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Sovereign Court

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New Pathfinder class: The Channeler

The goal of this class is to create a divine-powered character that is:

1. Not skilled in martial combat. While Clerics and Oracles can be built as primary spellcasters, their proficiencies, HD, and spell list implies that wading into melee should be an important part of their toolset. This class is designed to act more like a divine wizard, casting spells and channeling and relying on allies to stay protected.

2. Uses the channeling rules more. Channeling is really cool, but tends to be pretty weak, especially in the late game. This class buffs channeling a lot, so much as to be the primary class feature.

3. Feels very different depending on which domains they (and their deity) have. Most clerics feel very similar mechanically, even if they have dramatically different deities/domains. This class gets its spells known from domains only, and gets access to very different channeling powers depending on those domains.

The Channeler

Class Basics:
Hit Die: d6
BAB: Poor
Saves: Good Will, poor reflex, will
Proficiencies: Simple Weapons, Light Armor.
Class Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (religion), Linguistics, Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft.
Skill ranks per level: 4 + int modifier

Class Abilities:

Channel Energy: Regardless of alignment, any channeler can release a wave of energy by channeling the power of her faith through her holy (or unholy) symbol. This energy can be used to cause or heal damage, depending on the type of energy channeled and the creatures targeted. A channeler (regardless of alignment) must choose at first level whether she channels positive or negative energy. Once this choice is made, it cannot be reversed.

Channeling energy causes a burst that affects all creatures of one type (either undead or living) in a 30-foot radius centered on the channeler. The amount of damage dealt or healed is equal to 1d6 points of damage plus 1d6 points of damage for every two cleric levels beyond 1st (2d6 at 3rd, 3d6 at 5th, and so on). Creatures that take damage from channeled energy receive a Will save to halve the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the channeler's level + the channeler's Charisma modifier. Creatures healed by channel energy cannot exceed their maximum hit point total—all excess healing is lost.

A channeler may channel energy a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. Every level after first, she may channel energy an addition 2 times. This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A channeler can always choose whether or not to include herself in this effect.
A channeler must be able to present her holy symbol to use this ability.

Domain: At first level, a channeler picks three cleric domains. If she worships a deity, these must be domains or subdomains that the deity provides, and in any case cannot be an alignment domain that does not match her own alignment (e.g. a NG channeler cannot pick the law, chaos, or evil domains). She gains the special abilities of all of the abilities. These domains also determine her spells known (see spells, below)

Spells: A channeler gains the ability to cast spells. Her casting is spontaneous, and she gains a number of spells per day equal to an oracle of her level. In addition, she does not get to pick her spells known. Instead, she knows only the spells that are on at least one of her three domain lists.

A channeler can take the expanded arcana feat. For the purpose of this feat, the cleric/oracle spell list is treated as her spell list. For all other purposes (including activating items), her spell list is considered to include only her domain spells (including spells that she is not yet high enough to cast), and any spells she learned via expanded arcana or similar abilities.

Enhance Channel: As a channeler levels up, she learns new power that alters her channels. At first level, she knows three powers. She learns an additional power at 2nd level, and every two levels after this. These powers can come from the “General Channel Powers” list below. She can also choose any domain channel power from any of her domains.

In general, every time she channels, she may apply any single power she knows to that channel. At 6th level, she can apply a second power to that channel. At 11th level she may apply a third power, and at 16th level a fourth power.

Some of the enhanced channels offer the ability to increase the activation time for the channeled energy to a minute, and then extend the duration of the power. You may have only one domain power with an extended duration like this active at a time. If you use another domain power with an extended duration, the effects of the previous ones immediately end.

A channeler cannot enhance a channel that is activated with less than a standard action (such as a channel modified by the quick channel feat).

Selective Channel: At third level, the channeler gains selective channel as a bonus feat. If she already had that feat, she may immediately retrain it to any feat she qualifies for.

Enhanced Channel: At 7th level, the channeled energy uses d8s instead of d6s.

Greater Enhanced Channel: At 13th level, the channeled energy uses d10s instead of d6s.

Perfect Channel: At 20th level, instead of rolling, channeled energy uses maximum damage.


General Channel Powers:

Shaped Channel: Instead of a 30 foot radius, she may express her channel as a 60 ft line, or a 15 ft cone.

Targeted Channel: Rather than affect an area, she may concentrate the divine energy on a single target. She must make a ranged or melee touch attack (her choice) to hit. On a hit, the target is effected by the channel as normal, except she rolls a number of dice equal to her level, rather than her typical amount of dice, and the save DC is increased by 2.
The area of the channel is considered to be all squares occupied by the creature for the purpose of effects that depend on area (such as some channel powers).

Extended Channel: The range of her channel is doubled.

Improved Extended Channel: You must already have Extended Channel to take this power. The range of the channel is doubled. This does stack with Extended Channel, producing a total of 4x the regular range if both powers are selected (this does not follow the standard multiplying rules).

Distance Channel: The channeler can choose a point of origin within 30 feet of her (or within 60 feet if the channel is also an extended channel), rather than being the point of origin. The channeler must have line of sight and line of effect to the chosen point of origin.

Lingering Channel: The channeled energy persists until the start of the channelers next turn. Any creature that enters the area affected by the channel, or ends its turn in the area is affected a second time by that energy. It can make a save as normal. No matter how the creature moves, it can only be affected one additional time by lingering channel (once if it is originally in the area of the channel when it was activated, and at most one other time).

Versatile Channel: You can channel either positive or negative energy, regardless of what choice you made at first level. Each time you channel, choose one.

Channel Casting: As a full round action, you can both cast a spell and channel energy. The spell must be one that targets multiple creatures or an area, and it must be a spell on your domain list. If an area spell, the area becomes that of your channel, and if it is a targeted spell, all creatures that would be affected by the channel are targeted (so if you channel positive energy to heal, undead creatures would not be effected by the spell). If the spell allows a save, the save is replaced by the channel energy will save, with the usual spell effects for passing or failing the save, as well as the standard effects of the channel energy.
You must be at least 5th level to take this power, and can take it again at 10th, 15th, and 19th level. The first time you take it, you can combine channel energy with a first level spell, and each additional time increases the level of spell you can combine, to a maximum of a fourth level spell.
Using this power expends both a use of channel energy and the appropriate spell slot. You cannot use this ability if you are out of either channels or spell slots.

Combined Channel: As a full round action, you can channel to both heal and harm at the same time.

Domain Powers

Fire:

Channel Fire: When channeling to harm, you deal fire damage instead of the typical energy. This means that you will deal damage to both living and non-living creatures, regardless of whether you usually channel positive or negative energy.

Lingering Flames: When you channel to harm, any creature that fails its save catches on fire, taking damage each round at the start of your turn equal to half of your regular channel energy damage. The flames can be put out by dropping prone and rolling (a full round action), being submerged in water, or taking at least 1 point of cold damage equal to your level. Otherwise, they go out after a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).

Elemental Channel: When you channel to heal, you can heal creatures with the fire subtype. When you channel to harm, you can harm creatures with the water or ice subtypes. Alternatively, you can command creatures with the fire subtype (as command undead) or turn creatures with the water or ice subtypes (as turn undead)

Protective Flames: When you channel to heal, all creatures healed also gain fire resistance equal to twice your level (or immunity to fire at level 20). This lasts for a number of rounds equal to your charisma modifier. Subsequent channels don't stack, but do extend the duration. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1). Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the Protective Flames last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Fiery Weapons: Whenever you channel, all manufactured weapons in the area, and the natural weapons of all creatures affected by the channeled energy gain the flaming quality. If they are already flaming weapons, they become flaming burst weapons. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the Fiery weapons last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Water:

Channel Cold: When channeling to harm, you deal cold damage instead of the typical energy. This means that you will deal damage to both living and non-living creatures, regardless of whether you usually channel positive or negative energy.

Rime Channel: When you channel to harm, any creature that fails its save becomes entangled for a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).

Elemental Channel: When you channel to heal, you can heal creatures with the cold or water subtype. When you channel to harm, you can harm creatures with the fire subtypes. Alternatively, you can command creatures with the cold or water subtypes (as command undead) or turn creatures with the fire subtypes (as turn undead)

Protective Cold: When you channel to heal, all creatures healed also gain cold resistance equal to twice your level (or immunity to cold at level 20). This lasts for a number of rounds equal to your charisma modifier. Subsequent channels don't stack, but do extend the duration. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the Protective Cold last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Freezing Weapons: Whenever you channel, all manufactured weapons in the area, and the natural weapons of all creatures affected by the channeled energy gain the frost quality. If they are already flaming weapons, they become frost burst weapons. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the freezing weapons last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Air:

Channel Lightning: When channeling to harm, you deal electricity damage instead of the typical energy. This means that you will deal damage to both living and non-living creatures, regardless of whether you usually channel positive or negative energy.

Lesser Flying Channel: When you channel to heal, any creature affected gains the ability to levitate for a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).

Flying Channel: You must have lesser flying channel to select this power. When you channel to heal, any creature affected gains the ability to fly (speed 60 feet, average maneuverability) for 1 round.

Elemental Channel: When you channel to heal, you can heal creatures with the Air subtype. When you channel to harm, you can harm creatures with the Earth subtypes. Alternatively, you can command creatures with the Air subtypes (as command undead) or turn creatures with the Earth subtypes (as turn undead)

Protective Lightning: When you channel to heal, all creatures healed also gain electricity resistance equal to twice your level (or immunity to cold at level 20). This lasts for a number of rounds equal to your charisma modifier. Subsequent channels don't stack, but do extend the duration. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the Protective Lightning last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Shocking Weapons: Whenever you channel, all manufactured weapons in the area, and the natural weapons of all creatures affected by the channeled energy gain the shock quality. If they are already flaming weapons, they become shocking burst weapons. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the shocking weapons last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Earth:

Channel Earth: When channeling to harm, you deal fling rocks around damage instead of the typical energy, dealing bludgeoning damage. This means that you will deal damage to both living and non-living creatures, regardless of whether you usually channel positive or negative energy.

Stone Cunning Channel: When you channel to heal, all creatures affected gain the dwarf stone cunning ability. If they already have stone cunning, the bonuses are doubled and they gain tremorsense (30 feet) as long as they are touching the ground. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the Stone Cunning Channel last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Elemental Channel: When you channel to heal, you can heal creatures with the Earth subtype. When you channel to harm, you can harm creatures with the Air subtypes. Alternatively, you can command creatures with the Earth subtypes (as command undead) or turn creatures with the Air subtypes (as turn undead)

Protective Earth: When you channel to heal, all creatures healed also gain DR/adamantine equal to half your level. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to your charisma modifier. Subsequent channels don't stack, but do extend the duration. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the Protective Earth last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Corrosive Weapons: Whenever you channel, all manufactured weapons in the area, and the natural weapons of all creatures affected by the channeled energy gain the corrosive quality. If they are already flaming weapons, they become corrsive burst weapons. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the corrosive weapons last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Weather:

Channel Storm: When channeling to harm, you deal ½ lightning and ½ sonic damage instead of the typical energy. This means that you will deal damage to both living and non-living creatures, regardless of whether you usually channel positive or negative energy.

Cloudy Channel: When you channel, the area becomes cloudy (as obscuring mist). This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the freezing weapons last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Freezing Channel: When you channel, you create a slick row of ice on the ground, that causes the area to be slippery. This functions as the grease spell, except the acrobatics DC to walk through the area is equal to your channel DC, and the effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus.

Windy Channel: When you channel, you can change the wind conditions within the range of the channel. You can set them to anywhere between light and severe. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the freezing weapons last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Channel Weather: When you channel, you can temporarily change local weather conditions. Within the range of the channel, you can stop or start rain, sleet, or snow, and change the temperature from anywhere between 0F and 100 F. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the freezing weapons last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Healing:

Cure Disease: When you channel to heal, all creatures affected are targeted by a cure disease spell (caster level equal to your level)

Cure Poison: When you channel to heal, all creatures affected are targeted by a remove poison spell (caster level equal to your level)

Life Link: When you channel to heal, you may link pairs of willing creatures. Every such bond is treated as shield other spell.

Heal All: When you channel to heal, you may heal all creatures, even if they would not normally be healed by that type of energy (for example, undead can be healed with positive energy, and constructs can be healed as well).

Overheal: When you channel to heal, you can heal above the creatures maximum HP. For every point of healing that would increase the creatures maximum hit points above their maximum, they gain one temporary hit point (maximum equal to your level). These temporary hit points last for a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1). Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the Overheal hitpoints last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Darkness:

Channel Darkness: The area affected by the channeled energy becomes darker, as the spell darkness.

Cloak of Darkness: When you channel to heal, all healed creatures gain the shadow dancer's Hide in plain sight ability, and a bonus on stealth equal to the number of dice rolled. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the cloak of darkness abilities last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

See in the Dark: When you channel to heal, all healed creatures gain darkvision. If they already had low light vision or darkvision (either naturally, through magic, or even a previous use of this power), they instead get the see in darkness special ability. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus.
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the See in the dark ability abilities last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Blinding Darkness: When you channel to harm, any creature that fails its save is blinded for 1 round. Darkvision does not negate this affect, although the See In Darkness special ability does.

Grasping Darkness: When you channel energy, the shadows of all creatures grab the creature, preventing it from moving. All creatures that shed a shadow (typically creatures in any lighting condition other than total darkness) are grappled by that shadow. The shadow has a CMB of your level + your charisma bonus), and a CMD of 10+its CMB. In daylight, it has a size equal to the creature it is grappling, in bright light it has a size one larger, and in dim light it has a size two larger. The shadow grapples, and then in subsequent rounds attempts to pin the creature. Once a creature successfully escapes the grapple (either by having the shadow fail its original grapple attempt, fail a pin/maintain grapple attempt, or by successfully escaping with escape artist or grapple), that particular shadow returns to normal.

Good:

Aligned Channel (harm): When you channel energy to harm, you can choose to deal sacred damage, instead of positive or negative energy. Sacred damage harms all evil creatures, but does nothing to good or neutral creatures.

Aligned Channel (heal): When you channel energy to heal, you can choose to use sacred healing, instead of positive or negative energy. Sacred healing heals all good creatures, but does nothing to evil or neutral creatures.

Outsider Channel: When your channel heals outsiders with the good subtype, you increase the amount healed by 50%. When you channel harms outsiders with the evil subtype, you increase the amount of damage by 50%. Apply this extra damage amount before saving throws.

Good Weapons: Whenever you channel, all manufactured weapons in the area, and the natural weapons of all creatures affected by the channeled energy become good aligned for the purpose of penetrating DR. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the good weapons last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Holy Weapons: You must have Good Weapons to take this ability. Whenever you channel, all manufactured weapons in the area, and the natural weapons of all creatures affected by the channeled energy gain the holy magic ability. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).

Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the holy weapons last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Evil, Law, Chaos
As Good, except changing alignment subtypes appropriately.

Destruction:

Sundering Channel: When you channel energy to harm, you may destroy objects of a particular type as well. Pick either weapons, armor, shields, a single magic item slot (such as cloak, or ring). All items of the given type in the area of the channel (whether wielded or not) are affected by your channel energy damage. Hardness still applies, and magic items still receive saving throws, and a successful save prevents all damage, rather than just halving it.
Alternatively, you can choose to effect all non-wielded non-magic items in the area, dealing your full channel damage to all such objects.

Vicious Channel: All creatures affected by your channel treat all melee and natural weapons that they wield as having the vicious enchantment. This cannot be turned off. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the vicious weapons last for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Disintegrating Channel: Any creature killed by your channel is disintegrated (as the spell).

Shouting Channel: When you channel to harm, you deal sonic damage instead of positive or negative energy damage. This allows you to target both living, unliving, and undead.

Spell-Breaking Channel: When you channel energy, you also destroy magical effects. Treat this as the area dispel of greater dispel magic, with a caster level equal to your level, except that you disrupt only a single spell (chosen at random among possible targets).

Magic:

Protective Channel: When you channel to heal, all creatures effected by your channel gain SR equal to 10+your level. This lasts a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus (minimum 1).
Alternatively, you can take a full minute to channel energy. In this case, the SR lasts for 10 minutes times your charisma bonus.

Channel Casting: This functions as the general channel power, but you can take it every odd level. Eventually allowing ninth level spells.

Draining Channel: When you channel to harm, all creatures that fail their save against your channeled energy take a penalty to their caster level equal to the number of dice your channel energy deals. This has a duration of 1 round.

Empowering Channel: When you take this power, choose one of the following metamagic feats: Piercing Spell, Silent Spell, Still Spell, Ectoplasmic Spell, Elemental Spell, Enlarge Spell, Intensified Spell. When you channel to heal, all creatures healed by your channel may apply that feat to any spells they cast in the next round. You may take this power multiple times, each time selecting a new feat from the list.

Domains to do:

Pathfinder has a ton of domains, and I probably won't both to stat these all out. The idea would be that if a PC wants to use any of them, they can see rough power levels and work with the GM to create their own. That said, if anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

The general rule is that each domain should have 5-6 powers, with about an even breakdown between powers that effect channeling to harm and channeling to heal, although some domains (healing, destruction), will be weighed much heavier in one direction or the other for thematic reasons.

Anyways, just counting paizo core non-druid domains, the to do list is:
Animal
Artifice
Charm
Community
Death
Glory
Knowledge
Liberation
Luck
Madness
Nobility
Plant
Protection
Repose
Ruins
Scalykind
Strength
Sun
Travel
Trickery
Void
War

I'd love to hear people's suggestions, comments, or improvements. Anything look too good?

Sovereign Court

So I'm trying to come up with a RAW legal way of charging a staff without having the proper caster level. In particular, I'd like a ~7th character to charge a staff that has a spell on their list, plus a 7th lvl spell. I would be the GM in this hypothetical case, so I know I could just "house rule it" but I don't want to.

A couple of things I have thought of:
Staff Magus at lvl 10 can use arcane pool points to charge a staff. This is too high a level though.

Arcanist has consume item arcana. Is there an arcana that does the reverse?

Make it a custom staff with the ability to absorb charges ala a staff of the magi, and get someone to magic missile me once/day. Any idea how to price just that ability? I know how to price a regular staff given spells and spell slots, but staff of the magi has a bunch of special abilities, so I can't just subtract the regular stuff.

Hire a 13+ lvl spellcaster. I know this works. I'd prefer to avoid it, as the user of the staff is trying to be secretive, and walking up to a high level caster and paying him to regularly charge his staff is NOT secretive!

Any other suggestions? Classes, magic items, prestige classes etc?

Sovereign Court

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More Mobile Combat
At mid to high level play(basically after level 6), martials start losing mobility, with their most optimal strategy being standing and full attacking until the other side is dead. If they are forced to move, they become significantly less powerful, with certain fighting styles (two-weapon fighting in particular) losing even more. At the same time, spellcasters can move easily and still cast devastating spells. The primary purpose of the below house rules are to change that equation, and give martials multiple ways of being effective while mobile, without completely overhauling the system or being more powerful than a full attack.

Currently, a few classes and builds can fairly easily gain full attacks (barbarians with pounce, magus with spell-combat and bladed dash, pummeling style unarmed fighters, wild-shaped druids, archers), while others are SoL. The monk, rogue, and swashbuckler, which bring up images of highly mobile, flowing combat, tend to have mechanics that actually strongly support standing in one place and hitting (with the recent exception of pummeling style). Rather than trying to nerf those abilities, I am trying to create new ways that are equal or slightly less in power to these builds, but different in interesting ways.

Note that the Vital Strike and Spring attack changes, designed to allow a mobile, agile dex based swashbuckler, rogue, or slayer to be viable were proposed earlier (here) and the general consensus was that it seemed interesting).

There's also some rules to make spell-casters less mobile when using their higher level spells. This makes martials more important to protect them if they want to use their big guns.

These house-rules are meant to be a complete package, and otherwise integrate into the game unchanged. Any feedback, suggestions, or comments are appreciated. In particular, any odd combos that I may not have considered would be interesting.

New Feats:
Long Step
Benefit: Anytime you could normally take a 5-foot step, you can instead move 10 ft. This movement follows all of the normal rules for five foot steps (including not provoking attacks of opportunity). You still may not move and take a 5-foot step in the same round.

Double Step
Prerequisite: Long Step
Benefit: Instead of one 10 ft step, you can take two 5-foot steps per round. If an ability would allow you to take an action that uses up your 5-foot step for the round (such as step up), you can have it use up only one of your 5 foot steps, or you can use both of them to move 10 ft (as you could before).
Special: Martial Artist monks get Double Step as a free bonus feat at 4th lvl.

Improved Long Step
Prerequisite: Long Step
Can take a 15 ft step.
Special: If you have double step, you can now take three 5 foot steps per round, and can use any combination of them when allowed 5 foot steps.

Step Back
Benefit: Whenever a foe hits you with a melee attack, you may, as an immediate action take a 5-foot step. This takes up your 5-foot step for your next round, and if you take an action to move during your next turn, subtract 5 feet from your total movement. While this motion does not negate the hit, it may prevent your attacker from making the rest of a full attack against you.

Critical Vital Strike
Prerequisite: Vital Strike (see modifications, below)
Benefit: When using Vital strike, when you confirm a critical hit, any precision damage you have from class features that require certain situations (such as sneak attack) can be applied even if they would not normally be applicable. If the damage already was applicable, that damage is also increased by the critical multiplier. This still follows the standard multiplication rules, so e.g. with vital strike and a x2 weapon, you would do a net of x3 your regular precision and weapon damage (and double all other damage sources).

Hurry Casting:
Prerequisite: Ability to Cast Spells.
Benefit: When casting spells one level less than the highest level you can cast, there is no increase in casting time. Spells of the highest level you can cast still take longer, as described in the new rules, below.

Feat Modifications:
Vital Strike (and improved and greater vital strike) now multiply precision damage as well as weapon damage.

Following Step: now no longer exists (Long Step renders it obsolete), and is removed as a prerequisite from Step Up and Strike.

Spring Attack: You can make any standard action when you spring attack, and can use any type of movement that you have a move speed for. This new version of the feat renders shot on the run and fly by attack obsolete (yes I know fly by attack had lesser prerequisites, too bad). Ride by attack is unchanged.

Roll With it: No longer requires goblin race.

Dimensional Agility and Dimensional Assault are combined into one Feat, Dimensional Assault. They can be used with any spell or spell-like ability that functions “as dimension door.” (including the new Lesser Abundant Step)

Dimensional Savant and Dimensional Dervish are combined into a second feat, with prerequisites Dimensional Assault and BAB +6.

New/Modified Class Ability
Ki: can be spent as a swift action to allow you to move at your bonus to speed from all classes that grant a Ki pool. If you can increase your speed by spending ki points, you can spend an additional ki point as part of the same action to grant a +20 ft bonus. Note, this is the only way a single-classed ninja could get any benefit from this.
Monk Dimensional Agility: At 7th lvl, monk's gain Lesser Abundant Step. This replaces wholeness of body. It functions as Abudant Step, but takes a standard action to activate and costs 3 ki. At 12th lvl, monk's gain the regular Abundant Step ability. Any archetype that replaces wholeness of body instead replaces Lesser Abundant Step.

General Rule Modifications:
When wielding two weapons, anytime you can only a standard action attack action (and not a vital strike, cleave, charge, etc.) you may attack with both weapons at the usual two-weapon fighting penalties. You still do not gain any iteratives.

Acrobatics: 1/move action you can use acrobatics to jump over difficult terrain to ignore its effects (including allowing you to charge).

When casting a spell with a casting time of 1 standard action that is the highest or next highest level spell that you can cast (After taking into account metamagic and other spell-level alterations), the spell has a casting time of 1 full round action (NOT 1 round). If the spell would already be a full round action to cast (such as spontaneous casters using metamagic), it instead has a casting time of 1 round. This has no effect on spells with any other casting times, or quickened spells.

New Spells
Persue the Enemy
Transmutation, Paladin 2, Anti-paladin 2, Inquisitor 3, Warpriest 3, Cleric/Oracle 3, Ranger 2
Components: V,S,DF
Range: Personal
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Duration: 1 minute/level
For the duration of this spell, you can, as a full round action move your speed and then make a full attack action. The motion must end in to a creature you have smited, or is of the creature type of a weapon you have made Bane using your Bane class feature, is a favored enemy, or has been targeted by a Warpriest blessing or domain ability of yours, and you must then either make the attack or full-attack action against that creature (if it drops, you may make any remaining attacks against other foes in reach as normal).
The movement provided by this spell provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.

Beast Pounce
Transmutation [Polymorph]: Bloodrager 2, Ranger 2, Druid 3, Alchemist 3, Investigator 3, Hunter 3, Skald 3, Witch 3
Casting Time: 1 standard Action
Components: V,S,M/DF
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 round/level
The touched creature gains the pounce monster special ability.

Lesser Dimension Door
Conjuration(teleport)Wizard/Sorcerer 2, Bloodrager 2, Bard 2, Skald 2, Witch 2, Summoner 2, Magus 2
Casting Time: 1 move action
Components: V
Range: Short (25+5 ft/2lvls)
Target: Personal
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None, Spell Resistance: No
As Dimension door, except for as above, and you can only teleport to positions you have line of sight to (you do not need line of effect however). This spell counts as Dimension Door for the purpose of meeting requirements for the Dimensional Agility and Dimensional Dervish feats, and may be used with them as if it were dimension door.

Dimension Jump
Conjuration(teleport)Wizard/Sorcerer 4, Bard 4, Skald 4, Witch 4, Summoner 4, Magus 4
Duration: 1 round/lvl
As Lesser Dimension Door, except as look as the spell is in effect, you may use a move action to teleport.

Sovereign Court

So I am thinking of adding the following house rule, and would like to hear the hive-mind's opinion about how it is broken/could be broken.

The basic rule is that the vital strike line of feats multiplies precision damage (such as sneak attack, investigator's studied strike, etc.) as well as the base weapon dice.

In addition, I am allowing vital strike while spring attacking.

My rationale for this is as follows: In the pathfinder system, it is generally quite hard to create a mobile, agile fighter who ducks in and out of combat while still contributing any significant damage, particularly at high levels where the full attack is king. Rogues in particular seem like they should be able to do this, but can't. In general, rogues need either two weapon fighting (to multiply sneak attack damage dice) or a strength build. But the classic fencer/single weapon wielder doesn't seem that optimal.

My hope is that this rule would allow that. With vital strike multiplying the sneak attack and allowed on spring attack, it should be competitive with full attacking/two weapon fighting without being better (still doesn't multiply other bonuses, such as buffs and weapon enhancement).

Flavor wise, it seems perfect. A sneak attack is already striking at a vital spot, so conceptually it works. I'm pretty sure this is balanced for rogue, which is already generally considered to be a weak class. However, I would like to hear if anyone can think of some corner case or other class that would really break this rule.

Sovereign Court

So I created a half-elf wizard specialist necromancer who took the life focused school. He's good aligned, who is motivated by a fear of aging due to being raised purely among elves. His ultimate long term goal is to make the immortality Arcane Discovery. However, along the way, it would make sense for him to have spells that manipulate and enhance life force, rather than just drain it like, unfortunately, almost all of the necromancy spells do. To that end, I created a bunch of spells that he might research and cast, and was looking for input on balance.

I tried to differentiate the spells from standard divine healing by assuming that with divine healing, the character just channels energy, and the god/power makes the effort of controlling the energy. With the arcane magic, there's no such limiting force, and thus most of the spells have somewhat to very nasty side effects (and could in some cases be used offensively).

Anyways, I was looking for comments/suggestions on balance for the spells. Any feedback would be appreciated. In all cases, I put the wiz/sor level, and left what other classes could take it empty, because it's not applicable to the character, so I didn't care to think about it. Without further ado:

Accelerate Healing
School Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 4, ???
Casting Time: 1 round
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: Creature Touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving throw: Fort negates (mostly harmless)

With a touch, you cause the body's natural healing abilities to accelerate, knitting together old wounds. The creature immediately gains hit points as if they had rested for 2d4 days. They recover 1 hit point/character level/day of hitpoints (maximum 10 hit points/day). Any excess hit points from their maximum are lost. They also recover 1 point of ability damage per day.

However, there are side effects as well. The target immediately becomes fatigued (if less than 5 days of rest are being given), or exhausted if (5 or more days), until such time as they eat rations equal to the amount of days of healing they received. Eating this much food will typically take at least 10 minutes/day of rations. In addition, any poison the character is currently suffering from will immediately affect the character as if the amount of time had actually passed. A poison with a duration of rounds, minutes, or hours will immediately be fully processed, requiring saving throws to throw off the effect of the poison as usual, while one with a duration of days will go as if the rolled number of days had passed. For round, minute, or hour durations, the poison effects will be rolled first, and then the ability damage will recover. For day duration potions, apply one day of poison, then recovery, then the next day, etc.

Accelerate Healing, Minor
School Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 1, ???
Casting Time: 1 round
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: Creature Touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving throw: Fort negates (mostly harmless)

As Accelerate Healing, but only 1 day of healing is provided, and no ability damage is recovered. However, poisons are not accelerated.

Fueled Empowerment
School: Necromancy; Level: Wis/Sor 2
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: creature touched
Duration: 1 minute/lvl
Saving throw: Fort (mostly harmless); Spell Resistance: yes
The target gains a +4 bonus to Str and Dex, and a -4 penalty to constitution (this causes hit point loss as normal). Every minute, the target can make a fortititude save against the spell. If they succeed, it ends. If it fails, or if they choose not to take the save, they take an additional -2 penalty to constitution.

Fueled Empowerment, Mass
School: Necromancy; Level: Wis/Sor 6
Range: close (25+5/2 caster lvl ft), Target: 1 creature/lvl, no two of which can be more than 30 ft apart
As Fueled Empowerment, but effects multiple creatures. Each creature can save or not independently.

Infuse
School: Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 2 ???
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: Creature Touched
Duration: instantaneous/see text
Saving throw: Fort negates (mostly harmless)

You infuse the target with a burst of positive energy. The touched creature gains 1d20 temporary hit points, +1d20 for every two caster levels (maximum 5d20 at level 10). Any hit points greater than the target's maximum become temporary hitpoints that last for 1 hour. However, the creature becomes sickened by the rapid infusion of energy (duration 1 hour). If the creature gains temporary hitpoints, it also becomes nauseated. Nauseated targets once they have lost all of the temporary hit points may make a fortitude save once/round. Once successful, they remain sickened for 24 hours.

If the target is undead, it takes 1d6 points of damage for each d20 that would be healed. Constructs are unaffected by this spell.

Transfer Condition
School: Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 3 ???
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: two willing creature touched
Duration: instantaneous
Saving throw: none

You transfer one condition, hit point loss, disease, or poison from one willing target to another. The caster can be either of the targets. Conditions that can be transferred include bleed, blind, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, energy drained (From one stat only), exhausted, fatigued, frightened, nauseated, panicked, paralyzed,shaken, sickened, or stunned.

The target which takes the new effect can only try to save when the originally effected creature would have gotten to take new saves. Thus, if you transfer a poison, the new recipient can make saves against the ongoing affect of the poison, but they cannot save against being poisoned in the first place.

If a poison or disease is transferred, so to is all the ability damage or other effects that poison or disease has transferred. If hit point loss is transferred, the recipient takes damage equal to the amount of hit points the donor had lost, and the donor is fully healed (no partial transfer is possible). All effects last for a duration equal to whatever the duration would have been without this spell being cast (hit points are healed normally on the recipient from any form of magical healing).

Undead and constructs cannot be either target for this spell. If the donor is normally immune to the effect, normally the spell would just fail. In some situations, the donor may be affected anyway, even though they should be immune (DM discretion if this ever happens).

De-Age
School: Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 5 ???
Casting Time: 1 day
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: willing creature touched
Duration: instantaneous
Saving throw: none; Spell Resistance: no
The creature de-ages. They lose 75% of their race's average maximum lifespan, or become the age of adulthood if this would lower them below adulthood. Each time a creature has this spell cast on it, the maximum amount they can be lowered decreases by 5%. De-aging removes any penalties to physical stats. It does not remove bonuses to mental stats, which continue to progress as if the character had not been de-aged. Regardless of the target's eventual lifespan, mental stats cannot be improved greater than +3 as normal.

In addition, each time this spell is cast, roll a d6 and consult the chart below to determine the side effect.
1: Become physically warped and hideous. Take a -4 penalty on all social interaction and disguise rolls unless physical appearance is completely concealed (such as through illusions or polymorph spells).
2: Permanently sickened.
3: Plagued by nightmares. Every night, there is a 10% chance that the target is affected by nightmare (as the spell), with no saving throw allowed.
4: Become frail and weak bodied. Target loses 2 points of constitution
5: Target becomes delusional, megalomaniac, or some other delusion (GM or target's choice)
6: nothing

These affects are cumulative each time the spell is cast. Being sickened multiple times increases the penalty by 2 each time. Chance of nightmares increases by 10% each time. The effect of this spell can only be removed if the target willing accedes and with the casting of limited wish, wish or miracle. Removing the spell also ends the de-aging. If this puts the target's age above their maximum age, they die instantly unless they have since somehow become immune to the effects of aging.

Energize
School: Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 5 ???
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: creature touched
Duration: 1 round/lvl
Saving throw: none; Spell Resistance: yes

The touched creature gains 1d4 “positive energy levels”. If the character currently has negative levels, the two cancel on a one for one basis. Otherwise, “positive energy levels” grant a +1 bonus on all ability checks, attack rolls, combat maneuver checks, Combat Maneuver Defense, saving throws, and skill checks. In addition, the creature increases its current and total hit points by 5 for each positive level it possesses. The creature is also treated as one level higher for the purpose of level-dependent variables (such as spellcasting) for each positive level possessed. Spellcasters do not gain any prepared spells or slots as a result of positive levels. If a creature would gain positive levels exceeding its total Hit Dice or level, it gains instead only enough to equal its Hit Dice or level. The hit points are not temporary hitpoints (they are not lost first).

If an undead creature is struck by Energize, it takes 1d4*5 damage.
Energize counters and dispels Enervate, (and vice versa, despite the level difference)

Inflict Condition:
School: Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 6 ???
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: two creature touched
Duration: instantaneous
Saving throw: Fort negates

As Transfer Condition, but the targets do not need to be willing. The maximum amount of hit points transferred is equal to 5/caster level (maximum 75), and cannot be greater than the recipients current hit points. You must make a melee touch attack if one of the creatures is unwilling.

Inflict Condition, True
School: Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 8 ???
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: two creature touched
Duration: instantaneous
Saving throw: Fort negates

As Transfer Condition, but the targets do not need to be willing, and all applicable conditions are transferred.. There is no maximum amount of hit points transferred You must make a melee touch attack if one of the creatures is unwilling.

All comments are greatly appreciated.