Post by reefwood on Oct 7, 2015 0:40:24 GMT -5
Character Creation
A couple things to keep in mind before getting started:
1) The PCs in this game will be animals, but the game system was created for humanoids, and even for humanoids, the rules can't address every possible situation. Also, there are probably feats, spells, etc that won't work for animals or don't make sense to take in this setting. I plan to stick by the rules as much as possible, and while the occasional adjustments may be necessary, I want to keep them to a minimum because part of the challenge I want to explore is the limitation of being animals in a humanoid world. Even if humanoids may not be around anymore.
2) The PCs live in a very limited world in terms of acquiring knowledge, language, skills, etc. There aren't libraries full of books or hundreds of people to teach you. There are only the Patrons. This doesn't mean you will be barred from knowing anything in particular, but there may be instances where you don't know something or how to do something because you would have never encountered it in this world. Or at least the difficulty of the knowledge, skill, etc will be greater than in standard settings.
All the being said, any option from the online Pathfinder PRD is potentially available as long as it fits within the setting. Part of the reason I'm opening this up to so many sources is with the hope that it may help make up for some of the limitations of being animals. Give you all more options.
paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/
Each PC will be an awakened animal with 7 HD and non-standard ability scores.
paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/awaken.html
1) Hit Dice - Select an animal with 1-5 HD. The Awaken spell provides an additional 2 HD. Any remaining HD can be used to select class levels for a total of 7 HD.
2) Racial Modifiers - Determine ability score modifiers for your animal by subtracting 10 from even-numbered ability scores and 11 from odd-numbered ability scores. For example, Str 18 -10 = +8 and Dex 9 -11 = -2. Do this for every ability score except Intelligence.
3) Ability Scores - Players may select static ability scores or roll to determine ability scores.
A. Static Ability Scores
Use the heroic array with the 10 placed into Intelligence, and place the remaining ability scores (15, 14, 13, 12, 8) however you wish.
B. Rolling Ability Scores
Roll 3d6 for Intelligence. Roll 4d6(drop lowest) for the remaining ability scores. If the sum of your ability score modifiers is less than +5 before applying racial modifiers, you may re-roll a new set of ability scores. For example, if you roll 18, 15, 12, 10, 6, those modifiers are +4, +2, +1, +0, -2, and they add up to +5, so you must use these rolls. If you roll 18 (+4), 17 (+3), 13 (+1), 8 (-1), 5 (-3), that is a sum of +4, so you can choose to re-roll or keep them.
Once you determine ability scores, apply racial modifiers. Also, remember to add +1d3 to Charisma from the Awaken spell.
4) Skills - Standard animal skill points remain in place. New skills points may be placed into any skills. Racial modifiers for skills are listed in their Bestiary entry.
A. Animal HD (2 +Int mod)
Normal animals only gain 1 skill point per HD because they have a negative Int modifier. Skill points from your animal HD will remain the same if your awakened Intelligence is 9 or lower. However, if your awakened Intelligence is 10 or higher, you gain “1 +Int bonus” skill points per HD. For example, if an animal with 3 HD was awakened to Int 15 (+2), then it would gain “1+2” skill points x 3 HD = 9 skill points for its animal HD.
B. Awakened HD (2 + Int mod)
Each PC gains 2 HD from the Awaken spell, and both HD provide skill points as normal.
C. Class HD (? +Int mod)
Apply skills points for class levels, if any, as normal.
5) Feats - Standard animal feats remain in place. This include bonus feats. The 2 awakened HD provide one more feat of your choosing. Class HD may provide additional feats. The Bestiaries may be good places to find feats.
6) Hit Points
A. Animal HD
Maximum hit points for the first animal HD (1d8 = 8). Any additional animal HD may be rolled, or you may select this static array- 2nd HD = 8, 3rd HD = 6, 4th HD = 4, 5th HD = 2: 2nd HD = 4, 3rd HD = 5, 4th HD = 6, 5th HD = 7. If you choose to roll and roll poorly, you are stuck with those low hit points, but rolling also gives you the chance to have much more hp.
B. Awakened HD
Roll for both awakened HD (2d8).
C. Class HD
Maximum hit points for the first class HD. Roll for any additional class HD.
7) Base Attack Bonus - Medium progression (3/4 HD) for animal and awakened HD (1 HD = +0, 2 HD = +1, 3 HD = +2, 4 HD = +3, 5 HD = +3, 6 HD = +4, 7 HD = +5). Class progression will depend on your particular class.
8) Saves - Animals typically have good Fort and Reflex saves but poor Will saves. However, there may be exceptions, so we can double check the progression for your animal, and that progression will apply to your awakened HD too.
9) Favored Class - You may select a bonus hit point or skill point, or alternative favored class bonus, for each level of your favored class. These bonuses do not apply to animal or awakened HD.
10) Blessing - Each Patron has a slightly different awakening ritual which includes their own particular blessing. Each PC may select 1 of 2 blessings: a basic blessing of minor bonuses or an advanced blessing of major bonuses and penalties. More on this during the character creation session.
11) Equipment - There is no money or magic shop, which isn't to say items don't exist, but they are not common and veer much more toward what may be found in nature. Some natural items can replace standard items, such as vines for rope. Also, a thick branch may be used as a club or a sharp rock as a dagger, but they will be improvised weapons and won't work as well as manufactured ones. Manufactured weapons will be very rare and may have the broken condition. Also, casters should check material components for spells (i.e. bat droppings are easy to find but silver dust or human hair not so much), or take the Eschew Materials feat. In addition to “natural” items found easily in the wild, players will be able to select 1 minor item and 1 major item for their PC, and what constitutes “minor” or “major” will depend more on its importance to the character than monetary value. Finally, each PC will also receive a gift from their Patron.
A couple things to keep in mind before getting started:
1) The PCs in this game will be animals, but the game system was created for humanoids, and even for humanoids, the rules can't address every possible situation. Also, there are probably feats, spells, etc that won't work for animals or don't make sense to take in this setting. I plan to stick by the rules as much as possible, and while the occasional adjustments may be necessary, I want to keep them to a minimum because part of the challenge I want to explore is the limitation of being animals in a humanoid world. Even if humanoids may not be around anymore.
2) The PCs live in a very limited world in terms of acquiring knowledge, language, skills, etc. There aren't libraries full of books or hundreds of people to teach you. There are only the Patrons. This doesn't mean you will be barred from knowing anything in particular, but there may be instances where you don't know something or how to do something because you would have never encountered it in this world. Or at least the difficulty of the knowledge, skill, etc will be greater than in standard settings.
All the being said, any option from the online Pathfinder PRD is potentially available as long as it fits within the setting. Part of the reason I'm opening this up to so many sources is with the hope that it may help make up for some of the limitations of being animals. Give you all more options.
paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/
Each PC will be an awakened animal with 7 HD and non-standard ability scores.
paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/awaken.html
1) Hit Dice - Select an animal with 1-5 HD. The Awaken spell provides an additional 2 HD. Any remaining HD can be used to select class levels for a total of 7 HD.
2) Racial Modifiers - Determine ability score modifiers for your animal by subtracting 10 from even-numbered ability scores and 11 from odd-numbered ability scores. For example, Str 18 -10 = +8 and Dex 9 -11 = -2. Do this for every ability score except Intelligence.
3) Ability Scores - Players may select static ability scores or roll to determine ability scores.
A. Static Ability Scores
Use the heroic array with the 10 placed into Intelligence, and place the remaining ability scores (15, 14, 13, 12, 8) however you wish.
B. Rolling Ability Scores
Roll 3d6 for Intelligence. Roll 4d6(drop lowest) for the remaining ability scores. If the sum of your ability score modifiers is less than +5 before applying racial modifiers, you may re-roll a new set of ability scores. For example, if you roll 18, 15, 12, 10, 6, those modifiers are +4, +2, +1, +0, -2, and they add up to +5, so you must use these rolls. If you roll 18 (+4), 17 (+3), 13 (+1), 8 (-1), 5 (-3), that is a sum of +4, so you can choose to re-roll or keep them.
Once you determine ability scores, apply racial modifiers. Also, remember to add +1d3 to Charisma from the Awaken spell.
4) Skills - Standard animal skill points remain in place. New skills points may be placed into any skills. Racial modifiers for skills are listed in their Bestiary entry.
A. Animal HD (2 +Int mod)
Normal animals only gain 1 skill point per HD because they have a negative Int modifier. Skill points from your animal HD will remain the same if your awakened Intelligence is 9 or lower. However, if your awakened Intelligence is 10 or higher, you gain “1 +Int bonus” skill points per HD. For example, if an animal with 3 HD was awakened to Int 15 (+2), then it would gain “1+2” skill points x 3 HD = 9 skill points for its animal HD.
B. Awakened HD (2 + Int mod)
Each PC gains 2 HD from the Awaken spell, and both HD provide skill points as normal.
C. Class HD (? +Int mod)
Apply skills points for class levels, if any, as normal.
5) Feats - Standard animal feats remain in place. This include bonus feats. The 2 awakened HD provide one more feat of your choosing. Class HD may provide additional feats. The Bestiaries may be good places to find feats.
6) Hit Points
A. Animal HD
Maximum hit points for the first animal HD (1d8 = 8). Any additional animal HD may be rolled, or you may select this static array
B. Awakened HD
Roll for both awakened HD (2d8).
C. Class HD
Maximum hit points for the first class HD. Roll for any additional class HD.
7) Base Attack Bonus - Medium progression (3/4 HD) for animal and awakened HD (1 HD = +0, 2 HD = +1, 3 HD = +2, 4 HD = +3, 5 HD = +3, 6 HD = +4, 7 HD = +5). Class progression will depend on your particular class.
8) Saves - Animals typically have good Fort and Reflex saves but poor Will saves. However, there may be exceptions, so we can double check the progression for your animal, and that progression will apply to your awakened HD too.
9) Favored Class - You may select a bonus hit point or skill point, or alternative favored class bonus, for each level of your favored class. These bonuses do not apply to animal or awakened HD.
10) Blessing - Each Patron has a slightly different awakening ritual which includes their own particular blessing. Each PC may select 1 of 2 blessings: a basic blessing of minor bonuses or an advanced blessing of major bonuses and penalties. More on this during the character creation session.
11) Equipment - There is no money or magic shop, which isn't to say items don't exist, but they are not common and veer much more toward what may be found in nature. Some natural items can replace standard items, such as vines for rope. Also, a thick branch may be used as a club or a sharp rock as a dagger, but they will be improvised weapons and won't work as well as manufactured ones. Manufactured weapons will be very rare and may have the broken condition. Also, casters should check material components for spells (i.e. bat droppings are easy to find but silver dust or human hair not so much), or take the Eschew Materials feat. In addition to “natural” items found easily in the wild, players will be able to select 1 minor item and 1 major item for their PC, and what constitutes “minor” or “major” will depend more on its importance to the character than monetary value. Finally, each PC will also receive a gift from their Patron.
