So a while back I made a 4e Ranger that did a bunch of stacking DoTs that made her really deadly and fun to play spreading bleeds, poisons, Magic Disease and other things to groups and single targets and I have been wanting to play something like that again but not a ton of games seems to support that fantasy.

Is there anything in PF 2e that would allow stacking damage stuff like that while remaining evasive? I doubt I'll reach the same damage numbers because it was hundreds of damage a turn but iis it buildable?

In 3.5, this spell grants a permanent +1 Spot bonus to anyone who learns it. I am curious if there are any other spells like this in PF1e, that grant a permanent bonus to a skill at all.

I've been running into a problem when I run higher level and larger-scale combat: I try to play my enemies reasonably intelligently, using their spells for good effect, attempting maneuvers, positioning to block charge angles, readying actions, etc. But I also want to keep things moving, and am constantly either taking enemy turns or handling player actions. I try to limit myself to only a few seconds' consideration per enemy turn, but I'm increasingly discovering that that's not enough time to weigh all my options and find good strategies for enemies.

Obviously, I usually design encounters or npcs with an idea of what they'll do a la 'tactics' sections in the bestiary, but rigidly following a flowchart like that usually winds up ineffective (no plan survives contact with the enemy, after all). This isn't a problem from a challenge perspective per se since I can always add more raw power to compensate, but I want to keep my enemies feeling reactive and tactically competent when appropriate.

Do experienced DMs have any suggestions for managing the tactical load? Is this just an experience/practice thing?

Last night we had a Monk use Life-Giving Blows on a vampire and the nonlethal damage done took it out. The ability specifically states “destroyed.”

This same statement is found in the disruptive weapon special ability.

My question is how does this affect vampires (or even ghosts also with their Rejuvenation)?

The debate was the vampire is destroyed; meaning it doesn’t go gaseous form and flee to its coffin. It’s 100% eradicated.

My argument was it’s destroyed just like taking any undead to 0 hit points and that it does go into gaseous form to flee, as per normal for vampires.

Which is it?

Link: Feast Of Ashes

This spell was not renamed in the Remaster. The Knights of Last Call 'All Spells Ranked' series ranked this spell as C Tier. Would you change that ranking, and why?

What items or class features synergize well with this spell?

Have you ever used this spell? If so, how did it go?

Why is this spell good/bad?

What are some creative uses for this spell?

What's the cheesiest thing you can do with this spell?

If you were to modify this spell, how would you do it?

Does this spell seem like it was meant for PCs or NPCs?

Previous spell discussions

In our campaign we're travelling between islands and lately we've had a stretch of several days on board where nothing happened. The rolls didn't bring up any combat so we were just hanging around. My druid made her potions in 4 minutes and then tinkered with her alchemical lab, but that's a 30 seconds role play scenario regardless of how much time it takes in game. The ranger tinkered with her construct companion, another 30 seconds of role play, the sorcerer meditated (same) and the rogue did nothing. As we don't know if we will face any encounters during that day I need to prepare useful spells just in case and cannot just spam Full Pouch to create more alchemical reagents, and as we are on a ship we cannot build cities and such.

What would you do with all that time? It seems a waste to just say ok then we take a nap.

Tried to omit spoilers as much as possible, but: In WOTR's final fight of Book 5...is the Inelectuable Prison not part of his realm on account of having stolen it from Asmo, or is there something else going on?

So I created a Medium class character, and he has the spirit channeler archetype because I disliked the idea of the location being all that relevant in summoning a spirit, I also liked the idea of hot swapping spirits. But I'm confused on if choosing a spirit is a 24hr mandatory choice, or if I can drop a spirit and choose another one but take another point of influence? It says specifically it acts exactly like spirit dance, which does not look like it's a 24hr mandatory choice. But while playing my DM said I could only use one per 24hr.

The feature is called Spiritual Invocation

Here is the page of information

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/paizo-rules-systems/occult-adventures/occult-classes/medium/archetypes/paizo-llc-medium-archetypes/spirit-channeler-medium-archetype/

What happens if someone gets trapped in the gemstone and then someone else casts dispel magic on the gem? Does nothing happen? Are they trapped inside the gem? Are they freed?