Simple Q&A Pathfinder (By RAW) I

[Blisstake]

A9 Again

I was going off the Rake rules in Universal Monster Rules which state that you need to begin your turn in a grapple to make any rake attacks. However, specifc overrides general, and the eidolon rake says you can make the attacks whenever you make a grapple check.

So the eidolon gets the attacks whenever it succeeds on a grapple check against the target. Disregard what I said previously.

It is not mentioned what kind of action attacking with a rake is, so then we look at Universal Monster Rules, which says that Rake is a free action.

[Larpus]

A11A
The human racial abilities are, as the name says, racial abilities or "something that makes this race different from other races", so it only makes sense to me that a human regardless of Int score and class should have 1 more skill than anything else with the same score and class; so in the given example, the human has two, everyone else only gets one.

EDIT: Wording was a bit weird and off.

[Xtomjames]

A4

No - If it travels to a different plane, that's extradimensional travel, which is prevented by Dimensional Anchor.

Incorrect, it states blatantly in the Dimensional Anchor and Dimensional Lock spells that it doesn't interfere with a summoned creature from disappearing at the end of the summoning period. Dismissal ends a summoning spell prematurely forcing a summoned creature back to where it came from. Please read page 270 of the PF core rulebook.

Re: Simple Q&A Pathfinder (By RAW) I
Q6

Can animated weapons be affected by the arcane strike feat?"

A6-7
Animate Weapon is a third party ability, however it reads:
"The weapon deals its standard damage, including any bonuses and abilities it gains from magical enchantments."

So any magical bonus granted either via spell or feat would still apply to the animated weapon. That said (A7) it would seam to me that the Imp Critical strike enhancement isn't a magical one, but one that relies on you're character's prowess, much like an feat that physically affects your abilities rather than magically enhances them. So much like weapon finesse or blind-fight, these feats can't be applied to the animated weapon.

Because it's a third party ability however, and shouldn't be a Supernatural ability in the first place, but either a spell or spell-like ability (as provided in 3.5 D&D) I'd argue the RAW is rather debunk in this case and not expressly in line with the rules of Pathfinder.

Q8

Other than taking the evocation school, is there any way for a wizard to increase the damage of their direct damage-dealing spells? Note that I'm not looking for caster level increases, but rather +X damage with spells that deal direct damage (such as evocation spec.) or +X damage per die of damage rolled (such as Draconic Bloodline's Bloodline Arcana).

There are a few ways, metamagic feats for example. The Reborn Soul bloodline from the Pathfinder enhancement The Book of Arcane Magic is a good place to start or the sorc bloodline Wrath from the Class Options Vol 1 document grant you access to some more powerful spells and metamagic feats as bonus feats.

From the same web enhancement Class Options Vol 1 there is the feat Ancient Nemesis which allows you to add damage and DC against a chosen bloodline that becomes your arch-nemesis. Another feat to consider though it doesn't exactly meet your needs is the Sorcerous Bloodstrike which grants you a bloodline power back after reducing an enemy to 0 or less hit points (Ultimate Magic). Metamagic-wise, Burning Spell, Concussion Spell, Rime Spell and Toppling spell will work wonders for you. some of them add a direct bonus to damage (initial and after affects) others will do more interesting stuff.

Q9 (I think)
Reading about Summoners and Eidolons.
Eidolons have a Rake evolution that states "for a successful grapple, the Eidolon can have two Rake attacks".
Is that EVERY successful grapple? Can you grapple a target multiple times (and get two free attacks for each)?

The rake ability is using natural weapons to gain extra attacks while grappling a foe. Once grappled each turn the grapple remains successful you can do extra attacks via rake. Usually a summoned creature that has fore and hind claws and a bite attack will grapple with the fore claws and via rake attack twice, once with a bite attack and once with the hind claws. It's not really two free attacks so much as full round attack that includes grapple. Read the section on Rake page 303 of the Bestiary

Q10

Imagine I use a whip and successfully trip an enemy who has a 5ft range from 10ft away.
Can he (in one turn) use his movement action to get up, take a 5ft-step and attack me with his normal action? Or does standing up from being prone count as movement in regards to 5ft-steps?

First thing to note, page 568, standing from prone (as is the case with 3.5 as well) is a move-equivalent action which provokes attacks of opportunity.

On page 189 it states "You can move 5 feet in any round when you don't perform any other kind of movement." Thus, the attacker could not stand up and then take a 5 foot step and attack you, and you'd have an AoO to retrip him.

Q11:
If I have an INT penalty of -2 and level in a class that only gives 2 skill points per level, do I get 0 skills points per level or 1 skill point? I thought I remember reading something about always getting at least 1 skill point, but I can't find it.

Q11A:
If you always get a minimum of 1 skill point, would being a Human bring that up to 2 even if you have a large INT penalty, or is that counted in the same way INT bonus is?

If you have a -2, then your assumed skill bonus is 0 from your ability score. You can't get negative skill points. As such there is no class that gets only 1 skill point per level, the minimum you can get is 2. Under the intelligence description page 17 it does state you always get a minimum of 1 skill point per level but in the same line it says "Some creatures do not posses an intelligence score, their modifier is a +0 for any intelligent based checks." Thus I'll argue here that as I did above that if you have a -2 from having an INT of 6-7 for the purposes of your skill points at least treat it as a +0.

I hope this answers your questions.

[Zherog]

Incorrect, it states blatantly in the Dimensional Anchor and Dimensional Lock spells that it doesn't interfere with a summoned creature from disappearing at the end of the summoning period. Dismissal ends a summoning spell prematurely forcing a summoned creature back to where it came from. Please read page 270 of the PF core rulebook.

A4 additional

The question didn't specifically ask about summoned creatures, just outsiders. There are other ways beyond summoning for an outsider to get to the material plane. As such, your answer is, at best, incomplete.

[Zejety]

A10

Correcting someone who answered my own question

you'd have an AoO to retrip him.

Whip's don't threaten any squares so you can't retrip as an AoO.

The whip is treated as a melee weapon with 15-foot reach, though you don't threaten the area into which you can make an attack.

[Xtomjames]

On dismissal versus dimensional anchor: I'll expand a bit here. Dismissal isn't technically a spell that causes dimensional travel rather it's a shunting spell that forces a creature rather than magically transporting a creature extradimensionally back to its home plane or a different plane. In this case I'd argue that an extraplanar creature should be treated as a summoned creature and the dimensional anchor doesn't prevent dismissal from forcing it back to its home plane.

A more complex method of looking at this is Dismissal could be seen as a direct counterspell to a dimension anchored in regards to extraplanar creatures. In which case the two opposed spell casters would have to do opposed concentration checks to see if the spell affects remained and then the EP creature would gain a will save versus the spell caster casting dismissal presuming that person won and beat the EP's SR.

In this case Dimensional Anchor is meant to oppose any dimensional travel, in the same regards Dismissal is a type of forced dimensional travel (though I argue that it's not above...it's rather vague). Unlike in D&D 3.5, Pathfinder has a set of rules for higher level spells overcoming lower level spells which is applied to all cases, and since Dismissal is a higher level spell than Dimension Anchor another possibility is it just over coming the lower level spell.

Unfortunately the rules on this are actually very vague and having read through the Core Rulebook, Advanced Player's Guide, the GMG, and a handful of supplements for the pathfinder system, I can say without a doubt that in the very least this is something the DM will have to decide since the rules are vague or non-existent.

On Whips: AoO from a person standing varies, and it gets rather complicated depending on the circumstances and type of whip used.

A plain whip doesn't threaten a space in it's reach, however you are considered armed for the purposes of AoO. Further, if you have tripped a person with a whip most of the time, unless you have purposely withdrawn the whip (withdrawing is a free action which is why most people ignore this about the whip), the whip stays wrapped around the leg of the opponent you've just tripped. Because you're considered armed for the purposes of an AoO with a whip (as though you had a spiked gauntlet) you're threatened range is only five feet. If in fact the whip is still wrapped around the opponent's leg, then your use no longer provokes an AoO from others (as it would normally, like a ranged weapon) and you gain AoO against the opponent you've tripped. For the purposes of determining the affects of the whip on the opponent while it is still wrapped around his/her leg, they are considered entangled until such time that you either remove it by withdrawing it, or they cut the whip.

With a spiked or bladed whip you actually gain a threat range of the length of the whip it's self, and in most cases if you're proficient with this type of whip you've had to meet the requirements for it which means you no longer garner AoO against yourself while using it. The same goes for the spiked chain and chain whip. Further there are feats that go beyond the normal uses of these weapons that allow you to garner greater threat ranges on the whip style weapons and to be able to use them for AoO

[Larpus]

The last bit of Xtomjames' post refers directly to what I'll ask:

Q12
I know you can't threaten or make AoO with a normal whip, but why exactly is that? It's just "because the rules say so" or is it because it doesn't cause lethal damage? Either way, the question is specifically can you threat and/or make AoOs with the Scorpion Whip?

[Xtomjames]

Pathfinder is sketchy on the whips that do lethal damage versus non-lethal. The best I can offer is that you can threaten with any weapon that can cause lethal damage and is a melee weapon (reach or not). The scorpion whip can cause lethal damage so, it can threaten for AoO.

Edit: As to why, I explained in a different thread talking about whips for 3.5 and there isn't much change from 3.5 to PF in regards to whips. The rules surrounding whips changes a lot between various books in 3.5 and so it's hard to pin down what is what when it comes to them.

The rules listed for the plain standard whip seem only to apply to that whip, and each variant whip has it's own written rules. Because of the likeness to other weapons (like the segmented sword and whip sword which you can threaten with) I'll stick with my point on melee weapons and lethal damage.

[Geigan]

Q13

One more time. Do other Magus Arcana such as accurate strike or arcane accuracy work with animated weapons?

[Larpus]

Q14
Can an Alchemist qualify for Arcane Strike despite the fact that they don't actually cast spells? Is there an answer or it's just a DM call?

Q15
The Rogue ability Trapfinding specifically mentions that it allows the Rogue to use Disable Device to disarm magical traps. Are there other ways to disarm such traps other than Dispel?

Q15a
Can a caster or half-caster class use Disable Device (supposing that they either get it as a class skill or grab it as such via traits) to disarm such traps? Seems weird that a non-casting class knows how to disarm magical traps but a class with actual knowledge of magic doesn't.

Q16
Per RAW PF rules, are the lists for Summon Monster/Nature Ally, Familiar, Improved Familiar, etc set in stone or they're just guidelines to what you can do with these spells/feats/whatever they are?

[Yora]

A12: The description for whip says it does not threaten the area in which you can make attacks. You can only make AoOs against enemies you threaten, and with a whip, you never threaten anyone.

Scorpion whip does not have that line, so it does not fall under those limitations.

A13: I would say no. The weapon acts as a seperate creature. Accurate Strike and Arcane Accuracy only affect the maguses own attack rolls. An animated weapon makes its own attacks in addition to and seperate from the maguses own attacks.

A14: RAW says spells and alchemist does not cast spells. So no.

A15a: Only if they have the Trapfinding class feature.

A16: As written, the spells don't say anything about making changes. But as with anything else, the GM can change them as he seems fit.

[Xtomjames]

A12: The description for whip says it does not threaten the area in which you can make attacks. You can only make AoOs against enemies you threaten, and with a whip, you never threaten anyone.

Scorpion whip does not have that line, so it does not fall under those limitations.

A13: I would say no. The weapon acts as a seperate creature. Accurate Strike and Arcane Accuracy only affect the maguses own attack rolls. An animated weapon makes its own attacks in addition to and seperate from the maguses own attacks.

A14: RAW says spells and alchemist does not cast spells. So no.

A15a: Only if they have the Trapfinding class feature.

A16: As written, the spells don't say anything about making changes. But as with anything else, the GM can change them as he seems fit.

A13: Animate Weapon doesn't exist in Pathfinder by RAW standard. None of the spells in the game or feats are designed to work with it and further the third party version linked to originally doesn't operate in the same way as the 3.5 version. That said, Arcane Accuracy is a definite not, the bonus is to himself not to his weapon. Accurate Strike however I'll argue it does. It says the bonus goes to his weapon, this is regardless of if the weapon is animated or not. The animated weapon is his weapon, even if it is acting on its own via magic. However, I'd point out the moment the Magus used another weapon in hand, the bonus would probably and logically return to the one in hand. The functionality in this case is left up to interpretation of poor wording which isn't designed to operate with animate weapon.

A14 correction: alchemists cast spells through their alchemical infusions, so yes they can take Arcane Strike. From page 26 under the Alchemy entry, "In effect, an alchemist prepares his spells by mixing ingredients into a number of extracts, and then "casts" his spells by drinking the extract."

In the case of most of the bombs, they're considered magical explosions which SR applies to, thus Arcane Strike should apply.

A15/15a: There are other means of disarming traps, setting them off for one at a safe distance, using gizmos to disarm them for you or to set them off, dispel, anti-magic field and other spells that can affect mechanical and or counterspell a trap's spell.

Any person with the disable device as a skill can attempt to disarm a Known Trap. The problem is most traps are hidden and to know of it you have to be able to detect it. There are means of detecting it outside of Trapfinding.

A16: The lists in PF are guidelines not absolutes. The DM can add to or remove from the lists, or may allow anything they see as appropriate.

[Blisstake]

There are a few ways, metamagic feats for example. The Reborn Soul bloodline from the Pathfinder enhancement The Book of Arcane Magic is a good place to start or the sorc bloodline Wrath from the Class Options Vol 1 document grant you access to some more powerful spells and metamagic feats as bonus feats.

As far as I'm aware there are no metamagics that give +X to spell damage or +X damage for each die rolled. I also specified later if there's a way to do it without multiclassing out of wizard.

First thing to note, page 568, standing from prone (as is the case with 3.5 as well) is a move-equivalent action which provokes attacks of opportunity.

On page 189 it states "You can move 5 feet in any round when you don't perform any other kind of movement." Thus, the attacker could not stand up and then take a 5 foot step and attack you, and you'd have an AoO to retrip him.

That depends how you view "move-equivalent." It could mean either that it requires a move action or counts as a move. Note that under the "move" move-action, it states that this doesn't allow you to five foot step. It also includes climb and crawl as the same type of action that would also not allow a 5 foot step. However, note that "stand up" gets its own separate move-action, where it doesn't mention anywhere that you can't do a five foot step anywhere.

The rules here a bit sketchy, and while I agree that it's probably intended that it doesn't allow a 5 foot step, the RAW are a bit unclear on this.

[Zherog]

A15 disagreement

A15/15a: There are other means of disarming traps, setting them off for one at a safe distance, using gizmos to disarm them for you or to set them off, dispel, anti-magic field and other spells that can affect mechanical and or counterspell a trap's spell.

Any person with the disable device as a skill can attempt to disarm a Known Trap. The problem is most traps are hidden and to know of it you have to be able to detect it. There are means of detecting it outside of Trapfinding.

I think it's quite clear that only a character with the trapfinding class feature can disable a magical trap with the Disable Device skill. Detecting it, yes - anybody can make that Perception check. But the question was about disarming, and the answer provided by Yora was correct.

*

A 16 disagreement

A16: The lists in PF are guidelines not absolutes. The DM can add to or remove from the lists, or may allow anything they see as appropriate.

Could you provide a rules quote, please? I don't recall seeing one, and without such a statement the lists are, unfortunately, absolutes.

[Lui]

i have 2 questions about the Called Shots variant (pathfinder ultimate magic)

1) is it a full round or standard action? (description says full round, talents say standard. in both cases i could't use it on a charge or full round attack, so the description doesn't help me)

2) what if i make a called shot with a ray spell? it says it is no longer a touch attack, it becomes a normal attack, but do i get the other penalty as well? (-2/-5/-10 for doing a called shot)


(hope these questions are good for the tread)

[Xtomjames]

On Trapfinding: By RAW rules it does say that only a person with the Trapfinding ability may attempt to disable a magical trap. However, this rule ignores other means of detection and other means of disabling such a trap. A person with Detect Magic is more capable of detecting a magical trap than a Rogue, and if their disable device check is high enough there should be no reason for them not to be able to. The RAW has a logical defect. Further, I said a person with Disable Device may attempt to disarm a Known Trap, whether or not they succeed is a different matter, further still a Known Trap is any trap that is known to the person mechanical or magical.

On the summon nature's allies lists, it is an untyped rule, because we must presume that with the expansion of the series with the Bestiary 2 and other sources of monsters and potential natural summoning that the list its self will and can expand. The same goes for D&D 3.5, the lists aren't absolute, they're guidelines. They were written prior to the expansion of MM 2-5 and the Fiend Codexes, the Monsters Compendium of Faerun book, the Monsters Compendium of Eberron book, the Beastiary of Darksun, and the Shadowrun Beastiary of Kryn, all of which have other animals that weren't originally listed but are summonable via summon nature's ally.

In general animals and creatures capable of being used by summon nature's ally have a listing in their description, but this isn't always the case either (and Pathfinder from their original Beta release to their standard release ceased this practice).

In general however the list is a guideline. It gives a sense at what level spell gains access to what level CR creature.

***

Called Shot rules are found in the Ultimate Combat book mostly (I haven't come across them in the ultimate magic book yet).

In most cases a called shot is a full round action, you're taking the time to aim at a specific part of the body with a ranged spell or weapon gaining a negative which represents the difficulty of the attack.

Touch attacks and Ranged touch attacks from what I can tell do not gain the negatives but rather revert back to normal AC (thus making up for the difficulty of the attack).

Is the ray spell a ranged touch attack or a normal ranged spell? If it's a normal ranged spell treat it as if it got the negatives based on the difficulty of the aimed shot. If it's a ranged touch attack the attack goes against normal AC and gains no negatives. (This is because a ranged touch or normal touch attack is so close and so exact already normally it ignores the Armor Class and is already a very precise attack.)

A talent may allow you to do a called shot as a standard action. If you give a page number and name of the particular talent you're referring too I can have a read and let you know.

[Zherog]

A person with Detect Magic is more capable of detecting a magical trap than a Rogue, and if their disable device check is high enough there should be no reason for them not to be able to. The RAW has a logical defect.

It doesn't matter if the RAW has a "logical defect" for the purposes of this thread. The RAW states that only a character with the trapfinding ability may use Disable Device on a magical trap. That statement doesn't preclude a cleric or wizard using dispel magic, since that's not a Disable Device check. It does, however, preclude the cleric or wizard (or any other character) from using the Disable Device skill. that's the RAW.

Further, I said a person with Disable Device may attempt to disarm a Known Trap, whether or not the succeed is a different matter, further still a Known Trap is any trap that is known to the person mechanical or magical.

This statement is misleading, at best.

Magic: Many spells can be used to create dangerous traps. Unless the spell or item description states otherwise, assume the following to be true.

* A successful Perception check (DC 25 + spell level) detects a magic trap before it goes off.
* Magic traps permit a saving throw in order to avoid the effect (DC 10 + spell level × 1.5).
* Magic traps may be disarmed by a character with the trapfinding class feature with a successful Disable Device skill check (DC 25 + spell level). Other characters have no chance to disarm a magic trap with a Disable Device check.

(emphasis mine)

On the summon nature's allies lists, it is an untyped rule, because we must presume that with the expansion of the series with the Bestiary 2 and other sources of monsters and potential natural summoning that the list its self will and can expand.

Sorry, but you're incorrect when discussing RAW. RAW makes no assumptions at all, and goes only by what is written in the books. It is certainly possible that a specific monster entry in Bestiary 2 or the upcoming Bestiary 3 could add a creature to one of those lists. But without such a clause in the monster's entry, it isn't on the list by RAW. It's certainly reasonable for a GM to add it. But that's outside the scope of RAW.

Again, the purpose of this thread (and others like it) is a pure Rules As Written discussion. Assumptions have no part in it. Reasonable interpretations have no part in it. Yes, that means there's going to be some unreasonable answers; but that doesn't make the answer wrong.


I think both of these points have been beat to death (at least within the context of this thread). My recommendation is that if there needs to be further discussion on either that a new thread is started.

[Xtomjames]

Yes, but you're also ignoring intended rules that are constantly untyped that exist in the game. Further, my original statement wasn't misleading at all. Any person can attempt to disable a known trap, following RAW, success is determined on if they have the Trapfinding special ability or not when it comes to magical traps. More often than not, if it is a magical trap, and the person knows of it but didn't use detect magic, then they set the trap and have the ability to disarm it anyways.

Which means in the rare instances where a magical trap is detected via a detect magic spell the spell user, if dispel is available to them can dispel it hence disabling the trap.

If they use the disable device skill it would fail by RAW rules, but again as I've stated it's illogical that one who doesn't have the trapfinding ability can't disable the trap and it should be houseruled so that anyone who can detect the trap and has the disable device skill can in fact disable a magical trap.

On the matter of the Summoned nature's allies list I'll leave you with a post from the Paizo forums from one of the writers

Originally Posted by James Jacobs
We really just don't want to bloat the summon monster tables with too many choices, honestly. It's already kinda hard to choose a monster; making there be TOO many choices spread across TOO many books just leads to option paralysis in game and that's not good.


Adding new monsters to the summon monster lists is a great house rule. And we add a few here and there in the deity articles we print every four volumes in Pathifnder. But beyond that... we are unlikely to officially expand the summon spells with new Bestairies. Just not a direction we're interested in going.

http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards...uresAlliesList

(My emphasis added). In other words, even the writers suggest that it's a good "houserule" (if you follow the Houserule guidelines in the GMG) and that they've already added a few creatures outside of the list officially in their articles.

I'll leave with this: what is the point of answering a question with purely RAW answers if you can't offer logical reasoning or pointed and valuable options that are outside of RAW that actually work? I get this is a RAW thread, and I've answered everything with RAW information, but there is no reason why I can't supply more information and logical methods of working with the RAW to better the game.

[Zherog]

nice quote. That should've come up earlier when I asked for something. However, I'll point to the sentence before the one you highlighted. "Adding new monsters to the summon monster lists is a great house rule."

Exactly what I said. Adding them is a house rule and outside the scope of this thread, no matter how good the idea is.

Again, I think we're way beyond the point of "quick" answers on both of these topics. I think any further discussion should go to a new thread.

I'll leave with this: what is the point of answering a question with purely RAW answers if you can't offer logical reasoning or pointed and valuable options that are outside of RAW that actually work? I get this is a RAW thread, and I've answered everything with RAW information, but there is no reason why I can't supply more information and logical methods of working with the RAW to better the game.

The scope of the thread, as outlined by the mod who started it, is to provide quick RAW answers. There's no room, in this thread, for discussion. There's no room, in this thread, for trying to figure out RAI (rules as intended). Those are great things, to be sure. Just not in this thread.

For precedent on this matter, go look at the other RAW threads.

[Xtomjames]

In any case I'll do things, start a Rules as Intended thread and post this http://www.d20pfsrd.com/extras/pathfinder-faq

Many questions being asked here are answered in the above FAQ.

[Zherog]

Ooh, the official FAQ is a great resource, especially since they include errata in it. Can't believe I forgot about it - thanks for posting it.

Also, I've asked Mark to pop in and post an official answer on the meta-topic. Because I do think there's value to what you're proposing and so if it can fit within the confines of the thread, that's great. I've been wrong before, and I'm not afraid of being wrong again.

Cheers!

[LibraryOgre]

I'll leave with this: what is the point of answering a question with purely RAW answers if you can't offer logical reasoning or pointed and valuable options that are outside of RAW that actually work? I get this is a RAW thread, and I've answered everything with RAW information, but there is no reason why I can't supply more information and logical methods of working with the RAW to better the game.

The Mod Wonder: The point is that this thread is for a very specific purpose. Not the discussion of problems with the rules, just specific answers to specific questions. A good rule of thumb is if you cannot provide a direct quotation, from a printed source or official errata, to answer the question, it's not an appropriate answer for this thread. If you have an answer you want to start discussion for, feel free to start another thread for the discussion of it... we're not asking you to stifle your discussions. Just take discussions to another thread, to make this one easier and cleaner to follow.

[Paul H]

The Mod Wonder: The point is that this thread is for a very specific purpose. Not the discussion of problems with the rules, just specific answers to specific questions. A good rule of thumb is if you cannot provide a direct quotation, from a printed source or official errata, to answer the question, it's not an appropriate answer for this thread. If you have an answer you want to start discussion for, feel free to start another thread for the discussion of it... we're not asking you to stifle your discussions. Just take discussions to another thread, to make this one easier and cleaner to follow.

+1

Hi

PFS only use RAW plus erratas (ammended by Players' Guide etc).

RAI is a good discussion, but of absolutely no use for PFS games. (You can't 'Houserule' PFS games).

The bigger debate on Syntheist is on Paizo site with over 450 posts (so far).

http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards...dToRuleThemAll

Thanks
Paul H

[Larpus]

Q18 (I guess that Lui's counted as 17)
Can you use any of the Craft Magical Shenanigans feat to craft something he wouldn't be able to by default as long as he has help from someone who can but doesn't have the feat?

To exemplify, I'm a Wizard and I grab Craft Wand, my friend Cleric doesn't have Craft Wand, but can he sit to my side for the whole crafting time and with our powers combined create a Wand of Cure Light Wounds or similar item?

Q19
Other than the obvious non-caster guy trying to use some spell completion or trigger item, exactly when a Use Magic Device check is needed?

Example, if a Sorcerer wants to use an arcane scroll, does he need to roll UMD? What about a Bard doing the same? What if the Bard is trying to use a Wand of CLW? It's divine, but he does have the spell on his list; also does it make any difference if he actually knows the spell or not?

[Drelua]

A19 Whether the spell is arcane or not is irrelevant; it only matters of the spell is on your list, and you needn't know the spell. Besides, for a bard, cure spells are arcane.

Edit: From the PFSRD:

Use a Wand, Staff, or Other Spell Trigger Item: Normally, to use a wand, you must have the wand's spell on your class spell list. This use of the skill allows you to use a wand as if you had a particular spell on your class spell list.

Edit II: A18

Note that all items have prerequisites in their descriptions. These prerequisites must be met for the item to be created. Most of the time, they take the form of spells that must be known by the item's creator (although access through another magic item or spellcaster is allowed). The DC to create a magic item increases by 5 for each prerequisite the caster does not meet. The only exception to this is the requisite item creation feat, which is mandatory. In addition, you cannot create potions, scrolls, staves, wands, or any other spell-trigger or spell-completion magic item without meeting its prerequisites.

This may not exactly answer your question, but basically this says if an item directly replicates the effects of a spell, you must know the spell, but if the spell is required, but not replicated, such as with a ghost touch weapon requiring the plane shift spell, not knowing the spell simply raises the craft DC by 5. I'll look for a quote to more directly answer your actual question now, this just seemed like something you'd want to know.

Edit III: The magic item creation rules on the PFSRD repeatedly say that ''the creator'' must know the spell required, so it looks like you'll have to take the +5 to the DC if you want make an item that requires a spell you don't know, even if the cleric does, and you can't make that wand, or any potion, scroll, staff, or wand, for that matter. Apologies for the somewhat long-winded answer

[Xtomjames]

As far as I'm aware there are no metamagics that give +X to spell damage or +X damage for each die rolled. I also specified later if there's a way to do it without multiclassing out of wizard.



That depends how you view "move-equivalent." It could mean either that it requires a move action or counts as a move. Note that under the "move" move-action, it states that this doesn't allow you to five foot step. It also includes climb and crawl as the same type of action that would also not allow a 5 foot step. However, note that "stand up" gets its own separate move-action, where it doesn't mention anywhere that you can't do a five foot step anywhere.

The rules here a bit sketchy, and while I agree that it's probably intended that it doesn't allow a 5 foot step, the RAW are a bit unclear on this.

On the Metamagic: You're quite correct there aren't any specific metamagic feats that just grant a damage bonus, but there are those feats that maximize or add additional damage in general. Exaggerate Spell (D20 Feats book non-PF) does what he is looking for as does the Blood Magic feats (again non-PF), but none of the metamagic feats exist in Pathfinder. I suggests metamagic feats that do exist in PF that could add more damage.

On standing from prone: Standing from prone as I've already quoted is a move equivalent action. That is it either takes a move action or a standard action to stand from prone. The 5 foot step operates on the idea that you're making an adjustment to your position by using up your move action.

So in the confines of the question, could a person who is knocked prone stand up and then move five feet and attack after being tripped by a whip, the answer is no. The standing to prone is a move action, the 5 foot step rule section as quoted doesn't allow for use after your move action has been taken, and to attack would be your standard action. He could technically move 5 feet using his standard action as another move-equivalent action but then he wouldn't be able to attack.

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@ Paul H

I don't mean to be a stick in the mud, but the Gamemastery Guide has plenty of rules and discussions about House Rules and the Pathfinder game system doesn't just use the RAW. Houserules are even suggested in the GMG and are discussed on pages 14, 20, and 76.

**

A19: Use Magic Device skill is used when the character otherwise couldn't use or does not know the spell in a magical item such as a wand. It allows the user to activate the wand by emulating the necessary abilities to use the magic item.

For example a Rogue picks up a wand of cure light wounds. The rogue can't cast the spell so normally he couldn't use the wand, but by making a Use Magic Device check to emulate the necessary prerequisites to use the wand (DC 20 check) he can then activate the wand. Use Magic Device is also used to emulate other class skills, alignment, class features, racial classes, etc. Essentially anything that could be used as a prerequisite to use a magical item Use Magic Device can be used to replicate it.

A18: I can't answer this, I've never heard of the Craft Magical Shenanigans feat, nor can I find it. If you can tell me what book it's from I'll have a read and get back to you.

[Zherog]

The 5 foot step operates on the idea that you're making an adjustment to your position by using up your move action.

Huh? Maybe it's my lack of caffeine, but a 5-foot step does not use your move action.

The chart on page 183 of the Core Rulebook (also found in the PFSRD in the "Combat" section) clearly lists 5-foot step as "No Action." That is, taking a 5-foot step does not use up any of your actions.

If you take a move action to move 5 feet, that potentially provokes attacks of opportunity; if you take a 5-foot step, it doesn't provoke and you still have all your actions left.

Again, this thread doesn't have room for personal interpretations or opinions. The answer to the original question is clear, and has been provided. Standing from Prone is not classified as movement within the game rules, so a character can spend his move action standing from prone, take a 5-foot step, and then take a standard action.

If you'd like to discuss it further, we should probably move to your RAI thread.

edit: also, please remember to provide numbers for both questions and answers, as it helps make the thread easier to read.

[Xtomjames]

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[Zherog]

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You are assigned "movement" to the action stand from prone, when it doesn't exist. "Movement" is a game-specific term, and so the dictionary definition gets tossed. Standing from prone, in game terms, isn't movement - it's a move-equivalent action, just like controlling a frightened mount, sheathing a blade or picking up an item. In fact, the latter is a good example. You have to move to pick up an item, but it isn't movement - you can still 5' step afterward.

"No listed speed" means, for example, you climb without a climb speed, or swim without a swim speed.

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This is true, though slightly misleading. In those circumstances, you cannot take a 5-foot step and instead have to use your move action to traverse the 5 feet, provoking attacks of opportunity as normal.

Again, it's time to move on. This thread isn't for discussions.

[Yora]

i have 2 questions about the Called Shots variant (pathfinder ultimate magic)

1) is it a full round or standard action? (description says full round, talents say standard. in both cases i could't use it on a charge or full round attack, so the description doesn't help me)

2) what if i make a called shot with a ray spell? it says it is no longer a touch attack, it becomes a normal attack, but do i get the other penalty as well? (-2/-5/-10 for doing a called shot)


(hope these questions are good for the tread)

Please use the numbering system used here, so people can easily spot there's a new question and you can find the answer to that question:

So let's make it
Q17:

A17a: I guess you are refering to the Improved Called Shot feat. Normally, making a called shot is a Full-Round-Action. If you have the Improved Called Shot feat, you can also make called shots as regular attacks during Standard Attack and Full Attack actions.

A17b: The only difference is that you have to reach the targets standard AC instead of it's touch AC when making a called shot with a ranged touch attack. All other modifiers still apply to such spells just like they would to any attack with a weapon.

Next Question is Q20.