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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
War of Immortals Alternate Mythic Rules / Mythic Variant Rules

Mixed Play

Source War of Immortals Alternate Mythic Rules pg. 2
You may want to tell a story where only some of the party members have mythic power. Perhaps the story you wish to tell is one where the mythic power comes with a heavy burden, curse, or responsibility that the other party members do not need to share. Maybe the recipient of mythic power has a destiny at the end of a long campaign that demands they relinquish their mythic power, and it is the responsibility of the other party members to see the mythic character to the fulfillment of this goal and then bring them safely home afterwards. These kinds of stories can add rich dimensions to the game world and create interesting challenges, dynamics, and nuance. It's important to ensure that your players are all interested in telling this kind of story before you embark, as it can be uncomfortable at the gaming table if it feels like one character is being given preferential treatment or is the “star” of the story in a way the other characters are not.

Presented below are some other points to consider and tools you can use to get the most out of this kind of game.

Free Archetype

Source War of Immortals Alternate Mythic Rules pg. 2
Characters gain extra feats from mythic progression at the same levels as extra feats from the free archetype variant rules. It's usually best to avoid using the free archetype variant if you're using mythic progression in your campaign. However, sometimes you can use the two side-by-side. If you're running a campaign where only some characters are mythic, one step you can take to help avoid creating a situation where only some characters feel like the heroes of the story is to allow the non-mythic characters to use the free archetype variant. This won't completely close the gap between mythic and non-mythic characters, but it will allow both sets of characters to achieve an equal depth of options and opportunities. Just like how mythic characters have a calling and a mythic destiny, it can be beneficial to plan out what archetype or archetypes the non-mythic characters are taking via the free archetype variant rules.

Since free archetypes are being used here to help level the playing field between mythic and non-mythic characters, it's also useful to track them as a separate progression. If a character takes an archetype using their normal class feats, this shouldn't prevent them from taking other dedications with their free archetype feats. Normal restrictions should still apply within each grouping. For example, a rogue using free archetype instead of having mythic power should be allowed to take the fighter multiclass archetype with their normal 2nd-level feat and also take the blessed one archetype with their free archetype feats. They should still need to take two more fighter archetype feats before selecting another dedication with their normal class feat progression, and two or more blessed one archetype feats before selecting another dedication with the feats granted to them by their free archetype.

Hero Points

Source War of Immortals Alternate Mythic Rules pg. 2
Hero Points should still be awarded to non-mythic characters at the same rate as normal (typically one per character at the start of the session and then one for each heroic deed they perform after that, with about one additional Hero Point being awarded per hour of play.) Since mythic characters don't use Hero Points, this should typically mean that individual non-mythic characters end up receiving more Hero Points.

You might also expand this so that the non-mythic characters receive a Hero Point whenever the mythic characters would receive a Mythic Point, such as when slaying a mythic monster or completing a mythic deed. Such notable accomplishments can be even more heroic when performed by characters with no mythic power of their own to call on!