Second Edition RPG
Introduction
Ability Score Variants
Gradual Ability Boosts (Gamemastery Guide pg 182)
This will be in play (basically 1 of the 4 ability boosts per level instead of all at once every 5 levels).
Alternative Score (Gamemastery Guide pg 183)
(If this ever gets implemented in Fantasy Grounds, or I run a live game, otherwise it is far too much work for little gain)
This will be in play for PCs/important NPCs (basically Brawn replaces Con & Str, Dex is broken into Dex & Agl, and Cha is used for Will Saves)
Alignment (Gamemastery Guide pg 184)
Only Outsiders, some Fey & characters with Divine features project a strong enough alignment to matter (Cleric, Champion, Druid, Monk); most normal people and animals are considered Neutral or unaligned for spell purposes. Most detect alignment type spells/abilities will detect corruption/evil/hostile intent and the like, or give a substantial bonus to Perception rolls to sense motive (in addition to functioning on appropriate Aligned characters/creatures). Characters may spend an Interest to gain an alignment representing True Faith in a higher power. Often appropriate to take a related Lore skill as well.
Leveling Up
Ancestries & Backgrounds
Ancestry
Bugbear (N/A atm)
No rules for them atm.
The top tier achievement of the Hobgoblin eugenics programs, and the Bugbears know it! Typically of "trans-humans", they are arrogant and sure of their superiority.
Catfolk (n/a)
Too rare, this is not an appropriate race for the region of this campaign
Dragonblooded
Elemental dragon heritage of the First & Second Age. Best represented as a Sorcerer blood-line, pure or archetypal. Theren (any), Zakharan (fire (VR)), Khinasai (fire (VR)), Basarji (fire), Andu (air), Mastetian (water), Iblis (earth), and Shivasti (wood). Can also represent the Genesai, elemental/fae breeds. They do not look like dragon-men however, just normal humans (with maybe some elemental traces).
Dwarf (C)
Male only (breed with fey/outsiders); Clanhold, Holdless, Exile (Barbarian).
Ancient-blooded, Death Warden, Forge, Rock Dwarf, Strong-blooded .
Elf (C)
Arctic (UC), Cavern (Drow?), Seer (High?), Whisper, Woodland (VC)
- All elves suffer the fatigued condition for using cold iron/steel weapons/armor.
- Large amounts of iron cause them discomfort, like being in a sewer or around some other unpleasant smell
Gnome (C)
Chameleon, Fey-touched, Sensate, Umbral (Svirfneblin), Wellspring
- All gnomes suffer the fatigued condition for using cold iron/steel weapons/armor.
- Large amounts of iron cause them discomfort, like being in a sewer or around some other unpleasant smell
- Fey-touched gnome would have cold iron weakness, perhaps another benefit to balance that, but better not to take it, so we don't have to deal with it.
Goblin (UC)
Offshoot hobgoblin race bred by them in ages past as saboteurs, spies, and infiltrators. An experiment gone so, so terribly wrong….
Charhide, Irongut, Razortooth, Snow (R), Unbreakable
Goliath (N/A atm)
Half-elf (C)
Can be any one of: child of elf/human, manifesting fey blood from ancestor's dalliance generations ago, or a true-breeding race (Dawn Tribes, Dhosuney, Aerenwe)
- Large amounts of iron cause them discomfort, like being in a sewer or around some other unpleasant smell, but not to the extent of gnomes or elves
Halfling
Gutsy, Hillock, Nomadic, Twilight, Wildwood
Hobgoblin (R)
Original race of goblinoids summoned to this world by the Iblis in ancient times to be their shock troops and disposable warriors. Hobgoblins have a penchant for eugenics and breeding programs, having created the goblin, bugbear, and orc sub-races. Some among them can still speak Maglubiyet, an alien tongue from another world, but it has been corrupted over time into Goblin and Orcish, two related languages incorporating many words from Iblic and other languages (including Abyssal & Infernal).
Human (VC)
Half-Elf, (no Half-Orc), Aasamir (perhaps via Sorc bloodline or champion, class or archetype), Tiefling (perhaps via Sorc bloodline or champion, class or archetype), Dhamphir (perhaps via Sorc bloodline, class or archetype), Shadar-kai (perhaps via Sorc bloodline, class or archetype), Skilled, Versatile.
Anuirean (VC), Brecht (VC), Ivanian (VC), Iblis (R), Khinasai (UC), Theren (R), Zakharan (R), Mastetian (UC), Eastronese(C), Basarji (UC), Vos (VC), Mahajastian (VR), Rokuganese (VR), Crowded Islander (VR),
Kobold (n/a)
I have reskinned kobolds as Skaven in my world, which aren't a great PC race. Also kobolds as adversaries just seem like a different version of goblins and there are not "little dragon-men" in Arcallis.
Leshy
These could, perhaps, be re-skinned as Wood Elemental Genasi/Wood Elemental Dragon-blooded.
Lizardfolk (UC)
Lizardfolk have rudimentary heat sensors in their jaws. May be purchased with an Ancestry Feat @5
Cliffscale (VR), Frilled (UC) (mixed with other types), Sandstrider (C) (from the Blight/Sea of Ash), Unseen (VR), Wetlander (C) (most common in Kanday, from Mistmarsh area)
Orc (UC)
Orcs do not cross-breed (except with goblinoids). Orcs are an offshoot hobgoblin race bred by them in ages past as elite troops, now a proud, independent race. Orcs (as a culture) are part of the proud heritage still existing in the Sea of Ash, Sea of Stars, and Demon Wastes; half-orcs (as a culture) are part of the scattered tribes existing within or on the outskirts of other civilizations. These are merely a cultural differences, they are the same "race" (species?).
Half-Orc (just a clan-less orc, not a crossbreed, though more familiar with human culture, hence all the get-along-nice feats)
Clan Orc (think Klingon society) - Badlands Orc (Scorcher Tribes), Deep Orc, Hold-scarred Orc (Scorcher Tribes & others), Rainfall Orc (not many orcs in the tropics, but ignore that part and the disease and skill bonuses work ok), Forge (Sea of Stars region) (dwarf background), Death Warden (Demon Wastes region) (dwarf background)
Ratfolk (Nezumi) (n/a)
Again, like with the catfolk, these would be too rare in this region and it would lead to too much attention and potential weirdness. Ratfolk are the base stock from which skaven arise, uncorrupted by the warpstone they so prize.
Shoney (n/a)
Just, no
Tengu (n/a)
Again, like with many of the "beast" races, these would be too rare in this region and it would lead to too much attention and potential weirdness
Backgrounds
Deep backgrounds (Gamemastery Guide pg 186)
Totally allowed, even encouraged; feel free to reroll or pick as appropriate to your character concept.
Interests (<-please pay attention to this!)
Characters receive 4 + bonus languages (INT mod) "interests" instead of any free languages for high INT or Ancestry. Characters from outside the campaign area, or with a racial language, must purchase this with their interests, as only the campaign area language is assumed free.
An interest can be a language, a lore, or an alignment (assuming your class does not mandate one). Lores should be appropriate for your background or ancestry, languages as well. You may only ever have one alignment interest, but it may change over time. It represents true faith in whatever higher power you worship, or at least their belief in you.
Some suggestions:
- Lore in a game - Dragonchess (elite), 3-Dragon Ante (commoners), gambling-in-general, others
- Lore in area grown up in - whether specific to a city or a region (smaller area gives more specific knowledge)
- Racial Lore - history, genealogies, legends, celebrities,
- Lore for a specific profession you practice or were exposed to as a youth
- Lore in a hobby
- Language you were exposed to as a youth or chose to learn
- Faith in a higher power (an alignment) and the Lore skill for your religion (2 separate Interests) - actual faith gives access to Divine Intercession
Languages
There is no world-wide "Common" tongue. The campaign area will determine the shared "common" language (which is Anuirean for Kanday), which all character get for free. Characters do not receive free languages for high Int nor any racial tongue. Instead they receive Interests. An Interest can be spent on a language, however. (D) means it is a dead language and is not spoken in every day usage.
Common Campaign
- Anuirean – Seven Kingdoms <-campaign area common human language; Auran roots, incorporates many elven & Theren words
- Dwarven (Khuzdul) – corrupted Vedic
- Eastronese – Brecht & Sea of Tears; polygot language descended from ancient Rivespeak, now mixed with all the connecting languages of the region.
- Gnome - Gnomes speak Sylvan, they do not have a racial language
- Goblin – corrupted Maglubiyet, spoken by Hobgoblins, goblins & many clanless orcs
- Halfling - Halflings speak the language of those around them, they do not have a racial language
- Ivanian – Ivania (common trade-tongue along the coasts as the Ivanians get around)
- Jotun – corrupted Draconic, spoken by the giants & titans who sided with the Primordials long ago
- Korvish - Vos
- Orcish – Goblin roots, language of the Clan Orcs
- Sidhelion (Elven) – Sylvan & Draconic origins mixed with mortal language
- Sylvan – wood elemental, eastern fae, precursor of Chun (D), Wood Tribe of Ancient Azlant (D)
Uncommon Campaign
- Draconic (Common for arcane casters) – High Theren, original singular elemental tongue, step-down language of Celestial for elementals, giants and others
- Undercommon – corrupted elven
- Aquan – water elemental, western fae; descended from Draconic, precursor of Masetian (D), Water Tribe of Ancient Azlant (Masetians) (D)
- Auran – Air elemental, northern fae; descended from Draconic, precursor of Old Andu (D), Air Tribe of Ancient Azlant (Arkosans) (D)
- Gnoll – alien tongue from another world/realm, spoken by gnolls & gnoll subraces
- Ignan – fire elemental, southern fae; descended from Draconic, precursor of Midani, Fire Tribe of Ancient Azlant (D)
- Iblic – spoken by the Iblis (D), some gypsy-like survivors of Bael Turath, and the royal language of Nidal & Lapinth; a mixed language of Vedic with many Infernal and Abyssal concepts & words
- Infernal – language of Hell, corrupted and very pedantic Celestial
- Khinasai – an offshoot of Midani corrupted by Mastetian and Basarji
- Maglubiyet – ancient language of the Hobgoblins, spoken by their priests and lore-keepers, alien tongue from another realm/world
- Theren – Low Azlant, related to Draconic and elemental languages
- Vedic- earth elemental; descended from Draconic; precursor of Iblic, Earth Tribe of Ancient Azlant (D)
Rare Campaign
- Abyssal – corrupted celestial spoken by Third Circle demons and now the default language of the Abyss
- Aklo – corrupted celestial used by the deep fae and the Far Realms
- Basarji - related to Low Azlant, mixed with Ignan, Masetian, and Chun; spoken in Lantara and Nehekara
- Celestial – step-down language of spirits from primordial; spoken by deities and angels; native speakers can understand and be understood by most other language speakers
- High Azlant - ancient (dead) language of the Five Tribes, descended from Draconic; split into the 5 elemental tongues and Low Azlant (Theren)
- Chun (D) - language of the fallen empires of Nod and Kadar, descended from Sylvan and the Eastern Tribes.
- Necril – pidgen tongue of the underworld mixing languages from across the Ages; spoken only by undead from the Underworld or some Shadowlands.
- Midani - spoken in Zakhara
- Shivasti - descended from ancient Chun language of Nod and Kadar, now spoken in Maharosta
Secret
- Druidic – Draconic/Sylvan/Vedic influences
- Primordial – Words of Power to most mortals, can be learned to understand, but spoken only by Primordials or powerful spirits.
Classes
Classes not listed have no changes ATM.
Barbarian
This can be considered a civilized berserker character who just fights with rage, rather then a class & a culture (though watch the rage origins).
Dwarf characters who become barbarians (or start as) have typically dishonored themselves, their their clan, suffered some great loss or setback, and seek honorable death to redeem themselves. If done after level 1 consider a barbarian archetype or retraining as a Barbarian. Some few survive and thrive and constantly seek out larger foes to fight in the hopes of an epic, expunging, death. Once a Dwarf swears the Slayer's Oath they are already dead & mourned by their brethren.
Cleric
See Spell section for changes in spell memorization. Clerics should actually have a fixed spell list for each level based on their god/beliefs and not be able to switch them out freely.
- Cleric of the Light – classic cleric/priest archetype
- Cleric of the Old Ways – a "praise-singer" of their specific god. They seek to honor them through deeds, travel, and emulation. They do not proselytize but instead extol the virtues of their god through action, attracting followers who feel a kindred recognition.
- Cleric of the Celestial Host – typical D&D fantasy god priest/cleric (from the far south)
- Cleric of the Old Faith - member of the Furyondian bastardization of the Light & Old Ways
- Cleric of the Dwarven All-Fathers - closer to a cleric of the Old Ways
Bard
Messengers of the Old Ways
Druid
See Spell section for changes in spell memorization.
- Priests of the Old Ways – like the praise-singers, but more like the established clergy. Typically stay in one place and mediate, enlighten, and teach.
- The Keepers of the Gate – sect of druids that work to destroy aberrations and undead, as well as protect from planar invasions/incursions, especially from the Far Realm.
Anathema
Druids may not use adamantine, cold-iron or its products (steel etc) as this hurts their connection to the Feywild, the Fey, and the spirits they revere, but they may use mithral, bronze, silver, and other such metals.
Sorcerer
Typically, a crossbreed mortal with a spirit (Fey, Fiend, Undead, Celestial) or elemental (Elemental, Fey, Dragon) with manifest powers, though it could represent some, few, other things as well.
Witch
See Spell section for changes in spell memorization.
Might also be called Warlock, Occultist, Sha'air, Demonologist, Voodon, Witchdoctor, Shaman…anything where the power is granted or bargained for, rather than earned or natural.
Wizard
See Spell section for changes in spell memorization.
Wizards store their spells in astral constructs built of their own patterns/spirits called matrices. They use these to shield themselves from attracting the attentions of astral predators.
Skills
When minimum proficiency rank is listed and a character falls short, allow attempts but increase the DC by +2/+5/+10 based on the difference and potentially reduce the success level by one automatically.
Variant Rules
Skill Points (Gamemastery Guide pg 199)
in use
Proficiency Without Level (Gamemastery Guide pg 198)
In use, but creates some oddities, especially with Assurance and some of the DCs.
Complementary Skills
If you have a Lore skill that applies, take +2/+5/+10 (or maybe just the skill bonus) to recall knowledge or other appropriate checks.
General Skill Actions
Identify Magic
Base DC is a hard (DC+2) DC by level based on Item Level (reduced by the level, Core pg 503). Using a different Tradition skill to ID an item incurs a +5 DC penalty.
- Common - base DC +2
- Uncommon - +2 DC
- Rare - +5 DC
- Unique - +10 DC
A quick & dirty identification takes 10 minutes base (modified by feats), and costs nothing. You can increase the time step -> hour, -> day -> week for a +2/+5/+10, but at a cost of 15gp/75gp/1,000gp. Failure moves the time up day (as normal)/week/month/season. May spend time & materials one time step higher to receive a bonus (max +10/1000gp).
Learn a Spell
DC is hard check by double the spell level DC (reduced by level as normal). Time is one hour per level base (modified by feats), and costs spell level * 1000gp (500gp/cantrip), which includes typical purchase price for a tutor/copy of the spell and practice materials, unless you have a copy of the spell (scroll, spellbook), in which case the cost is level * 100gp, but critical failure destroys the copy as well. Extra time per level may be spent as follows: 1 day +2; 1 week +5; 1 month +10. A magical research library can add its item bonus to the attempt as well and a circumstance bonus can be added for experienced tutors/very appropriate learning settings.
Spell Level - DC
- Cantrips - DC 19
- 1st - DC 19
- 2nd - DC 20
- 3rd - DC 21
- 4th - DC 21
- 5th - DC 22
- 6th - DC 23
- 7th - DC 23
- 8th - DC 24
- 9th - DC 25
- 10th - DC 25
Typical spellbooks have 100 pages, cost 20gp. A spell requires (level*level)*2 pages per level (cantrip = 1 page). Rituals take twice as much space. Each book is an item of L bulk. Books may be bought with more pages, locks, hardier materials, etc.
Skill Descriptions
Crafting
Earnings over time values are x10 for weekly rolls, x50 for monthly rolls. Make the skill check at 50% of the time required, not after 4 days, to determine earnings/time.
Consumable Crafting
Items marked consumable may be made in batches of up to twice the crafter's proficiency bonus (4/8/12/16). Add total cost to determine time.
Alchemical Crafting
Magic Item Creation
When crafting magic items, use character level as the task level with the value multiplied by 100 to determine time required (typically base cost/earnings in days). In addition to the base cost of materials (the full base cost of the item), an additional amount of special components are required with an XP value equal to the unmodified base cost. These components may be found, traded for, or purchased (at 1gp per XP) but are consumed during the process, success or failure.
Workshop
When crafting magic items a special workshop is required with a cost of 3,000gp + 1,000gp per item level the shop can construct. The crafter may receive a +1 item bonus per 10,000gp the workshop exceeds the base cost of the item. It is possible to acquire access to a workshop without buying one through a guild or contacts, typical cost is .1% of the shops value per day.
Precious Materials
A crafter may expend precious materials such as noble metals, rare woods, or precious gems in the creation of an item (or the item may already be fashioned of such materials). The crafter may reduce the effective item level of the item by 1 per 10,000gp expended, with a maximum reduction of 50%, for determining the DC of the crafting check.
Intimidation
Demoralize
Targets are never immune but the second attempt within 10 minutes is at -2, third -5, and subsequent attempts, are at -10 within 10 minutes. The GM is free to apply modifiers as well.
Medicine
DC's for Treat Wounds are flat and not appropriate to No Level w/o Proficiency. The rest work as is.
- Treat Wound (Trained) DC 15
- Expert: DC 17
- Master: DC 20
- Legendary: DC 25
Feats
Variant Rules
Dual-classed PCs (Gamemastery Guide pg 192)
If only 1-2 players, otherwise complicated and overlapping roles
Free Archetype (Gamemastery Guide pg 194)
maybe (definitely if playing a campaign with a mandatory archetype) (this is NOT such a campaign ATM, however)
Feat Descriptions
Assurance
Instead of a flat 10, gain advantage on any roll for which Assurance applies. Best compromise I can come up with for use of the feat with the variant rules I am using.
Diehard
The character may reduce the cost of staying conscious by 1, both when at zero HP.
Ceremonial Magic, Basic (Class Feat ?)
The character has studied the ceremonies of a particular tradition of ceremonial magic (antiquarian, chthonic, sylvan, shamanic, or theurgical). The character must choose the tradition at the time he chooses the proficiency. This proficiency can be selected multiple times. The effect of this proficiency depends upon the class powers of the character selecting it.
If the character is neither a spellcaster nor a ceremonialist, then he becomes a 1st level ceremonialist with a repertoire of one 1st level ceremony. He can perform ceremonies in the tradition and create and use trinkets and talismans in the tradition as a 1st level ceremonialist, and can identify trinkets or talismans created by a ceremonialist of the tradition with a level checkand of other traditions with a hard level check.
If the character is a spellcaster, but is not already a ceremonialist, he becomes a ceremonialist of his caster level upon taking this proficiency. He can perform any ceremonies in the tradition and create and use trinkets and talismans in the tradition as a ceremonialist of his caster level, and can identify trinkets or talismans created by a ceremonialist of the tradition as above.
See the rules for Ceremonial Magic in the Magic section
for more details.
Ceremonial Magic, Expert (Class Feat ?)
Ceremonial Magic, Master (Class Feat ?)
Encouraging Words (Gamemastery Guide pg 201) Feat 2
Trained in Intimidation or Performance also qualifies.
Familiars
Using the no level to proficiency variant really messes up familiars. As an unplaytested rule, when master's level is called for, instead use the level to determine the best possible proficiency the character could have and use that modifier. So, (T) until 3rd, (E) till 7th, etc.
Fast Recovery
This reduces bed rest requirements from the Mortal Wounds Table as well.
Steel Your Resolve (Gamemastery Guide pg 201) Feat 3
This is an action anyone can take with Inspiration, this feat is not required nor used.
Equipment
Drastic changes to gear costs, expected wealth, upkeep, retainers and hirelings.
Bulk
For game purposes, Bulk acts to define the difficulty a character has carrying a given item and its effect on the character's ability to act. Consider Bulk to be 8-14lbs (average 10), but a strangely shaped item (long or unbalanced) could be higher Bulk than its weight indicates. Light items are up to ~1lb, but this varies a lot.
up to 5+STR - unencumbered
up to 10+STR - encumbered
up to 20+STR - encumbered & slowed 1 (heavily encumbered)
above 20+STR - pure lift only (Athletics roll)
Bulk of Creatures
Tiny: L up to 2
Small: 3 to 5
Medium: 6 to 14
Large:
Animal/Vehicle Movement & Encumbrance
Animals will typically refuse to move at heavily encumbered, but they can be driven with a roll as long as the character making the roll spends the extra action that gets no action (since the mount is slowed 1) (3 actions to get 2 out of the animal, or 2 actions to get 1). A new roll is required if the animal does not receive commands consecutively, round to round.
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Gear
Alchemical Items
With the Automatic Item Progression rules in play, damaging alchemical items do not need higher level versions.
Retainers
2+ CHA Henchmen max (loyal hirelings willing to adventure) (animal companions & familiars do not count as they are actually part of the character)
Tools
If basic tools (allowing an unmodified roll) cost x, +1 tools cost 4x, +2 tools cost 14x, +3 tools costs 64x. Tools granting +2 or higher bonuses may actually be workshops/labs and weigh much more.
Cost of Living
Society has expectations of its members to express a given level of social status. This is done through wealth. Failing to meet that obligation for characters reduces (or increases for overspending) their earned XP.
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Spells
Heightening Spells (Tested and not necessary)
Any caster may use the new free metamagic action Heighten Spell (1 action, metamagic, spellcaster) to cast a spell using a higher slot (but never less than the spell's level).
Preparation casters – just fill your slots with known spells and power them with slots (may fill slots with higher level spell versions to avoid having to heighten them (and lose the opportunity to use other metamagic on them)), but by taking the extra time to heighten, you get the higher level spell for free.
Spontaneous casters – may use Heighten Spell action as a metamagic on any known spell, though, as with preparation casters, they might want to learn a higher version to avoid having to spend an action to heighten and may use signature spells as normal.
Memorizing Spells
For preparation casters, casting a spell does not remove it from memory. The spell may be cast over and over as long as a spell slot of its level or better is spent. Spending a higher spell slot does not automatically heighten the spell however.
Spell Descriptions
- Fly - spell is Uncommon (perhaps rare)
The Campaign World
Religion
The Old Ways
Worshipers of the Old Ways revere terrestrial (primal) spirits, elementals, and the occult over the celestial spirits of most other established religions. Druids, bards, and ollaves ("clerics") are the three parts of the religious hierarchy.
Druids act as mediators, teachers and leaders of religious ceremonies for communities. Bards act as messengers, intermediaries, heralds, and story-tellers to the faithful and their communities. Ollaves (cleric) are representatives of individual gods/spirits and have a personal calling to that being which they share with others through deeds, actions, and performance. The doctrine of an ollave depends on their god, cloistered clerics and warpriests being of varying commonality depending on the aggressiveness of the god, but examples of either can be found among any given deity.
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The Light
After the failure of the Prophesy of the Phoenix, while civilization lay cramped in the living stone of the earth to protect itself from the influx of horrors or tried to shield itself with the ancient magicks of Azlant, a new divine spark was lit. Scholars theorize that worship of the Light calls on the very font of Creation, the source of life, itself….but, given that Existence sprang from Chaos, and Creation was formed through the fixing of Existence, what does that even mean? Still, it has great powers against the horrors and other beings hostile to life.
The Anuirean worship of the Light is organized into three Orders informally known as the Enlighteners, the Illuminators, and the Inquisitors. The Bringers of Truth (Enlighteners) are typical priests and clerics who found churches, gather worshipers, and protect communities they live in. The Students of Truth (Illuminators) gather and protect knowledge important to the religion. The Seekers of Truth (Inquisitors) function to root out corruption and evil, and confront foes of the church proactively. A fourth Order, The Knights of the Realm, consists of the most powerful and trusted clerics & paladins of Light who forswear allegiance to any nation in order to drive back the Dark wherever it may be found.
In Anuire, worship of the Light would be considered a Faith, with only some clergy representing the saints and servitors of the Light specifically (which functions like a deity effectively).
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The Old Faith
Furyundy has a unique religion that is a mash-up of the Old Ways, The Light and The Celestial Host. They inserted Sigmar from a hero-god of the Old Ways into part of the Light by writing him as reborn through Alec of Ambercand (not impossible as there was a twin-tailed comet in the sky during the time of the Unification Wars). As well, the lands were overrun by the Ivanians, Brecht and Vos when the Anuireans returned to take back the lands and their religions were incorporated into the zeitgeist. Ivanians worship many of the same gods as the Furyundians, but have never included Sigmar or the Light. Many of the gods of the Old Ways are primal spirits, but they do include a smattering of more traditional deities who could be loosely tied to the Celestial Host but are typically worshiped under different names.
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The Celestial Host
Worship of the Twelve Celestial Rulers and their servants/facets. Most common in the Sea of Tears region. Many of the gods are worshiped in different religions under different names or slightly with different domains. This is supposition by most, save scholars, however. The doctrine of a given cleric depends on their god; cloistered clerics and warpriests being of varying commonality depending on the aggressiveness of the god. Player characters may, of course, do as they please.
Worship of the Light has infiltrated many of the Eastronese countries along the Black Coast of the Sea of Tears & Inner Sea. Reconciling the two faiths has proven explosive in several countries, but, for the most part, the Eastronese people are very accepting of foreign faiths and are able to integrate them with ease.
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(*) Doctrines represents the most common associated with worship of that deity (90%+). They are listed in order of commonality if both are present (~75/25) and if enclosed in parenthesis they are about equal. PCs, of course, can do as they please.
- CC - Cloistered Cleric
- WP - Warpriest
Sidhelien (elven) Spirituality
The elves can call upon the forces inherent in wood and water, field and air (druidic divine powers), but have never worshiped deities (though they can, and do, revere them). To the elves, spiritual development is the responsibility of the individual. The path that an elf takes is a decision that only he or she can make. So strong is this belief that if an elf chooses to worship one of the human gods, so be it. The only restriction placed upon such rare individuals is that they not discuss their religious ideologies within elven realms.
Elves are typically part of the Old Ways, and, as such, are Druids, Bards, or Clerics (of druidic spirits).
The Dwarven All-Fathers
The dwarves revere Moradin and his servants for his aid in the creation of their race as well as their ancestors. The seven first dwarves, who became their greatest kings, are the most commonly worshiped.
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Playing the Game
Hit Points, Healing & Dying (totally unplaytested, just ideas)
Healing
Characters recover HP based on their Base Healing Rate (BHR) which is based on total HP. The character's BHR represents a day's worth of healing. All healing is converted to days of healing and the character rolls BHR/day.
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Flat heals/Focus heals - shift BHR down for effect?
Flat bonuses - added to BHR result?
d4 (2.5) .25 days
d6 (3.5) .5 days
d8 (4.5) 1day
d10 (5.5) 1.5 days
Mortal Wounds
- Hit points are tracked into the negatives.
- Dying, wounded, etc are dumped.
- A character at or below zero HP is in mortal peril and must be checked to see if they are alive or dead. Characters self-check after 24 hours.
- When checked, roll 1d20 & 1d6 on the Mortal Wounds Table.
- Doomed shifts final result down one row (add a "virtual" row for every +5 above a 30 result); Doomed 4 (5 with Diehard) results in immediate death.
- Inspiration may be spent to reroll Table results (either or both of the d20 & d6)
- Heroic Recovery costs one inspiration and returns the character to the fight as per a result of 26+/1; this may be done as a reaction to avoid falling unconscious
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Table Modifiers:
- HP total: zero = +5; HP total to -1/4 = 0; HP total to -1/2 = -2; HP total lower = -5; can be modified by healing dealt as part of the check
- Administer First Aid (DC 15): as Aid action, CF: -1; S: +1; CS: +2/+3(master)/+4(legend)
- Battle Medicine: +1 per day of healing, plus effects of Administering First Aid based on Treat Wounds DC (15+); this cannot raise HP above 1
- Magical Treatment: +1 per day of healing; this cannot raise HP above 1
- Timing: +2 if treated within 1 round; 0 if treated within the combat; -3 if treated within 10 minutes; -5 if treated within an hour; -8 after an hour; -10 if self-checking after a day
- Stabilize spell: reduces timing one step, but no lower than from when it was cast
- Patient: CON; Diehard shifts HP total modifier one step
Injury Effects
- Permanent injuries treated within 10 minutes timing are reduced to temporary injuries (fading once bed rest requirements are met).
- Bed rest - if bed rest is required, the character cannot recover more than 1 HP and cannot take any action other than speaking or moving 1/2 speed and has the effects of unconscious; each die of healing reduces the time by 1 day. Only one attempt at magical can be made per day.
Heroic Recovery
You can spend one (1) Hero Point, not all of your remaining Hero Points, at the start of your turn or as a reaction to have 1 HP, no matter your prior total.
Hero Points (Fate Points/Inspiration)
Known as Fate Points or Fate Chips (or even Inspiration) to differentiate HP from HP (see it?). Characters are normally limited to a maximum of 3. An Inspiration will be awarded for every 5 "points" earned in game. Points are given by the GM and other players for RP, rules savvy, appropriate jokes, rule of cool, and helping the party.
When/if a character is brought back from the dead (real dead, not mortally wounded) it is only possible because the Fates are willing to re-write destiny to accommodate this due to the character's (assumed) glorious destiny. The cost, however, is a roll on the Tampering with Mortality Table. The roll result may be negated by the reduction of the max Inspiration pool by one.
- Spend 1 Inspiration to reroll a check, you may keep the better result (different then Core)
- Spend 1 Inspiration for a Heroic Recovery (as above); may be done as a reaction
- Spend 1 Inspiration for limited dramatic control
- Spend 1 Inspiration as an action in combat to Steel Your Resolve (Gamemastery Guide) to recover 1/4 your HP (not a feat, just an action)
- Spend 1 Inspiration to Take A Breather (Gamemastery Guide) after a 10 minute rest in exploration mode to recover 1/2 HP
- Spend 1 Inspiration after a Rally (Gamemastery Guide) action in exploration mode to recover 1/2 HP (potentially only a 1 minute action on a critical success)
- Spend 1 Inspiration to recover or reset one daily use of a class/feat ability, or more if 2+ spell levels below max.
- Spend 1 Inspiration to instantly attune to an item
Game Mastering
Rewards
Inspiration
Inspiration will be awarded every 5 "points" earned during play. The maximum is normally 3 Inspiration, but this can be reduced. Points are given by the GM and other players for RP, rules savvy, appropriate jokes, rule of cool, and helping the party.
Experience Points
Characters will receive XP for defeating adversaries, hazards, sessions played, roleplay and XP for treasure (not wages and the like). XP is the growing legend a character has, their mystique, their actual experience doing things, and the perception of others. I do not use the PF2e leveling every 1k rules.
Immediate XP Awards
Adventure
Defeating enemies, overcoming (or experiencing) hazards, travel to new places and exploration award XP.
Points
Points are given by the GM and other players for RP, rules savvy, appropriate jokes, rule of cool, and helping the party. All "points" earned are also XP. Each point is .1% of the required XP to level.
Quests
Minor, Moderate, Major (1%/3%/8%)
Session
XP will be awarded to characters who are present for each hour of session play. This makes sure to award XP just for getting together. Not every session needs to be about overcoming adversaries, traps, and hazards nor hauling treasure back to civilization. Sometimes the roleplay takes over, and this award makes sure to reward that significantly as well as "points". Each hour of play is 1% of the required XP to level.
Delayed XP awards
Treasure & Loot
XP is earned 1:1 for treasure returned to civilization, magic items sold, and items sold. The actual market value is received in XP, not the actual cash received, so it is possible to just dump items for whatever cash can be gotten, but still receive full value in XP. Lost cash can go towards bank. Wages are not loot.
Magic items used by the adventurers or not put up for sale soon after recovery, are no longer considered loot for XP purposes (no hoarding to sell when needed to level, no using that magic sword then deciding it just doesn't match your shoes).
Bonus XP Awards
Cost of Living
Those that live above/below their means earn a +/-5% exp bonus per level above/below their baseline CoL for their level on all XP earned.
XP Bank
Characters that expend money for no in-game gain (though they can certainly have an in-character gain/effect) (such as fancy clothes, fancy parties, feasts & celebrations, memorials to fallen comrades/henchmen, donations, dumping goods, dumping magic items, charities or other frivolous expenditures) may count this "wasted" amount as an XP bank should they die and create a new character. This bank cannot exceed 90% of the XP required to advance to the character's current level. Advanced cost of living expenditures are not frivolous as they have an in-game benefit, though overspending on cost of living (but not into the next) does count. This bank determines the starting XP of a replacement character should you die. Zero banked XP is a lvl 1 character; <—this is important, pay attention!
Crafting & Treasure
Item level will set the craft DC (level DC minus level) and set the minimum rank and is typically a very hard (+5) action (+/- rarity).
Buying & Selling Magic Items & Treasure
Items found as treasure can typically be sold for the base cost of the item once fully identified by a trusted professional (rarely the seller). Items crafted by a trusted source can typically be sold for twice the base cost.
Automatic Bonus Progression (Gamemastery Guide pg 196)
This will be in effect, but magic runes/items/superior items are still in play.
The to-hit bonuses do stack.
Each striking Rune adds +1 damage per die, never extra damage dice.
Alchemical Items
Alchemical Items are as listed in Core page 543 with the note that they are a natural magical process taking advantage of the thaumaturgical properties of items. As they require a balanced and relatively pristin environment to operate in, you cannot be under the effect of more than one elixir at a time, gaining only the effect of the most recent and having to make a FOR save against the highest level of your current and new effect or become sickened 1.
Bombs
With the Automatic Item Progression rules in play, alchemical items are treated as enchanted items of their grade with listed bonuses and damage dice minus one as a per damage die damage bonus. Creating bombs typically requires special components.
Cost is 125gp * level
Elixirs
As noted above, you can only have the effect of the most recent elixir and a FOR save against the highest level of the current and most recent must be made or you become sickened 1. Creating elixirs typically requires special components.
Cost is 125gp * level
Poisons
Creating poisons typically requires special components.
Cost 125gp * level
Tools
Creating tools typically requires special compnents.
Cost is 125gp * level.
Armor
Consumables
Ammunition
Cost 125gp * level
Oils
Cost 250gp * level
Potions
Cost 250gp * level
Reagents
see Scrolls below
Scrolls
Scrolls are one use objects but can be reagents as well; a one time object infused with the magic, typically appropriate special components. They are used in the same manner, but have a different form and do not require literacy. Many traditions use them over scrolls, which are used by more education oriented traditions. Reagents can be a bit more bulky, however, consider them to be bulk L per level (so 1 bulk for a level 10 reagent).
Cost 250gp * level
Talismans
Talismans come in three grades: lesser, moderate, and greater. Instead of being automatically destroyed on use, all talismans are only destroyed on a successful flat check based on their grade.
- Lesser talismans 5+
- Moderate talismans 10+
- Greater Talismans 15+
Item level is +4 per grade above lesser. Cost is 125gp * level.
Other Consumables
Many items in this category are, in fact, reagents.
Cost 125gp * level for generic magic; Cost 250gp * level for items that replicate spell casting (Elemental Gem for instance)
Materials
Non-ferrous Options
Fae (and elves & gnomes (but not halflings)) cannot stand cold iron, which is Creation's strongest manifestation of its banality, so they use other options for their crafting. Bronze, jade, laen (glass-like) (throne-glass?), mithral, silver, or wood/bone are the most common.
Adamantine (Black Iron; Meteoric Iron)
Always treated as cold iron, in addition to its other properties.
Bronze
Same as base metal Hardness/HP. Bronze does not make chainmail armor, nor large (bulk 1+), mostly metal, weapons (no greatswords, but greataxe is probably ok). Bronze can be silver and gold-plated, but is always of low-quality.
Cold Iron
Low-grade cold iron is just non-steel iron. It is very common, and one reason fae/demons aren't more common; all gear made of metal can be assumed to be low-grade cold iron if it isn't steel (standard-grade cold iron) for the standard prices.
Higher grade cold iron does not exist because it is steel, and loses the cold iron material property, though it gets the increased Hardness and HP.
Standard grade "cold iron" (steel) loses the cold iron property and gains the Hardness/HP. It can be assumed to be the default for dwarves and nations with a more advanced technology than primitive smithing, for the standard gear prices (like any of the Shattered Kingdoms of man). Outside these areas steel-making might be a bit more rare and an "advanced" technique (Vos, Ivanian, Goblinoids, barbarian tribes, nomads, etc). Elven nations do not use cold iron or steel (since you have to use cold iron to make steel).
High-grade cold iron (steel) is very advanced metallurgy or like Damascus or some other folding technique, known to the dwarves and many master smiths of the races that have steel-making capability. This would be "fine" steel, harder and more HP.
Gold
Jade
Jade comes in five colors, each associated with one of the elements, and is considered one of the magical materials:
- Blue (Air) - cold/electricity
- White (Earth) - acid/sonic
- Red (Fire) - fire/postive
- Black (Water) - acid/cold
- Green (Wood) - poison/positive
Most jade-crafting is done by the Therens, some elves, and in Rokugan. Very few other human nations or even the dwarves produce this.
Laen (Throneglass?)
Enchanted glass
Mithral (Titanium? Aluminum? Platinum? Moon/star metal?)
no changes (very difficult to work and requires great skill, though the elves and dwarves do it routinely)
Orichalcum
This is one of the magical metals, and appears as molten copper or gold, not as a dull coppery metal. The art of making it is generally only known and practiced by Thera. It certainly does not have "time" properties, but all the effects stand (self-healing, extra rune)
Silver
Ammunition can be assumed to be solid silver and costs x100. Small (1d4 weapons) can be solid as well, but are shoddy. Most silver weapons are either silver coated or filigreed. Silver coating wears off quickly under typical adventuring use and filigree can be expensive. All have the effect of making the weapon "silver".
Runes
Weapon & Armor Fundamental Runes
Instead of separate runes for potency & striking & resiliency, runes are combined into "enchantment grades" of a given level.
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Property Runes
Cost 1,500gp * level
Staves
Cost 6,250gp * level
Wands
Cost 2,500gp * level
Appendix
Glossary & Index
Incapacitation
Instead of +10 (reducing effect one step), reduce CF to F and/or CS to S only.
