***DISCLAIMER*** I will be heavily utilizing the Horror Adventures book throughout this Strange Aeons AP. Please only submit a character to this game if you agree to participate in a darker-themed horror campaign that may include terrifying or frightening depictions and/or scenarios. That being said, this is not an evil-themed campaign, even though I will be allowing evil alignments (see below). Also, while you will be the heroes of the story, given that this will be a horror-based game, I want your PCs to react appropriately to the scenes. If you are wanting to play the fearless hero that rushes into battle with the horror from beyond, then this is likely not the game for you. I don't expect your PCs to be cowardly, but I would like to see realistic roleplaying and reactions if your character is suffering from fear effects. If you agree with this disclaimer, read through the Character Creation information below. ***DISCLAIMER***
Character Creation:
• 20 point buy for abilities.
• All Paizo published races will be available for play, though some of the crazier races may need to be reviewed (kasatha, strix, and the like).
• Three traits (One must be selected from the Campaign Traits listed in the AP Guide and any other two Paizo traits).
• One Drawback may be taken to allow for a 4th Trait (know that they will come into play if chosen).
• All Paizo published classes and archetypes are available (Unchained monks can utilize any archetypes and I will allow Bloodragers to use Unchained barbarian rage rules)
• Any Alignment may be selected, but characters must not be disruptive to the campaign. If any PC becomes disruptive, I will give one warning and if the behavior continues after the warning the PC will become a NPC and the player will be removed from the campaign.
• Background skills will be used as presented in Pathfinder Unchained.
• Players may select one free Story Feat at 1st level, please ensure it is appropriate to this AP.
• Variant Multiclass options are available.
• Maximum HP at 1st level, I will then allow a choice at each subsequent level to take average HP or to roll for HP. You cannot change your mind once the decision is made.
Additional
• I will be utilizing the new Fear, Sanity, and Corruptions rules presented in the Horror Adventures book with a few Houserule addendums (see the spoiler below). Please ensure you have at least a basic understanding of the Fear and Sanity rules.
• I strive to maintain a 1 post per day rule; however, I completely understand and support that life comes before RP. I do ask that if you will be absent for any length of time to drop a note in the Discussion thread to let us know. I am not going to be strict about the posting rate, but I do like to keep things moving to avoid any lulls.
• In combat I will be initiating a new 48 hour rule. I do combat by grouping initatives together based on the results and then allow that group to post their actions. I will give each group 48 hours to post during combat (holidays and weekends will allow 72 hours) or their actions will be skipped. This is to ensure combats are not drawn out over weeks.
• I use Google Drawing for my combat maps and allow players the ability to edit the map to move their own icons around in combat. I expect all players to move their icons in conjunction with their combat posts. If you utilize a device that does not allow you to edit the map, then simply make a request for myself or another player to move the icon for you and one of us will gladly do so.
About the GM
• I am still a fairly new GM (and a human) so I will make mistakes. If I do make a mistake, do not feel hesitant about pointing it out. I do ask that it be done not in an antagonistic manner.
• I utterly despise the phrase “RAW vs. RAI” so please do not ever use that in a discussion about a rule with me; everything is interpreted by folks differently and I do not have the patience for those sort of antics. That being said I have a tendency to rule in my players’ favor unless the player is asking for something ridiculous.
• Regarding paladins: I am very generous with paladins and their oaths. I am not one of the GMs that are constantly looking for ways to make paladins fall. If I feel an action a paladin is about to take would cause issues with their oaths (not alignment mind you) I will give you a heads up as a warning.
House Rules:
• Fear rules: Given that this is going to be a horror themed campaign, I will be removing all Fear Immunity effects (e.g. a paladin’s Aura of Courage) and replacing it with Fear Resistance as follows: Creatures and characters with fear resistance track their fear levels as normal, but they take the penalties of the fear level two steps lower than their actual level (thus, they suffer no effect at all unless they are at least scared). Furthermore, effects that normally cause a character to become spooked or shaken don’t increase such a character’s fear to a higher level.
• Sanity Rules: Given that martial-types are less likely to have extra points to devote to increasing their mental stats I will be utilizing the following Houserules regarding Sanity.
- All Full BAB classes will receive the following ability; Seen it All (Ex): Starting a 1st level you gain a +1 untyped bonus to your Sanity Threshold score, the bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and for every 5 levels to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. This ability can also be acquired as a Rogue Talent (Minor) to any class that quailifies for Rogue Talents or as a feat to any other character.
- The Iron Will feat, in addition to its normal effects, grants its bonus to your Sanity Threshold score.
• Combat Maneuvers Do Not Provoke. In addition, all maneuvers can be attempted in place of an attack. All characters with a BaB of +1 or better count as having all "improved combat maneuver" feats for the purposes of feat qualifications. (note that this does not grant the usual bonuses to those maneuvers. Just the not provoking part. If you want combat maneuver bonuses you'll have to pay for them.)
• Reposition and Bull Rush are for shoving people off cliffs or into campfires. The caveat about not being able to move people into danger with these maneuvers is removed.
• Any creature with an Intelligence of 3 or higher receives Combat Expertise as a bonus feat at +1 BaB. Defending yourself with a weapon is instinctive and should not be taxed mechanically. You're already taking a penalty to do it. That's enough of a trade off. (This also removes any Prerequisites of Int 13 for any feat that requires Combat Expertise.)
• Improved Unarmed Strike is a Martial Weapon Proficiency. Anyone trained in all martial weapons knows how to punch someone.
• Spears of all kinds may be used in one hand by a character proficient in Martial Weapons. Because history.
• Characters have a number of Attacks of Opportunity each round equal to the number of attacks granted by their BaB. More skilled martial characters should be better at exploiting combat opportunities. Combat Reflexes adds AoOs equal to a character's Dex modifier to their number of AoOs a round.
• Characters have a number of Five Foot Steps each round equal to the number of attacks granted by their BaB. Mobility in combat is important. Nobody likes aborting attacks because they killed their enemy on the first swing.
• Reach Weapons do not use the ranged weapon Cover rules. Attacking from behind other people is what polearms are designed to do. A character shouldn't have to invest in archery feats (improved precise shot) in order to use a polearm the way they are designed to be used.
• Reach Weapons use the 3.5 Diagonal exception. Normally, pole arms do not threaten on diagonals, unless you are a large creature. Ignoring this little artifact of the grid makes pole arms more functional.
• Armor Spikes, Spiked Gauntlets, Bite attacks and other weapons that do not need to be employed in hands allow a character to threaten squares adjacent to them, even if they have attacked with a Reach weapon that round.
• Light Weapons can be drawn as a Swift action (pistols count as Light weapons for the purposes of drawing).
• Weapon Cords allow weapons to be retrieved as a Swift Action.
• Spells don't Fizzle. Anyone that fails a concentration check doesn't simply lose the spell. Instead, the Scroll Mishaps rules will be consulted to see what happens to the magical energy when it is interrupted.
• Drawing Objects From Pouches: Any adventurer worth his salt knows that sometimes it's handy to have things like caltrops, tanglefood bags or potions as accessible as possible. As such, bandoleers and pouches are treated exactly like (and cost the same as) Wrist Sheathes or Spring Loaded Wrist Sheathes. A typical belt can hold up to six of them. With a belt and two bandoleers an adventurer could have as many as 20 ready pouches.
• I allow potions, wands, and scrolls (inside a scroll tubes) to be stored in Spring-Loaded Wrist Sheaths.
Fear Rules:
Lesser Fear
Fear begins as a shiver down your spine, but soon grows.
1. Spooked: The nature of your surroundings or events that you have witnessed makes you uneasy. You take a –2 penalty on saving throws against fear effects and on Perception checks, as your mind conjures potential horrors in every shadow. However, you are ready to face danger, and gain a +1 circumstance bonus on initiative checks.
2. Shaken: Fear has taken hold of you and you are no longer thinking or acting clearly. You take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
3. Scared: You are noticeably afraid, jumping at shadows and easily panicked by odd sights and unexplained noises. You take all of the penalties of the shaken condition, except the penalty on saves against fear effects becomes –4. In addition, if being subject to a lesser fear effect would increase your fear level, you are staggered for 1 round instead.
Greater Fear
At these levels, your fear begins to overwhelm you.
4. Frightened: You are so afraid that you must flee from the source of your fear. On your turn, you must move away from any source of fear you perceive. Once you can no longer perceive any source of fear, you can act as normal, but you still take all the penalties of the shaken condition. You can use special abilities, such as spells and equipment, to flee and must resort to such abilities if they seem like the only way to escape. If you flee from the source of your fear and it later reappears while you are still frightened, you must immediately begin fleeing again. If unable to flee, you can fight.
5. Panicked: This functions as the frightened condition, but you drop anything held whenever you are forced to flee and you flee in a random direction. In addition, you treat all sources of danger as fear sources and must flee from them as well. If unable to flee, you cower in fear.
6. Terrified: This functions as panicked, but you do not treat any other character as an ally and thus must attempt saving throws against spells that allow them, even if the spells are beneficial. If unable to flee, you cower in fear. In addition, once you have fled from fear, you do not act as normal. Instead, each round you roll on the following table to determine your course of action.
d% Result
1–25 Continue to flee, moving away from any known source of danger.
26–50 Find a place nearby to hide, using Stealth as normal. You do nothing until you are discovered (and forced to run again) or you are no longer terrified.
51–75 Lash out at the nearest creature, even an ally, attacking it with whatever weapon is available.
76–100 Do nothing. If you get this result in two consecutive rounds, you no longer need to roll on this chart starting on the third round and can act as normal unless you encounter a source of fear or danger, in which case you are still terrified and act accordingly.
7. Horrified: You are transfixed with fear and can take no actions. You take a –2 penalty to your AC, are flat-footed (even if you normally cannot be), and are considered helpless.
Sanity Rules:
There are essentially three portions to your Sanity; Score, Threshold, and Edge.
• Sanity Score: Your sanity score is the total sum of all your mental attributes (Int, Wis, and Cha), including any ability damage taken to any of those attributes.
• Sanity Threshold: Your threshold is equal to the bonus modifier of your highest mental attribute, minus any ability damage taken to that attribute. If a sanity attack equals or exceeds your threshold, you gain a madness, either lesser or greater depending on your current sanity damage and sanity edge.
• Sanity Edge: Your sanity edge is equal to ½ your sanity score. If you gain a madness from a sanity attack, compare your total sanity damage to your edge score. If the total sum of your sanity damage is lower than your Edge score, you gain a lesser madness; however, if the damage score is higher than your Edge score, you manifest a greater madness.
• Effects of Sanity Damage: When faced with a sanity attack, you must attempt a Will save to either reduce or overcome the attack. Regardless of the outcome of your saving throw, if any sanity attack damage is greater than your Threshold score, you gain a madness with the appropriate level based upon your current sanity damage versus Edge score as indicated above. Madness afflictions remain until they are removed by specific methods appropriate to each type of madness. However, if you are healed of all sanity damage, then any madness afflictions become dormant. Dormant madness afflictions typically do not affect you until you accrue additional sanity damage. Lesser madness afflictions only become active once more when your sanity damage is equal or higher than your Edge score. Greater madness afflictions automatically become active again after taking any amount of sanity damage. Lastly, should your sanity damage value ever be higher than your sanity score, you become insane as per insanity until all your sanity damage has been healed and all madness afflictions removed.
• Reducing Sanity Damage: There are several ways of removing sanity damage. Seven (7) full days of uninterrupted rest allows you to reduce your sanity damage to an amount equal to your Charisma modifier. Likewise you can seek out an ally to aid you in this endeavor by meeting with them for 8 hours a day for seven days at which point your ally can attempt a Wisdom or Intelligence check with a DC of 15; if successful you can reduce your sanity damage to an amount equal to whichever attribute bonus was used to make the check. Lesser Restoration reduces sanity damage by 1d2, Restoration reduces by 2d4, Heal reduces by 3d4. Greater restoration, psychic surgeryOA, and limited wish reduce your total sanity damage to 0 if your total sanity damage was already below your sanity edge; otherwise these spells reduce your total sanity damage to 1 point below your sanity edge. Miracle and Wish remove all sanity damage.
