House Rule #1
Perception will be an Intelligence based Skill!
Sense Motive as a skill is replaced by (and becomes a use of) a new Skill called
Intuition which is a Wisdom based Skill
You can use both these skills untrained
Intuition is a Class Skill* for all Divine Magic using classes, Fighters, Monks, Cavaliers, Samurai, and Barbarians
Perception is a Class Skill* for all Arcane Magic using classes, Rogues, Inquisitors, Alchemists, Gunslingers, and Ninjas
*Not all listed Classes are available in this adventure
Both Skills can be used to collect information about what the Characters are experiencing, and for the most part will reveal the same kinds of information, but you might get to that information in a different way depending on which skill you rely on. You can always choose to use both skills in any situation when you think you need to, but
HERE is the catch!
You must choose one skill to use first, and then wait for the results of that skill check before you use the other
So either you rely on Perception first, followed by Intuition, or Intuition first followed by Perception (if you want to use both skills)
A failure or success on the first can affect the second, so be careful of your choices (an abysmal Perception roll can adversely affect your intuition, and vice versa)
Perception will tell your character what he/she can deduce based upon the “smarts” you have and what you see, hear, smell, touch, or taste. It tells your character that what he/she perceives IS what it appears to be. It can even clue you in as to how “hurt” a monster is in a combat situation. You can usually detect a hidden foe through perception.
Intuition will tell your character what he/she feels is “up with” any particular situation based on your characters past experiences and a gut feeling that something IS NOT what it appears to be. You can usually avoid being surprised by a hidden foe through your intuition.
Remember, Sense Motive is now what you do with the Intuition Skill, so if you want to be able to Sense Motives, put a rank into Intuition. If you have a class ability or racial ability that modifies Sense Motive, you retain that modifier, but only in situations when you are using Sense Motive, and not with every Intuition Roll.
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House Rule #2
Familiars and Bonded Objects
In this campaign, each character begins the adventure with a familiar (and all standard rules for familiars apply) AND a special Bonded Object. There are changes to the rules on how Bonded Objects and Familiars work.
Familiars: If your Familiar is lost (killed or destroyed, not dismissed) you must make a percentile roll (d100). If the results is >Comeliness you lose a number of Hit Points equal to your Level +1. This is a PERMENANT Hit Point Loss, and I ask that you keep track of this loss if it occurs.
You can replace a lost familiar only through a spell. This is a First Level Spell called “Summon Familiar”
Summon Familiar:
School Universal; Level 1
Casting Time 1 hour
Component V, S, M (10 -1000 gpv + Unique Component)
Range
Target Materials
Duration Permanent
Saving Throw none
A Character able to summon a Familiar must supply Material Components worth no less than 10 gold pieces (to a maximum of 1,000 gold piece value) plus one of the following Unique Components
A drop of the Caster’s Blood
A Mechanical Action (this is a box with a wind up spring and key)
A Topper Enthaldynomometer (this is a small, somewhat magical, Steam Engine, it is very small, and requires a regular supply of water)
A Piezo-Magicorum Necromechanisim
The basic materials will define the shape (appearance) of the Familiar and the Unique Object will set the physical properties of the Familiar as follows
A Drop of the caster’s blood, will create a Living (normal) Familiar
A Mechanical Action will create clockwork familiars that behave and resemble normal familiars in every way, but gain resistance to Cold (5), vulnerable to Electrical, and suffer a -1 intelligence modifier.
A Topper Enthaldynomometer will create a living/clockwork familiar. This familiar is similar to a normal familiar in every way, but gains resistance to cold (5) and is not affected by channeling negative energy to do damage to living creatures.
A Piezo-Magicorum Necromechanisim is an extremely rare crystal and mechanical action that has been enchanted with negative energy. It produces a familiar similar to a living/clockwork familiar, but this familiar also gains SR 10, DR B/S 5, and also suffers from being adversely affected by spells or affects that utilize positive energy (this familiar takes permanent hit point loss damage equal to the level of the spell or ability used if it is the subject of such an effect and half this amount, rounded down, if it is in the area of such a spell or effect)
When this spell is cast, the caster rolls percentile dice, and if the results is < the character’s Comeliness Attribute, the character gains (Permanently) hit points equal to 1 + the caster’s level +d4 hit points.
When the Familiar is created it adds to the Character’s Comeliness Attribute (whenever the Familiar is prominently displayed, carried on the shoulder or arm, or on a leash). The Bonus to Comeliness is equal to +1 to +50 depending on the cost of basic Material Components Used. This Comeliness Bonus applies to interactions with Necromechadons and Survivors of the City, BUT is not applied in encounters with the Goblin Forces.
Campaign Specific Bonded Object – Each player begins the adventure with a unique Amulet (its exact form and appearance can be decided upon by the Player). This amulet is worn on a leather strap around the neck, and is usually kept concealed. The Bonded Object acts normally (following the normal rules for Bonded Objects) with the following modifications
The Bonded Object relays your location to a scrying device (the exact nature of this device, and where, on the property of the school it is kept, is unknown to you)
When you prepare spells, any spell you prepare can be “backed up” by the amulet (this replaces the ability for a Bonded Object to allow the caster to cast any spell in their spell book)
The Amulet is “Bonded” to one of your Abilities (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma). Once per day the Amulet can be used to enhance that ability score for ten minutes. The enhancement is +2 to the Ability score.
If you are separated from the Amulet you lose 2 points (permanently) from that Ability Score and these points cannot be replaced by any means other than the creation of a new Amulet. You have a time limit, measured from the Sunrise of the day you lose the Amulet to the Sunset of the following day in order to recover a lost amulet and avoid this effect.
Normally the exact Ability Score Bonded to the Amulet is determined randomly (roll a d6). However, it is understood that due to the exact nature of the enchantments cast upon the Amulet, some people who are usually considered “unattractive” have a special ability to force the Amulet to Bond to the Ability score of their choice. If your Comeliness score is < 15 you may make a Will Save, the DC is 12, and if you succeed you may choose the Ability Score that the Amulet is Bonded to, or you may choose to force the Amulet to only appear to be Bonded to you (the Amulet relays tracking information based upon your location, but does so with a strange time delay, this has lead the Master’s of the School of Wizardry to have a difficult time identifying Amulets that are faulty in this way, and caused a situation in the school’s history where some students have known about their faulty Amulets and used this to their advantage).
