What are your Pathfinder Game House Rules?

[DGRM44]

Please post any house rules you currently use in your Pathfinder Game. Thanks!

[Evil Lincoln]

Mine.

[Dubiousnessocity]

all we have not posted in the rules book is the fumble deck, i allow casters to cast touch spells without provoking AoO, and i dont role saves on inflict/cure spells.

BUT most important to the game is that as the GM i roll ALL non secret checks on the table. (i even stopped using the gm screen)

[DeathQuaker]

First game I ran I used very few house rules, as I wanted to get a good feel for rules as written before changing anything.

Future games will include a few tweaks, nothing major. Off the top of my head:

- All ride skills are at +5 DC (that's an old house rule I've used since 3.5)
- Fighter and Sorcerer get 4 skill points instead of 2 (that's probably the biggest change I will make)
- Waves of Exhaustion allows a save or be fatigued
- Martial proficiency allows you to use quarterstaff as a trip weapon
- Short sword does slashing or piercing, user's choice
- Dragon hide armor rules make the dragon size required for a suit of armor smaller, allow scales from multiple dragons to make armor, and allow the creation of "dragon leather" (using the softer parts of the hide, like wing flaps) (also an old, established house rule)
- Players roll all of their own checks even when the rules say they shouldn't, like a "secret" Perception check, although I often ask them to roll them ahead of time, so they don't know when the Perception check matters. (Also not new, just how all of us play it, including my GMs when I'm a player. I was actually surprised when I was re-reading some skill rules and realized there were a bunch of checks the GM has to make for the player. Way to make more work for the GM, game designers.)
- Two Weapon Fighting and Vital Strike trees will be a single feat that simply increases in power as the character levels and still meets the prerequisites.
- "Improved <Combat Maneuver Here>" will have a BAB prerequisite rather than Power Attack or Combat Expertise (will keep the Int/Str prereq)

That's all I can remember right now. (Edited to add more that I thought of.)

[Deadmanwalking]

Here are mine.

Well, most of them anyway. I've since added a couple more inspired by some that James Jacobs mentioned he uses in the "Ask James Jacobs" thread.

These consist of:

-Bards can reallocate skill points out of redundant skills when the acquire a new Versatile Performance. All circumstance or non-attribute based magical bonuses that would apply to a skill, apply to it’s Versatile Performance equivalent on appropriate actions. So Boots of Elvenkind will add to Versatile Performance - Dance for Acrobatics checks (and only Acrobatics checks).

-The Swashbuckler Rogue Archetype can switch out their free Martial Weapon Proficiency for another appropriate combat related Feat (actually, James Jacobs gives them Dex to damage instead of the free Feat, but with my modified version Dervish Dance this can do that, too).

-Breath of Life: This spell is considered a cure spell for purposes of Clerics casting it spontaneously. Oracles don’t get it for free, though.

[DGRM44]

Dubiousnessocity wrote:

BUT most important to the game is that as the GM i roll ALL non secret checks on the table. (i even stopped using the gm screen)

I do this as well, pretty much as far back as I can remember playing RPGs. I think a big part of the excitement is knowing what number needs to be hit and everyone watching closely with anticipation as that die rolls around on the table until it comes to rest on its final number. Instant Gratification or Instant Disappointment! The emotional rollercoaster of those die...yep, I am a fan. However, I still do use secret checks when appropriate.

[DGRM44]

DeathQuaker wrote:

Players roll all of their own checks even when the rules say they shouldn't, like a "secret" Perception check, although I often ask them to roll them ahead of time, so they don't know when the Perception check matters.

Can you give me more specifics in how you do this?

[sozin]

- Primary healer gets 3 free-action healing spells/wand usages per combat.
- Severe gimping of Detect Magic: you have to have line of sight on the magical thing to be able to detect magic on it.

[The Eel]

sozin wrote:

- Severe gimping of Detect Magic: you have to have line of sight on the magical thing to be able to detect magic on it.

Personally, I don't think that's gimped at all. It's open to interpretation, but I'd say that's how the spell works RAI. If that magic sword's in a chest, under a blanket, you can't see the aura. Otherwise it's just a cheap autodetect on magic, when a perception should be used to find it in the first place.

The only reason I bring it up is, I gimp it even further. It has a range of touch in my game. I do let the spell be prepared in a 1st level spell slot for the original cone effect, but even then I use line of sight. And I'm VERY strict about rounds and concentration. Can't use it in combat without serious consequences.

I do give the players a little leeway with the touch range, though. If they cast detect magic on a magic trap, or something else that triggers with touch, I'm not gonna spring it in their face. Flavor-wise, I guess you could say that the caster's hand must be hovering just over what they want to cast the spell on.

[DeathQuaker]

DGRM44 wrote:

DeathQuaker wrote:

Players roll all of their own checks even when the rules say they shouldn't, like a "secret" Perception check, although I often ask them to roll them ahead of time, so they don't know when the Perception check matters.

Can you give me more specifics in how you do this?

It is very primitive. :)

At the beginning of a session or before a point where I know a lot of Perception checks are going to be made (vs. stealth or traps or other things), I ask the players to make, say, 5 Perception checks and tell me the results then. I write down the 5 checks in a line on paper or on my laptop, and when the first time happens that they need a Perception check comes up, I check the first line, note the results, then cross it off. And so forth.

That way players feel more in control because they are rolling the dice (and it's less die rolling and character stats I have to track), but they don't go, "Oh, we just made a Perception check, we must have missed something." I'm always scribbling all over everything so they don't necessarily know when I took note of the checks (or they politely ignore it).

Mind, my players aren't really metagamers, and if I don't have the in-advance rolls made, then I just do have them roll at the time and they manage just fine keeping player knowledge apart from PC knowledge anyway--and still saves me time (and I don't have to take note of everybody's Perception modifiers, etc.).

[Necromancer]

Since my current group has given up on pure melee characters entirely and don't care for harrowing battles, I've expanded on existing house rules:

- players roll 4d6, drop the two lowest die, and add six to get their ability scores

- additional feat at first level

- ability points given at every even level instead of every four, max hit points at each level, and players can select two more skills as class skills (no extra skill points)

- full arcane casters do not receive a secondary attack unless used to deliver touch spells or the like

- all touch and ranged touch spells add caster's INT/WIS/CHA modifier (as per class) instead of STR/DEX modifier to attack roll

- miracle/wish spells restricted to specific effects (there's a list somewhere)

- alignment completely removed

- massive damage rules for NPCs (allies included) and enemies

- outsiders defined by alignment subtypes are now defined by species subtype (angels, ineveitables, dæmons, kytons, etc.); outsiders' spell-like abilities can be swapped around to fit their disposition/philosophy

- no antimagic field, beholders, etc.

- spells such as chaos hammer are reformatted to fit elements or similar spectrums; i.e. "life" hammer harming undead and negative-energy friendly creatures and "death" hammer harming living creatures

- detect alignment reformatted to detect outsider subtype; added "detect haunt" and "detect heretic" to spell lists, will save to hide result

- cantrips/orisons are now free actions, treated as supernatural abilities, and require no components or focuses

- flight speed scales by character level + INT/WIS/CHA modifier

- wizards store their spellbooks in an extradimensional space anchored to their location; the area only holds spellbooks written by wizard in question, is not subject to rifts and similar effects, and cannot be accessed by planar travel, magical suppression only prevents access; the area fades slowly after the wizard's death with the books gradually appearing near the corpse; standard action to retrieve spellbook, free action to store, and at level 10 one spellbook (at a time) can hover near the wizard once retrieved

- witches' familiars can meld with their masters, shielding them (familiars) from attack; immediate action to meld, full-round to emerge; familiar can remain within masters corpse after death for one week per level of witch

- summoners' eidolons are not an aspect of an another outsider, eidolons are born into existence by their masters and remain for years after the summoner's death

- undead creation does not require black gems; only herbs, salts, and so forth; mindless undead are commanded telepathically by their controllers

[greatamericanfolkhero]

Here's a link to my Eberron house rules, though it's more of a conversion doc than a house rule doc.
Below is a copy/paste from the house rules of the upcoming SpellJammer game I'm going to run.
===
==CharGen==

* Characters are built using 25 point buy if the class they’ve chosen to play isn’t on the “MAD list” If the class (or archetype) the player wishes to play is on the “MAD list” the player builds using 28 point buy. (PFRPG 16). No more than one stat may be lowered below 9.
* Characters start at level 2.
* Starting Wealth is 1150gp for non-MAD characters and 1000gp for MAD. No more than 500gp in any single item. (This does not count the things that a character gets automatically, such as the free set of clothes or the Wizard’s starting spellbook.) The trait “Rich Parents” adds 900gp to the total (if you feel the need to burn a trait for extra gold.)
* No Evil alignments (and I would consider it a big favor if your character wasn’t chaotic neutral.)

==
Hit Points: Hit dice are max at first and second level (as this campaign will be starting at second level) and at all other levels if you may take the die roll or the average result for the die (d6=4, d8=5, d10=6, d12=7). You may decide after the roll. No rerolls otherwise.
(I’m just changing how they’re rolled here. You still get your con modifier and any from feats or favored class levels as normal.)

==The “MAD” List==
MAD stands for Multiple Ability Dependent, esentially it means that, unlike a wizard (who only really needs a to focus on Int) a class requires four or more decent stats to preform its role sucessfully.
The list is:
Classes
Paladin
Monk
Magus
Archetypes
Fighter (two-Weapon Warrior)
Summoner (Synthesist)

==Significant Revision to Core Rules==
Full attacking and Flurry of blows are now standard actions.
If you move more than 5ft and up to your full move you take a -2 to hit on all
Iterative attacks that round (attacks after the first in a full attack action or
flurry of blows, but not attacks of opportunity made that round.)
(This is an experiment that I’m conducting. I don’t believe it will unbalance the game.)
Pounce is an exception to this. It allows a full attack without the -2 movement penalty when used.
==
Knowlege (Psionics) is now folded into Knowlege (Arcana).
==

==General Rules==
Allowed Books: When putting your character together the following books are allowed.
Pathfinder Core Book
Advanced Player’s Guide
Ultimate Magic
Psionics Unleashed
Skortched Urf' Studios Fantasy Firearms
Skortched Urf' Studios Fantasy Firearms II - Reloaded
Super Genius Games: Genius guide to The Godling
Super Genius Games: Genius guide to The Mystic Godling
Super Genius Games: Genius guide to The Time Thief
Super Genius Games: Genius guide to The Time Warden
Super Genius Games: Ultimate Options - Magus Arcana
Super Genius Games: #1 with a Bullet Point - 10 feats of Hammer and Thunder

(This list not declared from on high. If there’s something you want to use from a book not on this list we can discuss it.)
I recommend having a copy of the core rulebook, but in case you don’t this is a link to the pathfinder rules. I will be bringing along the other books listed to the game sessions.
(at this point I’m going to have to veto the playtest classes from Ult. Combat until that book is released.)
==
Hero Points: This game will be using the “hero points” optional rule from from the APG (Advanced Player’s Guide).
In addition to the uses of hero points in the APG a hero point may be used to “Hasten Infusion” as per the use of action points on page 46 of the Eberron Campaign setting.
The Players will begin play with 2 hero points instead of the normal 1. In addition the normal cap on hero points is 4 instead of 3.
The Feat Hero’s Fortune raises the maximum number of hero points from 4 to 7. The abilities that various PrCs get to raise their action point caps stack with Hero’s Fortune.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/hero-points
==
This game will be using the Trait optional rules found in the APG p326.
You can choose two traits, no more than one from any category.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits

==Game Master Decisions==
Some things that should be saved for later (clarifications and such.)
Synthesist Summoner: You can wear armor while fused, but only armor you could cast in without worrying about Arcane spell failure (essentially light armor). When resummoned you gain the full temp hit points. See this link

==Feats==
If the feat is not listed here it is safe to assume that it is ok as is. (Provided it is from one of the allowed books.) Changes are listed.
Pathfinder Core Rulebook
Leadership (PFRPG xx) is not available.
Natural Spell (PFRPG xx) is not available.
Psionics Unleashed
Autonomous (PsiU 42) Knowlege (Psionics) is now Knowlege (Arcane).
Craft Cognizance Crystal (PsiU 43) has been folded into Craft Wondrous Item. Take that instead.
Psicrystal Affinity (PsiU 48) as far as I’m concerned psicrystals do not get their own feats. (also, as Pathfinder constructs are no longer immune to critical hits neither are psicrystals.)
Psionic Meditation (PsiU 51) is not available.
Talented (PsiU 53) is not available.
Ultimate Magic
Antagonize is not now, nor will it ever be available

[Gorbacz]

1. You can counterspell as an immediate action. However, you lose your standard action in the next turn.

2. If an attack knocks a PC beyond the death treshold (-Con) in one go, he gets a single round of "knockin' on heaven's door" when allies may try to save him.

[Cathedron]

All of our house rules were decided democratically. These are our big ones.

All rolls during combat are done in full view (including the DM's).

Death is much more final in our game. Everyone just finds it more exciting. Any spell that brings someone back to life is twice as expensive and must be used within a very short time frame. This mainly leads to the PCs owing a cleric a huge favor.

On that note: If you roll a natural 20 to hit and then a 20 to confirm, whatever you were attacking is killed if it has fewer HD than you. If it has more HD than you, it takes additional damage and gains some sort of condition at the DM's discretion.

But that also goes both ways. An enemy that rolls two 20's instantly kills the PC as well.

For skills: no taking 10s. A 1 is total failure while a 20 is awesome success. The player gets to describe the awesomeness of their success or is forced to describe the hilariousness of their failure. This mostly keeps the DMs on their toes as it hands over a bit of the story-telling to the PCs.

[Helaman]

The Eel wrote:

The only reason I bring it up is, I gimp it even further. It has a range of touch in my game. I do let the spell be prepared in a 1st level spell slot for the original cone effect, but even then I use line of sight. And I'm VERY strict about rounds and concentration. Can't use it in combat without serious consequences.

Same here - touch only.

What I do allow is range (as per detect evil) if you power it with any first level spell.

[Helaman]

Helaman wrote:

The Eel wrote:

The only reason I bring it up is, I gimp it even further. It has a range of touch in my game. I do let the spell be prepared in a 1st level spell slot for the original cone effect, but even then I use line of sight. And I'm VERY strict about rounds and concentration. Can't use it in combat without serious consequences.

Same here - touch only.

What I do allow is range (as per detect evil) if you power it with any first level spell.

I got a bunch that are work in progress.

Forgive the crappy formating - looks better in the word doc the rules were pasted from

All spell casting classes need a feat ta to be a caster

Spoiler:

Spell casting is rare. All players wanting to play any spell casting classes need to purchase “Magical Training” as a feat at first level. Bards or Inquisitors who forgo any casting ability can take bonus feats of any type at the same rate as a fighter gains bonus combat feats. Paladins and Rangers can gain a bonus combat feat at level 4 instead of being able to cast spells at that level if they chose not purchase this feat and so be unable to cast spells.

Full casters, Alchemists, Magi, Oracles and Witches also get access to ritual magic, something that allows access to greater than level 3 spells or boost power of existing spells. Bards, Inquisitors, Rangers and Paladins can participate in but not use ritual magic.

Monk

Monks receive +1 AC on top of Monk AC bonuses listed in the book. Note there are some changes to Improved Unarmed Combat as well.

Ranger

Given the strongly human trend in the game, Human Rangers may not select Human as a their favoured enemy, nor can Fey Rangers select Fey as their favoured enemy.

Sorcerer
Changes here are covered in the Setting Section.

Changes to Existing feats, New Feats, New Traits

Spoiler:

Craft Wand
Special: Also allows creation of Rod and Staves. These items can be also enchanted to allow bonus to caster level.

To create a spell focus item that increases the casting level of one school of magics, the object is treated as a +1 weapon. For all spells, the object is as if creating a +3 weapon.

Agile Maneuvers
The feat can be used to replace Combat expertise as a pre-requisite for Combat Maneuvers.

Combat Casting
The +4 bonus to concentration applies to all concentration checks for combat and movement.

Dodge
Using dodge while wearing no armour grants an additional +1 dodge AC. Monks do not benefit from this change.

Forge Ring
Prerequisites: Caster level 6th. The feat can also be used to be to create amulets, belts and so on. These items can be also enchanted to allow bonus to caster level.

Improved Familiar
Imps, Memphits, Pseudodragon and Quasits etc can be chosen at 6th level with an expensive (1000 gp) ritual.

Improved Unarmed Strike
Those with Improved Unarmed Strike fighting those without the feat while in unarmed combat gain either a +1 to hit or +1 dodge AC chosen at the start of each round.

Mounted Combat
Those using this feat also gain a +1 to hit and +1 to damage while mounted. The damage bonus increases to +2 while charging.

Turn Undead
The DC for undead to make a Will save is equal to 10 + your cleric level + your Charisma modifier.

New Feats

Improved Monk Weapon Training
Using this feat a monk can use a single weapon they are proficient in as a monk weapon, gaining all the abilities allowed. Additionally, when using flurry attack with the specific weapon, the weapon uses the same damage dice, critical range and multipler, as well as number of attacks as if the monk were attacking unarmed. Finally if the monk possess the deflect arrow feat, the monk may still deflect arrows even when using a two handed weapon selected for this feat. Feats specific to the weapon chosen are such as Weapon Focus are used. Improved Critical or Keen assumes the unarmed combat critical range as base when calculating the new threat range when using flurry attack.

Insane rage (General)
Prerequisites: Barbarian rage
Effect: You can burn stability points to prolong your rage. While raging you are unaffected by the adverse effects of stability loss (but not wisdom damage).

Magical Training
This feat is required before any levels in spell casting classes can be gained and represents aptitude or an apprentice-ship. It can only be bought at first level. The character chooses one of the caster classes as a background. They can then learn 3 cantrips/orisions to be cast once a day as a level 1 caster of the chosen class. Paladins and Rangers use clerical and druidic orisions respectively. This bonus is lost once they take their first level of a casting class, except for Paladins and Rangers, who retain the ability to use orisions as if they were full casters even after becoming 5th level. This feat must be selected for each casting class the player wants to learn, though the access to Can-trip/Orison ability is only granted for one class if selected multiple times without a casting class already being taken. Bards, Rangers and Paladins not taking this feat will not have the option to learn spells later.

Mental toughness (General)
Prerequisites: None
Effect: Your mind is hardened to shock and you receive a +2 bonus on saves to resist stability loss and insanity, in addition this feat is treated as the toughness feat except it grants bonus stability points instead of hit points.
Music of the spheres (General)
Prerequisites: Bardic music ability
Effect: The DC to resist your bardic music is one higher for Aberrations. You can use stability points to extend the duration of your bardic music.
Supernaturally experienced (General)
Prerequisites: Magical Training Feat and a level in full caster class.
Spell users reduce any amount of lost stability due to magical or supernatural threats by 1 after 2nd level in a caster class and an extra +1 for every 4 levels after that.

New traits
Sound mind
You have seen or are aware of the horrors of the world and your mind has adjusted.
Your stability is increased by one and you receive a +1 trait bonus on saves to resist stability loss.

Changes to Existing Skills

Spoiler:

Animal Handling

Animal Handling allows the Character to act as if they had the Heal skill when treating animals.

Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate:
A PC can use the aid another action with these skills to grant one ally a +2 morale bonus to saves to avoid stability loss. This can also be used help in a save roll when a player is attempting to shake themselves out of a condition caused by stability loss.

Healing

A healer may restore lost mental stability using the heal skill if they possess Skill Focus: Healing as a feat. In calm surroundings, targets regain stability at twice the normal rate when aided by the heal skill; this has a DC of 20. In stressful circumstances those with the heal skill can use a full-round action and make a DC 25 heal check to restore 1 point of stability to an ally, restoring an additional number of points equal to his wisdom modifier if the DC is exceeded by 5 or more. Using the heal skill in this manner may only be done once per day. It may also be used as a full-round action to grant an ally a +4 bonus on his save to snap out of a condition caused by lost stability.

A roll can also be made to remove Injury Penalties. See the Combat Section.
Knowledge (Arcane): This skill can also be used as Knowledge (Dungeoneering) for some aberrations as well as Fey.
Knowledge (Arcane/Dungeoneering/Historical/Local/Planes):
A character who makes appropriate knowledge checks to recognize what he is up against gains a +2 insight bonus to saves against stability loss from that particular threat unless the threat is 4 or more CR’s higher than the average character level in the party, in which case he instead gain a -2 penalty on his saves. Other bonuses are possible too.
Using Skills
Sometimes players want to do things we with their skills that are either impossible according to the rules, at least for a character without a certain feat. For example, no matter how hard a character tries, he can’t use Bluff to feint in combat as a move action without Improved Feint. These options combined with player ingenuity and DM adjudication help make skill use more flexible without introducing rules bloat in the form of new feats.
Calculated Risk
You can take a calculated risk on one check to make a follow-up check easier. You accept up to a -5 penalty (or +5 DC bonus) to the first check in exchange for a up to +5 bonus (or -5 DC penalty) to the second check. The two checks must be related and on the first, penalized check cannot be a check on which you take 20. Calculated risks require some narrative imagination and common sense adjudication by the DM. Failure in the first check means the penalty carries to the second check without any bonus. The penalty and bonus are directly related. The second check must also be performed regardless of the success of the first check if possible.
Example, a character faces a difficult climb. He uses Perception to look for handholds along the climb route, taking a -2 penalty against the DC set by the DM. If successful, he finds a suitable route and gets a +2 bonus on a Climb check. A sense motive check against an official could be used before a diplomacy check would be suitable as well.
Fast Task
You reduce the time needed to complete the check by accepting a -5 penalty to check or a +5 bonus to the check’s DC. If the check is normally a full-round action, it becomes a standard action. An standard action becomes a move action, while a move action becomes a free action. For checks requiring time in rounds, minutes, or longer, reduce the time needed by 25 percent per -5/+5 modifier, to a maximum 75% reduction.
For example, using Bluff to feint in combat is usually a standard action. A character could accept a -5 penalty to his check in order to feint as a move action. Another example: Opening a lock is normally a full-round action. If the rogue is in a hurry, he can use fast task to use Disable Device to pick the lock as a standard action. Of course, he first wants to search for traps, normally a move action. Using fast task, he can use Perception to look for traps as a free action.
Simultaneous Tasks
You can accept a challenge in order to perform two checks simultaneously. To attempt simultaneous checks, make the challenge check, followed by a second check using the same or a different trait. Your secondary check suffers a -10 penalty or a +10 increase in Difficulty. The combined task requires the same time as the longest normal task, so if both tasks require a standard action, you accomplish the simultaneous use in a single standard action rather than two.
For example, a character being grappled by ogre can use simultaneous tasks to use Escape Artist to get out of the grapple and then use Bluff to create a distraction. Both actions take a single standard action to accomplish.

HPs and Injuries

Spoiler:

Injuries — Variant HP Rule

When using this variant rule, lost hit points recovers naturally at a much faster rate. This system also introduces a special type of damage - Injuries - which recovers naturally at a slower rate. This allows for faster recovery and less need or resources for healing.
Damage taken in combat represents tiring parries and dodges, deteriorating protective equipment, strained morale and dumb luck; a creature's various defenses get worn down after many intercepted attacks, and this leaves them vulnerable to a more devastating hit. Injury damage is just like regular damage except that it represents connecting hits that physically injure the target, resulting in serious cuts, broken bones and burned flesh.

• Normally damage received is deducted from Hit Points. Regular Hit Point damage is Non-Lethal damage and heals naturally at that rate. When reduced to 0 hit points damage becomes Lethal.
• Injuries are considered Lethal damage and heals naturally at that rate

An Injury results from
• Any confirmed critical hit
• Any failed saving throw that inflicts damage
• Any "final blow" that grants the dying condition or results in fewer than zero HP remaining.

When a creature is injured, subtract the damage amount from its current Hit Points as you would normally, but also take the amount of damage that was dealt by that attack separately as an injury from maximum hit points.
Mundane or magical treatment cures Injuries and normal HP at the same rate. Non-lethal attacks never cause injuries (although a confirmed critical may still double the amount of nonlethal damage received). Objects always suffer injuries regardless of the attack, as well as any entity that lacks a natural ability to recover lost hit points. Hit Points can never exceed total injury points remaining.

Damage Penalties (harmonized with the injury variant HP rule)
A character that receives damage in battle loses its capacity to fight efficiently. Be it from weariness or as a result of an injury, the character receives penalties according to its current state. Penalties remain until HPs or Injuries are restored beyond the point the penalties are triggered.
A character becomes fatigued when the character has taken more injuries than their Fort Save total or loses more than 50% of their maximum hit points. If a both of these conditions occur or the character has less than 10% (rounded) of their maximum hit points remaining they become exhausted.
A fatigued* character becomes exhausted** by doing something else that would normally cause fatigue, including when both situations stated above apply simultaneously. These conditions replace those in the Core Rules.
*fatigued = -1 to AC, caster levels for spell results, spell like abilities, save DC and all combat, save and skill rolls.
**exhausted = -3 to AC, caster levels for spell results, spell like abilities, save DC and all combat, save and skill rolls. An exhausted character moves at half speed and cannot run nor charge and consider all casting time as one step higher (swift action becomes standard action, standard action becomes full-round action, full-round action be-comes 10 minutes etc).
Raging characters ignore these conditions.
As an optional rule is that conditions can be ignored by a DC save equal to the number of hit points damage missing as a swift action each round.
--- This is very much Work in Progress---

Armour and weapons

Spoiler:

Weapons and Armour affecting initiative
Using light weapons grants a +1 to initiative rolls. Two handed weapons also generate a -1 initiative. Double weap-ons, Quarterstaff, Doublesword etc exempt. Wearing no armour gives +1 initiative bonus, Medium armour gener-ates a -1 initiative, Heavy armour, a -2. The fighter's “Armour Training” class feature can reduce or remove the armour AC penalty. When using 2 weapons, use the worst criteria.

Armour and Damage Resistance

Characters may choose to get additional (limited) protection from their armour - Armour prevents Injury (not HP) damage. Light Armour provides 1/DR vs Injury, Medium Armour is 2 and Heavy 3.

Big arse long winded treatise on Spell Users and Magic

Spoiler:

Magic within the Setting
Magic can be extremely dangerous and is viewed various degrees of mistrust, superstition and fear as result. While some rulers seek out users of magic for counsel and support, they do not use Magicians as an instrument of large scale warfare. Reasons for this range from Magicians being rare, being unwilling to become military assets or even to no wanting to risk Magicians unifying and understanding how to use war as a tool to overthrow their rulers.
Magecraft, Wizardry etc is the study of how to use magic. It is as much as an intellectual pursuit as a craft and is respected as such by those who do not fear magic. The caster needs to physically, mentally and perhaps even emo-tionally, form a link to the stuff of magic in order for it to do their bidding – something requiring many years of practice and study to form that link to the essence of magic and learn it use it. It may require material items to drive the desired result and it requires the caster to study spells to lock their power away to be released later. The Magus Class presented under the Ultimate Magic Book falls into this category.
Sorcery is another matter entirely… It’s a direct line to the magic itself, no materials or study required. It can come about in two ways.
Bloodline provides one path (such as seen in the core rules) is a very rare occurrence at best for humans. It generally manifests at puberty and the sorcerer making their own way via natural study of their abilities. Demi Humans have a natural affinity for magic and, without purchase of the Magical Training Feat, are considered to be able to tap into one of the following bloodlines: Arcane and Fey as well as Deep Earth for Dwarves or Gnomes and Verdant for Elves and Halflings. Other bloodlines require either a start as a sorcerer (and need to purchase the Magical Training Feat or sponsorship (below).
The other path to sorcerous power is a sort of supernatural sponsorship – in short, the sorcerers link to magic is pro-vided by a powerful 3rd party… (Angels, Devils, major Fairie, Mythos Entities and the like), who can either weaken or remove that link at will. This pretty much means that a sorcerer isn’t a free agent but rather an agent of their sponsors agenda if they want to continue to be able to use magic. As sponsors are also very powerful creatures in their own right, they can do a lot more to punish delinquent servants than simply removing their link to use magic. On the other hand such sponsors do have some vested interest in the sorcerer and may help as long as it is in line with their interests.
Both types use exactly the same rules as the core rules, though Bloodline (or True Sorcerers) always start as level 1 if they are human. A sponsored sorcerer normally comes into their arrangement later in life, with the catch being they can have their caster abilities reduced or even eliminated (and any bloodline powers) by their sponsor. Such sorcerers still would retain skills, proficiencies, feats (incl. those from the bloodline) and hit dice. Though the link is removed, the caster retains their effective caster level - even though the link is provided by another, the ‘will’, skill or ability remains their own. Once the link is re-established, the sorcerers ability to use magic fully returns as well.
Because Sorcery is perceived as ‘Easy’ by Wizards, they generally resent the hell out of it – That there can be a kid with as much power as a practitioner who has spend his entire youth in study tends to upset them, to say nothing of those who can use magic with no training at all simply because they non human or are in the service of an other-worldly power. Sorcery is perceived a ‘supernatural’ and feared as evil and manipulative – a view that Wizards go out of their way to promote. Witchcraft is often lumped in with Sorcery.
Bards are no exception, with bards starting at level 1 being naturally attuned to magic or by sponsorship if they wish to use magic after moving into the class after level 1, with some bards choosing not to have ability to use magic. Bards will either hide any magical ability or attempt to disguise it as magecraft. Sponsorship provides access to spells as normal and none of the Sorcerer bloodline abilities, though the Sponsor of the Bard may influence what spells the Bard learns or has access to.
Finally, Channelling is used by those tapping into magic by the power of their faith and with the assistance of their ‘God’. Clerics, Druids, Inquisitors, Rangers (casting is considered as per druid) and Paladins (casting is considered as per cleric) have their access to magic provided by their Gods in a partnership, rather than the servitude that tends to follow that of sponsored sorcery… though the results for severely displeasing their Gods can be much the same. It is viewed more positively than magecraft by those who follow the specific faith of the channeller, with a more nega-tive view of the magics practiced by other faiths and even more so for the magics used by ‘opposing’ faiths.
Channellers are rare however in their respective faiths and are considered roughly akin to Saints in the making. Many clergy, including leaders may have little or no magical aptitude themselves with NPC clerics facing many limitations not found in the Core rules. Druids worship the gods of the Old World or Fey, while Clerics (generally) are the servants of the gods of Men... or the “Fallen” of those gods.
All casters are able to draw on different forms of ritual magic to increase their power, whether it be access to higher magics or rituals that enhance their magics, making it more effective.
Overall Magic is seen as the stuff of the impossible, and knowledge of 'things that man should not have the knowing of'. A caster is able to provoke feelings of awe and reverence at best and bloody minded panic and irrational fear at worst. Even among allies or friends and family the use of magic can create jealously or superstitious accusations.
Using magics of any sort in public needs to be carefully considered, and should, if possible include an explanation of what is to happen and the relative risk of the spell to those in attendance if a negative reaction is to be avoided as much as possible.

Common man defenses against supernatural/magical threats

Spoiler:

Common Defenses Versus the Supernatural or Magical
All sorts of horrible monsters stalk the average fantasy world. Against many of these creatures, the common people have little defense. How do the common folk manage to stay alive when a single mob of shadows could lay waste to the average hamlet?
Adventurers are a big help but Adventurers aren’t supposed to be a dime a dozen. They can’t be everywhere all the time. What common means of defense against supernatural monsters exist?
Fire
With many supernatural or abnormal threats someone’s probably going to set some thing on fire in order to destroy it. Fire has a long history of use as a purifier. In the game, fire gets deployed a lot, especially against regenerating monsters and when taking out groups of foes conveniently clustered together in fireball formation. Other monsters, such as mummies, have well-known vulnerabilities to fire.
Some creatures have a lesser vulnerability to fire. Against fire-based attacks, these monsters suffer +1 point of dam-age per damage die. Fire-users need to take care, however. Not all lesser vulnerabilities to fire apply to mundane fire. In these cases, only magical fire causes extra damage.
Holy Symbols
What could be more iconic than the stalwart monster hunter holding a vampire at bay with a boldly presented cruci-fix? Anyone can present a holy symbol associated with their faith in an attempt to hold supernatural evil at bay. Doing so is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity targeted against vulnerable creatures within a 30-foot spread who have both line of sight to the presenter and the holy symbol.
If the presenter has faith in the symbol/religion, the presenter makes a Will save which is opposed by the Will saves of the affected creatures. If an affected creature’s Will save is less than the presenter’s Will save, then the affected creature is dazed for 1 round. If the presenter scores a natural 20 on his Will save, all affected creatures within range are dazed for 1 round regardless of their respective Will saves. The presenter can attempt to hold supernatural evil at bay repeatedly.
One cannot attempt this mundane use of a holy symbol while using the channel energy class feature but those who possess the channel energy class feature add 1 to the roll for every D6 of energy they could manifest – which can be counted towards the generation of a ‘natural 20’ result.
Iron
Iron (and steel) also works quite well against incorporeal undead, as well as the Fey. Normal iron’s properties affect the fey and the incorporeal undead differently:
Normal iron and fey: Normal iron doesn’t bypass DR, but it does harm fey creatures. A normal iron or steel weapon enjoys a +50% bonus to damage rolls against fey. An iron implement (such as a horseshoe) that is held against a fey’s skin for one full round burns the fey creature for 1d6 points of damage. Even touching iron is generally enough to cause pain and possibly inflict a point or two of damage.
Normal iron and incorporeal undead: Normal iron weapons (including improvised weapons) cannot inflict damage on an incorporeal undead, but they can disrupt its form. Striking an incorporeal undead with an iron weapon forces the monster to make a DC 15 Will save. If it fails, the incorporeal undead is disrupted.
While disrupted, the incorporeal undead can only take a single move action each round. It becomes invisible and cannot be harmed by weapons of any type. Magic and channeling energy can still harm a disrupted incorporeal undead. Each round at the beginning of its turn, a disrupted incorporeal undead gets to make a DC 15 Will save as a free action. If it succeeds, it is no longer disrupted and may act normally. A disrupted incorporeal undead gets a +1 bonus on this Will save for each round that it has been disrupted.
Running Water
Some supernatural creatures cannot cross running water. They can’t even use bridges or fly over running water. This is one more reason why most communities are built near rivers or streams.
When confronted with running water, a supernatural creature with this vulnerability can attempt a DC 15 Will save. Success allows it to cross the running water, but the creature is treated as if staggered during the crossing. Failure means the monster simply cannot cross under its own power. It could, however, have a minion or vehicle carry it, but during the crossing the creature is treated as helpless. The monster is only ever allowed one saving throw to cross any particular body of running water.
Many magics can also be ended by running water… immersing the subject of a spell in running water or under heavy rain reduces the duration of a spell by 1 hour for every full round in the water.
Salt
Salt purifies and preserves. In some places during certain times in human history, salt has literally been worth its weight in gold. Without salt, food spoils more quickly and sickness and death await. Against certain supernatural creatures, salt has two uses. First, it can form an effective barrier, and salt can also cause damage.
Salt barrier: As a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity, a inch or more width of a line of salt can be poured across a single side of a 5-foot square. Creatures susceptible to salt cannot move across this line using any innate means. This includes all modes of movement as well as spell-like and supernatural abilities. The salt line does not prevent the creature from attacking across the line, however, so salt users had best move back to avoid reach.
Also, while the creature cannot directly affect the line of salt, it can use a variety of means to break the line’s integrity. A gust of wind can blow the salt away or water can wash it away. Thus, in many instances, a salt barrier provides only temporary security.
Contact with salt: Salt susceptible monsters who are exposed to salt’s touch for one full round suffer 1d6 points of damage from the contact of a handful of salt. The touch of a lesser amount is painful to such undead that can acknowledge pain.
Silver
Creatures without DR /silver that are vulnerable to silver suffer +2 points of damage from silver weapons (including improvised weapons like a silver candlestick holder). A silver item (such as a silver piece) that is held against a vul-nerable creature’s skin for one full round burns the creature for 1d6 points of damage. This applies to creatures with DR /silver as well as those that are just vulnerable to silver. Shape changers tend to be susceptible to silver.
Sunlight/Sunrise
The sun’s light chases away the darkness and the creatures that live in it. It is the most common defense against supernatural evil, even if one must survive for several hours before it can be put into play. In many folk tales and fantasy stories, all sorts of creatures can’t stand the light of day.
Several creatures already have sunlight vulnerability or light weakness. These game effects are well-defined. Long duration magics are generally greatly weakened or dispelled by sun rise and sun set (each sunrise/sunset is held as an additional 12 hour period), lessening durations accordingly and sometimes drastically. Summoned Creatures cannot last beyond this threshold of time and return to their place of origin.
Thresholds
Before inviting that handsome stranger into the house, make sure he’s not a vampire or some other sort of supernatural beast. Everyone knows that vampire’s (or similar foes) been invited, they can enter at will.
Creatures with a full threshold weakness cannot enter a building unless invited – a partial threshold weakness will greatly weaken the creature if it forces entry. It must be a resident who invites the creature, but not relevant if the invitation is gained via deceit or magic. Of course, this weakness doesn’t prevent the creature from setting the build-ing on fire or sending in minions. Spell casters lose a variable number of levels when entering uninvited to a dwelling, depending on the relative strength of the threshold.
Only personal dwellings are so protected – Inns, places of commerce or areas open to the public offer no protection. Religious sites will have a similar protection but one that is based on the faith of those within it.
Monsters susceptible to iron, salt, silver, and holy symbols can also be kept from entering a building if the appropri-ate item is affixed or poured near the various entrances. Hanging an iron horseshoe over the front door doesn’t just bring good luck. It also helps keep malicious fey out of the living room. One needs to take care that all potential entrances are so warded. The horseshoe over the front door might stop a goblin from entering through a window…. and a well stoked fire should keep them out of the Chimney.
True names and personal items
Things like hair, blood and so on can also create assist a link to a person, as well as very close personal items. For the most part this only opens the potential victim to make scrying magics easier to perform but could open the target to much more. Generally the spilling of one’s own blood on the ground is held to be unlucky and hair, nails or bandages are often burned.
The true name of a being or person also can open channels to make it easier to perform magics on them. For mortals the ‘True name’ is simply the full name as personally said by the owner of the name – generally parents and local religious leaders take responsibility for a childs name until their coming of age, when they are given either a new name or their own name. Saying one’s own true name to one who has the power to use magic can make them vulnerable to magical influence and magical binding. For Outsiders or Fey and other magical creatures, simply knowledge of their names, is enough to generate the same effect.
Names are held to have power. As a rule people take on other names or use only parts of their name and are superstitious about ‘proper’ names in general.
Putting these Common Defenses into play
Since these are the commoner’s methods of defense against the supernatural, it stands to reason that the various methods are well-known. Knowledge of when these defenses are appropriate is generally a DC 10 or 15 check.
If the PCs suspect that they will be facing evil fey, then they may be well advised to stock up on iron weapons and to bring along a sack of iron nails and horsehoes to affix near building entrances. If its known that a monster sighted in the area is one that can also be held at bay by a boldly presented holy symbol, this can be critical to the groups safety , when in desperate situations, even the devout fighter can whip out a holy symbol and have a chance to daze the monster before it can gut the party’s wizard.

Sanity

Spoiler:

Horror in Pathfinder System for the Setting
The mental stability of Characters and NPCs can be impacted by extremes of violence or unnatural experiences.
As a PC loses stability points he becomes more and more unhinged and his behavior becomes increasingly erratic. When he first lose stability he will often act nervous, maybe joke a bit about it or start talking rapidly. Some may gasp and swoon, hold their mouths or cover their faces in disgust or shock. Praying or cursing is a common reaction to seeing horrors. Some react with determined anger or silent contemplation.
Someone with low stability will usually act in an odd and even illogical way. Some become distant and difficult to communicate with effectively. Others might obsess over things, usually whatever caused their stability to falter. Some become almost suicidal and hysterical. More unscrupulous characters might turn psychotic, sacrificing the safety of others to serve their own needs.
A shaken character will often physically tremble, his eyes move from side to side in a frantic motion. He may be short of breath and when he speaks he will often stutter or jumble up words. A frightened character may become pale white. He may burst out in tears or bouts of hysterical laughter or screaming. His speech will often be com-pletely incomprehensible. A panicked character will often scream at the top of his lunges. His hair might turn white. He may flail about uncontrollably screaming and crying and gibbering nonsense. If cornered he will usually fall down in a fetal position rocking back and forth while mumbling.
Stability and sanity
All characters have a stability score of 10 + Will Save + level (minimum 10).
Each time a character is subject to anything that might result in stability loss he must make a will save or lose stabil-ity.
Martial characters have more resistance to physical perils and the DC to resist and stability loss from such effects are treated as one step lower meaning that they can ignore seeing a mundane dead body, blood etc. Likewise characters with magical ability and experience treat supernatural threats as one step lower. There may be some characters who are able to deal with both dangers. This is determined at 1st level and does not change as the character levels up. Only characters who have access to Spell Craft or Knowledge (Arcane) as a class skill can choose to be more resilient to magical and supernatural threats.
Fey are automatically treat supernatural threats as two steps lower (regardless of class) due to their experience with the supernatural world.
Events are broken into the following categories.
Disturbing
• A mundane shock like being surprised by a dead body or experiencing something frightening like being threatened with violence or experiencing something bizarre such as seeing a wall flowing with blood or hearing ghostly voices. These disturbing but not necessarily dangerous experiences have a DC of 10 and a stability loss of 1d3. Humanoid Monsters etc may qualify for this category.
Shocking
• A more terrifying visage like that of a mutilated corpse, witnessing a scary supernatural event, or being in physical or mental peril has a DC of 15 and a stability loss of 1d4. This is the usual check for normal combat or being sub-jected to harmful magic. Large numbers of humanoid monsters etc, corporeal undead, supernatural, hideous or large monsters may qualify for this category.
Horrific
• A horrific experience like being in mortal peril, witnessing something horrifying like themselves or others being subjected to torture has a DC of 20 and a stability loss of 1d6. This can be also being subject to a supernatural as-sault or hostile magical control including magical fear. You must usually make this check if you are reduced below 25% hit points, see the most competent of your party die or such things. Large numbers of large, undead, supernatural or hideous monsters as well as a huge or a larger monster, or aberration may qualify for this category.
Terrifying
• A truly terrifying event like being subjected to one of your greatest fears, being forced to kill or torture a loved one, being brought back from the dead or witnessing a terrible supernatural evil has a DC of 25 and a stability loss of 1d8. If you are the lone survivor and must face the horror alone this is the sort of check you must make. DMs may have certain monsters such as demons and so on fall into this category.
Mind shattering
• The most terrifying experiences like being buried alive or possessed by a malign evil or witnessing cosmic horrors has a DC of 30 or higher and a stability loss of 1d12 or even more.
The save to prevent stability loss is treated as a mind-affecting, fear ability for the purposes of bonuses and penalties to the save. Creatures immune to fear or mind-effecting effects gain a +5 bonus to saves against stability loss and reduces the amount lost by half (minimum 1). If your stability reaches 0 any further stability loss is taken as wisdom damage instead. If you reach 0 wisdom from this loss you must make a new will save at the same DC that lead to the stability loss. If you fail you don’t go unconscious but instead suffers an insanity as mentioned in the GM guide. If you succeed you immediately faint into a comatose state and won’t wake up until your wisdom score is increased to one or higher.
When you have less than 10 stability left, you are treated as shaken for the encounter, when you have less than 5 you are frightened with the source of your stability loss as the source of the effect. If you have 0 or less stability remaining you are panicked. If you are immune to fear or mind-effecting effects you are instead fatigued, then exhausted then staggered. These conditions last until you can regain enough stability to recover. Mindless creatures like vermin are immune to stability loss as are creatures immune to ability damage.
The bravery ability reduces any amount of lost stability due to mundane threats by the listed amount.
When someone reaches 0 stability they need to make a check against the DC of the event that pushed them over the edge. If failed, the victim will generally develop a fear, a phobia, related to the thing or event that pushed them to breaking point. The GM may choose to make it the thing that generated the largest stability loss if the shocks come close together. The experience also lessens their permanent stability by 1.
On the DM’s discretion certain characters may be more or less resistant to certain maladies as fitting for their back-ground, alignments and vocations. For example: a good creature forced to harm an innocent would have a higher difficulty than an evil one, and a fighter would probably not falter if someone threatened him with physical violence. Likewise characters may treat certain specific turmoil’s as more potent if they have a personal fear or aversion to the triggering event.
Regaining lost stability:
Stability returns at the same rate as nonlethal damage, but only in complete and calm surroundings. Spells that calm emotions and heal ability damage may heal some or all lost stability.
Remove fear can also restore 1d6 points of lost stability and remove the effects of stability loss if so chosen.
A lesser restoration spell restores 1d4+caster level of lost stability.
A calm emotions spell removes the effects of reduced stability and fear for the duration of the spell. This may give a player a chance to regain stability in circumstances that are less than peaceful.
A restoration, greater restoration or heal spell restores all lost stability.
You also can gain permanent stability when successfully banishing or defeating supernatural or magical terrors - for each major accomplishment in a horror Campaign the pc’s may be awarded with a permanent stability point (in an adventure path this is usually when an installment is finished). Likewise if a pc achieves a personal goal he may be awarded a permanent stability point.
Snapping out of it:
A character who gains an adverse condition by losing stability may use a full-round action to snap out of it and recover. This save is made at a DC 5 higher than the original save and can only be attempted once. All penalties associated with the condition is also present. A frightened or panicked character can only attempt this save when the threat that caused the condition is out of sight. A staggered character must spend two full rounds to snap out of it. A character who snaps out of it doesn’t regain any lost stability but may ignore the adverse effects of his lost stability until he loses more.
Phobias and personal fears:
If a character hits 0 stability they may develop phobias and fears against the horrors that pushed the person over the edge. Any stability checks against horrors related to his phobias and fears are treated as one step worse. Even encountering the mundane things invoking his fears requires a check (usually at the lowest DC). The phobia must be something that will be relevant to the game and may actually cause trouble. He may choose the same phobia more than once in which case the severity of the check increase by one degree for each time it is chosen. A compulsion could also be chosen in place of a phobia, if the GM feels it is appropriate.
Permanent stability loss:
Each time a character’s stability drops to 0 or lower, a point is permanently lost. If a pc’s sanity is broken that pc looses 1d3+1 permanent points of stability. If a pc dies and is brought back he loses 1d4 points of stability perma-nently. Only a restoration spell or more powerful magic can restore permanently lost stability points.
Fainting:
Each time you fail a save against stability loss by 5 or more and you lose more than 20% of your current stability as a result, you faint and become unconscious for 1d4 minutes or until you are healed of any amount of stability damage. A character can also be brought back from unconsciousness by using smelling salts, strong liquors etc (a full round action) or a heal skill check DC 10 as a standard action. Any amount of damage (or some rough physical handling as a full-round action) will also immediately awaken an unconscious character.
Some optional modifiers and ideas for this system.
Strength in numbers:
In combat situations, outnumbering your foe grants a +2 circumstance bonus to will saves to avoid stability loss from being in physical danger.
Fighting for a cause:
If a loved one or a personal ideal is at stake you may gain a +2 circumstance bonus on your will save to resist the horror.
Being able to exploit a weakness of the horror:
If you knowingly possess something that the threat has a vulnerability to then the confidence can provide you a +2 circumstance bonus on your will save to resist the horror.
Getting used to awfulness:
Each time you are subject to stability loss from the same kind of effect or turmoil you gain a cumulative +1 circum-stance bonus on your save and any stability loss is reduced by 1 to a maximum of +5 to the save and -5 stability loss. The DM may rule that there are certain events you may never get used to.
Frightful presence:
Creatures with frightful presence incur a stability loss at a degree one worse than normal in addition to their normal effects.
Insane insights:
When a pc has suffered wisdom damage due to stability loss he gains an insight bonus to all knowledge checks that involve the nature of the event that triggered the loss equal to half the total number of points lost.
OPITIONAL
Magic and Stability
Dangerous magic:
Magic can be taxing for the mind and soul. Anytime you cast a harmful spell you must succeed in a will save DC 10+spell or take a stability loss equal to the (modified in the case of metamagic) level of the spell. Every three caster levels the stability loss from this is reduced by one to a minimum of 0. Specialists lose one less stability from spells cast from their specialty school. Spontaneous casters have a +2 bonus on saves to avoid stability loss. Certain spells might have a higher or lower stability loss or DC at the DM’s discretion. Some spell completion and spell-trigger items might also induce this loss at the DM’s discretion. Spell-like or supernatural abilities don’t cause any stability loss.
Stability lost from magic:
Certain spells can cause stability loss in addition to any other effects they may have. In that case the DC to avoid stability loss is equal to the DC of the spell and you lose stability based on the DC of the spell by comparing it to the DC’s of the stability loss table above. Not all spells cause stability loss and some are more horrific than others, here is a list of what type of spells cause stability loss and modifiers.
• Any damage spell that brings a targets hit points below 50%
• Spells/Rituals that raise people from the dead (these losses are permanent for the recipient)
• Spells or attacks that cause negative levels, ability damage, ability and level drain.
• Spells that willingly or unwillingly force you to change form, with unwilling changes resulting in permanent loss.
• Spells with the teleport descriptor
• Spells that cause mind control, mental influence, insanity and pain and spells with the fear or death descriptor (Fear and Death spells are particularly potent and have a +2 DC to resist stability loss). Sustained magical control or magical controls that are in direct opposition to the victims beliefs or way of life inflict greater amounts of mental damage.

[roll8dn]

Well, I'm currently running an e8 playtest with the Pathfinder ruleset. Here's what I've got so far:

Hit Points:

Spoiler:

All 1st-level PC class characters (not NPC classes or monsters, unless I need to build a particularly tough monster) start with Con score + full HD rather than Con mod + full HD. All PCs reroll 1s on their HD rolls after 1st level.

In addition, I'm using Evil Lincoln's Alternate HP Rule. Also, I'm using something similar to his idea for injury penalties. However, mine are -2 and -4 to all offensive abilities (attacks, skill checks, ability checks, CMB, ability and spell save DCs, etc.) but not defensive abilities (AC, saves, CMD, etc.). A creature is Injured at 50% hp (-2) and Wounded at 25% hp (-4).

Magic:

Spoiler:

I'm including Incantations, from the SRD, to replace high-level spells that might be needed for story purposes, but I've not gotten around to writing any of them down yet.

I've eliminated the following spells from the spell list for either balance or story purposes (in parentheses):

Reincarnate (Story purposes; death is final, for the most part, in the world I'm designing. I want the resurrection of a character to be an epic quest, not a matter of a grand, 10 minutes, a new body, and two negative levels.)

I'm sure I'll wind up including more as playtesting shows what can and cannot be affected by non-magical means. For example, I'm currently thinking over reworking Black Tentacles to make it more counterable by non-spellcasters.

Magic Items:

Spoiler:

I'm allowing alternate +1 abilities to weapons (such as flaming or frost) without the +1 enchantment bonus required by RAW; however, such weapons do not offer their masterwork bonus on to-hit rolls (for balance purposes).

In addition, I'm in the middle of putting together a list of items that can be built with 4th-level spells (and 8th-level casters) and below. I know that the item creation rules have changed for several things with Pathfinder from 3.5, and I'm also in the middle of working through a few changes on that front, as well.

Right now, I've divvied up the various item creation feats into five: Craft Magic Arms & Armor (prereq of Master Craftsman or CL 5), Craft Wands, Staves, and Rods (CL 5), Scribe Scroll (CL 1), Brew Potion (CL 3), and Craft Wondrous Items (CL 3 or Master Craftsman). Rings have been rolled into Wondrous Items.

Skill Checks:

Spoiler:

Unless a player has asked about a specific area for Perception or Stealth or the like, I assume that the characters are taking 10 for all of their checks. It makes encounter design different, but not so much as to throw off what I try to present the players with.

Also, at the beginning of each session, I have my players make ten Perception checks and ten Stealth checks so as to have them ready (and unavailable for metagaming) when the players want to make such a check in the middle of the game. It reduces time spent and also makes for a more certain divide of player vs. character knowledge.

Epic Feats:

Spoiler:

I'm going to include feats that are only available to 8th-level characters who have gained extra experience beyond the total needed to get them there.

I'm still working on these, but I know that I want to include at least one feat that allows spellcasters to craft magic items that have caster level requirements past 8 (I know the rules as written allow you to ignore caster level requirements with an increase in the Craft DC, but I'm treating 8th level as a hard limit on that for now).

[Covent]

OK, My house rules are mostly to fix what I (in my opinion) see as flaws in the crunch of the game.

I have made some rather sweeping changes to how healing works.

Healing changes:

1. All "Cure" spells heal Level x 2 + dice in hit points, yet max at the same level, not at the same maximum.

Example: Cure Light Wounds now cures at 5th level where it maxes out 1d8 + 10.

2. I have removed all of the "Cure X wounds, Mass" spells except Cure critical wounds, Mass.

3. Cure Critical Wounds, Mass is now a fifth level cleric spell and the appropriate level for all other classes that would receive it. Basically it replaces Cure Light wounds, Mass on characters spell list.

4. Heal, lesser is a 6th level heal version that only heals hit point damage and nothing else. (Caps at 15th)

5. Heal is now a 7th level spell. (Caps at 20th)

6. Heal, Greater is an 8th level spell that removes everything that Heal removes with the addition of acting as a break enchantment and removing all negative levels from the target. (Caps at 25th)

7. Heal, Mass is a mass version of the 7th level "Heal" spell, not the 6th level "Heal, lesser" or the 8th level "Heal, greater"

7. All of the "Heal" line of spells only restore 7 hp per caster level not 10.

I offer a +1 to any stat of your choice once, if you turn in to me a character background that answers most of the questions I have on a question and answer sheet and is at least one typed page with one inch margins and size 12 font double spaced.

I have banned leadership and antagonize. (I hate these feats, I may be wrong.)

I have removed the faction requirements for "Master Performer and Grand Master Performer."

I have reverse engineered Celestial armor to my satisfaction and offer it as a material type called "Ed'iar Wood".

Ed'iar Wood:

Cost of Celestial Armor: 22,400

Cost of +3 chain mail: 9000 Enhancement + 300 Chain mail = 9,300 gp

----------------------------------------------------------------------

So "Celestial Property" which grants:

+6 dex bonus

-3 Armor check

-15% spell fail

Makes armor one category lighter and requires that category of armor proficiency.

Fly 1/day

Cost is: (22,400 - 9,300)= 13,100 gp on medium armor

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Mithral cost:

Light: 1,000 gp

Medium: 4,000 gp

Heavy: 9,000 gp

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So using mithral as factors you get Celestial property cost of:

Light:3,275 gp

Medium:13,100 gp

Heavy: 29,475 gp

Therefore the difference on buying celestial vs mithral is:

5% arcane spell Failure

4 Max Dex bonus

Fly 1/day

Makes armor one category lighter and requires that category of armor proficiency.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

For a cost difference at each tier of:

Light: 2,275 gp

Medium: 9,100 gp

Heavy: 20,475 gp

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The large difference here after reading where James Jacobs answered in the linked thread is the fact that celestial armor lets a character with only medium armor proficiency use celestial full-plate.

At first this seemed powerful to me, however this would most likely be most useful to a cleric and would mean a cleric would then require high dexterity, wisdom and charisma along with most likely strength to use this completely efficiently.

An inquisitor may cause more of a problem with this however a 20,000 gp price tag will I believe keep this in line.

Until further clarification is made I have banned the synthesis summoner.

I have several house rules for each of my worlds that are setting specific, however the above listed are my most general ones.

I am still thinking about how to address the Monk in my home games. (I know many people think monk is fine, I do not and we will have to agree to disagree.)

Monk Ideas:

I have several ideas/suggestions some from my players and some from myself.

1. Give monk the guided property baked into their class, as a low level class feature. (Concern for this is based on the fact that this may make wisdom too over used for monks.)

Guided
Source Pathfinder #10 22
Aura moderate evocation; CL 7th
Price +1 bonus
Description
A weapon with the guided property allows its wielder to use his instinct when striking blows with it. Attacks from a guided weapon generally don’t strike hard, but they strike at precisely the right moment to maximize damage if in the hands of a particularly wise wielder. A character who attacks with a guided weapon modifies his attack rolls and weapon damage rolls with his Wisdom modifier, not his Strength modifier. This modifier to damage is not adjusted for two-handed weapons or off-hand weapons — it always remains equal to the wielder’s Wisdom modifier. A guided weapon may be wielded as a normal weapon, using Strength to modify attack and damage rolls, but this goes against the weapon’s nature and imparts a –2 penalty on all attack rolls made in this manner.
Construction
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, spiritual weapon

2.Allow for Ki buffs to last longer like an Inquisitors judgement lasting all fight. (This may make the use of Ki too powerful, I have not run numbers yet on this.)

3.Allow for the activation of multiple Ki abilities with each Ki point. (Same concerns as number 2)

4. Rebuild the monk using the new Qing-gong monk as a guide line, I.E. modular powers and progression. (I like this idea it is just going to take the most work, and since none of my players currently have any interest in monk, I have not drafted it yet.)

5. Allow for a monk to either flurry of blows or use his enhancement bonus to speed in a round.

An example: A level 3 monk would at this level gain the ability to either Flurry for 2 attacks and then move his base move, 30ft for medium and 20 for small creatures, or could move his enhanced move, 40ft for medium and 30 for small creatures, and make a single attack.

(I am afraid this may be much too powerful but it seems to fit thematically and addresses the monk mobility vs attacks problem.)

[The Eel]

Helaman wrote:

I got a bunch that are work in progress.

-----snip-------

Common man defenses against supernatural/magical threats

I, too, am using those, cribbed from Mark from Spes Magna Games own house rules (with permission). I've changed a few around, but the feel and purpose is the same.

In addition, I'm running:

Spoiler:

PCs HP starts with Con score + Con mod for 1st level, plus HD roll + Con mod for 2nd level.

E7 rules. No PC or NPC can have more than 7 character levels. For every 10,000 XP after 7th level, characters will earn a feat, which can be chosen from the standard available feats, or this list of new feats. (that would be a link, on my campaign page)

Some spells which usually take a standard action to cast now take a full round action. Others may take more time or less time. This will be determined by the GM as on a spell by spell basis.

Characters who gain a +6 BAB through any combination of classes gain the usual extra attack, as well as gaining an extra 5’ step.

Characters with at least a +1 BAB can make an attack with each hand holding a weapon as a standard action. The usual penalties for two weapon fighting apply.

Characters are fatigued (essentially a -1 to most rolls) at 1/2 HP, and exhausted (a -2) at 1/4 HP. A Fort save versus DC 15 can shrug off fatigue for one round, and a Fort save vs. DC 20 can do the same for exhaustion.

Everyone has a Leadership score, as per the feat. Taking the feat itself adds a +2 to that score and may be taken multiple times.

Use Hero Points from APG. Hero feats are available, but no hero point magic, nor the anti-hero variant. All characters start out with one Hero Point. I will award a second Hero Point at CharGen for a few paragraphs of character background, either given to me in writing or posted here on your character page. Volunteering to be the Squad Chronicler will net you a third Hero Point. This is the only way to start off with more Hero Points than character levels.

In addition to masterwork items, there are further levels of masterwork. Mastercraft: 3X the cost of mwk, +2 to hit w/ weapons; -2 to armor check penalty, +2 to max Dex and +1 to AC for armor. Masterpiece: 9X the cost of mwk, +3 to hit and +1 to damage with weapons; -3 to armor check penalty, +3 to max Dex and +2 to AC for armor. mcft items such as thieves tools and alchemist labs give a +4 to skill checks and mpc items give a +6. Availability of MWC and MWP items is up to GM discretion.

Magic items are hard to find for sale unless they are equal to a +1 enchantment bonus, 1st or 2nd level spells or minor wondrous items. Wands must be researched and created from rare components. They are not for sale anywhere. Magic shops don’t exist, per se. Some potions may be found at apothecaries or temples. Some merchants may have a magic item or two for sale, but the cost varies wildly.

Everyone has a Leadership score, as per the feat. Taking the feat itself adds a +2 to that score and may be taken multiple times.

Combat Reflexes now grants -1/+ 2 penalty to attack/bonus to AC. This scales with BAB like before. These bonuses and penalties stack with those from fighting defensively.

Trapfinding and Disable Device: Mechanical traps can now be found and disabled by any class. Magical traps can be found with a perception check or a focused Detect Magic spell (see revised spells for the updated info about Detect Magic). A Spellcraft or Knowledge (Arcana) check is needed to identify the trap, and a disbale device check is needed to disarm. Trapfinding (from the Rogue class ability or from other sources) now grants a bonus equal to the Class Level of the class granting the ability, instead of a bonus equal to 1/2 the Class Level.

Heal: Typically the heal skill lets you treat deadly wounds at a DC 20 to restore HP to a character equal to the character’s level (just like resting for the night). This takes an hour. This is much like making a long term care check (DC 15) to receive double the healing gained from resting (technically, this action takes 8 hours of light activity. We’ve been playing it wrong). This means you can do one or the other. To off set this, treating light wounds requires a DC 15, takes 10 minutes and restores 1d4 HP. Just like treating deadly wounds, if you exceed the DC by 5 or more, you can add your Wis modifier. This makes it impractical to use during combat, but doesn’t slow down the party too much. In addition, the Combat Medic campaign trait lets you use heal to treat light wounds as a full round action and treat deadly wounds in 10 min. This makes the trait invaluable for in-combat, non-magical healing. Also, using heal like this is impossible on yourself. The Combat Medic trait allows you to treat yourself, but at a +5 to the DC. No one can be treated for either light or deadly wounds more than once a day.

[DGRM44]

The Eel wrote:

I, too, am using those, cribbed from Mark from Spes Magna Games own house rules (with permission). I've changed a few around, but the feel and purpose is the same.

Where does one find these?

[The Eel]

DGRM44 wrote:

The Eel wrote:

I, too, am using those, cribbed from Mark from Spes Magna Games own house rules (with permission). I've changed a few around, but the feel and purpose is the same.

Where does one find these?

http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/wniaa

I can never get links to work right.

It's under House Rules in the wiki tab, but Helaman's post is pretty much word for word, if all you want to read is common defenses against the supernatural.

[Lobolusk]

anything having to do with grappling or luchadors is a +1
kobold characters are +1

and no orcs named "peanut butter" and druid animal companions cant climb ropes

[JrK]

I've been making my own houserules since january. I wanted plenty of smallish tweaks and a few bigger ones, but came to the conclusion I needed to rewrite everything and offer it as a new 'core rulebook' lest it become a jumbled mess of "look at houserules... now look at core rulebook". Half of it is based on discussions I had been following on this forum. Some highlights:

- TWF ability requirements lowered, normal TWF feat allows iteratives, Improved and Greater allow offhand attack when charging and standard attacking respectively.
- Rogue gets plenty of rogue talents which should make him do something which no other class can. I pulled apart a few prestige classes with things rogues should have (imo) and added them as rogue talents, like hide in plain sight and death attack.
- Monk flurry of blows kicked out, get free bonus unarmed attack (available for maneuvers if desired) and 'fighting style': Set of bonus feats for specific weapon.
- Rolled Climb/Swim into Athletics, rolled plenty of Constitution checks into 'Endurance' Skill, incorporated Porpentine's stealth/perception revisit and tweaked diplomacy/intimidate to not magically influence people's attitudes.
- Switched ability score modifiers around to make charisma mechanically interesting and strength less of an end-all for melee.
- Redid simple/martial weapons as weapon categories to remove roleplay-interesting but mechanically-inferior choices, such as club vs mace. Exotic weapons now have truly unique abilities.

[Soullos]

Combat Expertise and Power Attack is removed from the prerequisites for all Combat Maneuver feats (I want to encourage their use, see below as well).

You don't provoke attack of opportunity for attempting a Combat Maneuver, only when you fail to effect the target with the maneuver. Obviously the Improved *Maneuver* feats negate the AoO as normal.

Weapon Finesse is removed from the game. All characters can use either Dex or Str for finesse-able weapons. Rogues and Dex Monks/Fighters rejoice!

Natural Spell banned.

Vital Strike tree is condensed into one feat. Vital Strike now scales based on the number of attacks you get from BAB.

[Kaiyanwang]

Not so many - just "polishing" of some loophole or unclear ruling, and a lot of improvising for special maneuvers and stunts to encourage players to do cool stuff.

Say, the chain which held the fighter prisoner can count as a flail, or you can jump on the back of the big beast with an acrobatic vs CMD check. But is stuff GMG already suggests.

Currently, we are using a setting specific rules to "bend" realities and planes if conujration magic and similar stuff is used in the wrong places. In the same setting, 3.5 incantations and taint has been added.

[Spes Magna Mark]

DGRM44 wrote:

Where does one find these?

Not only the Obsidian Portal link, but also here. :)

[wraithstrike]

You may spend a full round action to stand up safely.
Everyone gets perception as a class skill.
Half-orcs get +2 to wisdom and strength, -2 cha
Critical Fumbles must be confirmed because we use the fumble deck.
Rangers get acrobatics as a class skill.

[TriOmegaZero]

wraithstrike wrote:

You may spend a full round action to stand up safely.

Why the hell didn't I think of that?

[Kizan]

We have been playing Pathfinder for almost three years now and have been using these rules.

ARPS Pathfinder House Rules

Some we put in place to speed up combat some just to make it more fun.

We have also started using the Critical Hit deck, but only on named monsters and only against PC's from named monsters. The Critical Failure deck wound up being not very fun and the Crit Deck was only fun when used sparingly.

Kizan

[Can'tFindthePath]

TriOmegaZero wrote:

wraithstrike wrote:

You may spend a full round action to stand up safely.

Why the hell didn't I think of that?

+1, let's all have a collective "Duh!" shall we?

[Evil Lincoln]

Can'tFindthePath wrote:

TriOmegaZero wrote:

wraithstrike wrote:

You may spend a full round action to stand up safely.

Why the hell didn't I think of that?

+1, let's all have a collective "Duh!" shall we?

From a game perspective, this is a really good one. But it leaves me a little confused as to what it is modeling.

How exactly does taking more time (or if you will, forgoing an attack in the same time) make it easier to stand up without letting your guard down? Are we modeling some kind of kip-up? Please 'splain.

[Ivan Rûski]

Evil Lincoln wrote:

Can'tFindthePath wrote:

TriOmegaZero wrote:

wraithstrike wrote:

You may spend a full round action to stand up safely.

Why the hell didn't I think of that?

+1, let's all have a collective "Duh!" shall we?

From a game perspective, this is a really good one. But it leaves me a little confused as to what it is modeling.

How exactly does taking more time (or if you will, forgoing an attack in the same time) make it easier to stand up without letting your guard down? Are we modeling some kind of kip-up? Please 'splain.

Maybe instead of pushing yourself up with your hands you are using the rest of your body, and keeping your weapon(s)/shield/other defenses at the ready?

[wraithstrike]

Evil Lincoln wrote:

Can'tFindthePath wrote:

TriOmegaZero wrote:

wraithstrike wrote:

You may spend a full round action to stand up safely.

Why the hell didn't I think of that?

+1, let's all have a collective "Duh!" shall we?

From a game perspective, this is a really good one. But it leaves me a little confused as to what it is modeling.

How exactly does taking more time (or if you will, forgoing an attack in the same time) make it easier to stand up without letting your guard down? Are we modeling some kind of kip-up? Please 'splain.

Darn hater, just kidding. :)

I never really thought about the fluff/flavor, but I would say taking your time like someone said above makes good enough sense to me. If that does not work for a GM they could allow an acrobatics check.

PS:I also got this off one of the devs from the WoTC website a while back. I thought he was stating an actual rule, but later I realized he was only putting it out as a suggestion, but everyone liked it so much I kept it.

Some I forgot:
The monk's Wholeness of Body now does {½ character level x Wisdom modifier}of healing per day. ----3.5

In pathfinder the monk can heal a couple of time per day, so I altered it allow wholeness of body to work as a swift action. It also does character level + wisdom modifier.<-----I have not tried this in an actual game yet to see if it works enough to justify a change yet though.

[Evil Lincoln]

wraithstrike wrote:

Darn hater, just kidding. :)

Giving and accepting constructive criticism makes good ideas better.

[mdt]

A) All characters have a Luck Attribute.
B) Detect Magic cannot sense illusion spells until the character interacts with the illusion, until then, the illusion fools the player's senses and prevents the detect magic spell from alerting them to the aura of the illusion. An item that has been enchanted with an illusion spell, but which is not actively using it's abilities, can still be sensed by detect magic.
C) Attribute points given every 4th level can, at the players choice, be traded in for a feat. However, the player may not do this twice in a row.
D) Initiative rolls are on a turn by turn basis. To compensate for this, any ability which allows you to specially adjudicate an initiative roll (such as an ability that allows you to roll two dice and take the better) are in effect for the entire combat they are used in.
E) Summoner's completely rewritten (base class stinks).
F) Teleport requires a specific Teleport Node as the destination. If Teleport is used without nodes, the chances of a teleport accident go up rapidly, 60% or higher.
G) We use Weapon Groups. Any feat that is weapon specific (such as Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Weapon Proficiency, etc, are group feats instead). When you take your first level in a class, you gain a number of weapon group proficiencies based on that classes BAB progression as listed below. All characters are proficient in Unarmed Combat (punches), and in any natural weapons they posess (such as claws on a Catfolk). All characters are also proficient with Simple weapons.

[TriOmegaZero]

mdt wrote:

F) Teleport requires a specific Teleport Node as the destination. If Teleport is used without nodes, the chances of a teleport accident go up rapidly, 60% or higher.

I really need to institute this next time I run SCAP, so the party understands just how crazy the derro sorcerer is when he teleports without a node...

[mdt]

TriOmegaZero wrote:

mdt wrote:

F) Teleport requires a specific Teleport Node as the destination. If Teleport is used without nodes, the chances of a teleport accident go up rapidly, 60% or higher.

I really need to institute this next time I run SCAP, so the party understands just how crazy the derro sorcerer is when he teleports without a node...

It also cuts down on scry and fry at higher levels. I always hated that at higher levels adventures became 'I scry, get a good view, teleport us all in, and we nova on the bad guy'.

It leaves teleport as a reliable and useful spell at higher levels to get around the country, but not to beam into a place you haven't been before and then nova.

[Evil Lincoln]

mdt wrote:

F) Teleport requires a specific Teleport Node as the destination. If Teleport is used without nodes, the chances of a teleport accident go up rapidly, 60% or higher.

Just... wow.

Thank you MDT. I'm off to devise a ley-line map of the inner sea.

[Kantrip]

Evil Lincoln wrote:

mdt wrote:

F) Teleport requires a specific Teleport Node as the destination. If Teleport is used without nodes, the chances of a teleport accident go up rapidly, 60% or higher.

Thank you MDT. I'm off to devise a ley-line map of the inner sea.

Our group has kicked around the teleport change, too. I set up a campaign world where ley lines crossed only at major cities (being the reason they built the cities there to begin with) and the junction was controlled by the local magic guild and/or government as a protection for the city. But the Pathfinder world came out and we decided to use their world. The ley line idea never got used.

Now were are considering changing teleport in our Pathfinder campaign. We're thinking about using a "set point". When a caster is first able to use teleport he can set a teleport "point" that he can always safely return to. Every 3-4 levels (not decided yet) he can set another point. The caster can change set points at any time; they designate a new point and overwrite a previous point, essentially.

Short range teleportation could be allowed without set points, say 1 mile/level to places already visited.

We're considering these changes because it's taking something out of the game to travel for a day, teleport back to the city to sleep in the inn rather than make camp, then teleport the next morning back to where we left off.

As mentioned by others, teleporting in on the boss and blasting him by surprise can quickly turn adventure into ho-hum dice rolling with little challenge.

The bottom line to our idea is; if you ain't never been there, you can't teleport there.

[mdt]

Since there's some interest in this, I'll post my full rules.

Teleport requires a specific Teleport Node as the destination. Use the chart below instead of the one in the core book. Each node has a strength rating, from 0 to 10. This rating is added to the caster's effective caster level when casting Teleport while standing on a node and/or teleporting to a node. Memorizing a node requires Detect Magic and a spellcraft check. The DC of the check is 10 plus the node's rating.

• Node-to-Known-Node : You teleport to a node you have previously touched, while on a node.
  
• Node-to-Unknown-Node : You teleport to a node you have seen, or is described to you while standing on a node.
  
• Teleport-to-Known-Node : You teleport to a node you have previously touched.
  
• Teleport-to-Unknown-Node : You teleport to a node you have seen, or is described to you.
  
• Node-to-Known-Non-Node : You teleport from a node to a non-node location you know very well.
  
• Node-to-Unknown-Non-Node : You teleport from a node to a non-node location you have only seen or visited infrequently.
  
• Teleport-to-Known-Non-Node : You teleport without benefit of a node to a place you know very well.
  
• Teleport-to-Unknown-Non-Node : You teleport without benefit of a node to a place you have only seen or visited infrequently.
  

Situation | On Target | Off Target | Similar Area | Mishap
NKN | 01-98 | 99 | 100 | –
NUN | 01-60 | 61-90 | 91-96 | 97-100
TKN | 01-80 | 81-95 | 96-99 | 100
TUN | 01-40 | 41-60 | 61-80 | 81-100
NKNN | 01-60 | 61-90 | 91-96 | 97-100
NUNN | 01-40 | 41-60 | 61-80 | 81-100
TKNN | 01-20 | 21-40 | 41-60 | 61-100
TUNN | 01-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-100
Mishap | -- | -- | 01-60 | 61-100

So, similar to the existing tables. It's safe to teleport to a known node from a node. And the strength of the node adds to your caster level (both nodes do really, it's easier to 'home in' on a strong node) for purposes of distance.

I also created the following :

Node Stone (Moderate Conjuration) CL 15
This small stone is created and attuned to one teleport node that the crafter knows (this is a special requirement, the crafter must have touched and memorized the node prior to creation of the item). Anyone touching the stone during a teleport attempt is treated as if they are teleporting to a known 0 strength node (the node the stone is associated with). It doesn't allow the person to memorize the node (although a successful teleportation to that node allows the person to memorize the node as normal).
5,000gp (2,500gp to make, requires Craft Wondrous Item)

[wraithstrike]

mdt wrote:

TriOmegaZero wrote:

mdt wrote:

F) Teleport requires a specific Teleport Node as the destination. If Teleport is used without nodes, the chances of a teleport accident go up rapidly, 60% or higher.

I really need to institute this next time I run SCAP, so the party understands just how crazy the derro sorcerer is when he teleports without a node...

It also cuts down on scry and fry at higher levels. I always hated that at higher levels adventures became 'I scry, get a good view, teleport us all in, and we nova on the bad guy'.

It leaves teleport as a reliable and useful spell at higher levels to get around the country, but not to beam into a place you haven't been before and then nova.

slightly off topic:

This is for anyone. I am just using MDT's post.
Do the PC's know about about what level they need to be at in order for scry and die to work?

Example:
PC's are level 9(teleport and scry are both availible) when they hear about Hagger the Horrible.
PC's have to take care of some things before going to Hagger's lair.
PC's get to Haggar's lair at level 11.
By the time they get to Haggar they should be level 14 which sets up a good boss fight because Hagger is a CR 17 or 18.

If the PC's attempt to fight Hagger at levels 9 or 11 the chances of them pulling out a victory are very low.

I guess my question is how do the Players know when it is ok to jump Haggar?

I am assuming this is going to be an issue of GM design style, but I am curious as to whether anyone has scryed and gotten themselves fried.

[mdt]

wraithstrike wrote:

I guess my question is how do the Players know when it is ok to jump Haggar?

I am assuming this is going to be an issue of GM design style, but I am curious as to whether anyone has scryed and gotten themselves fried.

That's why I hate it, it's a gamble. Either I lower the BBEG so they don't get fried, thus encouraging them, or I let them kill themselves in a TPK they aren't ready for.

[Evil Lincoln]

Well, my solution to scry and fry is a heightened player awareness of anonymity and reciprocity.

Anonymity: Villains will keep their identities secret and/or intentionally mislead people as to their identities, in order to foil scrying attempts. If they must make an identity known, it will be a subordinate or possibly an unwilling stooge. Any action against the stooge will expose the PCs for further consideration, see Reciprocity.

Reciprocity: Villains will scry and die PCs once they reveal themselves as threats. Villains know the spells, too, and so they take countermeasures. They will also set traps. If you successfully scry an enemy wizard, your first thought should NOT be "Let's 'port in there and fry him!" it should be "What's he planning to do when I 'port in there to fry him..."

This doesn't solve all of the problems, but it sure keeps people cautious.

[TriOmegaZero]

I find that player caution is the best deterrent. My group is terrified of dragons, despite being strong enough to waste most of the ones they have encountered. Poor Crazy Jared nearly got roasted thanks to the party being afraid of interfering. :)

[Charles Dunwoody]

I dropped XP all together and am using Steps from Monte Cook's World of Darkness.

I also dropped treasure pile building. Instead, the PCs turn in everything looted (they are privateers) and get one decent magic item a level (they can tweak it a bit for more gold, two items etc. but they make those suggestions).

Cutting out XP and treasure math renewed my interest in writing adventures for PF. Otherwise, too much time was spent on spreadsheets and subtracting and adding up numbers in the thousands or tens of thousands.

Which brings up a point. Why is XP in the thousands? Why not the hundreds? Say, 130 XP to go to 2nd level? Heck, with the right tweaks, XP could down to the tens (13 XP to go to 2nd).

Treasure could be cut down to the hundreds (or even tens with a few tweaks) as well.

[Can'tFindthePath]

wraithstrike wrote:

slightly off topic:
This is for anyone. I am just using MDT's post.
Do the PC's know about about what level they need to be at in order for scry and die to work?

Example:
PC's are level 9(teleport and scry are both availible) when they hear about Hagger the Horrible.
PC's have to take care of some things before going to Hagger's lair.
PC's get to Haggar's lair at level 11.
By the time they get to Haggar they should be level 14 which sets up a good boss fight because Hagger is a CR 17 or 18.

If the PC's attempt to fight Hagger at levels 9 or 11 the chances of them pulling out a victory are very low.

I guess my question is how do the Players know when it is ok to jump Haggar?

I am assuming this is going to be an issue of GM design style, but I am curious as to whether anyone has scryed and gotten themselves fried.

In my extensive experiences with high-level D&D (AD&D, 3.0, and 3.5), the real problem is the recurring villain. They are the ones who pay the price with scry & fry. The DM crafts a powerful, interesting NPC. Stats him fully, and begins harrying the party, culminating with the infamous (anti)climactic battle that ends with a the BBEG vanishing. He teleports just before being done in by the stalwart warrior (who spent half the battle paralyzed or attacking his friends).

Regroup-rest-scry-fry

Recurring villain becomes one and a half encounter target dummy.

So, the party knows exactly when to 'go get em'.

[Can'tFindthePath]

Evil Lincoln wrote:

Reciprocity: Villains will scry and die PCs once they reveal themselves as threats.

This. I forgot to mention that the other problem with scry & fry is that the DM is (usually) artificially holding back the tide of villains that would slaughter the party INDIVIDUALLY and IN THEIR BEDS.

I mean we DMs do this anyway, even within the context for fairly low level mundane threats. But when the PCs start doing it routinely, you are simply deciding not to kill them......or you do, and although it seems cool at first, in the end everyone just wants to forget it ever happened.

[Ævux]

Our rules..

MW weapons increase their damage die by one step. This is because after they become Magical, MW doesn't mean anything. While with armor, it does still give a bonus.

Weapon Finesse is now part of the weapons and you do not need to feat. Any feat that requires weapon finesse no longer needs it.

Acrobatics includes Tumble, Balance and Escape artist
Athletics is created and it contains Jump, Climb and swim. and is con based.

[Can'tFindthePath]

Charles Dunwoody wrote:

Which brings up a point. Why is XP in the thousands? Why not the hundreds? Say, 130 XP to go to 2nd level? Heck, with the right tweaks, XP could down to the tens (13 XP to go to 2nd).

Treasure could be cut down to the hundreds (or even tens with a few tweaks) as well.

Simple(istic) answer: The average modern Westerner gets subconsciously googly-eyed when they see lots of zeroes.

[Can'tFindthePath]

Ævux wrote:

Our rules..

MW weapons increase their damage die by one step. This is because after they become Magical, MW doesn't mean anything. While with armor, it does still give a bonus.

Weapon Finesse is now part of the weapons and you do not need to feat. Any feat that requires weapon finesse no longer needs it.

Acrobatics includes Tumble, Balance and Escape artist
Athletics is created and it contains Jump, Climb and swim. and is con based.

I really like the masterwork rule. That is kick ass.

I treat Finesse the same way.

And I like the Athletics being Con based. It may not seem intuitive, but if you look at athletes who specialize in jumping, climbing, and swimming; they are not bulky muscle-bound types.

Sorry for the 'machine gun posting', I am catching up with the conversation.