Do the rules at any point address what happens when two people are on one horse, in or out of combat?
I think I've just used the squeezing rules (-4 attack/AC) in combat and had it tire the horse faster out of combat. But at a glance I can't find anything in the rules to imply it's even possible.
This is a sidetrack from Jerall Toi's adventure proposal (and the "hack and slash" verses "roleplay" debate), though it's something I've wondered for a while.
It seems to me like Pathfinder Modules can more afford to accommodate particular playstyles or niche audiences, at least when compared to the APs or Scenarios, because they aren't part of a series or subscription. DMs are only going to buy them one at a time, and only if they like what they read on the back cover, so I would expect it to be better to have a module that really "grabs" a smaller range of gamers, verses one that merely appeases or is palatable to a wider range of gamers.
Not that an RPGS proposal shouldn't have mass appeal, just that there's less pressure for a stand-alone adventure to please EVERYONE, especially compared to an adventure that's merely one part of a 6-part campaign.
Does this at all reflect the way that Paizo thinks about their modules? What about the way buyers think about them?
Consulting the "Monster Creation" guidelines, it looks to me like trap stats roughly line up with the offensive values given there; sometimes an attack roll or DC will be higher or lower (often with mitigating factors), but the average damage values for each trap tend to be very close to the "high" damage value for the trap's CR.
In other words, it looks like a CR X trap should be comparable to a single attack from a CR X monster.
Does that make any sense at all?
A CR5 fireball trap will fireball you once for 6d6 (DC14 for half), after which it is defeated. Meanwhile a real level 6 wizard will fireball you once for 6d6 (DC17 for half), then do the exact same thing next round, and keep doing it until you defeat him. A winter wolf's breath weapon has the same damage and DC as the wizard's fireball. A troll lacks the dastardly versatility of a caster and can't hit an area, but can potentially deliver even more damage and is much harder to kill. All of these are clearly more dangerous than the one-shot trap, yet according to the rules they have the same challenge rating (CR 5) and are worth the same amount of XP.
Is this a real problem with the system, or is there some fundamental element of encounter balance which I'm missing? I'm trying to design something that's sort of between a standard encounter and a one-shot trap, but I have no idea which standard to base my CR on; it seems like there's a huge disconnect between what "challenge rating" means for traps and what it means for villains and monsters.
In the "Judges, Please Critique my Item" thread, one of the judges used "This item is a plot device" as a shorthand response to many items. Could someone elaborate on what this means? I'm not complaining or criticizing that judge (if I were reviewing a thousand-ish items I'd drop a lot of canned responses too), but I'm sure a lot of submitters were confused by it, because it reads kind of like a compliment.
For a stand-alone adventure (the likes of which our winner will be writing), what do you feel makes a good hook?
My thinking is that there are "strong hooks" which really have to take center stage in your game, and then there are "agile hooks" which are very easy to slip into your game but might also be ignored. A lot of hooks can be one or the other (I would say that the classic "strong hook" is an encounter that you spring or an important NPC begging for help, while the classic "agile hook" is a clue to be followed up on or a note posted on a tavern wall), and the cleverest ones might be both, but sometimes you gotta pick one.
(For my money the "guy asking you to do something" and the "note on a wall" are easy to do but pretty stale. The encounter-hook and the mysterious clue/object/event are better, but hard to do right.)
Just curious, since I've heard Paizo posters mention it in the past, and there's a Pathfinder game on the schedule. I'll be there running a 3e game (because I want to use the Tome of Battle for wuxia flavor, and calling it 3e is just less confusing than doing 3.P conversions).
Suppose my item began just like this, referencing some existing item and then adding and a good, appropriate power to it, or else changing how it works in some fascinating way.
How would the judges view this? Would it be seen as a clever and reader-respecting way to make full use of available resources; as legitimate but not noteworthy; or just as a creative cop-out for something that can't stand on its own?
I haven't written anything like this (I think it would be unwise of me to ask this if I had), but the idea occured to me. My opinion is that it is easy to read and absorb as a DM, but can turn out to be too much for players, especially if many of their items are this complex.
1.) How many people would a typical gyps-, er, Varisian caravan include? How many families? How many wagons?
2.) If they've settled into a comfortable, seasonal migration (hitting the same towns and cities at about the same time each year), how much ground might their range cover?
3.) And finally, assuming a more norther clime (like Varisia), what would they do during the winter?
Liesinger Description: Long ago, liesingers were the citizens of a warped and beautiful dream, frolicking through the imagination of a twisted child-god. Eventually their god grew up and abandoned his dream, spilling his bewildered toys into the icy jaws of a rigid and unforgiving reality.
A liesinger appears as a disembodied grinning mouth, lips pitch-black and bleeding and every fang a different color. It may shrink to the size of a human mouth if it wishes, or it may expand to a full twelve feet across. A liesinger’s song is a cloying web of wonder and fantasy, soothing the hardships of the waking world by denying the validity of truth. Those who hearken to this song grow blissfully deranged, thus becoming the liesinger’s slaves.
Trapped on the material plane, rational angles and humorless physics biting and grinding its very flesh, a liesinger cavorts around the underworld in a bitter rapture of madness. Its merry troop of maniacal thralls follows behind, dancing and crying out their rebellion against reality.
Powers and Abilities: A liesinger fights best from behind a group of enthralled creatures. Its innate magical abilities bolster those around it, and its spear-like tongues dart around allies and obstacles. Its song inspires a joyful insanity, portraying with demented eloquence the splendors of a place just beyond our sight and dismissing the horrors of the real world as naught but a nightmare. In this way, it attacks the sanity of its foes while inspiring its minions, whose minds have already fallen.
Liesingers are rarely violent unless provoked, however. Their goals are fickle, intricate and unfathomable, but above all else they strive to add more thralls to their troop: they believe that their fantastical world will become real once more if enough creatures believe in it.
There are only five rounds this time, as with last year. We know the first and last, which leaves three mystery rounds. I'll take vague guesses at two of them.
BADGUY ROUND: Both of the last two contests basically devoted two rounds to this (in '08 a single villain round followed by a monster round; in '09 a 'villain concept' round followed by a 'villain stats' round). This may compel them to try to mix it up this year, in order to avoid growing predictable, but designing a good antagonist is a staple of good adventure writing and I'm confident we'll see at least one 'badguy round'.
LITTLE-PIECE-OF-AN-ADVENTURE ROUND: In 2008 the second-to-last round was an encounter; in 2009, it was a villain's lair complete with map. This year, the second-to-last-round will again force the contestants to prove that they can skillfully craft hostile environments or situations; this is a vital skill that you don't necessarily see in an adventure summary, so they have to test it in an earlier round.
edit: and apparently, two of our guest judges are cartographers? I had no idea
Occorse, this still leaves the 2nd round- which is the one we're all dying to find out about right now- totally up in the air. I don't think they'll start out with a villain challenge, since all of the secret challenges last year were about villains. So what WILL they do?
The one hint we have is that it may involve our wondrous items- it's been said that the reason why the wordcount was increased from 200 to 300 "would become apparent in later rounds". I think this is because contestants will have to use items designed by other contestants, which would require that item effects be very clearly worded, hence the extra breathing room this year.
Rampant speculation, certainly, but that's what these threads are for. :)
An ember glow lights the beady eyes of this blackened, burned out goblin’s skull. It is very brittle and shatters if dropped on solid ground. When a skull bomb breaks, the very last person to touch it bursts into a raging magical flame, automatically suffering 5d6 points of fire damage and also catching fire should he fail a reflex save (DC 13). If this kills a creature his body burns away in one round, leaving behind only a pile of ash and the victim’s blackened, burned out skull: a new skull bomb, just as deadly as the first. If the target survives the effect or doesn’t have a skull (or if the skull is shattered before touching a creature) then the skull bomb is simply destroyed without being replicated.
A skull bomb can be hurled at a foe (range increment 10 feet for a medium or smaller creature’s skull). On a successful ranged touch attack the skull shatters against and immolates the target; on a miss it dashes upon the ground and it is the thrower who suffers the flames. Touching the skull with gloves or handheld tools still counts as “touching” it, but it can be safely moved with spells (such as mage hand or telekinesis) or struck with ranged weapons.
Goblins love and covet these weapons, but they also delight in watching other goblins drop or fumble them. A dozen goblin warriors might turn each other to ash while bickering over a single skull bomb.
Construction Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, Flaming Sphere; Cost 600 gp
Because monks (including the monk1/fighterX, a wushu staple) can make unarmed attacks with any part of their body, a monk can wield a polearm to threaten at a distance while making full-attacks with his feet, at no penalty what-so-ever.
That's not the problem. The problem is that there is no incentive for a monk not to do this. The fact is that most monks fight with both hands empty for no reason- which is silly of them. Even if they aren't proficient with any reach weapons, making AoOs at a -4 penalty is better than not making them.
This issue has been around forever but I have yet to come up with a satisfactory houserule. What are your thoughts?
Honestly, the whole “stubbornness” thing was motivated more by a desire to try something new than by any real need for change (you could just add drow to their favored enemy list and called it good). But tell me what you think. Does it look straight-forward, or like it would be tricky to handle?
DWARF, STONELOST:
The Stonemight dwarves were once the greatest crafters of gem, stone and metal- including magical devices employing these things- that the world of Praemus had ever seen. However, when their great underground city of Dwarvenhearth lay under siege they fled, and in their shame they renounced their old name, becoming the Stonelost. As the Stonelost their skills of cutting and forging have diminished, but they still have an eye for such things.
I think it’s weird that Pathfinder dwarves get bonuses when noticing/appraising fine craftsmanship but not when doing it. But I think I’ll work with it rather than change it.
Stonelost dwarves use standard pathfinder stats, except for the following:
Stubbornness: Once per day, a dwarf who fails on any d20 roll then immediately tries again gains a +2 moral bonus to all subsequent checks until he either succeeds or gives up.
This ability relies on DM adjudication, but in general, “giving up” means passing on an opportunity to immediately try again, unless it’s to take some action to increase his chances (for instance, if a dwarf fighter drinks a potion to improve his attack bonus against a dark elf duelist, or if a dwarf rogue trying to pick a lock marches back to town then immediately returns with better tools).
Stubbornness might even grant a bonus on a later date from the day it was used on. For instance, a dwarf cleric who fails in crafting an item might try to craft the exact same item again the next day.
This replaces the Hatred and Defensive Training racial features.
DWARF, GRAILWARDEN
The grailwarden dwarves hail from Grail Keep to the east, but have spread through all lands along with the human Empire of Tarsis, who count them as staunch and respected allies. Renowned for the brilliance of their artisans, Grailwardens were one of the great driving forces behind the steam, gunpowder and clockwork technology on which the empire thrived.
Grailwarden dwarves use standard dwarf stats, except for the following:
+2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
Firearm Familiarity: Grailwarden dwarves may treat all firearms as martial rather than exotic weapons.
This replaces the “weapon familiarity” racial feature.
Stubbornness: As above
This replaces the Hatred and Defensive Training racial features.
Technological affinity: Grailwarden dwarves receive a +2 racial bonus to Profession (engineer), Craft (machines), Knowledge (machines) and Craft (alchemy) skill checks.
This replaces the “Stonecutting” and “greed” racial features.
Dwarf Racial Feats:
ADAMANT STUBBORNNESS
You are an incredibly persistent foe in combat.
Prerequisite: Dwarf, Relentless Stubbornness, BAB +4
Benefit: Whenever you attack someone and miss, you gain a +2 moral (or competence) bonus to your next attack against the same foe, provided you attempt that attack (or take actions to improve that attack and then attempt it) as soon as possible. In effect, your “stubbornness” racial feature applies to every attack you make.
GRUDGEBARER
You hold the grievances of your race close to your heart.
Prerequisite: Stonelost Dwarf
Benefit: You receive a +2 racial bonus to attack and damage rolls against dark elves, as well as humanoids of the orc or goblinoid subtype.
This is intended for use in a fairly typical Ptolus campaign, where these creatures will probably appear often enough to make the feat worthwhile (assuming that the player is actively seeking confrontations with them) but not often enough to break it. If half or more of the game’s encounters included foes of these types, this feat would start to look too powerful.
RELENTLESS STUBBORNNESS
Your steadfast resolve makes you very good at finishing what you’ve started.
Prerequisite: Dwarf.
Benefit: You may use your “Stubbornness” racial feature three times per day, rather than just once per day. You may also treat the bonus granted as either a competence bonus or a morale bonus, as you prefer.
If using standard dwarves (i.e. ones who don’t already have stubbornness), this feat provides two daily uses of the stubbornness ability
STALWART SOUL
Your mind is not easily subjugated.
Prerequisite: Character Level 10th, Iron Will, Relentless Stubbornness
Benefit: If you are affected by a fear or enchantment spell or effect and fail your saving throw, you can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. You get only this one extra chance to succeed on your saving throw.
I was a little tempted to give the harrow elves a wisdom bonus (their favored class in the Ptolus big book was monk), but I've given shoal charisma instead of intelligence (they're supposed to favor sorcery) and I've kind of used harrow to fill the standard wizard-elf gap.
ELF, SHOAL
Shoal elves are not as skilled at magic as their (now extinct) high elf kin were, but they do have their own racial “magic” tied to dreams and visions. In Ptolus, the phrase “waiting on dreams” has come to mean senseless or excessive procrastination, referring to the shoal habit of delaying some undertaking for months or years while they look for an encouraging omen. Those who use the phrase derisively tend to overlook the fact that these undertakings, once finally undertaken, tend to go very well for the elf.
Shoal Elves use the Pathfinder stats for elves, except as follows:
+2 Charisma, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution
Elfdream: A shoal elf who takes ten minute after waking to contemplate his dreams may attempt a DC 15 wisdom check. Shoal elf spellcasters add half their caster level to this check. If successful, he infers some meaningful portent which grants him a +4 insight bonus to a single d20 roll of the player’s choice. This roll must be made some time during the following day.
At the DM’s discretion, a given dream may instead carry a more specific or lasting portent, giving the shoal valuable information should he make this check (which might have a higher DC than usual). This may be as simple as duplicating an augury spell or as complex as a crucial clue concerning the character’s destiny.
Sailor’s Lore: Shoal elves receive a +2 racial bonus to profession (sailor), knowledge (geography), and swim checks.
These replace the “Elven Magic” racial feature.
ELF, HARROW
These creatures were elves many generations ago, before they were captured then horribly deformed and corrupted by Ghul the Half-God: an ordeal that lives on in the racial memory of all harrow elves. Whereas dreams have great spiritual importance to other elves, harrow elves know only nightmares.
Dark Magic: Harrow elves receive a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance. In addition, harrow elves receive a +2 racial bonus to intimidate and use magic device checks and to skill checks used to create magic items.
At creation, a harrow elf chooses 3 0th-level spells from the wizard/sorcerer list, usable as spell-like abilities once per day. These use intelligence as their key ability score. One who has or later gains the “cantrips” class feature adds these spells to her normal list of spells known/prepared.
Harrow elf sorcerers of the abyssal, infernal, aberrant or undead bloodlines treat their charisma score as 4 points higher for purposes of all sorcerer class features (including spells).
Sleepless: A harrow elf can get by on essentially no sleep; she always recovers the normal amount of hitpoints each night and has no trouble preparing spells or recovering spell slots no matter how horrid the conditions (she need only abstain from combat or strenuous activity during “rest” periods). In fact, harrow elves cannot sleep restfully even if they want to (see below), and do not have the option of doubling their recovery rate with complete bed rest.
Harrowdream: Harrow elves suffer a -2 penalty to saves verses sleep spells and effects. A harrow elf who is forced unconscious for any reason (including being reduced to below 0 HP) remains shaken for 1 minute after awakening.
Vermin Resilience: Harrow elves gain a +2 racial bonus to saves verses disease and a +1 racial bonus to saves verses all spells and spell-like abilities, except sleep spells (see below).
Languages: Harrow elves begin play speaking Common and Elvish. Harrow elves with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Abyssal, Draconic, Elder Elvish, Gnoll, Gnomish, Goblin, and Halfling.
Elf Racial feats:
CORRUPT TENACITY
The twisting of the harrow elves was a terrible ordeal, and it was only by Ghul’s vile and unmerciful magic that they survived the process. Some echo of that magic has awakened within you.
Prerequisites: Harrow Elf
Benefit: If you would be killed outright by any effect (except having your constitution reduced to 0), including both normal damage and death effects, you do not die immediately but instead take 1d6 points of constitution damage per round until your constitution reaches 0. A character whose hitpoints are still positive (for instance, one who fails a save against a death effect) remains conscious but is staggered.
If this was triggered by having your hitpoints reduced to below the negative of your constitution score, you may be stabilized by any effect which brings your hitpoints above this threshold (though this may be difficult, as constitution damage will lower your hitpoints even more). If you instead succumbed to some instant death effect, you can only be stabilized by an effect which restores at least 1 point of lost constitution damage.
DREAM READER
You are talented at deciphering the mystical meanings of dreams.
Prerequisite: Shoal Elf, caster level 5th
Benefit: If you attempt a wisdom check to discern the meaning of your own dream and your check result is 20 or more, you also manage to read a deeper or more subtle omen underlying the first. During the following day you gain two uses (rather than one) of the elfdream insight bonus.
If another shoal elf tells you about a dream that they had, you may attempt a wisdom check against the same DC +5 (so, usually 20) to read their dream for them. If you succeed, you may grant them the benefits of the omen or portent even if their own check failed.
You can even recognize when a non-elf dream has meaning (though this is rare) and attempt to read that.
DREAM ARCANA
Your phantasmagorical dreams are a mystery which, if fathomed, may yield untold eldritch secrets.
Prerequisite: Shoal Elf, Dream Reader, Arcane caster level 11th
Benefit: If you roll 25 or higher on your check to decipher one of your own dreams, you gain the elfdream insight bonus on three rolls during the next day, rather than just two.
If you roll 30 or higher, then in place of all of the elfdream’s normal benefits, you may temporarily learn a new spell. If you cast spells spontaneously, you add this to your spells known for 24 hours. If you prepare spells, you may spontaneously convert (as a good cleric converts cure spells) a prepared spell of the same level to the spell in question up to 3 times during the next 24 hours.
This spell is chosen by the DM (though the player can offer suggestions), but it should be at or close to the highest level that the character can cast and should be likely to prove useful in the next 24 hours.
If this spell is on your class’s spell list, you are free to try to record it so that you can add it to your actual spells known at a later date. If it is not, you understand that this is a fleeting bit of inspiration which you may never be able to duplicate.
HARROW BLOOD
Few alive today are as physically deformed as the first harrow elves, nor as magically powerful: these perversions have grown less pronounced with each passing generation. You are an exception.
Prerequisites: Harrow elf, character level 1st only
Benefit: Choose one 1st-level sorcerer/wizard spell. You may use this as a spell-like ability once per day. In place of this ability, you may cast a spell that you already know without consuming a spell slot. In either case you suffer 2 points of wisdom damage every time you use this ability.
Special: Your appearance is considerably more gruesome than that of even other harrow elves, and you suffer a -1 penalty to all charisma-based checks (except intimidate) unless you take some effort to physically cover or magically disguise your flesh.
HARROW CORRUPTION
Long practice, research, and foul meditation have honed your magical talents.
Prerequisite: Harrow Blood, spellcraft 7 ranks
Benefit: Choose a 2nd level sorcerer/wizard spell- you may use this spell as a spell-like ability in place of the one you chose when you took Harrow Blood, and may cast either one a second time per day. You may still cast a spell that you already know (without consuming the slot) in place of a daily use of these spell-like abilities, and still suffer 2 points of wisdom damage when doing either.
HARROW DEPRAVITY
While your ancestors had corruption forced upon them, you have actively pursued it: a path that has lead to great power but also made you an abomination in the eyes of your fellows.
Prerequisite: Harrow Corruption, spellcraft 14 ranks
Benefit: You may choose a 3rd level sorcerer/wizard spell to add to your list of spell-like abilities, and gain a 3rd daily use of said abilities.
Whenever you choose to cast a spell that you already know in place of a spell-like ability, the spell deals 2 points of ability damage (to a score of your choice) to any targets who fail their save. These spells also gain the evil descriptor.
Remember that each use of any of these abilities (whether to use a spell-like ability or to cast a spell that you know instead) deals 2 points of wisdom damage to you.
What started out as a racial bloodline for my game ended up being a pretty general 'mysticism' bloodline which one could easily find a place for in a number of settings. Tell me what you think.
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You were born with a deep connection to and understanding of the “dream world”- some force or place representing the collective unconscious of all creatures, which most only visit fleetingly. At times you seem to know things which you logically shouldn’t; or perhaps the images from your dreams dance around you for all to see.
Class Skill: Sense Motive
Bonus Spells: Hypnotism (3rd), Detect Thoughts (5th), Deep slumber (7th), Hallucinatory Terrain (9th), Dream (11th), Permanent Image (13th), Vision (15th), Moment of Prescience (17th), Astral Projection (19th)
Bonus Feats: Blind-Fight, Craft Wondrous Item, Extend Spell, Improved Iron Will, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Spell Focus (Divination or Illusion)
Bloodline Arcana: When casting certain spells you may touch briefly with the dream-world, either searching it to improve your divinations or bringing the dream-stuff back with you to improve your illusions. By tripling the casting time of an illusion or divination spell (with a minimum of 3 full rounds), you may add +2 to the caster level of a divination or +2 to the save DC of an illusion. When casting a spell in this way you enter a trance-like state and are considered completely helpless.
Bloodline Powers: As dream sorcerers grow in power they become more and more disconnected from the waking world, but as they do they grow closer to a much broader and more profound reality: one which closely mirrors the first. It is not vacancy which clouds a dream sorcerers eyes, but hyper-consciousness.
Dream Touch (Su): At first level, you may cause an explosion of startling and profound visions to burst into a target’s mind with a touch. If used on a foe, this causes the target of a touch attack to be staggered for 2 rounds. If used on a friend or on yourself, this grants an insight bonus equal to half your sorcerer level (minimum 1) to a single d20 roll of your choice, as long as that roll is made within the next 2 rounds. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your charisma modifier.
Dream Visions (Sp): At 3rd level your dreams are filled with mystical portents and visions, granting you the benefits of an augury spell once per day (as long as you gain 8 hours of rest the night before). These insights apply to a situation that you will find yourself in at some point during the following day, though you don’t recognize their meaning until the moment this comes to be. At this time (chosen by you, the player) you gain the augury’s insight as if you had instantly cast it on the spot. Remember that, once activated, an augury never accounts for events taking place more than half an hour in the future.
At 11th level, this insight acts as a divination spell. In either case, this ability requires no material components.
Dreaming Awake (Ex): At 9th level, you are not considered helpless when asleep. You cannot take move, standard, or swift actions while resting, but are otherwise treated exactly as if awake. You can listen, speak (vacantly), and even move about (slowly, using 5-foot steps). You suffer no penalty to perception or other reactive skill checks when asleep and can “wake up” instantly any time you want (this renders you functionally immune to sleep effects). Remember that any serious interruption to your night’s rest still adds 1 hour to the total time you must rest before refreshing spells.
At 13th level, you may use your bloodline arcana without increasing the casting time (or becoming helpless) once per day. At 17th, you may do this twice per day. At 20th level, this ability is replaced by Ever Dreaming.
Doom Foreseen (Su): At 9th level, once per day, you may roll a spellcraft check to use in place of your armor class or saving throw. You may make this decision even after the results of an attack (such as damage) have already been determined. Success indicates that your dreams have given you a cryptic warning against this threat and that you took measures to prevent it: for instance, you dreams may have urged you to wear a metal amulet which ends up stopping a poisoned arrow.
At 19th level, you may use this ability twice per day.
Ever Dreaming (Ex): At 20th level you are always in a trance-like state of hyperconsciousness, in perpetual contact with the world of dreams. You never need to rest and can refresh your spells (or other abilities which require you to rest 8 hours first) any time you like, though no more than once in any 24 hour period, and refreshing spells still requires 15 minutes of concentration. You may use your bloodline arcana on any divination or illusion spell that you cast, without increasing the casting time or becoming helpless. You can use your Dreaming Touch at will, and applying its benefits to yourself is a swift (rather than standard) action.
For one thing, melee combatants would become a serious threat to archers and casters, even if they couldn't surround them. Archers would be much more likely to keep back-up melee weapons on hand (and/or to take Mobility); spellcasters might try to get away with tumble before casting, or they might use the various SU abilities that they get in 3.P more often. Casting defensively would become more important. All in all they would be much more reliant on front-liners to keep enemies away from them to begin with. This is the tactical landscape which I expected when I came into D&D, and I actually had to DM a few sessions before I realized how easy it was for these characters to just step away, and how much that simple move changed things.
Other stuff:
A polearm wielder would provoke when he stepped back to attack a swordsmen, but then the swordsmen would provoke when he moved forward again to attack the halberdier. Thrown weapons would become more powerful for their versatility (a knife-thrower can make melee attacks without drawing a different weapon). Characters could still 5-foot step into melee (you provoke for leaving threatened spaces, not entering them), but it would then be harder to disengage. "Step up" would become superfluous, and for full-attackers combat in general would be more static.
No Aram feats yet, as I'm still trying to figure out how this race interacts with existing mounted combat feats. I'm tempted to give them Mounted Combat as a virtual feat, have them ignore Ride rank prerequisites, and just let them go nuts with Spirited Charge/Ride-by/etc. However, while I've never DM'd for a mounted fighter, I've always gotten the impression that it was pretty powerful and was balanced primarily by the possibility of your mount getting killed.
Anyway, without further adieu, here's a bunch of bite feats.
BITE
You have learned to use your bite attack as an effective weapon.
Prerequisite: Litorian
Benefit: Your bite is considered an armed attack. You may make bite attacks against armed opponents without provoking attacks of opportunity, and as long as you are conscious you always threaten the squares adjacent to you.
Normal: A litorian’s bite is not normally considered an armed attack.
note: I’ve removed the ability to use armor spikes as weapon (they only improve your grapple damage), so always threatening is a greater benefit than it seems.
Many other races in my game, such as kobolds, would also have an unarmed bite and would thus qualify for this feat.
FERAL WARRIOR (Combat)
For most warriors, even among the ‘savage’ races, fighting with claws and fangs is a wild affair that has nothing to do with traditional armed combat. You, on the other hand, are skilled at using your natural attacks interchangeably with manufactured weapons.
Prerequisite: BAB +6, ability to make an armed claw or bite attack.
Benefit: If you can make claw attacks, you may treat your claw attacks as normal (light) weapons. This allows you to make two attacks with one claw (or more, depending on your base attack bonus), or to make an off-hand claw attack when attacking with a one-handed weapon.
If you have a bite attack, you may make one free bite attack when taking the full-attack action, in addition to any other attacks that you are entitled to. This attack adds half your strength bonus to damage. However, all your attacks made in that round (including the bite attack) suffer a -2 penalty.
CRUSHING JAWS (Combat)
You have a vicious and tenacious bite.
Prerequisite: Ability to make an armed bite attack, Strength 13
Benefit: You always add your full strength bonus to damage when making a bite attack, and your critical multiplier for bite attacks improves to x3.
A foe damaged by your bite suffers a -4 penalty to maneuver or escape artist checks made to escape a grapple from you until the start of your next turn.
SNAPPING TEETH (Combat)
Your feral stance and snapping jaws make you difficult to attack safely.
Prerequisite: Ability to make an armed bite attack, Dexterity 13
Benefit: Once per round, if an enemy attacks you and their attack roll is less than your CMD (regardless of whether or not the attack actually hits you), you may make an attack of opportunity against them. This must be a bite attack.
FLASHING FANGS (Combat)
Your fangs strike with stunning speed and accuracy.
Prerequisite: Feral Warrior, Snapping Teeth, BAB +11
Benefit: You may make a bite attack as a swift or immediate action against any foe adjacent to you. This attack is made at no penalty and imposes no penalty on other attacks made in the same round. It does not count as an attack of opportunity (even if made out of turn) and doesn’t interfere with your ability to make AoOs against the same foe.
WOLFBITE (Combat)
You latch on with your jaws and throw your foes to the earth.
Prerequisite: Crushing Jaws, Improved Trip
Benefit: Whenever you damage a foe with your bite attack you may make a free trip attempt against them.
General rules:
-No fighter-only feats: any prerequisite of “Fighter level X” becomes “Base attack bonus +x”.
-All metamagic feats work as thus(though toyrobot's thread has me tempted to try something weirder).
Specific changes:
ACROBATIC STEPS: Lets you move through 15 feet of difficult terrain. Ignore the “Nimble Moves” prerequisite
NIMBLE MOVES: Gone.
ARCANE ARMOR TRAINING: Does not require a swift action. Can be taken multiple times: it’s effects stack.
ARCANE ARMOR MASTERY: Gone.
ARCANE STRIKE: Damage bonus = level of your highest remaining spell slot.
CATCH OFF-GUARD: Grabbing an improvised weapon is a free action
THROW ANYTHING: Same
COMBAT EXPERTISE: Starts out at -2/+2 (-3/+3 at BAB4, -4/+4 at 8, etc). Higher-level characters may stick to the lower-level mods if they want).
POWER ATTACK: Higher-level characters may stick to the lower-level mods if they want.
DEFLECT ARROWS: Doesn’t work automatically: instead, treats your CMB check as your armor class.
DIEHARD: Adds your level to your “disabled” and “dying” ranges (so, for instance, a level 5 character is staggered from 0 to -5, rather than just at 0. He’s still unconscious at -6).
DISRUPTIVE: Also grants +4 to attacks of opportunity provoked by spellcasting
GREAT CLEAVE- Ignore the “adjacent” clause: you may cleave to any enemy who does not have cover vs. the one you just hit.
GREAT FORTITUDE: +3 bonus
LIGHTNING REFLEXES, IRON WILL: same
The ranger to me is the arrow that flies out of the forest, the eyes watching you from the dark, or the tall cloaked stranger who follows you down a deserted street at night. Less of a general swordsman, more of a sly, ruthless hunter. Worse in a straight fight, better on his own terms. Less Aragorn, more Legolas.
This version of the ranger relies on wisdom; not quite to the degree that the paladin requires charisma, but close to it. This creates a dichotomy where the paladin and the ranger are the “mystical/mental fighters” (one with divine sexiness, the other with primal instinct), as opposed to the “brute force fighters”, namely the fighter and the barbarian (who just needs physical scores and that’s it). When judging the balance here, keep in mind that to really exploit Instinct the ranger needs a solid WIS, which will reduce his physical attributes accordingly. Of course, a ranger could just get off with a 12 WIS and max out STR or DEX as always; that’s just as viable an option (this is why I didn’t want Instinct to apply to everything all the time).
Likewise, many of his class features (Instinct and, at higher levels, Hunter’s Strike) reward him for hitting-and-running or using 1 hit/round tactics. This isn’t meant to completely discourage rangers from standing and fighting, mind you: a dash of sneak-attack is a strong incentive to haul out the matching shortswords and tear it up in melee as well. Instinct is merely a counterbalance to that, an attempt to make snipe-and-hide tactics (or precise strike, or spring-attack) equally viable. His class features work at cross-purposes, but this was by design, and hopefully he’ll be able to slice some throats no matter what the circumstances of a given battle.
All this new stuff didn’t take long to hedge existing ranger trappings almost completely out of the class. This ranger can choose between spells and an animal companion (but can’t have both), while favored enemy, favored terrain, and combat style have all been swept into the “ranger’s lore” list and off of the main class feature chart.
After writing this I’m itching to see one in play at mid-levels. My goal was to make a class that doesn’t have the constant bonuses to beat a fighter in a fair fight; but which, conversely, will beat the puss out of the fighter in a dense forest where he can ambush and flee, or perhaps in a running battle across the rooftops of a city. I don’t know if I’ve hit the mark; part of me wants to drop the hit dice to d8’s. Let me know what you think.
p.s.: If the infuse-with-living-plants path confuses you: It’s a Ptolus thing.
Ranger’s Lore:
Rangers are an eclectic lot, and while all are cunning and ruthless in combat their exact skills and techniques vary, often by tradition or homeland.
A ranger may choose one of the following abilities every time the class feature comes up. They do not stack (a ranger can’t have a favored enemy bonus higher than +2), but you may select one multiple times in order to gain different favored terrains, favored enemies, or feats.
Arrows from the Trees (ex): A ranger using a ranged weapon may sneak-attack foes up to one range increment (rather than 30 feet) away. She suffers only a -10 penalty to stealth checks made to hide after attacking (rather than the usual -20).
Combat Style: The ranger gains a bonus combat feat.
Beastmaster (ex): A ranger must be 9th level and have the “animal companion” class feature to select this ability. She gains an additional animal companion. Her effective level for determining the abilities of this companion is equal to that of her primary companion -2.
Favored Enemy (ex):
Spoiler:
At 1st level, a ranger selects a creature type from the ranger favored enemies table. He gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against creatures of his selected type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against them. A ranger may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures.
Favored Terrain: A ranger may select a type of terrain from the Favored Terrains table. When in her favored terrain, a ranger gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when he is in this terrain, as well as knowledge checks pertaining to that area (knowledge(nature) in a forest, for instance). Any time she has cover, she gains an additional +2 dodge bonus to armor class.
Add +10 to the DC to track a ranger in her favored terrain. A ranger who is dressed to blend into her favored terrain may use the stealth skill even if she does not have cover or concealment.
Guardian (ex): A ranger must be 5th level to select this ability. If the party is attacked, one ally adjacent to the ranger gains the ranger’s instinct bonus as a circumstance bonus to armor class. That ally is not considered flat-footed unless the ranger is also flat-footed. These benefits only apply during the surprise round.
Hunter’s Eyes (ex): A ranger must be 5th level to select this ability. The ranger applies her instinct bonus to all Perception checks.
Killer Instinct (ex): A ranger must be 13th level to select this ability. A ranger who acts in the surprise round may make a Hunter’s Strike even if she has not had a chance to study an opponent.
Ruggedness (ex): The ranger enjoys a +1 bonus to fortitude and will save. She gains Endurance as a bonus feat.
Wolfpack Tactics (ex): The ranger gains a +2 dodge bonus to armor class against any opponent that she flanks.
Woodland Stride (ex):
Spoiler:
A ranger must be 5th level to select this ability. The ranger may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect her.
Instinct (ex):
At second level a ranger gains an instinct bonus, equal to her wisdom modifier (at least 0) +1, which she adds to all initiative checks and applies as a dodge bonus to armor class during all surprise rounds. As she gains levels, a ranger’s instinct bonus increases and she may benefit from it in a number of different ways. Instinct is not a constant bonus born of repetitive training, but instead represents an active cunning, situational thinking, intuition and improvisation.
At 6th level, a ranger may add her instinct bonus to a single damage roll as a swift action, or she may add it to her armor class (or CMB) against a single attack as an immediate action. .
At 10th level, a ranger may add her instinct bonus to a single attack roll as a swift action, or she may add it to a single saving throw as an immediate action.
At 14th level, whenever a ranger spends a swift or immediate action to apply her instinct bonus to a roll, one ally of her choice within speaking distance may also spend a swift or immediate action to gain her (the ranger’s) instinct bonus on a roll of the same type, provided that the ally uses it in the same way (attack, damage, or armor class against the same enemy, or saving throws against the same ability). This ally must use this ability before the start of the ranger’s next turn.
Finally, at 18th level a ranger may apply her instinct bonus once per round as a free action. This is in addition to her swift or immediate action use of the ability.
A ranger’s instinct bonus never stacks with itself.
If a rogue can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.
The ranger's attack deals extra damage anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 3rd level, and increases by 1d6 every 4 ranger levels thereafter. Should the ranger score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet.
With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an unarmed strike), a ranger can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty.
The ranger must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A rogue cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment.
Hunter’s Strike (ex):
The ranger excels when she can stalk her prey from the shadows, taking her time to plan and execute an attack. By studying the appearance, baring, and mannerisms of her prey she picks out weakness that others overlook, and by the time her victims are shown their faults the damage has already been done.
At fourth level, a ranger who spends at least three rounds (as a standard action each round) studying a foe adds her instinct bonus to her next attack against him and deals bonus damage equal to her weapon’s base damage (1d8 for a longbow, 2d6 for a greatsword, etc). The attack must be made within one round after the ranger stops studying (in general, that means during the surprise round or the first round of combat). To make a hunter’s strike with a ranged weapon, the target must be no more than 60 feet or 1 range increment away (whichever is greater).
The ranger normally remains hidden until this point, as a careless ranger’s foes might flee or attack her before she has had time to study them, but note that this ability does not actually require that her foes be caught unaware. A ranger could be staring you in the face while she sizes you up, taking note of exposed vitals.
At 8th level, a ranger need only study her prey for two rounds, and deals double damage on a hunter’s stroke (rather than merely adding her base damage). If this attack is also a critical hit, increase the multiplier by 1.
At 16th level, a ranger need only study her prey for one round (as a full-round action), and any critical threats made on a hunter’s strike automatically confirm.
Wild Path:
All experienced rangers achieve a spiritual bond with nature. This path may take one of three forms: a supernatural bond that allows the ranger to cast divine spells, a spiritual bond with a natural creature, or a physical bond with the natural world.
Mysticism: The ranger gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells drawn from the ranger spell list, as laid out on the ranger spells per day table. These spells are wisdom-based, and his caster level equals his ranger level -3.
(Note that this version of the ranger does not have a spell list and cannot use spell-trigger or spell completion items unless and until he chooses the “mysticism” class feature). Animal Companion: The ranger gains an animal companion, exactly as the druid class feature. A ranger’s effective druid level for this class feature starts out at his ranger level -3. It improves to his ranger level -2 at 8th level, his ranger level -1 at 12th, and finally equals his ranger level at 16th level.
Viridian Bond: In a lengthy ritual, you allow nature to physically infuse your flesh: green vines weave in and out of your skin and leaves dangle amid your hair. You gain a +1 natural armor bonus to armor class, a +4 bonus to saving throws against plant-related spells (such as entangle) and the abilities of plant creatures, and a +2 bonus to stealth checks made in a verdant environment.
At 8th level you gain fast healing 2 for a number of rounds per day equal to your ranger level. Activating or deactivating this ability is a free action.
At 12th level your natural armor bonus increases to +2 and you may cast speak with plants at-will as a spell-like ability by touching the plants in question.
At 16th level your fast healing improves to 5.
Quarry (ex):
At 12th level, a ranger who observes a foe for three rounds (as a free action each round, inside or outside of combat) may designate that creature as her quarry.
Spoiler:
Whenever she is following the tracks of her quarry, a ranger can take 10 on her Survival skill checks while moving at normal speed, without penalty. In addition, she receives a +2 insight bonus on attack rolls made against her quarry, and all critical threats are automatically confirmed. A ranger can have no more than one quarry at a time and the creature's type must correspond to one of her favored enemy types. She can dismiss this effect at any time as a free action, but she cannot select a new quarry for 24 hours. If the ranger sees proof that her quarry is dead, she can select a new quarry after waiting 1 hour.
Prey (su):
A 20th level ranger always knows whether or not her quarry is alive, what plane of existence he is on, and his exact direction and distance if he is on the same plane. She automatically gains her instinct bonus to all attacks against him and to defense against all his attacks, and her attacks always deal sneak-attack damage to him whether or not he is denied his dexterity bonus.
Some of the repeat abilities (i.e. those I haven't changed at all from 3.P) are spoilered. Some aren't written at all and are just links to the PRD. I guess that's not very consistent, come to think of it.
This bard owes a nod to Monte Cook’s bard from the Book of Eldritch Might II. His idea of “spellnotes” usable as a move-action stuck with me, as it has a certain free-wheeling flavor and feels distinct from other magic.
Summary:
This bard is built around three class features: “Songs” (or bardic performances), which are broad on-going effects started at the beginning of a fight; “notes”, or specific one-round effects that he can toss around at his convenience, and “lore”, which are miscellaneous powers that make him a good skillmonkey. These features all recur every three levels.
Three lists of elective abilities make for a lengthy write-up, but I hope that the result was a more fun and flexible class: there are 18 notes (you eventually know 7) and 16 songs (you eventually get 8), which means that my bard and your bard can be completely different.
He also gets three bonus combat feats over his career and some CMB boosts with “panache”. This isn’t enough to make him a real warrior, but it’s a nod to the fact that the bard is a jack-of-all-trades, and can still buckle some swash when he has to.
Note: I’ve made a vague and non-binding assumption that most or all bardic music is achieved by singing or oration. This is an abstraction. Bardic music is a supernatural ability, and in my imagination a high-level bard can open his mouth and make all sorts of crazy sounds come out. Only one song (one of the choices for his ultimates) uses a perform check, and it still doesn’t specify which type.
If you think that (comedy) or (dance) or whatever works for a given performance, allow it. And if you want bards with wardrums or panpipes, write some feat or mechanic that rewards them for the lost hand(s). But for now I’m just not going there.
Bardic Knowledge (ex)
A bard’ far-flung travels, as well as his keen interest in songs, legends and stories, grants him an impressive smattering of disparate lore. A first level bard treats all knowledge skills as trained (including the +3 bonus for having ranks in a class skill), even if he actually has zero ranks. At 2nd level, 4th level, and every even-numbered bard level therafter, a bard gains 1 free rank in every knowledge skill.
Lore
Bards are multi-talented individuals, and as they gain experience they frequently pick up odd skills or bits of lore. Whenever this class feature comes up, you may choose one of the following. These abilities don’t stack with themselves, but you are free to take them multiple times in order to select different feats or apply them to different skills.
Acquired Talent: Choose a bonus feat from the following list: Acrobatic, Alertness, Animal Affinity, Athletic, Deceitful, Deft Hands, Magical Aptitude, Persuasive, Self-Sufficient or Stealthy.
Comprehensive Knowledge (ex): You gain a bonus to a single knowledge skill equal to half your bard level (minimum +2).
Effortless Skill (ex): Choose 2 skills that you have ranks in. You may take 10 on these skills even when it is not normally allowed.
Inspire Eloquence (or, What Would the Bard Say?): Any ally in your presence gains a +1 moral bonus to all charisma-based checks, provided that their total modifier is not then higher than yours would be.
Jack-of-all-trades (ex): All skills become class skills for you.
Inspire Competence (su): You gain “inspire competence” as a bardnote, which allows you to grant one ally a +2 competence bonus to skill checks of a particular type for 1 round. The greater version of this note (available at level 12) grants a +3 bonus. Because you must perform to use this ability, certain uses (such as stealth) may be infeasible.
Versatile Performance (ex): Choose one type of performance. In certain situations, you may use a performance to augment a check using a different skill: for instance, you may aid a sense motive roll by telling a provocative and potentially incriminating story and carefully watching your target’s reactions, or you might win someone’s favor with a particularly stirring melody. Roll a perform check in addition to your normal skill check and use whichever roll is higher. Using versatile performance takes at least twice as long as using the skill in question normally would (or longer at the DM’s discretion).
The types of Perform and their associated skills are: Act (Bluff, Disguise), Comedy (Bluff, Intimidate), Dance (Acrobatics, Fly), Keyboard Instruments (Diplomacy, Intimidate), Oratory (Diplomacy, Sense Motive), Percussion (Handle Animal, Intimidate), Sing (Bluff, Sense Motive), String (Bluff, Diplomacy), and Wind (Diplomacy, Handle Animal).
This ability is improvisational and situational by nature, and your DM has absolute authority to allow unlisted uses or veto listed ones in some situations.
Also note that this ability may not be feasible in situations where you wouldn’t normally be free to strike up a performance; for instance, few judges will be impressed if you plead your case in the form of song. Conversely, a bard hired to perform at a royal ball might use this ability to make social skill checks on people whom he would normally never have access to, beguiling them with music rather than words.
Warrior’s Lore: The bard gains Martial Weapon Proficiency as a bonus feat.
Bardic Music (su)
Each day, a bard may perform for a number of rounds equal to 4 + his Charisma modifier. At each level after 1st a bard can use bardic performance for 2 additional rounds per day.
Starting a song is a standard action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. Changing a song from one effect to another requires the bard to stop the previous song and start a new one as a standard action. A bard cannot start a new song in the same round that he ended the old one. At 6th level a bard may start a performance as a move action, and at 9th he may do so as a free action. A bard of 14th level or lower cannot have more than one performance in effect at one time.
A bardic performance cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if the bard is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action to maintain it each round.
“Foes” or “enemies” in the following descriptions refers to any number of creature’s of the bard’s choosing, even if they are not necessarily hostile. Likewise, “friends” or “allies” can refer to any number of willing creatures (including himself, if the bard wishes). If new creatures enter a combat after the bard starts performing he may designate them as “friends” or “foes” immediately (this is not an action), and can even change his mind if it turns out he has misjudged them. By default, creatures that the bard isn’t aware of are not affected, but a bard may specific that he wants to affect such hidden observers. All bard songs are sonic effects, and a creature (or object) must be within hearing range to be affected.
Whenever an ability references a saving throw the difficulty class is 10 + half the bard’s level + the bard’s charisma modifier. Any creature who succeeds at a saving throw against an effect is immune to that specific effect for 24 hours, unless otherwise noted (for instance, if a song says that a foe must save again each round).
A bard begins play knowing one song. At 2nd level, and ever 3 levels thereafter, he learns a new one.
Enthralling Song (compulsion, mind-affecting):
This song draws the rapt attention of those around you. Out of combat, enthralling song can be used to fascinate one or more creatures. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and capable of paying attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creatures affected. For every two levels the bard has attained beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with this ability.
Targets who fail their will save sit quietly and listen to the bard for as long as he maintains the song. While fascinated, such creatures take a -4 penalty on all skill checks made as reactions, such as perception. Any potential threat entitles the target to a new saving throw. Targets who make their saves bare the bard no special enmity and might continue to listen to the performance anyway.
Any overt threat automatically breaks the effect (or keeps it from working in the first place). However, even in combat your foes find your performance impossible to ignore, and suffer a -1 competence penalty to all attacks and checks made against creatures other than you for as long as you are visible to them.
5th level: As a standard action after performing for four rounds you may make a suggestion (as the spell) to a single creature that you have already fascinated. You may make an additional suggestion for every four rounds that you perform, but no more than once per target per day. Foes in combat suffer a -2 competence penalty rather than -1.
11th level: You may fascinate up to five creatures per bard level, and inflict a -3 competence penalty to those attacking your allies in combat.
17th level: After four rounds of performance you may make a suggestion simultaneously to any number of fascinated creatures. You inflict a -4 competence penalty in combat.
Lifesong:
This sacred melody wards and rejuvenates the vital energy of those you call friend. All your allies gain a +1 bonus to saves against necromancy spells and negative energy effects. Additionally, every round one ally (chosen on your turn) is healed of damage equal to your bard level.
5th level: The save bonus is +2, and in place of damage you may heal up to 2 points of ability damage.
11th level: The save bonus is +3, and in place of damage you may heal up to 4 points of ability damage or drain.
17th level: The save bonus is +4, and the healing effects of your song affect all allies rather than just one per round.
Inspire Courage (mind-affecting):
You set a fearsome spirit in those around you, urging them to strike out boldly and fearlessly. Your allies gain a +1 moral bonus to all attack rolls, damage rolls, and saves against compulsion effects.
5th level: The bonus becomes +2
11th level: The bonus becomes +3
17th level: The bonus becomes +4
Shadowsong (illusion, mind-affecting)
Only yourself and your target can hear this delicate melody. Indeed, it muffles sound and makes his form seem shadowy and indistinct to outsiders, granting a +2 enhancement bonus to stealth checks.
Enemies who fail a will save believe him to be a figment of their imaginations. This functions as the sanctuary spell, except that you may transfer this protection to a different ally once per round on your turn. An ally who breaks the effect by attacking can’t benefit from it again during the same encounter.
5th: The stealth bonus is +3, and the warded ally is treated as being invisible as per the spell. He still enjoys the sanctuary benefit (against enemies who can see invisibility, for instance).
11th level: The stealth bonus is +4, and the affect becomes improved invisibility rather than invisibility. A subject who attacks remains invisible (but still loses the sanctuary effect for the rest of the fight).
17th: The stealth bonus is +5, and enemies must always make a will save to attack the warded ally, even if he overtly attacks them first.
At 5th level and beyond, the bard may also choose from among the following intermediate songs.
Cadence of Anguish (mind-affecting)
This vile but beautiful song strickens a single target with crippling pain. The target must succeed at a fortitude save every round or be sickened for as long as you continue playing. Further, for every full round that you play the target suffers a cumulative -1 penalty to fortitude saves and concentration checks.
11th: A target who becomes sickened must save every round or become staggered.
17th: A target who becomes staggered must save every round or become nauseated.
Inspire Heroics (mind-affecting):
You set a stalwart spirit in those who hear your song, bolstering them as they march into danger. Your allies gain a +1 dodge bonus to armor class and a +2 moral bonus to all saving throws.
11th level: +2 dodge bonus and +3 moral bonus to saves
17th level: +3 dodge bonus and +4 moral bonus to saves.
Discordant Tune (compulsion, mind-affecting):
This bizarre, off-key jig stirs up enmity among your enemies and keeps them from working as a team. Foes who fail a will save refuse to help their former comrades in any way. They neither grant nor benefit from flanking bonuses, cannot take helpful actions (such as aid another or the casting of support spells), and make no special effort to avoid hurting their allies with area attacks. They even make attacks of opportunity against each other.
11th level: Once per round, a creature of your choice (one who has already failed their initial save against this song) must save again or be affected as by the spell lesser confusion. Note that such creatures continue to make attacks of opportunities against their former allies (an exception to the normal rules for the “confused” condition).
17th: All enemies under the affects of this song (those who failed their initial save) must save again each round or be affected by lesser confusion.
Melody of Mind Fogging (compulsion, mind-affecting)
This eerie, lilting melody muddies the minds of living creatures. It imposes a -2 penalty to your enemy’s will saves. Further, at some later point designated by you (perhaps immediately after the song ends, perhaps 12 hours later) any foes who fail a will save lose all memory of what transpired while the song was playing.
11th: The penalty to will saves is -3, and you may fabricate new memories for up to one target who failed his save, as the spell alter memory. 17th: The penalty to will saves is -4 and you may freely alter the memories of any targets who fail their save.
At 11th level and beyond, a bard may also choose form among the following greater songs:
Anthem of Doom
You strike up a bold, macabre and dreadful ballad which announces the eminent demise of your enemies. This song is usually performed on the way to a battle, as it can be heard from up to one mile away, and an enemy must hear it for five consecutive rounds before it takes effect. Obviously, this requires you to unambiguously announce your presence to your foes.
If any creatures exposed to the song later join battle with you (or a group that you are part of) they take a -5 luck penalty to their first attack roll, saving throw, or caster level check. Creatures with hit dice less than your level must also make a will save in the first round of combat; those who succeed are shaken for 1 round, while those who fail are frightened for 1 minute (this is a fear effect).
Creatures who attack or are attacked by you more than 1 minute per bard level after hearing the performance suffer no ill effect.
17th level: A foe need only hear you perform for three rounds for the anthem to take effect.
Disharmonic Rending:
You let forth a ghastly, screeching swarm of sound in this grand and overt display of power. This effect deals 1 point of sonic damage per bard level per round to your target, with no saving throw. Creatures must also make a fortitude save each round that they take damage or suffer 1 point of constitution damage.
This power may instead be focused on an object or section of object of up to gargantuan size, which (in addition to taking damage) must save each round or have its hardness reduced by 1. An object whose hardness is reduced to -1 shatters, but otherwise, the hardness returns at a rate of 1 per round (as the reverberations within the object slowly die down).
17th level: The effects of a failed save become 2 points of constitution damage (or 2 points of hardness reduction).
Inspire Greatness (mind-affecting):
You deliver a mighty speech which instills an epic sense of purpose in those who hear. This is usually done immediately before an important battle, as it requires you to perform undisturbed for five rounds while your allies listen and take heart in your words. Once this is done, the affected creatures (up to five per bard level) gain these benefits for one minute per bard level, even if they leave your presence.
A creature inspired with greatness gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target's Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependent. You may only inspire greatness in a given creature once per day.
17th level: You need only perform for three rounds to inspire greatness.
Ostinato of Unraveling:
This harsh, pounding arcane song is used to undo magical effects. While it is in effect you may dispel magic as the spell once per round (this is a free action on your turn). Alternately, by performing for 3 consecutive rounds, you may instead duplicate the spell break enchantment (while it is technically possible to do this in combat, you must choose the target on the round you begin performing).
17th level: This effect acts as greater dispel magic instead of dispel magic. Additionally, by performing for 10 rounds you can duplicate the spell disjunction.
At 17th and 20th level, the bard may choose from among the following ultimate songs.
Aria of Life:
You call out to a recently-slain friend with an unearthly song so enchantingly lovely that they are lured back to the mortal coil.
This song is targeted on a deceased creature who has been dead for no longer than one minute. After performing for one full round, roll a perform check (DC = their negative hitpoints); if successful, the target returns to life and must attempt a fortitude save at the same DC.
A target who fails this save is bound to life only for as long as you keep performing. They are restored to 0 hitpoints but lose 1 hitpoint per round and prove utterly immune to any healing or stabilizing spells. You must succeed at a perform check (DC = their negative hitpoints) every round or else they perish. Nevertheless, for as long as your song holds them they are able to act as if alive; conversing, doing battle, or simply saying goodbye.
A target who succeeds at their fortitude save is restored fully to life as if by the spell raise dead. If their hitpoints are later reduced to below the negative of their constitution while you are still performing the aria of life, they do not die but are instead bound to life as above for as long as you keep playing.
In either event, the target cannot be affected by this song again for one week.
Ballad of Brutality:
You crush your victim’s soul beneath a barrage of eloquent savagery and perfect viciousness. The target must make a will save every round, suffering 2 negative levels should they fail and 1 negative level should they succeed.
Deathly Sublimity (death, mind-affecting):
You assail your victim with a melody of such transcendent and terrible beauty that he may perish of joy or sorrow.
This song must be played for three rounds to take full affect. On the first round, the target is unaffected.
On the second round, the target must succeed at a will save or be dazed for 1 round.
On the third round the target must make both a fortitude and a will save. If the target fails both saves he dies, while if he succeeds at both he is staggered for 1d4 rounds and the bard cannot use deadly performance on him again for 24 hours.
A creature who succeeds at one save but not the other does not die but is staggered for this turn, and must make a fortitude and a will save each round that the bard continues to play until he either resists or succumbs fully as described above. Creatures killed by Deathly Sublimity who are then resurrected rarely choose to come back to life.
Serenade of Fate:
You exalt the target of your song with such resounding grandeur that fortune gives way before him. The target rolls twice and takes the more favorable result on all die rolls, including but not limited to d20 rolls. For damage rolls and other single sums containing multiple die the target should roll all die involved once, then roll all die again and take the higher total value.
Spells:
As in Pathfinder, except that bards gain 1 less spell known of each level (I think bards should have a few tricks up their sleeves, but they should never rival the sorcerer as mages, even at 1st level).
Panache (ex)
While not exactly seasoned warriors, bards do have a knack for flashy or elaborate techniques which take advantage of their daring and showmanship.
At first level, a bard may add his charisma bonus to his CMB and CMD against all intelligent foes (those not immune to mind-affecting effects). He also gains a bonus feat from the following list: Catch Off-guard, Combat Expertise, Dazzling Display, Dodge, Improved Disarm, Improved Fient, Improved Trip, Intimidating Prowess, Throw Anything, Weapon Focus
At 8th level, a bard treats his BAB derived from bard levels as equal to his level when determining his CMB and CMD, and may choose a bonus feat from the above list or one of the following: Greater Disarm, Greater Feint, Greater Trip, Shatter Defenses, Wind Stance
At 14th level a bard may attempt any standard-action maneuver as an immediate action (not provoking an attack of opportunity) against any foe that he hits with a melee attack, and may choose a bonus feat from a previous list or one of the following (even if he does not yet meet the BAB prerequisites): Deadly Stroke, Improvised Weapon Mastery, Lightning Stance
Bardnotes (su)
A bardnote is a supernatural ability which a bard may use during any round that he is employing bardic music (including the round that he starts a song). These simple tricks are easy to perform because they are woven seamlessly into the greater magic of his music, often representing improvisational elements added to a well-practiced song.
Using a bardnote is a move action until 12th level. A bard of 12th level or higher may use a note that he knows as a swift action, or he may use the greater version of that note as a move action. At 19 level even greater notes become a swoft action. Regardless, a bard may only use one note per round. All bardnotes affect a single target unless stated otherwise. All bardnotes are sonic effects. Aside for screaming sword, screaming shield and note of ensorcellment, all are mind-affecting effects.
A 3rd level bard knows 2 notes. They learn an additional note every 3 levels thereafter.
Beat of Swiftness: The target gains a +20 enhancement bonus to their base speed (whether flying, swimming, etc) for 1 round. Greater Note: The bonus becomes +40.
Beckon: The target of this note must succeed at a will save (DC = 10 + your bard level + your charisma modifier) or be compelled to seek out and attack a creature of your choosing for 1 round. If this creature is you, add +2 to the DC. If the target is not already hostile towards this creature the note fails. The target forsakes all other concerns and tries to the best of her abilities to directly harm her foe, but how she attacks is still at her own discretion (for example, she may use ranged weapons or spells). This is a compulsion effect. Greater note: The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus. If the target succeeds in killing or incapacitating her foe the effect ends.
Chime of Warding: Select one ally. This note absorbs the first 4 points of ability damage or ability drain inflicted on the target during the next round. It negates temporary penalties to ability scores (such as a ray of enfeeblement) just as it does ability damage, but only if those penalties are inflicted in the next round. This does not protect against damage or penalties that the target takes on willingly. Greater note: This note absorbs up to 6 points of ability damage or drain, and also up to 1 negative level.
Chord of Grace: The target gains a +2 moral bonus to dexterity for 1 round. Greater note: The bonus becomes +4 Clarion of Freedom: This note removes the held, slowed, or entangled condition from one target and renders him impervious to these conditions for 1 round (this is different from the other “clarion” notes, which only suppress conditions temporarily). If the target is grappled, he may make a free grapple or escape artist check to slip free, using your perform check result if it is higher. Greater Note: This note removes the stunned, paralyzed, or grappled conditions automatically.
Clarion of Sight: The target gains the benefits of a see invisibility spell for 1 round. Additionally, this note may be used to suppress (not cure) the deafened, blind, or dazzled condition for 1 round. Greater note: The target gains the benefits of true seeing for 1 round.
Clarion of Strength: If the target has failed a fortitude save against an ongoing effect during the last round, she may reroll that save to shrug off the effect. Additionally, this note may be used to suppress (not cure) the sickened, staggered, or fatigued condition for 1 round. Greater note: The target adds your charisma bonus to her extra saving throw. This note may also be used to suppress the nauseated or exhausted conditions.
Clarion of Will: If the target has failed a will save against an ongoing effect during the last round, she may reroll that save to shrug off the effect. Additionally, this note may be used to suppress (not cure) the dazed, shaken, or frightened condition for 1 round. Greater note: The target adds your charisma bonus to her extra saving throw. This note may also be used to suppress the charmed, dominated, or panicked conditions.
Countersong: For one round your allies gain a +5 bonus to saves verses sonic and language-dependant effects. Any friendly creature who has already succumbed to a continuous sonic or language-dependant effect is entitled to another saving throw with the +5 bonus. Greater note: In addition, all your allies gain sonic resistance equal to your bard level for 1 round.
Cry of Condemnation: You gravely point out or fulminate furiously against a specific foe, inspiring your friends to strike him down. All your allies gain a +2 moral bonus to attack and damage rolls against the target for 1 round. Greater note: The bonus becomes +4
Defensive Harmony: Select two allies. They each gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC whenever they are adjacent. This bonus lasts for a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus. Greater note: The bonus becomes +2
Echo of Ensorcellment: This renders a creature more vulnerable to magic, imposing a -2 penalty to all saves vs. spells or supernatural abilities and a -2 penalty to spell resistance for 1 round. Greater Note: The penalty to spell resistance becomes -5.
Offensive Harmony: Select two allies. They each gain a +1 circumstance bonus to attack rolls when attacking a foe that the other threatens. This bonus lasts for a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus. Greater note: The bonus becomes +2
Peal of Triumph: This note must be used on a target who has succeed at a fortitude, reflex, or will save in the last round. The target gains a +4 moral bonus to saves of the same type for a number of rounds equal to your charisma bonus. Greater note: All your allies gain the save bonus, as long as at least one of them has succeeded at a save of the same type.
Ring of Inspiration: The target gains a +2 moral bonus to intelligence, wisdom and charisma for 1 round. Greater note: The bonus becomes +4
Screaming Blade: This note cloaks an ally’s weapon with disharmonic energy, dealing 1 point of sonic damage per bard level to the next creature damaged by that weapon. If the weapon fails to land a hit before the start of your next turn the note is wasted. Greater note: Every attack made with the weapon in the next round deals this additional damage, but no more than once against any given foe.
Screaming Shield: This note wards the target with disharmonic energy, dealing 1 point of sonic damage per bard level to the next creature who damages her in melee. If no one damages her before the start of your next turn the note is wasted. Greater note: The screaming shield triggers against all enemies who strike the target (but no more than once against any given foe).
Thrum of Might: The garget gains a +2 moral bonus to strength for 1 round. Greater note: The bonus becomes +4
Break Silence (su)
A bard of 4th level or higher within an area of magical silence may attempt a will save (against the spell’s normal DC) as a swift action in order to end the effect. A permanent silence effect (such as one generated by a magic item or a magical creature) is instead suppressed for 2d6 rounds. At 11th level a bard does not need to roll a saving throw (he succeeds automatically).
Lore Mastery (ex)
Whenever a bard rolls a natural 9 or lower on a knowledge check, treat it as if he had rolled a 10.
Harmony (su)
A bard of 15th level or higher may perform two different bard songs at once. Starting the second song is a standard action. It requires a move action every round thereafter to continue and consumes two effective rounds of bardic music per round.
The bard may end the second song at any time (and still continue the first one) by simply not taking a move action to sustain it. In fact, the bard may choose to end either song; it doesn’t matter which he started first.
Symphony (su)
A 20th level bard’s mastery of arcane music runs so deep that he may perform two songs as easily as one. This functions as the harmony class feature, except that the second song requires no extra actions to start or maintain.
Starting a new song (after ending one of his previous songs) is a swift action, but a bard who ends both songs at once must wait until his next turn and restart the performance as normal.
Thanks for reading, and any comments are highly appreciated.
It's reached the point where I don't even look at screen names. If it's a guy with a helmet, I automatically expect to read a pro-oldschool/anti-radical-changes point of view.
I'm not the most observant chap, so I may be missing something obvious (or may be overlooking a general rule that's listed elsewhere), but I can't find any mention of hardness or hitpoints under the magic weapon or magic armor sections. Or anywhere else, for that matter.
This may be something that's just not in the SRD, as the magic item overview mentions a hardness/HP entry for specific magic items, but I can't seem to find any items that actually have that entry.
I didn't much like the beta version of cleave. If you're denying the user a full-attack, AND you are requiring that their first attack hits in order for them to get any benefit, then the requirement for enemies to be adjacent seemed very prohibitive. It very uncommon in my experience for anyone to cluster together like that unless tight quarters force them to.
But I figured, what the heck. Bodyguards stand beside spellcasters, and large groups of enemies have no choice but to cluster. And 10-foot corridors are pretty common. Maybe I'd wait and see it in play.
Then I read the final version. -2 AC?
Really?
Was that necessary?
I've read the old thread in archives, and the fact that cleave doesn't stack with any other "attack action" powers (effectively being a standard action of its own) doesn't help my opinion. Honestly, I would like to believe that this is balanced because I'm trying to trim down my houserules document, but it looks pretty crappy on paper. I just can't see why they wasted 18 words tacking an extra, awkward penalty onto a mediocre feat.
Any thoughts? Anyone who's gotten a chance to use it in play yet?
These houserules were written ages ago for 3.5, but as pathfinder has done nothing to improve metamagic I'm going to go right ahead and shuffle them into my 3.P game.
Feedback welcome. In particular, the fact that "widen spell" is listed as a +3(!) adjustment on the Pathfinder srd makes me scratch my head- is there some huge broken-ness there that most of us just never saw, or is it a typo?
GROUND RULE CHANGES:
-All metamagic spells are treated as spells of the level used to cast them.
Basically, I'm applying "heighten spell" to everything automatically.
-A caster cannot regain a slot used to cast a spell while that spell is still in effect. Spells with durations of "permanent", as self-sustaining effects, are not subject to this limitation.
Avoids Extended Spell cheese, while still allowing some casters to drop multi-day spells.
THE FEATS:
Componentless Spell [metamagic]
Benefit:
Your spells do not require inexpensive arcane material or divine focus components. Spells with costly material or focus components still require them. This use of metamagic does not increase the level of the spell.
In addition, you can silence or still your spells. A silenced spell can be cast with no verbal components and takes up a slot one level higher than its actual level. A stilled spell can be cast with no somatic components and takes up a slot one level higher than its actual level. If you wish, you can silence and still the same spell- such a spell takes up a slot two levels higher than its actual level.
Special: bard spells cannot be silenced.
Because Silence Spell, Still Spell, and Eschew Components just generally aren't worth it by themselves. Arcana Evolved's Psion feat is still much better than this, and while Psion is one of the better feats in the system it's hardly a must-have. Yea, I know, "Componentless Spell" is a bad name. Also, do you think it's alright to let the cleric ditch his holy symbol?
Enlarge Spell [metamagic]
Benefit:
You can enlarge your spells. An enlarged spell increases all of it's distance parameters- including range, radius, maximum distance between two targets, etc.- by 100% for every spell level between the spell's actual level and the level of the spell slot used to power it. In general, any time a spell references a distance measured in feet, that distance is increased.
Enlarge Spell and Widen Spell, rolled into one feat, with most of the arbitrary restrictions pulled out. Then again, maybe those restrictions aren't arbitrary. Maybe I'm missing something, maybe I screwed up by removing them. Any thoughts?
Extend Spell [Metamagic]
Benefit:
You can extend your spells. An extended spell lasts longer than normal. For ever spell level between the spell's actual level and the level of the slot used to power it, increase its durration one step along the following table:
- 1 round/level
- 2 rounds/level
- 1 minute/level
- 10 minutes/level
- 1 hour/level
- 2 hours/level
For example, a Summon Monster II spell (which normally lasts 1 round per level) cast as a third level spell would last 2 rounds per level. If cast as a sixth level spell, it would last for 1 hour per level.
For spells with durations that aren't dependant on level, or spells with durations greater than 2 hours per level, increase its duration by 100% (or by an additional 100%) for each spell level added. A spell with a duration of concentration, instantaneous, or permanent cannot be extended.
For tactical-scale, 1 round/level spells, the duration is doubled. For long-term, 1 hour/level spells, the duration is doubled. But I've allowed for compound extending and increased the speed at which durations increase between those extremes to make it feasable to turn tactical-scale spells into long-terms spells. Using all-day summon monsters for guard duty or recon is what I'm going for here.
Heighten Spell [metamagic]
Benefit:
You can heighten your spells. A heightened spell gain +1 spell power (+1 to save dc and caster level checks to overcome spell resistance) for every two spell levels between the spell's normal level and the level of the slot used to cast it.
"+1 spell power" is powerful, but not too powerful, even considering that the DC automatically scales. A heightened chain lightning or freezing sphere still isn't as good as horrid wilting most of the time. I can see 17th level casters dropping heightened (x4) charm person spells for +4 to the save DC and penetration check, but considering that you could use an 8th level slot to cast mass charm monster and have it last days rather than hours...
Dispelling touch School abjuration; Level bard 1, cleric 1, druid 2, paladin 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range touch
Target or area creature or object
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This spell functions as dispel magic, except as listed above. This spell cannot be used to counterspell.
Dispel Magic School abjuration; Level bard 2, cleric 2, druid 3, paladin 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (50 ft. + 5 ft./level)
Target or area one spellcaster, creature, or object
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You can use dispel magic to end one ongoing spell that has been cast on a creature or object, or to counter another spellcaster's spell. A dispelled spell ends as if its duration had expired. Some spells, as detailed in their descriptions, can't be defeated by dispel magic. Dispel magic can dispel (but not counter) spell-like effects just as it does spells. The effect of a spell with an instantaneous duration can't be dispelled, because the magical effect is already over before the dispel magic can take effect.
You choose to use dispel magic in one of two ways: a targeted dispel or a counterspell.
Targeted Dispel: One object, creature, or spell is the target of the spell. You make one dispel check (1d20 + your caster level) and compare that to the spell with highest caster level, or the highest spell level if multiple spells are in effect at the same caster level (DC = 11 + the spell's caster level). If successful, that spell ends. If not, compare the same result to the spell with the next highest caster level. Repeat this process until you have dispelled one spell affecting the target, or you have failed to dispel every spell.
You can also use dispel magic to specifically end one spell affecting the target or one spell affecting an area (such as a wall of fire). You must name the specific spell effect to be targeted in this way. If your caster level check is equal to or higher than the DC of that spell, it ends. No other spells or effects on the target are dispelled if your check is not high enough to end the targeted effect.
If you target an object or creature that is the effect of an ongoing spell (such as a monster summoned by summon monster), you make a dispel check to end the spell that conjured the object or creature.
You automatically succeed on your dispel check against any spell that you cast yourself.
Counterspell: When dispel magic is used in this way, the spell targets a spellcaster and is cast as a counterspell. Unlike a true counterspell, however, dispel magic may not work; you must make a dispel check to counter the other spellcaster's spell.
Dispel Area School abjuration; Level bard 3, cleric 3, druid 4, paladin 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target or area 20-foot-radius burst
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This spell functions as dispel magic, except that it can be used to target multiple creatures. Roll one dispel check and apply that check to each creature within the area, as if targeted by dispel magic. For each object within the area that is the target of one or more spells, apply the dispel check as with creatures.
For each ongoing area or effect spell whose point of origin is within the radius of the dispel area, apply the dispel check to end the spell. For each ongoing spell whose area overlaps that of the dispel area, apply the dispel check to end the effect, but only within the overlapping area.
You may use dispel area to target a specific spell within the area just as with dispel magic, in which case you check only against the specified spell. This may allow you to end the effects of one spell on multiple creatures or objects within the area, but not multiple castings of the same spell (even if by the same caster).
Focused Dispel School abjuration; Level bard 3, cleric 3, druid 4, paladin 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target or area one spellcaster, creature, or object
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This spell functions as dispel magic, but it can remove multiple spells or temporarily suppress the magical abilities of a magic item.
If cast on a creature or object, focused dispel can dispel one spell for every four caster levels you possess, starting with the highest level spells and proceeding to lower level spells.
If the object that you target is a magic item, you make a dispel check against the item's caster level (DC = 11 + the item's caster level). If you succeed, all the item's magical properties are suppressed for 1d4 rounds, after which the item recovers its magical properties. A suppressed item becomes nonmagical for the duration of the effect. An interdimensional opening (such as a bag of holding) is temporarily closed. A magic item's physical properties are unchanged: A suppressed magic sword is still a sword (a masterwork sword, in fact). Artifacts and deities are unaffected by mortal magic such as this.
If an object or creature that is the effect of an ongoing spell (such as a monster summoned by summon monster) is the target, apply the dispel check to end the spell that conjured that object or creature (returning it whence it came) in addition to attempting to dispel one spell targeting the creature or object.
Likewise, if a magic item under the effects of one or more spell is the target, apply the dispel check to suppress that magic item in addition to attempting to dispel one spell targeting it.
Counterspell: This spell functions like dispel magic, except that you gain a +2 bonus to your caster level check to counter the other spellcaster’s spell.
Articulate Dispel Area School abjuration; Level bard 4, cleric 4, druid 5, paladin 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target or area 60-foot-radius burst
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This spell functions as dispel area, except that it affects a wider area and grants the caster greater control. The caster may designate up to one creature or object per two levels who is to go unaffected by the dispel area. Alternately, he may choose up to one target per two levels and designate them as the only ones affected by the spell (leaving all other spells in the area unaffected).
Regardless, you may also specifically exclude one spell from this spell’s effect. You must name the specific spell to be avoided in this way.
Articulate Greater Dispel School abjuration; Level bard 6, cleric 6, druid 7, sorcerer/wizard 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target or area 60-foot-radius burst
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This spell functions as greater dispel magic, except that the caster may freely choose which spells to attempt to remove and which spells to leave unaffected.
You must be able to name specific spell effects to be targeted or excluded. By default, effects that you do not name are potentially dispelled (depending on your dispel check and caster level). However, when casting the spell you may instead choose to leave such unknown effects alone, rather than attempting to dispel them. You may even vary this decision from one target to the next.
For example, suppose the area contains the caster, two allies, a summoned celestial triceratops and four enemies. The caster chooses to target no spells on himself, and only targets the bestow curse affecting one of his allies (leaving all the beneficial spells on his party intact). Against his foes, he chooses to target all spells except for the dominate monster spell that he cast last round. He does not dispel his summoned triceratops, but does try to dispel the confusion spell affecting it. Finally, he decides that any other spells in the area (including any magical traps that he doesn’t know about) will be targets of his dispel check.
This spell follows the normal rules for determining which spells are affected first (those with the highest caster level and spell level).
Clinging Dispel School abjuration; Level sorcerer/wizard 7
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target or area one spellcaster, creature, or object, or a 20-foot radius burst
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw will (see text); Spell Resistance no
This spell functions as greater dispel magic, except that it allows you to roll a new dispel check every round.
If cast on an area, the area is purged of magic once per round for the duration just as if you had cast greater dispel magic on that area.
If cast on a creature or object, this spell purges all magical effects on the target once per round, as with the target version of greater dispel magic. If used to counterspell, clinging dispel attempts a dispel check (at a +4 bonus) to counterspell the first spell cast by the target every round. In either case, a will save prevents the effect from recurring (but does not prevent the first dispel check).
A single casting of clinging dispel does not dispel itself, but it can be dispelled by other effects as easily as any other spell.
Sorry, I'm still relying on the SRD at the moment and I can't find counterspelling anywhere. None of the references are hyperlinked and a quick wordsearch of the "magic", "combat", "additional rules" and "glossary" chapters yeilds nothing.
Nimble Moves seems really weak. Acrobatic steps would be mediocre even if it didn’t require Nimble Moves.
Arcana Unearthed had a feat that granted +10 movement all the time (and which, as an adjustment to base speed, was multiplied on a run/charge); Acrobatic Steps grants +10 speed only when there is 15 feet or more of difficult terrain to move through.
Even the underpowered 3.5 version of that feat- I forget what WoTC called it- granted a +5 bonus with no strings attached.
This seems unfortunate because it looks like a feat that COULD have been really cool, but they were too cautious with a new and creative ability even though it’s virtually impossible to abuse.
On the other hand, the ability to 5-foot step into difficult terrain has some tactical appeal (and it was good writing to call that boon out explicitly). Still, it doesn’t look like enough to take a feat for from where I’m sitting, and my players throw a lot of entangle around. Is this where the real power of the feat lies, and I’m just not realizing it?
So, in my world, one of the (if not the) major players are the world's fey/fairies. Among these fey were once the elves, the most talented craftsmen of the fairy people, who grew so good at the making things of beauty that they eventually created life.
Elves created the dragons. Much later they went on to make much more horrible things and were banished from the fairyworld for their sin, corrupted by the power of creation, but dragons were the first (and thus untainted) creation. The race of dragons was in its infancy beloved and spoiled by the fey people. When they began manifesting their wills flawlessly in the form of sorcery the fey rejoiced and mimmicked them (for fey, ultimately, are shadow-creatures, their existence a facsimile of nature, of human culture, of anything else that impresses itself upon them), and have favored their own feyish breed of sorcery ever since.
Much later humans would discover sorcery and learn from it, dismantling and distilling its core principles and building upon them the tradition of wizardry, and from there spread the myriad other magical traditions which we know today.
So, that's how I've got things worked out so far in my game. The only problem I see is that I don't know how to explain bloodlines other than "dragon" and "fey".
Celestials aren't sorcerous. Demons and devils aren't sorcerous. Elementals aren't sorcerous. Etc, etc. I want to USE these bloodlines (even if they're much less common) because they kick ass, but I'm having trouble explaining how a human with ANY non-human ancestor could potentially be a sorceror.
"Laughing Touch (Su): At 1st level, you can cause a creature
to burst out laughing for 1 round as a melee touch attack.
A laughing creature can only take a move action and can
defend itself normally. Once a creature has been affected
by laughing touch, it is immune to its effects for 1 day."
1.) Can this be delivered using an unarmed strike, like a touch spell? Nothing in the text seems to preclude that.
2.) Does this ability require a standard action to use (again like a touch spell), or is it simply an attack action, which can be used with iterative attacks or attacks of opportunity?
I've never much liked this, even with the chance it has of wrecking your character. Disjunction should be able to destroy an artifact only if the artifact's description says it can be destroyed by disjunction.
You know what I hate? I hate that, in 3.5, a rogue2/fighter2 has different stats than a fighter2/rogue2.
Specifically, like 24 more skill points but 2 less hitpoints. Man that used to drive me up a wall, especially when one class has the same skills but more hitpoints (like a wizard/fighter; first level should be fighter), or more of both (barbarian/fighter; first level should be barbarian).
It's just so cheesy. And if you start wizard then pick up a rogue level it's a tiny, nagging penalty that's going to be with you for the rest of the game.
We've done away with the x4 skillpoints shenanigans, which was half the problem, but because we still maximize hitpoints it's still better for multiclassed characterst to start with warrior-type levels.
Can we perhaps just roll (or take average) normally at first level, with some other factor (static bonus, race-based bonus, there were plenty of suggestions in that sidebar) making up the difference?
Or, better yet, a use of the Spellcraft skill so that magical monsters can do it too?
Please?
The PCs have no way to get rid of an ongoing spell effect if they're below 5th or 7th level (or if they don't have a dedicated caster around, or if no one remembers to prepare it), and I find that there are many times when they're expected to. Not the least of which being when a villian drops a high-powered enchantment spell or a long-lasting debuff on the party.
Okay, I like Protection from evil, and I like Magic Circle Against Evil (and chaos, law, good). They're nice, iconic effects and staples of alignment-based magic.
I can even handle the +2 to attacks and saves at first level. In fact, I would even be for changing the bonus types or having them scale so they're still good spells at higher levels.
But making the subject completely immune to one school of magic and the majority of another is a bit much. This has been called the most broken spell in 3.5, and I was surprised that 3.P did nothing to address it.
In my opinion, the bard has always played fairly well at lower levels, with his mediocre combat ability, second-tier spellcasting and impressive assortment of skills. Others may disagree, but we can all agree that he sucks at higher levels, as his spellcasting and combat ability all lag more and more.
Here, it appears that this has been fixed by giving the bard offensive/debuff abilities that let him crush every mind within 30 feet 1/day/level.
It... definitely works. Some of those abilities are wicked. The save DCs are going to be extremely high (being tied to a skill essentially means +1/level rather than +1/2 levels). The baseline is 35-55 (depending on the d20 roll) at level 20, just accounting for 23 ranks and a beefy CHA score (i.e, not accounting for skill feats, magical enhancements to the perform skill, or miscellanious twinkery)*.
Considering this, I think that a level 20 power that kills everything within 30 feet (again, 1/day/level) might be just a bit much.
Asside for that, this class appears mostly balanced, but I'm still not sure I like it. His roll in the party shifts dramatically from low to high levels, from the handy fifth-wheel at low levels, to a decent buff machine that turns into a brain-toasting psionic superweapon whenever you encounter foes susceptable to/unprotected from bardic music.
I'm a fan of FR-style bards (i.e, how they're depicted in 'Realms fiction). The "heroe's hero"; clever, adaptable, compitent, well-rounded and capable of handling herself in any situation. Some of my favorite fixed include giving him a fighte'rs BAB, elective "bard abilities" (including SA, fighter bonus feats, and all sorts of goodies), or a top-tier spell progression reigned in by the same sharply-limited spell list.
The BAB boost (combined with full martial weapon access kicking in a bit later) was my own quick-and-dirty fix, and it worked out alright. It gives him a nice swash-buckly feel, though I don't think it would improve his actual power much beyond level 10.
But I realize others might like the changes for the same reason I dislike them: they take the focus off of the bard's second-best spellcasting, second-best combat ability and second-best skill proficiency in order to focus on bardic music, the one thing that makes the bard unique. I like my bardic music as a side dish, but YMMV.
Specifics: I dislike Bardic Knowledge because it makes bards better at a field than another person specialized in that field. Even if you're a wizard with Skill Focus (knowledge[arcana]), the bard knows more than you about magic (unless he has been taking half-max-ranks or less). I always thought the point of Bardic Knowledge was bredth of knowledge, not depth.
I like it because it's simple, it isn't vague, and it works.
Does Lore Master let him retry a knowledge check that he has already failed?
I don't know if Inspire Courage scales fast enough at mid/high levels to compare with the bard's powerful enchantment/debuff powers. It's weird the way the scaling slows down.
Sorry if some of this has been hashed, rehashed and necrohashed already. Typing it was good for my thought process, at least.
On one hand, I can't help but note that 1 round of rage is by far the most powerful thing you can do with a rage point. Start throwing in other powers and you start burning away your rage pool at an alarming rate; you can't tie your shoes without spending two of them.
On the other hand, your barbarian is going to get a TON of ragepoints. It's not long before he's able to rage every round of every fight and still not use them all. Plus, some of those powers are so handy (or cool) that it would take a lot of willpower for the standard player to conserve his points.
What I forsee is seasoned players relying on their standard rage for most fights to save ragepoints until the climactic encounters in which they really need them.. at which point they fly into a deeper level of rage (fists a-flaming, teeth a-gnashing, crits a-confirming). I kind of like that. But the idea that 1d6 points of damage is worth the same as 8 rounds of rage takes some getting used to.
Giving him a more fluid resource (one which he CAN burn through in just a few rounds) also makes the barbarian feel less like a fighter, who can just keep plucking away with full-attacks until his HP run out. He has to manage his resources or he's going to burn out just like a wizard does. Again, a noticable change, but a nice one. It occurred to me while I was writing this why rage powers are so expensive- as an alternative to having a cap on uses per round.
"Yea kid, you can burn every point you have right here and now, but it'd be a pretty reckless move."
Perfect fit for the class.
I don't know how much of a "nova" (burn all your resources at once to kill everything) effect his rage points will have, but I suspect that each rage power only being usable once per round should be enough of a restriction.
The changes to rage really change how the class plays, but I like the changes. Overall I come away with the impression that the barbarian didn't get as much of a boost as the fighter, but he also didn't need it as much.
Specifics:
I like the shield and medium armor proficiency (and usability with fast movement). Some will say it breaks theme (because lightly armored barbarians aren't as viable now) but in my experience too may barbarians just took 2 fighter levels anyway, and having less proficiencies to gain from that helps.
Elemental rage made me double-take, but I guess the idea of all classes being a bit magical has crept further and further into the game, and since it's an elective you aren't muddying up anyone's non-magical archetypes.
Surprise Accuracy either looks too good or under valued. 4 rage points for a bonus equal to your level on one attack, when +1d6 elemental damage for the round costs 8? +1 to the attack per rage point spent (with a cap equal to level) sounds fair to me; actually, it would still be a bit of a bargain.
Don't like Quick Reflexes. I might spend the 4 rage points to make the attack if I already had that power, but I wouldn't spend one of my precious rage abilities on that power when I can just take Combat Reflexes instead. Yea, yea, not every barb qualifies for Combat Reflexes, but I still don't think this'll see much use.
I like the array of "extra attack" and defensive powers but I wish there were more "HULK SMASH"-type abilities to match them. Charging in and dealing a ton of damage with one blow is both fun and iconic for a barb. but there aren't many options for that here, which is surprising.
That barbarian bite is an awesome power, but please change the flavor to be less specific. The image of Krusk chewing on a beholder made me laugh out loud but it's also somewhat hard to take seriously.
At high levels, post-rage exhaustion can last forever. Using all your rage powers every round, it isn't hard to burn the lion's share of your rage points in one fight, after which it could take you ten minutes or more to catch your breath.
*cough* *pant* *wheeeeeze*
At least this goes away at level 17
Trap sense continues to strike me as a weird and unfitting power, but it's been there since 3.0, and doesn't greatly affect class balance one way or the other. Whatev.
I assume it's based on the idea of parties sending the barbarian ahead to find traps or ambushes for them (using his face).
Newbie here. I just downloaded the Alpha 3 this evening; for the most part, I liked everything I saw, but when I got to the feats chapter I just had to close the pdf and give it a rest.
It appears that the majority of fighter feats are now (Combat) feats. It also appears that only one combat feat can be used at a time. In otherwords, you cannot use Cleave and Dodge in the same round.
I think I'm missreading something. If so, hey, that's what messageboards are there for.
If not, though.. I don't understand how this change is anything but destructive..
I haven't played many fighters, but based on my experience, it usually goes something like this.
A fighter takes Power Attack and Cleave. They both serve him well, enough that he invests in Great Cleave as well. However, he finds himself coming under a lot of fire jumping into enemy gangs, so he picks up Dodge to help keep himself alive. Having already gone that far, he later splurges on Mobolity and thus earns access to Spring Attack. He finds that the potential for a cleave makes his single attack from Spring Attack much more worthwhile; letting him leap into a gang (relying on Dodge and Mobility to resist the AoOs that get through), tear up as many mooks as he can kill with one swing, and then get out before they strike back. He finds himself falling into a nice comphy nitch with his party- enemies are chasing him around angrily while his friends set up powerful spell combos, and his feats let him fight back while staying out of the way of allied fire. Later on, he reads about a new feat that would grant him concealment as long as he moves in a round . . .
Etc. etc. That's the beauty of playing a fighter: every feat you take makes every other feat you've taken slightly better. "Fighting styles" develop from high-synergy clusters of feats. If the lion's share of feats don't play nice with eachother, though, then that is no longer the case.
Why are we changing this?
And why, exactly, are we still giving the fighter 11 extra feats if he can only use a couple at a time?
