Besides, it's not like anyone reads the whole bible, they go for whatever cliff notes their given sect promotes and look like deer in the headlights when you point out half a dozen references that directly contract their argument. 

Um, I've read the whole thing. Twice.

And I've read it in 3 different translations.  Want to compare other mythological texts we've read?

Obvious religous troll is obvious.


prototype00

To get the shaken effect, which eventually leads to a TKO. Frightened just makes them run away and doesn't stack.

prototype00

I remember reading somewhere on this forum that the math for parrying doesn't work to a player's benefit in the long run. So I'm just wondering, if I built a character to parry as well as can be reasonably expected (max dex, high reflex save, rerolls on reflex saves and reroll on parry attempts) can they keep ahead of the curve against NPCs of say attack rank 7-8?

prototype00

IIRC the conclusion was that it was pretty useless for characters with a high Defense, as they'd be unlikely to be able to save against something high enough to hit them in the first place.

]]Ah well, thought as much. Its good for low levels when you can have a pretty decent chance of it, but the higher up you go, the less it is worth I suppose.

prototype00

I remember reading somewhere on this forum that the math for parrying doesn't work to a player's benefit in the long run. So I'm just wondering, if I built a character to parry as well as can be reasonably expected (max dex, high reflex save, rerolls on reflex saves and reroll on parry attempts) can they keep ahead of the curve against NPCs of say attack rank 7-8?

prototype00

1.) If you're a grappling based combatant, you usually will get pretty hosed if you're in group combat and you grapple one of the participants (what with being flat footed and all), but 4 levels of burglar will get you uncanny dodge, which means being flat footed doesn't affect defense. Nice if you're a dex based grappler (deft grab) with the wrestling line of feats (coup de grace pinned opponents).

2.) High level trick, but if you have a high crit weapon (I'm getting 14-20 with my bite on my Saurian martial artists against special opponents), and the 14th level ability of the martial artist, you can reduce the opponent's dex to 1 when you crit, then cause him 1 level of fatigue (-2 dex, -2str), it's a T.K.O. from ability impairment at that point.

Just some things that occurred to me as I was fiddling with characters on a train journey the other day.  

Also, has anyone played around with optimizing parry in play? Combat focus and lightning reflexes are obviously nice, but is it really worthwhile?

prototype00

Personally for the firebraves I'd say that they could disguise as any sized species they want (and yes interact physically as said species with said size in a social context).

When entering combat, all disguises drop. The strain of battle/ Ancient geas placed on cursed bloodline / peanut butter and jelly causes it to be so.

Of course, if a fight breaks out, a fire brave could just not fight, but the moment he does an attack action, poof, back to being a horned monster.

prototype00

Rootwalker sorcerer Martial Artist with Living Weapon (Hammer hands) and Masters art.

prototype00

Just to add though, if you are a larger-than-medium character and you have access to a natural attack at rank 3, with martial arts/masters art, you can really rock the damage curve.

prototype00

For wrestling mastery, if your strength and constitution happen to be the same, is it the players choice which gets raised by 1 point?

Yes.

Brill, I guessed as much based on the other examples of stat gain in the book, but I wasn't sure.

Also for the path of harmony from the monk expert class, when it says:

Harmony I: When you’re a helper in a cooperative check,
the leader’s threat range increases by your Harmony Step. Only
one character with Steps along the Path of Harmony may affect
each cooperative check.

What does helper mean? Do you actually have to succeed in the DC 15 check (to add a +2 to the main check), or is your mere presence enough to inspire greatness (i.e. can you fail and still impart the increased threat range)?

Per the RAW, a helper is only a helper if he actively participates in the check (ie making the roll). Consequently, I would rule he needs to succeed on the check in order to grant the bonus to the leader, because on a crit failure a helper can also ruin the check. Helping - particularly considering the butch benefit - without taking any risk is a bit fishy to me.

Hmm, I know I'm challenging word of god here, but in the skill section it states that a helper is anyone who participates in the check (whether they succeed or fail).

One character becomes the
leader and all others become helpers. A maximum of 5 helpers
may assist each skill check. The leader makes a standard skill check
against the full DC and then each helper makes the same check
against a DC of 15. For each helper who succeeds, the leader’s
result increases by 1, and for each helper who scores a critical
success the leader’s result increases by 2.

Granted a helper could fail (or critically fail) but that doesn't make you suddenly not a helper. Indeed, RAW, I would humbly submit, it seems from the description of path of harmony I that as long as you roll the dice to try to help the leader, you're acting as a helper in said cooperative check, and therefore should have an effect on the leader's roll (as path of harmony I doesn't depend on the helper succeeding or failing, but on the presence of the monk as a helper).

Or am I misinterpreting things here? This seemed to me to be the most simple interpretation.  

prototype00

For wrestling mastery, if your strength and constitution happen to be the same, is it the players choice which gets raised by 1 point?

Also for the path of harmony from the monk expert class, when it says:

Harmony I: When you’re a helper in a cooperative check,
the leader’s threat range increases by your Harmony Step. Only
one character with Steps along the Path of Harmony may affect
each cooperative check.

What does helper mean? Do you actually have to succeed in the DC 15 check (to add a +2 to the main check), or is your mere presence enough to inspire greatness (i.e. can you fail and still impart the increased threat range)?

prototype00

When a class ability lets you convert damage without penalty such as the monk's spirit fist on pg 115 of the adventure companion, does that also mean no penalty to the damage dealt? (As opposed to a half damage penalty as stated in teh core book when converting damage?)

prototype00

On a bit of a tangent, in ye olde spycraft (where I think there were fewer restrictions on it), the funniest thing one of my friends suggested while using bald faced lie on the big bad:

"Sir, I am an eye doctor and you are in immediate need of treatment, or you risk imminent blindness. No time for sedation, thank goodness I always carry my handheld operating laser for such situations. You'll need to hold still for this. (Start the countdown on the 1 minute charge up 10d10 laser watch vs. cornea)"

prototype00

I'd consider allowing it. Since there aren't attacks of opportunity in FC, reach isn't useful for quite as many shennnanigans.

A martial artist could get reach +4 on a pike without the aid of stances, after all (and you might want to use said stance for something else)

prototype00

Of course, a build requiring five feats plus your starting multiple species feats (& stats hit) would take until level 12 to get the juice out of without bonus feats or the Fast Feats campaign quality, so you may want to consider levels in Soldier or Martial Artist as well.  And much as I like the battering ram, iirc the Heavy quality is pretty limiting, so you may not get to use it that often.

All true, all true. The battering ram is for when enemies decide to crowd around you to take advantage of your lumbering quality. Also, it can make people flat footed with its massive quality, which is good for a free whack with a flail. (Also for that half action after you've used two weapon fighting, thats a good time to swing in with a battering ram if you can).

This build (if I decided to make it) would probably be soldier most of the way (maybe one level of captain to leverage the personal lieutenant and free basic combat feats). By level 5, he can pull the shield tree/ two weapon guard shenanigans, and then from that point on you can start building the damage portions of the build (I recommend the flail tree, maybe the spear tree to leverage the good athletics stat, with enlightened skill, that this character would have, and possibly the siege tree as Alex has very helpfully pointed out).

prototype00

Same 2 headed, multi armed setup.
Special Construction: Flesh or Rubber
Works in a cathouse!
 

Call that one Fisto and you have me sold.

prototype00