Pathfinder Notes

2026-05-14

Pathfinder Notes

Spellcasting

Prepared/Spontaneous Spells

This is to do with how and when classes choose which spells to cast. The D&D equivalent is, for instance, clerics being able to swap out any of their spells after a long rest, or wizards only being able to do so from their spellbook, or sorcerers only on level up.

In Pathfinder, spellcasters are either prepared or spontaneous.

Prepared: during daily preparations (i.e. during a long rest), the spellcaster chooses which spells they wish to use in each individual spell slot from their repetoire of spells. For instance, I could choose to prepare one fireball in one of my third level spell slots, and lightning bolt in the other, and I wouldn't be able to cast two fireballs. In exchange for less flexibility on any given day, you have a repetoire greater than spontanous casters. This category includes wizards, druids, and clerics.

Spontaneous: you select which spell from your repetoire you wish to use for any given spell slot as and when you cast it. This is much closer to normal D&D spellcasting. In exchange for this flexibility, you have a repetoire equivalent to your spell slots - i.e. if you have three level 1 and two level 2 spells, you will know that many spells of those levels.

Magic Weapons (and Runes)

All weapons are magic, kind of; You still have normal weapons vs magic weapons, but a +1 sword or whatever is not something pathfinder really has. Instead, pathfinder has runes, which can be engraved on any weapon, magical or not.

There are two types of runes: fundamental and property.

Firstly, fundamental runes: there are five types, of which two are for weapons, two for armour, and one for shields.

  • Weapons:
    • Weapon potency rune: grants a bonus to attack rolls and determines the number of property rune slots. There are three types: a +1 potency rune, a +2, and a +3. Each grants that number bonus to attacks and that number of rune slots. Unlike D&D, they do not apply to damage.
    • Striking rune: grants a bonus to damage die. There are also three types: Striking, Greater Striking, and Major Striking. Respectively they grant one, two and three extra damage dice.
  • Armour:
    • Armour potency rune: grants a bonus to AC and determines the number of property rune slots. As with weapons, they can be +1, +2, or +3.
    • Resilience: grants a bonus to saving throws. The same three types as striking runes (normal, greater, major), with each granting +1, +2 and +3 respectively.
  • Shields:
    • Reinforcing rune: grants a bonus to the shield's hardness, HP, and broken threshold. Lots of these of various strengths.

When discussing runic weapons (i.e., weapons with runes on them), often a weapon will be referred to as, for instance, a +2 striking weapon. This means it has a +2 potency rune and a normal striking rune.

Now secondly, property runes. They can do basically anything; they're like magic item effects which can be added to any weapon. For example, the Bloodthirsty rune does the following:

When you critically hit a bleeding target, this target becomes drained 1. Grants the reaction envision: when you reduce a creature to 0 HP with this weapon, you gain temp HP equal to the creature's level.

For Laravin's Folly

Eoin has a sword of lifestealing; This will be converted into a +1 striking shortsword with a bloodthirsty rune on it.