Campaign Character Rules

The rules listed here apply to game play within Rule of Fear, and are designed to ensure a sustainable environment for the campaign. Some of these rules are derived from the Pathfinder Society Guide to Organized Play, while others have been determined by the Campaign Administrator.

Player Character Limit

Each player in Rule of Fear may have up to two characters at any time. A player may only create their second character after reaching 5th level with their first character.

If a player has reached their character limit but wishes to create a new character, they must retire one of their existing characters. Please see the page on Death and Retirement for more information:

Death and Retirement

Players who continuously retire characters will be asked to stop.

Ability, Archetype, and Feat Changes

Certain feats are not allowed to Pathfinder Society characters, or by the decision of the Campaign Administrator, and as such are unavailable within Rule of Fear.

These include Brew Potion, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Rod, Craft Staff, Craft Wand, Craft Wondrous Item, Forge Ring, Leadership, Monstrous Companion, Psychic Sensitivity, Recruits, Scribe Scroll, and Squire. The Signature Skill feat is only available to Unchained Rogues through their Rogue's Edge class ability.

We DO NOT use alternate feat tax systems such as The Elephant in The Room, so please don't ask.

Neither the craft feats nor the item creation section of the magic items chapter in the Core Rulebook are legal for play. In addition, any feat that would allow you the abilities of a class that is not allowed, or you do not have access to due to GM reward limitations, are also strictly banned from this campaign.

In compensation, characters which receive item creation feats as part of their class features receive a substituted feat. If an above feat is granted by a class archetype that is not mentioned for substitution below, assume that you do not gain that feat.

Substitutions, changes, and bans, including the crafting feats mentioned above, as well as Pathfinder Society limitations are listed below:

Alchemist

 Class Changes: 

Alchemists receive the Extra Bombs feat at 1st level instead of Brew Potion.

 Archetype Changes: 

Gloom Chymist: Alchemists with this archetype receive the Skill Focus feat at 1st level instead of Brew Potion.

Interrogator: Alchemists with this archetype receive the Skill Focus feat at 1st level instead of Brew Potion.

Metamorph: Alchemists with this archetype receive the Skill Focus feat at 1st level instead of Brew Potion.

Promethean Alchemist: Alchemists with this archetype receive the Skill Focus feat at 1st level instead of the Promethean Alchemist discovery, which also replaces Brew Potion.

 Banned Archetypes:  Alchemical Trapper, Blazing Torchbearer, Blood Alchemist, Bogborn Alchemist, Clone Master, Concocter, Construct Rider, Deep Bomber, Ectoplasm Master, Fire Bomber, Grenadier [MC], Herbalist, Inspired Chemist, Mad Scientist, Plague Bringer, Toxicant, Vivisectionist, and Winged Marauder.

 Banned Anointings:  Eldritch Enhancement.

 Banned Discoveries: 

Discoveries: Blackstar Bomb, Boneshard Bomb, Cursed Bomb, Darkness Bomb, Glassfoot Bomb, Greater Inspiring Cognatogen, Grand Inspiring Cognatogen, Inspiring Cognatogen, Plague Vector, Profane Bomb, Psychoactive Bomb, Siege Bomb, Underwater Demolition, and Void Bomb.

Extract Discoveries: Aromatic Extract, Bottled Ooze, Pickled Quasit, and Tainted Infusion.

Mutagen Discoveries: Splitting Mutagen.

Poison Discoveries: Poison Conversion.

Other Discoveries: Alchemical Simulacrum, Alchemical Zombie, Doppelganger Simulacrum, Greater Alchemical Simulacrum, Material Mastery, Method to the Madness, Promethean Disciple, Sleeper Agent, Subsumed Spirit, and Sunlight Acclimation.

Barbarian

 Banned Archetypes:  Deep Water Rager, Feral Gnasher, Geminate Invoker, Hateful Rager, Pack Rager, Raging Cannibal, True Primitive, Wild Rager, and Wildborn.

 Banned Rage Powers:  Celestial Totem, Greater Celestial Totem, Lesser Celestial Totem, Psychopomp Totem, Greater Psychopomp Totem, Lesser Psychopomp Totem.

Bard

 Class Changes: 

Bards with the Expanded Versatility advanced versatile performance cannot use it to select Escape Artist or Use Magic Device.

 Archetype Changes: 

Busker: Bards with this archetype can only use Acrobatics, Disguise, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth for Day Job checks.

Geisha: Bards with this archetype receive the Spell Focus feat at 1st level instead of Scribe Scroll.

Speaker of the Palatine Eye: Bards with this archetype may only worship one deity, but they may revere others, including Pharasma.

Studious Librarian: Bards with this archetype receive the Skill Focus feat at 1st level instead of Scribe Scroll.

 Banned Archetypes:  Disciple of the Forked Tongue, Dragon Herald, Dragon Yapper, Fey Courtier, Hatharat Agent, Masked Performer, Phrenologist, Plant Speaker, Savage Skald, Shadow Puppeteer, Stonesinger, and Watersinger.

 Banned Advanced Versatile Performances:  Martial Performance.

 Banned Masterpieces:  Arrowsong's Lament, Ballad of the Warding Princess, Dirge of the Torn Sail, Hymn of Restorative Harmonics, Hymn of Sacred Lands, Music Beyond the Spheres, Pageant of the Peacock, Song of Extinction, Song of Sarkoris, Symphony of Sylandurla’s Ascent, The Waning Bolero, and Wildsoul Aria.

Cleric

 Class Changes: 

Clerics with the Nobility domain get the Persuasive feat at 8th level instead of the Leadership feat.

Clerics with the Rune domain receive Spell Focus at 1st level instead of Scribe Scroll.

Clerics with the Monuments variant channeling may not select the harm version.

 Archetype Changes: 

Artifice: Clerics with this archetype may not select the Trap subdomain.

Cloistered Cleric: Clerics with this archetype receive the Spell Focus feat at 4th level instead of Scribe Scroll.

Crashing Wave: Clerics with this archetype can take feats that augment their Balanced Channel ability as if it were Channel Energy, but not feats that alter this ability such as Elemental Channel or Alignment Channel.

Forgemaster: Clerics with this archetype receive the Heavy Armor Proficiency feat at 3rd level instead of Craft Magic Arms and Armor. They receive the Skill Focus feat at 5th level instead of the Master Smith ability.

Idealist: Clerics with this archetype must specify a place for which the Planar Bond ability lists the three granted spells.

Varisian Pilgrim: Clerics with this archetype gain the the Blessing of the Harrow ability at 8th level only if they have a Harrow Deck.

 Banned Archetypes:  Demonic Apostle, Elder Mythos Cultist, Fiendish Vessel, and Undead Lord.

Druid

 Class Changes: 

Druid Herbalism is not allowed as an alternate choice for Animal Companion or Domain substitution.

Druids with the Nobility domain gain the Persuasive feat at 8th level instead of the Leadership feat.

Druids with the Vulture domain have Agent of Rebirth replaced with the ability to cast the Entended Airwalk spell as a spell-like ability once per day.

 Archetype Changes: 

Restorer: This archetype's Guide Across Lifetimes ability grants Heal as a spell-like ability once per day instead of Reincarnate.

 Banned Archetypes:  Ancient Guardian, Ashvawg Tamer, Devolutionist, Dinosaur Druid, Feral Child, Life Channeler, Mantella, Naga Aspirant, Pack Lord, Progenitor, Reincarnated Druid, Season Keeper, Season Sage, Sky Druid, Supernaturalist, Tempest Tamer, Troll Fury, and Undine Adept.

 Banned Domains:  The Uskbond Domain.

Fighter

 Banned Archetypes:  Airborne Ambusher, Cavern Sniper, Cyber-Soldier, Dirty Fighter, Drill Sergeant, Gladiator, Seasoned Commander, Steelbound Fighter, Swarm Fighter, Tactician, Trench Fighter, Varisian Free-Style Fighter, Venomblade, Viking, Warlord, and Weapon Bearer Squire.

 Banned Advanced Armor Training:  Armor Specialization, and Master Armorer.

 Banned Advanced Weapon Training:  Fighter's Stamina, Item Mastery, and Warrior Spirit.

Inquisitor

 Class Changes: 

The Sedition Inquisition feature, Rebel Leader, grants the Persuasive feat at 8th level instead of Leadership.

 Archetype Changes: 

Heretic: An ex-Inquisitor may not replace existing class abilities with those granted by the Heretic Inquisitor.

Sworn of the Eldest: This archetype is available to Inquisitors of any race.

Vampire Hunter: Inquisitors with this archetype do not gain the Silversmith ability, but instead replace Detect Alignment with Detect Undead.

 Banned Archetypes:  Immolator, Living Grimoire, Monster Tactician, Reaper of Secrets, Relic Hunter, Royal Accuser, Sacred Huntsmaster, Sanctified Slayer, and Secret Seeker.

 Banned Inquisitions:  Black Powder Inquisition, and Spellkiller Inquisition.

Magus

 Class Changes: 

The Magus class is only available to GMs who accrue enough RP to purchase the class for one of their characters. For more information, please see the Becoming a GM section of the wiki.

 Archetype Changes: 

Jistkan Artificer: Magus with this archetype do not gain access to Flurrying Arm.

Spire Defender: This archetype is available only to Magus of the Elf race.

 Banned Archetypes:  Deep Marshal, Elemental Knight, Mindblade, Sorrowblade, and Soul Forger.

 Banned Arcana:  Aquatic Agility, Arcane Dealer, Arcane Scent, Natural Spell Combat, Rakshasa's Fortune, Spell Trickery, and Spell-Scars.

Monk

 Class Changes: 

The Ki Powers, Prognostication and True Prognostication, are unavailable to Monks.

 Archetype Changes: 

Scarred Monk: This archetype cannot be used with the Unchained version of Monk.

 Banned Archetypes:  Gray Disciple, Ironskin Monk, Kata Master, Nimble Guardian, Serpent-Fire Adept, Soul Shepherd, Student of Stone, Treetop Monk, and Water Dancer.

Oracle

 Class Changes: 

Oracles with the Nature spirit receive Animal Growth as a bonus spell at 10th level instead of Awaken.

 Mystery Changes: 

Spellscar: An Oracle with the Spellscar mystery does not gain access to the Eldritch Scar, Primary Mastery, or Trigger Primal Magic Event revelations.

Time: An Oracle with this mystery gains Hold Monster at 10th level instead of Permanency.

 Archetype Changes: 

Ocean's Echo: This archetype is available to any race that grants the character a Swim Speed.

 Banned Archetypes:  Cyclopean Seer, Inerrant Voice, Pei Zin Practitioner, Psychic Searcher, and Spirit Guide.

 Banned Curses:  Cold-blooded, Ghoul, Infested, Plagued, Promethean, Scourge, Shattered Psyche, Site-Bound, and Song-Bound.

 Banned Mysteries:  Reaper.

Paladin

 Class Changes: 

A Paladin wishing to take the Oath of the Skyseeker must solely worship a deity from the Dwarven pantheon.

 Archetype Changes: 

Forest Preserver: The Sacred Botany ability from this archetype does not add Awaken to the Paladin's spell list.

Knight of Coins: A Paladin with this archetype may only select from the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th listed Blessing of Prosperity.

Kraken Slayer: This archetype is available to any race that grants the character a Swim Speed.

 Banned Archetypes:  Champion of the Cascade, Chaos Knight, Combat Healer Squire, Holy Gun, Mind Sword, Pearl Seeker, Stonelord, and Virtuoso Bravo.

 Banned Divine Bonds:  Angelic Bond.

 Banned Oaths:  Oath of the People's Council.

Ranger

 Banned Archetypes:  Bow Nomad, Divine Tracker, Dragon Hunter, Fortune-Finder, Groom, Hooded Champion, Jungle Lord, Sword-Devil, Wild Hunter, and Wild Soul.

 Banned Combat Styles:  Underwater.

 Banned Traps:  Acid Trap, Blightburn Trap, Blighted Mark Trap, Channeled Energy Trap, Distraction Trap, Lazurite Trap, Oversized Barbs, Pit Trap, Rust Monster Trap, Selective Trigger, Spell-Stealing Trap, Spell-Storing Trap, Tar Trap, Transdimensional Trap, and Tripwire.

Rogue

 Archetype Changes: 

Eldritch Scoundrel: This archetype is unavailable with the Unchained version of Rogue.

Galtan Agitator: A Rogue with this archetype gains the Persuasive Feat at 12th level instead of Leadership.

Seeker of the Lost: This archetype is available to any race that grants the character a Swim Speed.

 Banned Archetypes:  Cat Burglar, Deadly Courtesan, Dreamthief, Driver, Eldritch Raider, False Medium, Fey Prankster, Guild Agent, Gun Smuggler, Kitsune Trickster, Nameless Shadow, Phantom Thief, Relic Raider, Sapper, Snare Setter, Snoop, Swamp Poisoner, Swordmaster, and Waylayer.

 Banned Rogue Talents:  Black Market Connections, Demand Attention, Disease Use, Eerie Disappearance, Face in the Crowd, False Attacker, Gloom Magic, Greater Gloom Magic, Grig Jig, Quick Scrounge, and Scavenger.

 Banned Advanced Rogue Talents:  Grazing Shot, See in Darkness, and Unlock Ki.

Sorcerer

 Class Changes: 

The Blood Havoc bloodline mutation is unavailable in this campaign.

 Bloodline Changes: 

Draconic: The Outer Dragon variant bloodline is unavailable to this archetype.

Ectoplasm: Sorcerers with this bloodline replace the 5th level bonus spell Ghost Whip, with Spectral Hand.

Impossible: Sorcerers with this bloodline gain Spell Focus at 3rd level instead of Spontaneous Generation.

Martyred: Sorcerers with this bloodline gain Alertness as a bonus feat instead of Leadership.

Vestige: Sorcerers with this bloodline gain Alertness and Persuasive as bonus feats instead of Craft Wondrous Item and Leadership.

 Banned Archetypes:  Dragon Drinker, Nine-Tailed Heir, Sorcerer of Sleep, and Tattooed Sorcerer.

 Banned Bloodlines:  Daemon, Kobold Sorcerer, Nanite, and Pestilence.

 Banned Bloodline Mutations:  Blood Havoc.

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 Class Changes: 

Witches that choose the Mind patron have the 8th level bonus spell Create Mindscape replaced with Mindwipe, and the 12th level bonus spell Greater Create Mindscape replaced with Mind Swap.

Witches who wish to choose a patron from the Unique Patron list, must be able to select both a Witch Patron and have the Hex class feature.

 Archetype Changes: 

Alley Witch: A Witch with this archetype gains Ventriloquism instead of Ears of the City from their Crowd Patron list of bonus spells.

Bonded Witch: A Witch with this archetype gains Resounding Shot at 10th level instead of Energy Siege, and gains Fire Brand at 14th level instead of Arcane Cannon, from the Weapon entry of Bonded Item.

Herb Witch: A Witch with this archetype must select the Healing hex at 2nd level in place of the Cauldron hex.

 Banned Archetypes:  Ashiftah, Bouda, Demon-Sworn, Dreamweaver, Flood Walker, Gingerbread Witch, Gravewalker, Havocker, Invoker, Jinx Witch, Mountain Witch, Scarred Witch Doctor, and Seducer.

 Banned Hexes: 

Hexes: Cauldron, Child-Scent, Cursed Wound, Deathcall, Discord, Greater Gift of Consumption, Iceplant, Mud Witch, Poison Steep, Protective Luck, Swamp's Grasp, and Verdant Familiar.

Major Hexes: Cook People, Delicious Fright, Pariah, Restless Slumber, and Witch's Brew.

Grand Hexes: Abominate, Death Interrupted, and Forced Reincarnation.

 Banned Patrons:  The Fey Gifts patron is unavailable in this campaign.

 Banned Patron Spells:  Boundaries, Devotion, Fate, Mountain, Peace, Recovery, and Storms.

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 Class Changes: 

Wizards receive Spell Focus at 1st level instead of Scribe Scroll.

Only items listed as Always Available may be selected as the free bonded object granted to a wizard at 1st level.

 Archetype Changes: 

Arcane Physician: A Wizard with this archetype gains Spell Focus instead of Brew Potion at 1st level.

Arcane Warden: A Wizard with this archetype gains access to the Persuasive feat instead of Leadership, from the Ready for Anything ability.

Clocksmith: A Wizard with this archetype gains Spell Focus as a bonus feat instead of the Craft Construct ability.

Familiar Adept: A Wizard with this archetype that takes Diminished Expertise replaces Spell Focus at 1st level instead of Scribe Scroll.

First World Caller: A Wizard with this archetype gains cannot apply the Erratic Time planar trait with the Warp reality ability.

 Banned Archetypes:  Absalom: Arcanamirium Crafter, Exploiter Wizard, Instructor, Pact Wizard (HHH), Primalist, Siege Mage, Spellslinger, Spirit Binder, Thassilonian Specialist, Undead Master, and Wind Listener.

 Banned Arcane Discoveries:  Arcane Builder, Faith Magic, Golem Constructor, Infectious Charms, Knowledge Is Power, Psychic Preperation, Staff-Like Wand, True Name, and Werewolf Shape.

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All legal class archetypes must be applied at 1st level. Only one character archetype is allowed per class. Multiple archetype stacking within the same class is not allowed.

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If a character dies during a session prior to reaching level 2, that character may be assumed to be brought back to life by a local helpful caster with no negative repercussions after the session concludes. The character receives no experience or rewards from the encounter during which they were killed, but otherwise may continue to be played as normal. This type of no-cost character revival only applies to first-level characters, and may only be taken advantage of one time. If a character dies a second time before reaching level 2, the player must make another character.

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Rule of Fear does not operate games on a set schedule, and thus it is impossible to have a concept of downtime for players and maintain standardization amongst the community. Because of this, we do not allow Profession checks to Earn a Living, or the retraining of characters. For the purposes of things such as a Wizard having to wait a week to replace a lost Familiar, or reattempting to copy a spell from another wizard's spellbook, the time between each session your character plays will be considered 1 week.

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In Rule of Fear, you may never buy items from, sell items to, or trade items with another player. You may, however, allow another player to borrow an item for the duration of a scenario. To avoid confusion, this item should never be added to the sheet of the person who is borrowing it, nor should the person giving the item remove it from their sheet (however they should note it is being borrowed). Unless the item has been consumed or lost, it automatically returns to the inventory of its original owner at the end of the session (or sessions if the adventure lasts for more than one), and in the condition it was when the person borrowing it last had it.

You are also permitted to spend your character’s gold to help a party member purchase spellcasting services such as Raise Dead or Remove Disease, or minor things such as paying for a meal, a drink, or for inn or transportation services. You are never allowed to buy items or equipment for a party member, nor are you allowed to give them gold. The only caveat to this rule is if players wish to pool their money to buy a Wand of Cure Light Wounds, Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds, or Wand of Cure Serious Wounds. Before players do this, they must agree before the purchase who will be the owner of the item, as only one person pay keep it at the end of the session.

Spells that are 7th level or higher are not available from spellcasting services.

The following spells found in the Core Rulebook are not legal for play and may never be used, found, purchased, or learned in any form by PCs:

Awaken, Permanency, and Reincarnate.

If you have read all of the above information, then please click the following link to continue with the character creation process:

Character Creation