Simple Q&A Pathfinder (By RAW) I

[deuxhero]

Thanks.

Q485
Other than the Orange Prism Ioun Stone (and potentially flawed Orange Prism), moon-circlet, is there any way to boost caster level beyond HD for creating magic items?

[Canarr]

Q 486:

In 3.5, any creature immune to critical hits was also immune to sneak attack damage. Is that still true in PF?

[Larpus]

A486
No, critical damage is one thing and precision damage (such as sneak attack) is another, as mentioned in the entry for the incorporeal subtype:

An incorporeal creature has no physical body. An incorporeal creature is immune to critical hits and precision-based damage (such as sneak attack damage) unless the attacks are made using a weapon with the ghost touch special weapon quality. In addition, creatures with the incorporeal subtype gain the incorporeal special quality.

So, technically it's possible to be resistant or immune to one or the other but not both, though I can't remember a case of this happening.

[Psyren]

A486 Corollary:

The Tree Shape spell is an example of gaining immunity to critical hits but not sneak attack.

Q487:

a) Can a Sound Striker Bard aim multiple Weird Words at the same target?
b) If he is multiclassed with Rogue/Ninja, can the Words trigger sneak attack damage?

[deuxhero]

A487b: Strictly RAW, yes, as they give an attack roll.

[Keneth]

A487a Yes, each word targets one target, it doesn't say anywhere two or more words can't be aimed at the same target. They each require separate attacks though, clearly.

A487b Yes, each sound is an attack that deals damage, ergo each can trigger a sneak attack.

[Psyren]

Q487c: Are the Words subject to damage reduction? The damage is typed (s/p/b) but the ability itself is supernatural, i.e. magical.

Q487d: Do you generate all the Words as part of one standard action (the same one used to begin the performance)? For example, at level 10, could a Sound Striker fire off 10 ranged touch attacks with one standard action, doing 10d8 + (10xCha) damage (Fort half) of the type of his choice, divided among various targets (or focused on one)?

[Keneth]

A487c I think DR was supposed to work but going by RAW, no, they're not.

A487d It's all part of the same standard action.

And yes, weird words are absurd. I'm actually surprised that this hasn't been corrected in the errata that came out at the end of March. I think the devs are getting more and more lazy as the years go by. Maybe they think people will stop pointing out their mistakes if they ignore them long enough.

[SpaceBadger]

The most common infantry weapon system over the history of mankind is probably the combination of spear and shield, but it appears to me unuseable under Pathfinder RAW. Before I work on a houserule to fix this, I just wanted to double-check the wisdom of this thread on my understanding of RAW.

Q 488: Per Pathfinder RAW, is it possible to use a spear (other than a shortspear) with a shield?

[Keneth]

A488 There's Phalanx Soldier. All other implementations I can think of are from 3rd party publishers.

[powerdemon]

A: 488

You could also use a buckler

[deuxhero]

A488: Or get more arms somehow.

Q489 Are there any prcs other than Red Mantis and Spherewalker (sorta) with their own casting progression (Assassin no longer casts)

[Elm]

A 490

Thank you!

Unfortunately you managed to outrun my figuring that out for myself and going back to remove the question before it wasted anyone's time... hopefully that won't cause confusion...

[Drelua]

A 490+

The only thing I'm confused about is when Q 490 happened. It looks to me like we're only up to 489.

[Psyren]

A488 corollary:

One way to get a third limb is the Alchemist's Vestigial Arm discovery, which can hold a shield while your normal arms 2H a spear. As this discovery has no prerequisites, you can dip alchemist for it (even grabbing a little sneak attack from a vivisectionist) on an otherwise melee character.

A489: If you're okay with psionics, War Mind and Psychic Fist do as well, but they're third-party nonetheless.

[SpaceBadger]

A488 corollary:

One way to get a third limb is the Alchemist's Vestigial Arm discovery, which can hold a shield while your normal arms 2H a spear. As this discovery has no prerequisites, you can dip alchemist for it (even grabbing a little sneak attack from a vivisectionist) on an otherwise melee character.

Since historical armies of shield and spear or shield and pike infantry are not reported to have been equipped with third arms, I am not seeing this as a reasonable option. Guess I will just have to houserule it.

Thanks for the responses, all.

[Keneth]

Guess I will just have to houserule it.

If you're thinking of houseruling it, you might as well use 3rd party material such as the Shaft and Shield feat. I think a feat is a reasonable investment considering only trained soldiers used the spear and shield combo.

[Psyren]

But unless I am mistaken, phalanx-type warriors from history use shorter spears than normal. A full-length spear would be tricky to use in one hand.

Regardless, back on topic.

Q490a: Can a Preacher Inquisitor choose freely from among all the Determination abilities whenever he uses the ability?

Q490b: If you have multiple uses of Warning, can you spam it until the enemy misses your ally or you run out?

Q491: If you combine the Staff Magus and Bladebound Magus archetypes, can you use a staff as your "Black Blade?"

[Keneth]

But unless I am mistaken, phalanx-type warriors from history use shorter spears than normal. A full-length spear would be tricky to use in one hand.

No, actually, phalanx warriors had very long spears, about the size of a D&D longspear in the case of greek hoplites and in some later forms up to about 10 ft. or so. Soldiers trained for this kind of combat used the spears quite efficiently in a melee and, in case the wooden shaft was broken (which was quite common), the spears generally had a large spike at the butt end which is supposed to have been used as an improvised weapon (besides otherwise acting as a balancing weight).

A490a Yes. Is there a reason he shouldn't be able to?

A490b Yes, each use applies to a different (re)roll.

A491: Nope, sorry.

A black blade is always a one-handed slashing weapon, a rapier, or a sword cane.

[SpaceBadger]

If you're thinking of houseruling it, you might as well use 3rd party material such as the Shaft and Shield feat. I think a feat is a reasonable investment considering only trained soldiers used the spear and shield combo.

Quite reasonable. Thanks for the link, Keneth!

[DrDeth]

Since historical armies of shield and spear or shield and pike infantry are not reported to have been equipped with third arms, I am not seeing this as a reasonable option. Guess I will just have to houserule it.

.

Nor were they very good once they weren't in a rigid formation, many guys deep. I have fought in SCA heavy weapons and we formed a phlalanx once. But one you're solo, you drop that spear like a hot potato and draw your sword. Man on man, a guy with sword & board can just walk up your spear and stab you with no danger at all to him.

[Psyren]

Q492a: Is there a way to get a second Mystery onto an Oracle?

Q492b: In lieu of a whole Mystery, is there a way to get a Revelation from a different Mystery outside your own? (I saw the "Strange Revelation" feat, but it's 3rd-party.)

[Keneth]

Q492a I don't believe so, no.

Q492b You could potentially trick a Ring of Revelation or a Soothsayer's Raiment with UMD into thinking you have the requisite mystery even if you have a different one. Some archetypes allow you (or obligate you) to take revelations from a different mystery. Beyond that, there's just third party material.

[deuxhero]

A492b additional James Jacobs all but says in the final lines here that if you UMD it and are an oracle, it works. Mind you this isn't fully official.

[soulsabre345]

Q493

From the Eidolon's share spells feature;

A. The summoner may cast a spell with a target of “you” on his eidolon (as a spell with a range of touch) instead of on himself.
I have a question about this statement, does this mean that a spell must explicitly target only the summoner for this ability to work, or any spell that can target the summoner? (As in alter self obviously works, but what about enlarge person given it has a target of 'one humanoid creature' not 'you'?)

B. the line directly after, A summoner may cast spells on his eidolon even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the eidolon’s type (outsider).
Is this statement linked to the prior, or is it independant? If they are linked, then enlarge person could not be cast on the Eidolon (Enlarge person doesn't have a target: 'you' line), if independant then it could be.

[Larpus]

A493a?
I'm not entirely sure you can cast spells with "range: personal" on the eidolon, I would say yes, since "rage: touch" is used as an example, not the chassis. But allow me to clarify a bit: when it says "you", it means "any spell that can affect the Summoner", it's a generic safe wording so you know it works regardless of the Summoner being a humanoid, outsider, construct or whatever (in which case, spells that target "one humanoid creature" become "one outsider creature" or "one construct creature" as it makes no sense a spellcaster would be unable to cast spells on himself).

A493b
Yes, it means that you can cast Enlarge/Reduce Person on the eidolon. If not for anything else, simply because it's one of the few "one humanoid creature" spells on the Summoner list, thus that particular line would be pretty pointless otherwise.

EDIT: Do note, however, that using the spell on the eidolon enlarges it as per the spell (+2 Str, -2Dex, -1 AC/To-Hit) not as per the Large evolution.

[Keneth]

A493 The sentences are not exclusively connected. You can cast any spell with the target of "you" (which are always personal range) on your eidolon as a touch spell. In addition type is ignored when you cast spells on it. So yes, both alter self and enlarge person are valid targets for the eidolon.

And no, spells don't change type restrictions depending on the caster. A tiefling can't be affected by Enlarge Person, even if he's the one casting it.

[Larpus]

A493
And no, spells don't change type restrictions depending on the caster. A tiefling can't be affected by Enlarge Person, even if he's the one casting it.

Hmmm...I have a very foggy memory of seeing somewhere (3.5 material) that some spells target humanoids because it's assumed that the caster is humanoid (which is the most likely case) and as such they change the valid target type to whatever the caster is.

But I really can't remember where it was, might not even be actually official material (as in, splatbooks). Regardless, yeah, guess it's not RAW in Pathfinder anyway.

[Leshy]

Q 494

If I understand well, Sorcerer can cast as many 0-Level spells as he wants, out of those he choses, right? Correct me if I'm wrong.

[powerdemon]

A 494. That is correct. Of the 0-level spells known, they are not limited to any times per day they can cast them.