Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Pathfinder Unchained

258 Pages·2015·24.02 MB·English

by  Paizo Inc.

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CREDITS
Lead Designer • Jason Bulmahn
Designers • Logan Bonner, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, and Mark Seifter
Authors • Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Ross Beyers, Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Robert Emerson, Tim Hitchcock, Jason Nelson,
Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Thomas M. Reid, Robert Schwalb, Mark Seifter, and Russ Taylor
Cover Artist • Wayne Reynolds
Interior Artists • Mike Allen, David Alvarez, Rogier van de Beek, Dmitry Burmak, Rayph Beisner, Eric Belisle, Tomasz Chistowski,
Ivan Dixon, Mattias Fahlberg, Jorge Fares, Yuriy Georgiev, Daniel Jiménez Villalba, Rob Joseph, Diana Martinez, Nikola Matkovic,
Michael J. Penn, Roberto Pitturru, Géraud Soulié, and Ben Wootten
Creative Director • James Jacobs
Editor-in-Chief • F. Wesley Schneider
Managing Editor • James L. Sutter
Senior Developer • Rob McCreary
Developers • John Compton, Adam Daigle, Mark Moreland, and Owen K.C. Stephens
Associate Editors • Judy Bauer and Christopher Carey
Editors • Thomas Call, Garrett Guillotte, Joe Homes, Andrea Howe, Matt Jackson, Jason Keeley, Lyz Liddell, and Ryan Macklin
Managing Art Director • Sarah E. Robinson
Senior Art Director • Andrew Vallas
Art Director • Sonja Morris
Graphic Designers • Emily Crowell and Ben Mouch
Publisher • Erik Mona
Paizo CEO • Lisa Stevens
Chief Operations Officer • Jeffrey Alvarez
Director of Sales • Pierce Watters
Sales Associate • Cosmo Eisele
4444004411 Marketing Director • Jenny Bendel
Finance Manager • Christopher Self
Staff Accountant • Ashley Kaprielian
Data Entry Clerk • B. Scott Keim
Chief Technical Officer • Vic Wertz
Software Development Manager • Cort Odekirk
Senior Software Developer • Gary Teter
Campaign Coordinator • Mike Brock
Project Manager • Jessica Price
Licensing Coordinator • Michael Kenway
Customer Service Team • Sharaya Kemp, Katina Mathieson, Sara Marie Teter, and Diego Valdez
Warehouse Team • Will Chase, Mika Hawkins, Heather Payne, Jeff Strand, and Kevin Underwood
Website Team • Christopher Anthony, Liz Courts, Winslow Dalpe, Lissa Guillet, Erik Keith, Chris Lambertz, and Scott Spalding
Special Thanks • The countless players and Game Masters who have helped us refine this game over the years.
This game is dedicated to Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Based on the original roleplaying game rules designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and inspired by the third edition of the
game designed by Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkinson.
This game would not be possible without the passion and dedication of the thousands of gamers who helped playtest and develop it.
Thank you for all of your time and effort.
Paizo Inc.
7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120
Redmond, WA 98052-0577
paizo.com
This product is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or the 3.5 edition of the world’s oldest fantasy roleplaying game.
Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks,
proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public
domain are not included in this declaration.)
Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a
Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Pathfinder Unchained is published by Paizo Inc. under the Open Game License version 1.0a © 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder,
the Pathfinder logo, and Pathfinder Society are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Accessories, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder
Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Cards, Pathfinder Flip-Mat, Pathfinder Map Pack, Pathfinder Module, Pathfinder Pawns, Pathfinder Player Companion, Pathfinder Tales, and Wrath of the Righteous are trademarks of
Paizo Inc. © 2015 Paizo Inc.
First printing April 2015.
Printed in China.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 4 CHAPTER 5: MONSTERS 192
Simple Monster Creation 194
CHAPTER 1: CLASSES 6 Step 1: Array 196
Barbarian 8 Step 2: Creature Type or Class Graft 204
Monk 14 Step 3: Subtype Graft 214
Rogue 20 Step 4: Template Graft 216
Summoner 25 Step 5: Size Graft 217
Fractional Base Bonuses 40 Step 6: Spells 218
Staggered Advancement 42 Step 7: Monster Options 228
Step 8: Skills 240
Step 9: Damage 241
CHAPTER 2: SKILLS AND OPTIONS 44
Monster Creation Examples 242
Background Skills 46
Consolidated Skills 54
INDEX 254
Grouped Skills 70
Alternate Crafting and Profession Rules 72
Skill Unlocks 82
Variant Multiclassing 88
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CHAPTER 3: GAMEPLAY 92
Alignment 95
Removing Alignment 100
Revised Action Economy 102
Removing Iterative Attacks 110
Stamina and Combat Tricks 112
Wound Thresholds 136
Diseases and Poisons 138
CHAPTER 4: MAGIC 142
Simplified Spellcasting 144
Spell Alterations 146
Esoteric Material Components 150
Automatic Bonus Progression 156
Innate Item Bonuses 158
Scaling Items 160
Dynamic Magic Item Creation 180
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Introduction
In 2008, Paizo released the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. NAVIGATING THIS BOOK
It was a massive project, and we gave it everything we had, Each chapter in this book presents rules that share a common
combining the best legacies of the past with fresh new ideas theme. The only exception is Chapter 3, which focuses on
to create the game you know today. rules that don’t fit in with any of the other chapters’ concepts.
But a game designer never stops tinkering. Chapter 1—Classes: Your choice of class remains one
In the years since, we’ve released tons of new rules, of the most important parts of creating a character. This
from classes and subsystems to feats and spells. Yet there chapter presents four new takes on familiar classes, which
were always those ideas too big to be touched—the shiny, have been redesigned to improve their ease of use and power
terrifying ones that could fundamentally alter the way the relative to other classes. In addition, this chapter contains
game works. Unwilling to rock the boat, we incorporated new rules that relate to character advancement.
them into our home games or set them aside. Barbarian: Though rage remains similar to its original
Until now. Within these pages, you’ll find lovingly design, it’s now easier to implement, and rage powers have
crafted refinements that fine-tune the Pathfinder RPG rules been rebalanced to become a more important part of the class.
system, and mad experiments that transform it completely. Monk: Receiving the most wide-reaching changes, the
With Pathfinder Unchained, you become the designer—which monk now has expanded options in the form of ki powers,
parts of this book you incorporate into your game, and allowing you to create exactly the monk you want to play.
which parts you leave on the shelf, are entirely your call. Rogue: The new version of the rogue gains enhancements
We’re opening up our workshop and offering you our to its combat abilities and solidifies its role as the master
best tools. What you build with them is up to you. of skills.
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Summoner: The revised version of the summoner remains
largely the same, aside from a revised spell list, but players Sources
will benefit from big changes to eidolons, which now have References to rules found in other products are marked
subtypes that flavor many of your choices. with the following abbreviations. These rules are also
Fractional Base Bonuses: This short section details a system available online for free at paizo.com/prd.
by which level-based bonuses are given as fractions, helping Advanced Class Guide ACG
to balance multiclass characters. Advanced Player’s Guide APG
Staggered Advancement: Staggered advancement allows you Advanced Race Guide ARG
to gain some of your bonuses, such as skill ranks, hit points, Ultimate Combat UC
and saving throws, at even breaks between levels. Ultimate Equipment UE
Chapter 2—Skills and Options: While much of this Ultimate Magic UM
chapter focuses on new ways to use skills in your game, it
also includes a system for replacing some of your feats with
class features from other classes. Wound Thresholds: In a normal game, characters can be on
Background Skills: This system splits skills into two the edge of death without suffering any sort of impairment.
categories: adventuring skills and background skills. This system introduces escalating penalties as a character’s
Characters get a few extra ranks in the latter, allowing hit points dwindle.
them to acquire skills that rarely come up during adventures. Diseases and Poisons: More than just ability score damage,
Consolidated Skills: This system reduces the total number the new diseases and poisons in this section include a
of skills from more than 30 to just 12. It also reduces the variety of conditions and a track that leads from healthy
overall number of skill ranks, making them easier to track. to severely impaired.
Grouped Skills: Using this system, a character can gain Chapter 4—Magic: Covering both spellcasting and
broad training in a group of skills, while specializing in magic items, the rules in this chapter both enhance and
a few subsets. place limits on the power of magic in your game.
Alternate Crafting and Profession: This section expands Simplified Spellcasting: High-level prepared casters have
the Craft and Profession rules, making them more robust a lot of work to do each morning. These spellcasters gain
parts of the game. flexibility when using this simplified casting system, but 99006644
Skill Unlocks: With these rules, a character who reaches pay for it by gaining fewer overall spells per day.
5, 10, 15, or 20 ranks in a skill unlocks various bonuses Spell Alterations: This section offers a number of different
and abilities unique to that skill. The revised rogue from possibilities for altering how spells work in your game,
Chapter 1 uses these rules extensively, but others can gain from limited power to unbridled wild magic.
access to them with a new feat. Esoteric Material Components: More than just bat guano
Variant Multiclassing: These rules allow characters to and a live cricket, these components influence the effects
dabble in other classes by swapping out feats for a limited of your spells.
selection of class features from their secondary pursuits. Automatic Bonus Progression: Characters come to rely on
Chapter 3—Gameplay: This chapter deals primarily with specific magic items to grant them the bonuses they need
combat options, but it also covers alignment and a few other to succeed. This system removes these items in favor of
game systems. bonuses all characters receive as they go up in level.
Alignment: These rules allow alignment to be a more Innate Item Bonuses: But what if you like your magic
fluid part of a character, changing over time based on the items to grant bonuses? With this option, all items grant
character’s actions and deeds. bonuses in addition to any other powers and abilities they
Removing Alignment: This section gives guidelines for might have.
removing alignment from the game entirely. Scaling Items: Scaling items, an entirely new type of
Revised Action Economy: This system streamlines the game magic item, advance in power as you gain levels, effectively
by giving each character three simple actions per turn and growing with your character.
one additional action between turns. Dynamic Magic Item Creation: This section adds adventure
Removing Iterative Attacks: Running a high-level character to the process of creating a magic item—formerly little more
can involve rolling a lot of dice every turn. This section makes than a complex math problem.
the process simpler, allowing a player to roll to attack only Chapter 5—Monsters: Finally, creating monsters for
once, while still dealing comparable damage. your game is simple with this new, easy-to-use process!
Stamina and Combat Tricks: This expansive new rules With the rules in this chapter, you can create the monster
system offers a wide variety of combat options for martially you need in a matter of minutes while still ensuring it’s
focused characters. balanced and ready for use at the table.
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he dragon roared, a
T
stream of lightning
blasting forth to scorch the
ground where Sajan had been
standing. The monk flew
backward, tucking into a flip.
“Now, Amiri!”
In response, Amiri burst
from behind a rock, bellowing
a battle cry. Her massive
sword chopped down,
shearing through the dragon’s
4444004466 forearm. Blood fountained. 99006666
“Ha!” Amiri yelled. “Nice
distraction. Maybe you monk
types are good for something
after all.”
“Insults are the surest sign
of an unsettled mind,” Sajan
said, and sprinted for the
dragon, blade raised high...
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Introduction Barbarian
Since the release of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, countless For some heroes, the rage that lives within them can’t be
game sessions have revealed that certain classes have been contained. Whether this fury is a product of heritage or of
pushing against their constraints, yearning to break free nature, these adventurers have learned to harness it, turning
into something at once familiar and new. This chapter its power against their foes. The primal warriors known
includes unchained versions of the barbarian, monk, rogue, as barbarians transform their rage into a potent weapon
and summoner, as well as subsystems that alter character on a battlefield. Heedless of their wounds and possessed
advancement. These classes can be used alongside their of unstoppable bloodlust, these savage brutes are the
original counterparts (although individual characters must embodiment of war.
use one version or the other exclusively). Some feats, rage Unchained: The unchained barbarian is similar in many
powers, rogue talents, and other rules might not work with regards to its counterpart in the Core Rulebook—she still goes
the unchained classes, and such rules should be reviewed into a rage and gains rage powers, but many of the details
before being used with the new versions. Finally, with the have been changed. Rage now grants temporary hit points
exception of the monk, these classes should work with any of and static bonuses on attack and damage rolls, rather than
the archetypes from previous books as long as the classes still bonuses to ability scores that force players to recalculate a
have the appropriate class features to replace. number of statistics. Additionally, many rage powers now
Barbarian: From a game balance perspective, the original function whenever the barbarian is raging, as opposed to
barbarian serves her role admirably, but her mechanics just once per rage. Finally, the overall utility of many of the
require the player to recalculate numerous values once rage powers has been adjusted to make them more useful
she enters a rage and keep track of a bevy of once-per-rage and interesting.
abilities. She can easily die in a fight due to the way that Alignment: Any nonlawful.
ending a rage lowers her hit points. The unchained barbarian Hit Die: d12.
significantly simplifies the rage bonus calculations, and
she gains temporary hit points instead of raising and later CLASS SKILLS
4444004477 decreasing her current and maximum hit points. Finally, she The barbarian’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str),
gains stronger versions of some of the weakest rage powers. Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge
Monk: The original monk has many disparate abilities, (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis),
which don’t always work together and are inflexible. The and Swim (Str).
unchained monk loosens up, gaining ki powers that allow Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
greater customization. The unchained monk also has a full
base attack bonus and an all-new flurry of blows. CLASS FEATURES
Rogue: The original rogue has a niche thanks to her All of the following are class features of the barbarian.
sneak attack and high number of skill ranks, but she is Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A barbarian is proficient
still somewhat underpowered. The unchained rogue can with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium
debilitate her enemies to dramatically alter her ability to hit armor, and shields (except tower shields).
or dodge them, gains a unique edge when using her favorite Fast Movement (Ex): A barbarian’s base speed is faster
skills, and enjoys a significant boost to her rogue talents. than the norm for her race by 10 feet. This benefit applies
Summoner: The original summoner has plenty of only when she is wearing no armor, light armor, or medium
innovative features, but he also lacks focus and theme. The armor, and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before
unchained summoner gains an eidolon that fits among modifying the barbarian’s speed because of any load carried
existing outsiders, gaining additional abilities and plenty or armor worn. This bonus stacks with any other bonuses to
of thematic flavor. Additionally, he has a revised spell list the barbarian’s base speed.
more in line with similar casters. Rage (Ex): A barbarian can call upon inner reserves of
Fractional Advancement: Every class has a mathematical strength and ferocity, granting her additional combat prowess.
progression for its base attack bonus and saving throws. At 1st level, a barbarian can rage for a number of rounds per day
Sometimes, multiclassing leads to unusual results, and this equal to 4 + her Constitution modifier. For each level after 1st
system allows you to calculate in detail without rounding. she possesses, the barbarian can rage for 2 additional rounds
Staggered Advancement: It can feel a bit strange when per day. Temporary increases to Constitution, such as that
a character picks up 10 new skills and a variety of other gained from bear’s endurance, do not increase the total number
abilities all in one night. This system allows you to spread of rounds that a barbarian can rage per day. A barbarian can
out advancement over the course of a level. enter a rage as a free action. The total number of rounds of
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rage per day is renewed after resting for 8 hours, although mark after seeing the result of the d20 roll. This ability can
these hours need not be consecutive. be used only once per day.
While in a rage, a barbarian gains a +2 bonus on melee Bleeding Blow (Ex): While in the powerful stance, the
attack rolls, melee damage rolls, thrown weapon damage barbarian can make an attack that causes her enemies to
rolls, and Will saving throws. In addition, she takes a –2 bleed profusely. Once per round, she can have one of her
penalty to Armor Class. She also gains 2 temporary hit points attacks deal an amount of bleed damage equal to 1/2 her
per Hit Die. These temporary hit points are lost first when a bonus damage from powerful stance. This bleed damage
character takes damage, disappear when the rage ends, and bypasses damage reduction. This bleed damage doesn’t
are not replenished if the barbarian enters a rage again within stack with itself. A barbarian must have the powerful stance
1 minute of her previous rage. While in a rage, a barbarian rage power and be at least 8th level to select this rage power.
cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based Calm Stance (Ex): The barbarian can enter a state of calm.
skill (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability While in this stance, the barbarian doesn’t gain any benefits
that requires patience or concentration (such as spellcasting). from rage other than the temporary hit points, but she
A barbarian can end her rage as a free action, and is doesn’t take any of the penalties from rage (including the
fatigued for 1 minute after a rage ends. A barbarian can’t penalty to AC and the restriction on actions she can take).
enter a new rage while fatigued or exhausted, but can
otherwise enter a rage multiple times per day. If a barbarian
falls unconscious, her rage immediately ends.
Rage Powers (Ex): As a barbarian gains levels, she learns
to use her rage in new ways. At 2nd level and every 2 levels
thereafter, the barbarian gains a rage power. A barbarian gains
the benefits of rage powers only while raging. Some of these
powers are always active during a rage, and others require the
barbarian to take an action to use them. Unless otherwise noted,
a barbarian cannot select an individual power more than once.
Some of the following rage powers are stances. Activating
a stance rage power is a move action. A barbarian can’t have 99006688
more than one stance rage power active at a time. If she
activates a stance rage power while another one is active,
the current stance immediately ends. The stance can be
intentionally ended at the beginning of the barbarian’s
turn as a free action; otherwise, it lasts until the rage ends.
Accurate Stance (Ex): The barbarian can focus her strikes.
She gains a +1 competence bonus on melee attack rolls and
thrown weapon attack rolls. This bonus increases by 1 for
every 4 levels the barbarian has. This is a stance rage power.
Animal Fury (Ex): The barbarian gains a bite attack. This is
a primary natural attack that deals 1d4 points of damage (if
the barbarian is Medium; 1d3 if the barbarian is Small) plus
the barbarian’s Strength modifier. If made as part of a full-
attack action with manufactured weapons, the bite attack
is made at the barbarian’s full base attack bonus – 5, and
she adds only 1/2 her Strength modifier to the damage roll.
The barbarian can make a bite attack as part of the action
to maintain or break free from a grapple. If the bite attack
hits, grapple checks attempted by the barbarian against the
target until the end of the round gain a +2 bonus.
Auspicious Mark (Su): The barbarian has been marked by
the spirits, as indicated by an impressive tattoo, scar, or
birthmark she possesses. As a swift action, she can call upon
the spirits’ favor to increase any d20 roll she just made by
rolling 1d6 and adding it to the result. This bonus increases
by 1 for every 4 levels she has. She can call on the auspicious
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