Interesting stuff in Pathfinder

[deadkitten]

Ya know, this reminds me of a very minor rules distinction that I noticed while in Paizo's Rules Forum.

The withdraw action does not state that your movement doesn not provoke an AoO, it states that the square you start in is not considered threatened.

Which can be a very important distinction depending on what class levels or feats your opponent has.

[MrWolfe]

True...

Technically that would bypass a barbarian's Unexpected Strike rage power, which sucks for the gestalt Barb/Oracle I'm building. Let's hope my GM rules it differently, otherwise that's a good chunk of the power's usefulness gone.

[stanprollyright]

Unexpected Strike:

The barbarian can make an attack of opportunity against a foe that moves into any square threatened by the barbarian, regardless of whether or not that movement would normally provoke an attack of opportunity.

Withdraw:

Withdrawing from melee combat is a full-round action. When you withdraw, you can move up to double your speed. The square you start out in is not considered threatened by any opponent you can see, and therefore visible enemies do not get attacks of opportunity against you when you move from that square. Invisible enemies still get attacks of opportunity against you, and you can't withdraw from combat if you're blinded. You can't take a 5-foot step during the same round in which you withdraw.

If, during the process of withdrawing, you move out of a threatened square (other than the one you started in), enemies get attacks of opportunity as normal.

You may not withdraw using a form of movement for which you don't have a listed speed.

Note that despite the name of this action, you don't actually have to leave combat entirely.

Seems to me it would still work as intended

[MrWolfe]

Wow, I completely missed that. So it's really only good for preventing someone from approaching you, not keeping them from retreating. Boo.

At least my knockback/unexpected strike/paired opportunists combo will still work since I plan on using a reach weapon. They'll just be provoking from moving into the square I threaten with my polearm, rather than moving out of the square I threaten with my armor spikes. 

[zook1shoe]

What happens if you stay in that first square, how long are you not threatened?

[snakeman830]

What happens if you stay in that first square, how long are you not threatened?

I believe movement is a required part of the Withdraw action.

[deadkitten]

What happens if you stay in that first square, how long are you not threatened?

I believe movement is a required part of the Withdraw action.

 Well it does say that you  CAN move, not that you have to .

[MrWolfe]

Granted, any sane GM is probably going to houserule that whole Ring of Duplicates/I withdraw forward! trick, so ditto for taking the withdraw action but not actually moving.

But yeah, per raw if you feel like wasting a turn for some reason you can totally declare that you're taking the withdraw action and then not do anything. (Technically you'd still have your free and swift actions though.)

[zook1shoe]

Swift actions and "free" invisibility w images isn't a waste, especially for a non-casrer

[MrWolfe]

Well that would be the "some reason" I was talking about.

Honestly it's almost a better deal for a caster. You can maintain invisibility without using up any resources, don't have to actually move if you don't want to, and still cast a quickened spell with your swift action.

[zook1shoe]

Very true.

[zook1shoe]

The trait bonus doesn't stack with itself, so reduce that to +13 each round.

Helpful actually changes the total (2 becomes 4), while the others (that matter) increase by 1 or 2.

That doesn't seem to be 2 bonuses, right? Kind of like in 3.x, adding your Dex mod to Dex-based check?

[MrWolfe]

Actually, going over it on the SRD, it isn't even a trait bonus. So it would stack anyway. Nifty.

[zook1shoe]

Kin Guardian works well for PFS. You family is fellow Pathfinders. Now your aid another AC bonus is +6.

[MrWolfe]

Does that actually fly in PFS? Strikes me as the kind of loose interpretation they tend to shut down.

[zook1shoe]

Haven't tried in game or look on paizo, but it's legit

[MrWolfe]

What I mean is, the rules for that trait specifically say it only applies when defending a member of your family--and nothing says you can declare a person or group "family" in order to benefit from it.

Now, if you had a regular PFS group, and all the players agreed on a common backstory that included each PC being related to each other, then it would kinda', maybe fly--but honestly I wouldn't be surprised if this trait is specifically banned from PFS. They've swung the banhammer on much more innocuous things.

[zook1shoe]

Orphaned and adopted by the Society. Now the Society is your family. Doesn't mention how closely related the family member has to be.

As of July 29, nothing in the Additional Resources pdf.

Covering Fire is a great way to use this from a distance, even like 3 times/rnd for the 1 inspiration point.

[deadkitten]

Orphaned and adopted by the Society. Now the Society is your family. Doesn't mention how closely related the family member has to be.

As of July 29, nothing in the Additional Resources pdf.

Covering Fire is a great way to use this from a distance, even like 3 times/rnd for the 1 inspiration point.

I actually see it as Mandatory for the concept. Along with Additional Traits as a maybe.

If you are going to spend your entire turn just aiding your allies, you may as well not do it where you can get hit.

[MrWolfe]

Nifty combo to put on a cohort. Buffs the party from a distance while preserving their action economy.