Simple RAW for Pathfinder Thread VI: Return of the Red Die

[Rynjin]

1 gp or more, you mean.

...No, but it took me a while to figure out whether I was wrong or not. Any time material components with a cost are referred to, it's always 1 gp is the cutoff.

You can cast any spell with a material component costing 1 gp or less without needing that component.

Even valuable components worth more than 1 gp can be created

[KillianHawkeye]

Oops, my mistake!

[Kurald Galain]

Q 361: Suppose I want to cast Fireball and apply both my Piercing Spell feat (+1 level) and a Lesser Empower metamagic rod.

Is there a rule which I need to apply first? Can I empower the fireball first (with a lesser metamagic rod), and then apply piercing spell? Or do I have to apply the Piercing feat first, then use a non-lesser rod? Does it matter if I'm a spontaneous caster or prepared? I'm looking for an actual rule or FAQ on the matter, not "how I personally would rule it". Thanks!

[Rynjin]

Q 361: Suppose I want to cast Fireball and apply both my Piercing Spell feat (+1 level) and a Lesser Empower metamagic rod.

Is there a rule which I need to apply first? Can I empower the fireball first (with a lesser metamagic rod), and then apply piercing spell? Or do I have to apply the Piercing feat first, then use a non-lesser rod? Does it matter if I'm a spontaneous caster or prepared? I'm looking for an actual rule or FAQ on the matter, not "how I personally would rule it". Thanks!

A361: I'm pretty sure there is an official FAQ on this and it amounts to "whichever option is the most inconvenient for you". Let me search it up.

Yeah, it's in the Pearl of Power FAQ.

The spell counts as the level of the spell slot necessary to cast it.

For example, an empowered burning hands uses a 3rd-level spell slot, counts as a 3rd-level spell for making concentration checks, counts as a 3rd-level spell for a magus's spell recall or a pearl of power.

In general, use the (normal, lower) spell level or the (higher) spell slot level, whichever is more of a disadvantage for the caster. The advantages of the metamagic feat are spelled out in the Benefits section of the feat, and the increased spell slot level is a disadvantage.

Heighten Spell is really the only metamagic feat that makes using a higher-level spell slot an advantage instead of a disadvantage.

This is a case where I THINK being a spontaneous caster is an advantage. At that point you could simply choose to use the rod first, and then Empower after. Maybe. That's very "up to GM discretion" territory by design I think. As a Prepared caster though, it's very clear-cut: raising the spell slot raises the spell slot. If you Empower Fireball it is now a "5th level spell" in all ways it would be inconvenient to you. In this case, pushing it out of range of a Lesser Metamagic Rod.

[Hitoshura]

Q 362: Suppose i'm a Unchained Monk and my race has 2 Claws and a Bite. Can i do 5 attacks per round with 2 Claws, 1 Bite and 2 Unnarmed Strike using Flurry of Blows? How's the math to-hit for that, if possible?

[exelsisxax]

Q 362: Suppose i'm a Unchained Monk and my race has 2 Claws and a Bite. Can i do 5 attacks per round with 2 Claws, 1 Bite and 2 Unnarmed Strike using Flurry of Blows? How's the math to-hit for that, if possible?

A 362: a flurry can never gain additional attacks due to natural weapons, and cannot even be combined with natural weapons at all without feral combat training.

so yeah bad race/class there.

[Cygnia]

Q363 Price of (non-magical) cold iron bolts for a hand crossbow is what exactly? And is it per bolt or per 5 or something else entirely?

[Drelua]

A 363 Cold Iron just doubles the price, so you'd pay 2gp for 10

[Hitoshura]

Q364: Say i'm a Druid with Exotic Heritage and Eldritch Heritage (Sylvan), can i have two animal companions?

[Cieyrin]

A 364 No for a couple reasons. Sylvan is accessed through the Wildblooded sorcerer archetype, so it's not typically a valid choice for Eldritch Heritage. Wouldn't be gamebreaking to allow but that's a GM call. Second, Druid's Natural Bond stacks levels of companions normally, not independently, so Eldritch Heritage would just add its effective druid level to your own. Could still be useful if you have an archetype that doesn't get a companion, a companion at a reduced level, you multiclass, or you use your Natural Bond for a domain or something.
There's ways to get multiple companions but this one isn't it.

[Firechanter]

Q365
If you interrupt an enemy movement or a charge with, for instance, a Bull Rush (e.g. either through Ready Action or the Seize the Opportunity feat), and the Bull Rush is successful (moves the opponent at least 5') -- does that interruption end the enemy movement, or can he just use the remainder of his speed and keep moving?

[Seto]

A365: The enemy can continue a move action, but not a charge. There's no line in the CRB that directly replies to your question, so here's my reasoning for that answer:

Being attacked while moving does not usually preclude finishing that movement. If you provoke while moving through a threatened square and the enemy hits you, you can still move, assuming the attack didn't make you incapable of moving. Likewise, the "Ready an action" section states: "If the triggered action is part of another character’s activities, you interrupt the other character. Assuming he is still capable of doing so, he continues his actions once you complete your readied action."

Nothing about Bull Rush makes this any different. It changes your position on the map, but doesn't make you prone, unlike Trip. So there's no reason you wouldn't be able to use the remainder of your movement speed.

By contrast, the Charge action has steeper requirements. It has to go through a direct, predetermined path, and "nothing can hinder your movement (such as difficult terrain or obstacles)." If you successfully Bull Rush a charging creature, it no longer meets the requirements for charging, and is no longer capable of continuing the interrupted Charge action.

[Firechanter]

Thanks for the helpful info. =)

New question, if it's simple enough for this thread anyway:

Q366
concerning Path of War and the interaction of the Warder's (improved) Defensive Focus with invisible / stealthed enemies:
"At 10th level, her defensive focus improves further. While her reach is increased by this ability, opponents treat her threatened area as difficult terrain. If a foe tries to move through a space within her reach, the movement through those squares costs double (x2)."


Assume enemies that successfully use Stealth to get around undetected. Are they also subject to the "difficult terrain" within the Warder's control zone?
It could be, if the "difficult terrain" is created by the Warder constantly whirling her weapon around throughout the entire threatened area. Or maybe not, and they can just slip past until their stealth is busted? After all, the Warder can't actually strike an AoO against an enemy she didn't detect, right?

[Rynjin]

A366: It's a bit of a weird scenario, but the difficult terrain still applies.

Basically, while you can't make Attacks of Opportunity on targets with Total Concealment, that doesn't stop you from threatening the squares they're in, or the target themselves. That's a function of the interaction between your Reach and the squares themselves.

It's the same reason you can still get flanking bonuses an invisible foe.

Fluff this as you prefer. Maybe the weapon is always moving and it's just a pain to get past, for example.

[Maat Mons]

Q 367: Dervish Defender gives an AC bonus when "wielding a weapon in each hand." Do you still get the bonus if you just hold the weapons and don't attack with them? What if you aren't holding any weapons, but you're wearing spiked gauntelts? Cestuses? Regular gauntlets? You're completely unarmed, but you have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat? You're completely unarmed, but you can still punch with both hands, because anyone can do that?

[Rynjin]

A 367: I asked repeatedly back in the day for a definition to the term "wielding". Every single dev had a different response, and the FAQ team (Mark Seifter in particular) specifically refused to consider it as a FAQ candidate because it was too complicated though he did give me a "this is how I'd houserule it" response..

RAW, in this case, literally boils down to "ask your GM".

[Maat Mons]

Q 368: With regard to the 3PP class Mystic from Path of War, are scrolls created through the Mystic Artifice class feature arcane or divine? Or do you get to pick? Or are they neither arcane nor divine, like 3.5 Artificer?

[Cieyrin]

A 368 Going by the Animus feature, they're arcane and make arcane items.

[Elvensilver]

Q 369: Can you use Blindness/Deafness to dispell blindness on a creature, if that blindness was caused by the same spell?

[Cieyrin]

A 369 No, the spell only causes blindness/deafness as a curse. Another casting doesn't reverse the effect anymore than Bestow Curse would remove another casting of Bestow Curse.
If you knew another caster was casting Blindness/Deafness and you were prepared to counterspell, however, you could prevent it from happening at all if you had your own prepared.

[Kurald Galain]

Q 369: Can you use Blindness/Deafness to dispell blindness on a creature, if that blindness was caused by the same spell?

A 369: the Blindness/Deafness spell is dismissable; if you are the one who cast it, then you can use a standard action to remove it. This does not remove other reasons why the creature might be blind or deaf, if any.

[Spore]

Q370: If a spell reduces an attribute below a certain threshold for a feat, does said feat become unusable even if it is an otherwise beneficial spell?

(E.g. Twoweapon Fighting, Dex 15 and Enlarge Person)

[Rynjin]

Q370: If a spell reduces an attribute below a certain threshold for a feat, does said feat become unusable even if it is an otherwise beneficial spell?

(E.g. Twoweapon Fighting, Dex 15 and Enlarge Person)

A370: Yes.

[exelsisxax]

Q370: If a spell reduces an attribute below a certain threshold for a feat, does said feat become unusable even if it is an otherwise beneficial spell?

(E.g. Twoweapon Fighting, Dex 15 and Enlarge Person)

A370 correction: in this case, you don't lose the benefits of TWF.

You can lose feats/features/PrCs when your ability score is reduced. However, only ability drain reduces ability scores* - ability damage and penalties do not reduce your scores in PF. 200 str ability damage and a -200 str penalty can't cause you to lose power attack.
*also some random wonky stuff like feeblemind that don't use core mechanics/conditions

Diseases, poisons, spells, and other abilities can all deal damage directly to your ability scores. This damage does not actually reduce an ability, but it does apply a penalty to the skills and statistics that are based on that ability.

https://aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?Name=A...al%20Abilities

[Elvensilver]

Q: 371 If a character chooses not to be affected by a Skald's Inspired Rage for one round, do they re-gain the use of once-per-rage powers such as Lesser Elemental Blood as soon as they accept the Inspired Rage again?

[Rynjin]

A371: No, that's covered in the ability.

If a rage power can only be used a certain number of times per day or per rage (such as renewed vigor), each ally affected by the inspired rage song is subject to that limit (with once per rage abilities limited to once per inspired rage).

The Skald themselves can "Rage cycle" by turning off Inspired Rage and turning it back on again, but individual beneficiaries can't.

[Kurald Galain]

Q372: a wizard with Arcane Bond can enchant his bonded item with, say, the Craft Wondrous Items feat even if he doesn't have that feat, as long as he has a high enough caster level (3, in this case).

Suppose I'm wizard 1 / cleric 3. My caster level is 3, but not as a wizard. Can I now upgrade my bonded item (without the feat)? My intuition says "no" but I'm not aware of an explicit rule on the topic.

[exelsisxax]

Q372: a wizard with Arcane Bond can enchant his bonded item with, say, the Craft Wondrous Items feat even if he doesn't have that feat, as long as he has a high enough caster level (3, in this case).

Suppose I'm wizard 1 / cleric 3. My caster level is 3, but not as a wizard. Can I now upgrade my bonded item (without the feat)? My intuition says "no" but I'm not aware of an explicit rule on the topic.

A372: I think this falls under the 'class level means level in the class' sort of rule. Just as a wizard1/cleric19 can't cast a max CL burning hands despite having that high a caster level somewhere, a class referring to caster level is referring to its own caster level. So as far as arcane bond is concerned, your CL is still just 1.

[Spore]

A372 addendum: I agree with exelsiax here. Your caster level is not the thing in question here, but your wizard level, which doubles as caster level (if for some reason your CL dropped for a spell).

Furthermore you CAN upgrade the item regardless, you just get a DC increase of 5 for not meeting the caster level requirement:

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, spell-trigger, or spell-completion magic items without meeting its prerequisites.

So if you pick the creation feat, you can substitute your cleric caster level. If you do not pick the creation feat, you do not meet (most) CL requirements and thus add 5 to your DC.

(But honestly just learn Crafter's Fortune from a scroll to boost your DC by 5.)

[exelsisxax]

A372 addendum: I agree with exelsiax here. Your caster level is not the thing in question here, but your wizard level, which doubles as caster level (if for some reason your CL dropped for a spell).

Furthermore you CAN upgrade the item regardless, you just get a DC increase of 5 for not meeting the caster level requirement:



So if you pick the creation feat, you can substitute your cleric caster level. If you do not pick the creation feat, you do not meet (most) CL requirements and thus add 5 to your DC.

(But honestly just learn Crafter's Fortune from a scroll to boost your DC by 5.)

Further addendum:

You still cannot upgrade the item, because you do not even count as having any relevant feat yet. That's what the wizard CL is for - you need CL to get pseudo CWI from arcane bond, not for any checks.