A game system like Pathfinder needs tweaking, but tweak too much and things can get out of hand. Especially when so many supplements have come out since I started running on play by posts. Changes in my own personality has led to me reducing some text and erasing certain irrelevant cringe. As such, some of these house rules have been altered.


Present House Rules:

* Critical Hits.
Critical rules will go back to core save for one change for those spawned from natural twenties: If scoring a crit results in less damage than your max without multipliers, then you get your max.

I.E. Say you're fighting with a short sword, you roll a natural 20, and you confirm your crit. Unfortunately, you rolled a 1 and a 3 on the 2d6. That's a bit lackluster, instead, you'll have 6. If you rolled a 3 and a 4, obviously you go with that instead.

* Critical Misses
Natural 1's are always a miss, or a failed save. Maybe a complication will occur if it's scene appropriate.

* Humans are Multitalented Too!
I understand why I made this house rule, however, that was long before all the extra racial options came out. Also, I don't have a dislike for half-elves like my foolish younger self a decade ago. Given the power creep those racial options permit, here's what I'll do:

If you run a vanilla human without swapping anything for a racial option, you get the Multitalented ability.

* Standard Adventurer's Kit
I like the idea of a quick and easy adventurer's kit, especially for people playing 1st level characters, so this stays. I might even add to it to bring it in line with Pathfinder 2E and 5th Edition changes.

Standard Adventurer's Kit   15gp 33.5lb's
  Backpack (empty)           2gp  2lb's
  Bedroll                    1sp  5lb's
  Flint and Steel            1gp   -
  Belt Pouch (empty)         1gp .5lb's
  Rations, trail (10 days)   5gp 10lb's
  Rope, Hempen               1gp 10lb's
  Sunrod (2)                 4gp  2lb's
  Waterskin                  1gp  4lb's

So basically the bedroll comes free. Yay. Still, it's nice and summed up for you if you want equipment purchasing to be quick.

* Common Sense and Power Gaming
Basically what it says on the tin. I understand optimizing a build, people want their characters to be badass, I know I do when I am on the other side of the screen. That said, try to avoid going obscene and breaking the game, all too easy with Pathfinder 1E with all the supplements released. If you're uncertain what might or might not give me a headache, don't hesitate to ask, and I'm far more lenient if a build works well with a concept.

* Feats
Spring Attack
As written in the PFRPG save that there is no minimum of moving 10ft.

Heavy Armor Proficiency Clerics get this one again. Shouldn't have lost it in my opinion.

* Encumbrance: I will deal with Encumbrance loosely. If it seems like you're carrying enough supplies to fill a caravan then you'll get penalties, if it's not all that much then you won't.

* Attacks Of Opportunity: I will try and keep them from getting ridiculous, please do the same, fair?

* 3rd Level Tweaking
Upon reaching third level, players can be allowed to tweak their character. This is not a complete rebuild, more a way to fix regrets you might have had since you began, or adjust for an unexpected direction you took your character. Maybe you started playing them as being more social and want to swap your 12 WIS with your 10 CHA, or maybe it makes no sense for you to have been maxing out your ranks in Horticulture, this will be done on a case by case basis.

* A note on Languages.
Not a house rule so much as an important campaign element...
Let's see if anyone is paying attention to this. Languages have changed slightly since the players guides, that's what we get for being fans of a developing world, by way of example let's take common. Common is common right? But common is also Chelaxian now, which is also Taldane.

Seems when Cheliax split from the old empire they took the language as well and made it their own. This has since become Golarions version of Common. So, originally it was Taldane, then Cheliax had taken to calling it Chelaxian. So two names, one language. Good information for you guys to know.

EDIT: They are effectively different dialects. Think of them as American English vs. UK English if that helps. Taldor was modeled partially off of England after all.

Also, understand that different countries have different languages. If you want to learn what those are feel free to inquire. I'm a touch too lazy to put them up right now.

* A Note on Posting

Alright. Before we get too far into the game there are a few things I want to get straight about posting. I like my players to see a nice clean message board of good fun role playing. Not a bunch of dice roles. I on the other hand. Well, I can survive seeing the dice rolls. That being said, while I want you guys to post your dice and damage rolls when the game is in combat I want you to make sure you let me see it as a private line.

I hope that's easily understood by all of you.

The next thing I want to make clear: Don't jump the gun on skill rolls. There are some skill rolls that I prefer to roll myself. Most of them actually. Yes it takes some control away from the players but I like the idea of someone not knowing if they're well hidden, of not knowing if someone heard them, and so on. So when you wish to use a skill let me know through private line. Sure I can guess from the description but it makes my life easier. Something like...

So after some delightful in character posting you would then send me a PL like the one below:

Private to ME: Jorun is going to try and sneak up behind the guy so he can get a death attack in.

At which point I would look at your character sheet, take into consideration certain modifiers and then I give you the result and let you make that death attack.

Another example might be an encounter wherein the party members meet with several citizens of the city they've been in for a few months under mysterious circumstances and want to either A. Identify them, or B. see if they can identify anything about the mysterious circumstances. After their in character post one might write a PL to me stating:

Private to GM person: Local/Bardic Knowledge check to see if he knows anything about the people before him.

Again, I check the modifiers, make the roll, and then get you the results. Sound easy? Good.

* Passive Checks

I like the concept of passive perception and insight checks. It helps with ease of play, and does a decent job of representing someone's natural level of awareness regarding people and their environment.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:53, Fri 08 Nov 2019.