Pathfinder General - /pfg/

Pure Druid, take natural spell or w/e it is that allows you cast well wild shaped.
You really can't go wrong from there.
If you want more specific advice you need to tell us what you want to do with your druid.

Just had a bit of PvP in tonight's session. So I wonder what the repercussions might be

>storie tyme?

If we're starting at level 5, and I am a druid who will be a spell druid, what sort of spells should I look out for?

Essentially the group psychopath decided to go on a murder/kidnapping spree and got caught.

And since the rest of the group hated the character we threw him under the bus and the city's ruler had us fight him in an arena

I wish I could run PoW, or even just ToB, but I took over a group that is just a bunch of first-time roleplayers and had already made their characters.

Just rum their game as is and offer them as options for the next one, once they know the system better.

Can you help me settle an arguement? Is School Savant Arcanist better or Exploter Wizard

School Savant there is no contest. Exploiter wizard is literally a worse Arcanist with slightly faster spell progression.

Maybe introduce them to some of the mechanics of PoW (you should start them off early) and saying it'll make everything more fun

Wizard is better at least 25-47% of the time, depending on what's the level range for the game.

See, that's what I was saying, but they just think "Exploiter does everything Arcanist does but better!"
Maybe base Arcanist, but not School Savant

Five and upwards

Exploiter wizard loses school, and familiar for less exploits then an arcanist gets, base arcanist can get both those for a single exploit, granted school is a little neutered, but also exploiter wizard loses the primary means to regen spell points, also they lose sorcerer casting which has such insane versatility tied to it.

I'll definitely point this shit out, thanks

While we're on the subject of Arcanists, is it better for Intelligence/Charisma builds, or just Intelligence given 7-13 cha makes no difference?

Getting spell levels a level late feels like shit. You're weaksauce compared to the big boys in your party roughly half the time. School Savant Arcanist is better than Exploiter Wizard sometimes, but pretty much always worse than just being a normal wizard.

Oh like it even matters that hard.

>access to every spell you have in your book for a resource and a full round action.

How many goblins, goblin dogs, and goblindog riders should I put against 5 lvl 8 unoptomized players? (Rogue, sorcerer, druid, ranger, and an "optimized" monk)

Its a scrub cructh, a properly prepared wizard doesnt need it.

>implying I have friends

>Translation: Schrödinger's Wizard

Well obviously not anymore, because you didn't save them.

A properly prepared wizard has empty slots to fill later (maybe with Fast Study), and there's little appreciable difference between preparing a spell as a full-round action or with a 1-15 minutes.

Its not our fault if textbook wizard play is too hard for you.

You're weaksauce 40% of the time. The other 60%, you shit on their face while drinking from crystal chalices fill with their delicious tears.

And 'weaksauce' is by wizard definition.

IE: The most skewed definition in the game.

But touching yourself at will is the ability of Enchanting Courtesan, a spellcasting PrC.
Thus, martials can't do that.

Look up Tucker's Kobolds, recreate that with goblins.

What, exactly, makes a Wizard so much better than an Arcanist?

Nothing. Shitters are just used to the class.

And where does Witch stand with those two?

>Its a scrub cructh, a properly prepared wizard doesnt need it.
So in other words it is bad because... there is no reason? It is more options for sorceror spell progression, also the ability to just prepare one of each spell gives you a lot more versatility then a wizard, then you have shit like counter spell as an immediate rather then a fucking readied action.
Wizard has nothing on Arcanist scrub, spells one level, or counter spells as an immediate, access to basically your whole spell book, a lot more versatility.

Quick study is generally one of those things that are useful for out of combat. In that case empty utility slot + quick study usualy does the trick.

And you might say its viable for in combat but only the most forgiving of GMs will let you get away with that shit. Move action to pull out your book, full round action to swap spells 1 round later, then move action to put your book away again later. You are literally putting your book in so much danger.

It makes targeting your book that much easier, as WELL as actually making it a bigger weakness.

Normally, a wizard losing his book still has all his spells, he just can't prepare new ones.

If you're leaving slots open, that's that many slots you've lost if someone does attack your book.

Depends, do you give the goblins class levels? If not, you may want to adapt the mob rules from 3.5. You could go for something like Tucker's Kobolds, but kobolds are portrayed as cunning, trap-loving gits. Goblins - expecially Golarion goblins - aren't that much into planning and make do with recklessness and overkill.

I'd say that if you want a more typical Paizo goblin experience, go for lots of fire hazards.

>You are literally putting your book in so much danger.
There are spells to keep it safe, hell nothing keeps you from putting protection on it.
Also who only keeps one spellbook?
Also if you are worried about your spellbook in combat, why not have a combat spellbook that you put permanent invisibility on, and use see invisibility to read from?
Also if you are in a position where your spell book is at risk from you pulling it out, you have generally fucked up anyways.

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My money is on exploiter for faster spell progression and better support (spell mastery, flexible wizardry, pearl of power is cheaper than runestone)

You can use pearl of powers in a limited capacity with Arcanist since you can expend spell slots to cast spells equal to your cha modifier times a day, you can also use a ring of wizardry to technically prepare more spells and get access to a greater variety of spells.

Could you elaborate more about pearl of power on Arcanist? Which exploit is that?

Pearl of power is the wondrous item that gives you extra spells. Since arcanist only prepares his spontaneous slots for the day they are ineligible for this and must rely on runestones of power which costs twice as much.

Arcanists are prepared, not spontaneous

They cast spontaneously, they just change their 'known' spells per day.

Has anyone taken a look at the Yojimbo from the Armor Master's Handbook? From what I hear, it looks promising - I have been meaning to try a bodyguard character and I was curious to see how it works (the other option was a Witchguard ranger or going for the Ulfen Guard PrC).

It isnt an exploit it is a class feature.
>Consume Spells (Su)

>At 1st level, an arcanist can expend an available arcanist spell slot as a move action, making it unavailable for the rest of the day, just as if she had used it to cast a spell. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1). Doing this adds a number of points to her arcane reservoir equal to the level of the spell slot consumed. She cannot consume cantrips (0 level spells) in this way. Points gained in excess of the reservoir's maximum are lost.
I must have remembered it wrong I thought it cast the spell, it does not, but you can still get spell points then use the pearl to get the slot back.
Either way, it is over all a very strong class, with a lot of options and is probably the most versatile spell caster in the book.

They are both.
Prepared for what they have access to, spontaneous for how they cast.
That is why it is a wizard/sorc hybrid (which is also why it is a stupid powerful class)

Is there anything from stopping you from putting a bag of holding in a Cabalist or Warlock vigilante's tattoo chamber? Seems like one of the most secure, secretive, reliable storage methods in the game to me.

Read the wording on wizard spellcasting.
When a wizard expends a spell the spell he prepared is consumed which the pearl of power by its wording also fuels. Arcanists on the other hand prepare their slots but cast spontaneously from a daily allotment and do not use up the spell they prepared after casting. RAW its runestone of power.

If we they just gave us back Uncanny Forethought this whole "Arcanist" problem would go away :^)

Well you can spend a feat to get a slot you can use to cast anything. I think it was in Ultimate Intrigue?

Although as written, that feat doesn't work for wizards, since they don't 'know' spells.

...

Sounds cool. Any hints on the name at all?

Ah, here it is. Not quite 'cast anything from this', but you can prepare a spell into it as a Standard action.

Brilliant Spell Preparation.

It's basically a game assumption that the term "know" means "has in his spellbook" for prepared arcane casters. Wizard, Magus, Arcanist, and even Eldritch Scoundrel make reference to them "learning" and "knowing" spells.
>A wizard may know any number of spells. He must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying his spellbook. While studying, the wizard decides which spells to prepare.

Except in a number of other places, 'Known' is specifically used in reference to spontaneous spellcasters.

Lets say I took toughness at levle 1 and later took levels in monk of sacred mountain that grants the toughness bonus feat.

Do I instantly get an opportunity to saw out my earlier toughness feat or what?

Wizard-targeted feats probably don't number among them.

Except nothing about that feat specifically says wizard. Just int 17 and spell mastery.

So we're in agreement then. Eldritch Scoundrels do not get any additional spells upon level-up, and Wizards, Arcanists and Maguses just have bizarre redundant text relating to other classes entirely in every one of their class descriptions. Glad we had this discussion user.

>GMed Rise of the Runelords.
>Is actually enjoyable.
>Decide to GM Shattered Star.
De fuark is this unpalatable waster?

Going to be starting a Gestalt game pretty soon, looking at starting level 6 with standard WBL etc. I'm still relatively unfamiliar to the balance and strength of classes in PF, as I was mostly a 3.5 kind of guy.

What are some good combinations of classes for gestalt that come online fairly early (I don't see this game going very far) and are fun to play? fun means not a shitload of bookkeeping or a combo of passive buffs and "i hit it with my axe"

What's Shattered Star about and why's it an unpalatable waster?

I am generally a fan of Paizo APs. Shattered Star... I did not get. I think it is meant to appeal to people who are really into the Pathfinders as an org and like dungeon crawling.

the passive buffs+ 'i hit it with my axe' is to keep the gestalt from strangling itself with action economy.

I played a unchained monk-inquisitor and the swift action thing was annoying as hell, especially considering mythic stuff and other fancy things want to be swifts.

Best thing to do with those ones is play them one after the other, take either your RotRL characters (Now working out of the reclaimed ruins of Xin) as PCs, or as the Mentors of the new PCs sending them on missions and shit rather than the Pathfinder organization.

Shattered Star was the "main thematic AP" of 2012, the tenth anniversary of Paizo.
It was intended to be a sequel to all the Varisian APs published in the company's first years: Rise of the Runelords, Curse of the Crimson Throne and Second Darkness.
Since there was executive meddling it was forced to be a dungeon crawl heavy one.
The result is a motherfucking disaster.

Why is dungeon crawling bad?

Was it the execution?

Can you give some funny examples or something?

So I'm about to join my first AP campaign as a rogue and I've been studying trap DCs to make sure I'm up to scrath.

Apparently the percep/disable device DCs for traps are DC 20~25 for the simplest CR 1 traps.

Now as a rogue I get percep as a class skill which puts me at +6 including trapfinding from level 1 with 12 wis, disable device is also a similar DC but slightly easier to achive since raising dex is encouraged for rogues.

How exactly do I make this ridiculous DCs that expect you to roll at least 14 or better?
Do all rogues take skill focus at level 1 or something?

Dungeon Crawl is a very weak storytelling tool, except for Second Darkness, Rise of the Runelords and Curse of the Crimson Throne were very heavy narrative APs in which the consequences at their conclusion are nation scope changing.
One issue dedicated to dungeon crawl will had been welcome but the main plot: the recovery of the seven pieces which constituted the "imperial crown" of First-King Xin demanded a multi-scenario campaign as its predecessors were.
The best "funny" example is The Nightmare Rift, the scenario is the archeological excavation site belonging to an ancient commercial embassy which was located inside the lands of Shalast. The excavation is performed by slaved giants at the service of an ancient blue dragoness obsessed with thassilonian culture.
The sting is that this commercial embassy/trading post was intended for deals with the Denizens of Leng and the main foreman became a worshiper of Nyarlathotep at some point after the collapse of Shalast.
The "funny" part is that some cosmic horror monsters, like flying polyps, are strip of their ethos and turn into just another high-level mook to slay while the chance to explore the Plateau of Leng turns to be just "background paint".

hey quick question. how does a summoner eidolon work? every level you get more evo points to augment it but can you swap older stuff around? Say I spend some points to give it a tail and a sting then later on want flying, could i refund the tail and sting and get wings when i level up? or is it set in stone?

Read the fucking eidolon page again you lazy retard

You can swap everything around except the base form by default iirc.

Trap DC scaling is sort of BS at low levels, sadly, so you best hope there aren't many of the buggers (if it is about Mummy's Mask, well, no point hoping). You may see the same DCs for a CR1 trap and on a CR 5 trap. Now, A lot of races give you a +2 to perception, and I personally am okay with taking a SF (perception) on some characters considering how much it is rolled. If you know there is a trap there, you can try to jam it or just leave it be for now. If you do know it is there, none of these are an option and it does not matter how high your Disable Device is. Remember, though, that if you are not in combat and want to check a door or a wall, you can take 20.

BTW, are you playing a core rogue or an unchained rogue? Please tell me it is the latter :) . The core rogue was generally considered so bad that several other similar classes outdo it at its core job - investigators, detective or archeologist bards, some rangers and alchemists...

Everyone in the party should help you do the perception check. So that is around 4 roll (and hopefully one of them is a WIS base class). Later on, you can get magic item that increase perception like Eyes of the eagle and bracer of falcon aim (+8 total)

You can take 10 on disabling trap.

The druid that can turn into oozes. Wild shape into a carnivorous crystal ooze, and vital strike for 14d8 damage.

They can't turn into ooze until level 10 though

I'll be honest and say I'm actually a vivisectionist alchemist. right now I'm level 1 and have 2 extracts/day. I'll probably use my early mutagens to give a bonus to dex to improve my odds at disabling shit. Really, I'm hoping I get lucky for the first three levels till I get craft wondrous item and begin churning out boro beads so I have tears to wine, perceive cues and Aram zey's focus available on demand.

Yeah! 14d8! That's really good!

Oh wait, you're a caster. Just disable them permanently, and use a summon.

> Alchemist
> Craft Wondrous Item at level 3
Nice house rule brah

Oracle/Paladin.
Be the half elf oracle archetype, take scion of war feat for cha to initiative. Take any of the oracle recelations that let you use cha for reflex and ac. Dump dex.

Be fabulous.

one time i used commune with birds and i bribed them with a couple dozen pounds of bird feed to fly into the royal dining hall during an event and start shitting everywhere

Alchemists can't take craft wondrous item because they aren't technically casters.

Why not do both?

Brutal, I guess I'll take the master craftsman feat tax and take it at 7 then.

Hey /pfg/

I'm feeling the urge to make a short PrC for the Darkwraiths from Dark Souls.

I'm thinking something short, 3 levels, or 5 at absolute most.

My stumbling block is 'what does the Dark Hand/Art of Lifedrain actually do in a mechanical sense?'

Tell me your thoughts.

Something like vampiric touch as a spell like ability usable a number of times per day, refreshed if you kill someone with it. Maybe rider effects like being stunned/dazed/sickened for one round on a failed save as you get more levels.

I was pondering usage, and I was wondering if a grapple check might be appropriate. Considering that a Darkwraith needs to actually GRAB the person, not just touch them, and you can't use it on bigger things.

If it were a grapple check, then there'd be less impact to making it unlimited-use.

My biggest question is that the Art of Lifedrain should probably have some kind of... personal benefit beyond just hp recovery. The sort of thing that could drive a person to use it even if they aren't being wounded at all.

Tieing it to grapple would be good, depending on wording it might stop abuse via conductive weapons etc

Perhaps using the ability can let you use their knowledge check for a roll, increase your ability score, or grant other boons.

Conductive explicitly requires touch attacks, so a grapple check sods it handily.

How's it sound if you start off able to do con damage, and then at level 3, the 'capstone' of the PrC is the ability to deal Drain instead, or one Negative Level?

Then for the bonus... Hm. I kind of want it to scale up with the strength of the target, since I was thinking for the Red Eye Orb, they get the ability to essentially view the HD of people around them. A method to find their targets, in other words.

Actually, scratch that. Drain from level 1, not damage. Wouldn't want someone to be able to easily just drain a party member and them get over it with a Lesser Restoration.

Vivisectionist is cool. If you plan on moonlighting as a rogue,you may even consider the rogue VMC. Alchemists aren't so rich on feats, but there are some nice things there, especially if your DM does not mind the SA damage stacking.

Anyway, there are some good extracts for trapfinding, though to get really good at it it helps to be a cryptbreaker. Sadly, it does not work with vivisectionist. Trap Breaker does, but it isn't so great otherwise, losing all poison abilities (it was intended as a torchbearer archetype).