Quote from: Zalman on May 03, 2025, 07:46:13 AM

Quote from: RNGm on May 02, 2025, 05:02:07 PMThis video popped up in my youtube recommendations today

Pathfinder -- where the first step in character creation is to watch a 45-minute introductory video.

I wonder how long the videos are for picking your abilities, race, spells, and gear.

Yeah, I did chuckle when he said "I'll take a minute or two to talk about each class" and then saw the 45 minute video timer...      I only got about a third of the way through before I gave up.   I just don't think half those classes needed to actually be one instead of an archetype personally.

Quote from: tenbones on May 02, 2025, 10:57:08 AMTwo iterations of 3.x *did* do this: True20 and Fantasy Craft. Both are outstanding examples of what 3.x *could* have been. I'd argue to my dying days that Fantasy Craft should have been 4e.

  I think True20's problem was that it fell between stools--not d20 enough to leverage the massive support and familiarity of that system, too d20 for those who wanted a major break--and got 'sniped' by Savage Worlds, which filled much the same niche with better support.

Fantasy Craft - Breakdown and differences between Pathfinder.

Preface: This is going to be a long dive. I'm going to try to break it up in to bite-sized pieces, and I want to *warn* everyone that the payoff is worth it. I want to avoid too much discursion on each section because trust me, it will take us down unnecessary rabbit trails that are better addressed once we see the totality of it all. Without further ado... WE DIIIIIIVE!!!

Attributes

Fantasy Craft uses the standard array of attributes for d20 with the basic same definitions but their mechanical weights are tweaked.

Strength (Str): Physical power and musculature
Dexterity (Dex): Physical grace
Constitution (Con): Health and toughness
Intelligence (Int): Ability to learn and reason
Wisdom (Wis): Common sense, intuition, and perception
Charisma (Cha): Attractiveness, personality, persuasiveness, and guile


You get 36 points to spend on attributes. You cannot purchase attributes below 8 or above 19 because you'll have racial, background and class modifiers that can cause those stats to go higher/lower.

What you use your attribute modifiers for:
Attribute Modifers
AttributeApplications
Strength        Attacks   (Melee, Unarmed),Damage (Melee, Unarmed, Hurled)   
Dexterity       Attacks   (Hurled, Ranged), Initiative, Defense, Reflex saves   
Constitution    Vitality, Wounds, Fortitude saves   
Intelligence    Knowledge checks, Skill points   
Wisdom           Will saves, Known Spells
Charisma        Lifestyle, Spell Save DC

Commentary: Okay so already we some differences. Notably, it's a point-buy and you can absolutely buy low-stats. Likewise you could use traditional 3d6 or other methods in Pathfinder. Fantasy Craft *really* wants you to build your character from the ground up. This might cause some GM's teeth to itch because they assume from past experiences this incentivizes power gaming (it does), trust me, this will blow up in the face of such gamers in FC.

One of the big differences is specifically in mental stats and what they mean in play for spellcasters. You'll note: *Wisdom* is used for known spells, *Charisma* is used for Spell Save DC's and *Intelligence* is used for Skill checks to cast spells. This is a *radical* departure from 3.x/PF which has *no* skill checks to cast spells, and Int being the singular stat to determine spells known, Concentration checks, and Wisdom and Charisma used the same for Clerics and Sorcerers/Bards respectively. The Spell DC's for Pathfinder classes are tied to class specific abilities (Charisma for Clerics Channel Energy for example) but for spells, once again it's their class primary stat: Intelligence for Arcane casters, Wisdom for Divine casters, and Charisma for hippy-casters.

This starts the dumpstating process for casters in Pathfinder. Whereas for Fantasy Craft, it has drastic effects in play as any disregard for any of these stats impacts your caster. We'll dive deeper into this when we get to classes and Spellcasting.

Origin
Origins are simple but deep. They describe your character's *Species* and *Specialty*. Species is straightfoward, it's your race. Specialty is what 5e players would think of as "Background". We'll go over both in depth.

Species/Races
Fantasy Craft is a toolkit so it doesn't have a "setting". Thus its array of 12 races (they refer to the category as Origins with the sub-category of Species) are designed to fit in any setting. I'm going to refer to them as "Races" since it's easy to reference against Pathfinder. If you want to drill down on Race to make a Sub-Race they have Feats for that.

For the sake of comparison to Pathfinder I'm going to compare the common playable races of the Dwarf, Elf, and Human then I'm going to get into a few examples of the weirder/cooler options.

Dwarf
Attributes: +4 Constitution, –2 Dexterity
• Base Speed: 20 ft.
• Banned Actions: You may not use Kick tricks or make Jump or Swim checks.
• Enlightened Skill: Choose one skill. Your maximum rank in that skill increases to your Career Level + 5. Only the highest bonus from any single enlightened ability may apply to each skill.
• Iconic Classes: If your level in any base class is higher than your level in either Keeper or Soldier, your starting action dice decrease by 2.
• Improved Stability: You're considered 1 Size category larger for carrying capacity, Trample attacks, and resisting Bull Rush and Trip attempts so long as you are standing firmly on the ground and not climbing, flying, or riding.
• Iron Gut: You gain an insight bonus equal to your Constitution modifier with saves against disease and poisons (minimum +1).
• Low-Light Vision: You ignore the effects of dim and faint light.
• Thick Hide 3: You're considered to be wearing partial armor that provides Damage Reduction 3. This DR does not stack with other armor (only the best protection applies). If you gain thick hide from multiple sources, your hide offers the highest single DR value + 1 per additional hide benefit (e.g. thick hide 4, thick hide 3, and thick hide 1 offer DR 6).

Splinter Race Feats: Hill-Born (hill dwarf), Lava-Born (magma dwarf). Unless you choose one of these, you're 'stone born' (a mountain dwarf).

Commentary: You'd recognize these stats *generally* as being pretty much what you'd expect. Dwarves are tough, they see in the dark, they're skilled at something. They're squat and slow. A few things stand out because they imply many things without overtly saying it - Banned Actions, Iconic Classes.

Banned Actions - are literally that. They are skill checks that Dwarves are not allowed to do. In this case, Dwarves cannot swim. This doesn't mean they can't float (Athletics rules cover this). In fact they can float for hours. But they can't swim. Kick Tricks - Tricks are special maneuvers that PC's can learn to do based on their skills. Most are combat oriented. Since Dwarves are squat and slow, they can't learn how to do Kick Tricks. They can still kick people, they just can't use the mechanics of the Kick Trick.

Iconic Classes - Soldier and Keeper are two PC classes. The implications are Dwarves are warriors and wise lorekeepers. So they're incentivized to take these classes (but it's not mandatory). Action Dice we'll talk about later, they're basically bonus dice you get during a session.

Pathfinder Dwarves by comparison split many of these differences into niche benefits that frankly are anemic. For instance - "Defensive Training" for Pathfinder Dwarves is +4 Dodge Bonus against... giant subtype. By comparison, the FC doesn't do AC the same way, Armor absorbs damage, and Dwarven Thick Hide works in all cases not just against some random niche subtype.

While they share the same concept with the Stability trait, the combat system for FC operate a lot differently than it does for Pathfinder. Sweet Jesus when we get to Grappling... we'll take a hard look at that.

Overall - the differences seem small. But this is setting things up for later. Remember in FC, they want you to customize your character as you see fit, not be locked into niche things for their own sake.

Elves
Attributes: +4 Wisdom, –2 Constitution
• Base Speed: 40 ft.
• Burden of Ages: Your will to live has been worn down by long ages of struggle and you find it difficult to express the fire of the younger species. Any effect that cures or restores your vitality has only 1/2 the normal effect (rounded up).
• Elf Sight: Your visual range increments are equal to your Wisdom score × 80 ft. You also ignore range penalties from the 2nd and 4th range increments while you're Aiming.
• Iconic Classes: If your level in any base class is higher than your level in either Sage or Scout, your starting action dice decrease by 2.
• Iconic Specialties: You gain your Specialty's bonus feat only if you're an Adept, Archer, Aristocrat, Artisan, Druid, Fencer, Lord, Ranger, Vanguard, or Wizard.
• Light Sleeper: Sleeping is never a Terminal Situation for you.
• Natural Elegance: Your Appearance bonus increases by +1.
• Sharp Hearing: Your hearing range increments are equal to your Wisdom score × 10 ft. Further, you may always act during a surprise round unless deafened.

Commentary: Again, it's an Elf. But the implications of what these Elves do and how they operate are mechanically different in a few ways. The whole light-sleeper thing is *powerful*. Also they are assumed to be commonly motivated culturally by the usual classes (we'll dive into that) and the game incentivizes those classes and Specialties.

Something that might make D&D players go "wuh" is the +4 to Wisdom. Keep in mind, Wisdom in FC is supposed to be representative of knowledge that is common, and how to use it. Elves are always given high Int in D&D which is supposed to be rational logic etc. even while Wisdom seems to be a better fit for an older race. That said, the mechanics of Wisdom in FC makes their casters *know more spells* - so this tracks mechanically the same way as it does in D&D and it's beefier at +4.

This is countered by their penalty to healing Vitality. In FC, Vitality = HP. Yeah that's a BIG fucking deal. but their overall bonuses are pretty hefty.

Specialties - we'll get into that in a second. They're backgrounds that give a *lot* nice abilities. Here, Elves are incentivized to take the ones from this list for a *sweet* bonus Feat that comes with those Specialities.

Pathfinder - by comparison is +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Con, Immune to Sleep and +2 Saves vs. Enchantment. More niche benefits. Their +2 bonus to overcome spell resistance is good. Their definition of Keen Senses compared to the FC version is completely bland and wet-fart sounding when stacked up against one another. +2 Perception check? okay... but it feels kinda lame. Weapon familiarity is a wash. FC handles that based on your class and player choice.

Humans
FC Humans are wild. Because Humans are supposed to be "flexible" they literally created a shit-ton of "Talents" which kind of are Human "mini-races" unto themselves. So if you make a Human, you pick one "Talent" and move on to your Specialty and Class.

Human Talents
ADAPTABLE
You can find a solution to almost any problem and it's usually wholly unexpected.
• Attributes: No modifiers
• Base Speed: 30 ft.
• Grace under Pressure: You gain a +3 bonus with any roll you boost with an action die. This bonus increases by an additional +1 at Levels 6, 11, and 16.
• Inquisitive Mind: You gain 2 additional Interests.
• Origin Skills: Choose 2 additional Origin skills.

AGILE
Your body is quicker than most eyes!
• Attributes: +2 Dexterity
• Base Speed: 30 ft.
• Double Boost: You may spend and roll 2 action dice to boost Dexterity-based skill checks.
• Natural Elegance: Your Appearance bonus increases by +1.
• Parry: You gain the Parry trick

CHARISMATIC
Your natural presence is almost overwhelming.
• Attributes: +2 Charisma
• Base Speed: 30 ft.
• Charming: Once per session, you may improve the Disposition of any 1 non-adversary NPC by 5.
• Double Boost: You may spend and roll 2 action dice to boost Charisma-based skill checks.
• Encouragement: Once per scene, you may speak to 1 of your teammates for 1 minute to grant them a +1 morale bonus with saving throws until the end of the current scene

CRUSADING
You focus is... intense.
Requirements: Alignment
• Attributes: +2 to any 1 attribute, –2 to any 1 attribute
• Base Speed: 30 ft.
• Crunch!: Your Strength-based damage rolls inflict 1 additional damage.
• Iron Will: You gain the Iron Will feat
• Higher Calling: Characters with opposing Alignments suffer a –1 penalty with skill checks targeting or opposed by you.
• Sterner Stuff: The keen quality of each attack made against you decreases by 4.

... etc. etc. Theres A LOT of them.

By comparison in Pathfinder, Humans get +2 to one stat and a single bonus Feat.

Commentary: Look I don't wanna shit on Pathfinder's humans. The problem is that I love the flexibility, but the fact is 3.x grew the game around Humans at the bottom of the pile for the most part. I almost exclusively play humans, but let's be real, +2 to a Stat and Feat is "okay" without context. Meanwhile in Fantasy Craft, you're agency is engaged by having a "Talent" that's going to synergize with your Specialty (Background) that's going to make your Class *awesome* from the jump. Most Talents give you a +2 bonus on a stat, as well as specific abilities that underpin your concept. In Pathfinder... it's just... meh.

Other Fantasy Craft races

Drake - You're "basically" a Dragon. They do make the distinction that you're Dragon-kin. But I see dragon.
Giant- You're a fucking Giant! Yep. A GIANT. Not a half-giant. Not a quasi-giant - but a GIANT-ass Giant.
Goblin
Ogre
Orc
Pech - Pech's are their catch-all for halflings/gnomes. Feats modify them for sub-races. Out of the way, Pech!
Rootwalker - Treant, Plant-people
Saurian - Pick your favorite reptile/dinosaur/lizard folk, go wild.
Unborn - Undead, Robot, automaton.

ALL of these races have a ton of options of each one. They're designed for you to make them your own for your setting.

Speaking of Specialty...

Specialty
Specialty is effectively your PC's history and background *before* you pick your Class. I'm going to make the list, and give some examples so you get an idea of how powerful these backgrounds are. Everyone gets to pick one. You're going to notice that most of your traditional D&D Classes are treated as "Specialties" this is because they define their classes a little more specifically than D&D, they felt that D&D classes described "jobs" and "callings" more than the fundamental "classes" they present. We'll go over those when we get to classes.

ACROBAT
Your grace and flexibility amaze.
• Bonus Feat: Basic Skill Mastery (Robber)
• Agile Defense: Your base Defense increases by 1.
• Attribute Training: The lower of your Strength or Dexterity scores increases by 1 (your choice if a tie). Apply this bonus after any modifiers from your Species or Talent.
• Fast: Your Speed increases by 10 ft.
• Practiced Athletics: If you spend an action die to boost an Athletics check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.

ADEPT
You collect lost knowledge from all over the world.
• Bonus Feat: Any 1 Spellcasting feat
• Free Hint: Once per session, you may request a free hint from the GM. If he refuses, you gain 1 bonus action die.
• Heroism: You gain a +1 bonus with all attack and skill checks you make during Dramatic scenes.
• Practiced Search: If you spend an action die to boost a Search check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.
• Turning: Choose a Type from the following list: animal, beast, construct, elemental, fey, horror, ooze, outsider, plant, spirit, or undead. Once per combat you may Turn characters of this Type

ADVENTURER
You chart your own course, exploring tombs one day and rescuing damsels the next.
• Bonus Feat: Adventurer's Luck
• Glory-Bound: You may purchase Heroic Renown for 40 Reputation per rank.
• More than Luck: You gain 1 additional starting action die.

ARCHER
You've made a living by the bow, as a hunter or perhaps a warrior.
• Bonus Feat: Bow Basics
• Animal Turning: Once per combat you may Turn animals
• Bow Hunter: You inflict 2 additional damage on standard characters with a bow.
• Bow Proficiency: You gain the Bow proficiency.
• Camouflage: Choose a terrain: aquatic, arctic, caverns/mountains, desert, forest/jungle, indoors/settled, plains, or swamp. You gain a +5 gear bonus with Blend checks while in that terrain.

ARISTOCRAT
You're a child of nobility or wealthy parents, accustomed to living a life of privilege.
• Bonus Feat: Basic Skill Mastery (Actor)
• Charming: Once per session, you may improve the Disposition of any 1 non-adversary NPC by 5.
• Flashy: Your Panache rises by 2.
• Noble Blood: You may purchase Noble Renown for 40 Reputation per rank (see page 187).
• Origin Skill: Choose 1 additional Origin skill.

ARTISAN
Your mastery of the arts makes you a welcome guest in any land.
• Bonus Feat: Crafting Basics
• Celebrated: Your Legend increases by 2.
• Crafting Focus: You gain 1 Crafting skill focus.
• Natural Elegance: Your Appearance bonus increases by +1.
• Practiced Crafting: If you spend an action die to boost a Crafting check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.

BARBARIAN
You're a savage warrior, driven by sheer fury.
• Bonus Feat: Rage Basics
• Fast: Your Speed increases by 10 ft.
• Tenacious Spirit: You gain 1 additional vitality per level.
• Trap Sense: You may roll twice when making Reflex saves prompted by security devices and traps, keeping the result you prefer.

BARD
You hold the night at bay with practical wisdom and good cheer, commonly using stories and song.
• Bonus Feat: Well-Rounded
• Beguiling: When you successfully Taunt a standard character, you may decline the standard result to have your target become fixated on you for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma score. If you gain this benefit from multiple sources you may also damage the target once without interrupting his fixation (you may do this only once, no matter how many times you gain the benefit).
• Encouragement: Once per scene, you may speak to 1 of your teammates for 1 minute to grant them a +1 morale
bonus with saving throws until the end of the current scene.
• Free Hint: Once per session, you may request a free hint from the GM. If he refuses, you gain 1 bonus action
die.
• Practiced Impress: If you spend an action die to boost an Impress check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.

CAVALIER
You've been trained to fight from the saddle.
• Bonus Feat: Favored Gear (mount)
• Crunch!: Your Strength-based damage rolls inflict 1 additional damage.
• Glory-Bound: You may purchase Heroic Renown for 40 Reputation per rank.
• Practiced Ride: If you spend an action die to boost a Ride check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.
• Triumphant Swing: You gain the Triumphant Swing trick.

CLERIC
A servant of faith, you're both herald of their will and shepherd of their followers.
Requirements: Alignment
• Bonus Feat: Any 1 Chance feat
• Charming: Once per session, you may improve the Disposition of any 1 non-adversary NPC by 5.
• Field Medicine: You are always considered to have a doctor's bag.
• Paired Skills: Each time you gain ranks in the Resolve skill, you gain equal ranks in the Medicine skill. This may  not increase your Medicine skill beyond its maximum rank.
• Turning: Choose a Type from the following list: animal, beast, construct, elemental, fey, horror, ooze, outsider, plant, spirit, or undead. Once per combat you may Turn characters of this Type.

CORSAIR
Yarrrr!
• Bonus Feat: Basic Skill Mastery (Officer)
• Agile Defense: Your base Defense increases by 1.
• Flashy: Your Panache increases by 2.
• Terrifying Look: The Will save DCs of stress damage you inflict increase by 4.
• Water Vehicle Focus: You gain the Ride skill's Water Vehicles focus.

CRIMINAL
What's mine is mine and what's yours is about to be mine.
• Bonus Feat: Basic Skill Mastery (Pickpocket)
• Attribute Training: The lower of your Dexterity or Intelligence scores increases by 1 (your choice if a tie).
Apply this bonus after any modifiers from your Species or Talent.
• Cheap Shot: You gain the Cheap Shot trick.
• Fast: Your Speed increases by 10 ft.
• Practiced Intimidate: If you spend an action die to boost an Intimidate check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.

DRAGOON
You're trained as mounted light infantry, fighting from horseback and on foot with carbine and blade.
Requirements: Reason Era or later
• Bonus Feat: Quick Draw
• Black Powder Proficiency: You gain the Black Powder proficiency.
• Commissioned: You may purchase Military Renown for 40 Reputation per rank.
• Edged Proficiency: You gain the Edged proficiency.
• Paired Skills: Each time you gain 1 or more ranks in the Ride skill, you gain equal ranks in the Tactics skill. This may not increase your Tactics skill beyond its maximum rank.

DRUID
You're a servant of nature, at home in the world of men and in the wild.
• Bonus Feat: Animal Partner
• Attribute Training: The lower of your Constitution or Wisdom scores increases by 1 (your choice if a tie).
Apply this bonus after any modifiers from your Species or Talent.
• Practiced Medicine: If you spend an action die to boost a Medicine check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.
• Practiced Survival: If you spend an action die to boost a Survival check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.
• Trackless Step: The DCs of Tracking checks to follow your trail increase by 10.

FENCER
You've made a name for yourself with footwork and swordplay.
• Bonus Feat: Fencing Basics
• Decisive: You gain a +5 bonus with Initiative.
• Edged Proficiency: You gain the Edged proficiency.
• Fast: Your Speed increases by 10 ft.
• Parry: You gain the Parry trick.

FIGHTER
You're no stranger to the battlefield; you've already survived some tough fights and have the scars to prove it!
• Bonus Feat: Armor Basics
• Attribute Training: The lower of your Strength or Constitution scores increases by 1 (your choice if a tie). Apply this bonus after any modifiers from your Species or Talent.
• Extra Proficiency: You gain 4 additional proficiencies or tricks.
• Melee Combat Expert: You're considered to have 2 additional Melee Combat feats for any ability based on the number of Melee Combat feats you have.

FIST
Your rigorous discipline has toughened your mind and body, turning you into a living weapon of the highest caliber.
• Bonus Feat: Two-Hit Combo
• Attribute Training: The lower of your Strength or Wisdom scores increases by 1 (your choice if a tie). Apply this bonus after any modifiers from your Species or Talent.
• Fast: Your Speed increases by 10 ft.
• Practiced Acrobatics: If you spend an action die to boost an Acrobatics check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.
• Unarmed Proficiency: You gain the Unarmed proficiency.

GLADIATOR
You were raised in the brutal world of death sports, carving out a reputation in blood and steel.
• Bonus Feat: Combat Instincts
• Crunch!: Your Strength-based damage rolls inflict 1 additional damage.
• Extra Proficiency: You gain 1 additional proficiency or trick.
• Harsh Beating: The Fortitude save DCs of subdual damage you inflict increase by 4.
• Paired Skills: Each time you gain 1 or more ranks in the Athletics skill, you gain equal ranks in the Impress skill. This may not increase your Impress skill beyond its maximum rank.

GUARDIAN
You're a professional bodyguard, trained to be alert and to sacrifice yourself if necessary to save your charge.
• Bonus Feat: Elusive
• Practiced Notice: If you spend an action die to boost a Notice check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.
• Step In: Once per combat, you may choose to receive all of 1 attack's damage on an adjacent character. Your Damage Reduction and Damage Resistance apply normally.
• Tenacious Spirit: You gain 1 additional vitality per level.

LORD
You're a paragon of your people, a genuine champion who leads from the front in times of strife.
• Bonus Feat: Followers
• Noble Blood: You may purchase Noble Renown for 40 Reputation per rank.
• Practiced Tactics: If you spend an action die to boost a Tactics check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.
• Stand Together: You gain a +2 morale bonus to Defense and all saves when at least 2 adjacent characters share your Species.

MERCHANT
The wheels of commerce don't turn themselves.
• Bonus Feat: Basic Skill Mastery (Trader)
• Attribute Training: The lower of your Intelligence or Charisma scores increases by 1 (your choice if a tie).
Apply this bonus after any modifiers from your Species or Talent.
• Linguist: You gain 2 additional Languages.
• Paired Skills: Each time you gain 1 or more ranks in the Haggle skill, you gain equal ranks in the Search skill. This may not increase your Search skill beyond its maximum rank.
• Thrifty: Your Prudence increases by 2.

MINER
You've bent your back digging riches from the earth's bosom — experience that's surprisingly useful in your adventuring career!
• Bonus Feat: Pathfinder Basics (caverns/mountains)
• Blunt Proficiency: You gain the Blunt proficiency.
• Paired Skills: Each time you gain 1 or more ranks in the Athletics skill, you gain equal ranks in the Crafting skill. This may not increase your Crafting skill beyond its maximum rank.
• Stonecutting Focus: You gain the Crafting skill's Stonecutting focus.
• Unbreakable: Each time you suffer attribute impairment, it decreases by 1 (minimum 0).
• Warding Strike: You gain the Warding Strike trick

MUSKETEER
You're a member of an elite corps trained to use early blackpowder weapons.
Requirements: Reason Era or later
• Bonus Feat: Bullseye
• Attribute Training: The lower of your Dexterity or Wisdom scores increases by 1 (your choice if a tie). Apply this bonus after any modifiers from your Species or Talent.
• Black Powder Proficiency: You gain the Black Powder proficiency.
• Called Shot: You gain the Called Shot trick.
• Commissioned: You may purchase Military Renown for 40 Reputation per rank.
• Heroism: You gain a +1 bonus with all attack and skill checks you make during Dramatic scenes.

MYSTIC
You're a folk healer using hidden lore and a hint of magic to assist your community.
• Bonus Feat: The Gift
• Attribute Training: The lower of your Constitution or Charisma scores increases by 1 (your choice if a tie).
Apply this bonus after any modifiers from your Species or Talent.
• Inquisitive Mind: You gain 2 additional Interests.
• Paired Skills: Each time you gain 1 or more ranks in the Investigate skill, you gain equal ranks in the Medicine skill. This may not increase your Medicine skill beyond its maximum rank.
• Sharp Mind: You gain 1 additional skill point per level.

NOMAD
Your travels have led you far and wide and introduced you to many tribes.
• Bonus Feat: Basic Skill Mastery (Horseman).
• Animal Empathy: The Dispositions of non-adversary animals increase by 5.
• Attribute Training: The lower of your Dexterity or Constitution scores increases by 1 (your choice if a tie).
Apply this bonus after any modifiers from your Species or Talent.
• Linguist: You gain 2 additional Languages.
• Practiced Haggle: If you spend an action die to boost a Haggle check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.
• Trackless Step: The DCs of Tracking checks to follow your trail increase by 10.

PHYSICIAN
With poultice and scalpel, medicine and bandages, you can hold death itself at bay... for a time.
Requirements: Ancient Era or later
• Bonus Feat: Basic Skill Mastery (Healer)
• Chemistry Focus: You gain the Crafting skill's Chemistry focus.
• Contagion Sense: You may roll twice when making Fortitude saves prompted by disease and poison, keeping the result you prefer.
• Edged Proficiency: You gain the Edged proficiency.
• Paired Skills: Each time you gain 1 or more ranks in the Medicine skill, you gain equal ranks in the Crafting skill. This may not increase your Crafting skill beyond its maximum rank.

RANGER
You're an experienced woodsman specializing in the careful study and decimation of certain enemies.
• Bonus Feat: Battlefield Trickery
• Animal Empathy: The Dispositions of non-adversary animals increase by 5.
• Camouflage: Choose a terrain: aquatic, arctic, caverns/mountains, desert, forest/jungle, indoors/settled, plains, or swamp. You gain a +5 gear bonus with Blend checks while in that terrain.
•  Favored Foes: Choose 2 Types: animal, beast, construct, elemental, fey, folk, horror, ooze, outsider, plant, spirit, or undead. Your threat range increases by 2 when attacking and making Notice, Sense Motive, and Survival checks targeting standard characters of the chosen Types. You may choose an additional Type at Career Levels 6, 11, and 16.

ROGUE
Your methods are sometimes shifty but also quite effective.
• Bonus Feat: Ambush Basics
• Practiced Sneak: If you spend an action die to boost a Sneak check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.
• Sharp Mind: You gain 1 additional skill point per level.
• Trap Sense: You may roll twice when making Reflex saves prompted by security devices and traps, keeping the result you prefer.

SHAMAN
You're a holy man, communing with the ancients to pass down their wisdom.
• Bonus Feat: Blessed
• Attribute Training: The lower of your Wisdom or Charisma scores increases by 1 (your choice if a tie). Apply this bonus after any modifiers from your Species or Talent.
• Contagion Sense: You may roll twice when making Fortitude saves prompted by disease and poison, keeping the result you prefer.
• Origin Skill: Choose 1 additional Origin skill.
• Practiced Sense Motive: If you spend an action die to boost a Sense Motive check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.

SHIELD BEARER
As a hoplite, legionnaire, or huscarl, you're trained in the particulars of shoulder-to-shoulder warfare with a shield.
• Bonus Feat: Shield Basics
• Agile Defense: Your base Defense increases by 1.
• Blunt Proficiency: You gain the Blunt proficiency.
• Melee Combat Expert: You're considered to have 2 additional Melee Combat feats for any ability based on the number of Melee Combat feats you have.
• Practiced Resolve: If you spend an action die to boost a Resolve check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.
• Shield Block: You gain the Shield Block trick.

SORCERER
Your cold, calculating demeanor suggests something not quite natural in your ancestry.
• Bonus Feat: Any 1 Species feat
• Charming: Once per session, you may improve the Disposition of any 1 non-adversary NPC by 5.
• Paired Skills: Each time you gain 1 or more ranks in the Spellcasting skill, you gain equal ranks in the Intimidate skill. This may not increase your Intimidate skill beyond its maximum rank.
• Terrifying Look: The Will save DCs of stress damage you inflict increase by 4.

SWINDLER
You've learned a lot by keeping your eyes open and your mouth shut.
• Bonus Feat: Basic Skill Mastery (Spy)
• Attribute Training: The lower of your Dexterity or Charisma scores increases by 1 (your choice if a tie). Apply this bonus after any modifiers from your Species or Talent.
• Beguiling: When you successfully Taunt a standard character, you may decline the standard result to have your target become fixated on you for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma score. If you gain this benefit from multiple sources you may also damage the target once without interrupting his fixation (you may do this only once, no matter how many times you gain the benefit).
• Charming: Once per session, you may improve the Disposition of any 1 non-adversary NPC by 5.
• Practiced Bluff: If you spend an action die to boost a Bluff check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.

TRIBESMAN
You hail from a simple society that lives off the land.
• Bonus Feat: Basic Skill Mastery (Athlete)
• Extra Proficiency: You gain 1 additional proficiency or trick.
• Game Hunter: You inflict 2 additional damage on standard animals and beasts.
• Paired Skills: Each time you gain 1 or more ranks in the Resolve skill, you gain equal ranks in the Survival skill. This may not increase your Survival skill beyond its maximum rank.
• Thick Hide 2: You're considered to be wearing partial armor that provides Damage Reduction 2. This DR does not stack with other armor (only the best protection applies). If you gain thick hide from multiple sources, your hide offers the highest single DR value + 1 per additional hide benefit (e.g. thick hide 4, thick hide 3, and thick hide 1 offer DR 6).

VANGUARD
You're an elite guardian of your people, determined to protect them from all threats.
• Bonus Feat: Misdirection Basics
• Basic Combat Expert: You're considered to have 1 additional Basic Combat feat for any ability based on the number of Basic Combat feats you have.
• Charming: Once per session, you may improve the Disposition of any 1 non-adversary NPC by 5.
• Paired Skills: Each time you gain 1 or more ranks in the Resolve skill, you gain equal ranks in the Impress skill. This may not increase your Impress skill beyond its maximum rank.
• Stand Together: You gain a +2 morale bonus to Defense and all saves when at least 2 adjacent characters share your Species.

WARDEN
You patrol the fringes of civilization to ensure nothing comes upon your community unexpectedly.
• Bonus Feat: Pathfinder Basics (any 1)
• Attribute Training: The lower of your Intelligence or Wisdom scores increases by 1 (your choice if a tie). Apply this bonus after any modifiers from your Species or Talent.
• Decisive: You gain a +5 bonus with Initiative.
• Practiced Investigate: If you spend an action die to boost an Investigate check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.
• Unbreakable: Each time you suffer attribute impairment, it decreases by 1 (minimum 0).

WIZARD
Your mastery of arcane lore ensures you're in high demand as counsel in delicate matters.
• Bonus Feat: Spell Library
• Broad Learning: You gain 2 additional Studies.
• Encouragement: Once per scene, you may speak to 1 of your teammates for 1 minute to grant them a +1 morale bonus with saving throws until the end of the current scene.
• Practiced Spellcasting: If you spend an action die to boost a Spellcasting check and it still fails, you gain the die back after the action is resolved. Against multiple targets you only regain the die if the check fails against all of them.
• Thrifty: Your Prudence increases by 2.

Commentary: PHEW!!! Okay... so I decided to list them all (and now my fingers hurt). I decided I wanted to show you guys the *sheer* amount of options available *before even got to classes*. I don't need to explain what "Action Dice" are or what Prudence is, or the other subsystems - suffice to say all of it is optional anyhow. But anyone with a casual understanding of Pathfinder/3.x can look at these backgrounds and assimilate them pretty easy. Just imagine if you could add them to your standard 3.x/PF/5e character and yeah... it's eyebrow raising.

I know this is going to generate a lot of questions. But I need to end this here. Next post will cover Careers (Classes) and how they work (including Multi-Classing, Expert Classes) and tie a lot of this together. I'll do a direct comparison to Pathfinder classes too that approximate their FC counterparts.

As a sneak-preview the official classes in the Fantasy Core book are:

Assassin
Burglar
Captain
Courtier
Explorer
Keeper
Lancer
Mage
Priest
Sage
Scout
Soldier

Expert Classes
Alchemist
Beastmaster
Edgemaster
Paladin
Rune Knight
Swashbuckler

Thanks for the rundown!   I took a look at True20 this weekend and was/am planning on looking at Fantasy Craft this week as well.  I'll reiterate that I'm not a fan of their classes and specialties overlapping thematically and linguistically so much but so be it.  I do like the way they split the various functions of spell casting across all the mental attributes similar to how martial combat is split across the physical ones (str for melee hit, dex for ranged hit and ac, con for hp to take damage, etc).

Dang Tenbones, admire the passion and dedication to details. You've gotten be interested in the game.

Quote from: Mistwell on May 04, 2025, 10:37:28 PMDang Tenbones, admire the passion and dedication to details. You've gotten be interested in the game.

Interest, love/hate, awe. It's all wrapped up here. 3.x for me was an illusion I failed my saving throw on (like many did when it arrived). As you'll see when I keep the breakdown rolling, the *sheer* work that Patrick Kapera and Alex Flagg did on trying to mechanically balance the game and make it an open-ended toolkit while being faithful to 3.x is pretty astounding. The greatest fault to their endeavor was the fact they released in the same time period as Pathfinder. They never had a chance.

Quote from: RNGm on May 04, 2025, 07:38:20 PMThanks for the rundown!   I took a look at True20 this weekend and was/am planning on looking at Fantasy Craft this week as well.  I'll reiterate that I'm not a fan of their classes and specialties overlapping thematically and linguistically so much but so be it.  I do like the way they split the various functions of spell casting across all the mental attributes similar to how martial combat is split across the physical ones (str for melee hit, dex for ranged hit and ac, con for hp to take damage, etc).

Yeah it felt "wrong" to me too. But there is a genius to it in that "classes" as we know it from D&D/PF never really described what they "were" as a profession. FC tries to do that. The design concept was that while you might in fact DO these things as a class, they wanted to give you some meat on the bones to show that there are mechanical distinctions between our two Fighters based on our presumed history. FC was the first 3.x game in d20 to do that (as far as I can recall). Those Specialties are pretty damn beefy by 3.x design standards.

What I found was that it checked a box with my players that they didn't know existed: they liked the differentiation and distinction that the Specialties added to what they *expected* from a Core Class. i.e. not all Fighters are just Fighters. But we'll look at that together when I cover the Classes and we'll put it all together side by side with a Pathfinder character.

I was just like you when I saw FC for the first time. I was like... WTF... then when I saw the classes I was like... Ohhhhhhh...

Quote from: tenbones on Today at 09:01:04 AMWhat I found was that it checked a box with my players that they didn't know existed: they liked the differentiation and distinction that the Specialties added to what they *expected* from a Core Class. i.e. not all Fighters are just Fighters. But we'll look at that together when I cover the Classes and we'll put it all together side by side with a Pathfinder character.

I was just like you when I saw FC for the first time. I was like... WTF... then when I saw the classes I was like... Ohhhhhhh...

I fully admit that it might just be that I'm a D&D curmudgeon too set in my ways but using those terms (fighter, rogue, ranger) as the origin/specialty instead of the class feels off.  It's not so much that there is overlap between the classes (though that is a smaller part of it) but that it feels like they swapped them just to be different superficially.  I'd have preferred if the "specialty" was burglar, courtier, or scout instead of class since, for example, a wizard with the mage hand spell trained in stealth/sleight of hand as skills can have a penchant for wanting things without paying for them.  I fully admit that it's functionally no different but I can't help but feel like they got it backwards ...

Again, regardless, I appreciate the detailed rundowns you'll be doing as I'm going over the ruleset this week and it'll give me some points to take note of an read in detail as opposed to skimming when I'm taking notes (which I actually do, lol!).   I informally looked at a whole bunch of rulesets over the past two years since the OGL debacle and they all eventually blended into each other so I decided a couple months back to do a more organized look along with taking notes on each ruleset about mechanics/ideas that I like.  With Fantasy Craft, splitting up the mental attributes so that they all contribute to casting would be one that I'd be interested in using as well.  I'm ashamed to admit that prior to Shadowdark's first kickstarter that I was one of the folks that Pundit laments about who thought that the OSR was just a bunch of old D&D retroclones!

Fantasy Craft Classes

Fantasy Craft designed its classes around what they perceived as five general roles that exist within a campaign/adventuring party.

Backers - classes that improve overall party performance
Combatants - classes that whip that ass.
Specialists - classes that are super-good at one thing
Talkers - Yakkety-yak classes that do all the social stuff
Wildcards - Charlie Kelly classes, that just do all kinds of shit and fill in.

So before we dig into the classes let's go over how FC classes are structured. You have the usual stuff - Skills and Skill point acquisition rates, Vitality (HP), and Proficiencies as well as Base Attack Bonus rate and Defense bonus (AC). I'll note here also that Vitality is *not* rolled every level. Your class gives you a set amount because Vitality does not represent actual physical damage - it represents your luck, fatigue and will to win. This is a strict demarcation from the standard D&D assumption of HP. When you run out of Vitality, you go into Wounds (this number never changes), and this is where you're taking actual physical damage. We'll get into this when put it altogether later.

Each class has a Core Ability - which is the defining ability of your class. It's important to note this because if you multi-class you only *ever* get the Core Ability of your first class. I'm going to cover the more conventional classes for sake of comparison, and I'll list the unique ones and cover them if people are interested.

Action Dice - Are basically "Bennies" like in Savage Worlds. You spend them to confirm Crits, or Critical Failures when the GM rolls a 1. You can also use them to add to your rolls to hit, burn them to give you a Defense boost for the round. And they explode (rolling highest value forces another roll which adds again).

One last thing - FC acknowledges most campaigns never gets to 20th level. So all classes are designed to hit their "capstone" ability at 14th. This is a great way of letting players not get bamboozled into class when most games never go the distance. This is not to say 14th level is always achievable, but it's definitely a lot more achievable than 20.



That said... on to the classes.

The Assassin
CLASS FEATURES
Favored Attributes: Charisma, Strength, Wisdom
Class Skills: Blend, Bluff, Crafting, Disguise, Intimidate, Notice, Prestidigitation, Resolve, Sense Motive, Tactics
Skill Points: 6 + Int modifier per level
Vitality: 9 + Con modifier per level
Starting Proficiencies: 4

CORE ABILITY
Heartseeker: Your base attack bonus is considered equal to your Career Level when you attack a special character and when choosing feats, though so long as this improved bonus is needed to meet a feat's prerequisites you may only use the feat's abilities against special characters.

Commentary: So you might going, WTF does this mean? FC uses mook-rules. "Special Characters" means actual bosses. Mooks drop like flies so you don't really need to worry about killing them outright. So for the Assassin, when striking from stealth they attack like a Soldier does (BAB = Level). This is intensely deadly for an Ambush. Also note: the get 9 Vitality/level, which is pretty stout.

Assassin Class Abilities
Hand of Death: At Level 1, each time you fail a Blend or Resolve check and don't suffer an error, you still succeed as long as the check DC (or your opponent's check result) is equal to or less than your Class Level + 20. If several grades of success are possible, you achieve only the lowest possible positive result. If you gain this ability for either skill from two or more classes, add together your levels in all classes granting the ability when determining its effect.

Commentary: This again, may seem "whut"? but it has to do with how "backstab" works in FC. So backstabs and crits *ignore* Vitality. They go straight to your Wounds (which is basically your Constitution score. Imagine playing 5e and Crits go to your Constitution... and at 0, you're dead, Jim. Yeah... UGLY.

Cold Read: You easily pick up people's social cues and details about their private lives. At Level 2, once per session as a free action, you may ask the GM a number of personal questions equal to your starting action dice about a character you can see and hear. Sample questions include "What does he do for a living?" and "What is her favorite author?" The target may conceal an answer by spending 1 action die per question ignored. You may target each character with this ability only once per session.At Levels 11 and 19, you may use this ability 1 additional time per session.

Quick on Your Feet: You often have to think fast in your line of work. At Level 3, you make trained Disguise checks even when you lack a kit. Also, once per session, you may make a Mask or Ambush check as a free action. At Levels 7, 11, 15, and 19, you may use this ability 1 additional time per session.

Unspoken Name: People speak of your growing legend, though more often with fear than admiration. At Levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20, you gain 1 rank of Heroic renown and a +1 bonus with Intimidate checks targeting any character who knows about at least one of your previous kills.

Blade Practice: You're familiar with many violent tools. At Level 5, once per adventure, you may spend 1 hour practicing to gain 1 temporary Melee Combat feat of your choice until the end of the current adventure. At Levels 9, 13, and 17, you may use this ability 1 additional time per adventure.

Masks: You hide your motives and even your identity under many layers of misdirection. At Levels 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18, you may choose 1 of the following abilities. Each of these abilities may be chosen only once.

• Always Ready: You may always act during surprise rounds.
• Black Vial: You gain a +5 bonus with saves against poison. Also, the DC to save against poison you use increases by 5.
• Convincing: Once per session, you may force an opponent to re-roll a successful skill check that would penetrate your disguise. You may not force an opponent to re-roll a
critical success.
• Expertise: Choose one: Blend, Bluff, Crafting, Disguise, Intimidate, Notice, Prestidigitation, Resolve, Sense Motive, or Tactics. Taking 10 with this skill doesn't take twice as long and taking 20 takes only 10 times as long.
• Fake It: You may credibly pretend to possess a skill you don't actually have, gaining a +20 bonus with Bluff checks made to feign its use until the end of the scene. This does not actually allow you to use the skill — it merely allows you to act like you can. Thus, you could stand next to a physician working on the injured and pretend to know what's going on but you couldn't perform a surgery yourself. You may use this ability a number of times per session equal to your starting action dice.
• Follow My Lead: Through a mixture of fast-talk and convincing performance you can shield others from scrutiny. Whenever you're present with a hero who's in disguise, they gain a Disguise check bonus equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum +1).
• Offer They Can't Refuse: Your bribery bonuses are doubled.
• Sneak Attack: You gain an additional die of sneak attack damage.

Bald-Faced Lie: At Level 10, once per session when you lie to any character, they believe it as truth for a number of minutes equal to your Class Level. Thereafter the target may begin to question the lie, depending on the circumstances. This ability may not support any statement the target absolutely knows to be a lie (e.g. "the sky is green" when it's a clear day and you're both outdoors). If you use this ability on a special character, they may make
a Will save (DC 10 + your Class Level) to see through the deception. At Level 20, you may use this ability up to twice per session.

The capstone ability...
Finish Him!: You've elevated the murder of influential and dangerous foes to an art form. At Level 14, your threat range with attacks and skill checks targeting special characters increases by 4. Also, when one of your attacks or actions would kill a special character, they cannot Cheat Death

Commentary: Yeah, so that means on top of whatever Edges, gear etc. that lowers their Critical Threat range... this level of Assassin drops it 4 more places. This means you're *going to DIE* if he hits you. And if you don't, you're goddamn lucky.

Okay so this was the Assassin class. Kind of an oblique opener, but I thought it's a good one to give you an idea that FC takes their class concepts *super* serious. They're not half-stepping you with weak-ass options. Every ability is keyed directly into making you Metal Gear Solid. You can infiltrate, stealth-execute and exit. It *reeks* of cool. The abilities reinforce the playstyle and experience that players want from the class. Reading this with fresh eyes, it reminds me as an exception of a rule on why I dislike WotC d20 post-3.x. They make the mechanics the actual game. Whereas FC creates unique mechanics to reinforce a playstyle that is rooted in the game. I look at the Warlock class in 5e, for instance, and see it as a pile of mechanics that exists solely to play with itself outside the assumptions of the settings. FC's class mechanics are rooted wholly into its classes and how they're supposed to operate within any setting. And it's good. And that surprises me that I'm surprised.



Okay - time for something more conventional... This is Fantasy Craft's answer to the Pathfinder Rogue.

The Burglar
CLASS FEATURES
Favored Attributes: Dexterity, Wisdom
Class Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, Crafting, Haggle, Investigate, Notice, Prestidigitation, Ride, Search, Sneak, Tactics
Skill Points: 8 + Int modifier per level
Vitality: 6 + Con modifier per level
Starting Proficiencies: 3

CORE ABILITY
Dexterous: You excel at tasks requiring nimble fingers and precise eye-hand coordination. Each time you spend 1 action die to boost a Dexterity-based skill check, you roll and add the results of 2 dice (e.g. at Career Level 1, 1d4 becomes 2d4).

CLASS ABILITIES
Very, Very Sneaky: At Level 1, each time you fail an Acrobatics or Sneak check and don't suffer an error, you still succeed as long as the check DC (or your opponent's check result) is equal to or less than your Class
Level + 20. If several grades of success are possible, you achieve only the lowest possible positive result.
If you gain this ability for either skill from two or more classes, add together your levels in all classes granting the ability when determining its effect.

Evasion I: At Level 2, whenever you aren't flat-footed and make a successful Reflex save to reduce damage, you suffer no damage at all.

Evasion II: At Level 11, whenever you aren't flat-footed and fail a Reflex save to reduce damage, you suffer only 1/2 damage (rounded down).

Evasion III: At Level 19, you may forego rolling when making a Reflex save, instead setting your result to your Reflex save bonus + 10.

Bonus Feat: You're focused and cunning, engaging in larceny and assault with equal ease. At Levels 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19, you gain 1 additional Melee Combat or Covert feat.

Uncanny Dodge I: Your senses are supremely sharp, letting you react quickly to danger. At Level 4, you retain your Dexterity bonus to Defense (if any) even when flat-footed.

Uncanny Dodge II: At Level 8, you never become flanked.

Uncanny Dodge III: At Level 12, you gain a +4 bonus with Reflex saves made to avoid traps, as well as a +4 bonus to Defense against attacks made by traps.

Uncanny Dodge IV: At Level 16, the first time in each scene when an attack reduces you to 0 or fewer wounds, the attack instead misses you.

Uncanny Dodge V: At Level 20, you never become flat-footed and may not be targeted with Coup de Grace actions unless you're held, paralyzed, or unconscious.

Bag of Tricks: You know a hundred ways to use the shadows to your advantage. At Levels 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18, you may choose 1 of the following abilities. Each of these abilities may be chosen only once.
• Bloody Mess: You inflict particularly heinous wounds. At the start of each round when an opponent is bleeding from one of your attacks, he suffers additional damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).
• Expertise: Choose one: Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, Crafting, Haggle, Investigate, Notice, Prestidigitation, Ride, Search, Sneak, or Tactics. Taking 10 with this skill doesn't take twice as long and taking 20 takes only 10 times as long.
• He Did It!: When you successfully Taunt an opponent you may force him to attack any character adjacent to you (other than himself). You may use this ability a number of times per scene equal to your starting action dice.
• Look Out!: Each ally and teammate within 10 ft. who can see and hear you gains the benefits of uncanny dodge I. This does not stack with uncanny dodge abilities they already have.
• Slippery: You often trip opponents up with their own attacks. Once per round when an adjacent opponent's attack misses you by 5 or more, you may immediately attempt to Tire the opponent as a free action. You may substitute Acrobatics in place of Resolve for this action.
• Sneak Attack: You gain an additional die of sneak attack damage.
• Stick Close and Don't Make a Sound: When you make a Sneak check, a single adjacent ally or teammate may share your result. The character must remain within 10 ft. of you to retain this benefit.
• Stash it: As a free action, you may make a Stash check to hide 1 object weighing up to 1 lb. Inspection fails to find the object unless a threat or critical success is scored.

I'll Cut You!: At Level 10, each time you successfully Anticipate, Disarm, Distract, Feint, Taunt, or Tire an adjacent opponent, he must also make a Reflex save (DC 10 + the number of Covert feats you possess + your Dex modifier) or begin bleeding. At Level 20, if the opponent fails the save and is already
bleeding, he is stunned for 1 round.

Prince of Thieves: You've carved out a tidy little empire for yourself. At Level 14, your maximum Prizes increase by 4 and you gain 400 Reputation that must immediately be spent on contacts, holdings, or magic items.



Commentary: So it might seem that this is an odd representation of a Burglar. The reality is that Fantasy Craft leans hard into its Skill system. The idea of being Burglar will heavily rely on that. But the Play of the Burglar Class means never being touched, or seen, or caught. And if you are, you're going to slide out of harms way. Combined with their skill progression, Burglars are *deadly* yeah you read that right. Their Bonus Feats plus ability to evade damage - that's not evading niche shit, that's evading *everything* (mostly) combined with their Sneak Attack makes them super-useful.

Okay... let's examine Fantasy Craft's answer to the Pathfinder/3.x Fighter.

The Soldier
I was going to describe what a Soldier is... but I feel I'll just let FC define it.

QuoteThe Soldier inhabits a bloody twilight realm of endless warfare, slashing and crushing his way from one bitter struggle to the next. Even when at relative "peace" he's always preparing, always on the lookout for the next fight, and this vigilance is part of what makes him such a godsend to fellow adventurers. Nothing levels the field of battle like a well-honed Soldier, except perhaps two Soldiers.

They dispense entirely with the "Fighter" and get straight to it. You're a soldier, born and bred to the battlefield. How you express it in mechanics is up to you.

CLASS FEATURES
Favored Attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution (though not always in that order)
Class Skills: Athletics, Crafting, Intimidate, Notice, Resolve, Search, Survival, Tactics
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier per level
Vitality: 12 + Con modifier per level
Starting Proficiencies: 6

CORE ABILITY
Accurate: Your finely honed physique is your deadliest weapon. Each time you spend 1 action die to boost an attack check, you roll and add the results of 2 dice (e.g. at Career Level 1, 1d4 becomes 2d4).

CLASS ABILITIES
Fight On: At Levels 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19, you gain 1 additional Basic, Melee, Ranged, or Unarmed Combat feat or 2 additional proficiencies.

Fortunes of War I: You stand fast in battle, especially when the pressure's on. At Level 2, you gain Damage Reduction 1. During dramatic scenes, this DR increases to 2.

Fortunes of War II: At Level 11, your Damage Reduction increases to 2 (4 during dramatic scenes).

Fortunes of War III: At Level 19, your Damage Reduction increases to 3 (6 during dramatic scenes).

Armor Use I: At Level 4, you gain a +1 bonus to Defense while wearing armor and receive a 20% discount when purchasing armor.

Armor Use II: At Level 8, this Defense bonus increases to +2 and this discount increases to 25%.

Armor Use III: At Level 12, this Defense bonus increases to +3 and this discount increases to 30%.

Armor Use IV: At Level 16, this Defense bonus increases to +4 and this discount increases to 35%.

Armor Use V: At Level 20, this Defense bonus increases to +5 and this discount increases to 40%.

Weapon Specialist: Your knowledge of weapons in which you're trained is expansive and precise. At Levels 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18, you may choose 1 of the following abilities. Each of these abilities may be chosen only once.
• Certainty: Your error range with proficient attacks decreases by 2 (minimum 0).
• Decisive Attack: Once per round when holding a weapon in which you're proficient, you may make 1 free attack against a standard character.
• Killer Instinct: You inflict 2 additional damage with proficient attacks.
• Master Weaponsmith: You're considered to have 5 additional ranks in Crafting when building, improving, or repairing weapons in which you're proficient. This may cause you to exceed your maximum skill rank for these activities.
• Most Deadly: It costs you 1 fewer action dice to activate critical hits with proficient attacks (minimum 0).
• One Step Ahead: You gain a +1 dodge bonus to Defense and DR 1 against attacks with weapons in which you're proficient.
• Rugged Weapons: When you're holding a weapon in which you're proficient and it must make a Damage save, you may roll twice, keeping the result you prefer.
• Shrewd Buyer: You receive a 20% discount when purchasing weapons in which you're proficient.

Portable Cover: You make the most of terrain, even improvising cover from objects kicked, knocked, or thrown into the path of incoming attacks. At Level 10, you and each ally within 10 ft. is considered to have 1/4 cover at all times, even when standing in the open. This benefit is lost while you're flat-footed.
At Level 20, this ability grants 1/2 cover and affects allies within 15 ft.

One in a Million: You turn nearly any battlefield opportunity into savage amounts of pain. At Level 14, once per session, you may make 1 attack check, Fortitude save, or Strength or Constitution-based skill check, automatically scoring a natural 20. This roll is a threat and may be activated as a critical success.
You may not be forced to re-roll this natural 20.



Commentary: Again, looks like incremental increases we all hate. But the *meat* is based on the core task-resolution of the Fantasy Craft combat system. Soldiers are *killing machines*. We all know Fighters in Pathfinder and 3.x get a Feat every level. Well Soldiers effectively get one every other level and when you see how powerful FC Feats are, you're going to realize just how lethal Soldiers are. Effectively they're going to be Crit-machines capable of downing opponents with frightening ease. To those that say "yeah but fighters are only good at smashing things" - I disagree, Fighters in D&D are *shitty* at smashing things, because the mechanics of Pathfinder and 3.x are anemic and shaped like a limp penis. When we get to the Feats section, you'll see *every* type of combat is viable for your conception of a Soldier. Spear and Shield? FUCK YEAH. Whip? WTF a Whip? YES... a WHIP. Chains, daggers, fists, maces, - EVERYTHING is covered. And in the hands of a Soldier - it's God of War time.

Vitality is 12+Con, which means stand-and-bang against a Soldier is risky. Their Defense is high, which means even in a fight of attrition they're going to beat you. Fighting them head-on is a dangerous proposition. If you're a caster and a Soldier gets up on you? You're going to die.


More to come - I'll do Mage and Priest next. Then we'll have big four represented. Then we'll go into talking about Skills and Feats and Magic. Then we'll do a direct comparison.

Quote from: RNGm on Today at 09:13:00 AMI fully admit that it might just be that I'm a D&D curmudgeon too set in my ways but using those terms (fighter, rogue, ranger) as the origin/specialty instead of the class feels off.  It's not so much that there is overlap between the classes (though that is a smaller part of it) but that it feels like they swapped them just to be different superficially.  I'd have preferred if the "specialty" was burglar, courtier, or scout instead of class since, for example, a wizard with the mage hand spell trained in stealth/sleight of hand as skills can have a penchant for wanting things without paying for them.  I fully admit that it's functionally no different but I can't help but feel like they got it backwards ...

My gut feeling is you're correct. However, I do appreciate the fact that they're looking at those class titles as a general "description" of ones past. I mean... how many times have we seen debates about "What is a Fighter?" and we go off on these endless discursions of nuance. Here they're saying "It's all of those - yep, you grew up a Fighter - whatever that means to you, here are the mechanical bonuses you learned doing 'that thing'." And you can customize it to YOUR specifications. It immediately ends the debate and we all win. However, the class says clearly - you're a Soldier. And the distinctions between what is a Soldier and what isn't is clearly outlined in how the Class operates vs. all non-Soldiers.

Ironically you see this in real life - when people think Body Builders can take on MMA fighters etc. You don't really know until those dice start rolling, heh.

Quote from: RNGm on Today at 09:13:00 AMAgain, regardless, I appreciate the detailed rundowns you'll be doing as I'm going over the ruleset this week and it'll give me some points to take note of an read in detail as opposed to skimming when I'm taking notes (which I actually do, lol!).   I informally looked at a whole bunch of rulesets over the past two years since the OGL debacle and they all eventually blended into each other so I decided a couple months back to do a more organized look along with taking notes on each ruleset about mechanics/ideas that I like.  With Fantasy Craft, splitting up the mental attributes so that they all contribute to casting would be one that I'd be interested in using as well.  I'm ashamed to admit that prior to Shadowdark's first kickstarter that I was one of the folks that Pundit laments about who thought that the OSR was just a bunch of old D&D retroclones!

FC is a *heavy* toolkit. But once you grok it, the system really does sing with internal consistency that just dominates over all other 3.x versions. True20 is the entire other end of the spectrum. Hippy 3.x. FC is meaty, crunchy, and high-octane. Further it is very customizable unlike Pathfinder.

When we get into the Feats/Skills and Magic you'll see how all the things that plague Pathfinder/3.x are dealt with.

What could Pathfinder have done?  Pathfinder 1E's Begginer Box, showed the way.  Standalone boxed sets, with a simplified rules presentation.  Each boxed set, having a popular theme.  That could have sold like hotcakes.