Hey, all- thought I'd pick your collective brains for some ideas. I've long thought about trying to do a conversion/reimagining of the Cinnabar powers for the Savage Coast region of Mystara (Dragon Magazine #171-172). I'm specifically looking to do a conversion effort of the original method of Cinnabar distillation power acquisition, not the 2E Red Steel "Legacy" version.
I seem to go back and forth on the idea, though. Originally, I thought a Prestige Class would work, but the inherent problems of trying to make a PrC that can fit all classes equally (with prerequisites not being equal), kind of stumps me.
Then, I thought about doing something along the lines of substitution levels from 3.5, but I'm not sure that quite fits what I'm looking for either. Particularly since I'm now working with Pathfinder rules.
I'm not sure Archetypes work, since they generally are applied from 1st level onwards, and the acquisition of Cinnabar powers is definitely not really a 1st level sort of ability.
Also, balancing the powers at each level of Contamination against one another (and lower levels) would be something I'd have to look into.
I'm still leaning towards a Prestige Class of some sort, then (and maybe using a mechanic like the spell levels/acquisition charts of spellcasting classes for the Cinnabar powers, but making them spell-like, extraordinary, or supernatural abilities rather than actual spells).
Thoughts welcome!
How about finding an appropriate price for the distillated cinnabar. Probably a high value, rarity, and the loss of 1 point of Constitution will be enough to prevent abuse.
I think you would want to use feats for these abilities, given that they should be equally accessible to all classes and can be acquired at (nearly) any level. The wording of the feat should cover degrees of contamination so that you would have to take the feat multiple times to get the more powerful abilities. You would not need to impose ability score losses because the opportunity cost of spending feats for these powers should be enough -- but the need to keep oneself supplied with cinnabryl is too good an adventuring hook to ignore.
Sounds like an interesting project. I've had the old Savage Coast module a long time but never really read it and then recently picked up the two Red Steel boxed sets. I'll have to get those Dragon issues (or find whatever it is I did with my Dragon CD-ROM compilation). I need to sit down and read the material.
What about instead of a prestige class, maybe using some sort of feat tree where there is a base feat maybe you get for free upon exposure and then as you go up in level you can take additional powers by taking new Cinnabar feats when you get your new feats?
Now on top of that you could maybe have some sort of prestige class that built off of that feat framework but you'd effectively have to be higher level, have a minimum number of Cinnabar feats, etc.?
L
Following up on what Legendarius said:
Initial exposure is a neutral trait: You gain a very minor power but become dependent on cinnabryl, perhaps with some other penalty.
Each additional power activated would cost a feat, as mentioned in my previous post.
Prestige classes could be based on the weapon scion prestige classes in Unearthed Arcana. Requirements would be typical for base classes with the addition of a certain number of power feats. A member of one of these prestige classes would be known as an Inheritor. These prestige classes would grant bonus legacy powers and the normal progression on key class features, with a slowed progression for secondary class features.