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I am building a world for a new campaign.
There is no rush as my current group is not interested, this will be for when I find a new group sometime after the current campaign finishes.
The link above has the background I am preparing. I welcome any opnions on any of it. But most especially for the last 2 pages. That is the rule changes and the character creation setup that is in progress.
I am trying for a world with about the standard (maybe slightly lower) of magic using class. However, magic items are more rare and harder to get. Very loosely based on the Vlad Taltos novel by Steven Brust if you've read them.
I am aware that this will make DR a bit more problematic. But I will be careful about using those types of monsters.
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
If you have any questions, fire away.
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I think a better reason or a smaller limitation on non diety clerics. Non-diety clerics don't get spells from gods for free, cleric spells are powered by faith, the god just gives guidence.
So it might be more reasonable to say that non-diety clerics either have a spellbook like a wizard or have a spell known list like a sorcerer.
Either of these give a story based limit to them without completely denying the option.
I do like the concept of pushing for less permenant items and more limited use items.
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I think a better reason or a smaller limitation on non diety clerics. Non-diety clerics don't get spells from gods for free, cleric spells are powered by faith, the god just gives guidence.
So it might be more reasonable to say that non-diety clerics either have a spellbook like a wizard or have a spell known list like a sorcerer.
Either of these give a story based limit to them without completely denying the option.
I do like the concept of pushing for less permenant items and more limited use items.
I was thinking that divine spells are NOT powered by faith, they are granted by the gods. So no god means no being granting spells.
I kinda like the spellbook idea, but I will have to think about how they get to expand their spellbook. If it is too easy, it is no hardship at all. That works for the cleric, paladin, ranger, druid, (inquisitor if we add it), and adept. But doesn't work for the oracle. I would need a seperate mechanic for them, and that doesn't seem right.
The gods are very active in this world, I think divine spells without a god should be a handicap.
The other thing I was originally considering, was only 1 domain. But that doesn't do anything for the paladin, ranger, oracle, or inquisitor.
But I will think about it some more.
I was thinking that divine spells are NOT powered by faith, they are granted by the gods. So no god means no being granting spells.
I kinda like the spellbook idea, but I will have to think about how they get to expand their spellbook. If it is too easy, it is no hardship at all. That works for the cleric, paladin, ranger, druid, (inquisitor if we add it), and adept. But doesn't work for the oracle. I would need a separte mechanic for them, and that doesn't seem right.
The gods are very active in this world, I think divine spells without a god should be a handicap.
The other thing I was originally considering, was only 1 domain. But that doesn't do anything for the paladin, ranger, oracle, or inquisitor.
But I will think about it some more.
You could convert the Ur-Priest prestige class to an archetype or alternate class for the non-deity based clerics. It was too powerful as a prestige class, but over the course of 20 levels, it's not so bad. Add to that, a chance (based on spell level) when they attempt to use their spells that the gods notice and say, "DENIED" and the spell fails or some such.
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The problem with saying all divine spells are granted by gods is how that interacts with druids rangers and adepts who gain spells from the ambient energy and not from a being of any sort.
Having multiple gods who prove their existance is more likely to produce individuals that don't want to follow because of different values.
For having nondiety clerics with spellbooks, maybe have them need to research all new spells and no gaining spells known from leveling. Treat magic like advanced mathmatics, they have seen or heard of spell effects and thus try to work out the "math" behind those effects. The book gives rules for researching/creating spells, you can use those rules, maybe ease the DCs for any spell the cleric has made a successful spellcraft check when watching it performed, or has heard of, and still allow looking up books but finding cleric spells outside a church would be rare.
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The problem with saying all divine spells are granted by gods is how that interacts with druids rangers and adepts who gain spells from the ambient energy and not from a being of any sort...
Maybe I wasn't clear enough. As I was planning it; clerics, paladins, inquisitors, oracles, druids, rangers, and divine adepts will all need to worship a god in order to be granted spells. If I use some mechanism other than just 'can't' to make it harder, I would rather it be the same mechanism for all.
... Having multiple gods who prove their existance is more likely to produce individuals that don't want to follow because of different values...
Religious conflict is intended to be a major plot element.
... For having nondiety clerics with spellbooks, maybe have them need to research all new spells and no gaining spells known from leveling. Treat magic like advanced mathmatics, they have seen or heard of spell effects and thus try to work out the "math" behind those effects. The book gives rules for researching/creating spells, you can use those rules, maybe ease the DCs for any spell the cleric has made a successful spellcraft check when watching it performed, or has heard of, and still allow looking up books but finding cleric spells outside a church would be rare.
Seems reasonable for a cleric or maybe oracle to research spells. Sounds unlikely for any of the other divine casters. I will consider it.
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Druids worship nature, that is the central concept of the class, though you could call it a third type of magic rather then divine.
Religious wars aren't always between religions, sometimes they are between religion and the non-religious.
If you are gonna be strict on divine magic you should change the adept class to arcane or the same type as druids if you give them a new type.
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Druids worship nature, that is the central concept of the class, though you could call it a third type of magic rather then divine...
Nature is not going to be a 3rd type of magic. It will be divine and granted by nature gods.
... Religious wars aren't always between religions, sometimes they are between religion and the non-religious...
I'm actually leaning more to schism within a relgion as the basis for a war. The gods are too active in this world for anyone to not believe in them. However, someone could choose to not worship the gods. But if you choose not to worship them, they aren't giving you any spells.
... If you are gonna be strict on divine magic you should change the adept class to arcane or the same type as druids if you give them a new type.
I was considering making 2 versions of the adept. Arcane adept to use for the witchdoctor or hedge mage. Divine adept for tribal shaman or minor religious functionary.
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Yeah, the more I think about it, I'm going to stick with my original idea that worship of a divine being (god or powerful demon) is required to gain divine magic. Mainly because I can't think of another playable rule that can apply to all of the divine magic classes. The 'have to research all spells' would work for all, but I think it would interfere with playability too much if I have a player who is trying to spend a bunch of time researching all the already existing spells.
Note: I am not opposed to new minor religions set up around some minor godling that not too many people know about.
If the players from the new group have serious heartache with it, i will revisit at that time.
What did you think about the other changes? I actually expected to get most comments on the changes to magic item costs and availability.
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Do you think that is necessary?
Most people say healers aren't necessary.
CLW wands will still be in the easily available category.
There is the witch, infernal healing, and bards.
I will check out the fleshcrafter, I don't really remember it other than the name. Do you remember what book it was in?
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My copy is DnD 3.0 book titled Magic. So it might ne some fiddling, but it is a cool choice, particularly for a warrior wizard.
I guess making arcane healer may not be that important for most, I just really dislike the whole "dedicated my life to some guy on a throne" concept regardless of how powerfull that guy might be. I prefer being dedicated to values, and I never give authority to someone else, I will trade my time and effort though. This attitude colors a lot of my characters.