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

[Psyren]

A630: It only applies to weapons, though keep in mind that some spells create weapons e.g. Spiritual Weapon and rays. It does not affect your AC like regular smite does.

Basically the benefit to Weal's Champion is that it applies to the paladin, rather than to the enemy, allowing the paladin to "smite" multiple enemies while it is active. Any evil creature you attack while it is up will take the increased damage and be easier to hit, and if you hit them, your allies get bonuses as well. The downside is that it lasts for a much shorter time and does not improve your defenses against those enemies.

[Griffin]

A630: It only applies to weapons, though keep in mind that some spells create weapons e.g. Spiritual Weapon and rays. It does not affect your AC like regular smite does.

Basically the benefit to Weal's Champion is that it applies to the paladin, rather than to the enemy, allowing the paladin to "smite" multiple enemies while it is active. Any evil creature you attack while it is up will take the increased damage and be easier to hit, and if you hit them, your allies get bonuses as well. The downside is that it lasts for a much shorter time and does not improve your defenses against those enemies.

Q630A:

But does it work with spells or abilities like for example the spell Fire of Judgement (Reference) that read as follows:

After casting this spell, the next creature you attack using your smite evil class ability is engulfed in flames of positive energy. At the start of its turn, the target takes 1d6 points of damage, and takes an additional 1d6 points of damage each time it attacks a creature other than you. If the creature is an outsider with the evil subtype, an evil-aligned dragon, or an undead creature this damage increases to 1d10. With a successful Saving Throw, a creature is affected by this spell for only 1 round. This damage is divine in nature and bypasses any DR the creature possesses.

Am I still counted as having a "smite class ability"? my question is basically to know if this spells will work for a Holy tactician (also I'm not sure if it works with the armor ability Champion (Reference)

[Psyren]

A630a: Ah I understand. Unfortunately, unless an ability says "this otherwise counts as X" then it does not count. For example, the Knife Master Rogue's "sneak stab" says it functions as sneak attack, so it works with things that care about sneak attack. But this ability does not have a line that says it works like smite - it is a separate ability, so as written abilities or spells referencing smite would do nothing with it. (But talk to your DM and see if you can get that rule zeroed.)

[Kurald Galain]

Q631 If I have a weapon (or armor, or ioun stone) of Spell Storing, and I have e.g. the Intensify Spell feat, can I place an intensified spell in the weapon? Can I do the same with a metamagic rod? Since spell storing only accepts 1st thru 3rd level spells, would the intensified spell count as its regular level or its level +1?

[Kurald Galain]

Q632 If I use Disruptive Spell with, say, Stumble Gap, am I reading this correctly that every time a creature steps into the gap's square for the duration of the spell is "affected" by Stumble Gap (either they fail their save and take damage, or they pass their save and still get a -1 penalty), therefore the creature is also affected by disruptiveness (i.e. they have to make a concentration check for spellcasting)?

[Psyren]

A631: Unfortunately, spell-storing + metamagic is one of those gaps in the rules that the designers haven't gotten around to yet. It could go either way, talk to your DM.

A632: Yes, if you use Disruptive Spell with a no-save or partial-save spell, they have not "avoided the effects" and therefore are subject to the disruption (concentration checks for 1 round.) Furthermore, even if they succeed at the save, they will take a -1 penalty on their subsequent concentration check (if they make one) due to the partial effect of Stumble Gap itself.

[Mel]

Q633
Elf class preferance
"Investigator: Increase the total number of points in the investigator's inspiration pool by 1/3."

They get a whole point with arcanist who can get points back in their pool, but only a third of a point for investigator? More importantly, investigators can't add to their inspiration pool during the day that I can see, so even if it added to the investigators inspiration pool max by 3000, wouldn't this be completely worthless? Or despite it sounding like arcanists max pool increase, does this actually add to the amount of inspiration points gotten at the beginning of each day?

Q634
Could someone please link me to a list of the alchemy extracts?

[Psyren]

A633: Again "value/worth" questions are subjective and can't really be answered here per the OP. All you can really get in this thread are "here is what it does" and possibly "here is what it can be used for."

Arcanist is the only class that does not get the whole pool back each day. Even though the FCB is worded the same, their method of recovering the pool in their class entry is different. Thus "increase total pool" for Investigator, Magus etc. increases both the pool max and the amount of points they get back each day. For Arcanist, it only increases the max, and you have to use other means (like consume spells) to fill it the rest of the way, if that is your desired goal.

EDIT:

A634: Alchemy extracts (1st-party)

[Mel]

Q633:
So it does increase the amount of inspiration gotten each day for investigators with elf preferred class?

[Psyren]

Q633:
So it does increase the amount of inspiration gotten each day for investigators with elf preferred class?

A633 add: Yes - Investigators get their entire pool back each morning, so no matter how much the pool increases they will continue to get the entire thing back.

Arcanists by contrast get a fixed amount back (and lose any excess.)

[Mel]

Q635
I know this is minmaxing munchkinism a bit, but.
Half elves can get this trait
Drow-Blooded Some half-elves born of drow parents exhibit more drow traits than others—particularly many of the physical features of the drow—and have darkvision 60 feet and light blindness. This racial trait replaces the low-light vision racial trait.

They can also start with a feat called "elven spirit", which does what elven race trait Elven Magic does, but it can also be used to get any trait from the elf race that replaces elven magic.
One of these is Lightbringer: Many elves revere the sun, moon, and stars, but some are literally infused with the radiant power of the heavens. Elves with this racial trait are immune to light-based blindness and dazzle effects, and are treated as one level higher when determining the effects of any light-based spell or effect they cast (including spell-like and supernatural abilities). Elves with Intelligence scores of 10 or higher may use light at will as a spell-like ability. This racial trait replaces the elven immunities and elven magic racial traits.

First, Could a half elf get elven spirit feat for their first level, then exchange it along with their elven immunity for lightbringer? Since half elves have elven immunities that can be replaced too.

Q636
Second, if one can use elven spirit to get lightbringer for a half elf, is there anything in the rules that really forbids the combination of drow blooded and light bringer on one character? And if not, what would happen if they are on one character?

[Psyren]

A635: It's not clear whether you can use Elven Spirit's exchange to qualify for a trait like Lightbringer, which requires trading two traits, but I personally see no problem with allowing it.

It might even work out better than you think - the feat says "Alternatively, you can instead gain any one racial trait that elves can exchange for the elven magic racial trait." Well, Lightbringer is a trait that elves can exchange for elven magic - the fact that it has a second trait requirement doesn't actually matter, it fits that criterion. So as written I would say you don't even have to trade your immunities away to get it.

A636: If you are able to get both of them (however you manage do so) then yes - you would have light-blindness but be immune to the drawbacks, therefore effectively having darkvision with no penalties.

[Mel]

Q637
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/darkness
Since nonmagical lights don't help against this darkness, if you were in a room well lit by torches, wouldn't darkness instead of bringing the light level down one, go to complete darkness? Since none of the torches could contribute to the light level. So in most circumstances aside from daylight, darkness means complete darkness, right?

Q638
In darkness, magical or otherwise, does low level light vision help any?

Q639
"Darkness spell: Magical light sources only increase the light level in an area if they are of a higher spell level than darkness"

Does this mean caster spell level, or the other level type?(circle level or whatever the terminology is)

[Psyren]

A637: You're misreading it; "does not increase the light level" means "won't increase above dim light." If the light sources weren't doing anything to begin with, the room would already be dark (QED) and you would then trigger this clause instead: "This spell has no effect in an area that is already dark."

A638: LLV only works in dim light, which in PF is one step above true darkness, and replaces 3.5's nebulous "shadowy illumination." designation.

A639: "Spell level" means just that - the level of the spell. (i.e. 0th for cantrips, 1st through 9th for everything else.)

[Kurald Galain]

Q640 Is there some way to penalize enemy concentration checks? Not force them to make more, but penalize those they already make?

[Mel]

Q637
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/darkness
Since nonmagical lights don't help against this darkness, if you were in a room well lit by torches, wouldn't darkness instead of bringing the light level down one, go to complete darkness? Since none of the torches could contribute to the light level. So in most circumstances aside from daylight, darkness means complete darkness, right?

If the light sources weren't doing anything to begin with, the room would already be dark (QED) and you would then trigger this clause instead: "This spell has no effect in an area that is already dark."

The light sources would be doing something, having a bright room. If you cast Darkness in a room bright with torches but no other light sources, what happens?

You're misreading it; "does not increase the light level" means "won't increase above dim light."

So if you were in a area influenced by the Darkness spell, and lit a torch, the light level would be "dim"?

[Qc Storm]

Q641

Explosive Power + Disintegration (psionic).

If I read this right, the initial target of the ray gets the usual Fort Save or Wasted Spell. However, all adjacent targets make a reflex save for half that brutal, brutal damage. Does it really work?

[Psyren]

So if you were in a area influenced by the Darkness spell, and lit a torch, the light level would be "dim"?

No - the light level post-Darkness depends on what the light level was pre-Darkness. So if the room was brightly lit, darkness would make it normal. If it was normal before, Darkness would make it dim. If it was dim before, Darkness would make it dark.

In all those cases, your torch would do nothing to affect the situation because it is nonmagical, unless the torch was contributing to lighting the room prior to the darkness effect coming into being.

A640: There's a wide variety of spells and effects that can do this, including things that penalize concentration directly, things that lower your caster level (e.g. negative levels) or things that lower your casting ability modifier (e.g. ability damage or penalties like curses); your best bet to gather them all would probably be to make a separate thread (here, or at Paizo) and crowdsource the community.

A641: "Even if the original power did not allow a save" suggests that they get both saving throws - that of the power, and the additional reflex half granted by the feat.

[Kurald Galain]

Q642 Do familiars gain hit dice (and feats and skill points) along with their master's level, like animal companions do? If not, is there a way to make them do so anyway?

[Psyren]

A642: No - their hit points increase, but not their hit dice. You can swap out the base feat(s) they start the game with (e.g. you could swap out a Weasel's Weapon Finesse for a familiar feat it qualifies for of your choosing, when you first gain it as a familiar) but they never gain additional ones. I don't know of any way to get them additional feats, and this appears to be intentional as a way to distinguish them from animal companions, cohorts and eidolons.

[Ravens_cry]

Q643
Does Divine Grace (paladin class feature giving Charisma bonus as a bonsu to all saving throws) and Steadfast Personality (Charisma bonus as insight bonus on saving throws verses mind affecting effects) stack?

[Kurald Galain]

A643 Normally yes, since the bonuses are different types. However, a controversial recent FAQ/errata states that you can never get the same ability modifier to the same effect twice, so that would disallow it.

[Psyren]

A643 correction: The previous answer is incorrect - they do stack even after the FAQ, because they are different types - "Charisma," and insight. The fact that your charisma modifier is used to set the value of the latter is irrelevant.

To quote the relevant portion of said FAQ:

However, you can still add, for instance “a deflection bonus equal to your Charisma modifier” and your Charisma modifier.

So long as they are not both "untyped" (meaning, typed to your ability mod), or both the same type (e.g. both insight, deflection etc.), you are good to go.

[Kurald Galain]

That's good to know.

Q644 The urumi is listed in the "monk" group on the fighter's list of weapon groups. However, in the weapons list, it is not listed with the "monk" special feature. As near as I can tell, for other weapons these groups match one on one. So is the urumi a monk weapon or not?

[Psyren]

A644: The "monk group" in the Fighter weapon training lists, and the "monk" weapon property, are not the same thing. Most weapons found in the former also have the latter, which can be somewhat confusing - but there are a couple of exceptions, such as the Urumi and the Tri-Point Double-Edged Sword.

The "monk" Fighter weapon group largely just means "oriental weapon." Most of these do have the monk property, but this is largely a coincidence more than anything else.

The "monk" property meanwhile just means "I can flurry with this." Note that it does not automatically mean monks are proficient with it - you may need a feat, racial ability (e.g. the Tengu's Exotic Weapon Training trait) or an archetype like Sohei to be able to use the weapon in question, even though it is a "monk weapon."

[Kurald Galain]

A645: I seem to remember a rule that quickened spells aren't subject to arcane spell failure (just as how they don't provoke opportunity attacks). However, I can't find that rule. Am I missing it or am I misremembering?

[Psyren]

A645: You have to concentrate to cast a spell no matter how fast you cast it. For swift/immediate spells it usually doesn't matter since they don't provoke, but it could matter in the case of existing conditions such as ongoing damage, casting while in a grapple, or rough weather.

[Mel]

Q646
If you throw something like a alchemy potion or a melee weapon (like say a dagger or a throwing axe) does it count as "ranged" and not "melee"?

Q647
Range weapons get multiple attacks too? If so, and if the answer to Q656 is that they count as ranged, does that apply to alchemy potions and other thrown weapons? Can I throw multiple alchemy potions or daggers in one attack, if high enough? Could I mix it up?

[Psyren]

A646: Yes that would be a ranged attack. Note that special rules apply to weapons that don't have a "range" entry. (Daggers do, so you're fine there, but throwing a greatsword for example would take longer and be less accurate without the right feats/build.)

A647: Yes, provided you can draw these as a free action (e.g. Quick Draw) you can full attack with as many as you have to throw. If you cannot draw as a free action, you will be stuck with what is in your hands and be unlikely to throw more than two.

[Mel]

Q648
Is everything rounded down?
For example, two handed weapons give 1.5 * strength bonus on damage, if your strength is only 12, does that mean you only do +1 more point of damage, same as if you were wielding a one handed weapon? But if your strength was 14, then the two handed weapon would get a strength bonus to damage of +3? And if your strength was 16, it would be +4 with the two handed weapon? And 18, +6?