House Rules
The rules we play by. Read these before session zero — they affect character building.
Player-FacingReference
Pathfinder 1e is a sturdy game with a few rough edges. The rules below smooth those edges and lean the system toward the kind of play this group enjoys: durable characters, broad skill coverage, and combat maneuvers that don't require a feat tax.
Character Creation
Starting Level
Characters begin at 2nd level. Mummy's Mask as written starts at 1st; we begin one level higher to give the troupe room to breathe and to reflect that you are working professionals, not green farmhands.
Hit Points
Major characters (PCs and significant NPCs) take maximum hit points at every level. No rolling, no averaging. Death should mean something. It shouldn't be cheap.
Skill Points
Every class receives 4 + Int modifier skill points per level, regardless of base class allotment. We also use the Background Skills system from Pathfinder Unchained — two additional skill points per level usable only on background skills (Craft, Profession, Lore, etc.).
The intent: every character should be able to do the thing on their backstory.
Automatic Bonus Progression
We use the Automatic Bonus Progression variant from Pathfinder Unchained. Magic-item enhancement bonuses are baked into your character; you don't need to track the "big six." Loot becomes interesting because it's interesting, not because it's mandatory.
Combat
Combined Combat Maneuver Feats
Improved Trip, Improved Disarm, Improved Sunder, and the rest are folded into a single feat: Improved Combat Maneuvers. Pick it up once and you no longer provoke for any maneuver. Greater versions still must be selected individually.
The intent: combat maneuvers should be a tactical option, not a feat tree.
Add Your Own
This page will grow. New rules will be posted here before they take effect; nothing changes mid-session.