Where did Circumstance Modifiers go?

[Tambryn]

I remember there being a +2 or -2 circumstance modifier specifically mentioned in the 3.5 PHB. I use this all the time to reward player ingenuity and show that enemies aren't always stupid. My assumption so far was that it had been included into the PFRPG by default but it appears I am wrong. I can't find it anywhere. I'll keep using it but does anyone know if it is mentioned in the core rules anywhere?

Tam

[Sothmektri]

They're all over the inside of my PFRPG DM screen, at least

[Tambryn]

For me it is more about being descriptive. The fighter spits in the ogre's eye before swinging his sword. In an effort to avoid the whistling club of the half-giant the halfling rogue toe kicks a rock into the dirt ceiling of the tunnel, causing dust to fall into his enemy's eyes.

Descriptive and descriptive only. Doesn't take an action. Just sounds cool and encourages everyone at the table to buy into the heroic scene.

Tam

[hogarth]

Good question. For instance, in the skill section of the 3.5 rules, it used to say:

d20srd.org wrote:

The chance of success can be altered in four ways to take into account exceptional circumstances.

-Give the skill user a +2 circumstance bonus to represent conditions that improve performance, such as having the perfect tool for the job, getting help from another character (see Combining Skill Attempts), or possessing unusually accurate information.
-Give the skill user a -2 circumstance penalty to represent conditions that hamper performance, such as being forced to use improvised tools or having misleading information.
-Reduce the DC by 2 to represent circumstances that make the task easier, such as having a friendly audience or doing work that can be subpar.
-Increase the DC by 2 to represent circumstances that make the task harder, such as having an uncooperative audience or doing work that must be flawless.

But I don't see anything like that in the PFRPG skill rules.

[Sothmektri]

Tambryn wrote:

For me it is more about being descriptive. The fighter spits in the ogre's eye before swinging his sword. In an effort to avoid the whistling club of the half-giant the halfling rogue toe kicks a rock into the dirt ceiling of the tunnel, causing dust to fall into his enemy's eyes.

Descriptive and descriptive only. Doesn't take an action. Just sounds cool and encourages everyone at the table to buy into the heroic scene.

I'm not sure I get how that ties into the OP or what I said, but I wasn't trying to be facetious or critical or anything. I don't have books at hand atm, but there are lists of example modifying circumstances for damn near every skill inside my PFRPG DM screen. I don't know if they are in the PFRPG offhand, but if they were I'd think just a couple of examples should do. I mean, they could never cover anywhere near all of the potential circumstances that could come up. In my role as DM I consider it one of my jobs to figure out what those modifiers would be that don't have specific examples listed. Of course I also describe what they are, try to make it interesting, etc.

[Tambryn]

I didn't mean to suggest that you were being sarcastic, only that the modifiers you see given for using skills in different situations weren't quite what I meant. Skill modifiers are always there in my games. The circumstancial modifiers I am talking about are used in my games to encourage players to be more descriptive when acting in-character.

Tam

[Wonz]

Tambryn wrote:

I remember there being a +2 or -2 circumstance modifier specifically mentioned in the 3.5 PHB. I use this all the time to reward player ingenuity and show that enemies aren't always stupid. My assumption so far was that it had been included into the PFRPG by default but it appears I am wrong. I can't find it anywhere. I'll keep using it but does anyone know if it is mentioned in the core rules anywhere?

Tam

I think the closest thing you can find on the Core Book is the "Fiat Rule" on page 403. The example sounds exactly like a circumstance modifier to me.

[Sothmektri]

Tambryn wrote:

I didn't mean to suggest that you were being sarcastic, only that the modifiers you see given for using skills in different situations weren't quite what I meant. Skill modifiers are always there in my games. The circumstancial modifiers I am talking about are used in my games to encourage players to be more descriptive when acting in-character.

Tam

Ah, gotcha, sorry! I'd have to concur with Wonz. It sounds like you're talking about circumstance modifiers that you're giving out for descriptive roleplay in combat, right? If so I'd file it under the same thing... or my brain is just bouncing off of this topic like a rubber bullet, which is also possible:)