Simple RAW for Pathfinder Thread V: Golarion Strikes Back

[Calthropstu]

Q377:
Can a troll drown to death?
Edit: more specifically, does regeneration prevent death by drowning?

[upho]

A 377: Yes, as the rules for regeneration say:

"Regeneration also does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation."

And a drowning creature is per the RAW definition subject to suffocation. Which is why the specific mechanics of drowning are identical to those of any other kind of (non-slow) suffocation, even though drowning has its own entry under the "Water Dangers" heading of the environmental rules section in the CRB (probably for ease of reference as water is typically the most prevalent environmental danger and drowning thus the most common cause of suffocation).

[Slithery D]

A377 dispute: No. Regeneration says you can’t die while your regeneration is functioning. You also can’t recover HP from drowning or suffocation. So you’d go below 0 HP and remain unconscious until the drowning/suffocation condition was removed and you healed above 0 HP via normal HD per day means.

[Nibbens]

Q378:

What is the functioning spell level of a Wendigo's psychosis for the purposes of Detect Curse?

Not looking after the spell level or caster level or the nightmare effect as thats really easy to determine. But as the Wendigo Psychosis is a Curse, it doesn't seem to have a spell level attached to it for the Detect Curse to identify.

The CL18 of a wendigo could be an answer for how detect curse picks it up, but the Spell Like abilities have that CL attached to them, and the Wendigo Psychosis is a Supernatural Ability seemingly apart from the SLAs. Or am I wrong on this?

Thanks in advance.

[Psyren]

A378: I'm having trouble finding the rule, but I believe the caster level of a supernatural ability (if it matters) equals the monster's hit dice, and the spell level (if that also matters) is half that value rounded up.

[TheFamilarRaven]

A378 Addendum: It's my belief that Detect Curse was written with only the spell Bestow Curse in mind, unless there are other rules written in the source book it came from. There are plenty of other creatures that bestow curses that don't have CL or spell-level attached to the effect (Mummies, Lycanthropes to name a few). You can use Psyren's suggestion, although I am also having difficulty finding the aforementioned rule.

My suggestion would be to treat Detect Curse as Detect Evil instead, with the aura being based of the HD of the creature that placed the curse, following the same aura strengths as either undead or outsiders. (Whichever you feel is more appropriate).

[heavyfuel]

Q 379

If a Lich is reduced to below 0 HP inside an AMF does his Rejuvenation ability function as normal since the phylactery is outside the AMF?

If no, does the ability resume once the AMF is gone?

If yes, is the ability also suppressed if the phylactery is also inside an AMF? If yes to this, does the ability resume once the phylactery AMF is gone?

[Cieyrin]

A 379 It looks like it matters where the phylactery is, not the lich, for whether Rejuvenation can function or not. As such, if the phylactery is being suppressed in a field, it won't trigger till it's out again, like any other magic item being suppressed by an AMF.
That sounds like an interesting plot device for keeping a lich whose phylactery can't be destroyed for whatever reason suppressed to keep him or her from rejuvenating, like Tar-Baphon, perhaps.

[Florian]

A 379 Addendum: Interestingly enough, the Rejuvenation (SU) ability doesn't appear in the Defensive Abilities of the Lich, but rather is called out as the main function of the Phylactery, so it cannot be suppressed by an AMF on the Lich. There're also example Liches that have lost their Phylactery, thereby don't having access to Rejuvenation. Compare this to a Ghost, which always has Rejuvenation (SU) as part of the Defensive Abilities of the creature.

[heavyfuel]

Q 380

Are the Lich's Defensive Abilities (channel resistance, DR, energy immunity, and Undead traits) extraordinary in nature (aka, do they work inside the AMF)?

[Florian]

A 380: Check the universal monster rules. They're (Ex).

[Psyren]

A380 correction: DR/magic is supernatural, though in an AMF this is unlikely to be relevant (since whatever thing is hitting them will either lose its magic as well, or be suppressed entirely in the case of a spell effect.)

[Cieyrin]

Q 381 If a character is in a class that doesn't currently have a CL but will eventually if they advance far enough (Bloodrager, Paladin, Ranger), can they use a scroll before they're able to cast spells? For example, if a 3rd level Paladin with a Charisma of 11 has a Scroll of Cure Light Wounds, can he activate it with a CL check of DC 2, even though he doesn't currently have a CL?

[Psyren]

A381: For scrolls and other spell completion items - no, you will need UMD to activate those. Even after you finally do get a caster level, if yours is insufficient for the spell in question, you will need a CL check to use the scroll, with a failure causing a Mishap.

For wands and other spell trigger items - you can activate these just fine even if your CL is too low or you don't have one at all, as long as your class has the wand's spell on its list at some point.

[Zsaber0]

Q 382

A successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as a translucent outline.

According to this rule, does succeeding on the saving throw allow you to see through glamers, patterns, and shadows or does it just allow you to know that the illusion isn't real?

[Psyren]

A382: You're approaching it backwards - the spell (or some other rule based on the thing you're fabricating) has to say it blocks your vision, rather than assuming spell effects block your vision and then looking for a rule that lifts that. For example, a Silent Image of a wall will obscure your vision because that's what walls do, but a silent image of a rabbit hopping in circles will still let you see all the squares beyond it even if you failed your save.

[Draconi Redfir]

Q383 since it seems impossible for a bard to gain an at-level sorcerer bloodline, is it at all possible for a sorcerer to get bardic performance or anything of the sort? Trying a bard /sorcerer build and quickly finding that file i'm okay in some aspects, i have a lot of useless abilities and spells since my bard level is so low, and i likely won't be seeing seccond level spells anytime soon. Trying to go for a musical enchantress / sonic spell character.

Q383a in relation, is there any way a Sorcerer could somehow inheit the abilities of a Sound Striker bard? Like a feat that says "Choose a bardic performance of 3rd to 6th lvl and take it" etc, that i could then potentially replace with the sound striker version?

[Florian]

A383: I don´t really understand your question(s). There're multiple ways to gain a Bloodline, from the Eldritch Heritage feat chain to simply using VMC Sorcerer, the former scaling on par with the regular Sorcerer. Conversely, a Sorcerer can use VMC Bard and pick up the relevant items to push that to the level of a regular Bard (and using the Psychic bloodline along with Shards of Psychic Power is a way to gain spells known from other classes). Beyond that, there're practically no way to transfer specific archetype class features.

[Slithery D]

A383: An Imperious Bloodline sorcerer gets the ability to inspire greatness/heroics, but not until 15th level.

[Draconi Redfir]

Re: 383, think this question needs more context and thus doesn't apply for a proper simple RAW question, so i'll make a thread for it.

[Man on Fire]

Q384

Can Magus archetypes Eldritch Scion, Hexcrafter or Bladebound be combined with one another?

[Frendle]

Q385

Can a Magus apply the feat Spell Perfection (Quicken Spell) to Dimension door (4th level spell)?

The feat states that "...as long as the total modified level of the spell does not use a spell slot above 9th."

Magus have only 6 spell levels, does the "not use a spell slot above 9th" apply, or is it 6th level (Max Spell Level)



If it is restricted to 6th, applying the Magical Lineage trait to dimension door should work, yes? No, since Quicken is +4. Math!

[TheFamilarRaven]

A 385 On the page for the general rules for metamagic feats, under "Effects of metamagic feats on a spell", it clearly states that spells modified by metamagic use higher level spell slots. So if you do not have said spell slots available, you cannot cast a spell modified by that feat.

Magical lineage would reduce the spell slot to 7, (from 8), so a Magus would still not be able to cast a quickened dimension door without additional metamgaic reducers.

Alternatively, the Dimensional Assault line of feats does what you looking for.

[Cieyrin]

A 384 Hexcrafter and Bladebound are compatible, Eldritch Scion isn't compatible with either, as Hexcrafter and Eldritch Scion both replace Spell Recall and Bladebound and Eldritch Scion both modify/replace the Arcane Pool. There isn't any feature adjustment overlap between Hexcrafter and Bladebound, so they don't interfere with one another.

[TheFamilarRaven]

A 385 correction Apologies, I completely misread the question. Yes, a Magus can apply the Spell Perfection feat to Dimension Door, provided they do not add more metamagic spells that would bring the "pre-spell perfection" spell slot cost above 9.

[Barstro]

Q 386

Do "on hit" effects take place even if no damage is done?

I'm specifically looking at;

1) Path of War Zealot (Whenever a zealot successfully hits an opponent with a strike maneuver, all allies in his collective (including him) gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls) and
2) Swashbuckler (confirms a critical hit with a light or one-handed piercing melee weapon, she regains 1 panache point.)

... even though no actual damage is done due to not exceeding hardness or DR.

[TheFamilarRaven]

A 386 According to the PFSRD

Attack Roll
An attack roll represents your attempt to strike your opponent on your turn in a round. When you make an attack roll, you roll a d20 and add your attack bonus. (Other modifiers may also apply to this roll.) If your result equals or beats the target’s Armor Class, you hit and deal damage.

The bold portion indicates relevance. "Hitting" represents successfully overcoming the armor class of your target with an attack roll. Thus dealing damage is not a requirement to "hit" an opponent. So abilities that proc on a successful hit still activate even if no damage is dealt with said attack.

[Togath]

Q 387
One of my players is trying to convince me that Eldritch Knight also grants new spell levels known... but I kind of have a hard time believing that it's THAT good. Am I missing something?

[Calthropstu]

A387 He is correct. Eldritch Knight gives spells known, caster level and spells per day at levels indicated "as if you had gained a level in the chosen spell casting class."

[Togath]

A387 He is correct. Eldritch Knight gives spells known, caster level and spells per day at levels indicated "as if you had gained a level in the chosen spell casting class."

Aha! Awesome~ I guess he wasn't being odd for a change. (previous odd moments in the past include him being confused as to why a pistol with normal black powder might not work underwater and him wondering if otters could swim... ^-^;)