Pathfinder 2's Armor & A Preview of the Paladin!

It was a long bank holiday weekend here in the UK, and I sent most of it in the (rare) sun eating BBQ; there were two big Pathfinder 2 blog posts which went up in the meantime. The first dealt with armour and shields; the other was our first look at the new Paladin class!

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• Armor now affects Touch AC; each has a different bonus for AD and TAC.
  • Studded leather +2 AC, +0 TAC
  • Chain shirt +2 AC, +1 TAC, noisy
• Armor has traits, such as "noisy".
• Armor has a Dex mod cap to AC, penalties to STR/Dex/Con skill checks, a Speed penalty, and a Bulk value.
• Potency Runes -- Items can be enhanced with potency runes.
  • Bonuses to attack rolls, increase on number of damage dice (weapons)
  • Bonus to AC, TAC, and saving throws (armor)
  • Example studded leather with +3 armor potency rune gives +5 AC, +3 TAC, and +3 to your saves.
  • Potency runes can be upgraded.
• Shields -- requires an action to use and gain an AC and TAC bonus for one round.
• Other gear -- gear has quality levels (poor -2, expert +1, master +2)
• Interact -- this is a new action, used for grabbing objects, opening doors, drawing weapons, etc.

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• Paladins! Apparently the most contentious class.
• Core rules have lawful good paladins only (others may appear in other products)
• Paladin's Code -- paladins must follow their code, or lose their Spell Point pool and righteous ally class feature.
• Oaths are feats and include Fiendsbane Oath (constant damage to fiends, block their dimensional travel)
• Class features and feats --
  • Retributive strike (1st level) -- counterattacks and enfeebles a foe
  • Lay on hands (1st level) -- single action healing spell which also gives a one-round AC bonus
  • Divine Grace (2nd level) -- saving throw boost
  • Righteous ally (3rd level) -- house a holy spirit in a weapon or steed
  • Aura of Courage (4th level) -- reduce the frightened condition
  • Attack of Opportunity (6th level) -- presumably the basic AoO action
  • Second Ally (8th level) -- gain a second righteous ally
  • Aura of Righteousness (14th level) -- resist evil damage
  • Hero's defiance (19th level) -- keep standing at 0 HP
• Litanies -- single action spells, verbal, last one round.
  • Litany of righteousness -- weakens enemy to your allies' attacks
  • Litany against sloth -- slows the enemy, costing reactions or actions

[FONT=&quot]Save[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Save[/FONT]​

 

[barasawa]

Touch AC was created so mages, who's attacks totally suck, could ignore foes armor and at least have a chance for their touch spells to actually work.
I'm not so sure reversing that, even if not completely, is such a good idea.

 

[Kurviak]

Paladins are not necessarily attached to gods or religions. Law and good are defined in the D&D Player's Handbook and PF Core Rulebook independent of such entities. Within the fiction of the game, at least, the alignments are assumed to be objective qualities. If you have some philosophical objection to that state of affairs, you can run your own campaign with a subjectivist bent, but it doesn't make what I'm saying about the standard-issue, straight-out-of-the-book paladin inaccurate.

In Golarion they are, and PF2 is attached to golarion. In the other hand I expect LG people in general to follow and respect neutral laws and not only good laws.

 

[Yaarel]

Touch AC was created so mages, who's attacks totally suck, could ignore foes armor and at least have a chance for their touch spells to actually work.
I'm not so sure reversing that, even if not completely, is such a good idea.

The game is simpler without touch AC. 5e lacks it, and I have never missed it.

The easiest solution is to write spells that dont require touch attacks. Close range (within 30 feet) is fine enough. Within 10 feet is enough to represent melee reach.

 

[D1Tremere]

Paladins, being tied to alignment more so than other classes, CAN break the law while remaining lawful. The definition of lawful includes obedience to authority, not following every law. To a Paladin there can be no greater authority than whatever force defines their code. The only law they have to follow is that of the authority they recognize, their god/patron/lord/lady/etc.

 

[mellored]

The game is simpler without touch AC. 5e lacks it, and I have never missed it.

The easiest solution is to write spells that dont require touch attacks. Close range (within 30 feet) is fine enough. Within 10 feet is enough to represent melee reach.

agreed.

If anything, just have armor add to Dex saves, damage reduction, or something like that.

 

[Sunseeker]

Paladins, being tied to alignment more so than other classes, CAN break the law while remaining lawful. The definition of lawful includes obedience to authority, not following every law. To a Paladin there can be no greater authority than whatever force defines their code. The only law they have to follow is that of the authority they recognize, their god/patron/lord/lady/etc.

But that begs the question: do Paladins get to choose which authority they recognize?

I'd argue that the history of Paladins in play and the perpetuation of "lawful stupid" means that Paladins are not usually granted this option.

 

[D1Tremere]

But that begs the question: do Paladins get to choose which authority they recognize?

I'd argue that the history of Paladins in play and the perpetuation of "lawful stupid" means that Paladins are not usually granted this option.

By the rules they do. You choose your god/patron/lord/lady/etc. when you create the character. That is your authority. They make the rules, and they are the only being that can punish you for disobeying by removing your power.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

But that begs the question: do Paladins get to choose which authority they recognize?

I'd argue that the history of Paladins in play and the perpetuation of "lawful stupid" means that Paladins are not usually granted this option.

Even if they do not, even if there is a one-size-fits-all paladin oath a la 2E, that only means all the more that they cannot choose to follow a local law if that law conflicts with their oath.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

The game is simpler without touch AC. 5e lacks it, and I have never missed it.

The easiest solution is to write spells that dont require touch attacks. Close range (within 30 feet) is fine enough. Within 10 feet is enough to represent melee reach.

5E has touch AC, it's just hiding. "Touch attacks" like rust monster antennae call for Dex saves instead of attack rolls. I'd prefer the game unify all "does it hit you?" questions into a single "Dexterity defense" and turn armor into damage reduction, but that idea has never really gained traction in D&D or its offshoots.

 

[Yaarel]

5E has touch AC, it's just hiding. "Touch attacks" like rust monster antennae call for Dex saves instead of attack rolls. I'd prefer the game unify all "does it hit you?" questions into a single "Dexterity defense" and turn armor into damage reduction, but that idea has never really gained traction in D&D or its offshoots.

I would want this kind of ‘dexterity’ to more clearly cover mobility − jump, climb, run. But one ability score can cover all of it.