Fun Pathfinds

[zook1shoe]

rituals aren't normally available in PFS1e, outside those in a handful of APs., neither is Sacred Geometry.

Spell Perfection is pretty rare, since vast majority of PFS characters rarely even get to 12, much less past 12

i agree, the FAQ and Clarifications and even more so the shadow erratas/FAQ/opinions on the message boards were a horrible idea. they could gimp a character without either the GM or player knowing about it, when someone stumbles across it randomly.

[zook1shoe]

Cyclic Reincarnation doesn't actually require the 5k oils if cast as an arcane spell RAW. i was looking at an arcane base Loremaster w the Secrets of Magical Discipline feat to make it arcane, since it's druid/hunter 6.

Components V, S, M, DF (oils worth 5,000 gp)

they have the component as "M, DF", not "M/DF"

If the Components line includes F/DF or M/DF, the arcane version of the spell has a focus component or a material component (the abbreviation before the slash) and the divine version has a divine focus component (the abbreviation after the slash).

.

side note, Cyclic Reincarnation can work on creatures that died from death effects, unlike the other 2 reincarnates

[kitep]

Is Pathfinder like 3.5, where a (divine) focus is not used up?  IOW, after you cast the spell, do you still have your 5000gp worth of oils?

[zook1shoe]

Yeah, its basically just a focus

[Maelphaxerazz]

Is Pathfinder like 3.5, where a (divine) focus is not used up?  IOW, after you cast the spell, do you still have your 5000gp worth of oils?

Yeah, its basically just a focus

Actually, no. A Divine Focus component is more specific than a focus.

Divine  Focus  (DF):  A  divine  focus  component  is  an  item  of  spiritual  significance.  The  divine  focus  for  a  cleric  or  a  paladin  is  a  holy  symbol  appropriate  to  the  character’s faith. The divine focus for a druid or a ranger is a sprig of holly, or some other sacred plant.

A Divine Focus is always a holy symbol or a sacred plant; when a divine spell requires a different kind of object, it is an F component, not a DF component. (For example, Imbue Army Special Ability is a divine spell, and it has F (a silver mirror worth 100 gp) as a component.)
As such, I don't think the argument holds that the 5000gp of oil pertains to the DF in the Components line, even though it is placed beside it. The brackets can only refer to the M component in this spell, RAW and RAI.

[TiaC]

Is Pathfinder like 3.5, where a (divine) focus is not used up?  IOW, after you cast the spell, do you still have your 5000gp worth of oils?

Yeah, its basically just a focus

Actually, no. A Divine Focus component is more specific than a focus.

Divine  Focus  (DF):  A  divine  focus  component  is  an  item  of  spiritual  significance.  The  divine  focus  for  a  cleric  or  a  paladin  is  a  holy  symbol  appropriate  to  the  character’s faith. The divine focus for a druid or a ranger is a sprig of holly, or some other sacred plant.

A Divine Focus is always a holy symbol or a sacred plant; when a divine spell requires a different kind of object, it is an F component, not a DF component. (For example, Imbue Army Special Ability is a divine spell, and it has F (a silver mirror worth 100 gp) as a component.)
As such, I don't think the argument holds that the 5000gp of oil pertains to the DF in the Components line, even though it is placed beside it. The brackets can only refer to the M component in this spell, RAW and RAI.

I think zook was trying to say that you don't need the material component to cast it as a divine spell, only to cast it as an arcane spell, but I'm pretty sure the rule he quoted doesn’t apply here because it only talks about spells with "M/DF" with the slash, not when they're separate entries like they are here.

[zook1shoe]

Stun Baton + Weapon Shift = all your natural attacks become touch attacks during wild shape

[Power]

That's less likely to work than a Magus with the Kensai and Bladebound archetypes getting a Monowhip as his blade (he'll have to spam Recharge to keep it working though), which is at least clearly legal by RAW but likely no GM will permit it.

[zook1shoe]

looks like Scribe's Binding can use the same focus book for multiple castings?

[Power]

Technically yes, but the way the spell affects the focus for all its effects suggests that really you would only be able to use a book for one person at a time.

[zook1shoe]

i couldnt see anything stopping using the focus in the spell itself, for more than one active imprisonment.

agreed, most GMs would probably have the creature take up the whole book, not just a chapter

[Theaitetos]

I'm not sure, but I think the Greater Spell Specialization feat can get a (prepared) caster any spell in the game:

Prerequisites: Int 13, Spell Focus, Spell Specialization, able to prepare 5th-level spells.


Benefit: By sacrificing a prepared spell of the same or higher level than your specialized spell, you may spontaneously cast your specialized spell. The specialized spell is treated as its normal level, regardless of the spell slot used to cast it. You may add a metamagic feat to the spell by increasing the spell slot and casting time, just like a cleric spontaneously casting a cure or inflict spell with a metamagic feat.

That is because Spell Specialization does not require you to select a spell from your own class' spell list:

Prerequisites: Int 13, Spell Focus.


Benefit: Select one spell of a school for which you have taken the Spell Focus feat. Treat your caster level as being two higher for all level-variable effects of the spell.


Every time you gain an even level in the spellcasting class you chose your spell from, you can choose a new spell to replace the spell selected with this feat, and that spell becomes your specialized spell.


Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a different spell.

As always, Paragon Surge can get you any spell you need at the moment, since you can take Spell Specialization multiple times.


The silly FAQ does not even apply in this case, since you don't add the spell to your Spells Known (e.g. wizards don't even have these), it just allows you to spontaneously cast the spell:

New Spells Known: If I gain the ability to add a spell that is not on my spell list to my list of spells known, without adding it to my spell list, can I cast it?


No. Adding a spell to your list of spells known does not add it to the spell list of that class unless they are added by a class feature of that same class. For example, sorcerers add their bloodline spells to their sorcerer spell list and oracles add their mystery spells to their oracle spell list. The spell slots of a class can only be used to cast spells that appear on the spell list of that class.

[Theaitetos]

The Headband of the Sage is an intelligent item (71k gp) that gives you 4 skill ranks in 6 (randomly set) knowledge skills. Unlike the Headband of Vast Intelligence, these ranks do not depend on the wearer's HD.

If 2 of those 6 knowledge skills are Knowledge (Arcana) and Knowledge (Religion), you can fulfill the skill rank prerequisites of the Mystic Theurge prestige class right away at level 1.

With the Sunrod (or similar) trick, you can enter the Mystic Theurge class at level 3.

Should work for other prestige classes, that depend on knowledge skill ranks, as well. Though getting such an expensive item at low levels is probably hard.


Edit: I think it's also possible to enter Mystic Theurge at level 3 with an ordinary Headband of Vast Intelligence +4. The usual "you have to wait until level 4" is because you cannot put ranks in skills before you take a new class when getting a new level. However, the Headband grants skill ranks equal to a character's Hit Dice, and unlike rolling for hit points during level-up after taking a class, your HD should advance immediately before taking a class.

[Power]

That's a sharp observation regarding Spell Specialization and Greater Spell Specialization. I suspect, however, that most GMs will houserule in a restriction that Greater Spell Specialization should only apply to spells you are otherwise capable of casting regardless. On that note however, Preferred Spell does not require the spell to be on your class list either. It merely requires that you be able to cast it, which means that a Skald can take Preferred Spell on any spell his Spell Kenning (there are magic items and feats to expand this selection as well) can provide him. And of course you can use these feats to cast domain spells (if Cleric), spirit magic spells (if Shaman), elemental school spells (if Wizard), or Written in the Stars spells (if Esoteric Starseeker Psychic) with regular spell slots. Given the broad language, this feat could also be read as permitting you to cast one class's spells with another class's slots.

Using the Headband of the Sage for early entry into Mystic Theurge is not practical given its massive cost and you still need to be able to cast both divine and arcane spells at the 2nd level, which means that early entry is still limited at 4th level (typically a Spirit Whisperer Wizard 3 abusing Arcane Enlightenment hex to cast arcane spells as divine spells in order to get early entry on the PrC plus 1 level of divine caster class so you actually have a divine class to advance with the PrC).

[Theaitetos]

That's a sharp observation regarding Spell Specialization and Greater Spell Specialization. I suspect, however, that most GMs will houserule in a restriction that Greater Spell Specialization should only apply to spells you are otherwise capable of casting regardless. On that note however, Preferred Spell does not require the spell to be on your class list either.

That's true, and in such situations Preferred Spell is better. But Spell Specialization gives you a +2 bonus on caster levels, which is often useful, and you can choose which class/spell list the spell is from, so choosing the lists of mid- or low-casters like summoners or paladins can give you spells at lower levels than usual (e.g. 2nd-level Haste instead of 3rd, 6th-level Dominate Monster instead of 9th).

Using the Headband of the Sage for early entry into Mystic Theurge is not practical given its massive cost and you still need to be able to cast both divine and arcane spells at the 2nd level, which means that early entry is still limited at 4th level

Why not just use the sunrod trick? 1 level in arcane class, 1 level in divine class, 3rd level Mystic Theurge.

[Power]

Point, I suppose that would work, although most GMs tend not to permit sunrod early entry shenanigans. Spirit Whisperer tends to be more explicit in its mechanics.

[zook1shoe]

Runes of Wealth lets you use Emergency Attunement on any spell you cast

[zook1shoe]

From "Doom comes to Dustpawn"
Dream Crystal Toxin is very hard to get normally (requires access to dream crystals), but it forces a DC20 will save every hour for 6 hours. It deals 1d2 Int drain per hour. If the target loses 6 Int or reaches 1, they turn into an Id Mutant. Notably, the Id Mutant template lets you set your alignment to Chaotic Neutral and gives you a bunch of level-scaled buffs for CR+1. It wrecks your mental stats though and resets your societal affiliations, effectively making it a new character.

what happens if you cast Restoration on the creature's Int drain.... does it keep the template?

[Power]

Runes of Wealth lets you use Emergency Attunement on any spell you cast

That's a pretty solid trick. It also lets you use the Shapechanger bloodline's Mutable Flesh on any spell that targets you with a duration of 1 minute or greater (3rd level Sorc: makes spell 10min/CL duration, 9th level Sorc: 1 hour/CL duration).

what happens if you cast Restoration on the creature's Int drain.... does it keep the template?

It does. The conditions for removing the template are spelled out and removing int drain isn't one of them.

[zook1shoe]

1) thx... i do wish they had an official version for other schools. but thats an easy custom item fix

2) figured