Simple Q&A Pathfinder (By RAW) I

[darni]

Q272

Assuming a Magus with the Skirnir archetype and wielding a shield, is he
exempt from Arcane Spell Failure from its armor too (i.e. can cast spells freely even while wearing heavy armor)?

I'm trying to interpret this:

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At 1st level, skirnirs are proficient with all types of shields, including tower shields, and do not suffer an arcane spell failure chance when casting magus spells while using a shield

[Novawurmson]

A Q271:

Light specifies "Object Touched." The spell does not specifically state it can be cast on creatures, and does not allow a touch attack. You're better off trying to convince your DM to let you use Arcane Mark, which explicitly can be used on creatures.

[Kudaku]

A Q272: A Skirnir Magus specifically ignores spell failure from shields - he gains armor proficiency as a normal magus. He would eventually be able to cast spells in medium and heavy armor, at level 7 and 13 respectively.

Edit: Ah, reread your question and now I see what you mean. Strictly RAW the meaning is ambiguous and could potentially be stretched to encompass all kinds of armor as well as shields, however in my personal opinion I'd say its fairly clear that RAI the Skirnir bonus only applies to the shield spell failure chance, not to all spell failure chance. This is implied by the fact that Skirnir still gains armor proficiency and the ability to cast in medium/heavy armor at the normal levels for maguses (magi?).

[Larpus]

So, if I had an Sythesist Summoner and only pick things that are listed as Primary attacks for my Eilodon, I'd still get my full Str to the attacks?

Precisely.

But, as noted, that is until you decide to throw manufactured weapons in the routine as well, which causes all natural attacks be considered secondary, regardless of what they were initially.

[Fenryr]

Q273

A Paladin becomes Antipaladin. Is it possible to return back to Paladin?

[Novawurmson]

A273

There are no rules specifically addressed in the APG for "redeeming" an antipaladin. A DM might rule that the standard rules for a paladin who falls from grace apply (quoted below), but these rules never specifically address the potential of switching back to paladin from antipaladin.

A paladin who ceases to be lawful good, who willfully commits an evil act, or who violates the code of conduct loses all paladin spells and class features (including the service of the paladin's mount, but not weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). She may not progress any further in levels as a paladin. She regains her abilities and advancement potential if she atones for her violations (see atonement), as appropriate.

[Urpriest]

Q 274

Does the Alchemist's Doppleganger Simulacrum have half the Hit Dice of the Alchemist, as a normal Simulacrum would? Is it unable to use magical abilities, as the Alchemist's Alchemical Simulacrum?

[Larpus]

A274
There's absolutely no word on the discovery description to hint that the Doppelganger Simulacrum has half HD or that it's unable to use magical abilities.

In fact, it is mentioned that it's a duplicate of the Alchemist's body and its intent is obviously aimed at making the Alchemist essentially immortal by sending his simulacra out to the world while his main body stays hidden and safe (though still on the same plane).

So...yes, the Doppelgager Simulacrum is a second body for the Alchemist that works just like his original body.

[Larpus]

Sorry for the double-post.

Q275
Is it possible to craft a wand (or some other similar type of magic item) of Detect Evil or Magic?

[Lord Tyger]

A 275: Yes- you can create wands for pretty much any spell of fourth level or under that you have access to. Alternatively, if you've got a lot more money or caster levels to throw around, you could pick up the Rod of Alertness, which gives you both Detect Magic and Detect Evil and Detect Good/Chaos/Law, plus Discern Lies, Light, and See Invisibility, each as a standard action.

[Leshy]

Q276

Question regarding bardic performance; it says like this:

"He can use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Charisma modifier. At each level after 1st a bard can use bardic performance for 2 additional rounds per day."

Ok, does that mean he gets +2 per day at second level and that's it, or he gains addditional two at 2nd level, then another two at 3rd level, and so on? I'm pretty sure it's this latter but I just want to clear it up. Thanks.

[Zherog]

A 276

The latter. That is, he gains +2 at 2nd level, +2 at 3rd level, +2 at 4th level, etc. "At each level after 1st" means exactly that.

[schnappes]

Q 277: does dazing metamagic work on undead?

[Larpus]

A277
There's absolutely no mention that the daze effect is mind-affecting in any way and undeads aren't as a whole immune to that one effect. So I'd say that yes, they do affect undeads as long as the particular undead is not immune to being dazed.

[schnappes]

A277
There's absolutely no mention that the daze effect is mind-affecting in any way and undeads aren't as a whole immune to that one effect. So I'd say that yes, they do affect undeads as long as the particular undead is not immune to being dazed.

and if the spell requires a fortitude save (like dazing ear piercing scream) ?

[Larpus]

A277+
The rules get blurry.

On one hand, they are each two separate effects, on the other, Dazing Spell specifically mentions it uses the original spell's saving throw to determine its effect.

Strict RAW, it means that the undead will be immune to the Dazing Spell effect, as he is immune to Fort-related effects which Dazing Spell is one now.

But that sounds pretty meh and quite honestly not the kind of thing most DMs would allow their players to do if the tables were turned.

For a more sensible and RAI interpretation, since Undeads aren't affected in any way by Fort saves, it means that, for them, there is no save at all for the base spell and as such Dazing Spell defaults to a Will save, which they are not immune to.

[Douglas]

A277+ correction

If the spell does not affect objects, as with Ear-Piercing Scream, then undead are outright immune to it. Dazing metamagic never comes into play because the base spell has no effect.

If the spell does affect objects, as with Disintegrate, then the undead rolls his save as normal and gets dazed by the metamagic if it fails.

[Kumori]

Q 278

If a Magus has an active Enruned Dagger Arcana and is wielding two weapons when he uses Spell Combat, does he get to make attacks with both weapons and cast the spell or only attack with one weapon and spell?

[Da'Shain]

Q 279
Do Proficiency feats count for the purposes of retraining? Say I had a Fighter level 4 who was going to be 2Hing, could I retrain my Shield Proficiency into a feat?

[Larpus]

A278
I'd say it's just your main weapon + spell, after all, all the arcana does is allow you to use that hand for somatic components, it doesn't give you extra attacks.

Still, a DM might allow it, but adding a further -2 on top of the existing one as you're attacking with yet another weapon.

A279
No you can't, you don't have those feats, you just have their effects.

And if your DM allows it, it might cause unwanted repercussions.

[Man on Fire]

Q 280

How to calculate CR for monsters with class levels? Why Goblin Fighter 1 is CR 1/2 and Orc Fighter 8 is CR 7. if I make Orc Barbarian and Kobold Psychic Warrior as rucerring enemies, how calculate their CR as their progress in levels?

[Novawurmson]

A 280

CR is class levels -1 (-2 for NPC classes like Warrior and Expert). When you go below 1, you use fractions (1/2, then 1/3, then 1/4). So if you have an Orc Barbarian 4, that's a CR 3. If you have a Kobold Psychic Warrior 20, that's a CR 19.

Edit: Linky

Adding NPCs: Creatures whose Hit Dice are solely a factor of their class levels and not a feature of their race, such as all of the PC races detailed in Races, are factored into combats a little differently than normal monsters or monsters with class levels. A creature that possesses class levels, but does not have any racial Hit Dice, is factored in as a creature with a CR equal to its class levels –1. A creature that only possesses non-player class levels (such as a warrior or adept) is factored in as a creature with a CR equal to its class levels –2. If this reduction would reduce a creature's CR to below 1, its CR drops one step on the following progression for each step below 1 this reduction would make: 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8.

[deuxhero]

q281
Can a character activate a +1 Consecrated Weapon (Channel Focus) Longsword (or other channel focus that is actually a magic item) by expending their own channel energy use and use UMD to "Emulate a class feature" and emulate a 19th level Cleric so it does more damage?

[Novawurmson]

A281

Relevant text:

Emulate a Class Feature: Sometimes you need to use a class feature to activate a magic item. In this case, your effective level in the emulated class equals your Use Magic Device check result minus 20. This skill does not let you actually use the class feature of another class. It just lets you activate items as if you had that class feature. If the class whose feature you are emulating has an alignment requirement, you must meet it, either honestly or by emulating an appropriate alignment with a separate Use Magic Device check (see above).

A cleric attempting to to use Use Magical Device to increase the damage done by a Consecrated Weapon is attempting to use a class feature that s/he does not have access to, something the Use Magical Device skill explicitly does not allow.

To further clarify, you can't have your cake and eat it, too. Either "channel energy of a 19th level Cleric" is a class feature you don't have access to (in which case, you can activate the item, but not actually use the class feature, or "channel energy" is a class feature you have access to, therefore you use your normal effective character level and do need to make a UMD check. UMD does not allow a character to increase their effective class level for a class feature that they already have.

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As an aside, even if a DM did allow this, remember that your effective class level is your UMD roll -20, and a Consecrated weapon gives only half the benefit, so at most you're gaining a +5d6 on the damage roll (with a UMD roll of 39+) - something a level 9 cleric with Channel Smite can get completely RAW-legal and without a UMD check. Assuming the absolute best - that you dumped Wis for an 18 in Cha and took a trait that gave you UMD as a class skill, you've got a +8 in UMD. Let's say you took Skill Focus (UMD) for another +3, for a total of +11 and put all of your money into the 150g it takes to make a Consecrated item.

If you roll 9 or below, you rolled a 0, meaning no extra damage.
If you roll an 11-14, you'll have an effective Cleric level of 1-2, for a +1d6
If you roll a 15-18, you'll have an effective Cleric level of 3-4, for a +2d6
If you roll a 19 or a natural 20, you'll have an effective Cleric level of 5 for a +3d6 damage.

That allows a will save for half, which you can do 7 times a day.

For the times that you roll a 1-14, or 70% of the time, you would have been better off just taking Channel Smite :P

A281 Addendum:

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The theory is thus:

1. I am an X level Cleric. I can channel energy as an X level Cleric.

2. I have an item that requires an expenditure of Channel Energy, a Cleric class feature, which I have access to.

3. I do not have the class feature "Channel Energy as an X+1 level Cleric."

4. I use Use Magical Device to emulate the class feature "Channel Energy as an X+1 level Cleric."

5. I expend my use of Channel Energy to pay for the expenditure of the use of channel energy.

The problem is with point five, because Use Magical Device does not actually allow you to use the class feature of another class. To activate a Consecrated Weapon, you are required to expend a use of Channel Energy of a Cleric of your effective level; if you use UMD, you are treated as a Cleric of your new X+1 level, but you do not gain a use of Channel Energy as an X+1 Cleric, which you need to gain the benefit of the item.

Either the Channel Energy of Clerics of two different levels are such different class features that they can be emulated with a UMD check, in which case you are not able to expend the appropriate kind of Channel Energy use (because you have already defined them as two different things) or you can expend a use of Channel Energy to use the item as a Cleric of any level (because Channel Energy is the same for Clerics of all levels), in which case you cannot use Use Magical Device, because you already have access to the ability.

"What's the point of Use Magical Device, then?" you might ask. Well, consider if there was a unique magic item like this:

"Sword of the Good Guy.

This sword functions as a +1 Longsword. In the use of a Good Cleric of at least 20th level, its true power is unlocked, instead functioning as a +5 Bad Guy Bane Longsword

Additionally, a Good Level 20 Cleric can, as a Swift Action, once per day, draw on the sword's holy energy, dealing 10d6 positive energy damage the next time it strikes a target. A Will save of DC __ halves this damage. This damage only affects undead and creatures vulnerable to positive energy damage, like a Cleric's channel energy. This bonus damage has no effect on living creatures not vulnerable to positive damage (for example, through the Necromantic Affinity feat)."

This you could use UMD to activate, because it does not require you to expend a use of Channel Energy - just to be a Good level 20 Cleric, both of which can be replicated with UMD.

[Cleric Cromwell]

Q282
question regarding the spell elemental body (specifically EB IV and morphing to a fire elemental)
the spell as written changes me into a huge size fire elemental, gives me a +6 size bonus to dex, +4 to con and +4 natural armor
do all of my other stats stay the same?
my character is already naturally large in size category, do i remove my -1 size penalties when i shift to my elemental body?
do i use my normal AC for adding the natural armor or the elemental's AC or just my base AC while not wearing armor? what about shield bonus, do i still wield my shield? does that hamper the slam attacks i would naturally have as a fire elemental?
if i am still wielding my shield, then do i still have access to my holy symbol as a cleric? would i still be able to channel energy?

[Novawurmson]

A282

1. All of your stats except the ones specified by the spell stay the same if you are medium or small... looking ahead, it appears you are already Large. First, apply the following stats before applying those specified in elemental body: -4 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Con. This is specified in the Polymorph school information, linked below.
2. You use the size modifier of your current form (-2 for a Huge creature)
3. Look at the polymorph school information: You calculate your AC separately, you do not just use the Fire Elemental's AC. As specified in the Polymorph school information, your shield merges with your body and is inert for the duration of the spell, and thus does not hamper slam attacks. You cannot cast spells while transmuted into a creature of the elemental type without the Natural Spell feat. If you have the Natural Spell feat, remember again that all of your gear melds with your body when using Elemental Body, which could make gaining access to a holy symbol difficult; talk to your DM about what happens if you drop a duplicate (non-flammable) holy symbol on the ground prior to casting the spell and then pick it up afterwards.

Did I get everything?

[Yora]

A282: Unlike polymorph spells in D&D, the Pathfinder spells do not actually turn you into another creature. When casting the spell, you do not become a fire elemental, you just gain the modifiers listed in the spell and look like a fire elemental.

[Da'Shain]

Q283
This is probably very simple, but I wanted to know if I was remembering the rules wrong. I played in a PF game where we were a bunch of 1st levels fighting a swarm. The swarm attacks by moving into your space, and at the end of its move action you simply take damage.

However, the DM was not giving us attacks of opportunity against the swarm when it moved onto us. This particular swarm was Large-sized so it took up 4 squares. Say I am standing ten feet away from the swarm, and an ally is standing directly behind me. It moves one square toward me, into a square (well, two squares) that I threaten. It then moves another square toward me, occupying my square along with three squares around me, part of it leaving the two squares that I had threatened before. It then moves another square past me, occupying both my square and my ally's square, and fully leaving the two original squares that I threatened.

At what point during this motion, if any, do I or my ally get an attack of opportunity?

[Novawurmson]

A283

1. Any time a creature leaves a square you threaten, you get an attack of opportunity, assuming all other conditions are met (you need to be wielding a melee weapon or have a natural attack/the improved unarmed strike feat to threaten squares in the first place, they didn't 5 foot step or use the withdraw action or something else that negates the attack of opportunity, etc.)

2.

In order to attack, it moves into an opponent’s space, which provokes an attack of opportunity. A swarm can occupy the same space as a creature of any size, since it crawls all over its prey. A swarm can move through squares occupied by enemies and vice versa without impediment, although the swarm provokes an attack of opportunity if it does so. A swarm can move through cracks or holes large enough for its component creatures.

3.

A swarm made up of Tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons. A swarm composed of Fine or Diminutive creatures is immune to all weapon damage.

So, yes, they would have provoked attacks of opportunity, but if they were Fine or Diminutive creatures, they may have been completely immune to weapon damage, so those AoO's might have been pointless.

[Da'Shain]

A283

1. Any time a creature leaves a square you threaten, you get an attack of opportunity, assuming all other conditions are met (you need to be wielding a melee weapon or have a natural attack/the improved unarmed strike feat to threaten squares in the first place, they didn't 5 foot step or use the withdraw action or something else that negates the attack of opportunity, etc.)

So, yes, they would have provoked attacks of opportunity, but if they were Fine or Diminutive creatures, they may have been completely immune to weapon damage, so those AoO's might have been pointless.

Q284
Thanks. When exactly would those AoO's have been provoked, though? We were using lit torches to deal a point of fire damage with each attack, so it actually would have made a difference. Say we all had Combat Reflexes and a couple of extra AoO's to make per round. Do we get AoO's:

1. When the swarm enters the square directly in front of us?
2. When the swarm enters our square?
3. When the swarm moves one square past us, technically not leaving our own square, but leaving the square in front of us that we threaten?
4. When the swarm moves two squares past us, leaving our square?

And I guess this is technically a different question, so ...

Q285
Do Large-size creatures provoke AoO's for moving one square and shifting which part of themselves is in the original square, even if they have technically not "left" the original square? e.g.

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I am 1, the large monster is 2. The monster moves like so, "original" square bolded:
Original:

_ | _ | _
1 | _ | _
_ | 2 | 2
_ | 2 | 2

After move:

_ | _ | _
1 | 2 | 2
_ | 2 | 2
_ | _ | _

Does this movement provoke an AoO?