## Ability Scores Ability scores will be determined by a 25 point-buy system. ## Classes - Arcanists must select a school of magic to specialize in and two prohibited schools, just as a wizard does. - Kineticist class is not permitted. - Summoner class must use the **Unchained Summoner** varient. - Wizards must specialize in a school of magic, universalist Wizards are not permitted. - Wizards must select two schools of magic as **prohibited schools**. Such spells are effectively removed from the Wizard spell list. - Psionic and Akashic classes (published by Dreamscarred Press) are available to those who are interested in using those systems. ## Race Characters are encouraged to play one of the core races (Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Halfling, Human), or one of the races that feature prominently in the adventure path. - **Human (Kellid):** Numeria is a populated by a variety of Kellid tribes that roam from place to place in search of game and foraging, while others band together to scrape out a living on meager farms in the rocky soil, trusting in numbers to defend them from raiders, brigands and radioactive monsters. - **Elf:** While not specifically numerous in Numeria, the events of Iron Gods may hold some interest to elven or half-elven PCs. - **Android:** Strange beings born from the Rain of Stars, androids are shockingly lifelike, but also uncanny in appearance and manor. The Kellish taboo against the relic of the Rain of Stars, and the Technic League's presumed ownership over anything they deem to be "advanced technology," and their own difficulty with understanding emotion, make it hard for androids to find community. - **+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma:** Androids have swift reflexes and are very intelligent, but often have difficulty relating to others. - **Exceptional Senses (Ex):** Androids have darkvision to a range of 60 feet and lowlight vision. They also gain a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks. - **Constructed (Ex):** For the purposes of effects targeting creatures by type (such as a ranger’s favored enemy and bane weapons), androids count both as humanoids and as constructs. Androids gain a +4 racial bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, and stun effects. They are not subject to fatigue or exhaustion, and are immune to disease and sleep effects. - **Emotionless:** Androids can never gain morale bonuses and are immune to fear effects and emotion effects. They have problems processing emotions properly, and thus take a –4 penalty on Sense Motive checks. - **Nanite Surge (Ex):** An android’s body is infused with nanites. Once per day as an immediate action, an android can cause her nanites to surge, granting her a bonus equal to 3 + the android’s character level on any one d20 roll; this ability must be activated before the roll is made. When an android uses this power, her circuitry-tattoos glow with light equivalent to that of a torch for 1 round. - **Languages:** Androids begin play speaking Common. Androids with high Intelligence can choose any language as a bonus language (except secret languages, such as Druidic). - **Lashunta:** Fey humanoids might be mistaken for elves, where it not for the fleshy antennae that protrude from their foreheads. Lashunta are psychicly gifted fey of unknown origin. Lashunta are rare in Numeria, but almost unheard-of elsewhere. Those that do live in Numeria tend to keep a low profile, and disguise their true nature among strangers. Those who have been discovered for what they are have a tendency to disappear without warning. - **+2 Intelligence**: Lashunta are almost universally intelligent and eager to learn. - **Sexual Dimorphism**: Male and female lashunta have very different body and personality types, more so than most humanoid species. Male lashunta are muscular (+2 Strength) and often brash and unobservant (–2 Wisdom). Female lashunta, though beautiful and commanding (+2 Charisma), lack the males’ rugged builds (–2 Constitution). - **Lashunta Magic (Sp):** A lashunta possessing an Intelligence score of 11 or higher gains the following spell-like abilities: at will—*daze*, *mage hand*; 1/day—*detect thoughts*. The caster level for these effects is equal to the lashunta’s character level. - **Knowledgeable**: A lashunta gains a +2 racial bonus to any one Knowledge skill. - **Limited Telepathy (Su):** A lashunta is able to mentally communicate with any creature within 30 feet with whom she shares a language. Otherwise this ability is identical to the telepathy ability. - **Languages**: Lashunta begin play speaking Lashunta and Elven. Lashunta with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic). - **Kasatha** - Kasatha tend to live in tribal bands that roam the Felldales in Western Numeria, competing for resources with orc bands, Kellid tribes, goblin raiders, gnoll ravagers and ash giant vermin-riders. Often dismissed as another monster race on account of their elongated heads, four-armed torsos pitch-black eyes, Kasatha are quite shrewd, insightful and contemplative. - **+2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom**: Kasathas are nimble and sharply perceptive. - **Defensive Training**: Kasathas have a +2 dodge bonus to Armor Class. - **Desert Runner:** A kasatha has a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue, exhaustion, and other ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, and hot or cold environments. - **Desert Stride:** A kasatha moves through nonmagical difficult terrain in desert environments at normal speed. - **Jumper**: A kasatha is always considered to have a running start when attempting Acrobatics checks to jump. - **Multi-Armed**: A kasatha has four arms. One hand is considered its primary hand; all others are considered off hands. It can use any of its hands for other purposes that require free hands. - **Stalker**: Perception and Stealth are class skills for kasathas. - **Languages**: Kasathas speak Common and Kasatha. Kasathas with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Dwarven, Draconic, Gnoll, Orc, and Sphinx. ## Alignment I do not restrict alignment, but please keep in mind that your character needs to be able to work with the other members of the party, and help move the story along. Make sure your character has a reason to be part of the group and go along with the flow of the story. ## Skills ### Knowledge (engineering) Iron Gods involves encountering alien technology from distant stars. The Knowledge (engineering) skill is used to make sense of high-tech gizmos and glowing relics of strange material. It can also be used to identify non-magical constructs (such as robots and androids), and can also be used to circumvent technological barriers. ### Background Skills In addition to their normal allotment of regular skill ranks, all characters gain 2 background skill ranks each time they gain a level in a PC class. The character’s Intelligence modifier doesn’t adjust this value. Background skill ranks can be used to gain ranks only in background skills, not adventuring skills. Characters can expend their regular skill ranks on background skills if they desire. **The house rules is that Linguistics is not a background skill.** - Appraise - Artistry - Craft - Handle Animal - Knowledge (engineering) - Knowledge (geography) - Knowledge (history) - Knowledge (nobility) - Lore - Perform - Profession - Sleight of Hand ### Psionic Skills Autohypnosis is available to any psionic character. Knowledge (Psionics) is not a skill (acana wholly covers this), though it is a acceptable choice for the Lore skill. ### Languages Players cannot select Androffan as a bonus language, or with the linguistics skill at 1st level with the following exceptions: 1. A character is of the **android** race. 2. A character has the **Technologist** feat. 3. A character takes a trait that expressly grants them access to Androffan as a language or language option. ## Feats Characters gain feats at every odd level, as well as from race and class features that grant bonus feats. Feats from any Paizo source are permitted, with a few changes and exceptions. ### Bonus Feats There is no elephant in the room for this game. To address some of the issues around "feat taxes," without having to go into an entire alternate rules system, I am grating players **two bonus feats**. The first is gained when your character reaches base attack bonus +1, and the second when they reach base attack bonus +11. ### Banned Feats The following feats are not available to any characters or NPCs: - Clustered Shots - Orater - Sacred Geometry ### Leadership While I am not going to ban leadership, I will point out that there are a lot of players at the table. Adding a second player-character in a support or combat role shouldn't be necessary, and may bog down the game. Allied NPCs are usually around to help if you feel there's gap in the party's skillset. ### Item Creation Item Creation feats (including the crafting of technological items) are permitted, but only for player characters. Not cohorts, squires, or other player-controlled NPCs. Furthermore, there are some clarifications, rulings and house rules that need to be kept in mind. **Item Creation Feats and Starting Wealth** Characters starting gold and wealth by level for new characters measures the value of their possessions, not necessarily their price. Any magic items purchased at character creation are purchased at their full price, regardless if they were crafted via your item creation feats or not. A 4th level fighter who enters the game with a +1 longsword may have found it on a previous adventure, or inherited it from their parents, purchased it from a travelling merchant, or may even have forged it themselves with their own hands. No matter how they acquired the item, it still constitutes 2,000 gp of their starting wealth.# Item Creation and Companion Characters Item creation feats are banned for companions, cohorts, squires, followers and any other player-adjacent NPCs. **Item Creation Requirements** All requirements for item creation are mandatory. You cannot bypass crafting requirements by simply increasing the craft DC. If you wish to create a magic item and hire a wizard to cast the required spell, then you can create the item, but the craft DC increases by 5. If you need a lawful good dwarf cleric with the toughness feat to cast a spell to meet the requirements, then the craft DC increases by 25, for the alignment requirements, race requirement, cleric spell requirement and feat requirement. If your character possesses a feat, class feature or other extraordinary ability to bypass item creation requirements, those abilities are effective, but you still must meet the higher craft DC for any missing requirements (unless your ability specifically states otherwise). ### Custom Item Creation Custom items are not available for creation. This includes theory-crafted items using the item creation rules, as well as amalgamated items (a belt of the weasel / belt of mighty constitution). These rules are intended as GM guidelines, not player-building options. I am amenable to case-by-case approval of such items as needed and blanket approval is provided for the following: 1. Potions/oils, scrolls, and wands, as well as similar items can be created with any qualified spell. 2. Potions/oils, scrolls, and wands, as well as similar items can be created at higher caster levels. 3. Magic items can be shifted to reasonable alternate item slots (vest of resistance, gloves of spider climb, bracers of natural armor, etc.) for the standard 50% increase in cost/price. ## Traits and Drawbacks Players are permitted to take two traits. A player may select a third trait if they take a drawback. Drawbacks must be relevant and impactful to your character. Taking a -5 penalty to diplomacy and intimidate on a 7 Charisma druid without ranks in either skill isn't really a drawback. Traits can be taken from any Paizo source, except campaign traits, which must be take from the Iron Gods player guide. ## Death and Dying ### Alternate Death Threshold Death and dying functions exactly as normal for Pathfinder, except that a character dies when they reach hit points equal to 0-(character level + constitution score)×2. Thus a 3rd level character with a constitution of 12 would die at -30 Hit points (0-(3+12)).