Skills and Feats Overview - Erroth

Skills and Feats The Erroth game combines the Pathfinder rules with Arcana Evolved (plus a few bits and pieces from other sources). As the skills and feats lists differ slightly between these two rulesets, this document provides a breakdown as to which system applies from case to case.

Skills

Pathfinder Rules Predominate

As far as the list of skills is concerned, we default to the Pathfinder rules. However, we are using a variant skills system without skill ranks - see below for details. In some instances, we adopt skills conventions from Arcana Evolved, specifically where those rules provide a more flexible or diverse approach.

Discarded Skills from Arcana Evolved

Skill Checks

Whenever your character is required to make a skill check, roll 1d20 and add the appropriate modifier. If the skill is one that you are trained in and it’s a class skill, your bonus on the skill check is equal to your character level + 3 + your relevant ability score modifier. If the skill is one that you are trained in but it’s a crossclass skill, your bonus on the skill check is equal to 1/2 (your character level + 3) + your relevant ability score modifier. If you are not trained in the skill (and it may be tried untrained) you may attempt the skill using only the bonus (or penalty) provided by the skill’s associated ability score modifier. Any racial modifiers apply to all of these rolls. See the table below for a summary.

The following skills from Arcana Evolved are not used at all. Instead, use the skill presented in the Pathfinder rules: Use Craft (alchemy) Use Bluff

Altered Skills from D&D Core Rules

The following skills are changed from the D&D Core rules, incorporating the noted elements from Arcana Evolved. Knowledge Perform

Use the list of Knowledge categories from Arcana Evolved. Knowledge (local) is still used, however. Use the Arcana Evolved system, allowing for more specific types of the skill.

Skill Acquisition

This is the largest change from the Pathfinder rules. The Erroth game uses the variant skill system presented in Unearthed Arcana, with some elements of the system presented in the first Pathfinder alpha release. Simply put, there are no skill points. Characters choose skills as described below and these are always treated as having the maximum possible number of ranks. The number of skills you can take at first level is the same as the number of skill ranks you would normally get. So a character that would receive skill ranks equal to 4 + Int instead gets a number of skills equal to 4 + Int. At every even character level after that, you gain another skill (1 at 2nd level, another at 4th, etc.) These skills can be divided into two categories: class skills and cross-class skills. Class skills are those favoured by your chosen class (or classes). Your character is most proficient in these skills, as they represent part of his professional training and constant practice. Your character can be knowledgeable in cross-class skills, but you will never be as skilled with them as you will be in those favoured by your class. Humans can choose one additional skill as a part of character creation. You do not receive additional skill choices by selecting another class at later levels aside from those provided as a part of the normal advancement process. Any class skills of the new class, however, are automatically added to your list. Any cross-class skill that is added to your class skill list, due to your new class, is immediately upgraded to the higher class skill bonus.

Skill

Skill Check is Equal To

Untrained

1d20 + Ability modifier + racial modifier

Trained Class Skill

1d20 + Character level + 3 + ability modifier + racial modifier

Trained Cross-Class skill

1d20 + 1/2 (character level +3) + ability modifier + racial modifier

Prerequisites and Minimum Skill Ranks

If you need to determine how many ranks your character has in a skill (for purposes of meeting prerequisites for prestige class or feat requirements, or for any other reason), simply assume you have the maximum number of ranks you could have in any of the skills you know. For class skills, that’s always your character level +3, and for crossclass skills it’s half that total (rounded down).

Feats

Combined Approach

Where feats are concerned, we use a fully combined approach. We use the Arcana Evolved system of Truenames, Talents and Ceremonial feats (see Arcana Evolved p.123), thus giving characters one feat more than in the PHB. All characters must choose whether they have a Truename or are Unbound. With the following provisos, characters may choose freely from either D&D or Arcana Evolved feats. Feats that affect spells and spellcasting (such as D&D’s metamagic and item creation feats and Arcana Evolved’s spell template and Craft feats) are confined to the spellcasting class that gained them. For example, a wizard cannot use the Peaceful Mage feat with his wizard spells, and a greenbond cannot use Widen Spell with her greenbond spells. As we are adopting the Arcana Evolved concept of ceremonial feats, certain PHB feats are replaced by their ceremonial versions from Arcana Evolved. I am doing this as the concept of ceremonial feats fits particularly well into the Erroth campaign, where spirits and the Gods of the Living World are an integral part of daily life.

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Skills and Feats

Alchemy Innuendo

Skill Check Bonuses

Erroth

As an additional caveat, to be judged on a case by case basis, Core D&D feats that would be treated as ceremonial if they appeared in Arcana Evolved (such as Greater Weapon Specialisation) will be treated as ceremonial feats. Finally, the Erroth game also uses a variant Favoured Class rule, rewarding levels in a character’s favoured class with bonus feats at levels 1, 5 and 10, meaning that a character can start with an additional feat for taking his first level in a favoured class.

Discarded Feats from Arcana Evolved

The following feats from Arcana Evolved are not used at all. Instead, use the feat presented in the Pathfinder or 3.5e rules. Ambidexterity Expertise Massive Two-Weapon Fighting Power Attack Rapid Reload

Folded into Two-Weapon Fighting Identical to Combat Expertise Use Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting Use the PF version of Power Attack Use the PF version of either Rapid Reload or Rapid Shot.

Altered Feats from Pathfinder Core Rules

The following feats are changed from the Pathfinder Core rules, incorporating the noted elements from Arcana Evolved. +2/+2 skill bonus

Use Skill Application from Arcana Evolved

Blind Fight

Use Sense the Unseen ceremonial feat from Arcana Evolved

Dodge

Use either Defensive Stance or Defensive Move from Arcana Evolved (the latter acts as a prerequisite for Mobility)

Exotic Weapon Proficiency

Use either Weapon Proficiency, Exotic (heavy or agile) from Arcana Evolved

Improved Unarmed Strike

Use either Unarmed Strike, Defensive or Unarmed Strike, Mighty from Arcana Evolved

Martial Weapon Proficiency

Use the Arcana Evolved version of this feat, allowing for proficiency with all martial weapons

Weapon Specialisation

Use Weapon Specialisation ceremonial feat from Arcana Evolved

Whirlwind Attack

Use Whirlwind Attack ceremonial feat from Arcana Evolved but include Spring Attack as a prerequisite

Additional Feat Options

There are also a number of additional feat options for download on the Erroth website: New Feats - a collection of new feat options, catering to several different classes. Bloodline Feats - feats for sorcerers, further developing their bloodline aspects. Regional Feats - feats specific to the Avencar region. Some of these may be appropriate for other characters.

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