1. Go with the flow, we are telling a story here, and the focus is at least half on its unfolding, rather than mostly on crunch and combat. Get into your character, his or her motivations, desires, fears, and issues. Yes issues, you are all adventurers, which means that you are all broken in at least one way, or you would be living a normal life.
2. Crits and fumbles as usual use the Crit and Fumble decks.
3. Fighter class changes:
Skill Points: fighters gain 5 skill points per level instead of 2.
Combat Feats: fighters gain an extra combat feat at level 3.
Combat Expertise: fighters only require an Intelligence of 11 or higher to qualify for the Combat Expertise feat, instead of Intelligence 13+.
4. Rogue class changes:
Extra talents: rogues get an extra rogue talent at levels 3, 5, 7 and 9.
Rogue CMB/CMD: use the rogue’s level as their BAB when calculating these.
Combat Expertise: rogues only require an Intelligence of 11 or higher to qualify for the Combat Expertise feat, instead of Intelligence 13+.
Acrobatics: at level 10, rogues get a +2 bonus on Acrobatics checks to move through a threatened square or through an enemy space.
5. Weapon auras are not stackable, ie-flaming, frost,shocking, sonic, etc. If you have one on your weapon, that is the dominant element for that weapon. Additionally, spells or effects that add a weapon aura do not allow stacking results.
6. Crafting magic items. More powerful magic items require formulas that need to be researched, rather than be auto-crafted like wands, potions, etc. Alternatively, they may be a commonly known formula, but require something like a dragons claw, wraith dust, or other hard to get ingredient to work. Additionally, stat enhancing items above +2 and strong skill enhancing items are going to be somewhat restricted, primarily due to the fact that they are not needed with a 10 character party and I really don’t want the extra headache trying to balance the encounters for everyone having +6 to their stats.
- Heirloom weapon trait works as the errata, with the exception that you must take the +1 on AoO option.
- Combat Expertise: Fighters only require an Intelligence of 11 or higher to qualify for the Combat Expertise feat, instead of Intelligence 13+.
- No leadership feat: Just FYI, with this many players, I’m going to bar the Leadership feat.
- No Monkey Grip type feats: I just cannot see a Halfling wielding a two-handed sword in one hand. And besides these feats are often used to exploit some really ridiculous rule loopholes. =P
- Only using spells from the Core Rulebook, Advanced Player’s Guide, Ultimate Magic and Ultimate Combat. If you want to use a spell from UM or UC, run it by me first please.
- Cure Light Wounds is also available to sorcerers and wizards as an arcane spell.
- Speak w/ Dead has a chance of causing terrible things to happen to those who cast the spell, and to those who are present. As a result, casters are reluctant to use it, families of the deceased are usually torn and have mixed feelings about it. The general populace is repulsed by it, consider it black magic and revile those who have done it or had it done for them. The populace are also fearful that evil spirits are aroused by speaking to the dead, and may be incited to lynch or burn those suspected of using it.
10. Hero Points:
I will be handing out hero points based on truly heroic and admirable actions. Hero points are not automatically acquired.
Official Rules, FAQs/Errata
For official rules we seem to routinely debate or wonder about:
HEIGHTEN SPELL FEAT
Clarification as to how the Heighten Spell feat interacts with other meta-magic feats.
- charm person + Heighten Spell (+3) = 4th level spell slot, effective spell level 4, (DC 14)
- heightened charm person (to 4th level = plus 3) + Still Spell (+1) = 5th level spell slot, effective spell level 4,(DC 14)
- heightened (plus 3) stilled (plus 1) charm person + Silent Spell (+1) = 6th level spell slot, effective spell level 4,(DC 14)
Silent Spell raises the spell slot required by +1, but not effective spell level. So a silent charm person requires a level 2 slot to prepare/cast but counts as a level 1 spell and the spell DC is not raised.
Still Spell raises the spell slot required by +1, but not effective spell level. So a stilled and silented charm person requires a level 3 slot to prepare/cast but counts as a level 1 spell and the spell DC is not raised.
If you decide you want to Heighten the spell, raise the slot required by each level increase, and the effective spell level by each level increase. So a heightened charm person raised to a 4th level spell requires a 4th level spell slot to prepare/cast and counts as a 4th level spell with a higher DC and can now get past lesser globe of invulnerability. If you add silent (1 slot) spell then the spell requires a 6th level slot to prepare/cast and counts as a 4th level spell for the DC and getting past lesser globe.
If you add them in the reverse order the end result should be the same. Start with a stilled silent charm person which equals a level 3 slot but counts as a level 1 spell and the spell DC is not raised. Now if you apply heighten spell to raise it up from effective level 1 to effective level 4 (+3 slots), it requires a 6th level slot to prepare/cast (level 3 silent stilled +3 for heightening) and counts as a 4th level spell with a higher DC and can now get past lesser globe.
Q: The bestiary seems to be missing the different types of horses and ponies that are listed in the 3.5 MM. What should be used for things like Warhorses and ponies?
A: (James Jacobs 12/2/09) We provide stats for a horse (the Large version) and a pony (the Medium version), so that Small and Medium creatures would have these classic animals around for mounts or pack animals. We probably should have been more obvious about this in the write-ups for the horse and pony in the Bestiary.
- Light horse = horse
- Heavy horse = advanced horse
- Light warhorse = horse with combat training
- Heavy warhorse = advanced horse with combat training
- Pony = pony
- Warpony = pony with combat training
- Donkey = pony
- Mule = advanced pony
- Camel = horse
The camel’s sort of a special case, since it DOES have some different characteristics from the horse. And as a result, I’m relatively sure that camels will be showing up in the Bestairy 2. But until then, just using horse stats should work fine. [Source]
War Trained (11/25/09)
Q: The bestiary description of the Animal creature type states that they are “Proficient with no armor unless trained for war”. How is this defined?
A: (James Jacobs 11/25/09) War trained is actually detailed in the description of the Handle Animal skill. Of course, there it’s called “Combat Training.” It’s one of the “general purpose” trainings you can give an animal. Horses in particular gain a special benefit once they’re combat trained-their hooves are from that point treated as primary weapons, not secondary ones. In any case, once the Cavalier goes to print, the language in the class about “war trained” will be cleaned up. [Source]
IMPROVED NATURAL ATTACK FEAT (7/25/10)
Q: There is a possible omission in the description of the Improved Natural Attack Feat. The feat is missing a ‘Special’ entry in order to be taken multiple times for different kind of Natural Attacks (like, for example, Weapon Focus does). This feature was included in the 3.x version, but is amiss in the Pathfinder version. Is this intentional change?
A: (James Jacobs 7/25/10) That is indeed an error; you can’t take Improved Natural Attack more than once per attack type, but you CAN take it multiple times per attack. [Source]
Q: Can a monk take Improved Natural Attack to increase his unarmed strike damage?
A: (James Jacobs/Jason Bulmahn 11/4/09) Jason crunched his numbers and the official errata is this – the Improved Natural Attack feat can not be applied to unarmed strike. We’ll be issuing an errata for that feat that adds this sentence to the feat:"Improved Natural Attack can not be applied to unarmed strikes. "Unarmed strikes ARE still treated as natural weapons for most effects (particularly for the spell magic fang and for amulets of magic fang), but the Improved Natural Attack feat is an exception to that rule. So! There ya go! Official errata! Sorry it took so long to nail it down. [Source]
- Your mount acts on your initiative count as you direct it. You move at its speed, but the mount uses its action to move.
- If your mount moves more than 5 feet, you can only make a single melee attack. SJ: However, this does not limit the number of ranged attacks — see below.
- If your mount charges, you also take the AC penalty associated with a charge. If you make an attack at the end of the charge, you receive the bonus gained from the charge. When charging on horseback, you deal double damage with a lance (see Charge).
- You can use ranged weapons while your mount is taking a double move, but at a –4 penalty on the attack roll. You can use ranged weapons while your mount is running (quadruple speed) at a –8 penalty. In either case, you make the attack roll when your mount has completed half its movement.
- You can make a full attack with a ranged weapon while your mount is moving. Likewise, you can take move actions normally.
- You can cast a spell normally if your mount moves up to a normal move (its speed) either before or after you cast. If you have your mount move both before and after you cast a spell, then you’re casting the spell while the mount is moving, and you have to make a concentration check due to the vigorous motion (DC 10 + spell level) or lose the spell. If the mount is running (quadruple speed), you can cast a spell when your mount has moved up to twice its speed, but your concentration check is more difficult due to the violent motion (DC 15 + spell level).
- If your mount falls in battle, you have to succeed on a DC 15 Ride check to make a soft fall and take no damage. If the check fails, you take 1d6 points of damage.
- If you are knocked unconscious, you have a 50% chance to stay in the saddle (75% if you’re in a military saddle). Otherwise you fall and take 1d6 points of damage. Without you to guide it, your mount avoids combat.
Q: Does tripping some standing up cause them to stay prone or lose their move-action? This is known as ‘Trip Locking’ on the paizo forums.
A: (Official FAQ 8/13/10) No. The attack of opportunity is triggered before the action that triggered it is resolved. In this case, the target is still prone when the attack of opportunity occurs (and you get the normal bonuses when making such an attack). Since the trip combat maneuver does not prevent the target’s action, the target then stands up. [Source]
A: (Jason Bulmahn 7/9/10) You can use your AoO to trip a creature that is standing up from prone, but it has no effect, since the AoO is resolved before the action is completed, meaning that the creature is still prone. Once the AoO resolves, the creature would stand up normally. [Source]
Q: Spring Attack has a rather mushy description, but I am pretty sure you can combine it at least with a Vital Strike. I’d also like to have some clarification if you can also combine it with Cleave and Deadly Strike.
A: (Errata 8/20/10) The spring attack feat has been changed in the 8/20/2010 Errata to be a Full-Round action. This prevents one from using Spring Attack and vital strike together.
Q: Can you charge and use Vital Strike?
A: (Jason Bulmahn) Charge is a special full-round action (excluding partial charge). You cannot currently combine a charge and vital strike. [Source]