Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat FAQ
Last updated: April 29, 2016.
-
Classes
-
Alchemist: Is the Strength bonus for the rage mutagen ability of the ragechemist archetype (page 25) in addition to the normal bonus for a Strength mutagen?
-
Barbarian--Totem Warrior: Does this APG archetype allow you to take more than one type of totem rage powers?
-
Dead Shot: When it says you make the number of attack rolls based on your base attack bonus, would that also include extra attacks from things like haste or Rapid Shot?
-
Dragon Totem Resilience: Dragon totem resilience says that I get energy resistance equal to twice my barbarian DR, but then it says “This DR increases by 2 for each dragon totem rage power she possesses”. From the context, it seems like it meant that the energy resistance increases. Which one is right?
-
Inquisitor: Ultimate Magic states that any domain-using class can take inquisitions while Ultimate Combat states that only inquisitors can take inquisitions. Which source is correct?
-
Monk, Martial Artist: How can I use abundant step if this archetype replaces my ki pool?
-
Magus, Kensai: Many of the kensai’s abilities refer to “his chosen weapon.” Is that the “single martial or exotic melee weapon of his choice” from the Weapon and Armor Proficiency ability? If it isn’t, how do I decide what his chosen weapon actually is?
-
Magus, Myrmidarch: Do my weapon training and armor training abilities stack if I multiclass into fighter?
-
Monk, Sohei: Can a sohei use flurry of blows while wearing light armor?
-
Monk, Tetori: This archetype has three bonus feats that do not exist: Crushing Embrace, Twin Lock, anh Backbreaker. What feats should replace those missing feats?
-
Ranger, Wild Stalker: How can I have the rage powers ability and the wild talents ability if they both replace favored enemy?
-
Feats
-
Mastering Combat
Classes
Alchemist: Is the Strength bonus for the rage mutagen ability of the ragechemist archetype (page 25) in addition to the normal bonus for a Strength mutagen?
No, the +6 replaces the normal +4 Strength bonus of the alchemist’s Strength mutagen. This will be updated in a future printing of Ultimate Combat as follows:
Page 25—In the Ragechemist archetype, in the Rage Mutagen class feature, change the first sentence to read as follows:
"At 2nd level, whenever a ragechemist creates a mutagen that improves his Strength, that mutagen’s bonus to Strength increases by +2 and penalizes the alchemist’s Intelligence score."
Barbarian--Totem Warrior: Does this APG archetype allow you to take more than one type of totem rage powers?
No, the line in Ultimate Combat is in error; a barbarian cannot select from more than one group of totem rage powers.
This error will be corrected in the next printing of Ultimate Combat.
This answer originally appeared in the 9/11/12 Paizo blog.
Dead Shot: When it says you make the number of attack rolls based on your base attack bonus, would that also include extra attacks from things like haste or Rapid Shot?
No, dead shot only includes attacks from base attack bonus (so two attack rolls at 7th, three at 11th, four at 16th). Dead shot is meant more of a backup option for particular situations (such as shooting against something with high hardness or avoiding misfires).
Dragon Totem Resilience: Dragon totem resilience says that I get energy resistance equal to twice my barbarian DR, but then it says “This DR increases by 2 for each dragon totem rage power she possesses”. From the context, it seems like it meant that the energy resistance increases. Which one is right?
It should say that the energy resistance increases by 2 for each dragon totem rage power. This will be reflected in the next errata
Inquisitor: Ultimate Magic states that any domain-using class can take inquisitions while Ultimate Combat states that only inquisitors can take inquisitions. Which source is correct?
Ultimate Magic is correct.
Update: Page 52, in the first column, in the Inquisitions section, in the second paragraph, replace the first two sentences with the following: "Inquisitions are like domains. Other classes that use domains can take inquisitions but inquisitions are typically weaker than the domains those classes can already choose because they do not grant domain spell slots or domain spells."
Monk, Martial Artist: How can I use abundant step if this archetype replaces my ki pool?
The archetype should have replaced all ki-based abilities, but abundant step was left in by accident. The archetype should also replace abundant step with a monk bonus feat.
This will be changed in the next printing of Ultimate Combat.
Magus, Kensai: Many of the kensai’s abilities refer to “his chosen weapon.” Is that the “single martial or exotic melee weapon of his choice” from the Weapon and Armor Proficiency ability? If it isn’t, how do I decide what his chosen weapon actually is?
The chosen weapon does indeed refer to the single martial or exotic melee weapon he chose.
Magus, Myrmidarch: Do my weapon training and armor training abilities stack if I multiclass into fighter?
Yes.
Armor training requires more explanation as to how they stack:
Fighter armor training 1 (gained at 3rd level) also gives a fighter the ability to move at normal speed in medium armor. A myrmidarch gains armor training 1 at 8th level, and also gains this ability to overcome the speed reduction of medium armor.
Fighter armor training 2 (gained at 7th level) also gives a fighter the ability to move at normal speed in heavy armor. A myrmidarch gains armor training 2 at 14th level, and also gains this ability to overcome the speed reduction of heavy armor.
A multiclassed character with armor training 1 from fighter (3rd level) and armor training 1 from myrmidarch (8th level) gains the ability to overcome the speed reduction of heavy armor (as it is the equivalent of armor training 2, which grants that ability).
Monk, Sohei: Can a sohei use flurry of blows while wearing light armor?
Yes (but not medium or heavy armor). However, a sohei does not gain his monk AC bonus class feature when wearing armor.
The next printing of Ultimate Combat will be changed to reflect this ruling.
Monk, Tetori: This archetype has three bonus feats that do not exist: Crushing Embrace, Twin Lock, anh Backbreaker. What feats should replace those missing feats?
Update: Page 16, change "2nd level--Crushing Embrace" to "2nd level--Stunning Pin"; change "10th level--Twin Lock" to "10th-level--Pinning Knockout"; and change "18th level--Backbreaker" to "18th level--Neckbreaker."
Ranger, Wild Stalker: How can I have the rage powers ability and the wild talents ability if they both replace favored enemy?
The rage powers ability and the wild talents ability should be considered one single ability granted by the archetype and replacing the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th favored enemies. At ranger level 5, 10, 15, and 20, you can select either a rage power or the skill bonus described in the wild talents ability.
This will be corrected in the next printing of Ultimate Combat.
Feats
Boar Style: Boar Style seems to deal 2d6 bleed damage, which by the normal rules of bleed damage would apply each round, but then Boar Shred, which requires Boar Style and a much higher level, deals 1d6 bleed damage and specifies that it happens on each round. Did Boar Style mean something else?
Yes, Boar Style means to say that it deals 2d6 additional damage once when you hit a foe twice, similar to the rend ability, and then Boar Shred actually does 1d6 ongoing bleed damage. This will be reflected in future errata.
Channeled Revival: What is the range of this ability?
It uses the range of your channel energy ability.
Channeling Scourge: This feat has Inquisitor channel energy class feature as a prerequisite, but I see no inquisitor archetype that grants the channel energy class feature. How can an inquisitor take this feat?
The feat is for inquisitors that multiclass with a class that does have that class feature.
Update: Page 92, In the first column, in the Channeling Scourge feat, change the Prerequisite entry "Inquisitor channel energy class feature" to "channel energy class feature, inquisitor level 1st."
Dragon Ferocity and Tiger Claws: These feats both tell me to add 1/2 my Strength bonus to damage. How does that affect my damage? Does that reduce down to 1/2?
No, Dragon Ferocity should read "While using Dragon Style, increase your Strength bonus on unarmed strike damage rolls by an additional one-half your Strength bonus, to a total of twice your Strength bonus on the first attack and 1-1/2 your Strength bonus on the other attacks" and Tiger Claws should read "If you use Power Attack in conjunction with this attack, increase your Strength bonus on one of the damage rolls by an additional one-half your Strength bonus, normally to a total of 1-1/2 your Strength bonus." These changes will be reflected in future errata.
Feral Combat Training: What does “with” in the Special line for this feat mean for monks making a flurry of blows?
Normally a monk who has natural attacks (such as a lizardfolk monk with claw attacks) cannot use those natural attacks as part of a flurry of blows (Core Rulebook 57). Feral Combat Training allows you to use the selected natural attack as if it were a monk weapon—you can use it as one of your flurry of blows attacks, use it to deploy special attacks that require you to use a monk weapon, apply the effects of the natural weapon (such as a poisonous bite) for each flurry of blows attack, and so on.
The feat does not allow you to make your normal flurry of blows attack sequence plus one or more natural attacks with the natural weapon. In other words, if you can flurry for four attacks per round, with this feat you still only make four attacks per round... but any number of those attacks may be with the selected natural weapon.
Prone Shooter: What does this feat do? It says that you do not take a penalty for shooting while prone, but there is no such penalty.
You are of course correct here. As currently written, the feat does not function as intended. To fix this issue, make the following changes.
Remove the Weapon Focus feat prerequisite from the feat. The benefit paragraph of the feat should be changed to read as follows:
Benefit: If you have been prone since the end of your last turn, the penalty to your Armor Class against melee attacks made against you is reduced to -2. In addition, the bonus to your Armor Class against ranged attacks made against you is increased to +6.
Finally, delete the special paragraph from the feat.
Snap Shot: Can a character with Snap Shot (page 119) and Combat Reflexes make multiple attacks of opportunity with a ranged weapon, assuming that loading the ranged weapon is a free action?
Yes. As long as you can reload your weapon with a free action you can reload your weapon as part of the ranged attack attack of opportunity you are making with the Snap Shot feat.
Vicious Stomp: How does this interact with Greater Trip? Do you get two AOOs or just one?
Using these feats together provokes two AOOs, because the two AOO-triggering acts are similar, but different.
Greater Trip gives you an AOO when you trip a foe. Vicious Stomp gives you an AOO occurs when a foe falls prone.
This answer originally appeared in the 9/11/12 Paizo blog.
Mastering Combat
Advanced Firearms and Rapid Reload: How does Rapid Reload work with advanced firearms? It seems like I can reload an early firearm with alchemical cartridges and Rapid Reload faster than an advanced firearm. Are advanced firearms meant to receive an additional reload reduction for using metal cartridges? Are they meant to work differently with Rapid Reload than early firearms?
Advanced firearms do not receive an additional reload reduction for using metal cartridges; their reload speed is the one listed in the chart, and they must use metal cartridges, which don’t affect the reload. On page 136 under loading a firearm, it mentions that Rapid Reload reduces the time to load a firearm in the section for rules that apply to both early and advanced firearms; however, the Rapid Reload feat doesn’t break out advanced firearms separately from other firearms. It should reduce their reload speed from a move action to a free action.
Double-Barreled Musket: Is the range increment for a double-barreled musket 10 feet? A single-barreled musket's range increment is 40 feet.
"10 feet" is an error, and will be fixed in the next printing of Ultimate Combat. The correct range increment is "40 feet."
Double-barreled Muskets and other Double-Barreled Weapons: In the third printing of Ultimate Combat, double-barreled musket’s wording received an erratum to clarify, but not double-barreled pistol or shotgun, which have similar wording. Should they also use the double-barreled musket’s erratum?
Yes, all three should use the new wording from double-barreled musket.
Firearms: If I roll a misfire when attempting to confirm a critical hit, what happens?
You cannot misfire on a critical hit confirmation roll. If you roll a misfire when attempting to confirm a critical hit, just treat it as a normal result of the die (which might confirm the crit or fail to do so).
Monk Weapons: If a weapon is specified as a monk weapon, does that mean that monks are automatically proficient with that weapon?
No. It means that they can use this weapon while using flurry of blows. It does not mean that it is added to the list of weapons that a monk is proficient with, unless the weapon description says otherwise.
Inappropriately Sized Firearms: Does this rule (page 136) allow a Medium or smaller creature to use larger firearms of any size?
The text of the rule is, "The size of a firearm never affects how many hands you need to use to shoot it." The intent of that rule was to prevent a Medium character from using a Small rifle as a one-handed pistol; it wasn’t intended to let a Medium character use a Large, Huge, Gargantuan, or Colossal two-handed firearm as a two-handed weapon. Just like with non-firearms, a creature cannot wield a weapon that’s far too big or small for it. Specifically in the case of firearms, a Medium character can’t use a two-handed firearm sized for a Large or larger creature, and a Small character can’t use a two-handed firearm sized for a Medium or larger creature.
Scorpion Whips: How do scorpion whips work? There are several published sources of scorpion whips, and they seem inconsistent.
Change the last sentence in the Ultimate Combat scorpion whip's description to say "If you are proficient with both scorpion whips and whips, you can use a scorpion whip in either the normal way, as a typical light performance weapon, or as a whip. When you use a scorpion whip as a whip, it is otherwise equivalent to a whip, but it deals lethal damage and can harm creatures regardless of their armor bonus." This change will be reflected in future errata.
What this means is that the scorpion whip is normally a light performance weapon with no other special weapon features, but that someone with both proficiencies can also use it as a whip, in which case it acts precisely like a whip in all ways (one-handed weapon, attack out to 15 feet, provoke an attack of opportunity, can use the Whip Mastery feats, etc) except that it deals lethal damage and can harm creatures regardless of their armor bonus.
Weapons: There are melee weapons in Ultimate Combat (pages 131 to 132) with a weight of "—". If these weapons are primarily metal (like the kerambit), how do you calculate the cost of creating mithral versions of these weapons?
Treat these weapons as 1/2 lb weapons for the purpose of creating a mithral version of the weapon.
|
