I am making a game, but finding players to delve into something completely new on the internet is kinda hard, so, I thought I'd try testing specific mechanics in a more familiar system instead.
I figure the game story will revolve around explorers and treasure hunters exploring a massive metal ship that recently crashed. It isn't technology, but rather a magic ship. It would be several towns have grown around the crash as brave folks venture inside.
The inside is basically random dungeon, but there is some story elements involved. How closely the players interact with that story is up to them.
I figure on testing out only one or two of my mechanics at a time. Pathfinder is roughly compatible with my game, so swapping out a few mechanics will usually be simple.
I will leave it to interested persons to pick which mechanics to test out first.
The big one to test, and that requires the most adjustment, is the health and armor system. Basically, it is a fort save with ever increasing penalties, a failure means you gain a wound of some sort (like being lamed, or losing a limb), the severity of the wound depends on weapon penetrating value (piercing damage penetrates further than bludgeoning for example). Armor mitigates damage received and the reduces the severity of wounds received.
Some simpler to implement houserules,
Spellcasting, instead of slots, there is a strain mechanic. Casting a spell requires a strain roll. The more powerful the spell, the more likely to fail. Each time you fail, you reduce the power you can channel at once, and increase the chance you will fail further strain checks. Eventually strain hits zero and you can't cast any spells at all. This basically lets you cast tiny spells all day but high powered spells will quickly drain you dry. There are no hard limits on how many spells you can cast, but rather as you cast spells you start to inhibit how much power you can wield for any one spell, and drawing on too much power and your magic can fail all together.
There is a fatigue mechanic, basically like spellcasting, except applies to physical abilities and prowess, such as stunning fist. It penalizes physical skills once you get reduced enough. Combat maneuvers require fatigue checks as do certain combat abilities. Should be fine going through a fight or three, but spells that cause fatigue or exhaustion, (or other things, like rage) will certainly have a different impact. Also, this becomes a soft limit on things like stunning fist, instead of a hard cap. Basically, you can continue making such attempts as long as you like, but not only do you start to take penalties after a while, but eventually you start running the risk of falling unconcious.
The loot system. Basically you have Loot. Loot is the undefined lesser stuff you find in dungeons. Things like jewelry, spoons, bowls, clothes, crafting materials, etc. You don't track the specific items, just the value, quality, and weight. Quality determines the lowest quality stuff you can find in your loot. For example, with low quality loot, you pick up everything that isn't nailed down, thus if you need, you can make a search check to find a cheap mundane item in your loot, such as a pot or bowl, if you need something of that sort. If you stick with high quality loot however, you pick up only the pretty stuff, thus you gain less stuff, but you get all the high value stuff. High quality loot however lacks any of the cheap stuff you may want, such as string, pots, flint and steel, etc.
Another mechanic to try is that players roll all the dice related to various things. Player casters roll against the npc static save scores. And other similar things.
I have other mechanics if there is any pathfinder mechanic you'd like to try an alternative for.
Also, I will be using the 3d6 alternative to a d20. My system uses a bell curve so I want to preserve that. A really minor issue for a d20 game. I'll double check the pf version, though I doubt they would change it much from unearthed arcana.
Sounds pretty cool. I'd love to just run around a dungeon.
Any particular mechanics you'd like to try out first?
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I don't really want to include any added systems I am unfamiliar with, which I hear occult has psionics of some sort. I am familiar best with core, though I have used words of power a few times. Spheres of power will be fine when not testing my magic system, but when it comes time to test my magic system I'll disallow that.
Other than those cases, I'll take it all on a case by case basis. Mostly I just review what characters have and accept or deny based on what is on the sheet. If a proposed character requires reading up on more than just the feats and class abilities listed, such as if the whole psionic thing is a completely separate system from normal spellcasting (I suspect this is the case, but haven't gotten around to reviewing it yet), then it is less likely to be accepted than a character that I might just have to go read a short feat/ability description or two.
Whether third party or not doesn't matter to me so long as I find it on the prd or srd. I reserve the right to deny something I don't like though.
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The loot system is intended for just loot, so I don't have to describe every little piece of treasure you find. It still functions with the weight mechanics PF uses. You could rely on loot for mundane needs but it is chancy and can get heavy quickly.
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Yes, that bell curve system.
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Only one chart, and only if you hit. Mostly the chart is just severity and type of wound based on damage type. Bludgeoning damage won't sever a limb as easily as a slashing weapon for example, but will basically make the limb useless at the same number spread. The differing damage types is the only reason you even need the chart.
I'll give more details on the specific mechanics later. Planning on soon, but...
Health mechanic,
Overview,
Attack vs AC/defense.
Damage vs fort save.
Roll for injury.
Attacks are still made vs AC, though only touch AC. BAB is added to AC now however, as armor works differently and doesn't apply. Dodge and deflection bonuses still apply to AC.
Armor bonuses, and natural armor bonuses apply to fort saves against damage, but armor check penalties apply to AC, making it a choice between avoiding hits, or making hits less deadly. Armor also applies to the injury roll, so even when you do get injured, the injuries are less severe. Some heavy armor will change damage type as well, making it more likely to be battered into unconciousness rather than outright killed.
If an attack does land, the target makes a fortitude save plus any armor and natural armor bonuses minus their total wound points (WP). Healing HP now removes WP. Whether tje save is successful or not, the target gains WP equal to the piercing value of the weapon, with a minimum of one. If the save succeeds, then that is all that happens, but of it fails, then you roll for an injury.
When rolling for an injury, add DR and resistance if applicable, then subtract twice the weapon's piercing value. This also where any damage bonuses apply. The higher you roll, the less severe the injury. You also roll the injury location. The type of injury and effect are based on damage type, severity, and location. Severe wounds can result in loss of limbs, severe bleeding (which adds WP each round), crippled and useless limbs, hindered limbs (take penalties for whatever you use that limb for), and losing a limb when the limb in question is a head or torso is death.
Some damage types are more lethal than others. Bludgeoning is usually less lethal, less likely to lose limbs, and has lower piercing values. Slashing has moderate piercing values, and is more likely to sever limbs completely. Piercing damage has the highest piercing values and is more likely to cripple or kill, but less likely to severe anything. Magic has the lowest piercing value.
Size bonuses apply to injury rolls. Smaller sized creatures get hurt more severly, as they are more fragile.
sneak attack damage and similar basically are a bonus to to piercing values. However, as these numbers don't grow as fast as HP normally does, each d6 of precision damage adds +1 to the piercing value of a weapon. When this bonus applies follows the same rules as normal.
critical hits act like sneak attack damage, adding to the piercing value of a weapon, usually just adding 100% to the piercing value.
Damage for attacks, particularly magic will need some adjustments to stay in line with fort saves plus armor, and to maintain the dynamic between damage vs piercing value.
That was one of two things I was considering, players-roll-all-dice. The other scheme is similar, but make it so attackers roll all the dice, against static values.
Either way, the player should be able to make all the rolls at once, then at worst, find out the result when I post for the enemies and summery at the end of each round.
The way I see it, there is no need with these mechanics to wait for the results of one roll before rolling the next. But doing that isn't a mechanic issue, but rather a play organization issue. Though now that I think about it, there are several instances I can think of where someone didn't seem to catch that distinction (one guy thought making a paper with a series of boxes on it that were numbered, then you would move a marker on the boxes for the character's current health. He seemed to think it was a different mechanic for some reason from regular hit points.). I guess I just forget sometimes that such distinctions are not always obvious to others.
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As for proto casters, alchemist is the only one I know of. I need to take another look as it has been ages since I looked at it and I never actually played that class myself. I know how I would handle the basic concept, but I need to double check how a few existing mechanics work.
Okay, alchemists,
Alchemists create items that are basically unstable, consumable foci. These are the extracts. They may be unstable, but that is a side effect of allowing them to vary how much power they put into the effect. The alchemist doesn't actually put power into the extract until "casting" the effect. this mechanic can be used for potions that are drank, or it can be used for totem, fetish, or token based spellcasting as well. Bombs work the as same way, they are made first, then the alchemist puts power into it then throws it (or sets it up if it is a delayed bomb). There needs not be any restriction on the prep work of makinv the extracts and bombs because they won't work until the alchemist adds their power to them to activate them, which must be done shortly before their use. Other characters, even other alchemists can't use these items without careful study, by which time the item is usually no good. Making them is an art and each alchemist has slight variations in how they craft them, thus anpther trying to use their creation is more likely to get an explosion in the face than a successful use of another's extract/bomb.
There are a few exceptions. Any of the items an alchemists makes that is limited by how many they can have at once, such as the mutagens, are basically connected to the alchemist via a small sliver of power at first to keep it from going inert immediately. The alchemist can only handle maintaining so many of these connections at once.
Infusing a mutagen basically is an expensive alteration and puts power into the mutagen immediately, making it both stable and removing the need to maintain a connection to it.
Took a bit of fiddling because PF advances differently, but here are the spellcasting mechanics.
Characters now have MB, Magic Bonus, which advances just like bab, except for spellcasting. Full casters get full MB (1/lvl), medium casters get 3/4, and low casters get 1/2. You add your con modifier to MB.
There are also magic skills, one for each school of magic for each spellcasting tradition (wizardry, druidism, clerical, etc, basically each spelllist). Wizards (or any other class that selects school specialization), gains +2 to their chosen schools, and -5 to their prohibited schools. Anyone however can learn these skills. Casters get 3 additional skill points each level that must be spent on these magic skills or spellcraft. There is also a skill for SLAs, which can only be taken by a character that has SLAs. A character with racial SLAs always treats the SLA skill as a class skill. A character with SLAs gets a minimum MB of a low caster that does not stack with MB gained from classes. The SLA skill is keyed to CHA. The other magic skills for each school are keyed to that spellcasting class' casting stat, or int for a character with no spellcasting class. The maximum number of ranks that can be put into one of these magic skills is equal to their MB, whichever is higher, minimum of one. Characters with no casting classes and no SLAs have an MB of 1/4 their level. A caster can learn to cast spells from outside their spelllist, but when they do, they cast those spells like a noncasting character (they must cast it from the spellbook and take triple strain. They must also learn the right skill skill for spells of the right skill from that tradition).
There are two ways to cast a spell, from memory or from a spellbook (alchemists must cast their "spells" from memory, though they can still learn to cast from a spellbook like a noncasting character). Casting from memory is the normal way of casting a spell. Casting from a spellbook can be done by anyone with enough skill. Casting from a spellbook takes 10 times as long as normal (5 rounds for a SA casting time).
A non caster can only cast from a book (that they wrote or are otherwise familiar with, following the same rules as deciphering a spellbook), but take 3 times as much strain whenever strain is gained.
To cast a spell whether from memory or a spellbook is basically the same except as noted above.
A spell has two new components that are easy to discern, complexity, and drain. Certain circumstances allow these to be ignored, basically, a high enough skilled caster can ignore these for their simpler spells. Non casters can never ignore these however.
To cast a spell, the caster makes a skill check of the appropriate school against the complexity of spell. The spell's complexity is the spell's casting DC plus two if modified by any number of metamagic feats or meta words (for wordcasting), these still increase spell lvl as normal. If the check succeeds, the spell is cast, if the check fails, the spell fizzles. Boosting spellpower (described below) does not affect spell complexity. A casting class does not need to make complexity checks if the skill bonus for casting that spell is five less than the spell DC or more (cantrips are DC 15, so if skill bonus is 10+, then no need to make complexity checks for cantrips.).
Spell drain is equal to casting DC to cast a spell at CL 1 even the spell normally has a minimum CL (minimum CL is no longer a limitation.). Spells can be boosted. For each increase to a spell's CL, add one to the spell's drain. Spells can be boosted above their normal maximum by adding two per cl increase to the spell's base drain. (I.E. boosting a burning hands spell, which normally has a cl limit of 5, to CL 10, would add 15 drain to the base drain.). If drain is less than the bonus to strain checks, then the spell can be cast without making a strain check and assuming a roll result of 3.
When a spell is cast, even if the complexity check fails, a strain check is made. MB (with con modifier added) minus any strain points vs the spell's drain. If the check succeeds, then you gain one SP (strain point). If the check succeeds by ten, then no strain is gained at all. If the check fails, you gain twice the spell lvl in SP, minimum 1. If the check fails by an amount equal to your con score, then you make a will save against the base casting DC, and you fall unconcious. If the will save succeeds, then the spell went off as normal, if the save fails the spell fizzles, either way you still fall unconcious. Each hour a strain check is made against your con score (but with no risk of gaining more strain points), if successful you wake up. You can't cast spells again until your strain points equal zero.
As a cantrip (named Energize), a caster can transfer strain from another character to themselves (basically they can share their energy with another.). This can be used to grant temporary negative strain, boosting a character's power available. This temporary boost loses a point each hour. This cantrip is on every caster's spell list.
If this cantrip is used on a character that passed out from a failed strain check, that character can immediately make a strain check to wake up, if at least one strain is taken from them.
The casting DCs are based on effective spell level (after any modifications such as due to metamagic).
SL. DC
0 15
1 19
2 23
3 27
4 31
5 35
6 39
7 43
8 47
9 51
Or basically as a formula, (SL*4)+15.
Wow my phone got so slow trying to type that out. It could probably do with a rewrite but hopefully it is understandable.
Magic skills vs complexity
MB Strain vs drain
same base dc for both drain and complexity
The number of spells known or number of spells prepared is how many spells a character can have memorized. Spell mastery feat doesn't work in this system, but the feat that improves spells known can work for prepared casters by increasing the number spells they can have prepared.
Any caster can be prepared or spontaneous, but not both even if they have multiple casting classes.
Spontaneous casters get a +2 on strain checks. When they memorize a spell, they must spend a day per spell level to switch it out for a new spell (during which time that spell known slot is unavailable).
Prepared casters get +2 on complexity checks. Prepared casters must spend an hour each day preparing or reinforcing already prepared spells. After 24 hours, if a prepared spell has not been reinforced, there is a 50% chance the spell fizzles when cast and is lost from memory.
Use your class' spell known or spell prepared slots for the number of spells that can be memorized. You can memorize a spell in a higher level slot, or two spells in a slot three levels higher.
Well, there is a reason I wanted to try only one or two of the new rules at a time.
Does no one have an opinion about these? Or did everyone just quietly run away?
I might be interested! What level do you think you would start at?
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I would be interested in trying out your new spellcasting rules. I have no opinion on the other rules to try at the same time. I would want to be either a full caster or max-level-6-spells caster.
By the way, how do arcanists fit into your system? They are made a blend between prepared and spontaneous.
Also, I would love to try (at a different time) the spell pool rules from Unchained. However, it seems to me that the pools are too small in comparison to the number of spells they replace.
I too would like to start play around 5th or 6th :P
I would be likely to play either an Unchained Monk or an Unchained Rogue, depending on the party composition.
I'd be interested to how my UnMonk build would interact with these rules - it has low AC, instead focusing on damage. If VMC from Unchained is allowed, it would also have the ability to rage, which would allow for additional testing of your fatigue system.
Starting level will be 6.
I'd have to look up unchained stuff, but if the spell pool is anything like the spellpoints from 3.x, then the reason for the reduction is because you are more likely to be able to cast a useful spell, where-as with spell slots, you are likely to have available slots that would not be useful, so they try to maintain the ratio of how many useful spells are available at any one time. For example, in spell slots, if your only 3rd level spells is fireball, and you are facing an enemy that is immune to fire, then even though you have an available slot, it is currently useless. This effect is far less with spell points with which you could spend that resource more efficiently.
I'd forgotten abouf the hybrid classes. I'll look it over then get back to you.
Don't worry about party composition. Premade stuff needs to make assumptions (though a good GM can adjust as needed), but as I make things around the party, worrying about roles is not needed. Besides, gaps are fun opportunities for roleplay and puzzles, if overdoing it is avoided. :)
Good to know I didn't scare everyone away.
Piercing weapons are intended to be the best against armor, while slashing should be best against unarmored opponents or as a general purpose use, with bludgeoning the less lethal, and cheapest, option. The intent anyway.
The system all these mechanics were made for doesn't have levels. Not like PF levels (there are tiers, but they rarely change and are more like mortal vs supernatural vs divine) Instead characters grow by learning more options and learning new ways to use old skills. Just like real martial arts masters grow by expanding the repertoire of known techniques once the hit mastery of one technique. It is thus a levelless, skill based system with feats that open or enhance options for existing skills. I.E. Evasion improves the ability to dodge by negating penalties and requirements in certain cases, while Reversal allows one to attempt to dodge through an opponent's space ending behind them. Thus the need to adjust to PF's levelling system. You could think of it as a cross between d20 and savage worlds, sort of.
Arcanist,
at my first impression an arcanist's general magic casting is how I see prepared magic in my system. The spell is prepared in the mind as a spell known for the day. I would say the arcanist gains nothing special in this regard, though can use it's spells prepared per day chart instead of the normal chart. As for the arcane points, I'll need to mull over that, since in my mechanic, all magic abilities come from the same energy reserve. I'll probably treat them as SLAs, but let me go over it some more before deciding.
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I'd have to look up unchained stuff, but if the spell pool is anything like the spellpoints from 3.x, then the reason for the reduction is because you are more likely to be able to cast a useful spell, where-as with spell slots, you are likely to have available slots that would not be useful, so they try to maintain the ratio of how many useful spells are available at any one time. For example, in spell slots, if your only 3rd level spells is fireball, and you are facing an enemy that is immune to fire, then even though you have an available slot, it is currently useless. This effect is far less with spell points with which you could spend that resource more efficiently.
Yes, I understand that there should be fewer spells than just adding up all the spell slots, but I think perhaps they took that reduction too far. I think when I added it up, you get 1/3 the spells in your pool that your slots would give you. Something more like 2/3 sounds right to me, actually.
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Arcanist,
at my first impression an arcanist's general magic casting is how I see prepared magic in my system. The spell is prepared in the mind as a spell known for the day. I would say the arcanist gains nothing special in this regard, though can use it's spells prepared per day chart instead of the normal chart. As for the arcane points, I'll need to mull over that, since in my mechanic, all magic abilities come from the same energy reserve. I'll probably treat them as SLAs, but let me go over it some more before deciding.
My question was actually more about the bonuses. You said that spontaneous casters get a +2 on strain checks, and prepared casters get +2 on complexity checks. So does an arcanist get +1 on each?
Yes, I understand that there should be fewer spells than just adding up all the spell slots, but I think perhaps they took that reduction too far. I think when I added it up, you get 1/3 the spells in your pool that your slots would give you. Something more like 2/3 sounds right to me, actually.I'd have to look up unchained stuff, but if the spell pool is anything like the spellpoints from 3.x, then the reason for the reduction is because you are more likely to be able to cast a useful spell, where-as with spell slots, you are likely to have available slots that would not be useful, so they try to maintain the ratio of how many useful spells are available at any one time. For example, in spell slots, if your only 3rd level spells is fireball, and you are facing an enemy that is immune to fire, then even though you have an available slot, it is currently useless. This effect is far less with spell points with which you could spend that resource more efficiently.
I agree actually, though perhaps I am biased by my preference for systems where magic is limited in ways other than uses per time period.
As for arcanist, they don't really gain anything special on the spontaneous/prepared front, as the important aspects of that distinction that the arcanist played with is now gone.
However, I am thinking that Arcanists treat their exploits like SLAs and the ability to improve CL takes the form of granting an extra +1 to CL for free when the caster spends extra power to improve CL, and DC can be improved by adding one to the drain (the maximum for these increases are the same as the class abilities).
The exploits have no direct level comparison, so are treated as level 1 spells for complexity but level 2 for drain (they seem roughly equal to lvl 1.5 spells to me). Numbers that depend on class level are treated like CL, start at 1 and requires improvement that increases the drain like normal casting.
The arcanist's reservoir takes the form of extra power stored on the arcanist, either in an object, like an arcane bond, or a tattoo/mark, like Tsunade from Naruto. The reserve can be completely drained to restore a number of strain equal to the points in the reservoir or until strain becomes zero, whichever is less. The reservoir is filled with one point per long rest till the maximum is reached (same max as the class provides.).
That should be an advantage to make for the lack of advantage/difference of the normal spellcasting. I may reduce this later if it the class seems overpowering compared a normal wizard.
I don't desire to get into another unchained system.
I'll use backgrounds skills, as I have played with that particular system before and thus I know it.
The unchained rogue can be used, just replace the unlocks system with a +2 to the max skillranks for the chosen skills.
Unchained monk is fine.
Ki is just magic by another name, though a popular one, and uses the same drain system as spells. Monks thus have the 1/3 MB progression. How many Ki points an effect requires is the "spell level" of the effect for DC. A monk has a "Martial Ki Arts" skill for using these effects.
My question was actually more about the bonuses. You said that spontaneous casters get a +2 on strain checks, and prepared casters get +2 on complexity checks. So does an arcanist get +1 on each?Arcanist,
at my first impression an arcanist's general magic casting is how I see prepared magic in my system. The spell is prepared in the mind as a spell known for the day. I would say the arcanist gains nothing special in this regard, though can use it's spells prepared per day chart instead of the normal chart. As for the arcane points, I'll need to mull over that, since in my mechanic, all magic abilities come from the same energy reserve. I'll probably treat them as SLAs, but let me go over it some more before deciding.
I realized I should clarify as I'm not sure my previous statement gives the idea I intended.
The arcansist is basically what I changed all prepared casting to, therefore, arcanist doesn't gain anything special or different because what made it special originally is now the norm. Which means an arcanist can be prepared or spontaneous with the normal +2 on complexity or strain checks, respectively.
That is why I did so much for the other stuff to make that other stuff the focus of the class specialty.
Not using variant multiclassing. If I really wanted to get into changing the class system to add more concept alchemy for a test game, I'd much rather use the three "generic" class system from unearthed arcana. But as that is just additional complications for little gain, lets not.
If you really want a class power from a different class, I'll work with you to trade out something of your core class. Trade Flurry for Rage as an example for a monk desiring rage. Character builds are somewhat negotiable.
So I'm thinking this,
We'll test the spellcasting, health and armor, and fatigue systems.
Sound good to everyone?
Characters will start 15 point buy or 4d6 drop lowest (rolled here). Level 6.
Any questions? Seem like a good start, or does anyone not like how we are starting?
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Sounds like fun to me.
rolling for stats:
so 17
so 14
so 9
so 13
so 15
so 13
Not bad, I can build almost anything from this. I think I might try to build a wizard and really put your casting system through its paces.
Do we get any extra skill points, considering that your magic system appears to use a lot more?
(edit: I found the answer to this above, 3 extra that have to go to magical skills)
Also, i wanted to make sure that I'm understanding correctly that for a wizard in your system, int (as the casting stat) and con are the key stats?
Is there any interesting new things familiars can do?
Nothing different related to the test, but I do have a way of handling certain rules vagueness that turns out to be nonstandard. (my first GM did it similarly though)
Advancing familiars is rather vague in the rules on certain points. The rules mention things they do gain, but say nothing about them NOT gaining things an intelligent creature would otherwise gain on their own.
So I play it as familiars gain advancement as an intelligent creature, choosing to either advance as magical beasts or by class. Three caveats though, they earn xp like a cohort, secondly, if they desire spellcasting ability, they need to spend a feat to figure out somatic and vocal components they can actually produce (they have to actually have the capacity to move and make sounds of some sort. If they are like an imp or other creature that can mimic humanoid gestures and speech or have spellcasting normally as a monster than this isn't needed. Alternatively, they can just learn the metamagics Silent and Still). Thirdly, they, like any cohort, must remain at least two levels behind their master's level (none of this affects the things in the rules such as what HD to consider the familiar for effects dependent on HD)
This means that a familiar can actually help a spellcaster as more than just eyes, ears, and a skill bonus.
I do actually change one other thing, if you gain an improved familiar, it takes the higher int of the familiar table or it's base stats. (basically becoming a familiar doesn't reduce their int).
I do enforce the negative aspects of losing a familiar so bear that mind. Oh and some enemies know those penalties and may try to use that against you if they can.
They still suffer from all the physical limitations of their form, so no swinging a hammer at the forge with their paws or anything silly like that.
If my main concern was mechanical balance, then I would agree about using point buy. But what I am really looking for right now is holes in the concepts, extreme cases that turn out to become the norm, speed of play, and ease of use, etc. For these things the specific numbers are not quite as important.
As for familiars, they use normal rules whenever they apply, such as HP, but since the rules do not deny you gaining feats, skills, or other advancement, I simply assume that such advancement happens and set a few guidelines I feel I should apply. I consider the familiar rules to over-ride a few things due to the link between familiar and master.
HP and bab (and the base saves if the master's are better) explicitly come from the master in the rules, base saves (if the familiar's are better) and skills do not, therefore skills, feats, class abilities (and potentially saves) would come from class/HD levels. The rules do state what skills count as class skills if the familiar doesn't gain any classes.
I would say any attempt to gain a familiar by a familiar would fail, due the asymmetric link between master and familiar.
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So for skills you do not say that for each skill, the familiar gets the higher of its master's or its own ranks, but uses its own stat bonuses? That's what the core rule book says.
My question about familiars doing anything interesting was more about whether there was a familiar type that was doing something like giving a +1 on complexity or strain checks. I'd love to have a little bird to help with complexity checks or a little lizard to help with strain checks. Actually, though, the new rules are complex enough I might just go with a bonded item. The bonded item is the ability to cast any one spell from the spellbook with no preparation needed. Would this one spell bypass any of your checks or anything? I always see it as an 'absolute emergency' kind of spell, so perhaps this one spell a day could be cast even if strain would normally forbid it?
That's fine. I almost have a completed alias - I just need to make the ability scores 15 PT buy/roll for them, do skills, and then make sure everything fits the houserules.
Are we just using WBL?
Those are good rolls :) looks like this Monk will have better AC than I expected.
I assume the key score for Martial Arts is Wisdom?
I would say that bonded item extra spell would not take strain.
This is NewXToa's alias.
My computer's been wonky, sorry I haven't posted. Are we using character traits? Also, is there any plot stuff we should know about for our backgrounds?
HP are replaced by the health mechanic. Fort save (plus armor) with increasing penalties, and gaining of injuries. Most things that effect HP (like cure or temp HP) instead affect the save penalties.
Plot, Most of the established plot is stuff inside the crashed ship. As for as characters know, there has been several boom towns forming around the ship (it is far too large for only one town to service, not even a city, as it can take days to travel the length of the ship.). Most of the towns have walls to defend against the occasional escaping monster, but the wealth of amazing materials, and other loot, has still made it profitable. Though it is still dangerous and many, if not most, do not return from inside the ship.
Redelia, I'll be hanging around if you change your mind. Good luck. :)
Traits, The two standard traits, following the normal rules.
Really close.
If the strain of the spell had been 8 or less, you would not have needed to roll for strain, just automatically gained one strain as though successful.
If you had rolled 29 total (pretending for the example that it was possible), then you have not gained any strain points despite rolling. A +26 to strain checks would be required to not roll and still avoid gaining any strain (because a minimum roll would be 3, then 26+3 is 29).
Your complexity example is right on, save you could very well attempt fourth level spells.
So to clarify something I should have clarified before but missed somehow. Memorizing higher level spells can be done by consuming multiple lower level slots. Two slots together can be used to memorize a the next higher level, and three slots can be used for a spell two levels higher (the reverse of using higher slots for lower spells). I.E. two 3rd level slots can be uses to memorize a fourth level spell.
Also, you can attempt any level spell from a spellbook.
Two things,
First, it is supposed to really encourage low level spells over high levels.
Second, you can use take 10, 16, 18 out of combat.
Third, I think that you are stopping a little early. You have about 5% chance of getting 5 or less, a big difference from when using a d20.
That said, you are right. I must have made an error in my math somewhere. I had gotten a different result for how much SP you'd have.
Let me go over that math again.
My alias has pretty much everything for normal Pathfinder rules, now I just need to start changing it to match the houserules.
I put my AC and fortitude saves above the spoilers in my alias as near as I can calculate - would I be correct in assuming that I add things that modify touch AC for my AC, and things that modify my flat-footed AC to the fortitude save v. damage?
In regards to my Ki pool: How should I deal with ki powers that are passive, simply requiring me to have at least 1 ki point in my ki pool?
Ki checks:
Complexity checks: 3 (class) + 2 (MB of 1/3) + 2 (skills, to a maximum of MB) + 4 (WIS) = 11, so I should be able to successfully "spend" a ki point on a roll of 8 or more. That's not too bad.
Strain checks: 2 (MB) + 2 (CON) = 4, vs a DC of 19, and if I fail by 2 (17 roll) I fall unconscious (not good), although I can spend 4 ki points before I have to make a strain check. Normally I'd be able to spend 1/2 lvl (3) + WIS = 7 ki points, but as discussed previously this system does nerf spellcasting a bit.
Would you mind bumping monks up to 1/2 MB progression? . This would allow me to 'cast' more ki/day, but still put a pretty hard limit on it (I'd succeed the complexity checks pretty well [roll a 6 or more, not quite an auto succeed], but there's almost no way I'll be able to succeed the strain checks consistently once I start making them [I'd need to roll a 14 or more to succeed, and if I fail by 2 or more (roll a 12 or less) I fall unconscious).
Besides my concerns, am I understanding it all correctly?