Everything Has a Weakness (So Be Sure You Know Your Options)

There is an old saying one of my martial arts instructors taught me when I was young; soft on hard, hard on soft. The idea was that you need to match the type of strike to where you're hitting your enemy, otherwise you're going to do more damage to yourself than you will to them. The stomach is a soft target, so you strike it with a fist for a hard blow for best effect. The head is a hard, rigid target so you should use a softer blow like a palm strike instead of a punch so you don't shatter your knuckles on your opponent's skull.

What does that have to do with gaming?

We've all had those moments in our games where we've run face-first into a wall. Where the enemy's armor class was too high, their strength too great, their damage resistance too big, or their movement speed too fast. When you come up against one of these challenges, you've basically got two options; throw up your hands and admit defeat, or switch tactics to strike at their soft spots.

Dammit, parried AGAIN?!

I'll be talking about Pathfinder here, but the basic theory can be applied to almost any game. All you have to do is ask, "What is this enemy bad at defending?" and that should be the first step of your strategy.

A High Armor Class Isn't As Unstoppable As You Think

Take your shot, there's a 20 on that die.

One of the most common situations you'll run into is an enemy with a really high armor class. Maybe it's a rampaging tank, or a magically-augmented machine, or your party just wasn't built to for the battlefield, but for whatever reason you need to roll really high just to land a hit on this thing.

The issue is that you're probably attacking the enemy's biggest strength, when you should instead be either attacking something different, or reducing that strength in some way. When you find yourself facing this situation, consider alternative options like:

- Attacking a Saving Throw: It doesn't matter what kind of armor you have on when a fireball goes off, or the illusionist hits you with color spray. This typically requires use of a spell, but items like grenades and thunderstones as well as wands and scrolls make this option available to any PC.

- Attacking Touch Armor Class: Whether you're hucking a tanglefoot bag or shooting a scorching ray, it is generally much easier to hit a target creature's touch armor class than their standard one. While not all items/abilities that hit touch armor class will deal damage, many of them can cause useful status effects that will make the combat easier.

- Attacking Combat Maneuver Defense: A big, bad suit of armor and a heavy shield can make someone tough to hit, but it doesn't add anything to their combat maneuver defense. So whether you want to trip them, disarm them, or grapple them if you're really sassy, this can be an extremely useful alternative attack strategy. It will provoke attacks of opportunity, of course, and the higher an enemy's size, Strength, and Dexterity are the tougher it's going to be to succeed... but it should be considered all the same.

- Reducing The Enemy's Armor Class: There are dozens of ways you can reduce the enemy's armor class in order to make it less potent. Items like a tanglefoot bag (or tanglefoot arrow, if you want to keep the target at a distance) can provide a serious advantage, as can spells like adhesive spittle. Tripping the enemy puts them prone, which gives you a +4 advantage to hit them. Sundering their shield or armor would mean they no longer gain a benefit from that particular item (though it also means you'd have to repair it before you could use it yourself when the battle is over).

High Saving Throws Aren't Unassailable

Parry this, ye blasted casual!

Another issue (particularly for spellcasters) is that enemies often have saving throws that are just too high to give your spells any real impact. Assassins that can cartwheel through area of effect magic without taking any damage, frenzied giants whose constitutions are nearly unstoppable, or learned wizards whose minds and wills are like juggernauts.

Again, this won't make you completely useless (especially if you choose spells that still do something even if the target succeeds on their save). It just means you need to aim for the target's vulnerable areas instead. Try strategies like:

- Switching Saves: Most enemies will have one save that's worse than the others. If they're acing your Reflex and Will saves, consider testing their Fortitude. A variety of tricks in your bag helps a lot here.

- Reducing Saves: As with armor class, an enemy's saves can be reduced. If you can render an enemy shaken (whether it's through a spell, an Intimidate check, or some other feature), that imposes a -2 penalty on their saving throws. If the enemy can be entangled, that reduces their Reflex saves. Doing damage to (or imposing a negative on) an enemy's attributes will reduce an associated saving throw.

- Focusing on Other Areas: If an enemy has really good saving throws, it's likely their touch armor class (or even their regular armor class) isn't very good. Targeting that area instead will allow you to get more bang for your buck.

Other Issues You May Need To Counter

Armor class and saving throws are the most common challenges for players to overcome, but they're far from the only ones. Which is why it's a good idea to consider having a plan for some of the following effects.

- Flight: Flying enemies are the bane of any melee character. Whether it's ensuring you have a way to fly yourself, tanglefoot arrows to cut their speed and bring them back down to earth (if you're lucky), or even something as simple as a lasso to rope and hold your foe in place, this will show up in game sooner or later. And, of course, always have a back-up weapon, wand, or spell for the occasion.

- Damage Reduction: Some creatures take a particular type of weapon to hurt. What a lot of players don't know is the higher the magical enchantment is on a weapon, the more forms of damage reduction it ignores. For the magi, paladins, and warpriests out there, if you can get the flat bonus to +4 or higher, it allows you to ignore silver, cold iron, and even adamantine requirements for DR. Something to keep in mind, along with knowing that tossing acid and alchemist fire at werewolves is also a solid choice.

- Elemental Resistances/Immunities: This is a big one, especially for characters who are committed to their fire, ice, or lightning schtick. Always have a way to switch up which element you're using, and make sure that you're not stuck with only one option. Otherwise you're going to find yourself in a situation where your biggest sledgehammer might as well be a feather duster.

- Darkness/Senses: One of the big advantages a lot of enemies have over the PCs is that they can see in places the party can't. Whether it's normal darkness (which is typically rendered null by magic weapons that shine like a torch, as well as regular darkvision), deeper darkness (something you need a daylight spell at the very least to get rid of), or the ability to turn invisible (glitterdust and smog pellets are your best friend in these situations), there's always a chance the foe tries to use their ability to see, or to go unseen, when it's the biggest disadvantage to the party.

The Game is Always Multi-Dimensional

There are so many different tools and strategies that it's impossible to be prepared for everything that might come your way. With that said, it's good to have at least 2-3 backups in your belt pouch should your main gun happen to be ineffective against a particular encounter. And the more options you can keep on-hand (especially if it provides the option to the rest of the party), the easier a time you're going to have throughout your campaign.

With that said, I would like to take a moment to remind everyone of an old project of mine I worked on for TPK Games. Because the Feats of Legend series was a lot of fun, but it also put a lot of unique tools into players' hands. So if you haven't had a chance, take a moment to glance over them!

I try not to play favorites... but if you were going to pick one, I'd recommend this one.

- 20 Infernal Feats: From devil-spawned tieflings, to worshipers of dark powers, if the fires of hell run in your veins then these feats will be perfect for you.

- 20 Undead Feats: Whether you want to put one foot in the grave to gain some of the resistances of the living dead, or you've simply run too much dark power through your soul, these feats are what you've been looking for.

- 20 Celestial Feats: From the faithful, to those whose ancestry mixes with the celestial realms, these feats put the power of the holy light into your hands. The bane of wicked foes!

- 30 Fey Feats: A bigger collection than normal, these feats are for those with a tie to the first world... a place where the rules don't apply, and logic has never managed to take root.

- 20 Orc Feats: One of the best-reviewed collections of the Feats of Legend series (by Endzeitgeist himself) this one lets you put some real fire in your orcs and half-orcs!

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The Best (Non-Magical) Equipment For Your Pathfinder Party

Pathfinder is a game of gods and devils, magic and monsters, swords and sorcery. As characters begin fighting dragons, ancient liches, and powerful necromancers it's easy to get caught up in the spectacle of the epic. But take a moment and ask yourself how many times you've found your adventure stymied for want of something simple? Something really, really basic? Like a torch, some rope, a ball of twine, or a piece of chalk?

We're in the middle of the goddamn desert, and you didn't bring a canteen?

Every player has his or her list of equipment that is a necessity before setting out on an adventure, regardless of what level they're at. For those who don't want to scour the books for the most useful equipment that will often cost you less than a single gold piece, this list has some items you should really consider adding to your pack.

Pouches, Packs, and Utility Belts

Batman ain't got shit on this.

Have you ever been in the middle of a fight and realized you have the perfect item to turn the tide of battle, but it's buried in the bottom of your backpack? Sure it's just a move action to get it out of your pack, but doing provokes attacks of opportunity.

That's why it's a good idea to be careful with where you're keeping your equipment.

The bandolier (Ultimate Equipment) and the adventurer's sash (Seekers of Secrets) are both items that players should pay attention to. They both go across an adventurer's chest, and the former has eight pockets while the latter has six. Both items provide loops for weapon-like items, and pouches for flasks and vials. It is a move action to draw an item from either of them. So where's the benefit? Well if you're storing a wand or other weapon-like object (Core Rule Book 186) that's near to hand then you may draw it as if it were a weapon. That means no attack of opportunity for pulling out your wand. Which, under the right circumstances, is a handy thing to know. You still can't quick draw it, even with the feat, but you can draw it in all other respects as if it were a weapon.

For those who really want to get gear into their hands more quickly though it's a good idea to invest in either a wrist sheathe or a spring-loaded wrist sheathe (Adventurer's Armory). The former allows you to drop a dart, dagger, or wand into your hand with a move action, and the latter with a swift action. Neither action provokes an attack of opportunity, though cranking the spring-loaded sheathe back is a full-round action that does provoke.

Lastly, it's a good idea to invest in a weapon cord (Advanced Player's Guide). This two-foot length of rawhide goes around your wrist and lets you retrieve a dropped or disarmed weapon as a move action. Not as good as a lock gauntlet, but you can still drop the weapon in your hand and use something else (wand, drink a potion, etc.) without serious worry.

Light Sources

Because hell globes are hard to come by.

If you're fortunate enough to have a race with darkvision then you're going to be head-and-shoulders above fellow party members when you're eventually ambushed at night or have to skulk through a series of caves. If you're playing a human though (as so many players do) then it's a good idea to be able to see where you're going.

One of best backups you can have is a candle (Core Rule Book 158). A candle is considered a weightless item (so there's no reason not to carry half a dozen of them just to be safe), and as long as a character has some means to light it like flint and steel (Core Rule Book 158) or just a cantrip like prestidigitation, a candle can be the difference between wandering a maze in the dark and being able to at least see five feet in front of your face. A candle lamp doesn't provide any additional illumination, but it catches dripping wax and stops the candle from going out in a breeze.

For those adventurers who prefer traditional torches it's a good idea to invest in a shield sconce (Adventurer's Armory). This handy item is a metal frame that straps over a light, medium, or tower shield, and it holds a torch for you. A great item for armored tanks who want to lead the way into the darkness, but who don't have a free hand to hold a torch.

Alchemical Items

When it absolutely, positively has to be stuck in place, doused in acid, and set on fire.

I already created a pretty exhaustive list of great alchemical items in this post right here. That said, alchemical items can take out swarms, heal the party, light your way, stop your falls, let you bypass damage reduction, protect you from energy damage, and they can grant you concealment.

Seriously, I can't say enough good things about these items. A requirement for any adventurer who wants to be ready for anything.

Tools of The Trade

Because it's better to have and not need, than to need and not have...

No thief worth her salt would be caught dead without a few sets of lockpicks on her person... but you've probably noticed that's the only tool set that most adventurers bring with them on the road. You may also have noticed that, nine times out of ten, you always wish you'd brought something else with you.

Perhaps one of the best tools for an adventurer is a simple crowbar (Core Rule Book 155). This bar provides a +2 to all strength checks to force open doors and chests, and it can be used as an improvised melee weapon if necessary. The much more common grappling hook (Core Rule Book 155) is a great investment, along with at least 50 feet of rope (hemp or silk, both are useful). It's often a good idea to bring a shovel or a pick (because you're going to have to dig a latrine at some point, or camp is going to get gross). If a party is traveling overland or under the mountains a compass (Advanced Player's Guide) provides a +2 bonus on survival checks (above ground) or knowledge (dungeoneering) checks (below ground) for finding direction. Manacles (Core Rule Book 156) are much better than rope for trussing up foes that you need to bring back alive (or if you have adventurers who are particularly lawful, good, or both in your party).

Seriously though, getting out of manacles is a DC 30 escape artist or DC 26 strength check. 35 and 28 for masterwork manacles. Your bounty ain't going nowhere.

Miscellaneous Gear

What the hell is this even for?

Some items are just so random it makes you wonder who would ever use them. Then you find yourself in a situation wishing you'd parted with those five silver pieces because that piece of equipment would come in really damn handy.

Take chalk (Core Rule Book 158) for instance. It's a cheap, no-weight item but it can be used to mark where adventurers have gone in an underground passageway. Chalk powder, flour, and other dusts can be packaged into thrown weapons that will reveal invisible creatures in a square (Advanced Player's Guide).

Another helpful item is a flask of lamp oil (Core Rule Book 158). While used as splash weapons for several editions, these items can be used to coat enemies (or the ground) in burning pitch. It does take a full round action to affix a wick though, which is something that should be kept in mind by adventurers with pyromantic urges. For those who need heat but not fire the ideal item is a heatstone (Inner Sea World Guide). It will heat a 20-foot square area even in extreme cold, but it won't give away a location with light. Also, you can't cook with it or hurt anyone with it.

Lastly, for those who've been involved in a foot chase, it's a good idea to have at least one bag of caltrops (Core Rulebook 155) on hand. A single bag covers a 5 foot square and they have the potential to lame creatures who run over them. A lame creature is reduced to half movement, and the penalty remains until the damage is healed. While you might not use them often, caltrops are often great when paired with smokesticks so that those who find them do so without warning.

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The Best Alchemical Items For Your Pathfinder Party

Alchemical items are one of the most overlooked tools available to adventurers in Pathfinder. These unusual creations may seem quaint, even quirky, but they can be the difference between character death and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

Below is a list of some of the more useful items and groups of items that players will run into. In the descriptions you'll find the upsides, the downsides, and the appropriate levels to use these items at. Some of them are only good for starting parties, while others can be used all the way through epic level. It just depends on where your game is at.

Grenade Weapons

Athos, Porthos, and Inflammable

Everyone knows these items: alchemist fire, acid flasks, and holy water. Found on page 160 of the Core Rulebook they're the three musketeers of lower-level dirty tricks. Alchemist fire does 1d6 of fire damage to the main target, automatically setting it on fire and splashing out to do 1 point of fire damage to all adjacent squares. Acid also does 1d6 with splash to all adjacent squares, but no recurring damage. Holy water does 2d4 damage to an undead or evil creature, and can be poured out over incorporeal creatures which makes it a handy weapon at lower levels against ghosts and evil there-not-there enemies.

That said, none of these items are really much use past level 5, and most players dispense with them by level 3 or so. The reason is simple: not enough bang for the buck. They're great against swarms, who take double damage from grenade weapons, and they're a lovely touch attack against enemies with really high armor classes, but they take a move action to draw and a standard action to throw. Even Quick Draw can't solve this problem. As such players tend to stop carrying any of these except for emergency situations, or because they just plain forgot they had a grenade left over in the bottoms of their backpacks.

Smokesticks and Thunderstones

Ninja Vanish!

These two items are very undervalued for their strategic capabilities in a fight. Thunderstones have a range of 20 feet, a radius of 10 feet from the point of impact, and they require a DC 15 Fortitude save to avoid being deafened for an hour. That's a -4 to Initiative, a 20 percent miscast chance on spells, and a field day for rogues who only have to worry about keeping out of sight instead of being heard creeping up. This is a big boon, but the problem is that it comes with a relatively low save. A 15 is a terrifying proposition at lower levels, with even fighters and barbarians being at a 50/50 shot to avoid being deafened. As the threat levels increase and creatures get bigger, badder, and have Fortitude saves that would make PCs cry if they could see them, these stones may seem pretty useless. On the other hand, spellcasters are squishy at nearly any level, and the potential to lose spells makes one round spent to chuck a thunderstone seem like a pretty worthy endeavor when it could save you from a fireball or a flamestrike.

The thunderstone's companion, also found on page 160 of the Core Rulebook, is the humble smokestick. It creates a 10-foot cube of smoke as per the fog cloud spell, and unless the smoke is blown away by a strong wind (not common in dungeon settings) the cloud provides concealment. Said concealment works both ways sadly, but for those players who need to hide from archers, who need a distraction to make a stealth check, or who need a ninja-vanish for a retreat, smokesticks are a great way to Batman in or out of a fight.

Sticky Situations

Why am I dripping with goo?

Tanglefoot bags have become a phobia for several DMs, and for good reason. While players rarely use these items they are a great way to debuff a villain regardless of the thrower's class or combat capabilities. On a direct hit it requires a DC 15 Reflex save, or the creature is stuck to the floor. If the creature was flying the results on a failure mean that it crashes. Even if the target makes the save though, it's entangled for 2d4 rounds. That's half movement speed, -2 on attack rolls, -4 on Dexterity related checks, and a concentration check of 15+spell level any time it tries to cast a spell. While it doesn't work on anything bigger than Large size, a tanglefoot bag can be a huge pain in the butt for any enemy of the appropriate size.

Tanglefoot bags come in other flavors though! The tangleshot arrow (found in Elves of Golarion) is still a touch attack, but it has the ability to be drawn and fired like any other arrow complete with range (well, half the range anyway) and rate of fire. The trade off is that it's only a DC 10 Reflex save not to be stuck to the floor, and the concentration check is only DC 10+spell level. On the other hand, a barrage of these arrows can very quickly stick your enemies in their tracks. Also, for those who prefer the flavor of the friendly neighborhood web slinger, there's Spider Sac (found in the Advanced Race Guide). Spider Sac is, more or less, a 10 foot web-shooter that can be used when climbing, swinging through the air, falling, or it can be used as a lasso when a touch attack is made against an opponent. This leaves the opponent entangled, and at the end of your rope.

Weapon Blanches

Apply With Caution

Weapon blanch comes in a variety of shapes and styles. When applied to a blade it gives that blade the ability to overcome different kinds of damage reduction, or in the case of ghost salts the ability to hit incorporeal creatures. These items are typically considered useful until the players can start buying magic weapons, but it never hurts to keep blanch on hand for fighting creatures whose DR isn't going to be pierced by the weapon you've got.

An Ounce of Prevention, And A Pound of Cure

Because sometimes the cleric is the first to go down.

One of the most overlooked items that players can use are Antitoxins and Antiplague (the former in the Core Rulebook, the latter in the Advanced Player's Guide). These things give a +5 bonus to poison and disease saves respectively for an hour once ingested. They're great to keep on hand in case plague-born undead start reaching out from the streets for you, or in case an assassin with a trademarked poison has marked a party for death. They need to be used carefully, but a +5 bonus is nothing to sneeze at when it comes to staying healthy. Soothe Syrup (found in the Advanced Player's Guide as well) has a similar effect on sickened and nauseated characters. Lastly, for those who want to be prepared when battle breaks out, it's a good idea to take a draught of Troll Oil. This disgusting brew automatically stabilizes characters that have drunk it (for one hour), and it has a 50% chance to end any bleed effects.

Alchemical items can also fix you right up even if you don't take them before getting hurt. Bloodblock (from the Advanced Player's Guide) ends any bleed effect instantly, and provides a +5 bonus on Heal checks as if the person had used a healer's kit. Smelling Salts (from the Advanced Player's Guide) give players who are rendered unconscious or staggered by a spell effect a new save, and they automatically revive a dying character to consciousness. A handy trick if the fighter needs to drink a healing potion or the cleric needs to channel energy, but they're currently at negative hit points. For those who don't have access to magical healing, or for those occasions where the healer is dying, a dose of Troll Styptic (Seekers of Secrets) is a great field dressing. It automatically ends all bleeding effects and ongoing damage, granting the recipient 2d4 rounds of fast healing 2. It does require a Fortitude save of 15 to not be sickened while the dressing does its work, but being a troll is far from pleasant.

Miscellaneous Alchemical Items You Should Keep Around

Like a Canadian armory, you never know what you might need.

Sometimes it isn't worth stocking up on a certain alchemical item, but it's still nice to have in a pinch. Some of these include:
Ward Gel: Made for particular elements, this gel acts as protection from energy 5 up to 20 points of damage for one hour. Great for raiding dragons and frost giants alike!
Bachelor's Snuff: Golarion birth control, this snuff renders male humanoids sterile for 2-3 days or so.
Smoke Pellets: The original ninja-vanish, these items are great for quick distractions that confuse enemies and allow for fast escapes (or assaults).
Everburning Torch and Sunrods: With so many characters that can't see in the dark, don't you want to have a few of these handy?
Clear Ear: It provides a +2 alchemical bonus on Perception and Knowledge checks, but a -2 on Charisma. Cranky rogues anyone?
Barbarian Chew: Side effects may include ugly red teeth, and an extra round of Rage if a barbarian enters it in the next hour after chewing.

Carrying it All

One of the biggest downsides of alchemical items is that they tend to ride in a backpack, or buried at the bottom of a bag of holding. For those who want to have them close to hand, along with wands and other useful items, it's a good idea to check out the bandolier, the adventurer's sash, and other great items listed right here in my guide to non-magical equipment.

You know you want one.

Why Bother?

It's true that the bonuses and usefulness provided by alchemical items can easily be provided, or exceeded by, magic. That's why few players bother with alchemical items past level 5 or 7. However, alchemical bonuses are one more category of bonus to add to a player's array, and what's even better is that they can't be dismissed or dispelled. They're great backup weapons, and they get around all those nasty immunities and resistances that many creatures have. They're also great holdouts for well-prepared rogues and combat characters who need to have a trick or two up their sleeves to make an impact on the big bads.

That's all for this re-print. I hope folks enjoyed it, and remember, you can support Improved Initiative over at The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page. And, to stay up-to-date on all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter as well.