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But the rules for fast healing specifically describe it as being "just like natural healing," while the healing from spelleating is not mentioned as being magical.

I found a Pathfinder conversion of the old AD&D rogue modron that I really liked, and I suddenly had the idea to try to build a modron bard. Because I am easily amused, and the thought of a modron monotonously claiming his intention to "utilize a sequence of pleasant sonic tones to improve morale and promote frivolity" amused me.

But then... well, I realized that, RAW, that was completely impossible. Modrons, even rogues, must be Lawful, and bards can never be, plus they take a penalty to their primary stat. Yet... well, from there, I tried to think of ways to turn this thing around.

I'm doing this as I go along, and I'm still not sure if this should be modron-restricted or not. I'm also worried about possible impact from replacing the bard's spontaneous casting with cleric-style "prepared casting from a larger list," so I dropped it despite the thematic use one might get out of it.

I also feel like I outta cook something up to replace Jack of All Trades, but I admit that I'm blanking.

Gotta start somewhere though. So, well, here... we... go.

Progressive Musician:
Some musicians prefer to rely on meticulous composition and preparation rather than spontaneous musical talent. They quickly create a musical style at once similar to and completely distinct from normal bardic practice.

Alignment Restriction: A progressive musician must be of Lawful alignment. This replaces the normal bardic alignment restrictions.

Intelligence Dependent: A progressive musician creates music through rigorous intellectual craftsmanship rather than sudden creative bursts. She uses Intelligence instead of Charisma when determining the highest level of spells she can cast, her spell save DCs, the number of spells known at 1st level, and any effects of her performances normally determined by her Charisma.

Additionally, the progressive musician who has at least one skill point in a Perform (instrument) skill may use Intelligence rather than Charisma on the the Perform skill checks she makes to use the instrument.

This ability replaces the bardic knowledge (Ex) power.

Forceful Artist (Ex): A progressive musician's rigorous, logical approach to his art begins to reflect itself in his spells and music. Once per round, a progressive musician may sacrifice his move action to increase the effective CL of the next spell he casts before the end of his next turn by 1, or to increase the bonuses or save DCs of his next bardic performance before the end of his next turn by the same amount.

This ability replaces the Well-Versed (Ex) ability.

I love the concept of the bolt ace. If nothing else, it presents a way to port Gunslingers into campaigns and campaign worlds where the DM might be leery of letting in firearms and all they represent.

However, I'm not sure it goes quite far enough. If guns are fully banned from the table (a move I don't agree with but understand), then the bolt ace will still have a few gun-related class features and traits that specifically refer to firearms and the use thereof.

So, in light of this, I've decided to present a couple of alternate traits for the bolt ace. They will be boring, but it will hopefully make the archetype a fully "crossbow-gunslinger." If you've another idea, let me know.

My other ideas were, respectively, to grant a bonus feat at level one to replace firearm training and to just remove Gunsmithing altogether, and give the bolt ace a few extra grit points instead, since he or she'll be burning through much more to get those sweet, sweet touch attacks.

Anyway, short and boring:

Exotic Crossbow Training: At 1st level, bolt ace gains proficiency in all crossbow weapons, even those which are normally considered exotic weapons, such as the hand crossbow and repeating crossbow.

This ability replaces firearm proficiency.

Master Fletcher: At 1st level, the bolt ace gains the ability to craft crossbows and bolts without requiring a crafting roll. He may manufacture any crossbow out of raw materials for half the normal weapon's cost, or bolts for 10% of their normal cost. If he has at least one rank in Craft (alchemy), he may manufacture alchemical bolts (described under Alchemical Archery in the Pathfinder Player Companion: Alchemy Manual) at half their normal cost.

This ability replaces the Gunsmithing class feature.

The other day, I suddenly thought it might be cool to put together an ooze PC race. Unfortunately, turns out most of what I'd need to do it would be really hard to do in the established Race Builder.

Sooo... I decided to climb this mountainous molehill, and try to make up appropriate stuff where it didn't exist yet. Here's what I've got so far, using appropriate Pathfinder rules:

Amorph (amorphs, amorphic)

Amorphs are the result of symbiosis between two distinct lifeforms so completely integrated that they have effectively become the same being. A brain and simple nervous system float within a mass of jelly-like slime that serves the combined functions of an immune system, digestive system, and circulatory system for it. Scholarly opinion is divided as to whether amorphs are of natural origin, or are the result of magical experimentation, a problem exacerbated by the lack of history or record-keeping on the part of the amorphs themselves.

Unlike many intelligent oozes, amorphs do not naturally tend towards evil, and most are capable of living relatively normal lives. They can be found living in small communities in many large cities, or in small wandering caravan-communities in more sparsely-settled parts of the world, including the Underdark. Such communities are generally quite hospitable towards strangers, within reason. Amorphs are asexual creatures and reproduce via budding, with young amorphs raised in the community.

The typical amorph has a personality that can best be described as cheerful, generous, curious, and dim. Those found in the Underdark are generally more suspicious than their surface counterparts. Most have difficulty remembering unimportant information, and while they are largely welcoming of strangers, it is generally regarded as a sensible precaution to remind an amorph of what substances, for instance, might be toxic to other humanoids.

Amorphic adventures are generally drawn into their profession either by an insatiable sense of curiosity and wonder or by some great need or quest.

With some basic roleplaying background that out of the way, here's the rules stuff already in the game:

Base Speed: 20 ft. (-1 RP)

Ability Scores: Mixed Weakness (-2 RP) -2 Dex, -4 Int, +2 Con, +2 Cha

Traits:

Defense:
Healthy (2 RP)

Skill:
Curiosity (4 RP)

Senses:
All-Around Vision (4 RP)

Blindsight (30 ft.) (4 RP)

With that in mind, here's the custom stuff.

First, a new "Type":

Half-ooze (12 RP): A large portion of this creature's body is composed of an ooze, either naturally or as the result of some sort of magical experiment. It gains the following traits:

* All-Around Vision: Half-oozes gain a +4 racial bonus to their Perception skill checks and cannot be flanked.
* Blind: Half-oozes have no sense of sight and cannot process visual information. Without either blindsight or blindsense, they cannot use their Perception skill visually. They are immune to gaze attacks, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.
* Blindsense (30 ft.): Half-oozes can sense other creatures using senses other than vision, as per the blindsense special ability.
* Healthy: Half-oozes gain a racial +4 bonus on fortitude saves vs. disease and poison, including magical diseases.
* Unusual Anatomy: While half-oozes, unlike full oozes, possess vital organs that can be injured, they can shift these organs around within their bodies, making injuring them more difficult. Half-oozes have a 50% chance of taking no extra damage from critical hits or sources of precision damage, such as sneak attacks.
* Slippery: Half-oozes are not always completely solid. They gain a +4 racial bonus on all Escape Artist checks to slip free of bonds and squeeze into tight spaces, and can squeeze through spaces as though they were one size category smaller than their actual size.
* Amorphous Body: Half-oozes are unstable, and must actively work to solidify the surface of their body into a rubbery surface to hold and manipulate solid objects. A half-ooze can only wear or carry six items at the same time, and does not have a foot slot.
A weapon or shield held in the hand, armor worn on the body, or any item that occupies a magic item slot each count as one item. Any item requiring the use of two or more hands counts as a number of items equal to the number of hands it would normally occupy. This trait does not grant the creature additional limbs. Any items that are carried by or in other items (ex. a quiver hung from a belt, a potion kept in a bandoleer, a sword hung from a backpack) do not count towards this limit, at the DM's discretion.
A half-ooze race that lacks this trait also lacks the Unusual Anatomy and the Slippery racial traits.

Second, a new "Size":

Variable (1+ RP): Choose two sizes within one size category of one another. This creature can shift its size from one category to the other as a move action. This is not a supernatural ability and does not magically adjust the size of the creature's equipment to fit it when it changes size, though armor and clothes can be modified to expand or contract with it via elastic internal bands between any two categories. (The cost of this modification is equal to the cost of resizing full plate to fit a particular wearer.)
The cost of this racial trait is increased by the cost of both size categories involved. Additional categories can be added for their point cost plus one.

So, using these custom traits and types:

Amorph

Type: Half-ooze (12 RP)

Size: Variable (Small/Medium) (1 RP)

Amorphs can compress and expand their gelatinous mass to shrink or grow in size while maintaining the same weight, but cannot either grow beyond their brains' and nerves' ability to maintain the ooze's cohesion (Large), nor shrink so that the organs are inadequately covered by gel (Tiny).

Speed: Slow (-1 RP)

Lacking legs, amorphs must scoot along on their pseudopodia.

Ability Scores: Mixed Weakness (-2 RP) -2 Dex, +2 Con, -4 Int, +2 Cha

Amorphs are durable and gregarious, but slow and sluggish both physically and mentally.

Traits: Curious (4 RP)

Perhaps because they find remembering so difficult, amorphs are always willing to ask and learn.

Total: 14 RP

Well, whaddaya think? Too strong? Too weak?

I don't think I'd outright ban anything unless I had it on good word from multiple people better with the system than I that it was flat-out broken. (A category in which I pretty much put the Synthesist and nothing else.) And I *do* try to wring a rudimentary backstory out of my players before we begin so I can make things personal.

(Ex. In addition to the broader plot, one guy's hunting his father's murderer who made off with the family sword, one gal's carrying a dangerous artifact her master tried to have her deliver without being fully aware of what it does, one crazy person has hallucinations no one else can see that predict the plot, etc.)

Are there things in Pathfinder I'm not fond of? Yes. (Wizards, and their armies of constructs casting wish spells for more wishes, for one. Humans in general for another.) But I'd let it pass unless they were literally overwhelming every other aspect of every encounter for everyone else.

I had a player complain once about a gunslinger in the party, and I honestly tried to listen to his concerns. But then he actually used the phrase "disdaining the glory of close combat" in a real world conversation, and I both had trouble taking him seriously and began to feel content that he didn't have much of a point beyond "EVERYONE SHOULD PLAY THE GAME EXACTLY LIKE ME!" One nasty misfire in the session after that changed his tune a little.

In terms of the Race Builder and such, I tell them to keep it around ten RP, with a couple extra "mulligan points" if they really want something but can't quite fit it in. If they want to build their own and are having trouble doing so (one guy likes playing weird creatures and wanted to have face-tentacles and snake legs respectively), I mostly just look for similar abilities in the book before assigning a points value. (Face-tentacles is about the same as prehensile tail, snake-legs involved trading in the foot slot for immunity to trips, etc.)

I put together a homemade barbarian archetype today, but my group canceled at the last minute so I haven't gotten to show anyone.

Then I remembered, holy cow, there's a *forum* where I can put all this!

Link here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17K3Or8Skl-dHLSdozkMkX3RiWUaT-rj1is_qy5a cu0c/pub

Comments off the cuff:

I might also restrict the class to light armor, just in case it's too good.

I can't believe "Brutal Pugilist" was already taken.

EDIT:
Can't get stupid Google Docs to let other people link to it. No, I don't know why. Instead of a clean, well-formatted thing with italics and bold and things, I guess I'll just have to give out the messy version. Sorry.

Pathfinder Barbarian Archetype

Ferocious Fistfighter
Some barbarians eschew weapons and prefer to fight with their fists, finding a kind of wrathful enlightenment in the fury of battle.

A ferocious fistfighter has the following class features:

Improved Unarmed Strike:
At 1st level, a ferocious fistfighter gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. This class feature replaces martial weapon proficiency.

Rage (Ex):
At 1st level, a ferocious fistfighter can rage for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + her Constitution modifier. At each level after the first, she can rage for one additional round each day. This ability modifies the rage class ability.

Unarmed Strike (Ex):
At first level, and every four levels thereafter, a ferocious fistfighter’s unarmed strike damage increases as per the monk class ability of the same name, but using his ferocious fistfighter levels instead.

A ferocious fistfighter may now choose to deal nonlethal rather than lethal damage with no penalty to his attack roll while using unarmed strikes or grappling, and his unarmed strikes count as both natural and manufactured weapons for the purposes of spells that enhance such weapons.

This power will not function if the ferocious fistfighter is wearing a shield or heavy armor, even if he is proficient in their use.

This ability replaces the rage powers gained at 4nd, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 18th level.

Frenzied Flurry (Ex):
At 3rd level, a ferocious fistfighter may make a frenzied flurry as a full-round action. While doing so, she may make one additional melee attack this round while taking a -2 penalty on all attacks made this round, as if using the Two-Weapon Fighting feat (even if she does not meet the prerequisites for the feat). All attacks made in this way must be unarmed strikes.

At 12th level, a ferocious fistfighter makes two additional attacks this round while making a frenzied flurry as if using the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat (even if she does not meet the prerequisites for the feat).

At 18th level, a ferocious fistfighter makes three additional attacks this round while making a frenzied flurry, as if using the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat (even if she does not meet the prerequisites for the feat).

While making a frenzied flurry, a ferocious fistfighter applies her full strength bonus to all strikes. She cannot use any weapon but an unarmed strike to make a frenzied flurry. A ferocious fistfighter with natural weapons cannot use them to make a frenzied flurry, nor can she make natural attacks in addition to her frenzied flurry.

This ability replaces the trap sense ability and increases gained at 3rd, 12th, and 18th levels.

Wrathful Enlightenment (Ex):
At 6th level, while raging, a ferocious fistfighter gains a bonus equal to his Wisdom modifier (if any) to all of his saving throws. This bonus stacks with all other bonuses, including the normal +2 bonus to Will saves normally allowed by rage.

This ability replaces the trap sense increase gained at 6th level.

Primal Power (Ex):
At 7th level, a ferocious fistfighter’s unarmed strikes gain primal power are treated as as magic, cold iron, and silver weapons for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction, so long as he is raging or has at least one round of rage remaining that day.

At 10th level, primal power also treats his unarmed strikes as chaotic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

At 16th level, primal power also treats his unarmed strikes as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and hardness.

This ability replaces the damage reduction ability and increases granted at 7th, 10th, and 16th level.

Bonus Feats:
At 13th and 19th level a ferocious fistfighter gains a bonus feat for which she qualifies. She may treat her ferocious fistfighter levels as a monk levels for the purposes of bonus feats gained in this manner.

This ability replaces the damage reduction increases granted at 13th and 19th levels.

Improved Fast Movement (Ex):
At 9th level, a ferocious fistfighter’s fast movement ability improves, adding twenty feet to her race’s base movement speed.

This ability replaces the trap sense improvement gained at 9th level.

Brutal Force (Ex):
At 16th level, a ferocious fistfighter may take a -2 penalty to his AC to allow his unarmed strikes to deal damage as though he were one size category larger for one round. This ability only modifies his unarmed strike damage, all other weapons still take the normal penalties.

This ability replaces the trap sense improvement gained at 16th level.