1. Notes

House Rules

Academics!

Restricted Free Archetype

Gradual Ability Boosts

(modified) Automatic Bonus Progression

The Aid action is against the Level-Based DC of the action, instead of 20.

The Inventor Skill Feat is folded into Crafting's default rules, and it only requires being Trained in Crafting (as opposed to Master).   You need Alchemical Crafting to Invent Alchemical Formulas, Magical Crafting to Invent Magical Formulas, and Snare Crafting to Invent Snare Formulas.  

Spellhearts can be used by anyone, even if you do not have the Cast a Spell activity or the spellcasting class feature.

Hero Points 

We are using the Hero Point Deck, which will help be a physical reminder of Hero Points, and give them a little more flair.  At the start of each session you will draw one Hero Point - Hero Point cards can be traded between players, but doing so in Encounter mode does require a Reaction.  Additional Hero Points will be drawn periodically throughout the session, whenever you roll a Critical Failure (and are affected by it - if another effect causes it to be neutralized, you don't get the Hero Point), and rewarded for fun and memorable moments.  You have a maximum of three hero points and they are gone at the end of the session, with a new card being drawn at the start of the next session.

You can spend hero point(s) for one of the following effects - you can only spend one Hero Point on any given roll, as they are a fortune effect, but they do not require any sort of roll.

  • Spend after any roll (any d20 roll, or any effect roll that you make) to roll a second time.  You keep the second roll, even if it is worse, but if it is a worse outcome (aka get a Critical Failure instead of a Failure), you don't spend the point (but can't try again).  This is a fortune effect.
  • Spend for the effect printed on the card
  • Spend 1 hero point (or more, at the GM's discretion) for some sort of narrative effect, dramatic editing, or other "flexing" of the rules
  • Spend all your Hero Points (minimum 1) to avoid death. You can do this when your dying condition would increase. You lose the dying condition entirely and stabilize with 0 Hit Points. You don't gain the wounded condition or increase its value from losing the dying condition in this way, but if you already had that condition, you don't lose it or decrease its value.

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Automatic Bonus Progression

Every character automatically gains the bonuses below, at the appropriate level.    These are all potency bonuses and do not stack with item bonuses - you use the higher of the two, if you have both.   For example, Valeros, a level 7 Fighter, finds a potent magical longsword that has a +2 item bonus to attacks.   He would have a +2 item bonus to his attacks with this longsword (as it is greater than his inherent +1 potency bonus to all attacks), but all other weapons will still have a +1 potency bonus to their attacks.

This variant ensures that even if a character is using unfamilar weaponry, or items tied to their backstory/concept, there are not undue penalties to their core statistics.


LevelBenefit
1-
2Attack Potency +1
3Increase Proficiency in Background Lore (Expert)
4Devastating Attacks (two dice)
5Defense Potency +1
6-
7Increase Proficiency in Background Lore (Master)
8Saving Throw Potency +1
9-
10Attack Potency +2
11Defense Potency +2
12Devastating Attacks (three dice)
13-
14Saving Throw Potency +2
15Increase Proficiency in Background Lore (Legendary)
16Attack Potency +3
17-
18Defense Potency +3
19Devastating Attacks (four dice)
20Saving Throw Potency +3

Attack Potency

Starting at 2nd level, you gain a +1 potency bonus to attack rolls with all weapons and unarmed attacks. This increases to +2 at 10th level, and +3 at 16th level.   

Increase Proficiency in Background Lore

At 3rd level, your proficiency in the Lore skill that your Background provided (such as Scribing Lore for the Acolyte Background) increases to Expert.  This Lore increases to Master proficiency at level 7 and Legendary at level 15.

Devastating Attacks 

At 4th level, your weapon and unarmed Strikes deal two damage dice instead of one. This increases to three at 12th level and to four at 19th level.

Defense Potency

At 5th level, you gain a +1 potency bonus to AC. At 11th level, this bonus increases to +2, and at 18th level, to +3.

Saving Throw Potency

At 8th level, you gain a +1 potency bonus to saves, increasing to +2 at level 14 and +3 at level 20.

February 21st, 2023 October 14th, 2023