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Messages - Eviltedzies

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1
Min/Max 3.x / PF - Speed Crafting Alchemist
« on: September 21, 2016, 12:27:48 AM »
Want to crap out alchemical items at astronomical rates? Be a dwarf and sock it to all those gnomish wannabes.

Race: Dwarf
Class: Alchemist or Investigator (Or any class/archetype that gains access to Swift Alchemy or similar ability)
Key Abilities & Feats

Alternate Racial Trait: Industrious Urbanite - Dwarves who have adapted to the expectations of their host cities make double the normal progress on checks to create nonmagical items and gain a +4 bonus on profession checks to earn money. (Heroes of the Street)
Swift Alchemy Class Ability - Takes half the normal time to craft Alchemical items/poisons
Master Alchemist Feat: When making alchemical items or poisons using Craft (Alchemy), use the item's gp value as its sp value when determining your progress. (Do not multiply the item's gp cost by 10 to determine its sp cost.)
Signature Skill Feat: Unlocked Unchained skill abilities for Craft Alchemy. Of note:
  • 5 Ranks: When determining your weekly progress, double the result of your Craft check before multiplying the result by the item's DC.
    • 15 Ranks: When you determine your progress, the result of your check is how much work you complete each day in silver pieces.

    If you haven't already begun to realize what we can do lets run some numbers. For the sake of simplicity I will not be taking into account the total bonus to the craft check only that it meets the exact craft DC.

    Item: Alchemist Fire | Cost: 20g | Craft DC: 20
    Assuming that by taking 10 the crafter can make a DC 20 Craft Alchemy check total.

    Crafting Steps @ Level 5 (Level 5 is the first time we can take Master Alchemist feat.)
    1. The items price in sp is 20. (Master Alchemist)
    2. Take 10 on Craft Alchemy check over a week for a total of 20.
    3. Multiply the result by the items DC (20). [20 x 20 = 400] This is our weekly progress result.
    4. Double your weekly progress. [400 x 2 = 800] (Industrious Urbanite)
    5. Compare your weekly progress (800sp) to the price of the item (20sp).
    6. As you can see, we have exceeded the cost of the item by 40 times! Thus the time to create it is reduced to 1/40th the normal time.
    7. Reduce the time to create the alchemical item by an additional 1/2. (Swift Alchemy)
    • Since these multiples are not applying to an actual dice roll, the stack multiplicatively instead of additively.
    This brings our total time reduction on item creation to 0.00625 or 1 /160 the normal speed. When a normal Craft check would take a week, this craft check only takes 0.04375 days.

    Converting that into hours our total craft time for comes out to be about 1.05 hours for a single Alchemist Fire.

    As you can see, this does NOT include the bonuses for the Unchained Craft skill. Lets see what we can do a few levels later using Unchained Craft skill AND Accelerated Crafting

    Crafting Steps @ Level 10 (Now including the Rank 5 Skill Unlock for Craft: Alchemy)
    • Assume taking 10 on Craft: Alchemy allows our crafter to hit a DC 30 Craft check.
    1. The items price in sp is 20. (Master Alchemist)
    2. Take 10 on Craft Alchemy check over a week for a total of 30.
    3. Double the Craft Alchemy check for a 60 Craft Alchemy check. (Craft Unchained 5 Ranks)
    4. Multiply the result by the items DC (30) [+10 DC for Accelerated Crafting]. [60 x 30 = 1,800] This is our weekly progress result.
    5. Double your weekly progress. [1,800 x 2 = 3,600] (Industrious Urbanite)
    6. Compare your weekly progress (3,600sp) to the price of the item (20sp).
    7. As you can see, we have exceeded the cost of the item by 180 times! Thus the time to create it is reduced to 1/180th the normal time.
    8. Reduce the time to create the alchemical item by an additional 1/2. (Swift Alchemy)
    • Since these multiples are not applying to an actual dice roll, the stack multiplicatively instead of additively.
    This brings our total time reduction on item creation to 0.0028 normal speed. When a normal Craft check would take a week, this craft check only takes 0.0194 days.

    Converting that into hours our total craft time for comes out to be about 0.47 hours for a single Alchemist Fire.

    So not too big a difference in craft time, but lets see what happens when we hit the Rank 15 Skill Unlock for Craft Alchemy.

    Crafting Steps @ Level 15 (Now including the Rank 15 Skill Unlock for Craft: Alchemy)
    • Assume taking 10 on Craft: Alchemy allows our crafter to hit a DC 30 Craft check.
    1. The items price in sp is 20. (Master Alchemist)
    2. Take 10 on Craft Alchemy check over a week for a total of 30.
    3. Double the Craft Alchemy check for a 60 Craft Alchemy check. (Craft Unchained 5 Ranks)
    4. Multiply the result by the items DC (30) [+10 DC for Accelerated Crafting]. [60 x 30 = 1,800] This is our weekly progress result.
    5. Double your weekly progress. [1,800 x 2 = 3,600] (Industrious Urbanite)
    6. Compare your daily progress (3,600sp) to the price of the item (20sp). [Unchained Craft Rank 15]
    7. As you can see, we have exceeded the cost of the item by 180 times! Thus the time to create it is reduced to 1/180th the normal time.
    8. Reduce the time to create the alchemical item by an additional 1/2. (Swift Alchemy)
    • Since these multiples are not applying to an actual dice roll, the stack multiplicatively instead of additively.
    This brings our total time reduction on item creation to 0.0028 normal speed. When a normal Craft check would take a day, this craft check only takes 0.0194 of a day. Converting that into hours our total craft time for comes out to be about 0.4656 of an hour.

    Converting that into minutes we get 27.94 minutes to craft a single Alchemist Fire.

    Hell yea! Now we're cooking! 30 minutes to craft versus an entire week? I'll take that.

    This gets even more crazy when you consider all the above math was done assuming the minimum Craft DC was met. I did not include Traits, Class Bonuses, Feats, or Spells into these calculations. Even better, if your into Poisons, Master Alchemist lets you craft poisons in batches instead of one at a time. Now you can craft your Int modifier number of poisons per craft check. Go nuts as you literally craft out a poison does EVERY ROUND!

    Also, if my math seems off please correct me. My head hurts but even if I am off this is still a nice combination.




2
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Interesting stuff in Pathfinder
« on: September 20, 2016, 11:24:19 PM »
So in Heroes of the Street, Dwarves get a new alternative racial ability:

Quote from: Heroes of the Street
Industrious Urbanite: Dwarves who have adapted to the expectations of their host cities make double the normal progress on checks to create nonmagical items and gain a +4 bonus on profession checks to earn money.

Doesn't actually reduce the cost of the item, but it sure as heck speeds up the time to make it.

3
Gaming Advice / From Smite to Song Feat + Initiate of Mil Feat Question
« on: August 04, 2016, 02:17:20 PM »
Initiate of Mil stacks your Bard, Cleric, and Paladin levels for "determining which kinds of bardic music you can use (but not any other effect related to bardic music)."

From Smite to Song allows the sacrificing of a Smite Use to fuel an Inspire Courage effect.
"Your effective bard level (for the purpose of determining the value of the bonuses granted) is equal to your paladin level."

Now my question is, would Initiate if Mil allow a Paladin to multiclass into a Cleric or Bard and still be counted as a full Paladin when using From Smite to Song?

Ex: A Paladin 10 using From Smite to Song counts as a Bard 10 for how high his Inspire Courage Bonus goes.

Would a Paladin 5 / Cleric 5 with Initiate of Mil count as a Paladin 10 when using From Smite to Song?

By the RAW I want to say no since From Smite to Song explicitly states that your effective bard level is equal to your Paladin level, BUT since Initiate of Mil says your "Bard", Cleric, and Paladin levels stack I want to think that this also applies when using "From Smite to Song."

Thoughts?

4
D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: If you were DMing..
« on: August 01, 2016, 12:42:12 PM »
It depends on many things honestly. You as the DM and your players are the two biggest things.

I personally like to throw NPC's that are around the PC's level or lower than them. If they are lower level,  I tend to give them terrain, item, or unique teamwork advantages to make up for their weakness against the PC's. If they are of even level, I tend to have them tailored to either work as a team or specifically challenge various PC weaknesses in the group.

In both cases, it forces the PC's to work together rather than branch off and hack n slash everything they see.

That said, my RL players are not heavy optimizers and so when I throw an optimized NPC or heaven forbid an optimized NPC team that actually works together they tend to get annoyed at me even if I've tailored the NPC(s) to be legitimately defeatable by the PC's.

On a side note, NPC levels don't mean crap if their combat styles are designed to take advantage of the PC's build weaknesses. My players absolutely HATE grapplers due to previous bouts where some of them were completely unable to fight back. You know you've hit a sore spot when players actively start taking feats to counter a combat style they hate.

5
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Homebrew Feats - Improved Versatile Unarmed Strike Chain
« on: April 22, 2016, 02:01:00 PM »
So not sure if this is the right thread to post these or not, but I kinda got inspired to make an extended feat chain based on the Versatile Unarmed Strike feat. I'd love some input on what people think of them. When creating them I originally had each of them improving the damage, critical threat range/multiplier, and adding bleed damage but decided those weren't in the flavor of the "versatile" portion of the feat name. I instead focused on granting each damage type a debuff kicker effect, but force the user to choose which one until higher levels. Even in Epic territory there are still benefits of using only one damage type which forces users to have to pick and choose their battles.

(click to show/hide)

6
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Interesting stuff in Pathfinder
« on: March 08, 2016, 01:00:25 AM »
Get yourself a Sipping Jacket and spread out those CL 20 Haste/Enlarge Person/ect...

Hell, buy yourself some CL 20 Remove Curse, Remove Disease, ect....

Swap them out as needed and nobody in the party should ever need to pay for healing.

7
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Interesting stuff in Pathfinder
« on: March 07, 2016, 11:56:40 PM »
Speaking of magic bottles.....

Quote from: Mythic Magic Items
Bountiful Bottle

Price 4,000 gp; Slot none; CL 6th; Weight 1 lb.; Aura moderate transmutation
DESCRIPTION

This oddly shaped, transparent bottle has one chamber nested inside the other and two separate spouts, one leading into the smaller inner bottle, and the other into the outer bottle. To use the bottle, the inner chamber is filled with a potion and the outer chamber filled with water.

When left alone for 24 hours, the water in the outer chamber slowly takes on the properties of the potion in the inner chamber, creating a second dose of the potion (though the bottle is unable to replicate potions with expensive material components). The second dose of created potion must be quaffed from the bountiful bottle to be effective, and loses its potency if transferred to another container. By expending one use of mythic power, the time it takes to transform a potion is shortened to a full-round action.

Even without being a Mythic Character, 4k gold to replicate any potions properties basically as often as you want but only one at a time? Fork over the cash for a 20th CL Potion of whatever and this thing pays for itself very quickly.

8
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Interesting stuff in Pathfinder
« on: March 02, 2016, 01:50:40 PM »
Not sure if these have been mentioned, but there are some really nifty magic containers available for nominal prices.

The Vial of Efficacious Medicine is basically a slightly more expensive healing belt, but it is reusable, multifunctional, AND you can carry more than one at a time!

(click to show/hide)
(click to show/hide)
(click to show/hide)
(click to show/hide)

9
D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: Font of Inspiration grants less points than people think
« on: January 06, 2016, 04:16:01 PM »
The important thing is all our Factotums are safe.  :clap

As an aside, I can see your original side of the argument Robby, but D&D has never been kind where it comes to grammar and theoretical physics. Oh those poor cat girls....  :bigeyes

10
D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: Font of Inspiration grants less points than people think
« on: January 06, 2016, 01:08:53 PM »
Robby - Your completely ignoring the rule that states specific text trumps general rules in all cases. The non-stacking clause about feats is a general rule whereas the wording of the feat is specific text that overrules.

Either that or your very poorly arguing that the words "they stack" MUST be added to ANY feat regardless of wording or it cannot stack with itself even if the grammatical text indicates otherwise.

11
D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: Font of Inspiration grants less points than people think
« on: January 06, 2016, 12:23:51 PM »
To try and point out how the feat trumps your general rule about feats not stacking:

The benefit statement of the feat implicitly says "the first time you take this feat, you gain 1 inspiration point". This implies, but does not concretely say, taking the feat successively grants additional points.

This implication is further reinforced by the statement "Each time you take this feat after the first time, the number of inspiration points you gain increases by 1". So reading this directly very easily says taking it a second time grants 1 more inspiration point than taking it the first time; thus, taking it a second time grants 2 points instead of 1. The earlier statement of "after the first" reinforces this concept by informing us that a change of mechanics occurs each time you take the feat again.

Granting only an additional per feat as you are suggesting is in direct conflict to the grammer of the feat. (1+1 /= 1) I can't recall the direct source, but I believe specific text always trumps general rules. (Including the rule your reference about feats not stacking) The failing of the wording of the feat is in that it does not directly say "taking this feat multiple times stacks", but instead says it through the description of granting additional inspiration points per successive selection of the feat.

12
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Pathfinder Gestalt 20 Warlord/Zealot
« on: December 24, 2015, 10:49:33 AM »
Quote
None of the other TPs were very important, but the move/swift action warleader upgrade is.

The Warleader action upgrade really only seems necessary if you intend on rapidly switching out teamwork feats mid fight. Otherwise you can only share one teamwork feat at a time so I only see you using this ability at the start of a fight and then moving onward.

Quote
Less worried about losing dual stance since Golden Commander stance is much worse than Assured Victory.


Some of the higher level stances are actually really powerful if your build plays to their strengths. As for Golden Commander vs Assured Victory, Assured Victory overall trumps Golden Commander unless your party relies on flanking for things like Sneak Attack. Granted this is a niche combat role. Assured Victory is a better general all purpose stance.

Quote
The class grants the ability for me to take attacks from my allies squares regardless of my location. It's not a stretch to say that a similar thing happens here, although that does border "it doesn't say I can't" territory. I'll think about that and consult with the DM

I'll have to go re-read that class again. Read through it quickly and thought it was a nice, but not overly powerful class. Either way, the stance makes no mention of your allies being able to move into position to make said AoOps so unless you have a very leiniant DM that part of the stance is only beneficial when allies are in close proximity to one another.

Overall though I'd say the Warlord10/Landsknecht10 build would work very nicely.

13
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Pathfinder Gestalt 20 Warlord/Zealot
« on: December 23, 2015, 03:17:28 PM »
Regarding the Stance of Assured Victory
Honestly, it really depends on two things in my opinion:
1. How much you think the additional dual/triple Tactical Presences will help. (Honestly the only one I think is worth it is the Gladiator's Presnece)
2. If your worried about losing dual stance, ask yourself, what two stances could I combine that outweight the Stance of Assured Victory benefits?

Lastly, if that stance quote is accurate, then allies can only make those extra attack of opportunities if they are within reach. Nothing in the stance description says allies can move up to make the attack. Sure they don't have to threaten, but there is no point if they can't make the attack.

That said, this stance combined with some well chosen teamwork feats could create a monster of an attack of opportunity chain combos within your team.

14
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Interesting stuff in Pathfinder
« on: December 18, 2015, 03:16:40 PM »
So I haven't really seen too much online regarding this so I thought I'd throw it up here for good measure. I've found Warlords to be one of the best party support classes ever and in some categories they even ecplise casters.

* Warlords use their Charisma modifiers in place of the usual Aid Another bonuses.
* Warlords can use Aid Another as a move action on allies up to 30ft away.
* Warlords use their Charisma modifiers in place of the usual Flanking bonuses.
* Warlords can share teamwork feats with allies.

You can do some crazy stuff with that.

* Harrying Partners - Aid Another bonuses last an entire round. Sweet.
* Bodyguard - Better Action Economoy for Aid Another at the cost of being forced to remain adjacent.
* Golden Commander Stance - Makes it much easier to flank and syngergizes with Bodyguard in needing to be adjacent.

So lets say a Warlord has a +5 Charisma modifier and the above feats and stance. He then shares Harrying Partners with his team at the start of battle. Any ally standing next to the Warlord who is attacked gets practically a free +5 to AC against one foe for the entire round. If the Warlord uses a move action then they also get a +5 to attack on ALL their attacks against that same foe for one round. Add to this, any ally adjacent to the Warlord fighting the same foe also get ANOTHER +5 to hit since the are considered flanking with the Warlord. All of this for relatively little action economoy on the Warlord's part and he and his melee allies are basically doing the same thing they would normally do in a fight.

The new Path of War Expanded stuff makes this even more crazy.

*New Warlord Tactical Presence, Gladiators Presence, available at level 9. Adds the Warlords Charisma modifier as a morale bonus to allies CMB and CMD checks. Also allows allies to perform combat maneuver without provoking AoOps. It's like what Marshal aura's should have been in 3.5. (This can get even stupider if you have a bard in the party cast Moment of Greatness)

*New class template for Warlord called Bushi. One of their abilities reads:
-
Quote
Respect: The bushi respects all life, and knows that the strength of his allies support his own strength. Whenever the bushi uses the Aid Another action in or out of combat, he adds his initiation modifier (min +1) to the bonus that he grants his allies.
That bonus, is an addition to Aid Another, not a replacement, which means it stacks with the Warlords Tactical Assistance ability. (Effectively add x2 Charisma to Aid Another bonuses)

So a Bushi Warlord toting a +5 Charisma modifier who has shared his Harrying Partner teamwork feat with his allies can basically use a move action to grant any ally within 30ft a +10 to attack against one foe for the entire round. He can do this twice per round if he chooses and can do this indefinately so long as the teamwork feat lasts. In addition, should he be adjacent to attacking allies, he grants them another +5 bonus to hit for flanking AND he can use his Attack of Opportunity pool to boost their AC's by 10 as well.
That is what I call teamwork.

Another class that syngergizes well with this Aid Another theme is the Zealot.
* Recovers maneuvers by Aiding Another as a standard action.
* When recovering maneuvers, grants allies a scaling bonus to attack
* Can use Aid Another on himself!!!!!! <------
* Can use Aid Another on his ranged attacks
* Can Aid Another on any member of his collective regardless of range
* At 9th level, a Zealot who has chosen the Mission of Protection automatically succeeds at Aid Another checks to grant allies bonuses to attack/damage.

If your playing Gestalt, a Bushi Warlord || Zealot would be the ultimate Self-Help Samurai. x2 Charisma to all skill checks, attack rolls, and AC yes please!

Oh wait, lets not forget, Aid Another Bonuses STACK!

So if you really wanted to go balls to the walls, you could grant allies x4 Charisma modifier to Attacks, AC, or Skill checks.

15
Gaming Advice / (PF-Dreamscarred Press) Question About Marksman Class Ability: Split Shot
« on: March 24, 2015, 01:17:28 PM »
Wanted some input on this as I cannot find a definite ruling anywhere.

The Marksman can obtain an ability called Split Shot.

Here is the direct wording:
Quote from: Dreamscarred Press
Split Shot (Su)

A volley Marksman is capable of psychokinetically splitting a ranged attack in-flight to hit two targets. When activated, a single ranged attack made by the Marksman can strike one additional target within 15 ft. of the initial target. Use the same attack roll to determine the success against both targets. Roll damage normally and split the damage to each target equally. This ability may be used a number of times per day equal to 3 + the Marksman’s Wisdom modifier

The way this ability is worded it does seem intended to attack multiple targets with a single attack. My question is could I use this ability to attack a SINGLE target twice?

I am almost certain that by RAW and by RAI I cannot but I was wondering if someone had made a case for this somewhere else or if a developer had clarified the abilities intent better?

16
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Fun Finds v6.0
« on: February 01, 2015, 03:04:21 AM »
Holy hell.....

Quote from: Heroes of Horror
Pronouncement of Fate

Necromancy
Level: Cleric 4, Spite (HH) 4,
Components: V, S,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates or Will partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Special

To invoke this spell, you speak the name of an offense that your target has committed.
Then you speak the inevitable doom that will fall upon her as a result of her transgression.
(The target need neither understand nor even hear this pronouncement).
An affected target takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and checks for the duration of the spell.
If the offense you named was committed against you personally (although not necessarily against you alone), the target also has a 50% chance of losing all actions on her turn for the duration of the spell.
The spell's power can be more difficult to resist, depending on who suffered from the offense specified by the casting.
If you were personally affected by the offense (in the DM's judgment), then the target can only hope to reduce the deleterious effects of the spell by half on a successful Will save.
You receive a +4 bonus on your caster level check to overcome the spell resistance of any creature whose crime affected you personally.
A successful save in these circumstances results in the target taking a -2 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and checks.
In addition, she has a 25% chance to lose all her actions for the duration of the spell.
Any target whose offense did not affect you personally gets her full spell resistance, and a successful Will save negates the effects of the pronouncement of fate.

If I am reading this right this percentile chance to lose all actions is only rolled ONCE and if they fail it they are action-less for the ENTIRE duration. One hell of a lock down spell bajeezus! Obviously not the intent, but by the wording thats how it seems to work.  :D

17
You Break it You Buy it / Re: The Rebound Effect: Immunity to ALL Targetable Spells?
« on: January 20, 2015, 11:57:37 AM »
From a DM perspective that is a fairly good way of handling the effect. It still gives the combo strength, but also adds a risk to it as well.

Sadly by RAW (I use that term lightly as everything always boils down to DM decision), there is no such stipulation in Redirect spell that it creates said resonance effect.

And yes, eventually the spell would have to hit one of you. Either that or you have someone dispel the spell while it is bouncing back and forth lol.

18
You Break it You Buy it / Re: The Rebound Effect: Immunity to ALL Targetable Spells?
« on: January 20, 2015, 12:07:32 AM »
The only constructive criticism I have against you argument is that Redirect spell functions EVERY time a spell targets a buffed player. It does not work just once. It works EVERY time all the time.

Once a spell is redirected, Redirect spell's function is done; however, the second a new target is redirected to their Redirect spell procs and sends the spell back, thus targeting you with the spell a second time and thus procing your Redirect spell.

That said, even if that is the case, a DM may argue that a redirected spell does not count as "targeting" the new target. A strange and paradoxical concept as if the player the spell is redirecting to is not the target of the spell then wouldn't the spell fail/not redirect to the player in the first place?

19
You Break it You Buy it / The Rebound Effect: Immunity to ALL Targetable Spells?
« on: January 19, 2015, 09:44:01 PM »
While not 100% sure on this, I think I found a way to become immune to ALL targetable spells.

Requirements:
Redirect Spell (Shining South p.48) <- Key to the whole thing.
Yourself and an ally.

Trick Explanation:
1. Cast Redirect Spell on your ally/familiar/random mook you paid 2 copper to follow you.
2. Now have that same ally/familiar/random mook cast Redirect Spell on you through various means.

Now whenever either of you are targeted with a spell it is then redirected to the other. But since they also have Redirect spell it is then redirected back to the original target. Thus begins an infinite looping cycle that could force a DM to break time, space, and your face with a DMG guide.

Does this seem like a viable trick? It really depends heavily on whether or not the DM allows Redirect spell to redirect spells that have already been redirected once before. The spell itself is very vague regarding "any spells targeting an ally" and if reading the literal context it would encompass ANY targetable spell.

In any case, cheers.  :D

20
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Interesting stuff in Pathfinder
« on: January 07, 2015, 01:07:40 AM »
The Grenadier archetype for Alchemist's gets a nifty ability that has very flexible uses if your clever.

Alchemical Weapon:
(click to show/hide)

Please note that this ability changes the delivery method of whatever item you infuse into it into a melee attack. Thus we can apply Inhaled or Ingested poisons to this and inject the suckers straight into our foes without having to have them swallow or breath it in. I know we can find other amusing items to combine with this.

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