Or "What do you make with a character that has no hands?"

Long (and entertaining) story short, I'm with a bunch of bronies (and a couple of confused guys that are wondering what the hell they got themselves into) and we're playing Pathfinder. Soon we are going be starting a home-brewed campaign of the DMs based on ponies. We actually weren't going to start till December but the TPK made her accelerate her plans.
The thing is, this is my first P&P campaign. I know basic character building from DDO but DDO and pathfinder are two very different games. And making a character with a race that has no hands is an interesting challenge. I've come up with a few ideas but I'm sure that here I could find more.

If you want here's the link to the guide we are using. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dhp1cwl8216pvcn/C8LD66XCNl/Ponyfinder.pdf
But I'll just copy paste the basic stuff right here.

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Here are the three basic races.

Earth Pony:

Type - Fey
Size - Medium
Base Speed - 40ft
Ability Score: Standard - +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity
Languages: Linguist - Starts with Common plus Sylvan, may choose any bonus language but secret languages, like druidic.
Earth-Bound: +2 on saves from spells, poisons, and spell-like abilities, Endurance as a bonus feat.
Flexible Bonus Feat - 1 bonus feat at level 1.
Special Qualities: Low Light Vision, +4 CMD vs trip(Due to being four-legged), +50% carrying capacity(Due to being four-legged)

Pegasus:

Type - Fey
Size - Medium
Base Speed - 40ft, Flight(Clumsy, 30ft)
Fly becomes a class skill.
Flight is unavailable in medium or heavy armor.
Ability Score: Standard - -2 strength, +2 dexterity, +2 wisdom
Languages: Linguist - Starts with Common plus Sylvan, may choose any bonus language but secret languages, like druidic.
May treat fog, or any cloud, as solid.
Flexible Bonus Feat - 1 bonus feat at level 1.
Special Qualities: Low Light Vision, +4 CMD vs trip(Due to being four-legged), +50% carrying capacity(Due to being four-legged)

Unicorn:

Type - Fey
Size - Medium
Base Speed - 40ft
Ability Score: Standard - +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Dexterity
Languages: Linguist - Starts with Common plus Sylvan, may choose any bonus language but secret languages, like druidic.
If you have an intelligence of 11 or greater, you gain the following spell-like abilities(caster level is equal
to character level):
Unseen Servant 2/day
Light 3/day(must target horn)
+2 to concentration checks when casting defensively
Flexible Bonus Feat - 1 bonus feat at level 1.
Special Qualities: Low Light Vision, +4 CMD vs trip(Due to being four-legged), +50% carrying capacity(Due
to being four-legged)

Special Rules:

* Items that normally fit the hand or ring slot become anklets while worn by ponies, operating normally.
* Any worn magical foot slot items(boots, shoes, etc.) adapt to cover all four hooves.
* They may use horseshoe items, but doing so occupies the foot slot, preventing boots, shoes, and other such things.
* Ponies may wield/use items with their mouth as if their primary hand.
* Touch attacks can be made with hooves or horn. There is no mechanical benefit to this and it resolves exactly the same as a humanoid touch with a finger.
* Unarmed attacks from ponies can come in the form of teeth, slams, or hooves. They do normal damage for an unarmed adventurer of medium size and are resolved entirely as unarmed, not natural, attacks.
* Somatic components are handled with hoof and horn. (I expected some kind of penalty for earth ponies and pegasi trying to cast arcane spells. This is not the case.)

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Pony feats worth mentioning:

Strong Jaw [Combat]
Some ponies have very strong jaws, allowing them to hold and wield very large weapons and items.
Prerequisite: Pony
Benefit: Your mouth can wield two-handed items. Double weapons can be used, allowing a pony to employ two-weapon fighting normally. Two-handed ranged weapons or ranged weapons that specify they require two hands to reload cannot be reloaded as most require two distinct limbs, not just a sure grip.
Normal: Ponies can only wield one-handed items in their mouth.
Special: Pony clerics may wield the favored weapon of their god, even if two-handed, without this feat.

Iron Jaw [Combat]
Prerequisite: Pony, Earth-Bound, Strong Jaw
Benefit: When attacking with a two handed or double weapon held in your jaws, you gain all the benefits of using a weapon two handedly. You also gain a +1 bonus to attacks with weapons held in your mouth.
Normal: A pony's mouth only counts as one hand, even if strong jaw allows wielding two handed and double weapons in it.

Practiced Horn Magic [Combat, Metamagic]
You have honed your horn magic to the point that you can wield weapons and shields using its might.
Prerequisite: Pony, Able to cast Unseen Servant as a spell-like ability
Benefit: You may wield any one-handed weapon or shield using your horn's magic. The wielded object is treated for all purposes as if you were physically wielding it, using your Intelligence instead of your Strength.
This is a supernatural ability.

Advanced Horn Magic [Combat, Metamagic]
Your ability to manipulate objects with your magic has grown much more refined.
Prerequisite: Pony, Practiced Horn Magic
Benefit: You gain a second mental grip, allowing you to wield a weapon two-handedly, or wield a weapon and a shield, or even wield two weapons. These follow all basic rules for wielding such items.

Dashing Flyer [Combat]
While some pegasi are satisfied with going in straight lines, you have been strengthening your wings and practicing your flying to become a master of the sky.
Prerequisite: Pony, Fly Speed
Benefit: Your fly speed increases by 10ft and your maneuverability by one step.
Special: This feat can be taken more than once.

Strong Wings [Combat]
You are accustomed to flying in armor, allowing you to fly when others would falter.
Prerequisite: Pony, Fly Speed, Dashing Flyer, Character level 5th
Benefit: You can fly while wearing medium armor.
Normal: You may not fly in heavy or medium armor.

Adamant Wings [Combat]
Your wings have been strengthened through intense training and discipline, allowing you to fly while wrapped in a shell of metal.
Prerequisite: Pony, Fly Speed, Dashing Flyer, Strong Wings. Character level 12th
Benefit: You can fly while wearing heavy armor.
Normal: You may not fly in heavy or medium armor.

Cloud Kicker [Combat]
Prerequisite: Pony, Pegasus
Benefit: As a standard action, you may, with a lash of your hind hooves, destroy the fog, mist, or even magic gaseous cloud, in a particular five foot square within natural reach(normally 5ft, can target the square the pony is occupying). If the effect is magic, it is considered an attempt to dispel, and the pony must roll 1d20+ (character level)+(strength bonus) against a target of 10+(caster level). Success not only clears the five foot square, but gives the pony the option to end the entire effect. Failure still clears the targeted five foot square.

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Equipment worth noting

Striking Horseshoes: These metal horseshoes operate like, and are priced as, spiked gauntlets, but are designed for pony use. Adventuring ponies often enchant these. It is possible for a pony to wear different shoes, as the price only covers one shoe at a time. It is not an uncommon tactic to have different elements for each hoof. Striking with hooves is just like striking with any other weapon. Any strike after the first is handled as a secondary weapon, handled under two-weapon fighting rules.

Saddle Rack: 50gp, 5lb, The saddle rack is a harness worn about the body of a pony with a strong and stable slot for a piercing weapon. Traditionally, a lance or other polearm is placed in this position, allowing the pony to strike with it. The rack is too far back to accept light weapons, but ponies can and often do, rack twohanded weapons. Due to the thrusting motions required to use the saddle rack, bludgeoning and slashing
weapons are awkward, suffering a -2 penalty to attacks.
A pony making a charge attack activates any advantage the weapon may have for mounted use. However, the saddle can be foiled: attempts to disarm any weapon held by the saddle enjoy a +2 to the effort.
Loading a weapon into the saddle is not a fast act, requiring a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Someone with hands can load the weapon as a standard action, but the pony being armed still provokes as they remain still for the procedure.
While it is technically possible for a pony to dual wield, having a weapon in mouth and another in the rack, the style is awkward at best, relying on body thrusts to employ the racked weapon while whipping one's head about to employ the mouth held weapon. As a result, all attacks are at -2 when attacking with both weapons in any given round, stacking with penalties for two-weapon fighting.

GM Note: The rules of two-weapon fighting must be obeyed. Nothing presented here is an exception to it.
Any pony wanting to dual-wield must use a one handed or light weapon for their secondary attack. Even a pony with strong horn magic or jaws cannot wield a two-handed weapon, have a two-handed weapon in their rig, and attack with both at once, unless they want to flail about for the entertainment of their foes.

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Here is what we can use. Anything else and I gotta say please.
Core Rulebook
Ponyfinder Race Guide
Advanced Player’s Guide
Advanced Race Guide (Chapter 1 only)
Ultimate Combat
Ultimate Equipment
Ultimate Magic
Adventurer’s Armory
Animal Companions
* of Golarion (alternate race traits/feats, classes and archetypes only)

We are using 20 point builds with standard purchase and starting at level 1.

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I'll put the builds I have come up with so far in the next post.

JC wrote on Nov 5^th, 2013 at 4:46pm:


D&D and Pathfinder have amulets that basically function like DDO's handwraps.  Amulets of Mighty Fists.  All you really need there is a name change.

The Practiced Horn Magic feat lets you use your intelligence instead of strength for weapons wielded with it. This just screams Gish.


Sparklebutts
Unicorn Magus, 20 point build.

Ability scores: I feel like I'm dumping wis and cha too much but I wanted 20 int (it is EVERYTHING to this character) and 13 str for power attack. I had to dump them to 7 and I can't have them any higher without hurting my hp or already low AC. But with this DM I know it's going to bite me in the but.
Str  13
Dex 12 (14-2 race)
Con 15 (13+2 race)
Int  20 (18+2 race)
Wis  7
Cha  7

Feats: 2 (1 +1 race)
Practiced Horn Magic & Combat Casting

Favored class bonus goes in HP

Skills: UMD, perception, spellcraft, the knowledges, whatever.

Traits: Bladed magic & deft dodger.

At level 1 with a chain shirt I'll have 15 ac. Shield spell will bump it to 19. Good enough for melee. With the arcane pool and magic weapon I'll have +7 to hit and 1d8+7 damage. After that I got one color spray or whatever left over.

Intelligence is my attack, damage and spell casting stat. Do I need to explain how nice this? Now if only pathfinder had insightful reflexes.

JC wrote on Nov 5^th, 2013 at 4:46pm:

fify