Simple Q&A for Pathfinder 2: Find Harder

[gr8artist]

That should be 933 above me, right?

Q 934: What's the name of the spell that allows you to throw a weapon to make an attack with it against every creature in a 60 ft. line? I can't seem to find it.

[Cieyrin]

A 933 I know there's a trait that increases energy resistance but I can't recall where it's from, though I think it was Tiefling or Aasimar related.

A 934 That's because Whirling Blade is a 3.5 spell from the Spell Compendium (and probably something earlier).

[Yanisa]

A 933 Unscathed: Increases Energy Resistance by two points. Trait, no prerequisites. (Found thanks to Cieyrin. I did check feats, but not traits.)

Tieflings also get the Darksire Amulet, which adds another +5 to any natural resistance they might have.

[Kurald Galain]

What are some good 1st- or 2nd-level arcane spells that deal fire damage? Everything I've found so far basically deals damage comparable to a longsword, save for half, whereas other elements (e.g. Shocking Grasp) can do quite a bit more. Am I missing something or is fire just not a good element in low-level PF?

[Keneth]

A935 Burning hands is actually quite decent with the right setup. As is scorching ray when you get 2nd level spells (or burning arc if you prefer to target saves rather than AC). Burning gaze is sweet if you combine it with Dazing Spell and cast it on your familiar (or even if you cast it normally, just to give your familiar something to do). Flaming sphere has its uses, but as a general offensive spell, you can probably skip it. Fiery shuriken might get in handy with metamagics at later level, but otherwise it's in the same boat as flaming sphere.

Other than that, you can always try to research your own spell. Pretty much any GM should allow you to research flaming grasp which would be strictly worse than shocking grasp anyway (fire resistance is more common and you don't get a +3 to attack vs metal). In fact, spell research should be an invaluable tool for any spellcaster (assuming you have a reasonable GM).

[Cieyrin]

A 933 Unscathed: Increases Energy Resistance by two points. Trait, no prerequisites. (Found thanks to Cieyrin. I did check feats, but not traits.)

Ah, that's where it's from! I knew I'd seen it somewhere.

[Kurald Galain]

A935 Burning hands is actually quite decent with the right setup.

Thanks, but what setup are you referring to?

[Master of Doink]

Q 936 What exactly is CR and how do you calculate it? (pathfinder)

[Yanisa]

A 936

Challenge Rating (or CR) is a convenient number used to indicate the relative danger presented by a monster, trap, hazard, or other encounter—the higher the CR, the more dangerous the encounter.

Read more.

Calculating CR is a different beast, luckily most traps, monsters and hazards tend to have a CR listed. No calculating is needed unless you build your own traps or monsters, and even then you are better off referring existing material. Also see here, for more tips.

[Blackjackg]

Q937: Looking for confirmation: A magic item that casts Shield at caster level 1 an unlimited number of times per day costs only 1800 gp plus the cost of the base item? I'm double checking because that seems pretty cheap, and I want to make sure I'm not missing any cost multipliers anywhere.

[Yanisa]

A937
It's slightly more expensive. Not sure how you got 1800 GP, but the rules suggest this:
The full cost is 1 (spell level) X 1 (caster level) X 2000 (base price) X 2 (1 minute/level) = 4000 GP. Still pretty cheap +4 shield armor. Mage armor, being a 1 hour/level spell would result in a 2000 GP cost.

But also remember these prices are guidelines, and the rules already has a example explaining why this shouldn't work.

Example: Patrick's wizard wants to create bracers with a continuous mage armor ability, granting the wearer a +4 armor bonus to AC. The formula indicates this would cost 2,000 gp (spell level 1, caster level 1). Jessica reminds him that bracers of armor +4 are priced at 16,000 gp and Patrick's bracers should have that price as well.

Same applies to the shield spell, 16,000 gp is more in line with other armor effects.

[Blackjackg]

C937

Sorry, I was unclear in my question-- I actually meant command word activation rather than continuous, which is listed as Spell Level x Caster Level x 1800 and doesn't use the same cost-multiplier-by-duration statistics.

In any case, the other part of your response was very helpful. Common sense rule: If it seems too powerful for the cost, it probably is. I think I'll give it a limited number of uses per day to make it a little better balanced.

[Yanisa]

A937 expended
I see, in that case it would be 1800 GP by strict use of the pricing.
I didn't even know command words could be unlimited. I thought you get the duration (modified by caster level) of the original spell, once per day (which leads to once a day a shield for 1 minute). But the common sense line suggests otherwise:

Most of these loopholes stem from trying to get unlimited uses per day of a spell effect from the "command word" or "use-activated or continuous" lines of Table: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values.

There might be some other modifier we both are missing.

[Keneth]

Thanks, but what setup are you referring to?

A human cross-blooded sorcerer with a high Charisma score focusing on fire spells and using Spell Specialization could start out with 3d4+6 damage in a 15-foot cone at 1st level.

It's nothing spectacular, but it's decent damage to start with. Later on you can get Varisian Tattoo for another +1 to CL, and you can switch Spell Specialization to stronger spells.

[Spore]

A937 expended
I see, in that case it would be 1800 GP by strict use of the pricing.
I didn't even know command words could be unlimited. I thought you get the duration (modified by caster level) of the original spell, once per day (which leads to once a day a shield for 1 minute). But the common sense line suggests otherwise:


There might be some other modifier we both are missing.

Nah. It's this CL 1, so it is active for 10 minutes at a time (takes an action in combat), 1.800 GP is quite expensive in the first ten levels and the bonus doesn't stack with actual shields.

[Yanisa]

1800 GP for a shield spell once per day is probably seems a lot more reasonable then unlimited uses per day. But the "Command word magic item" doesn't seem to have any limits on the use... Wait let's change this into a question:

Q938
Are the any rules, guidelines or official advice on making costume "command word" magic items in regards to uses per day or limits of the item?


Q938B
Failing that, can someone find me a couple of magic items with use a command word that mostly or only use a single spell? For comparison. (For some reason those are hard to Google.)

[Keneth]

A938 Command word items are not limited by default. A command word item with at will shield (CL 1st) does cost only 1,800 gp, and that's a really inefficient item to be honest. Ring of force shield is much better, even if the bonus is lower, and the price is accordingly higher. A command word item with per day charges costs: spell level * caster level * 1,800 gp * number of charges / 5. So an item which can produce shield on command once per day would only set you back 360 gp. If you gave it a class requirement and used magic points to craft it, it would theoretically only cost 63 gp to make one, although magic is 100g a pop, so you can't really go below 2 magic points unless you crafted them in bulk or something.

This is why these sections are guidelines and not hard rules. Custom item crafting gets out of hand really fast.

[Kurald Galain]

The precocious spellcaster trait lets you pick a cantrip (and a L1 spell) and add one to your caster level. Are there any cantrips for which this makes a difference other than in spell range? As far as I can tell, the only level-dependent attribute cantrips have is their range.

[Yanisa]

A939
There are a couple of cantrips with duration and a few with a target that increases per level. 14 in total. (I wanted to name Create Water too, but that is a orison.)

Target:

Spoiler

Show

Mending -> Targets one object of up to 1 lb./level
Message -> Targets one creature/level
Putrefy Food and Drink -> Targets 1 cu. ft./level of food and water or one potion; see text

Duration:

Spoiler

Show

Chameleon Scales -> Duration 10 minutes/level
Detect Magic -> Duration concentration, up to 1 min./level
Ghost Sound -> Duration 1 round/level
Haunted Fey Aspect -> Duration 1 round/level (D)
Light -> Duration 10 min./level
Lullaby -> Duration concentration + 1 round/level
Message -> Duration 10 min./level
Penumbra -> Duration 10 minutes/level (D)
Read Magic -> Duration 10 min./level
Summon Instrument -> Duration 1 min./level
Touch of Fatigue -> Duration 1 round/level

[Kurald Galain]

A939
There are a couple of cantrips with duration and a few with a target that increases per level. 14 in total. (I wanted to name Create Water too, but that is a orison.)

Awesome, thanks.

[MrNobody]

Q940
Let's say i have a vicious weapon (+2d6 damage). I can add merciful, and that gives me an extra 1d6.
All the damage, though, becomes nonlethal.
Can i add the deadly ability to have a total of +3d6 damage, all lethal?

[GreenZ]

A940

This special ability can only be placed on melee weapons that normally deal nonlethal damage, such as whips and saps.

Giving a weapon Merciful does not mean that the weapon 'normally deals non-lethal damage' as you are magically making it deal non-lethal damage. But, Merciful does not stop you from placing it on normally non-lethal weapons... so you could, by RAW, have a Merciful, Deadly Sap but not a Merciful, Deadly Longsword.

[Mellack]

Q941

The storm druid gets the power Stormvoice which says At 3rd level, a storm druid’s voice can magically carry over howling winds and peals of thunder. Whenever a Perception check is needed to hear the druid’s voice, the DC is reduced by an amount equal to the druid’s level.
Hurricane and above winds make sound based perception checks "impossible". I take it that stormvoice does nothing if you are at that level of winds?

[Yomega]

Q941

The storm druid gets the power Stormvoice which says At 3rd level, a storm druid’s voice can magically carry over howling winds and peals of thunder. Whenever a Perception check is needed to hear the druid’s voice, the DC is reduced by an amount equal to the druid’s level.
Hurricane and above winds make sound based perception checks "impossible". I take it that stormvoice does nothing if you are at that level of winds?

A 941
Flavor text has no rules weight so you are easier to hear in general however powerful winds are still too overpowering.

Q 942
Can a sorcerer with the words of power alternate magic subsystem take the expanded arcana feat to pick up a few normal spells?

[Keneth]

A942 Yes, they can.

[Da'Shain]

Q 943

I seem to remember that a creature attempting to grapple may make the check at a -20 and avoid gaining the grappled condition itself. However I can find no mention of that in the PFSRD, and I'm starting to think I must've seen it in a 3rd party book. Simple question, is that a rule, and if so, where is it located?

[Yanisa]

A943

It is part of the Grab Rules, not to be confused with the Grapple Rules.

The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a –20 penalty on its CMB check to make and maintain the grapple, but does not gain the grappled condition itself.

[Yomega]

A942 Yes, they can.

Any referance to where this is said in so many words? Thanks tho =)

[Keneth]

Any referance to where this is said in so many words? Thanks tho =)

There's nothing preventing you from doing so. In fact, it's actually stated in several locations that you can gain normal spells by other means.

A character who elects to be a wordcaster in a spellcasting class typically cannot use the spells of that class (though there are feats that allow a wordcaster to learn and use a limited number of spells; see Word Caster Feats), but he can utilize spell trigger and spell completion items just as if he were an ordinary spellcaster of that class.

So getting spells via feats should be okay. The last sentence clearly implies that their actual class spell list doesn't change (since they can use spell trigger/completion items), they just don't have access to it when leveling.

If you look at the Class-Specific Rules section, you'll also see that wordcasters gain normal spells via class features, so it's not like this is some exploit.

[zimmerwald1915]

Q944 Can a character with a flight speed, i.e., an aasimar with a variant racial ability, a strix, or a sylph with the Airy Step and Wings of Air feats, fly while wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a medium or heavy load? The only limitation I can find on flying while armored is that flying mounts cannot fly in medium or heavy barding. Does this translate to characters?