What is Sparking?[]
Sparking is a unique subsystem for characters to access martial disciplines and techniques in a new and exciting way. Rather than learning martial maneuvers when they level up, characters who learn maneuvers through sparking trigger their maneuvers in the heat of battle, coming up with new techniques via flashes of stress-induced inspiration. When a character learns a maneuver through sparking, they treat their base attack bonus as their initiator level, though they must meet all other requirements of the maneuver (for example, a character cannot spark into a 5th level maneuver that requires knowledge of at least 3 other maneuvers from that discipline unless they have sparked the requisite maneuvers).
A character with levels in a martial initiator class can never spark, and a character who has sparked cannot later take levels in a martial initiator class, nor can they have or take the Martial Training feats. It should be noted that this system is primarily for GMs and groups who feel that there is an inherent issue in the game between spellcasting characters and non-spellcasting characters, which the system attempts to address. If you feel like the fighter is already the meanest guy on the field, or that there is no disparity between casters and non-casters, this system may not be for you as it is, essentially, a strict upgrade for non-casters while providing diminishing returns for characters based on the amount of spellcasting they have available.
How Do I Spark?[]
Whenever a character rolls a natural 20 on their attack roll, they may choose to replace the critical confirmation roll with an Intelligence check (DC 10 + level of maneuver to be learned). If this check is successful, they may learn a single martial strike or boost they qualify for from any discipline that counts the weapon they scored the critical threat with as a discipline weapon. The attack is completed with the normal results of the attack replaced by the learned strike, or with the attack modified by the boost (when a technique first sparks, it does not cost stamina for that attack). The maneuver is then entered into their suite of maneuvers as a readied maneuver.
A character can also spark in response to an enemy’s attack. Whenever an enemy rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll, the targeted character may attempt to spark in response, learning a counter instead of a strike or boost. When a character successfully sparks in this manner, the enemy’s attack is treated as a hit, the counter is automatically activated in response, and the counter is added to the character’s suite of readied maneuvers.
The final way a character may learn to spark is when performing a skill check; when a character rolls a natural 20 on a skill check during combat, they can attempt to spark and learn a boost from a discipline whose associated skill matches that of the check (the character seeking to spark must have entered initiative against a hostile creature whose CR is at least equal to their class level to spark in this manner). It is highly recommended that players select several maneuvers that they would be interested in sparking ahead of time, as attempting to pick out a new maneuver in the middle of a fight has potential to slow the game down significantly.
| Editor's Note: Though not stated in the actual Sparking rules, the only way to learn a stance within the Sparking subsystem is to take the Learn Stance feat. |
A character may only spark a number of times per level equal to 1 + their Intelligence modifier. Temporary increases to Intelligence, such as a fox’s cunning spell, do not increase the number of times a character can spark.
Characters who learn to spark have a suite of possible maneuvers readied equal to 2 + 1/2 their base attack bonus (minimum 1). If a character has all of their possible maneuvers readied, they cannot spark until they have at least one available slot open in their suite. A character may only know a total number of maneuvers equal to their base attack bonus plus their primary initiation modifier. If a newly sparked maneuver would put them above this limit, they must choose an existing maneuver for it to replace. The replaced maneuver can be a readied maneuver in their suite, or one of their unreadied maneuvers. A character may choose which of their learned maneuvers to add or remove from their suite whenever they have at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted rest.
Sparking requires a great expenditure of mental resources, and competes with the same mental faculties used for casting or preparing spells. Because of this, spellcasting and psionic manifesting characters suffer a penalty on all Intelligence checks made to spark equal to the highest level spell, power, or spell-like ability they are capable of casting, and their total suite of readied maneuvers is reduced by the same amount. Characters with spell-like abilities granted by their race, such as a tiefling’s racial darkness, do not count these against their ability to spark. Characters who use akashic magic, such as the vizier, are treated as a spellcaster and use the total number of binds they have unlocked in place of the highest level of spell when determining their ability to spark and the size of their suite.
Once a character has learned a maneuver and added it to their suite, they do not expend them or use normal recovery methods like a martial initiator class. Instead, a character who learns their maneuvers through sparking gains a stamina pool equal to their level + their Constitution modifier. Whenever they activate a maneuver, they expend a number of points from their pool equal to the level of the activated maneuver. If the character does not have at least as many stamina points in their pool as the maneuver’s level, they cannot activate it. Characters whose stamina pools have been reduced to 0 are fatigued until they have at least 1 point of stamina available in their pool. A character may replenish a number of points in their stamina pool equal to their Constitution modifier by taking a total defense action. Their stamina pool is automatically fully replenished whenever they have at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted rest.
Sparking characters who know at least one maneuver count as martial initiators equal to their BAB for purposes of selecting feats.
Starting Characters Above 1st level[]
Some characters will want to start their adventuring careers at levels higher than 1st. When determining how many maneuvers they should have learned there’s a couple routes you can go. For campaigns following the Fast experience track, it’s recommended that you assume the character has learned 1 maneuver per level plus an additional one if they have an Intelligence score of 12 or higher, up to their total maneuvers known value of base attack bonus plus initiation modifier. For campaigns following the Medium experience track, increase their known maneuvers by 1 per level up to their normal limit, and on the Slow experience track, assume they have learned their full allotment of 1 + Intelligence modifier maneuvers per level, up to their total maneuvers known. The slower the experience track used by the campaign, the more likely it is that a character will have multiple opportunities to learn additional maneuvers.
Sparking Options[]
You can choose to introduce sparking into your campaign in a number of ways; you can simply add sparking as a subsystem available to any character (in which case Intelligence is the default primary initiation modifier for all characters), or you can require them to unlock the ability to spark by taking the Spark of Inspiration feat. If you use the Stamina and Combat Tricks option from Pathfinder Unchained, you can allow any character who has taken the Combat Stamina feat to spark, though in this case they do not gain a separate stamina pool for combat tricks and spark maneuvers, but instead use a single pool for all abilities.
Variant Sparking[]
It’s possible that you may have one of those tables where one player consistently seems to roll high, and another player never seems to be able to roll above a 10. In that instance, it may seem like this system favors player A over player B, even though they technically have the exact same odds of sparking. If this is the case for your group, you can utilize an alternative method of leveling based on experience. When a character reaches the 25%, 50%, and 75% experience markers between their current level and their next level, you can choose to allow them a chance to spark, or even simply assume that they do.
For example, a 1st level character on the fast experience chart would level up at 1300 xp, so at 325, 650, and 975 xp you could allow them an opportunity to spark, or simply allow them to gain a maneuver as though they had. This removes the random element from spark progression and may provide more consistent and predictable results at your table.
Reference: Stamina Rules[]
Stamina Pool[]
When you have an ability that grants you stamina points, you gain a stamina pool with a maximum number of stamina points equal to your base attack bonus + your Constitution modifier. During combat, you can spend stamina points from this pool to perform a combat trick, the specific effects of which are dictated by a combat feat you possess. Spending stamina points in this way is not an action, but you can’t do so if you are unconscious, fatigued, or exhausted. You can use as many combat tricks on the same action or attack as you like (as long as you have the stamina points to spend), but you can’t use the same combat trick twice within its scope. For instance, if you have a combat trick that affects a single attack, you can’t use that combat trick more than once on the same attack.
Dropping to 0 stamina points causes you to become fatigued until you have 1 or more points in your stamina pool.
Temporary increases to your Constitution score, such as those granted by the core barbarian’s rage class feature or bear’s endurance, do not increase the number of stamina points in your pool or your pool’s maximum number of stamina points. However, permanent increases to Constitution, such as the bonus granted by a belt of mighty constitution worn for more than 24 hours, do adjust your stamina points.
You regain stamina points by resting for short periods of time. You don’t have to sleep while resting in this way, but you can’t exert yourself. You stop regaining stamina points if you enter combat; take an action that requires a Strength-, Dexterity-, or Constitution-based skill check or an ability check tied to one of those ability scores; or take more than one move action or standard action in a round (you can still take free, immediate, and swift actions). This reduction in your number of actions per round also effectively halves your overland speed. For' ' each uninterrupted minute you rest in this way, you regain 1 stamina point. If you are suffering from any of the following conditions, you can’t regain stamina points: confused, cowering, dazed, dead, disabled, exhausted, fascinated, frightened, helpless, nauseated, panicked, paralyzed, petrified, shaken, sickened, staggered, or stunned.
Reference: Stamina Feats[]
The following feats are used with the stamina and combat tricks system. The basic feat is Combat Stamina, which grants you a stamina pool and allows you to use the most basic combat trick for this system. The other feats give you options for expanding your stamina pool.
Combat Stamina (Combat)
You stop at nothing to drive your attack home.
Prerequisite(s): Base attack bonus +1.
Benefit(s): You gain a stamina pool. After you make an attack roll with a manufactured weapon, unarmed strike, or natural weapon attack with which you are proficient, but before the results are revealed, you can spend up to 5 stamina points. If you do, you gain a competence bonus on the attack roll equal to the number of stamina points you spent. If you miss with the attack, the stamina points you spent are still lost.
Special: Since you have a stamina pool, you can spend your stamina points to use any combat tricks associated with combat feats you possess.
Extra Stamina (Combat)
You can push yourself to higher limits.
Prerequisite(s): Combat Stamina, base attack bonus +5.
Benefit(s): Your stamina pool increases by 3 points. Special: You can select this feat up to three times. Each time you do, your stamina pool grows by 3 points.
Push the Limits (Combat)
Even when suffering from fatigue, you can fight through and overcome incredible opposition.
Prerequisite(s): Con 13, Combat Stamina, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit(s): You gain a secondary stamina pool with a number of stamina points equal to your Constitution modifier.
You can spend these secondary stamina points only when you have 0 stamina points in your primary stamina pool or when you are fatigued, even though you normally can’t spend stamina points while fatigued. You can spend these secondary stamina points as normal, but if the secondary pool drops to 0 points, you become exhausted until you have at least 1 stamina point in your primary pool. Even if you have points in your secondary pool, you are still fatigued as long as you have 0 points in your primary pool.
Your secondary pool refreshes only after a full night’s rest.