Forester (Hunter Archetype): The Favored Terrain replaces animal companion, a 1st level ability but states that it gets the first favored terrain at 5th level. It then states that starting at 5th level the Forester gets half the bonus in damage to creatures while in the Terrain fighting creatures native to that terrain.
Is Favored Terrain supposed to be starting at first level? If not, I'd remove the starting at 5th level phrasing as it implies that at some point the Forester doesn't have this ability.
I don't have the book, so this may actually be an issue with d20pfsrd.
The Skirmisher Fighter archetype "replaces the fighter’s weapon and armor proficiency." The replacement is "light armor and shields", but no weapons. This should instead either replace only armor proficiency, or else alter weapon and armor proficiency.
The same issue can be found in the book.
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p. 115 Mutated Shape - While this technically isn't wrong, it seems like it's a must have feat for a druid focused on wild shaping for combat, or a shifter. Is the Wis 19 prerequisite enough of a balancing factor (at least for the shifter - any druid will likely have this by the time they have a BAB of +6).
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p. 89 Herb Witch, Patron Spells - winter should have an asterisk as it's in Ultimate Wilderness (on p. 88), and not in Ultimate Magic.It's in both. ^_^So it is! :)
But as both the more recent source, and being literally on the previous and facing page of Ultimate Wilderness, wouldn't it make more sense to refer to the version in the same book, and not send someone who doesn't realize that to a different book than the one they're already reading?
Same issue with the Night Sky Hex on p. 116 which lists winter patron in the prerequisites.
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P. 124 - 127 Discovery and Exploration
There were several things about this section which didn't make a lot of sense to me, so I've grouped them together.
p. 124 Character Actions, documentation - Why do the number of checks equal the CR of the territory? Since the CR is based on the challenge and scaled for the PC level, does it really make sense that mapping a forest with goblins in it at first level requires 1 check if it's CR 1, but a similar forest with a dragon in it takes 15 checks if it's CR 15? Shouldn't the size and nature of the terrain matter more than what lives there in terms of number of checks?
p. 125 For the main exploration check, if multiple characters are skilled in the exploration skill, and choose to explore separately, does that mean they're physically separate from each other, if/when a random monster is encountered? Similarly, are characters spending the day documenting, seeking a location, etc. all in separate physical places when encounters happen? Seems like something which should be addressed in these rules.
Missing factors - shouldn't there be some guidelines on how things like characters movement speeds and types impact exploring? I'd think a group of monks or barbarians exploring would find discovery points faster than gnomes, for example, as well as flying characters. In the example territory, reconnaissance via flight is listed as a moderate way point, but wouldn't this be a way sign for just about any territory? Similarly, use of magic, from scrying, commune with nature, etc. should be standard options with rules for either impacting the exploration checks or act as way signs.
pg. 75
WILD SOUL (ARCHETYPE)
Break the Interloper (Su): At 11th level, when a wild soul hits an arcane spell-caster, a creature with extract slots, or a creature with grit or grit-like pools such as panache and inspiration, with a weapon attack, the target either loses its highest-level available spell or extract slot or loses 1 point of grit or grit-like points, and the wild soul gains 5 temporary hit points. A target of this ability can negate this effect with a successful Fortitude save (DC = 10 + half the ranger’s level + his Wisdom modifier). Regardless of the outcome of the saving throw, the target is immune to this ability for 24 hours.
This replaces quarry.
Dizzying Onslaught (Ex): At 19th level, a wild soul lands punishing blows that devastate his nemeses’ ability to focus. When he confirms a critical hit against a creature against whom his nemesis bonus applies, for 1 minute the target must succeed at a concentration check (DC = 20 + the wild soul’s Wisdom modifier + twice the spell’s level) to cast an arcane spell, create an extract, or use an alchemist’s bomb, and the target can’t spend or gain grit or grit-like points.
This replaces improved quarry.
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pg. 75
WILD SOUL (ARCHETYPE)
Break the Interloper (Su): At 11th level, when a wild soul hits an arcane spell-caster, a creature with extract slots, or a creature with grit or grit-like pools such as panache and inspiration, with a weapon attack, the target either loses its highest-level available spell or extract slot or loses 1 point of grit or grit-like points, and the wild soul gains 5 temporary hit points. A target of this ability can negate this effect with a successful Fortitude save (DC = 10 + half the ranger’s level + his Wisdom modifier). Regardless of the outcome of the saving throw, the target is immune to this ability for 24 hours.
This replaces quarry.Dizzying Onslaught (Ex): At 19th level, a wild soul lands punishing blows that devastate his nemeses’ ability to focus. When he confirms a critical hit against a creature against whom his nemesis bonus applies, for 1 minute the target must succeed at a concentration check (DC = 20 + the wild soul’s Wisdom modifier + twice the spell’s level) to cast an arcane spell, create an extract, or use an alchemist’s bomb, and the target can’t spend or gain grit or grit-like points.
This replaces improved quarry.
Other than using "the Ranger level" in the first ability and "the wild soul's" in the second was there anything else off about these abilities?
The Gathlain in UW does not show the Favored Class Bonus that was mentioned before in the Legacy of the First World, namely their ability to slowly reduce the Burn they took per level (1/6th per level I think it was).. was this intentional, or simply an oversight/misprint?
Several of the Gathlain FCBs from Legacy of the First World were not reprinted in Ultimate Wilderness. The Oracle, Mesmerist, and Sorcerer FCBs from Legacy were also not in Ultimate Wilderness. I assume this was a space thing in order to keep the FCBs from running over to another page. People who are playing a game that uses Legacy of the First world are free to take any of the options from that book, so it's not like the Gathlain kineticist FCB has disappeared.
The interesting one is that Gathlain Bards now have two different FCBs. I can't imagine anybody would rather get +1/2 to Perform(Comedy) checks instead of druid spells, but it's an option.
The Gathlain kineticist FCB in LoTFW was bonkers overpowered, of course they didn’t reprint it.
Harvesting from Dead Creatures, p.142 : "Removing venom sacs is a messy and timeconsuming process,
requiring 10 minutes of work, access to surgical tools, and a container to store the venom in."
Here there are two main points:
First, there is no official item called "surgical tools", but, at most, the Surgeon's Tools from Ultimate Equipment/Adventurer's Armory, which, however, grant bonus to Heal not to Survival. Second, exist Taxidermy's Tools from Monster Hunter's Handbook which is designed to harvest body parts and such.
I think that would make sense to allow Surgeon's Tools and Taxidermy's Tools to be used for this purpose, but I think this should be corrected and possibly FAQed.
Magical Affinities of Trophies, p.142
I think would be important to define officially how these rules interact with the talismanic Component from Ultimate Campaign, because in fact these seems an evolved version of that but with a more limited list of components:
Are they going just to "absorb" that list?
And what about component who wouldn't be valued according to the Trophy rules (i.e., hand of a murderer is often from a creature with no racial hit dice)?
Skarm
P.S.: Frankly I am posting in this thread, but I am losing hope that Paizo developers will consider this for erratas or FAQing:
The Ultimate Wilderness is a nice book full of great ideas, but some aspects of it seem extremely unpolished and would probably need extensive FAQing, errata and reconnecting with existing material doing more or less the same things (Harvest Part from Monster Hunter's Handbook, Talismanic Component from Ultimate Campaign, etc... are all "limited scope" or "restricted" versions of what was done in a more general and fascinating way within this book, but would be useful to retconnect them!)...and I am starting to wonder if this will ever happen...
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p. 146 Brambles - it states that wearing Light armor does 1 point of damage to a creature in light brambles, or 1d4 in heavy brambles. Should state in light or no armor, technically no armor wouldn't take damage as written.
Also, shouldn't there be an amount of natural armor bonus that counts as light or medium armor for purposes of bramble damage?
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p. 148-149 Fording a river - seems that some common options aren't covered.
1) What impact does having a rope have on this hazard, either when tying 2 creatures together, or having a rope anchored to one or both shores?
2) Can a creature stay in place at a lower DC check, to await help from someone? This is pretty much a trope of a rapid river crossing, either for NPCs the characters find, or if one of them gets in over their head (no pun intended) and want to wait for help.
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p. 151 Volcanic Lightning -
1) The DC seems extremely high compared to similar effects from spells of hazards. Wouldn't adding 1 per 2 damage dice be more appropriate?
2) Does this target a single 5-foot square? A number of 5-foot squares? All targets in a certain area?
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p. 152 - Herbalism
1) Preparing Multiple Herbs - why is this limited to once per day, when most of the herbs take less than 8 hours to prepare? Couldn't a character prepare multiple herbs per day in sequence without using this rule, as long as they don't spend more than 8 hours total in a day?
2) Since you can use either profession (herbalist) or craft (alchemy) to actually prepare herbs, and craft (alchemy) is actually easier to use, why do the rules for preparing mulitple herbs at once only use ranks in profession (herbalist)? Wouldn't ranks in that or in craft (alchemy) make more sense?
3) The price listed for herbs is for prepared herbs. What's the price for un-prepared herbs? Would 1/3 of prepared herbs make sense as that's the common cost for materials when crafting?
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RPG-line books only reference material in other RPG-line books. Since the void element isn't in a hardcover, this won't directly reference it... although there are a few winking references, like that whole "void of space" thing. And GMs who know about that element can certainly declare such areas to be "void-suffused".
Didn't Gathlain first appear in ARG?
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RPG-line books only reference material in other RPG-line books. Since the void element isn't in a hardcover, this won't directly reference it... although there are a few winking references, like that whole "void of space" thing. And GMs who know about that element can certainly declare such areas to be "void-suffused".
The archetype is also conspicuously future-proofed with the "If the kineticist class gains additional elements..." clause, since you know Planar Adventures would be an appropriate place to reprint the Void element...
Indeed. Though void won't be appearing there, I'm afraid. ^_^
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...is the Fifth Element 'Love'?
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...is the Fifth Element 'Love'?
It's the element... of surprise!!! ;)
Rageshaper - Devastating Form (Su)
A rageshaper can remain in his devastating form for a number of rounds per day equal to his shifter level.
Pardon me? Spend a full round action, then next turn leave it at level 1? This seems the opposite of fun. Seeing as all the Rageshapers class abilities function off this ability it is CRIMINAL it doesn't have the same duration / uses as barbarian rage. I was excited by this goofy archetype until I read this line that just cripples it for no good reason.
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The Shifter class's levels count as Druid levels for the purposes of Wildshape feat prerequisites. However, the Shifter doesn't count as having druid levels for any other purposes.
This makes many wildshape feats useless to the shifter. This includes wildshape feats that would have been used to advance the character's effective 'druid level' for wildhshape when multiclassing.
I'm assuming this was not intended, and it should probably be put on the errata list for the shifter.
Page 74, Toxic Herbalist archetype, Nature’s Mercy ability: surely poultices should remain potent for 1 day after creation, not 1 hour.
The Shifter class's levels count as Druid levels for the purposes of Wildshape feat prerequisites. However, the Shifter doesn't count as having druid levels for any other purposes.
This makes many wildshape feats useless to the shifter. This includes wildshape feats that would have been used to advance the character's effective 'druid level' for wildhshape when multiclassing.
I'm assuming this was not intended, and it should probably be put on the errata list for the shifter.
Many wild shape-related feats require wild shape class feature or Druid level Xth, there are maybe two feats excluded from this that requires caster levels. I can only think about Quick Shape from memory. But there will be other feats that have other requirements that not even all druids could qualify, like Bat Shape (requires werebat-kin). Do you care to elaborate, I think im missing something here.
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p. 172 Wilderness Traps - Are any of these able to be added to the list of ranger traps from Ultimate Magic? Some duplicate those, so it seems like a missed opportunity to not have others be added to the list.
Also, a few of these seem so simple that the rules that it takes 1d4+1 hours to find materials seems excessive - such as the breakaway vines and the breakaway log. If you're in a forest or jungle, these should be a lot easier to find than hours.