The questionnaire that DEM released several weeks ago proved quite successful and allowed us to implement several changes to our upcoming Pathfinder release, Amethyst: Renaissance. We're not completely finished, however, and I promised to release one of our anticipated science-fiction classes for review. Upon reconsideration, I decided to release two. A few of our classes do mimic Pathfinder core classes in many ways, but we've tried to implement a few ideas to encourage customization and individuality without making the result overly complicated. One of the classes here does reflect that level of complexity, while the other, I think, is more traditional. Any and all comments are welcome. These classes are at the beta phase of testing, so more changes may be in store.

You can download the classes here

"http://www.diasexmachina.com/Pathfinder Open Questionnaire, Phase 2.doc"

Thanks to everyone that emailed me, posted on Living Dive, posted here, or posted on our page at DiasExMachina.com. This is what we decided upon based upon your feedback (along with the recap of the original questions).

1. RACES
Our races, though following Pathfinder mostly, do deviate in one regard. Their ability adjustments are variable, a trend started with PHB3. Where elf or dwarf is fixed, in our setting players have the option where to take the penalty and where to accept the bonus.

Result: We'll make the bonus variable, but the penalty fixed.

2. SPECIAL ABILITIES
In an effort to make our race and class features easier to read, we decided to present them in bullet form, not unlike powers from 4th Edition. The same information is imparted, just in a way which we believe is easier.

Result: This was the big one, and received the most widely diverse opinions. I think what we'll do is return to original Pathfinder presentation but underline or bold the important elements to ensure players can get at the important bits.

3. LIFEPATH
Carried over from Foundations, Renaissance introduces lifepaths, which can affect your character in minor or major ways. These have no class prerequisites and with more than 40 of them, one should satisfy any player. But shouldn't they be archetypes? Archetypes modify classes (like Amethyst's class focus did in our 2008 book) while our lifepaths do more general changes and are not always tied to one class. Two lifepaths are workaround to select classes not permitted in the canon setting.

Result: Well, it appears relatively obvious that Lifepaths will be renamed Traits. However, our lifepa—err traits, are more powerful. So despite the default rule of allowing two traits, we'll suggest only one Amethyst trait, regardless if it's type. Characters can still select another trait from any other Pathfinder book, but only one from our list.

4. DUAL CLASSES
We have this idea of creating dual classes—basically some of our classes are broken into two complete sub-classes. Each sub-class shares identical hit dice, saves, skill ranks, class skills, and base attack bonus, meaning they only differ with class abilities. Because both sub-classes are listed as one class, selecting one as your favored class will equate to both being a favored class; you will gain favored class bonuses gaining a level in either class. For example, you could multiclass either front grounder or heavy grounder and still gain favored class bonuses, but not if you multiclass in front grounder and marshal. These classes are still considered separate for the purposes of class abilities (e.g.: A 4th level front grounder / 2nd level heavy grounder character is not a 6th level grounder, nor is he a 4th level heavy grounder).

Result: The big issue with this involves a slight confusion. Some people suggested that we combine the dual classes into one. This would not be a good idea considering the sizes of our individual classes. This is also why they wouldn't work as archetypes. Despite me believing the idea is sound, it's looking like we're going to drop dual-classes entirely.

5. POWER-LIKE ABILITIES
We know that some 3rd edition class abilities act like powers without looking like powers. If a character can do something unique each round, how is that different from an at-will power? As a result, we have offered certain classes abilities that, though balanced and written for 3.75, do resemble powers (this is related to point 2 above).

Result: Once again, this is the conflict between ease and tradition. Despite the benefits, it looks like class abilities will be adjusted to resemble Pathfinder.

6. MEDICAL EXPLOITS
In a moment of both genius and madness, we gave our medical operator a spell list. These are not spells, mind you, but are gained and operate just as a cleric would gain and use spells. They are presented as spells, but are actually extraordinary abilities he can use anytime given his exploit/spell list.

Result: Looks like the precedent of Alchemist places Medical Exploits firmly in our game. So they stay.

7. MONSTER LORE
Simply put, we've included our monster lore from Foundations. We don't have a problem with this.

Result: Looks like these stay.

8. MULTIPLE MONSTERS
The Pathfinder bestiary offers one orc. We included five different pagus at different challenge ratings and weapon loadouts. Even though it isn't hard to upgrade monsters in Pathfinder, we still wanted to remove the stress of designing different versions of the same creature.

Result: The first thing to state is that we do not have a page budget for monsters. We are either presenting you with 20 monsters with 20 stat-blocks or 20 monsters with 40 stat-blocks. We're not sacrificing monsters to present duplicate monsters. That appeared to be the only issue people brought up. Since you don't have to worry about that, it looks like these are in.

9. MINIONS
I love minions from 4th Edition. I think they're a little too much experience, but I really wanted to remain in Amethyst. So we made them by adding the special ability "Minion".

Result: Some people don't have experience with minions, but one thing they are not are lower challenge-rating monsters. With my experience with 3rd Edition, you can't use lower challenge rating monsters as minions because they cannot hit the players without rolling a natural 20. We'll be looking over these monsters to make ensure they are balanced before keeping them.

10. COMPLICATED CLASSES
Our classes offer a lot of customization, different abilities depending on your basic concept, and abilities trees similar to that in D20 Modern. Some of our playtesters have argued that we should attempt to make our classes similar to Pathfinder classes, borderline copies, altering the rules only when in regard to using firearms. I think that would taste of being unoriginal, but it would make the transition easier for those unaware of how D20 modern created their classes.

Result: One thing I need to stress is that Amethyst using Pathfinder rules is still Amethyst, so there will be some things that will simply feel different. I mean we have powered armor and railcannons….right on that issue alone, there's no way to make Amethyst play like Pathfinder. Having modern rules in Amethyst is mandatory since we have firearms, cars, and helicopters. People wanting Pathfinder with no alteration won't enjoy Amethyst, as it's being presented as a science/fantasy with modern rules (rules which can be used in homebrew games outside of Amethyst). Of course, you could use our races and lifepa—sorry—traits to create a party with all fantasy classes in Amethyst, never encountering technology…but it's still there, part of the setting. We have monsters which are firearm-wielding commandos. One's a giant robot. It's the nature of the setting.

One thing we don't want to do is just present our classes as archetypes, as it simply feels lazy on our part. So we won't be making our classes clones of Pathfinder classes. That being said, we may be…gulp…simplifying them.

Again...thanks for your input. It won't make everyone happy, but these decisions do reflect the consensus of comments received. We'll have the beta rules for Amethyst Renaissance available by next week. Playtesting is still open (though the time window is shrinking).

For the past few months, we here at DEM have been developing an adaptation for Amethyst using the Pathfinder rule setting, called Renaissance. This adaptation is not an update of our original 2008 D20 book, rather a conversion of our 4th Edition Amethyst Foundations and its sequel, Evolution. However, recently, a few of our playtesters have questioned some of our design decisions regarding this update.

More than one tester has voiced a concern that our rules have a distinct "4th edition" feel to them. This is peculiar considering a humorous remark I made while being interviewed for the Gamers Haven podcast a few months ago. On it, I'd commented that our Amethyst Foundations had been accused of having a "3rd edition mentality" and that our Pathfinder book may be accused of having a "4th Edition mentality." Little did I know that those would be the exact comments offered by my playtesters. So instead of walking blindly or ignorantly into the final product, I've decided to present all of our production concepts here and ask you, the gamers, what you think.

What I discuss below are not final decisions; the rules are still in their "alpha" phase and are due for more work, but responses will help us customize the gaming experience to the people who would be actually buying it. We want to make the product you want…well, a product we both will want.

NOTE: I wrote this article and these questions before the announcement of 5th Edition D&amp, where they basically ask the same thing. Once again, WOTC steals my thunder (chuckle).

1. RACES
Our races, though following Pathfinder mostly, do deviate in one regard. Their ability adjustments are variable, a trend started with PLAYER'S HANDBOOK 3. Where a normal elf or dwarf is fixed, in our setting players have the option of where to take the penalty and where to accept the bonus.

Example
CHAPARRANS
Ability Scores: +2 Wisdom; +2 Constitution or +2 Strength; -2 Constitution or -2 Charisma

Question: Is this too confusing and would players prefer fixed adjustments? Just so you know, Amethyst's canon setting has no outside races.

2. SPECIAL ABILITIES
In an effort to make our race and class features easier to read, we decided to present them in bullet form, not unlike powers from 4th Edition. The same information is imparted, just in a way which we believe is easier.

Example
Action: Swift
Attack of Opportunity: No
Requirement: You must be within 5 feet to a tree.
Uses per Day: As many as your Wisdom modifier.
Effect: You teleport up to 50 feet to another tree within range. You emerge within 5 feet of the targeted tree. The trees must be rooted in the Earth.

Question: Will readers react coldly to this unusual shift in presentation?

3. LIFEPATH
Carried over from Foundations, Renaissance introduces lifepaths, which can affect your character in minor or major ways. These have no class prerequisites and with more than 40 of them, should satisfy any player. But shouldn't they be archetypes? Archetypes modify classes (like Amethyst's class focus did in our 2008 book) while our lifepaths do more general changes and are not tied to one class. Two lifepaths are workaround to select classes not permitted in the canon setting.

Examples
BLOOD ROYAL
Natural Instinct: You gain a +1 bonus to any two Charisma- or Wisdom-based skills of your choice.
Aura of Admiration: You gain Diplomacy as a class skill and gain 1 rank in it.

DOPPELSHIDO
Double-Form: Select one one-handed melee weapon without the double or reach property. This is your selected weapon with Double-Form. If you wield your selected weapon with two hands, the weapon gains the double property. Both the primary and off-hand attacks inflict the same damage. You must be proficient with the chosen weapon. Your chosen weapon is the only type of weapon you can receive these bonuses from (you may purchase magical versions later, but the specific weapon type cannot change)

Question: With archetypes already established, should we shoehorn lifepaths into that, even considering that many lifepaths wouldn't work as archetypes and would need to be removed?

4. DUAL CLASSES
We have this idea of creating dual classes—basically some of our classes are broken into two complete sub-classes. Each sub-class shares identical hit dice, saves, skill ranks, class skills, and base attack bonus, meaning they only differ with class abilities. Because both sub-classes are listed as one class, selecting one as your favored class will equate to both being a favored class; you will gain favored class bonuses gaining a level in either class. For example, you could multiclass either front grounder or heavy grounder and still gain favored class bonuses, but not if you multiclass in front grounder and marshal. These classes are still considered separate for the purposes of class abilities (e.g.: A 4th level front grounder / 2nd level heavy grounder character is not a 6th level grounder, nor is he a 4th level heavy grounder)

Question: Would such a mild alteration be accepted? We could always remove the rule outright and keep these classes separate. We're just trying to be clever.

5. POWER-LIKE ABILITIES
We know that some 3rd edition class abilities act like powers without looking like powers. If a character can do something unique each round, how is that different from an at-will power? As a result, we've offered certain class abilities that, though balanced and written for 3.75, do resemble powers (this is related to point 2 above).

Example
Burst Fire: Starting at 2nd level, you can make a burst fire attack. As a full round-round action, you can apply the heavy auto property to a weapon you are wielding which has it and target all creatures in a 10 ft radius in weapon range. All attack rolls suffer a -2 penalty.
6th level: The area of effect increases to 15 ft radius.
11th level: The area of effect increases to 20 ft radius.
16th level: The area of effect increases to 25 ft radius.

Question: Would players accept this or should our classes not deviate from the accepted form?

6. MEDICAL EXPLOITS
In a moment of both genius and madness, we gave our medical operator class a spell list. These are not spells, mind you, but are gained and operate just as a cleric would gain and use spells. They are presented as spells, but are actually extraordinary abilities he can use at any time given his exploit/spell list.

Example
STANOZOLOL INJECTION
Level medic 1 Casting Time: 1 full-round action
Range: touch Target: one living creature
Duration: 1 hour
Effect: The target gains a +2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity (affecting attack bonuses, Reflex saves, Dexterity checks, etc). The target also receives a +10 ft bonus to speed.
Advancement: At 10th level, you can target up to 2 creatures, but each requires a full-round action.

Question: Is such a bizarre application of existing rules too weird to be accepted?

7. MONSTER LORE
Simply put, we've included our monster lore from Foundations. We don't have a problem with this.

Question: Do you?

8. MULTIPLE MONSTERS
The Pathfinder bestiary offers one orc. We included five different pagus at different challenge ratings and weapon loadouts. Even though it isn't hard to upgrade monsters in Pathfinder, we still wanted to remove the stress of designing different versions of the same creature.

Question: Should we bother?

9. MINIONS
I love minions from 4th Edition. I think they're a little too much experience, but I really wanted them to remain in Amethyst. So we made them by adding the special ability "Minion".

Minion: If the pagus strifebringer suffers more damage in a single hit as his hit dice, it is killed (8d6 = 8 damage or more in a single hit).
As a result, minions have reduced experience but do allow for larger battles. (One a side note, our puggs are actually weaker than kobolds if encountered alone; I thought that was funny).

Question: Should we include such an obvious homage to 4th Edition and is this unwise? Are you guys cool with it?

10. COMPLICATED CLASSES
Our classes offer a lot of customization, different abilities depending on your basic concept, and abilities trees similar to that in D20 Modern. Some of our playtesters have argued that we should attempt to make our classes similar to Pathfinder classes, borderline copies, altering the rules only when in regard to using firearms. I think that would taste of being unoriginal, but it would make the transition easier for those unaware of how D20 modern created their classes.
Question: Make the classes distinct or stay close to the mold of Pathfinder?

There you have it, ten questions. Answers may be posted here, on our facebook page, or at the forums at DiasExMachina.com

It's a new year and DEM is still here.

My posts have been infrequent, I admit, but that's because of workload.

I have assurances from my artist that commissions for Ultramodern4 will be completed in a timely fashion. However, Renaissance (our Pathfinder game) has not been laden with those delays. On December 31st, I finished the first draft, all 242,758 words of it. To put things into perspective, the previous Amethyst Foundations was 199,000 words, and that's not counting story segments.

Here is what people should expect with the final release:
--10 playable races (chaparran, damaskan, gimfen, human, kodiak, laudenian, narros, pagus, tenenbri, and tilen) not including half-fae.
--13 organizations to choose from, which offer minor improvements to the entire group.
--44 (that's right, 44) lifepaths which can greatly affect both your race and your class.
--8 new classes, all science-fiction-based.
--3 new skills (Demolitions, Engineer, and Vehicle Operation)
--Over 200 new feats. These include feats for races, lifepaths, and classes.
--16 new fantasy melee weapons.
--165 different firearms across all enhancement levels (ok, I admit, some are similar weapons at different enhancement bonuses, but that's still a lot).
--25 new science-fiction melee weapons.
--You can now use injections to impede enemies.
--Players are able to now replace ammunition with high explosive, hollow point, or rubber.
--Characters can throw grenades and set explosives and mines.
--33 new types of armor including Medium and LARGE powered armor.
--A FIRST for Amethyst, now players can modify their powered armor, including adding hit points, a flight pack, or an invisibility net.
--Players can gain benefits from injected drugs, viral injections, and even nanomachines.
--14 ground vehicles and 7 aircraft (and you can modify them as well).
--14 fantasy prestige classes and 15 science fiction prestige classes.
--New magic including artifacts.
--24 new monsters including 3 new dragons.
--An 11,000 word module to start people on their adventure.

All in all, not a bad little book, if I don't say so myself. I am still not prepared to publish it; have to make sure all my words are right and the rules are balanced. I'll keep you all updated.

I just reached page 318 with Amethyst Renaissance.

That leaves artifacts, setting, and monsters left to be completed. I expect the monsters to be a profound pain in the ass. I never enjoyed designing monsters for 3.5; I hope Pathfinder's process will be easier. Meanwhile, Ultramodern is still slogged with delays out of my control. Obviously, plans to have it released by Christmas have been scrapped.

One of the new additions to Renaissance sure to be folded into our 4th Edition game is an enhanced set of rules dealing with negative corruption and magic saturation. Previously, these rules only applied to humans and pagus. By introducing corruption into the setting, all creatures become vulnerable.

I didn’t bother inserting these rules into Foundations but they're being introduced with Renaissance. If DEM continues Amethyst into Factions (the next book, possibly for Pathfinder AND 4th Edition), you'll find these same rules. However, since I don't want to leave out the 4th Edition players, you can read and enjoy them now.

Note: With the PATHFINDER version, corruption changes your alignment in a more "realistic" way, drifting from one side of the alignment diagram to the other. The transition makes more sense (one instance where Pathfinder rules handle this better).

CORRUPTION
Because of Ixindar's power of influence, there can never be a good spellcaster bound to Ixindar casting corrupt spells (at least not for very long). Eventually, the corruption seeps into the soul, distorting its view, and rendering the caster wicked.
Characters with any alignment save for Lawful Evil cannot cast negative spells (those with the Death or Evil descriptors) without the risk of corruption.
Attricana is no guarantee for good and every creature born of magic, save for pagus and shemjaza, are tied to it. On the flipside, the majority of those souls born or bound to Ixindar are evil. Those that are corrupted nearly always remain that way. Those born to the darkness have been known to move away from that skewed path, but this seldom occurs with those corrupted. Casting Attricana spells or using Attricana magic can turn someone into an echan, but it won’t affect alignment like Ixindar does.
Corruption Point: When you use magic tied to Ixindar, you will fall under the influence corruption. This occurs the moment you wield a corrupted weapon, cast a negative spell, or study the language saeqaar. You start at level 1 with a corruption value of 0. These rules work the same as echan saturation points but are recording separately. You gain corruption points under the following circumstances:
+2: You wield an Ixindar weapon (per minute).
+2: You wear Ixindar magic armor (per hour).
+2: You benefit from Ixindar magic items in your possession (per hour).
+2: You study the arcane arts of the corrupted tongue of saeqaar (per day).
+1: You drink an Ixindar potion.
+4: You cast a spell bound to Ixindar.
The moment you reach a corruption point of 20, you run the risk of changing alignments. At the beginning of each day, you receive the following corruption attack: +10+ (your corruption value – 20) vs. Will. If you are hit, your alignment changes
Good to Lawful Good to Evil
Lawful Good to Evil
Unaligned to Evil
Chaotic Evil to Evil
Effectively you shift one step close to Evil. Even if already evil, corruption still takes place. The only alignment that doesn’t full under corruption is Evil itself.
The moment your alignment shifts into Evil, your soul is bound to Ixindar. You no longer generate EDF, even if you had before. Your saturation point is set to zero (if you had it). If you acquire saturation points, you can revert to being an echan, but this does not affect your alignment. If you gain enough saturation points to switch to being echan, you corruption value is unaffected, and switching back to Ixindar is thus quite easy.
The only way to expunge corruption points is with time. You will lose 1 corruption point each week as long as you don’t accrue any in that time. The moment you do, the time period resets. If your alignment changes before your value falls below 20, the alignment change remains. This is also true if you tie your soul to Ixindar.

ENCHANTMENT
Some contest the claim that Attricana is less a source of magic and more a source of chaos. As the famous quote passed among wizards goes, “Anything you can think of thinks for itself.” Attricana is about life in every possible combination, breaking rules nature declares incontrovertible. A creature or force derived from these broken rules emanates that same chaos. Since most technology requires irrefutable laws of the universe to function, machines and magic cannot co-mingle. The confusion arises as to how can Ixindar succeed at this. Where Ixindar encourages control and order, even at the expense of intelligent life—which is itself a factor of chaos—Attricana encourages nothing other than the perseverance of intelligence, even at the expense of normal reality. This reality can stain a creature as much as Ixindar can, but where corruption can affect one's outlook on life, all Attricana can do is turn something into another catalyst of chaos, radiating the same aura of magic as the gate itself. This created a chain reaction 500 years ago forcing all remaining fragments of working technology into the bastions. Although all fae are slaves to magic, humans have a choice, being born via the normal rules of biology. They can choose to accept the world of magic or remain disciplines of science. There is no good or evil in this conflict. There is only opinion, and there is no wrong answer.
However, the choice is often permanent. By wielding that magic sword, by casting that spell, a human ties his soul to Attricana, become one with the world of magic, and disrupting technology just as an elf would.

SATURATION POINT
Saturation Point: If you are not a “radiant”—a creature tied to Attricana which radiates magic—then you are able to use technology without disruption. Only humans, pagus, and shemjaza fall into this category. However, if you use magic enough, eventually, you’ll become one with the world of enchantment, becoming a true echan in the same grade as even the fae. You gain no additional benefits but now generate EDF. You lose your capacity to use technology. The critical saturation point is 20. You start at level 1 with a saturation point of 0. You gain saturation points under the following circumstances:
+1: You wield a magic weapon (per minute).
+1: You wear magic armor (per hour).
+1: You benefit from magic items in your possession (per hour).
+1: You study the arcane arts (per day).
+1: A beneficial magical effect (including magical healing) is placed upon you.
+1: You drink a potion.
+10: You are brought back from the dead via a spell or spell-life effect.
+20: You bond with a non-human.
+20: You select a supernatural lifepath
The moment you reach a saturation point of 20, you now generate an EDF. Points do not immediately go away. If you do not accrue any additional points, you remove 1 from your saturation point total every week (unless bonded or selecting a supernatural lifepath; if so, you total can never drop below 20).

BY THE WAY, I said the Pathfinder version of corrupted makes more sense…

The moment you reach a corruption point of 20, you run the risk of changing alignments. At the beginning of each day, you must make DC20 Will save. This DC is increased by your corruption value – 20. If you fail, you alignment shifts one step using the Alignment Step diagram in the PATHFINDER CORE RULEBOOK. You shift one step close to Lawful Evil. You do not step diagonally, only down or left, as long as it is one step closer to Lawful Evil. You can choose which direction you take (for example, if Neutral Good and you fail a Will save, you can decide to become Neutral or Lawful Good. Even if already evil, corruption still takes place. The only alignment that doesn’t full under corruption is Lawful Evil itself.
The moment your alignment shifts into Lawful Evil, your soul is bound to Ixindar. You no longer generate EDF, even if you had before. Your saturation point is set to zero (if you had it). If you acquire saturation points, you can revert to being an echan, but this does not affect your alignment. If you gain enough saturation points to switch to being echan, you corruption value is unaffected, and switching back to Ixindar is thus quite easy.
The only way to expunge corruption points is with time (or in rare occurrences, an Atonement spell). You will lose 1 corruption point each week as long as you don’t accrue any in that time. The moment you do, the time period resets. If your alignment changes before your value falls below 20, the alignment change remains. This is also true if you tie your soul to Ixindar.