[Pathfinder] Dreamscarred Press FAQ

[ICN]

Another couple questions about Dark Messengers:

Do they get any languages?

The Dark Messenger’s Intelligence score is equal to its master’s.

Does that include item bonuses? If so, there is some potential abuse. The Dark Messenger wouldn't be limited to the skill ingrained in a Headband of Vast Intelligence, and so could specialize in anything, and change it every time the Headband is reapplied.

[Powerdork]

Akashic Mysteries

What does it mean to have "temporary essence" (such as from the akasin's 'absorb radiance' ability)? Is it just essence that you have, until you don't? Does it follow the normal rules for temporary hit points? Does it stack from different sources? Does it stack from the same source, if not otherwise specified?

[Ssalarn]

Akashic Mysteries

What does it mean to have "temporary essence" (such as from the akasin's 'absorb radiance' ability)? Is it just essence that you have, until you don't? Does it follow the normal rules for temporary hit points? Does it stack from different sources? Does it stack from the same source, if not otherwise specified?

Temporary essence is unique and distinct from temporary hit points. It's a pool of essence that generally acts exactly like essence, with the exceptions described in the Akasha and Magic section:

Temporary essence: Some abilities may grant you temporary essence. Temporary essence points are always burned first, and cannot be recovered through normal rest, though they generally act and can be used in all other ways just like normal essence.

Generally, stacking limitations, if any, are covered by the ability that grants the temporary essence. For example, the Akasin Guru's Absorb Radiance states "These temporary essence points are always burned first when the akasin activates his philosophy abilities, and cannot be recovered through normal meditation, nor can he ever gain more than ½ his class level in temporary essence points at any time via this ability. "

So you could potentially stack multiple instances of Absorb Radiance, but you would always hit the 1/2 class level cap.

[Tuvarkz]

Path of War-Expanded-Mystic
Anima Burn: The mystic adds ½ her class level to damage rolls made during that maneuver. This augment costs two points of animus, and can only be applied once to a given maneuver.
If I use a boost that gives bonuses to all my attacks for one round (Like Strength of Hell or Encouraging Roar), does augmenting the boost with this make all my attacks for the round deal the extra 1/2 class level damage?

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Does Akashic Mysteries add any new skills? If it does, then my previous question would also include those whether they were background skills or not.

[Ssalarn]

Does Akashic Mysteries add any new skills? If it does, then my previous question would also include those whether they were background skills or not.

Akashic Mysteries does not add any new skills to the game, though it may use certain skills in slightly different ways, as described in the entry (the main one is that identifying a veil uses Knowledge: Arcana, instead of Spellcraft like you would use to identify a spell).

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Well, my previous question still stands on where Knowledge (Martial)/(Psionics) and Autohypnosis would fall using the Background Skill system,

[neversterling]

Well, my previous question still stands on where Knowledge (Martial)/(Psionics) and Autohypnosis would fall using the Background Skill system,

I can't think of an instance where you would ID an enemy with Knowledge History, Engineering, Geography, or Nobility. But with Knowledge Psionics, you ID psionic enemies, and Knowledge Martial IDs maneuvers just like Spellcraft. Autohypnosis has many uses relevant to adventuring and fighting as well, such as resisting fear and poison.

They should be adventuring skills.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

I stated as much myself when I asked the question last page, but official word on things is why this thread was made, was it not?

[Ssalarn]

I stated as much myself when I asked the question last page, but official word on things is why this thread was made, was it not?

As the DSP guy most familiar with Unchained, I'm going to go ahead and stick my neck out a bit despite those not being part of my product lines and say "Knowledge: Martial and Autohypnosis should be considered adventuring skills if you are using the Background Skills alternate rules from Pathfinder Unchained".

Autohypnosis is clearly an adventuring skill based on the standards established there, and Knowledge: Martial is of roughly the same value as Knowledge: Dungeoneering, which is considered an adventuring skill.

[Mithril Leaf]

Does the Puppeteer, a CR 1 creature, really possess a no save, permanent, dominate ability? It looks like it was the case in 3.5.

EDIT: Sorry, it also bypasses immunity to Mind Affecting it would seem.

[Ssalarn]

Does the Puppeteer, a CR 1 creature, really possess a no save, permanent, dominate ability? It looks like it was the case in 3.5.

EDIT: Sorry, it also bypasses immunity to Mind Affecting it would seem.

Not really. The puppeteer's enthrall ability must be used on a creature it has first charmed, such as with its empathic connection ability. Since a creature immune to mind-affecting effects would be immune to most charm effects (all the ones I'm aware of, barring a few higher level class-specific abilities that can bypass immunity), it would also be immune to the puppeteer's enthrall by virtue of the fact that the puppeteer would not be able to enforce the conditions to use the ability.
By that same token, the target also gets a save against the initial charm effect and must then come into physical contact and remain in physical contact with the puppeteer for it to use or maintain its enthrall ability, so while the ability technically does not grant a saving throw, it does have several points where it can fail.

[Mithril Leaf]

Not really. The puppeteer's enthrall ability must be used on a creature it has first charmed, such as with its empathic connection ability. Since a creature immune to mind-affecting effects would be immune to most charm effects (all the ones I'm aware of, barring a few higher level class-specific abilities that can bypass immunity), it would also be immune to the puppeteer's enthrall by virtue of the fact that the puppeteer would not be able to enforce the conditions to use the ability.
By that same token, the target also gets a save against the initial charm effect and must then come into physical contact and remain in physical contact with the puppeteer for it to use or maintain its enthrall ability, so while the ability technically does not grant a saving throw, it does have several points where it can fail.

And yet, any old big bad can easily capture people and just place the physic slug upon them and bam, free permanent thralls if he's got a good deal going with the Puppeteers, which are pretty easy to mind control themselves. Hey, that's a great idea. Planar Binding gives us some powerful outsiders that don't like us, why not just summon them, drop a puppeteer on them, and bam we get free slaves. It's a lot easier to throw a slug at someone than it is to get a permanent, free, no save, not mind-affecting dominate effect.

EDIT: Ah okay, I somehow missed the bit where it can only enthrall creatures it has charmed.

[mostholycerebus]

Ultimate Psionics - Annihilator Aegis Racial Archetype (pg311)

This archetype states that it replaces "Astral Repair" with "Size Matters" at 1st level, "Augment Suit" with "Strength of Mind" at 4th level, and "Cannibalize Suit" with "Absorb Critical" at 12th level. However, some of the abilities replaced scale with level by adding uses, while the abilities they are replaced with do not continue to scale. Does this mean that the replacement abilities only apply to that level? Frex: Would a Blue Aegis Annihilator receive "Strength of Mind" at 4th level, then receive "Augment Suit (1)" at 8th level?

[Forrestfire]

The original intent of the archetype is that it replaces the ability entirely. While it's true that the original rules for archetypes say that the class would get them later, that wasn't the RAI in this case. Moreover, the rules for archetypes were updated in Occult Adventures, it seems:

If a class feature has a series of improvements (such as a fighter’s weapon training or a ranger’s favored enemy), it can be replaced either entirely or partially. By default, an alternate class feature replaces the entire original class feature and all of its improvements. For example, if a class feature states that it replaces trap sense without mentioning a specific bonus, it replaces trap sense entirely.

If an alternate class feature replaces one instance of a class feature that’s part of a series, the next time the character would gain an improvement to that ability, the
new improvement counts as the lower-level ability that was replaced by the archetype, and all subsequent improvements follow suit. For example, if the barbarian’s 3rd-level trap sense +1 were replaced, the barbarian would gain trap sense +1 at 6th level, trap sense +2 at 9th level, and so on.

So by RAW now as well, they wouldn't get the ability at later levels.

[Kymera]

Akashic Mysteries

Why does Essence Focus lack the (Psionic) descriptor? Was this intentional?

[Powerdork]

Psionics Unleashed / Ultimate Psionics

Does a vitalist's Steal Health's "as a touch attack" phrasing count as an action cost in itself, or are we meant to rely on the general rules for supernatural actions in combat (making it a standard action to use)?

[Ssalarn]

Akashic Mysteries

Why does Essence Focus lack the (Psionic) descriptor? Was this intentional?

The most recent releases (Daevic, Supplemental) should already reflect Essence Focus as possessing the Psionic descriptor. This was an oversight in the earlier releases that has been corrected and will be updated in all releases containing the feat.

[Tuvarkz]

Path of War-Expanded
Do the Ravenlord's Channel of Woe limitations still apply if the Dark Messenger uses strikes gained from having taken the Martial Training feats?

[EarthSeraphEdna]

Arcforge: Is the psychic warrior (reactor knight)'s High Performance supposed to be applicable to skill checks even outside of combat? Is the dread (eclipse) supposed to be able to pilot an aerial mech at 1st level as a Small-sized race?

[ICN]

Path of War: Expanded
Can the Unorthodox Method trait be taken more than once? When multiclassing initiators, do you swap out a discipline known from your future class?

[Forrestfire]

Path of War: Expanded
Can the Unorthodox Method trait be taken more than once? When multiclassing initiators, do you swap out a discipline known from your future class?

The Unorthodox Method trait can only be taken once (in the final version, it's a Regional trait), and it swaps the discipline known each time it comes up from a class.

Path of War-Expanded
Do the Ravenlord's Channel of Woe limitations still apply if the Dark Messenger uses strikes gained from having taken the Martial Training feats?

Yes, they do. They will also still create Gloom when the bird uses a maneuver it has from another source.

[Captain Morgan]

How does Steel Coils Stance from Steel Serpent work exactly?

In this stance, the movements and motions of the disciple become more sinuous and deliberate, as if he were a serpent coiled to strike. While in this stance, the disciple may make grapple attempts without provoking attacks of opportunity, and if the disciple successfully grapples a foe, he may constrict his opponent to inflict 4d6 + his Strength modifier in damage. The manner in which he must carry himself in this stance, muscles taught and stiffened, grants him some degree of protection, adding a +4 bonus to his natural armor.

I read it as extra damage like the Constrict monster ability, IE, 4d6 + STR damage on every successful grapple check, in addition to armor spikes damage and unarmed strike damage is it's maintain check. Does the 4d6 + STR damage instead replace the unarmed strike damage? I don't think that's the case, because by RAW you would get this constrict damage even when you wouldn't do unarmed strike damage, like starting a grapple or going for the pin.

[Ssalarn]

Arcforge: Is the psychic warrior (reactor knight)'s High Performance supposed to be applicable to skill checks even outside of combat?

That's not the intent of the ability. Since Arcforge is still in playtest, we'll be evaluating and updating this ability according to the feedback we get.

Is the dread (eclipse) supposed to be able to pilot an aerial mech at 1st level as a Small-sized race?

At the moment, yes. This actually currently conforms to the precedents set by animal companions and eidolons, which share that dynamic of allowing Small races 1st level access to flight. However, I've been taking playtest feedback into account and I'm not a particularly big fan of general dynamics that favor one race over another when they're presumably already balanced to each other, so I'm looking at changing the "aerial mech" to the "agile mech" and having flight either kick in at a specific number of hit die, or making the flight mech enhancements more favorable for the agile body type. I think these changes will also prevent unintended rapid escalation of speed or confusion on interactions for flying races in campaigns that feature them.

[Tuvarkz]

Path of War
Warder-Deathless Defenses
Is this also meant to prevent fainting from health loss?

[Artillery]

Q1. Do fully healed members of a Collective still naturally heal due to resting, allowing the healing from it to be redistributed to injured members?

Q2. Can a Vitalist's Collective Healing used the Collective member's natural healing from rest to heal a specific member of more Ability burn than a single member normally can?

[GilesTheCleric]

I'm new to PF and PoW, so please excuse me if I'm missing something obvious. I'm looking at the Sworn Protector archetype for Warders, and don't know what action it is to assign a creature as a "ward" with the Guardianship ability. It says

"At 1st level, the sworn protector may select a ward, a person whom she must protect no matter what the cost. When in combat and the sworn protector's ward is within 10ft of their ward's position, the ward gains..."

"A sworn protector may only have one ward at a time at 1st level; they may then select a second ward..."

And "To select a ward, the sworn protector must take ten minutes discussing tactics and practicing with his ward so that he may learn how best to protect him, and from there on he practices those tactics when he readies his maneuvers. A sworn protector may dismiss a creature as his ward at anytime as a free action."

So could I spend ten minutes practising with all the folks in my party, and from then on I can freely choose among them as the creature I'm warding? There doesn't seem to be an expiration to having a ward, nor any limitations on how many folks you've spent ten minutes with.

If I dismiss the ward as a free action in combat, what action is it to pick a new one that I've already spent the ten minutes with?

Edit: Also, can I take both the Sworn Protector and Zweihander Sentinel archetypes at the same time? They work just like 3.5's alternate class features, right?

[Ninjaxenomorph]

I'm not sure about the rest, but yes, if the archetypes do not conflict, you may take them both.

[Milo v3]

So could I spend ten minutes practising with all the folks in my party, and from then on I can freely choose among them as the creature I'm warding? There doesn't seem to be an expiration to having a ward, nor any limitations on how many folks you've spent ten minutes with.

If I dismiss the ward as a free action in combat, what action is it to pick a new one that I've already spent the ten minutes with?

Once you spend the 10 minutes practising with 1 of your party members they are your ward. If you want to pick another party member, you will need to dismiss the party member as a ward as a free action and spend 10 minutes practising with the next party member. You cannot spend ten minutes practicing with multiple people and then pick 1 as your ward, the practising for 10 minutes is picking the ward.

[Forrestfire]

Psionics

At the request of another forum, I'm posting up this question and its answer. Hopefully it should clear up any confusion that may have resulted from the abilities.

Does the Psionic Knack trait increase your maximum power level known?

The answer is that it does not; Psionic Knack's rules text says the following:

Pick a class with a manifester level when you gain this trait—your manifester level in that class gains a +2 trait bonus as long as this bonus doesn't raise your manifester level above your current Hit Dice.

It's a bonus to your manifester level, which is defined in the psionic powers section linked here as doing this:

In the event that a class feature or other special ability provides an adjustment to your manifester level, this adjustment applies not only to all effects based on manifester level (such as range, duration, and augmentation potential) but also to your manifester level check to overcome your target’s power resistance and to the manifester level used in dispel checks (both the dispel check and the DC of the check).

Maximum power level known is unrelated to manifester level, and instead is based off of class level or prestige class level:

Spoiler: Rules text quotes

Show

A psion begins play with the ability to learn 1st-level powers. As he attains higher levels, a psion may gain the ability to master more complex powers.

A psychic warrior begins play with the ability to learn 1st-level powers. As he attains higher levels, he may gain the ability to master more complex powers.

A wilder begins play with the ability to learn 1st-level powers. As she attains higher levels, she may gain the ability to master more complex powers.

At every level indicated on the table, the character gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if she had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class.

Psionic Knack increases the number of power points you can spend on powers, the effectiveness of manifester level-based effects, and your number of bonus power points (which are based on ML). It does not increase your maximum power level known, give you more powers known, increase the number of base power points your class gives you, or give any other benefits from the class you applied it to.