Author Topic: My house rules  (Read 14524 times)

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PhaedrusXY

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My house rules
« on: November 16, 2009, 12:36:35 AM »
I'm going to just make a thread to collect the house rules I'm using for a game I'm starting in the PbP area on here, and likely for any games I run there in the future. This is mostly for my convenience, and for anyone playing in that game, so we don't have to go dig around to find things. This will take up several posts, so please wait till I'm done before replying.

Basics

For saving throws:
Levels with a "good" save add +0.5 for every level, with a +2 for the first time you add a class with that good save (but not if you add a level of another class with that good save). For the levels with "bad" saves, you add +1/3.

For BAB: Just take the fractions for each level and add them up. So a wizard gets +0.5 BAB per level, a cleric gets +0.75, and a fighter gets +1, etc.

You always round these down, but you have to keep track of the fraction left over for when you next level up.

Classes
  • An Alternate Fighter class is being used (see 3rd post). It is a significant power up from the core fighter, especially at the upper levels. It is an amalgamation of things I saw and compiled from various places and reworked, with one ability ripped from the Races of War fighter (Foil Action, but with a limit on daily uses).
  • An alternate Sorcerer class is being used. It is not that different from the PHB sorcerer, so I will just list the  changes here. There may be slight modifications made to this in the future.
    -class Skills: Add Intimidate and Diplomacy to the list. A sorcerer has a much stronger force of personality than most  other characters, and can learn to use this to get others to do what he wants.
    -Spell progression: Same as the wizard
    -Leveling Benefits: As the sorcerer gains levels, he learns to cast his spells in new and strange ways. Sorcerers gain all  the benefits listed under the "Special" column in the Wu Jen class chart in the Oriental Adventures book.
    -The Battle Sorcerer will also have its spell progression modified as above, and have Intimidate added to its class skills list (instead of replacing bluff).
  • Rangers and other characters with species enemies may choose organizations as their hated foes, with DM approval. (For  example, the Red Wizards of Thay would include any red wizard or solider or minion of the Red Wizards. Favored Enemy:  Shadowlands creatures would also be acceptable, if the character knew of the Shadowlands and had trained to fight creatures  from there.)
  • The caster level for all base spellcasting classes will be equal to the class level, including "hybrid" casters like  paladins and rangers.
  • Similarly, if you get an animal companion from any source, then your effective druid level is always your character level. The same holds for psicrystals, familiars, etc.
  • We're dumping the stupid penalties for losing familiars. From now on, all pets (including psicrystals) work like an animal companion. If they die, you can get another one after a day of "meditation".
  • There are no multiclassing restrictions. Also, Monks and Paladins may freely multiclass, and Druid weapon and armor restrictions are being dropped. Consider the druid weapons and armor listed to be the only ones the druid is proficient with, unless she acquires the proficiencies  elsewhere. Most druid NPCs will probably still use only these weapons and armors though, and those who use other weapons,  especially those radically different from the druid list, may be shunned or looked down upon by other, more formal druids.
  • Dropping alignment restrictions for all core classes but the Paladin. The standard Paladin is still restricted to Lawful Good, but I also allow the optional Paladins from Unearthed Arcana for other alignments. PrC alignment restrictions will still be used in most cases.
  • The Arcane Archer Prestige Class gains caster levels at every level (WTF were they thinking?). Other spectacularly crappy PrCs will probably receive the same treatment on an individual basis, like Fiendblooded (full casting progression). If you have one in mind, ask.
  • The Forsaker requirement to destroy magic items to recieve his powers does not fit the PrC and I am dropping it. Also,  the bonuses he gets each level to add to his ability scores will be considered "unnamed" bonuses and as such are no longer  subject to the +5 maximum of inherent bonuses. I still doubt anyone will want to play one.
  • All prereqs for knowing maneuvers to take a particular maneuver for Martial Adept classes are dropped. So you no longer are required to take Wolf Fang Strike before taking any other Tiger Claw maneuvers, for example... You still have to meet all other prereqs like initiator level, etc, and this is for choosing maneuvers only. It has no impact on prestige class prereqs or anything else.

Feats and skills
  • Everyone gets the benefits of the Able Learner feat for free. Cross-class ranks only cost 1 point, but your maximum ranks in a skill is still determined normally (character level +3 for any skill that's a class skill for any of your classes, half that for skills that are not a class skill for any of your classes).
  • A monk's flurry of blows ability can be combined with the Two Weapon Fighting feats. All benefits, penalties, and restrictions stack (not really a house rule).
  • Tumble checks can be opposed. The DC will be the highest opposed Tumble check of all the opponents who could make  Attacks of Opportunity on the tumbling character.
  • The rules on Sorcerers and other spontaneous casters using metamagic feats is the same as in the Players Handbook, except for spells cast using the Quicken Spell feat. These classes can spontaneously cast spells as a swift action using the Quicken Spell feat.  Spells cast in such a manner use a spell slot four levels higher than the normal spell. No other metamagic feats may be applied to Quickened spells cast by sorcerers, unless they have some other feat or class feature which lets them apply metamagic without increasing the casting time.
  • I am using Rich Burlew's modified system for Diplomacy skill, which can be found here.
  • Mindsight is countered by anything that blocks or makes you immune to [Mind Affecting] effects. Also, the Slippery Mind ability allows someone to attempt to hide from a creature with Mindsight. In order to "see" them using Mindsight, the telepathic creature must make a Spot check which only includes their ranks in Spot, Wisdom modifier, and magical enhancement bonuses to Spot. This will be opposed by a Hide check that is charisma based, and only includes magical enhancement bonuses to Hide. Distance does not play a part in this, however.
  • The Mage Slayer feat ([Combat] and the original from CArc) are replaced by the Spellcasting Harrier feat below.
  • The knowledge skill works as described in the PHB, except when identifying creatures we're going to use the following modifications:

    [spoiler]1) Assign the creature a rarity. This is how frequently the creature can be expected to be encountered in the region where it normally lives. The DC is 10 for very common, 15 for somewhat common, 20 for occasionally encountered, 25 for rarely encountered, and 30 (or more) for very rarely encountered.

    2) Modify this DC based on how familiar the person making the check is with this creature's home region, based on where they are from, and what they've encountered or studied in the past. This modifier can be 0 (from the same region, or have at least studied that region), +5 (the creature is from an "adjacent" region to the identifier's home region), or +10 (the creature and identifier are from regions very "remote" from each other). If a creature is particularly "famous" or "legendary", you might also modify the DC by -5 (local fame) or -10 (world wide, or even multiversal, fame).

    3) Lower the DC based on how dangerous the creature being identified is. Divide the creature's CR by 2, and subtract this from the DC. This cannot lower the DC by more than 10, regardless of the CR of the creature being identified. I think this modifier should be based on an adult version of the creature, in the case of creatures whose CRs dramatically vary with age (like dragons).


    Then we make the check, and measure relative success.

    If you beat the DC by:
    0-4 You know the creature's type, what plane it is from, and anything that is a signature ability for that creature (breathe weapon for dragons, Feed for barghests, etc). You also know if its CR is above, below, or about the same as your character level. If the CRs are different by 4 or more for the base creature, the DM should tell you that, also. If the creature is a humanoid or something that commonly takes levels in classes to gain more power, you should also know this. Of course, you won't know whether this creature has class levels.
    5 to 9 You know if it has a subtype and any other resistances or immunities.
    10+ You know what other abilities the creature has (basically you know everything in the basic monster's stat block).
    15+ You know about this specific creature (if applicable). For example, you might recognize "Bob the wizard-slaying dragon", who is known to make extensive use of the Antimagic Field spell, and has trained in ways to prevent other creatures from fleeing from him (has Improved Trip and the Snatch feat).

    Retry: You may make one retry after you've seen a creature use a special ability of some kind. Being bathed in acid by a black dragon's breathe has a way of jogging your memory. ;)



    Examples:

    1) Bob the farmer sees a big, giant, red lizard fly overhead (a red dragon). The DC is 15 (Dragons are occasionally encountered in Bob's world. He's from Dragonlance.) - 7 (CR 15/2: adult red dragons are really freakin' scary, and are things that tales are retold of endlessly), with a -5 to the DC for familiarity (dragons play significant roles in the history of Dragonlance, and as such are famous worldwide, however Bob doesn't live in a region that any call home), for a total DC of 8. So Bob can take 10 and identify the thing as a red dragon, unless he is in combat with it (or more likely running away in terror from it's frightful presence). He can't tell you anything useful about how to fight a dragon, though.

    2) Fizban the fabulous, the local hedge wizard, also sees the dragon. He is level 5, and has 8 ranks in Knowledge: Arcana, and he's studied about dragons. His Int mod is +4, so he has a +12 to ID the dragon, and no familiarity penalty. He can take 10 (beating the DC by 10) and tell you that red dragons are creatures of fire, that they have a terrible breathe weapon composed of it, but that they are also especially vulnerable to cold-based attacks.

    3) His master, Archmage Yoda, would say "Oh yeah, that's old Scar. He's an arrogant bastard who loves to mix things up in melee, but has a pitiful selection of spells. He does know "Resist Elements", though. So you probably shouldn't use a Cone of Cold against him. [/spoiler]

General
  • I am using most of the rules from Frank and K's Tome series. The main exception to this is their fighter, which I am not using. See the later post with more details on this.
  • Abilities similar to Rage (such as Ki Frenzy from OA) may be used as prerequisites instead of Rage for PrC's. Similarly,  spell-like abilities may be used to meet spellcasting requirements.
  • One-handed weapons made of Mithril count as both light weapons and one-handed weapons, whichever is most beneficial. Two-handed weapons made of Mithril may be wielded with one hand. (No, this doesn't include bows... so please don't ask.  :p )
  • The Bastard Sword is considered a Two-Handed weapon and gains a few benefits as such, even when wielded in one hand. They are as follows: +4 on disarm checks, same hit points and hardness as a greatsword.
  • Bloodlines only add to any one class ability once. So if you're a Binder/Ardent/Anima Mage/KotSS, for example, a major bloodline would only add a total of +3 to your binder level and ardent manifester level.
  • Any other feats, spells, or Prestige Classes not mentioned above, but published in any WotC publication will probably be allowed, pending DM approval. A few items that I will not allow in their published form are: The Thought Bottle, and the Mage Slayer feat. I have a custom feat (Spellcasting Harrier) that replaces Mage Slayer below.
  • If there is some character concept, class, spell, or other idea that you have that you'd like to try out in the game that isn't covered by the rules I've laid out, or that you found on a website somewhere, etc, please tell me and we'll see what we can come up with. I've seen tons of very neat prestige classes, spells, magic items and feats online that I would be happy to allow in my game, including the Divine Trickster by Rich Burlew. I just don't have time to include them all in this material.


Spells, Magic, and Items
  • You incur no penalties for using Legacy Weapons/items. Ignore the penalty tables.
  • You can't cast spells from scrolls. They are only used to transfer spell knowledge.
  • If a spell appears on the spell list of a core caster, then all magic items crafted which duplicate the effects of that spell must use it at the level it appears on the core list. So no trapsmith wands for ju!
  • All spells with the (Healing) descriptor, including Heal, all Cure spells, Raise Dead, etc, are now back in the Necromancy School, as they were in earlier editions. Why WotC saw the need to move them to Conjuration, I'll never know...
  • Astral Projection: Items duplicated via this spell still drain charges from the original item. Likewise, spell slots used, XP used, etc, all transfer back to the orginal body and its items.
  • Planar Binding: See the Wish rules in the Tome section. Otherwise, works as written.
  • For the Candle of Invocation , I'm going to say that each individual can only use the Gate function of such an item once in their entire existence. It's basically a boon from "the gods" or whatever powers that favor you, and you only get one.
  • Synchronicity: This needs a fix, but I'm not sure how to do it. Let's just ban it, unless someone proposes a good fix and wants to use it.
  • Mind Blank vs. True Seeing: Mind Blank will block True Seeing from detecing the true form of a polymorphed creature, but it will not keep True Seeing from piercing an Illusion such as Change Self or Invisibility. Mind Blank will also keep True Seeing from revealing the aura of a creature, if True Seeing is cast as a Divine Spell.
  • Mind Blank vs. True Strike: Mind Blank has no effect.
  • Mind Blank + Invisibility vs. See Invisibility: Mind Blank has no effect.
  • Mind Blank + Displacement vs. True Seeing: Mind Blank has no effect.
  • Mind Blank vs. Detect X: Mind Blank prevents the spell from divining information about the subject. Mind Blank is also effective against Detect Magic, even though strictly speaking Detect Magic is a Universal spell, not in the Divination school.

My reasoning on the interaction of Mind Blank with True Seeing and the other spells above is as follows:
[spoiler]seeing through a transmutation effect such as Polymorph requires divining information not available to the normal senses, since with a transmutation the subject is physically changed, not merely covered by an illusion. Mind Blank blocks such divinations.

Illusions such as Change Self and Invisibility work by placing a magically fabricated image over top of the subject. True Seeing sees through such magical fabrications. In this case, it is piercing a magical effect, not divining information directly.[/spoiler]

  • Polymorph, Alter Self, Polymorph Any Object, and Shapechange have been altered significantly. (See inside the spoiler below for details.) I have tried to simplify the shapechanging spells by dropping all the extraordinary and supernatural stuff from them. If you want access to some outsider's magical abilities, then call it using Planar Binding, or write your own entirely different spell for that.

    Also, I limit the modifications to ability scores and natural armor by caster level, and make all of them castable on other people. These two things combined will make them better to cast on the party "warriors" than on the casters themselves. The spells should still maintain alot of their usefulness, but not be too powerful (I think).
[spoiler]
Lesser Polymorph

Polymorph

Greater Polymorph

Transmutation

Level: Animal 8, Drd 8, Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Willing living creature touched
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell functions like polymorph, except as noted here. It enables the subject to assume the form of any single nonunique creature (of any type) from Fine to Colossal size. The assumed form cannot have more than your caster level in Hit Dice, or more hit dice than the subject. Unlike polymorph, this spell allows incorporeal or gaseous forms to be assumed.
The subject loses its own racial bonuses to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores, and Natural Armor. It gains the racial bonuses of the new form for these (up to the caster level). The subject retains its own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. If the subject does not have an ability score, then it does not gain one from this spell, and vice versa.

You can become anything you are familiar with. You can change form once each round as a free action. The change takes place either immediately before your regular action or immediately after it, but not during the action. If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on your Disguise check. Parts of your body or pieces of equipment that are separated from you do not revert to their original forms until the spell ends.

Focus: A jade circlet worth no less than 1,500 gp, which is placed on the subject's head when the spell is cast. (The focus melds into the subject's new form when it changes shape.)

Change Enlarge Person to Enlarge Creature, and drop all restrictions on creature type, and stacking with other magical affects that increase size.

Polymorph Any Object and Shapechange no longer exist.
[/spoiler]

  • For the Wish spell, see the section below on Frank and K's tomes.
« Last Edit: August 14, 2011, 02:03:45 AM by PhaedrusXY »
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

PhaedrusXY

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Re: My house rules
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2009, 12:41:05 AM »
Clarifications on Frank and K's Tome rules as I'm using them.


I am using most of the rules from Frank and K's "Tome series". This includes the Book of Gears, Dungeonomicon, Races of War, Tome of Necromancy, and Tome of Fiends, but NOT the Tome of Prowess, as I'm not familiar with it. There is also a huge list of unsorted material, mostly feats, here. This might be allowed, but I'd want to review it on a case by cast basis. The things listed specifically in this post are not an exhaustive list of what I'll be using. I am only highlighting a few points in this post that everyone should definitely be aware of.

As suggested in one of the Tomes, clerics and druids only automatically know the spells in the PHB plus 1 for each spell level from splat books. For more spells outside the PHB, they have to learn them from scrolls like a wizard.

We'll be using the consolidation of material damage reduction types from the Tomes, also (Book of Gears, I think), except I want to keep Cold Iron instead of having it be beaten by normal iron. It will still also be beaten by all the other things they list, though.

See here and here for the economics, and here for changes to how the Wish spell works. You can't Wish for partially charged items, nor can you craft partially charged items.

I'll be using the weapon and armor rules in that book also, except that I don't like having both an armor check penalty and a "armor stealth penalty". So we're going to just use Armor Check Penalties as they are in normal 3.5, or the ones listed in Races of War, whichever is better. I'd like to simplify things, not make them more complicated. Also, there is no max dex on freakin' clothing. That's just dumb. If you're planning on using something you're not actually proficient in, you should look over those rules as they are a lot more harsh for doing so. On the bright side, I think I'll allow the "exploits". So you can train to become proficient in something without burning feats or class levels on it.

The Mage Slayer [Combat] feat (and the original from CArc) is being replaced by the Spellcasting Harrier feat below.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2010, 01:08:03 PM by PhaedrusXY »
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

PhaedrusXY

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Re: My house rules
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2009, 12:41:32 AM »
The Fighter Class

[spoiler]Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Skills:
The fighter's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Ride (Dex), Spot, Listen, Sense Motive, Diplomacy, and Swim (Str).

Skill Points:4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The fighter is proficient in the use of all simple and martial weapons and all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields.

Lvl BaB Fort/Ref/Will Special
1 +1 +2/+0/+0 Bonus Feat, Combat Experience
2 +2 +3/+0/+0 Bonus Feat
3 +3 +3/+1/+1
4 +4 +4/+1/+1 Bonus Feat
5 +5 +4/+1/+1
6 +6 +5/+2/+2 Bonus Feat
7 +7 +5/+2/+2
8 +8 +6/+2/+2 Bonus Feat
9 +9 +6/+3/+3
10 +10 +7/+3/+3 Bonus Feat
11 +11 +7/+3/+3
12 +12 +8/+4/+4 Legendary Feat
13 +13 +8/+4/+4
14 +14 +9/+4/+4 Legendary Feat
15 +15 +9/+5/+5
16 +16 +10/+5/+5 Legendary Feat
17 +17 +10/+5/+5
18 +18 +11/+6/+6 Legendary Feat
19 +19 +11/+6/+6
20 +20 +12/+6/+6 Legendary Feat

Class features:

Bonus Feats:
identical from the core class feature, same list.

Legendary Feats: At 12th level and beyond, the fighter reaches a new plateau in his martial training. The fighter gains a legendary feat at 12th level, and every two levels thereafter (14th, 16th, 18th, etc.). The legendary feats must be drawn from the Combat feats from Races of War, or from the following list from the Epic Level Handbook: Combat Archery, Dire Charge, Distant Shot, Epic Endurance, Epic Fortitude, Epic Prowess, Epic Reflexes, Epic Weapon Focus, Epic Weapon Specialization, Epic Will, Great Constitution, Great Dexterity, Great Strength, Improved Combat Reflexes, Improved Manyshot, Improved Whirlwind Attack, Instant Reload, Overwhelming Critical (Devastating Critical), Penetrate Damage Reduction, Perfect Two Weapon Fighting, Storm of Throws, Swarm of Arrows, Two Weapon Rend, Uncanny Accuracy.

For Legendary Feats taken from the Epic Level Handbook, all prerequisites are waived unless they are other Epic/Legendary feats.

Note: If desired, the Fighter may choose to pick a feat from the bonus feat list, rather then the legendary feat list.

Combat Experience: the fighter is the paradigm of combat prowess and experience. He knows more tricks and moves than any other warrior, and he can surprise his opponents with his fighting skills.
As an immediate action the fighter may obtain a bonus to a single attack or damage roll equal to his fighter class level. This may be declared after the results of an attack roll are determined. Uses of this ability may also be used to fuel certain feats (listed below). The fighter gains one use of this ability per levels of the fighter class he has taken.

Combat Experience Feats:

All of these feats are to be considered bonus feats for the fighter, and require at least a few fighter levels to be useful.


In the Nick of Time:

Requisites: Combat Experience class feature
Description: You are really good at avoiding things.
Benefits: As an immediate action, you can consume one of your daily uses of Combat Experience to reroll a failed saving throw. You can also use this ability to recieve a saving throw against an effect which does not normally allow one. Your DM adjudicates what kind of save you may take, and the effects of a successful save.
Ex: a fighter is the target of a Forcecage spell. He decides to use one of his daily Combat Experience uses to obtain a saving throw. The DM decides that he can make a Reflex saving throw to roll out of the way. If he's successful, he evades the spell (the cage is there, but he moves away before it is formed). Now the fighter can make his save, calculated normally.


Will of the Warrior:

Requisites: Combat Experience class feature
Description: you can shrug off some damage with the force of your will.
Benefits: As an immediate action, you can consume one of your daily uses of Combat Experience to reduce all damage you take until the end of your next turn by an amount equal to your base attack bonus. This stacks with any damage reduction and resistances you might already have.

Focused Strike:

Requisites: Combat Experience class feature
Description: you can strike with unerring accuracy.
Benefits: As an immediate action, you can consume one of your daily uses of Combat Experience to achieve one of the following effects:
- You can increase the critical multiplier of your weapon for a single attack by 1. This can be declared after you know the results of a critical confirmation.
- You can ignore any miss chances on an attack. This can be declared after a miss chance has been rolled.

Destructive Blows:
Requisites: Combat Experience class feature, Str 15+.
Description: you can unleash devastating attacks.
Benefits: As a swift action, you can consume one of your daily uses of Combat Experience to add twice you Str modifier (instead of 1.5) to damage if you wield a two-handed weapon until the end of turn.
You can similarly add 1.5 times you Str modifier to damage with weapons you wield with one hand instead of your base Str modifier.

Fast as Lighting:
Requisites: Combat Experience class feature
Description: You can attack with blinding speed.
Benefits: As an immediate action, you can consume one of your daily uses of Combat Experience to perform a single attack at your highest attack bonus

Great Experience:
Requisites: Combat Experience class feature.
Description: your experience increases.
Benefits: The number of daily uses of Combat Experience the character possesses is increased by 3. This feat may be taken multiple times.

Expert Parry:
Requisites: Combat Experience class feature.
Description: you are well trained in the art of parrying blows.
Benefits: As an immediate action, you can consume one of your daily uses of Combat Experience to parry an attack. When you would otherwise be struck by an attack, you can use this ability to cause it to miss instead.

Foil Action:
Requisites: Combat Experience class feature.
Description: You can interrupt the actions of others.
Benefits: By consuming one of your daily Combat Experience uses, you may attempt to monkeywrench any action an opponent is taking. The Fighter may throw sand into a beholder's eye, bat aside a key spell component, or strike a weapon hand with a thrown object, but the result is the same: the opponent's action is wasted, and any spell slots, limited ability uses, or the like used to power it are expended. A Fighter must be within 30 feet of his opponent to use this ability, and must hit with a touch attack or ranged touch attack. Using Foil Action is an Immediate action. A Fighter may not wait until an action is partially completed before deciding to attempt to foil the action, but must instead attempt to foil an action as it is declared. Note that this means that a Fighter may not foil a Full Attack (because it is not declared until after it has already begun), nor may he foil a move or charge action that began out of range.

At 17th level, Foil Action may be used at up to 60 feet. [/spoiler]


I use the Warmage redesign by Koumei, which can be found here, with the following tweaks to the spell list.

Warmage spell list (modifed by Koumei, and then me):

[spoiler]
Cantrips: Dancing Lights, Darkness, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Disrupt Undead, Ghost Sound, Light, Magic Missile, Mending, Message, Purify Food and Drink, Rouse, Stand

Level 1: Alarm, Detect Scrying, Detect Secret Doors, Disguise Self, Endure Elements, Entangle, Firespray, Grease, Mass Rouse, Mass Stand, Mount, Obscuring Mist, Shocking Grasp, Silent Image, Ventriloquism

Level 2: Arcane Lock, Continual Flame, Fireball, Jet of Steam, Gust of Wind, Incendiary Slime, Locate Object, Mass Enlarge Person, Mass Reduce Person, Misdirection, Protection From Arrows, Pyrotechnics, Resist Energy, Scare, Scorching Ray, See Invisibility, Whispering Wind

Level 3: Caustic Mire, Caustic Smoke, Deep Slumber, Dispel Magic, Flame Arrow, Fly, Horrid Sickness, Invisibility Sphere, Lightning Bolt, Major Image, Mass Resist Energy, Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound, Nondetection, Protection From Energy, Rage, Sleet Storm, Stinking Cloud, Wall of Fire, Water Breathing, Wind Wall

Level 4: Confusion, Dimension Door, Dimensional Anchor, Evard's Black Tentacles, Fear, Fire Shield, Fire Trap, Hallucinatory Terrain, Ice Storm, Move Earth, Scrying, Shout, Solid Fog, Stone Shape, Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice

Level 5: Cloudkill, Cone of Cold, Deltane's Fiery Tentacles, Fire and Brimstone, Fire Seeds, Greater Dispel, Dismissal, Fabricate, Lightning Leap, Mass (Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Bear's Endurance), Mind Fog, Mirage Arcana, Nightmare Terrain, Prying Eyes, Seeming, Sending, Tactical Teleportation, Telepathic Bond, Transmute Mud to Rock, Transmute Rock to Mud, Wall of Force, Wall of Stone, Waves of Fatigue

Level 6: Acid Fog, Chain Lightning, Contingency, Guards and Wards, Mass Fly, Mass Suggestion, Storm of Fire and Ice, Sunburst, True Seeing, Veil, Wall of Iron, Wall of Thorns

Level 7: Banishment, Control Weather, Deadly Lahar, Earthquake, Forcecage, Greater Teleport, Incendiary Cloud, Mass Hold Person, Mass Invisibility, Mordenkainen's Sword, Phase Door, Planeshift, Prismatic Spray, Reverse Gravity, Waves of Exhaustion, Whirlwind

Level 8: Deadly Sunstroke, Dimensional Lock, Greater Prying Eyes, Greater Shout, Horrid Wilting, Mass Charm Monster, Mass Polymorph, Prismatic Wall, Storm of Vengeance

Level 9: Astral Projection, Elemental Swarm, Etherealness, Firestorm, Foresight, Mass Hold Monster, Meteor Swarm, Prismatic Deluge, Prismatic Sphere, Timestop, Towering Thunderhead, Wail of the Banshee
[/spoiler]

Altered Spells:
[spoiler]
Chain Lightning: this acts as a Lightning Bolt (and may be bounced, as below), except that every time a target takes damage from it (whether they make the save or not), another smaller bolt shoots out to another target of your choice within 50 feet. This requires a Ranged Touch Attack, and if the target is struck, they take half the original damage. If a bolt bounces over someone multiple times, multiple secondary bolts are launched. An individual can be hit by the primary bolt and one or more secondary bolts (though not secondary bolts that are caused by them getting struck) in the same casting.

Cone of Cold: this works like normal, except the entire area of effect is coated in ice (functioning like a Grease spell that is automatically Dispelled, square-by-square, by Fire effects) and anyone who fails the save takes 1d6 Dexterity damage.

Firestorm: this spell functions as normal, except that it lasts for as long as the Warmage concentrates. The area of effect cannot be moved, however.

Flame Arrow: when cast, all arrows fired from within 50' of the caster during the next round deal an additional amount of Fire Damage equal to 2d6 plus her Caster Level.

Lightning Bolt: when cast by a Warmage, Lightning Bolts may bounce off surfaces, either at a 90 degree angle or 180 degrees straight back at the caster, caster's choice.

Mass ___: the spell works just as normal, except it affects one subject per caster level.

Mass Polymorph: this works only on willing targets, affecting two subjects per caster level. Use my Polymorph fix from the spells section to determine how it works.

Meteor Swarm: this causes four meteors to rain down from the sky, all at different points. Make a ranged touch attack against four different targets (including sections of ground). The targets, if hit, take 10d6 Bludgeoning Damage. Then, all within a 20' radius of each meteor takes 1d6 Fire damage per caster level (if multiple blasts hit the same person, they are damaged multiple times) with a Ref save for half (each time, if struck multiple times). If the targets of the meteors were hit by the attacks, they automatically fail the save.

The area then becomes difficult ground, with the 5' square points of impact becoming deep craters (10' deep pits).
[/spoiler]


Here is a tome-styled evil version of the Rainbow Servant that I made.

Naga Apostle
The coatl are not the only serpents to tutor mortals in their ways. The Naga Lords, fiendish ha-naga that aspire to divine ascension, also grant mortals a touch of their power. In return, they ask that these mortals spread word of the power of their masters, and encourage others to worship them and make dark sacrifices to them. The mortals are rewarded with many of the abilities of their masters, including immortality for as long as they remain loyal subjects.

[spoiler]Prereqs: Able to cast 3rd level arcane spells, Knowledge (Planes or Dungeoneering) 4, non-good

HD: d4 (Same as Rainbow Servant)
BAB: medium
Saves: Good Will, Bad Ref and Fort
Skills: 4 per level
Class skills: Bluff, Hide, Move Silently, Disguise, Gather Information, Diplomacy, Use Magic Device, Knowledge (all), Spellcraft, Concentration
Spellcasting: +1 at every level

Naga Apostle 1      Detect Good (at will, as Paladin's Detect Evil), Evil subtype, Immortality
Naga Apostle 2      Attune Domain (Charm)
Naga Apostle 3      Heat Vision (Darkvision 60', or double range if already have it)
Naga Apostle 4      Attune Domain (Travel)
Naga Apostle 5      Forked Tongue (add class level to Bluff as a racial bonus, can take 10 on Bluff)
Naga Apostle 6      Magical Flight (60', perfect)
Naga Apostle 7      Snake in the Grass (add class level to Hide as a racial bonus, can take 10 when hiding)
Naga Apostle 8      Attune Domain (Trickery)
Naga Apostle 9      False Skin (add class level to Disguise as a racial bonus, can take 10 on this skill)
Naga Apostle 10    Cleric Spell Access (as Rainbow Servant)

Snake in the Grass: As the Dark Serpent's powers grow, he gains the ability to manipulate the coloring of his own skin. At 7th level, this allows him to add his class level to Hide checks, and take 10 while hiding (normally impossible as it is an opposed check).

False Skin: At 9th level, his control of his chameleon powers has improved to the point where he can make fine manipulations to aid him in using the Disguise skill. He adds his class level as a racial bonus to Disguise checks, and can take ten on them.[/spoiler]
« Last Edit: October 25, 2011, 12:21:11 PM by PhaedrusXY »
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

PhaedrusXY

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Re: My house rules
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2009, 12:41:40 AM »
    Modifications to existing feats:

    [spoiler]Use Tome replacements for all feats when possible, except when noted below.

    Quick Draw: Replace with Combat Looting from Races of War, and add that it allows you to draw a weapon or item as a free action also.

    Iron Will, Great Fortitude, and Lightning Reflexes change the target save into a "good" save for the character at all levels. They are also on the fighter bonus feat list. You can use the Tome versions of these feats, and even take both if you want.

    All of the feats that give a +2 bonus to two skills now ALSO make those skills class skills for the character for the rest of his career.

    Dodge is being replaced with the Tome version of Elusive Target.

    [Deflect Arrows] (Combat)
    Benefits: You can protect yourself and allies from ranged attacks. This combat feat scales with your base attack bonus.
    • +0: Once per round when you would normally be hit with a ranged weapon, you may use a free hand to deflect it so that you take no damage from it. You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed.
    • +1: You may use any weapon you are armed with to deflect arrows.
    • +6: You may use this ability to deflect an arrow aimed at an ally within your reach.
    • +11: You may deflect magical rays and exceptional weapons like alchemist's fire with this ability.
    • +16: You may deflect up to one such attack per round for every point of Dexterity bonus you have.

    Mobility and Spring Attack are being rolled into one feat (Spring Attack). I should probably write this up as a [Combat] feat and include the benefits of the Rapid Blitz line of feats in the PHB2, but I haven't yet...

    Shot on the Run and Mounted Archery:
    replace with Hunter in Races of War.

    Combat Reflexes, Cleave, and Great Cleave:
    Mostly replaced by Hordebreaker in Races of War. Being able to attack while flat-footed was replaced by Phalanx Fighter.

    Improved Feint: Replace with Expert Tactician from Races of War

    Precise Shot: Replace with Sniper from Races of War

    Improved Initiative: Replace with Danger Sense from Races of War

    Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization: Replace with Combat School from Races of War

     
    Existing Feats That Now Scale with Character Level

    Improved Critical
    6: When rolling to confirm the critical hit, you gain a +4 to the attack roll.
    11: You gain an additional +1 to your threat range with the weapon chosen.

    Improved Unarmed Strike
    6: 1/day per point of Dexterity bonus you may make an additional unarmed attack at your highest attack bonus when using the full attack action.
    12: You may make make your additional unarmed attacks during an attack action (normally a standard action).[/spoiler]

    Additional Feats: (compiled from various places. mainly from the WotC boards, again. I've reworked most of them extensively to try and bring their power level up somewhere near the Combat feats from the Tomes, though.)

    [spoiler]
    Ironhide (Combat)

    You have learned how to maximize the protection afforded by armor. This combat feat scales with your base attack bonus.

    • +0: Pick one specific suit of armor. You have trained so extensively with this armor that it is like a second skin. You no longer are fatigued after sleeping in this armor.
    • +1: All armor check penalties are halved for this armor for you.
    • +6: You gain a +1 competence bonus to AC for every 4 character levels you have when wearing that armor. You lose this bonus any time you are denied your Dex bonus to AC.
    • +11: When wearing this armor, you gain DR X/- where X is equal to the AC bonus granted by your armor.You lose the DR any time you are denied your Dex bonus to AC.
    • +16: You gain fire, lightning, acid, and cold resistance equal to your BAB when wearing this armor.
    By spending 1 day "breaking in" a new set of armor, you change the armor that this feat applies to.


    ADRENALINE RUSH [GENERAL]

    Your adrenaline kicks in when you need it to.
    BENEFITS: +2 to Initiative and +1 to Reflex saves.

    Once per day as a swift action, you can gain the benefits of fast movement and improved strength and durability. Your land speed increases by +10 feet. You temporarily gain a +4 bonus to Strength and Constitution, but take a -2 penalty to armor class due to recklessness. This effect lasts a number of rounds equal to 3 + your new Constitution modifier.
    RESTRICTIONS: While your adrenaline is surging, you cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills, the Concentration skill, nor any ability that requires patience or concentration. You cannot cast spells or activate items that require spell triggers, command words, or spell completion to function. The only exceptions are the Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, and Ride skills.
    SPECIAL: After the benefits wear off, you are fatigued for the duration of the encounter.

    COUNTERSTRIKE [Fighter, General]
    You are skilled at parrying and countering opponents' blows.
    . Prerequisites: Dex 13, base attack bonus +2.
    . Benefit: You gain an immediate attack of opportunity against any opponent who attacks and misses you.
    . This feat does not provide you with additional attacks of opportunity in a round, so if you do not have an attack of opportunity available when you parry an opponent's attack, you do not get any benefit from Counterstrike. Do note that you get extra attacks of opportunity each round for having a high base attack bonus according to the Races of War rules.


    Duelist [General, Fighter Bonus]

    Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +4
    Benefit: When you enter melee with your offhand empty and without a shield, you receive a dodge bonus to AC and a bonus on attack and damage rolls equal to 1/3rd of your character level, rounded up. This benefit only applies if you are wielding a melee weapon in combat.

    Spellcasting Harrier [General, Fighter Bonus]
    (This replaces the Mage Slayer feat.)
    Prereq: Combat Reflexes, Spellcraft 3 ranks
    Benefit: Due to your special anti-spellcaster training, anyone casting within an area you threaten takes a penalty equal to your Attack Bonus on the DC of their Concentration checks. This includes casting defensively.[/spoiler]

    Fighter Only Feats: (these can only be taken by someone with levels in the fighter class. They are all considered fighter bonus feats.)[spoiler]
    GREATER CRITICAL
    Choose one type of weapon for which you have already selected the Improved Critical feat. You can also choose unarmed strike or grapple as your weapon for purposes of this feat. You have learned how to use that weapon to hit where it hurts.
    . Prerequisites: Fighter level 1, Str 13, Dex 13, Improved Critical with selected weapon
    . Benefit: Your critical multiplier with the selected weapon increases by one increment. For example, a longsword would have a critical multiplier of x3.
    . Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. The effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new weapon.

    Tower Shield Focus
    You are especially good at using a tower shield.
    Prereq: Fighter level 1, proficiency in the type of shield.
    Benefit: When using a tower shield, you do not suffer an attack penalty due to the tower shield's encumbrance. You may also designate one opponent per round as a free action. Against that opponent, you are considered to have cover (+4 AC, not subject to attacks of opportunity, etc).

    Shield Focus
    You are skilled at defending yourself with a chosen shield type.
    Prereq: Fighter level 1
    Benefit: Choose a specific type of shield. With that shield, you gain +1 competence bonus to AC for every 3 fighter levels you have.

    Combat Alacrity!
    You are able to use your combat training to attack multiple times, even while moving.
    Prereq: Fighter level 1, Dex 13.
    Benefit: Whenever using a standard action to make an attack, you can make two attacks instead. Those attacks follow normal rules just like they were made during full-attack action.

    Adapt to Opponent*
    Shield Defense*
    You are adept at using your shield to defend you from harmful effects other then physical damage.
    Prereq: Fighter level 1, Shield Focus
    Benefit: When holding and using a large or tower shield, you gain the evasion ability, with a bonus on the reflex save equal to the total AC bonus granted by the shield.

    [/spoiler]

    NEW USES FOR OLD SKILLS
    [spoiler]Balance (Dex)
    According to the Tome rules you can use your Balance modifier as the DC for opposing a trip attack.

    Swim (Str)
    DC 40     Fight underwater without penalties
    Fight underwater without penalties: A successful Swim check allows you to fight underwater without penalties to attack, damage, or AC for that round. This does not confer the ability to breathe underwater, however.

    Tumble (Dex)
    We've already seen how Tumble allows a character to perform a variety of acrobatic and gymnastic maneuvers in combat. Here are two new types of Extreme Tumbling:
    DC 25     Pick up an item from the ground without provoking
              Attacks of Opportunity
    DC 40     Run across walls.

    Run across walls: You may move 10 feet across a wall if you begin and end the move on a horizontal surface. If you do not end your move on a horizontal surface, you fall prone, taking damage as appropriate for your height above the floor. Treat the wall as a normal floor for the purposes of measuring movement. Passing the boundary between horizontal and vertical is equivalent to 5 feet of movement along a normal floor, so this 10 feet of movement counts as 20 feet of normal movement. Opponents on the floor still get attacks of opportunity as you move up the wall within areas they threaten.[/spoiler][/list]
    « Last Edit: March 29, 2010, 07:40:43 PM by PhaedrusXY »
    [spoiler]
    A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

    Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
    ...thanks
    [/spoiler]

    PhaedrusXY

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #4 on: November 16, 2009, 12:41:50 AM »
    Even More Feats

    [spoiler]Olympic Thrower [Combat]
    You have learned to put your momentum behind things when you throw them. This Combat feat scales with your base attack bonus.
    • +0 You can make a "charge" attack with thrown weapons. For every 10 feet you move, you gain one extra range increment on your thrown weapons. You of course do not have to move adjacent to your target. You only have to move at least 10 feet in their direction.
    • +1 Every 10 feet that you move during your ranged charge lowers the penalty for each range increment on weapons you throw by one step, up to a maximum of 10 extra range increments (20 total).
    • +6 You can make a ranged full attack with thrown weapons during your charge.
    • +11 You can use the power attack option with thrown weapons.
    • +16 Each of your thrown weapon attacks now hits every target in a line with you as its point of origin, and with its maximum range equal to five range increments with the weapon you've thrown. Use the same attack roll for all targets along the same line. Precision damage only counts against the first target of each attack.

    Wolfpack Tactics [Combat]
    Benefits: This combat feat scales with your base attack bonus.

    • BAB+0: If an ally is flanking an opponent you are in melee with, you are considered to be flanking that opponent also, and get all the normal benefits of flanking.
    • BAB+1: You may change positions with an adjacent, willing ally once per round as a free action. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
    • BAB +6: You may change your initiative order to act on the same initiative count as one of your allies. This free action must be taken after initiative checks are rolled, but before regular rounds begin. It lasts for the entire combat (or until you ready or delay your action, or change your initiative in some other way), just as if you had initially rolled this initiative roll.
    • BAB+11: Once per round you make make an Attack of Opportunity on an opponent damaged by one of your allies (not including you).
    • BAB +16: You may step in front of an attack directed at one of your allies that is within your reach as an immediate action. You take the damage from the attack instead of them, or if it is a non-damaging attack you are affected instead of them. Any resistances or immunities you have against the attack apply normally. This can work against rays, but not against area attacks.


    Natural Empath [Skill] (from the unsorted community material at the gaming den message board)

    You read people like books. (This is a Skill feat that scales with your ranks in Sense Motive.)

    Benefits (at increasing sense motive ranks):
    • 1: You gain a +3 bonus to Sense Motive checks.
    • 4: You can quickly size up potential opponents. If you succeed on a Sense Motive check as a free action, opposed by their Bluff, you can tell if they're an even match (their CR equals your character level), an easy challenge (their CR is 1-3 less than your level), irrelevant (their CR is 4 or more less than your level), stronger (their CR is 1-3 higher than your level), or overwhelmingly powerful (their CR is 4 or more higher than your level). You can use this ability once on a particular creature every 24 hours.
    • 9: If you succeed on a Sense Motive check, opposed by Bluff, you know your opponent's alignment. If you beat their Bluff by 20 or more, you can read their surface thoughts, as if during the third round of detect thoughts.
    • 14: You have an uncanny intuition for when people are interested in you. Any time someone uses a remote spell or effect, like scrying, to examine you, you know you're under observation and if you make a Sense Motive check that beats their Bluff check, you know some details about them: if you've met them before, you recognize them, but if not, you get a basic idea of their reasons for their interest in you. Similarly, if you use Sense Motive on someone influenced by an enchantment effect, you can find out who created the effect with a Sense Motive check opposed by the controller's Bluff, getting the same information.
    • 19: You know what people are going to do before they do. Any time someone you're aware of attacks you, make a Sense Motive check opposed by their Bluff: if you succeed, you get a free surprise round.


    PIDGIN [General]POISON TOLERANCE [General]
    Lunging Attack [General, Fighter]

    Your mobility and footwork make you a deadly opponent in combat.
    Prerequisite: Dex 13+, Base attack bonus +6 or higher
    Benefit: Your effective reach increases by 5 feet.

    Hurling Charge [General, Fighter]
    You can hurl a thrown weapon while charging.
    Prerequisite: Quick Draw (or Combat Looting), Base attack bonus +1 or higher
    Benefit: You can throw a ranged throwing weapon of your size or smaller during a charge, draw another weapon, and then finish your charge. This attack is made at your highest base attack bonus with a +2 bonus to your attack, as normal for a charge. This feat replaces the version in the MiHB.

    TOUCH MASTERY [General]
    The attribute behind your powers makes your touch attacks strike true.
    Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +3 or higher
    Benefit: When making a touch attack with a spell or psionic power, you use your associated spellcasting/psionic attribute bonus rather than your Strength or Dexterity bonus on your attack roll.
    Special: (Deemed an unecessary restriction and deleted by Todd Holland)
      TOUCH MASTERY Copyright 2000, Bradley H. Bemis Jr.
      Revised by the Netbook of Feats Review Board[/spoiler]
    « Last Edit: November 08, 2010, 11:45:51 AM by PhaedrusXY »
    [spoiler]
    A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

    Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
    ...thanks
    [/spoiler]

    PhaedrusXY

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #5 on: November 16, 2009, 12:42:02 AM »
    Specifics for the Time Traveling campaign (other than the stuff listed in the other posts in this thread):

    • Starting level 7
    • 36 Point Buy
    • Max hit points at first level, average after that (3.5 on a d6, for example). Or you can roll after first, if you'd prefer that.
    • Wealth by level is basically thrown out the window. You get to start with 8 level-appropriate magic items. You can only use 8 magic items at a time, anyway. See below for details.
    • No flaws. 1 Trait
    • Partial BAB and saves (Unearthed Arcana)

    • No item crafting feats. Everyone can craft one item of their level at every character level. No XP cost for item crafting. If you get an item crafting feat as a bonus from a class, pick another feat that is appropriate for that class instead.
    • Guidance of the Avatar is banned, because it makes most skill checks meaningless. The Dark Chaos feat shuffle, and buying magical location feats and retraining them are both right out also. Other similarly broken things will be banned too. I'm sure I'm forgetting some.
    • Traditional spellcasting has become unreliable in the present. See below for details.*
    • Set in the Forgotten Realms, but most materials available. (All official D&D, and homebrew on a case by case basis)

    It will be set in FR, but it won't look much like the "normal" FR. It will be right in the middle of basically the Apocalypse. I'll explain more in the game thread. But, Mystra has been killed (along with a lot of the other gods), and no one has taken her place. "Standard" magic has become wholly unpredictable*. Many of the most powerful spellcasters in the world just outright died when she did, including all of her chosen. The world is in absolute chaos, with wars everywhere, kingdoms destroyed, powerful monsters running wholly unchecked, etc. You can imagine...

    Your characters should all either be very old (several hundred years at least), or from the past (at least several hundred years in the past).** In earlier times, you guys would be kind of low on the totem pole as far as FR power goes, but... things have changed. All the really powerful people are either dead, overwhelmed with trying to preserve a bit of sanity in the world, or sowing their own brand of chaos, depending on their predilection. You'll be questing to find a way to go back in time and prevent the cause of this cataclysm. And that cause is... the ascension of Pun Pun.   :smirk  (You're almost certainly not the only people trying to "undo" things, but being relatively low-level nobodies might actually be to your advantage starting out... letting you stay "beneath the radar"...)

    You're welcome to play traditional spellcasters. Just know that your spells will be unpredictable. Magic items that do not reproduce spell effects seem to function fine, as do powers not dependent on "the weave" (psionics, incarnum, warlocks, spell-like abilities, and... I'll decide the rest later). Also, if/when you make it to the past, things won't be messed up there for traditional spellcasters.

    If you're interested in playing some kind of "monster race", make sure you check out the Races of War rules for that. I'll be using some variations of that on a case by case basis, and NOT using the standard LA system at all when it is avoidable. Seriously... if you like playing monsters (and who doesn't?) look into the Tomes. The Tome of Fiends has rules for playing a True Fiend, for example. This is a "base class" that is solely for advancement as a demon/devil/etc.

    For magic items and wealth, we're going to go with the 8 item limit that they talk about in the Book of Gears. You basically can only have 8 "constant effect" magic items at a time. Single use items like potions don't count against this, and neither do "use activated" items (like magic weapons that only do damage, for example). Wands don't count as "attuned" items, but staves (staffs) do. We'll use the rules on page 225 of the Magic Item Compendium to estimate what levels are appropriate for magic items with the modifications found here. We're dumping the "body slot" system entirely. You can totally wear 8 magic rings if you want to, but that will be all the magic items you can benefit from at once. You can own more than that, but swapping them out will usually take 15 minutes of "attunement".

    Ammunition is not magical. I might allow individual magical ammunition that works basically like a potion in arrow form.

    We're going to hand waive magic item creation stuff. Don't bother taking feats. If you want to say you crafted your stuff, you can. It will take time is all, and it won't give you any economic advantage over someone who buys theirs. It won't cost any XP, either. XP also won't be given out for killing things. You'll be rewarded for completing storyline objectives, regardless of how you do it.

    Only "lesser" magic items will be for sale with gold, and they will be the basic items like weapons with only an enhancement bonus, and maybe something like the flaming property. (Basically anything that costs less than 15,000 gp.) However, enhancement bonuses will scale with levels, as outlined in the Book of Gears. We can RP this as you upgrading the items somehow, or it can just represent your growing skill at using the item, however you would prefer. So you don't have to replace your magic sword every 3 levels. Changing bonuses around to other types will not be allowed, either.

    It might be possible to trade for more powerful magic items (worth more than 15,000 gp and/or listed on the Medium or Major tables in the DMG), but you'll have to offer something of relatively equal value. This might not always be an object. Of course you can always kill people and take their stuff, too. ;) I'll try to make sure and keep everyone outfitted appropriately, and try and fit acquisition of items into the game in ways that are fun and appropriate. It would be helpful if you all made "wish lists" of things you'd like to get.

    Combining magic items is totally fine, as long as they are appropriate for your level in the end. There is no charge at all for combining items. You just add the price of the items together to get the final item value.

    "Minor" magic items will be fairly common, but medium and major ones (costing more than 15,000 gp) will not. It is entirely possible for someone to use a magic item that is above their level if they somehow obtain one. However, medium and major items (that cost more than 15,000 gp) are highly coveted by powerful creatures and individuals. So if you get your hands on something wildly more powerful than you should probably have, expect and be prepared for them to try and take your stuff, if they know about it. See the Wish Economy rules for more details on this.

    And on that note, here is something on style: There are certainly more powerful things than your character in the game, and the world is quite lawless. I won't go out of my way to kill you, but if you blunder into the cave of an ancient dragon and piss it off, I won't pull any punches because you're in over your heads. I will try to provide "in game" warnings if you're headed for something that is almost certain death for you, but please try to play intelligently. Not everything that you might encounter in the game is something I specifically placed there for you to kill.


    Here is a new fiendish sphere (as in the Tome of Fiends): the Time Sphere
    [spoiler]Time
    Special: Three times per day, you can activate any power from this Sphere as a swift or immediate action, regardless of its normal casting time. Also, you can terminate any effect you create from your Sphere prematurely as a Free action. Abilities based on psionic powers are fully augmented up to the maximum effect possible for your manifester level (your character level), as normal for psi-like abilities.

    Character level/Power
    1st Deja Vu (not mind affecting), Quintessence (Track uses separately)
    3rd Haste
    5th Slow
    7th Time Hop
    9th Anticipatory Strike (CPsi, similar to Greater Celerity)
    11th Temporal Acceleration
    13th Mass Time Hop
    15th Temporal Stasis
    17th Time Regression (CPsi, allows you to rewind time for a round)
    19th Mass Hold Monster (not Mind Affecting)
    [/spoiler]

    * I'm thinking I'll have you roll on a Wild Surge table every time you cast a "traditional" spell. I'm not sure exactly how it will work, but I'd say you'll probably only have a 50% chance of them working correctly, but I'm open to discussing this. Maybe 50% chance to work normally, 25% chance to just fail outright, 20% chance of doubling their power, and 5% chance of something else entirely happening. At this point, Shar is still alive (so shadow weave users don't suffer these rules), but who knows how long she'll last. :D

    **If you join later in the game, this requirement might be lifted, as you could play someone who is actually living in the past when the rest of the PCs show up there.
    « Last Edit: August 25, 2010, 01:09:15 PM by PhaedrusXY »
    [spoiler]
    A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

    Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
    ...thanks
    [/spoiler]

    PhaedrusXY

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #6 on: November 16, 2009, 12:42:25 AM »

    For saving throws:
    Levels with a "good" save add +0.5 for every level, with a +2 for the first time you add a class with that good save (but not if you add a level of another class with that good save). For the levels with "bad" saves, you add +1/3.

    For BAB: Just take the fractions for each level and add them up. So a wizard gets +0.5 BAB per level, a cleric gets +0.75, and a fighter gets +1, etc.

    You always round these down, but you have to keep track of the fraction left over for when you next level up.

    As per the Book of Gears, you can only wear 8 "constant effect" magic items at a time. Single use items like potions don't count against this, and neither do "use activated" items (like magic weapons that only do damage, for example). Wands don't count as "attuned" items, but staves (staffs) do. We'll use the rules on page 225 of the Magic Item Compendium to estimate what levels are appropriate for magic items with the modifications found below (Item Levels section). We're dumping the "body slot" system entirely. You can totally wear 8 magic rings if you want to, but that will be all the magic items you can benefit from at once. You can own more than that, but swapping them out will usually take 15 minutes of "attunement".

    Magic items that just provide a bonus scale with your levels according to the chart found here. They "cost" the amount of whatever the least magic item of that type costs (So "magic armor" costs 1000 gp, plus the mundane item's cost). Items that provide a bonus to an ability score start at +2 (and 4000 gp), but do scale through odd numbers as you level (so at level 9 they'd give you a +3 Actually, you round up on these. So at level 7, they'd give you a +3, and at level 10 this would increase to +4). Items that provide a competence bonus to a skill start at +5 (and 2500 gp).

    The rationale for both the 8-item attunement limit and the scaling bonuses is that most magic items are powered by your own chakras/lifeforce/soul, and each soul can only power eight at once. Very minor items, such as potions and wands, do not draw enough of this power to matter, but more powerful ones do. Likewise, more powerful souls can boost the magic items attuned to them more than weaker souls can.

    A consequence of this is that creatures without souls cannot normally use magic items. So no equipping your mindless undead army with all of your extra bling. For our purposes, we'll say that anything that Mindless is also considered Soul-less.

    Item Levels
    Ok... I was just looking over the table on magic item levels in the MiC on page 225... and I'm realizing that it isn't actually all that great for what I'm trying to use it for. It's really for equipping NPCs. They list a +5 vorpal sword as being a 25th level item. WTF? And a +2 stat boosting item is listed as 8th level, and so technically a bit out of your guys' reach, which is not something I want.

    So... I'm going to revise this a bit. Sorry for changing things on you, but since you're getting better swag, I doubt you're going to complain much. ;) We'll still use the chart, but for PCs we're going to do a little calculation to determine what item levels are appropriate. We're going to divide your level by 2, round down, and add that to the item level that is appropriate to you on the chart. So for you guys, that would be 7/2 + 7, or 10th level items.

    We'll say that you can have only one item of each level above your actual character level (so one 10th, one 9th, and one 8th), but basically as many as you want of lower level items. So in simple terms, if you want to upgrade or swap out three of your items for one 10th, one 9th, and one 8th level item, you can.

    (Added 12/9/09) We'll say that you can add non-magical things to your equipment without increasing the effective item level. So you can have mithril or adamantine armor for free, basically. You can also add mundane items to your magic ones for free, like adding the function of a masterwork tool to a magic cloak. I think some of you have already been doing this, anyway.


    Here are some charts if you'd rather just look at them instead of doing the calculation yourself.

    Original chart, as in MiC:
    Item Level Market Price  Range (gp)   
    1/2      1 - 50      
    1st      51-150      
    2nd      151-400      
    3rd      401-800      
    4th      801-1,300   
    5th      1,301-1,800   
    6th      1,801-2,300   
    7th      2,301-3,000   
    8th      3,001-4,000   
    9th      4,001-5,000   
    10th      5,001-6,500   
    11th      6,501-8,000   
    12th      8,001-10,000   
    13th      10,001-13,000   
    14th      13,001-18,000   
    15th      18,001-25,000   
    16th      25,001-35,000   
    17th      35,001-48,000   
    18th      48,001-64,000   
    19th      64,001-80,000   
    20th      80,001-100,000   
    21th      100,001-120,000
    22th      120,001-140,000
    23th      140,001-160,000
    24th      160,001-180,000
    25th      180,001-200,000
    26th      200,001-220,000
    27th      220,001-240,000
    28th      240,001-260,000
    29th      260,001-280,000
    30th      280,001-300,000

    New chart

    Your level    Items you should have
    1st&2nd     I doubt I'll ever run a game at these levels...
    3      One each from 3rd to 4th on the chart above
    4      One each from 4th to 5th on the chart above
    5      One each from 5th to 6th on the chart above
    6      One each from 6th to 9th on the chart above
    7      One each from 8th to 10th on the chart above
    8      One each from 9th to 12th on the chart above
    9      One each from 10th to 13th on the chart above
    10      One each from 11th to 15th on the chart above
    11      One each from 12th to 16th on the chart above
    12      One each from 13th to 18th on the chart above
    13      One each from 14th to 19th on the chart above
    14      One each from 15th to 21st on the chart above
    15      One each from 16th to 22nd on the chart above
    16      One each from 17th to 24th on the chart above
    17      One each from 18th to 25th on the chart above
    18      One each from 19th to 27th on the chart above
    19      One each from 20th to 28th on the chart above
    20      One each from 21st to 30th on the chart above


    You can still only have 8 items "attuned" at once, regardless of how many you have.
    « Last Edit: December 09, 2010, 05:40:01 PM by PhaedrusXY »
    [spoiler]
    A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

    Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
    ...thanks
    [/spoiler]

    JaronK

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #7 on: November 16, 2009, 09:06:01 AM »
    You know, this one is RAW:

    7) A monk's flurry of blows ability can be combined with the Two Weapon Fighting feats. All benefits, penalties, and restrictions stack.

    A level 1 Monk with TWF has three attacks at -4/-4/-4 to hit.  Not a great idea most of the time (possible exceptions for Orcs), but legal.

    JaronK

    PhaedrusXY

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #8 on: November 16, 2009, 11:24:37 AM »
    You know, this one is RAW:

    7) A monk's flurry of blows ability can be combined with the Two Weapon Fighting feats. All benefits, penalties, and restrictions stack.

    A level 1 Monk with TWF has three attacks at -4/-4/-4 to hit.  Not a great idea most of the time (possible exceptions for Orcs), but legal.

    JaronK
    I know. I even had a note in there mentioning that, but took it out to avoid people posting and saying "Nuh uh!". Instead I got the other. ;)
    [spoiler]
    A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

    Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
    ...thanks
    [/spoiler]

    InnaBinder

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #9 on: November 16, 2009, 02:32:25 PM »
    Some official word on how you view Bloodlines interactions with class levels might help others besides myself.  :) EDIT: Thank you.  Nice sample build.  heh.
    « Last Edit: November 17, 2009, 05:59:58 PM by InnaBinder »
    Winning an argument on the internet is like winning in the Special Olympics.  You won, but you're still retarded.

    I made a Handbook!?

    Kuroimaken

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #10 on: November 16, 2009, 03:08:50 PM »
    Checked, so I can come back to this.
    Gendou Ikari is basically Gregory House in Kaminashades. This is FACT.

    For proof, look here:

    http://www.layoutjelly.com/image_27/gendo_ikari/

    [SPOILER]
    Which Final Fantasy Character Are You?
    Final Fantasy 7
    My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Katana of Enlightenment.
    Get yours.[/SPOILER]

    I HAVE BROKEN THE 69 INTERNETS BARRIER!


    PhaedrusXY

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #11 on: November 17, 2009, 04:59:02 PM »
    Hmm... maybe I should ban items and magical locations that grant feats, if I'm making feats awesome instead of sucky... Or I could say that those still grant the sucky versions. If you want the real thing, you have to burn a feat slot on it.
    [spoiler]
    A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

    Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
    ...thanks
    [/spoiler]

    VennDygrem

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #12 on: November 17, 2009, 05:58:42 PM »
    I'd say keep the original benefits, with magical locations not granting feats per se, but just the benefit associated with the original feat.

    EjoThims

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #13 on: November 18, 2009, 08:56:03 AM »
    ) The Forsaker requirement to destroy magic items to recieve his powers does not fit the PrC and I am dropping it. Also,  the bonuses he gets each level to add to his ability scores will be considered "unnamed" bonuses and as such are no longer  subject to the +5 maximum of inherent bonuses. I still doubt anyone will want to play one.

    Yummy.

    VoP Fotf/Forsaker can finally use all the Forsaker's abilities. :D

    Not that, you know, it's that great an option (though adding in Deepwarden and some major Con SAD can be fun), but it's nice and flavorful.  :lol

    PhaedrusXY

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #14 on: November 18, 2009, 03:23:57 PM »
    ) The Forsaker requirement to destroy magic items to recieve his powers does not fit the PrC and I am dropping it. Also,  the bonuses he gets each level to add to his ability scores will be considered "unnamed" bonuses and as such are no longer  subject to the +5 maximum of inherent bonuses. I still doubt anyone will want to play one.

    Yummy.

    VoP Fotf/Forsaker can finally use all the Forsaker's abilities. :D

    Not that, you know, it's that great an option (though adding in Deepwarden and some major Con SAD can be fun), but it's nice and flavorful.  :lol
    Yeah, that was the idea. I actually like the idea of the Forsaker, but it is almost impossible to make them not suck, even with the changes I made, and opping the hell out of them by stacking on things like VoP and FotF. I had a half-dragon ogre Monk/Barbarian/Forsaker NPC in a game once that I think was so-so, but a lot of that probably relied on him using CR instead of LA.
    [spoiler]
    A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

    Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
    ...thanks
    [/spoiler]

    VennDygrem

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #15 on: November 19, 2009, 09:52:51 AM »
    Put this in the wrong thread I think.
    « Last Edit: November 19, 2009, 10:17:47 AM by VennDygrem »

    PhaedrusXY

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #16 on: March 25, 2010, 12:19:25 PM »
    New Combat feat.


    Olympic Thrower [Combat]
    You have learned to put your momentum behind things when you throw them. This Combat feat scales with your base attack bonus.

    +0 You can make a "charge" attack with thrown weapons. For every 10 feet you move, you gain one extra range increment on your thrown weapons. You of course do not have to move adjacent to your target. You only have to move at least 10 feet in their direction.

    +1 Every 10 feet that you move during your ranged charge lowers the penalty for each range increment on weapons you throw by one step.

    +6 You can make a ranged full attack with thrown weapons during your charge.

    +11 You can use the power attack option with thrown weapons.

    +16 Each of your thrown weapon attacks now hits every target in a line with you as its point of origin, and with its maximum range equal to five range increments with the weapon you've thrown. Use the same attack roll for all targets along the same line. Precision damage only counts against the first target of each attack.
    « Last Edit: July 07, 2010, 01:08:43 PM by PhaedrusXY »
    [spoiler]
    A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

    Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
    ...thanks
    [/spoiler]

    archangel.arcanis

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #17 on: March 25, 2010, 12:47:04 PM »
    is there any way you could consolidate all of this into a document (word or PDF)?

    I think i would like to use most of these rules for our games but this isn't the best format for reviewing it, good for reference though.

    Also is there a way to download all of the Frank & K stuff rather than a copy and paste from the wiki?
    Clerics and Druids are like the 4 and 2 in 42. Together they are the answer to the ultimate question in D&D.
    Retire the character before the DM smacks you with the Table as the book will feel totally inadequate now.-Hazren

    PhaedrusXY

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #18 on: March 25, 2010, 12:51:23 PM »
    The Frank and K stuff (including some community material) is compiled into pdfs. Here is the thread on that.

    As for my own stuff... Hmm... yeah, maybe. I used to have my house rules as a word file, but that was before I started using the Tome material, so a lot has changed since then. I put it into that format mostly because it was easier to print out for RL games. Since I don't actually have time to do anything but PbP anymore, I hadn't bothered with the latest version. It is just easier for me to leave it in BB format.


    Edit: Hell, it looks like if you just open all the spoiler tags, you can just highlight it and copy/paste right into a word document. It seems to preserve everything, even the bullet points, perfectly. So you could just do that yourself if you want. I'm glad someone likes and wants to use it. ;)

    I think pretty much everything of mine is contained here in the first few posts, except for a custom prestige class that Kuroimaken is using, and a custom fiendish sphere that HeadOfVecna is using, and a few tweaks I made to Koumei's homebrewed Warmage's spell list. I will copy/paste them here too, just for completeness, though.
    « Last Edit: March 25, 2010, 01:00:04 PM by PhaedrusXY »
    [spoiler]
    A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

    Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
    ...thanks
    [/spoiler]

    archangel.arcanis

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    Re: My house rules
    « Reply #19 on: March 25, 2010, 01:12:04 PM »
    cool thanks. I wasn't sure if copy and paste would work as i've had issues with spoiler tags and c/p. It took some time to find a working link to the F&K stuff too, i had to go to the end and work backwards a couple of pages. Once you have those couple of other things consolidated here i'll c/p it into word and save it all as house rules to take under consideration. At a glance they will likely almost all be used.
    Clerics and Druids are like the 4 and 2 in 42. Together they are the answer to the ultimate question in D&D.
    Retire the character before the DM smacks you with the Table as the book will feel totally inadequate now.-Hazren