- Double dice on crits. Instead of (1d8 + 4)×2, roll 2d8+8.
- Aid uses the same target DC as the main check instead of 15, and because +4/+2/+1/-1 instead of +X/+1/+0/-1. Bonuses to Aid, like Cooperative Nature, are halved.
- Recall Knowledge is automatically made using the best/most appropriate skill, not asking players which to use. Identify the monster using its level DC. Answer basic questions using an appropriate DC, for example, if they ask how to bypass a level 10 Ghost Mage’s incorporeal damage resistance, the DC will be set based on the lowest level creature with the same resistance: the level 4 Ghost Commoner. Ronald adds even more details in the video.
- Changes to the Investigate, Defend, and Scout exploration activities.
- Disallow critical success on the automatic “Grab” ability some monsters have, if it is at a higher level.
- Give out XP, but by “feel” rather than the precise numbers in the rules.
7–11: Nerfs or bans to specific spells and abilities Garden of Healing, Timber Sentinel, Tailwind, Spiritual Anamnesis, Familiar of Ongoing Misery.
- If you recover from unconscious, you can act immediately.
- Leap action reduces fall distance for the purpose of fall damage by 5 feet.
- One action to automatically find an ally who is Concealed or Hidden.
- Allow the Mature Animal Companion feat to give birds the ability to “fly” without actually moving, to stay in the air, without costing an action.
- Fascinated only ends if a creature takes hostile actions against you, not your allies.
- Keep the optional Voluntary Flaws rule which was removed in the remaster. 2 flaws for 1 boost.
- Monks get “dodge” action which works like raise shield.
- Give Conceal Spell feat to Psychic class feat list.
- Automatic Bonus Progression, but only for fundamental weapon and armour runes.
- Gradual Ability Boosts. Instead of 4 ability boosts at 5th level, get one at 2nd, one at 3rd, etc. But no +5 until level 10, 2nd +5 until level 15, and no +6 until level 20.
- Free Archetype, but first archetype is at level 1 (delaying expert proficiencies until level 2).
The video is definitely front-loaded wrt the more interesting ones.
I like 1 in theory, but once you get Devastating Attacks or Striking runes, it starts getting more difficult to get the dice and to add up all those numbers. Much quicker to just stick with the official rule.
2 is great. I might start using it.
3: I already partly did. I find my players are so reticent to use Recall Knowledge in combat that I’ll just do anything I can to give them benefits and make it easier.
4: I don’t really care for the rigid “declare one of these 4 actions” structure of exploration the official rules use. I ignore it completely for a much more free-flowing narrative.
5: hasn’t been a problem in my experience.
6: People actually use XP?
7–11: I haven’t encountered any of these.
12: moving creatures around the initiative order is too much of a pain. They act when they show up in the order. But they can have reactions immediately.
13: Has never come up for me, but I like this house rule
14–19: have just never come up for me
20: I guess it’s cool if you want it. To me the whole point of the ABP is to cut out all the progression of magic items, and leave them entirely as cool extra effects. So I don’t want to reintroduce any of that.
21: sounds cool in theory. I don’t think Pathbuilder supports it, either with or without Ronald’s changes. And I certainly don’t like it enough to ask my players to manage it custom.
22: for origin archetypes, this is already RAW. Not something I care enough about to run otherwise.