macmacfire

No I absolutely agree with you on both of those points - Martials need more resourceless abilities, and casters are too strong and nerfing them is an absolutely essential step. People are too resistant to nerfs, but PF2e casters are just as competent as ever - they were made less omnipresent because the problem isn't just in how absolutely shafted martials are(though that is definitely a big, BIG issue that WotC seems to not even be trying to hide anymore), it's the fact that magic is too cheap for such powerful effects, while martial abilities are just as if not more expensive for less.

Honestly, the main example I turn to regarding both of those points, and WotC absolutely hating martials, is one single ability - Commander's Strike.

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks[1, ah ah ah] and use a bonus action[2, ah ah ah] to direct one of your companions to strike. When you do so, choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you and expend one superiority die[3! ah ah ah]. That creature can immediately[This Count Dracula joke doesn't apply here...] use its reaction[4! 4! Ah Ah Aaaahhh!] to make one weapon attack, adding the superiority die to the attack's damage roll.

Have you figured out what the muppet vampire was counting? That's right, Resources spent by this fighter ability! And the total count is FOUR. FOUR ENTIRE RESOURCES SPENT BY THE PARTY, THREE OF THE FIGHTER'S AND ONE OF THEIR ALLY'S, ON ONE ABILITY. SPELLS NEVER COST MORE THAN ONE SPELL SLOT EVEN AT 9TH! WHAT THE FUCK?? Let alone the fact that all you're getting for it is...A single extra attack from an ally that turn. With a bonus to damage, sure, but that only applies if it hits. And to add insult to injury, it says "immediately," so the one getting it can't even delay it to decide the optimal target or save it for a particularly sticky situation.

The game and its players seem to just put more expectations on the non-magical people for them to be able to do anything than casters, who can just do things with no strings attached.

When power levels of the degree of modern TTRPGs are expected of characters, D&D sort of becomes a game all about your options and which you choose when. If certain characters have inherently MORE options to pick from in such a setting, that means they are essentially objectively better by default.

Also, “martial” in this case specifically refers to Fighters, Barbarians, and Rogues.

Don't discount Monks! They're generally regarded as the worst class in the game, as they're essentially fighters that deal less damage in exchange for a resource that lets them use cool abilities...for a short time. Yeah, I know they're technically? magical, but they function and present as a martial class, poorly at that.

The disparity is choice and impact. Because of their lack of choices, it can seem difficult to have an impact on the game, mechanically. A good DM can make up for this in a variety of ways, but when you’re just looking at the rules or white-rooming a character, the problem does tend to become a bit obvious…if overblown.

Also don't discount, being able to play out-of-combat scenarios. Casters get utility like Pass Without Trace, Spider Climb, Prestidigitation, Friends, and then the fact that most of them are charisma-based for some strange reason, which is THE out-of-combat stat. I know my suggestion in particular doesn't really address that, and is more focused on the more-abilities and/or allowing interesting choices part that you mention after that, but I do absolutely want things like 3.5e's Moment of Perfect Mind, and whatnot.

I like your thinking. Also have you read the most recent playtest? In it second wind is the limit break resource, at later levels they can use it to ad to skill checks and gain extra movement without provoking opportunity attacks, in addition they have weapon mastery properties that are control oriented.

I haven't! Nice to know I'm having similar ideas, I suppose, though this has a much different execution.

If you’re interested though, I was thinking about rewriting a samurai class that was effectively fighter fueled by ki with eldritch invocations. It was a little too powerful in it’s last build but faired just fine alongside the other classes I made for the game it was played in.

Hm, that is pretty neat. Though I think it would work better as a monk subclass, I do want more "pseudo-this-other-class" subclasses, especially for martials.

The Roaches. I can simply kill the person. I could claim insurance for the damage caused by the roaches.

Aren’t spell ingredients made meaningless by the focus

Not spell components that are consumed. Also, I'll just leave this post of mine here.

Hm. How much of a nerf would it actually be? Not really all that sure, and I suppose if Undead are so much weaker for some reason it would make sense(still silly and weird though, like you said).

I can sort of understand - a lot of players unfortunately just kinda wanna roll dice and kill monsters. I say, though, that if that's what you wanna do, play a martial. (Note: I fully realize the way martials are designed is still bad and they absolutely need to be able to do more than just hit things, but as of their current design my point stands.)

Ha, you like to pretend you are charismatic and able to establish relationships or push social progress - but it is merely a simulation with blinking lights...

But then why not, as briefly mentioned in the post, just make it a heritage instead? It would make more sense in general anyway. As I was looking I also saw at LEAST two other "back-from-the-dead" backgrounds, so there wouldn't even really be anything lost.

just tick a box when you’ve got a half-upgrade

Really? They went with the most obvious and lame solution? Damn.
I do like the suggestion of restricting the boost the same as or similarly to skills, but regardless you're right - one is going to come across some sort of issue no matter how you do it, because they didn't design the game with that in mind. Perhaps it's the only glaring symptom of this change being sort of a last-minute get WOTC-off-our-backs?

All of these changes are honestly great IMO. They're mostly renaming, and as mentioned somewhere else ITT, it's clearly because of WOTC being absolute hacks with their licensing; Consequently, though, it makes all of the language so much more...natural. Clear, even. The few mechanical changes I'm sure will be well-received(dunno about the wish one, but the new ideas for genies, attribute modifiers instead of ability scores and ESPECIALLY removal of alignment are just good), so I think it's actually going to be a huge improvement, even if it was only out of necessity.