Campaign Errata

The following are house rules the various Panakos gaming groups have adopted over the years. Some are essential to the inner workings of other rules and supplements in the system, but others are option to try and streamline play, or fix broken parts of the core rules or developer’s rulings on various parts of the game world.

Experience and Advancement: (required campaign rule)

Adventures are compartmentalized in “Episodes,” to allow for easy transition between GMs. No XPs are tracked. Levels are awarded at the end of the Episode, or at thresholds during the Episode. If a spell or effect requires spending XP, spend 20 times that in rare reagents instead. See the rules for “Rotating the GM” for more details.

Languages: (required campaign rule)

All areas of the game world speak Common. Each region of the game world has a different ethnic ancient language, referred to as their Culture Tongue. Culture Tongues are nearly “dead” languages, and not spoken casually, but are often used in religious ceremonies, or run across in old books or archaeological sites. The Decipher Script skill, as well as the Comprehend Languages spell, will correctly interpret Culture Tongue.

Priests begin play with their regional Culture Tongue for free. PCs have the option of taking the Culture Tongue of their region as a starting language at character generation. Culture Tongues are not secret, and may be learned in play through standard means.

New Feat – Talented Merchant: (required campaign rule)

A Talented Merchant enjoys certain pricing benefits in port cities according to the VIP system outlined in the Game Mastering section, and also has the option to reroll any failed result of the Appraise or Bluff skills during price negotiation to purchase an item.

Spell Ranges: (required campaign rule)

Teleport and all variations of teleport (Transport via Plants / etc) only work within a region. Scrying of all forms only works within a region. Sending only works within a region. Effectively, the region boundary acts as a “zone wall” in MMO terms for all spells of “unlimited range.” Regional boundaries on these (and other such spells, at the GM’s discretion) may only be bypassed with a Miracle or Wish spell. The “Region Boundary” is understood to be line of sight from land, which is approximately 15 miles for normal coastlines, or longer for cliffs or mountainous coastlines.

Magic in the Ocean of Panakos: (required campaign rule)

As noted above, teleport effects and scrying effects which typically have a range of “unlimited” have no effect in the Ocean of Panakos. (defined loosely as being out of sight of land, and not in an inland bay or other area as determined by the GM) The Wayfarer’s “Scryglass” ability bypasses this limitation. (see Wayfarer Prestige class) At the caster’s option, a boat can serve as a “fixed” area of effect for a caster’s spell, even though the boat moves, while the boat is in the Ocean of Panakos. This applies to fixed areas emanating from a point such as Obscuring Mist or Hallow, and areas of effect with durations such as Fog Cloud or Prismatic Sphere. It also overrules certain rulings made by Paizo in the Sword and Shackles expansion, such as Control Winds.

Signaling: (required campaign rule)

Signaling other boats is done in three methods. During the day, boats communicate by running up colored flags on a halyard in different orders to convey simple messages to each other. At night, they shutter and un-shutter bulls-eye lanterns in a code to convey simple messages. Transmitting or receiving information by either of these methods is a Profession: Sailor check, DC 15. In crowded ports or anchorages, boats also use horns to transmit simple information about their intent, and to determine “rights of way” to avoid boat collisions. Doing so is a Profession Sailor check, DC 10. If a PC has a book or other reference handy, and has the time to look the translation up, then they may take 10 on these checks. They may not be performed untrained, and PCs may not “take 10” in highly stressful situations such as imminent collisions.

Gear: (optional house rule)

Follow all Pathfinder published rules for firearms.

Adjust Pistol critical range to 18-20(x3). Adjust Musket critical range to 18-20(x4). Firearms and ammunition for firearms may not be enchanted in any way whatsoever, by temporary spell or permanent ability, because the gods themselves have forsaken them.

Resting: (optional house rule)

Spells of level 1-3 are considered “minor,” and are refreshed after 1 hour of rest or meditation. Spells of levels 4-6 are considered “major” and are refreshed after 3 hours of rest or meditation. Spells of level 7 or above are considered “greater” and are refreshed after 9 hours rest. Class abilities, magic items, and other such game mechanics are refreshed daily, as in the core rules. Heal checks may be made after 1 hour rest, but may only be performed once per day unless new injuries are acquired. Any discrepancies or judgment calls are left to the GM.

Spell Components: (optional house rule)

Single use components of minor cost need not be tracked individually, but must be accounted for as a group, as ammunition. For instance, a player need not write down “5 eyelashes in gum arabic, 15 pinches of sand,” but rather simply “20 components.” Reusable components/foci, such as a holy symbol or other item reused for each casting must be tracked individually in inventory. Rare and expensive items (GM discretion, but generally anything with a GP cost above a few gold pieces) must be acquired individually and tracked in inventory. Divine Foci for druids and bards are holy symbols to their chosen gods, and follow identical rules to divine foci for clerics and paladins.

Minor spell components can be bought in any marketplace, at a cost of one gold piece per component, or 1d4 may be foraged with a Survival DC 15 check when a character is in an environment suitable to gather them. (GM’s discretion)

Vessel Crafting: (optional house rule)

The following aspects of a vessel may be upgraded. The cost of an upgrade is as follows:

(modification) / (cost) / (bonus) / (max bonus) / (notes)

• Hull Sheathing / +10% cost per level/ +1 to AC, Hardness, Base Save, CMB, and CMD / level 5 max / can be added any time
• Structural Reinforcement / +10% cost per level / +10% HP per level / level 5 max / double cost if added to existing vessel
• Talented Shipwright / +20% cost per level / +10% boat length, +10% speed, and +20% acceleration per level / level 3 max / may only be added during boat’s construction
• Extra Capacity / +20% cost per level / +20% crew and cargo capacity or +20% armaments, -10% speed, -10% acceleration / level 3 max / may only be added during boat’s construction

Vessels crafted from special materials may grant magical enhancements, protections, or the like at the GM’s discretion.

Flurry of Blows: (optional house rule)

We typically rule Flurry of Blows like it was originally presumed to work, such that you may repeatedly kick or punch with the same hand. So for instance, it will still work with Zen Archer.