Lostwriter's page

When you add subtypes to a custom humanoid race, do you automatically get the benefits of the subtype?

For example, if you select Orc do you automatically get Darkvision and/or Light Sensitivity?

If so, do you have to pay for those abilities?

Based on the sample races in the back of the book I could see that both are true. You must take those abilities and you must pay for them.

All Orc subtypes have Darkvision and Light Sensitivity (unless it's a Half-Orc).

The Water subtype would get Swim as a class skill.

I could see that you could choose any of those abilities but still have to pay. But I don't believe you would get them for free.

I am starting open beta playtesting for a supplement that I have been working on and off for almost two years now. I fell in love with this game and developed my own vision for how psionics fits into the campaign. You will find

• A new continent with lore and history explaining how psionics fit into the world.
  
• 4 brand new races with psionic abilities: Primal Elves, Drakians, Helians, and the Amchitka.
  
• Reinvented classic races including the Elan, Dromite, and Half-Giant.
  
• Alternate racial abilities tied to psionics for all core races.
  
• 2 new alternate classes: The Psion (alternate Sorcerer class) and the Psyker (alternate Bard class)
  
• New psionic archetypes for your favorite classes
  
• Revised rules for psionic companions: Astral Constructs and PsiCrystals
  
• Completely reworked rules for psionics using Ki and the character's body as the power.
  
• Classes have spells per day instead of just power points.
  
• Spells are augmented and recalled using Ki.
  
• A whole host of Ki powered feats and abilities are available to the Psion and Psyker as well as any other character using Ki (like the Monk and Ninja classes).
  
• Streamlined magic items that work in cooperation with existing types instead of being completely independent.
  
• Several new and exciting psionic creatures to interact with, including the power hungry Kythuleons and their dromite slaves, the undead doppelganger Cadolans, and others.
  
• Reinvented classic creatures like the Brain Mole and Thought Eater.
  
• Specific psionic templates for humanoid, animal, undead, and other creature types.
  

I hope you enjoy the labor of my love. It's a departure from the traditional rules. The playtest document only includes the 2 alternate psionic classes, spells, feats, and magic items to play with.

Still waiting for my account here to post the PDF, but for now you can download it here.

I like the idea that a gunslinger can get their full dex bonus on firearms. But should it be on every shot that is fired during the round? Shouldn't it scale like weapon finesse and strength modifiers to off-hand weapons?

I'm close to being finished with a rewrite of Psionics for Pathfinder. I've been working on it on and off for a few years and finally have something useable.

Some of the basics:

I went with 2 classes: The psion (caster) and the psyker (melee caster). These two classes are meant to mirror the sorcerer and bard classes from core rules.

At a basic level all psionic power are spells. They are manifested as spells by casting. The source is the mind, body, and soul of the individual instead of a deity or material components.

I went with a straight power to spell slot conversion. Each class has a specific number of spells known and spells per day.

HOWEVER, each psionic spell caster also starts with a Ki Pool. This pool is used to augment spells, recall spent spell slots, and generally do all the other things that made a psionicist unique.

My intent was to use core rules wherever possible and keep the mechanics streamlined and intact.

I greatly expanded the disciplines by treating them like cleric domains and sorcer bloodlines. They fall somewhere in the middle for power and number of abilities.

I made the wilder class from 3.5 a discipline (undisciplined) for the psion with their own rules for discipline spells and abilities.

Likewise, I merged the soulknife class and psionic warrior to build the psyker class.

All other psionic mechanics were merged either into existing core rules (skills, metamagic, etc.) or became Ki powered.

All psionic feats are Ki feats, which means a monk can use any of those feats without needed wild talent or being a psionicist.

I took out a few races from 3.5 and added some new ones to have a more cohesive feel. For example, 3 of the new races are related by common history and ancestor: the amchitka (ratfolk), helians (phoenix elves), and drakians (dragon elves). I also expanded the Half-Giant, Dromite, and Elan races. The Maenad and Xeph may get dropped, I'm just not liking the treatment for them. And I'm still on the fence about the Dromite.

I added a full range of alternate racial traits, favored class options, and race traits for each race.

I am going through final edit on the beta version and will make it available through the OGL for any who are interested in using it.

Race Trait in APG states:

"In order to select a race trait, your character must be of the specified race or ethnicity."

Do half-orcs count as both orc and human for the purpose of choosing race traits? Do half-elves count as both elf and human?

My personal feeling is no, but wanted clarification (I tried searching and came to no conclusion based on the ramblings I found).

Also, Adopted (social trait) states

"You were adopted and raised by someone not of your actual race..."

I assume that means if you are human you can't select a human race trait.

However, if you are half-human does it also prevent you from selecting a human race trait.

I guess this really depends on the interpretation of the prior statement.

My rigid interpretation:

• You can only select a race trait if your race exactly matches.
  
• You can not select an adopted race trait if your race exactly matches.