xDialtone's page

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.

As of right now, according to the blog, that you can mix and match your class up to level 20, and that if you level (say a rogue) to level 20 you get a ability that only a level 20 of that class can get.

My question is, can you later on change your classes instead of being stuck at a 'level 20 rogue'.

Can I level a rogue to 20, then later on say I don't want to be just a rogue, and change myself to a level 15 rogue (lose all the abilities of those 5 levels and level 20 ability), and level up 5 levels of a sorcerer or after that change it again to maybe 15 rogue, 2 sorcerer, 3 ranger for example (and we of course would have to spend the time to level them up).

According to the blog, it says that the plan is make it take 2-3 years for someone to reach the 20th level, and that's a long time and many people might have second thoughts later on about their class and wouldn't want to start all over with a new character just to switch a few stats/levels.

Basically, my question in a nut shell is:
"Are we stuck at level 20 with what we picked, or are we going to be able to switch in and out our classes and stats (str agl cha sta) if we want to try new abilities or make a more custom class?"

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to every bit of new news that comes out.