Scentfinder: of weapons & equipment

Weapons

There is no set weapon list. Weapons are characterised by the skill they can be used to attack with, their damage, their status as mêlée, the number of hands required to use them, & their traits. Depending on their level of quality, they have a Refinement value that can be spent to characterise them.

• Natural weapon (unarmed attack) : Might, mêlée, d4 [appropriate damage type], 1 hand. 0 Refinement.
• Improvised weapon: 1 Refinement
• Simple weapon: 3 Refinement
• Quality weapon: 5 Refinement
• Master weapon: 7 Refinement
• Legendary weapon: 9 Refinement

Weapon characteristics: 

A weapon's base damage type is either bludgeoning, piercing or slashing.

[Refinement cost] - [name]: effect

• 0 - Reload [X]: X = 1, 2 or 3; must be loaded for X actions before each Strike lest it be considered a Natural weapon; +X Refinement.
• 0 - Bulky: must be wielded in 2 hands or rolls using it are Impaired (item); +1 Refinement; carying more than 2 bulky items Impairs all attack, manipulate & move actions (item)
• 2 - Bastard: can be wielded in 1 or 2 hands (Interact to change grip); +2 damage-die size when 2-handed; incompatible with bulky.
• 2 - Agile: Strikes with Might or Dexterity.
• 1 - Finesse: Strikes with Dexterity.
• 1 - Reach: can Strike Evading characters in mêlée.
• 2 - Ranged: no more mêlée: can strike in any area; mêlée-range & Might attacks are Impaired (item).
• 1 - Thrown: can Strike both 1 area away & Evading characters in mêlée; after each such Strike, weapons is left either unattended in targeted area or lodged in target character.
• 1, 2, 3 or 4 - Devastating: damage = d6, d8, d10, or d12.
• 2 - Trip: Favours Knockdowns (item).
• 2 - Disarm: Favours Disarming (item).
• 2 - Entangling: counts as a free hand for Grappling.
• 2 - Fatal: Triumphant Strikes consider damage as d12.
• 2 - Versatile ([damage type]): can inflict one other type of damage, instead of, or combined with, the base one.
• 2 - Concealable: Impairs searches to detect it (item).

Armours

• Light (gambeson, leather, layered cloth...): Weak to Slashing, Resistant to Piercing
• Medium (brigandine, scale...): Weak to Piercing, Resistant to Bludgeoning 
• Heavy (plate-and-mail...): Weak to Bludgeoning, resistant to Slashing

Textual dungeoncrawl structure for Pathfinder

I wanted to approach conceiving a dungeon without a map. Maybe a few battle maps (if I'm using a VTT), but not a proper dungeon map to show players or for the GM to look at, & much less for pushing tokens around.

However, I still want it to be a dungeon crawling experience. Here, I'll conceive of a relatively  simple dungeon crawling structure for my PF2 games, which are very ligh on ressource management (aside from spell slots), taking some inspiration from OSR dungeoneering. The idea is to put some pressure on high level characters & give them opportunities to use their exploration abilities.

In this case, I want the particular dungeon I'll experiment this idea in to be dangerous enough to potentially kill someone. It's been built up as the heart of the influence of an undying witch godess over a whole region, & this group of PCs is very powerful & efficient at dealing without too much worry with her blessed ones: I've been too kind to them -- for the context of this particular campaign.

The Dungeon Crawl structure

PF2's Gamemastery Guide advises a "dungeon crawl" to be roughly comprised of 2 trivial encounters, 4 low, 6 moderate & 6 severe, & to allow bypassing them.

So, a few of these, mostly severe & moderate encounters, are going to be "static", the ones who depend on being in specific places (or being specific places) but also & mainly those which can be clearly forshadowed as static places. Others are going to be ones who are generally less "telegraphed" & dangerous, & that will be encountered anywhere as long as the characters spend enough time in the dungeon: roaming encounters.

Out of combat, characters can take exploration activities (in PF2, these usually last 10 minutes). So, I want characters to be able to take at least 1 of these between every encounter unless they've put themselves in a specific situation. I do not want them to be able to take more than 3 at most, to keep a good rythm.

So, what this means is that static encounters (which comprise interesting places) will be separated at most by three-exploration-turns-long trips.

There will be, in essence, 2 types of exploration activities (I'm simply reinterpreting PF2's activities -- although I guess all this could be useful for my "Scentfinder" hack), that players will likely prioritize thusly:

1. recuperating ressources (treating wounds, refocusing...)
2. adopting a particular attitude in regards to the environment (sneaking, analysing...), which should net findings or better initiative should fighting break out

Each exloration round will allow for the possibility of a random encounter or happenstance. Here is how I plan on it working:

• Roll 1d6 each exploration round.
• Roll +1d6 each exploration round, resetting after an encounter.
• Roaming encounters are related to either even or odd numbers, & to a number range.
• If a roaming encounter cannot appear for whatever reason, replace it by another that can, that is either of same difficulty, harder, or easier.
• Encounters descriptions comprise "difficulty, odd/even, context & composition, GM notes, potential effects on end".
  
  
• 1-4: nothing perturbs PC activities this exploration round; maybe some foreshadowing of the nearest static encounter. 
• 5-6: signs of a low-difficulty roaming encounter; PC activities are not interrupted but they have to decide what to do next not to automatically face this encounter right at the end of this exploration round. 
• 7-10: low-difficulty roaming encounter (odd or even); PC activities are interrupted unless they affect their initative. 
• 11-12: signs of a moderate roaming encounter;  PC activities are not interrupted but they have to decide what to do next not to automatically face this encounter right at the end of this exploration round. 
• 13-16: moderate roaming encounter (odd or even); PC activities are interrupted unless they affect their initative. 
• 17-18: signs of a severe roaming encounter; PC activities are not interrupted but they have to decide what to do next not to automatically face this encounter right at the end of this exploration round. 
• 19-22: severe roaming encounter (odd or even); PC activities are interrupted unless they affect their initative. 
• 23-24: maybe a specific, very dangerous environmental effect depending on the dungeon; otherwise, nothing perturbs PC activities this exploration round; maybe some foreshadowing of the nearest static encounter.

Exploration activities

So, I'll try to list each compatible PF2 exploration activity (although one could improvise more if needed, & classes can add their own), which can be performed while progressing through the dungeon:

• Avoid notice: unnoticed by unaware creatures, roll initative on Stealth & start combat as undetected by creatures of lower intiative.
• Defend: benefit from held shield's protection until first combat turn.
• Disguise: pass someone as someone else, roll initative on Deception & start combat considering relevant creatures flat-footed until the end of first combat turn.
• Follow the expert: use the same activity as another PC, & in case of a skill check you're unproficient in, roll with a circumstance bonus equal to level + half the relevant proficiency of followed PC.
• Investigate: obtain information about the environment when applicable (potentially gated behind proficiency level); roll initative on relevant knowledge skill & consider that roll as a free Recall Knowledge check about an enemy.
• Maintain spell: sustain or repeat a spell that can be used this way over 10 minutes; will be considered active until first combat turn.
• Refocus: +1 FP.
• Scout: +1 (cir) to whole party's initative rolls.
• Search: obtain information about the environment when applicable (potentially gated behind proficiency level); roll intiative on Perception & use that roll as a free occasion to Seek when combat starts.
• Track/Cover tracks: use Survival to know the path other creatures took or to set a better tracking DC for the party; roll initative on Survival & Stride as a free action when combat starts.
  
• Treat wounds: use medicine to heal someone.

Contextual initative

Some circumstances (situation, environment...) require rolling initative on a specific skill (narrow passages requiring an Acrobatics check, for example) unless a character benefits from a movement type or ability allowing them to bypass the environment's hardships.

Likewise, RP interaction could allow for other skills (for example, approaching an encounter with deceitful words would allow rolling Deception, failing to negociate a truce would allow Diplomacy, or failing to avoid combat through Intimidation would still grant a chance to make use of it).

I'll put some example dungeon crawl here or in another post once I've both finished it & ran my players through it (the scoundrels might read this post in advance).

Scentfinder: of battles & battlefields

So, I said that, in Scentfinder, I wanted tactical-but-abstract positioning because I dislike playing on a grid in person... Let's see if I can make it work.

Actions are written following such format: 

[action cost] NAME (traits)
Triggers, requirements & effects, and in case of a roll:
Triumph results.
Success results.
Failure results.
Bungle results.

When a battle breaks out, two things must be determined:

First, what are the areas of conflict?

A typical battle will simply have three area : mêlée, allied backline & enemy backline, for insance.

But a fight in extremely close quarters could only have one area where all combatants are squeezed together, as well as groups wanting to represent more open or varied terrain could add sideline or fringe areas...

Their names are not important; what matters is that the battlefield is clearly defined, and that any environmental effect like terrain, opportunities for cover, & whatever else are assigned to the appropriate areas.

Second, who has initative?

At the start of a fight, players roll initative.

This is, by default, a Perception roll, but it could use any relevant skill provided GM & concerned players agree to it. Might could work in case of a fight breaking out in during some effort, Stealth could work if players are ambushing their enemies, Initimidate could be relevant for some sort of awesome charge... Feel free to use your imagination.

The result of the roll is treated as follows: 

• [0] INITIATIVE
  Trigger: combat starts.
  Test an appropriate skill (Perception by default).
  T: act during the first initative phase; you can start combat one area away from your predefined starting position.
  S: act during the second initiative phase.
  F: act during the third iniative phase.
  B: act during the fourth intiative phase.
  

The 4 initiative phases will succeed one another each round.

NPCs act at fixed initative phases, after PCs in the same phase have acted. By default, lowest-rolling players act first in their own phases, but this order can be arranged between them.

The strategists & the indecisive can always Delay:

• [0] DELAY
  Trigger: turn start.
  Act on a later initative phase of your choice this round & for the remainder of combat.

Note that a character regains 3 actions & a reaction at the start of their turn --not of the battle round-- & that they do not have any to spend before their first turn.
At the end of one's turn, suffer permanent damage if any & decrease their value, then decrease non-sustained effects' durations by 1: they dissipate whenever they reach 0.

 

Movement combat actions

Characters movements around the battlefield are represented though a variety of move actions:

• [1] EVADE (move)
  Enemies have to spend one more action to affect you in mêlée (1 turn), unless their mêlée actions benefit from reach.
  
  
• [1] FLANK (mêlée, move)
  Requirements: share an area with at least one ally.
  Test Agility vs WIL.
  T: your attacks against target enemy are Favoured & ignore 1 Impairment (circumstance, 1 turn).
  S: your attacks against target enemy are Favoured (circumstance, 1 turn).
  
  
• [1] SHIFT (move)
  Move to an adjacent area.
  
  
• [1] SNEAK (move)
  Requirements: Hiding.
  Test Stealth.
  T: move to an adjacent area, still Hiding; your attacks are Favoured (circumstance, 1 turn).
  S: move to an adjacent area, still Hiding.
  F: either lose this movement or stop Hiding.
  B: move to an adjacent area; stop Hiding.

Terrain

• Difficult terrain: moving through (into, inside & out of) such areas requires spending one more action.
• Hazardous terrain (Save, dx): each move action used in such areas requires making the listed Save to halve (Success) or ignore (Triumph) the listed die of damage.
• Obstacle ([skill]): Shift is the only possible move action inside of such areas. Shifting through such areas requires Succeeding at the listed skill (sometimes Modified).
• Examples: torrent (Might, Impaired); cross beams (Agility); rough & tumble (Might or Intimidation).
• Uneven terrain: characters standing in such areas are permanently Staggered.

Combat actions

• [2] ADMINISTER FIRST HELP (manipulate, mêlée)
  Requirement: available healing tools.
  Choose another creature at Death's Door or suffering from at least one instance of persistent damage. Test Medicine, Impaired (circumstance) if target is at Death's Door.
  T: reduce one instance of persistent damage to 0; or reduce 2 instances of persistent damage to half (rounded down); or, if target is at Death's Door, get them out of it at 5 HP.
  S: reduce one instance of persistent damage to half (rounded down); or, if target is at Death's Door, get them out of it at 1 HP.
  F: ¤
  B: +1 to one instance of persistent damage; or, if target is at Death's Door, they lose 1 regained action per turn at Death's Door.
  
  
• [1] AID
  You prepare to help an ally in a particular course of action. Until your next turn, you can use a Reaction to Favour (circumstance) a relevant roll.
  
  
• [1] ANALYSE (attack, concentrate)
  Test an appropriate knowledge skill, Impaired (circumstance) if target is of a rare kind.
  T: ascertain two aspects of the target (like Weaknesses, Resistances, Saves, methods of attacks, workings of a special ability...)
  S: ascertain one aspect of the target.
  F: ascertain one bit of information of mild helpfulness at the GM's discretion.
  B: ¤
  
  
• [R] ARREST FALL (manipulate/move)
  Trigger: falling.
  Has the manipulate trait if grabbing a ledge with a free hand; has the move trait if stabilising using a form of flight.
  Test REF.
  S: stop falling, for as long as the method used is effective.
  F: ¤
  
  
• [1] AVERT GAZE
  Saves against visual effects are Favoured (circumstance, until next turn), or ignore one Impairement on such Saves on subsequent uses (until next turn).
  
  
• [1]/[2]/[3]/[6] CAST SPELL (attack, magical; manipulate/sonorous)
  Test your magic attack skill, as determined by your class.
  T: maxmise damage, effects last 3 turns & can be sustained.
  S: roll damage, effects last 2 turns & can be sustained.
  F: 1 damage, effects last 1 turn.
  B: ¤
  
  
• [1] COMMAND (linguistic, sonorous)
  Target a creature that is your minion (does not act on their own).
  Test an appropriate skill (typically Charm, Intimidation or Nature, depending on your relationship with target).
  T: target gains 2 actions to spend during your turn, & you can use one more action to give them 3 instead.
  S: target gains 2 actions to spend during your turn.
  F: ¤
  
  
• [1] CREATE  A DIVERSION (mental; manipulate/sonorous)
  Test Deception.
  T: become Obscured to all senses (2 turns).
  S: become Obscured to all senses (1 turn).
  F: ¤
  B: Diversions are Impaired (circumstance, 2 turns).
  
  
• [2] DISABLE (manipulate, mêlée)
  Test an appropriate skill (Dexterity by default).
  T: progress 2 steps towards disabling target device.
  S: progress 1 step towards disabling target device.
  F: ¤
  B: hostile effect depending on target device.
  
  
• [1] DISARM (attack, mêlée)
  Requirements: hold at least one weapon.
  Target a weapon held by a creature in the same area & use one of your held weapons.
  Test Dexterity.
  T: target weapon falls to the ground in an adjacent area.
  S: attacks made with target weapon are Impaired (1 turn).
  F: attacks made with the weapon used to Disarm are Impaired (1 turn).
  B: the weapon used to Disarm falls to the ground in an adjacent area.
  
  
• [1] ESCAPE
  Test Agility or Might.
  T: end Restrained & Immobilised.
  S: end Restrained or Immobilised.
  F: ¤
  
  
• [1] FEINT (mental)
  Test Deception vs WIL.
  T: target is Stunned against your actions (1 turn).
  S: target is Stunned against your next action.
  F: ¤
  B: target gains a bonus reaction only usable against you (1 turn).
  
  
• [2] GRAPPLE (attack, mêlée)
  Requirements: have a free hand.
  Test Might vs VIG.
  T: target is Immobilised & Restrained as long as you dedicate one of your hands to holding them.
  S: target is your choice of Immobilised or Restrained as long as you dedicate one of your hands to holding them.
  F: ¤
  B: if target has a free hand & so chooses, they can Grapple you with an automatic Success.
  
  
• [1] HIDE
  Requirements: benefit from some potential cover or obscurement against enemy senses.
  Test Stealth.
  T: until taking any action not requiring a Stealth roll, cannot be specifically targetted by anyone Failing to Seek. Can strike using Stealth (1 turn).
  S: until taking any action not requiring a Stealth roll, cannot be specifically targetted by anyone Failing to Seek.
  F: ¤
  B: Hiding is Impaired (circumstance, 2 turns).
  
  
• [0/1] INTERACT (manipulate, mêlée)
  Interact with something in your area. Interactions merely implying a quick motion such as drawing a worn item to hold it in hand are free [0], involved or two-handed interactions such as drawing a Bulky item cost [1] action.
  Interacting undetected requires a Successful Stealth roll.
  
  
• [1] INTIMIDATE (attack, emotion, mental, sonorous)
  Test Intimidation vs WIL.
  T: next turn, target must immediately make an Impaired Strike (circumstance),  Shift, or lose 1 action.
  S: next turn, target must immediately Strike, Shift, or lose 1 action.
  F: ¤
  B: Intimidating is Impaired (2 turns).
  
  
• [2] KNOCKDOWN (attack, mêlée)
  Test Might vs REF.
  C: target becomes your choice of Immobilised or Staggered (2 turns)
  S: target chooses between being Immobilised or Staggered (2 turns)
  F: ¤
  B:  become your choice of Immobilised or Staggered (2 turns)
  
  
• [1] POINT OUT (auditory, linguistic / manipulate / visual)
  Requirement: you Successfully Sought this turn.
  Communicate & assign traits as appropriate. Allies able to understand you gain the benefits of your last Seek action.
  
  
• [1] PREDICT (concentrate)
  Test Perception vs WIL.
  T: choose a plausible course of action; target must use it or Feint against you next turn.
  S: GM tells you the target's most plausible course of action on their next turn; they can only lie if target immediately Feints against you next turn.
  F: ¤
  B: become Stunned against target's actions (2t).
  
  
• [1] RAISE A SHIELD
  Benefit from the effects of held shield until next turn.
  
  
• [1] RALLY (emotion, linguistic, mental, sonorous)
  Test Charm.
  T: dissipate any affliction affecting an ally (wether Basic or Intense) that required a WIL Save.
  S: dissipate any basic afflicition affecting an ally that required a WIL Save or downgrade such Intense effect to its basic version.
  F: ¤
  B: target Condition is Sustained, or becomes Intense.
  
  
• [2] READY (concentrate)
  Choose a trigger & any [1]-cost action you could take: it becomes one of your possible Reaction uses until your next turn.
  
  
• [1] REFOCUS (concentrate, magical)
  Test your Refocus statistic, as determined by your class.
  T: regain 2 FP.
  S: regain 1 FP
  F: ¤
  B: Refocusing costs [2] actions for the remainder of this turn.
  
  
• [0] RELEASE
  One of your occupied hands becomes free: any effect depending on it being occupied immediately ceases; any object it was holding falls to the ground in your area.
  (As a free action woithout trigger, it can be done anytime before taking any other one, but not interrupting anyone else.)
  
  
• [1] TAUNT (attack, emotion, linguistic, mental, sonorous)
  Test Charm vs WIL.
  T: target is Perturbed, their attack rolls against anyone other than you are Impaired (circumstance) & they cannot move away from you (1 turn).
  S: target's attack rolls against anyone other than you are Impaired (circumstance) & they cannot move away from you (1 turn).
  F: ¤
  B: Taunts are Impaired (circumstance, 2 turns).
  
  
• [0] SAVE
  Trigger: you're in danger.
  Test VIG, REF or WIL, determined by the particular danger you're facing.
  T: avoid all damage & effects.
  S: receive 1 damage, & endure any additional effects.
  F: roll received damage & endure any additional effects.
  B: maximise received damage & endure any additional effects.
  
  
• [1] SEEK (concentrate)
  Target one area you can percieve.
  Test Awareness.
  T: become able to target Hiding enemies in target area (til they sneak away).
  S: become able to target Hiding enemies in target area (til they sneak away).
  F: ¤
  B: Seeking in the same area is Impaired (circumstance, 1 turn).
  
  
• [2] SHOVE (attack, mêlée)
  Test Might vs VIG.
  T: target is Staggered (2 turns) & your choice of Perturbed (2 turns) or displaced to an adjacent area.
  S: target chooses between being Staggered (2 turns) or displaced to an adjacent area.
  F: ¤
  B: you become Staggered (2 turns).
  
  
• [1] STEEL ONESELF
  Test Awareness or Faith.
  T: reduce Faltering & Perturbed's durations by 2 turns.
  S: reduce Faltering or Perturbed's durations by 2 turns.
  F: ¤
  
  
• [1] STRIKE (attack)
  Target a unit in an area you can hit.
  Test an appropriate skill vs an appropriate Save (REF by default).
  T: maximise damage.
  S: roll damage.
  F: 1 damage.
  B: ¤
  
  
• [1] SUSTAIN SPELL (concentrate, magical)
  -1 FP
  Choose one of your active spells: its effects' duration doesn't count down at the end of their next turn.
  
  
• [1] TAKE COVER
  Requirements: your area has potential cover.
  REF Saves & Stealth rolls are Favoured (circumstance) til next turn or til you attack.
  

Traits

Some traits only serve to qualify an action as other effects interact with them, but others have immanent effects. Below are a few of them as they apply to actions.

• Attack: one cannot attack with the same skill twice in one turn.
• Mêlée: this action can only target characters in the same area.
• Reach: mêlée actions with this trait can target Evaded creatures normally.
• Mental: only affects sentient creatures.
• Emotion: an emotion action or effect is always mental.

Scentfinder: of death's door

I love when characters fall on one knee & stare down death itself. That is when the true measure of a character's fighting spirit is made. I'm a bit sad to see TTRPG mechanics are often incompatible with these ideas, & I want to make death & dying mechanics compatible with it. 

I want falling at 0 HP to be a dramatic occasion, not a semi-optimised way of dealing with damage. 

So what happens when a character falls to 0 HP?

Well, now, they're at Death's Door.

Scentfinder: of magic, afflictions, boons & damage types

So... I'm partial against Vancian spellcasting; that is to say a magic system inspired by the works of Jack Vance which has spellcasters picking through a collection of predefined spell, & these spells being organised by levels of powers & cast by spending spell slots of dedicated levels acting as a resource of varying degrees of constraint depending on the system.

To put it plainly, I find it is a very specific way of handling magic & that it is thus relatively overused in the D&D roleplaying tradition, especially as systems of higher power level (like PF2, for instance) can easily make it a bookkeeping chore. And I think PF2 absolutely makes it a bookkeeping chore.

Vancian spellcasting is at its best, in my opinion, at low power levels, & when it represents a restrictive, tenuous or academic mastery of magic. I absolutely think making it the default for a game of epic fantasy like PF2 was a thoughtless decision made by force of habit.
And I have to commend the designers for confusely expressing a similar sensibility through the Focus Points system; because I'm going to steal that.

Scentfinder: of attacks & damage

Although I did not state it plainly in my previous post, perspicacious readers will have understood I want to make Scentfinder more player-facing than its main inspiration. Not only is conveying the feeling of constant action to the PCs something I like, it is also a key component of the transparency I try to foster, as clarity facilitates clever decision-making, especially since quite a few of PCs' reactive abilities require them to precisely know & understand their degree of success.

Saves & Strikes

So, when a PC is in danger, they Save:

• [0] SAVE
  Trigger: you're in danger.
  Test VIG, REF or WIL, determined by the particular danger you're facing.
  T: avoid all damage & effects.
  S: reduce received damage to 1, & endure any additional effects.
  F: roll received damage & endure any additional effects.
  B: maximise received damage & endure any additional effects.

On the contrary, when a PC is on the offensive, they Strike:

• [1] STRIKE (attack)
  Choose a weapon to use. Target a unit in an area you can hit.
  Test a relevant skill vs an appropriate Save (REF by default).
  T: maximise damage.
  S: roll damage.
  F: 1 damage.
  B: ¤

When you Strike an NPC (or Cast a spell on them), you're targetting one of their Saves. Most NPC Saves are neutral, but some could have Modifiers (circumstance, condition or item) Impairing or, rarely, Favouring your attacks against them.

Weapons & attack actions will have predifined skills that can be used to attack with them, and predefined target saves.

NPCs can use attacks as well as PCs, but their do not make rolls: relevant PCs Save & interpret their Successes as NPC Failures & vice-versa. Likewise, NPC Impairements are player Favours & vice-versa.

Damage & HP

So. A few assumptions & gross generalisations first.

• Battles which are not supposed to be grueling challenges last about three turns. Two turns or lower doesn't left much room for changing tides, adaptability & tactics; four turns or more, especially in games as tactical as this one, feel more needlessly drawn out with each player around the table.
• Thus, damage shall follow this design principle: the basic attack inflicts 1/3 of its victim's HP as damage.
• So, d8 being the average classic damage die size (which range from d4 to d12), & its average being 4.5, so 5 (everything is rounded up unless specified), the basic HP will be 3 times that, so 15.
• This base HP of 15 will be the default for both PCs & NPCs. Both could see this value modified, PCs through their class & NPCs through their level & characteristics (we'll see how in the NPC design post).

So here it is. In the barebones of Scentfinder, characters have 15 HP & attacks inflict approximately d8 (5) damage.

It follows that adapting to one's foe shall likely be the only way one could inflict exceptional damage.

Resistances, Weaknesses, & Immunity

• Resistances, Weaknesses & Immunities have a corresponding damage type (or situation).
• Resistance: -2 damage for each damage type the target is Resistant to in a damaging effect.
• Weakness: +2 damage for each damage type the target is Weak to in a damaging effect inflicting at least 1 damage.
• Immunity: a damaging effect is reduced to 0 if it only inflicts damage types a creature is Immune to. In case of partial Immunity to its various damage types, a damaging effect has its final damage halved, before applying any relevant Resistances or Weaknesses.
• In specific situations, a creature could be considered simultaneously Resistant, Weak or Immune against one damage type, in which case every rule above applies.

 

Persistent damage

Persistent damage also carries some narrative weight & deserves its place in the game but was a bit fastidious to track as written in PF2. In Scentfinder, since the values are squashed, it opens up the possibility of using a simpler mechanic:

• Persistent damage is inflicted rolling a damage dice; relevant Resistances & Weaknesses apply only to this initial roll.
• A character inflicted with persistent damage only suffers this damage at the end of their turn, after which their persistent damage value is reduced by 1.
• A creature can be inflicted with several persistent damage types, which stack distinctly from each other.
• A character can spend an action to try & reduce one of their persistent damage values using an appropriate skill, to half their current value (rounded down) on a Success, to 0 on a Critical Success. 

Further posts will detail how classes & weapon design interact with this damage system.

Scentfinder: of stats, skills, & saves

In Scentfinder,  the core rolling mechanic will be roll-equal-to-or-under-stat to succeed. Ill use the d20 & values are presented as such, but it could easily be converted to use a d100 as one fancies (1/20 being equal to 5/100). Rolls of 1 or 20 won't be natural critical results either, as the system already handles criticals elegantly enough.

 

How PCs & their stats improve through their progression is often central to a game's feel. It has to match the tone of the game & the supposed power PCs wield over their world.

In Gubat Banwa, PCs are warriors of legend; in Lancer, they're elite mecha pilots; in Trespasser, they're survivors killing not to be killed; in Blackbirds, they're destitues destined to play a role in the fate of the world. I never could be sure what exactly PF1 or 5E PCs were supposed to be; the scale changes a lot throughout leveling, a bit too uncontrolably to my taste.

What I think PF2 is most suited to -- & what I aim to make Scentfinder represent is casting PCs as tangible heroes. Members of the Fellowship of the Ring; powerful Darkest Dungeon II characters; Vermintide's Ubersreik Five. They're supposed to win this fight; they won't be killed by any one of their innumerable enemies. But one wrong move, one overconfident stumble in front of an accursed champion, & they're at death's door. The end of one is a tragedy, moreso as it could spell doom for all.

Here's how I've chosen to represent this.

Scentfinder: a manifesto

I - Where A Path Is Lost & Found

My rational brain insists indulging in these thoughts is a waste of time. However, these brainworms I call "thoughts" have been gnawing at the back of my mind through each houserule, each custom-made creature, each ruling & each hacking I have made in my weekly game for so long I have to excise them, lest they fully devour my mind.

 

I've been playing Pathfinder 2nd Edition (abridged as "PF2") for 3 years, on a weekly basis, in a total of 5 campaigns, 2 of wich I was game master in -- still am for one of them. I kind of wish I wasn't.