Simple Q&A for Pathfinder 2: Find Harder

[Urpriest]

Q18

Are there any monsters that deal ability drain and are
a) Undead
b) Summonable via Summon Monster or Summon Nature's Ally
or
c) Extraplanar and within limits of greater planar ally
?

Edit:

Q19

Are there any items that gain power when their bearer levels or performs specific actions? First party or third party, but please specify which.

[Karoht]

Q20: Poisons
It says the DC to craft the poison is equal to the save DC of the poison being crafted.
Does that mean that the highest DC poison, namely Dragon's Bile with a fort save of 26, is the highest the poison DC can go? Or can I craft a higher DC version of a given poison?

Yes, I'm aware that futher applications can raise the DC, but that hinges at least one application succeeding first. A 26 DC fort save isn't much. Moreover, I can nearly craft that poison now, at 3rd level.

[rockdeworld]

A18

Danse Macabre fulfills (a).

A20

DC26 is the highest. There's no rules for raising the DC to make a stronger poison.

[Xerinous]

A19:

The only one I've been able to find is the Bladebound Magus' Black Blade. It's first party, found in Ultimate Magic.

[Karoht]

A20
DC26 is the highest. There's no rules for raising the DC to make a stronger poison.

And no custom poison rules I take it?
Dang. That sucks.
Thanks anyway.

[Felandria]

Q 21

How do you determine a PC's CR?

[Zherog]

A 21

PCs don't have - or need to have - a challenge rating.

[Felandria]

A 21

PCs don't have - or need to have - a challenge rating.

I'm looking into running a campaign and it involves the party fighting an old character from a previous game, I need to know how to figure out the CR so I know at what point the party would be ready to fight them.

[Zherog]

A 21

Then you're asking for the CR of an NPC.

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.

Note, too, that NPCs are supposed to have less gear than a PC. If you give an NPC more gear, that's OK; you just need to adjust the CR a bit.

NPC Gear Adjustments: You can significantly increase or decrease the power level of an NPC with class levels by adjusting the NPC's gear. The combined value of an NPC's gear is given in Creating NPCs on Table: NPC Gear. A classed NPC encountered with no gear should have his CR reduced by 1 (provided that loss of gear actually hampers the NPC), while a classed NPC that instead has gear equivalent to that of a PC (as listed on Table: Character Wealth by Level) has a CR of 1 higher than his actual CR. Be careful awarding NPCs this extra gear, though—especially at high levels, where you can blow out your entire adventure's treasure budget in one fell swoop!

So, in short... assuming a "standard" race and all PC class levels, it's total character level minus one, and then adjust for gear.

[Yora]

Q22: Is there something like a semi-official collection of optional variant rules similar to the Unearthed Arcana section in the d20 SRD for Pathfinder?

[Kalaska'Agathas]

Q23: May Pathfinder Bards use Silent Spell?

[Cieyrin]

A22 There isn't a central book of variants, they're pretty spread out between each core book, the Advanced and Ultimate series.

A23 No.

[Yora]

Q24: Why does a zombie deal 1d6+4 points of damage with a slam, even though it has only 17 Strength?

Q25: Do undead creatures with a negative Charisma modifier get that number as a penalty to their hit points?

[Zherog]

A 24

It gets 1.5x it's Strength.

If a creature has only one natural attack, it is always made using the creature's full base attack bonus and adds 1-1/2 the creature's Strength bonus on damage rolls. This increase does not apply if the creature has multiple attacks but only takes one.

A 25

Yes.

•No Constitution score. Undead use their Charisma score in place of their Constitution score when calculating hit points, Fortitude saves, and any special ability that relies on Constitution (such as when calculating a breath weapon's DC).

You apply your character's Constitution modifier to:

•Each roll of a Hit Die (though a penalty can never drop a result below 1—that is, a character always gains at least 1 hit point each time he advances in level).

[Yora]

I see, the Zombie template is speaking of "calculating bonus hit points". But I assume this also means hit point penalties.

[Zherog]

A 25 additional

Likely, yes. Note that the text you're referring to does say that it uses the Charisma modifier to determine the bonus.

[Yora]

Q26: Can a ghost ever make a Climb check? The template makes it always a class skill for the creature.

Q27: As an augmented humanoid, can a Ghost be affected by a charm person skill? Or is that only to explain how the creatures BAB and saves have been calculated?

Q28: If you advance a creature with the augmented subtype, does it gain advance BAB and saves like a creature of its original type, or does it effectly "multiclass" into racial HD of the new type?

Q29: Can an undead barbarian still rage?

[Zherog]

A 26

After reading the incorporeal subtype and the entry in the universal monster rules, Im going to say the answer is No. In 3.5, ghosts and others were on the ethereal plane, and whatever they did on that plane was "real." So in that system, the ghost could make a Climb check while climbing something on the ethereal. But it looks like PF removed all that - ghosts are incorporeal, but nothing in the rules for incorporeal in PF puts them on the ethereal. They just stay on the material plane. Since they can't interact with the items, they can't grasp them to climb.

A 27

No, the ghost's type is undead so it's not a valid target for charm person.

A 28

This will only matter for racial HD, obviously - class levels work as defined for the class.

For racial HD, I think it's a bit unclear and I think somebody could build a cogent argument to go either direction. My interpretation is that (using the ghost as the example) it would be a d8 HD but would otherwise advance as the original creature's BAB, saves, etc. I'm basing that on this:

Do not recalculate the creature's base attack bonus, saves, or skill points.

And making the assumption that it applies to current and future HD. Like I said, I think somebody could very easily make the RAW argument that the above quote only applies to current HD, and that all future HD advance as undead.

edit:

A 29

Yes, but its total number of rounds per day is going to be severely limited since it doesn't have a Con mod.

[Yora]

Q29+: I found mentions that pointed out that rage provides a morale bonus and morale effects are always mind-affecting, to which undead are immune. So while they could rage, they wouldn't get any benefit from doing so.

[Zherog]

A 29 additional

Yep, you're right. I stand corrected. Well, sort of. They can rage, they just don't get the benefits (but suffer the penalties):

While in rage, a barbarian gains a +4 morale bonus to her Strength and Constitution, as well as a +2 morale bonus on Will saves. In addition, she takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class. The increase to Constitution grants the barbarian 2 hit points per Hit Dice, but these disappear when the rage ends and are not lost first like temporary hit points. While in rage, a barbarian cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration.

•Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms).

So the Str, Con and Will bonuses are all morale, so they can't get those. The penalty to AC is untyped, so they do still get that. And the limitation to skill usage would still apply as well.

[gr8artist]

Q.30 How many bullets/round does Reloading Hands load into my revolver, assuming I'm firing 3 times per round with the gun in question.

Once per round, phantom hands load a single ranged weapon or firearm with conjured ammunition.

Loading a firearm:

Spoiler

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Loading any firearm provokes attacks of opportunity. Other rules for loading a firearm depend on whether the firearm is an early firearm or an advanced firearm.
...
Advanced Firearms: Advanced firearms are chamber-loaded. It is a move action to load a one-handed or two-handed advanced firearm to its full capacity. (emphasis mine)

[rockdeworld]

A30

Ask your DM. Going by the definition of "load," it's ambiguous and can be interpreted either way.

[Lictor of Thrax]

Q31

I'm just learning pathfinder and thus I've been cramming tons of material into my brain and have become a bit scattershot.

I seem to remember while reading that there was some sort of ability (can't remember if it's feat, spell, class ability or whatever) that adjust the multiplier on your critical range. I believe it was situational . . . but I can't remember where it was from and I've been reading about so many classes and spells that it could be anywhere.

Anyone know what I'm talking about?

[Yora]

@31: Do you mean the feat "Improved Critical"?
"Adjusting your critical range" is a bit unclear as a description of what you mean.

[Lictor of Thrax]

@31: Do you mean the feat "Improved Critical"?
"Adjusting your critical range" is a bit unclear as a description of what you mean.

Critical range was the wrong term.

I just meant, I could have sworn I read some spell/ability/feature that allowed you to move your crit multiplier up by 1 point (from X3 to X4, for instance).

It may have even been some temporary trigger or something.

Either that, or I'm just losing my mind.

[gr8artist]

A: 31
Weapon Mastery, the 20th level capstone ability for the fighter class does exactly what you're asking.

Spoiler

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At 20th level, a fighter chooses one weapon, such as the longsword, greataxe, or longbow. Any attacks made with that weapon automatically confirm all critical threats and have their damage multiplier increased by 1 (×2 becomes ×3, for example). In addition, he cannot be disarmed while wielding a weapon of this type.

Q: 32 a
If I have sneak attack (2d6, if it matters) and I cast Acid Arrow (caster level 3, deals 2d4 damage on hit and one round later), how much damage does sneak attack add?
As best I can figure, it'd be 2d4+2d6 on hit, and 2d4 one round later. All damage is acidic. Is this correct?
Q: 32 b
If I crit (x2) with an Acid Arrow (CL 3) attack, how much damage does it deal?
I'm guessing it'd be 4d4 on hit, and 2d4 one round later... but I could be wrong and it'd be 4d4 on the second round, too.
Q: 32 c
If I'm really lucky, and hidden really well, and I sneak attack with a critical strike with an Acid Arrow, how screwed is my opponent?

[Xerinous]

A32a:

Yes, 2d4+2d6 on hit, 2d4 the round after. All d4's are acid damage, the 2d6, however, is precision damage.

A32b:

4d4 on hit, 2d4 on subsequent rounds. Good rule of thumb: If it doesn't require an attack roll, it can't do critical damage.

A32c:

Slightly. Critical hit on a sneak attack with acid arrow does 4d4+2d6 on hit, and 2d4 the round after.

[Yora]

Q33: Are there any naturally blind creatures in the Bestiaries?

Q34: What are the attack bonus and damage for a skum that attacks without weapons? I don't really understand how primary and secondary natural attacks are determined and calculated.

[DonDuckie]

Q35: Can the caster level requirement of golems(and other constructs) be overcome by adding +5 to the craft DC?

Q36: Can skill ranks requirements of magic items be overcome by increasing the craft DC?

Q37: Can the caster level requirement of magic items(constructs) be fullfilled by another caster without the Craft Construct feat?
Q37b: with the feat?

[Urpriest]

Q38

Can the item of Refuge be given to/used by the caster?

As a related question, does Pathfinder have a definition of ally?