- Level - All new characters in the Frontier Game start at 5th level.
- Alignment — Standard Benchmarks. If you want to play a character with an evil alignment it MUST be approved. Approval requires a coherent and well-documented backstory. You should be able to explain why you are intentionally socially investing yourself with a team and why you'd becoming involved with a group who don't share your viewpoints. (NO submissions of Chaotic Evil, Neutral Evil, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Crybaby, Neutral Loners, or Lawful Bombastic will be accepted or allowed to continue if you happen to be able to mask yourself past initial acceptance).
2a) You can play the evil “anti-hero” archetype, your characters are not playing psychotics or outsiders, thus you are not True Evil. Don't expect to play Evil because somehow you lack choice to be otherwise.
2b) COLLORARY: Declaring 'its what my character would do' is equally unacceptable. There are a host of motivations a medievalist minded character would concern himself with that you, the player, do not. I belong to the SCA, I fracking well know my Baron doesn't concern himself with crop rotation of his serfs' farms.
- Races — The following Player Races are available. There is a fundamental difference in how each of these races interacts in this game - as opposed to RAW. I actually give a damn what these races interact and inherently function in a social/regional manner with the fiction. Play any race and I may talk to you about mating traditions and interspecies congress, as much as vassal-hood beyond typical racial loyalties. Be prepared for conversations that move past mechanics. Race ones known by specific genetic variant will be considered pre-cataclystic and may no longer exist outright. [Drow, Duegar, Half-Ogre, Halfling, etc.] Some 'new' races will look a lot like the standard races with new names, I'm not likely to apologize for this blatant customization.
- Classes -
a). Playable Classes - There is an list of playable classes, Class and Archetypes, some may not be standard for raw.
b). Restricted Classes - Cleric, Oracle, Sorcerer, Wizard, Summoner, Magus, Gunslinger
c). Prestige Classes - Currently there not any Prestige Classes. Though there are Prestige Organizations. And some base classes which cannot be taken by initial starting characters. You must be invited into them... by some NPC you have impressed via roleplay, just as if it was a secret society.
d). Mounts, Familiars, Companions, etc. - Around the gaming table these creatures serve a purpose - they're loyal, as powerful as s a thief or fighter, and they don't take a share of party loot. I'm actively encouraging you to find a reason not to have one. For much the same reason that I've removed monster summoning from every class' spell list that ha previously offered it.
e). Additional Pet Feats Several classes allow for the expansion of your pets versatility/power (feats, items, spells) - I would advise against it. I don't foresee an occasion where you and the party will be on a horse on a clear field other than to act as transportation and I would hate for you to take five feats to look cool for 5 rounds. But neither will I stop you.
- Stats — There are six (6) core stats. Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, and Cha.
And a more than a few figured characteristics.
Standard [LEVEL, BAB]
Alternate [FAME, INFAMY, REPUTATION, HONOR, GLORY, PASSIVE PERCEPTION, etc.]
Under the statistic point buy system, a character can gain more points to spend on other scores by decreasing one or more of his ability scores. No score can be reduced below 7 or raised above 18 using this method. Certain stat exchanges are more valuable than others and may be found at Table 1-1 page 16 of the CRB.
a). I’m using a 20 point buy system with the base stat array of 10.
b). I'm ALSO using a house rule which allows Merit points to be used to increase the points spent on stats in creation by 5 points.
c). After these points are spent, racial modifiers should be applied to Stats.
d). AND the game will begin at an advanced level so your 4th level bonus should be assigned before gameplay begins.
- Hit Points — Characters receive maximum hit points at 1st and 2nd level and ¾ maximum hit points for every following level (no rolling required). FURTHERMORE, players may choose to retrain their hit points for maximum hit points per level advantages using the money for equipment at their starting level.
- Feats — ONLY APG and Core feats are available. I will entertain a discussion about other Pathfinder sourcebooks, culture books, or 3rd party source, judged case by case.
NOTE: According to in game-fiction; magic is considered dangerous and information on how to use spells, or create items is, at least repressed - by the Church and the Aristocracy. Thus, knowledge in the manufacture is plagued by lack of TRUE KNOWLEDGE.Thus Item creation Feats are severely restricted. If your character is capable of spell use... then you are just learning how to reclaim this realm of power. You lack true knowledge of how it may be used. And that's at least one good reason to go adventuring the perpetual search for knowledge.</Gray>.
- Archetypes — Characters may select two (2) traits. And only two traits. The Feat to acquire additional traits is suspended.
Many classes have been changed to only allow a select set of archetypes. Or ...maybe BE a single archetype suitable for some plot point in this game.
I think the martial classes largely get the shaft from most RPGs - I have attempted to rectify this oversight via game fiction. The fighter is using the Talented Fighter package and therefore has NO archetype. This is an effort to find a solution in the field and may not be rolled out during character creation.
Similarly, the Bard Package is being revised to use the 'Talented' mechanic and blueprint... although I may be using it to remove things from the original default pathfinder package.
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- ADVANCED LEVEL. All characters start at Level 5 ... OR.. the least level amongst all current players ...OR.... one less than the level the returning player acquired after death.
- NO ALIGNMENT. The Alignment attribute has been suspended and is otherwise NOT in use for any class ability, spell, magic or play. At least, if it is still mentioned, its significance as a PLAYER attribute is highly attenuated.
- POINT BUY: Start by generating your character ’s ability scores. These six scores determine your character’s most basic attributes and are used to decide a wide variety of details and statistics.
- PICK YOUR HERITAGE:A character's nationality is as important as their race and culture. All three describe a character's background and alter their available ability scores, traits, and skill choices. Although the World of Arkos is human-centric, it is possible to be a minority... a legacy race. Monstrous races are NOT available as player choices. A character's culture interacts with their associated nation as a determination of where the character was raised.NATION,RACE, CULTURE
- PICK YOUR CLASS and ARCHETYPE: A character’s class and archetype represent their Societal Role, in the world of Arkos. Beyond such basic designations of class (such as fighter or rogue), a character with an Archetype starts the game with a presumed set of motivations and allegiances. Changing this initial path may only occur during gameplay, as the player gains campaign rewards for defeating monsters, interacting with campaign intrigues, faces social challenges, or alters gameworld presumptions.
NOTE: There are a number of special rules for many classes, as well as many new class variants. If you intend to play a spellcaster, you should familiarize yourself with the ( Sorcery of Arkos) section. If you are playing a character with a temple allegiance you should ALSO read the (Cults of Arkos). If you are playing a character with Martial interests you should read the (Legions of Arkos). And it is suggested that anyone who plans to Flaunt the Law or interact with any 'Cardinal or Venial Sin' ( Taboo, Crime, and Intrigue)
- TRAIT, BOON, AND BURDEN
- CHOOSE ALLIES and DECLARE ALLEGIENCES To acquire more than the most BASIC complement of skill points a player can ally with a Society or Patron. The depth of allegiance and type of agencies sworn to may grant more or less benefit. The player can select no more than three agents and even these mechanics are subject to diminishing returns. Regardless, a character may ally with additional agencies, however, but such an organization will inherently limit any provided benefits as the PC's capacity of influence on the ally's behalf will be seen as being spread too thin to have any particular value. A PC may choose to swear an (SC.06 OATH) to bolster these benefits ... but such actions should be made with care as such OATHs tend to have dire consequences of their own.
- PICK SKILLS AND FEATS: A character's class will determine the base list of applied skills but Once an Agent of Influence has been secured the (Organization or Patron) provides them with the majority of skill points and continued training. Since the alignment system no longer exists, it is THESE allegiances which oft describe a player's apparent behavior to other players and NPCs. And it's ONLY the player's deeds and awarded reputation which can alter this initial assumption.
The reward of maintaining associated relationships IS perpetual access to new skill points (Awarded by Prestige and varying under social role. While feats are STILL dependent on a characters class advancement and level, specific feats (especially advanced feats) can only be acquired from a characters' patron or a defined prestige organization.
| NOTE: | | Each player character may act as a Patron to other player characters IF the feat in question was learned from their Primary Allegiance. BUT so doing may have negative connotations for the Temporary Patron's OWN allegiances; if such tutelage is ever made known. Some talents can only be learned bya limited source and spreading this knowledge could inclure similar negative connotations. |
- PURCHASE EQUIPMENT: Each new character begins the game with an amount of gold, based on his class and level. This money should be spent on a wide range of equipment and gear, from chainmail armor to leather backpacks. This gear helps your character survive while adventuring. You cannot use starting money to buy PERMANENT magic items since such true magic items are unique ... and never for sale.
You CAN buy certain alchemical items, equipment made with special materials or 'Inscribed with Power' though, as described in the SC.07 Swords of Arkos section.
- FINISHING DETAILS: Finally, you need to determine all of a character’s interaction values (Attack, Defense, Persuasion, Rebuff, Resistance, and Health). Most of these numbers are actually figured characteristics as determined by the decisions made in previous steps. And aside from these, the PC will also need to decide on the character’s name, physical appearance, and general background traits which will help the Player act in character during the course of gameplay. The (SC.08 Miscellanea of Arkos) section provides some inspiration in this regard.
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