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PFS handles it with a freebie feat: https://paizo.com/pathfindersociety/characteroptions
"To aid our new aquatic Pathfinders, all awakened animals with the Swimming Animal heritage get Land Legs as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. All merfolk PCs get the Shore Gift feat as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. These are in addition to their normal 1st-level ancestry feats."
Variant Merfolk (only listing changed stuff):
Speed: 25 feet, swim 25
Aquatic Grace: Gain a +2 circumstance bonus to resist water effects
Hydration (deleted)
Merfolk Shapeshift (new): Free action. Your Merfolk tail can be transformed into humanoid legs. You may also transform your humanoid legs back into a Merfolk tail.
Makes sense. Deleting Hydration may be necessary in certain campaigns like something that takes place in an area that just lacks the water required or otherwise puts the PCs in a situation where that can't reasonably be done. In other campaigns it isn't really an issue.
PFS handles it with a freebie feat: https://paizo.com/pathfindersociety/characteroptions
"To aid our new aquatic Pathfinders, all awakened animals with the Swimming Animal heritage get Land Legs as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. All merfolk PCs get the Shore Gift feat as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. These are in addition to their normal 1st-level ancestry feats."
That's what I did for a Merfolk player in Abomination Vaults. "You get your level 9 feat now so you can actually play and will have to take it at level 9."
IIRC Howl of the Wild suggests that in a sidebar, or something similar to it.
PFS handles it with a freebie feat: https://paizo.com/pathfindersociety/characteroptions
"To aid our new aquatic Pathfinders, all awakened animals with the Swimming Animal heritage get Land Legs as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. All merfolk PCs get the Shore Gift feat as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. These are in addition to their normal 1st-level ancestry feats."
Why wasn't this an alternate rule?
Why wasn't this an alternate rule?PFS handles it with a freebie feat: https://paizo.com/pathfindersociety/characteroptions
"To aid our new aquatic Pathfinders, all awakened animals with the Swimming Animal heritage get Land Legs as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. All merfolk PCs get the Shore Gift feat as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. These are in addition to their normal 1st-level ancestry feats."
Does it need to be though? Just in general?
I understand this stance for PFS but otherwise you got the supramarine chair and GMs can freely handle things as they want at their own table either trough special magic items, bonus feats or handwaiving.
I'm aware of adaptive gear for aquatic Pathfinders, like chairs and breathers. I'm just baffled that THOSE weren't giving for free instead of a feat.
I just think that Shore Gift and Land Legs represent more of an advancement or milestone, as if "only the most dedicated merfolks can shape their tails into legs". Giving it for free instead of giving free gear kinda defeats its intended purpose.
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PFS handles it with a freebie feat: https://paizo.com/pathfindersociety/characteroptions
"To aid our new aquatic Pathfinders, all awakened animals with the Swimming Animal heritage get Land Legs as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. All merfolk PCs get the Shore Gift feat as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. These are in addition to their normal 1st-level ancestry feats."
Oh my gosh, how did I miss this? And I call myself a PFS Venture Captain?! For shame, Hmm!
I had been ignoring the merfolk option not realizing that the 9th-level feat was available at 1st level! Now I must make a merfolk!
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Why wasn't this an alternate rule?PFS handles it with a freebie feat: https://paizo.com/pathfindersociety/characteroptions
"To aid our new aquatic Pathfinders, all awakened animals with the Swimming Animal heritage get Land Legs as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. All merfolk PCs get the Shore Gift feat as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. These are in addition to their normal 1st-level ancestry feats."
It's mentioned on page 9 of Howl of the Wild under "aquatic PCs" under "special rules" as a GM option. So it effectively is an alternate rule.
It's mentioned on page 9 of Howl of the Wild under "aquatic PCs" under "special rules" as a GM option. So it effectively is an alternate rule.Why wasn't this an alternate rule?PFS handles it with a freebie feat: https://paizo.com/pathfindersociety/characteroptions
"To aid our new aquatic Pathfinders, all awakened animals with the Swimming Animal heritage get Land Legs as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. All merfolk PCs get the Shore Gift feat as a free 1st-level ancestry feat. These are in addition to their normal 1st-level ancestry feats."
Here's the full rule:
Athamarus, merfolk, and some awakened animals can be amphibious or aquatic. If your players are interested in playing an aquatic character in a primarily terrestrial campaign, consider starting them off with assistive devices such as the atmospheric breathing suit, pelagic helmet, or supramarine chair at no additional cost. For a less technological option, you might consider granting a PC feats such as Land Legs or Shore Gift as a bonus feat at level 1, possibly adding certain narrative limitations like “the merfolk PC gains Shore Gift as a bonus feat, but loses its benefits when the moon is full” if they suit your story.
Basically, an aquatic PC can be considered as "disabled" and can get items to move on land. The major difference is that a merfolk is not "disabled" in water.
It's like how humans must wear breathers on Pandora, while Na'vis can breathe normally.
There's got to be some disadvantages to being a merfolk. I think one of my first purchases as a merfolk will be walking cauldron filled with water that can follow me around!
There are also plenty of ways of grabbing an archetype that will grant some cantrip or option to generate water if it becomes an issue. Choosing to be a mermaid on land is something the player needs to accept will require choosing some things to make that reasonable but the free mobility feats makes sense. If you are on land to begin with there probably was some reason so you are either naturally gifted or your people hooked you up so you could perform your quest.