House Rules
All rules references are made to the Pathfinder RPG Reference Document. Our campaign differs from the "rules as written" (RAW) as follows:
Critical Hits, Fumbles, and Cards
→ Battle Adaptation, Improved (Combat)
→ Battle Adaptation, Greater (Combat)
Detect Spells, Invisibility, and Traps
When taking the full attack action with multiple attacks, you have a choice:
Skewed attacks work like the rules-as-written, with the first attack at the highest BAB, and each subsequent attack at -5 from the previous.
Balanced attacks are all at the same bonus. You can make a maximum of two balanced attacks, plus additional attacks from two weapon fighting, rapid shot, etc.(which apply their own -2 modifiers).
At BAB 6, the penalty applied to both attacks is -2.
At BAB 11, the penalty drops to -1.
At BAB 16, the penalty is 0.
"This method returns results that actually increase damage by up to 15% across the vast majority of monsters that the fighting man will face. ... Against the edge cases—that is, monsters who are so easy to hit that you only miss them on a natural 3 or less, and monsters that are so hard to hit that you only hit them on a natural 18 or more—the expected damage goes down."
— Trailblazer RPG PDF
If you roll a natural 20, you draw a card from the "Critical Hit Deck". This effect is applied and has no bearing on the critical hit RAW. Think of these as "Natural 20 Cards". If the card effect includes a damage multiplier, this is ignored unless it is the only effect of the card.
If you roll a natural 1, you draw a card from the "Critical Fumble Deck."
A character with multiple attacks only risks a fumble on their first attack of the round. All subsequent rolls of a 1 are still treated as an automatic miss, but you do not suffer the effects of an additional fumble card. If you start a full attack and suffer a fumble, you may "abort" to a standard attack, or continue with your attacks.
By the rules as written, you can still grapple Huge and larger creatures, but I am replacing that with these rules which make more sense to me. If you still want to grapple a giant as per the rules, that's fine. I think this is cooler though.
Clinging is a combat maneuver for "grappling" any creature two or more size categories larger than yourself. You attempt a Clinging Maneuver using your CMB, Acrobatics, or Climb check, vs. the target's CMD. All modifiers that affect attack rolls affect this check. If you make the cling attempt by dropping down on the giant opponent from above, you gain a +10 to the initial cling check.
If you succeed on the initial check, you are clinging. You count as grappled, but your opponent does not and is not impeded in any way. You may attack a creature you are clinging to (as per the normal grappling rules) or you may attempt to move to a point where the target creature cannot attack you. This is something like "pinning"; you make another check on your turn at a +5. If you succeed at this check, you gain the "Hidden" condition vs. the target creature. (Hidden: +2 to attack rolls, no dex to AC, no line of site)
The creature may attack you normally if you are not hidden. Even if you are hidden, the creature can try to shake you off with a standard action. This forces another CMB, Acrobatics, or Climb check for the clinging character. Failure causes the character to be flung (as per the Snatch monster feat).
We use the following standards for translating durations from game-world time into game-session time:
Concrete | Abstract |
2 minutes | 1 scene |
20 minutes | 2 scenes |
40 minutes | 3 scenes |
1 hour | 1 sortie |
4 hours | 2 sorties |
8 hours | 3 sorties |
12 hours | effectively unlimited |
A scene is one combat or social encounter, or the exploration of a reasonably large “room”. You can rush through a room and it will not count against your current spell durations.
A sortie is one site with multiple encounters (a typical “map” for an encounter site), a short overland journey or a phase of the day (morning, midday, afternoon, evening, night).
Ethillion is an ancient, mercurial metal manufactured by the abjurers of ancient Thassilon. Its very existence is antithetical to magic, both divine and arcane.
When crafted into a weapon, it deals 1d6 bonus damage against spell casters per level of spell or spell-like ability that caster has at his or her disposal.
Spellcasters may handle ethillion weapons through the protection of a leaden glove. Even in this way, the handling requires a DC 25 fort save against the nauseous condition, and 1 point of con damage per hour.
An ethillion weapon may not be enchanted in any way. Spells that benefit the wielder's skill but not the weapon (such as heroism) may benefit attack rolls, but spells that directly affect the weapon (magic weapon) have no effect. The wielder of an ethillion weapon may be the subject of ongoing spells (though the wearer of ethillion armor may not forgo the spell resistance roll).
Ethillion weapons are minor artifacts, but for purposes of crafting or other values, treat them as +5 weapons. Magic defenses that benefit Armor Class, such as mage armor or an enhancement bonus to armor are ineffective against attacks with ethillion weapons.
Vitrual feats are special GM-designated feats. Any character who meets the pre-requisites of a virtual feat may act as though they have that feat for both effects and pre-requisites.
The following feats are virtual feats in this campaign: Combat Expertise (int 13+ waived), Heighten Spell, Two-weapon Fighting (see Ambidexterity feat, below)
You wield weapons with equal precision in both hands.
Prerequisite: Dexterity 13+
Benefit: When wielding a weapon in your off-hand, you may deal precision damage with offhand attacks. Additionally, you deal your full strength damage (rather than 1/2) with off-hand attacks.
Normal: Any character can make an additional off-hand attack as part of a full-attack action, plus one additional off-hand attack at BAB +6, +11, and +16. All attacks made during the round suffer a -2 penalty when fighting with two weapons.
If using the Balanced Attacks option (see above), you may take a maximum of 2 offhand attacks. Each attack beyond those two decreases the two weapon fighting penalty by 1. (So if you would have 4 off-hand attacks (at BAB 16), your penalty is 0).
Off-hand attacks receive 1/2 strength as bonus damage, and any inherent weapon damage such as bonus dice from magic effects (Flaming, etc). Precision, feat or class ability bonus damage including Arcane Strike, Favored Enemy, Smite Evil, Sneak Attack, Weapon Specialization, etc. does not apply to off-hand attacks.
You excel at changing your tactics to suit upcoming situations. Each day you experiment with new techniques tailored to the expected enemy.
Prerequisite: Any two combat feats
Benefit: After a full night's rest and one hour of rigorous practice, you may select any one combat feat for which you meet the prerequisites that does not require a base attack bonus +7 or fighter level higher than 7th. You are treated as though you possess that feat until you practice another.
The feat effect granted by Battle Adaptation cannot be used as a prerequisite for any permanent effect such as a prestige class or feat. You cannot mimic the effects of Improved or Greater Battle Adaptation using this feat.
You have grown even more flexible with your battle tactics, and are able to rehearse even complex maneuvers on short notice.
Prerequisite: Battle Adaptation and any other four combat feats, base attack bonus +8.
Benefit: As Battle Adaptation, except you may practice an additional feat during your one hour of practice, for a total of two feats. This second feat may require a base attack bonus or fighter level of up to 15.
Special: Feat effects granted by Battle Adaptation may satisfy prerequisites for the practiced feat.
You have mastered improvisation and may expertly practice a wide variety of techniques.
Prerequisite: Battle Adaptation, Improved Battle Adaptation and any other eight combat feats, base attack bonus +16.
Benefit: As Battle Adaptation, except you may adapt an additional feat during your one hour of practice for a total of three feats. This third feat may require any base attack bonus or fighter level.
Special: Feat effects granted by Battle Adaptation or Improved Battle Adaptation may satisfy prerequisites for the practiced feat.
You are unwavering in your drive to crush the enemy, even whilst maneuvering for a tactical advantage.
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: You may combine any maneuver with a standard attack as a standard action. Maneuvers that are normally executed in place of a single melee attack become standard actions as brutal maneuvers. Executing a brutal maneuver does not incur an attack of opportunity.
Make an attack roll that includes any bonuses you have to CMB for the chosen maneuver, and also any modifiers that would apply to your normal attacks for the round (such as a power attack penalty to hit). If the attack roll result was higher than the target's AC and CMD, you deal damage as a standard attack, plus the effect of the maneuver. If your check is below either AC or CMD, the brutal maneuver has no effect.
Special: Creatures of a size other than Medium get a special modifier when executing brutal maneuver. Small creatures have a -2 penalty, and Large creatures have a +2 bonus. For other sizes, simply add twice the creature's special size modifier for CMB.
Player characters begin with +6 bonus hit points, and the maximum Hit Die roll at first level.
When rolling hit dice, you may disregard any result lower than 50% of the potential result. This is mechanically identical to rolling the following:
HD | d6 | d8 | d10 | d12 |
Roll | 1d3+3 | 1d4+4 | 1d5+5 | 1d6+6 |
What Hit Points Represent: Hit points mean two things in the game world: the ability to take physical punishment and keep going, and the ability to turn a serious blow into a less serious one.
-Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook
When using this variant rule, there are two types of Hit Point damage:
Injury
When a creature sustains an injury, subtract the damage amount from its current Hit Points as you would normally. Additionally, subtract the damage amount from the creature’s effective maximum Hit Points until the injury is treated.
Readiness
Special Hit Point Rules
Non-lethal attacks never cause injuries, and deal only enough damage to bring the target to zero HP, at which point they become unconscious. Objects cannot suffer injuries, nor can any entity that lacks a natural ability to recover lost hit points.
At any time the player can spend a Luck Point to:
This effect can be used just before the roll is made, or immediately after the roll result is announced, but before any other further unrelated rolls are made. You may spend any number of Luck Points on a given roll, and you may roll Luck Points one at a time until the desired outcome is achieved or you run out of Luck Points.
Using Luck Points does not require any type of action. Luck Points may be used by unconscious, dying, or even dead characters who were involved in the current scene. Once spent, a Luck Point disappears forever.
Each PC and important NPC receives one Luck Point at character creation. You gain one additional Luck Point per level, one luck on your birthday, and you can gain any number of bonus Luck Points through in-game actions.
Acts sometimes rewarded with Luck Points include but are not limited to:
Each item has a Base Time of 4 hours, days, or weeks. The item also has a Current Quality, which is an ongoing check result that affects the base time.
You may assign even brief periods of time (no less than 1 hour) to crafting items, provided you were doing nothing else during that period. Time spent crafting should be marked on the campaign calendar. Keep track of the total Time Invested in each item.
Each time you work on an item, you roll your relevant craft skill. Average the result with the Current Quality on the item to find the items new Current Quality.
The item is completed when the amount of time invested meets or exceeds the time required. The Time Required is usually the base time. A high or low Current Quality might change the time required:
Current Quality | Base Time |
exceeds DC by 10+ | x ¼ |
exceeds DC by 5-9 | x ½ |
lower than DC by 5-9 | x 2 |
lower than DC by 10+ | x 4 |
All items must be purchased through GM interaction. Market Price listed in the RAW is a guideline for the GM, actual prices may vary wildly depending on the source.
A special component called a radical (or spell anchor) can be obtained to drastically reduce the cost of a creating/commissioning magic items.
Divination spells like detect magic and detect evil cannot by themselves detect concealed objects such as traps or invisible creatures. When using detect magic or a similar spell, you get a +5 to Perception checks to notice the trap, and you can find magic traps even if you lack the class abilities to do so.
When dealing with an invisible opponent, use of an appropriate detect spell will reveal the presence or absence of the creature if it is within the area of the spell. The creature still benefits from armor class modifiers and 50% miss chance, and attackers must choose a square to attack — only the presence or absence of invisibility is revealed by the spell.
Any permanent character decisions, including feats, level/class selection, skill apportionment, etc. can by changed at any time. The character must express frustration with the choice in-game (or via email if appropriate) and resolve to try a different approach. The change may include some in-game actions, such as seeking out a new weapon to use.