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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Roman" data-source="post: 4443715" data-attributes="member: 1845">Don't get me wrong, I am a Pathfinder RPG fan, but I am somewhat concerned about the power creep in Pathfinder, particularly when coupled with an understandable reluctance to state the precise power adjustment Pathfinder characters have over their 3.5E counterparts (it is understandable, because this is difficult to calculate and may vary with level). To me this presents a bigger obstacle to backward compatibility than most mechanical changes in and of themselves. Consider for example: Extra +2 an ability score for all races - Yes, the extra +2 can enhance mechanical support for race flavor, but it is power creep for sure. Perhaps it could be mitigated by assigning an extra (second) -2 to another ability score as an additional penalty? Feats every 2 rather than every 3 levels - This is a 50% increase in the rate of feat acquisition and although it feels nice to be able to customize a character with extra feats it does also add to the power increase of characters. Class Redesigns - The classes have had a host of abilities added to them to make it more viable to remain single-classed. This is mostly a good change and does help to accomplish its intended purpose, but again it does boost the power of characters. Standardization of hit dice to d6, d8 and d10 - Though it is neater to have it, there was no real need for HD standardization to BAB. Standardization could be done to d4, d6 and d8 instead. Starting hit points - Bonuses to starting hit points are a good idea with respect to enhancing survivability at low levels, but again, they add to power creep. Favored class bonuses - Adding +1 to hit points or skill points per level of favored class is a much better mechanic than that in 3.5E, but it does present a small amount of power creep too. The above are the changes that come to mind immediately - there may be more. The worst offender for me is the hit point inflation in Pathfinder: - Higher hit dice --> +1 to mean hit points / level - Better toughness feat --> +1 to mean hit points / level - Favored class bonus to hit points --> +1 to mean hit points / level - Starting hit points --> +6 hit points overall (well, the number depends on the option chosen) Yes, not all of these always apply to all characters, but the overall effect is that some characters can have +3 hit points per level in addition to a starting hit point bonus compared to what they had in 3.5E! 10th level Elven Wizard in 3.5E: ~ 40 hit points (assuming initial Con 12, brought down to 10 by racial modifiers) 10th level Elven Wizard in Pathfinder RPG: ~ 76 hit points (assuming the same Constitution score and taking the hit point boni from favored class) ...and that is if he didn't take the much improved Toughness feat or it would be 43 versus 79 hit points for 3.5E and Pathfinder Elven Wizard respectively! The difference is huge. I would recommend the following solutions: 1) Either standardize hit dice at d4, d6 and d8 with a d10 exception for the Barbarian or abandon standardization altogether and revert back to 3.5E hit dice 2) Remove the hit point bonus possibility from favored class 3) Eliminate the maximum hit points rule for 1st level 4) Implement some kind of combination of the above I would prefer the new Toughness feat be kept - the old Toughness feat was simply too useless. I would also prefer that starting bonus to hit points remained, since it is a much better targeted fix to survival of starting characters than increased hit dice the effects of which mostly accumulate at higher levels and thus have little impact on survival at lower levels, while promoting hit point inflation.</blockquote>

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