ROR:Rules

Character Generation

Stats

Your choice of:

• 20 point buy (remember to use the Pathfinder one), or
• 3d6 to each stat rolled, allocating to stats, then adding six dice, one at a time, adding 1d6 a stat of your choice (still keeping only top 3 dice).
  • If your result is under 15 point-, or over 25 point buy equivalents, you gain/lose until you are at that equivalent.
  • Example: "I want to be a sorcerer. I roll 3d6 for each stat. Sort the results, and put the highest score into Charisma, and lowest into Wisdom. I then decide I want a little more constitution and roll an extra d6 for constitution, charisma, and dexterity; I roll them and add them to the dice for those stats. I still don't like the top-three dice for dexterity and add another one. Happy with that, I add my last extra dice into intelligence and strength. I now find the top three dice for each stat and that's the score."

Trait

• The "Trait" rules will be used. Your character will start with one reasonable trait [ie, subject to approval: I haven't read them all].
• Trait rules come from Advanced Player's Guide.
• These should be roleplayed when appropriate.
• Three lists of traits:
  • Advanced Player's Guide (not the rest of the page; just traits)
  • Ultimate Campaign
  • The Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide

Access

Races

• Core races only.
• At most one Alternate Racial Trait (subject to approval) may be selected
  • These should be roleplayed when appropriate.
  • http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advancedRaceGuide/coreRaces.html

Classes

• Core classes, plus
• Oracle.
• Witch.
• Note: A few levels of Alchemist are on a few NPCs. It is, however, not open for PC-use.
• Exhaustive list:

Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Oracle, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Witch, Wizard.

Archetypes and Subdomains

• These rules are not used.
• If I decide to change this decision later, retroactive swapping will be allowed.
• A few NPCs use a couple archetype ability swaps.

Prestige Classes

• Core only.
• In general, only a couple dips of Prestige Classes are used in the path.
• Pathfinder is much less "Prestige Class Happy" than D&D 3/3.5 were. They're not used a lot, neither for PCs, NPCs, nor book filler. Sticking with [mixes of] base classes, or even straight single-classing, is typical.
• Two thematic 3rd-party prestige classes are used in one encounter late in the path. Not opened.

Spells

• Core only, except
• Add the few "Oracle Only" spells from Advanced Player's Guide to the Cleric list.
• The Witch spells from Advanced Player's Guide exist, for the Witch only.
• Others may be added as encountered during the adventure path.

Equipment (including Magic Items)

• Core only.
• Others may be added as encountered during the adventure path.

Feats

• Core only.
• Others may be added as encountered during the adventure path.
  • Don't hold your breath -- this list is SHORT.

House Rules

At this time, before discussing contract or playing, these is the only ones I'm putting in with a heavy hand.

Experience

• I'm still crunching the numbers, but I believe we will be using the "Fast" advancement track for XP.

Numbers

• Remember, you do not "lose hit points", you "gain damage".
• You do not "gain hit points" from healing; your "gained damage" number decreases.
• Similarly, you do not "expend rounds per day of bard song", you "gain rounds of bard song sang".
• While it sounds subtle, this GREATLY simplifies math, especially when buff spells eventually become part of the game.

Death

• To encourage character investment, costly material components for Raise Dead-type spells are reduced by 90% if cast by a party member or a party member who could cast a spell in that family.
  • The spells otherwise work as described, including the gaining of negative levels.
• If not resurrected, somehow a replacement PC has exactly the same gear as the dearly departed, for better or for worse.
  • If the replacement PC wants different equipment, he's going to have to sell (at normal rates) the old PC's equipment.
  • No "I'm on a suicide mission, here, take all my stuff" cheese.
• Background/rationale