Automatic Bonus Progression
Source GM Core pg. 83
This variant removes the item bonus to rolls and DCs usually provided by magic and higher-grade tech items (with the exception of armor's item bonus) and replaces it with a new kind of bonus—potency—to reflect a character's innate ability. In this variant, magic items, if they exist at all, can provide unique special abilities rather than numerical increases.
Special Class Features
Source GM Core pg. 83
Every character automatically gains the class features on the Automatic Bonus Progression table.
Attack Potency
Source GM Core pg. 83
Starting at 2nd level, you gain a +1 potency bonus to attack rolls with all weapons and unarmed attacks. This increases to +2 at 10th level, and +3 at 16th level.
Skill Potency
Source GM Core pg. 83
At 3rd level, choose a single skill. You gain a +1 potency bonus with that skill. At 6th level, choose a second skill to gain a +1 potency bonus. At 9th level, choose one of those skills and increase its potency bonus to +2. At 13th level, increase the potency bonus of your second skill to +2 and choose a third skill to gain a +1 potency bonus. At 15th level, increase the third skill's potency bonus to +2 and choose a fourth skill to gain a +1 potency bonus. At 17th level, choose one of your three skills with a +2 potency bonus to increase to +3, and choose a fifth skill to gain a +1 potency bonus. Finally, at 20th level, choose one of the two skills with a +2 potency bonus to increase to +3, choose one of the three skills at a +1 potency bonus to increase to +2, and choose one new skill to gain a +1 potency bonus. You can spend 1 week to retrain one of these assignments at any time.
Devastating Attacks
Source GM Core pg. 83
At 4th level, your weapon and unarmed Strikes deal two damage dice instead of one. This increases to three at 12th level and to four at 19th level.
Upgrade Slots
Source GM Core pg. 83
At 4th level, your armor and weapons each gain an additional upgrade slot. This increases at 12th and 19th level, for a total of two additional upgrade slots at 12th level and three additional upgrade slots at 19th level.
Defense Potency
Source GM Core pg. 83
At 5th level, you gain a +1 potency bonus to AC. At 11th level, this bonus increases to +2, and at 18th level, to +3.
Perception Potency
Source GM Core pg. 83
At 7th level, you gain a +1 potency bonus to Perception, increasing to +2 at level 13 and +3 at level 19.
Saving Throw Potency
Source GM Core pg. 83
At 8th level, you gain a +1 potency bonus to saves, increasing to +2 at level 14 and +3 at level 20.
Attribute Apex
Source GM Core pg. 83
At 17th level, choose one attribute score to either increase by 2 or increase to 18 (whichever grants the higher score).
Automatic Bonus Progression
| Level | Benefits |
|---|---|
| 1 | — |
| 2 | Attack potency +1 |
| 3 | Skill potency (one at +1) |
| 4 | Devastating attacks (two dice), upgrade slots (+1) |
| 5 | Defense potency +1 |
| 6 | Skill potency (two at +1 each) |
| 7 | Perception potency +1 |
| 8 | Saving throw potency +1 |
| 9 | Skill potency (one at +2, one at +1) |
| 10 | Attack potency +2 |
| 11 | Defense potency +2 |
| 12 | Devastating attacks (three dice), upgrade slots (+2) |
| 13 | Perception potency +2; skill potency (two at +2 each, one at +1) |
| 14 | Saving throw potency +2 |
| 15 | Skill potency (three at +2 each, one at +1) |
| 16 | Attack potency +3 |
| 17 | Ability apex; skill potency (one at +3, two at +2 each, two at +1 each) |
| 18 | Defense potency +3 |
| 19 | Devastating attacks (four dice), Perception potency +3, upgrade slots (+3) |
| 20 | Saving throw potency +3; skill potency (two at +3 each, two at +2 each, two at +1 each) |
Adjusting Items and Treasure
Source GM Core pg. 83
With this variant, you can ignore as much of the Party Treasure by Level table as you want, though you'll usually want to provide consistent currency. The main area your choice will impact is in spellcasting items, such as spell gems and spell chips.
If you're using Pathfinder weapons and runes in your game, remove all potency runes, striking runes, and resilient runes. Items that normally grant an item bonus to statistics or damage dice no longer do, other than the base item bonus to AC from armor. Apex items grant unique actions but don't increase attribute modifiers. You should continue to give out consumable items at roughly the rate under Treasure by Level.
If you're using Pathfinder weapons and runes in your game, remove all potency runes, striking runes, and resilient runes. Items that normally grant an item bonus to statistics or damage dice no longer do, other than the base item bonus to AC from armor. Apex items grant unique actions but don't increase attribute modifiers. You should continue to give out consumable items at roughly the rate under Treasure by Level.