Pathfinder 1E Making certain skills into class features and certain class features into feats

[gamerprinter]

I'm all for new creature types, if you really, really think that your new monster can't be classified under existing creature types (e.g Relics & Rituals: Excalibur adds the spirit type, but BOED's deathless are more appropriate as an undead subtype since they are affected by undead-affecting spells). But right now there's far too much overlap in creature types.

Monstrous humanoid is a perfect example, since many humanoids with animalistic or monstrous features are NOT classified as monstrous humanoids (e.g. gnolls, catfolk, ratfolk, kobolds, pretty much all the furry races basically). Why is fey a separate type from humanoid? The description for fey admits that most of them are humanoid, so they could easily be classified as a subtype of humanoid or magical beast. Vermin should be an animal subtype (which also opens up animal spells to to apply to vermin, which still makes sense). Dragons should be magical beasts (and humanoids), because dragons are basically reptilian magical beasts (and they don't need to have better hit dice and skills by default).

In my Kaidan setting certain monsters which Paizo classifies as oni, like kitsune, tengu and kappa, we've created the yokai subtype which is an animal based shape-changer. We've also got henge (hengeyokai) which of course is of the yokai subtype as well (even though there is no Paizo equivalent to henge). In our setting oni are generally evil beings with a connection to Jigoku (Hell in Kaidan), all other monsters that are not oni are yokai, though some have goblinoid subtypes and other attached subtypes. Kappa has both the yokai and goblinoid subtype. So we aren't creating too many new monster type/subtype, but when I need them, nothing is telling I shouldn't create them.

The bakeneko (demon cat) is a yokai subtype, and is not in humanoid form ever but a shape-changer that can appear as anything from a house cat to an oversized lion or tiger. Thus yokai is not a humanoid subtype.

Also however, most my new monsters, subtypes, feats, archetypes are built for exclusive use for Kaidan. Not saying GMs can't allow their players to choose options available for outside the Kaidan setting, but they are kind of designed in a vacuum, as these are the kind of categorizations and details needed to run campaigns in Kaidan. And while there are definitely Paizo created monsters in Bestiary 3 and 4 that were especially designed for use in Tian Xia, in many cases those monsters don't fit Kaidan's classification of them, and we plan to eventually release a Kaidan Bestiary with somewhere between 30 and 150 monsters (depending on what funds in a possible KS to fund it, down the road). For example, right now, shikigami is listed as a kami in the Bestiary, in Kaidan a skikigami is a kind of lesser or least oni, mostly summoned by onmyoji wizards as familiars - a part of Japanese folklore. Another example is the Rukuro-kube (long stretching neck woman), in the Paizo Bestiary 4 (I think), this creature is considered undead...?! In Japan, the rukuro-kube is a cursed, living person, not undead, so in Kaidan she is a person with the noroi subtype or accursed subtype - really more a template applied to a cursed living person. Many monsters that Paizo classified undead, are not undead - in Kaidan they are true to folklore, not redesigned to fit an outside setting.

While Paizo's decisions on most of this is "here's some cool Asian folklore, how can we fit this into Golarian?", where as my development Kaidan and it's monsters are designed with authenticity in mind, as in "here's what Japanese folklore says about monster X, how can we fit this in Kaidan, yet stay true to the folklore" - my goal is in closely matching how monsters fit in a Japanese specific culture, not how such monsters fit in Paizo's own world. Our versions are more authentic.

 

[VelvetViolet]

In my Kaidan setting certain monsters which Paizo classifies as oni, like kitsune, tengu and kappa, we've created the yokai subtype which is an animal based shape-changer. We've also got henge (hengeyokai) which of course is of the yokai subtype as well (even though there is no Paizo equivalent to henge). In our setting oni are generally evil beings with a connection to Jigoku (Hell in Kaidan), all other monsters that are not oni are yokai, though some have goblinoid subtypes and other attached subtypes. Kappa has both the yokai and goblinoid subtype. So we aren't creating too many new monster type/subtype, but when I need them, nothing is telling I shouldn't create them.

That's not the same thing though. Types and subtypes are different. There are hypothetically an infinite number of subtypes, but right now there are about twelve or fourteen basic types, several of which overlap. Relics & Rituals: Excalibur adds two new creature types known as spirit and manifestation, not subtypes.

Manifestation Type: A manifestation is a creature whose physical existence is caused by a traumatic event; a severe, prolonged emotion; or a strong desire for something. Example: questing beast.
Features: A manifestation has the following features.
— 10-sided Hit Dice.
— Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice (as cleric).
— Good Fortitude and Will saves.
— Skill points equal to (4 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die.
Traits: A manifestation possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
— Low-light vision.
— Immunity to illusions (spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities).
— Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
— Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
— Proficient with its natural weapons. If generally humanoid in form, proficient with all simple weapons and any weapon it is described as using.
— Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Manifestations not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Manifestations are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
Spirit: A spirit is an incorporeal being with a connection to nature. It is immune to all enchantments (spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities), paralysis, poison, and sleep. Example: water spirit.
Features: A spirit creature has the following features.
— 8-sided Hit Dice.
— Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice (as cleric).
— Good Will saves.
— Skill points equal to (6 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die.
Traits: A spirit possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
— Incorporeal.
— Immunity to illusions (spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities).
— Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
— Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
— Proficient with its natural weapons, all simple weapons, and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
— Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Spirits not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Spirits are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
— Do not breathe, eat, or sleep.