Hero Point Expansion; Actions Points are Back?

 In the 3.5 days of DnD one thing that separated Eberron from other settings was an additional rule set it gained called Action Points; in short you gain X points at each level and could use them to add a 1d6 to d20 rolls. Serves a very similar place as PF2’s Hero Points; and the element was such a core part of the setting/game that there was feats to expand Action Points and even prestige classes (think the none class Archetypes) that also played with Action Points. In the spirit of those 3.5 days that is the focus of Shardfinder’s conversions I have come up with Hero Point expanding General Feats and one class feat below for your PF2 Eberron games.

Speaking of Hero Points, have you heard of Paizo’s Hero Point Deck? It is a fun tool; at its base it is a cheaper version of the Hero Point token coins if you like to give physical objects to remind players they have hero points but it does more! It provides alt ways to use Hero Points and different rules on how to offer the options. You might want to consider also utilizing this deck to increase that pulp action as well.

Please let me know how these feats work in your games or even the Hero Point Deck!

HEROIC BOOST FEAT 1

| GENERAL | 

Your luck seems more reliable than other adventurers’. Whenever you use a Hero Point to reroll your d20, roll 2d20 and pick the highest for your result.

HEROIC SURGE FEAT 3

| GENERAL |

There are rare moments where time seems to slow down for you.

Trigger You are rolling Initiative.

[Free Action] You may spend a Hero Point to gain Quickened 1 until the end of your next turn.

HEROIC SPIRIT FEAT 1

| GENERAL | 

You seem to be able to push your luck more than most heroes.

You start sessions with an additional Hero Point and your Hero Point limit goes up by 1.

NEW BARBARIAN FEAT

RAGING LUCK FEAT 1

| BARBARIAN |

While raging you seem to make your own luck.

Trigger You take the Rage Action [Free Action] You gain a Hero Point; this Hero Point must be used first if you use any Hero Points and if your rage ends for any reason before this Hero Point is used then the Hero Point is immediately lost. (You cannot use this hero point to stabilize as you lose it as you go unconscious.)

Pervasive magic: Road to Dragonmarks and Manifest Zones

 Looking for a way to have Dragonmarks and Manifest Zones in your PF2 Eberron campaign? You may want to check out Pervasive Magic in Secrets of Magic (SoM) pg 218.

Of course you can find most of the rules there on AoN but might miss any fluff or additional info boxes that are important but the short version is Pervasive Magic rules represent a world where all aspects are infused with magic and everything is associated with the magical traditions including gaining innate spells including the player’s’ characters but also the wildlife.

This also brings in specific Background options and feats to increase this inherit magic that can be used instead of class feats and finally magical terrain (more on that later).

Now using these rules I think we can pretty quickly bring in the flavor of Dragonmarks into Eberron.

1. Make Eberron a Pervasive Magical world BUT only those with ties to the Dragonmark houses can take the feats to advance their magic effectively making those feats the Dragonmarks manifesting. I think this certainly fits a flavor/style of Eberron some people like to sell but I don’t find most mechanics/adventures actually provide. This leads to potentially very open spell list options though I personally limit each house to one tradition of magic and you might want to make specific limited lists if you like or not allow some of the feats to limit how high the marks can provide.

2. If using free archetype optional rules perhaps give those with ties to the Dragonmark houses the pervasive cantrip and access to the feats to increase their innate spells representing advancement of their marks.

3. Create/use a background that grants the ties to a Dragonmark house and the starting pervasive cantrip and also gives access to the feats to further thier innate spells.

4. Skip giving the base pervasive cantrip but allow access to the feats if they have appropriate background or written story element; just alter the first one to grant the two cantrips instead of additional.

Just some possibilities to help you get started with how to use the pervasive magic rules in your PF2 Eberron Campaign. Below I present a moral formal idea if I used this as a starting point though I am also working on a Dragonmark system based around ancestry feats but this might turn into my baseline for a Dragonmark Heir Archetype but before getting into that I want to get into Manifest Zones!

Also in the chapter about Pervasive Magic is Magical Terrain, guidelines on places charged with magical or magical influences. In short sounds just like manifest zones. While not extensive it should as a good starting point and guidelines to bringing Manifest Zones to your campaign!

Possible Dragonmark System

HOUSE SCION          Background 

| RARE |

Requirement Your ancestry is associated with a Dragonmark House

You manifest your least Dragonmark early or quickly during your Dragonmark Trial and are raised in the ways of your house. Choose a house associated with your ancestry and story with GM approval. You gain Pervasive Magic’s Tradition traits (SoM pg. 219) with the following changes; your tradition and associated ability score is based on your Dragonmark house. Additionally you gain your house’s skill and lore skill about your chosen house. Choose two ability boosts. One must be associated with your house’s ability scores and the other is a free boost.

See below for House Details.

——-

House Medani

Ancestry Half-Elf heritage

Tradition Arcane

House Skill Survival

Casting Ability Wisdom

Boost Wis or Con

_____

House Tharashk

Ancestry Half-orc heritage (optional Human with a orc/half orc ancestor)

Tradition Arcane

House Skill Survival

Casting Ability Wis

Boost Wis or Con

_____

House Vadalis

Ancestry Human (without a heritage that grants additional ancestry traits)

Tradition Primal

House Skill Nature

Casting Ability Wis

Boost Wis or Con

____

House Jorasco

Ancestry Halfing (without a heritage that grants additional ancestry traits)

Tradition Divine

House Skill Medicine

Casting Ability Wis

Boost Wis or Con

____

House Ghallanda

Ancestry Halfing (without a heritage that grants additional ancestry traits)

Tradition Occult

House Skill Diplomacy

Casting Ability Cha

Boost Cha or Con

____

House Cannith

Ancestry Human (without a heritage that grants additional ancestry traits)

Tradition Arcane

House Skill Crafting

Casting Ability Int

Boost Int or Str

____

And that just examples to get you started; might finish this list in a follow up post for that Background.

Then Cantrip Casting can become Least Dragonmark providing the same as the background but with more cantrips or expanding the cantrips if you already have the background. Of course Least Dragonmark have the limits as the Background as well for our selection of spells. Basic Spellcasting becomes Lesser and Expert Spellcasting becomes Greater. You can drop Master Spellcasting as an option or use it to represent more control or add a new stage of Dragonmark like Superior or make Greater be Great and Master Spellcasting is now Greater. Of course you are limited to your houses’ Spell Tradition for your spell selection.

I hope that helps and gives some ideas on how to bring Pathfinder 2e into your Eberron Campaign!

Eberron Ancestry: Warforged

 Warforged! With this ancestry we finish the last of Eberron’s unique core ancestries. 

Warforged were created as tools of war; automatons meant to fill in ranks and swing blades but by design or fate they became more. With the end of the Last War this unique ancestry found themselves with personhood but their purpose suddenly pulled from them.

The ancestry here hopefully won’t be the final version - adapting warforged to PF2 has been an enormous challenge and I hope to expand on this work later. However, I felt it would be better to put this version out in the community as a beta so I can iterate on the feedback.

In addition to this new ancestry I introduce several new things to help support, destroy constructs and hopefully make the world feel more like Eberron; New Skill feat, new equipment and new spells. 

Warforged - Uncommon

Hit Points 8

Size Medium

Speed 25 ft

Ability Boosts Constitution, Free

 

Languages Common

Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it’s positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region). 

Traits Warforged, Humanoid, Awaken Construct

Awaken Construct Your body is a unique construction trying to mimic life and your mind a spark never imagined before. There are those that even argue you have a soul. For the purpose of spells you are a construct and a living creature. You have the following: You have no need to eat, drink or sleep though you can still consume potions, elixirs, spells and other such things to gain their effects but for abilities, class features and conditions that require full rest. Warforged can enter a recovery mode for six hours instead where they have the unconscious condition but do not go prone or drop items. They may be repaired while in recovery mode but cannot repair themselves in this state. Recovery mode, like 8 hours of rest, can be interrupted and if so a warforged can go back to recovery mode to finish remaining time but the benefits of recovery mode can only be gained once per day.

Warforged are immune to disease, sleep, poison and paralyzed condition. Warforged do not recover hit points from rest or recovery and only gain half the benefits (minimum of 1) of magic or items with the healing trait but cannot be treated with the Medicine skill. Warforged can benefit from Administer First Aid, Treat Poison and Treat Wounds actions but must be done using the Craft Skill  and Repair Kit replacing the Requirement of Healer’s Tools; these actions lose the healing trait if any when used in this way. For a warforged a successful Stabilize also recovers them up to 1 HP in addition to removing the dying condition but the warforged remains unconscious for 1d6 minutes (or longer at GM’s discretion). A warforged who has gained a Focus or Innate spell with the healing trait may use it on themselves or other Warforged at full effect. 

Warforged are not destroyed like most constructs when reduced to 0 Hit Points, instead they gain the dying condition. They do not make recovery checks and maintain their dying condition count unless damaged or restored to 1 or more Hit Points as normal. On dying 4 a warforged’s body is so damaged it can no longer contain the spark of life/soul and they die; even if the body is restored it continues to cease function. They can be brought back to life by magic just like any other living creatures.

Living Weapon Your body of stone, metal and wood allows you to deliver punishing blows while also allowing you to take on Runes. You have an unarmed attack that deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage, has the agile and finesse trait, is in the brawling weapon group and counts as a weapon with light bulk for the purpose of effects and abilities that work on weapons including weapon runes and talismans. If a Warforged heritage armor is ever made of a special material, these unarmed strikes are treated as if made out of the special material.

Heritages

As a manufactured ancestry the Warforged have the unique ability to retrain their heritages or to be more accurate, have them reconfigured. The heritages below most likely represent the model of warforged you were created as but with the right connections a warforged can have their  heritage armor changed out during Downtime using rules found after the listed heritages. A Warforged is always trained in their attached heritage armor. Even if a warforged has their heritage armor completely removed and not replaced they cannot wear standard armor due to integral mounting points, in fact they cannot properly move without heritage armor installed or if it becomes broken or worse (-10 feet speed penalty). A warforged with a class that has anathema may ignore any part about using metal armor as long as they are wearing their original heritage armor. Listed prices are for reference when trying to change heritage armors or craft a new one. Non-Warforged cannot wearWarforged heritage armor. Like any armor, heritage armor can have runes etched or transfered onto them along with being able to use talismans. Most warforged would have the Standard Model Heritage. Heritage armors still count as standard armors for class features and proficiencies.

Standard Model (Composite) Warforged - Common

Be it at the start of the Last War or one of the last groups to be made that never saw combat, let alone trained for it; you were designed to the default standard. You have Composite Heritage armor attached to your body, it is your protection and it is your skin.Most House Cannith Approved Smiths have the formula for this level 1 Armor and even non approved Smiths in a major settlement might have it.

Medium Armor Composite Heritage Armor (level 1)

Price 6 gp

AC Bonus +3

Dex Cap +2

Check Penalty -1

Speed Penalty -5 feet

Strength 14

Bulk 1

Group Composite

Armor Traits Flexible, Comfort

Light Model Warforged - Uncommon

You might have been made to be a fast moving unit or custom order to respond to threats quickly, you have the Light Heritage Armor attached. This lighter armor uses thinner plates and composites along with protecting less of your other body elements. This uncommon armor formula may be known by approved Cannith Smiths that hold a mild position or those Smiths who served as ‘battle repairers’ during the Last War keeping Warforged running.

Light Armor Light Heritage Armor (Level 2)

Price 7 gp

AC Bonus +2

Dex Cap +3

Check Penalty -

Speed Penalty -

Strength 12

Bulk L

Group -

Traits Comfort

Bulwark Model Warforged - Uncommon

You were designed to wade into heavy combat to break lines or perhaps be someone’s heavy bodyguard, you have the Bulwark Heritage Armor. This armor uses thicker plates and covers up more of a warforge’s body. This uncommon armor formula may be known by approved Cannith Smiths that hold a mild position or those Smiths who served as ‘battle repairers’ during the Last War keeping Warforged running.

Heavy Armor Bulwark Heritage Armor (Level 3)

Price 22 gp

AC Bonus +5

Dex Cap +1

Check Penalty -2

Speed Penalty -10 feet

Strength 16

Bulk 2

Group Plate

Trait Bulwark

Reconfiguring

After character creation a Warforged character can swap their heritage armor for a new set of heritage armor if found or purchased. The process to remove current heritage armor is one hour if by themselves, 30 minutes if their help and requires a Repair Kit, Black Smith Toolkit or any toolkit a GM determines is appropriate. Donning the new armor takes the same amount of time. 

Crafting Warforged heritage armor follows the same rules as any armor except on the last day of creation the Warforged May chose to be present for the process having the finished product added immediately as it completed. This ignores the usual donning/removing rules for warforged heritage armor and once the armor is completely it is installed on the warforged.

Ancestry Feats

1ST LEVEL

Warforged Basic Training Feat 1

WARFORGED 

You have undergone Warforged Basic training to prepare them for their roles as soldiers. You become trained in the shortbow and longsword. Additionally you gain the Shield Blocking feat.

Deadly Living Weapon Feat 1

WARFORGED 

Due to practice or a fluke in the Creation Forge your unarmed strikes are more effective, raise your unarmed Strike damage for Living Weapon to a d6 and gain the shove trait.

War Lore Feat 1

WARFORGED

Beyond the tools of war is the ability and skill to use them. Either from training or practical experience you have the basics of warfare. You gain the trained proficiency rank in Crafting and Athletics. If you would automatically become trained in one of those skills, you instead become trained in a skill of your choice. You also become trained in Warfare Lore.

Warforged Resistance Feat 1

WARFORGED 

By blessing of the creation forge or after creation modification you are more durable. You gain resistance equal to the amount of your ancestry feats against piercing, slashing and bludgeoning damage from weapons, traps and hazards unless done by adamantine source.

Jaws of Death Feat 1

WARFORGED

Your bite is as lethal as any weapon. You gain a jaws unarmed attack that deals 1d8 piercing in the brawling group.

 

5TH LEVEL

Warforged Brutal Unarmed Feat 5

WARFORGED

Prerequisite Having Deadly Living Weapon or Jaws of Death

You know how to use your unarmed strikes with brutal effectiveness. Whenever you score a critical strike with one of your unarmed attacks you apply that unarmed attacks critical specialization.

Warforged Weapon Discipline Feat 5

WARFORGED

Prerequisite Warforged Basic Training

You have honed your skill with the basic weapons of war, whenever you get a critical hit with one of your Basic Training weapons you apply that weapon’s critical effect.

Construct Lockdown Feat 5

WARFORGED 

Your own construct nature has given you an insight on how to combat constructs. You gain a +2 to damage against creatures with the construct type and anytime you score a critical on one you may use the Sling Critical effect instead of the weapon’s usual critical effect.

9th Level

Warforged Heritage Armor Expertise Feat 9

WARFORGED

You have become quite practiced in your heritage armor that makes up part of your body. Whenever you gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in certain armors or unarmed defense, you also gain that proficiency for your heritage armor. Additionally gain access to that armor’s specialization if any.

13th Level

Martial Expertise Feat 13

WARFORGED

Prerequisite Warforged Weapon Discipline

Your designed intention for war and experience have honed your skills. Whenever you gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in certain weapons, you also gain that proficiency for the shortbow and longsword.

New Skill Feat

Battle Repairs <Action> Feat 1

| General | Manipulate | Skill |

Prerequisite Trained in Craft

Requirements Repair Tools worm or in Hand, Target is a construct or awaken construct.

You can quick repair up yourself or an adjacent ally construct, even in combat. Attempt a Craft check with the same DC as for Treat Wounds and provide the corresponding amount of repairs. As with Treat Wounds, you can attempt checks against higher DCs if you have the minimum proficiency rank. The target is then temporarily immune to your Battle Repairs for 1 day.

New Equipment 

OIL OF REPAIR ITEM 1+

CONSUMABLE | MAGICAL | OIL | TRANSMUTATION 

Usage held in1 hand; Bulk L

Activate <Single Action> Interact

An oil of repair is a vial that appears to have endless silver threads swirling within. When you apply this oil to a construct, including yourself, they gain the listed number of Hit Points. Generally a minor oil of repair can be bought during character creation.

————————————————

Type minor; Level 1; Price 4 gp 

This oil repairs 1d8 Hit Points.

————————————————

Type lessor; Level 3; Price 12 gp

This oil repairs 2d8+5 Hit Points.

————————————————

Type moderate; Level 6; Price 50 gp

This oil repairs 3d8+10 Hit Points.

————————————————

Type greater; Level 12; Price 400 gp

This oil repairs 6d8+20 Hit Points.

————————————————

Type major; Level 18; Price 5,000 gp

This oil repairs 8d8+30 Hit Points.

New Spells

REPAIR SPELL 1

TRANSMUTATION 

Traditions arcane, occult

Cast <Single Action> to <<<Triple Action>>>

Range varies Targets 1 construct

—————————————————-

You channel transmutational magics to repair your construct allies. The target construct has 1d8 Hit Points restored. This spell even works on golems and other constructs with antimagic but only restores half of the Hit Points. The number of actions you spend when casting this spell determines its targets, range, area, and other parameters.

<Single Action> (somatic) This spell has a range of touch.

<<Double Action>> (verbal,somatic) The spell has a range of 30 feet. Increase the Hit Points restored by 8.

<<<Triple Action>>> (material, somatic, verbal) You disperse transmutive energy in a 30-foot emanation. This targets all constructs in the burst.

——————————————————

Heightened (+1) The amount of repairing increases by 1d8, and the extra 2-action version increases by 8.

DISABLE SPELL 1

TRANSMUTATION

Traditions arcane, occult

Cast <Single Action> to <<<Triple Action>>>

Range varies Targets 1 construct

—————————————————

You channel destructive transmutational magics to wreck your construct enemies. The target construct takes 1d8 damage and gets a basic Fortitude saves. This spell even works on golems and other constructs with antimagic but these kinds of constructs treat Critical Failures as Failures. The number of actions you spend when casting this spell determines its targets, range, area, and other parameters.

<Single Action> (somatic) This spell has a range of touch.

<<Double Action>> (verbal,somatic) The spell has a range of 30 feet.

<<<Triple Action>>> (material, somatic, verbal) You disperse destructive  transmutive energy in a 30-foot emanation. This targets all constructs in the burst.

——————————————————

Heightened (+1) The amount of damage increases by 1d8.

I hope you enjoyed this latest entry. If you have any other ideas or comments share in the comments below! The most direct way to give me feedback though is to email dark.cloud.blogs@gmail.com. I have started a World Anvil account and will be posting this content over there as well. Everything I have posted here should already be over there with past entries to follow soon; check it out here: World Anvil Shardfinder 2.

Special thanks to my first Shardfinder Patreon: Beth! Please check above if you like to support Shardfinder and a share is always appreciated.

A special thanks to the Eberron Discord Communities and extra special one to ChaosOS for proof reading this entry; check out his works on the DM’s Guild.

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