Marry Your Rules and Story in Pathfinder With Achievement and Story Feats

Story and rules are like a couple that can be perfect, under the right circumstances. Sometimes story gets too wrapped up in itself, and shouts down any complaints or arguments the rules have to make. Other times, the rules are so domineering and inflexible that story just curls up in the corner, trying not to be noticed. When the two of them set aside their differences, and agree to work together, though, the result is something that's bigger than the sum of its parts.

Significantly bigger.

Getting story and rules to blend seamlessly into one, cohesive whole isn't always easy. That goes double for players who find that they're just better at one than they are at the other. If you're playing Pathfinder, and you're looking for a solid way to make your choices feel like they have real effects, you might want to take a look at achievement feats, and story feats.

What The Hell Are Those?

Pathfinder is a very rules-dense game, and as such it's not unusual for things to fall through the cracks. Hell, I have an entire series on rules Pathfinder players keep forgetting, misremembering, or outright overlooking. Achievement feats and story feats, because they're off the beaten path, are things that most players either don't know about, or have never really looked into.

So, I thought I'd highlight them for everyone's benefit.

First, story feats. A story feat is a feat that can only be taken by characters who meet certain story-based requirements. For example, if your parents, childhood friend, or lover were killed by a powerful and challenging NPC (which accounts for roughly 35% of all characters overall, and 86% of first-time characters), then you could take the Vengeance story feat. It grants you a +1 bonus to all saves against a particular enemy, and his minions. If you meet the goal of the feat, which is to thwart that foe, the the benefit changes so you gain a +1 on all saves.

My name is Ernst Fireheart. You killed my father. You know the rest.

You can take as many story feats as you want and qualify for, but you can't have more than one of them whose goal remains unmet. So, if you achieve your Vengeance, you may decide to quest for an Object of Legend. And before you start thinking that story feats are just for heroes, there are story feats like Innocent Blood and Wretched Curator, which are about the murder of innocents and hoarding of evil spells respectively.

Here's a complete list of Paizo's story feats.

Now, moving on to achievement feats. An achievement feat is similar to a story feat in some ways, but achievement feats have much less nebulous prerequisites. The feat Relentless Butcher, for example, requires you to have confirmed 50 critical hits. If you take the feat, then from that point onward any time you confirm a critical hit your opponent has to make a Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round.

Achievement feats don't have an inherent story attached to them. Someone with the Grave-Risen feat (died and been brought back twice) could be a noble paladin just as easily as a devil-serving assassin. Unlike regular feats, though, you're never quite sure when you'll be able to take achievement feats, short of some serious planning, or heavy-handed event forcing. Still, they're not feats that just any adventurer can write down on his or her sheet, and they're a direct reflection of something you have personally achieved.

Here's a complete list of Paizo's achievement feats.

Do You Need Them?

Of course not. Neither story or achievement feats are truly necessary for most character concepts. However, they can greatly enhance how much influence you feel your story is having on your mechanics (such as giving your dwarven giant-hunting ranger a bigger bonus than any other kind of ranger via the Giant Vendetta feat), and they can help you get more thoroughly under your character's skin, if that's something you want to do as a player.

And sometimes it's just fun to play with feats that most people never consider bringing to the table.

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A Review of The Laying Waste Critical Hit System From TPK Games

Few things will make your heart go pitter-patter like a natural 20 on your die. You can already see your blade sinking deep into your opponent's neck, blood spurting as his eyes go dead. A lucky blow or great skill, it makes no difference when you're the one still standing and your enemy has gone down in defeat.

There's just one problem; your crits get less and less badass with every level you gain.

Wow, 2d6 instead of 1d6. Truly I am killed now.

While the thrill of scoring a critical hit never goes away, and some classes (*cough* Magus *cough*) can turn explosive critical hits into an art form, your average PC just doesn't get the same bang for a confirmed crit at higher levels. For those of you who were wondering if there was a cure for this there is... though it isn't for the faint of heart.

Well, What Is It?

The book you've been looking for is titled Laying Waste, and it's from 3rd party publisher TPK games. If you want to make your games truly vicious (both for the PCs and for the monsters) then the alternative system this game offers keeps things fast and furious.

Seriously, look at this goddamn thing!

I want to take a moment to make it very clear for players who are skimming; this is not part of the core rules, and no one is saying you must use these rules at your table. That said if you want to make your critical hits and fumbles (no crit fumbles aren't part of the core rules either, as I reminded folks in Playing By The Book: Rules Pathfinder Players Often Forget, but they exist in this book) a lot more vicious, this is the book for you.

So How Does It Work?

First of all take everything you know about critical hits and throw it right out the window. Under the Laying Waste rules there is no need to confirm a critical hit; if you hit your weapon simply does maximum damage. In addition to the weapon damage though you roll a d20, add your weapon's critical hit multiplier, and add the amount you exceeded the target's AC by. The result is then compared to a DC 20, 30, or 40 for the severity of the critical effect you deal. You then take the type of weapon you're wielding, and then roll on the appropriate chart. You could do anything from knocking a weapon out of an opponent's hand or temporarily reducing his dexterity to smashing in his teeth or cutting off an entire arm.

Improved Critical for the win.

Critical fumbles are more straightforward, but pretty disastrous. When you roll a one you roll on the chart for the potential fumble. You're given a saving throw (such as a Reflex of 20 to get a grip on your weapon again) and a condition (score a critical hit on an enemy to renew your confidence). If you make one or the other then the fumble either never happens, or the effect ends.

What Are The Advantages?

Despite the hate that a lot of 3rd party publishers get, Laying Waste has a definite upside. First and foremost it makes combat more dynamic (I'd hate to use the term realistic when talking about RPGs), and it keeps a genuine threat in every die roll. Even high level characters might be laid low by a lucky shot from a goblin, kobold, or even a commoner.

In addition to honing combat's edge, Laying Waste provides real benefits for martial classes at high levels (since they're the ones most likely to exceed an enemy's armor class by a large number to deal devastating critical hits). It makes critical hits a genuine threat, and a build based around critical hits can have an impact over and above a few extra points of damage on a given swing. It also makes things like concealment and cover more important to combatants, for those who want those kinds of mechanics to get more attention paid to them.

What Are The Disadvantages?

Aside from needing to learn a new mechanic, and then convince your DM (and the rest of the table) to institute this new rule, there are some issues with the system in Laying Waste. While critical hits are a lot more powerful with this system, some players might feel that random chance is taking over from solid character building. The idea of your next natural 20 decapitating the bugbear general is exciting, but if your DM starts dropping a lot of critical hits then a low CR encounter can quickly cut a party into little, bloody pieces.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that Laying Waste completely unbalances a game, because it doesn't. But it can lead to serious problems based on chance rather than on the deliberate actions of players (more so than RPGs already have). It can also really slow down combat any time someone has a critical hit or fumble as pages are checked, additional dice are rolled (and re-rolled for when a given crit simply doesn't make sense or the DM feels is inappropriate).

All in all Laying Waste is a fun little post-market add on for your game. You don't need it to play, but it might be fun to try out. If you notice that it's creating more headaches than heroics though don't be afraid to strip the sprocket out and go back to your old-fashioned critical hits.

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Crit Confirm: The Place to Go To Find Gamers Just Like You

The Internet (at least the parts of it that aren't dedicated to erotica and cat videos) seems to be populated by geeks and gamers. That sounds great, but to anyone who's tried to navigate the cramped back rooms and sticky hallways of the information superhighway the struggle to find a community where people are supportive, the discussions are interesting, and you want to keep coming back for more without paying a fee are few and far between.

You're looking for something like this. Soft, warm, and perfectly adapted for its environment.

That is why you need to know about Crit Confirm.

What Is Crit Confirm?

The true-but-unhelpful answer is that it's a website (which you can go look at for yourself right here).

For those who want more information before clicking the link though, Crit Confirm is one part gamer forum, one part review and advice page, and one part podcast. Growing in popularity the group that runs it is headquartered in the heartland of the Midwest (around Indianapolis, well within the radiation zone of Gen Con), and it's quickly reaching levels of influence that will make it the next bandwagon to jump onto. There's no membership fee, there's an ever-larger sphere of articles for tabletop lovers, video game players, and even those who have planted their geek flag into movies and anime.

They also have swag, and all the proceeds go right back into keeping the site producing great content for you and users just like you.

It's like finding hundreds of these in one place, and then having them all hug you at once.

So if you're looking for another great place to get your daily dose of great gaming, why aren't you clicking Crit Confirm's link? Get a user name, say hi on the forums, and check out all the new content they've put up since the biggest event in gaming packed up the big top and blew out of Indianapolis.

As always for those who'd like to help keep Improved Initiative going stop by my Patreon page and become a patron today! Seriously, $1 a month makes a lot more difference than you think. If you want to keep up to date on all my content then plug your email into the box on your upper right hand side, or just follow me on Facebook and Tumblr.

"Truth Is In The Eye of the Beholder" or "Why You Should Always Have a Ranged Weapon"

I was a late bloomer when it came to roleplaying games; I had never even seen a 20-sided die until the second half of my freshman year of college. I joined several games, but nothing seemed to last more than a few sessions before someone got sick, drama tore the group up, or people just collectively shrugged and didn't feel like playing. As such I had gotten really good at playing characters from level 1-3, but had never really had much experience beyond that. Then a guy in the group I frequented issued a challenge to all of us; anything we wanted to play, level 15. All rules were allowed, and the goal was to see how far we would make it on the dungeon crawl of death.

Challenge accepted.

How Things Started Off

I had access to every Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 text there was, and there were no limits on anything from class, to alignment, to race. We were kids in a candy store, no question about it. But once the initial surge of excitement left I got down to business to put together something that would be able to survive anything the DM threw at him.

What I got was Captain Egil Skinner, a tiefling in her Majesty's service. A Monk/Spellthief Gestalt, he had enough magic items to emulate James Bond, and his trusty raven familiar Croaker meant that he always had a partner in the event he needed it. Fast, silent, able to leap tall buildings and disable nearly any trap, he was no slouch in any one field. I figured he'd be a great scout, supporting fighter, or sneak thief in the event one was required.

That word... does it mean what I think it means?

Yes you read that right, the infamous Gestalt rules were not taken off the table. For those who have never played DND 3.5, a Gestalt is when you take two classes and squish them together to give a player all of their benefits, but none of their negatives. All special abilities, all proficiencies, the highest BAB, the best saves, etc. It's stupid, and we pointed out that it was stupid, but our DM stuck to his guns and dared us to make something that could survive what he'd created.

So all of us were Gestalt characters.

The Party

In addition to my infernal secret agent and his loud-mouthed companion we boasted a Drow cleric/fighter, a wizard/War Blade (from the Book of Nine Swords, since nothing was illegal), a druid/scout/Daggerspell Shaper, and a wizard/fighter. In short, we were not a group to be fooled with.

Our DM found this out much to his chagrin when the first two or three encounters which were meant to wear us down, and possibly kill one or two of our squishier party members were completely annihilated. Spells thrown at us got deflected or absorbed, melee brutes were torn to pieces, and overwhelming numbers were reduced to piles of greasy cinders. At least until the Beholder.

The Tables Seem to Have Turned

We're riding high after going through a few encounters, disarming a couple of traps and generally feeling like we've built ourselves a solid party. Then we see that thing every party lives in fear of.

Save versus delicious.

The Beholder, one of Wizards of the Coast's big-name enforcers, floats into the room like it owns the place. The anti-magic field kicks in, and suddenly there is a dearth of power in the group. None of us have a natural fly speed, none of us have access to our favorite bags of tricks thanks to magic not working in a room specifically designed to the dimensions of the beholder's abilities, and to my astonishment there is not a single person who has thought to bring a ranged weapon. There was not a single bow, crossbow, javelin, or so much as a sling in evidence.

Then I Had a Stupid Idea...

Every DM has heard this question a thousand times. It always seems innocent, and typically the DM answers with a wave of his hand and a, "yeah, sure, there are rocks on the ground here big enough to throw."

On my turn Egil picks up a rock, cocks back his arm, and I say in a clear voice, "I declare a called shot to the beholder's main eye. The one causing the anti-magic field."

Egil isn't a full BAB progression character. He's using an improvised weapon, and the target is several range increments out of his reach. Plus the negatives from a called shot. He lets fly, and the die spins across the table.

Here's crit in your eye!

It comes up a natural 20.

And Shit Got Real

Even though the attack didn't confirm (or this story would have gotten a lot more epic a lot more quickly), the beholder shut its main eye for a single round. The field vanished, and that gave the rest of the party a single round to make it rain.

I have never seen that many spells, magic items, or obscure abilities pulled out in such short order. To add insult to injury two members of the party scored critical hits against the thing, bringing it squelching down to earth in a single round. Egil strides across the dirt, picks up the gore-encrusted rock, wipes a smear off of it, and writes the word truth across the thing.

Then he feeds its eyes to his familiar.

All Downhill From There

It seemed that the beholder was out DM's big bang. He'd expected us to be run-down, out of spells, out of healing, and at the end of our ropes. Instead we lost a single character to disintegration (the wizard/fighter), and everyone else kept walking along their merry way. The rest of the dungeon was filled with slip-shod traps, easily bypassed ambushes, and creatures half a dozen challenge levels higher than we were but who were meant for taking out melee fighters and not a party where everyone had caster levels and spells left to burn.

At the end of the day what was meant to be a blood bath was more like a walk in the park. A dark park where hobos snored in the bushes and drugs were sold near the drinking fountains, but a park nonetheless. Most of the party survived, and even after more than eight hours of straight slogging we remained triumphant.

There are two lessons to be learned from this story. The first is that Gestalt rules are ridiculous, and should never be allowed under any circumstances whatsoever. Secondly, there is always a way around how badass you think you are. That's why you should always have a back up option in the event your main schtick just won't work. A bow, a crossbow, a tanglefoot bag, some alchemist fire, a flask of acid... really, make sure you check out this page of useful alchemical items so you're never without an option when it's your turn.

And always carry a bit of truth in your pocket.


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Natural 20 Soaps: A Confirmed Critical Against Con Funk

The words "Gaming" and "Hygiene" are not often associated in the collective, pop culture consciousness. While gaming has come out of the basement, so to speak, and is experiencing a lot of popularity now that being geeky is considered sexy, there are still some folks who didn't get the memo. Fortunately there is Natural 20 Soaps, a company dedicated to fighting con funk wherever it raises its revolting, protuberant head.

Yes that is soap. Yes you can buy it right now.

Seriously though, take a look at their Etsy store right here and see some of this. We could wipe out the smelly gamer prejudice overnight if word got out a little quicker.

How It All Began

Natural 20 Soap, which is run by Emily Hawk and her business partner Douglas Menke, was inspired by two, separate conversations. The first conversation detailed a sneaky idea of putting a d20 inside a bar of soap, using it as bait to trick those possessed by con funk to wash in order to get the prize inside. The idea might have died there, except that a customer at Emily's knitting store asked if there was a kind of soap that would wash wool without harming it. Finding no affordable options on the market, Emily decided to produce her own in the shape of an adorable sheep. Along the way she and Doug also decided to take up the standard for hygienic geeks everywhere by bringing us Natural 20 Soaps, which sold its first soap in December of 2013.

And are we ever glad they did.

What Makes This Soap So Special?

Well, aside from the fact that it comes in a huge variety of patterns, shapes, and colors, from sheep-shaped soap and D20s to the stripes of Jayne Cobb's hat (seriously, check out the store!), these soaps are made using natural ingredients. They're nourishing for the skin, they get you cleaned up quickly, and best of all they can be made to one's specifications. Whether someone's looking for a vegan soap, a soap in the shape of a Templar shield, or just a soap that's so geeky only the gifter and the receiver will get the reference, Natural 20 Soaps can make that happen.

This cake is a lye.

With sleek, plastic cases that keep soap protected before it's used, and with new designs always coming out, Natural 20 Soaps has great presents for those who just don't know what to give the gamer in their lives. As of right now they're planning a superhero line up, and there's been talk of making soap with secret messages inside them using water soluble paper. For updates on what's going on with the company, and more importantly what conventions you'll be able to find them at, check out the Natural 20 Soap blog right here!

As always, thanks for dropping by Moon Pope Monday. Know something interesting, weird, or hilarious that your fellow geeks will find too cool not to share? Tell us! Also, if you want to keep up to date with everything Improved Initiative has to offer then enter your email in the upper right hand box, or follow us on Facebook and Tumblr. For those who'd like to help keep the site going feel free to leave a donation in the "Bribe the DM" button, or become one of our monthly patrons by checking out our Patreon Page!