3) bow string: 2 feats buys the lot and progresses with BAB
BAB+0-point blank shot
+1-rapid shot
+3-precise shot
+6-many shot
I would switch rapid and precise. Bows are pretty useless with a effective* -8 (4 from cover, 4 from shooting into melee)
5)ability scores will top out at 20 for all demi-human races. I think i have been running long enough to make up for this power change with adjusting CR more to my style of play.
-I have no idea why a dwarf shouldn't be able to raise their con higher than a human can or why an elf couldn't be more dexterous.
6)no ability score buff spells save bears STR though it becomes a 3rd LVL spell.
I can't understand the reason for this. The spells aren't that powerful, and are usually replaced by items.
WHat exactly are you going for? Whats your theme/why are you limiting the characters stats?
relying on realism is going to hose the martial classes. Realistically, a human shouldn't be able to survive a fight with a giant with a tree sized club.
The power is already tilted into the hands of the magic classes. Without the stat boosters, characters are going to be MUCH weaker than they otherwise might be, and its going to hit the martial classes harder.
Sooo.....
Why would anyone play anything besides a Human Caster in your world?
all of this can be overcome through running the game well.
If you do run it well... then by all means, go for it! However, before doing so, you should talk to your players. I know for sure I wouldn't be pleased to go into a heroic fantasy game like Pathfinder only to be told I couldn't get my STR score over 20.
But if I was told before hand we'd be doing a gritty, low fantasy version, and I knew you as a GM... I'd be glad you weren't using WFRPG and be willing to adjust my preconceptions.
the theme is reasonable limit to how strong, fast, ect a person can be with the limits of their body. I have read a number of fantasy novels and can ony remember Wulfgar beating a demon with 18/00 STR and that was much discussed as beyond the limits of reality.
the long and shotrt is i dont think beyond 20 is realistic at all
I'd raise the limit to 22 since that would probably be about 18(00) strength translated to PF/3rd edition. Disregarding magical items.
I am wondering why you single out strength as the only ability enhancer, though I can understand avoiding mental stats, I do not get why you would deny dexterity and constitution.
In my campaign I gave my players 6+con mod extra hitpoints and 2+int mod skill points much like starting being a 0-lvl commoner. Consider giving 3 traits to start, this level does not affect max skill ranks or any other level based calculations.
You might want to keep an eye on certain spells which work with strength checks and the like especially, web, wall of thorns and such since the DCs tend to be high even with more magic. Many other spells will turn out to be a bit more powerful as well, notably summons. Keep in mind that reasonably limiting characters will work in favor of magic-users, which are generally thought to be the most powerful class already.
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Well, keep in mind that these rules will push the power balance further to the side of the magic users.
Saving the melee types one feat per chain won't do much beyond make them more generalists. Additionally, the cap on ability scores will much more directly affect these melee types since the physical scores affect hit, damage, and health.
For casters, it means they'll be more likely to pick no save/no sr spells, and it'll give them more points to drop into con or dex, increasing their survivability somewhat.
Also, you might need to adjust some bestiary scores for demi-humans to keep them within the ruleset of your world.
Finally, you're going to have to give some thought as to how you'll balance the cr discrepancy this will create during combat.
As in, Fighter level 20 with 20 strength in your world, +5 to hit and damage. Fighter level 20 with 20 + (5 leveling) + (5 wish) + (6 belt)=36, +13 to hit and damage.
All abilities will top out at 20. str alone is kinda hard line(as if this isnt enough already) so the dex and con bonuses with magic items is a good idea and i'll use it. I also like the bit about 0-lvl HPs and skills. I am going over low lvl spells but am looking for a cure all for DCs though I doubt it'll be that easy. I'm working on bringing casters on par with melee and I think ill do this with something like Dragon Lance wizard robes and making all full casters specialize in schools and completely exclude 2 or 3 schools of magic.
thanks this stuff helps so much
You'll be fine at lower levels using those rules.
Unfortunately, as you hit level 8 to 10, you'll have to start doing a LOT of extra work. The CR system is built around WBL equipment, and the idea of stat items. With the changes you're making, a CR 17 dragon will destroy a level 17 group, since the caster's won't be able to make it fail a save on anything less than a 4, and it's spell resistance is likely to too high to overcome. Additionally, the DR and AC of the dragon will make the much weaker martial classes that much harder to survive in melee. They'll have low AC and low to-hit vs the dragon's AC.
And that's just picking up a classic monster. So, you're going to have to do a lot of number juggling and under-shoot their effective party level. It's going to be really easy to TPK at 13th or higher if you're not careful.
All abilities will top out at 20. str alone is kinda hard line(as if this isnt enough already) so the dex and con bonuses with magic items is a good idea and i'll use it. I also like the bit about 0-lvl HPs and skills. I am going over low lvl spells but am looking for a cure all for DCs though I doubt it'll be that easy. I'm working on bringing casters on par with melee and I think ill do this with something like Dragon Lance wizard robes and making all full casters specialize in schools and completely exclude 2 or 3 schools of magic.thanks this stuff helps so much
Since magical items might be a bit rare and abilities a bit low you might want to consider raising saves a bit, making poor saves 1/2 level instead of 1/3 eliminates obvious weakness in characters and creatures to some extent. This might help balancing power of casters a bit, since they are notorious for targeting weak saves.
...bringing casters on par with melee...[by] making all full casters specialize in schools and completely exclude 2 or 3 schools of magic.
This will not work because most (smart) players will choose the same schools (abjuration, conjuration, transmutation) and then can live without all the other scools without much of a decrease in power.
4)point buy at 20pts but get an additional 5pts at 4,8,12,and 16th LVL
Huh? Capping Attributes at 20 and then giving out a whole load of Attribute Points?!?
About capping attributes in general: what mdt said.
Build yourself a shifting focused Druid and watch what he can do at Level 10+ when everyone else is capped at 20 Str/Dex/Con (and thus be outperformed by the Druids Animal Companion).
3) bow string
Finally the feat chains. While I agree about TWF and Shield needing to have less of a feat tax, the bow line is fine as is because bow users are easily the most powerful physical damage dealers and with these changes will overshadow everything.
you might want to consider raising saves a bit
Lowering the potential for failing a save and raising the ease with which saves will be made isn't working out unless you want caster to be utterly useless by high levels for anything but utility spells
...bringing casters on par with melee...[by] making all full casters specialize in schools and completely exclude 2 or 3 schools of magic.This will not work because most (smart) players will choose the same schools (abjuration, conjuration, transmutation) and then can live without all the other scools without much of a decrease in power.
4)point buy at 20pts but get an additional 5pts at 4,8,12,and 16th LVLHuh? Capping Attributes at 20 and then giving out a whole load of Attribute Points?!?
About capping attributes in general: what mdt said.
Build yourself a shifting focused Druid and watch what he can do at Level 10+ when everyone else is capped at 20 Str/Dex/Con (and thus be outperformed by the Druids Animal Companion).
3) bow stringFinally the feat chains. While I agree about TWF and Shield needing to have less of a feat tax, the bow line is fine as is because bow users are easily the most powerful physical damage dealers and with these changes will overshadow everything.
you might want to consider raising saves a bitLowering the potential for failing a save and raising the ease with which saves will be made isn't working out unless you want caster to be utterly useless by high levels for anything but utility spells
No, I suggested to raise the low saves, since powerful magical items is probably rare and enhancement items do not run higher than +2. At 20th level having 1/2 saves on the weak saves will end up having +4 on those saves. A fighter with +4 on will and reflex saves is hardly on dry ground and will probably have a will save of +11 before magical bonus, against a save of DC 24 for a 9th level spell that is likely to kill him on a failed save.