Ruleset Blending

[RelentlessImp]

This story is told with a combination of D&D 3.X mechanics.

Pathfinder 1E mechanics hold most sway.

Elephant in the Room is in effect.

Background Skills are in effect.

All other systems except for Spheres of Might and Power will make an appearance.

Spontaneous 9th-level spell gaining casters have their spellcasting advanced by one level starting at level 2 (thus a 2nd level sorcerer has spells known of a 3rd level sorcerer) but still have a caster level of their actual level. Just because Skip Hates Sorcerers is no reason to keep them delayed.

Spell Points, with the Vitalizing subsystem, is in effect. Gestalt casters combine their spell point pools together and can use them for any of their spells, just like gestalt spherecasters. This will also hold true for any gestalt psions; psion/casters will combine their psi point pool and their spell point pools. Yes this means around 3rd level spells per day becomes less of an issue and goes away pretty much entirely by 9th with blood money and 13th without. It fits the sort of storytelling progression I want to do (see: xianxia, cultivators, gradually becoming deific in stamina and go power). Cantrips can be infinitely cast rather than limited.

Spells cast under this system no longer have their caster level limits and scale with full caster level, up to your maximum caster level. Caster level boosts, like Orange Prism Ioun Stones and whatnot, allow you to exceed this maximum further.

Spells only require upscaling if they are within your highest 3 spell levels (thus a 9th level caster wouldn't need to spend extra spell points for 1st or 2nd level spells), or highest spell level for Hybrid casters (thus a 10th level Hybrid wouldn't need to spend extra spell points on 1st, 2nd or 3rd level spells).

Healing and Inflict spells do not require upscaling and can always be cast for maximum effect for minimum cost, and no longer have caster level maximums.

Harm and Heal also no longer require upscaling.

All Hybrid characters (such as Paladin, Ranger, Bloodrager,  etc.) use the Magus spellcasting progression if prepared and the Bard spellcasting progression if spontaneous, gain spell points equal to a Bard, and have caster levels equal to their class levels. They get full access to the 5th and 6th level spells of their "casting parent class" for those spell levels. If a spell appears on both lists, use the lower-level version of the spell for the hybrid character (thus Greater Angelic Aspect would be an 8th level spell for a Cleric but a 4th level spell for a Paladin). All classes affected: any class that originally started gaining spells at 4th level.

Various 3.5 and 3rd-party spells will make an appearance. There won't be a bunch of dragons dying to Shivering Touch, though. Probably.

Wild Shape functions as it did in 3.5. All other polymorphing functions as per Pathfinder 1E.

All classes gain an extra +2 skill points per level just to make them more varied.

All major players will be Gestalt characters, but by and large, the Gestalts will simply be an expanding of their primary capabilities. There won't be a large glut of "all-rounders" with full BAB and all good saves and dual 9s spellcasting. The gestalt characters are written mostly as single-class characters would be.

Things take place in the Forgotten Realms rather than Golarion. I find the setting more comfortable to write and play in, with a curious mixture of Points of Light and established civilization, allowing one more or less free reign to develop how they wish. The game will begin in 1363 DR, five years after the Time of Troubles.

This will be written with the acknowledgment that most campaign settings are actually post-apocalyptic Iron Age settings with various anachronisms, whether or not the authors acknowledge that, with an overall xianxia look to how characters behave and react.

Edited March 30, 2023 by RelentlessImp (see edit history)