Ceiling90's page

I'd like a copy too please! (ceiling90@gmail.com); I think it would really help in the way I would like to run my games.

And about the OP, I haven't been able to play a game, but from my reading of the rules, it's my new default 3.5, plus or minus some of the more complicated (CMB rules, and Combat Feats) or what I didn't like...

Personally, I think Perform Check = save is fine. It's not like they're terribly useful, and by level 20, seriously, Bards should be able to persuade gods and kill folk with nothing but a smile. I mean, Wizards and the other classes have really outright crazy abilities by that level, why can't a Bard kill with song or two?

I mean, if you really want to push it, why not for every base DC per bardic song or whatever, that means you have to give an arbitrary DC to each type of bardic use, and for every +3 you beat that DC by, you add one to the 10 + Class levels + Cha DC for the save? It's a lot simpler, and less a of a hassle, and doesn't nerf it anymore than it has to...

The whole business of enchanting gauntlets doesn't work, cause you're using a manufactured weapon, so you're using the weapon's damage, not your unarmed strike. I'd really like the weapons of the monk to be expanded, cause I do think it's silly that they get rather odd weapon choices. The other thing I think should be done is to keep that half levels + wis mod for Ki points, but make them refresh every encounter. The monk's Healing is trivial in later level anyway, and either way it's a less of a burden for the cleric and the party as whole.

See the problem with the idea of gloves, hand wrappings, and the like, is that remember an unarmed strike is with any part of the body... Seriously, a monk could theoretically lick you really hard and do that 2d10 damage, that's the game, rules as written. I'm sure that... (man that sounds like a great idea) no one would ever do that, but it works. Also, I like those debuff ideas, I'd like them to make it. For a guy who basically dedicated his life to fighting, he's amazingly sub-par (in a standard campaign).

They're decent. But still feels like a junkyard of a class. I do like how a lot of the abilities are finally useable more than once a day... but...

I'm guessing if you actually follow the descriptors of the monsters in the monster manual, those are quite safe assumptions. Things that normally live in subterranean places like caves and tunnels... don't tend to leave caves or tunnels. It's your loss that you're in there. You're still in darkness, and even if you make a listen (perception) check, they would still be considered to have concealment; even if you got the first in initiative. You're still flatfooted if any of them charge you though; cause you can't see them. And more so, if you're not first in the initiative.

Hmmm... that's a good question. I like weapon finesse a lot, though it's kinda silly if you think about it that way...though I'd keep it, with that house rule and allow it to add dex instead of str to damage.

I think I would keep the Weapon Aptitude, but take out the parts where it says they can qualify as Fighters for Fighter only feats. Or better, make it a feat that works with Fighters and Warblades get it automatically. It's a nice ability for either.

That's what I pointing out, you can use a a weapon, as long as it falls with your racial abilities. That means, all humans can use any martial weapon, as long as they pick it to be their "human" weapon, Half-orcs are always decent with a great axes and falchion, elves are always good with those typical eleven weapons, all dwarves can use battleaxes, and halflings can always use slings. The only two races that may even have an issue with not being able to be proficient with a weapon outside their class choices, are the gnome and the half elf; at least for free. So that -4 should, if ever rarely should come up; especially for Humans. Since you know, with this, someone could be a monk, sorceror, or wizard, as a human, you can still be able to use a great sword.

That -4 for non proficiency is now silly, except for half elves. Since every human in the game is automatically proficient with one martial weapon, and other races are proficient with any weapon that bears their racial name... Oh and Half orcs are automatically proficient with greatswords and falchions. So, theoretically, you can always use a weapon; even if it's outside your class restrictions.

I personally think it makes sense for no penalties, considering in 4e that you're a bloody hero, and live in in appreciably dangerous world; so that everyone more or less knows how to handle a weapon of some sort. We don't live in a world like that; and for those that do, guns (which would be the setting's equivalent to a sword) is just as simple to use; it's a point and click (and don't talk about safety's, cause if you're smart and have 5 minutes at a shooting range, you'll figure out how to flip that switch).

Either way, as it seems, all characters, and thus NPCs, but half elves can use a decent weapon, regardless of actual class proficiency. I'd still like to rally that Half elves need a weapon proficiency of some sort...

Masterwork weapons, even if they could emulate a +1 Keen blade, is still mighty sunderable. Magic weapons have a lot better saves than non-magic weapons. As far as I remember, magic weapons, especially higher levels are pretty much minor artifacts, which then falls into that set of item rules.

Most Campaigns, I've played rarely ever reach 20, or at that point, the campaign is cleaning up anyway; that's mostly cause I'm DMing, and I hate getting to epic levels.

See, the one thing I that would sell me into Paizo, and specifically this book, is that if it can actually play a the "game" with different tropes. If it allows characters to be what tv tropes call "bad ass normal", or even closer to what would be considered very... un martial like for martial characters to actually have incredible powers (and not swing swords all the bloody time); and treat martial arts as a form of magic (with out it actually being the same magic shtick as standard casters). I'd love this book to allow what TV Tropes calls "Charles Atlas Superpower" or even the standard "Bad Ass". Cause to me, Asian style stuff, is where even standard (at least those to be played by PC's; they're heroes and soon to be legends really) fighters can balance on water, hop small buildings, and even fly through the air (though not really fly, more like float... cause they jumped...*shrugs*), a lot like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I mean, not everyone is into that, but I'd love this to even at least have an inkling of option for something like that.

Why is DnD, and in extension PFRPG, a Western based RPG? Isn't it more a set up of tropes and rules to run any genre and style of setting, within a certain set of tropes? Why does core have to be explicitly western? I'd really enjoy some true asian style, where you know mundane is actually on par with magic, and not this entrenched magic always trumps mundane, in the western world... classes and play style. I seriously want a fighter that can split the heavens with his sword, and make even mages tremble in fear of his ire. I'd love that.

All this talk about powering down classes... see; I don't get it. There isn't so much a power creep in DnD, as there is just a ceiling for what people envision is believability in the game. Past level 10, in fact, past level 5, DnD stops being nitty gritty of any sort, and in fact stops being a low fantasy game, and becomes a high fantasy game. All classes do it, even the lowly fighter. Have any of you actually thought about what skills do in game analogous to real world stuff? Or what that 18 actually means in any one stat? Rogues are seriously one balanced class, a quintessential glass canon; and comparing them to fighters is silly. You really have to look at the point of the fighter; what does he do? Does he do it well? And it's always better to add something, than to take away; especially for the sake of compatibility.

I start characters by having an idea of what I want to do in game, mechanically, and by the rules. I really don't think that much at all about where I came from, or who the guy really is... cause he didn't quite exist until then; unless of course I want some interesting tidbits explained away... but otherwise I figure character growth is when I play the character and not so much how he started. For that, I need a good understanding of whats in the party, and who does what, and who doesn't pull their weight. I really like the better defined from 4e, as I think it lets designers build options to an idea that is always needed within the tropes of DnD. Give a class a goal, and then build stuff around it. Players only need to choose what they want to do, and can mix and match to get there.

I like the Sorcerer, I really do. I love the blood line feats. But... the thing is that, when it's built on a skeleton that has been tried over the period 3.5, somewhere in the last few years; there are going to be large nitpicks and expectations that have been fermenting with fans and players over that time. I'm pretty sure a lot of people were really looking forward to seeing something change in the inherent skeleton of the sorcerer, something that obviously points out rightful parity with the wizard. I'm not saying it's not on par, or it is on par; but I'm sure a lot of people who looked at it, saw that they didn't see that obvious thing that made it seem on par.

I don't like Wildshape to say the least. Mostly because I've enjoyed the PHB2 Variant so much more. I just feel a little bit of a let down from the "new" druid, where the iconic classes (wizard, fighter, rogue, cleric) basically got in a sense revolutionized, the druid just looks awfully the same. I really like the idea of domain powers instead of an animal companion... I just would like a little Pathfinder twist to it?

With the Hybrid System, it gave a chance at not being laughable at everything but like 3 or 4 skills. It also allowed you pick up new skills, at a rate where your old skills didn't lose out any more viability. Cause if you wanted to be decent at anything, especially for classes that didn't get many skill points, you basically could only do two skills total? everything else was lucky hit, and more often an abysmal miss. And Being a jack of all trades is a terrible idea when at best you could only get 2 + int per level in skill points (at least for cleric/wizard/fighter/paladin/sorcerer), at that point, you're better at running into walls as a skill choice. I'd really like to just stick to one base class, get a nice bunch of skills to flesh out a character concept, but that can't be done with almost a third of the classes, due to the lack of skill points or the way it's handled due to the skill points. That's why I don't like it.

Edit: Reading over the lack of cross class... it's made me (substantially) less angry about the re-addition of skill points, but it's still going to be problematic for at least a third of the base classes not getting enough skill points to not be considered a little higher than a goon. It still doesn't sit well with me.

Not adding skill points to skill is effectively making it worse; when you're dealing with trying to better a skill other than that one. I would have been very happy with the hybrid system that was being hashed out; right now I'm going to stick with Alpha 1.1 skill system. Basically with skill ranks, everyone ends up have 1 to 2 skills (the rogue will have more) that are maxed, and they're laughable at everything else.

See, I love point systems, but I hate book keeping. I love how the Ninja did a "point" pool, and I'd wish that on the Barbarian, Paladin, and even the Druid (I hate per day things). I really do love the new barbarian powers, but the point pool seems a bit... odd.

It's another large number that you have keep track, with greatly varying costs for powers that get subtracted. I think you should relegate the powers into something like tiers, or shorten the variation on the numbers something from like 1-6, versus this variation of 3-18; and greatly reduce the actual number of rage points.

Taking the ninja, which has a effective point pool of half class level + stat mod; and all their powers cost somewhere from 1 to 2 "points". I would probably like something like class level + stat mod and rage powers can range from 1-6 points; so it actually is easier to hash through. To me it's little simpler, but could still easily do the same thing.