unbutu
2015-01-21, 05:03 AM
I'll be starting a campaign in around a month. I'll be a player. We are going to play in pathfinder, with many homebrewed changes.
I'm trying to understand what those changes imply. Under, you'll see a list of those changes, with my first impressions. I'd like you guys to comment on the impacts those custom rules will have.
1• Slower XP progression, similar to older versions of D&D
Also, we start lvl 0. The lower levels on a caster are pretty hard... Coupled with #8 it makes casters much less interesting. On the other side, crafting (#4) makes them close to essential.
2• Small, mostly wilderness campaign area with only towns and villages
I hear '' ranger will be great, you can spend all your time in your favored terrain, and in wilderness''
3• Low magic and technology level
4• Low wealth per level and low wealth limit for NPC vendors (crafting is advised)
I feel low WLB affects more equipment dependant classes. (Warriors without gear...) The crafting is advised seems to make Wizard very, very usefull, especially with #4b
4a• an herbalism crafting system to produce tonics and poultices
More crafting !
4b• itinerant crafting and spell research system for mobile parties
There you go. Kind of have to craft loot. Wizard again...
5• a new standard race: half-hobgoblin +2 to One Ability Score
Medium: Half-hobgoblins are medium sized creatures.
Normal Speed: Half-hobgoblins have a base speed of 30.
Darkvision: Half-hobgoblins can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Combat Training: Half-hobgoblins select one extra feat. This must be a
Combat feat.
Military Instruction: Half-hobgoblins receive a +2 racial bonus on
Knowledge (military tactics).
Ambush: Half-hobgoblins receive a +2 racial bonus on Stealth skill checks.
Hobgoblin Blood: Half-hobgoblins count as both human and hobgoblin
for any effect related to race.
Languages: Half-hobgoblins begin play speaking Common and Goblin. A
high Int bonus grants: Dwarf, Infernal, Giant, Gnoll, Gnome, or Orc.
Has the stat bonus and feat of human. Miss the bonus skill point, but has Darkvision ! Seems a pretty good race !
7• new fields of Knowledge to support mass combat
Mass combat ? It's seeing very far ahead for a lvl 0, slow progression campaign.... Is it ?
8• Caster's main stat does not grant additionnal spell slots.
I've noticed Bloodragers would not gain extra spells from high attribute anyway. What other casting class this would not affect ? I feel it's not that much of a big deal (1-2 less spells) except for classes that would not have spells of that lvl otherwise. (Paladins have 4 lvls with a 0 number of spells, so only bonus spells). I say not that important when compared to the importance of having a caster to craft in that setting.
- I'd like to hear on this: Maybe it's the best time to go all out gish: Minimum casting attribute to have spells of each level, the rest in physical abilities. This way I have the caster level to craft, some spells, but it makes the earlier levels easier ? ..... Also, see #9 on min-maxing attributes:
9• Non-increasing cost point-buy system. All scores start at 8, which is a penalty of -1.
You have 25 points to spend, with each point raising the score by 1.
Before racial adjustment, you are limited to one 18 and one 17 OR two 17s.
Scores may be lowered by up to two points (to a 6) gaining a point for each one lowered.
So from what I understand, this really encourages you to have very high scores compared to the usual point buy. Going down to 6 seems a bit of a rob since you get half the points. Getting from 8 to 10 to offset the penalty is not very tempting if you don't need a stat: You can to much more with those points on your high stats. You CAN take 2 17s if you don't want 18-17, but unless you really have another stat you want, I don't see a reason...
I'm trying to understand what those changes imply. Under, you'll see a list of those changes, with my first impressions. I'd like you guys to comment on the impacts those custom rules will have.
1• Slower XP progression, similar to older versions of D&D
Also, we start lvl 0. The lower levels on a caster are pretty hard... Coupled with #8 it makes casters much less interesting. On the other side, crafting (#4) makes them close to essential.
2• Small, mostly wilderness campaign area with only towns and villages
I hear '' ranger will be great, you can spend all your time in your favored terrain, and in wilderness''
3• Low magic and technology level
4• Low wealth per level and low wealth limit for NPC vendors (crafting is advised)
I feel low WLB affects more equipment dependant classes. (Warriors without gear...) The crafting is advised seems to make Wizard very, very usefull, especially with #4b
4a• an herbalism crafting system to produce tonics and poultices
More crafting !
4b• itinerant crafting and spell research system for mobile parties
There you go. Kind of have to craft loot. Wizard again...
5• a new standard race: half-hobgoblin +2 to One Ability Score
Medium: Half-hobgoblins are medium sized creatures.
Normal Speed: Half-hobgoblins have a base speed of 30.
Darkvision: Half-hobgoblins can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Combat Training: Half-hobgoblins select one extra feat. This must be a
Combat feat.
Military Instruction: Half-hobgoblins receive a +2 racial bonus on
Knowledge (military tactics).
Ambush: Half-hobgoblins receive a +2 racial bonus on Stealth skill checks.
Hobgoblin Blood: Half-hobgoblins count as both human and hobgoblin
for any effect related to race.
Languages: Half-hobgoblins begin play speaking Common and Goblin. A
high Int bonus grants: Dwarf, Infernal, Giant, Gnoll, Gnome, or Orc.
Has the stat bonus and feat of human. Miss the bonus skill point, but has Darkvision ! Seems a pretty good race !
7• new fields of Knowledge to support mass combat
Mass combat ? It's seeing very far ahead for a lvl 0, slow progression campaign.... Is it ?
8• Caster's main stat does not grant additionnal spell slots.
I've noticed Bloodragers would not gain extra spells from high attribute anyway. What other casting class this would not affect ? I feel it's not that much of a big deal (1-2 less spells) except for classes that would not have spells of that lvl otherwise. (Paladins have 4 lvls with a 0 number of spells, so only bonus spells). I say not that important when compared to the importance of having a caster to craft in that setting.
- I'd like to hear on this: Maybe it's the best time to go all out gish: Minimum casting attribute to have spells of each level, the rest in physical abilities. This way I have the caster level to craft, some spells, but it makes the earlier levels easier ? ..... Also, see #9 on min-maxing attributes:
9• Non-increasing cost point-buy system. All scores start at 8, which is a penalty of -1.
You have 25 points to spend, with each point raising the score by 1.
Before racial adjustment, you are limited to one 18 and one 17 OR two 17s.
Scores may be lowered by up to two points (to a 6) gaining a point for each one lowered.
So from what I understand, this really encourages you to have very high scores compared to the usual point buy. Going down to 6 seems a bit of a rob since you get half the points. Getting from 8 to 10 to offset the penalty is not very tempting if you don't need a stat: You can to much more with those points on your high stats. You CAN take 2 17s if you don't want 18-17, but unless you really have another stat you want, I don't see a reason...