Frank Ward's page

Thanks for doing this. I like these bullet point reviews.

Regarding my item, you were concerened with "Ugly: Unlimited spell diversity for the owner of the scroll case. Scrolls are not that expensive, now my wizard can cast resurrection and my cleric wish, this is overpowered in the extreme."

This is only true if the spell is on both Arcane and Divine lists. So if a cleric writes a scroll of resurrection, then a witch could use the scroll but a wizard could not. (Aside from the usual Use Magic Device work arounds.)

The goal was to allow the use cure light wounds for bards and dispel magic for clerics dispite being on the wrong kind of scroll. It seems that I should have focused on that and dropped the other stuff. But it seemed appropriate for a god of magic.

Again, thank you for taking the time to look at our items.

Regarding the Siegebreaker cymbals

"I'm not sure why you would need a foe weak to cold iron hanging around."

oops my bad. For some reason I thought the cymbals swap the DR with another creature.

In any case the bard spell Versitile Weapon from the APG changes a weapon's material type.

Any comments or thoughts are very much appreciated. Thanks, folks!

Siegebreaker Cymbals
Aura moderate transmutation and evocation; CL 16th

Slot none; Price 4,100 gp (cold iron or silver, single), 10,100 gp (adamantine, single); Weight 2 lbs.
Description

Etching the perimeters of these burnished masterwork cymbals are metallic runes, inlaid with cold iron, silver, or adamantine. A single cymbal has no magical effects.

When two siegebreaker cymbals of different metals are crashed together—a standard action requiring a DC 19 Perform (percussion) check—the air vibrates jarringly within a 30ft. radius, echoing with clanging steel and ancient battle cries. Creatures in the vibration possessing damage reduction overcome by one cymbal's metal type have the reduction swapped to the other cymbal's metal. The damage reduction's magnitude is unaffected. The area remains centered on the cymbalist.

Creatures may ignore this effect with a Will save, DC equal to the result of the Perform check. Afflicted creatures leaving the area immediately have their damage reduction return to normal, but are shaken for 1 round.

In addition, attacks made within the vibration no longer automatically overcome damage reduction solely on the basis of having enhancement bonuses. (+3 weapons would not automatically bypass cold iron and silver damage reductions, for instance.)

While the vibration normally lasts one round, a bard may further expend rounds of bardic performance to maintain the effect for up to one minute. This requires a standard action each round; otherwise, this functions as a regular bardic performance. When the vibration ends, both cymbals lose their magical properties for one hour. A siegebreaker cymbal may be treated as a weapon for the purpose of align weapon or magic weapon spells cast to modify the type of damage reduction it affects or bestows.
Construction

Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, sculpt...

I like the idea of this item (getting around DR without a golfbag of weapons), but the mechanics don't quite come together for me.

First, activation, they're just cymbals. Why are they so hard to activate? They are also hard to keep active, requiring a standard action every round.

Second the business with +3 weapons (or higher) no longer overcoming DR seems strange comeing from an item that does just that.

Third, the cymballs (presumably) only work if there are two creatures with different DRs to be in the same fight. If there is only one, you should have bought a special material weapon.

Finally, they cost more then those special material weapons (which you still need because they don't elminate DR, just swap it).

Ghoulslayer Gloves

I liked this item. If I found it as part of a treasure hoard I would definitetly keep it. I especially like the no save part. Some people might feel that is overboard, but I feel the cure/inflict spells are weak as attacks anyways.

Nethian Scroll Tube
Aura moderate abjuration and divination; CL 10th
Slot none; Price 11,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description
Constructed from polished ivory and blackened bone this scroll tube enhances and/or destroys any scroll placed into it. The words of the scroll appear on the tube allowing it to be read.

Three times per day the scroll may be heightened to that of a 5th level spell as if by the Heighten Spell feat.

A wizard, magus or alchemist may automatically scribe any arcane spell into her spellbook or formula book, even if from a divine scroll. The inscriber must still pay the full cost (if any) for inks and materials but no Spellcraft roll is needed

Finally, any spellcaster may use the scroll tube to cast a spell on the scroll regardless of it being divine or arcane, provided the spell appears on both arcane and divine spell lists.

Casting a spell with the scroll tube disintegrates that portion of the scroll into white ash. If the user is not a worshipper of Nethys, any remaining spells will disintegrate into black ash. Black ash may be used to create an ink to scribe spells into spellbooks. The value of this ink is equal to the resell value of the destroyed spells on the scroll.

Placing a scroll into the tube is a move action while emptying the tube is a free action or a standard action if you wish to collect the ash and have an appropriate container in hand. In any case, once a scroll has been placed into the scroll tube it must be used (or removed) before sunrise or it will disintegrate into black ash.

Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, Heighten Spell, dispel magic, read magic, must be a worshiper of Nethys; Cost 5500 gp.

Thanks for the responses. I'll post it for critique to find out went horribly wrong.

Whatever your item was, chances are good I saw it:

An alphabetical list of every item I saw this year.

[/thread]

My item is not on that list. I saw it once before the cull.

Did anyone see the Nethian Scrolltube? It's really bothering me that among two marathon voters (myself and Epic Meepo) it was seen once.

Here is a system that I have been tinkering with. First of all it is a bit more complicated so please bear with me. The initial idea is based on the fact (well, my perception anyway) that the current negative hp window is too narrow for the rigors of even mid level play. Even with a successful reflex save a fighter or cleric could take 35 points of damage from a maximized fireball. A CR 5 troll that hits with both claws and rends will do 35 points of damage on average.

As such I have decided to expand the negative hp window to dead at –5 x Strength score. Why strength? I like the way it scales based on size. Also, I view negative hp as where the actual bone breaking, organ rupturing and general meat damage of combat occurs. (I suspect this where I will get the most disagreement for my system.)

(As an aside, I view positive hp as all of those resources that a PC puts into preventing meat damage in the first place.)

There are 5 thresholds; each includes how much damage a PC takes if he tries to anything besides breathing and how quickly he is dying. All checks (DCs) are for Fortitude saves. Optionally, one could use concentration checks for Stay or Regain Consciousness checks.

MW1 is basically somebody hopping around on one foot shouting “I’ve been hurt!” They are actually not hurt that badly and are extremely unlikely to die and only if they don’t receive treatment within 24 hours.

Mortally Wounded 1 (MW1) From 0 hp to –STR hp
 Move actions cause no damage
 Standard actions cause 1 point of damage
 No bleeding damage
 Stay or regain consciousness DC 4
 Death/Stabilization check DC 10 once per day

MW2 is similar to current 3e rules but less dire. A person in this condition could, through force of will, walk a mile or two to get treatment. Similar to a stab wound in non-vital areas.

Mortally Wounded 2 (MW2) From –STR hp to –2x STR hp
 Move actions cause 1 point of damage
 Standard actions cause 1d12 points of damage
 Bleeding damage 1 pt per round (until stabilized)
 Stay or regain consciousness DC 8
 Death/Stabilization check DC 15 once per hour

MW3 is when people get really worried. The victim is likely to be unconscious but can regain consciousness with sufficient willpower. Without treatment/stabilization will slip into MW4 in about a minute. This includes arterial bleeding, minor head wounds and amputations.

Mortally Wounded 3 (MW3) From –2xSTR hp to –3x STR hp
 Move actions cause 1d4 point of damage
 Standard actions cause 2d12 points of damage
 Bleeding damage 2 points per round
 Stay or regain consciousness DC 16
 Death/Stabilization check DC 20 once per 10 minutes

MW4 is very dangerous. The victim requires treatment ASAP and will only stay alive long enough for a trip to the hospital/cleric. This includes major head wounds, ruptured organs, bullet holes in the heart, etc.

Mortally Wounded 4 (MW4) From –3xSTR hp to –4x STR hp
 Move actions cause 1d8 point of damage
 Standard actions cause 3d12 points of damage
 Bleeding damage 1d3 points per round
 Stay or regain consciousness DC 32
 Death/Stabilization check DC 25 once per 1 minute

At MW5, without immediate treatment the victim will die. This is almost, but not quite as bad as being run over by a tank.

Mortally Wounded 5 (MW5) From –4xSTR hp to –5x STR hp
 Move actions cause 1d12 point of damage
 Standard actions cause 4d12 points of damage
 Bleeding damage 1d4 points per round
 Stay or regain consciousness DC 64
 Death/Stabilization check DC 30 once per 1 round

For a weak wizard with a STR of 6 these thresholds are –6, -12, -18, -24, and -30. For a fighter with STR 20 they are –20, -40, -60, -80, and -100. These numbers look big but PCs will want to stay out of the higher levels. Even if a PC doesn’t bleed out, they still have to make Death checks to avoid flat out dying.

Anyways, give it some thought and tell me what you think.

I'll also add Feng Shui, a game that predicates itself on the idea that characters should be doing cool stuff - all the time. And it has cool names for powers like 10,000 Bullets, and "classes" like Science Ninja.

It pretty much includes everything I ever wanted in a RPG: hopping vampires, Chinese sorcerers, cybernetic demons, evil corporations, old west horror and time travel.

It's like Big Trouble in Little China meets Time Bandits.

Also in the Time Travel category are Timemaster and Continuum, both games that actually allow for the idea that you can change history if you really want to and are willing to deal with the consequences.

Lost Souls.

You are a recently deceased person, returned as a ghost. You randomly determine your cause of death and type of ghostly form, plus some background events. Then you try to figure out how to use your ghostly abilities to complete unfinished business and earn good karma so when you are reincarnated, you'll come back as something better than pond scum. And if you are damaged, you lose Will To Live - run out, and you reincarnate immediated (removing you from the game).

Creating characters is a blast. And the action resolution mechanic is pretty ingenious, actually.

I have to second this. It's a great system that challenges you in unexpected ways. For example, being incorporeal means that you can't pick up items, or ride in cars without going to a lot of trouble.

And the character death tables are worth the price of the book alone.

Hey don't get me wrong: I HATE XP COSTS!!!! (really!) ;)

I would choose either:

1) temporary negative levels
2) simply higher Gold costs for creation

I would choose temporary negative levels. Here's why:

The current system (xp cost) has only 1 real effect - for some adventures (but not all) the item crafter fails to have enough xp to go up a level. So, on the next adventure he is a level behind where he should be (effectivly 1 temporary negative level). After that he catches up until this happens again (which may or may not be the next level up).

Actually, there is a second effect, since you can't spend more xp than you have for that level, it does limit the amount of crafting for that level. This rarely comes up because even midlevel PC have more "spare xp" than gold or time.

So, the limits are 1)an occasional temporary negative level and 2)a theoretical time limit before you have to adventure again.

In a xp-cost-free system the cost could be a straightforward 1 negative level that lasts until the completion of your next adventures (or session for long adventures)or 1 year for those who prefer to wait.

Double post.

I see the point why healing MIGHT need an overhaul.

But I will just remind you to use AS SIMPLE Mechanics as possible.

Let's take a look at the mechanics now:

The cure spells (although they are called light/moderate/...) heal a very fixed and narrow amount of HP.
So the light/moderate/.. descriptor is refering to a what-so-ever (and you're right, a somewhat strange) objective point of view.

This results in a CLW healing a much greater part of HP at lower levels then in the higher ones. And the higher level PCs need higher level spells to heal their "wounds".

If the spells would be revised, so that a CLW would cure a certain amount of HP regardless of level (like 10% or so), the danger would be, that PCs could use their relative unimportant low-level spells for healing large amounts of HP without the real need to use the higher level healing spells.

You're right in that at 25% per die rolled, Cure Critical Wounds will heal a PC of 100% of hit points. But that is a 4th level spell that could have been used for Freedom of Movement, Restoration, Summon Monster IV, or Greater Magic Weapon. Also, that just healed 1 person. What about the other 4 or 5 (more if you include animal companions, cohorts, dying villagers, and the rogue's personal valet.

Futhermore, there aren't that many higher level healing spells, just mass versions of the lower versions and heal.

The mass versions can be treated just like the lower versions (25% per die rolled) but apply to more targets.

Heal takes care of a lot more than just hp damage. Go reread the spell description, if you are so inclined. It takes care of ability damage, feeblemind, stunned, poison, disease and a lot of other stuff - all at once.

Heal is not a spell that is going to go away just because the lower level versions work better now.

I have a friend who felt that magical healing just wasn't very magical so he houseruled that every die of healing heals 25% of the recipents hit points. He has done this in both 2nd and 3rd editions (and maybe first, but I wasn't around then).

It scales very nicely with level and allows PCs to get back to adventuring instead of hiding in the broom closet for a night.

It's not overpowering as A) evil clerics use the rule too and B) magical healing *is* weak.

Also, as an added benefit, if you are playing the cleric, (or any other healing class) casting a low level spell to heal the fighter 20-25 points doesn't feel like a waste of an action.

At first I was in favor of removing iterative attacks because they slowed down the game. (And since I don’t play a fighter it wouldn’t affect me that much.) 

However, that would be incredibly unfair to the fighter and similar classes. If iterative attacks are removed then they must, absolutely must, be replaced with something of equal or greater value.

But I think that keep or not keep is the wrong question. What should be done is to give fighters a reason to do something else instead.

Golem101’s idea does just that – But it shouldn’t be limited to just extra damage.

Some ideas:

1 attack
 extra 5’ step
 10’ movement
 +1d10 damage (or strength bonus added again)
 limited move equivalent actions

2 attacks
 strength bonus added again to hit for remaining attacks
 5 points of DR
 +5 AC
 second wind – gain 25% hp back (1/encounter)
 maximize damage dice rolled

3 attacks (or 4 attacks)
 SR equal to BAB (your skill in weapons allows you to deflect incoming magic)
 5 points of bleeding damage per round to your target (or 1 point that stacks)
 +1d6 ability damage
 maximize and empower damage dice rolled

I’m sure other people will come up with other ideas.

Each attack category would be a feat (called Meta-Attack feats) with the appropriate BAB prerequisite.

These would give fighters a lot more options in everyday fights and allow a tactical response to specific opponents (eg. Choose DR if fighting a something with lots of attacks but low damage or choose +5 AC against something with 1 attack but hits really hard.)

The idea I have is to have SoD spells do a set amount of damage each round until the target is dead. For example, Slay Living would cause 3d6 damage if the save succeeds and 5/round if the save fails. This damage would continue until the target dies, or receives some sort of anti-magic spell (dispel magic, remove curse, break enchantment, etc).

This would put some of the excitement back into the situation that Mike Mearls mentions. It would also prevent 1 round victories over the BBEG.

Higher level spells would do more damage, perhaps 1pt/spell level. Also, I would suggest that the damage not stack from multiple spells.

Petrification could be handled the same way (when hp=0 you turn to stone) or ½ spell level Dexterity damage.

Bump, I would really like a reply to this.

The exact same thing has happened to me. I'm especially upset since it caused an overdraft fee since I wasn't expecting that charge. Also I'm supposed to be a charter member but looking at the tagline I see that isn't the case. (Which explains why I didn't get the Player's Guide.)

The exact same thing has happened to me. I'm especially upset since it caused an overdraft fee since I wasn't expecting that charge. Also I'm supposed to be a charter member but looking at the tagline I see that isn't the case. (Which explains why I didn't get the Player's Guide.)