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Weapon Trick only needs to be taken once, and works with everything for which you meet the prerequisites. Because taking Weapon Trick for TWF and again for Weapon & Shield is just stupid.
All of your races' Racial Feats are given as bonus feats as soon as you meet their prerequisites. Because spending your limited feats to just be yourself is also stupid.
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I think from now on, any and all Faerie Dragons will receive the Sorcerer Creature template for free (not that increasing a CR2 to CR3 matters that much, anyways). And I will probably hold that true for Improved Familiars, as well. They end up with four 1st-level spells (DC~16), seven cantrips (DC~15), and a DC~16 Bloodline ability usable 8/day. I like the Kobold Bloodline for them, personally, but Draconic or Serpentine would be equally fitting. Faerie Dragons don't pop up very often, and the template is such a perfect fit, maybe I can find reasons to use Ensorcelled Faerie Dragons more frequently.
All Wolverines get the Mutant template for free... because X-men, duh... DR 5/- with Fast Healing 5, Adamantine Beast makes its natural attacks count as Adamantine, it has Rage, and Fractured Mind makes it confused if it fails a Will save... I love all of it.
And I have been really toying with the idea of increasing weapon enchantment DC's by an amount equal to the weapons enchantment bonus... so many of those fun rider effects have such pathetic DC's that even increasing them by [up to] +5 barely matters, but a 19 is way better than a freaking 14. Lol.
Monstrous Companion/Monstrous Mount are in no way limited to the choices listed in the feat description(s). And the maximum Effective Cohort Level is your Effective Druid Level -3, not whatever stunted BS is listed on the table that caps ECL at 12 when your EDL is 20. The ECL is just the creature's Challenge Rating +4, I don't do the CR+6 for creatures with flight (like the table suggests). You meet the feat's prerequisites, you take the feat... you have bought the ticket, and I will let you take the ride. Just talk to me about what you want, and why... we will come up with something that works for both of us.
I haven't had anyone use any of the Dragon companion archetypes, but I am willing to go through pretty great lengths to make those work if the player has aspirations to roleplay their friendship with a freaking Dragon. I would probably use the same formula I use for Monstrous Companion... your EDL-3 is the maximum ECL you can have as a companion. The creature's CR+4 is its ECL. So, at level 20, you could have a ECL 17 companion which would be a CR13 Dragon... that's a Young Adult Red Dragon... it's literally Huge, and has a 10D10 breathe weapon. If that isn't good enough for you, I don't think we are compatible at the same table. Lol. This is something that may be modified after the first time I have someone actually use a Dragon companion... most of those archetypes are so terrible, though, I doubt anyone will ever even bring it up.
Half-Elf's Multitalented racial feature allows them to get their FCB in both sides of a gestalt combination.
All 4/9 casters use the Medium's Spells Known progression (if spontaneous), and Ranger's Spells Per Day (plus Knacks)... and I have a combined 4/9 spell list that consists of the AntiPaladin, Bloodrager, Medium, Paladin, and Ranger lists combined... certain spells specific to class features or god-stuff or whatever are still specific to the class they originated with, but otherwise it's all-access to one big list. And all 4/9 casters get Knacks, because why not? Throw a dog a bone...
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If they are in contact familiars and their masters count as one creature for teleport and such spells that work on a limited number of targets.
Casters with bonded objects: a hand holding a bound object counts as free for spell casting purposes.
Any ability that moves an enemy around and has a stipulation about "can't put them in a dangerous place", ignore that, shove that fool off the cliff he put his back to.
Breath of life can be spontaneously cast by folks who spontaneously heal.
I'd say those are the coolest one of mine.
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The house and alternative rules for my current campaign are about 20 pages worth of material. One of my players (he's unable to join us now because of his job) used to work for Troll Lord Games and he printed everything up in handbooks for the the group. Below are a couple of the ones my players like quite a bit:
Chases can be resolved by dividing base speed by 5 to give simple numbers that can be used as modifiers to opposed rolls between opponents.
(Ex: Base Speed 30 divided by 5 = 6. d20 + 6 opposed by enemy’s chase score, determined the same way. If the enemy’s roll equals or exceeds that of the player, then the player has been overtaken by his foe).
You may substitute a bonus language slot to add another skill to your list of Class Skills.
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Weapon Trick only needs to be taken once, and works with everything for which you meet the prerequisites. Because taking Weapon Trick for TWF and again for Weapon & Shield is just stupid.
All of your races' Racial Feats are given as bonus feats as soon as you meet their prerequisites. Because spending your limited feats to just be yourself is also stupid.
I definitely like the first one here...
...But the second feels like it should be "You have the option of taking any or all of your race's Racial Feats as bonus feats as soon as you meet the prerequisites," because they aren't always appropriate for all characters. (E.g., for Catfolk, Black Cat automatically makes their fur black, Catfolk Exemplar is explicitly "you're more catlike than most Catfolk" (and would they get it once, or all three times?). And for Tengu, Long-Nose Form feels like it's something the player would want to choose rather than have forced on them. ...And Kitsune exists, and really likes your idea, which is a vote both for and against it. xD)
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It will be noted that racial feats are available as bonus feats, and not automatically given. That is a good suggestion. Thank you.
I'm thinking about combining all the Obedience feats into one... and allowing Diverse Obedience to apply to it, instead of worrying about Damned Soldier, or whatever. That way it's two feats and you get the faster boon progression, with any boons you want. I know the skill prerequisite varies between some of the Obedience feats, and I may keep those the same depending which deity you are worshipping... but I do not know which Obedience feats, if any, can actually be used with Diverse Obedience [other than Deific Obedience]. I think Feindish/Celestial/whatever Obedience should benefit from the same simple feat. I guess I could just change Diverse Obedience. Lol.
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acrobatics checks to move without provoking (ether through enemy's space or threatened area) call for an acrobatics roll (trained only) from the one providing the dc. if he roll is higher then the dc you treat it as the dc (it also gain +5 for trying to move through the target's space). kinda like in 'crouching tiger hidden dragon' where one martial artist blocked an other from escaping by entangling their feet with their own.
- it felt odd to me that high enough acrobatics can let a monk (or anyone else) bypass anyone even other highly trained monks, without them being able to actively prevent it.
rolling a nat 20 on a skill check or initiative let you roll again and add the total for the check (and again if another nat 20 is rolled). this only apply to real rolling not effects that decide the roll for the dice (like cyclopic helm).
if your initiative roll is 30+ you take you get a free standard action at -20 to that initiative. this repeat as long as the initiative number stay positive.
for example if your total initiative after all bonuses is 55, you act at initiative 55 and get a standard action at 35 and 15.
ready or any other thing that changes your initiative remove the bonus actions. (so some1 ready to act before some1 with initiative 55 won't get extra actions)
- it always bugged me that if some1 is fast enough to act ages before anyone else he still can only act the same amount of actions as every one else. (stole this from shadowrun. there is -10, but they only use d6).
any polymorph spell that require a part of the shape your trying to turn into (such as beast shape, dragon form etc), actually require it for each casting. Also it is not part of the items a standard spell pouch has and can't be ignored with eschew materials.
also there is no such spell named 'blood money'.
- i figured that a part of ,say a troll is worth a lot more then 1 gp what with all the risk of getting it etc. more so if you try to turn into the individual 'green man'..
feats and class abilities should work first and foremost even if not necessary the way they were written (also not be abused). to wit:
white haired witch uses int for ALL rolls with her hair. not just damage etc.
Vivi alchemist who multiclass to other classes with sneak attack only add the sneak dice he get from them. not count all classes as a Rogue. (especially if the other class give much less sneak dice then rogues).
Monkey Lunge doesn't take a standard action.
etc.
you can use actions that require standard, move and swift actions even out of combat. same for initiative actions like ready or delay. (because, A. training\ambush happen. and B. you decide when you fight).
I use a fumble chart for when a nat 1 is rolled (since running around with a knife is dangerous). but rolling nat 1 is not an auto fumble. you then roll a d100 with a base of 5% per BAB point to change it to a mere miss. after all heaving +16 to bab mean you are a lot more experienced then some1 with +1 and should therefore make LESS mistakes in fighting ,not more. (a nat 1 followed by a 100 in the roll is a fumble even to a level 20 fighter, because sometimes sh-t happen).
shooting into melee can be a case of friendly fire. if the attack roll is effected because of 'shooting into melee' or 'cover by an ally' and the roll was just enough to miss because of said conditions (again if they weren't negated by feats etc) then the roll is compared to the ally's ac and might hit him instead. (if more then one ally is in melee i roll to randomly decide who to compare, if cover then the one giving cover is auto selected)
last bit. some things are not feats but options to any intelligent creature (and sometimes even non intelligent).
example : strike back
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We scrapped confirmation rolls for critical hits a long time ago. For instance, it takes all of the excitement out of rolling a Natural 20 when a confirmation roll shows it's not a critical hit after all.
We also added in something if you or your foe fumbles. The one who rolls a fumble is subject to an AoO by the opponent. Yeah, it's an extra roll in combat but it's not that big a difference with the dropped confirmation roll. And my players enjoy the extra drop of danger into the combat mix.
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If they are in contact familiars and their masters count as one creature for teleport and such spells that work on a limited number of targets.
Same, but applies to any companion creature with which you have the Share Spells feature, such as a Druid or Paladin, and applies to any feature that affects the user, so that a Cleric with an Animal Companion (through the Animal Domain) doesn't have to use one of his Selective Channeling slots to exclude or include his Animal Companion, if it is adjacent to them.
Breath of life can be spontaneously cast by folks who spontaneously heal.
Yup. I rename Breath of Life 'Cure Grievous Wounds' or 'Cure Deadly Wounds' so that it counts as a 'cure' spell for the purposes of the Clerics Spontaneous Channeling feature.
It will be noted that racial feats are available as bonus feats, and not automatically given. That is a good suggestion. Thank you.
I'm thinking about combining all the Obedience feats into one... and allowing Diverse Obedience to apply to it, instead of worrying about Damned Soldier, or whatever. That way it's two feats and you get the faster boon progression, with any boons you want. I know the skill prerequisite varies between some of the Obedience feats, and I may keep those the same depending which deity you are worshipping... but I do not know which Obedience feats, if any, can actually be used with Diverse Obedience [other than Deific Obedience]. I think Feindish/Celestial/whatever Obedience should benefit from the same simple feat. I guess I could just change Diverse Obedience. Lol.
You're welcome, and that sounds interesting. ...Not familiar enough with the Obedience feats to comment on it, though.
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I always put that the wizards cast their spells direct from the spell books since it seems silly for one to memorize the formulas and magic words; and then forget them when casting the spells as if they were scrolls, which once used are destroyed. and those who possess the spell mastery use the spells without resorting to the use of the book
I have one. Its a small one, didn't even realize I was doing it until a player pointed it out to me. When a spellcaster uses the Magic Stone spell, I allow them to use one of the 3 shots in the same round as they cast the spell. So far this hasn't broken the game.
I like this. I'm gonna pilfer it.
. . . if your initiative roll is 30+ you take you get a free standard action at -20 to that initiative. this repeat as long as the initiative number stay positive.
. . . (stole this from shadowrun. there is -10, but they only use d6). . .
You, sir, have good taste. I loves me some Shadowrun. I don't get to play too often, though.
. . . Vivi alchemist who multiclass to other classes with sneak attack only add the sneak dice he get from them. not count all classes as a Rogue. (especially if the other class give much less sneak dice then rogues). . .
I can see that. I think they were trying to avoid using it as a one level dip to stack up sneak attack early, like a Vivisectionist 1/Rogue 1/Ninja 1, but you'd still have garbage BAB so... it still balances out.
I would add allowing favored class bonuses to be substituted where appropriate, like a Half-Orc can increase bomb damage, but when he goes Vivisectionist, it increases the sneak attack damage he swapped for bombs. It makes sense to me.
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I truly love racial feats. Regardless of almost any other mechanical/tactical choices, racial feats are almost always the first ones I look at when building a character. That being said, some races have way more feat goodies than others. @VoodistMonk, how do you handle balance issues between a race like drow with a dozen or so racial feats, and some race with only a few (oread maybe?)?Weapon Trick only needs to be taken once, and works with everything for which you meet the prerequisites. Because taking Weapon Trick for TWF and again for Weapon & Shield is just stupid.
All of your races' Racial Feats are given as bonus feats as soon as you meet their prerequisites. Because spending your limited feats to just be yourself is also stupid.
I definitely like the first one here...
...But the second feels like it should be "You have the option of taking any or all of your race's Racial Feats as bonus feats as soon as you meet the prerequisites," because they aren't always appropriate for all characters. (E.g., for Catfolk, Black Cat automatically makes their fur black, Catfolk Exemplar is explicitly "you're more catlike than most Catfolk" (and would they get it once, or all three times?). And for Tengu, Long-Nose Form feels like it's something the player would want to choose rather than have forced on them. ...And Kitsune exists, and really likes your idea, which is a vote both for and against it. xD)
Easy... some races are more powerful than others. Life isn't fair.
If someone plays an uber-race, then I might pick on them a little bit more... but in a way they SHOULD be able to handle given their advantageous position. But it's that way with different classes and builds, too.
Some players/builds/races are better capable of handling things. I might "forget" to make a Kobold do a Strength check, or "forget" to add the extra modifier to a Kobold's Strength check for it being a heavy wooden door instead of a piece of $#!+ wooden door. Maybe I pick on the Noble Drow a bit more, but they are mighty, and Noble, and take it with style and grace that others might not be able to muster in the face of adversity.
But, honestly, I try to let people play what they want to play... I will throw a dog a bone if that is what it takes to get someome's idea on the table. If they chose a powerful race for a powerful build, then adding free racial feats is not going to really change it. Of they chose a powerful race for purely flavor reasons, then here have these free racial feats... maybe they will in some way reward you for being awesome and not a murderhobo.
If someone is going to murderhobo, you have to adjust for that... free racial feats do not change anything enough for me to have to adjust for them, specifically.
That is an excellent idea! I like random fumble rules normally, but when you played with sharing GM's creativity and consistency vary a fair bit. Having a fumble provoke an AoO, is a wonderful way to normalize this, and a good GM can still describe the how/why of the fumble for proper excitement or hilarity. Cheers for this!We scrapped confirmation rolls for critical hits a long time ago. For instance, it takes all of the excitement out of rolling a Natural 20 when a confirmation roll shows it's not a critical hit after all.
We also added in something if you or your foe fumbles. The one who rolls a fumble is subject to an AoO by the opponent. Yeah, it's an extra roll in combat but it's not that big a difference with the dropped confirmation roll. And my players enjoy the extra drop of danger into the combat mix.
Thank you very much! The look of apprehension when someone fumbles in a very dangerous combat sequence is well worth the price of admission...LOL
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Has anyone just made Channel Energy a single burst with both Harm and Heal effects always active?
Like you Channel Positive energy in the presence of both living and Undead... the living are healed at the same time the Undead are harmed. It seems that is just the way it should be, and making them choose between Harm and Heal effects greatly lessens Channel Energy's utility.
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Yes, I played with a GM that allowed that. It was great! And I agree that it makes more sense.
It used to work that way in 3.5, and my guess is that Pathfinder deliberately made it that way to lessen the cleric's power level.
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That one's going in the book.
The discussion as I recall it, Mark, went along the lines of comparing 3.5 clerics to 3.5 wizards and sorcerers. They were both 9th level, single-attribute casters, but clerics also had heavy armor proficiency, a better BAB (that was helpful at lower levels), and a scaling AoE heal (or specialized damage burst). Sure, compared to a fighter or paladin, the cleric was a lackluster meleer (meleeist? meleeologist?), but if you placed a mid or higher level cleric at the back of the party casting alongside the arcane caster, the 3.5 cleric has distinct survivability advantages (while still being a 9th level, single-attribute caster).
My personal opinion is that mid or higher level 9th level casters' survivability comes from spell mastery, not AC, but that was the argument at the time (as I remember it).
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I haven't GMed in a few years, but when I do, a houserule I will enact is:
If, after intelligence bonus but before favored class bonus, a PC is under 4 skill ranks per level, then it bumps up to 4 per level... but I really want to see all of your skills represented in your character's history.
And this one isn't so much a houserule, but insomuch as Traits are an optional rule, my campaign won't be using them. However, they're so commonplace that I'll probably offer a selection of feats that players can take for free, instead. These feats will be things like Power Attack, Combat Expertise, Dodge, etc., that are often the first step in some of the longer feat trees.
I really don't like Traits.
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However, they're so commonplace that I'll probably offer a selection of feats that players can take for free, instead.
But I've also seen another houserule that I like in that Trait's aren't used, but the GM says the player can have one free non-combat/non-metamagic feat instead. This checks the box for the "but Traits encourage roleplay!" crowd.
However, they're so commonplace that I'll probably offer a selection of feats that players can take for free, instead.But I've also seen another houserule that I like in that Trait's aren't used, but the GM says the player can have one free non-combat/non-metamagic feat instead. This checks the box for the "but Traits encourage roleplay!" crowd.
well 1 of my GM put that all general feat are considerate traits since all feats giive yoou some description in wat you gain like endurancce that give your body to be more resistance to the effort and environment, magical aptitude you have talent in magic and magic items
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Yes, I played with a GM that allowed that. It was great! And I agree that it makes more sense.
It used to work that way in 3.5, and my guess is that Pathfinder deliberately made it that way to lessen the cleric's power level.
Not to derail but I've gotta ask; why on the maker's green earth would anyone want to FURTHER limit the power of clerics in the Core of PF? Like, we're talking a class that got armor and 3/4 BAB, so you figure they're a battle type, but they get no inherent bonus feats or combat boosts; they have low skills, weak weapon options, and yes they get spells but no inherent ability to cast those spells anywhere near the battle they're supposed to be tanking for, so their action economy every round is: should I make some mediocre attacks or cast a spell?
Anyway, I think in future campaigns I might make this ability to use both channel energy functions at once a special ability granted only to Clerics since I think that class still gets a pretty raw deal.
Why the nerf in PF??? Google 'D&D CoDzilla'...
Seriously, self-buffed Clerics and Druids were as good or better than martial characters while retaining plenty of spellpower for other situations (My D&D3 Cleric had junk gear at 12th level but dominated melee combat with all his buffs and the occasional Flame Strike). The fact that PF2 has removed pretty much every long-term buff spell is just the culmination of this evolution.
As for the channeling, doing 'double duty' is pretty much a 'you really can't lose against undead if you have a cleric' sort of thing, which creates serious balancing issues (do you balance a published encounter for a party with a cleric or without?).
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. . . And this one isn't so much a houserule, but insomuch as Traits are an optional rule, my campaign won't be using them. However, they're so commonplace that I'll probably offer a selection of feats that players can take for free, instead. These feats will be things like Power Attack, Combat Expertise, Dodge, etc., that are often the first step in some of the longer feat trees. . . .
A game group I've played with has a variation of certain feats that we cribbed from somewhere else.
COMBAT POSTURES
The feats Power Attack, Combat Expertise, and Deadly Aim as well as fighting defensively and full defense are waived in favor of combat postures.
If you adopt an Offensive Posture, you may take a penalty of up to half of your base attack, rounded up, and add it to damage at a 1:2 exchange.
If you adopt a Defensive Posture, you may take a penalty of up to half of your base attack, rounded up, and add it to your AC and Reflex save at a 1:1 exchange.
If you adopt a Focused Posture, you may take a penalty on damage and add it to your to hit at a 1:1 exchange, though damage will never drop below 1. You may also not take a higher penalty to damage of more than the weapon's maximum damage - 1.Any feats that have Power Attack, Combat Expertise, or Deadly Aim as prerequisites remove them as prerequisites.
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Allowing Channel Energy to do double duty still means the Cleric has to dedicate resources to keeping Channel relevant... there is still a balancing act happening. Channel Energy is somewhat more useful, so they want to use it more... maybe they are less effective spellcasters or combatants because of the sacrifices they made to be better at using Channel Energy. The price has been paid.
As for Undead becoming ineffective... not really. The Cleric has to use limited resources to keep Channel Energy relevant, and their ability to Channel Energy has a limited number of uses per day. You can use Exploding Skeletons and Plague Zombies for cannon fodder within the Cleric's Channel Energy blast radius. Skeleton Champion Archers everywhere else. Or whatever is appropriate for the current desired Challenge Rating. Pretty sure solid earth blocks line of effect for Channel Energy... have your Undead rise from the ground... being incorporeal is the same as having a burrow speed.
All flying Dragons size Huge (and larger) get the following feats as bonus feats if they do not already have them:
Fling, Flyby Attack, Hover, Powerful Wings, Skill Focus (Fly), Snatch, Snatch and Drop, Throw Anything.
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Another houserule that I've played with that I like: Skill checks that don't make the DC can be re-purposed as Aid Another checks assisting another character making the same skill check.
A couple that have come up lately: if versatile performance (or a similar ability) makes skill points you have spent redundant they are refunded and may be respent immediately.
If a class grants a feat you have previously chosen you may instead add an obvious upgrade to it. A common example is a weapon proficiency that a feat was spent on. If the character later multiclasses into a class that grants that proficiency they instead gain weapon focus.
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Anyone who knows me knows that pretty much all my rules are houserules!
Anyone who knows me knows that pretty much all my rules are houserules!
I loved your weapon rules.
Anyone who knows me knows that pretty much all my rules are houserules!I loved your weapon rules.
Merci bien, mon ami!
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Merci bien, mon ami!Anyone who knows me knows that pretty much all my rules are houserules!I loved your weapon rules.
Or if you prefer, "danke schoene, mein freunde," or "mamnoon," whatever language you're most comfortable with. Despite my RL last name, I try to be a citizen of the world.
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Anyone who knows me knows that pretty much all my rules are houserules!
Understatement.
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I'm famous for those (or not!)
I hate a ton of house rules... though I seen some people with 20 or more pages of house rules so I believe I don't have that much house rules?
Actually, if you take every optional system, archetype, class, etc. in the Index I have much more than 20 pages of house rules...
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I hate a ton of house rules... though I seen some people with 20 or more pages of house rules so I believe I don't have that much house rules?
I'm told I have 1200 pages, not including monster conversions. ;)
A few more we're going to try out in a soon to start campaign, the brace property applies to AoOs against charges, as well as readied actions.
Pre-erratta scarred witch doctor. A modified list of druid weapon proficiencies (reflecting the fact that they are not farmers, and that the presence of the scimitar there is a bit of gygaxian dumb we need not continue), great clubs are simple weapons.
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I just had a GM friend tell me that he's working on a mechanic for monsters where special, dangerous abilities are triggered when the monster gets below, say, 50% or 25% or when some other criteria is met when the battle is not going the monster's way. It's an attempt to add some danger and variety to a monster that the PCs may not be able to prepare for. The mechanic would only be in place for bosses or other meaningful fights, and as he puts it, "it's an attempt to make the monsters more than a big bag of hit points." I think he says he was inspired by something similar from 4E.
Anyway, it sounds fun, so I thought I'd share.
I just had a GM friend tell me that he's working on a mechanic for monsters where special, dangerous abilities are triggered when the monster gets below, say, 50% or 25% or when some other criteria is met when the battle is not going the monster's way. It's an attempt to add some danger and variety to a monster that the PCs may not be able to prepare for. The mechanic would only be in place for bosses or other meaningful fights, and as he puts it, "it's an attempt to make the monsters more than a big bag of hit points." I think he says he was inspired by something similar from 4E.
Anyway, it sounds fun, so I thought I'd share.
Sort of like video games then? I'm having bad flashbacks to my fight with Moghwyn from the other week when he hit 50%.... :-)
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For my contribution: I gave out free traits to characters in a game every 4 levels. Made a list to let them pick what they got based on how they behaved and what made sense. This reflected how they developed beyond level gains. Bonus traits ignored the one per category rule.
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Free traits that fit their character every 4 levels is freaking brilliant.