Pathfinder Arena
Create a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 1st edition character using a point buy system instead of level up system. This allows players mix and match their progression. This allows for some wonky power balance, but is mostly just for fun rather than balance. To advance, characters BUY their levels, mythic tier, etc. with XP. They start with 25 or more XP at character creation depending on the power level you want. They start at level 1 with a base class at no cost but have to buy all additional levels.
Table: Character Design
*All characters start at level 1 with a base class for free, but have to buy all additional levels.
*A feat's tier is equal to the number of things in it's prerequisite. Anything that says "or", count only the minimum number of things you need to meet the prerequisites. Minimum cost is 1 XP.
- Only available during character creation and not advancement thereafter.
- Only gives the bonuses of the Automatic Bonus Progression not the actual levels or gold. You start at automatic bonus progression level 2 for free and each purchase bumps you up by 1 level from there.
- To figure out a monster's adjustments, subtract 12 from its highest 3 attribute scores and 10 from its lowest 3 attribute scores and round down to the nearest even number. For example, a troll has Str 21 (-12), Dex 14 (-12), Con 23 (-12), Int 6 (-10), Wis 9 (-10), Cha 6 (-10) for racial adjustments of: Str +8, Dex +2, Con +10, Int -4, Wis -2, Cha -4.
- Requires GM permission to purchase on a case-by-case basis.
- If you multiclass or use supplemental materials outside the Core Rulebook and Bestiary I, you must pay 1 additional XP per level/CR for every additional book or class you have beyond the first class and these first two books.
Wealth by Level: You begin with wealth by level as a PC amount based on your total hit dice + mythic tier as your PC level.
Advancement and Rewards
Table: Encounter Design
*These rewards are for normal encounters, side quests might award only half these amounts while main story quests might aware up to double
TOTAL PARTY LEVEL
A group's total party level is equal to the highest level creature among them plus half the second highest level, plus one third the third highest, plus one forth he fourth highest, etc. Round down these calculations.
So a group of 5 adventures with one being level 10, another being 8, and the other three being 4 would be: 10 + (8/2=4) + (4/3=1) + (4/4=1) + (4/5=0) = level 16. With an effective level of 16, the entire group working together is treated as a 16th level character for determining the challenges they can face.
No group should ever be larger than 6 players as the game becomes unwieldy beyond this threshold.
Note that minions such as summoned monsters and animal companions are not calculated in this, as they are considered part of the character's class features. Other NPCs such as hirelings are calculated, however.
You apply this same calculation for determining monster challenge ratings. A party's total level should be capable of taking on a challenge with the same level. A monster's effective level is equal to it's challenge rating +4.
Survival Matches
Sometimes gladiators will face multiple foes one at a time with no breaks in between, but won't face them all at the same time. This means that each foe is treated as a separate encounter for the purposes of calculating CR, but is treated as +1 CR greater for every foe they faced before that was of equal or greater CR. For example, if a character had to fight 2 CR 3s at once and then had to fight a CR 4 and then had to fight a CR 6, you'd calculate this as 3 encounters.
The first is CR 5 as two of any one CR is considered 2 CRs higher (two 3s = one 5).
The next fight is CR 4, which is one lower than 5, so it is treated as +1 CR since the previous fight was equal to or greater in CR (so it's effectively CR 5).
The last fight is also CR 6, which is greater than the previous fight of CR 5 so it is not adjusted by the previous fight and is just CR 6.
If the gladiator was level 10 and fighting alone (-6 APL), their APL is only 4. As the 1st challenge was CR5, that's +1 challenging for 3 XP on a draw (6 for a win, 1 on a loss). The second one was also treated as 5 so that's +1 challenging for 3 XP on a draw (6 for a win, 1 on a loss). The last one was CR 6 for +2 hard, giving 5 xp on draw, 10 on a win, or 2 on a loss. Thus, the survival match would grant 3-11 XP total. Note that survival matches end as soon as the gladiator loses a fight, so even if they had more fights scheduled, they don't happen and there are no rewards for fights that don't happen.
EQUIPMENT
Equipment