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These rule changes are aimed at buffing melee in general, and high mobility melee in particular, while also fitting the general of my campaign setting (mostly focused on monster hunting and bounty hunting, magitech, partially inspired by anime, borrows a lot from European, Asian, and Native American sources).
Magic items that don’t have to be frequently recharged are rare and special. I use Evil Lincoln’s rules for replacing magic items, which you can find here , but with Purchase DC replaced by Enhancement Points, which mimic Wealth by Level on a 1 to 1 basis and are used to purchase the effects of magic items (no consumable items) . These effects become supernatural abilities of the character who purchased them. This is explained by the fact that, within the lore of my campaign setting, some people are a bit more magical than others, but not because of a Sorcerer bloodline or Oracle curse. These people generate stats with 25 point buy (10 or 15 is much more common) and get the benefits of this magical enhancement system, allowing them to be stronger, faster, smarter, and so on than the average person and use a touch of magic. This actually meshes pretty well with my setting’s explanation of where magic comes from.
Combat Expertise is no longer a feat, it is the way fighting defensively works. If something had it as a prerequisite, it no longer does.
Improved Shield bash is not a feat. If you are proficient with a shield, you do not lose your shield bonus when bashing. If something had it as a prerequisite, it no longer does.
Power Attack and Deadly Aim are no longer feats, it is something people of Str 13 (PA) or Dex 13 (DA) and BAB 1 can do. If something had it as a prerequisite, it no longer does so long as the character has the requisite ability score and BAB.
The bonus from Point Blank Shot increases to +2 at 6 BAB, +3 at 11 BAB, and +4 at 16 BAB. If something had Point Blank Shot as a prerequisite, it no longer does.
Vital Strike can be used in conjunction with Spring Attack or Shot on the Run. This does not make Vital Strike an attack action, and does not allow any other non-attack action to be used with Spring Attack or Shot on the Run.
Weapon Finesse is not a feat, it is a weapon property that applies to all weapons that the feat could normally be applied to, plus spears and quarterstaffs. If something had it as a prerequisite, it no longer does
Slashing Grace does not have Weapon Focus as a prerequisite.
A spear can do slashing or piercing damage.
Spears count as monk weapons.
If something had Mounted Combat as a prerequisite, it no longer does.
Dodge has a prerequisite of proficiency with at least three martial weapons or 1 level of Monk or Brawler. Dodge gives you +2 to AC and +1 to reflex saves if you don’t wear armor, and allows you to gain armor enhancement bonus as if you were wearing armor. At BAB 6 it goes up to 3/2, at BAB 11 it goes up to 4/3, at BAB 16 it goes up to 5/4. If something had it as a prerequisite, it no longer does
The following feat chains scale with level, meaning that if you have the first feat in the chain, you get the subsequent ones at no cost when you meet the prerequisites.
*Two Weapon Fighting/Improved Two Weapon Fighting/Greater Two Weapon Fighting
*Vital Strike/Improved Vital Strike/Greater Vital Strike
*Improved Dirty Trick/Greater Dirty Trick
*Improved Disarm/ Greater Disarm
*Improved Feint/Greater Feint
*Improved Reposition/Greater Reposition
*Improved Steal/Greater Steal
*Improved Trip/Greater Trip
*Improved Bull Rush/Greater Bull Rush
*Improved Drag/Greater Drag
*Improved Overrun/Greater Overrun
*Improved Sunder/Greater Sunder
*Iron Will/Improved Iron Will
*Great Fortitude/Improved Great Fortitude
*Lighting Reflexes/Improved Lightning Reflexes
*Weapon Focus/Greater Weapon Focus
*Weapon Specialization/Greater Weapon Specialization
Greater Weapon Focus is not restricted to Fighters, but does have a BAB 6 requirement.
All those +2/+2 to skill feats improve to +4/+4 at 10th level. These feats and Skill Focus both allow rerolling one failed skill check related to the feat once per day at 10th level.
Jump heights listed for Acrobatics checks are quadrupled and distances doubled.
Characters that have a shield apply it’s full AC bonus to reflex saves against area of effect attacks or rays that deal elemental damage. Mage Armor can also apply it's full AC bonus in these situations.
No Summoners, Dimension Door, Teleport, or resurrection magic.
Generally, I prefer something similar to E6, but terminating at either 8th or 12th level.
I use Golarion, but much of the game takes place on a heavily explored and settled version of Arcadia, mostly the western portion. Avistan, Tien, and Arcadian people are all present in large numbers and are considered thematically appropriate for the game, and mixed ethnicity characters aren’t at all uncommon. The common language is Taldane, but Tien is almost as heavily used. The Dragon Empires character options can most certainly be used (though any Samurai are probably ronin immigrants), and I have quite the affection for catfolk.I do allow planetouched. CRB, APG, UM, UC, ACG are allowed, ARG options for already allowed races are allowed, other ARG options or races not specifically mentioned as allowed can be discussed with me.
The standard Fighter, Rogue, Monk, and Cavalier are not banned, but I prefer to use the talented versions from Super Genius Games instead.
Members of the Machinesmith class are not particularly uncommon in my setting.
I like spell points as written by Super Genius Games, but their use is negotiable. They will either be applied to everybody or nobody.
I double check 3PP before saying yes as a precaution (I consider both balance and the theme of the game when deciding), but I own and view favorably the following items:
*Alchemist’s Discoveries (Super Genius Games)
*Beyond Bloodlines (Super Genius Games)
*All of the talented PDFs for the Fighter, Rogue, Monk, and Cavalier (Super Genius Games)
*Fey Archetypes (Rite Publishing)
*Secrets of the Masquerade Reveler (Rite Publishing)
*Grit and Gunslingers (Super Genius Games)
*Heroes of the Jade Oath (Rite Publishing)
*Heroes of the West (Little Red Goblin Games)
*Kitsune Compendium (Everyman Gaming)
*Classes of NeoExodus: Machinesmith (Louis Porter Jr. Design)
*Gothic Campaign Compendium (Legendary Games)
I use all of the above to varying degrees, and don’t be surprised to see content from 3PP monster books. How much I use the Gothic Campaign Compendium or allow it to be used by players heavily depends on whether the party as a whole is going towards games with optimistic or pessimistic leanings. It’s a book I reserve for more pessimistic games.
I don’t like non-heroic PCs.
Maxximilius archetypes and multiclass archetypes are considered on a case by case basis.
Changing rules: Given the amount of 3PP content and house ruling, there will be a balance issue eventually. Rules will not be changed during play, but balance issues will be resolved in between sessions. If it’s a PbP, the rule will be modified after the encounter is resolved. Players will always be informed of any rules changes.
So, what balance issues did I open up and not notice? I'm sure I did something, somewhere. Do my rules come off as reasonable?
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off the top, i say with Dodge and Point Blank Shot go +1 but +2 at 10th level. +4 seems kind of good?
i really like your feat consolidations. i will use these more or less as written here.
the anime bit is funny. maybe an Anime template is applied to each PC (halving jump DCs etc)
what do you mean by heroic PCs? point buy or alignment or general philosophy?
i like your fix to Skill Focus and the 'synergy skill' feats - parallels the (consolidated) saving throw feats nicely
i like what you've done with spears. monks now have reach which is nice.
Most of them look just fine to me.
off the top, i say with Dodge and Point Blank Shot go +1 but +2 at 10th level. +4 seems kind of good?
Maybe it should, especially since it allows armor enchantments.
i really like your feat consolidations. i will use these more or less as written here.
Thanks.
the anime bit is funny. maybe an Anime template is applied to each PC (halving jump DCs etc)
I just want huge jumps to be relatively easy. I see massive leaps all the time in my favorite anime's, and it is awesome.
what do you mean by heroic PCs? point buy or alignment or general philosophy?
I prefer working with Good or Good-leaning Neutral characters do to the campaign tone it sets.
i like your fix to Skill Focus and the 'synergy skill' feats - parallels the (consolidated) saving throw feats nicely
Thanks.
i like what you've done with spears. monks now have reach which is nice.
Thanks. I went for it because I've seen a lot of really cool stuff done with spears in Chinese martial arts, and I could easily see it as something a Monk might focus on.
Though the slashing damage ability should probably just be Spears and Shortspears, not Longspears.
In general, I have quite a positive reaction to your rules.
You're fairly above-board with your reasoning behind each of these changes, which is a good thing. Further, you're planning on capping at 8th or 12th level, so the range in which you actually have to worry about balance problems is much smaller. Most of my initial concerns were made irrelevant by that point alone.
I don't personally believe that the perceived imbalance between martials and casters is as real as most people think it is, but if I were inclined to give a significant buff to martials, this strikes me as a good way to do it. There is some chance that fighters may be somewhat worse off (in that feats are less valuable commodities when you eliminate feat chains, and feats are largely the main draw of a fighter), but you've said you use a 3rd party variant, so that may not be an issue.
However, there is one general thing to be cautious of: traditionally, the perceived balance of power between martial and caster is that martial classes tend to be dominant at low levels, but are eclipsed by casters at higher levels. Most of the attempts to "balance" the two (often by buffing the fighter, but sometimes by nerfing mages) are tinkering most heavily at that high level of play. With these rules you've made a clear attempt to buff martial characters, which is fine, but you're also playing at the lower levels where they already tend to dominate. (Although I'm not familiar with many of the 3rd Party supplements you're using, and whether or not they change this balance.) This could be a problem, making martials the obvious why-bother-playing-anything-else type of character. Or it could be that I'm being overly cautious here and you've little to worry about. At the very least, I encourage you to keep an eye on this dynamic.
Looks fine to me. Some of them I incorporated into my campaign. Though, instead of banning summoners, I imposed many roleplay restrictions on them.
Okay, I'm reigning Dodge in. It has no prerequisites, and gives +1 AC/+1 Reflex. At level 10, it goes to +2/+2. I dropped the whole armor enchantment thing, because an unarmored character can buy into the bracers of armor magic effect, which I am ruling allows specific magic armor effects to be gained.
As for Summoners, it's more because of how much they slow things down than balance, and I don't use roleplay to balance mechanics anyway.
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and I don't use roleplay to balance mechanics anyway.
Moreover, you can't ... it's impossible.
Overall, I like those changes that you made. However, I'm somewhat sceptical of boosting ranged combat. While crossbows and thrown weapons deserve more love, that spoiled little brat called archery does certainly not. But there is no quick and easy solution to this imbalance, so it's probably a moot point.
For the most part, I like your rule set. I can't speak to the 3pp, but everything else looks reasonable.
One thing I don't like, which may just be a personal hang-up, is the combination of weapon focus & greater and weapon specialization & greater. I'd combine them for fighters, but make everyone else select them individually. Take it with a grain of salt, as I recognize I'm biased in this respect.
Edit: I agree with Amanuensis regarding the archery bit.
Overall, I like those changes that you made. However, I'm somewhat sceptical of boosting ranged combat. While crossbows and thrown weapons deserve more love, that spoiled little brat called archery does certainly not. But there is no quick and easy solution to this imbalance, so it's probably a moot point.
Oh, we want thrown weapon love? Well, the magic enhancement system means that weapon enhancements are attached to the wielder, rather than the individual weapon, so every dagger thrown should get the bonus. You can TWF with a hand crossbow, so why not thrown weapons? Seems legit. Still a bit weak. Let's put in a knife expert feat:
Increase dagger damage by one die (both ranged and melee), range by 20 ft, and you get the benefit of Quick Draw, but for daggers only.
I don't care to track arrows carried by archers, so I don't see why to track daggers carried. I would consider such daggers ammunition, though. Now we have a knife throwing expert for the expenditure of two feats, and it works fairly well in melee, too.
Crossbows? Here's something I wrote a couple years ago:
A crossbow can be sized for a strength bonus. It gains this bonus to damage, just like a composite bow, and sizing it for a strength bonus costs the same as sizing a composite bow for a strength bonus. Using a crossbow sized for a strength bonus you do not possess does not give you a penalty to attack rolls. However, it does make it difficult to reload, as you must put a lot more effort into it, and you must have some means of bracing the crossbow or some sort of winch. Add a full round action to the reload time for each point of strength bonus the crossbow is sized for that you do not possess. If the crossbow is more than 4 points above your strength bonus, you cannot effectively reload it, even with a winch.
Still takes rapid reload to be effective, but I can't think of anything better.
Aaaaand TWF just got a big power jump from the way the enchantment system functions, given that you buy the max enchantment you can, and all your weapons get that enchantment. No more balancing between enchanting two different main weapons. That is a bit of a power boost above THF and sword and board. Fine. We'll give two handed melee strikes 1.5 times enhancement bonus and let your weapon enhancement bonus apply to shield bash. That should smooth things over.
I'd not give away Greater Weapon Focus. It's one of the very, very few Fighter feats. Have Weapon Spec double Weapon Training, and done. GWF just goes away, and Weapon Spec scales.
Improved Shield Bash is worth a feat because you can attack and keep shield ac. That's very, very nice on a TWF build.
Instead of both weapons getting one enhancement, simply make a 'Main Gauche' enhancement. +1, this weapon has the exact same enhancements as the other weapon you are wielding. That way, TWF isn't free, but the maximum investment is a +2 weapon.
YOu probably want to allow Vital Strike on a charge.
In addition, I'd make a special rule that a Vital Strike does not trigger AoO's (so it bypasses Come and Get Me and various other "You hit me, I hit you" feats, like Crane style), and cannot be parried (so, no Crane Winging the T-Rex). IF you use a Vital Strike as a full Round action, you gain +2 TH/dmg and AC, +1 for each iterative you give up.
As for Expertise, the key with that is to make the feat meaningful and modify other feats.
Example: The improved line: Your bonus with these techniques is your Expertise bonus.
Furious Focus: You can use this with Expertise or Power attack.
Combat Reflexes: You can use your Expertise or Dex modifier.
Improved Initiative: Improves by your Expertise.
Saving Throw Feats: You can use Expertise to boost a save if you have the save feats, instead of AC.
Static benefit: If you are not using Expertise for AC, its bonus still applies to your CMD.
Parrying: If you are parrying, you may add Expertise to your parry roll instead of to your AC.
Mobility: If you have Expertise, the bonus is against all AoO's, not just those caused by movement.
Various skills: Knowledge and craft skills relating to martial endeavors are improved by your Expertise modifier.
Etc.
Your increased Jumping distance is fine, but characters should pay a feat for it. Not everyone should be able to jump like that. Probably a better rule is that your default jump distances are increased by your BAB. That allows excellent vertical jumps and doesn't make the horizontal ones go off the board, and still favors melee characters. Wizards can fly, they don't need lightfoot.
==Aelryinth
I'd not give away Greater Weapon Focus. It's one of the very, very few Fighter feats. Have Weapon Spec double Weapon Training, and done. GWF just goes away, and Weapon Spec scales.
The removal of some feat requirements and the fact that Talented Fighters, who don't get bonus feats at all, are also available should compensate (I write up NPC Fighters with the Talented Fighter unless I need a specific archetype, and players can play a Talented Fighter or a standard Fighter. In my opinion, the Talented Fighter is the better class. I keep standard around mostly for archetypes.).
Improved Shield Bash is worth a feat because you can attack and keep shield ac. That's very, very nice on a TWF build.
I didn't remove this one because it was a poor feat, I did it because, in my opinion, sword and board lags behind THF a bit, so I was giving it a bit of a boost by handing them something they need off the bat. Also, shield bashing is a pretty basic technique IRL.
Instead of both weapons getting one enhancement, simply make a 'Main Gauche' enhancement. +1, this weapon has the exact same enhancements as the other weapon you are wielding. That way, TWF isn't free, but the maximum investment is a +2 weapon.
Maybe. I lean a bit towards giving THF and sword and board increased enchantment as above because the way it works for TWF now makes the knife fighter build worth the two feat cost.
YOu probably want to allow Vital Strike on a charge.
Sounds reasonable.
In addition, I'd make a special rule that a Vital Strike does not trigger AoO's (so it bypasses Come and Get Me and various other "You hit me, I hit you" feats, like Crane style), and cannot be parried (so, no Crane Winging the T-Rex). IF you use a Vital Strike as a full Round action, you gain +2 TH/dmg and AC, +1 for each iterative you give up.
I'll have to think about what that likely does to the worth of those feats.
As for Expertise, the key with that is to make the feat meaningful and modify other feats.
Example: The improved line: Your bonus with these techniques is your Expertise bonus.
Furious Focus: You can use this with Expertise or Power attack.
Combat Reflexes: You can use your Expertise or Dex modifier.
Improved Initiative: Improves by your Expertise.
Saving Throw Feats: You can use Expertise to boost a save if you have the save feats, instead of AC.
Static benefit: If you are not using Expertise for AC, its bonus still applies to your CMD.
Parrying: If you are parrying, you may add Expertise to your parry roll instead of to your AC.
Mobility: If you have Expertise, the bonus is against all AoO's, not just those caused by movement.
Various skills: Knowledge and craft skills relating to martial endeavors are improved by your Expertise modifier.Etc.
I dunno. I kinda like just backing off a bit on the prerequisites.
Your increased Jumping distance is fine, but characters should pay a feat for it. Not everyone should be able to jump like that. Probably a better rule is that your default jump distances are increased by your BAB. That allows excellent vertical jumps and doesn't make the horizontal ones go off the board, and still favors melee characters. Wizards can fly, they don't need lightfoot.
I wanted it to be just how jumping is. I borrowed this one from anime, where most characters seem to be able to do stuff like this. However, the ones who can pull it off best have invested ranks in acrobatics. Armor check penalties reduce jumping distance. For spellcasters, they'll just use whichever is better for them.
Time to talk about Paladins. I went and killed off the gods, so Paladins need another power source. I wrote that Divine casters tap into the energy of the world itself, so we'll start with that, but this is, for all Divine casters, something you have to be born with the ability to do. You can't learn it from studying or by trying. Paladins, however, weren't born with this ability. Their power comes from the sheer strength of their convictions. When you have beliefs so unshakable, that itself can open a conduit to the energy of the world, but not intentionally.
The big thing is that Paladins have to be unshakable. It's not enough to just be Lawful Good, you have to have faith this is the true way, and be unwavering in the desire to carry it out. The same applies to a Paladin who is Chaotic Good (yes, we have those). They aren't just non-lawful, they honestly and truly believe that the lawful side is wrong. They have the same strength of conviction that a Lawful Good Paladin has, and their code of honor is just as strict, but they hold that freedom triumphs over all. Neutral Good Paladins? Their conviction is that the whole idea that law or chaos is always right is downright foolhardy. They support the idea that there is a spectrum of law and chaos, and the best solution lies in finding the right combination. Neutral Good Paladins are the most common, and are a bit easier to roleplay since they only have one alignment axis to hold to, rather than two. This provides one option where Paladins are relatively easy to roleplay for players who just want to be a badass holy warrior, and two options for the players who want a much bigger roleplay challenge where it takes a lot of effort to hold up the code. Because conviction is so important, Antipaladins tend to embody the Well Intentioned Extremist trope very well. Paladins usually fall when they stop holding to their convictions or when they descend into unacceptable actions in the name of "necessity" and become Antipaladins, though a Paladin can sometimes shift from one Good alignment to another without falling (such as a Lawful Good Paladin coming to the realization that Law isn't always the right solution but maintaining absolute conviction that Good is correct, and therefore becoming a Neutral Good Paladin. This only works if their belief and dedication to the path of Good remains absolute. If they stop holding their belief in that, they fall.).
Oh, I'm not against removing Expertise as a pre-req. The changes above make it a Key Feat because it modifies others so extensively and positively. Having Expertise really does mean you're an Expert.
No comment on your paladins. As soon as you move away from LG, you're not playing a paladin to me, just another coded warrior.
==Aelryinth
No comment on your paladins. As soon as you move away from LG, you're not playing a paladin to me, just another coded warrior.
I have a hard time seeing the Neutral Good warrior who cares about the plight of the civilians first and foremost, and will do whatever it takes to help them, whether that means helping the local guard catch criminals, fighting against a tyrant, protecting civilians during a civil war where both sides are bad, trying to avoid civil war in the first place by making two opposing factions realize they can come to an agreement, or killing that monster lurking around the outskirts of town as someone who lacks the conviction and sense of duty and morality it takes to be a Paladin.
To me, the most important thing about a Paladin is an iron hard determination to do what is Good and right, even when the Good option is the hardest and riskiest option available, or just plain sucks. I don't necessarily have a problem with Paladins being able to disagree with each other and have different philosophies as to how people should be allowed to live, so long as all of them are firmly on the side of Good and act on their beliefs whenever possible, even if it means their death.
I'd suggest throwing Piranha Strike in with power attack and deadly aim.
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Many folks seem to have the paladin hard-coded into their brains as lawful good, whether it is because that's how the class was first introduced to them and they're attached to the nostalgic aspect or because they're just that married to their opinion (ie unwilling to change their opinion).
Call them Champions or Templars or whatever floats your boat, even if the mechanics are identical and no one will bat an eye. Call them paladins with any alignment but lawful good and no matter what you say, you're NOT playing a paladin and/or wrong.
I'm not knocking the perspective (much), but I find these responses to be quite fascinating.
Okay, I'm reigning Dodge in. It has no prerequisites, and gives +1 AC/+1 Reflex. At level 10, it goes to +2/+2. I dropped the whole armor enchantment thing, because an unarmored character can buy into the bracers of armor magic effect, which I am ruling allows specific magic armor effects to be gained.
May I make a suggestion in this case? Boost Bracers of Armor slightly (at least a +3 starting AC, making it as good as +1 Leather Armor) and/or allow "Magic clothing" of some sort that works as armor.
Bracers of Armor are just as bad as the AoMF in one respect: They take up an item slot, but provide much less benefit than the non-slotted item.
It's like the exact opposite of how the pricing rules are supposed to work.
Dot
Ive done clothing as 0 ac armor with 0 armor check and infinite max dex. I did have a stipulation that they were their own category of armor and were priced identical to bracers. Since it has its own slot its effectively slotless.
Ive done clothing as 0 ac armor with 0 armor check and infinite max dex. I did have a stipulation that they were their own category of armor and were priced identical to bracers. Since it has its own slot its effectively slotless.
That sounds like a good idea.
Okay, I'm reigning Dodge in. It has no prerequisites, and gives +1 AC/+1 Reflex. At level 10, it goes to +2/+2. I dropped the whole armor enchantment thing, because an unarmored character can buy into the bracers of armor magic effect, which I am ruling allows specific magic armor effects to be gained.May I make a suggestion in this case? Boost Bracers of Armor slightly (at least a +3 starting AC, making it as good as +1 Leather Armor) and/or allow "Magic clothing" of some sort that works as armor.
Bracers of Armor are just as bad as the AoMF in one respect: They take up an item slot, but provide much less benefit than the non-slotted item.
It's like the exact opposite of how the pricing rules are supposed to work.
That sounds like an even better idea.
I've come to a ruling on how catfolk look, given the inconsistency between Bestiary 3 and Advanced Race Guide. I am ruling that both exist, with the ARG style of catfolk being seen in Garund and the Bestiary 3 style being seen in Tian Xia. In western Arcadia, where most of the action is going down, catfolk are a major race, and almost all are from Tian Xia.
Samsarans are going to have to be disallowed until I can think of a way to include them without reincarnation.
Elves are going back to being slightly shorter than humans, as they should be, and that weird eye thing and the whole alien plot isn't happening. Elves do not have the Elven Immunities trait. They have the Elemental Resistance trait. They sleep like regular people (oh, damn, do I hate elven meditation), and only have, on average, a decade or so longer than a human to live. Historically, they have not gotten along well with others (though part of that can be blamed on their own rulers), and flight from genocide is the replacement for the earthfall.
Samsarans are going to have to be disallowed until I can think of a way to include them without reincarnation.
Instead of reincarnation, you could use "genetic memory".
dot
I picked up Paths of War. Looks like it'll fit in fine.
I'm allowing two traits. I'm introducing a new trait. It is uncategorized, so it can be used with any other trait. It is called Racial Variation. To take it, you must belong to a race that gives two +2 stat bonuses and a -2 stat penalty. You may change what stats your stat bonuses and penalties apply to.
This is to make it easier to choose unusual race and class combos by removing a penalty to a key stat. Now eleven barbarians and kitsune maguses aren't taking a penalty to a vital stat. I charge a trait because there has to be some price to avoid overshadowing the +2 bonus of choice races, but I don't want it to be massively expensive.
The only thing I have to say about making "unarmored warriors better" is that wearing armor should not become so comparatively suboptimal given the penalties already extant in wearing armor.Ive done clothing as 0 ac armor with 0 armor check and infinite max dex. I did have a stipulation that they were their own category of armor and were priced identical to bracers. Since it has its own slot its effectively slotless.That sounds like a good idea.
What would make it too suboptimal?
I'll probably write up separate sets of house rules at some point. This would be so that I could have one set of house rules (this one) for badass heroic fantasy, and a second set that tones the power level down for dark fantasy/horror. No real reason a magitech setting like this one can't do dark fantasy/horror, especially with monster epidemics and an evil god with cults being such a big part of the setting. It's all in how big the power imbalance between PCs and enemies is, how much gothic is mixed into the tone and flavor of PCs, monsters, and NPCs, what the enemies do to people, and how optimistically or pessimistically NPCs such as the local authorities are portrayed.
I'm working on PC races, but that'll probably have its own thread.
I have ranked character classes based on commonality. How common a class is has no bearing on whether a player can take levels in it. Adventurers are by their very nature unusual people, and I don't want or expect them to all choose common roles to play. All of these classes are available to player characters (Though Braves, Samurai, Ninja, and non-civilized Barbarians must have grown up among the appropriate ethnic group.). The list is a tool to help players understand how prevalent the role they have chosen is, so they can better write backstories. Third party classes are identified by source.
Common
Alchemist (most common spellcaster in the world by a pretty fair margin)
Machinesmith (Neo Exodus)
Cavalier
Wizard
Bard
Fighter
Ranger
Rogue
Investigator
Swashbuckler
Uncommon
Witch
Brave (Heroes of the West)
Barbarian
Druid
Samurai (Painted Rider) (Heroes of the West)
Gunslinger
Magus
Arcanist
Shaman
Skald
Slayer
Inquisitor
Stalker (Path of War)
Warder (Path of War)
Warlord (Path of War)
Rare
Sorcerer
Cleric
Monk
Brawler
Paladin
Samurai (Ronin)
Ninja
Hunter
Very Rare
Bloodrager
Warpriest
Oracle
Aegis (Psionics Expanded)
Cryptic (Psionics Expanded)
Dread (Psionics Expanded)
Marksman (Psionics Expanded)
Psion (Psionics Unleashed)
Psychic Warrior (Psionics Unleashed)
Soulknife (Psionics Unleashed)
Tactician (Psionics Expanded)
Vitalist (Psionics Expanded)
Wilder (Psionics Unleashed)
For the moment, the classes for Akashic Mysteries are allowed, but I'm keeping a close eye on them because they are still in playtesting. This is especially true of the Pharaoh. Vizier and Guru are uncommon, Daevics and Pharaohs are very rare.
I apply the same to Paths of War Expanded materiel. The Harbinger and Zealot are rare. When the Mystic gets released, it will be rare.
Instead of longspears for monks, I would give them flurry with Naginata. I just think it fits the motif better. (And you can give them proficiency with it to boot!)
Instead of longspears for monks, I would give them flurry with Naginata. I just think it fits the motif better. (And you can give them proficiency with it to boot!)
They could probably just have both. Naginata does sound right, and I took longspears from some videos of Chinese spear fighting I've seen.
I think you either need to grant some complimentary buffs to casters (not as major ones, but still something) or dial some things back.
I've been toying with the idea of metamagic as an option of the system, not as something you have to pay feats for. Also been thinking of not increasing casting times for using it.
I personally prefer spell points over spell slots, which I think adds a bit of power.
I might make it so that once you get 5th level spells you no longer have to pay to cast 1st level spells, like they were cantrips or orisons.
If none of those work, I could raise the first level Spells/Day or spell points for 1/2 BAB casters, so that it starts out at a higher number. Like, 1/3 at level 1. From there, the rate of increase remains the same.
So, at level 4 to 5, things should be evened out?
I'm toying with the cosmetics of the armor system, but not the mechanics. We have a fabric that provides similar protection to metal, and can even be alloyed with metals like adamantium or mithril, but it's supernaturally heavy, can be restrictive, and doesn't really save you any money over steel. You can make any metal armor out of it. It counts as a metal for all game effects. There is another version of the fabric that acts like leather instead of metal. The purpose of this fabric? To make "unarmored" martial characters, such as swashbucklers and maguses who want to wear fancy clothes for teh coolz, playable without mechanical detriment, without making armor inferior to unarmored styles or letting players get around armor restrictions.
Furthermore, armors can use the stats of other armors of the same materiel, but the choice to use another set of stats must be made an item creation and cannot be changed later on. What that means is you can buy a breastplate with chain shirt stats, because you are only proficient with light armor but think breastplates are cool, buy a suit of chainmail with a metal fabric tunic that uses full plate stats because you are a sword and board Paladin who uses heavy armor but really like chainmail, wear hide armor with studded leathers stats because you are a Ranger who thinks the idea of bear hide armor is awesome but hide armor has bad stats, and so on. Basically, it gives players far more control over what their armor can look like without impacting game mechanics at all.
The problem with that plan for the armor-- at least insofar as protecting the arcane casters of the world-- is that there's a reason they don't wear it in the first place. If it's sharing stats with the standard stuff-- if the only difference is cosmetic, that is to say-- then they still won't wear it, because the casters still have to deal with spell failure (the Swashbuckler doesn't wear it because he's not proficient and some of his class abilities turn off if he does).
Basically: the reason the Swashbuckler, the Kensai-Magus (as the other good versions still get armor), and the various arcane casters go unarmored/light armor is because of the mechanics, not the looks. I'm running a Kensai right now, and the first thing I did was find alternatives to armor for her. Not because I have some aversion to sticking her in Studded Leather, but because I can't. In point of fact I did that twice, once when I built her as a standard Magus to shore up her AC (and she actually wore Studded Leather then), and again when I retooled her to Kensai, which necessitated her dropping the armor.
Well, the idea was to allow a character like many Swashbuckler builds that normally would want light armor to go with an unarmored appearance for the looks, while still having the mechanical benefits of the armor, without having to actually change any mechanics. Like, I want to dress like this, but I want the AC bonus from wearing armor, so I get steel fabric clothes that looks like this but have the stats of a chain shirt. Basically, it allows characters who would normally go armored to dress up in nice clothes instead of armor without having any mechanical penalties. Great for Swashbucklers, Gunslingers, Bards, and a few others, if you are like me and get really invested in the fluff of your character's appearance and attire.
Any steel or leather fabric outfit picks a set of armor and mimics those stats exactly, including triggering class/feat/spellcasting based restrictions on the use of armor and the need for proficiency. The effect of such an outfit is purely cosmetic, and mostly for urbane duelist/musketeer/rogue types.
If arcane spellcasters need a low level boost, perhaps I could give them light armor proficiency and remove the arcane spell failure chance from light armors? If the appearance of armor doesn't fit the character concept, the fabric mentioned above is available so you can have armor robes that give you chain shirt or leather armor stats without actually looking like armor.
Within my campaign setting, the Alchemist is the most common magic user and healer by a wide margin. To fit this, the Chirurgeon needs to get some better healing chops. I don't see much reason not to just give them the Infusion discovery instead of the ability to make Cure infusions without the discovery, and I'm going to drop either bomb damage or mutagen in favor of increased extracts per day so they can throw out more Cures. I'm still working out how many extra extracts would be worth whichever ability I drop. I might add in an increase to how much they can heal with each extract. When I'm done, the Chirurgeon will be a archetype specifically designed to make the Alchemist a primary healer, because fluff wise that's what they are to the campaign setting in a major way.
I'll also throw in the default Chirurgeon (but with free Infusion discovery) as an archetype called Medic, so that the regular version remains open for a secondary healer Alchemist that doesn't lose a good chunk of combat ability.
Don't forget they can also use brew potion to create healing potions. Maybe the chirurgeon could create them cheaper/faster/more potent? That way, he could still use his extracts for other stuff (i. e. not being reduced to healbot duties).
I got the idea on Reddit of making the Chirurgeon into a Cleric archetype that makes the Cleric into an Alchemist style magic user (they use extracts, but get infusion and injection free at level 1 and can use contact potions to apply an extract without the subject having to drink it or even be adjacent to the Chirurgeon, they can release a cloud of painkillers to get the same effect as channel energy). That might actually be the best route.
I think spells such as Detect Magic, Diagnose Disease, Detect Poison, and so on should be skill checks, not spells. In order to cast a spell like Remove Disease or Remove Person, one must first successfully identify the poison or disease (this is a Heal check), or the spell doesn't work and/or hurts the patient. Since Alchemists and Chirurgeons are the main healers, this is fluffed as correctly diagnosing the patient's ailment, then creating the proper alchemical concoction to treat that specific ailment.
I got the idea on Reddit of making the Chirurgeon into a Cleric archetype that makes the Cleric into an Alchemist style magic user (they use extracts, but get infusion and injection free at level 1 and can use contact potions to apply an extract without the subject having to drink it or even be adjacent to the Chirurgeon, they can release a cloud of painkillers to get the same effect as channel energy). That might actually be the best route.
Okay, I think I have it. Approach chosen is to make the Chirurgeon an alternate class of the Cleric that uses alchemy instead of divine spellcasting. The Chirurgeon is a modified version of the Merciful Healer that uses Int instead of Wis for magic, uses extracts instead of spells, gets brew potion free at level 1, gets the Infusion and Injection abilities free at level 1 and can use contact potions (meaning they can use extracts that require a ranged touch attack or apply extracts without the subject having to drink them), uses the Cleric spell list as an extract list, and uses a cloud of painkillers as a refluffed version of Channel Energy. If they multiclass with Alchemist, their Chirurgeon and Alchemist levels stack for the purpose of determining Chirurgeon/Alchemist caster level (but not spell progression). They can take the Extra Discovery feat and use their Chirurgeon level in place of Alchemist level.
Also, Heal should be an Int skill, because most people using it frequently have very high levels of training.
Unbanning the Summoner. Kind of. They don't summon things, they build magitech robots or go all Frankenstein on animals, stick them in a portable hole type thingy, and pull them out when they need them.
Kelsey,
I like your house rules (prototype is used in the context of vehicles, maybe 'first draft' is a more appropriate description).
Yes, I agree E6 has significant appeal especially when you want to run a campaign with more restraint, less over-the-top fantasy.
In pen-and-paper-games (and video games) epic themes are perceived as something progressive and superior. There is a beauty to be found in the smaller stories; you don't have to be a elf prince with a celestial bloodline, last of your kind to be a interesting and engaging character.
The issues I have with your house rules is you are giving non-martial characters combat feats, like power attack and combat expertise. Doesn't make much sense to me.
You are also granting all summoned monsters power attack and combat expertise...will this create an imbalance?
Maybe giving the dodge feat a +2 bonus to AC, i understand your design motivations it would be just easier to implement.
Without His Foot's comment has definite truth to it, martial characters are significantly more powerful than their spell-caster counterparts at low level. The shift in power for spell-casters come around 7th level, this is when fighters need a boost in power to keep up.