to stack on moonlight stalker...
Actually - instead of the annoying solutions I mentioned above to deal with those, just make your character 7ft tall, wear platform shoes, and have him drop the smoke pellets from way above his head so that they drop 10ft and take falling damage. /sarcasm
You know it says right here...can be thrown as a ranged touch attack. And my feeling is that getting concealement for only 25 gp a round is blatantly overpowered when a scroll of Blur costs 250 gp...
Seriously I've heard that kinda talk from 5 star GMs...
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Actually - instead of the annoying solutions I mentioned above to deal with those, just make your character 7ft tall, wear platform shoes, and have him drop the smoke pellets from way above his head so that they drop 10ft and take falling damage. /sarcasmYou know it says right here...can be thrown as a ranged touch attack. And my feeling is that getting concealement for only 25 gp a round is blatantly overpowered when a scroll of Blur costs 250 gp...
Seriously I've heard that kinda talk from 5 star GMs...
You know - walking is OP when dimension door is so expensive. >.<
Besides - the smoke pellet requires it to be in-hand, and the concealment goes both ways, making it pretty worthless unless you have Blind-Fight. Though, if you have Moonlight Stalker you will already have Blind-Fight, dropping your own miss chance down to 4%. (So with the +2 to hit from Moonlight Stalker, you would be more accurate overall.)
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Protective Penumbra keeps you slightly magically darkened, even if it's not enough to actually affect vision levels. It's a spell with the [darkness] descriptor, so it's very literally magical darkness.
Oh, that's a good spell for this.
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Protective Penumbra keeps you slightly magically darkened, even if it's not enough to actually affect vision levels. It's a spell with the [darkness] descriptor, so it's very literally magical darkness.
Nice.
Though not what you were asking - also of note is how well Enforcer combines with Nightmare Fist as it makes it so that foes will be shaken or frightened pretty consistently.
Hmm... I'd read through protective penumbra but didn't think it would work but I guess the argument: creates magical darkness due to the darkness descriptor is kinda hard to refute.
Yeah enforcer--I already pointed that out above.
Problem is Protective Penumbra requires me to go 3 levels deep into Cleric or 4 levels deep into Oracle/Warpriest. Witch Sorceror aren't appealing for a melee frontliner...
I guess my best bet would be Sacred Fist Warpriest.
Half Orc for Tatoo and the Shadow Blending Ability.
STR 18 DEX 14 CON 12 INT 12 WIS 14 CHA 7
1 IUS Flurry Enforcer
3 Nightmare Fist
5 WF Unarmed
6 Style Feat? Sadly Dragon Style is off limits.
6 HFCB: Bonus Feat
7
9
11
Honestly sacred fist seems like a really weak and super MAD chasis... relying on protective penumbra also doesn't work with Shadow Blending.
I think I'm prolly better off going with Chess Pwns plan...all I'll need is an ability to create magical darkness like being a Half Elf with Drow magic...
tiefling works.
We have a Blog post that clearly describes how they'd interact. There's not table variance. There'd maybe be houserules.
If you want a chassis to exploit nightmare fist, why not Monk 1/ Sorcerer 4/ Dragon Disciple 4 with Dragon Style? Flurry, Monk unarmed strike, Sorcerer spells and free bonus strength and AC.
We have a Blog post that clearly describes how they'd interact. There's not table variance. There'd maybe be houserules.The blog post backs up your RAW interpretation. That's a good thing.
However, some people don't read the blog. And even if you print it out and take it with you, "clearly describes" is not what it does. It's a complicated subject, it's a complicated post, and some people are going to look at the overall situation (no change in light level) and conclude that that doesn't make sense for an area that is at ambient conditions to count as magically endarkened.
So I think a person who tries this is going to need to bring a printout of the blog post, reference section 5, and to explain what they're doing carefully. It's probably going to take up time on a rules conversation, and then there's a chance of some difficulty and bad feeling.
So, yeah, RAW. But as a point of advice, if it takes half an hour of reading and argument to get a GM to allow it, and sometimes they just don't (RAW notwithstanding), and sometimes it annoys other players because of the argument, then considered on a social-pragmatic level... is it worth it?
If playing a Home game then the GM is free to houserule however they like. If playing PFS then the GM's are required to abide by the blog post once they become aware of it. There's no argument needed.
If you want a chassis to exploit nightmare fist, why not Monk 1/ Sorcerer 4/ Dragon Disciple 4 with Dragon Style? Flurry, Monk unarmed strike, Sorcerer spells and free bonus strength and AC.
Hmm lemme see at level 9 we have +6 BAB, no armor, save for mage armor and, assuming 14 CON, 72 HPs. Skills are also attrocious...The Claws and Breath weapon are largely useless as are the draconic bloodline powers (save for resistance which is okay...). If you could take Linnorm (no idea?) this would be a bit better.
In turn you get 7th level sorceror casting which means 3 rd level spells (includes goodies like Heroism) and a +4 inherent STR bonus. Saves should be fairly decent. Power attack as a freebie at level 7 is also useful as are 2 points of natural armor.
1 Enforcer, Dodge
3 Dragon Style
5 Nightmare Fist
7 Dragon Ferocity, Power Attack
9 ???
11 ???
On a whole I'm not thrilled but mainly because I don't see what I'm gaining from sorceror casting (save for Penumbra, Heroism and Mage Armor) and levels 2 through 5 would be pretty rough. there might exist Sorceror Archetypes which make this better ... no idea.
Here's a UMonk Blood Conduit build I put together which uses both Nightmare Fist and Moonlight Stalker. I really dig the level 5 blood conduit Ability for adding frostbite to every hit. It lacks Dragon Style however and suffers from fairly attrocious AC and a fairly s+@#ty Wil save.
Nightmare Fist Half Elf
Alt Race Traits: Drow Magic
STR 18 DEX 12 CON 12 INT 10 WIS 14 CHA 11
Trait: Heavy Handed?/???
Moonlight Stalker Build
Unchained Monk 1 Expertise/ Enforcer/ Flurry of Blows
Bloodrager 1 Imp. Trip Hedgehog/Armadillo Protector Familiar
Bloodrager 2 Uncanny Dodge Nightmare Fist
Bloodrager 3
Bloodrager 4 Blind Fight
Bloodrager 5 Spell Conduit
Bloodrager 6 Moonlight Stalker - Iron Will
Bloodrager 7
Bloodrager 8 Dragon Style Greater Bloodrage
Bloodrager 9 Bonus Feat – Combat Reflexes
Bloodrager 10 Dragon Ferocity
AC wise, free Dodge + Mage Armor + a bonus point of AC at 3, 6 and 9 isn't so bad. You could also go with the Tattooed Sorcerer archetype for +1AC turtle Tattoo and free Varisian Tattoo sice you don't need claws; this would give you a total of 9AC 'armor' before DEX. Shield and Mirror Image are also possible through Sorcerer...
Offensively, by level 9 BAB is 3 lower than a martial but you've got +2 attack from Heroism, +2 attack from DD strength, +2/+4 attack from Nightmare Fist and Unchained flurry. Flurry and Dragon Style is a wrecking ball with those bonuses regardless of BAB; even just Heroism and having 1 less Power Attack penalty closes that gap. Sorcerer/Monk can also cast weapon buffs on their unarmed strike. You can even carry around a long spear for bonus reach attacks while using Flurry as normal, and you can throw a pretty mean Scorching Ray.
Even at low levels you're still getting 1-2 powerful attacks per round without a TWF penalty and potentially some reach, so I'd hardly call it rough going even if BAB drops a couple points.
Human: 16/18+2+4, 12, 14, 12, 8, 13
Traits: Magical Knack, Reactionary
1M. +Dodge / Enforcer / Intimidating Prowess
2S. Varisian Tattoo: Evocation / Arcana: +1/die damage fire spells / +1AC familiar tattoo
3S. Dragon Style
4S. +1AC
5S. Nightmare Fist
6DD. +1AC
7DD. +Power Attack / Dragon Ferocity / +2STR
8DD.
9DD. Arcane Strike / +2STR, +1AC
My main issue with Sorcer from levels 2 to 5 is the low HPs paired with a subpar AC. It really doesn't allow you to fight at the front lines...
However the sorceror idea did remind me that an Urban Bloodrager can also get Heroism from the Bard spell list at level 7 that would be pretty awesome.
Starting with 10+2HP from Unchained Monk and then gaining 4+2/level really isn't very different from something like a Warpriest or 12CON martial gaining 10/11 and then 7/level. We're talking about a tiny HP difference by 5, and then Dragon Disciple HP kicks in. For AC, free Dodge + Mage Armor + turtle familiar tattoo is 6AC, which becomes 7AC at level 4, which is like having a +1 breastplate. Casting Shield can grab a +4 on top of that.
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Just go full Cleric of Irori or some deity with unarmed strike as favored weapon, with Darkness variant channeling. Cast spontaneously Inflict Wounds and channel negative energy.
Supposing you are a half-orc (in order to get Darkvision), at first level you get Improved Unarmed Strike and Nightmare Fist. Take the traits Faith Favored and Tusked and the alternate racial trait Sacred Tattoo to get a +2 luck bonus to all saves. Cast always Divine Favor before every combat to get a +2 luck bonus to hit and damage, and an inflict wounds spell to be discharged with your first hit. You can full attack with fist + bite at -5 to hit. The bite doesn't get the bonus of Nightmare Fist, but helps to stack up damage.
At 3rd level take Channel Smite or Domain Strike (if you have a decent offensive domain) and at 5th level take Quick Channel. Go Theologian if you don't need both your domains and you like your domain spells.
This build is, in theory, quite MAD, but if you want to use the channeling just to create darkness, you don't need high charisma. If you want to focus on combat, you don't need high wisdom too, because you'll use mainly buff spells, so DCs don't matter. A possible stat array would be 14+2 14 14 8 14 12, FCB to skill points.
Other options are:
-1 dip in U-Monk: 1d6 base damage, get IUS (so you don't need to fight with your GM to worship Irori and get the Darkness variant channeling. Also, you free a feat slot. I'd go with Selective channeling or Improved Init.), Flurry of Blows (this is the reason of the dip) and an extra feat (Scorpion Style? Dodge?). Also, +1 bab and a bunch of extra hp and skill points.
-2 dip in U-Monk: get Evasion and another Feat.
-3 dip in U-Monk: Fast Movement and Ki-pool. Spend a point and add one blow to your full attack.
-Full Sacred Fist. You gain channel at 4th level and lose full casting, but you get swift buffs and a lot of other good stuff.
I'd try 1 U-Monk / X Cleric or full Sacred Fist.