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Pathfinder - the Outside Scoop (Read 6342 times)
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Re: Pathfinder - the Outside Scoop
Reply #15 - Mar 26th, 2010 at 2:50am
 
Hit points!

There has been of philosophy about what are hit points. Unfortunately games do not even agree as to what system they are using. D&D 3.5 is very conflicting about what hit points are. Reading the description in the books, and seeing all the different ways they can be impacted might confuse many.

My taste preference has always been one of grit and realism.

Quote:
i like wound rules, such as a certain percentage of HP gone giving penalties, or crits giving penalties, and that sort of thing. i embrace it when it is a houserule, but i don't use it often when i run a game. i also liked the differences between piercing, bludgeoning, and slashing weapons versus some things, such as a spear being less effective on skeletons and chainmail but more so on large creatures and leather armor. its a fun addition to the rules to make it work better, but not necessary if nobody wants it.


I like Davids ideas, and as a DM is usually take physical effects as he suggests, it is just to hard to write them down most of the time.

One of things I hate about 3.5 is the lack of realism in respect taking damage and wounds. I can't stand that people who get hit with with a huge hit or get dropped, are not "hurt" in some way. Like when you go negative and are falling, it is hard for me to believe a 1 level pally can walk over and lay on hands and now you are all right. That is why I use  the rules posted above. Chicks dig scars, and D&D is not offering them any.


I believe the best system would allow for decreased fighting performance due to damage taken. I just do know how to make such a system streamline and easy to use in a d20ish model. It is to hard to make to many calculations. One easier way would be to say you have 100% to 75% to 50% to 25% to 0% levels. Every tick is another -1 to all your bonus. Same thing would go for the baddies. This seems harsh, but as a DM you would be able to tone it down so that your players would be able to deal constructively, and also care more about their characters health.

There would then be a direct 1 to 1 with hitpoints. You take damage to your physical body..  your bodies is no longer able to function as well. Coupled with wounding and dropping blows, massive attacks, and save or die softening,  I think it is a really down to earth hit point system.

At lower levels the rules could be softened a bit, I mean if you only have 4 hit points you are going to go threw your percents fast. But then again, so will your enemies. And I am all for making house cats weaker..
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david
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Re: Pathfinder - the Outside Scoop
Reply #16 - Mar 26th, 2010 at 12:42pm
 
more on actual pathfinder....

i like the new "combat maneuvers" and "combat maneuver defense" system, adding more depth and complexity to battles than simply attacking and either beating or not beating the target's ac. it makes some classes better in combat than they were previously, so that the fighter and barbarian in the party aren't the only ones hitting in a battle. some of the new feats are good too, expanding the feat trees in positive areas that seemed either too mundane or useless in 3.0 and 3.5.

i'm liking the changes, and of course knowing that if you understand the basics of the d20 system and 3.5 in particular you are good to go is a plus. then again, if you've been playing world of darkness or GURPS, it is a completely new and strange system still. but i guess that is how all game systems are if you don't play them: new and strange.

the PDF is nice too in that some items (like ability scores, feats, bull rush, etc) have the internal link that takes you to information on them. i was reading about monks and didn't know what the CMD was, and clicked the linked text, and it took me to the combat section where i learned about combat maneuvers. that really simplified learning, though it does lack the good old "feel" of a big, heavy hardcover book. invest however you will, but if you play any version of 3.x, it is a good addition to the book shelf for you, i say.

and come on! house cats have it rough enough as it is, let them kill low-level wizards so the kobolds can double-up on fighters and paladins! don't be hatin' on the bad guys or their cats!
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SombreNote DM
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Re: Pathfinder - the Outside Scoop
Reply #17 - Mar 26th, 2010 at 3:50pm
 
Alignment in Pathfinder

It seems that the alignment section is far better written then the section in 3.5. It does a much better job to immunized DMs from the mistakes of straight jacking characters to alignments.

But people who are not fans of alignment get no love. There is no discernible change in the rules of alignment, just improved explanations. There could conceivably be differences in the availability of spells, just skimming spells, I see none.
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Dr. Nemesis
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Re: Pathfinder - the Outside Scoop
Reply #18 - Mar 26th, 2010 at 4:14pm
 
Well, it's really still just 3.5 with some new features and a couple of rules added in. But it works really well for me thus far (haven't finished reading it all). I do like the classes basically getting something or other each level, which makes playing up to high levels a lot more fun.
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SombreNote DM
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Re: Pathfinder - the Outside Scoop
Reply #19 - Mar 28th, 2010 at 2:40am
 
I have read through all the classes, and I am about to start skills. Lets just just say that if everything skills and on are not better then 3.5, I will still play pathfinder over 3.5 any day.

The classes KICK ASS! They are written and far better designed, and balanced. I am never going to use 3.5 base classes again.
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david
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Re: Pathfinder - the Outside Scoop
Reply #20 - Mar 29th, 2010 at 11:27am
 
i found a fillable PDF pathfinder character sheet. here is the link:

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you don't have to sign up for anything, and all you need to view it is acrobat. you can save it to you system and then replicate it as you make characters, and all that stuff that one most likely already understands. anyhow, i figured this would help out in some regard for folks.
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SombreNote DM
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Re: Pathfinder - the Outside Scoop
Reply #21 - Mar 29th, 2010 at 4:11pm
 
A funny thing about the pathfinder system, you can now code the skills to auto calc based on class and race.

In 3.5 you can't because skill gain is so much more complex.

Great find david.
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Casper
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You want what??? For how
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Re: Pathfinder - the Outside Scoop
Reply #22 - Mar 29th, 2010 at 4:27pm
 
Heroforge did something:
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I haven't tried it yet.  I know originally they did Pathfinder changes to the 3.5 version but I think the newer files are Pathfinder character generators.

And the web seems to think this is the best one:
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It might just be that it was the first one.

And HeroLab has a pathfinder module.

And this one:
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And PCGen is supposed to do pathfinder now:
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Don't waste my time.
 
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Dr. Nemesis
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Re: Pathfinder - the Outside Scoop
Reply #23 - Mar 29th, 2010 at 9:44pm
 
Wow. I've read most of the nuts & bolts in the main book, and I'm pretty sure I have zero complaints! For me, that's a miracle--I'm a critical sort.

Okay, I admit I am weirded out by them making gnomes taller than halflings for some unknown reason. Beyond that, however, I'm pretty sure this is 100% better and in no way worse than 3.5. And it wouldn't take much work at all to convert a given 3.5 game to Pathfinder's rules!
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Re: Pathfinder - the Outside Scoop
Reply #24 - Mar 29th, 2010 at 9:55pm
 
*hint, hint*
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1433-05    (11abc dist, 3.9 mean)
Selected-By: Tim Chew <twchew@mindspring.com>

The Internet Oracle has pondered your question deeply. Your question was:
> Are there any games harder than Nethack?

And in response, thus spake the Oracle:
} Life is pretty tough, everyone I know ends up dying.
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