Character Creation:

Step One – Determine Ability Scores. Using Table 1-1 on pg. 16 of the core rulebook, build your character using the 25 point buy array.  The maximum score you may have to start out at 1st level is 18 AFTER all bonuses are applied for race, etc. DM approval is necessary for any score lower than a starting score of 6, after applied bonuses.

Step Two – Pick Your Race. All races in the core rulebook are available and some from the Advanced Race Guide as well, though the latter require DM approval beforehand.  Alternate racial traits and racial subtypes are also available with DM approval, along with racial archetypes, some equipment, and racial feats as well.  **Note: As a house rule, Half-Orcs gain a +2 racial bonus to Survival, and may if they choose swap their usual +2 to One Ability Score racial trait for a +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma racial trait instead.  This variant closely matches the half-orcs from the Pathfinder BETA version. In addition to these changes, they may still exchange their racial traits for variant Half-Orcs racial traits in the Advance Race Guide, just like other races.

Step Three – Pick Your Class. All classes in the core rulebook are available, as are those in the Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat, and Advanced Player Guide.  Currently, the only classes from those books that are prohibited to PC’s are: Gunslinger, Summoner, Samurai, and Antipaladin.  Ninja are permitted but are restricted to Western weapons only (unless/until the campaign leads into Asian-themed territories).  Any prestige classes gained during the course of the campaign will require specific DM approval beforehand.   **Note: As we all know, Hit Points are determined by character class.  As a house rule, 1st level PC’s get maximum Hit Points and in addition they gain a Hit Point Kicker equal to half their starting Hit Die.  (i.e., a 1st level Fighter uses a d10 for Hit Points, so a starting Fighter character gets 15 hit points in addition to any bonus he would get due to Feats or Constitution bonuses (if any).)

Step Four – Pick Skills and Select Feats. All the above books are available for feat selection: Core Rulebook, Advanced Player Guide, Advance Race Guide, Ultimate Magic and Ultimate Combat. No other sources may be used for any feats.

Step Five – Buy Equipment. Each character starts with the average amount of starting gold determined by the appropriate Starting Character Wealth table (table 6-1 in the Core Rulebook, pg. 140).  If a character starts beyond 1st level, the DM will decide arbitrarily which equipment (if any) and/or funds you are able to bring into the game.  Depending on circumstances you may have quite a bit less than the various “wealth by level” indicators.  Overall, equipment and wealth is not overly difficult to obtain during game if you are clever, even if you start with nothing.

Step Six – Finishing Details. Per usual, you need to determine all the characters details, including calculated stats (like hit points, armor class, CMB and CMD, saves, initiative modifiers, attack values, etc.) and static details such as character name, homeland, background, alignment, spells known (if any) and physical appearance.  **Note: Regarding alignment, in this current campaign players may not select Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil or Neutral Evil as alignment for PC’s.  In any case, regardless of alignment, at no time are players permitted to act in persistent disruptive behavior that would negatively affect the rest of the group.  We’re all here to have fun and you’re not allowed to ruin others fun simply because you declare you “are just playing your alignment.”

Additional Details: Traits will be available and are recommended to flesh out your character. Each PC will be allowed to start with up to two traits, one of which may be Campaign-specific.  Trait information can be found in the campaign Player’s Guide, the APG, the Advanced Race Guide, the various Player’s Companions (these latter require specific DM approval as many are not appropriate for this campaign).  There is a fairly complete list of approved and campaign-specific traits on this blog, on the “Character Tips n’ Campaign Traits” page.  NOTE: the trait “Rich Parents” or any similar traits which increase your starting money or equipment are NOT permitted without express prior DM approval.*

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House Rules:

1.) DM-Fiat (or “The DM Is Always Right”). To avoid arguments, we’re not going to allow any arguing with the DM. Part of DM’ing is flying by the seat of your pants.  If you disagree with a call, that’s fine… state your case briefly, let me make a call and we’ll continue with the game.  If it’s truly that important for you to be right, we can talk about it during a break or between game sessions. But once I make my call, that’s the way it’s gonna go.  I believe that I am fair and impartial and I don’t expect any of my rulings would be heavy-handed or take away from your fun.  I may bend the rules as needed or on a whim, especially where monsters are concerned, to keep you challenged and entertained. That’s part of my job, so just roll with it. Arguing or rolling your eyes at me is not necessary.

2.) We are only using official Pathfinder materials, no old D&D splat-book material will be available to PCs.  None!  Never!  Players may use the Pathfinder core rulebook of course, and may also use the Advanced Player’s Guide and Advanced Race Guide.  Most materials from the Ultimate Combat, Ultimate Magic and Inner Sea Campaign Guide are available as well – including new spells, new feats, archetypes, favored class bonuses, traits, and some new equipment.

As always, the DM has final approval before allowing anything new to the game.  Any other official Pathfinder sourcebook might be available but will be subject to DM approval beforehand.  Many of the available Pathfinder sourcebooks and campaign journals are compatible with this campaign but many are not.  Likewise the online SRD is not 100% accurate as some materials are still 3.5 approved.  The general rule of thumb is, “If I don’t own the book, it’s not allowed.”  So before you go claiming to use some items from Ultimate Equipment or some prestige class presented in Ultimate Campaign, you need to buy me a copy to add to my permanent library.  I will accept hardcover copies or downloadable .pdf files, provided they are in good condition.

3.) Limited laptop access. I’ve found lately that using laptops and Smartphones are distracting people from the game and it’s getting out of hand.  Also it’s been reported that some folks are using them to access materials they don’t need to be examining during game. So we will have one person with a laptop for rules access as needed, and everyone else will use pen n’ paper. Everyone is required to have a paper copy (hard copy) of their character sheet, and if needed I can print one up for you if you send me a copy in advance via email (in a format that my decrepit PC can read, of course).

If you feel a laptop is necessary for your game play, it will be kept closed when it is not in active use.  Music will be taken care of on the DM’s end, unless I ask you to do it specifically.  If you have some campaign music you’d like to share, bring it on a flash drive or CD.  Having you searching Youtube or Pandora for “just the right mood music” during combat is very distracting.

4.) Players are limited to the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, the Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat and the Advanced Player’s Guide during game… and of course any Player-specific material that has been provided by the DM. There is no reason for a player to be looking into the DMG or especially the Bestiary during game unless I ask you to look up something for me. Players will please restrict themselves to sections of the core rulebook that have to do with their character and not distract themselves looking up magic items or other things that aren’t needed at the moment. If you need access to the Bestiary for summoning spells, please print the relevant pages beforehand – I really don’t want players looking through that book at all.

5.) Bonus to spells known and spells per day. All spells known and spells per day charts will have the value of spells available to you increased by one, before any bonuses added by high ability scores or other means. For example, if your Cleric usually gets 1 2nd level spell, 2 1st level spells, and 4 cantrips per day, you will instead be allowed to memorize 2 2nd levels, 3 1st levels, and 5 cantrips. Then you will also add your bonuses for high Wisdom, etc.  Get it? This bonus applies to PCs and NPCs alike.

6.) The Spellcraft DC to identify the properties of a magic item using Detect Magic is more difficult. Instead of the formula given in the book, the Spellcraft DC is 20 + the item’s caster level. Please note that the Identify spell grants a +10 bonus to this check, and lasts for 3 rounds/level (enough time to examine one item per level, per the Detect Magic cantrip) so before you start complaining, please realize that this difficulty is precisely why there is a need for the Identify, Greater Identify and Analyze Dweomer spells. Also please note that used this way, the Detect Magic spell by itself can only reveal the properties of a magic item. This does not give you the rule-mechanic specifics of those properties nor does it tell you how to use the item or any command words… that’s what Identify and Analyze Dweomer are for.  For example, a Detect Magic spell may reveal that a magic sword is enchanted to strike truer and cut deeper, that a potion may aid in recovery from wounds, and that a wand may be able to project destructive energy.  But it takes more than a cantrip to reveal the sword’s actual plus bonuses, whether the potion cures minor or moderate wounds, and whether the wand can hurl lightning or fire or how to activate it.

7.) Some spells have been altered to better reflect my perception of their usefulness. Some examples, Create Water is not a 0-level spell but is instead now 1st level for anyone that has it on their spell lists.

8.) Personal Buff spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities with a duration of just 1 round may be cast as a Swift action instead of a standard action if the target is the caster. Some examples are the True Strike spell, or the Battle Rage, Strength Surge or Touch of Good domain powers.

9.) Shields provide no protection while flat-footed. You must ready a shield for it to have any protective properties, and if you are taken by surprise it is unlikely that the 10-15 pounds of dead weight hanging on your arm does any good at warding off blows. On the plus side I allow a Shield bonus to apply to your touch AC as it is a valid barrier to interpose between the attacker and the target. This applies to both melee and ranged touch attacks. Exceptions are metal shields against Shocking Grasp spells, and any shield used against touch attacks from incorporeal creatures unless the shield has the Ghost Touch special ability.

10.) No Pain, No Gain. Tasks which require a full days work to produce results leave the body tired and it is possible to become overwhelmed or exhausted.  So Training/Retraining, Research, and Crafting and similar tasks require a solid 12 hours per day to produce results instead of the 8 hours indicated in the Core Rules and require an ability check at the end of the 12 hours to  avoid becoming fatigued.  This check is usually based upon the ability score that corresponds to the task (Con for combat feat or hit point training, Int for crafting or spell research, etc.) and becomes progressively more difficult the more days that it takes (increase DC by 1 per additional day involved).  If the player wants to avoid any chance for fatigue, he just needs to spend 8 hour days working instead of 12, but the task will take 50% longer.  Since most of these tasks tend to take place during down time (and usually assumed in the hours just before bedtime), there is little chance for it to affect the character during the course of an adventure but on the off chance that something unexpected happens, he may find himself tired from his labors if he’s been pushing himself too hard.