xDialtone's page

So I argue that this is meant to be a core book, and not the Inner Seas expansion. The ethnicities are there for people to get a general feeling and idea of who/what they are, and not full on 10 page descriptions of each or we will have a 600 page book with several hundred of those pages just back racial/cultural backgrounds.

Core books are meant to be resources for DMs to use to have in their own worlds and not just Golarian campaign setting, and I think people need to remember that (which is the issue I have with Gray Maiden faction as the test PrC amongst other things about it).

I'm a fan of backgrounds, I just want for there to be more of them. I mean, there are backgrounds now for a barkeep and an entertainer, but not one for a chef or a baker- what gives? We have a background for a Smith, but not for someone who was a Woodworker or a Mason or a Weaver or any other sort of craft.

I think there just need to be like ten times as many of these.

They can't just make one for every small profession, there's literally hundreds. Even 5e doesn't have that many. Which is why the legal ability to make your own and the ability to customize is important, so YOU can play that background if you wanted to.

It seems like there's intent for Backgrounds to be a broad design space -- Doomsday Dawn includes 6 "campaign backgrounds", which are much more specific than the general ones in the CRB -- much like the campaign traits in past APs.

The Backgrounds intro text on pg 38 could perhaps be edited a bit to include more of the specificity that you provide, and also make explicit that these are examples and tables can generate their own?

I'm not too happy with the campaign backgrounds because they are mandatory if you play in it, but overall yes, the design of backgrounds seem to be meant to be simple and easy, and seems to be worded in a way where it could be an option, but isn't. Hopefully they will add the ability to add it in.

Excuse me if I post this in the wrong section, didn't see a forum space for backgrounds. Please move to proper section if need be.

So one thing I've noticed is that backgrounds are very limiting and restricted currently. The current list is workable on a small scale for general play, but in terms of differences of people's PC's sometimes they do not make sense.

So I suggest a feature similar to 5th Edition that allows the creation of custom backgrounds using specific rules. In 5e, it is legal in Adventure League to create your own following the rules they set:

Background:
• Choose 2 Skills to be Proficient in
• Choose a Mix of 2 languages or tools to be Proficient in
• Choose a Background Feature
• Up to X gp in misc. items (can't rmemeber this one properly)
• Choose a single Feature of a background to use

This is allowable in their official play and I highly suggest Pathfinder 2E allow the same, especially in Society Play so that characters can be different without going to far out of way of things and balanced against other players.

In Pathfinder 2E backgrounds are, in general, listed and described as the following.

Background:
• Choice between A or B Ability bonus
• Choice of any Ability Bonus
• Lore Skill
• Skill Feat

I suggest the following be added for custom backgrounds:

Background:
• Choose 1 Physical Ability Bonus -- STR, DEX, CON
• Choose 1 Mental Ability Score Bonus -- INT, WIS, CHA
• Choose a Lore Skill
• Choose a Skill Feat of which requires a level of no more than 1st level. -- feats requiring a trained skill can be chosen

For this, I believe Lore Skill needs to be expanded on vs something very vague it is currently so players can get some choices as an example.

In an example of a custom background:

Magical Survivor
You were once a prisoner of an arcane caster and used in magical experiments, you have escaped captivity but the scars of arcane power are still felt.
• Choose two ability boosts. One must be Dexterity or Intelligence, and one is a free ability boost.
• You gain Arcane Sense as a Skill feat and you are trained in the Arcane Lore skill.
-- As a custom Background, DEX and INT would be the two selected Physical and Mental Stats

In the example above it follows along the lines of official backgrounds and reading and acting in similar fashion.

Again I iterate that allowing custom backgrounds with a ground work of rules will help the game in the long run to allow players to FEEL like they are different from others and providing a small in game boost in the same way that traits did in 1st Edition of the game.

Thank you for reading.

Checks the other half of the building...

Nope. No collapse. Still filled with Goblinworkers making a Pathifnder MMO!

File this rumor under "BUSTED."

You sarcasm and wit have not gone unnoticed +1