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A few years back I participated in a thread where we were invited to roll 5 races and built a setting around those results. Thus the Dark Woods were born. Although it needs formatting and polishing, here's a first draft toward a Guide to the Dark Woods. thoughts and comments are welcome
I attempted to sort 5e D&D's spells per color philosophies rather than per classes. That's what it looks like. Please tell me if you see anything that should or shouldn't belong where it is. This is mostly a thought experiment; I'm not sure if it would be fun or playable. 'findel [edit] I didn't know what to do with prismatic spray and prismatic wall... Polychromatic?
I recently converted my Dark Woods setting* to 5e, but I'm still struggling on certain racial traits, particularly the sprite's invisibility, the automaton's skin of bronze and the girtablilu poison scaling. any input would be greatly appreciated Dark Woods player character races * Dark Woods is a homebrew setting created by rolling 5 random races from that worldbuilding exercise thread that is still going since 2012! (I've got Aasimar, a make-your-own construct race, girtablilu, sprite and vegepygmy)
So I've got this setting including aasimars as the only human-like race around. They have one great city, and not a very cosmopolitan one at that. Considering that aasimars are mostly LG and that LG towns are mostly boring, what can I bring to make it an interesting site for urban adventures? Few things to consider... - the king died recently, no wife alive, the princess is crowed queen at 13 years of age. The prime minister is regent for the next 7 years. - aasimars had their civil war 900 years ago. To enforce cohesion and nationalism, scions of noble houses of each settlement must spend 7 years in tutelage in that city. Officially, noble youth are meant to meet each other's and make friends. It could also be seen as propaganda or blackmail taking nobles' children as hostage. - Aasimars "made" their servant race of sentient constructs (not warforged, but close enough). Mixed sentiments of paternity and need for labourers and warriors. Automatons are legally free people. So if you're up for some brainstorming, I'm open to all ideas
This class assumes that the gaming group is comfortable with the idea that a paladin may fall and still progress as a player character of comparable strength . This class was created with the purpose of offering a middle ground between complete atonement, and total abandon to the forces of evil. Credits go to Dabbler for the original design of the class. The original idea of this class was discussed in this thread. Since there will probably be some minor alterations, the link to the most up-to-date google doc is here. enjoy! 'findel
I recently dusted-off one of my old houserules. It was created for 2e AD&D but it translates easily to 3.x or even 5e D&D (probably 4e D&D too, but I never tried). This houserule aims at offering a quick and dirty way to track encumbrance. So if you are on the fence between keeping track of your player's stuff and viewing encumbrance as a waste of time and efforts (or if like me you are playing with young-ish kids), this houserule might interest you.
In a nutshell, forget about weight in lbs; objects have burden. Carried objects' burden add-up to determine the character's load. As long as a character's load is equal or inferior to its Strength score, the character has light encumbrance. If the character's load is superior to the character's Strength score but equal or under its STR x2, it has medium encumbrance (reduced speed, max dex bonus to AC of +3 and skill check penalty of -3). If the character's load is superior to the character's Strength score x2, it has heavy encumbrance (reduced speed, max dex bonus to AC of +1 and skill check penalty of -6). Normal clothing and small objects (such as a dagger, a potion or a single arrow) have negligible burden; a character can carry as many such items as sensibly possible. As a rule of thumb, items with a listed weight of 1 lb. or less in the core rulebook do not have a burden rating. Armors are the most burdensome items typically carried by adventurers. A suit of armor has a burden rating equal to its armor bonus to AC. Armor properties or character abilities that lessens an armor's skill check penalty reduces the armor's burden by an equal amount. Most other adventuring gear has a burden rating of 1 or 2. Most one-handed weapons, light shields and other manageable items (such as a blanket or a bedroll, a wizard's spellbook or a waterskin) have a burden rating of 1. Two-handed weapons, heavy shields and weapons (such as a heavy shield, a heavy flail or a heavy crossbow) and other cumbersome objects have a burden rating of 2. The definition of "cumbersome objects" is left intentionally vague but if a line has to be drawn, items with a listed weight of 10 lbs or more (such as a sledge hammer, 50 ft. of hemp rope or a two-person tent) are considered cumbersome. Items sold or carried in bulk (such as 7 days worth of rations, 10 torches, 20 arrows, 100 coins) have a burden rating of 1 per bundle. A half-used bundle conserves its burden even though it should logically be lighter; this represents the growing weariness of the adventurer compensating for the loss of weight. When calculating burden, do not include the weight of bags and backpacks. In this philosophy, the backpack is an extension of the character’s ability to carry things more than an object in it own right. If players insist on carrying large chests and heavy barrels, just tell them that they can't fight with those in hand. 'findel
Yes, I'm talking about the Simon Pegg's movie where his character and friends evade android aliens while visiting a dozen pubs and taverns. One interesting element of the movie is that the name of each pub they visit ties with the action happening inside. So here's the challenge: create an inn, tavern or fest hall with a name foreshadowing what might happen as the character go inside.
OK, so maybe it's not your favourite RPG, but there is that little rule you loved and made the system stand out for you. I'll start with The One Ring RPG (TOR), the newest Tolkien's Middle Earth RPG from Cubicle 7. There are many rules I love in there and the game currently stands as one of my favourite systems to date, but here's one rule that stood out at first read: The game has Fatigue (kinda like encumbrance) and Endurance (kinda like hit points). As long as your current Endurance is above your Fatigue, you're fresh. If your Endurance is lowered below your Fatigue level, you become Weary, which brings penalties. So the more equipment and wargear you carry, the quicker you get exhausted in combat (but you still don't get knocked out until your endurance is brought to 0). Thus the player has to balance weariness with protection from armour (which acts as a save to avoid getting wounded). This Endurance/Fatigue relationship is echoed with Hope and Shadow, the later representing mental fatigue and the "burden" of evil on the soul. Hope can be spent to "boost" your rolls and trigger abilities, but when it drops below your current shadow score, you become Miserable which also brings penalties (and put you at the risk of going all Boromir on your Frodo companions). So what are your favourite game mechanics?
Hello everyone. Making a new RPG seems to be a hip thing to do nowadays; so here’s my own roleplaying game: presenting Journey RPG! Rather than going all Big Wall Of Text on you, I thought of presenting the game with a FAQ-style Q&A. Enjoy! 'findel Q. So you wrote a RPG?
Q. From scratch?
Q. Isn’t there like 100 other games like that, not to mention Pathfinder RPG, 13th Age, 5th ed D&D and SKR’s new Five Moons game? Don’t you think your timing suck?
Q. So you just woke-up one morning saying “I’m gonna make myself a RPG”?
Q. Whatever. So what is that game’s “particular niche” about?
Q. Oh, historical RPG then?
Q. So no full plates, no magic-user and crappy weapons all around?
Q. Armours? With a “u”?
Q. So, no wizards? (and you forgot to say “eh” at the end, Canadian boy…)
Q. Rune-Casters and Enchanters? Aren’t enchanters a type of wizard?
Q. You mentioned dwarves earlier, so you must have elves and gnomes and halflings and half-orcs as well?
Q. Ok, so we got realistic fighters and all but the most mundane abilities only available through magic… Wait, is this another “martials-can’t-have-nice-things” game?
Q. But I like fantasy superheroes!
Q. So you have five spellcasting classes. What are the others?
Q. No monk?
Q. So five martials and five casters then?
Q. Alright; so the game is all finished and ready then?
Q. And you really think this will interest anyone?
Q. Can’t you keep a blog like everyone else?
Q. Well then designer boy, do you have anything to show yet?
Forget about RaW; this is for mad-scientist-level homebrewing stuff... Having the higher grounds should... a) give bonus to attack rolls
other suggestions are also welcome 'findel
Refreshing a houserule I posted before, so here it is in point form because long posts are too long. “These blast points... too accurate for Sand People. Only Imperial stormtroopers are so precise" -Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars Episode IV So why do they keep missing the heroes then? Because heroes have plot immunity off course; they won’t get hurt unless the story calls for it, regardless how good their enemies are. This houserule attempts to re-fluff hit points as a finite resource of plot immunity rather than a measure of how physically tough character and monsters are. This houserule has two main goals: First: “humanize” high level characters who can otherwise withstand superhuman levels of damage, sometimes to the point of breaking suspension of disbelief. Second: remove the reliance on magical healing in a typical D&D/Pathfinder game. enough presentation: Plot-Immunity Points 'findel
Didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. For you adult fans of Lego out there; this movie is made for you by other adult fans of Lego (and one could even say about lego fans). Kids will enjoy it too, but "Benny the 80-something spaceman" and his awesome neo-classic blue-themed spaceship is there for those who grew-up with the LL-928. [edit] Just saw that this ship will be released as a set this summer, sporting LL-929 markings![/edit] Much more Lego elements than in the various Lego computer/console games (which is what I expected); landscape, floor, clouds, smoke, water, laser shots, gun flash etc, everything is "brick built". Facial expressions change and head/arms/legs rotate a bit more out of their sockets than they should, but from what I remember, parts that don't flex in real life don't in the movie either (horses don't "gallop", minifigs don't flex their "knees", hands don't close etc). Bricks show enough level of wear and tear, dirt in the cracks etc to remind of the real thing. You can even feel the thickness and the slight not-quite-straightness of stickers. If you like to build mocs, there are some really nice things in there. Lots of play with different scales to portray distance. Can't wait to actually own the movie to press pause and appreciate the actual builds. The pirate ship looks awesome at first sight. If you are a Lego enthusiast and still hesitate to go see it; don't. Everything is awesome...
Mostly a though exercise; not in use or in playtest at the moment. These are a variation on Evil Lincoln's Strain-Injury rules. If you are not familiar with them, here they are. Otherwise, these rules work under the same postulate: most damage should be seen as tiresome parries, dodges, degrading equipment, luck etc. Therefore, hp could regenerate quickly without the need of magic. From times to times, characters get actually injured, which takes time, skill and magic to heal. This variant also aims at the same goals of removing the reliance on magical healing with the least impact of the Rules as Written.
Make a "Wounded" box at the top of your character sheet. Calculate the 50% threshold (rounded down) of the character's hp. Mark it beside your hp total. Characters recuperate all their hp after a full night of sleep. After a quick rests and refit, all characters recover 50% of their hp. This replaces the normal rules on natural regeneration of hp. When your character receives a critical hit, fails a saving throw causing damage or is dropped below 0 hp, check the "Wounded" box on your character sheet. As long as the "Wounded" box is checked, a character may not regenerate hp above the 50% threshold. Do not drop a character to 50% hp when wounded; that character simply cannot recover more hp than this threshold. If a wounded character receive a successful Heal (long-term care) check, or receive a cure, heal, regeneration and similar spell, un-check the "Wounded" box and immediately apply the effect of the spell (if applicable). Otherwise, stat blocks and damage remains the same as seen in the Bestiary and RaW. Poisons, bleed effects and other secondary damage effects are unaffected. Nonlethal damage is RaW, except that sources of nonlethal damage never cause the "wounded" box to be checked. Stay tuned for the slightly more elaborated variation. 'findel
Has anyone thought of a way to make the "don't move, we've got five crossbows pointed at you" trope* work in Pathfinder/D&D. Like, past level 2nd? *or any situations where the player usually just goes "pff, with the hp I have, I can afford the hit"?
WE all have our muse and source of inspiration. I work in a theatre (not a movie theatre; a stage theatre for music, acting, dance and all) that's big enough to have lots of shows but too small to have a decent crew of designers/engineers/techies like me. It's a lot of work, long hours and the required level of sustained concentration is exhaustively high, but I'm always in the best seat to witness some truly magical moments. And there are these inspiring moments. Being somewhat halfway between an artist and an artisan myslef, being surrounded by artists of various backgrounds makes it a super-creative environment. Indirectly, this relates to RPGs as well. Movies and books can be inspiring off course, but for me there's nothing like the sound of an orchestra tuning, or the dress-rehearsal of a contemporary dance show, or the cut-off performances of a band in sound checks while the presets of moving light are being recorded. I'm usually part of this whole process, but when I do have the luxury to sit aside, I take my laptop or a pencil&paper and come with ideas for games, characters, rules, setting and I feel in heaven. So, what are your own muses?
I'm trying to brush-up the details of this class so that I can shelf it as a "finished product" The knight-errant is a 20 level base class that can be taken on its own, or allowing a fallen paladin character to exchange her ex-paladin level for knight-errant levels on a 1-to-1 basis without turning to evil powers. While similar to the 3e D&D's blackguard and Pathfinder RPG's antipaladin in this regard, the knight-errant is not meant to create a villain. This class attempts to create a tragic hero with a troubled soul and a taint of shame that might never leave. Disclaimer: This class assumes that the gaming group is comfortable with the idea that a paladin may fall and still progress as a player character of comparable strength. Both for mechanical and roleplaying reasons, this class was created with the purpose of offering a middle ground between absolute restoration of all lost powers and total abandon to the forces of evil. Credits go to Dabbler for the original design of the class. The original idea of this class was discussed in this thread. All comments are welcome 'findel
I've DMed a few games for a single players. All homebrewed of course, no published adventures or campaign. Not all of them "finished" or reached a satisfying conclusion, but that is unfortunately the fate of many games that have nothing to do with the fact of having a single player. Playing with a single player has its advantages, like playing on the "chosen one" trope without boring or upstaging the other players, and the potential to tailor a game exactly to that player's style and interests. It also has its own limitation and challenges, especially the fact that no other players are there to assist the only PC in combat; when things go bad, they go real bad! Kill that one player and you've got yourself a TPK. So here's my question: have you ever played in or DM a 1-player game? If so, what was the synopsis? Did you (of the DM) exploit the fact that there were no other players to upstage? Did you (or the DM) opt for houserules to balance the fact that the player is alone in his/her fights? I'm curious to hear experiences from the Paizo community. 'findel
I recently started a new game as the DM of a 1-player game. This time, we decided to make it a rogue game because that would be a good opportunity to play a sneak-around game without bothering other players. In other words, a good old-fashion thief game. Long story made short; I'm looking for a way to assist the player in small ways, so I recycled my old action card system that I used before in other games. This time, the player will receive 1 card each time he gains a level, and one for every natural "1" rolled during the game. since it's a solo game, I don't have to deal with the "who rolls the most dice and therefore have the most chance to gain cards" issue. We also play that all natural "1" result in "something bad" although not necessarily a failure. I have a few classic effects already, such as: - +1 bonus on any roll, usable even after result has been determined.
Since conditions can be a killer in a solo game, I've thought of effects such as: - gain expeditious retreat if frightened
I'm also looking for plot-driving elements, such as : - meet a person that will assist you
If you have any ideas, I'm open to all suggestions 'findel
Here's the deal: I've got five PC races for a homebrew world as discussed here. Assume these five to be the only PC races, so no need to compared them to humans or elves; just among themselves. Simply eyeballing their abilities using Advanced Race Guide will tell you that they are not balanced, but I'd like them to be (or to be near balanced at any case). Any help? So here the are... *** Aasimars ***
Aasimar:
Aasimar Racial Traits: Native Outsider: Aasimars are outsiders with the native subtype. This means that they are not affected by person spells targeting humanoid creatures only. +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma: Aasimars are insightful, confident, and personable. Medium: Aasimars are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Aasimars have a base speed of 30 feet. Darkvision: Aasimars can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Skilled: Aasimars have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Perception checks. Clockwork-Minded: Aasimar have a +2 racial bonus on Disable Device and Knowledge (Engineering) checks. Spell-Like Ability: Aasimars can use daylight once per day as a spell-like ability (caster level equal to the aasimar's class level). Celestial Resistance: Aasimars have acid resistance 5, cold resistance 5, and electricity resistance 5. Weapon Familiarity: Aasimars treat all weapons with the word “clockwork” as martial weapons. Languages: Aasimars begin play speaking Common and Celestial. Aasimars with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages: Draconic, Sylvan and Vegepygmy. *** Automatons ***
Automatons:
Automaton Racial Traits: Humanoid Type: Despite their artificial body, automatons are considered humanoid creatures and are therefore subject to mind-affecting effects, stunning, paralysis and necromantic effects. Since their body are also composed of oils and other fluids, Automatons are also subject to disease, poison and bleed effects. Automatons are can be healed by positive energy effects (like heal and cure X wounds spells). Half-Construct: All Heal checks must be substituted by a Knowledge (Engineering) check when performed on an Automaton. Automatons do not heal naturally but can be repaired (by themselves, if necessary) of 1 hit point per level per 8 hours of repairs. A DC 15 Knowledge (Engineering) doubles the amount of hit points repaired as per the provide long-term care use of the Heal skill. +2 to One Ability Score: Automaton characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature. Medium Size: Automatons are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Automatons have a base speed of 30 feet. Half-Construct Traits: Automatons do not breathe, eat, or sleep, unless they want to gain some beneficial effect from one of these activities. This means that an automaton can drink potions to benefit from their effects and can sleep in order to regain spells, but neither of these activities is required for the construct to survive or stay in good health. Automatons are immune to sleep spells and effects. Resilient: Automaton gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease, mind-affecting effects, poison, and effects that cause either exhaustion or fatigue. Ghost in a Shell: Automaton cannot be raised or resurrected. Bonus Feat: Automatons select one extra feat at 1st level, representing their focused construction. Skilled: Automaton gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level, representing their crafty nature. Languages: Automatons begin play speaking Common. Automaton with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want, representing what their master wished them to speak and understand (except secret languages, such as Druidic). Clockwork Winding: Automaton must be wound with special keys in order to function. As a general rule, a fully wound automaton can remain active for 1 day per Hit Die. Vulnerable to Electricity: Automatons take 150% as much damage as normal from electricity attacks. Work in Progress: Automatons are subject to construct modifications, such as described in the Building And Modifying Constructs section of Ultimate Magic. *** Girtablilu ***
Girtablilu:
Girtablilu Racial Traits: Monstrous Humanoid: Girtablilu are of the Monstrous Humanoid type, which means that they are not affected by person spells targeting humanoid creatures only. +4 Strength, -2 Dexterity: A girtablilu’s large size makes her exceptionally strong but also rather slow and clumsy. Large Size: As Large creatures, Girtablilu take a –1 size penalty to their AC, a –1 size penalty on attack rolls, a +1 bonus on combat maneuver checks and to their CMD, and a –4 size penalty on Stealth checks. A Large creature takes up a space that is 10 feet by 10 feet and has a reach of 5 feet. Ability score adjustments for Large size are included above. Undersized Weapons: Girtablilu use Medium sized weapons, even if their size is Large. Monstrous Speed: Girtablilu have a base speed of 50 feet. Sense: Girtablilu have darkvision up to 60 feet. At 10th level, a Girtablilu character also gain tremorsense 30 feet. Chitin Armour: Girtablilu gain a natural armour bonus to AC equal to their character level up to a maximum of +8 at 8th level. Natural Weapons: Girtablilu have 2 claws attacks (1d6+½ Str bonus plus grab) and 1 sting attack (1d6+½ Str bonus plus poison), both as secondary natural weapons (and therefore suffer a -5 penalty on attack rolls with both types of attacks). Grab: Girtablilu receive a +4 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to start and maintain a grapple. In addition, if a Girtablilu hits with a claw attack, it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. Grab can only be used against targets of a Medium size or smaller. The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use its claw to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a –20 penalty on its CMB check to make and maintain the grapple, but does not gain the grappled condition itself. Constrict: Girtablilu can crush an opponent, dealing 1d6+Str bonus points of bludgeoning damage, when they make a successful grapple check (in addition to any other effects caused by a successful check, including additional damage). Poison Sting: Injury poison; save Fort DC 10 + ½ level + Con bonus; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Dex; cure 2 consecutive saves. Languages: Girtablilu begin play speaking Common. Girtablilu with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic). *** Sprites ***
Sprite:
Sprite Racial Traits: Fey Type: Sprites are of the Fey type, which means that they are not affected by person spells targeting humanoid creatures only. +6 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -6 Strength: Sprites are strong-willed and extremely agile, but their diminutive size makes them comparatively very weak. Fly Speed: Sprites have a base speed of 15 feet and a fly speed of 60 feet with perfect maneuverability. Low-Light Vision: Sprites can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. Damage Reduction: Sprites gain DR 2/cold iron. Spell-like Abilities: Sprites can use the following spell-like abilities as a 5th level sorcerer: Constant—detect good, detect evil; at will—dancing lights, daze; 1/day—color spray. Luminous: A sprite naturally sheds light equal to that provided by a torch. A sprite can control the color and intensity of the light as a swift action, reducing it to the dimness of a candle or even extinguishing its luminosity entirely if it wishes. Languages: Sprites begin play speaking Sylvan only. Sprites with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Common, Celestial, Vegepygmy. *** Vegepygmies ***
Vegepygmies:
Vegepygmy Racial Traits: Plant Type: As plant creatures, Vegepymys are immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms), paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep, and stun. Plant creatures eat, drink but do not sleep, unless they want to gain some beneficial effect from this activity. This means that a plant creature can sleep in order to regain spells, but sleep is not required to survive or stay in good health. +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence: Vegepygmies are agile and intuitive but wild and unlearned. Small Size: As Small creatures, Vegepygmies gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty on combat maneuver checks and to their CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks. Small races have a space of 5 feet by 5 feet and a reach of 5 feet. Ability score adjustments for Small size are included above. Senses: Vegepygmies have darkvision up to 60 feet and low-light vision. Damage Reduction: Vegepygmies are resistant to punctures and perforations, and gain DR 5/slashing or bludgeoning Natural Armour: Tendrils and fungi on a vegepygmy’s body grant a +3 natural armour bonus to AC. Immunity to Electricity: Vegepygmies are immune to electricity-based attacks and damage. Natural Weapons: Vegepygmies receive two claw attacks dealing 1d4+Str bonus points of damage. These are primary natural attacks. A vegepygmy wielding a weapon may not use claws to attack. Languages: Vegepygmies character begin play speaking the undercommon sign-language and Vegepygmy, a language made of clicking, tapping and rhythmic beating. Vegepygmies cannot speak, but characters with high Intelligence scores can choose other languages to understand. A character transformed into a vegepygmy understand any languages it knew before its transformation. any suggestions?
This is a quick setting made from Mikaze's Worldbuilding Exercise - Get 5 Random Races, Build a Setting thread. Presenting
Went to the good ol' d20 hypertext site today to use its excellent monster and spell filters and noticed that those links were down as "under development"?. Anyone knows what going on over there?
Went to see this yesterday. I'm must say I was very impressed. First movie in a long time where I felt satisfied. Loved the 5-roles per actor concept. They manage to fit a Victorian thriller, a '30s love story, a '70s detective flic, a modern light comedy, a sci-fi action flic and a post-apocalyptic horror in a single movie, and I didn't felt cheated by any of them. To see Hugo Weaving playing a... Spoiler:
butch-looking nurse in a retirement home ...alone is worth the ticket price!
My sons were playing with their little cars this morning. For some reasons, they decided to make 5 racing/battling teams based on the five colours of magic in Magic: the Gathering. Now my my sons (being 8 and 5) know of Magic, but i wouldn't consider them experts on the subject. Nevertheless, I was amazed how they picked cars that were altogether appropriate with each colour theme... Each had picked one car of each colour, so 2 cars per team: Red: a dark red, industrial-sized front-loader and a fire-engine red Ford Shelby Cobra. Green: a dark greed safari Land Rover and a light green SUV monster-truck (hehe, giant growth...) White: a white tow-truck and an iridescent white '70 Camaro (fire-department stickers). Blue: a bright blue, souped-up street-racing car with a transparent hood and a blue hot-wheels colour scheme '72 Plymouth Barracuda (slightly out of theme but the name saved it!) Black: a mean-looking but otherwise plain black Kenworth truck (full cab and all) and a black hot-rod (zombified vehicle?) with skull art. though I'd share... 'findel
3.5 and Pathfinder RPG promote system symmetry at all times: what is good for the players is also good for the monsters, and vice-versa. Yet, there is already a distinction between "common" and "elite". Most NPCs and monsters use the standard stats array and NPC classes (or just HD), while players and villains use PC classes and better stats. My question is: when designing houserules (new rules, alternative rules or variations on RaW), should the designer always conserve system symmetry at all costs? Alternatively, should the game pay more attention to the distinction between standard and elite NPCs and creatures? Lets take the 20/20/20 insta-death rule for example. Many players (justly) point out that this will kill more PCs than creature on the long run. But that is only true if the rule abide to game symmetry. The probabilities of players suffering death by 20/20/20 also diminishes if this can only be dealt by elite opponents. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on system symmetry, or the advantages (and inconveniences) of asymmetric games. 'findel
In order the dissociate spell level with character level, I'm looking for another word to replace the "level" of spells, even if spells remain organized in increasing levels of power and difficulty. Ideally, I'm looking for a term that can be used both in character and out-of-character in game mechanics' descriptions for all classes and pseudo-european spellcasting traditions. There has been other treads on this subject before, and words such as "degree", "circle", "orbitals" have been mentioned. While the word "mana" does not directly apply, I'm open to Latin, Greek or foreign words describing "level of powers" betting than English. ideas are welcome 'findel
Forever tinkering with rules and whatnots, here's this week's redesign: the longbow. As far as these rules are concerned, there are only two kinds of bow: short and long. Both allows tension to be adjusted to user's strength to get Str bonus to damage. - Short bow (simply called "bow") should be quick and unobtrusive, usable from horseback.
Base damage difference is 1 point in average. I'm not sure if that's "enough". Range increments have been standardized and simplified for ease of play, so the longbow's superior range isn't going to be a mechanical advantage. I've thought of giving it an "extreme" range, but I'm not sure if this is going to contribute to an adventurer's life as the long range already virtually covers the whole tactical map even on a large-ish table... Longbow could benefit from increased Str bonus similar to how 2-handed weapons increase one's contribution to damage? If the longbow becomes far superior, it could become an exotic weapon. This wouldn't be far from an historical perceptive. However, I'm also trying to write the exotic category off my games. I don't want to work at cross-purpose. Crossbows, hammers and military maces already have an ability called "armour penetration", whereas these grant a circumstantial +2 bonus on attack rolls against armoured opponents (manufactured or natural). Longbow could possess this ability as well? ...or allow arrows with this ability? Then there's the question of speed and wieldy-ness. I don't have speed factors ( and don't want them) but the short bow could grant a free attack on the first round of battle, or during surprise round? Is the high encumbrance of the longbow enough as a balancing factor? thoughts, comments, advices? 'findel
...and into the darkness built them! Lego goes LotR. Yay!!!
This question is derived from this tread, which I posted here not to derail the other one. Beyond the obvious that is stated in the description of the Sanctuary spell, what happens to the warded creature? (and by extension to a hide from undead/animal/vermin recipient) Perhaps more appropriately since it allows a Will save, what happens to the warded creature's onlooker? 'findel
Basically, we divide rollplayers into Attila, Rommel, and Caesar, and we divide roleplayers into Shakespeare, Magellan, and Knuckles. (We have better terms, but that’s the way I remember ‘em.) You can check out the relevant sections of our rulebooks for the whole discussion. Taken from this article (second verse of the rule of three) These terms intrigue me. Anyone seen them before?
Title says it all. The UC's Gunsligner introduce a new mechanics, whereas a new recourse (grit points) can be spent for greater in-combat effects. Has anyone tried something similar for an action point-type system that allows for more specific effects à la Gunsligner? 'findel
Can someone explain me the difference between the Come and Heel tricks (as per Handle Animal skill)? Their descriptions sound awfully similar to me...
[edit] Whooo, new PRD home page looking good! By RaW, both tricks are based on the animal being with you, even against its instinct. I understand that Come assumes that the animal was away and you recall it back to you, but wouldn't commanding the animal to heel get the same effect? I have a tendency to use them as (Come) bring animal in spooky dungeon and (Heel) behave in public and don't pounce on innocent city folks... 'findel
In the process of making my own D&D 3.75, I revisited the 3rd edition skill system. Under this system, skills are grouped in categories. These categories automatically progress like saving throws (each according to its good or poor progression) while individual skills are treated as specialties in which the player can purchase ranks. More details on Skills can be found here. One of these categories regroups fine motor/manual skills and include the following skills:
Finesse Skills category I insist on having (a minimum) of three skills per category, but I don't have much use for Use Ropes. I know a fair deal about ropes and knots; enough to understand how essential this skill would be for an adventurer in a fantasy world. But mechanically speaking, the system has very few uses for Use Ropes, most of it is flavour or folded into other skills (like climbing or profession-sailor). Pathfinder dropped the skill altogether and I don't think many people are missing it... I thought of splitting Sleight of Hands in two skills; one pick-pocket-oriented and the other more entertainer-oriented, but I'm afraid I'd create yet another useless skill in doing so. Is there another skill that could replace Use Ropes with more pertinent uses within the system? 'findel
Metamagic feats are cool in concept, but bitter-sweet in their implementation. Their increased cost make metamagicked spells resources-hungry, and their use is circumstantial at best (with the notable exception of Quicken spell which is always useful regardless of the situation). That's without considering the fact that the feat has to be purchased in the first place, and even if PF offers more than its predecessors, feats remain a limited and carefully spent resource. This prompted the concept of metamagic packages where metamagic feats are downgraded in 'options' of a broader, conceptual feat: Benefit: You can cast a spell without some of its components. All effects (and costs) of an Abridged Spell stack to gain the separate benefits of each option. Still: A stilled spell can be cast with no somatic components. A stilled spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level. Silent: A silent spell can be cast with no verbal components. A silent spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level. Eschew: An eschewed spell can be cast with no material components costing less than 1 gp. An eschewed spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level. Normal: Without this feat, a spell automatically fails if the spellcaster cannot provide all verbal, somatic and material components. Special: This feat has no effect if the recipient spell has no corresponding component part. Benefit: You can increase the variable, numeric effects of a spell. All effects (and costs) of an Amplified Spell stack to gain the separate benefits of each option. Energize: All variable, numeric effects of an empowered spell are increased by 1 per dice or increment. An energized spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level. Empower: All variable, numeric effects of an empowered spell are increased by 50%. An empowered spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the spell’s actual level. Maximize: All variable, numeric effects of a maximized spell use the maximum result of each variables (no roll required). A maximized spell uses up a spell slot three levels higher than the spell’s actual level. Special: Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected by this feat, nor are spells without random variables. Benefit: You can increase the range, duration and area of effect of a spell. All effects (and costs) of an Augmented Spell stack to gain the separate benefits of each option. Enlarge: You can double the range of a spell. An enlarged spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level. Extend: The duration of an extended spell is increased by one category. Spells with a duration 1 round/level last 1 min/level, spells with a duration of 1 min/level last 10 min/level and spells with a duration of 10 min/level last 1 hour/level. An extended spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the spell’s actual level. Widen: You can double all numeric measurements of a spell with an area defined as burst, emanation, line or spread. A widened spell uses up a spell slot three levels higher than the spell’s actual level. Special: Spells whose ranges are not defined by distance are unaffected by the enlarge option of this feat. Spells with a duration of ‘instantaneous’ or ‘permanent’ are unaffected by the extended option of this feat. Spells that do not have an area defined as a burst, emanation, line or spread are not affected by the widen option of this feat. Quicken Spell stay as is (because it is more useful than any of the others), while Heightened Spell is given to all spellcsaters for free (because it is less useful than any of the others). With this, I hope to spread the use of metamagic a little bit without overthrowing the balance of things. I've been having this houserule for quite a bit now but my players rarely use metamagic in the first place (even with this houserule), so perhaps its a flawed perceived problem. [edit] Oh yeah, Extended Spell is houseruled. To stay closer to RaW, revert to the doubled duration and adjust modifier to +1 level. opinions? 'findel
Whoa! Instant decors, terrains, tiles and gaming accessories!* The missing link between my two best-preferred hobbies ever: LEGOs and RPGs! *by "instant" I mean 2 hours and a half. But nevertheless... 'findel
Charlie is charging past Timmy, overrunning him in the process. Timmy has readied an action to break Charlie's charge; in this case, the readied action is to trip Charlie. Charlie has improved overrun, Timmy does not have improved trip. Can Timmy trigger his readied action when Charlie has entered Timmy's square but not yet performed the CMB check? If so, will Charlie get his AoO against Timmy? 'findel
Forword For as long as I can remember DMing, I always had my set of houserules. If there is one thing I always enjoyed about D&D, it was its ability to be tweaked, altered and expended upon. When D&D 4th edition was announced, I must admit I was both thrilled and curious. From what I could read, it was addressing most aspects of the game I was considering problematic. However, 4th edition took a direction that didn’t satisfy my expectations. That’s when I became aware of Pathfinder RPG, early in its alpha testing development stage. From then on, I developed my own 3.75 edition in parallel to Paizo’s. I’ve been through a few versions and revision over these few years and although it isn’t perfect nor finished, I decided to post it all here for anyone to see, share, steal or simply criticize in the hope that your comments will help me move forward. [edit] Please note that these rules almost form a system of its own, thus many of these rules are not directly with Pathfinder RPG as written. As I mentioned however, some of these ideas may be easily transferred to Pathfinder, some are directly portable as they are.
‘findel
This is an actual question rather than a proposition. Percieved Problem: Spell resistance adds yet another roll, yet another "AC" to consider, yet another line of defence in addition to saving throw, energy resisatnce and immunities. However, the concept that certain races/individuals can withstand magic is interesting in its own. Spell Resistance as a concept is not a percieved problem in my case, but its implementation is (to a certain extent). In the light of this, what should Spell Resistance be: Opinions? 'findel
I wish to alter the paladin class to give it a more Arthurian knight feel; making it less 'churchy' and more 'knighty'. I do want to keep the whole 'champion of good' thing however. Lets assume for a moment that I don't want to use the Cavalier class (or any non-core material), but I wouldn't mind stealing cues from it. I wouldn't mind new ideas/features or even better, giving a slightly new twist on existing paladin features. Ideas, suggestions? 'findel
... because it is and yet it isn't. From a purely symmetrical perspective, the two feats could be made on the same model. They kinda are, the the bonus ratio is different. Also, Combat expertise is an improved version of the 'fighting on the defensive' option. There are not basic option to Power Attack (which can be later improved with a feat). Power attack also has three different 'levels' of use, depending on whether the attacker is using a light, a 1-handed or 2 handed weapon. The parallel would be easy to do with no-shield, light shield and heavy shield. So basing Combat Expertise on the text from Power Attack, we would get something like this: You can use your shield and weapons to increase your defense at the expense of your accuracy. Prerequisite: Int 13. Benefit: When wielding a buckler, a light shield or a weapon granting a shield bonus to AC, you can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 dodge bonus on your Armor Class. This bonus to AC is increased by half (+50%) if you are wielding a heavy shield. This bonus to AC is halved (–50%) if you are not wielding any shield or weapon granting a shield bonus to AC. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4 points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. Obviously this would benefit the shield-user the most, which are often those who go for the biggest armor and therefore benefit from a decent AC already. But since those character also rely on Power Attack for massive damage, it becomes a strategic choice; hit hard or be hard to hit. This version would also encourage the use of the buckler (for more roguish characters), which I don't see much use around game tables otherwise. comments? 'findel
Laurefindel's thought of the week... The idea to base Will saves on Charisma instead of Wisdom is nothing new and has been around for a bit. I think I heard it for the first time here on these forum during the Alpha playtest by forum user Mosaic (circa 2008).
Looking at this purely from a houserule perspective, I'm not so concerned about backward compatibility, and tend to agree that Charisma fits better for a stat representing one's resistance to outside influence. However, this is not all what the Will Saving throw represents... At the moment, Will seems kind of a catch-all save representing your resistance to mental intrusion and domination, your resistance to magical detection, your ability to disbelieve illusions and see how things really are, your resistance to panic and irrational fear, and I'm probably forgetting some. The word 'Will' in itself seems to suggest determination, resolve and willpower, which goes better with 'force of personalty' rather than intuition and perception (although the description of Wisdom DOES include willpower, but I have a feeling it was included mainly to support its corresponding saving throw). So while most of these saves would seem better served by Charisma, some definitively work perfectly with Wisdom: especially disbelieving illusions and seeing through magical guises. Would this be worth the introduction of a fourth save based on Will? If so how should it be called? I know that a lot of virtual ink has been spent on this matter over several thread, but anyone has an opinion on the matter? 'findel
While similar to the 3e D&D blackguard and Pathfinder RPG antipaladin in this regard, the knight-errant is not meant to create a villain. This class attempts to create a tragic hero with a troubled soul and a taint of shame that might never leave. Disclaimer: This class assumes that the gaming group is comfortable with the idea that a paladin may fall and still progress as a player character of comparable strength. For both mechanical and roleplaying reasons, this class was created with the purpose of offering a middle ground between total absolution and restoration of all lost powers, and total abandon to the forces of evil. I hope you will enjoy it. 'findel Credits go to Dabbler for the original design of the class. The original idea of this class was discussed in this thread.
That's actually more a question then a 'how-to' guide. I was wondering what would be the best formula, or template, to make a suggestion/houserule thread. As those who hang around these parts of the forum know, it's sometimes hard to get good visibility since after 3 hours of back and forth discussion (which should happen, really), the thread is already 3 pages long and sometimes hard for newcomers to join. Since we cannot edit OP after the 1-hour window, how should a thread be formulated so that everyone may have a clear idea of the current state of the rule? There's always the possibility of referencing the rule to a Google Docs or Similar Link early in the thread, which can conveniently be re-edited. I think authorizations can be set that others can edit as well (not sure if that's desirable 'though). Also, some posters include their perceived problem(s) that prompted their houserule. Personally, I think that is helpful. Should that be spoilered, stated in a separate posts? Should Houserule thread have an 'opening statement' OP, or directly deal with the crunch of the rule? Opinions? 'findel
While similar to the blackguard is this regard, the knight-errant is not meant to create a villain but rather a hero, albeit one with a troubled soul and a taint of shame that will never leave. Disclaimer: The knight-errant is NOT intended to be used in all gaming groups. This class assumes a certain maturity from the group, that a paladin can fall and progress as a player character of comparable strength without seeking or receiving atonement. It exists as a sole purpose of offering a middle ground between total absolution and restoration of lost powers, and total abandon to the forces of evil, both for mechanical and roleplay reasons. If this doesn’t fly with you or your group, I suggest you stop reading and move on to another thread, now. You’re still here? Good! Then read on! [edit] This would be considered a pre-alpha version. Some abilities are still missing, but the "spirit" is all there. [edit2] Credits go to Dabbler for the original design of the class. The original class can be found at the bottom of the first page of this tread.
copied from here to bring in right forum. Dabbler, I'm fiddling with the concept of a prestige class designed for ex-paladins again, and request your permission to built from the knight errant class you made last years. The way it is going, it will be a bit different but will focus around oaths/taboos, whose credits rightfully belong to you. So if that's cool by you, I will have something to post by the end of the week. any comeback from you, as well as any others, would obviously be welcome. 'findel
Looks like we managed to pull two full weeks without an alignment thread - we're overdue! In this essay I expose my version of D&D's alignment that Pathfinder RPG has recuperated. Among other things, it attempts to reconcile the fact that alignments act both a moral compass and sources of planar energy, and the fact that alignments are both influencing and influenced by actions. All comments are welcome P.S.: This essay was created with roleplaying in mind, particularity D&D/Pathfinder and does not necessarily reflects my own takes on real-life morality. 'findel
Can a wizard learn and inscribe a spell in his spellbook (granted that it is a wizard spell) even if he/she cannot cast it (usually because the wizard doesn't have the proper spell slot to prepare it). In other words, can a 1st level wizard inscribe a 3rd level spell in its spell book? He/she obviously won't be able to do much with it until level 5th, but are there any restriction against that? Other than saving time and trouble the day the wizard turns 5th level, are there any use of knowing a spell without having to cast it? 'findel
Me: Ok, you attack the orc. Roll your d20 Son: 12! Me: Good, now add your attack bonus. That's +6 Son: humm, 60? Me: Awh come on, you're not even trying. Take the grid your teacher gave you. Where is 12? That's right. Now add 6... Son: 18? Me: That's right! Don't forget you hate orcs, so that's another +1. Son: 19? Me: Good! Is 19 greater than my AC of 14? Son: Yes it is! Me: Cool, then roll for damage... ... Me: Ok, so you look around. There's a small casket at the back of the orc's cave. Son: What's a casket? Me: Its a small box dear. Son: Cool! I open it. Me: It's locked, you need a key. Son: Do I have a key? Me: I don't know. Why don't you look in your inventory? Do you see the word "KEY"? Son: Yes, I have 2! Me: You have two? Well, one of them works anyhow. Inside, there's a small dagger. It glows with blue light. You think it might be magical. Son: Why didn't the orc use it? Me: Good question. But you can't really ask the orc now can you? Son: Perhaps it burns people who touch it. That would explain why it was locked in a box! Humm, better not touch it then. It put the box in my bag. Me: All right. Take your inventory sheet and write "BOX WITH DAGGER"... ... Nothing new for all the role-player parents in this part of the world, but I thought I'd share... 'findel
In the previous tread, a few members posted comments that I'm bringing-up and expanding upon here:
I’m going to fully embrace Mikaze’s idea of deconstructing the stereotypical conception of monsters as described in the Bestiary or popular D&D lore, “humanizing” these races by giving them a variety of cultures. Obviously, some of these cultures will be inspired from historical or fictional human societies despite the lack of humans per say, but that’s fine with me. A feudal Japan hobgoblin samurai? Why not? A pre-colombian mayan lizardmen priest? Sounds cool. How about a tribe of gypsy centaurs or a monastery of buddhist-like boggard monks?
I'm thinking bronze age technology would fit in well with this, a few large cities but mostly small farming villages and miles and miles of wilderness. Blake’s dead on the spot with this: a more primitive level of technology would fit this world best. I’m going to go ahead and officially state that this world is at the end of its Bronze Age. However, some nations will have mastered the principle of making weapons and armors of steel, suggesting that the world is slowly entering a new Iron Age. I would expect the inhabitants of this world to use tools made of mainly wood, stone and bronze, with a few utilitarian items of copper, silver and gold for the wealthiest. However, some civilizations have begun to extract and smelt iron with increasing efficiency and reliability – some of them have been doing so for several generations – but none possess the necessary raw materials, infrastructures or expertise to manufacture large amount of iron items. Here and there, tools and weapons made of wrought iron are making their apparition to replace bronze version, but the real iron revolution consist in stronger and lighter steel allow which are far superior to their bronze counterpart. Such weapons should automatically be considered masterwork in this world. Similarly, armors should principally consist of leather and hide or bronze scale mails and breastplates, but chainmails of wrought iron and plate mails of chitins or carapace should also be found for the price indicated in the PHB. Again steel versions of chainmails and plate armors should automatically be considered masterwork.
I kind of like this reincarnation cycle idea, but I think that in the end, the key concept will be that the inhabitants of this world will be relatively ignorant of their afterlife - or of any world outside their own for that matter. With the absence of omnipotent deities, the rarity of spellcasters and the lack of institutionalised religions, local folklore and believes are likely to run far and wild. Unlike our ancestors from Earth, the inhabitants of this world will have real creatures - many of which able to cast reality altering spells - and powerful spallcasters to adore. Religions and believes are likely to be revolving around those near-immortal yet tangible creatures/spirits/gods than around pantheonic or polytheist religions akin to the Greek or Norse mythologies. Like other D&D settings, this world will be based on the Great Wheel cosmology but again, its inhabitants won’t know much of its intricacies. This may be explained by the fact that this world comes with a twist: outer-planes beings appear to be unable to influence or manifest themselves without being summoned or called. This planar barrier seems to work on mortal beings as well; once a traveler goes beyond the transitive planes, there seems to be no way back. Because so many spells and creature’s abilities rely on the transitive planes of the Astral, Ethereal and Shadow planes to function, these are likely to be the best known planes of existence beyond the known world on the material plane. Still, this knowledge should be subjective and empirical at best, with many concepts mixed-up (thinks of travelling astrally while using the ethereal jaunt spell), misunderstood (believes that frequent use of Shadow Walk will turn one evil) or blissfully ignored (does not realize that one transits through the Astral plane while teleporting). Mostly, the inhabitants of this world will not see the transitive planes as three distinct and separate cosmological entities. Similarly, even the most learned scholars of this world should probably ignore that there is more to the material plane than their own little world. Inner and Outer planes are likely to be confused with the transitive planes as well; seen as “pockets” of reality deep within or even beyond the astral seas. Local folklore and indigenous believes will sometimes strike close resemblance with some outer planes, probably weaved around half-truths gained through divination or given by a planar ally or similar entity.
This World Has No Humans. As a matter of fact, it does not have dwarves, elves, half-elves, half-orcs, halflings and gnomes either: it is only populated by fantastical and mythological creatures. Despite the lack of humans, most of these creatures are humanoid (like goblins and ogres) or antropomoprphic (like centaurs or harpies). In this world, magic is common and can be found everywhere, but spellcasters are very rare. The inhabitants of this world are segregated in two categories: commoners and extraordinary individuals. Commoners:
Commoners (not to be confused with the NPC class) are always the typical version of their kind as it appear in the Bestiary (including the level 1 warrior version of 1HD humanoids) . They represent the vast majority of the inhabitants of the world. Commoners do not gain levels in NPC classes or character classes; they are doomed to remain the same forever. Extraordinary Individuals:
A very small portions of the inhabitants are extraordinary individuals. These are not simply stronger versions of their kind, they may possess additional powers or lack basic abilities of their lesser, typical kind. Most of these individuals are rather unique and stand above the mass as leaders, marginals or lone wolves. These are your PCs, villains and main NPCs. Only extraordinary individuals have the ability to earn experience and gain levels. Also, this world has no gods as D&D knows them. Instead, a creature reaching 17th-20th level is considered godly and rule over a domain of its own. The more powerful the creature is, the bigger and more influential its domain is. While all character classes have “godly potential” high level divine spellcaters are THE definition of a god. Often times, several gods coexist in harmony, symbiosis or completion of opposites. We could easily image a successful party of PCs including a druid “over-god”, a wizard god of knowledge, a ranger god of hunters, a bard god of arts and trickery etc, all living in the same forested domain, governing different races and factions of commoners. About Divine Spellcasters::
Divine spellcasters are gods-in-the-making, referred to as “godlings” under 10th level and recognised as “true god” once they can cast miracle spells and such. In this world, divine spellcasters have no god to pray to and are themselves the source of their own power. While they have no one to answer to, they must “revere” the aspects of the domains they have selected, which is usually reflected in their “estate”. Godlings are usually well protected by small coteries of extraordinary individuals (PCs and villains) and targeted by enemy factions. Most PC groups include a godling, and the other PCs form its entourage. In these groups, the godling is always both ward and protector, but not always the leader of the group nor the character around whom the whole story revolves. About Arcane Spellcasters: Arcane spellcasters are “cheaters”, binding the essences of magic to their will rather than naturally manipulating them like other gods. Arcane spellcaster are often mad and sinister individuals, but some more lucid and good-hearted (yet no less mad) wizards or sorcerers turn out once in a while. Under 10th level, arcane spellcasters are either low key or isolated villains, but once they can cast reality altering spells à la wish etc, arcane spellcasters can be just as powerful and influential as gods. |
