Snow Leopard

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Not sure if this belongs in homebrew, but:

Pathfinder unchained gives the ability to take the feat: Signature skill(Craft), which gives the following abilities:

"5 Ranks: When determining your weekly progress, double the result of your Craft check before multiplying the result by the item’s DC.

10 Ranks: You do not ruin any of your raw materials unless you fail a check by 10 or more.

15 Ranks: When you determine your progress, the result of your check is how much work you complete each day in silver pieces.

20 Ranks: You can craft magic armor, magic weapons, magic rings, and wondrous items that fall under your category of Craft using the normal Craft rules."

The issue is that rank 15's ability conflicts with the alternate crafting progress, where your check per day is in GP, compared to the original's silver pieces/week. The conversion thing to do would be to multiply your check by five (stacking with 5th's double for a 10x multiplier), which seems greatly unbalanced. You could ignore level 15's ability entirely, but that doesn't seem right either.

I'm looking for a happy median, what should I do?


Greetings! After much thought and work, I've put together a custom weapon system that allows flavorful and creative crafting, with nearly 100% compatibility on existing weapons.
The Document may be found on dropbox. New thread because the old was very poorly formatted.

I need critiques badly, so any input is helpful.


FORWARD: This all started when I put together a few things: 1. A vast majority of weapons are over or underpowered, the statistics match the weapon, or my players want something that doesn't exist. 2. The weapon crafting system, even with Unchained, is still lackluster for min/max types. So I talked with my players and we came up with this:

GOAL: Create a system that allows thematic flavor low to high tier weapon crafting without breaking the game, allows diverse combinations, that rewards all handedness of weapons, strength and dexterity, and allows for oversize weapons and greatbows.

First, weapons need a template based on size that determines base damage and stat bonuses to damage (bonus to hit determined normally, greatbows use strength)

Stat bonuses to damage:
Lite: +1 dex, +1/2 str
Medium: +1\2 dex, +1 str
Heavy: +2.0 str (max 2.5)
Bow: +.5 dex, +1 str augment (you must make a compound bow as normal to receive strength bonuses)
Heavy bow: +1.5 str, +.5 dex (you do not need to have a compound bow)
Thrown weapons same, range 10 (weapons that are not designed for throwing)

Base lite: 1d4
Base medium: 1d6
Base heavy: 1d8
Base bow: 1d4
Base heavy bow: 1d6

Required strength scores:
Lite: 8
medium: 10
Heavy: 12
Bow: 10 (unless -str modifier)
Heavy bow: 12
You cannot use a weapon you do not meet the strength prerequisite for. (-2 strength requirement when wielding a one or lite handed weapon in two hands)

Next, we need a way to classify increasingly complex weapons, starting with 0 additional abilities, and the dc for crafting them:

Name Tier/ability count craft DC
Simplistic 0 5
Trained 1 10
Martial 2 15
Specialized 3 20
Exotic 1 4 25
Exotic 2 5 30
Exotic X 3+X 15+5x

Now that that's done, we need a list of all the actual abilities that can be added to a weapon:

Amalgam - weapon is combined with another different type, subject to gm approval, i.e. potion container in hollowed hilt, gun-blade
Blocking - gain the 'blocking' weapon quality
Bracing - gain the 'brace' weapon quality
Breaking - +2 to sunder against weapons (multi)
Brittle - if the weapon would critical threaten, the weapon automatically crit confirms, but is destroyed. Deals additional bleed damage
Brutish - weapon deals -.5 dex, +.5 str, +2 required strength (multi)
Corded - weapons thrown this way have a maximum range of 30, but may be retrieved as a move action. Cord has hardness 5 and 5 hp
Deadly - gain the 'deadly' weapon quality
Disarming - +2 to disarm attempts (multi)
Distracting - gain the 'distracting' weapon quality
Double - gain the 'double' weapon feature, +.75*weight
Extra damage type - gain another damage type, b/s/p (multi 2)
Fragile - gain the 'fragile' weapon quality (-1 tier)
Grappling - gain the 'grapple' weapon quality
Improved critical - increase the critical range of the weapon by one. (Multi, shares slot with Powerful Critical)
Improved damage - increase the damage die one step (Multi)
Matched - matched weapons treat the size one step lower when dual-wielding
Nimble - weapon deals +.5dex, -.5 str, -2 required strength(multi)
Nonlethal - gain the 'nonlethal' weapon quality
Oversized - weapon behaves as one size category larger (reach+5, damage dice+1 level, ect), but keeps handedness, and increases required strength by 6 (multi)
Powerful critical - increase critical damage multiplier by 1 (Multi, shares slot with Improved Critical)
Reach - gain the 'reach' weapon quality
Sheathing - weapon acts as though the wielder possessed the quickdraw feat; if the owner already has the quickdraw feat, weapon may be drawn and sheathed as a free action
Showman - gain the 'performance' weapon quality
Sundering - +2 to non-weapon sundering attempts (multi)
Transforming - weapon may transform as a quick action into a weapon of simular weight and damage type, i.e. gladius to elven curve blade, flail to morning star. Transformed weapon may have different abilities
Tripping - gain the 'trip' weapon quality

Multi - may be taken multiple times, once per two grades (grade 1, 3, 5, ect): the effects stack

Now that we have the list, let's show some examples of how usual weapons break down in this system:
Longsword: +1 damage, +1critical range: tier 2, Martial
Katana: +1damage, +2critical range, +1deadly: exotic
There are also some bad examples:
Scythe: +3critical power, +2(required because the 3rd crit power must be tier 5) Exotic 2

On the other hand, let's say that your barbarian with a 22 enraged strength score wants a set of matching double oversized hammers on chains to flail around.
+2oversized, +1brutish, +1cordd, +1critical power, +1matched

So, while your barbarian can have hammers that do 2d6(+1.5str) x3crit on chains that hit anything in 45 feet that act as lite weapons for dual wielding, the wizzard is going to need to succeed multiple dc 35 craft checks to make them, and they're going to be expensive. On that subject:

The odd part is, the vast majority of these additions do not need additional material in the final product, or as a reagent for crafting. It's not ideal however to let a low-leveled wizard or the like continually attempt crafting; I honestly have no idea how to price these things.

Additional information:
Any exotic material used in crafting increases the DC to craft by 5
The weapon design may not be changed once crafting is begun
In case it wasn't clear, two-handed weapons may start with +2*str mod damage, but can be upgraded with brutish to 2.5*str.
Amalgam weapon and trick weapon components must be crafted separately

The maximum craft you should be able to get in a standard game of play is: 20(skill)+3(trained)+7(base 25int at level 20)+3(using 5 wishes to bring int score to 30 permanently)+2(fox's cunning permanency)+3(headband of int)+6(skill focus craft)+2(mwk tools)+2(racial focus)+2(traits) is a 50, which means the highest possible craft would be a 70, rank 13, exotic rank 10. Considering Pathfinder unchained says that rank 30 and up craft checks might attract extra planar admirers, there are certainly implications if such a weapon should come to exist. EDIT: you can get higher, of course, but eh. example server a purpose.

Please let me know what you think, or how this could be improved. Yes, I realize overall damage is slightly higher.


For starters, you can find the full class write-up here. I am not putting it directly here because I am not sure how to get the tables to look nice.
I've spent the last 3 months off and on trying to nail down a full-caster necromancer as a core class as opposed to an archetype or prestige class. Let me quickly gloss over the issues with the main classes, and explain my reasoning for ending up were I did:

the wizard
-delayed access to raise undead spells
-channel energy removes customization from the class forcing necromancy for arcane school
-very little ability to heal undead associates
+full caster

The Cleric
+ability to heal undead
+casts at appropriate level
+undead lord archetype has uniquie companion, but does not level with you
-3/4 BAB means lost potential
-not the variance in spells the wizard has access to i.e. very little illusion if any
-divine powered (i feel a necromancer should be at least partially arcane based)

Alchemist: while I love the alchemist, he is neither a full caster nor does he have 1/2 bab, so he does not fit the theme.

The solution, I feel, is an amalgam of the features a necromancer needs:
+half Bab
+full caster
+arcane powered
+ready access to undead healing
+unique undead companion from first level
+sorcerer like ability to transform into undead
+ability to raise persons from the dead, souls intact

To that end, I have combined these features and blended them into what I feel to be an appropriately balanced class to the druid.

If you have not read the document, please do so, it may be found here.

Things I need to address:
1. yes, I know that no other class lets you continue to level if you fall outside the alignment restrictions. The core of classes like the cleric and paladin relies in divine will; if your gods no longer favor you, you lose power; or in discipling; the barbarian relies on being wild, the monk on discipline; remove either, and the going gets tough. The necromancer, however, is none of these things; if his cleric-like powers result from his arcane blasphemous research, perhaps a non-evil necromancer is not willing to go that far. If his powers come from an oracle-like chosen-ous-ness, perhaps evil deities no longer favor him. In all cases, the core of his class remains intact, although diminished.
2. Why ban evocation? In older version of dnd, your opposition schools were harder set. Blasphemous research is likely old, ergo the necromancer is unlikely to cast evocation spells. Additionally, if evocation was allowed, every min/maxer out there would take it at second level. With this choice gone, we will see variation.
3. Channel negative energy should not be channeled at your level? You may have a point. my point here was to not give edge out to another class on being better at something necromancy; needs playtesting.
4. Undeadenings are unbalanced, particularly the capstone ability. Again, perhaps you are right.
5. Raise independent undead is too wordy, is not balanced, is too...
The purpose of raise independent undead is to allow the necromancer to raise fallen allies in a different way than what a cleric does. This is the easiest, most straightforward way to do that, and the ability in itself is not broken. Additional, it allows the necromancer to create different kinds of undead allies he could potentially mind control.
6. Replace undead and Master's call seem off/dont go with the theme. Perhaps you are right; these go with the theme of an evil necromancer boss; if you make it to his throne room, he will summon a great many of his minions to him, and make a speedy getaway. These are the abilities that I see as not core to the class and are most likely to be replaced.
7. The independent undead is unbalanced.
tackling this one case by case:
-full bab necessary to hit things at higher levels. this is the main focus of the class.
-druid progression instead of eidolon progression for hit dice is necessary to avoid hitting 0 hp at level 1, resulting in a destroyed companion.
-saves are different/absent to reflect undead template
-int scores here as necessitated by the theme of loss; see small flavor section at end of post.
-technically pets that died from old age could not be resurrected, but i'm not touching that issue.
-Yes, the Humanoid is more powerful than almost any animal companion, and has a higher BAB than the fighter at first level. The iconic necromancer would have a humanoid companion; there is no reason NOT to include druid animals. The BAB of 2 at level 1 is abnormal, but since you cannot select a feat at level 1 that requires a bab of 1, it evens out. This is an area I am especially looking for constructive criticism.

Short flavor section: The necromancer's entry into the profession is often fueled by loss; the death of a family member, loved one, or even a beloved pet; the necromancer refuses to let go of the attachment, and ultimately results in a walking avatar of their form, soul attached. I leave the specifics vague intentionally here, but there is likely a reason necromancers are evil from the start. Individual players may choose their path to companionship, be it knowing living sacrifice, poorly thought out rituals gone awry, or divine(or the opposite) providence, the could of a lost companion is irrevocably tied to a skeleton. The creation, as a first, is imperfect, and the intelligence of the undead companion is constantly modified as the necromancer progresses. In the case of a human-type companion, they should eventually resemble their former selves in terms of intelligence. In the case of a lost pet, the soul of the animal is still in there, but a supernatural intelligence is imbued, though still controlled by the animal's spirit. This creation has free will, though the necromancer may challenge this through normal means. (i.e. control undead)
Necromancers may choose to upgrade their creation upon discovering raise independent undead lesser, resulting in a leadership class-level style companion. Alternatively, the companion simply grows in power at level 9, or at the appropriate time if it is an animal.
It's entirely likely that many necromancers who do not fancy themselves evil quit the practice upon realizing their original goal of full resurrection at level 17, ending their bond with their companion.

I know that I am wordy, but am really looking forward to some advice.