| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
These are a few of the house rules my group uses. We generally run higher powered games (i.e. monsters with more hit points and more difficult saves and the like), and so these changes might not be for every group, but we've had success with them. I'm sure many or most of these ideas are already out there, but I thought I'd share anyway.
At 10th Level and every 2 levels thereafter a fighter gains an additional +1 to AC (+6 AC at 20th Level)
At 10th Level a Fighter may move 10ft as though it were only a 5ft. step, and at 15th Level the Fighter may treat 15ft as though it were a 5ft. step. This movement does not affect the movement standards set when using the Step Up, Following Step, or Step Up and Strike Feats
Rogues may move up to their normal speed while using Stealth with no penalty.
Rogues do not take the normal -10 penalty on Stealth checks following a successful Bluff Check to Create a distraction to hide.
Rogues can select all Ninja Tricks that do not require ki.
New Rogue Talent: Sneak Attack Style – At 2nd Level a Rogue who takes this talent may select a type of weapon that makes sneak attacks with that weapon deal d8s instead of d6s. Sneak attacks with other weapons now deal d4s. Knife Master Archetype Rogues who take this talent add an additional +2 to attack and damage on their attack. This talent may be taken multiple times, but each time it applies to a different weapon group.
New Rogue Talent: Charging Blow – At 6th Level a Rogue who takes this talent may make a charge and the attack deals sneak attack damage as if the target were flat-footed. Foes with uncanny dodge are immune to this ability. If a Scout Archetype Rogue selects this talent, his Scout’s Charge attack is made at +2 to both attack and damage.
New Advanced Rogue Talent: Skirmishing Blow – Prerequisite Charging Blow Talent. At 10th level, whenever a Rogue moves more than 10 feet in a round and makes an attack action, the attack deals sneak attack damage as if the target was flat-footed. If the Rogue makes more than one attack this turn, this ability only applies to the first attack. Foes with uncanny dodge are immune to this ability. If a Scout Archetype Rogue selects this talent, his Skirmisher attack that deals sneak attack damage is made at +2 to both attack and damage.
At character creation a Rogue must choose one option from those presented. Once chosen this cannot be reversed.(BAB) – A Rogue gains full BAB. (Ki Pool) – At character creation a Rogue gains the same Ki Pool ability as the Ninja and has access to all Ninja tricks. (Spells)-- At 1st level a rogue gains arcane spells at the same rate and manner as a wizard from the Rogue Spell List [see below] up to 4th level spells instead of 9th. Saves are determined by a Rogue’s Cha. A Rogue gains a Spell Book and Component Pouch. A Rogue prepares, casts, and learns spells exactly as a Wizard. A Rogue who takes the Minor Arcana talent gains two extra 1st level spell slots. A Rogue who takes the Major Arcana talent gains two extra 2nd level spell slots
Prestidigitation
Adjuring Step
Unwitting Ally
Charm Person
Detect Secret Doors
Disguise Self
Feather Fall
Flare
Forced Quiet
Grease
Theft Ward
Undetectable Alignment
Vanish
Vocal Alteration
2nd Level
Accelerate Poison
Acute Senses
Alter Self
Anticipate Peril
Blend
Cat’s Grace
Chameleon Stride
Darkness
Delay Poison
Disguise Other
Eagle’s Splendor
Expeditious Retreat
Flare Burst
Fox’s Cunning
Glitterdust
Gravity Bow
Hold Portal
Improve Trap
Invisibility
Knock
Lead Blades
Locate Object
Perceive Cues
Pilfering Hand
Returning Weapon
Silence
True Strike
3rd Level Spells
Blink
Darkvision
Delay Poison (Communal)
Dispel Magic
Displacement
Haste
Scrying
Remove Curse
See Invisibility
Slow
Witness
4th Level Spells
Dance of a Hundred Cuts
Detect Scrying
Echolocation
Freedom of Movement
Nondetection
Shadow Step
Shrink Item
Zone of Silence
Barbarians may select multiple Totem Rage Powers, but they can only have one set of totem powers active during a rage.
Once a Barbarian has started raging, the Barbarian must remain in that rage until either a number of rounds equal to his Constitution modifier has passed or the combat ends, whichever comes first.(GM is not a big fan of frequent rage cycling)
Comments and feedback are welcome.
Hurry up and hit the edit button before its too late! Change rouge to rogue!
Why did you choose to bestow all of the fighter's bonus features at 10th level?
Hi!
For the Fighter - I don't think the Mount, Favored Terrain or Counterattack features are necessary. Their weak spots are a) unbalance between DEX needed for Combat Reflexes and STR needed for damage, b) low saves, c) lack of versatility, d) lack of out of combat use.
Movement isn't that bad for fighters, and if they are in a tank and spank fight like the one Counter Attack wants them to be, they really won't have any issue, even in vanilla.
My suggestion for Fighters would be focusing on mental stats to cover these holes. My fix, which worked pretty well, is granting Fighters at level 10th a choice between INT, WIS or CHA. If they choose INT, they get a DEX bonus equal to their INT bonus. That makes them really good at skills (and possibly combat maneuvers since they'll likely qualify for Combat Expertise), gives them great dodging and attack of opportunity power, but still leaves them with weak Will saves. If they pick WIS, they add WIS to DEX - again, it's similar to INT, but instead of being good at combat maneuvers and skills, they get good Will saves. If they pick CHA, they add CHA to Will saves. That one is interesting enough because it allows them to be a Face and gives them great Will saves while also qualifying for stuff like Eldritch Heritage and Leadership, but giving them lower AC. The choice has been pretty well received.
For the Rogue, I find the whole rewarding archetypes confusing. You missed fixing the core issue with the Rogue, which isn't as much mobility (that's an issue with the full-attack system of Paizo, really), as it is low to-hit. Sneak Attack Style is fun, but you are really spending a Rogue Talent to add +1 damage per attack on average (average d6 roll is 3.5, average d8 roll is 4.5), without making the Rogue any more accurate, which is their big problem... you do fix this issue for Knifemaster Scouts. Who WOULDN'T spend three Rogue talents for +6 to hit and damage? That's seriously OP. You should remove that part... Knifemasters and Scouts are NOT forced to take those Rogue Talents. If they have the abilities, they can just forgo the Talents.
As for the choices... full-BAB is good, but I'd say that almost makes the Rogue not the Rogue. The Ki-pool thing just obsoletes Ninjas... why not make the Ki Pool Rogue Talent give more ki? The spell option I really like, but i think you are underestimating how good Rogues are early game. Giving them spells just takes them over the top. I would give them access to these feats at level 4th instead, and give them free Quicken Spell with +2 level adjustment instead of +4 at a later level, so they want to stay Rogues instead of going for Arcane Trickster as soon as they have 2nd level spells.
The Barbarian change is good.
The Monk change is not that useful I think. I don't think I'd use it over getting a free extra attack, especially considering Monks now have access to Pummeling Style so they can reliably Flurry each turn.
That's my 2c, take it as you please. Thanks for posting this stuff!
Thank you for the detailed feedback. I'll definitely take much of this back to the group to play with. We haven't had the Knifemaster Scout come up over the board yet, but you're probably right about the balance there.
I'm surprised you haven't rolled a Martín Fierro expy for your El Sur-themed adventure then.
Hurry up and hit the edit button before its too late! Change rouge to rogue!
Why did you choose to bestow all of the fighter's bonus features at 10th level?
Part of that has to do with my group's play style. We're fond of high level play. It's rare that we ever start below level 5, and we play frequently. So for us, level 10 is usually not too far off.
I'm surprised you haven't rolled a Martín Fierro expy for your El Sur-themed adventure then.
That may be the single greatest idea I've ever heard. Off to get a character sheet :).
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bolas) incoming.
If the GM's problem is rage cycling then just make a gentlemen's agreement to not do it or make a rule that says they are fatigued no matter what any other ability says. The extra penalty to AC is not worth the pounce.
As for the fighter it needs options other than combat ones. It already fights well enough.
I like you change to rogues. It looks like it would really add to the brute-force rogues out there.
|
|
|
I have a suggestion you may or may not like. My brother used it when he DMed games. He gave all rogues Weapon Finesse as a freebe since they are already so underpowered compared to other classes with full BAB or spell lists. He would also let players start out with a free +1 item of choice (which led to rogues picking an agile weapon). Really made playing a rogue fun.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Instead of Rogues getting a spell and a spell list, turn the Arcana Talents into something that keeps scaling, i.e. instead of Rogue Talents as they level, allow them to get more arcane spells, up to, say, level 6.
Let them cast exactly 3 spells a day per level they know, gaining 2+Int spells at each level known. Furthermore, treat it as a spell-like ability, not spellcasting, to further differentiate it from normal casters.
So, they'd know way more spells then they could cast, but they'd be short a lot of Rogue Talents. Oh, and don't allow spells with pricey material components, of course.
It would take 7 uses of Rogue talents to top it out, but it would be very unique and flavorful. The limited uses would be very different in play style. And of course, as spell like abilities, metamagic rods won't work with it. But they could take Quicken Spell like ability...
Beginning Arcana (0 level spells)
Apprentice Arcana (1st level spells)
Minor Arcana (2nd level spells)
Adept Arcana (3rd level spells)
Major Arcana (4th level spells)
Superior Arcana (5th level spells)
Great Arcana(6th level spells)
Each Arcana Talent gets you 2+Int modifier in arcane spells known of that level or lower levels from the wizard list. You may choose the mental stat for your casting modifier.
You may use each Arcana level a total of 3 times per day as spell-like abilities (similar to a sorcerer). Each time you choose a new Arcana, you may change the Arcana Known for lower level Arcana as well. You may take an Arcana more then one time to increase your Known Arcana, but it does not increase your Arcana Castable.
==Aelryinth
Instead of Rogues getting a spell and a spell list, turn the Arcana Talents into something that keeps scaling, i.e. instead of Rogue Talents as they level, allow them to get more arcane spells, up to, say, level 6.
Let them cast exactly 3 spells a day per level they know, gaining 2+Int spells at each level known. Furthermore, treat it as a spell-like ability, not spellcasting, to further differentiate it from normal casters.
So, they'd know way more spells then they could cast, but they'd be short a lot of Rogue Talents. Oh, and don't allow spells with pricey material components, of course.
It would take 7 uses of Rogue talents to top it out, but it would be very unique and flavorful. The limited uses would be very different in play style. And of course, as spell like abilities, metamagic rods won't work with it. But they could take Quicken Spell like ability...
Beginning Arcana (0 level spells)
Apprentice Arcana (1st level spells)
Minor Arcana (2nd level spells)
Adept Arcana (3rd level spells)
Major Arcana (4th level spells)
Superior Arcana (5th level spells)
Great Arcana(6th level spells)Each Arcana Talent gets you 2+Int modifier in arcane spells known of that level or lower levels from the wizard list. You may choose the mental stat for your casting modifier.
You may use each Arcana level a total of 3 times per day as spell-like abilities (similar to a sorcerer). Each time you choose a new Arcana, you may change the Arcana Known for lower level Arcana as well. You may take an Arcana more then one time to increase your Known Arcana, but it does not increase your Arcana Castable.
==Aelryinth
Very interesting. I particularly like that it gives the rogue a different flavor than other partial spellcasters. Thank you.
Very interesting. I particularly like that it gives the rogue a different flavor than other partial spellcasters. Thank you.Instead of Rogues getting a spell and a spell list, turn the Arcana Talents into something that keeps scaling, i.e. instead of Rogue Talents as they level, allow them to get more arcane spells, up to, say, level 6.
Let them cast exactly 3 spells a day per level they know, gaining 2+Int spells at each level known. Furthermore, treat it as a spell-like ability, not spellcasting, to further differentiate it from normal casters.
So, they'd know way more spells then they could cast, but they'd be short a lot of Rogue Talents. Oh, and don't allow spells with pricey material components, of course.
It would take 7 uses of Rogue talents to top it out, but it would be very unique and flavorful. The limited uses would be very different in play style. And of course, as spell like abilities, metamagic rods won't work with it. But they could take Quicken Spell like ability...
Beginning Arcana (0 level spells)
Apprentice Arcana (1st level spells)
Minor Arcana (2nd level spells)
Adept Arcana (3rd level spells)
Major Arcana (4th level spells)
Superior Arcana (5th level spells)
Great Arcana(6th level spells)Each Arcana Talent gets you 2+Int modifier in arcane spells known of that level or lower levels from the wizard list. You may choose the mental stat for your casting modifier.
You may use each Arcana level a total of 3 times per day as spell-like abilities (similar to a sorcerer). Each time you choose a new Arcana, you may change the Arcana Known for lower level Arcana as well. You may take an Arcana more then one time to increase your Known Arcana, but it does not increase your Arcana Castable.
==Aelryinth
Seconded!! I love this idea!
My idea was that a true Rogue would ultimately choose to focus on magic in a way nobody else did, maximizing his utility with the most marvelous of tools, or ignore it entirely in lieu of displaying his mastery of skills.
So, you'd have a magical rogue and a non-magical rogue. And working on the Arcana seemed like the best road for a magical rogue.
it certainly doesn't make them more powerful then a bard.
==Aelryinth
You should include a prereq to prevent a rogue from getting 6th level spells to early, such as ranks in knowledge arcana.
Is there a general feat for taking extra Rogue Talents?
If not, the earliest he can get his 7th Talent is level 13, one level later then a sorc and two levels later then a wizard.
Maybe you could fudge it with cross-class shenanigans, but with Caster level = Rogue level, you're never going to beat a true caster to the spells.
If Extra Rogue Talent is a feat, simply have the Arcana Change a mandatory exchange of 1-7th Rogue Talents, call it the 'Arcana Archetype'.
==Aelryinth
There sure is an Extra Rogue Talent feat. You can take it as many times as you like.
So, Arcana Archetype, problems solved.
Appropriate, too.
You could also do it with a caster level/rogue level or even a Sneak Attack req, if you like.
==Aelryinth