(Minor homebrew:) Advice for what different classes can do while also refocusing

[VampByDay]

So, let’s face it, there is a slight problem with refocusing in that some classes can do stuff while refocusing, and some classes can’t. RAW clerics can use medicine to bandage wounds and monks just gotta sit there, meditating. Let’s see if, while keeping still in the spirit of what is mentioned in the game, we can come up with useful things players can do while refocusing for each class:

Alchemists: Don’t get focus points? (I think)
Barbarian: Don’t get focus points? (I think)
Bard:
-Make a perform check (like in a concert or playing for NPCs
-Research/translate/read a book involving/related to their muse
-Make a medicine check to heal mental damage by playing soothing music.
-Work toward composing/writing a poem/song/ballad/story
-Identifying magic items based on sound/music/performance

Champion
-Praying
-If good aligned-> Treat Injury
-Reading/researching/deciphering a book about their god or warfare.
-Training the worthy in how to fight for their god
-Sorting through weapons of war

Cleric
-Praying
-If good aligned-> Treat Injury
-Reading/Deciphering/researching a religious topic they are interested In (involving their god, or their gods enemies)
-proselytizing (diplomacy check to influence NPCs to accept them based on their god)
-Identifying magic items based on their religion (or a religion they actively oppose)

Druid
-Something related to their subclass (Gardening for leaf, training animals for animal, etc)
-Identifying nature based magic items
-Reading/Researching/deciphering information about nature or threats to nature
-Leading the way for survival/navigating through nature.

Fighters: Don’t get focus points? (I think)
Gunslingers: Don’t get focus points? (I think)
Inventors: Don’t get focus points? (I think)
Investigators: Don’t get focus points? (I think)

Magus
-Study while working out
-Identify magic arms and armor
-Read/Research/decipher info about war mages/battles with magic
-Practice or teach battle magic/weapons training
-Identify a staff (staff magus only)

Monk:
-Meditate
-Practice martial arts/teach/spar
-Do something related to a monk feat you have (Monastic archery->Take care of your bow. Stumbling stance ->drink)
-Read/Research/decipher a book on martial forms, meditation, or combat
-Treat condition through acupuncture/pressure point techniques
-Guide others on a tour of your temple
-Craft something that is meditative in nature,( like calligraphy, crafting sculpture, etc.)

Oracle
-“Meditate on the nature of your mystery”
-pray to the power you think gave you your mystery.
-Read/research/decipher something related to your mystery (Geneology for ancestors, etc.)
-Do something related to your mystery. (Set up campfire for fire, train for battle, take a swim for waves, etc.)
-Identify an item related to your mystery (staff of fire for flame, etc)

Psychic
-Meditate
-Do something related to your subconscious mind (Solve math problems for precise discipline, etc.)
-Identify a psychic magic item
-Read/research/decipher information related to your conscious mind (Manual on teleportation for boundless step. Etc)
-Train a fellow psychic
-Lead the team on something related to your conscious mind.

Ranger
-Lead the team through terrain you are familiar with.
-Hunt/forage
-identify a weapon or item with natural ties
-tame/train an animal

Rogue: Don’t get focus points? (I think)

Sorcerer
-Meditate to ‘connect to your bloodline’
-Read/research/decipher info related to your bloodline
-Identify an item related to your bloodline
-Talk/debate about a topic related to your bloodline, or something that plays into your bloodline.

Summoner
-Talk with/spend time with your eidolon
-Do something your eidolon would appreciate (angel->Treat injury, plant-> Garden, etc)
-read/research/decipher info that relates to/is in the same field as your eidolon
-Identify an item that is related/‘has the same vibe’ as your eidolon
-Research conjured creatures and summoned links in general

Swashbucklers: Don’t get focus points? (I think)
ThUmaturge: Don’t get focus points? (I think)
Witch:
-commune with familiar
-Pray/commune with patron
-research/read/decipher info related to your patron or their interests
-Identify a magic Item related to your patron or their interests
-Craft something related to your patron
-treat wounds (if your patron is good aligned or likes the sight of guts)

Wizard
-Read your spellbook
-Read/research/decipher times about your branch of specialty magic or magic theory/history
-Identify a magic item related to your field of magic (or arcane magic item if generalist)
-teach wizardry
-craft something related to wizardry (like a new spellbook)

Well, that’s it. Did I miss some? Do you disagree? Are there others you can think of? Let me know.

[HumbleGamer]

Maybe it's something that would be addressed ( I know they plan some "focus" modifies ) with the remastered.

In the meanwhile, I wonder whether "patching up your party" would fall into "do service toward their causes", talking about clerics.

Personally, the only one that explicitly has this possibility seems to be the sorcerer.

Quote:

Unlike other characters, you don't need to do anything specific to Refocus, as the power flowing through your veins naturally replenishes your focus pool.

which is a CRB class ( like the cleric ) and has a specific feature pointed out in the refocus section ( very detailed ).

Back to your idea, my main concern is that making them skill specific, would force the character into a specific gameplay.

I mean, wouldn't be easier to just give every character the possibility to do whatever they want while refocusing?

For example:
- The witch might repair the fighter shield ( having mor int )
- The fighter ( who took occultism and has a good int score ) might identify some scrolls.
- The ranger might heal the party with medicine ( or nature medicine )

And so on.

[graystone]

HumbleGamer wrote:

Maybe it's something that would be addressed ( I know they plan some "focus" modifies ) with the remastered.

Yeah, they mentioned that they were altering focus point and refocusing to make it better and easier so I'm not sure how relevant this is going to be in a few months.

[Sanityfaerie]

Champions of a crafting god can almost certainly spend time on shield repair, *especially* if that can be seen as a form of prayer. Arguably maintaining gear counts as "service to the cause of their deity" if they're devout and motivated enough, which would open up shield repair for basically any of them. Doubly so if the shield in question is their divine ally.

"can you refocus through shield repair" is meaningful, as repairing a shield and refocusing both take 10 minutes.

[Super Zero]

Given that this is an intentional and explicit difference between different sources of focus spells, I don't think pointing out that the difference exists is enough to call it a problem.

(And Inventors don't have focus points, but they do have to stabilize their Innovation, which is essentially the same thing and one of the most restrictive.)

[HumbleGamer]

Super Zero wrote:

Given that this is an intentional and explicit difference between different sources of focus spells, I don't think pointing out that the difference exists is enough to call it a problem.

(And Inventors don't have focus points, but they do have to stabilize their Innovation, which is essentially the same thing and one of the most restrictive.)

I think they were pointing out that during short rests, specific classes ( sorcerer ) are allowed to do refocus and another task.

Maybe this won't be so impactful, as the party could easily consider moving when ready ( healed and refocused ), but I see this could be a nice advantage when it comes down to frequently ambushes within the enemy territory.

For example, not treating dungeon/map rooms as they were soundproof, would probably lead to frequently attacks before and during rests, if the heroes take too loong to perform them.

So in the end, it comes down to how fast the game proceeds.