Rules

Character Generation

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."

Max for 1st level.
Subsequent levels, half hit die size. Get that many hit points, and roll the other half.
- d6 -> 1d3+3; d8 -> 1d4+4; d10 -> 1d5+5; d12->1d6+6
- Source: This was from some d20 flavor I read, but I can't recall which. I thought it was Trailblazer, but it wasn't.
Aside: I considered this rule I have encountered on the Web: Max at first level. Every level thereafter, you roll your entire HD pool, and it becomes your new HP total if it exceeds your previous one. Otherwise, you go up by +1. (Con/toughness bonuses apply after/outside this result.)

The "Trait" rules will be used. Your character will start with one reasonable background-style 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

No evil alignment. Chaotic neutral will be examined carefully.
Your character MUST be from Varisia.
Your character MUST have a reason why he or she would like the region, including/especially Sandpoint, to remain safe.

All characters will start with 350 GP.
- Anyone have any idea why the rules start different characters differently?

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

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:

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.

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.

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.

Core only.
Extra Hex/Extra Revelation from Advanced Player's Guide.
Others may be added as encountered during the adventure path.
- Don't hold your breath -- this list is SHORT.

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

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

Unless you otherwise specify, I assume "modulus dice" instead of "grouped" dice when using a larger die to represent a smaller one.
- Ex: 1d3 rolled on a d6 is, to me: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 and not 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3.

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.

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