Simple Q&A for Pathfinder 3: Find With a Vengeance

[killem2]

Q 296: Can I use Saddle Surge as a samsaran, if I want to ride a wildshaped druid?

[Psyren]

A295a: Yes, a lance will double your static bonuses just like a crit will. (But not variable ones like sneak attack or flaming.)

A296: If I'm understanding your question correctly, yes this will work if you are riding a wildshaped druid, but you must cast the spell, not him. The target line is "you and your mount" - therefore, the mount cannot be the one to cast it or the spell will fail.

[Ravens_cry]

A295a: Yes, a lance will double your static bonuses just like a crit will. (But not variable ones like sneak attack or flaming.)

Sweeet! Yet another source of static bonuses for my Paladin!

[killem2]

Q 297: Can a someone in a completely dark area (not magical darkness just no light) go stealth, and still treated as being in plain sight to someone who has darkvision?

[Psyren]

A297: Yes, creatures with darkvision will be able to see you. Note that this will also be the case if you try to cast Darkness and hide in that, because PF darkvision can see through darkness created by magic as well.

The only time darkvision stops working is if you cast Deeper Darknesss (or a similarly high-powered darkness effect) in an area of dim light or darker. That will lower the light level 2 steps, from dim light -> totally dark -> supernaturally dark.

[killem2]

A297: Yes, creatures with darkvision will be able to see you. Note that this will also be the case if you try to cast Darkness and hide in that, because PF darkvision can see through darkness created by magic as well.

The only time darkvision stops working is if you cast Deeper Darknesss (or a similarly high-powered darkness effect) in an area of dim light or darker. That will lower the light level 2 steps, from dim light -> totally dark -> supernaturally dark.

Thank you, that brings me to:


Q 298: Should stealthy creature instead go invisible, there is a +20 to stealth if moving, but is the DC still 10 for hearing this person walking as I assume invisibility should do nothing to help with moving silently.

[Yanisa]

A298
Yes, invisibility gives a flat + 20 bonus to not being detected. However movements does give a -5 to -20 penalty. In general stealthy creatures get a -5 penalty (stealth forces you to move half speed), so overall they get a +15 bonus.

See here for a list DC modifiers. Base DC is 20 to notice, DC 40 to pin point.

[Drelua]

Q 299

Do Ulfen Guard levels stack with Barbarian levels for the purposes of qualifying for rage powers that aren't taken through the guard dedication? Relevant text here, from the Ulfen Guard's Rage ability:

An Ulfen Guard is trained to harness her brutish nature while in combat in the defense of her charge. This works as the barbarian ability of the same name. An Ulfen Guard's class levels stack with any other classes granting this ability for determining the effects of rage powers and the number of rounds per day the guard can rage.

and the Rage Power dedication:

Rage Power (Ex) The Ulfen Guard can select a barbarian rage power for which she qualifies, adding her Ulfen Guard level to her barbarian level to determine access. This guard dedication can be chosen up to three times.

[Psyren]

A299: As written, you would only get to stack them for the specific rage powers chosen via the dedication, because there is no general/blanket provision outside of that for adding the two together. Thus you would have to plan accordingly. However, I'm sure most DMs would say "this is clearly a dedicated barb PrC" and allow you to do so.

[Amphetryon]

Q 300:
What ways, if any, exist to change a magus' casting stat?

[Yanisa]

A300
Only one I know is the Eldritch Scion, makes your casting stat charisma AND makes you a spontaneous caster.

[Rickshaw]

Q301
How exactly does the blood crow strike spell work; does it work like a buff or Is it a debuff of sorts that you place on a target you wanna pummel from a distance? The wording makes me very confused.


Q302
Using the rules to add magical effects to magical items, can you add effects to a wand? Can you make it a wand of (for example) enlarge person and heatstroke, with separate charges per spell? Can you sort of recharge your wand, or even overcharge it with these rules?

Q303
Can alchemists make wands? Could they make, say, a wand of universal formula?

[Dalebert]

A 302 Wands hold exactly one spell. You can have multiple spells in a staff. Presumably they should be of a similar theme and your DM has to approve any that aren't already listed.

A 303 Short answer: no. Wands hold spells and alchemists don't cast spells. They make extracts. It's questionable if they would even be considered a caster which is a requirement of the Craft Wand feat. If so, they would still need a way to meet the prerequisites to make a wand, such as having enough scrolls of the spell needed and sufficient UMD to cast from the scrolls or by coordinating with someone else who can cast the spells for them.

[Fenryr]

Q304

Inquisitor with Improved Unarmed Strike and using Bane and using Two Weapon Fighting. As far as I know, the whole body is the Unarmed Strike. What happens when the character uses TWF or delievers a kick and then a punch? Bane affects every attack with Unarmed Strike?

[Togath]

Q305
does the disarm bonus grants by Tekko-Kagi against thin bladed weapons stack with the bonus for being a weapon with the disarm property?

[Psyren]

A301: You and us both. Sorry to say but this is one the devs have yet to weigh in on.

A304: Yes and yes; a creature's unarmed strike is their entire body, and you can TWF with unarmed strike/unarmed strike. Therefore an Inquisitor putting bane on his US would get the bane damage twice, just like a monk wearing a Bane Amulet of Mighty Fists and flurrying would.

A305: The "see text" ability is separate from the "disarm ability," and furthermore they are different types (untyped and circumstance.) Thus, they stack (when you are trying to disarm that specific type of weapon.)

[Togath]

Q306
Do you add your strength to damage from a rope dart?

[Psyren]

A306: Yes, because it is a thrown weapon that deals damage.

Identifying thrown weapons seems tricky at first but is actually pretty easy. A thrown weapon is one where either:

a) It is listed as a "ranged weapon" on the table but does not use separate ammunition of some kind (e.g. not a bow or gun);
b) It is listed as a melee weapon on the table but has an entry in the "range" column (e.g. a shortspear);
c) It has a number or dice notation in its "damage" entry (e.g. not a net or lasso.)

If a weapon does not meet (a) or (b) you can still throw it as an improvised thrown weapon, taking the appropriate penalties. If a weapon does not meet (c) then it will not do damage no matter how strong you are.

[Da'Shain]

Q 307

Shield Master has two facets that seem incredibly powerful and thus I want to make sure I'm interpreting correctly.

307 A: The feat first says that "You do not suffer any penalties on attack rolls made with a shield while you are wielding another weapon." Given that one of its prereqs is Two-Weapon Fighting, this seems to suggest that you no longer take a -2 penalty on attack rolls with your shield while using the Two-Weapon fighting feat ... which basically means you get extra attacks each round at no penalty, as I understand it. Is that correct or am I missing something?

307 B: "Add your shield’s enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls made with the shield as if it were a weapon enhancement bonus." Wow. So it seems clear that, say, a +5 shield now adds +5 to AC and +5 to atk/dmg with the shield. However, does this +5 act as a normal +5 enhancement bonus and overcome material/alignment-based DR? And how does this interact with placing a weapon enchant on the same shield? If the shield is enchanted for +5 AC and then later enchanted for +1 to atk/dmg, does it now grant a total of +6 to atk/dmg rolls? And how much would this new enhancement cost? Is it an entirely separate enchantment or does it follow the rules for multiple kinds of enchantment on the same item (i.e. you need to pay 1.5x the normal price)? With enough money could you end up with a shield with a total armor enchantment bonus of +10 (counting +5 special abilities) and a total weapon enchantment bonus of +10 (counting +5 special abilities)?

[Rickshaw]

Q308

Would wizard with a familiar count as having the alertness feat to qualify for a prc like the sleepless detective?

A. If that familiar was removed after qualifying for and taking levels in a prc, (either through being killed or just being too far away) would you lose all benefits of that prc?

[Togath]

Q309
Can the heirloom weapon trait give you proficiency with all weapons of the selected type, or only the heirloom one?

[Psyren]

A307a: Yes, it negates the TWF penalties (but only on the shield - your main-hand weapon continues to take penalties.) So if you have a sword in one hand and a light shield in the other, +TWF, your normal penalty (-2/-2) becomes -2/+0 with Shield Master.

307b: "As if it were a weapon enhancement bonus" means you treat it just like one, including overcoming the various forms of DR. (Amsuingly, Magic Vestment lacks the "does not overcome DR" line that Greater Magic Weapon has, so go nuts!)

A308: You actually gain the feat, so yes. What happens if you lose a requirement that a PrC depends on is not clear, though the retraining rules do say this: "If retraining a class level means you no longer qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other ability you have, you can't use that feat, prestige class, or ability until you meet the qualifications again." The intent seems to be that if you lose qualifications, you lose the PrC, though again my quote applies only to retraining as things currently stand.

A309: "That specific weapon" is about as clear as it gets. Don't lose it!

[Rickshaw]

Q310

Can multiple people ride the same creature? If, somehow, you got a huge mount, could you put the party wizard up there and the archer too? Would only one person have to make the ride check or direct the mount?

[Callum]

A 301

Q301
How exactly does the blood crow strike spell work; does it work like a buff or Is it a debuff of sorts that you place on a target you wanna pummel from a distance? The wording makes me very confused.

When you cast the spell, you choose a single creature within medium range as your target. That creature doesn't get a saving throw against the spell, but you do have to beat their spell resistance (if any). Assuming you do, you can then make special "blood crow" unarmed strike or flurry of blows attacks against that creature whenever they are within medium range. These attacks deal the same amount of damage as your normal unarmed strikes, but half is fire damage and half is negative energy damage.

[Callum]

307 B: "Add your shield’s enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls made with the shield as if it were a weapon enhancement bonus." Wow. So it seems clear that, say, a +5 shield now adds +5 to AC and +5 to atk/dmg with the shield. However, does this +5 act as a normal +5 enhancement bonus and overcome material/alignment-based DR? And how does this interact with placing a weapon enchant on the same shield? If the shield is enchanted for +5 AC and then later enchanted for +1 to atk/dmg, does it now grant a total of +6 to atk/dmg rolls?

Since it states "as if it were a weapon enhancement bonus", I would say that it doesn't stack with any actual weapon enhancement bonus placed on the same shield.

[Dalebert]

A Ring of Spell Knowledge seems to have spontaneous casters primarily in mind who would want to use it. However, it has clear utility for prepared casters as well. Wizards could simply encounter an active spell (getting attacked by someone invisible, for instance) and with a successful spellcraft check, "teach" the ring that spell. Now they know it and can presumably write it into their spellbook (or make a scroll, then write from that if necessary). They no longer need the ring for that spell and can then teach the ring a different spell they encounter.

Q 311 What's to keep a wizard, once he knows it, from writing a non-wizard spell into his spellbook? And wouldn't that mean it's now available for him to cast without the ring (albeit at 1 level higher)?

[Psyren]

A311: There are two barriers to this. The first one is the very clear line: "All of them are useful only to spontaneous arcane spellcasters." Thus most wizards will be completely ineligible from the outset.

That leaves wizards with UMD, to fake being a spontaneous class like a sorcerer or bard and fool the ring that way. But, while the ring gives you the ability to know a spell and cast it, it does not actually give you the ability to prepare it. Thus you will not actually be able to use the ring as a wizard.

[Dalebert]

A311: There are two barriers to this. The first one is the very clear line: "All of them are useful only to spontaneous arcane spellcasters."

Wow. I have looked over this description MANY times and somehow missed that.

[Togath]

Q312
Does an android need to eat, breath, drink, or sleep?
I know half constructs don't, but Androids don't seem to be categorized as one.

Q313
Is someone proficient in whips also considered proficient in scorpion whips?

[Psyren]

A312: They are not constructs (half or otherwise). Rather, they are Humanoids with the (android) subtype, and the "Constructed" Ex ability that gives them many construct traits, and treats them as constructs for many ability purposes.

They don't need to sleep, since they are immune to fatigue and to sleep effects. Thus they take no penalties for simply staying awake. They do need to eat, drink and breathe.

The PFSRD is not very clearly presented, but you can see their proper statblock in the ISB.

A313: Yes.