Totem Guide Questions

[VarisianViscount]

The totem guide animal companion archetype has been intriguing me for some time now, but I've got two questions about its abilities.

1) "Beast Speech (Ex): At 6th level, a totem guide can speak with its master as though the two shared a common language, and it can speak with other animals of its species (or, at the GM’s discretion, other creatures with similar types)."

Assuming it has an Int score of 2 or 3, it should be incapable of coherent speech/charades, as that requires a minimum of 4 according to the ability score tables. Is this more of an empathy thing? Technically, it can't be magical, because the ability is Ex instead of Su.

2) "Ghost Guardian (Ex): At 15th level, a totem guide’s natural weapons deal full damage to incorporeal creatures and its natural armor bonus applies against incorporeal touch attacks. A totem guide can never be raised or animated as an undead creature."

It can't be the target of animate dead, create undead, etc.. That much is clear to me. But does the "can't be raised" mean it also can't be the target of raise dead, resurrection and true resurrection? What about reincarnate and cyclic reincarnation? Other spells and abilities that can bring an animal companion back from the dead?

[Tim Emrick]

For #1, remember that Pathfinder is an exceptions-based system: You use the standard rule unless an ability or effect states otherwise. In this case, the rule that creatures with Int under 3 can't speak is broken by beast speech, just as it is with the speak with animals spell (or a familiar of sufficient level speaking with animals of its type). A totem guide is never going to be able to hold a conversation of any significant depth with anyone unless its Int is dramatically increased, but the beast speech ability should allow it (and any animals it speaks with) to convey and understand simple concepts, at the very least.

For #2, I agree that "raised" is ambiguous, because that word is used in different places within the rules to refer to both returning from the dead and creating undead. I'd be inclined to read "raised or animated" as both applying to "an undead creature," but I'll let the system experts with more levels than I have debate that one.

[thelemonache]

i agree with Tim on both :) It says it can so it can, and raised or animated both apply to as an undead. so can be raised as an undead, cant be animated as an undead.