Drop Dead Studios Ask Me Anything #3

[Dr_Dinosaur]

Q241: Is there any way to apply multiple (Trick) talents to a single Dirty Trick or Steal attempt, or to add one to an attempt made as a free action?

[stack]

Starting a Spheres Game for the first time and need some clarification. From a previous thread:

Q51:When choosing the shape or energy focus drawback for the destruction sphere. Can I still use the untyped blast and the regular touch attack?
A51:No, if you take the drawback for a shape or type, you no longer possess the base shape or type.

The word untyped is throwing me off, given that there are blasts that deal untyped damage and the base shape is bludgeoning.

Q236: So, by taking the Energy Focus, not only it prevents a character from getting any other blasts - including the ones that share the same element - but also removes the basic Destructive Blast which deals Bludgeoning damage?

If you take the energy focus drawback, you can take multiple blast talents as long as they use the energy you can use (electrical blast and shock blast, for instance).

As far as I understand it, you can no longer use the base blast for bludgeoning damage.

The destroyer's handbook added the concept of blast type groups. With the drawback, you can select the base blast type or you can select a blast type talent. If you select a blast type talent, you can only ever take blast type talents from that group. If you select the base blast, you cannot gain any blast type talents.

Q238: As I am the type of person to like Spheres combined with Path of War, what would your opinions on game balance with seize the opportunity be? I can see it going very, very badly, with a build that combines the game breaking tricks of Path of War, Psionics, and Spheres - Nellie + Dual wielding sphere would say hi, but I am just curious how you would have fun in this environment

A238: Seize the opportunity would be very strong and would heavily push optimization to run toward large threatened areas. This will have a ripple on the relative value of other abilities and anyone who can't move without provoking will become much more static in combat, which I would prefer to avoid myself since both systems go a long way toward making combat less static. I wouldn't recommend it.

Q239: Doomblade's core class ability and Spheres of Might abilities - compatible?

Quoting myself:

A37: You make attacks with the destructive blade in place of normal attacks, so yes, you can use it as an attack action. Given the publishing times, it was obviously not written with SoM in mind. I suppose as written it can be used to impale, but I would be very reluctant to recommend allowing it to deal that much bleed damage. I wonder if touch attacks and lancer don't play that well (or too well, rather) together. I would only allow the base 1d6 (or 1d4 or 1d8 depending on blast type) to be inflicted as bleed.

Q240: Is the Archmage Mythic Path compatible with Spheres of Power? If so, how are the Arcane Surge and Wild Arcana abilities supposed to function?

Arcane Surge (Su)

Spoiler: Quick Reference

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As a swift action, you can expend one use of mythic power to cast any one arcane spell without expending a prepared spell or spell slot. If you prepare spells, this spell must be one you prepared today (even if you have already cast it); if you’re a spontaneous caster, this spell must be one of your spells known. If the spell requires a saving throw, any non-mythic creatures affected by the spell roll twice and take the lower result.

If you must attempt a caster level check for the spell to overcome a creature’s spell resistance, you can roll your caster level check twice (adding your tier to each) and take the higher result. You can’t add a metamagic feat to a spell you cast using this ability.

Wild Arcana (Su)

Spoiler: Quick Reference

Show

As a swift action, you can expend one use of mythic power to cast any one arcane spell without expending a prepared spell or spell slot. The spell must be on one of your arcane class spell lists and must be of a level that you can cast with that arcane spellcasting class.

You don’t need to have the spell prepared, nor does it need to be on your list of spells known. When casting a spell in this way, you treat your caster level as 2 levels higher for the purpose of any effect dependent on level. You can apply any metamagic feats you know to this spell, but its total adjusted level can’t be greater than that of the highest-level arcane spell you can cast from that spellcasting class.

A240: There are no rules for combining mythic and SoP.

[AmberVael]

Q 236

If I have the flair and dancing talents, could I make attack actions when using a bludgeon from the telekinesis sphere. Apologies if this has been asked before.

A 236

You cannot make attack actions with a bludgeon. You're always using telekinesis to bludgeon, which is not an attack action.

Q237: Light's Incarnate Glow grants incorporeality. Does this prevent the user to actually manipulate matter? Can you pick up a coin? Or hit someone with a physical attack?

A 237
Incarnate Glow does not make you incorporeal, though it draws heavily from those mechanics. Only the effects listed in Flicker and Incarnate Glow apply, and none of those prevent you from interacting with things normally.

[Skaia]

Q242: In regards to the impossible warrior's Improbable Strike.

Spoiler: Improbable Strike

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Improbable Strike (Ex): At 6th level, the impossible warrior may use his impossible answer to dispel a spell, spell-like, or sphere effect currently affecting a creature or object. A successful check ends the effect, or suppresses it for 1d4 rounds if it is a permanent effect. The impossible warrior may do this as a standard action, or as a swift action when he hits with a melee attack or uses a combat maneuver on the target creature or object. Using this ability either way does not require the impossible warrior to disperse the spell or ability afterward.

Just asking about what the standard action entails to trigger this.

[Dr_Dinosaur]

Q242: In regards to the impossible warrior's Improbable Strike.

Spoiler: Improbable Strike

Show

Improbable Strike (Ex): At 6th level, the impossible warrior may use his impossible answer to dispel a spell, spell-like, or sphere effect currently affecting a creature or object. A successful check ends the effect, or suppresses it for 1d4 rounds if it is a permanent effect. The impossible warrior may do this as a standard action, or as a swift action when he hits with a melee attack or uses a combat maneuver on the target creature or object. Using this ability either way does not require the impossible warrior to disperse the spell or ability afterward.

Just asking about what the standard action entails to trigger this.

A242: Not a dev, but it seems like you can just Dispel/Supress as a Standard. No other action required, you just snuff the magic out

[A.J.Gibson]

Q242: In regards to the impossible warrior's Improbable Strike.

Spoiler: Improbable Strike

Show

Improbable Strike (Ex): At 6th level, the impossible warrior may use his impossible answer to dispel a spell, spell-like, or sphere effect currently affecting a creature or object. A successful check ends the effect, or suppresses it for 1d4 rounds if it is a permanent effect. The impossible warrior may do this as a standard action, or as a swift action when he hits with a melee attack or uses a combat maneuver on the target creature or object. Using this ability either way does not require the impossible warrior to disperse the spell or ability afterward.

Just asking about what the standard action entails to trigger this.

A242: You can do this as a standard action, or as a swift if you hit the thing first. The latter is more useful in combat, but the former is good out of combat when you want to dispel Saraman's spell on King Theodin with stabbing him. Or you're worried you'll miss.

[RedMop]

Q 236

If I have the flair and dancing talents, could I make attack actions when using a bludgeon from the telekinesis sphere. Apologies if this has been asked before.

You can take some of them with the Vector Archetype. http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/vector

[Kitsuneymg]

Well it’s been a while. Guess I’ll bump my old questions for visibility.

Sorry if these have been asked, but I haven't seen a compilation of all questions.

Q 218

How long at what precipitation levels does it take to get someone "wet" enough to Freeze them without using Create Water? Is "wet" slightly damp? A hot day + sweating? Or it is sodden? How long after becoming wet does it take under normal conditions to be no longer wet enough to Freeze?

Q 219

Was Freeze meant to scale down logarithmically? It currently says to halve the thickness of the ice for each additional medium-equivalent creature, and that a large creature is 2 mediums, a huge creature is 2 larges, etc. Meaning a huge creature is 4 mediums and that that you divide the thickness in half 3 times for 1/8th normal. A Gargantuan creature would be 8 mediums and divide the thickness in half seven times (1/128), and a colossal would be 16 mediums and divide the ice in half 15 times (1/32768). Was the intention to divide it evenly by the number of equivalent medium characters?

Q 220

From what I can tell, Alchemy formula are just thrown splash weapons (except for fuse grenade, which is a standard action to use.) Meaning that, with [fastdraw] or similar abilities, you can full attack + haste + rapid shot + two-weapon fight with them, allowing you to, for example, toss 8 improved alchemist flasks at +11 bab with the right feat selection. It seems you can also barrage or sniper sphere with them. In addition, it seems you can vital strike with these items as well. How much of this is intended and/or actually a rule?

And a new one

Q243

Was shaped anathema supposed to be 10 + 1/2 the d6s rolled?

I know the playtest version did damage equal to your channel or lay of hands or fervor, and that 10 + d6s rolled was approx 10 + 1/2 level, but the final version of anathema is d6/level of class that channels. Did this just not get changed when the base damage was changed or is it supposed to be a super scaling nightmare to save against?

[Sho]

Q. 244 Does the development/writing team(s) think that the class features inherent to the Armorist and the Mageknight classes offset the fact that they get no additional combat talent progression? The Martial archetype for the Hedgewitch class and the Runic Knight archetype for the Magus class provide a Proficient or similar combat talent progression. Could there stand to be an update to both these archetypes which grant a combat talent progression similar to the Martial archetype for the Hedgewitch class, given newly released material in the Lost Champions handbooks in regards to the Dragoon (which has an archetype which grants it Full Base Attack Bonus) and Reaper classes.

[stack]

Q. 244 Does the development/writing team(s) think that the class features inherent to the Armorist and the Mageknight classes offset the fact that they get no additional combat talent progression? The Martial archetype for the Hedgewitch class and the Runic Knight archetype for the Magus class provide a Proficient or similar combat talent progression. Could there stand to be an update to both these archetypes which grant a combat talent progression similar to the Martial archetype for the Hedgewitch class, given newly released material in the Lost Champions handbooks in regards to the Dragoon (which has an archetype which grants it Full Base Attack Bonus) and Reaper classes.

Quick response: DDS isn't bound by any design decisions made in books by other publishers, so the dragoon and reaper are not points of comparison that can be given much weight.

[Skaia]

Q: 245

For things like the wraith and spirit blade armorist, when you are passively possessing someone or are in spirit blade form are you still able to use magic sphere abilities so long as they don't need things like verbal or somatic components?

[stack]

Q: 245

For things like the wraith and spirit blade armorist, when you are passively possessing someone or are in spirit blade form are you still able to use magic sphere abilities so long as they don't need things like verbal or somatic components?

A245: yes, you are still able to take mental only actions.

[Mithril Leaf]

Quick response: DDS isn't bound by any design decisions made in books by other publishers, so the dragoon and reaper are not points of comparison that can be given much weight.

How about the Archetypes of Power and Time Handbook classes?

[Adam Meyers]

Q 218

How long at what precipitation levels does it take to get someone "wet" enough to Freeze them without using Create Water? Is "wet" slightly damp? A hot day + sweating? Or it is sodden? How long after becoming wet does it take under normal conditions to be no longer wet enough to Freeze?

That's the sort of question where there is no hard-fast rule, and indeed I don't think there can be one; Pathfinder isn't big on verasimilitude in this fashion, and such questions are mostly left up to GM fiat according to what makes sense. If you want to know how I'd rule if I were the GM:

1 minute for severity level 2, 3 rounds for severity level 3, 1 round for severity level 4, instantaneous for higher levels to reach 'wet' level. It'd have to be a lot of sweating before I'd argue someone was 'wet enough' to freeze; they're clothes would have to be soaked in sweat first, so a couple hours of laor in a desert would do it. It takes some 30 minutes for something to air dry, so I'd say 30 minutes under normal conditions makes someone no longer 'wet enough to freeze' if they take no other actions to dry themselves off.

[AlienFromBeyond]

Got an Archetypes of Power question here that hadn't occurred to me in the playtest (sorry Gibson!), but I haven't gotten the pdf yet so I'm going off of the playtest version.

Q246: The Runesinger's Runes ability states "A rune’s attack ability can be used as a standard action and is delivered through an attack with any weapon or with an unarmed attack. This is a special attack action." Does attacking with a rune continue to count as a Special Attack Action when used as a different type of action? Such as the immediate action rune attacks from Defender's Sigil or Final Word, or even Double Stroke. The last one is particularly concerning, as if you have multiple martial foci or a way to spend something else in place of a martial focus one could initiate an attack action, use dual attack, expend focus to make a rune attack with the off-hand attack, which counts as a special attack action and so can use dual attack, expend focus again to make another rune attack with the off-hand from the second dual attack, and rinse and repeat until out of foci or foci replacements. Even the "double tap" of dual attack is pretty potent.

[Oulana]

Been a couple weeks since poking in. I may have asked too many questions at one go but dont think there was an answer to q186 - 191.

If they were answered already, sorry for butting in ^^

[A.J.Gibson]

Q. 244 Does the development/writing team(s) think that the class features inherent to the Armorist and the Mageknight classes offset the fact that they get no additional combat talent progression? The Martial archetype for the Hedgewitch class and the Runic Knight archetype for the Magus class provide a Proficient or similar combat talent progression. Could there stand to be an update to both these archetypes which grant a combat talent progression similar to the Martial archetype for the Hedgewitch class, given newly released material in the Lost Champions handbooks in regards to the Dragoon (which has an archetype which grants it Full Base Attack Bonus) and Reaper classes.

Q244: I'm not entirely clear on the question. Those classes don't have a combat talent progression because their publishing predates SoM, and you didn't name any archetypes. Are you suggesting something is wrong with them?

Got an Archetypes of Power question here that hadn't occurred to me in the playtest (sorry Gibson!), but I haven't gotten the pdf yet so I'm going off of the playtest version.

Q246: The Runesinger's Runes ability states "A rune’s attack ability can be used as a standard action and is delivered through an attack with any weapon or with an unarmed attack. This is a special attack action." Does attacking with a rune continue to count as a Special Attack Action when used as a different type of action? Such as the immediate action rune attacks from Defender's Sigil or Final Word, or even Double Stroke. The last one is particularly concerning, as if you have multiple martial foci or a way to spend something else in place of a martial focus one could initiate an attack action, use dual attack, expend focus to make a rune attack with the off-hand attack, which counts as a special attack action and so can use dual attack, expend focus again to make another rune attack with the off-hand from the second dual attack, and rinse and repeat until out of foci or foci replacements. Even the "double tap" of dual attack is pretty potent.

A246: For immediate action attacks with runes (Sigil and Word), no, it's not a special attack action. Likewise for Double Stroke, the second rune is not a special attack action by itself. In all cases, however, 'attacking with a rune' means hitting with a weapon with the rune working on a hit.

[AlienFromBeyond]

Q244: I'm not entirely clear on the question. Those classes don't have a combat talent progression because their publishing predates SoM, and you didn't name any archetypes. Are you suggesting something is wrong with them?

I believe he's referring to the fact that Martial Armorist/Mageknight only get Blended Training (the option of getting martial talents) while Martial Hedgewitch/Runic Knight get an actual SoM practitioning progression on top of their casting. Of course, this is ignoring the fact of what is being exchanged (or not exchanged) for each of them. Basically, he wishes the Armorist and Mageknight had archetypes that let them get SoM talents on top of their SoP talents, or Blended Training with a higher progression, so they're less harshly split between the two systems.

[Kitsuneymg]

Q 218

How long at what precipitation levels does it take to get someone "wet" enough to Freeze them without using Create Water? Is "wet" slightly damp? A hot day + sweating? Or it is sodden? How long after becoming wet does it take under normal conditions to be no longer wet enough to Freeze?

That's the sort of question where there is no hard-fast rule, and indeed I don't think there can be one; Pathfinder isn't big on verasimilitude in this fashion, and such questions are mostly left up to GM fiat according to what makes sense. If you want to know how I'd rule if I were the GM:

1 minute for severity level 2, 3 rounds for severity level 3, 1 round for severity level 4, instantaneous for higher levels to reach 'wet' level. It'd have to be a lot of sweating before I'd argue someone was 'wet enough' to freeze; they're clothes would have to be soaked in sweat first, so a couple hours of laor in a desert would do it. It takes some 30 minutes for something to air dry, so I'd say 30 minutes under normal conditions makes someone no longer 'wet enough to freeze' if they take no other actions to dry themselves off.

Thanks! This helps a lot in deciding what "wet" actually was intended to mean.

[A.J.Gibson]

I believe he's referring to the fact that Martial Armorist/Mageknight only get Blended Training (the option of getting martial talents) while Martial Hedgewitch/Runic Knight get an actual SoM practitioning progression on top of their casting. Of course, this is ignoring the fact of what is being exchanged (or not exchanged) for each of them. Basically, he wishes the Armorist and Mageknight had archetypes that let them get SoM talents on top of their SoP talents, or Blended Training with a higher progression, so they're less harshly split between the two systems.

That makes a little more sense. In retrospect, I wish I had dropped Bonus Combat feats from Marshal Controller and given them either blended mid training or low-caster/proficient.

[Minion #6]

Q247: Just double checking, as I'm 75% sure not, but you can't use the Lancer sphere with the Sage's Chi Gong, can you?

[Mithril Leaf]

Q248:
Can the Speed Lever Technician improvement reduce the time required to load Dragoon Cartridges?

[Oulana]

Looking at the new Spirit Blade armorist archetype I noticed the passage about natural attacks.

The spirit blade may resize her weapon form to suit her wielder as part of changing form. Should the spirit blade possess the ability to have a bound natural attack, she may graft herself to a willing wielder either as part of her transformation into weapon form or as a move action.

Q249 What ability, archetype, feat or condition grants the armorist the ability to pick natural weapons as a bound weapon? Is it like just having the dragon tattoo feat, having a natural attack something? Not sure if I have overlooked it or just dont have the book with that in it yet.

[stack]

Looking at the new Spirit Blade armorist archetype I noticed the passage about natural attacks.

The spirit blade may resize her weapon form to suit her wielder as part of changing form. Should the spirit blade possess the ability to have a bound natural attack, she may graft herself to a willing wielder either as part of her transformation into weapon form or as a move action.

Q249 What ability, archetype, feat or condition grants the armorist the ability to pick natural weapons as a bound weapon? Is it like just having the dragon tattoo feat or something? Not sure if I have overlooked it or just dont have the book with that in it yet.

A249:Bound natural weapon is an arsenal trick in the Shapeshifter's handbook.

[Oulana]

A249:Bound natural weapon is an arsenal trick in the Shapeshifter's handbook.

Ah-ha, okay, thank you ^^

[Mehangel]

Q249 What ability, archetype, feat or condition grants the armorist the ability to pick natural weapons as a bound weapon? Is it like just having the dragon tattoo feat or something? Not sure if I have overlooked it or just dont have the book with that in it yet.

A249 The Bound Fang arsenal trick grants a natural attack as a bound weapon. Additionally, while not explicitly "bound weapons", the Symbiotic Knight archetype grants traits from the Alteration sphere, which can include natural attacks.

[stack]

Thats what I get for not double checking the name. You would think I would know it, but I often jumble the names of things I wrote.

[Oulana]

Bound fang gives me another question. How would the bound fang, unarmed training talent and dragon tattoo feat all interact?

Unarmed training let's natural attacks count as unarmed strikes.

Dragon tattoo lets the whole body be enchanted as a weapon so all unarmed attacks and grapples regardless of limb used.

Q250 would having bound fang and using your natural attack from it, effect the characters whole body or would it be independant of any other enchanting her unarmed strikes have been given? Can blind fang be used to bind unarmed strikes as your bound weapon?

[Dr_Dinosaur]

Q241: Is there any way to apply multiple (Trick) talents to a single Dirty Trick or Steal attempt, or to add one to an attempt made as a free action?

Reposting for an answer hopefully

[Mithril Leaf]

Q251:
Let's say I have an Armorist 2/Incanter 1, with the Sphere Specialization of the Incanter in the Alteration Sphere and the Natural Shifter trait. What would my caster level with the Alteration Sphere be? It is unclear if the limit of improving your CL to your hit dice apply before or after other sources of bonuses, and if we should just go by the old adage of most beneficial order.