Drop Dead Studios Ask Me Anything #3

[Ssalarn]

Q391
Active Camouflage's Reduction for the Stealth Penalty for the "Sniper" function of the Stealth Skill would be impossible under normal conditions, no? You have to move at least 10ft. which means a Move Action has to be used. However using Sniper to stay hidden requires a Move Action on its own, meaning there wouldn't be a way to use it unless "you gain a competence bonus to Stealth checks equal to 1/2 your ranks in Stealth (minimum 1) for one round" (emphasis mine) means "until the end of your next turn". That way it would apply on the NEXT turn of the user and Sniper could be used after attacking the target. We've had some rules-lawyering about this and I'd would like to ask for clarification.

A391 Your premise "You have to move at least 10ft. which means a Move Action has to be used" is incorrect. Talents such as Tumbling Recovery and Dancing Display can allow you to make the movement necessary without using a move action. Feats such as Target of Opportunity and various talents can also manipulate the action economy required to make an attack in ways that open up when and how you can snipe.

What Active Camouflage does not do is change the action economy required to snipe; it just gives you additional benefits when you do so while meeting its other requirements.

[Minion #6]

A391 Your premise "You have to move at least 10ft. which means a Move Action has to be used" is incorrect. Talents such as Tumbling Recovery and Dancing Display can allow you to make the movement necessary without using a move action. Feats such as Target of Opportunity and various talents can also manipulate the action economy required to make an attack in ways that open up when and how you can snipe.

What Active Camouflage does not do is change the action economy required to snipe; it just gives you additional benefits when you do so while meeting its other requirements.

A391 Addendum: Outslug Sprint will also allow you to trigger anything that requires 10ft of movement by using your 5ft step, allowing you to use your move action for something else if need be.

[SwordChucks]

Q392

Is it intended that Improved Grifting, from the Scoundrel sphere, doesn't remove the attack of opportunity from a dirty trick attempt? I couldn't find a way without taking Improved Dirty Trick.

[Mcdt2]

Q392

Is it intended that Improved Grifting, from the Scoundrel sphere, doesn't remove the attack of opportunity from a dirty trick attempt? I couldn't find a way without taking Improved Dirty Trick.

If nothing else, the base ability (Marked Target) makes a creature battered, and a battered creature can't take AoOs provoked by taking manuevers.

Berserker and Greater Sunder has this issue, too. Berserker, likewise, has a base ability that inflicts the battered condition.

[Ssalarn]

Q392

Is it intended that Improved Grifting, from the Scoundrel sphere, doesn't remove the attack of opportunity from a dirty trick attempt? I couldn't find a way without taking Improved Dirty Trick.

A392 Most spheres that grant an ability to inflict the battered condition do not ignore AoOs for maneuvers since that effect is one of the benefits of inflicting the battered condition.

[SwordChucks]

A392 Most spheres that grant an ability to inflict the battered condition do not ignore AoOs for maneuvers since that effect is one of the benefits of inflicting the battered condition.

Ok, I wasn't sure if it was intentional. Thanks for clearing that up.

[NomGarret]

It also promotes teamwork. If the Scoundrel has higher initiative, they can set up the battered condition for themself and the Berserker, saving the latter from the action required to set it up themselves.

[Polymorph]

Q393: If I lift a weapon that has resizing on it with telekinesis (effective limit huge in this scenario, weapon is medium), does it change size? If there are particular TK talents that change this I can list what this character has.

[AmberVael]

Q393: If I lift a weapon that has resizing on it with telekinesis (effective limit huge in this scenario, weapon is medium), does it change size? If there are particular TK talents that change this I can list what this character has.

Huh! This is a very interesting question.

A 393

RAW, I believe the weapon sizes to be appropriate to the caster's size, regardless of telekinesis limit.


That being said, I think it would be reasonable (if not strictly RAW) to allow a resizing weapon to change size based on the telekinetic force used to pick it up. Meaning - you treat the weapon as whatever size you want with when first picking it up with telekinesis, up to your limit, and the weapon will correspondingly resize. So if you wanted it to be huge, you could treat it as a huge object when you first lift it with telekinesis, and it would resize to huge - or if you for some reason wanted a fine sized weapon with telekinesis, you could do that too. I would limit it so this size change only occurs when you first lift the weapon with telekinesis (so no changing size while concentrating, you'd effectively have to use telekinesis again to change its size). Ultimately though, this is more personal interpretation or GM's call, but feel free to suggest it to your groups.

[Polymorph]

Q394: Can I get a detailed, unambiguous example on how the Store Time talent is supposed to work? It's not making too much sense to me.

[EldritchWeaver]

Q394: Can I get a detailed, unambiguous example on how the Store Time talent is supposed to work? It's not making too much sense to me.

A394:

Round	Swift Action Only	With Concentration	With Spell Point
1	Spend swift action to activate, do whatever with the rest	Spend swift action to activate, do whatever with the rest	Spend swift action to activate and pay spell point, do whatever with the rest
2	(Could be also in round 1 or 3, then just move up or down 1 round in timeline) Store available action (swift, move, standard), do whatever with the rest	Spend standard action on concentration (can do that for as many rounds you like, but we do it here for 1 round extra), do whatever with rest	Do whatever with the actions (can do that for CL rounds, but before that runs out, you need store an action. This will be done in this example in next round.)
3	Have your usual actions, plus the stored action	Spend standard action on concentration, store move or swift action	Store available action (swift, move, standard), do whatever with the rest
4	------------	Have your usual actions, plus the stored action	Do whatever with the actions (can do that for CAM rounds, but before that runs out, you need spend that action. This will be done in this example in next round.)
5	------------	------------	Have your usual actions, plus the stored action

Instead of expending the stored action yourself, you can gift it to someone else. That requires touch or for more range Ranged Time. If you use Group Time, you can grant the Store Time ability to everyone included. But I'd say, unless they have Ranged Time, too, they can only gift as a touch.

[Oulana]

Q395 with the amorphous creature form talent. Does changing its base form allow for a change in archetype too? Changing from say an orb to a biped would cause a 3 point drop in intelligence and would seem less useful for a mage companion.

Q396 Are the changes to base form always the same when they change shape? likedoes each base form.count as a specific shape and appearance it will take when changing to it everytime or is it possible to use it as a sort of disguise? Changing from biped to biped but to a different appearance so as to not be recognized?

Q397 if a conjured companion has the magical companion/mage archetype and the companion concentration feat, can the companion choose to spend one of its spell points to power the effect without concentration if it's currently the one concentrating?

Also wasn't sure if this question was overlooked or just waiting on the right writer to come through?

Q384 A little confused by the tiefling's traitorous taint alternate racial trait in the trickster's handbook. Does the tiefling just get the ability to use the destructive blast, trick, illusion and charm effects as if she had the destruction, illusion and mind spheres with no talents if she is not an actual magic user and are the effects based on character level then if so?

Thanks again, love that you guys respond to all these questions ^^

[CactusAir]

Q398 The wording on the conscript is not clear - if you take additional sphere specializations, do they get the level 20 capstone? It notes that the other specialization abilities are delayed 1 level, but does not indicate anything about the level 20 capstone. I could read it as either the level 20 not being delayed or you not getting it at all.

I've been conservatively assuming the latter.

EDIT1:

[b]Q399[b]

Does the Chi-Gong of the Sage count as having the monk weapon quality or being in the Monk weapon group when used as a light piercing melee weapon? If it does, does it retain those when used as a ki blast?

[Ssalarn]

Q398 The wording on the conscript is not clear - if you take additional sphere specializations, do they get the level 20 capstone? It notes that the other specialization abilities are delayed 1 level, but does not indicate anything about the level 20 capstone. I could read it as either the level 20 not being delayed or you not getting it at all.

I've been conservatively assuming the latter.

A398 You still gain both capstones at 20th level.

[b]Q399[b]

Does the Chi-Gong of the Sage count as having the monk weapon quality or being in the Monk weapon group when used as a light piercing melee weapon?

A399 It does not. The main purpose of the monk weapon quality is defining what weapons you can flurry with, and flurrying with chi gong isn't really something we wanted to open up with the base ability.

[CactusAir]

Q400 The Snake Oil Salesman archetype for Rogue seems like it doesn't have anything that would prevent it from being used with the Unchained Rogue, but unlike the Ghost Stepper or other archetypes for both rogue versions, it's only listed as a Rogue Archetype.

Is this an oversight or am I missing something that makes it incompatible with Unchained Rogue?

Q401 Are the Glory rogue extra abilities meant to be append-able to Unchained Rogue?

EDIT:

Q402 If I multiclass into Coiled Blade (Fighter), do i keep the Weapon/Armor proficiencies i got from previous classes?

[kkplx]

Q402
(Assuming the enemy is using the basic counterspell, with only 1 target)

If a player readies an action to cast a barrier in between an enemy attempting to counterspell and their intended target (an individual or spell effect) and by taking that readied action fully blocks line of effect for the dispelling enemy:
- Can the enemy still dispel the original target? Does the barrier actually deny dispels?
- If it does block dispel, can the enemy caster choose to take an entirely different action?
- Îf they cannot, is the dispel applied to the barrier or wasted entirely?
- If it applies to the barrier and successfully dispels it, is there still a dispel check allowed for the original target, similar to how blocking attacks with the barrier would work?

[EldritchWeaver]

Q400 The Snake Oil Salesman archetype for Rogue seems like it doesn't have anything that would prevent it from being used with the Unchained Rogue, but unlike the Ghost Stepper or other archetypes for both rogue versions, it's only listed as a Rogue Archetype.

Is this an oversight or am I missing something that makes it incompatible with Unchained Rogue?

Q401 Are the Glory rogue extra abilities meant to be append-able to Unchained Rogue?

EDIT:

Q402 If I multiclass into Coiled Blade (Fighter), do i keep the Weapon/Armor proficiencies i got from previous classes?

A400

All rogue archetypes are compatible with the unchained class by default. It is only added to make it easier for the users.

A401

I can't find a Glory rogue, so I can't actually answer. Could you please link it?

A 402

You do not lose any weapon proficiencies if you multiclass into Coiled Fighter, even if you get a martial tradition.

Q403 (you snooze, you lose ;)
(Assuming the enemy is using the basic counterspell, with only 1 target)

If a player readies an action to cast a barrier in between an enemy attempting to counterspell and their intended target (an individual or spell effect) and by taking that readied action fully blocks line of effect for the dispelling enemy:
- Can the enemy still dispel the original target? Does the barrier actually deny dispels?
- If it does block dispel, can the enemy caster choose to take an entirely different action?
- Îf they cannot, is the dispel applied to the barrier or wasted entirely?
- If it applies to the barrier and successfully dispels it, is there still a dispel check allowed for the original target, similar to how blocking attacks with the barrier would work?

A403

If you ready an action, then the readied action is executed before the triggering action is executed. So this can block the line of effect for the counterspell. Unfortunately, it is not clear, if Counterspell requires line of sight or line effect. This needs to be clarified by a developer.

Assuming line of effect:

Since the barrier description states that an attack can keep targetting an target behind the barrier and has to destroy the barrier first before reaching it, I would rule that the barrier is affected instead the actual intended target. Since the effect (the dispel) doesn't spill over, it would merely take out the barrier at best, but the actual target wouldn't be affected. That would be different, if an area dispel would have been used.

Assuming line of sight:

Since the barrier description states that a sphere effect merely requiring line of sight still works, I would rule that the barrier is bypassed and affects the actual intended target. This would provide an incentive to use Magic Sink.

[stack]

Rogue glory was a pre-SoP product Adam wrote.

[AmberVael]

Q401 Are the Glory rogue extra abilities meant to be append-able to Unchained Rogue?

A 401

Given that Rogue Glory was published two years before Unchained came out, no. At least, for a sort of 'RAW' answer to the question - it wasn't designed with Unchained in mind, and both are attempting similar things.

[Sneak Dog]

Q404: The wrestler sphere takes a lot of swift actions, both slam and snag do. This makes it combine very poorly with the gladiator specialisation for the conscript, because performance combat takes swift actions or victory points to make checks. This, in turn, saddened me after I started bringing together these things in a professional wrestler conscript.

Was this intentional, or a sad confluence of unrelatedmechanics?

[inuyasha]

Q405
Just wanting to check, sorry if this has been asked. Are there any guidelines out for converting existing monsters to spheres of power, or the CR ramifications of giving a monster sphere-casting?

[CactusAir]

Q406 The Coiled Blade gains tension and tension techniques at level 3, but one technique and one tension gain method specify that they work with a "weapon from one of his weapon training groups." Fighters don't gain a weapon training until level 5.

Does this mean that these two are inaccessible to a Coiled Blade of level 4 or less?

Q407 The Shield Training talent has the wording: "You gain proficiency with all shields, including tower shields." Does this include Exotic Shields?

[digiman619]

Q405
Just wanting to check, sorry if this has been asked. Are there any guidelines out for converting existing monsters to spheres of power, or the CR ramifications of giving a monster sphere-casting?

Well, there are some suggestions on the Spheres of Might side, there's no solid guidelines on SoP stuff. Monsters that are also casters should switch to the appropriate Sphere archetype. (i.e, Adult dragons count as Sphere Sorcerer 7, and thus get 7 talents to spend as they wish). There is a slight problem when it comes to Solars and those with Cleric casting, as there is a discrepancy between the number of talents they'd have (Sphere Cleric only gets 10 as they don't get domains or other Cleric class features, but Faithful Shepards get 15), but you can make a ruling and stick with it.

The real tricky bit is the SLA's. Trying to find a sphere equivalent for every spell that a creature has as an SLA is generally not worth the trouble. Heck, I flavor rituals (i.e., the way to import spells into SoP) as being discovered through study of creatures who have SLA's of it. There have been a few times that I needed to alter things (the shadow rats form Book I of Giantslayer interacting with the Light sphere, for example), but for the most part, short of a total re-write of the Bestiary to convert it to spheres, you gotta muddle through with what we've got.

[MeimuHakurei]

Q406 Does Spheres of Power play nice with the retraining rules in so far that I can alter my casting tradition? Specifically, for picking up Sphere Drawbacks later on to have more talents to work with?

[EldritchWeaver]

Q406 Does Spheres of Power play nice with the retraining rules in so far that I can alter my casting tradition? Specifically, for picking up Sphere Drawbacks later on to have more talents to work with?

A406

RAW, traditions are fixed, although retraining is possible in principle (there is no particular cost associated with changing drawbacks, but magic talents are priced like a feat). But from what I've seen, GMs are more lenient and allow additional drawbacks once you take upon a new sphere. Personally, since planning far ahead tends not to survive the campaign anyway, I even allow changes later with no retraining costs, as long it is plausible (so no abuse by changing something every session).

[Ssalarn]

Q406 The Coiled Blade gains tension and tension techniques at level 3, but one technique and one tension gain method specify that they work with a "weapon from one of his weapon training groups." Fighters don't gain a weapon training until level 5.

Does this mean that these two are inaccessible to a Coiled Blade of level 4 or less?

A406 Correct.

Q407 The Shield Training talent has the wording: "You gain proficiency with all shields, including tower shields." Does this include Exotic Shields?

A407 Unless the shield has some specific wording along the lines of "characters proficient in all shields are not proficient with [this shield]" Shield Training grants proficiency in it.

[kkplx]

Q408

If I spend a spellpoint to sustain a telekinesis effect, do I still need to remain within range for it to continue?

[Polymorph]

Q409: How does the Channel Life feat interact with things that boost the HP restoration of the cure ability?

[AncientSpark]

Q410: The Sage Ki Blast esotery states:

This counts as the destructive blast ability from the Destruction sphere and may be modified by talents with the (blast type) descriptor.

It seems like the intent here is that the Ki Blast can't be affected by Blast Shape abilities, but is it able to be affected by Destruction talents that aren't part of the Blast Shape and Blast Type subtypes? For example, could I threaten with a Ki Blast with Energetic Response or increase my damage with Focused Blast?

[A.J.Gibson]

Q409: How does the Channel Life feat interact with things that boost the HP restoration of the cure ability?

A409: They work. What doesn't work are things that provide additional effects, like vitality feats.