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My Pathfinder E6 group has run into a bit of a problem. One of our party members is a wraith camel alchemist, and another is a half-brass dragon giant spider artificer. The wraith camel has ghost touch gloves on his hooves, so he can touch things just fine, but neither of them can do anything that involves fine manipulation. This wouldn't typically be a problem, except that these happen to be our crafters, and the DM has ruled that you can't craft scrolls or potions without fine manipulators. This is very much complicated because in E6, we have extremely limited access to magic over character level 6. Basically, here are the restrictions that we are working with:

  • No magic items that require a spell over level 4.
  • No magic items with a caster level over 8.
  • We have about 50,000 gp currently, but we'd very much like to not spend a lot of money on this.
  • Mage hand doesn't provide fine enough manipulation.

Other than that, we can make just about anything. Our artificer can make pretty much any wondrous item up to level 8.

Are there any ways (Paizo official or 3rd party) to give these characters the ability to use fine manipulators?

Edits based on comments and answers: The characters did not start out this way. The wraith camel became that way from a botched reincarnation, and the half-dragon spider had a normal reincarnation.

We are using a non-standard ECL system, where each 1 LA costs a few build points instead of a level. Since in E6, characters can buy gestalt levels after 6, the animal HD are just gestalted onto their normal levels.

I wasn't very clear before, but the camel is a wraith. I don't know the exact stats he's using, but he's incorporeal, and can't touch things easily. The GM has houseruled in a ghost touch saddle and ghost touch gloves, so he can be ridden and touch things with his feet, but not much else.

Sorry if there seems to be a ton of constraits here, but I wouldn't be asking if there were an easy answer. :)

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    \$\begingroup\$ Fun fact: camels don't have hooves. They have feet with toes -- it's the thing that keeps them from being kosher. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jadasc
    Apr 19, 2012 at 10:11
  • \$\begingroup\$ Strange question :) It seems equivalent to: "Is there a way to give humanoids a camel hump and spider legs"? \$\endgroup\$
    – Erik Burigo
    Apr 19, 2012 at 10:41
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    \$\begingroup\$ I...what? Why on earth did you make a crafter with no fine manipulators when you rolled up the character? \$\endgroup\$
    – Canageek
    Apr 19, 2012 at 14:21
  • \$\begingroup\$ Along those lines: in an E6 game, characters are limited to sixth level. I've got to imagine that the racial templates you're using have to add some amazing amounts of ECL — is the DM ignoring that for the purposes of this game? \$\endgroup\$
    – Jadasc
    Apr 19, 2012 at 14:38
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    \$\begingroup\$ "One of our party members is a wraith camel alchemist, and another is a half-brass dragon giant spider artificer." I am going to marry this sentence. \$\endgroup\$
    – Cristol.GdM
    Dec 16, 2012 at 17:19

5 Answers 5

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Dominate person or hire someone with the appropriate Craft feat and then provide all the specific spells etc. needed for the item yourselves. Multiple people can contribute the prereqs towards an item so that should work (the enslavee/hireling has to make the Spellcraft checks though someone can assist him).

Note that all items have prerequisites in their descriptions. These prerequisites must be met for the item to be created. Most of the time, they take the form of spells that must be known by the item's creator (although access through another magic item or spellcaster is allowed).

Or, Magic Jar is a 4th level summoner spell. You can possess someone and do it "yourself."

Or, a Greater Hat of Disguise will let you Alter Self continually.

Oh, wait, I just found the perfect solution in Ultimate Magic - Anthropomorphic Animal, third level wiz/druid/witch. Though I'm not sure either of you technically count as animals despite your question title, you'd have to wrangle over your types and subtypes (undead and vermin?).

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Hand of the Mage (900 gp) allows for unlimited uses of mage hand, but that only allows for moving objects, not manipulating them. Ask the GM if you can get a special magical item crafted for you that allow more precise telekinetic manipulation of items.

For pricing the item, consider Arcane Trickster's ranged legerdemain. The ability allows for the use of Disable Device and Sleight of Hand at a range of 30 feet. It's gained at the 1st level of Arcane Trickster, which is, at earliest, 5th character-level. Wizards gain 3rd level spells at 5th level, so I would consider ranged legerdemain the equivalence of a 3rd level spell. Using the pricing guide for magic items the item would be six times the cost of Hand of the Mage, or 5400 gp.

Bringing this all together, I'd suggest you ask your GM if you can have this item crafted:

Hand of the Mage, Greater

Aura faint transmutation; CL 5th

Slot neck; Price 5400 gp; Weight 2 lbs.

Description
This magic necklace allows the wearer to utilize the spell mage hand at will. In addition, it allows the wearer to use mage hand to manipulate items with enough additional dexterity to use skills such as Disable Device, Sleight of Hand, and Craft. Manipulating items outside of your normal reach increases the normal skill check DC by 5.

Construction Requirements
Craft Wondrous Item, mage hand, cat's grace; Cost 2700 gp

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Hmm. I'm not sure he'll go for it, but this definitely looks promising. I'll run it by my DM, and see what he thinks. Thanks! \$\endgroup\$
    – DuckTapeAl
    Apr 19, 2012 at 23:24
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This seems a bit nit-picky, but let's run with it.

Fine, don't let the camel use its feet. A camel still has a tongue, mouth, and neck. I would argue that if the character owns a laboratory, they'll have the tools necessary to make a potion or scroll using any or all of those for fine manipulation.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Can you write legibly with a pen in your mouth? If so, +1 \$\endgroup\$
    – dlras2
    Apr 19, 2012 at 15:28
  • \$\begingroup\$ With a setup conducive for doing so? I bet I could learn! \$\endgroup\$
    – okeefe
    Apr 19, 2012 at 15:50
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    \$\begingroup\$ If anything, I might make it a feat. You can't inherently write with your mouth, just like most people can't inherently write with their non-dominant hand. It's not magical - just requires loads of practice: exactly what a feat represents. \$\endgroup\$
    – dlras2
    Apr 19, 2012 at 18:26
  • \$\begingroup\$ There are real-world people who can write with various other appendages and orifices. (No, I won't be more specific, but I hear tell that was quite the honeymoon in the Netherlands.) One would imagine that a singularly-exceptional camel that could become an alchemist in the first place would have long since practiced mouth and tongue dexterity sufficient to replace hands. Their workshop might feature a lot of vises and third hands (second, in this case) of course. \$\endgroup\$
    – SevenSidedDie
    Apr 20, 2012 at 16:22
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    \$\begingroup\$ "It appears to be a +6 Full plate, but the inside is covered with camel slobber." Decisions, ecisions.... \$\endgroup\$
    – RMorrisey
    Apr 21, 2012 at 13:51
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Although I haven't purchased it, Skirmisher Publishing's The Noble Wild is likely to have the answer you want. It's a sourcebook for playing intelligent animals in Pathfinder (or other d20 games).

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  • \$\begingroup\$ The only rules that I can find in The Noble Wild for animals manipulating things are restricted to things like apes. +1 for the suggestion, though. \$\endgroup\$
    – DuckTapeAl
    Apr 20, 2012 at 0:01
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It's a lot of money, but an amulet of continuous Alter Self would let you become a humanoid indefinitely.

According to my calculus it's 24k for a continuous 2nd level spell http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/magicItems/magicItemCreation.html

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Could you tell me where you get that number from? My calculations say 2(spell level) * 3(caster level) * 1800(command word) = 10800 gp. I'm going to run this by my GM, but I'd like to be sure of my math, first. \$\endgroup\$
    – DuckTapeAl
    Apr 19, 2012 at 23:43
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    \$\begingroup\$ If you use a command word activation for each casting you would get 3 mins of effect. (1 min per level at caster level 3) if that's OK then your price works just fine. The formula I used was for "use activated or continuous" Spell level x caster level x 2,000 gp (doubled because of the original spell duration) \$\endgroup\$
    – Arcantos
    Apr 20, 2012 at 1:09
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    \$\begingroup\$ Actually, it costs 6000 gp. See Hat of Disguise, Greater (d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/h-l/…) \$\endgroup\$
    – mxyzplk
    Apr 20, 2012 at 3:24

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