Conan RPG Acheronian Edition
Here is a set of modified rules aimed to repair certain mechanical imbalances that have proven to be very annoying in my Conan campaign. High level play (10+) has sorely needed several fixes. This set of house rules, done together with my player group, is what I hoped the Second Edition to be like. Thus behold this Acheronian aberration that slithers forth to blast your sanity with its unholy rules....
Attack and Defences
Attack and defence progression has been radically changed. Now it follows 4E/Star Wars Saga guidelines. Every character receives +1 to Attack, Parry, Dodge, Magic Attack, Fort, Ref and Will every even level. (+1 at 2,4,6,8,10 etc) The first character level gives certain basic bonuses. You can only receive a basic bonus once - so multiclassing does not grant basic bonuses from the other classes. Prestige classes give no additional benefits to defenses and attacks. Monsters and animals count their HD as levels for defence and attack progression. Most animals should get +1 Fort & Ref, while small creatures may get +2 Ref and big monsters +2 Fort. Every characters gets an extra attack every fifth level, starting from 5. (So a level 5 character has attacks with +5 and +0.)
Barbarian: +1 Dodge, +1 Fort, +1 Ref
Borderer: +1 Fort, +1 Ref, +1 Will
Noble: +1 Fort, +1 Will
Nomad: +1 Fort, +1 Ref
Pirate: +1 Fort, +1 Ref - Seamanship bonus to both attacks and dodge
Scholar: +1 Magic Attack, +2 Will
Soldier: +1 Attack, +1 Parry, +2 Fort
Temptress: +1 Ref, +1 Will
Thief: +2 Ref
Code of Honor grants +2 to Will, +4 vs Corruption. Faith gives +1 to Will.
Hit Points
Characters receive HPs worth of full class HD + Constitution score from the first level. Yes, this means that a Soldier with Con 18 will get 28 HP at the first level. Further levels grant 1/2 HD + Con modifier up to level 10 (9 HP per level for a Soldier with Con 18). Levels after 10 grant +1,+2,+3 to hit points according to the Atlantean Edition rules. Supernatural monsters are not limited by 10 HD rule!
Skills
Certain skills have decided to marry and form a happy union. Balance + Escape Artist + Tumble = Acrobatics. Climb + Jump = Athletics. Disable Device + Open Locks = Mechanics. Hide + Move Silently = Stealth. Listen + Spot = Perception. Bluff has brutally murdered, cooked and devoured Disguise, om nom nom nom. Forgery is now a Craft skill. Someone hanged Use Rope. Acrobatics can't be used for escaping Grapple, but one can use Dex as a base for an escape check instead of Str. (It would be too easy to get extremely high Grapple escape check.)
New skill: Knowledge (Demonology)(or Knowledge (Cthulhu Mythos) if that is your preference). This is knowledge for fell sorcerers and madmen about things from Beyond. It can be used to identify demons, know stuff about Mythos and so forth. It gives far more accurate and detailed information than Knowledge (Arcana). However, the more you know, the more susceptible you become to the Corrupting effect of those same forces. Every three ranks in this knowledge grants -1 penalty to Corruption and insanity saves.
Thieves have their skill point gain reduced to six per level, since many of their class skills have joined together.They still profit from the change, perhaps encouraging some cross-class skill picks.
Healing wounds works a bit differently. Heal check to treat a wound so it doesn't get infected is DC 15. In addition, first aid heals the character as the skill check, -15. So a Heal result of 30 will heal the character 15 hit points. A second check can be made for additional healing as the wounded character has a chance to rest.
No synergies, they are too messy.
Feats & Sorcery
MAB requirements for feats, spells and prestige classes are now requirement x 2 = level. In other words, Dread Serpent (Prerequisite: MAB +4) now requires eight character class levels or monster HD. Any class will do, so Scholar 2/Barbarian 4 may gain access to spells that require MAB +3 or six levels in Acheronian Edition. All classes except Scholar count as a half caster level - Scholar 2/Barbarian 4 has four caster levels in regards to spell effects.(Scholar levels provide full caster level.) BAB requirements are replaced with an equal level requirement. For example, Improved Critical requires BAB +8 and in the Acheronian Edition this converts to eight character levels regardless of a class.
Dabblers may select any Sorcery Style that does not require other Sorcery Styles as a requirement. Thus Immortality and Cosmic Sorcery, for example, are not available for a Dabbler, but Summonings and Necromancy are. Sorcery is available once per week, not once per month.
New feat: Student of Sorcery
Requires: Dabbler or one or more Sorcery Styles
If a Dabbler takes Student of Sorcery, he gains a basic spell in the type of sorcery he had been dabbling in. Effectively, he has gained access to the Sorcery Style and may learn further spells from it through other means. (Sorcerous tomes, demonic instruction, feats and Scholar levels.) If a proper sorcerer takes this feat, he gains one Advanced Spell.
New feat: Sorcerous Training
Requires: Student of Sorcery
Taking this feat grants the character access to an additional Sorcery Style, immediately granting its basic spell. This feat can be taken multiple times to gain access in several extra styles.
Master Alchemist. This feat is based on the Savant variant of the Scholar class. Scholar may take either Knowledge is Power or Master Alchemist on the first level. MA allows the character to choose 1 + Int modifier alchemical recipes. He may then produce them at half the usual cost. A Scholar that has chosen KiP may take MA with a feat or the other way around.
Power Attack & Magic Power Attack. The limit for both is character level / 2. (Max -5 to hit with PA on level 10 and so forth.)
(Improved) Feint. Bluff check is taken as an opposed roll versus level + Sense Motive. So if a thief tries to feint a second level Soldier, he rolls against the bluff check result with 2 + Wis + Sense Motive ranks.
Parry bonus gained from Intricate Swordplay does not stack with parry gained from shields. Shields still grant dodge bonus against missiles, if a character with the feat chooses to carry one.
Critical Hits & Massive Damage
We use Paizo critical hit card deck -
http://paizo.com/gameMastery/accessories/v5748btpy7wv9&source=top
Critical hits are handled as per the deck.
Failed fort save after Massive Damage results in a critical hit as per a critical with the attack that caused MD. Results of this critical card may not cause a new MD, no matter how much damage it inflicts. If a normal critical hit causes a Massive Damage and the save is failed, the victim suffers additional hurt worth the attacks maximum damage. (20 + modifiers for a greatsword etc.) This additional damage may not cause a new MD even if it is 20+ points.
Hero Points & Fate Points
Four classic uses for Fate Points - Left for Dead, Destiny, Might Blow and curing Corruption. These work according to Atlantean Edition. Fate Points are received only for great heroics, reaching major goals and surviving against incredible odds.
In addition, every character has one Hero Point per adventurous scene or one week of downtime. Thus if two thieves go to rob tombs at two nights in a row, they have one Hero Point during each robbery. If an alchemist spends four weeks in a laboratory, he has one Hero Point per week. GM may allow players recover used Hero Points at whim when they seem to need an edge and deserve it. Hero Points can be used for following purposes:
Gain immediately +5 to Dodge and Parry for one round
Reroll one d20 roll, such as an attack roll, initiative, skill check or save
Immediately recover hit points equal to Constitution score
Ignore Terror of the Unknown
"Reset" Dabbler, allowing another use of sorcery
Random Tweaks
Crossbows have AP 6 and do 2d8 damage. Arbalests have AP 10 and do 2d10 damage. Both are simple weapons.
No arcane spell failure for wearing armor.
No High Living rule enforced.
Followers gained through Leadership can be "spent" to gain followers of higher level in 3-to-1 conversion. For example, three first level followers can be "converted" to a one second level follower. Converting first level followers in to level four followers would thus cost a lot as the multipliers stack. It should still be possible if the player wants a small elite group of henchmen rather than a horde of peasants as his entourage.
Thief gains Sneak Attack dice every third level, starting from first. (1 - 3 - 6 - 9 etc.)
Purpose of the Acheronian Edition
Repairing attack and defence progression is the single most important tweak. It accomplishes two things - first, characters who are at the same level can no longer hit each other trivially with every attack. Second, Power Attack is no longer the guaranteed way to defeat every opponent. Third, everyone has a chance to succeed in almost every save even without a natural 20. Together with hit point progression, massed amount of lower level NPCs are now a much greater threat. They endure more punishment and multiple attacker rule gives them significant bonuses to hit. Combat and adventure in general are more exciting at all levels.
Sorcery tweaks make it more possible for every character to learn a little sorcery if desirable. This makes it easier to build characters (NPCs and PCs) that can, for example, be pure Nobles but still have a Demonic Pact without a need for a third party sorcerer. Attack progression gives Dabblers a chance to succeed in, say, a random Counterspell against a real sorcerer. Pure Scholars will still always be better in sorcery than feat-based tricksters and multiclassed Scholars. Only Scholar levels provide more Power Points, multipliers for extra PPs, "free" spells and 1-to-1 caster levels.
Edit - Added Heal changes, sneak attack nerf for thieves
Edit2 - Added no synergy, multiple attacks
Here is a set of modified rules aimed to repair certain mechanical imbalances that have proven to be very annoying in my Conan campaign. High level play (10+) has sorely needed several fixes. This set of house rules, done together with my player group, is what I hoped the Second Edition to be like. Thus behold this Acheronian aberration that slithers forth to blast your sanity with its unholy rules....
Attack and Defences
Attack and defence progression has been radically changed. Now it follows 4E/Star Wars Saga guidelines. Every character receives +1 to Attack, Parry, Dodge, Magic Attack, Fort, Ref and Will every even level. (+1 at 2,4,6,8,10 etc) The first character level gives certain basic bonuses. You can only receive a basic bonus once - so multiclassing does not grant basic bonuses from the other classes. Prestige classes give no additional benefits to defenses and attacks. Monsters and animals count their HD as levels for defence and attack progression. Most animals should get +1 Fort & Ref, while small creatures may get +2 Ref and big monsters +2 Fort. Every characters gets an extra attack every fifth level, starting from 5. (So a level 5 character has attacks with +5 and +0.)
Barbarian: +1 Dodge, +1 Fort, +1 Ref
Borderer: +1 Fort, +1 Ref, +1 Will
Noble: +1 Fort, +1 Will
Nomad: +1 Fort, +1 Ref
Pirate: +1 Fort, +1 Ref - Seamanship bonus to both attacks and dodge
Scholar: +1 Magic Attack, +2 Will
Soldier: +1 Attack, +1 Parry, +2 Fort
Temptress: +1 Ref, +1 Will
Thief: +2 Ref
Code of Honor grants +2 to Will, +4 vs Corruption. Faith gives +1 to Will.
Hit Points
Characters receive HPs worth of full class HD + Constitution score from the first level. Yes, this means that a Soldier with Con 18 will get 28 HP at the first level. Further levels grant 1/2 HD + Con modifier up to level 10 (9 HP per level for a Soldier with Con 18). Levels after 10 grant +1,+2,+3 to hit points according to the Atlantean Edition rules. Supernatural monsters are not limited by 10 HD rule!
Skills
Certain skills have decided to marry and form a happy union. Balance + Escape Artist + Tumble = Acrobatics. Climb + Jump = Athletics. Disable Device + Open Locks = Mechanics. Hide + Move Silently = Stealth. Listen + Spot = Perception. Bluff has brutally murdered, cooked and devoured Disguise, om nom nom nom. Forgery is now a Craft skill. Someone hanged Use Rope. Acrobatics can't be used for escaping Grapple, but one can use Dex as a base for an escape check instead of Str. (It would be too easy to get extremely high Grapple escape check.)
New skill: Knowledge (Demonology)(or Knowledge (Cthulhu Mythos) if that is your preference). This is knowledge for fell sorcerers and madmen about things from Beyond. It can be used to identify demons, know stuff about Mythos and so forth. It gives far more accurate and detailed information than Knowledge (Arcana). However, the more you know, the more susceptible you become to the Corrupting effect of those same forces. Every three ranks in this knowledge grants -1 penalty to Corruption and insanity saves.
Thieves have their skill point gain reduced to six per level, since many of their class skills have joined together.They still profit from the change, perhaps encouraging some cross-class skill picks.
Healing wounds works a bit differently. Heal check to treat a wound so it doesn't get infected is DC 15. In addition, first aid heals the character as the skill check, -15. So a Heal result of 30 will heal the character 15 hit points. A second check can be made for additional healing as the wounded character has a chance to rest.
No synergies, they are too messy.
Feats & Sorcery
MAB requirements for feats, spells and prestige classes are now requirement x 2 = level. In other words, Dread Serpent (Prerequisite: MAB +4) now requires eight character class levels or monster HD. Any class will do, so Scholar 2/Barbarian 4 may gain access to spells that require MAB +3 or six levels in Acheronian Edition. All classes except Scholar count as a half caster level - Scholar 2/Barbarian 4 has four caster levels in regards to spell effects.(Scholar levels provide full caster level.) BAB requirements are replaced with an equal level requirement. For example, Improved Critical requires BAB +8 and in the Acheronian Edition this converts to eight character levels regardless of a class.
Dabblers may select any Sorcery Style that does not require other Sorcery Styles as a requirement. Thus Immortality and Cosmic Sorcery, for example, are not available for a Dabbler, but Summonings and Necromancy are. Sorcery is available once per week, not once per month.
New feat: Student of Sorcery
Requires: Dabbler or one or more Sorcery Styles
If a Dabbler takes Student of Sorcery, he gains a basic spell in the type of sorcery he had been dabbling in. Effectively, he has gained access to the Sorcery Style and may learn further spells from it through other means. (Sorcerous tomes, demonic instruction, feats and Scholar levels.) If a proper sorcerer takes this feat, he gains one Advanced Spell.
New feat: Sorcerous Training
Requires: Student of Sorcery
Taking this feat grants the character access to an additional Sorcery Style, immediately granting its basic spell. This feat can be taken multiple times to gain access in several extra styles.
Master Alchemist. This feat is based on the Savant variant of the Scholar class. Scholar may take either Knowledge is Power or Master Alchemist on the first level. MA allows the character to choose 1 + Int modifier alchemical recipes. He may then produce them at half the usual cost. A Scholar that has chosen KiP may take MA with a feat or the other way around.
Power Attack & Magic Power Attack. The limit for both is character level / 2. (Max -5 to hit with PA on level 10 and so forth.)
(Improved) Feint. Bluff check is taken as an opposed roll versus level + Sense Motive. So if a thief tries to feint a second level Soldier, he rolls against the bluff check result with 2 + Wis + Sense Motive ranks.
Parry bonus gained from Intricate Swordplay does not stack with parry gained from shields. Shields still grant dodge bonus against missiles, if a character with the feat chooses to carry one.
Critical Hits & Massive Damage
We use Paizo critical hit card deck -
http://paizo.com/gameMastery/accessories/v5748btpy7wv9&source=top
Critical hits are handled as per the deck.
Failed fort save after Massive Damage results in a critical hit as per a critical with the attack that caused MD. Results of this critical card may not cause a new MD, no matter how much damage it inflicts. If a normal critical hit causes a Massive Damage and the save is failed, the victim suffers additional hurt worth the attacks maximum damage. (20 + modifiers for a greatsword etc.) This additional damage may not cause a new MD even if it is 20+ points.
Hero Points & Fate Points
Four classic uses for Fate Points - Left for Dead, Destiny, Might Blow and curing Corruption. These work according to Atlantean Edition. Fate Points are received only for great heroics, reaching major goals and surviving against incredible odds.
In addition, every character has one Hero Point per adventurous scene or one week of downtime. Thus if two thieves go to rob tombs at two nights in a row, they have one Hero Point during each robbery. If an alchemist spends four weeks in a laboratory, he has one Hero Point per week. GM may allow players recover used Hero Points at whim when they seem to need an edge and deserve it. Hero Points can be used for following purposes:
Gain immediately +5 to Dodge and Parry for one round
Reroll one d20 roll, such as an attack roll, initiative, skill check or save
Immediately recover hit points equal to Constitution score
Ignore Terror of the Unknown
"Reset" Dabbler, allowing another use of sorcery
Random Tweaks
Crossbows have AP 6 and do 2d8 damage. Arbalests have AP 10 and do 2d10 damage. Both are simple weapons.
No arcane spell failure for wearing armor.
No High Living rule enforced.
Followers gained through Leadership can be "spent" to gain followers of higher level in 3-to-1 conversion. For example, three first level followers can be "converted" to a one second level follower. Converting first level followers in to level four followers would thus cost a lot as the multipliers stack. It should still be possible if the player wants a small elite group of henchmen rather than a horde of peasants as his entourage.
Thief gains Sneak Attack dice every third level, starting from first. (1 - 3 - 6 - 9 etc.)
Purpose of the Acheronian Edition
Repairing attack and defence progression is the single most important tweak. It accomplishes two things - first, characters who are at the same level can no longer hit each other trivially with every attack. Second, Power Attack is no longer the guaranteed way to defeat every opponent. Third, everyone has a chance to succeed in almost every save even without a natural 20. Together with hit point progression, massed amount of lower level NPCs are now a much greater threat. They endure more punishment and multiple attacker rule gives them significant bonuses to hit. Combat and adventure in general are more exciting at all levels.
Sorcery tweaks make it more possible for every character to learn a little sorcery if desirable. This makes it easier to build characters (NPCs and PCs) that can, for example, be pure Nobles but still have a Demonic Pact without a need for a third party sorcerer. Attack progression gives Dabblers a chance to succeed in, say, a random Counterspell against a real sorcerer. Pure Scholars will still always be better in sorcery than feat-based tricksters and multiclassed Scholars. Only Scholar levels provide more Power Points, multipliers for extra PPs, "free" spells and 1-to-1 caster levels.
Edit - Added Heal changes, sneak attack nerf for thieves
Edit2 - Added no synergy, multiple attacks
