REQUEST TO JOIN
Follow these steps:
- RTJ must include character name, race, class, a description of your expectations for this game, and a background.
- Wait for the GM to give you a character sheet in the Character Details section and PM you when it's ready.
- Build a character using the steps below and reply to your initial RTJ with a request for approval.
- The GM will approve your character or ask you to fix things and then resubmit for approval. You cannot play until
you're approved.
Approved sites for creation.
Pathfinder SRD
Archives of Nethys
Library of Metzofitz
Please Review all Rules Below before sending your RTJ. You can have two PC must be in separate parties.
ABILITY POINTS
You have 32 points to generate your ability scores. You cannot lower ability scores for extra points!
BUILD POINTS (BP)
This game does not use XP or GP. You start with 3000 Build Points (BP). You buy your race, level, and equipment with BP.
Level
You can enter the dungeon at a max level of 3. Follow chart below on cost to do so.
Equipment
1 BP = 1 GP. You are assumed to have basic clothing without calculating cost and weight as long as it doesn't exceed 10 lbs. or 10 gp. You otherwise buy and carry everything else as you see fit. If you have an Item Creation feat or Craft and are able to take 10 to craft the item you want, you can gain anything you craft this way at half price but can't use it to turn a profit. (This Includes Masterwork qualities)
Automatic Bonus Progression
Because once your in the dungeon getting out is very hard. So with that being said the
Automatic Bonus Progression rules will be in affect. I have made changes to these rules.
Here is how it works:
To start with, at level 3, all characters will gain a +1 Resistance bonus to all saves, as well as a +1 Deflection bonus to AC; these will grow by +1 at level 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th and 18th, to a maximum of +6. As usual, these won't stack with bonuses of the same type gained from other sources.
At level 6, all characters will select one Physical Ability Score and one Mental Ability Score, and both of those two chosen scores will gain a +2 Enhancement bonus to their total. This happens again at level 9th, 12th, 15th and 18th; players can pick the same Ability score multiple times to increase the bonus granted to it by this ability, but there is a cap of +4, which grows to +6 at level 15th. Once again, bonuses of the same types don't stack, as per the normal rules.
At level 2 characters gain the ability to attune to a type of item; the process of attunement takes one minute, making it an "out of combat" ability. Attuning to an item grants that item a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls if the item is a weapon, OR a +1 armor enhancement bonus to AC if the item is an armor or an article of clothing, OR a +1 shield enhancement bonus to AC if the item is a shield. The bonus grows by +1 at level 5th, 8th, 11th and 14th, at which point it caps at +5.
Upon first gaining the ability at level 2nd, the character can only be attuned to one "item" at once; change what item the character is attuned to can be done at any time, although it always takes the one minute required to attune to a new item. At level 8th, the player can be attuned to two "items" at the same time, and at level 14th, the user can be attuned to three "items" simultaneously. The idea here is to allow tactical choices at low levels when deciding whether a character would be better off attuned to an armor, a weapon, or a shield, while allowing an high level character to apply all three boosts simultaneously.
RACES
Basics
If your race costs 10 RP or lower, you have no level adjustment to play it. If it costs 11 to 20, you pay a +1 level adjustment. 21-30 is a +2 level adjustment, and 31-40 is a +3.
You can build
Custom Race or adjusting pre-existing race. Ask the GM about what exactly you can do.
Templates
A template's CR adjustment is effectively the level increase it is applying (rounded down). For example, applying a +2 CR template would treat your character as 2 levels higher than they actually are for the purposes of BP cost. Max of 5 templates and any templates that say the CR bump is dependent on your HD, when your HD hits that you will get your LA.
Level Adjustment
If you invest your 1st and 11th level feat into the Advanced Race feat, this lowers your level adjustment by 1. You can invest your 3rd and 13th level feats to lower it by 2 and your 5th and 15th level feats to lower it by 3 (minimum 0).
*Notice Homebrewed or Converted Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Races are allowed on a cast to case basis. Ask GM for more information.
CLASSES
Be aware of what classes are allowed.
Gestalt
Instead of using Multiclassing we will be Using Gestalt System of combining two classes as Follows:
- You gain all of the class features of both classes, including spells and spells known. This is normal for gestalt.
- You pick a singular class to be your favored class, and gain the relevant bonus only when gaining levels in that class.
- Your total HP is combined from the two classes; you get max your HP dice from one class, and half you HP dice from the other class (so, a Fighter/Sorcerer would get a maximized d10 = 10 HP, then half of a d6 = 3 HP), then add your CON mod only once.
- For skills, you get the full amount from both classes (so, a Rogue/Bard would get 8 rogue + 6 bard), as well as 2 extra points for background skill, and then add your INT mod only once.
- For BAB, you only get the higher of the two classes, as per the class' relative table.
- For saves, take highest progression of each of the two classes, as per the class' relative table.
- Gestalt prestige classes are allowed as long as you meet all the requirements for such.
- You can use one side of you Gestalt for any Level Adjustment you have.
Example:
Fighter/Level Adjustment (Scrapper/---) : Level 1
Fighter/Monk (Scrapper/---) : Level 2
Fighter/Monk (Scrapper/---) : Level 3
Weapon Master/Monk (---/---) : Level 4
First Gestalt is one Class, your Favored class bonus come from one of the sides you selected (please not where it comes from on your sheet.
In this case this player gets treated as a 3rd level Fighter, 3rd level Monk, and 1st level Weapon Master, he would gain all the benefits of
those classes at that level. They built with a +1 level adjustment and did not buy it off yet, if they do eventually that side of the gestalt
can be changed back to a class level.
Hit Dice
Player characters, monsters, and permanent minions (cohorts, companions, eidolons, familiars, special mounts) maximize all their Hit Dice. Only temporarily summoned or conjured creatures do not (ex. Summon Monster, Summon Nature's Ally, etc.)
Skills
I'll be applying the
Background Skills optional rule. This means that, in addition to their skill points from leveling up, each character will also gain a further 2 skill points every level; however, these can only be spent on the Skill which are marked as Background skills.
To add a little more extra Umph!...all skills with have access to skill unlocks from Unchained system.
Crafting has been changed as well, the rules for come from
Making Crafting Work PDf. Skill unlocks will still apply. Crafting Materials at 50% cost, (note if you want to say make an iron shortsword and you have the 2lbs of iron, cost will be waved)
Feats
First is that, in addition to gaining a feat every odd level, I'll let characters also gain one feat at each even level; this works out overall to one feat gained at every level, essentially doubling everybody's amount of total feats.
Additionally a lot has been made of the problems Pathfinder has with prerequisites and feat chains; in fact, an entire set of extra rules has been developed by many people to counter this phenomenon, with the most popular such fix being the "Elephant in the Room" pdf. It's pretty easy to find, just search for "Elephant in the Room" "Pathfinder" and it'll lead you to the page where the document can be downloaded for free.
I won't be going the route that particular fix went; however, a number of the modified feats they created in the process are interesting enough that, if somebody wants any of them for their build, I'll be open to let people take them, just let me know and, like with any other content, we'll talk it out and see if it works. This also applies to anybody who has interest in feats from 3.5 that have never been adapted to Pathfinder, or 5e ones they'd like backported; I don't promise that I'll let you take them, but, so long as you can point me to somewhere I can check the feats for free on the internet, I'll hear out your argument for why you need that specific feat and why no other would work. If you convince me, then I'll convert the feat for you and let you take it.
What I will be doing is removing a handful of prerequisites, and consolidating feats.
Specifically, any feat that requires a minimum Ability Score will have that requirement removed unless it's necessary for it to be usable, such as Combat Reflexes needing the user to have a minimum Ability Score modifier to provide any benefit.
If a particular feat has multiple feat prerequisites, but none of those feats in any way relates to the feat's effect, such as the number of archery feats who require Point-Blank Shot while in no way relating to close range archery, I will likely remove a some of those; this is a complex enough argument that I'll decide on a case-by-case basis, but if you've any feat you're interest into that would benefit from this kind of ruling, bring it up in PM and I'll let you know how I would rule about it.
BAB and Class level prerequisites will mostly be left untouched, with the exception that, if a feat with a BAB prerequisite is especially useful to mid-bab classes like Monk or Rogue, I'll consider the possibility of counting Monk/Rogue/whatever levels in place of BAB. If you think something you're interested into it applies and you're playing an applicable class, ask.
More important is the fact I'll be consolidating feats, and be very receptive to suggestions on more feats that'd benefit from consolidation. What I mean by this is that, for a number of feats, they are broken into feat chains, yet what the more advanced feat in the chain do isn't provide new functionality, but instead maintain functionality and keeping a feat from growing obsolete as a character levels up, or creating "feat taxes" that limit the players' ability to customize their build by creating forced choices.
The typical form this kind of feats take is a feat chain where all the feats in the chain do the same thing, and they all have prerequisites of the previous feats in the chain plus a progression limit, and my approach to that will be to collapse the feat chain into a single feat with a scaling effect. This naturally frees players to take more feats, while also making sure that feats don't become obsolete easily. Feats condensed in this manner will still count as having the entire feat chain for prerequisites, although, as I already mentioned, some of those prerequisites might have been removed entirely.
I can't list every possible PF feat to which this ruling would apply right here and now, but I will list a series of feats that I have already decided to condense in this manner; I will add more to the list whenever people ask me for a specific option and I agree that the feat chain in question should be consolidated. As always, while I'll listen to the argument, I reserve the right to disagree and not consolidate feats, or to do so in a different manner than the player requested, if I think it more fitting.
To help classes that would otherwise be harmed by this, if a class offered a "levels in this class count as level on another classes for (whatever purpose)", then that also makes those levels count for the purpose of determine which consolidated feat will grant a scaled up benefit.
List of consolidated feats:
The Vital Strike feat will automatically grant the benefit of Improved Vital Strike upon reaching BAB +11, and the benefit of Greater Vital Strike upon reaching BAB +16.
Weapon Focus will automatically grant the benefit of Improved Weapon Focus (increasing the to-hit bonus from +1 to +2) to anybody who has at least eight fighter levels.
Weapon Specialization will automatically grant the benefit of Greater Weapon Specialization (increasing the damage bonus from +2 to +4) to anybody who has at least twelve fighter levels.
Two-Weapon Fighting will automatically grant the benefits of Improved Two Weapon Fighting upon reaching BAB +6, and the benefits of Greater Two Weapon Fighting upon reaching BAB +11.
The Blind-Fight feat automatically grants the benefits of Improved Blind-Fight upon reaching 10 ranks in Perception, and the benefits of Greater Blind-Fight upon reaching 15 ranks in Perception.
Precise Shot will automatically grant the benefits of Improved Precise Shot upon reaching BAB +11.
Selecting the Dodge feat will automatically also grant the benefits of the Mobility feat with no additional requirements; I'm more than willing to combine two lesser feats into a single one if they're thematically related and not overpowering when combined.
The Giantslayer feat will automatically grant the benefits of the Titan Breaker feat upon reaching BAB +10.
Most "Improved Maneuver" feats will also grant the "Greater" related feat; so, for example, Improved Feint will automatically grant the benefits of Greater Feint upon reaching BAB +6, Improved Bull Rush will automatically grant the benefits of Greater Bull Rush upon reaching BAB +6, and so on for other maneuvers.
Similarly, all "Style" feats will provide the benefits of their entire feat chain upon being gained, with the scaling based on the Style feat's specifics. For example:
Upon taking Crane Style, you will gain the benefits of Crane Wing at BAB +5 (or the equivalent Monk level), and the benefits of Crane Riposte at BAB +7 (or Monk level 8th).
On the other hand, Diva Style, which is substantially weaker, I would rule would automatically also grant the benefit of Diva Strike at BAB +7, and the benefit of Diva Advance if the player also has the Improved Feint feat, making it scale far faster than the BAB requirement normally would, since the feat chain really isn't powerful enough to justify the cost.
And Snake Style feat would grant the benefit of Snake Sidewinder upon having 6 ranks in Sense Motive and the benefit of Snake Fang on reaching 9 ranks in Sense Motive, as that's the key element that would normally gate the feat chain progression.
I'll provide specific rules for specific style feats if somebody requires it; the idea here is to allow people to simply chose a combat style they want and then know it'll keep working without need for too much further investment, allowing for greater customization.
I want to again remark that these are just the feats that I already had reason to have decided should scale; they're in no way the only feats I'm willing to allow this for, and I'll be happy to at least consider allowing the same form of progression for other feats, provided you ask and I agree with the argument you provide for why I should.
*Notice Homebrewed or Converted Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Feats are allowed on a cast to case basis. Ask GM for more information.
Mythic Tiers
Mythic Tiers will be allowed. Access and Progression will require you defeating Mythic Tier creatures or challenges found randomly in the Dungeon. This can be done solo or as a party.
Caster or Manifester Level
All "caster levels" are unified into Arcane, Divine, Occult, Primal, and Psionics. Bard and witches classes are all occult. Druids, rangers, hunters, and shamans are primal. Sorcerers, bloodragers, eldritch scion magi and any other spellcasters with bloodlines must pick one of these options at 1st level, whichever matches their bloodline most appropriately. Other casters or Manifesters retain their current type (arcane or divine). SLAs vary based on whichever skill would normally identify the creature Arcane = Knowledge (Arcana or Engineering), Divine = Knowledge (Religion), Occult = Knowledge (Dungeoneering), Primal = Knowledge (Nature), Knowledge (Planes) = varies by plane. So if you gestalt between spellcasting classes of the same tradition, you add the two class levels together to get your caster level (not to exceed your level). For example, a Magus 4/Wizard 6 would be an Arcane Caster Level 10 for both Magus and Wizard spells because they are both Arcane. However, a Bard 5/Druid 5 would be Occult Caster Level 5th and Primal Caster Level 5th since they are different spellcasting traditions.
TRAITS
In terms of Traits, I'm going to allow everybody to pick four, which is twice the usual amount; as long as you remember the key rule that no two traits can share the same category (so, you can't take two magic traits, or two regional traits), but other than that I'm happy to allow anything. Although I will ask that you provide a valid in character reason for your character to posses the traits they do, for each one. That's my trade-off: anything goes, so long as you can justify it in character.
Additionally, I've been known to actually create new traits upon request if you can't find something that fits your concept, so long as you could point me to a similar enough trait to use as a template. A typical example would be Bruising Intellect, which lets people use INT in place of CHA for Intimidate, making an argument for other traits that allow to use a different ability score for a single specific skill to be allowable. Just try not to cheese the system too much, and I'll try to help you better realize your character concept.
You are allowed two Drawbacks as well, the same rules found in traits above apply here. The benefit of Drawbacks changes from a bonus trait to a feat.
Progression
It will take 22 XP to gain a level. XP is gained by overcoming challenges; these need not be combat challenges - stealing a crown from a dragon's horde without being noticed is as much of a challenge as fighting the dragon would be, or possibly an even greater one. This will allow me to give the same weight to combat and non-combat encounters, and make sure nobody is penalized for going with more creative routes than merely charging in sword swinging.
As for XP values, overcoming an easy challenge will be worth 1 XP, overcoming a normal challenge will be worth 2 XP, and overcoming a really hard challenge will be worth 3 XP; these aren't split between the group, each player will earn the same amount of XP based on how hard whichever challenge they survived together was.
Naturally, if something is no challenge at all, such as killing a level one goblin for a level ten character, then it will be worth no XP at all; this way, instead of each level requiring more XP and far stronger enemies giving enormous amounts, the amount of XP gained by a level-appropriate challenge would stay relatively the same while lesser problems stop helping with advancement. That should help with making the tackling of more dangerous challenges less appealing unless there's truly no other choice, since even the hardest of challenges will still net no more than 3 XP, as well as keeping attempts at gaming the system at a minimum, I hope.
MORE DETAILS
Be sure before you finish you Character, check out
Dungeon Ecology and Rule Changes. This will give you a better idea for what your in for. If you have any questions about what you read here or need any help contact your GM. I am always happy to adjust things or work with you in achieving your concept.
If you do a good job building your character without errors on the first try and follow ALL the instructions given, you could get up to 1000 additional BP. If you have read this entire Thread, add "+250" in Red to the end of your RTJ.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:56, Sun 07 Apr.
