I'm trying to update an old Planescape adventure to 3.5/pathfinder. Mostly this just means updating or rewriting NPC stat blocks to the new rules but one NPC - a 5th level fighter - has a ring of clear thought, which so far as I know never made it into 3.5. There is a pathfinder version by Iron Hills games, but its effects don't reflect the AD&D rules.
The AD&D version:
Spoiler:
Ring of Clear Thought:
Similar in some ways to a ring of free action, this item diminishes the chance for others to gain mental control over the wearer or to confuse his or her perceptions or thought processes. The wearer becomes immune to confusion, emotion, chaos, feeblemind, and any form of insanity- or rage-producing magical or psionic effect (e.g., scarab of enraging enemies, id insinuation) or magical or psionic powers that internally distort the wearer's perceptions (e.g., psionic invisibility, false sensory input, inflict pain), including any illusions broadcast directly into the wearer's mind, such as blindness or phantasmal killer, though it grants no immunity to external illusions (e.g., phantasmal force, audible glamer, magical invisibility). The wearer gains a +2 bonus to saving throws vs. all other forms of magical or psionic mental attack.
Finally, for as long as the ring of clear thought is worn, the wearer gains a +1 bonus to his or her Intelligence score (maximum 18).
My Attempt to mimic this produced:
Spoiler:
Ring of Clear Thought:
This ring renders its wearer immune to fear effects and effects that cause the confused condition. However it also denies the wearer any morale bonuses granted by spells such as bless, good hope, and rage, as well as negating a bard’s ability to inspire courage or a barbarian’s ability to rage. In addition the ring grants the wearer a +2 bonus on Will saves.
Feint Enchantment; CL 3rd; Forge Ring; Calm emotions; Price: 50,000gp
That's still a bit too good for a ring for a 5th level NPC - So Im trying to create a version that's better suited to an NPC of that level. From the adventure context, he needs to be difficult to charm or terrorize into giving information - so I reckoned a bonus on Will saves against fear, confusion and charm and compulsion effects is appropriate, but I'm not sure how to price it - the rules being for blanket resistance bonuses on all saves.
SO how do I price a ring that grants say a +5 resistance bonus to Will saves vs fear, charm, compulsion and confusion effects?
Hi All!
Some time ago James Jacobs wrote an AoW campaign diary for his character Tyralandi Scrimm. In it Tyralandi has a strange magical violin, which raised a certain amount of interest here on the boards.
James shared the item in his ask James Jacobs thread about a week ago and it is reposted below in case others were as curious about it as I was:
James Jacobs said wrote:
The Thrice-Damned Fiddle of Tvash-Prull
This ebony and onyx fiddle shows signs of decades of use, but is otherwise in exemplary condition. A small monogram bearing the initials "TP" appears on the back of the instrument, a hint at its former owner. The fiddle gives a wonderful sound when played, and may be employed to produce magical effects should the player attempt a particular song. Two sheets of faded parchment bering a series of musical notes—presumably original compositions by Tvash-Prull himself, are tucked within the hollow recesses of the instrument. Presumably additional magic-inducing songs exist as well.
Each song has an associated Perform DC. If this is met, the player begins aggressively playing the song, releasing the associated magical effect. Effects apply to all friendly characters within a 30-ft.-radius burst centred on the player. The effect lasts only so long as the instrument is played, and the Perform DC must be met each round in order for the song's effects to take place. If the check is missed, the intensity of the song increases, and the player immediately suffers 2 points of Constitution damage. Stopping the furious fiddling is a full-round action that requires a Will save equal to the song's Perform DC. Failure results in increased intensity and further Constitution loss.
Tune Perform Effect
March of the Korreds DC 14 false life
Lynkhab's Lament DC 16 death ward
Hi all!
Ive just started running the Savage Tide A.P, and my goups resident powergamer wants to trade wild shape for a variant ability in Unearthed Arcana:
UA wrote:
Druid
The druid might choose to give up her wild shape ability in exchange for becoming a swift and deadly hunter.
Gain
Bonus to Armor Class when unarmored (as monk, including Wisdom bonus to AC), fast movement (as monk), favored enemy (as ranger), swift tracker (as ranger), Track feat (as ranger).
Lose
Armor and shield proficiency, wild shape (all versions).
I'm always suspicious of unearthed arcana, and Im not worried about saying no, but I dont want to just dismiss it out of hand.
So I'm asking - how balanced/broken is this as an alt class feature?
I'm looking for advice on building dungeon encounters for a deceptive/diplomatic character.
I'm DMing a 3.5 Eberron campaign. The party are 10th level and have just reached the giant and undead infested ruins theyve been working their way towards since 6th level.
The party rogue is a Changeling Rogue/Spymaster who specialises in Bluff, Disguise and Diplomacy and is not much of a combatant.
I'm looking on suggestions for a few dungeon encounters where she can make use of her skills so that everybody has a chance to shine.
The other party members are an Elf Ranger 10, Halfling Artificer 8/rogue 2 and a Human Sorcerer 10.
I have an idea for an encounter where the party must, through deception or diplomacy, organise a meeting between a Ghostly dragon and a powerful Allip (the former was killed by the latter) in order to secure the dragon's aid. But I'd like a few more ideas.
Title says nearly all of it to be honest - im currently running an adventure for my group where the villain is a human rogue (charlatan) - he specialises in decieving innocent third parties into doing his dirty work for him.
He has a personal vendetta against the party rogue and is out to destroy her.
By means of the grand hoax ability and his gang of conartists he has a fair deal of influence in the city where the adventure takes place.
Ive been toying with the idea that i should make him an easy fight, at odds with his serious influence, but part of me feels thats too much of an anticlimax.
I was wondering if anyone had come up with rules for dealing with endless hordes in pathfinder or 3.5
The kind of setup - a beleaguered group of PCs desperately trying to hold off a never ending horde of monsters while the rogue frantically tries to unlock the very solid door so they can escape.
Basically i'm trying to establish a set XP for an encounter with an unspecified number of monsters.
This idea started out as a desire to give a wealthy spellcasting villain a distinctive look.
I'd been toying with the idea of giving him a pet Aurumvorax from bestiary 2.
I was rooting around and stumbled across the 3.5 version of aurumvorax which notes that the pelt can be sold for 3000gp although the check to skin it is quite high. A little more investigation and i found in 2ed the aurumvorax hide can be made into armour granting AC2.
Anyway on the strength of this i came up with this:
Aurumvorax Fur Coat
This heavy coat of golden fur is extremely effective as a substitute for armour and highly prized by those spellcasters rich enough and strong enough to wear it.
The coat provides a
+8 armour bonus
Fire resistance +2
Max dex +3
Armour check penalty -2
arcane spell failure 0%
it weighs 50lbs
Price 6000gp
Do people feel its under/ overpowered for the price? Its non-magical. But the creature is rare and hard to process. Should it cost more? Or less? Or have i, just this once, hit the nail on the head?
I have a new weapon enchantment that i'd like to put before the other DMs that lurk on these boards before I loose it upon my party in a forthcoming adventure in my eberron campaign. Let me know what you think!
Smokebound Aura moderate conjuration; CL11th
Price +2 bonus
Description
A smokebound weapon has an evil elemental called a Belker bound to it, and appears to be made of coiling smoke. This property can be applied only slashing and piercing weapons.
Any creature wounded by a smokebound weapon must make a DC 14 fortitude save or find his lungs filling with claws of smoke which deal 3d4 points of damage per round. An affected creature can attempt another Fortitude save each subsequent round to cough out the smoke.
In addition, the weapon grants a +2 competence bonus to move silently checks.
Construction
Requirements Bind Elemental, planar binding
I'm having a go at designing some new feats for an Eberron game I'm intending to run.
I thought I'd share them on here to get some feedback and also invite anyone who wanted to to share any Eberron specific feats, spells, class features etc that they've invented.
Anyway, here we go:
Child of Winter Feat:
PLAGUEBRINGER [GENERAL] Prerequisites: Wis 13, Child of Winter, Knowledge (nature) 4 ranks, any neutral, nongood alignment (N, LN, N, CN, or NE), able to cast Breath of the Jungle.
Benefit: You can “lose” a prepared spell in order to cast any spell from the list below of the same level or lower.
You may use this ability a total number of times per day equal to your Wisdom modifier.
1. Breath of the Jungle: Fog makes poison and diseases harder to resist.
2. Decomposition: Wounds deal 3 extra points of damage each round.
3. Infestation of Maggots: Touch attack deals d4 Con damage/round.
4. Contagious Touch: You infect one creature/round with chosen disease.
5. Mass Contagion: As contagion, but 20-ft. radius.
6. Pox: One creature/level takes 1d4 Con drain
7. Scourge: Inflicts a disease that must be magically cured, one subject/level.
8. Befoul: Large amount of water becomes poisonous.
9. Despoil: Kills plants, damages objects in 100-ft. radius/level.
The spells all come from the spell compendium, book of vile darkness or Lords of Madness. It is inspired by the Spontaneous affliction alternate class feature in Exemplars of Evil and the Spontaneous Healer/Summoner/Wounder feats in Complete Divine.
I felt it fit thematically with the Children of winter as plaguespreaders.
Is it too powerful?
Hey all, I was wondering if I might pick your collective brains once again...
I have this idea for some setting specific vestiges for use with the binder class from tome of battle.
I want to create at least 3 vestiges but I have no experience of doing so.
The figures i had in mind from the eberron mythology are:
Taratai - the lost mother of the Kalashtar
Siberys - the dragon above
and
A Rakshasa Rajah
suggestions and advice would be appreciated, has anyone else tied this?
Ive started working on Taratai, but havent got very far:
movie plot spoiler:
Taratai -
this will be a 2nd level psionic vestige, and in the fullness of time i'd like to build a prestige class to go with this it (a sort of psionic equivalent of tenebrous apostate).
Taratai was the powerful quori spirit who led the spirits that would become kalashtar from Dal Quor to Adar. She set out the path of light. She and all those Kalashtar bonded to her were wiped out by the dreaming dark shortly after the rise of Riedra. What became of her spirit is unknown - except to binders.
Fuller details on Taratai appear in races of eberron.
Granted Abilities: - these are general ideas but im unsure of power, does a second level vestige need more? less?
Fugitive from the Darkness – dimension door psi-like ability
-The rebel quori spent a long time fleeing the dreaming dark through the realm of dreams.
Plea of Taratai – bonus to diplomacy / charisma
- Taratai persuaded the Adaran Monks to take in the rebel quori.
Psionic Boon – Extra Power points
-The monks who first bonded with the rebel quori developed psionic powers and Taratai was supposed to be the most powerful, but im not entirely sure how many power points would be appropriate.
should she grant access to a psionic power? which? any?
This has probably come up somewhere before but I couldn't find any likely looking threads.
My PC's have been arrested and captured and I want to give them an encounter or two without any gear to fall back on. No spell component pouches, no holy symbols, no magical gear.
They are being thrown into the arena with basic half plate and non-masterwork weapons.
The party consists of
tiefling monk2/swashbuckler3/ Fighter1/rogue7
Human fighter8/Cleric1/wormhunter 5
Human Cleric8/Mighty Contender of Kord7
normally they weigh in as a 14th level party. To give them a EL15 encounter I simply throw a CR 15 monster at them.
but without magical gear they obviously weigh in lighter. how much lighter?
how much lower should the CR of the monsters they face be in order to give them a balanced EL 15 encounter?
just started running Prince of Redhand, and in event 4: The Hungry Priest the PCs didn't back down against the blessed angels who subdued them all, and took them away for just retribution.
session ended there.
I'm tempted to execute them all then have a resistance movement resurrect them. The trouble is i'd then have to have a motive for the resistance movement to do this. Without getting the party to assassinate Zeech I cant think of a suitable motive.
any suggestions to resolve this dilemma would be appreciated...
Hello all,
I haven't posted on here for quite a time, so apologies if this is in the wrong forum.
I'm intending to run an Age of Worms campaign for my group starting in september.
In the past I've had difficulty getting them to become attached to their characters, we have started character development now so that they are properly fleshed out when the campaign begins.
One of my players wants to play a character with a legacy weapon bastard sword.
The plan is that he begins the campaign with the sword, which he found in a ditch when he was attacked by bandits. Having defeated the bandits with the sword, he went back to look at where the sword came from, finding a skeletal corpse in the remains of a rusted but nevertheless grim looking suit of armour.
Initially, as the campaign starts at level 1, the sword has no apparent special properties beyond making the possessor feel a sense of competence and security when he wields it.
Part of the character concept is that the PC believes that the sword is trying to help him live forever. (this need not actually be the case)
I'd like the sword to be at once a blessing and a curse, beneficial but burdensome.
I'd also like to link it into the campaign background, so that it gives an additional sense of destiny to the character and campaign.
I've toyed with linking it to the Wind dukes of Aqaa, to the armies of the queen of chaos, mishka the wolf spider or to the druidic order of the storm.
Sorry for rambling,
Any help would be appreciated!
