Pathfinder Traits - Tumblr Posts

Pathfinder 1E Traits - Goblins

Art by Pathfinder artist Andrew Hou Considering that I never get to play Pathfinder 1E (since D&D 5E is just way simpler and way more popular), why am I still obsessed with the Traits system from that game?

They're basically just weaker version of Feats that you can only choose during character creation, to reflect your species/backstory. They have really strong flavor but give only a small gameplay benefit, which I like even more because it frees you from feeling like you have to choose the 'optimal' ones. And I just really like building a character where the backstory and the abilities sync up all nice. 'Ludonarrative synchronicity' I think the smart people call it. Anyway! To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, here are just some of the Traits you can pick if you decide to play a goblin:

Big Ears

Your massive ears are your pride and joy, and other goblins claim you can hear a flea scream as it falls off a goblin dog. Benefit: While this might not quite be the case, gain a +2 bonus on all Perception checks made to hear noises. Additionally, you can hear noises that normally only dogs or other animals can hear, like the sound of a dog whistle.

Rude Songs

The lyrics of your songs are incredibly personally insulting. Benefit: Providing an opponent can hear and understand you, you gain a +2 trait bonus on all Perform (song) checks. Perform is always a class skill for you.

Advantageous Distraction

Like most goblins, you’re easily distracted. Unlike most goblins, though, you have a knack for being distracted at the right time, especially when it comes to avoiding pain.

Benefit: Once per day as a swift action, you can be momentarily distracted in combat—ducking an axe swing to inspect a toadstool, or stooping behind a tree to lick some bark and accidentally avoiding an arrow, and so on. When you activate this ability, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to your AC for 1 round.

I just love how well these tiny abilities play into the idea that goblins are dubious little creatures, getting up to mischief ^_^

Pathfinder 1E Traits - Kobolds

Art by Pathfinder artist Pavel Guzenko

More cool Pathfinder Traits! This time for kobolds.

I really think you could make a whole character concept by starting with some of these and building outwards.

Firebug

Like the red dragons that inspire your tribe, you’re blessed with a small spark of incendiary magic.

Benefit: You are able to cast spark three times per day as a spell-like ability. The caster level is equal to your character level. This spell-like ability’s save DC is Intelligence-based.

Ooze Defense

The murky tunnels of your tribal home were infested with voracious oozes, which were a constant threat to your tribe. To protect yourselves, you and your tribes-people never strayed far without anti-ooze acid.

Benefit: You begin play with three alkali flasks. These don’t count against your starting character wealth.

Golden Scales

Your distinctive golden scales strongly reflect the light, making other kobolds mistrust you, but aboveground races favor you.

Benefit: You take a –1 penalty on Bluff checks and Diplomacy checks when dealing with other kobolds, but a +2 bonus on Bluff checks and Diplomacy checks when dealing with non-reptilian humanoids.

What I love about these ones is that they capture how adaptive and varied kobolds are in-lore, and their relationship with dragons.

A clan of red kobolds guarding a red dragon's volcano lair and some green kobolds with no dragon living a forest would act so differently, they might as well be different creatures entirely!

Pathfinder 1E Traits - Skinwalkers/Werekin

Art by Pathfinder artist Joe Wilson

I guess this is is Pathfinder Traits blog now. Had to add a 'read more' tag to this one, there are so many different were-creatures in Pathfinder 1E and almost all of them have some cool traits that set them apart from the others.

What I love about these ones is how they make you think about what discovering lycanthropy would be like, and how that experience might shape you. It'd make for a difficult puberty I bet.

Bonus points if you want to play a queer werewolf, since discovering lycanthropy has so much potential as metaphor for discovering your queerness as a young adult (if you do it right, anyway).

Rat Squeeze (Wererat-kin)

You first discovered your wererat-related abilities while escaping someone, whether the authorities or a rival, and ever since you have honed your ability to squeeze out of tight situations.

Benefit(s) Whenever you change shape into your bestial form, you can squeeze through narrow spaces at least half as wide as your normal space without slowing your movement.

Feline Instinct (Weretiger-kin)

When your weretiger heritage first manifested, you spent a period of time living off what you could catch, developing a sharp instinct to act when your foes were most vulnerable.

Benefit(s) In any combat in which you act during the surprise round, you gain a +3 trait bonus on your initiative check.

Boar Resilience (Wereboar-kin)

You were victimized by bullies or even abusive adults. Although the harassment got worse when your wereboar features became more obvious, those features also gave you fortitude that helped you resist it.

Benefit(s) You are unimpaired by being at exactly 0 hit points.

Lycanthropic Bloodlust (Werewolf-kin)

When your lycanthropic heritage awakened, you thrilled at any excuse for violence. Although you might have learned to focus or suppress this urge, it still gives you energy in a fight.

Prerequisite(s) Werewolf-kin

Benefit(s) Once per day, when you deal damage to a foe with a natural attack, you may gain 1d6 temporary hit points as an immediate action. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute.

Sharkchild (Wereshark-kin)

In your youth, you swam into the ocean as deep as you could, and had it not been for your wereshark ancestry you would have surely drowned.

Benefit(s) You gain a +1 trait bonus on Swim checks. As long as you have a swim speed, you can use the run action to move up to five times your swim speed while swimming straight down from or straight up toward the surface of the water.

Fight with the Flock (Werebat-kin)

You have always been most comfortable in a group. Since awakening to your werebat powers, this feeling has only grown.

Benefit(s) As long as you are within 10 feet of at least two allies, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Intimidate checks and attack rolls to make attack of opportunity.

Reviving Rest (Werebear-kin)

When you first demonstrated your werebear ancestry, you slept for a week and awoke feeling more refreshed than ever before.

Benefit(s) Whenever you undergo complete bed rest for 24 hours, you recover an amount of hit points equal to three times your character level.

I had to include that last one, because having your fantasy race's special power be 'staying in bed' is just too funny.

Alright, that's probably enough Pathfinder 1E traits for now. It was really fun to write about them though.

Maybe if people enjoy reading about them I'll dig into the social, religious and magic traits rather than just the race/species ones.

Or maybe I'll dig into the character creation options from Changeling: The Lost or one of the other games I'd be playing if I had infinite free time and folks to play them with.