Chapter 1 - Windward

[Retech]

Everyone in the game levels together, so you guys have also leveled.

 

Rewards for quests usually come in other forms, like loot or contacts or information.

[archimage_a]

I would expect them to either get off the Island, or to stay on the Island...Just pointing out that it isn't a Feat to get off of an Island that you got yourself to.

[The_Mather1]

I didn't get myself on the island, I was brought here by a group of drows, as for Lei she washed ashore, unconscious.

 

And if we've leveled up, I'll get to adding the stuff right away.

 

EDIT: Ok, with Summon Monster III back on my spell list, we should be getting off the island in an instant. Assuming there's less than 3km of sea to the nearest place we can get a rest.

[Retech]

Starting up in about an hour and a half (3pm EST).

 

I'll be somewhat online in about an hour to answer questions and such.

[The_Mather1]

What are your thoughts on creating custom enchantments and equipment?

 

I've got certain ideas that simply aren't possible with what Pathfinder has to offer, but still would suit the setting quite nicely.

[archimage_a]

He is generally against them.

 

If you want to 'strong arm' him into it:

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items#Table-Estimating-Magic-Item-Gold-Piece-Values

 

Talking to him via PM is also good because Retech can make concessions which, if he did on here, would have us up screaming blue murder.

[Seraphin]

Custom magic items tend to end up broken. His stance on them is entirely justified.

[archimage_a]

Yes and no.

Sometimes a custom 'magic' item is just an item that is just left out of the books and added/will be added in the future.

 

Good example is the Antidote Kit added in Ultimate Equipment, or the 'Filter Hood' (Gas Mask)

Which are relatively mundane but in the Pathfinder Universe such a device would need to be 'magic' to work.

 

Likewise if you built a trap which could render the victim weakened in someway (not already covered by the traps in the book) then you have to pay 'Magic item' costs.

 

Another example is the Shield Sconce which, under the old rules, would have required a casting of continual flame (or something) to light up a shield.

 

Similarly it is rather easy to work out better combinations of effects, at lower costs, than those listed in the books. GMs will tell you that 'Using those items breaks the game', but those abilities can easily be used by spellcasters already. (Though there is some truth as Spellcasters are limited to the number of spells they can cast, and when...Though part of that is embodied in the extra cost of items verses spells...But anyway)

 

 

The stance is partially justified, other times the GM is just being fickle.

[The_Mather1]

Yeah, the item I had in mind is on the side where it's something that probably will exist some time in the future.

 

That is to say it's an eyepiece that can be bound to a single creature to allow the wearer to look through its eyes. This is similar to what some spellcasters can do with their familiar with a 3rd/4th level spell (although they aren't bound to just sight) and druid beastmasters can do as a swift action with their companions with a trait they gain the 6th level.

[Retech]

I believe such a device already exists.

 

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/c-d/crystal-ball = Even better

[The_Mather1]

Not really suitable for application in the field. I was thinking about something that requires next to no effort to use and can be used any time for any duration, but is limited to what one creature can scout for you.

 

Something for say... if Lei took a sniper position and used them to scout an entire city using a falcon, enabling her to find a target and take it out as soon as she had a clear line of sight, no matter what their relative positions were. (Heh, that'd make a fairly epic scene for a movie or videogame.)

[Retech]

You could probably ask Garmund about that. He seems to have something that does something relatively similar to what is going on there.

[archimage_a]

Eye piece of Eiffel, eh Retech?

 

For 12,025 GP you could get an Intelligent Object:

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/intelligent-items

 

Base Intelligent Item costs 500.

Plus cost of a Dull Ioun Stone (The most basic of the magical items)

That flys (10,000), has Speech (500), and can cast a level 0 spell at will, in this case Message (1,000)

[The_Mather1]

Not nearly what I am looking for. Knowing what something sees and looking through its eyes are vastly different things.

[archimage_a]

Another, even cheaper alternative is:

Buy a Hawk (18 gp)

Attach the Dull, Intelligent Ioun Stone of Message (Cost of 2,025) on a necklace or something.

Or staple it to it somehow....

 

Volia...

Highly dependant on successful handle animal rolls, though...And not especially capable of redirections in flight...and obviously if someone/thing attacks your hawk you might lose both.

[The_Mather1]

That still doesn't fix the problem of not seeing what the scout sees.

[archimage_a]

Ok then....

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/building-and-modifying-constructs

Get a construct. For a Tiny Animated Object that is 250 gp. +8,000 for Crafter's Eyes.

THEN attach it to a Hawk.

I don't really get the rules on constructs so experiment.

 

 

Other alternatives are:

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/e/eagle-eye

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/words-of-power/effect-words/far-sight

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/share-senses

 

Either use Scrolls or intelligent items.

 

Alternatively, use a Spyglass, as I somewhat doubt the utility of being 'able to see' the enemy as actively increasing your to-hit chance. The best ranged firearm is the Rifle, and has a ranged increment of 80 ft, even with the Far-Reaching Sight and Distant Special Ability it is only effective out to around 800 feet. Only about 240 meters. Compared with the composite longbow which remains effective out to over 1,000 feet, or around 300 meters...as well as being much cheaper.

 

You would still be better off with a Longbow and a Hawk that dropped flares...Or cast Dancing Lights via an intelligent object, so you know where to look and then look there, see the target and bam.

The original alternative, the one of the Intelligent Item TELLING you where the target is would be considerably more subtle.

 

Similarly massive gunshot wound isn't the debilitation in Pathfinder that it is in the real world, so even if you do hit it probably won't kill them.

 

 

If none of these options satisfy your desire to achieve something that only Satalites, Cameras and Infra-vision have given us in the modern era then you aren't gonna get the item...Short of becoming a wizard, witch, sorcerer or summoner.

[The_Mather1]

That 800ft range is assuming a natural 20 with no other modifier against an AC of 0 (or any AC actually since it's a natural 20). However at Lei's +18, meaning at that range she would still not be going at her limit. Even assuming she rolled a 10, she would still hit any target with an AC of 8 or lower, and this is without the Far Shot feat.

Now the 1d8 damage isn't much, the 4d8+4 on a crit however... (Or +20 Attack Bonus, 1d10 DMG and 4d10+4 Crit under the effect of my Inspire Courage buff.)

In addition she can shoot the target once per round, since reloading for her is a free action.

 

That's right, while buffed by me, she can (with extreme improbability) hit a target that's 1,600ft away for 44 DMG per round, if she gets the Far Shot feat next time she can choose one, that makes the range 3,280ft, one kilometer, while she would hit for 48DMG (the Increase in damage and the extra 80ft is because my Inspire Courage would be +3 at that point instead of +2).

 

 

Also in no case is it not vastly better for yourself to see the situation than to be told where the target is.

[Nexaduro]

It should be noted that seeing a birds eye view of the battlefield makes it much, much, much harder to aim a gun than just peering around.

[The_Mather1]

Well duh, that's why it has to be effortless to use. This is the Pathfinder version of having a pair of tactical goggles that are linked to the camera of an UAV.

 

EDIT: Oh my god, "an UAV" sounds as unnatural as "a hour".

[Retech]

Most of these ideas would only let you locate the target, but they will likely still have concealment against you.

[The_Mather1]

True, but the point isn't locating a single target as much as it is scouting a large area.

[Alg]

Edit: Ignore this.

[archimage_a]

Even assuming she rolled a 10, she would still hit any target with an AC of 8 or lower

The only targets I can think of with an AC below 12 are Sheds/Shed Sized enemies.

If you have the Far-Sight Scope then you gain some benefit from enemies generally having poor Touch AC...but its usually still above or at 12.

 

1d10 DMG and 4d10+4 Crit

Which means an average of 5.

 

Added to which shooting at 1 Kilometer is beyond your actual vision range...

Ref: Stealth and Detection in Plains: In plains terrain, the maximum distance at which a Perception check for detecting the nearby presence of others can succeed is 6d6 × 40 feet

35*40 = 1,440. Feet to Meters is about 1/3rd, so around 480 Meters, at max.

 

Even supposing that Retech allowed you to use spotters, the ability to annoy wasps...or kill level 1 peasants...Is not terribly useful.

Unless you happened to be faced with an army of 10 shed-sized peasants, each with 4 HP, who were advancing on you, without cover, I can't imagine it would be immensely useful...Unless Retech decides to do the American version of the Battle of Yorktown.

 

While I would agree the ability to shoot a commander or some important person, and then have 10 rounds to flee, is certainly a major advantage...or more if you were in a city and were out of range of their perception...I do have to point out that the ability to kill major NPCs at will never goes down well with GMs, and often times you will get 'A group of guards hear the shot, see the muzzle flash or stumble on your music'

Alternatively, you might jump to the conclusion that shooting person X is a good idea, and then it turns out to be a bad idea.

 

True, but the point isn't locating a single target as much as it is scouting a large area.

Reminded me of this:

[The_Mather1]

Seeing as we're going to be aiming for bigshot employers, assassinations are the most likely jobs for us, so taking out one important target at a time will be really useful.

 

And again, that is per round, and since she does have Far-Reaching Sight, she can see enemies that are beyond normal visual range and she does shoot for Touch AC.

Anyways, assuming the enemies are at a distance of 400ft and have the slightly below brisk walking speed of 20ft/round, they'll take 20 rounds to reach us. The attacks will have bonuses of 4x+12, 4x+14, 4x+16, 4x+18 and 3x+20 before they can fight back with melee weapons.

Now if the enemies have a Touch AC of 25, which is ridiculously high, statistically 1 of the 5th range attacks, 2 of the 4th range attacks, 2 of the 3rd range attacks, 3 of the 2nd range attacks and 2 of the 1st range attacks will hit. That's 10 hits, for a total of 10d8+20 damage, or 9d8+26+4x damage where x=1d10 if we luck out on the 1/4th chance that one of those ten rolls gets a crit and we succeed to check that crit. Now statistically that makes for 60 or 78 damage.

I don't know how this would correspond to soldiers, but that's enough to kill a Nymph, a CR 7 opponent (that actually only has 23 Touch AC), before it gets within range if it has to swim. Now seeing as the character generator I'm using has Lei estimated at 105,000 EXP, the 3,200 EXP awarded for killing the nymph tell me that this is a moderately good feat for something that can as a statistic probability be done without losing a single HP.