House Rules and Clarifications

This page is used to list some house rules and clarifications used on Tenebrae: the Emblem of Ea. While it is not our intent to document everything, we will attempt to document what may be particularly confusing that is relevant to the game and players' enjoyment.

As Tenebrae is not by nature a PvP game, a game oriented towards minmaxing or competition versus other players, nor a traditional tabletop game, some of our interpretations may appear somewhat different than what a traditional tabletop gamer might expect.

RAW versus RAI

We are a Rules as Intended (RAI) game, not a Rules as Written (RAW) game. However, the GM in your scene may rule closer to RAW. The GM's ruling is the final arbiter of the scene. See the Game Policies page regarding House Rules and Rules-Lawyering for more information.

Classes

Animal Companions and Familiars

Q: Can animal companions and familiars use items? Can they talk?

A: Some familiars are capable of speech.

Paizo published some clarifications to Animal Companions that we use regarding intelligent animal companions.

However, animal companions or familiars can not activate magic items. An animal companion could benefit from an item with a continuous magical effect, such as an amulet of natural armor, if its master equipped the item for the animal companion. Animal companions may not use manufactured weapons.

Q: What magic item slots does my animal companion have?

A: Animal companions typically have the following item slots: headband, cloak, feet, belt, and neck. They may also wear barding unless otherwise specified. Note that these are general rules--not all animal companions will have legs, for example, and so would not be able to wear feet slot items.

Q: What is the reach of my animal companion?

A: Some animal companions' reach will change once they change in size. To determine if this occurs, use the Creature Size and Scale table on the Combat PRD page, then cross-reference it with the "normal" version of the creature from the World Bestiary's Companions section. If both sources suggest the creature would now possess reach, then it does.

Archetypes

Due to code, balance, and other issues involving headaches and the slow and painful death of our staff, archetypes are not in Tenebrae and will not be added to the game.

Aura of Courage

If you have an aura of courage, you're immune to fear. This includes intimidation effects. This was an update from 3.5 that just doesn't fit the thematics of certain classes.

Bloodlines

Sorcerer bloodlines are a "trace" of another race or being. A sorcerer with a fey bloodline doesn't become the fey creature type, for instance, any more than an infernal bloodline sorcerer becomes the devil creature type, or so on. There are reasons that Prestige Classes (PrCs) like the Dragon Disciple exist--they take characters above and beyond the limits of the sorcerer class.

The PRD gives us some examples of sorcerer bloodlines and how they manifest: "For example, a sorcerer might have a dragon as a distant relative or her grandfather might have signed a terrible contract with a devil."

This does not make the character any less special--it just means they're still human, dwarf, or whichever is appropriate. Something unusual happened to make them the way they are, and they exhibit traits beyond what's ordinary.

Bloodline Stacking, Dragon Disciple, etc.

For the purpose of mechanics, bloodrager bloodlines and sorcerer bloodlines are treated as different yet similar abilities. They do not stack. Bloodrager may be used as an entry into the Dragon Disciple prestige class. When a character advances in the Dragon Disciple PrC and when they select their spellcasting class for advancement, the code selects the spellcasting class's associated bloodline. For those entering the PrC without a bloodline, their bloodline will default to sorcerer.

Creepy Hair (Prehensile Hair)

Prehensile hair (assigned by the code as 'Creepy Hair' on character sheets) falls under the natural attack rules. If you use prehensile hair on its own, it is a primary natural attack. If you use prehensile hair with a manufactured weapon, it is a secondary natural attack. If you possess another natural weapon, then prehensile hair becomes secondary, because it falls into the "other" category of natural attack, as per the PRD.

A similar ruling applies to other natural attacks, such as the barbarian's bite attack rage power and more.

Monks

We use Paizo's update to the monk update to the Amulet of Mighty Fists. We had used the other updates, but those are incorporated into Unchained Monk. Unchained Monk is the default for Tenebrae.

Rage

Q: With the Unchained barbarian, how does rage work if used in another context? For example, a spell?

A: If the ability reads 'rage as barbarian,' then use the new rules. Otherwise, these abilities work as outlined. In addition, this FAQ applies.

Smite

When it comes to modifiers that affect damage rolls (such as the bonus on damage rolls from Point-Blank Shot, the inspire courage class ability, and the smite evil class ability), and special abilities that deal damage on a successful attack roll, apply them on hit point damage only. Apply modifiers only once per casting or use, rather than once per attack. For instance, if a spell or special ability launched a dozen different ranged attacks simultaneously, only one (of the user’s choice) receives bonus damage. This doesn't apply on area effects with the rare potential for extra attack rolls, like fireball. However, there is a category of abilities that deserves a special note: abilities like Arcane Strike that specifically enhance a character's weapon or weapons never apply to special abilities (with the exception of special abilities that specifically call out that Arcane Strike can be applied).

Equipment

Specific Items

Dragonhide: Due to the more active role dragons play in the world as ambassadors, political rulers, and so forth, dragonhide has been replaced with spirit-bond armor, an armor crafted of elemental essence.

Elven Curveblade: The elven curveblade is not available in Tenebrae at this time.

Headbands of Intellect: Not a rule so much as a reminder!

• Your intellect skills should be noted in your headband items. If not, please contact staff ASAP so we can fix it. If you think or know you've made an error with this, we can fix that too once we've verified.
• When leveling, do NOT put your ranks in these skills. They will go up automagically with your HD.

Circlets of Persuasion: Circlets of Persuasion do not provide bonuses to concentration checks.

Bucklers: Archers, gunners, and crossbow users do not take the -1 attack penalty when carrying a buckler. However, they do not receive the buckler's AC bonus unless they are actively wielding the buckler. This makes the buckler useful if the wielder needs to rush through enemy lines, make a stand, go total defense, and more. Bucklers also apply to flat-footed AC.

Feychild Necklace: Feychild Necklaces do not provide bonuses to concentration checks.

Ghostvision Gloves: You can't deactivate ghostvision gloves until the timer runs out. The duration cannot be divided up.

Monkey Belt: The Monkey Belt (and similar items) cannot be used to make a make an off-hand attack in the same round that a character uses a two-handed weapon. Monkey belts do not count as a free hand for the purposes of reloading firearms.

Shields: To keep headaches down and allow us to list things more cleanly in +inv, crafters can enchant shield spikes as a weapon.

Transformative: The following is our ruling on the Transformative property:

A. The weapon property is command-word activated.

B. A weapon with the Transformative property maintains its magical properties. The exceptions to this are:

1. The new transformed form is unable to use an enchantment (for example, a transformed mace cannot be keen).

2. The new transformed form is a double weapon, while the original form was a single weapon--in this case, only half the weapon can use an enchanted property such as Keen; though the unenchanted half would still be of masterwork quality.

C. The transformed weapon maintains its material makeup when possible. If the new weapon form is not normally made from that material, it defaults to the material for the new form (for example, you can't transform a weapon into an adamantine staff).

D. Treat the transformed weapon as an entirely different weapon that just happens to possess similar special materials and enchantments as your old one. For example, when transforming from a greatsword to a greataxe, use the damage dice, threat range, and multiplier of the greataxe. When moving from one form of polearm to another, you may lose Trip but gain Brace.

Restrictions on Transformed Weapons:

A. The new transformed form must be an appropriately sized weapon for the wielder.

B. The weapon must be of the same general type as the type it is transforming to: weapon category (1H, 2H, or light), ranged, reach, melee, and thrown. For example, a medium transformative longsword can take the shape of any other medium one-handed melee weapon, such as a scimitar, flail, or trident, but not a medium light or two-handed melee weapon (such as a medium short sword or a medium greatsword).

Wildshape, Wild Armor, etc:

Q: Wild armor and other transforming armor: When I use a wild armor and gain the armor's benefits, what restrictions, if any, apply to me? In general, when I transform with a polymorph effect and some of my gear melds into the form, what restrictions do I have for melding with large amounts of heavy gear? What about other types of transforming armor?

A: If you were in medium or heavy load from encumbrance before transforming, you continue to take those penalties in your melded form. Otherwise, ignore the weight of melded items and calculate your encumbrance in your polymorphed form entirely based on non-melded items. When wearing melded armor and shields, if you gain no benefit from the melded armor, you still count as wearing an armor of that type, but you do not suffer its armor check penalty, movement speed reduction, or arcane spell failure chance. If you do gain any benefits (as with the wild property), then you do suffer the armor check penalty, movement speed reduction, and arcane spell failure chance. This also applies to all other situations where you or an armor transform: you always count as wearing an armor of that type, and if you gain any benefit at all from the armor (such as mistmail), you apply the armor check penalty, movement speed reduction, and arcane spell failure chance.

Item Crafting

Magic Item Crafting

Decreasing magic item crafting time is not supported by our magic item crafting rules. Tenebrae offers a continuous crafting environment, allowing you to craft as well as adventure, and allows PCs to craft most any magic item, so long as they meet the normal PF prerequisites.

However, if the characters involved in the magic item crafting request roleplay out a related scene ongrid, and submit a +request/rpp, then the crafting time can be reduced by 1 day if a comment is added to the +request/craft job.

Crafters may make any item of up to the below market value, presuming they have the feats, skills, and time required:

T1: Up to 6k

T2: Up to 22k

T3-4: None set at this time.

If the only person available is outside these bounds, come talk with staff and we'll work with you.

Mundane Item Crafting

Tenebrae does not support mundane item crafting, though players are welcome to purchase mundane items and roleplay crafting them.

Scrolls and Consumables

All potions, scrolls, wands, and other consumables bought at market value from a +request/purch job are assumed to be made by clerics, druids, or wizards. The only exceptions are spells that are not on the cleric, druid, or wizard spell list. For example, a scroll of lesser restoration must be purchased as a 2nd-level scroll off the cleric spell list and may not be purchased as a 1st-level scroll off the paladin spell list. If a spell appears at different levels on two different lists, use the lower level spell for the scroll's cost. As an example, a player buys a scroll of poison as a 3rd-level druid spell instead of a 4th-level cleric spell.

On Tenebrae, there is no difference between an arcane and divine scroll or wand (it just has to be on the character class's spell list). Thus a bard and cleric may both use the same scroll of cure moderate wounds.

Scrolls that are scribed by a PC use that PC's class.

Finally, the following is changed from the PRD: "If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell's caster level" becomes, "If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her casting class level is at least equal to the spell's caster level."

Magic Item Upgrades to and for Specific or Unique Magic Items

Most specific and named magic items (such as a Robe of the Magi) may not be upgraded. That is, they are priced "as is." The exceptions to this rule are:

• Item stacking. Another item may be "stacked" onto another item with an additional fee that is equal to 50% of the lower item's cost. The items must be of the same magic item slot. For example, if you want to add a phylactery of positive channeling (11,000 gold) to your headband of alluring charisma +2 (4,000 gold), you'd pay the cost of the phylactery of positive channeling (11,000 gold), plus the stacking fee (4000 gold * .5 = 2000), for a total of 13,000 gold.
• Items that are meant to be upgraded. Weapons and armor have a specific means of upgrading: a +1 may be made into a +2 and so on.
• Items which already possess greater and lesser versions. These items may be specifically named, or list upgrade options in their text (such as Belt of Strength or Bracers of Archery Greater and Lesser). This would exclude items such as the Gorgon Belt, as it follows neither of these rules.

Specific magic items may not be made from different materials other than those listed.

Ordinary magic items may be upgraded to specific or unique magic items, so long as their current enchantments are part of the final named item. For example, a longsword with the Flaming property can be made into a Flame Tongue, but a longsword with the Flaming and Frost properties can't.

Tomes and Manuals of Clear Thought, Influence, etc.

Tomes and manuals that raise attributes cannot have their component cost (that is, the 25,000g component cost of the wish spell) reduced via RPPs. They can however, have the add-on cost reduced. For a +1 tome that is 27,500g, it is this 2,500g amount that may be reduced.

However, we do allow PCs to purchase these over time. There is still a max of +5 in Tome bonuses to any individual attribute. However, PCs can purchase a +1 tome that adds a bonus to Strength, and purchase another +1 tome of Strength later for a total of +2 Strength.

Intelligent Items

Q: What senses does an intelligent item possess?

A: From the PRD we know that: "Every intelligent magic item begins with the ability to see and hear within 30 feet, as well as the ability to communicate emphatically with its owner." On Tenebrae, they may also speak. However, intelligent items lack limbs.

Q: What type of action is it for an item to activate its power? What actions can they take in a round?

A: From the PRD, we know that: "all powers function at the direction of the item, although intelligent items generally follow the wishes of their owner. Activating a power or concentrating on an active one is a standard action the item takes." Aside from that, intelligent items are tied to your action economy to a degree, similar to a mount. Your item's actions are separate, but your item's actions are tied to yours by virtue of it essentially being helpless, since you control its location and movement. If you're waving the item around as part of a full attack, then the item has no choice but to be a part of that full attack action. If you stop and take a standard action, then the item may also take a standard action (such as using one of its SLAs).

Q: Can an intelligent item cast spells in combat? How does that work?

A: On Tenebrae, we treat magic spells used by an intelligent item as spell-like abilities (SLAs). Intelligent items aren't full-fledged wizards or sorcerers; they have no spellcasting class. Intelligent items are more like a monster in a Bestiary with some unique talents. That said, see the previous question for answers about action economy. Intelligent items that use SLAs in combat do not provoke AoOs.

An intelligent item's senses are limited to 30', as per the PRD. This will affect its range, as effects generally require Line of Sight.

Q: What about spells with a range of touch or personal?

A: What it comes down to is that the intelligent item is essentially helpless, movement-wise. A touch spell with an intelligent item functions like Domain Strike or similar feats. If you want to add weapon damage to the spell's effect, make a usual attack with the item against the enemy's appropriate AC (touch for ranged, AC for melee). If you don't want to include weapon damage, then you make a touch attack with the item. See the previous answer about intelligent item actions and spellcasting for intelligent item actions.

Personal range refers to the item itself.

Handling Treasure

Item Size: As a general rule, items in treasure are 'unsized' until they're claimed. This means if the DM rolls a +2 Studded Leather Armor, the lucht has the same chance as the half-oruch. The one exception to this rule are items thematically tied to the adventure, or similar affects.

Feats

Chargen, Advancement, and Specific Feats

You can take the Aspect of the Beast, Preferred Spell, and Favored Defense feats, but you must submit a +request/sheet about what selections you make with these feats for staff bookkeeping.

Due to code restrictions, players can't take Eldritch Claws and Rending Claws in advancement. Select a filler feat and submit a +request/sheet for staffers to replace them.

Removed from Pathfinder

The following feats are in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook but are not available on Tenebrae: Leadership and Improved Familiar.

Improvised Weapon

There are feats which are used for the purpose of using a polearm as a two-handed weapon or for the purpose of 'shortening' the weapon for use in attacking an adjacent square. Improvised weapons can't be used in this manner.

Bodyguard

You are required to be adjacent to your ally but not their attacker. For example, when an adjacent ally is attacked, you may use an attack of opportunity to attempt the aid another action to improve your ally's AC. You do not need to threaten the attacker to use this action; you need only be adjacent to the target and make a successful attack roll against AC 10. You may not use the aid another action to improve your ally's attack roll with this attack.

Combat Patrol

The feat requires you to give up your attacks now on the hope or expectation of getting them back as AoOs. These AoOs are at your highest attack bonus, so if you get more than one, you get to make each at your highest number, rather than using your normal iteratives.

Elven Battle Training

This feat applies to all elven sub-races' specific weapon familiarity entries. In the case of the wild elves, this feat applies to polearms and bows.

Furious Focus

This is not a house rule, more a clarification. Furious focus only works with the first Power Attack attack you make each round. This means it does not apply to a haste attack, the second cleave attack, and so forth.

Shield Slam

Q: Do the bonuses from Improved Bull Rush and Greater Bull Rush, as well as any other bonuses that would be applied to the maneuver (Dwarf racial: Relentless +2), get subsequently added to that attack roll total to compare to the target's CMD to see if the maneuver takes effect?

A: This is allowable and part of the intended effect. Effects which normally would modify a bull rush (such as feats) apply to the roll substituted for the CMB bonus after the fact since it becomes a bull rush.

Shield Prof

Q: Does shield proficiency let you use a shield as a weapon?

A: Yes.

Magic

Breath of Life

The use of this spell is expanded somewhat to make it friendlier to a MUSH environment. It's now open to other divine casters, though at a slightly reduced effect. See the Magic page for adjustments.

Nobility Domain

The Nobility domain uses the Martyr subdomain as a replacement for Leadership.

Elemental Forms

Elementals don't have hands, so it's impossible to wield a weapon or wear armor when transformed into one. Casting as an elemental may be done with Natural Spell, though.

Summoning

Q: Is there a limit to how many summons I can have?

A: We've always had a soft rule on summons. That is, be mindful of other players, turn times, and the ability of everyone to share the spotlight. If you're cutting into others' fun, it is time to summon fewer creatures.

Summoning though, can extend turn times even then. It is also true that some folks prefer a harder rule rather than a soft one.

With that in mind, we'll be experimenting with one active summoning spell at a time, per individual caster. Casting a different summoning spell would require ending the previous one.

The intent of this is to streamline turns, and to make things go a little more smoothly for everyone.

Q: Can I add additional monsters to the monster summoning tables?

A: We follow the guidance of Paizo's developers in this regard. From James Jacobs:

Nope. No chance. We didn't have room, or the time to go through and pick out balanced additions to the spell, nor do we want to set up the expectation that something like that will be in every Bestiary, plus some other boring reasons.

We really just don't want to bloat the summon monster tables with too many choices, honestly. It's already kinda hard to choose a monster; making there be TOO many choices spread across TOO many books just leads to option paralysis in game and that's not good.

In the end, we decided that these spells more or less needed to be self-contained. That mean that they had lists that referenced the main Bestiary and didn't go beyond that. This is mostly a balance issue (too many monsters on the list allow for too much specialization per encounter), but also a game-play issue (too many monsters on the list causes option paralysis and makes the simple choice of choosing a summoned monster a tough one) and a public relations issue (we try not to build parts of the game to be too dependent on non-core products).

Wish

Wish cannot be used to raise attributes directly. Instead, see our section on magic item tomes and attributes.

Learning New Spells

To learn a new spell, a wizard, artificer, witch, or other prepared caster must first acquire the scroll. Wizards and artificers must then then pay scribing costs, while witches must make a caster check (see witch page).

PC casters may sell scrolls to one another at whatever price they wish.

Races

War Golems and Rage

War golems are not immune to the fatigue after rage. It's meant as a balancing feature after rage and rage powers.

Races with Spell-Like Abilities

If your race gives the option of "choose x number of 0-level spells" or something similar, please send in a +request to tell staff what you'd like. Unless you do this and it is noted on your +sheet, you are not considered to have these spells.

In addition, these SLAs do not qualify a PC for early entry into a PrC, a feat, or so on.

Skills

Diplomatic Combat and Skills Combat

Pathfinder doesn't provide rules for these, so we've adapted their performance combat rules.

Social Skills and PCs

Skills such as diplomacy, intimidate, and so on do not function between PCs. That is, PCs are heroes, and heroes follow different rules. On Tenebrae, we take this to mean that players may roll for fun within agreed-upon social situations, but as a rule of thumb, these skills apply to NPCs only.

When using these skills with NPCs, remember to use common sense. That is, using intimidate on someone will likely result in them calling the Watch.

Craft and Profession

Craft and Profession skills may be used as knowledge skills regarding applicable areas. For example, someone with Profession/Brewer might roll their skill to identify a number of different beers or wines, or to know the history of beer or wine within a specific area. Craft and Profession skills may also be earned via RPPs.

Miscellaneous Houserules

Inherit Bonuses to Attributes

Currently, we do not allow Wish to be used to raise ability scores. However, we do allow manuals to stack, up to the normal maximum of +5.

Damage Dice Progression Due to Size

We use the Paizo errata: Damage Dice Progression Chart.

Additional Combat Maneuvers

The following Combat Maneuvers and relating feats are approved from the APG: Dirty Trick, Drag, and Reposition. Steal, however, is not.

Burrowing

Burrow: A creature with a burrow speed can tunnel through dirt, but not through rock unless the descriptive text says otherwise. Creatures cannot charge or run while burrowing. Most burrowing creatures do not leave behind tunnels other creatures can use (either because the material they tunnel through fills in behind them or because they do not actually dislocate any material when burrowing); see the individual creature descriptions for details.

Missing Limbs

We use 4 Wind Fantasy Games' rules for the loss of a limb or body part. See: The Loss of a Body Part. These rules are included only to describe the mechanical effects of such a loss. We do allow prosthetics, which are an RPP Character Spend.

Mounted Combat

We use a selection of Dire Destiny's Mounted Combat Rules in place of those in the PRD. Not all of DD's rules are used; only those included on the wiki are currently used. These rules will be propagated to more areas of the site for easier reference (such as skills).

Q: If my mount has flyby attack, can the rider attack as well? Or, if the rider has ride-by attack, can the mount attack as well? Or, if mount has flyby and rider has ride-by attack, can they both attack together?

A: So long as your mount possesses feats that allow him or her to attack during that time, then they can attack an opponent within their reach. For example, if you had Ride by and your mount had Spring By, you're both trained to make that sort of mid-attack. Likewise, the rider would need the capability to attack during a certain time.

Touch Attacks and Weapon Finesse

Weapon finesse may benefit melee touch attacks, which allows the attack roll to be based on Dexterity rather than Strength.

Rend

Based on clarification from Paizo's developers, rend is additional damage added to someone's attack for the purposes of overcoming DR. It's only added once, though!

Stipends

Stipends are a way for us to handle some forms of level-up. For example, a PC might spend 10 RPPs to level up to level 2. In a case like this, we award a stipend. Stipends appear as objects placed in a character's inventory. They specify a certain amount in gold pieces. The amount of gold depends on the character's level at the time that they receive the stipend.

A stipend is gold that the player may use to purchase items, spells, and so on by sending in a +request with what they'd like to buy.

Since stipends are given for the purpose of gaining a full level all at once, stipends may not be used with crafter, RPP, or other discounts.

To use a stipend, use +request and let staff know what you'd like to buy. 85% of a stipend must be spent; the rest can be rolled over into gold for the character's inventory.

The Alignment Button

What Model do the Gods Use?

This comes up from time to time, not often but often enough that it deserves mention and an easy-enough place to reference or post to. As they are today, the deities and faiths in Emblem of Ea more resemble various forms of historical and fantasy paganism than they do say, Roman Catholicism. If a particular faith does resemble RC or other forms of Christianity in any way, it's because of local cultural influences and is by no means the norm or the intent of the game. A close look at the temples in Alexandria show them to be more often 'pagan' in influence, in fact, than the classic marble temple structure with vaulted ceilings. Clerics possess titles unique to their faith instead of "Mother" or "Father."

This means that:

• Worship methods vary widely, based on culture, race, subcultures, etc.
• Different orders and suborders are possible and encouraged.
• A god's core is the same across Ea, though the details change. This is similar to how there's been a 'god of war' or a 'god of the hunt' in multiple cultures all over the world. The details and methods of worship change, but there's a common, central theme or concept. Ea's deities were given 'common' concepts at their center so that this could play out.
• Assumptions we make about real-world vows (poverty, celibacy, etc.) DO NOT apply unless it's local to that culture, suborder, etc. For example, a suborder of Veyshanti Korites could demand celibacy because they believe it makes their devotion to the arts of war more pure, based on some obscure teaching by an Ifrit-blooded general.
• The idea of 'one deity' is completely alien to Ea.
• Atheism is completely alien to Ea--the gods have visible, tangible effects in the world.
• Deities, as well as famous people and nobles, are fodder for colorful and even ribald stories of all kinds. This doesn't make deities any less respected; instead, these stories add color to the world and draw them in a relatable way to everyday life. For example, even Althea had problems with Gilead when the guy was in his Terrible Twos. However, when she made him apologize to his uncle Navos for 'the incident,' he probably undertook some Herculean task instead of being sent to his room. Because he's a god. And he's Epic.

Finally, while there are some universal values because Emblem of Ea, and DnD, are 'high fantasy' (slavery being evil, tropes such as pride causeth downfall are all pillars of Classic Fantasy) faiths and details will vary by culture, race, and so on.

All of this is just a lengthy way of saying that historical and fantasy paganism are a better model for Ea's gods--and don't hesitate to invent, create your own suborders, interpretations based on the theme around them.