Equipment Tricks (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Equipment tricks are the bread and butter of the quartermaster, as essential to the class as spells are to a wizard. A quartermaster of second level or higher and anyone he instructs with the field instruction or assign equipment deeds ignores the specific requirements of each trick, and at 11th level can use all tricks with the equipment trick mastery deed.

Rules

Improvised Skill Tricks A character that either knows the feat for skill tricks linked tom a specific item but lacks the prerequisite for that specific skill trick can still attempt that trick. In this case, the skill trick has a 50% chance to fail. This is checked before any normal rules are applied; if the equipment trick works, it can still fail based on the normal rules for that trick.

A character that has neither the Skill Trick feat for the item in question or the prerequisite for the specific trick cannot attempt a skill trick at all.

New tricks

The following are new or expanded tricks. See also Armor Trick, Equipment Trick, and Weapon Trick.

Blanket

Blanket tricks can be made with any large piece of fabric or leather such as a bedroll, cloak, folding bathtub, sleeping bag, tarpaulin, hammock, sack, or tent. Even large and hard flat objects such as table, tower shield, or unhinged door can be used.

• Blanket Trap (Craft [traps] 5 ranks): You fill a blanket with rocks and rig it as a deadfall trap as a full-round action. Or you cover an existing pit to make a pit trap (one full-round action for every square covered).

Blanket Trap Type mechanical; Perception DC 5; Disable Device DC 15 Trigger location; Duration Instant; Reset repair Effect 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 ft. of height of the fall. Reflex DC 20 avoids. Acrobatics can be used to break a fall into a pit trap.

• Cover Terrain (Disable Device 5 ranks): A blanket (preferably wet) can cover a single 5 ft. square, putting out any fires in the area and negating a pool of acid, caltrops, oil slick, difficult ground, and similar hazards. It prevents location and proximity traps in the area from triggering and can be thrown over a wall to negate spikes or glass set on top. This even works against magical floor hazards, such as grease and entangle.
• Disposable Cover (Lightning Reflexes): You can use a blanket (preferably wet) as a temporary shield against energy attacks (it offers no protection against physical attacks). This is an immediate action that destroys the blanket but provides improved cover against a single energy attack; the normal cover bonuses to AC and Reflex saves is doubled (to +8 and +4, respectively) and a creature with improved cover effectively gains improved evasion against any attack to which the Reflex save bonus applies.
• Safety Net (Knowledge [Engineering] 1 ranks): A blanket can be used as an emergency safety net (see the equipment section). A hard object cannot be used this way.
• Tool Display (Any Craft or Disable Device 1 ranks): A blanket can be used as an improvised canvas tool display (see the equipment section).

Boot

Some of these tricks use boots, others use fancy footwork. Expanded upon Boot Tricks.

• Assisted Combat Movement (Acrobatics 5 ranks): You do not lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class when using any assisted movement device.
• Climbing Cleats (Climb 3 ranks): Wearing either pair of boots with cleats or bare feet you can climb at twice the usual rate (half your land speed). The climb DC is not changed.

Buoyant Balloon

A buoyant balloon is an alchemical item has many uses.

• Balloon Lure (Diplomacy 5 ranks): An inflated buoyant balloon is very enticing to children and creatures with an intelligence of 3-7; using one as a gift or lure confers a +4 circumstance bonus on a Bluff and Diplomacy checks.
• Flare Ball (Knowledge [engineering] 5 ranks): The gas inside a buoyant balloon is flammable, and creates a spectacular but non-damaging fireball when lit. It takes a Spellcraft check (DC 15) to distinguish it from a magical fireball. This exhausts the oxygen in a 20 ft. radius, which will extinguish fires of 1 square or less and can cause suffocation in a confined space.
• Lifting Aid (Fly 5 ranks): Buoyant balloons sufficient to lift your weight works like levitation, except you will drift with the wind as if you were a Tiny creature. Lifting both you and a glider allows you to start gliding at any height. To actually glide, you need to detach the balloons.
• Lighten Load (Survival 5 ranks): A buoyant balloon can reduce your encumbrance by 20 lbs and gives a +5 circumstance bonus on Climb checks. This increase your armor check penalty by one (reducing the effective Climb bonus to +4), and the penalty stacks with other armor check penalties. The armor check and encumbrance effect of using several balloons stacks, the climb bonus does not.
• Quick Inflation (Quick Draw): You can ready and inflate any number of buoyant balloons as a move action.
• Underwater Lifting (Swim 2 ranks): Used underwater, a buoyant balloon has twice its normal lifting capacity and armor check penalty. The gas inside a buoyant balloon cannot be used to replenish your lungs underwater.

Censer

Based on heat and smoke, censer tricks can be performed with a thurible, campfire, cooking fire, battle poi, torch, or smoky lamp.

• Choking Smoke (Craft [alchemy] 5 ranks): As a move action you can extinguish a fire and dramatically increase the intensity of smoke. This acts like the smoke cloud version of pyrotechnics (Fort DC 12).
• Confounding Miasma (Stealth 5 ranks): As a move action you can subtly alter smoke into a miasma that confounds both vision and invisibility. Easily confused with normal light smoke, this miasma requires a DC 20 Perception check to recognize for what it is. The cloud of miasma does not offer actual concealment, but counts as concealment for the purpose of using the Stealth skill. Invisible creatures in the area are instead outlined by the smoke and merely have concealment, not full concealment. The miasma spreads 20 ft. from its origin. A strong wind will immediately clear the miasma, but lighter winds merely roils it.
• Flame Burst (Knowledge [engineering] 5 ranks): As a standard action you can cause a fire within 30 ft. to flare up and then die, dealing 1d6 fire damage to any creature in its square (Reflex 15 half). You can throw a hand-held fire as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 ft. as a part of this action; a target that suffers a direct hit is not allowed a save to reduce the damage. A large fire that fills one or more squares bursts into an area effect; a fire in a 5 ft. square bursts into all adjacent squares while a larger fire doubles it's radius. A large fire does one die of damage for each square it originally occupied. You cannot affect a fire with more squares than your ranks in Craft (alchemy).
• Hot Smoke (proficiency with battle poi): You can use a burning torch, censer, or thurible as a battle poi, but it gains the fragile quality.
• Weird Smoke (Survival 5 ranks): When entering an area of different atmospheric composition, such as poison gas or bad air, you can make a Craft (alchemy) check DC 15 to notice that the smoke from your censer interacts with the gas in weird ways. This allows you and those you warn to hold your breath as an immediate action.

Ego Signature

You have a specific accessory you always carry and which has come to represent you. This can be an item of clothing such as a hat or cape, and accessory such as a cane, crop, purse, or umbrella, or even an everyday item like a book, pipe, flower, bottle, cigar, hair comb, or even a tool or tool kit. This is not a specific item, this is a type of item that you might have several of, but similar enough that onlookers cannot tell them apart.

• Lucky Signature [Reflex base save +3] When you fail a Reflex saving throw, you can take an additional saving throw by losing your ego signature. Your ego signature item is damaged or lost and you cannot use the ego signature item trick again today.
• Missing Signature [Disguise 3 ranks] Your ego signature is a distinctive part of your persona. By simply not displaying it, you can make a Disguise check to appear nondescript as a free action. Someone impersonating you while wearing your signature item gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Disguise.
• Signature Item [5 ranks in selected skill] Choose one skill when you chose your ego signature item. For an item of clothing this is usually Diplomacy or a Perform, for other skills the item must be one used with or associated with the skill. This allows you to take 10 on skill checks with Bluff, Intimidate, or Perform (oratory), and the selected skill even in situations where this would not normally be allowed.
• Signature Style [Diplomacy 8 ranks] As long as you carry your signature item, you are dressed for any occasion. You can get away with what would ordinarily be scandalous or inappropriate clothing this way. This still has some limits; you cannot be entirely naked or in rags at a royal gala, but you will get away with a simple wrap, bathrobe, or armor.
• Signature Weapon (Proficient and/or able to use item): Your ego signature has become part of you to such a degree that no-one will question your right to wear it. If you encounter security where such items are banned, you can make an Intimidate check (DC 10 + 2x target's Will save modifier against fear) to bully your way through. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
• Steadfast Signature [Will base save +3] When you pass a Will save, an ally within 100 ft. who can see you and your signature item who failed their Will save against the same effect can re-roll their save. A success removes any lingering effect that the initial failed save inflicted.

Furniture

Making walls or towers of furniture also works with many other devices, such as a cot, table, ladder, folding bathtub, folding chair, tent, box, or bale. Vehicles and unhinged doors can serve in a pinch.

• Barricade (Craft [carpenter] 5 ranks): Four chairs or one piece of larger furniture can make a barrier between two 5 ft. squares as a move action; this barrier offers cover but does not break line-of-sight. Such a barricade is safe to Climb on (DC 0), but even a horizontal barricade must be climbed and cannot be walked on. A creature that has a greater space than the barricade is wide will collapse the barricade if they try to climb it. Sections of barricade can be stacked to create walls or bridges, but this requires a Craft (carpenter) check with a DC equal to the height of a tower or wall or the length of a bridge in feet. A 5 ft. section of barricade has Hardness 2, 20 hit points, and break DC 14.
• Hurdle Making (Disable Device 3 ranks): You can block the path behind you as you move by to create severely obstructed uneven ground (Acrobatics DC 5) for pursuers. This is a free action if there is suitable furniture to use, a move action if you have to move or unfold furniture to do it. A character who has not mastered this equipment trick can do this as a standard action. Using this trick is likely to anger bystanders.
• Tangled Disarm (Improved Disarm): When you disarm a creature and there is furniture next to either you or the target, you can tangle the dropped item in furniture. Retrieving an item so tangled is a full-round action.
• Tangled Foe (Improved Grapple): When you use a combat maneuver to move an opponent into furniture, the opponent is effectively grappled by the furniture. The furniture has an effective CMD equal to yours. Destroying the furniture negates the effect.
• Tangled Trip (Improved Trip): When you succeed at a trip maneuver and there is furniture next to either you or the target, you can tangle the opponent in the furniture. The opponent must make a successful CMB check against your CMD as a part of the action to stand up. Destroying the furniture negates the effect.
• Tower of Power (Acrobatics 5 ranks): Standing on furniture gives you height advantage against creatures of the same size category as you and both height advantage and cover if standing on (a wall of) furniture taller than the enemy.

Heavy Blade Scabbard

You may use these tricks with any sword scabbard designed for a heavy blade (see the fighter weapon groups). At your GM’s discretion, you may be able to use some of these tricks with a scabbard intended for a light blade, but that may be less effective. The heavy blade scabbard tricks have been modified from the original.

• Capture Weapon (Improved Disarm): When you successfully disarm an opponent’s manufactured weapon, as a free action you may flip the disarmed weapon into your scabbard so long as the weapon would fit there. If you are not holding the scabbard in hand and attempt this, you have a –4 penalty on the disarm check. At the GM’s discretion, you can also use this trick on any item the opponent is holding as long as it would fit in your scabbard (such as a wand). You can only use this trick if you are wearing or holding your empty scabbard.
• Find the Hidden (Blind-Fight): You can use your scabbard to probe for invisible enemies. As a standard action, you may sweep your scabbard through all adjacent squares; make a touch attack ignoring the miss chance. If you hit a target, you may attack that target as a swift action with no miss chance for invisibility. All other attacks you make against that creature (whether in that round or otherwise) do not gain this benefit (though you can sweep again on your next turn). This trick has been modified for balance.
• Grab Purchase (Climb 5 ranks): With an immediate action you can use your scabbard as leverage to halt a fall, keep yourself from getting dragged, or prevent other sorts of involuntary movement by grabbing your scabbard with a free hand, jamming it into a hard surface, and clinging to it. Whenever you fail a Climb check, you may attempt to catch yourself while falling with a +10 circumstance bonus; your GM may rule that some walls require you to hold your scabbard with two hands rather than one or are too smooth for this trick to work. If subjected to involuntary movement such as a bull rush, you may use your scabbard as an anchor, giving you a +5 circumstance bonus to your CMD to resist the movement. This trick has been modified for simplicity of use.
• Hurl Scabbard (Quick Draw): You can draw your weapon in such a way that you send your combat scabbard whirling off to strike at any creature in sight. This ranged attack is a swift action and is treated as a thrown weapon (range increment 10 ft.).
• Steer Opponent (Improved Bull Rush): You can use your scabbard to move a foe into the perfect position for you to make your attack. As a swift action, use your scabbard to make a bull rush against an opponent. If you succeed, instead of pushing him back, you direct your target into the path of your next attack. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus on your next attack roll against the target, and +1 for every additional 5 feet your bull rush could have pushed your opponent if you had chosen to push him back. If you fail the bull rush attempt, you are considered flat-footed against that target until your next turn.
• Tangle Leg (Improved Trip, Throw Anything): When you draw your weapon, you may send its combat scabbard whirling off to strike an opponent’s legs. This bonus attack is a swift action and requires you to make a trip attack against the target. The target can be no larger than your own size category, and the range penalty applies to your trip attempt. If you succeed, the target is knocked prone. Failing this attempt does not knock you prone unless you are within your opponent’s reach.

Hat

Headwear are distinctive and tend to attract attention. The astute wearer can use hats and headgerar for a range of outrageous stunts. This works with headwear of all kinds as long as they can be taken off and put on conveniently, including hats, helmets, wimples, plumes, crowns, and tiaras.

• Decoy [Bluff 3 ranks] A hat on a stick, poking out of cover, is a good way to trigger readied actions. This is a move action you can only do if you have cover or concealment. Make a Bluff check against each opponent's Perception skill; on a success that opponent thinks it has the bead on you and takes the shot. This can also be used as a feint maneuver at range.
• Disguise [Disguise 3 ranks] Your hat is a distinctive part of your persona. By simply not wearing your hat, you can make a Disguise check to appear nondescript as a free action. Someone impersonating you while wearing your hat gains a +5 circumstance bonus on Disguise.
• Distraction [proficiency with buckler] You can use your hat to provide concealment and distraction in melee, wielding it in the off hand as a sort of shield. You can use the hat to feint as a move action, and gain a +2 circumstance bonus on dirty trick and disarm maneuvers.
• Fop Hat [Intimidation 3 ranks] An distinctive hat can distract attention from an otherwise shabby outfit. You don't need to wear jewelry to accompany a courtier's or noble's outfit. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks.
• Magician's Hat [Sleight of Hand 3 ranks] You can hide something of Tiny size in your hat and using it as a prop gives you a +2 circumstance bonus on Sleight of Hand checks. You can use your hat as an unobtrusive material component pouch.
• Trap [Sense Motive 5 ranks] Creatures have an urge to investigate a hat lying around. By putting your hat on the trigger of a trap, you give the trap a +2 circumstance bonus on attack rolls and save DCs as victims put themselves in a vulnerable position. If you put a rock inside a dropped hat, humanoids who are not in combat must make a Will save DC 5 or kick the hat, increase the DC by 5 for chaotic creatures and another 5 for evil creatures. Failure makes them to stop moving for the round and halves their speed for their next turn.
• Weapon Hat A hat can be custom-made to hide a weapon at a cost of 50 gp. Such a weapon will pass any normal search, but not a strip search or if observers have been tipped off. Once used as a weapon, the hat needs repair. You can hide one of the following weapons: aklys, boomerang cestus, chakram, flask thrower, flying talon, dwarven boulder helmet, dwarven chain-flail, manople, sap. If eastern weapons are in use in the campaign, add the following options dan bong, emei piercer, madu, meteor hammer, and urumi.

Horn

A signal horn can be used for all kinds of trickery. Other conical devices, like a drinking horn, alphorn, trumpet, or even a rolled-up paper may also work at the GMs discretion.

• Air Horn (Swim 5 ranks): A horn can be used as an improvised snorkel, allowing you to remain just under the surface of water indefinitely. It can also be sealed and holds just enough air for a creature holding its breath to replenish the air in its lungs once as a move action, resetting the counter for holding your breath.
• Collect Substance (Disable Device 5 ranks): A horn can be used as a funnel to facilitate the collection of liquids and powders. This gives a +4 circumstance bonus on checks to collect or clean up such substances and to disarm traps based on such substances.
• Deafening Blast (Intimidate 2 ranks): A horn can be blown to deafen an adjacent creature as a standard action that does not trigger an attack of opportunity; Fortitude (DC 12) or be dazed for one round and deafened for 1d6 rounds. This is a sonic effect.
• Dirge (Perform [wind] 5 ranks): You sound a deafening, depressing dirge that demoralizes creatures. As a full-round action you can affect a 100 ft. cone, creatures in this cone must make a Will save (DC 12) or be staggered for one round. This is a sonic, mind-affecting, fear effect.
• Hearing Aid (Perception 3 ranks): By putting the mouthpiece to your ear and pointing the horn, you gain a +5 circumstance bonus on hearing Perception checks in the indicated direction.
• Resonance (Knowledge [engineering] 5 ranks): Cause glass to shatter, walls to collapse or ceilings to fall with resounding blast (full-round action that triggers an attack of opportunity) and a Knowledge (engineering) check, DC equal to the craftsman's Create or architect's Knowledge (engineering) +20, this is usually 25 for small houses, 30 for large buildings, and 40 or more for edifices. Only one check is allowed per month per building. Increase the difficulty by 1 for every 100 ft. of distance.

Creatures in the area take damage and my be buried. For every 5 points of DC, the cave-in does 1d6 damage (Reflex 15 half) and on a failed save are buried in the collapse, needing one full round action per die of damage to dig themselves out. Others can contribute to digging someone out.

• Klaxon (Knowledge [nature] 5 ranks): In terrain where there is a risk of avalanche, landslide, earthquake, or volcanic eruption, a horn can be pointed at a fault point and blown to trigger such an event as a full-round action that triggers attacks of opportunity; make a Knowledge (nature) check, DC 20 for an avalanche, DC 30 for a landslide, DC 40 for an earthquake, and DC 50 for a volcanic eruption. These hazards have the effects outlined in the core rulebook. Only one check is allowed per location per month. Increase the DC by 5 for every mile of distance to the fault point. Signs of the approaching hazard show immediately, but it takes 1d6 minutes for the natural hazard to trigger.
• Signaling (Perform [wind] 1 rank): A horn can be used to send simple pre-arranged signals over long distances. A Perform (wind) check with a DC of 5 + the distance in miles transmits simple message. A Language check is required for complex signals.
• Signaling Bluff (Perform [wind] 5 ranks): A horn can be used so that it appears that the sound is originating in a different location, much like ventriloquism on a larger scale. This way, fake signals can be sent that seem to be originating from elsewhere. A Bluff or Perform (wind) check against the Perception skill of listeners is required, and this check suffers a penalty of -1 per mile away from you the signal is to appear to come from. A Language check is required for complex signals.
• Spreading Blast (Throw Anything): As a standard action that does not trigger attacks of opportunity, a horn filled with a powder or liquid (1 move action to fill it), such as alchemists fire, oil, or powder, can spread that substance in a 15 ft. cone, having its normal effect on each target in the area. Substances that normally require an attack roll instead allow a Reflex save (DC 15) for half damage. There is no splash and no lasting damage. This can be combined with the equipment tricks of oil, soap, and powder.

Kitsune Star Gem Tricks

Kitsune Star Gem Tricks

Lamp

A source of light and heat can trick or startle opponents and even channel some of the supernatural quality of fire and light. Alternate light sources include the candle, lantern, celestial lamp, and torch. Light sources that are not hot, like everburning torches and glowrods do not work for these tricks.

• Blinding Light (Knowledge (dungeoneering) 5 ranks): In dim light or less (not counting your lamp) you can blind a creature within the primary light radius of your light source as a standard action; the target must make a Reflex save (DC 15) or be blinded for 1 round and dazzled for 1d6 rounds after that. Creatures with light sensitivity or light blindness take a –2 penalty on their saving throws. A target dazzled this way is considered distracted for the purpose of Stealth.
• Burning Timer (Disable Device 5 ranks): A burning candle or lamp can be used as a timing device to set off a mechanism or bomb, but is sensitive to drafts. The GM makes a Disable Device check for you with a DC equal to the number of minutes you wish the timer to burn. For each point you fail by, the timer burns 1d6 additional rounds. A check result of less than half the difficulty means the timer fails to activate.
• Ignite (Disable Device 5 ranks): You can start a fire in a 5 ft. square. A flammable object or structure is automatically ignited, but most substances require a Disable Device check (DC equal to object's Hardness x 4) to catch on fire. A substance that does not normally burn, such as metal or stone, must either be soaked in a flammable like oil, or you must sacrifice your lamp to make it burn. A burning object or creature suffers 1d6 fire damage per round, ignoring Hardness.
• Improvised Bomb (Throw Anything): The oil in a lit lamp is hot and burns easily. A lamp or lantern can be thrown as alchemist's fire. A torch does 1d6 fire damage when thrown this way, but does not splash or cause continuing damage. A celestial lamp causes damage as holy water. A candle causes no damage but can ignite flammables.
• Light in Darkness (Use Magic Device 5 ranks): A mundane light source can be made to shine even in magical darkness with the Use Magic Device skill check, DC 15 + 4 per spell level of the darkness spell or 10 + 2x the Hit Dice of a creature using a supernatural darkness power. A celestial lamp adds +5 to this roll, and an additional +5 if it is filled with holy water.
• Lighter (Quick Draw): You can ignite an oil puddle, torch, lamp, or other combustible as a free action using a source of fire or firestarting device.
• Signaling Device (Linguistics 5 ranks): You can send messages over miles of distance in dim light or less. A move action transmits one simple word. If you and the recipient both know signaling as a language, you can transmit complex words.

Map

Most of these tricks rely on the geographical information of maps. The map must actually depict the area with reasonable detail; fake maps will not work.

• Analyze Map (Perception 5 ranks): By inspecting the map of an area, you can draw conclusions about the architecture and geography of the area, discerning likely locations of traps and secret passages. After 10 minutes of observation, the GM makes a Knowledge roll (engineering for built-up areas, geography outdoors, dungeoneering in caverns) as if it was a Perception check to spot each trap and secret passage in an a particular acre of land. The map must have a reasonable scale and accuracy for this to work, but need not actually show where such devices are present; you infer the location of each feature by tactical insight. You can only use this ability once per day with a particular map.
• Fake Map (Knowledge [geography] 5 ranks): You can fake a map so that it appears useful to casual inspection, but actually provides a -10 penalty on Knowledge (geography) and Survival checks to get lost. You must either have an accurate map, see the area to be mapped, or have a very clear mental image of the area to do this. A character inspecting the map can make an opposed Knowledge (geography) check to realize it is fake.
• Follow Landmarks (Survival 5 ranks): As long as you know where you are, you get a +4 circumstance bonus on Survival checks to avoid getting lost when traveling. If you get lost, this reverts to the map's normal +1 bonus on Survival checks until you again find your way.
• Quick Mapping (Knowledge [engineering] 5 ranks): You can draw maps very fast, a move action each round maps the area you pass. You can also make a map in your head as a free action and then jot it down on paper afterwards; when your memory is tested, make a Knowledge (geography) check with a DC of one per distinct room or area on your mental map. Faulty recall means areas are missing or not mapped right.
• Spot Error (Knowledge [geography] 5 ranks): When you read or make a map and come to an area of discrepancy, where map and reality does not match, you can make a Knowledge (geography) check against DC 10 + the challenge rating of the situation. On a success, you understand what the problem is, but you do not automatically solve it. Examples of issues this can identify are illusory rooms, subtle changes in height, overlapping areas in other dimensions, subtle teleportation, magically distorted distances, and faulty maps.

Mirror

Mirror tricks allow you to look at things safely and even to reflect gaze effects. A masterwork slashing weapon or a pane of ice can be polished to temporary mirror sheen. A shield that can be polished to mirror sheen costs an additional 100 gp. A still pool or puddle can work as a mirror, but a stationary mirror or the reflection in a pool will only work once, thereafter the enemy will avoid the precise positioning an unmoving mirror demands. A room full of mirrors can be used again and again.

• Blinding Reflection (Sleight of Hand 5 ranks): As a standard action you can reflect a light into a creature's eye to distract and possibly blind. The reflected light source must be off sufficient strength to illuminate the area near the target, and the maximum range is 100 ft. The target is blinded for one round and dazzled for 1d6 rounds. A Reflex save (DC 15) negates the blindness and reduces the dazzle to one round. A target dazzled this way is considered distracted for the purpose of Stealth. A target aware of this trick can avoid it as if it was a gaze weapon.
• Cover Vision (Perception 5 ranks): When you are in cover with a mirror at hand you gain improved cover while still able to see around the corner.
• Drawing Lead (Quick Draw): You can draw an easily accessible mirror from a pack as an immediate action. If the mirror contains lead (which most do, either in the glass, in the silvered back, or in the plating of a reflective shield) you can use this to prevent detection spells stopped by lead from detecting you or your gear.
• Heat Ray (Disable Device 5 ranks): A mirror in strong sunlight can be used to light a small fire as a move action. The focused ray of sunlight can be used as a ranged touch attack, range increment 30 ft, 1 point of fire damage for an ordinary hand mirror, 1d3 damage for a polished heavy shield, 1d6 fire damage for a mirror as large as a tower shield. This damage is for a Medium creature and scales by size.
• Reflect Gaze (Base Reflex Save +3): You can reflect a gaze attack with a mirror as an immediate action. You are allowed an additional Reflex Save against the save DC of the gaze attack, if this check is successful you are immune to the gaze attack until the end of your next turn. If you succeed, you can spend standard action on your next turn to gain this gaze weapon until the beginning of your next turn. This only works as long as you can see and remain within range of the creature's gaze attack.
• Reflection of Truth (Spellcraft 5 ranks): Inspecting a creature or scene in a mirror as a full-round action gives a +10 circumstance bonus on Perception to penetrate a magical disguise or spot something magically hidden or invisible.
• Signaling Device (Linguistics 5 ranks): You can attract attention and send messages using reflected light over miles of distance. A move action transmits one simple word. If you and the recipient both know signaling as a language, you can transmit complex words.

Oil

Different kinds of oils have different uses, some of the equipment tricks require a specific oil to work, this is noted in prerequisites.

• Ignite (Disable Device 5 ranks): As the lamp trick of the same name.
• Improvised Bomb (Throw Anything): As the lamp trick of the same name.
• Lighter (Quick Draw): As the lamp trick of the same name.
• Lubricant (Knowledge [engineering] 1 ranks): Oil poured over a mechanism (move action) acts as a lubricant, giving a +4 circumstance bonus on any Stealth and Disable Device checks with that device. By taking a minute applying oil, only minute amounts are needed to achieve the same effect and you leave no obvious trace.
• Oil Puddle (Throw Anything): A flask of oil can cover a 5 ft. square within 30 ft. on a hard floor to create severely slippery and severely obstructed uneven ground (Acrobatics DC 10). If lit, the oil burns for 2d4 rounds and deals 1d3 points of fire damage to each creature that enters or ends it's turn the area. Prone creatures take 1d6 damage.
• Stink Splash (stink oil): Thrown as a splash weapon, this makes each target dazzled and unable to use the scent ability for 1 minute. A creature with the scent ability and an Intelligence of 5 or lower must make a Will save DC 13 (DC 9 on a splash) or become frightened for 1d6 rounds.
• Stink Ward (stink oil): You can ward an area against creatures with the scent ability. You can cover up to six 5 ft. squares as a move action with a single flask of stink oil. Creatures with scent will not cross this barrier. Creatures of Intelligence 6 or more, and creatures handled by an intelligent master, can make a Will save DC 12 each round to cross the warded area.
• Stomach Lining (Heal 5 ranks): You drink a flask of oil. For the next hour, you are immune to ingested poisons and drugs, like alcohol. Before the time is up, you need to vomit up the mix of oil and everything you have consumed in this time, or you will be sickened; a Fortitude save (DC 15) is allowed each hour to end the sickened condition.
• Super-chilled Puddle (quickfreeze oil or liquid ice): You can cover a 10 ft. radius burst within 30 ft. with ice, creating severely slippery and severely obstructed uneven ground (Acrobatics DC 10). The puddle lasts 1 minute.
• Super-chilled Spray (quickfreeze oil or liquid ice): You can use the oil as a splash weapon with a range increment of 10 ft. that staggers targets (Fortitude DC 13 negates, DC 9 on a splash). A new saving throw is allowed at the end of each of the target's turns to negate the effect.

Outfits

These are equipment tricks that use yours and others' overall state of dress for tricks.

• Clothes Make the Man (Disguise 5 ranks): By putting on the clothes and kit of a particular role, such as a maid, courtier, or guard, you naturally fall into the role. This gives a +4 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks, and allows you to don a disguise in 1d4 rounds (plus the time to don any armor). To imitate a specific creature using this ability, you must actually be wearing that creature's clothes—imitations will not do.
• Clothing Calamity (Improved Sunder): As a sunder combat maneuver, you give an adjacent character an appearance they never want to be seen in. The victim suffers a -5 penalty on all Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill checks. If the victim is in a non-combat situation they must make a Will saving throw (DC 18) against this shame to willingly show themselves to another intelligent creature, on a failed saving throw they are frightened (or terrified if in hiding) for one round, and must save again in later rounds if there is a risk of exposure. Once they have passed this saving throw, or when the situation escalates to be life-threatening, they overcome the shame for 24 hours but still suffer the Charisma penalty. A change of clothes negates the effect. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. Creatures that do not wear clothes are immune.
• Concealing Clothes (Sleight of Hand 5 ranks): It is surprising how much can be hidden under clothes. As long as you wear sufficient clothes, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus on Sleight of Hand checks to manipulate or steal items. It takes a large bustle skirt or formal long coat to manipulate an item one size category smaller than you (such as a one-handed weapon). An object 2 categories smaller (a light weapon) can be concealed under normal street clothes, while an object three size categories smaller (a dagger or other item that normally gets a circumstance bonus on Sleight of Hand checks to hide) can be handled as long as you are wearing anything at all.
• Fit the Mood (Sense Motive 5 ranks): The right attire can be used to play on a certain mood or occasion (impressive, sultry, festive, sad, dramatic, respectable and so on). It gives a +4 circumstance bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks that go along with the mood of your outfit.
• Lost Flair (Sleight of Hand 5 ranks): You subtly alter another's outfit to make them look ridiculous, and they won't even know it. This is done by adding, manipulating, or removing some accessory or item of clothing. The victim suffers a -4 penalty on all Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill checks. This requires a Sleight of Hand check against the victim's and her allies' Perception to be successful. Each time the victim makes a penalized roll it is allowed a Sense Motive check (DC 15) to understand the problem. A Diplomacy check DC 20 can fix the problem as a full-round action, otherwise it takes 5 minutes to overcome the problem.
• Martial Style (Intimidate 5 ranks): You can wear armor, weapons, wands and other noticeable items openly by making it a part of your style for the day. You can be dressed for any occasion this way and normally no-one will question your right to wear these things if you are otherwise properly attired for the occasion. If you encounter security where such items are banned, you can make an Intimidate check (DC 10 + 2x target's Will save modifier against fear) to bully your way through. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
• Shed Clothes (Agile Maneuvers): An opponent trying a combat maneuver against you may be fooled by lose clothing and grab nothing but cloth. This gives a 50% concealment miss chance on combat maneuvers against you. Once this has caused a combat maneuver to fail, you need to sped a minute readjusting your outfit to look proper and ready to use this trick again.
• Venom Wear (Poison Use): You steep an item of clothing or an accessory like jewelry or a flower in a dose of contact poison. You know how to safely wear this item, but anyone else who puts it on will be slowly but surely poisoned. Each hour they wear the item, the victim must make a Fortitude save or be injected with the poison. Wearing it for less than an hour is not harmful. Even if they shrug off the poison's effect, they risk being injected again as long as they continue to wear the item, as can anyone else that dons it. Venom Wear stays poisonous for 4 hours.

Pole

A pole is a slightly flexible wooden rod between 8 and 12 ft. tall, sometimes shod with iron. A pole has a multitude of uses, usually involving leverage. A 10 ft. pole, balancing pole, collapsible pole, or long quarterstaff can be used with these tricks.

A pole can perform the find the hidden, grab purchase, and steer opponent heavy blade scabbard tricks.

• Double Maneuver (Cleave): You can use a pole to perform any combat maneuver except grapple against two opponents adjacent to each other at once. Make a separate CMB check against each opponent. Subtract the damage of all attacks of opportunity this combat maneuver triggers from both combat maneuvers.
• Leverage (Knowledge [engineering] 5 ranks): A pole can be used to apply leverage for Strength checks, providing a +4 circumstance bonus and allowing up to five people within 10 ft. to aid other.
• Probe (Disable Device 1 rank): You can use a pole to trigger traps in a 15 ft. wide field 10 ft. ahead of you while moving. It is a move action to probe a head; this automatically triggers any traps with a location or proximity trigger and allows a Disable Device check at +10 against the disarm difficulty to trigger any other trap. Many but not all traps are harmless when triggered at 10 ft. range.
• Quarterstaff (Proficient in quarterstaff): A pole can be employed as a quarterstaff and a long quarterstaff can be used as a pole.
• Reach Maneuver (Lunge): Can be used to perform any combat maneuver except grapple with a reach of 10 ft., in many castes preventing the opponent from making the attack of opportunity triggered by initiating a combat maneuver.
• Vaulting Pole (Acrobatics 5 ranks): You halve the difficulty of both high and long jumps when pole vaulting heights less than the length of the pole and distances less than twice the length of the pole, but must let go of the pole after a high jump. Standard practice is to then hoist the pole on an attached string (a move action).
• Weapon-Staff (Proficient with weapon): A weapon from the pole-arm weapon group (see the fighter's weapon training class feature for the definition of weapon groups) can be used as a pole for these maneuvers. Ignore any reach the pole arm may have when used this way.
• Whirlwind Maneuver (Whirlwind Attack): You can use a pole to perform one combat maneuver except grapple against all adjacent opponents at once. Make a separate CMB check against each opponent. Subtract the damage of all attacks of opportunity these combat maneuvers trigger from all the combat maneuvers.

Powder

Fine powders can be spread as clouds or tossed in an opponent's face. Flour, charcoal, mica, chalk, dust, and fine sand can all be used for this. Since objects an invisible creature picks up do not become invisible, powders are commonly used to find invisible opponents. If the target comes under a new invisibility effect, that makes the powder invisible, restoring full invisibility.

• Disappearing Powder (Sleight of Hand 5 ranks): Create a puff of powder as a move action that works as an automatic distraction to hide.

• Fire-Fighting [Disable Device 5 ranks]: 1 bucket (about 10 lbs) of an inert powder (sand, chalk, soil) can be used to quench a square of fire. Collecting or applying a bucket of powder is a move action. Throwing dust to do this is a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 5 ft.

• Friction [Survival 1 rank]: A pound of powder, preferably rough sand, can be used to increase friction, negating floor hazards like oil slicks, slippery ice, and even grease spells in a 5 ft. square.

• Powder Splash (Throw Anything): You can throw a packet of powder as a splash weapon. An invisible creature splashed has invisibility reduced to mere concealment. A creature that suffers a direct hit stops being invisible and must make a DC 10 Reflex save or be blinded 1d6 rounds.

• Choking Attack (Close-Quarters Thrower): Spray powder into an adjacent square, an opponent in that space loses any invisibility it may have and must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or become sickened for 1d6 rounds. A sickened target is nauseated instead. Creatures that do not breathe do not become sickened or nauseated.

• Dust Cloud (Sleight of Hand 5 ranks): Powder can be used to create a cloud of dust in a 15 ft. square area within 30 ft. as a move action. This dust cloud offers concealment to those within or behind it. An invisible creature who is or has been in the cloud has invisibility reduced to concealment.

• Powdered Floor (Perception 5 ranks): Powder can be spread on a 5 ft. square of ground (a move action) to create a sort of trap.

Powdered Floor Trap Type mechanical; Perception DC 5; Disable Device DC 15 Trigger location; Reset automatic, immediate Effect A character that steps in powder will make clear tracks, revealing its location while in the powder and 1d6 rounds after. An invisible creature is reduced to concealment. Tracking the character has a DC 10 lower for 1 hour. A scrubbing will remove these penalties.

Prosthetics

If you are actually using a prosthetic to replace lost body parts, you gain Item Trick with prosthetics as a bonus feat. Prosthetics are described in Luven Lightfingers's Gear & Treasure Shop, from 4Winds Fantasy Gaming.

• False Grab (Mobility): An opponent trying a combat maneuver against you may be fooled by a prosthetic. It gives an 50% chance for a combat maneuver, and 20% for a general attack, of hitting the prosthetic instead of you. This counts as a concealment miss chance. An opponent will only fall for this trick once a day.
• Give Me A Hand (Bluff 5 ranks): You can drop a prosthetic you are wearing (free action) to gain a +4 circumstance bonus on a combat maneuver or Bluff check to feint.
• Prosthetic Distraction (Sleight of Hand 5 ranks): By wearing a prosthetic arm, your own arm can avoid attention. This gives a +4 circumstance bonus on Sleight of Hand checks. This works even against observers aware of the trick; the sight of your prosthetic arm lulls their suspicions on a subconscious level.
• Prosthetic Prop (Disguise 5 ranks): A prosthetic limb can be used with a Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate stunt, as a distraction, to provoke pity by faking a physical handicap or to seemingly hurt yourself for shock value. It gives a +4 circumstance bonus to such stunts.
• Prosthetic Surprise (Proficient with weapon): A prosthetic weapon can often score an unexpected strike. After you successfully use Bluff to feint you can make an attack with a prosthetic weapon as a swift action.

Rope

These tricks can be performed with ropes, wines and similar things. You can use a whip or scarf as a short rope. As rope is abundant on ships, sailors often learn these tricks. Rope tricks have been modified compared to the original.

• Hogtie (Improved Grapple): When you attempt to tie up an opponent you are grappling, your penalty is only –5 instead of the normal –10.
• Knotted Weapon (Weapon Proficiency [spiked chain]): You can use a knotted length of rope as a spiked chain that inflicts bludgeoning damage instead of piercing damage.
• Lash (Weapon Proficiency [whip]): You can use a length of rope as a whip at no penalty. The piece of rope that is used as a whip must be 10 feet long—length in excess of this must remain coiled or otherwise unused at your feet or side.
• Lifeline (Climb 5 ranks): When you or a nearby creature is falling (from a failed Climb check or otherwise), you can throw a held rope as an immediate action, maintaining a grip on one end. If you are falling, this is treated as an attempt to catch yourself while falling made with a +10 circumstance bonus, but there must be some sort of solid anchor available for your rope to loop around. When attempting this check on another creature, treat it as if you yourself were falling. If the weight of the creature exceeds twice your heavy load limit (your own equipment does not count against this maximum), you are pulled after it.
• Quick Release (no additional prerequisites): You can secure a rope such that you can loose it by making a quick series of tugs (a move action) at any point along the rope's length.
• Rope Hook (Base Attack Bonus +3) You can use a rope to grasp onto an object, using 5 feet of your rope as if it were a grappling hook. As a free action, you can release the object your rope is grasping.
• Rope Manipulation (Sleight of Hand 5 ranks): You can use a rope to grasp an unattended Small or Tiny object within 15 ft. and pull that object into your square. To do so, you must hit AC 10 with a melee touch attack.
• Secure Climbing (Climb 5 ranks): You can use your Climb bonus as the attack bonus when you throw a grappling hook. A grappling hook you have placed will never fail, and an attached rope will never tear or fray. A creature trying to dislodge or cut a rope you fastened or are climbing must roll for this as a Sunder combat maneuver against your CMD.
• Rappelling: [Climb 5 ranks] You can rappel down a rope at double your land speed as a move action.
• Sonic Snap: (Dazzling Display, Weapon Focus [whip]): You snap a whip in the air to create a sonic boom. Creatures of Intelligence 5 or less and commoners (creatures with class levels only in the commoner NPC class) are often scared by the sharp rapport. As a standard action that triggers an attack of opportunity, you can force such creatures in a 10 ft. burst within 30 ft. of you to make a Will save (DC 15) or become frightened. You can choose to make one creature cowering instead. Animals scared away this way will generally not approach or attack you again unless instructed to do so.
• Slip Away (Escape Artist 5 ranks): You gain a +10 circumstance bonus on Escape Artist checks to escape from ropes and rope-like restraints (such as vines).
• Swinging (Acrobatics 1 ranks): Holding a rope attached at least as far above you as the distance you wish to jump forward, you can halve the DC of long jumps. This trick is often used when boarding enemy ships.
• Tackle (Knowledge [engineering] 5 ranks): By arranging a rope using pulleys or simply winding it and applying a friction-reducer such as oil or lard, you can create great pull at the cost of time. Effectively, this allows you to "collect leverage" by spending additional actions on a Strength check—for each move action spent arranging tackle, you gain a cumulative +1 circumstance bonus on Strength checks for one specific task. This bonus cannot exceed your skill bonus in Knowledge (engineering) and you need 5 ft. of rope for each point of bonus.
• Tangle (Throw Anything): You can throw a length of rope as a ranged weapon with a range increment of 10 ft. If you hit with a ranged touch attack, the target becomes entangled. It can cut or burst the rope, or escape with a DC 15 Escape Artist check. You can hold on to or secure an end of the rope. This trick has been modified for realism.
• Tripwire (Stealth 5 ranks): Tie or hold a rope at knee height; it is a move action to tie each end of a tripwire. A tripwire forms a line between squares; the line is always straight in the game world but can be represented by a zigzag line on the map grid. Crossing the line counts as severely obstructed uneven ground (Acrobatics DC 5). A character holding one end of a tripwire can pull it taut as an immediate action, this counts as severely unsteady ground when the rope is pulled, and increases the difficulty by 10. A creature can cross the line safely at one-quarter speed. If the tripwire has concealment, it must be spotted as a trap (Perception DC 10) and creatures that do not know of it cannot slow down to avoid it.

Soap Water

Soap is not used by itself but added to water to make soap water. Making a gallon of soap water takes 1 move action, a gallon of water, and one use of soap. A character who has not mastered Equipment Trick with soap takes one minute to create a gallon of soap water.

• Clean Getaway (Escape Artist 5 ranks): A gallon of soap water helps clean off grapples, infestation, and harmful or clingy substances, giving a +4 circumstance bonus on Escape Artist, Fortitude saves, and Reflex saves for this purpose. Applying the soap water is a move action.
• Hygiene (Heal 5 ranks): A gallon of soap water used with each patient reduces all kinds of health issues, giving a +4 circumstance bonus on Heal checks.
• Lubricant (Knowledge [engineering] 3 ranks): A gallon of soap water poured over a mechanism (move action) acts as a lubricant, giving a +2 circumstance bonus on any Sneak and Disable Device checks involving that device. After 10 minutes, the water has dried out, removing the effect and possibly damaging a sensitive device.
• Quench (Craft [alchemy] 5 ranks): A gallon of soap water can be splashed over a Medium creature or 5 ft. square to negate any ongoing acid or fire damage and give the creature acid and fire resistance equal to half your skill bonus in Craft [alchemy] for 1 minute. Normal water without soap is effective against fire, but not against acid.
• Soaped Floor (Throw Anything): You can spread a gallon of soap water in a 10 ft. spread within 30 ft. as a move action. This creates severely slippery and severely obstructed uneven ground (Acrobatics DC 10) on any hard surface. An invisible creature in this area makes visible footsteps that reduces it to concealment while in the puddle and for 1 round after.

Whistle

A whistle can perform the fake signals, deafening blast, and alphorn tricks of the horn in addition to the following tricks. Pipes, pan pipes, trumpets, and bagpipes are alternatives when using these tricks.

• Animal Whistler (Handle Animal 5 ranks): You gain a +2 bonus on Handle Animal and Wild Empathy checks when you use a whistle.
• Beast Calls: (Knowledge [nature] 5 ranks): As a standard action you can attract aberrations, animals, magical beasts, oozes, and vermin with an intelligence of 3 or lower by imitating their calls. You decide on one type of creature to call. This requires a Knowledge (nature) check DC 10 + twice the creature's Will save modifier, +10 against creatures that are solitary. The range is 100 ft., but by repeating the call you can increase the range by 100 ft. per consecutive round, up to a number of rounds equal to your skill ranks in Knowledge (nature). Affected creatures become fascinated and approach you to within 30 ft., then the effect ends and the creature acts normally. This is a sonic effect.
• Scare Beasts: (Handle Animal 5 ranks): Creatures of Intelligence 5 or less are often scared by high, shrill sounds. As a standard action, you can force such creatures within 30 ft. to make a Will save (DC 12) or become frightened for 1d6 rounds. Creatures scared away this way will generally not approach or attack you again unless instructed to do so. This is a sonic, mind-affecting, fear effect.
• Sounding (Perception 5 ranks): Sounding is useful for getting a rough outline of the terrain if vision is impaired. As a full-round action you can whistle and listen to echoes to determine the approximate size and shape of the room you are in, or locate major terrain features outdoors. Make a Perception check. You gain a rough mental map of the area within 5 ft. times the result of the perception check and a vague sense of major terrain features such as a forest edge or cliff up to ten times as far away.
• Shatter Crystal (Knowledge [engineering] 5 ranks): You can shatter crystalline structures using resonating harmonics. As a standard action you can inflict 1d6 sonic damage on each crystalline or glass object or creature within 30 ft., ignoring Hardness. A Fort save DC 18 avoids this damage.
• Quickstep (Perform [wind] 5 ranks): By playing a quickstep tune, you can coax listeners to a little additional effort. As a move action, you increase the speed of allies within 30 ft. by 10 ft. A creature that charges, runs, or takes a double move cannot benefit from this ability. This is a sonic, mind-affecting, morale effect.
• Whistling (Perform [acting or comedy] 5 ranks): You can whistle without using an actual whistle, just by using your lips. The GM has final say on whether creatures without lips can use this ability.

External Links

• Armor Trick
• Equipment Trick
• Weapon Trick

The text in this article is Open Game Content. It is covered by the Open Game License v1.0a, rather than the Action copyright. To distinguish it, these items will have this notice. If you see any page that contains OGL material and does not show this license statement, please contact one of the Action administrators. Please note that images used in article may have different copyright than the text.

Section 15 Addendum

• Fehr's Ethnology Complete
• Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Pathfinder Society Field Guide™
• Pathfinder Player Companion: Magical Marketplace™
• Pathfinder® Player Companion: Animal Archive™
• Pathfinder® Player Companion: Dirty Tactics Toolbox™
• Pathfinder® Player Companion: Dungeoneer's Handbook
• Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game: Advanced Player’s Guide™
• Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Armory™
• Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Combat™
• Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Equipment™