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View Full Version : Pathfinder Glorified Patch Notes - Stiq's Pathfinder Houserules and Fixes



Stiq
2014-08-25, 05:46 PM
Hail, everyone! If you're reading this thread, you probably enjoy Pathfinder and have some houserules of your own as a way to smooth over some of the wrinkles in the proverbial rug. I am here for the dual purpose of offering my own ideas and insights on the matter of fixing pathfinder, and also seeking your own opinions and suggestions.

Currently the content here includes:


Updates to the core feats
Modifications of several class features from the core classes
Updated rules for systems affecting classes from Core, Advanced Player's Guide, Ultimate Magic and Ultimate Combat


1. "Playability Balance."

I want to make sure that every class is fun in its own right. This means a lot of things, but what it primarily means is that I've attempted to bridge the gap of class utility. While I acknowledge and accept that I can't make a perfectly balanced game, I did set out with intent to reduce the number of situations where a class or build is ineffectual or greatly outclassed by another option. To put it simply, I really wanted to reduce the amount of time characters might spend sitting around twiddling their thumbs, and discourage things like the all-wizard adventuring party.

2. No Feat Taxation Without Build Consultation

Several feats were converted into generic mechanics, or otherwise removed outright, for the reason that I didn't want a player to feel like a feat was totally obligatory. While some feats are certainly vital to character builds, which I accept as a reality of the system, other feats are taken on virtually every character of a class or type (power attack for melee combatants, Natural Spell for Druids, etc). For these feats, I made my best effort to remove the most problematic ones, and adapt the remaining ones into generally available mechanics that do not cut into your feat budget.

3.Pathfinder Compatibility

Rather than rewrite the core rules entirely (as it was occasionally tempting to do), I have made my best effort not to accidentally compromise compatibility with supplemental materials for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. In this vein, I have tried not to make too many unnecessary changes, so that hopefully your favorite feats, archetypes, and equipment can still be implemented in the game without significant problems.

With that established, the actual rules themselves are given below here, for your consumption:

Contained below are the definitions of any new terms used in this document, as well as a description of any terms whose definitions or functions were changed.

Parry Bonus (to armor class): Parry bonuses apply against melee attacks originating from within the character’s reach. Parry bonuses do not stack with other parry bonuses.
Dodge Bonus (to armor class): Dodge bonuses no longer stack with other dodge bonuses.
Weapon-Based/Weapon Based Combat Maneuver: Describes a combat maneuver which is made using any weapon the character desires; Disarm and Sunder attempts are always considered weapon-based by default (even if that weapon is an unarmed strike), and trip attempts become weapon-based combat maneuvers when using a weapon with the Trip property. Weapon-based combat maneuvers benefit from any special properties of the weapon, including Weapon Finesse, Enhancement Bonus, and other effects.


Universal Feature Conversions: the following feats have been removed and replaced with similarly named effects. For purposes of feats as-written, every character is considered to have these feats for purposes of meeting prerequisites. Below are the removed feats and their new mechanical descriptions.


Power Attack and Deadly Aim: Before making any attacks, you may opt to take a penalty on all attack rolls made this round, between -1 and -4. You gain a bonus to all damage rolls this round equal to the size of the attack roll penalty (meaning: a -3 penalty would give a +3 bonus). If you are using Strength for damage rolls on a melee attack, the bonus damage from Power Attack is multiplied by 1.5 times.

Feats that required Power Attack as a prerequisite still require 13 Strength.
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Combat Expertise (renamed Fighting Defensively): Before making any attacks, you may opt to take a penalty on all attack rolls made this round, between -1 and -4. You gain a parry bonus to armor class equal to the size of the attack roll penalty until the beginning of your next turn (meaning: a -3 penalty would give a +3 bonus). You do not need to make an attack in the same round that this ability is used to benefit from Combat Expertise. This mechanic replaces the existing rules for Fighting Defensively.

Feats that required Combat Expertise as a prerequisite still require 13 Intelligence.
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Weapon Finesse: When using a light weapon or making a melee touch attack, you may choose to use Dexterity in place of Strength as your ability bonus for calculating attack and damage rolls. Touch attacks never gain bonus damage from ability scores. Certain weapons have the Finesse property. A Finesse weapon always uses dexterity for purposes of attack and damage rolls, even if it is not a light weapon. Finesse weapons include the rapier, spiked chain, and whip.

Weapon Finesse can also be applied to weapon-based combat maneuver rolls made using a light weapon or a Finesse weapon, functioning as the Agile Maneuvers feat. Using a one-handed or two-handed weapon in both hands does not multiply your Dexterity bonus by 1.5 for purposes of damage, as it would for Strength.

A character using Weapon Finesse does not apply the armor check penalty of their shield to attack rolls, as described in the as-written Weapon Finesse feat.
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Point Blank Shot: Any character making a ranged attack from within 15 feet gains a +1 to attack and damage rolls against that target.
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Vital Strike: As a full round action, a character who has multiple attacks from Base Attack Bonus may move up to their speed and make a single attack. The attack doubles the weapon’s base damage die. At base attack bonus +11, this improves to triple the base damage die, and at base attack bonus +16, this improves to quadruple the base damage die. This only applies to the base damage of the weapon, and has no effect on bonus damage from ability score bonuses, or on “bonus effects” (such as poison, or the flaming weapon property.) As such, it has no effect on delivering touch spells or rays. The above benefits also apply to all Charges.
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Selective Channeling: Selective Channeling is considered a part of the universal Channel Energy rules.

Overhauls, Tweaks, and Removals: The following feats are candidates for changes on one of the following counts: prerequisites should be changed; effect should be changed; should be combined with another feat or split into multiple feats; should be removed from the game entirely.

Manyshot
Removal candidate, for reason of curbing power of archery builds.
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Dodge and Mobility
Dodge and Mobility combined into single feat, called Mobility, as follows: “You gain a +1 Dodge bonus to Armor Class. This bonus increases to +4 against attacks of opportunity provoked when you move out of or within a threatened area.” Mobility’s prerequisite is 13 dexterity.
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Deflect Arrows
Renamed to Deflecting Strike. Effect changed, as follows: “When you would normally be hit with an attack, you may instead make an Unarmed attack roll. If the attack roll exceeds the total attack roll of the enemy, the attack resolves as though it did not beat your Armor Class. Using this ability consumes an Attack of Opportunity. You cannot use this ability on an attack against which you're flat-footed”
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Snatch Arrows
This feat uses Deflecting Strike in place of Deflect Arrows as a prerequisite. Using this feat requires the user to successfully utilize Deflecting Strike, and thus requires an attack roll and the loss of your Attack of Opportunity. It is otherwise unchanged.
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Intimidating Prowess
Candidate for alteration; having an intimidation mechanic that works for low charisma characters makes sense, but using both charisma and strength bonuses on a single roll could be abused. Give bonus for higher Hit Dice, maybe?
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Spirited Charge
Candidate for removal, for reasons of buffs to charges and the existing advantages of mounted combat.
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Pinpoint Targeting
Candidate for removal, for reasons of curbing the power of archery builds and general high power for its cost.
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Double Slice
This feat’s effect is to be included as part of Two-Weapon Fighting’s effect,
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Two-Weapon Defense
This feat’s effect is to be included as part of Improved Two-Weapon Fighting’s effect.
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Two-Weapon Rend
Candidate for removal, for reasons of buffs to two-weapon fighting and dexterity-based combat.
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Combat Reflexes
Candidate for revision, for reasons of many attacks of opportunity in a single round slows down combat and allows many rules exploitations. Possible effect: opponents are considered flat-footed against your AoOs.
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Natural Spell
Candidate for removal, for reasons of being a “feat tax” for an extremely high power class (the Druid) while being high power for its cost.



Saving Throws and Armor Class

Replacing the existing saving throw progressions, all characters and creatures get a bonus to all saving throws, as well as their armor class, equal to ½ their total hit dice. A creature’s favored class (or creature type, if applicable) also grants a +2 bonus to one or more saving throws. This armor class bonus does not apply when the creature is flat-footed.

Enhancement bonuses for armor and shields cost twice as much as the listed price.

Base Attack Bonus and Extra Attacks:

Extra attacks acquired at +11 and +16 BAB only take a -5 penalty instead of the listed penalty; a character with +13 BAB, for instance, would make their attacks at +13/+8/+8.

Spellcasting:

All spellcasters (except the Alchemist) have been converted into spontaneous casters.

Every class has a limited number of total spells known as proscribed in their spells per day table. At each new level, the spellcaster selects spells from their spell list; the caster cannot learn a spell of a higher level than the highest they are able to cast at the time.

Bonus spells per day for high ability scores have been removed.

The revised Spells Per Day tables, as well as rules for specific spellcaster types, are featured in the album below.

http://imgur.com/a/aKQoV#0

Skill Points

Some classes have had their skill points revised, as seen below.

4 + int: Barbarian, Cleric, Druid, Paladin Sorcerer, Wizard, Oracle, Summoner, Witch, Magus
6 + int: Bard, Fighter, Monk, Ranger, Cavalier/Samurai, Gunslinger
8 + int: Rogue/Ninja


Favored Class

Your character’s Favored Class is represented as whatever class they have the most levels in; your Favored Class only changes if you take more levels in a different class, at which point you lose your existing Favored Class benefits in exchange for the benefits of your new Favored Class.

The benefits listed here are not granted to characters multiclassing into the class at first level.

In addition to the listed skills, you gain two skill points per level that can only be spent on the class skills of your Favored Class.

A spellcasting class without the Cantrip Slots class feature can use a number of cantrips equal to their spellcasting ability modifier before needing to consume 1st level spell slots.

Equipment Rules

Arcane Spell Failure Chance has been removed. In its place: any spellcaster (arcane, divine, or otherwise) wearing armor or using a shield with which they are not proficient must make a Concentration Check DC 15 + Spell Level or lose the spell. The caster also suffers the armor’s Armor Check Penalty on all concentration checks. Additionally, these drawbacks always apply when wearing heavy armor and tower shields, even if you are proficient in them.

Favored Class

Your character’s Favored Class is represented as whatever class they have the most levels in; your Favored Class only changes if you take more levels in a different class, at which point you lose your existing Favored Class benefits in exchange for the benefits of your new Favored Class.

The benefits listed here are not granted to characters multiclassing into the class at first level.

In addition to the listed skills, you gain two skill points per level that can only be spent on the class skills of your Favored Class.

A spellcasting class without the Cantrip Slots class feature can use a number of cantrips equal to their spellcasting ability modifier before needing to consume 1st level spell slots.

FAVORED CLASS BENEFITS

CORE CLASSES


Barbarian: Proficiency in medium armor and martial weapons; fortitude +2; Fast Movement
Bard: Proficiency in longswords, rapiers, saps, short swords, shortbows, and whips; reflex +2 and will +2; Bardic Knowledge, Cantrip Slots
Cleric: Proficiency in medium armor; fortitude +2 and will +2; Cantrip Slots
Druid: proficiency in medium armor, scimitars, and scythes; fortitude +2 and will+2; Cantrip Slots
Fighter: proficiency in medium armor, heavy armor, and martial weapons; fortitude +2
Monk: proficiency in kama, nunchaku, sai, shuriken, and siangham; fortitude +2, reflex +2, and will +2; Stunning Fist.
Paladin: proficiency in medium armor, heavy armor, and martial weapons; fortitude +2 and will +2
Ranger: proficiency in medium armor and martial weapons; fortitude +2 and reflex +2;
Rogue: proficiency in hand crossbows, rapiers, saps, shortbows, and short swords; reflex +2; Trapfinding
Sorcerer: proficiency in simple weapons; will +2; Cantrip Slots
Wizard: proficiency in clubs, daggers, heavy crossbows, light crossbows, and quarterstaves;will +2; Scribe Scroll; Cantrip Slots

ADVANCED PLAYER'S GUIDE CLASSES


Alchemist: proficiency in simple weapons; fortitude +2 and reflex +2; Throw Anything
Cavalier: proficiency in medium armor, heavy armor, and martial weapons; fortitude +2;
Inquisitor: proficiency in medium armor, hand crossbows, longbows, repeating crossbows, and shortbows; fortitude +2 and will +2; Monster Lore; Cantrip Slots
Oracle: proficiency in medium armor and simple weapons; will +2; Cantrip Slots
Summoner: proficiency in simple weapons; will +2; Cantrip Slots
Witch: proficiency in simple weapons; will +2; Cantrip Slots

ULTIMATE MAGIC AND ULTIMATE COMBAT CLASSES
Magus: proficiency in martial weapons; fortitude +2 and will +2; Cantrip Slots
Gunslinger: proficiency in martial weapons; fortitude +2 and reflex +2; Gunsmith
Ninja: proficiency in kama, katana, kusarigama, nunchaku, sai, shortbows, short swords, shuriken, siangham, and wakizashi; reflex +2; Poison Use
Samurai: proficiency in medium armor, heavy armor, martial weapons, katana, naginata, and wakizashi; fortitude +2



The following changes pertain specifically to the mechanics of a particular class in some way or form. It is advised you look over this section, particularly to see if there are any significant changes to a class you intend to play.

If you intend to multiclass, you should also look over General Rules Alterations - Favored Class.

CORE CLASSES

Barbarian
Rage changed as follows: +4 Constitution replaced with “+2 to Fortitude saves, Constitution based skills, and constitution checks. Additionally, the Barbarian does not lose consciousness or become staggered from falling into negative hit points while raging and instead acts normally until the Rage ends. A Barbarian who is still at negative hit points when the rage ends immediately loses consciousness and is dying.”
Bard
New Spells Per Day table (see: General Rules Alterations - Spellcasting).
Cleric
Loss of extra spell slot for domains; domain spells added to Spells Known.
New Spells Per Day table (see: General Rules Alterations - Spellcasting).
Druid
Loss of extra spell slot for domain; domain spells added to Spells Known.
New Spells Per Day table (see: General Rules Alterations - Spellcasting).
Monk
Full Base Attack Bonus
Bonus feats selectable from all combat bonus feats that the monk qualifies for.
Immunity from “Purity of Body” and “Diamond Body” class features replaced with a +6 bonus.
Flurry requires at least two monk weapons to perform (or a double weapon). A monk can still perform a flurry consisting entirely of unarmed strikes, or use an unarmed strike in place of one monk weapon.
Paladin
Immunity from “aura” class features replaced with a +6 bonus.
New Spells Per Day table (see: General Rules Alterations - Spellcasting).
Ranger
Bonus feats selectable from all combat bonus feats that the ranger qualifies for.
New Spells Per Day table (see: General Rules Alterations - Spellcasting).
Rogue
Sneak Attack is now a standard action, but gain sneak attack damage on attacks of opportunity.
Sorcerer
New Spells Per Day table (see: General Rules Alterations - Spellcasting).
Wizard
Loss of extra spell slot for specialty school; specialization wizards add one extra spell to Spells Known per level, selected from their chosen school.
New Spells Per Day table (see: General Rules Alterations - Spellcasting).

ADVANCED PLAYER'S GUIDE CLASSES

Alchemist
New Spells Per Day table (Bard/Inquisitor; see: General Rules Alterations- Spellcasting)
Inquisitor
New Spells Per Day table (see: General Rules Alterations - Spellcasting).
Oracle
New Spells Per Day table (see: General Rules Alterations - Spellcasting).
Summoner
New Spells Per Day table (Bard/Inquisitor; see: General Rules Alterations- Spellcasting)
Witch
New Spells Per Day table (see: General Rules Alterations - Spellcasting).

ULTIMATE MAGIC AND ULTIMATE COMBAT CLASSES

Magus
New Spells Per Day table (Bard/Inquisitor; see: General Rules Alterations- Spellcasting)
Ninja
Sneak Attack is now a standard action, but gain sneak attack damage on attacks of opportunity.

Please evaluate and critique fairly; I'm trying to make this work, above all else.

Regards, Stiq.