Dreamscarred Press - Path of War Expanded! (Thread VII)

[angelpalm]

Stat changing can get out of hand but I personally allowed the Myrmidon to be able to chose it's mental stat for all it's abilities at the get go since I felt it added a lot more flexibility which is what that archetype seemed like it was going for. It's all ready a great archetype for those that aren't yet comfortable with initiators and allowing them to choose that stat lets them really tailor their fighter the way they want without having to be exposed to too many foreign class features or concepts. It's the only one I will allow though.

[tekevil]

@DSP staff: You aren't going to take down the beta docs immediately once the beta is over, right? I'm planning on using a fair amount of this content in an upcoming game.

Edit: Also, to be clear, you can never have more than one stance up at a time by multiclassing? It's only special abilities that say you can have two stances that let you?

I'm not a DSP staff, but I have yet to see them ever take down beta docs for any of their playtests. I would still advise you to purchase the materials as soon as you're financially stable if you intend to use said materials. Dreamscarred Press is not a large business and really each and every individual sale can matter to them.

You can have one stance and one style up at a time. Stances do not go away until you exit them while styles do. EX: Character X is in Dragon Style and using Broken Blade Stance. Character X gets paralyzed. Character Y removes X's paralyses. Character X is still in Broken Blade stance and no longer in Dragon Style. Only the Warlord capstone lets you have 2 stances up.

[angelpalm]

Speaking of stat changing I know mystic is designed to be able to multiclass with arcane casters but is there even any other arcane casters that anyone can think of other than a empyreal bloodline sorcerer that uses WISDOM as a casting stat? Seems extremely limited....lol. Do people actually multiclass casters with different casting stats like EVER??

[GilesTheCleric]

I'm not a DSP staff, but I have yet to see them ever take down beta docs for any of their playtests. I would still advise you to purchase the materials as soon as you're financially stable if you intend to use said materials. Dreamscarred Press is not a large business and really each and every individual sale can matter to them.

You can have one stance and one style up at a time. Stances do not go away until you exit them while styles do. EX: Character X is in Dragon Style and using Broken Blade Stance. Character X gets paralyzed. Character Y removes X's paralyses. Character X is still in Broken Blade stance and no longer in Dragon Style. Only the Warlord capstone lets you have 2 stances up.

I'm planning on getting hard/ softcovers if those are available once it's feasible, definitely.

Okay, that makes sense but wasn't explicitly spelled out as far as I could see.

One more question (thank you all for being so helpful!): Black Seraph's Fear-Eating Technique requires "successful demoralization". Does that mean I need to use my standard action to use the intimidate skill? Or is it okay to use it on a foe that's shaken, such as from using BS's Ravaging Blow?

[Vhaidara]

One more question (thank you all for being so helpful!): Black Seraph's Fear-Eating Technique requires "successful demoralization". Does that mean I need to use my standard action to use the intimidate skill? Or is it okay to use it on a foe that's shaken, such as from using BS's Ravaging Blow?

It would require the use of the demoralization function of Intimidate. Most like not via standard, since Black Seraph's Glare (the level 1 stance) lets you demoralize as a free when you damage someone.

[GilesTheCleric]

It would require the use of the demoralization function of Intimidate. Most like not via standard, since Black Seraph's Glare (the level 1 stance) lets you demoralize as a free when you damage someone.

Oh well. I'll have to use Silver Crane instead, then, since I plan to have the Vigilant Keeper's stance up 100% of the time. Thank you for the swift response!

Edit: Which way is better to buy the materials (ie which charges you less in fees)? Amazon or Paizo's store?

[LTwerewolf]

I prefer paizo store. Gets there in the same amount of time and a % goes to paizo instead of to amazon. Not that I have a problem with amazon, but I like to support companies that have been good to me.

[Vhaidara]

Have you considered Dreamscarred Press' own store?

[Kaidinah]

I prefer paizo store. Gets there in the same amount of time and a % goes to paizo instead of to amazon. Not that I have a problem with amazon, but I like to support companies that have been good to me.

Oh well. I'll have to use Silver Crane instead, then, since I plan to have the Vigilant Keeper's stance up 100% of the time. Thank you for the swift response!

Edit: Which way is better to buy the materials (ie which charges you less in fees)? Amazon or Paizo's store?

I recommend DSP's own store that Keledrath linked.

I'm not a DSP staff, but I have yet to see them ever take down beta docs for any of their playtests. I would still advise you to purchase the materials as soon as you're financially stable if you intend to use said materials. Dreamscarred Press is not a large business and really each and every individual sale can matter to them.

You can have one stance and one style up at a time. Stances do not go away until you exit them while styles do. EX: Character X is in Dragon Style and using Broken Blade Stance. Character X gets paralyzed. Character Y removes X's paralyses. Character X is still in Broken Blade stance and no longer in Dragon Style. Only the Warlord capstone lets you have 2 stances up.

Paralysis makes a creature helpless. As per the Systems and Use of Path of War, a creature always loses their Stance when helpless.

[tekevil]

I completely didn't notice that entire page.

[GilesTheCleric]

Two questions about the Fiendbound Marauder archetype for Warders. First, it specifies "to manifest a Fiend’s Grip, the character must be wearing gauntlets or spiked gauntlets that act as a focus for the marauder’s weapon to come into the world". What about the rope gauntlet or any other type of gauntlet? Would it work with things like a nekode, tiger claws, brass knuckles, or other things that encapsulate the hand but still allow for movement of the fingers?

Also, Fiendbound Marauder isn't compatible with PoW's Dervish Defender archetype since they both replace the Tactical Acumen feature. May I ask what the decision behind that was? The two archetypes seem to go together very well, so I don't understand why they're not allowed to.

Have you considered Dreamscarred Press' own store?

Hmn, I didn't think to check and see if they had their own store. Thank you.

[Elricaltovilla]

Two questions about the Fiendbound Marauder archetype for Warders. First, it specifies "to manifest a Fiend’s Grip, the character must be wearing gauntlets or spiked gauntlets that act as a focus for the marauder’s weapon to come into the world". What about the rope gauntlet or any other type of gauntlet? Would it work with things like a nekode, tiger claws, brass knuckles, or other things that encapsulate the hand but still allow for movement of the fingers?

By RAW it only works with the listed weapons: Gauntlet and Spiked Gauntlet. However it'd likely be a reasonable houserule to expand it to similar weapons like the rope gauntlet, brass knuckles, or cesti. Unfortunately pathfinder's wording regarding weapons requires a lot of specificity.

Also, Fiendbound Marauder isn't compatible with PoW's Dervish Defender archetype since they both replace the Tactical Acumen feature. May I ask what the decision behind that was? The two archetypes seem to go together very well, so I don't understand why they're not allowed to.

That's not really a question that can be answered, archetypes aren't usually designed with stacking in mind. It's typically just something that happens, or is the result of noticing an overlap that can be easily fixed. So they don't stack because they were never designed with the intent to stack in mind.

[GilesTheCleric]

By RAW it only works with the listed weapons: Gauntlet and Spiked Gauntlet. However it'd likely be a reasonable houserule to expand it to similar weapons like the rope gauntlet, brass knuckles, or cesti. Unfortunately pathfinder's wording regarding weapons requires a lot of specificity.

Since it's in beta, I'm subtly asking if you would consider opening it up to the rope gauntlet, or things like 3.5's (or PF, if they introduce it) razored gauntlet.

That's not really a question that can be answered, archetypes aren't usually designed with stacking in mind. It's typically just something that happens, or is the result of noticing an overlap that can be easily fixed. So they don't stack because they were never designed with the intent to stack in mind.

Got it. My apologies; it's my 3.5 mindset that encourages me to try to find where I can get things to stack.

[ANSeranov]

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that Fiendbound Marauder doesn't really have any built-in support for TWFing (because why by normal Nightmare when you can be DOUBLE NIGHTMARE!) but I'm glad it's designed to stand on its own. I'm super looking forward to playing it in my friend's game that starts in late February/early March, and hopefully I can have a copy of the book by then, so that I can make sure everything is kosher.

[GilesTheCleric]

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that Fiendbound Marauder doesn't really have any built-in support for TWFing (because why by normal Nightmare when you can be DOUBLE NIGHTMARE!) but I'm glad it's designed to stand on its own. I'm super looking forward to playing it in my friend's game that starts in late February/early March, and hopefully I can have a copy of the book by then, so that I can make sure everything is kosher.

I'm also planning to play one in a game coincidentally beginning in march, and had the same reaction as you did. I'm planning on using FG for when I'm disarmed or in a situation where I'm not allowed to bring in weapons, and using a reach weapon 2H the rest of the time.

We'll have to compare our experiences!

[Sayt]

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that Fiendbound Marauder doesn't really have any built-in support for TWFing (because why by normal Nightmare when you can be DOUBLE NIGHTMARE!) but I'm glad it's designed to stand on its own. I'm super looking forward to playing it in my friend's game that starts in late February/early March, and hopefully I can have a copy of the book by then, so that I can make sure everything is kosher.

Well, the Warder gets a few bonus feats, you can take Prodigious TWF and swap out using tradition for Thrashing Dragon.

[Elricaltovilla]

Since it's in beta, I'm subtly asking if you would consider opening it up to the rope gauntlet, or things like 3.5's (or PF, if they introduce it) razored gauntlet.

We aren't in beta. We're in layout and doing the last bits necessary to push the book to completion for publication. We've been working on layout since December.

[GilesTheCleric]

We aren't in beta. We're in layout and doing the last bits necessary to push the book to completion for publication. We've been working on layout since December.

Ah, sorry. The labels in the OP said beta, so I assumed that meant "still pending changes before finalization".

[tekevil]

There is still going to be a period of time between PDF and Print publication, that way they can catch errors before commiting to a print run. A lot of stuff got edits between Path of War PDF and Print last year, so it's not impossible.

You have a chance of feedback being implemented in that run depending on how things go.

[MilleniaAntares]

Would it be possible to get the "final" wording for the Omen Rider Harbinger's Ethereal Ride's 10th level ability?

I've been attempting to use it but it seems that "immunity to exhaustion and fatigue" isn't as useful due to my GM's reading.

[Adam1949]

When Expanded gets released, with the handbooks/guides for the Stalker, Warder, and Warlord get updated to include the new options available? I'd definitely like to see a helpful guide to the Fiendbound Marauder as well as for the Bushi in all of its forms.

[Nyaa]

When Expanded gets released, with the handbooks/guides for the Stalker, Warder, and Warlord get updated to include the new options available? I'd definitely like to see a helpful guide to the Fiendbound Marauder as well as for the Bushi in all of its forms.

Guides are written by regular players, or in Nova case designers who didn't work on the class in question, and one of the best ways to learn a class is to write a guide about it.

[ghanjrho]

Guides are written by regular players, or in Nova case designers who didn't work on the class in question, and one of the best ways to learn a class is to write a guide about it.

I'm gonna second this whole heartedly. I learned a lot more about the Dragon Fury while writing my guide for it than I would have expected.

[Squirrel_Dude]

Guides are written by regular players, or in Nova case designers who didn't work on the class in question, and one of the best ways to learn a class is to write a guide about it.

I'll second seconding this. If you want to do a good job, you have to look at every section of rules pertinent to the class, look at other guides on similar topics, and probably take a little bit of time actually playing or building characters using the class to get a feel for how it comes together.

[Elricaltovilla]

When Expanded gets released, with the handbooks/guides for the Stalker, Warder, and Warlord get updated to include the new options available? I'd definitely like to see a helpful guide to the Fiendbound Marauder as well as for the Bushi in all of its forms.

I'll update what I can, but I'm really reluctant to keep writing the guides because I've become so involved in the publication that I'm not sure I can call myself an objective reviewer anymore. There's a list of things I won't be writing guides for in the PoW guides thread, but at this point I think everyone would be better served if someone other than an author took over the guide writing.

[Jigawatts]

So I recently looked into playing a greatsword wielding initiator and I noticed that the Scarlet Zweihander stance was changed to be Scarlet Einhander, which can only be used if you are wielding a single weapon one-handed. This seems curious given the Zweihander Sentinel archetype that gives access to Scarlet Throne to the Warder is built solely around using a two-handed weapon. Was this a case of moving pieces that accidentally don't fit together anymore, or was it intentionally made noncongruous (or am I missing something)?

[Tuvarkz]

So I recently looked into playing a greatsword wielding initiator and I noticed that the Scarlet Zweihander stance was changed to be Scarlet Einhander, which can only be used if you are wielding a single weapon one-handed. This seems curious given the Zweihander Sentinel archetype that gives access to Scarlet Throne to the Warder is built solely around using a two-handed weapon. Was this a case of moving pieces that accidentally don't fit together anymore, or was it intentionally made noncongruous (or am I missing something)?

Scarlet Throne is meant to work with both 1-hander and 2-hander setups-it's just that it's quite obvious at low levels that 1-handing a single weapon nets you a clear disadvantage at level 1, which is likely the reason why Einhander only works with 1-hander+empty hand.

[angelpalm]

Does the warlords victory gambit add your charisma mod to hit to all attacks for that round? It says it can be used for full attack actions as well as standard actions. So I am guessing that would also include strikes that use multiple attack rolls?

[angelpalm]

Why is Fear the Reaper so much better than Intimidating Force?

You would think the discipline that concentrates more on fear and intimidation(if only slightly) would have the better intimidation based counter especially when they are the same level. Maybe I should make it so the opponent has to succeed on a will save to attack you on the next round or maybe they take a penalty to saves versus fear based effects for a number of rounds equal to your initiator mod....

edit: thinking about that reminded me how much better the trait Combat Training is compared to the first martial training feat. Both allow you to ready a 1st level feat but one you can get at level 1 while the other you have to wait until level 3 and it recovers as a full round action as opposed to the trait that recovers as a standard action Lol it's night and day.

[tekevil]

Why do you speak in boldtext and underlines?