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They were so impressed (or disappointed) by your suggestion of three things to cut out of Pathfinder that Paizo has transferred you to the Department of Plagiarism. Your task: Come up with a list of three game features to outright steal from other games. They could be other RPGs, video games, board games, anything. Maybe it's a dice system to replace d20, a new class, or even a new way to handle hit points. What's your list?
I hate how fragile 1st level characters are so I am taking the hit point rule for first level characters from 4th edition or Star Wars Saga. Either will do.
I am splitting stealth back into hide and move silently from 3.5
I am changing perception into listen and spot(now controls search) from 3.5
1. The "weapon finnese" system from 5th Edition DnD (where weapons such as rapiers get Dex to Attack and Damage without any opportunity cost).
2. The Combat Facing rules from Unearthed Arcana (for 3.0/3.5 DnD).
3. The "Magic System" from the Expanded Psionics Handbook (for 3.0/3.5 DnD), updated to mesh with the greater verity of spell and spellcasting classes in Pathfinder.
- The saving throw system from Castles & Crusades.
- The shadowknight and bloodmage classes from Vanguard.
- The skill system from RuneQuest.
1. Porting in the entirety of Burning Wheel" and slapping Pathfinder 2.0 on it, then dropping it on the boss's desk.
2. Sit down
3. ?
4 PROFIT!
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1) I shall blatantly rip off Drop Dead Studios' Spheres of Power as our default casting system.
2) I shall also steal the Advantage/Disadvantage system from 5e.
3) I will also pull out cherry picking alternative class abilities presented in 3.5e PHB II as an alternative to wholesale replacement via archetypes.
Unified spellcasting progression from D&D 5th Edition (probably tweaked extensively).
Saves based upon all 6 ability scores, from D&D 5th Edition (probably differing somewhat in the details) -- if you dump Strength, don't expect to have a good Save against being torn in half, even if you pumped your Constitution.
Ranked spells from D&D 5th Edition (if you cast spells from higher level slots than the minimum, you get more effects -- sort of a built-in hybrid of Heighten Spell and Intensify Spell).
Updated version of Savage Species from D&D 3rd Edition -- looks like Kobold Press is doing this 3rd party (I think releasing it in bits and pieces, although last time I checked on their Paizo product page, it looked like they now have a sizeable chunk out).
Weapon proficiency rules from Kirthfinder (even with Simple Weapons, you get more benefits if you have Martial proficiency, and still more benefits if you have Exotic proficiency) (again, tweaked some).
A cleaned up version of Specialty Priests from D&D 2nd Edition.
Point buy character building beyond ability scores, including individualized cherry picking of class features and alternate racial traits, from Mutants & Masterminds, with a cleaned up version of some ideas from D&D 2.5th Edition Player's Option. Actually, arrange for Paizo and Green Ronin to team up to make Pathfinder 2.0 an unholy hybrid of Pathfinder 1.0 with Mutants & Masterminds.
1. The built in archetype thing that 5th edition has
2. the scaling cantrips as well
3. The weird spell casting failure thing from DCC
1. Deep Magic from Kobold
2. Psionics from Dream Scarred
3. The spell failure system from The Dragon Tree Spellbook.
How much can we change? Because what I'd like is Pathfinder working like this:
The entire system from Guild Wars
1) 8 ability slots (abilities are everything you'd activate apart from standard attack: spells, special attacks, stances, and so on) that you can freely swap while properly resting (i.e. in town). Maximum one more powerful "elite ability" (if available and desired), apart from that the ability bar can be filled with any combination of abilities.
2) One fixed primary class (which defines the armor to be worn), one secondary class that can be swapped in the same way abilities can.
3) Each classes abilities fall under 4-5 attributes., which determine variables (damage, duration etc) of abilities as well as weapon damage (for weapon attributes only). Increasing an attribute costs more and more attribute points from a pool. Each class has a primary attribute with a passive effect that only members of that primary class can put points into. Abilities of the secondary class's primary attribute can be equiped, but only have their unskilled minimum effects.
That would replace all attributes, feats, spells and probably most class features. For instance, Rogue would have Sneak Attack as the primary attribute, Dagger Mastery, Trap Handling (both setting and disarming) and Shadow Arts (stealthy stuff) as normal attributes. If such a rogue wants to use a different weapon, he could take Fighter as his secondary class, put attribute points into Axe Mastery, and equip abilities like cleave. Or he could take Cleric and put points into what ever attribute the buff skills would end up in. Or put all his points into Dagger Mastery and Sneak Attack for highest raw damage.
So, Starfinder? Are we committed to this game mechanic system we've been running for a while now? I know those other guys have had poor luck changing things up, but some experimentation with Starfinder won't change our core revenue stream. Isn't this a great proving ground for some new concepts?
So the single d20 has always bothered me, feels to swingy at low levels. If we use 2d10 it would add a probability curve, meaning fighting defensively or finding cover drastically increases your chance of survival without making a successful attack impossible.
HP and AC is a great mechanical representation if you allow your imagination to do the work, but toughness+armor as DR encourages immersion. It is not so bad with melee combat and magic, but it totally kills the suspension of disbelief with ranged combat for me (might just be me). And I'm just guessing, but will this sci-fi game have a few more guns than our swords and spells line?
And the rocket tag things devolve into... I'm not saying rocket tag is bad, I like rocket tag. It is just that I think we should commit to one design philosophy, and then keep it in our sights. If we are going to continue with the rocket tag, we need a robust set of rules for approaching a fight so the mechanics are more nuanced than a single initiative roll. If we want to move away from rocket tag, well that is a bigger re-design.
So, Starfinder? Are we committed to this game mechanic system we've been running for a while now? I know those other guys have had poor luck changing things up, but some experimentation with Starfinder won't change our core revenue stream. Isn't this a great proving ground for some new concepts?
So the single d20 has always bothered me, feels to swingy at low levels. If we use 2d10 it would add a probability curve, meaning fighting defensively or finding cover drastically increases your chance of survival without making a successful attack impossible.
HP and AC is a great mechanical representation if you allow your imagination to do the work, but toughness+armor as DR encourages immersion. It is not so bad with melee combat and magic, but it totally kills the suspension of disbelief with ranged combat for me (might just be me). And I'm just guessing, but will this sci-fi game have a few more guns than our swords and spells line?
And the rocket tag things devolve into... I'm not saying rocket tag is bad, I like rocket tag. It is just that I think we should commit to one design philosophy, and then keep it in our sights. If we are going to continue with the rocket tag, we need a robust set of rules for approaching a fight so the mechanics are more nuanced than a single initiative roll. If we want to move away from rocket tag, well that is a bigger re-design.
see to me the Constant missing at low levels and constant hitting at high levels is more of a feature then a flaw. It gives you the feel of progression like you are getting more powerful
with the more linear progression say +1 to hit at the same time your enemy is getting +1 ac and so on you feel like even though your fighting higher CR monsters you still feel about the same as you did at first level.
Bonus hp at 1st level (a "kicker" if you will)
Channel energy doing heal and harm simultaneously. Variant channeling is optionally applied on the fly.
Sense-based differences for Perception and Stealth.
Invisibility is purely visual (and scales with caster level instead of the ridiculous flat +20 bonus to Stealth).
More toys for Clerics and Wizards built into their schools/domains.
Drop bonus spells from bloodlines/mysteries etc. to the level at which a given spell level is acquired. None of this nonsense waiting until 3rd level for an arcane bloodline sorcerer to acquire a badly-needed identify spell.
"Maneuver" or "situational" combat feats become options at qualifying BAB and ability score 'trigger' points. Combat Expertise, Power Attack, Great Cleave, etc. Remove bonuses, discard attacks of opportunity, speed up game play. Vital Strike chain is also an option and applies with a charge.
Weapon Focus/Spec/Improved Crit and the like remain selectable, but automatically scale at pertinent BAB points.
Metamagic feats are similarly gratis. If you can cast the minimum applicable spell level of (spell level 1 +# increase) without applying modifications of ANY source, casters have the option to apply it spontaneously.
Item creation feats except unusual ones (Craft Construct, for example) are unlocked when attaining the requisite caster level.
Bluntly, there are WAY too many feats. Eliminate 80% of them into a combination of integral options still leaves ~300 feats to play with.
Traits, good grief, they've become ridiculous. One trait gets rid of something close to 80-90% of them in one swoop. +1 trait bonus & becomes a class skill is ONE trait. The plethora of these is ... dizzying, to be polite.
1. Add the burrowing mechanic from Dig Dug
2. Add music when the players move like from Dig Dug
3. Single-player makes it easier to keep track of everything.
4. Let's just play Dig Dug
1. Replace all spellcasting with Spheres of Power
2. Replace all martials with Path of War
3. Enforce Automatic Bonus Progression and consistently publish more Scaling Magical Items.