| aegis |
Sorry if I skip the Introduction. I just can’t wait to read the rest. So let’s get started with the rules and let’s look, say, criticize, in raw order and without tongue-in-cheek:
The races new design is nice, starting with the new characteristic bonuses. The half-elf and the human take the best advantage of it, and the first one definitely needed it. I’m surprised, though, that the Gnome gets the Charisma bonus while the Halfling gets the Intelligence one. I would have skipped, even if the Gnome’s favorite class is now the Bard. Further, you already have a strong Dex/Int race with the Elf, and the Gnome used to be – strange how these things change from one edition to another – smart.
A small detail, but giving a precise name to each racial power is appreciated.
Still with the races, the new Weapon familiarity rules are much better and logical.
Small frame about the XP progression charts. Nice, simple, not indispensable, but handy. As well, the accelerated feat acquisition rate is a good thing.
About the first level HPs, I would say the original system was fine, but the Racial one you present seems very interesting indeed. I’ll try.
I’m a little disappointed by the alignment restriction on the priest, again. The possibilities with priests free of any alignment restriction in term of roleplaying are too vast just to be forbidden by the core rules. I know it’s simple to change, but it’s a detail I’m eager to defend: the best evil genius in the game is the lawful evil Priest of Pelor, so let him be!
Giving Priests proficiency with their divinity’s favorite weapon is a good thing, but what about those whose favorite weapon is a simple one? There should be some kind of compensation for these poor folks, like Weapon Focus.
Domain powers improving with level, that’s just what was needed to make the Priest attractive even when prestige classes become available.
Orisons at will are also a good point, and redesigning cure minor wounds was of course necessary then.
Once again, alignment restrictions (spell-related this time) disappoint me.
New and redesigned options for the Fighter are just great, including the use of weapon groups and armor ease. It balances the Fighter with the spellcasters a bit more, even at high levels. But why does Weapon Mastery preclude being disarmed? That’s cruel and arbitrary. I’m not convinced.
Redesigning how and against who sneak attack works is a good point.
Rogue Talents are a very good way to keep the class attractive longer, but I’m not very convinced that the Rogue was only “three-level-worth” before. At least, my players weren’t.
Making Arcane Bond an option working either with familiars or items – this comes from a Dragon Magazine article dealing with magi staffs if I recall – is an excellent idea.
Here as well, cantrips at will was indispensable.
The way redesigned schools of magic are handled is nice, especially the opportunity given to specialists to cast spells from “forbidden” schools in exchange for their school powers for the day. Lithe but balanced.
The HD changes were not necessary, but are appreciated.
Skills… Skills are my biggest disappointment. Most of the new skills associations are nice, but you should have pushed the idea further. Knowledge would need a redesigning, as well as few others. Anyway, I definitely don’t find the « trained-or-not » skill system sexy. In my opinion, it’s a useless limitation in the adventurer’s choice at every level for a not-so-needed simplification. Besides, the increasing number of known skills with level, though a good idea in this pattern, doesn’t really solve the problem. What if my character starts his career with the intention to become, say, an expert in the region’s history and at a given level simply stops caring about that to focus on flying? This is the weak point of the sneak peak, I think.
Talking about that, Fly as a competence may seem odd, but it’s a great idea. It should also be a class skill for flying races whatever their class.
I must say I haven’t read the whole detail of each skill, but I also discuss the balance of some of them. I still have the feeling that some skills are “must-have”, like Perception, and some are “left-asides”, like Swim. This is related to the not-thorough-enough association system, I guess. Hopefully, Use Rope has been deleted, at last.
Let’s look at the feats now. It’s a shame that skill-related feats, like Acrobatic, are still so boring and not appealing. If a brute power rise is not an option, I would be for giving another small advantage related to the skill uses. For example, Persuasive may also give the ability to make a Diplomacy check in half as much time as it normally takes.
Agile Maneuvers is good idea, but this and Weapon Finesse… It’s a bit expensive for a Fighter who would like to fight with agility. You’d answer this guy should play a Rogue, not a Fighter. Well, not necessarily, but I guess that’s what the Spadassin class is made for, isn’t it?
The new design of Combat Casting is nice, but I regret it doesn’t improve with level. The new Far Shot feat is good, and so are those improving combat maneuvers. Intimidating Prowess is a must-have, very nice. Toughness deserved the new design, but I think it’s too powerful at low level with the traditional starting HPs system. It should be powered down, unless another starting HPs system is eventually chosen.
Turn Outsider as a feat instead of a domain power is a good idea, but I hope the most powerful ones will have a huge turning resistance. I just can’t imagine a Marilith being rebuked. Same remark for elementals.
I haven’t read all the combat feats yet, but most seem fun and balanced. There’s good tactical potential everywhere.
The simplification of combat rules is appreciated. The new Cover rules are crystal clear, and the way maneuvers are handled as well.
I regret that grappling doesn’t allow silencing an adversary. The rest of the rule is fine – as you seem to be particularly interested in our opinion about this one – but there should be a way to make someone mute. Also, maybe for a higher DC the grappler could choke his victim, causing her to suffocate. That would be nice.
The Broken condition for objects is nice and simple, once again.
Turning Healing is useful, though not necessary, but here again, the healing stuffs are for the Priest. I don’t have anything against double-effect, but I was expecting something else.
Shools of magic again, but now with the details. Well, I like these rules a lot, and I like the fact that generalist Wizards haven’t been forgotten. Though, I would like to see more free metamagic feats at higher levels, as other school powers do improve.
Domain powers improving with level, I said it and I’ll say it again, it’s great.
The few presented spells are nicely redesigned. Black tentacles and entangle were indeed spells that had to be revised at all costs, and it’s done, great. I can’t wait to see the new versions of metamorphosis, telekinesis, and others…
The way encounters are supposed to be handled and XP distributed fits me perfectly. It’s simple and close from what I already use. I hope that, similarly, XP will stop being a resource one can just spend like gold pieces. I can’t wait to see the magic items creation rules.
The advice on conversion is welcome, but I already find this material very usable as such, even if it brings a lot of corrections to 3.5 core rules. For example, I don’t see any huge difficulty to add the prestige classes, the Tome of Battle system or Magic of Incarnum, with just small adjustments for most optional rules and simple suppression for what really causes trouble. Complete Scoundrel’s skill tricks would be a little trickier, but this is again because of the skill system. This will also cause problem with multiclassing and prestige classes handling anyway…
I think the best part of this whole Pathfinder thing is this possibility to tell you about our concerns and critics about this system, and just because of this, it will have my full attention for a while. Actually, even without this, the alpha-version completely convinced me, because of its quality, but also because of its compatibility with existing material. (Yes, 3.5 is a great edition and I want to keep my books!) It’s a very great job, with a quality comparable to that of Malhavoc Press’s products, so I’m thrilled. As a former reader of Dragon Magazine, I’ve been missing rules publications from Paizo during these last months. Now, it’s fixed. Thanks.
And again, bravo!
Jason Bulmahn
Director of Games
|
Thank you for the review Aegis. I am glad you like the Alpha.
I will take some of your concerns under advisement. We've got a ways to go yet.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer