House Ruling Path of War

[Zsaber0]

I've been wanting to make a few changes to Path of War for a while now and wanted to get the playground's opinion on a few things. First of all, something simple.Your thoughts on disallowing the Deadly Agility feat. Second thought, changing all the traits from Path of War:Expanded to feats. Third, changing the Mystic's initiating stat to Charisma to fit in with every other class in D&D and Pathfinder that uses some form of "inner power".

[digiman619]

First things first, I respect banning Deadly Agility if you're worried about Dex builds being too strong. I've never had any problem with it, but YMMV. I also respect changing the Mystic to Cha for flavor reasons, though DSP has an affinity for Wisdom-based classes.

However, as for making the 4 traits in PoW:E feats, I honestly think that you're being a bit excessive with the nerf bat. Agile Dancer is innocuous (unless there's some trick to boosting a Perform skill that isn't viable for Acrobatics that I don't know), Combat training is strictly worse than Martial Study, Unorthodox Method isn't a huge problem, as there is already a way to swap out a discipline you aren't planning to use in the form of Martial traditions. The only one I can see as a feat is Practiced Initiator, as unlike Magic Knack/psionic Knack/Natural Blade, non-martial levels still count as half to determine initiator level.

[Tuvarkz]

I've been wanting to make a few changes to Path of War for a while now and wanted to get the playground's opinion on a few things. First of all, something simple.Your thoughts on disallowing the Deadly Agility feat. Second thought, changing all the traits from Path of War:Expanded to feats. Third, changing the Mystic's initiating stat to Charisma to fit in with every other class in D&D and Pathfinder that uses some form of "inner power".

Disagree on all the three.

Deadly Agility: Dex builds are only slighty more tanky than Str builds, and in fact do less damage (with Prodigious TWF, Str matches up or even passes Dex for TWF in terms of offensive power, particularly when you can stack Stupendous Strength/Mighty Frame on top of that)

Changing Traits to feats: None of these are in line with the power level of a feat. Agile Dancer is functionally an ability score swapper for Acrobatics to Cha, given that Perform (Dance) has very few practical uses, and as such is on the same level as Clever Wordplay. Practiced Initiator is out there just to help multiclassing, and +2 IL is in line with Magical Knack which gives +2 CL. Combat Training, at most, is swift for +2 to attack +3.5 damage on each attack for one round once per encounter. It's a limited version of half Advanced Study or Martial Training I, and gives 1 feat=2 traits, it is in line with the rest of stuff. Unorthodox Method only gives a skill in class and makes the (equivalent) trade of one discipline for another, which makes it in line with traits to get a given skill in-class. To boot, martial traditions are free to take.

Mystic: The mystic is much more like the monk in the fact that the class is based around careful use of a given raw source of power, not unleashing it wildly like Sorcerers, Bloodragers and Wilders might. Wisdom fits the class.

[Zanos]

My issue with deadly agility is that if a strength character could take two feats to add their strength to AC, reflex saves, intiative, and some of the better skills in the game, they would always take those feats. Dex SAD is seriously stupidly good. It's worth noting that even without PoW, there are still significant Dex to damage options in pathfinder.

Mystic should be charisma flavorwise, but charisma is a weaker stat than wisdom without investment. Check you aren't screwing the class.

Practiced intiator let's you take up to 4 non intiator levels and still have IL=HD. I'd say that's worth a feat.

[Swaoeaeieu]

I am gonna agree with Tuvark and say you dont need any of those houserules.
deadly agility just makes dex a more valid way to build a character around, dex SAD is good but you do spend a feat and more to do so, wich i think i worth the investment.
2 traits should equal 1 feat. and the PoW traits arent so big they deserve to be feats. all they do is add customization to the list of options for you initiator. Practised initiator might keep your IL high, but doesnt grant maneuvers by itself so isnt that usefull.

and for the last point, Mystic should definitely not be charisma. they arent charismatic people, they are burdened by a internal power they need self awareness to control for. wisdom fits better with shaping that power into glyphs imo.

[Tuvarkz]

My issue with deadly agility is that if a strength character could take two feats to add their strength to AC, reflex saves, intiative, and some of the better skills in the game, they would always take those feats. Dex SAD is seriously stupidly good. It's worth noting that even without PoW, there are still significant Dex to damage options in pathfinder.

Mystic should be charisma flavorwise, but charisma is a weaker stat than wisdom without investment. Check you aren't screwing the class.

Practiced intiator let's you take up to 4 non intiator levels and still have IL=HD. I'd say that's worth a feat.

Except that 1/2HD in other classes to IL is already a thing in base PoW. Practiced Initiator is nothing but an equivalent to Magical Knack and Psionic knack.

[Powerdork]

Practiced Initiator is nothing but an equivalent to Magical Knack and Psionic knack.

Not exactly true. While +2 caster level gives a few extra rounds/minutes/hours (handy), a bonus on dispel checks/spell penetration rolls (handy), or perhaps a few dice or an extra missile (handy), there is really only one effect in print that is that soft: Lance of Power's maximum dice scaling. Every other benefit of IL (scaling benefits of stances, including dice that stack even further onto already strong maneuver damage; animus/psionic augments; the maximum maneuver level you can learn from!!!) is comparatively huge.


Practiced intiator let's you take up to 4 non intiator levels and still have IL=HD.

Okay, now name some initiating classes that gain a benefit from having full initiator level (naming every benefit of the IL increase beyond those listed above) that also gain more from 4 levels of other classes rather than advancing their own features.

(Houserule suggestions while you're at it: If damage is all a low-level maneuver provides, that maneuver doesn't exist; for instance, a Scarlet Throne disciple can't select the Regal Blade boost. If an initiator of 4th level or lower's damage roll for any given attack would have extra damage dice from stances and maneuvers, it has 2 fewer damage dice instead.)