Simple RAW for Pathfinder Thread V: Golarion Strikes Back

[Psyren]

A253: Short answer: A Fly failure would mean another check to do something lesser, until you either finally succeed at something, or fail and fall.

Much longer answer:

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The first rule we need is the basic one for all skill checks - if you succeed, you do the thing, and if you don't, you don't. CRB 87:

Check: What a character (“you” in the skill description) can do with a successful skill check and the check’s Difficulty Class (DC).

In other words, the default is "you can do this - if you succeed at your check."

This brings us to Fly - the main rule to keep in mind with flight is that you don't have to make a check to stay in the air as long as you move more than half your speed and aren't trying to do anything complex like a 180 (CRB 96, and linked above from the PRD.)

Check: You generally need only make a Fly check when you are attempting a complex maneuver. Without making a check, a flying creature can remain flying at the end of its turn so long as it moves a distance greater than half its speed. It can also turn up to 45 degrees by sacrificing 5 feet of movement, can rise at half speed at an angle of 45 degrees, and can descend at any angle at normal speed. Note that these restrictions only apply to movement taken during your current turn. At the beginning of the next turn, you can move in a different direction than you did the previous turn without making a check. Taking any action that violates these rules requires a Fly check. The difficulty of these maneuvers varies depending upon the maneuver you are attempting, as noted on the following chart.

Combining these two, we see that you only need a check to violate the rules (specifically, the main rule quoted above about moving > half your speed), and that for most maneuvers, the consequences of a failed fly check are clear (i.e. you simply don't get to do the thing you were trying to do.) So for instance, if you tried a steep climb and failed, you don't get to do that this turn, and then would go back to checking the basic flight rule (did you move half your speed or more?) at the end of your turn. If you did, no further checks necessary and you stay airborne even without hovering; if you didn't, you'd start to fall.

The problematic one is Hover because the consequences aren't listed. When people think of failing to hover, they think "well that means you fall - street pizza!"

But failing to hover simply means you don't hover - and therefore go back to the default rule. Did you move greater than half your movement this turn? Presumably you didn't, since Hover means staying in place. So you are forced to move, but that doesn't mean you fall all the way - because one of the other options on the fly table is "Move less than half speed and remain flying" with a much lower DC (10 instead of 15.)

How do you make those checks back to back, and even without having any movement left? Fly itself lets you do so:

Action: None. A Fly check doesn't require an action; it is made as part of another action or as a reaction to a situation.

Meaning you can make a fly check even without needing an action (because they can be made as reactions) and therefore without even needing movement left. The situation you're reacting to is "I moved less than half my speed but want to remain flying" - which starting to fall would let you do.

TL;DR - if you fail to hover, you have to move. If you do and move more than half your speed, you're safe. If you don't, or can't, you start to fall, but can make the other fly check (to stay airborne, DC 10) instead, as long as you don't stay in the same spot you started from (i.e., as long as you move from where you started, since you can't hover.) In either case, you will generally not have to worry about being roadkill - at least while the spell is active, or in its "float down" ending phase.

Also, keep in mind that most of the time with magical flight this won't even come up to begin with. Hover is DC 15, while "not-hover-but-stay-up" is DC 10. The fly spell gives you good maneuverability (+4) and an additional 1/2 CL bonus (minimum +2.) Taking 10 with both of those will keep you aloft, and since it is explicitly no more taxing than walking, you should be able to do that in most circumstances and not worry about rolling. Combat and other stresses (e.g. violent winds) meanwhile would require some GM judgement, but would also likely pose enough penalties that rolling would indeed be a necessity (and the risk/consequences of failing that much more important.)

[Coidzor]

Q255: Are there any tables for using Reincarnate on Animals or Animal Companions, either officially or through an unofficial Paizo source?

[Cieyrin]

A 255 Technically, as a dead animal, companion or otherwise, is a valid target for Reincarnate, the table in the CRB or Inner Sea Races works for them. If you mean that you want animal options included on the table, I'd look at the D&D 3.0 or 2nd Ed Player's Handbook and take the Pathfinder stats.

[Psyren]

A255 addendum: While aimals are indeed valid targets, the provided table in those sources is specific to humanoids. Unfortunately, you'll have to come up with your own for animals. I don't think there is anything official but there's plenty of reasonable homebrew out there to guide you.

[Firechanter]

Q256: Mass Combat Rules
How much does it cost to _raise_ an army?
Like, suppose I want to raise a company of 100 Fighters(4) - before adding any additional resources like improved weapons or armour, mounts etc.?

[Florian]

A256: No initial costs beyond special resources. But keep in mind that an army has a Consumption of ACR/2 in BP that you have to pay on a weekly basis, not the usual monthly kingdom upkeep interval, beginning at the start of the kingdom turn you created the unit.
(So a medium unit of (human) Ranger 5 would have a Consumption of 2BP/week, costing you 6BP in the first turn you create it, 8BP in the following turns)

Edit: Now add improved armor and weapons for an additional 6BP and you could basically say the construction cost is 12 BP.

[AtlasSniperman]

Q257:
Am I reading the interaction of these three options correctly:
Bard 2: Versatile Performer(Act) - Use Perform(Act) instead of Bluff and Disguise.
Investigator(Empiricist) 2: Ceaseless Observation - Use Int Mod for Disable Device, Perception, Sense Motive and Use Magic Device.
Pageant of the Peacock(Masterpiece, requires 5th level feat(or a 2nd level bard spell known) and 4 ranks in Perform(act) - Use Bluff mod instead of regular mod for all Int based skills, with a +4.

Does that mean if you have all three active that you use your Cha mod, Perform(Act) ranks, +3(class skill)(, +3 if you have Skill Focus(Perform(Act))) in place of the modifier for 20 of the 35 skills?

Appraise, Bluff, Craft, Disable Device, Disguise, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (engineering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (nobility), Knowledge (planes), Knowledge (religion), Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Use magic Device
Best I can tell, if this is right, it doesn't impose much of a burden feat wise(as you can take the masterpiece in place of a spell known), doesn't take much to maintain(one bardic performance/10minutes) and severely cuts down on a skill monkey MAD while allowing you to have a potentially huge mod in loads of skills(+19 on 19 of the skills through use of 5 ranks at level 5)

[Coidzor]

Q258: What is the CR of a Wight's spawn while that Wight still exists?

Is a Wight with one of its spawn really two CR 3 creatures for a CR 5 encounter?

[Cieyrin]

A 257 That does seem to work, though you wouldn't get the +4 to Bluff on Perform(Act), as Versatile Performance completely supplants your skill bonus in Bluff and Disguise. You'd also need to be proactive in using Pageant, since while it is inexpensive to use, you do need its effect on, so just keep that in mind.

A 258 The spawn penalties don't appear to lower the CR for such a wight, so by RAW its CR is unchanged, so yes, a wight and its spawned wight would be a CR 5.

To note, the spawn penalties are similar to the Young template, which imposes a -1 CR, so I'd probably make Wight Spawn CR 2 at my own table.

[Renen]

Q259.

In Path of War's Golden lion maneuvers, do you count as your own ally for some moves? For example Encouraging Roar, that works on every ally within 30ft.

Rules here say you are your ally: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/basics-ability-scores/glossary/

Golden lion flavor says: "Golden Lion benefits its practitioners indirectly, by aiding their allies instead."

Whats the answer here? And if possible is there an official ruling on this (possibly by the DSP guys who wrote PoW)

[Psyren]

A259: There is a FAQ thread dedicated to DSP products that is frequented by the designers, so I would suggest asking them directly what the intent was.

[Tuvarkz]

A259 addendum: Check each maneuver's text. Unless it specifies otherwise, you are your own ally and get the listed benefits. The DSP guys often say that the flavor is just that, flavor, and doesn't have a mechanical influence on the text.

[Zsaber0]

Q260
Does the spell Protective Penumbra allow the use of a Shadowdancer's Hide in Plain Sight?

[Psyren]

A260: This spell does not actually create dim light, so the answer seems to be no, but this would probably be a GM call as it uses terms that have no rules definition (e.g. "slightly in shadow.")

[Florian]

A 260 addendum: This is a protective spell that only shields the caster from harm. It does not change the environment or, more specifically, the light/darkness conditions for the square the caster is in.
Please read the next higher ranking spell, "Shield of Darkness".

[Cieyrin]

Q 261 If you have Spear Dancing Spiral, does the Weapon Focus to qualify for Spear Dancing count as Weapon Focus(Quarterstaff) for qualifying for Tripping Staff?

Q 262 Do you need a shield to use Defended Movement?

Q 263 Can Seeking and Veering be enchanted on a spear? What about Heartseeker?

[Firest Kathon]

A261: RAW no, but once you have the Tripping Staff feat you can use it with your chose weapon when using Spear Dancing Style. To me it looks more like an oversight, and I suppose the Spear Dancing Spiral is supposed to qualify you for such feats as well.

A262: No, it works even when you have no shield.

A263: Seeking and veering cannot be used, as a spear is a melee weapon (even though it can be thrown).

Melee weapons are used for making melee attacks, though some of them can be thrown as well. Ranged weapons are thrown weapons or projectile weapons that are not effective in melee.

A spear is listed as a melee weapon, so even though you can throw it, it is not a ranged weapon. However, you can enchant it with heartseeker and it will work even when thrown, and you can put it into a spear-sling if you need more range.

[TheFamilarRaven]

Q 264: The Crossblooded sorcerer archetype allows a sorcerer to choose between one of their bloodline powers when they become available to them. So at level 3 a crossblooded orc/draconic sorcerer can choose between Fearless(orc) or Draconic Resistance(Draconic). They can also choose to pick up a bloodline power of a lower level. Both of the bloodline powers improve at 9th level, the level upon which the sorcerer can choose a new bloodline power.

Let's say at 3rd level my Sorcerer chose Fearless, and at 9th level he chose Draconic Resistance. Would he gain the 9th level benefit of the Draconic Resistance bloodline power, or the 3rd level benefit?

[Cieyrin]

A 264 You get all the benefits of a Sorcerer of your level, as nothing in Crossblooded says that either bloodline is reduced in your effective Sorcerer level. So if your Crossblooded Sorcerer 9 (Draconic/Orc) chose both Dragon Resistances and Fearless, you'd have them as strong as a regular 9th level Sorcerer of either bloodline.

Sidenote: I don't think the natural armor bonuses from having both Dragon Resistances and Fearless stack, as they both set your natural armor bonus, they don't improve an existing one. So in the end Dragon Resistances would win out where that's concerned.

[Calthropstu]

a264:
The 9th level benefit. The power specifically states "at 9th level" so if you get it at 9th, that is the benefit.

edit ninja'd

[Agahnim]

Q265 : Can a Small flying creature make a melee attack against a target that is behind a wind wall or fickle winds effect? In other words, is this considered as "passing through the wall"?

[Cieyrin]

A 265 No, small flying creatures cannot pass through the barrier in any way, including melee. If they stop flying, though, they can walk through like anyone else, according to RAW.

[unseenmage]

Q266
Is Leadership the only method by which an NPC can gain xp as part of an adventuring party?

Can an NPC make use of the Research for xp option in Ultimate Intrigue and/or the Gain XP Downtime activity?

[Cieyrin]

A 266 Squire and Torchbearer are kind of Leadership lite in that you get a cohort but no followers but those are some additional ways.

As for part B, I'm not familiar enough with Downtime to give a definitive answer, so I'll leave that to other posters.

Q 267 Can you use Emergency Attunement on the same spell multiple times, provided it hasn't expired? I get the impression it's supposed to be once per spell but RAW doesn't seem to support that...

[Florian]

A267: How did you get that impression? Nothing here indicates that it´s once per spell.

[TheFamilarRaven]

A 266 Addendum: Depends on whether you mean cohort or a simple NPC. According to the leadership feat, a cohort only gains experience when the PC with said feat is awarded experience (and the cohort was involved in the gaining of that experience). Thus, a cohort could gain experience with downtime or research so long as their leader is doing those activities along with them. It does not seem as though cohorts can gain experience independently.

For a simple NPC, it depends on whether or not they're treated as a PC. Otherwise the amount of experience is arbitrary and can vary depending on what the GM deems appropriate.

[Coidzor]

Q 268: How does cover interact with Channel Energy, if at all? The context is undead and positive energy being channeled to damage them.

I believe total cover would block it completely, but what happens with half or 3/4 cover?

[Florian]

A 268: Channel Energy uses the "Burst" rules. So yes, only Total Cover blocks it. Other types of cover don´t have a relevant effect here, as the provided bonus to Ref saves woudn´t help.

[Cieyrin]

A267: How did you get that impression? Nothing here indicates that it´s once per spell.

I missed that it affected the remaining duration. My brain was thinking it meant that it reset to half the spell's normal duration each time, thus each time you Attuned it reset back to half. It halfing how much duration you have left makes it clear. Reading comprehension, go!

A 268 Channel Energy is normally a 30' Burst centered on the channeller, so it works like any other effect that is a burst.

A burst spell affects whatever it catches in its area, including creatures that you can’t see. It can’t affect creatures with total cover from its point of origin (in other words, its effects don’t extend around corners). The default shape for a burst effect is a sphere, but some burst spells are specifically described as cone-shaped. a burst’s area defines how far from the point of origin the spell’s effect extends.

Emphasis mine. So in other words, unless there's total cover between you or that target is Selective Channeled out of the effect, they would be affected and should make the appropriate save or get healed, whichever is applicable.

[Thunder999]

Q 269 What is the CMD of an object?
I didn't think they had one but, the spell Hydraulic push states

You call forth a quick blast of water that knocks over and soaks one creature or square. You can use this blast of water to make a bull rush against any one creature or object

which implies you can bullrush an object with it, which means objects must have a CMD to resist with.