Variant Rules

Most of these rules I'm going to implement are to save time in a Play-by-Post environment. If you're opposed to any of them, let me know and we can talk about it.

Disclaimer: This is just the initial rules, I may add more. If I add more, I will make a post saying what the update was and I will also update this main post.

1. I will be rolling your initiative for you, rather than waiting for 5 different people to make a post and delaying the game for a whole day.

2. I'll be using a passive Perception system, the same as what's in 5e. If something is going to try to sneak up on you, they are going to roll for stealth vs your passive Perception score (10 + Perception mod). If they beat your score, then they will successfully go unnoticed.

3. I may roll contested checks for you, rather than wait for you to respond. This may include things like Saving Throws as well as contested Skill Checks.

4. Rather than have everyone track XP, I am going to track it in a private thread and I'll just let you know when you reach the next level.

Please, if you're going to attempt to do something and you think a roll may be applicable to the situation, please just roll it rather than have me ask for it. If it's not applicable the worst that's gonna happen is that you wasted 5 seconds adding a roll.

I'm good with both.

Same

I've never played PF before (though am familiar with D&D 3e/3.5e). I welcome the variant rules.

If you're familiar with 3.5, then you understand how messy the action economy can be, and how the items go nuts with enhancement bonuses lol

As the Automatic Bonuses come into play I will explain how they work

Two thumbs up from this guy.

Any questions on the variant rules?

Not right now, though they'll likely arrive as we play.

So how does a full-attack action work in this system? Would that just mean I use all three of my actions to do a full attack action?

Even at level one you may use all three actions to attack, still taking the stacking -5 for each attack beyond the first. There is no such thing as a full attack action with these rules.

To expound a bit, most abilities that required a full attack action now trigger with the independent acts(flurry of blows, two-weapon fighting) some feats and class abilities might need to be looked at for how they'd work in this system, like vital strike, but most are fairly intuitive.

Just an example:

Urthask has a +5 to hit with his bastard sword. His first attack is made with the full +5. Then, if he decides to use another action to attack, he will make that attack with no bonuses at all (His +5 bonus minus the 5 for making a second attack). Then, if he decides to use his third and final action to make another attack, it will be at a -5 penalty (His +5 bonus minus 10 for two additional attacks).

This is for people who are not as familiar with Pathfinder, mostly.

Also, Flurry of Blow and TWF in this system:Two-Weapon Fighting is similar:EDIT: I also put a cheat sheet for the new action economy on my original post in this thread!

We will also be using Passive Perception, as it is used in D&D 5e. Your passive perception will be 10+your perception skill and will be used as a passive check when you are not actively looking for something. Example: You are on watch or marching and enemies are trying to sneak up on you. I will likely roll the enemy's stealth vs your passive perception to see if you happen to notice.

Aight sweet. Flurry of Blows is what I was wondering about, but that sounds great!

One more question: I'm considering taking the "Step Up" feat (which basically prevents an adjacent enemy from taking a 5 foot step once per round) in the near future... but under this system, would they potentially be able to just take another 5 foot step after I use the Step Up feat?

Nope, a 5 ft step is still something you can only do once per round, so no worries

EDIT: Nevermind, looks like they can do it as many times as they want in a round. But doing so would take another action for the round. So if they backed away, you used Step Up, and they did it again to escape then they'd have wasted two actions on it.

I've been planning on using Crossbow's with this upcoming game but as I read the feats and options for them I'm... underwhelmed. The logic appears to be that because they're simple weapons they should have many downsides in comparison to longbows, I'm not attempting to rehash the longbow vs crossbow fight but I do want to ask for one of two distinct possibilities.

1st, would it be possible to reduce the proficiency requirement of repeating crossbows... they're just as easy to use as other crossbows, if not in fact easier, their expense should be limitation enough. This doesn't fix the damage comparison, but it does allow the crossbow to be closer in number of attacks

2nd, if not, would it be possible to create a martial alternative to the simple versions with a one die step increase? In 3.5 this was called the arbalest, and would function as a more complicated heavy crossbow, no rule changes really need to occur but it would help bridge the gap between the composite longbow and the crossbow, longbow should still win out(4.5-9.5), but crossbow won't be completely terrible in comparison(7).

If not I will likely be a dwarf with a longbow and refuse to refer to it as such, as the game intended.

Question before I post: If I want to Power Attack, do I have to apply it to every attack action I take in one round? Or just one of my attack actions?

Edit: I'm going to post as if it only applies to one attack action since I'm online and already have most of the post typed out, but if that's wrong, you can adjust the rolls as necessary.

Power attack applies to all attacks in a round :)