Drop Dead Studios Ask Me Anything #3

[Polymorph]

Q320: Hopefully the last thing I have on the subject, but I think I'm going to want a full rundown on how refuge object possession senses and such work. In this case, we do play with weather and temperature and hypo/hyperthermia is a valid concern without mitigating factors. My guess is that heat/cold + weather would only really affect me if it would significantly affect the object, but I would really like a concrete set of rulings on that.

[NomGarret]

We kind of jumped over it by going straight to a lot of the things it unlocked in talents. At one point in time the Fencing sphere had a Combat Expertise component, but I think instead of splitting it off of the main sphere into it's own talent it may have been discarded entirely.

Well, that’s what the Fencer’s Handbook is for!

[kkplx]

Q321

If you hit a creature using dual attack with your main hand, and succeed on a combat maneuver on your offhand, have you "hit the creature with both weapons" for the purposes of talents such as Following Strike?

[AlienFromBeyond]

Q221: Is there anything preventing an Ordained Hunter Inquisitor from using Echoing Word when using a (word) talent from Empyreal Tongue?

Q222: On a related note, what about use of Mass Enhancement as a Whitesmith Armorist, would you be able to maintain the enhancement without concentration as long as one of the enhanced items is in your possession (as you maintain concentration for the whole set of enhancements in SoP, not on an individual basis)? If not, what if it was the initial target of the enhancement.

Q304: Does Snagging Darkness qualify for the "Being entangled impedes movement, but does not entirely prevent it unless the bonds are anchored to an immobile object or tethered by an opposing force." part of the entangled condition? It describes dark tendrils snaring anything that passes, and I'm not sure if the Strength/Escape Artist check is to be able to move at all (similar to a Tanglefoot Bag) or if it's to remove the entangled condition entirely.

Still hoping for an answer on these, though Q304 most of all because it affects an actual character I'm playing right now.

[Ssalarn]

Q321

If you hit a creature using dual attack with your main hand, and succeed on a combat maneuver on your offhand, have you "hit the creature with both weapons" for the purposes of talents such as Following Strike?

A321 Yes, as long as the combat maneuver is one that can actually be performed with the offhand weapon. Combat maneuvers that can be taken in place of the attack but are not performed using the weapon would not qualify.

[Dr_Dinosaur]

Q322: Is the untyped damage dealt by shadow magic subject to energy resistance, DR, or neither?

[RedMop]

Q323:

Normally, casting a spell provokes. Also normally, making a ranged attack provokes.

So which of those (or both), does the below, remove provoking from when using a destructive blast?

You can make attacks of opportunity with your destructive blast. So long as you can use your destructive blast, you threaten all squares within 5 ft. + 5 ft. per 10 caster levels of yourself with it as either a melee touch attack or ray attack. You may not apply a (blast shape) talent to this use of destructive blast, or make use of any effects that would increase its casting time. Using your destructive blast this way does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

[AmberVael]

Guess that means Bioluminescent Glows are not affected by Lingering Transformation or Lingering Transformation either, despite using up one trait slot?

Correct. Your transformation will stick around those extra rounds, but your glow won't.

Q299
Is it intended that Chameleon (lens) [Light] doesn't grant ability to hide without cover or concealment?

Yes.

Q323:

Normally, casting a spell provokes. Also normally, making a ranged attack provokes.

So which of those (or both), does the below, remove provoking from when using a destructive blast?

Both.
You can use Energetic Response against people who are right up in your face and not provoke an AoO either for casting a spell, or for making a ranged attack.

[freduncio]

Q311

A player has the ward ability from the protection sphere, optionally also the greater barrier talent.
They ready an action to create a barrier to intercept the next melee or ranged attack made by an enemy.
The enemy attacks.

a) what happens to the attack? Can it be cancelled/redirected?
b) Does the attack damage the wall, or is it simply ruined?
c) what if the attack is a non-AoE spell (AoE would overpower the barrier and then continue) like a standard destructive blast?

Especially for spells it seems that a readied barrier could seriously mess with any spell relying on LoE that doesn't benefit from the spread AoE type.

A311 The attack would be treated as one directed at a target through the barrier, as per the Barrier Ward rules:

(...)A barrier has hit points equal to 4 + your caster level and a Break DC of 15 + 1/2 your caster level. If an attack is directed at a target through the barrier, the attack first deals its damage to the barrier itself. If this damage is enough to destroy the barrier, the attack continues on to its intended target, although damage dealt to the barrier is subtracted from any damage done to the target or targets. Burst-effect attacks such as splash weapons, fireball spells, or others attempting to travel through the barrier explode at the barrier’s edge and also must overcome the barrier’s hp to damage targets on the other side.(...)

That means that the if the attack hit the target AC, only the damage that would go over the barrier's HP can be dealt to the target. It's not directly adressed in the rules, but, in my table, even if the attack would not hit the target, if it still would hit AC 5 the attack's damage would be dealt to the barrier's HP. This readied greater barrier tactic is the favorite of our Life/Protection Cleric. It can be a pain in the ass sometimes, mainly because we also have a Warp-focused Incanter, so generaly my combats involves get around some barrier/warp shenanigans. Quite challenging.

[freduncio]

I'm actually kicking it by the design team when I get to work; the fact that bleed effects come in both static and rolled variants means that there's basically a black hole when it comes to separating stacking between static and rolled values, and the answer I gave previously is based on my discussions with my coworkers, so I think this is pretty firmly at a point where the answer has to be "the GM makes a call and runs with it" until such time as official clarification from the Paizo design team happens.

James Jacobs clarified it 10 years ago. I think it was FAQed even

If the bleed damage is expressed as a die roll... yup; you reroll the damage each round.

[Ssalarn]

James Jacobs clarified it 10 years ago. I think it was FAQed even

I'm very aware, and even referenced that earlier. It has not, however, been FAQ'd or otherwise clarified by the design team and that clarification unfortunately does not jive well with the way that many core bleed mechanics actually work since bleed is presented in both static and rolled values.

That means that those interactions need a design team clarification to answer the questions related to the interaction under discussion, or the GM simply needs to implement the solution that works best (setting the value based on the initial roll works as likely the simplest and most straightforward solution, and it doesn't require you to track multiple bleed effects to see which one "overwrites" which each round, which is why we suggested it above.)

[freduncio]

I'm very aware, and even referenced that earlier. It has not, however, been FAQ'd or otherwise clarified by the design team and that clarification unfortunately does not jive well with the way that many core bleed mechanics actually work since bleed is presented in both static and rolled values.

That means that those interactions need a design team clarification to answer the questions related to the interaction under discussion, or the GM simply needs to implement the solution that works best (setting the value based on the initial roll works as likely the simplest and most straightforward solution, and it doesn't require you to track multiple bleed effects to see which one "overwrites" which, which is why we suggested it above.)

I think I understand now. Your ruling sounds sensible, and I will probably use it in my table. Many thanks

[MeimuHakurei]

Q324: Should conjuration companions be allowed to buy form talents from their feats and have them apply to themselves?

Q325: Does a staff provide access to a base sphere if its wielder doesn't have it?

[Xanyo]

Q326: The Destruction sphere talent Extended Range increases your blast range by one step; close to medium or medium to long. It can also be taken multiple times, stacking. The Sculpt Blast talent in the same section makes your blast a close range cone or medium range line. Are these intended to affect each other, allowing you to get a medium range cone and long range line or long range cone and line? While that is excellent for burning swathes on the battlefield, it is unclear if it was intended.

[A.J.Gibson]

Q325: Does a staff provide access to a base sphere if its wielder doesn't have it?

A325: No, it does not.

[stack]

Q324: Should conjuration companions be allowed to buy form talents from their feats and have them apply to themselves?

A324 No. Doing so would be a significant buff to those that summon masses of companions, which is not an option in need of buffing.

Q326: The Destruction sphere talent Extended Range increases your blast range by one step; close to medium or medium to long. It can also be taken multiple times, stacking. The Sculpt Blast talent in the same section makes your blast a close range cone or medium range line. Are these intended to affect each other, allowing you to get a medium range cone and long range line or long range cone and line? While that is excellent for burning swathes on the battlefield, it is unclear if it was intended.

A326: No, range of sculpt blast is unaffected. Not the author on the base book but quite confident in my answer. See the Calamity advanced talent that DOES boost the size for those shapes.

[CreepyShutIn]

Q327: Other than dipping Fighter (or Conscript with the specialization) is there any way to move at full speed in medium or heavy armor in Spheres? I do get that, for balance reasons, it shouldn't be easy to mitigate the penalties, but with how important maneuverability is it feels like a punishing trade-off. It also makes medium armor kind of pointless - if you're willing to sacrifice mobility then you take heavy armor, and if you're not then you take light. Just wondering if there's a better solution.

[Von Krieger]

Q327: Other than dipping Fighter (or Conscript with the specialization) is there any way to move at full speed in medium or heavy armor in Spheres? I do get that, for balance reasons, it shouldn't be easy to mitigate the penalties, but with how important maneuverability is it feels like a punishing trade-off. It also makes medium armor kind of pointless - if you're willing to sacrifice mobility then you take heavy armor, and if you're not then you take light. Just wondering if there's a better solution.

A327: There are some ways in basic Pathfinder:
-Be a Dwarf
-Acquire the Lame curse from Oracle
-Hellknight PrC
-Metal Oracle revelation at Oracle 5
-Sash of the War Champion + Mithril Heavy Armor
-Armored Hulk Barbarian
-Find a way to increase your speed by 10 ft.

[MeimuHakurei]

Q328: If you lose access to a magic talent (e.g. if Adaptation expires), can you still maintain concentration on an effect you cast with it?

[Polymorph]

Q329: For the purposes of the Energy Specialization feat, what's the blast type group of the base destructive blast?

[EldritchWeaver]

Q328: If you lose access to a magic talent (e.g. if Adaptation expires), can you still maintain concentration on an effect you cast with it?

A328: Ongoing effects do not end, because you lose access to that sphere. Concentration is no exception.

[sunderedhero]

Spoiler: Relevant Text

Show

Launching Uppercut (counter)
Whenever you successfully attack with your counter punch, you may expend your martial focus to attempt a bull rush against the creature as a free action even while it is not your turn without provoking an attack of opportunity. A successful bull rush forces the creature an additional 5 ft. further than normal, and you may choose to force the creature to move vertically rather than horizontally (this movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity). If you choose to force the creature vertically, that creature begins to descend on the end of their current turn (creatures that can fly may attempt to do so); upon landing, they must make a successful Reflex save or fall prone, taking falling damage as appropriate (on a successful Reflex save, they take 1/2 the total amount of falling damage and do not fall prone).

You may use this talent on a willing ally other than yourself without expending your martial focus, dealing no damage to them and automatically hitting them. A willing ally treats their CMD as 10, adjusted for size. Willing allies can control their descent as though they could glide (until they reach the same elevation at which they started, falling as normal after that) and make an attack at any point during their descent; for every 10 ft. your ally descends before making this attack, they gain a +2 circumstance bonus to its damage roll. For every 4 points of base attack bonus you possess, you may launch a creature 10 ft. further into the air.

Q330: How does the final sentence of the Launching Uppercut Boxing Talent work? Is it automatic movement? Does it only apply to the willing ally? If I have +4 BAB and beat the enemy's CMD by 10 does the enemy move 30ft into the air? (5ft from succeeding at the bullrush, +10ft for beating the CMD by 10, +5ft automatically from the second sentence of the talent, +10ft automatically from the final sentence of the talent)

Q331: A related question, does the enemy's movement provoke an AoO for moving through my threatened squares? It's movement up shouldn't per the normal rules for bullrushing, but it falling back down is questionable.

Non-question question: Anyone have any neat combos using the boxing sphere's counter punch?

[Kitsuneymg]

Q327: Other than dipping Fighter (or Conscript with the specialization) is there any way to move at full speed in medium or heavy armor in Spheres? I do get that, for balance reasons, it shouldn't be easy to mitigate the penalties, but with how important maneuverability is it feels like a punishing trade-off. It also makes medium armor kind of pointless - if you're willing to sacrifice mobility then you take heavy armor, and if you're not then you take light. Just wondering if there's a better solution.

Athletics: Swift Movement can add a competence bonus to speed. It doesn't get rid of armor's speed reduction, but it does help get you back to 30. And it stacks with haste etc.

Armorist gets armor training and movement armor. Advancing Armor (base PF enhancement) also helps mitigate slowness. Finally, emergency teleport and/or the rally position allow short, swift action movement, and marauding momentum allows free action movement (up to 20'/round.) Dipping a level of sphere magus and getting warp grants a pounce-like attack routine.

[Saperaud]

Q 307: When I Impale a target through the Lancer sphere do I threaten the target I impaled for flanking or AOO?

Still hoping for an answer to this question as it is important to one of my player's characters.

[Keante]

Q 307: When I Impale a target through the Lancer sphere do I threaten the target I impaled for flanking or AOO?

Still hoping for an answer to this question as it is important to one of my player's characters.

NOTE: I'm just a layman, not a developer.
I don't see anything in the Lancer sphere that changes any of the normal rules about who you threaten or flank. It does say, "Weapons used to impale a creature cannot be used for attacks except for those against the impaled creature," so if you only have the 1 weapon (and you don't have Improved Unarmed Strike) then you can't attack anyone else and thus don't threaten them, but you explicitly can attack the creature you have impaled. So I think the answer to your question is yes, you threaten the target you impaled for flanking or attacks of opportunity, because you still meet all the normal conditions required to threaten that target.

If there was something in particular you read that made you doubt it, let me know--I might have overlooked some part of the text.

[stack]

Q329: For the purposes of the Energy Specialization feat, what's the blast type group of the base destructive blast?

A329: Being generically magic, I would put it in the force group. Seems to have been an oversight.

[Manyasone]

Q332: I am going to run a game for my daughter (10 years old) using P6 rules and it will be a Spherefinder game. She is absolutely mad for the Potter books (who can blame her) and wants to play an incanter (the build-a-mage spoke to her). Her casting tradition will be influenced by Potterverse style casting so Focused casting will be a part of that tradition. I was wondering however, would it be "unbalanced" to gift her with a focus (wand) that is imbued with the Empowered Abilities boon or the Metamagic Expert boon as the campaign comes to a close. End game Magic Item, so to speak. Her own Elder wand
It will be "The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde" but modified as to be more consistent in enemies, in case it matters

[stack]

Q332: I am going to run a game for my daughter (10 years old) using P6 rules and it will be a Spherefinder game. She is absolutely mad for the Potter books (who can blame her) and wants to play an incanter (the build-a-mage spoke to her). Her casting tradition will be influenced by Potterverse style casting so Focused casting will be a part of that tradition. I was wondering however, would it be "unbalanced" to gift her with a focus (wand) that is imbued with the Empowered Abilities boon or the Metamagic Expert boon as the campaign comes to a close. End game Magic Item, so to speak. Her own Elder wand
It will be "The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde" but modified as to be more consistent in enemies, in case it matters

If it is a solo game, there is absolutely no problem giving a unique item like that. If there are other players, then it needs to be looked at more carefully for balance (effective cost being taken from wealth or giving other players similar boons).

[AmberVael]

Q332: I am going to run a game for my daughter (10 years old) using P6 rules and it will be a Spherefinder game. She is absolutely mad for the Potter books (who can blame her) and wants to play an incanter (the build-a-mage spoke to her). Her casting tradition will be influenced by Potterverse style casting so Focused casting will be a part of that tradition. I was wondering however, would it be "unbalanced" to gift her with a focus (wand) that is imbued with the Empowered Abilities boon or the Metamagic Expert boon as the campaign comes to a close. End game Magic Item, so to speak. Her own Elder wand
It will be "The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde" but modified as to be more consistent in enemies, in case it matters

A332?
(Note, this isn't a question with a strict, single answer. Anyone else who wants to chime in, don't let me discourage you!)

I think it would be absolutely fine, especially for those boons. There are already ways to get magic items that give a bonus to caster level, and those boons give a conditional caster level bonus (admittedly across the board instead of to one sphere).
If anything, I might encourage you to be a little more generous and flexible with its bonus. Imagine a wand with a sort of hero point or Fate aspect system, for example - whenever you perform magic that fits with the theme of the wand, or perhaps whenever you are attempting something big or meaningful or cool, the wand responds and grants you that caster level bonus (maybe even does more, if you need it - temporary gain of a useful talent to augment what you're doing? A bonus spell point just for that one sphere ability?). Be creative and make it super neat!

[Skaia]

Q:333

Confused about some things with Illusion. When I use Silence as a Figment Illusion and have it affect an area, does everyone in the area make a save against being silent or is everything in the area just automatically silenced?