Derro
First Post
This is the first in depth look I've had at Pathfinder. I got A1, looked it over and like what I saw but never had a chance to really go page by page. That being said I'm giving my impressions as a whole rather than just the A2 changes.
Races
Ability Score Modifiers
I would have like to have seen either/or bonuses and/or ditching penalties altogether. It's not game-breaking for me but that is the direction I would have gone. Some races specifically have modifiers that I find odd.
Favored Class
Why? Favored class is present to reinforce archetypes, right? A handful of extra hit points don't do it for me. I like that it went to being a perk instead of a penalty, but still. I would have used a system similar to d20 Conan. At the first level and every four levels thereafter (5, 9, 13, 17) the character receives a bonus feat. This could further be stipulated that the feat must come from a list related to the favored class, or not. I admit I am a bit feat-crazier than some players but one of the things this does is focus the characters abilities which can serve to reduce the reliance on magic items.
Dwarves: Like 'em. I don't know that I agree with Wisdom instead of double Con and Hatred is anachronistic and largely overlooked. Nothing that breaks it for me. I love that they called the Appraise bonus Greed.
Elves: Yup, they're elves alright. Keen Senses, grrrrr. I'll address that under Skills: Perception.
Gnomes: Yup, they're magical dwarves alright. Sorcerer as FC, interesting. I might have gone Druid myself (the Druid pic is a gnome, no?).
Half-elves: I would limit the ability bonus to Dex, Int, or Cha but that's purely personal preference. In the context of this rule-set the half-elf is just fine.
Half-Orc: I like the half-orc except for one thing. Wisdom bonus. Not simply the fact that it's there but the justification or flavor accompanying it is just limp.
How does that make them anymore devout or willful? If anything it's a slap in the face because a +2 Wis bonus only gives +1 to Perception compared a racial bonus which would give +2. And how is a half-orc better at Profession?
It just doesn't work for me. Con maybe, but even that is stretching it. Why not just give them the +4 Str and be done with it. Humans and half-elves can attain 20 Str why should the Half-orc be on par for his archetypal ability score. At the very least it puts a Half-orc who isn't primarily concerned with Str on par with almost any other character that is. And higher ability scores reduce the focus on magical enhancement.
I might have gone Druid for FC as well. As outcasts it just seems more appropriate. However, an equally strong argument is that as outcasts half-orcs are more likely to be strongly religious since a god accepts all that pay homage. I'm probably just pontificating now.
Halflings: I would have gone Wisdom instead of Intelligence. I know that seems almost antithetical to the halfling archetype but consider what Wisdom represents. Being perceptive (halflings are known for their sense of touch and smell/taste as much as hearing), being stalwart (Frodo packed that ring all over Middle earth, people), and being practical.
With Intelligence they almost seem like little elves. And really, do we need more elves? Even as kender-type halflings Wisdom makes more sense to me, mechanically if not in spirit.
Wizard as favored class is probably there to dovetail with Intelligence. I have neither seen nor played any halfling wizards. But I am aware that they are out there. No big, as itinerant nomads I would have gone with Ranger. Wait a minute, didn't he just say less elves.
Classes
Barbarian: Over all build is fine. I'm 50/50 on rage. I love the rage powers. Before it was precious feats or alternate builds to get you rage powers. Rage points I'm not so stoked on.
I run most of the games I play in. Rage points are another layer of bookkeeping I don't want. From a player's perspective it's really cool because you have a funky power pool to play with. For a guy GMing a bad memory and a cheater it's a nightmare. It's the same reason I don't use psionics, fiddly point costs. My indictment may be another person's delight though.
I see that the powers are 3, 6, 9, cost for the basics and 12, 15?, 18 for the advanced.
Couldn't we leave uses per day and duration independent and static like the regular barbarian. Rage X times per day for X rounds. Expend another use of rage to gain available rage power for duration of rage. Grade the power availability by the Greater, Tireless, Mighty Rage scale. Maybe add Improved Rage at 5th level for more granularity.
Select powers could be altered. Guarded Stance needs a new name. Couldn't Low-lite vision be a big Perception bonus (+5?) and Night Sight be Scent?. Feels more Barbarianic to me.
Cleric: Domain Powers and Feats are too frequent. The Cleric does not need to be on par with the Wizard for class feature acquisition. They have mid range attack, better than average saves and a decent weapon and armor selection. Yes their spells are largely defensive but they are powerhouses, no question.
If the current bonus power/feat progression were kept I would use an either/or system. At the level the benefit is gained choose the feat or the domain power. Sacrifice is part of the ecclesiastic lifestyle, isn't it?
Channel energy is a whole other ball of wax.
Druid: Wild shape is a spell now? Okay.
Fighter: Nothing wrong here. Good way to level the bumps, IMO.
Paladin: Holy weapon OR celestial mount. Nicely done. Smite and channel should run off of the same pool.
Can a Paladin be beaten into the dying condition then be charmed if he has Aura of Resolve? Or is that only the ally bonus.
Here's something that may be an issue with DR as a whole but the Paladin description really shone the spotlight on for me.
Why would the paladin, at the zenith of its ability, receive a boon that is ineffective against their most vile foe?
Shouldn't it be DR 10/- vs. all foes with the (evil) subtype, or 10/lawful or good?
Rogue: Rogue talents, cool. I would have started them at 1st and rolled trapfinding in there but, whatever.
...
Seek bed now.
Races
Ability Score Modifiers
I would have like to have seen either/or bonuses and/or ditching penalties altogether. It's not game-breaking for me but that is the direction I would have gone. Some races specifically have modifiers that I find odd.
Favored Class
Why? Favored class is present to reinforce archetypes, right? A handful of extra hit points don't do it for me. I like that it went to being a perk instead of a penalty, but still. I would have used a system similar to d20 Conan. At the first level and every four levels thereafter (5, 9, 13, 17) the character receives a bonus feat. This could further be stipulated that the feat must come from a list related to the favored class, or not. I admit I am a bit feat-crazier than some players but one of the things this does is focus the characters abilities which can serve to reduce the reliance on magic items.
Dwarves: Like 'em. I don't know that I agree with Wisdom instead of double Con and Hatred is anachronistic and largely overlooked. Nothing that breaks it for me. I love that they called the Appraise bonus Greed.
Elves: Yup, they're elves alright. Keen Senses, grrrrr. I'll address that under Skills: Perception.
Gnomes: Yup, they're magical dwarves alright. Sorcerer as FC, interesting. I might have gone Druid myself (the Druid pic is a gnome, no?).
Half-elves: I would limit the ability bonus to Dex, Int, or Cha but that's purely personal preference. In the context of this rule-set the half-elf is just fine.
Half-Orc: I like the half-orc except for one thing. Wisdom bonus. Not simply the fact that it's there but the justification or flavor accompanying it is just limp.
How does that make them anymore devout or willful? If anything it's a slap in the face because a +2 Wis bonus only gives +1 to Perception compared a racial bonus which would give +2. And how is a half-orc better at Profession?
It just doesn't work for me. Con maybe, but even that is stretching it. Why not just give them the +4 Str and be done with it. Humans and half-elves can attain 20 Str why should the Half-orc be on par for his archetypal ability score. At the very least it puts a Half-orc who isn't primarily concerned with Str on par with almost any other character that is. And higher ability scores reduce the focus on magical enhancement.
I might have gone Druid for FC as well. As outcasts it just seems more appropriate. However, an equally strong argument is that as outcasts half-orcs are more likely to be strongly religious since a god accepts all that pay homage. I'm probably just pontificating now.
Halflings: I would have gone Wisdom instead of Intelligence. I know that seems almost antithetical to the halfling archetype but consider what Wisdom represents. Being perceptive (halflings are known for their sense of touch and smell/taste as much as hearing), being stalwart (Frodo packed that ring all over Middle earth, people), and being practical.
With Intelligence they almost seem like little elves. And really, do we need more elves? Even as kender-type halflings Wisdom makes more sense to me, mechanically if not in spirit.
Wizard as favored class is probably there to dovetail with Intelligence. I have neither seen nor played any halfling wizards. But I am aware that they are out there. No big, as itinerant nomads I would have gone with Ranger. Wait a minute, didn't he just say less elves.
Classes
Barbarian: Over all build is fine. I'm 50/50 on rage. I love the rage powers. Before it was precious feats or alternate builds to get you rage powers. Rage points I'm not so stoked on.
I run most of the games I play in. Rage points are another layer of bookkeeping I don't want. From a player's perspective it's really cool because you have a funky power pool to play with. For a guy GMing a bad memory and a cheater it's a nightmare. It's the same reason I don't use psionics, fiddly point costs. My indictment may be another person's delight though.
I see that the powers are 3, 6, 9, cost for the basics and 12, 15?, 18 for the advanced.
Couldn't we leave uses per day and duration independent and static like the regular barbarian. Rage X times per day for X rounds. Expend another use of rage to gain available rage power for duration of rage. Grade the power availability by the Greater, Tireless, Mighty Rage scale. Maybe add Improved Rage at 5th level for more granularity.
Select powers could be altered. Guarded Stance needs a new name. Couldn't Low-lite vision be a big Perception bonus (+5?) and Night Sight be Scent?. Feels more Barbarianic to me.
Cleric: Domain Powers and Feats are too frequent. The Cleric does not need to be on par with the Wizard for class feature acquisition. They have mid range attack, better than average saves and a decent weapon and armor selection. Yes their spells are largely defensive but they are powerhouses, no question.
If the current bonus power/feat progression were kept I would use an either/or system. At the level the benefit is gained choose the feat or the domain power. Sacrifice is part of the ecclesiastic lifestyle, isn't it?
Channel energy is a whole other ball of wax.
Druid: Wild shape is a spell now? Okay.
Fighter: Nothing wrong here. Good way to level the bumps, IMO.
Paladin: Holy weapon OR celestial mount. Nicely done. Smite and channel should run off of the same pool.
Can a Paladin be beaten into the dying condition then be charmed if he has Aura of Resolve? Or is that only the ally bonus.
Here's something that may be an issue with DR as a whole but the Paladin description really shone the spotlight on for me.
Why would the paladin, at the zenith of its ability, receive a boon that is ineffective against their most vile foe?
Shouldn't it be DR 10/- vs. all foes with the (evil) subtype, or 10/lawful or good?
Rogue: Rogue talents, cool. I would have started them at 1st and rolled trapfinding in there but, whatever.
...
Seek bed now.
Last edited:
