Drop Dead Studios Ask Me Anything #3

[stack]

Q646

As a gladiator who has Prowess, self confidence, trash talker and bloodthirst, can you as a standard action boast, trash talk both prowess and bloodthirst and then regain the martial focus you spent on the trashtalk?

A646 The two boasts are being performed at once, so as two action being resolved simultaneously I don't think Prowess would work with the attack from Bloodthirst.

Q648: Why are there still Low Caster archetypes that have a -3 level penalty on top of being Low Casters? Is this going to be rectified in the Ultimate SoP publication?

Q650: Why no Champion archetypes for the Elementalist?

A648: The idea was to try to match the existing classes as far as possible. I am not aware of discussions about changing this in USoP.

A648: It doesn't have much to swap out at level 1 to justify it, so it would take a little finesse to work in a 'fair' trade for a martial tradition. Not saying it can't or won't be done, but in the absence of a compelling 'hook' and given the realities of limited pagecount, it didn't happen in CotS.

[Mehangel]

Q650: Why no Champion archetypes for the Elementalist?

A650: I just wanted to also point out that the Elementalist has 5 bonus combat feats which can be used to gain individual combat spheres and talents, or I suppose traded out for Proficient practitioner progression.

[TheGSE]

A648: The idea was to try to match the existing classes as far as possible. I am not aware of discussions about changing this in USoP.

I guess my issue is the discrepancies between archetypes, like the sphere paladin (lvl-3) and the parzivalian knight (lvl); and the sphere ranger (lvl-3) and the geosurveyor (lvl); and the sphere bloodrager (though a sphere bloodrager does not gain casting until 4th level, they still count all of their class levels when determining their caster level) and the mystic Scion (lvl).
Like, why not just go with one for all (lvl). Especially considering that all sphere classes cast from first level.

[Profbob]

A646 The two boasts are being performed at once, so as two action being resolved simultaneously I don't think Prowess would work with the attack from Bloodthirst.

My bad if i worded the question in a bad way.

I was trying to ask if you can attempt to regain martial focus when you still "have" focus, using self confidence and trash talk at the same time to get 2 boasts at the same time and regain the focus immediatly afterwards.

[Irindel]

Q652

Should the Practitioner Unarmed Damage table be used in place of the normal unarmed damage die, or as extra damage?
A Medium character has 4 Unarmed Talents, with a str bonus of 3:
1. 1d3+1d6+3
or
2. 1d6+3

[BarBEARian]

Q 653

Suppose I'm a Shifter with the Claws bestial trait and use Ooze Transformation. Do I retain the use of my claws? I know that Swarm Transformation specifically mentions that you cannot use a retained natural attack, such as from a bestial trait, but there's no matching clause in Ooze Transformation.

[kkplx]

Q 654
If you use Pouncing Teleport, spend 2 spellpoints and are a level 7 Broadcast blade, and choose to use broadcast - do you strike:
a) all enemies in the area with a special attack action
b) the nearest enemy with an attack action, the rest with an attack
c) all enemies with an attack ?


My first reaction was b, considering this part of Spheres of Might:

Scatter Weapons and Area Attacks

When using an attack action to attack with a scatter weapon or another weapon that attacks an area, any relevant talents you may possess affect only the nearest creature targeted by the attack. In the event that multiple creatures are equally close, the player may choose which one they want to treat as the primary target for talents and effects.

However, I'm not sure if it's c anyways, depending on whether pouncing teleport or broadcast's text take precedent

[AmberVael]

Q642 Does the magical sleep induced by the 5th-level upgrade of a Dreamwalker Hedgewitch's Tradition Power work similar to the Sleep spell, or the Slumber Hex? Specifically, is it normal sleep and a target will rouse from normal combat noises, or is it magical sleep and the target will only wake on taking damage, or being woken by allies as a standard action (or of course on succeeding on the save)?

Mostly I'm asking because if it's the latter, this works as a much more interesting version of the Slumber-Hex.
You have the option to activate it as a free action, and then disconnect from the dream as a full-round action, to have it work pretty much the same way.
But you could also pull someone into a shared dreamspace, and cast spells that affect their mind, or steal their on-person possessions, which is an interesting and unique effect. You can already do that out of combat anyway, but having that option in combat is kinda hillarious.

A642
Unless its sonic damage, noise won't wake up someone put to sleep by a Dreamwalker.
That said, I should note that it only keeps someone asleep as long as the Dreamwalker is connected to them. The 5th level upgrade specifies that they "[wake] up immediately after disconnecting from the dreamspace" and the normal function of Dreamwalker means that if you disconnect from a target, they also disconnect from the dreamspace. So if you want to keep someone under, you need to keep yourself under as well.

Q 654
If you use Pouncing Teleport, spend 2 spellpoints and are a level 7 Broadcast blade, and choose to use broadcast - do you strike:
a) all enemies in the area with a special attack action
b) the nearest enemy with an attack action, the rest with an attack
c) all enemies with an attack ?

C. Broadcast is not an attack action or special attack action, and using Pouncing Teleport does not change that. Its clause allows it to be used with Pouncing Teleport, but does not actually make it an attack action for any other purpose.

[Serafina]

Thanks for the answer
And especially for pointing out the part of the 5th-level upgrade I missed, that really clarifies the intent of the ability.

[kkplx]

Q655

If a sage has used his style talents to gain access to some spheres, and later multiclasses into an actual caster class, do they
a) gain the 2 bonus talents for their first casting class
b) have the ability to pick additional talents for the spheres they got via their style
c) treat their caster level for those spheres as sage level + the caster class' caster level
d) gain a spellpoint-pool
e) now have the ability to cast either new spheres or the style spheres with spell points and ki points interchangeably?

[jff362]

Hi, just reposting this in case it got missed. Thanks!

Q638 With Barrage: Suppressing Fire, which attacks count as an "additional extra attack augmented with the suppressing fire"?

I'll use an example to help. Please correct me if I've got this wrong:

Janet, a BAB 12 archer with Barrage + Suppressing Fire, could choose to
a) Use suppressing fire to shoot 3 arrows at a foe. If the foe chooses to dodge, 2 of those auto-miss...but in exchange the foe takes -3 to various rolls.
b) Use suppressing fire + expend focus to shoot 5 arrows at a foe (1 standard +1 barrage +2 expend focus (@ BAB 12) +1 suppressing fire). If the foe chooses to dodge, 4 of those auto-miss...but in exchange the foe takes -5 to various rolls.

Is that right?

[CactusAir]

There's no listed rule that swift actions don't provoke by default (unless it was added in an errata I missed). Casting a quickened spell as a swift action does not provoke, and Extraordinary and Supernatural abilities inherently don't provoke. That tends to cover the vast majority of swift action abilities, but anything that doesn't fall under that umbrella technically still has the potential to provoke.

Back in 3.5 Swift actions were described as a subset of free action (a special kind of free action you can only do once a round), and free actions were stated to never provoke.

I guess Pathfinder changed the wording?

EDIT:

Q656 The Arm Bears advanced talent doesn't specify a duration. is it instantaneous then?

[geekintheground]

Q 657:

with the boon "Easy Focus", does that SET your concentration action to move, or is it an option?

if its an option, then would that mean you could maintain two separate sphere effects at the same time? using your standard to concentrate on one, and move to concentrate on the other?

[Serafina]

You can take a move action in place of a standard action (just not the other way around), so you can always take two move actions if you want to.

[geekintheground]

You can take a move action in place of a standard action (just not the other way around), so you can always take two move actions if you want to.

oh true huh lol. i was so focused on the "can i maintain two effects requiring concentration" part, i forgot the other part was pretty obvious

[CactusAir]

oh true huh lol. i was so focused on the "can i maintain two effects requiring concentration" part, i forgot the other part was pretty obvious

You can always take a move action in place of your standard anyway.

[kkplx]

Q 658

Can you use your dreamspace to craft mundane and/or magical items while you sleep? As far as I can tell from the text, the answer appears to be yes, which would be exceedingly valuable.

Dreamspace (Dual Sphere)

Prerequisites: Mind sphere, Warp sphere.

Benefit: When you sleep, you may choose to project your mind into a quasi-real space, or dreamspace. This dreamspace is a single 10-ft. cube in size (increasing by a single 10-ft. cube every 4 character levels, their arrangement determined when you level) and you can select the ambient light level, temperature, and cosmetic style when entering the dreamspace or as a standard action. The cosmetic style of your dreamspace is only partially under your control, reflecting your current dreams, state of your mind, and conscious desires.

When you use an action to adjust the style it will always reflect your intended changes, but you do not have fine control over its appearance and your unconscious mind may be reflected in its subtler elements. You can choose to have it appear as a castle, but not a specific castle or place you’ve seen, and if you are worried it may appear to be under siege or shrouded in shadow.

You interact with the dreamspace using a copy of your body and all you wear, leaving behind your physical body in the real world. You may also choose to bring up to a heavy load of unattended, inanimate objects within touch range into your dreamspace with you, causing them to disappear when you fall asleep, and may choose to bring them back in a similar manner when you wake. Your dreamspace and any items left within it persist even while you aren’t in it, though they enter stasis until you return.

Because the dreamspace isn’t a true physical location, you cannot take any actions that would cause you to leave the dreamspace other than waking up, or that would affect your body or the real world. In addition, the dreamspace cannot be entered using normal teleportation or planeshifting effects. At the GM’s discretion, effects allowing travel to normal dreams can enter the dreamspace, and it may count as a dreamspace for certain effects.

Otherwise, actions have their normal effects in the dreamspace. Regardless of how you spend your time in dreamspace, you gain the normal benefits of sleep.

[AmberVael]

Q 658

Can you use your dreamspace to craft mundane and/or magical items while you sleep? As far as I can tell from the text, the answer appears to be yes, which would be exceedingly valuable.

A 658

Yes, it was written intending to cover such a scenario.

[AvatarVecna]

Q659

This page discusses options for turning feats into a Combat Talent Progression en masse for folks who aren't taking a class/archetype that gets one by default (under the "Combat Training for Non-Spheres of Might Classes" heading). Do characters using this option gain a Martial Tradition?

[EldritchWeaver]

Q655

If a sage has used his style talents to gain access to some spheres, and later multiclasses into an actual caster class, do they
a) gain the 2 bonus talents for their first casting class
b) have the ability to pick additional talents for the spheres they got via their style
c) treat their caster level for those spheres as sage level + the caster class' caster level
d) gain a spellpoint-pool
e) now have the ability to cast either new spheres or the style spheres with spell points and ki points interchangeably?

A655

Note: This is unofficial and merely my personal view.

Personally I consider Sage as having the casting feature without the bonus talents. Which results in:

a) Yes.
b) Yes.
c) Yes.
d) Yes.
e) Yes.

[Feliaria]

Q660
Several of the Berserker Sphere Exertion talents trigger debuffs for as long as the enemy is battered by the Brutal Strike (Bell-Ringer, Leg-Smasher, etc).
Does this mean these Exertions are useless for a character with the Unbattered drawback?

[Ssalarn]

Q655

If a sage has used his style talents to gain access to some spheres, and later multiclasses into an actual caster class, do they
a) gain the 2 bonus talents for their first casting class
b) have the ability to pick additional talents for the spheres they got via their style
c) treat their caster level for those spheres as sage level + the caster class' caster level
d) gain a spellpoint-pool
e) now have the ability to cast either new spheres or the style spheres with spell points and ki points interchangeably?

A655 Sage had a bunch of changes a few different times as we modified things in development; the final ones we decided to add didn't make it to print for whatever reason.

The sage's ki pool should have the following line at the end: "This counts as both the casting and spell pool class features; a sage who gains a spell pool from another source calculates their total from both sources into a single pool as normal for a multiclass sphere caster. Sages gain two bonus talents if this is their first level in a casting class and qualify for a unified tradition, applying any appropriate casting limitations to their ki powers (so a sage with a casting tradition that includes the Verbal Casting drawback would apply that limitation to all of their ki powers, not just those that use magic talents)."

[JMS]

Q659

This page discusses options for turning feats into a Combat Talent Progression en masse for folks who aren't taking a class/archetype that gets one by default (under the "Combat Training for Non-Spheres of Might Classes" heading). Do characters using this option gain a Martial Tradition?

A659 No, but you can trade out proficiencies, if it’s all martial or 1 exotic

[Biolink22]

On the Dustbringer (Mageknight archetype) one of their unique Mystic Combats reads thus

All is Matter (Ex)
You have delved deeply enough into the mysteries to see that organic and inorganic matter are the same thing. Your alter (destroy) ability can now also affect living things as if they were objects. This bypasses all types of damage reduction. Any living creature reduced to 0 hit points by the dustbringer’s alter (destroy) ability sees their bodies crumble to dust. This prevents raise dead and resurrection (although true resurrection works as normal). The dustbringer must be 10th level to select this mystic combat.

Does this mean that in combination with their Destructive Blows ability gained at 3rd level you would be able to add your Alter (destroy) damage to your unarmed strikes? Would you be able to Sunder flesh instead of objects instead? Or is it you can simply use a touch attack to apply Alter (destroy)

[Chromascope3D]

Q661

Regarding the Chronomancer line of Scholar's Knacks, possessing the Amateur Chronomancer knack is explicitly stated to be treated as the scholar's first level in a casting class if he doesn't already possess one, including the two bonus talents that entails. By RAW, that would mean that the scholar could also select a casting tradition. However, it seems to me the intent is that, like the lightning rod knack, the specific abilities this knack describes comes from the item itself (the timepiece, in this case), as the scholar loses access to the associated Time talents if he should lose his timepiece.

So, is it the intent that the scholar should be able to take a casting tradition because he is considered to be a spellcaster; that he shouldn't because it's not really his power that he's using, but the object's; or is it simply up to GM discretion?

[Saperaud]

Q 662: Is the use of the Affliction talent separate from Restore, or can I Mass Restore to inflict conditions on my foes, and remove conditions from my allies?

[kkplx]

Q663

When you use exsanguinating strike and hit the target,
a) do you need to pass a concentration check before initiating blood control on the creature you attacked to avoid provoking an attack of opportunity for casting a spell within reach?
b) do you need to pass the concentration check imposed by being grappled before initiating blood control?

Q664

When you use exsanguinating strike and hit the target, inflicting bleed damage due to duelist sphere, when you now initiate the strike's blood control, does the target take a -4 to its save due to the just now inflicted bleed?


As a dm today I ruled yes/yes/no, but I'd like to see what the creators think how it should work.

[Stevesciguy]

Q665:

So, the War Sphere specific feat, Succor:

Succor
Prerequisites: War sphere, lay on hands class feature.

Benefit: You may spend a spell point to rally an ally, and use your lay on hands class feature on them. This costs the normal number of uses of your lay on hands class feature in addition to the spell point cost of the rally, but does not require the ally to be within the normal range of your lay on hands ability.

Does this let you piggyback the LoH effect onto the Rally(and therefore use them together as an immediate action) or are you piggybacking the Rally effect onto the LoH(and so takes a standard action)?

[A.J.Gibson]

Q665:

So, the War Sphere specific feat, Succor:



Does this let you piggyback the LoH effect onto the Rally(and therefore use them together as an immediate action) or are you piggybacking the Rally effect onto the LoH(and so takes a standard action)?

A665: As an immediate action, spend a spell point to use you Lay on Hands class feature on an ally that you can rally.

[Biolink22]

Q: 666 (muahahaha) expanding on my previous question as I forgot to label it as such.

On the Dustbringer (Mageknight archetype) one of their unique Mystic Combats reads thus

Spoiler

Show

All is Matter (Ex)
You have delved deeply enough into the mysteries to see that organic and inorganic matter are the same thing. Your alter (destroy) ability can now also affect living things as if they were objects. This bypasses all types of damage reduction. Any living creature reduced to 0 hit points by the dustbringer’s alter (destroy) ability sees their bodies crumble to dust. This prevents raise dead and resurrection (although true resurrection works as normal). The dustbringer must be 10th level to select this mystic combat.

Does this mean that in combination with their Destructive Blows ability gained at 3rd level you would be able to add your Alter (destroy) damage to your unarmed strikes? Would you be able to Sunder flesh instead of objects instead? Or is it you can simply use a touch attack to apply Alter (destroy)

I also noted that the Alter (destroy) ability can't be used on anything animate a living creature would be animate so would this Mystic Combat require further investment to even be used? (notably the Mystic Combat that allows you to use it on constructs).

Another question is how the Destructive Diversity Mystic Combat (the one that lets you apply a Blast Shape to your Alter (Destroy)) interacts with Energy Aura? Do you only get the Dice damage (i.e. 1 due to the reduction) or do you get the flat level damage out of that too? Does it deal damage to both a creature's equipment and their flesh seperately if the Dustbringer has All is Matter?