Some of the eighth-graders* have wanted to kill each other for ages, and now I’m finally giving them a chance.
In a break from tradition, we have one-person teams and each player will create TWO characters. There are six people competing. Each makes two Level 10 Pathfinder RPG characters. Two players face off; the winner advances to the next round with leveled-up Level 12 characters.The Championship will be a 1v1v1 match (probably in the form of 1 player challenging another player. If that player accepts the challenge that forms the first match. If that player declines, the 3rd player challenges a player and that forms the first match. The survivor of that first match the remaining player play in a 2nd match at full health.) Keep in mind that the tournament matches run on Wednesdays. For some folks, making a new character on paper can be bit intimidating — I will help each of you via e-mail (during class I’m too busy). Know that all deadlines to make your characters are strict — it’s a lot of work to manage so many teams and character sheets, and so I make NO EXCEPTIONS to the deadlines. If you miss a deadline to level-up your character, this permanently handicaps you for the whole tournament. (See Rule #1 below.)
*Plus one honorary eighth-grader!
TOURNAMENT PRIZES
WINNING IN THE FIRST ROUND: 12 XP
WINNING A FIGHT IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND (see Championship Format above): 12 XP
ARENA DESIGN CONTEST!
We already have arenas for this Tournament, but if you would like to make an arena (and win XP!) for a future Tournament, submit an entry! See the rules from an old Design Contest — the same rules still apply
TOURNAMENT MATCH-UPS
Tournament Seeds determine who your matchup will be. Higher-ranked players are paired against lower-ranked players. Ranking is determined by looking at the following factors in order:
- All who won a match in the last tournament are placed first (ranked by how high you advanced)
- All who competed in the last tournament are placed second
- All who made characters but didn’t fight in the last tournament are placed third
- People who didn’t make characters for the last tournament are placed last
- Tiebreaker #1 is: Your seed in the last tournament
- Tiebreaker #2 is: your current Guild XP
The first seeds for the Eighth-Grade Tournament is:
- Paul
- Aidan
- Max
- Bruno
- Simon
- Zachary
SO THE FIRST MATCHES ARE:
Paul (#1) v. Zachary (#6)
Aidan (#2) v. Simon (#5)
Max (#3) v. Bruno (#4)
Friday, January 12 10:00 PM (3 XP): SUBMIT DRAFT CHARACTERS TO GRANDMASTER by Friday, January 12, 10:00PM. *Characters should be submitted with an official Pathfinder character sheet or ALL choices must be typed out in an email — if you use Hero Lab, you earn 2XP less for every Tournament victory, AND earn 2XP less for your very next Tournament victory (so instead of 12XP you would earn 8XP for winning in the First Round).* To create your character sheet, get the character sheet and the Character Creation Guide PDF I’ve made up.
I then send you back feedback on your characters.
Monday, January 15 10:00 PM: FINALIZE YOUR CHARACTERS WITH ME by Monday, January 15, 10:00PM. (Remember that this is a holiday.) The Grandmaster then posts all Level 10 character sheets on the Guild website the next morning; you get to scope out the competition!
THE RULES
- Not finishing your character before the STRICT deadline has sucky, PERMANENT consequences on your character! There are NO EXCEPTIONS to my deadlines. If you fail to level-up your character in time, then I will just add hit points to your character — you lose all things that had to be chosen permanently (such as Feats, skill ranks, class special abilities, spells) — you can’t choose them when you level-up later.
- You can only use the 7 core races. Kineticists, guns, slaying arrows, and Technology Guide items are NOT allowed. You may not use Traits. Besides these restrictions, nearly all options are allowed from the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, Advanced Class Guide, Advanced Player’s Guide, Horror Adventures, Occult Adventures, Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat, Ultimate Equipment, Ultimate Wilderness, and Advanced Race Guide. All the classes and the prestige classes in those books are available. And, just like for Guild characters, we use Pathfinder Unchained‘s versions of some classes (the original Summoner is not allowed) and that book’s revised barbarian rage rules. Finally, the aegis, marksman, and soulknife, and the Autohypnosis skill from Ultimate Psionics are allowed.
- You will use 15Â POINT BUY. No score lower than 8 or higher than 15 before applying racial modifiers. After 1st level, your character takes average hit points (i.e. for a d6 class like a wizard, it is 3, 4, 3…)
- Your two characters start at Level 10, with 62,000gp in equipment (this includes up to 5,000gp in expendable items). In the next round, they become Level 12, with 108,000gp in equipment (this includes up to 7,200gp in expendable items). Between battles, you trade in ALL your gear before spending your new GP total. In contrast, your ability scores, race, class levels, feats, and skill ranks are permanent.
- IMPORTANT: For spellcasting, and for special abilities and magic items that have a limit per day, these are limited to using one-third, rounded up, in any given battle. (For spellcasters, add up spell levels to find out your limit.) Search (Ctrl + F) for the “1/3 Rule” at this page.
- Any other creatures you have must come from class features (i.e., animal companions, bonded mounts, familiars, eidolons). After a battle begins, you may use magic to summon extra creatures.
- Magic Items: You must buy wands with a full (50) set of charges. You may NOT buy a wand, rod, or staff with a caster level higher than your character’s caster level. You may NOT buy scrolls with caster level higher than your character’s Caster level +2. (So if you are a Level 4 sorcerer, you may only buy scrolls up to Level 6. Remember that you might fail in using the scroll as well!)
- You may pool your gold between your two characters. But the limit on expendables applies against each character separately.
- There is NO crafting.
- You may “buff” yourself, your teammate, and your Allies before a battle, but AFTER you do so, 1d6 hours pass before the battle begins. (So the effects might wear off.)
- When time for a match runs out, if more than one player’s characters are left standing, victory is determined by percentage of hit points remaining AFTER taking away temporary changes (rage, bull’s strength, temporary hit points, polymorphing, etc.)
The Battle Royale was a bloody affair, one which tested the hardiest of King Middle School students.
Pathfinders' Guild of Berkeley 