Author Topic: [3.5e] X-Codes' House Rules  (Read 1742 times)

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X-Codes

  • Organ Grinder
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[3.5e] X-Codes' House Rules
« on: October 21, 2011, 03:27:23 PM »
I'm planning a game that will employ a great number of house rules, some of them have the purpose of leveling the playing field, and others are rules that I'm hoping to playtest to see how they work in a game (and a level playing field will help me confirm that it's the rule that's causing an effect, not just the random awesomeness of class X).  This will be aided by the fact that I just don't see the game advancing too terribly far beyond level 10, so I won't have to deal with Wizards re-shaping the entire world.

Class Changes:
The following classes are just going to be left out of the game, they're not appropriate for the game:
  • All NPC classes
  • Artificier
  • Erudite
The following classes are going to be hybridized/cannibalized with other classes in some method:
  • Samurai will become a Crusader ACF
[spoiler]Warrior of Old Tradition
Class/Level: Crusader 1, character level 1 only
Requirement: Lawful alignment
Replaces: Heavy Armor Proficiency, Shield Proficiency, and Smite

Benefit: Select one exotic melee weapon and one martial melee weapon.  In your hands, these two weapons are treated as discipline weapons in all martial disciplines.  Also, when you select new maneuvers or stances to learn, you may pick from the Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, and Stone Dragon disciplines, instead of your normal selection of disciplines.

At 1st level, you gain the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat with your chosen exotic weapon.  You also start play with masterwork versions of your chosen weapons.  You can enhance these weapons as if you had the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat and a caster level equal to your Initiator level.  To do so requires time and raw materials as normal when creating magic items, but you do not have to expend any experience points in the process.  Other than the bonus feat, this is a supernatural ability.

At 6th level, you fearsome technique and discipline enable you to dominate the battlefield.  At the start of an encounter, you can instigate a duel of wills with any number of opponents within 30'.  Make one Intimidate check to determine the result of all the duels of wills.  Further, during the encounter itself, you can demoralize all enemies within 30' using the Intimidate skill, instead of just one enemy within melee reach.  This is an extraordinary ability.

At 18th level, your fearsome presence manifests itself without action.  Whenever you initiate a maneuver or make a full attack, all enemies within 30' of you must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your Initiator level + your Charisma modifier) or be shaken for 1 minute.  Further, you can actively demoralize opponents using the Intimidate skill as a move action instead of a standard action.  This is an extraordinary ability.

[/spoiler]
  • Monk, Ninja, Soulknife, and Spellthief will become Swordsage ACFs
[spoiler]Unarmed Swordsage
Class/Level: Swordsage 1
Replaces: Martial Melee Weapon Proficiency, Light Armor Proficiency, and Discipline Focus (Weapon Focus)

Benefit: You have trained in the tradition of martial arts and unarmed combat.  If you are a first level character when you take this class, become proficient with Simple Weapons and the Kama, Nunchaku, Shuriken, and Siangham, but not with any armor or shields.  If you are a higher-level character, you lose all armor and shield proficiencies.  Your fighting style has changed so dramatically you can no longer effectively wear armor.

At 1st level, you gain the unarmed strike damage of a monk whose level is equal to your initiator level.  For example, a 1st-level Swordsage would deal 1d6 damage with her unarmed strike, a 2nd-level Swordsage/4th-level Rogue would deal 1d8 damage with their unarmed strike, and a 2nd-level Swordsage/4th-level Rogue/4th-level Bloodclaw Master would deal 1d10 damage with their unarmed strike.  This is an extraordinary ability.

At 2nd level, you gain your usual bonus to armor class only if you are completely unarmored, not if you are wearing light armor.  You also gain a further bonus to your armor class as a monk similarly to how your unarmed strike damage is advanced.

At 3rd level, you gain an enhancement bonus to your ground speed.  This bonus is calculated similarly to the above abilities.  This is an extraordinary ability.

At 4th level, your unarmed strikes are treated as magic weapons for overcoming damage reduction.  Furthermore, if your initiator level is at least 10, then they are also treated as lawful weapons.  If your initiator level is at least 16, then your unarmed strikes are treated as adamanite for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction and for ignoring the hardness of objects you strike.  This is an extraordinary ability.


Invisible Blade
Class/Level: Swordsage 1
Replaces: Martial Melee Weapon Proficiency, Light Armor Proficiency, Discipline Focus (all abilities), Dual Boost, and Sense Magic

Benefit: You have honed your body to be the perfect assassin.  You do not gain access to the Desert Wind or Stone Dragon disciplines, as they are flashy and spurious methods of show-fighting completely useless for the assassin's purpose.  If you are a first-level character when you take this class, you become proficient with Simple Weapons and the Hand Crossbow, Kama, Kukri, Nunchaku, Sai, Shortbow, Shortsword, Shuriken, and Siangham, but not with any armor or shields.  While wearing any armor or using a shield, you lose your ability to initiate maneuvers.  The precision with which you execute your attacks demands freedom of movement.

At 1st level, you learn the oldest art of assassination: the use of poison.  You can apply poison to a weapon without risking accidentally poisoning yourself.  This is an extraordinary ability.

At 2nd level, you gain your usual bonus to armor class only if you are completely unarmored, not if you are wearing light armor.

At 4th level you gain two abilities.  First is the ability to make a sudden strike.  When you attack a flat-footed opponent within 30' of yourself, you deal an extra 1d6 damage on a hit.  This damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.  The precision of your attacks is only guaranteed when attacking a flat-footed opponent, but when you score a critical hit against an opponent that is not flat-footed with respect to you, you manage to strike a particularly vital point and also add your sudden strike damage bonus to the total damage.  This is an extraordinary ability.

In addition, you gain the ability to make a Ki Dodge.  By expending a readied maneuver as an immediate action, you gain concealment until the start of your next turn.  None of see invisibility, true seeing, or any similar effects negate this concealment.  This technique is a supernatural ability, and treated as a level 2 Counter from the Shadow Hand discipline for all purposes.

At 7th level, you gain the ability of Ghost Sight.  You are able to see invisible and ethereal creatures regardless of those conditions.  Creatures with concealment from some other source, however (such as darkness) retain that concealment.  This is a supernatural ability.

At 8th level, your sudden strike damage bonus increases by +1d6, and your affinity for ghosts enables your attacks to transcend the border between the world of the living and of spirits.  By expending a readied maneuver as a swift action, your attacks are able to affect creatures on either the Material or Ethereal planes or incorporeal creatures normally.  This ability functions similarly on planes other than the Material plane as well, so long as they're coexistent with the Ethereal plane.  This technique is a supernatural ability, and is treated as a level 4 Boost from the Shadow Hand discipline for all purposes.

At 12th level, your sudden strike damage bonus increases by +1d6, and your ability to evade attacks improves.  When you use your Ki Dodge ability, you gain total concealment until the start of your next turn.  Your Ki Dodge ability is now treated as a level 6 counter from the Shadow Hand discipline.

At 16th level, your sudden strike damage bonus increases by +1d6, and your affinity for shadows forms a barrier between you and divination magic.  Anyone attempting to detect you with a divination spell or clairsentience power must succeed on a caster level check (DC 20 + your Initiator level) or have that power fail to detect you.  If you are within the radius of such an effect that examines an area, then you are simply not detected.  If you are the target of a divination spell or clairsentience power, then the spell or power fails.  This is a supernatural ability.

At 20th level, your sudden strike damage bonus increases by +1d6, and your ability to walk among the spirits reaches it's pinnacle.  As a standard action, you can expend a maneuver to gain the benefit of an Ethereal Jaunt spell, using your initiator level as your caster level.  This is a supernatural ability.


Blade of the Diamond Mind
Class/Level: Swordsage 1
Replaces: Melee Martial Weapon Proficiency, Discipline Focus (All abilities), and Dual Boost

Benefit: You have forged your mind into a tangible blade of psychokinetic energy.  You can choose to have your mind blade take the form of a shortsword or a longsword, and are autmatically proficient with it's use regardless of the form it takes.  You also gain the Wild Talent feat at first level to represent your psionic capabilities.  If you do not take this variant as your first character level, then you must be a psionic creature in order to take this variant, you do not gain the Wild Talent feat as a bonus feat, and you are not automatically proficient with your mind blade (although it qualifies as both an Exotic Weapon for the purposes of the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat and as whatever weapon it's in the form of for the purposes of other proficiencies).

At 1st level, you can manifest your mind blade as a move action.  If you take a full-round action to gain your psionic focus, then you can also manifest your mind blade as part of the same action.  If you have the Psionic Meditation feat, then you can manifest your mind blade as a free action, instead.  Your mind blade is treated as a mundane weapon made of steel, with hardness 10 and 20 hit points for the purposes of sundering.  When your initiator level reaches 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, your mind blade receives a +1 enhancement bonus to it's attack and damage rolls, and it's hardness and hit points also increase as normal for a magic weapon.

At 4th level, you gain the Psionic Weapon feat as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the pre-requisites.

Starting at 8th level, you can alter the nature of your mind blade.  The effect of this is that you may select one magic weapon property with a +1 equivalent cost and apply it to your mind blade.  The same enhancement is applied to your mind blade every time you manifest it, but it can be changed if you spend 1 hour meditating.  Furthermore, when you use the Psionic Weapon feat, your next attack deals 3d6 damage instead of 2d6 damage.

At 12th level, you gain the Deep Impact and Greater Psionic Weapon feats as bonus feats, even if you do not meet the pre-requisites.  Whenever you use either the Psionic Weapon or Deep Impact feats, you gain the benefits of both feats.  You may also add another weapon property with a +1 equivalent cost to your mind blade (or you may combine this and the +1 enhancement gained at 8th level to apply a single +2 weapon property to your mind blade).

At 16th level, you gain the Psionic Meditation feat as a bonus feat.  If you already have this feat, you can regain your psionic focus as either a swift action or a move action.  When you gain the effect of your Psionic Weapon feat, your next attack deals an additional 5d6 damage instead of 4d6 damage.  Finally, you may add another weapon property with a +1 equivalent cost to your mind blade (or you may combine this and the previous +1 enhancements gained to apply a combination of weapon properties totaling a +3 equivalent cost).

At 20th level, you can expend a Diamond Mind maneuver as a swift action to gain the effect of your Psionic Weapon feat, which causes your next attack to deal an additional 6d6 damage.  This counts as a 9th-level Boost of the Diamond Mind discipline for all purposes.  Furthermore, you may add another weapon property with a +2 equivalent cost to your mind blade (or you may combine this and the previous +1 enhancements gained to apply a combination of weapon properties totaling a +5 equivalent cost).


Spellbreaker
Class/Level: Swordsage 1
Replaces: Light Armor Proficiency, Discipline Focus (Weapon Focus and Insightful Strike), Sense Magic, Evasion, Improved Evasion, and the standard Swordsage recovery mechanic
Requirements: History 4 ranks

Benefit: You have melded the martial discipline common among Swordsages with studies of the origins of magic, and unlocked the secrets of channeling magical energies, even from your enemies.  When selecting maneuvers and stances, you can pick from the Diamond Mind, Setting Sun, and Shadow Hand disciplines.  Furthermore, you can select a limited number of spells from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list in place of maneuvers, as follows:
  • Evocation and Conjuration (Creation) spells with an instantaneous duration.
  • Transmutation spells with a non-instantaneous duration.  These spells have their range changed to personal (if necessary), casting time changed to 1 swift action, and have their duration changed to 1 round.
  • Abjuration and Illusion (Glamer) spells with either a personal or touch range and non-instantaneous duration.  These spells have their range changed to personal (if necessary), casting time changed to 1 immediate action, and have their duration changed to 1 round.
Only spells that normally have a standard action casting time may be selected.  You may only learn spells of a level less than or equal to one-quarter your initiator level.  All level-dependent variables for the spell are fixed at the minimum initiator level required for a Spellbreaker to learn the spell.  For example, a 4th-level Spellbreaker can pick the Burning Hands spell in place of a maneuver.  It retains it's standard action cast time and deals 4d4 damage, regardless of the Spellbreaker's actual initiator level.  All spells learned in this way are treated as supernatural abilities, and any saving throws allowed have a DC equal to 10 + twice the level of the spell + the Spellbreaker's Charisma modifier.  Otherwise, these spells are learned and readied just like martial maneuvers, but cannot be initiated without arcane energy (see below).

At first level, you gain the Steal Spell ability.  When you strike a spellcaster with a martial maneuver, you steal one prepared spell or spell slot of a level no higher than the level of the maneuver.  If you steal a spell slot, then you also remove one of the spells known by the spellcaster of the appropriate level.  Before the end of your next turn, you can cast the stolen prepared spell or the removed spell known using the action appropriate to the spell.  For all purposes, the spell is treated as if it was cast by the spellcaster, including valid targets for the spell (so if you steal a personal range spell, you cannot cast it).  If you are unable or unwilling to do so, then the spell converts to an amount of raw arcane energy, stored inside your body, at the end of your next turn equal to the level of the spell (a caster with a spells known list also regains the ability to cast the removed known spell at this time).  There is no limit to the amount of arcane energy you can store this way, but stored energy dissipates one minute after it's been added to.

If you are able to cast spells, you cannot steal your own spells.

If you have Arcane Energy stored, then as a swift action you can spend an amount of arcane energy equal to the level of a martial maneuver to recover it.  Alternatively, you can spend Arcane Energy equal to the level of a readied spell to initiate it, using an action appropriate to the spell.  After initiation, the spell does not need to be recovered like a maneuver.

At 4th level, you gain the ability to steal spell-like abilities in addition to spells.  If a stolen spell-like ability has a limited number of uses, with at least one use remaining, then one use of the spell-like ability is expended, and you are able to use it following the same guidelines as stealing a spell.  If a stolen spell-like ability has an unlimited number of uses per day, then the ability is suppressed for one round, and otherwise it's as if you had stolen a spell.

If you have spell-like abilities, you cannot steal your own spell-like abilities.

At 7th level, you gain the ability to determine the magical capabilities of the enemies you face.  When you make visual contact with an enemy, you are made instantly aware of whether or not they are a spellcaster, possess spell-like abilities, or possess supernatural abilities, and are aware of how much arcane energy you can obtain from stealing their strongest ability.

At 9th level, you gain the ability to absorb spells reflexively as they are cast on you.  If you are targeted by a spell, hit by a touch or ray spell, or within the area of a spell with an instantaneous duration, then you can make a History check as an immediate action (DC = 15 + the caster level of the spell).  Success means that you gain an amount of arcane energy equal to the level of the spell cast directly on you, or half the level of the spell (rounded down) of an area spell you are in the effect of.  If the spell allows a saving throw to negate part or all of the effect, then you are affected by the spell as though you made a successful saving throw.

At 12th level, you gain the ability to steal supernatural abilities in addition to spells and spell-like abilities.  When you steal a supernatural ability, you cannot use the ability.  The creature simply loses the ability to use their supernatural ability for one round, and you gain an amount of arcane energy equal to one-quarter the HD of the creature or the level of the maneuver you used to steal the ability, whichever is lower.  You cannot steal your own supernatural abilities.

At 17th level, your ability to absorb spells increases dramatically.  If you succeed on your History check by 5 or more to absorb a spell, you are unaffected by the spell as if you successfully resisted it through Spell Resistance (regardless of whether or not Spell Resistance is allowed to resist the spell).

[/spoiler]
  • Knight will cannibalize the majority of the features of the Marshal class
  • Knight will also cannibalize the majority of the features of the Dragon Shaman class as ACFs
  • Knight will also cannibalize the majority of the features of the Divine Mind class as ACFs
[spoiler]Complete list of Alterations to the Knight class:

Alignment: Knights can be of any alignment.  While they do follow a code of conduct, it is not necessarily out of a sense of honor or fairness, but can also be a matter of pride, which is not inherent to any alignment.

Saving Throws: Knights possess good Fortitude saves in addition to good Will saves.

Knight's Challenge: Re-named to Knight's Command.  Knights can use Knight's Command a number of times each day equal to their class level + their Charisma modifier.  Existing abilities that use Knight's Challenge use Knight's Command.

Test of Mettle: If you fall below 0 HP while this effect is active, you gain two uses of your Knight's Command ability.  You can gain this benefit as often as once per use of Test of Mettle.

Tactical Commands: Knights know a number of minor tactical commands equal to 1/2 their class level, rounded up.  A tactical command can be used as either a Swift action or an Immediate action, and affect a single ally of the Knight.  In the former case, the effect of the command lasts 5 rounds + the Knight's Charisma modifier, and in the latter case it lasts 1 round.  The effects of these tactical commands are otherwise identical to the Marshal's Minor Auras, granting Morale bonuses to certain rolls equal to the Knight's Charisma modifier.  The Knight also has two additional tactical commands he can learn, below...

Flanking Maneuver - Upon gaining the benefit of Flanking Maneuver, the target can move 5' per point of Charisma bonus the Knight has.  For the remaining duration of the effect, the target gains an insight bonus to their movement speeds equal to the Knight's Charisma modifier x 5.

Stand Fast - The target gains temporary hit points equal to the Knight's class level + his Charisma bonus.  If they have less than half of their total hit points remaining, this bonus is doubled.

Formations: Knights also know a number of tactical formations equal to 1/5 their class level, rounded up.  While a formation is active, all allies within 60' of the Knight gain it's benefits.  A Knight can change the formation being used as a swift action.  Some of the formations that can be adopted are as follows...

Attack - The Knight and his allies gain an insight bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to the Knight's Fighting Challenge bonus.

Defense - The Knight and his allies gain an insight bonus to armor class and saving throws equal to the Knight's Fighting Challenge bonus.

Perception - The Knight and his allies gain an insight bonus to Initiative checks equal to the Knight's Fighting Challenge bonus, and an insight bonus to Perception checks equal to twice the Knight's Fighting Challenge bonus.

Hardiness - The Knight and his allies reduce incoming damage from all sources by twice the Knight's Fighting Challenge bonus, and gain an insight bonus to Endurance checks equal to four times the Knight's Fighting Challenge bonus.

Alternative Class Features:

Dragon Knight
Class/Level: Knight level 1, 6, 11, or 16
Requirement: Arcana 1 rank, Dragonblood subtype

Benefit: In place of one of the standard Formations, the Knight gains a Draconic Formation.  While the Knight is maintaining a Draconic Formation, all affected allies gain energy resistance equal to 10 times the Knight's Fighting Challenge bonus.  The energy type this resistance corresponds to the Knight's dragon ancestry, or is fire resistance if the Knight's dragon ancestry is unknown or undefined (such as a Kobold Knight).  The Formations are as follows...

Retributive Ward - Any enemy striking an affected target in melee takes 1d6 points of energy damage (corresponding to the resistance granted by this Formation) per point of the Knight's Fighting Challenge bonus (1d6 at level 1, 2d6 at level 7, 3d6 at level 13, 4d6 at level 19).

Healing Energy - When the resistance granted by this Formation negates damage, one-third of the damage the target would have otherwise taken is instead transformed into healing energy.  This ability affects living and undead creatures identically.  Also, if an affected target is at one-half their full, normal hit points or lower, they gain Fast Healing equal to the Knight's Fighting Challenge bonus.

Dragonfire Strike - When an affected creature is attacking a target that they are either flanking or is denied their Dexterity bonus to AC, they deal an additional 1d6 energy damage on a hit per point of the Knight's Fighting Challenge bonus.


Mantled Knight
Class/Level: Knight level 5, 10, or 15
Requirement: Psionics 1 rank, Psionic subtype

Benefit: In place of gaining a bonus feat at one of the above levels, you gain the ability of a Psionic Mantle.  You cannot manifest any of the powers from any of your mantles, but if you have levels in a manifesting class, you add your Knight level to your manifester level for that class, and add the powers from your mantle to the power list of that class.  In addition, you gain access to any of the Psionic Tactical Commands below that correspond to a Mantle you have obtained through any class.  These Tactical Commands must be learned as normal.

(commands coming soon)

[/spoiler]
  • Paladin will cannibalize a lot of the class features from the Marshal and Dragon Shaman as well
  • Paladin will take over a lot of the Healer stuff as ACFs
  • Scout will be cannibalized by the Ranger
  • Swashbuckler will be cannibalized by the Rogue
  • Some Shadowcaster abilities will be cannibalized by the Warlock
  • Many of the Dragonfire Adept's abilities will become Warlock ACFs
  • Lurk will be cannibalized by the Psychic Rogue
The following classes will simply be changed:
  • Bards will gain some of their ACFs as straight-up bonus abilities
  • Barbarians will also gain some ACFs as bonus abilities, and also gain some Fighter Bonus Feats
  • Spell casting progressions will be normalized.  High-end spellcasters will tend to get fewer of their best spells per day and low-end spellcasters will get improved spell casting.
[spoiler]This is because I want better spellcasting for pretty much all the classes that cap out at 4th- or 5th-level spells, and I want the differences between Prepared and Spontaneous casters to be much more pronounced, especially at higher levels.

Spells Per Day for Bards, Paladins, Rangers, Hexblades, and Duskblades
Lv   0    1    2    3    4    5    6
----------------------------------------
1    2    -    -    -    -    -    -
2    2    0    -    -    -    -    -
3    2    1    -    -    -    -    -
4    3    2    -    -    -    -    -
5    3    2    0    -    -    -    -
6    3    2    1    -    -    -    -
7    4    3    2    -    -    -    -
8    4    3    2    0    -    -    -
9    4    3    2    1    -    -    -
10   5    4    3    2    -    -    -
11   5    4    3    2    0    -    -
12   5    4    3    2    1    -    -
13   6    5    4    3    2    -    -
14   6    5    4    3    2    0    -
15   6    5    4    3    2    1    -
16   7    6    5    4    3    2    -
17   7    6    5    4    3    2    0
18   7    6    5    4    3    2    1
19   8    7    6    5    4    3    2
20   9    8    7    6    5    4    3


Spells Known for Bards, Hexblades, and Duskblades
Lv   0    1    2    3    4    5    6
----------------------------------------
1    3    -    -    -    -    -    -
2    3    1    -    -    -    -    -
3    4    1    -    -    -    -    -
4    4    2    -    -    -    -    -
5    4    2    1    -    -    -    -
6    5    3    1    -    -    -    -
7    5    3    2    -    -    -    -
8    5    3    2    1    -    -    -
9    6    4    3    1    -    -    -
10   6    4    3    2    -    -    -
11   6    4    3    2    1    -    -
12   6    5    4    3    1    -    -
13   6    5    4    3    2    -    -
14   6    5    4    3    2    1    -
15   6    5    5    4    3    1    -
16   6    5    5    4    3    2    -
17   6    5    5    4    3    2    1
18   6    5    5    5    4    3    1
19   6    5    5    5    4    3    2
20   6    5    5    5    5    4    3


Spells Per Day for Sorcerers, Spirit Shamans, Favored Souls, Dread Necromancers, Beguilers, Warmages, and Shugenja
Lv   0    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9
-------------------------------------------------------
1    5    2    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
2    6    3    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
3    6    3    2    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
4    6    4    3    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
5    7    4    3    2    -    -    -    -    -    -
6    7    4    4    3    -    -    -    -    -    -
7    7    5    4    3    2    -    -    -    -    -
8    8    5    4    4    3    -    -    -    -    -
9    8    5    5    4    3    2    -    -    -    -
10   8    6    5    4    4    3    -    -    -    -
11   9    6    5    5    4    3    2    -    -    -
12   9    6    6    5    4    4    3    -    -    -
13   9    7    6    5    5    4    3    2    -    -
14   10   7    6    6    5    4    4    3    -    -
15   10   7    7    6    5    5    4    3    2    -
16   10   8    7    6    6    5    4    4    3    -
17   11   8    7    7    6    5    5    4    3    2
18   11   8    8    7    6    6    5    4    4    3
19   11   9    8    7    7    6    5    5    4    3
20   12   9    8    8    7    6    6    5    4    4


Spells Known for Sorcerers, Favored Souls, and Shugenja
Lv   0    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9
-------------------------------------------------------
1    3    1    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
2    4    2    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
3    4    2    1    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
4    4    3    2    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
5    5    3    2    1    -    -    -    -    -    -
6    5    3    3    2    -    -    -    -    -    -
7    5    4    3    2    1    -    -    -    -    -
8    5    4    3    3    2    -    -    -    -    -
9    6    4    4    3    2    1    -    -    -    -
10   6    4    4    3    3    2    -    -    -    -
11   6    5    4    4    3    2    1    -    -    -
12   6    5    4    4    3    3    2    -    -    -
13   7    5    5    4    4    3    2    1    -    -
14   7    5    5    4    4    3    3    2    -    -
15   7    6    5    5    4    4    3    2    1    -
16   7    6    5    5    4    4    3    3    2    -
17   8    6    6    5    5    4    4    3    2    1
18   8    6    6    5    5    4    4    3    3    2
19   8    7    6    6    5    5    4    4    3    2
20   8    7    6    6    5    5    4    4    3    3


Spells Per Day for Wizards, Clerics, Druids, Wu-Jen, Archivists
Lv   0    1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9
-------------------------------------------------------
1    3    1    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
2    4    2    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
3    4    2    1    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
4    4    3    2    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
5    5    3    2    1    -    -    -    -    -    -
6    5    3    3    2    -    -    -    -    -    -
7    5    4    3    2    1    -    -    -    -    -
8    5    4    3    3    2    -    -    -    -    -
9    6    4    4    3    2    1    -    -    -    -
10   6    5    4    3    3    2    -    -    -    -
11   6    5    4    4    3    2    1    -    -    -
12   6    5    5    4    3    3    2    -    -    -
13   7    5    5    4    4    3    2    1    -    -
14   7    6    5    5    4    3    3    2    -    -
15   7    6    5    5    4    4    3    2    1    -
16   7    6    6    5    5    4    3    3    2    -
17   8    6    6    5    5    4    4    3    2    1
18   8    7    6    6    5    5    4    3    3    2
19   8    7    6    6    5    5    4    4    3    2
20   8    7    7    6    6    5    5    4    3    3


[/spoiler]
  • Power progressions will be slightly normalized.
[spoiler]Wilders, Ardents, and Psions all use the Psion max level and power point progression.

Psychic Warriors and Psychic Rogues both use the Psychic Warrior max level and power point progression.

Psions start the game knowing a number of powers equal to their Intelligence mod (minimum 2).

Wilders start the game knowing a number of powers equal to their Charisma mod (minimum 1).

Ardents know all the powers on their selected mantles that they're able to manifest.

Psychic Warriors start the game knowing a number of powers equal to half their Wisdom mod (minimum 1).

Psychic Rogues start the game knowing a number of powers equal to half their Intelligence mod (minimum 1).

Psions gain 2 powers per level beyond first character level.

Psions can conduct power research for powers on any list.  For powers not on their list, they use the highest level the power is available at from another list.

All psionic classes except Ardents gain 1 power per level beyond first character level.

All psionic classes except Ardents can conduct power research for powers on their power list.  The power is a normal level for their respective classes.

[/spoiler]
  • All spellcasters and manifesters will derive their power from 1 mental ability score
[spoiler]Intelligence: Duskblade, Wizard, Wu-Jen, Archivist, Warmage, Psion, Psychic Rogue

Wisdom: Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Ardent, Psychic Warrior

Charisma: Dread Necromancer, Beguiler, Sorcerer, Favored Soul, Spirit Shaman, Wilder, Bard, Shugenja, Hexblade

[/spoiler]
  • Wizards must specialize.  They will not get bonus spells per day for vanilla specialization (although Focused Specialist works the same), but they will gain other benefits along the lines of the UA ACFs
  • Wizards and Archivists add 3 spells to their spellbook at each level instead of 2
  • Archivists have their spell list limited to the Cleric list + domains
  • Warmages, Dread Necromancers, and Beguilers will get Advanced/Eclectic Learning every time they gain access to a new level of spells, regardless of whether they remain in their class
  • Rangers will cast from the Druid spell list, and then add to that Ranger spells that are not on the Druid list at the appropriate levels.
  • Paladins will cast similarly from the Cleric list.
  • Hexblades will cast similarly from the Sor/Wiz list, but only spells of the Abjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Necromancy, and Transmutation schools.
  • Duskblades will cast similarly from the Sor/Wiz list, but only spells of the Abjuration, Divination, Evocation, and Transmutation schools.
  • Psychic Rogues use both the Psychic Rogue power list and the Lurk power list
  • Druids must use the Shapeshifting variant from the PHB II
  • Rangers do not gain an Animal Companion and Wizards do not gain a Familiar
Finally, some simple rules changes will be implemented:
  • When making a melee attack with a light melee weapon, you may use your Strength or Dexterity mod for your attack roll.
  • When making a melee attack with a one- or two-handed melee weapon, you may only use your Strength mod for your attack roll.
  • When making a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, you may use your Strength or Dexterity mod for your attack roll.
  • When making a ranged attack with a projectile weapon, you may only use your Dexterity mod for your attack roll.
  • In all of the above cases, only your Strength applies to damage, normally.

The "Starting At 4th" System:
  • At first level, as normal, gain 4x the number of skill points.  Max skill rank is level x3.
  • First level is the only level you gain proficiencies.  Certain other benefits might also be tied to starting at first level.
[spoiler]Archivist: A character that takes Archivist as their first level starts with a Prayerbook with 3 + their Int modifier spells and gains Scribe Scroll as a free feat.  A character that later multiclasses into Archivist does not receive a Prayerbook for free and doesn't gain the Scribe Scroll feat, and only gains the typical 3 spells added to an existing prayerbook.  An Archivist that gains a level, but does not possess a prayerbook (or does not have room in an existing prayerbook to put the new spells) loses the free spells.

Ardent: A character that multiclasses into Ardent only gains 1 mantle at first level.

Barbarian: A character that takes Barbarian as their first level is illiterate.  Multiclassing later does not remove this penalty, the character must spend 2 skill points to remove it.  This counts as a skill trick.

Sorcerer: A character that takes Sorcerer as their first level starts with the Obtain Familiar feat as a bonus feat, and begins play with a Familiar for free.  A character that multiclasses into Sorcerer does not gain either as a free feat.

Wizard: A character that takes Wizard as their first level starts with a Spellbook with 3 + their Int modifier spells and gains Scribe Scroll as a free feat.  A character that later multiclasses into Wizard does not receive a Spellbook for free and doesn't gain the Scribe Scroll feat, and only gains the typical 3 spells added to an existing Spellbook.  A Wizard that gains a level, but does not possess a Spellbook (or does not have room in an existing Spellbook to put the new spells) loses the free spells.

Wu-Jen: A character that takes Wu-Jen as their first level starts with a Spellbook with 3 + their Int modifier spells and gains Scribe Scroll as a free feat.  A character that later multiclasses into Wu-Jen does not receive a Spellbook for free and doesn't gain the Scribe Scroll feat, and only gains the typical 3 spells added to an existing Spellbook.  A Wu-Jen that gains a level, but does not possess a Spellbook (or does not have room in an existing Spellbook to put the new spells) loses the free spells.

[/spoiler]
  • First level is the only level you gain a bump in saving throws.  Good saves gain a +3 bonus, poor saves gain a +1 bonus.
  • At first level, you gain a number of bonus HP based on HD: d4 - 9, d6 - 12, d8 - 15, d10 - 18, d12 - 21; NPCs generally won't receive this bonus
  • After the above bonus is applied, roll your HD as normal (it is not maximum at first).
  • Bonus HP from a high constitution is determined by the size of the HD: d4 - 0.5x Con mod, d6 or d8 - 1x Con mod, d10 or d12 - 1.5x Con mod
  • If you have a Toughness score instead of a Constitution score (see my other variants), then you always apply 1x your Toughness mod per HD to your HP.
  • Your Constitution or Toughness bonus to HP is multipled by 4 at first level
  • Characters start with 2 feats at first level instead of 1
  • Characters with their first level in a class granting full BAB gain a +3 bonus on attack rolls
« Last Edit: October 25, 2011, 06:35:00 PM by X-Codes »

X-Codes

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Re: [3.5e] X-Codes' proposed house rules
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2011, 03:27:38 PM »
Reserved post just in case.

As of yet, this is incomplete.  If you're curious, then go ahead and ask a question, but no outrage about imbalances yet, please.

Catty Nebulart

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Re: [3.5e] X-Codes' House Rules
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2011, 06:01:38 PM »
Why is a barbarian-wizard so much better than a wizard-barbarian?

Now both are suboptimal choices, but taking a barb level at first nets you a bunch of additional hp and skill points compared to the other one.

Nothing worth giving up a wizard level for, but for weaker classes this might actually matter, and at any rate it smacks of suck now rock later mechanics which are inherently unbalanced.
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X-Codes

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Re: [3.5e] X-Codes' House Rules
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2011, 06:59:47 PM »
Barbarian 1/Wizard X is better than Wizard X/Barbarian 1, anyway.  What's more, check out my variant skill rules (which this game will use), and please read my second post. >_>

Midnight_v

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Re: [3.5e] X-Codes' House Rules
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2011, 12:21:33 PM »
Psychic Warriors aren't mentioned so let me advocate just using the psionics unleased version, not because its all that more powerful but because its more interesting... ;)
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X-Codes

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Re: [3.5e] X-Codes' House Rules
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2011, 03:46:27 PM »
Psychic Warriors aren't mentioned so let me advocate just using the psionics unleased version, not because its all that more powerful but because its more interesting... ;)
The thing about the Psionics Unleashed Psywar is that there's only one or two disciplines that are... you know... good.

This does, however, remind me that I need to figure out what to do with the Fighter class to make it something other than a 2-level dip, and that I should also do something with Psychic Warrior such that it doesn't become the "new" 2-level dip.