This would be a setup for a lower magic item but high fantasy and a high possibility of caster classes’ game I am pondering. Feedback is welcome and appreciated. To be explicit: I am trying to make a game of lowered gear dependence, along the lines of A Game Of Thrones later books. I have greedily takewn some ideas form various posters on these boards specifically: TOZ, Evil Lincoln and Bob Loblaw if I missed your name the fault is mine and not an intentional slight.
MAGIC ITEM CREATION:
This seems to be one for the areas where folks looking for lower magic item games could dry up the market.
Base DC= 20+CL
Double the existing penalty to the DC for lacking any required spell / skill (+10 per instance). You may not take 10 on item creation rolls. Natural 1 always produces cursed items. Increase the DC to identify items by 5. Reduced effectiveness (see below) is the last piece of information gained from these identifications.
Fail by 1-4: Item reduced effectiveness, examples include but are not limited to: lowered duration, lowered effect (healing or damage), requires users blood (1-4 HP OR 1hp/CL to create) to activate (primarily for weapons / armor or other permanent items), etc. The caster may opt to scrap the project after hearing about the restrictions following the normal failure rules.
Fail by 5-9 Normal failure rules.
Fail by 10+ cursed items.
Power attack and combat expertise are no longer feats. Remove them from feat prerequisite lines. These are now “combat options” that anyone can attempt. Using the rules listed for each feat.
New feat:
Focused Defense (COMBAT)
PREREQUISITES: Int: 13, Base Attack Bonus +1
FLAVOR: Even while on the defensive you are able to strike effectively at your foes.
BENEFIT: When using the combat expertise “combat option” you may ignore the penalty to hit on your first attack each round. All additional attacks including AoO’s take the penalty as normal.
The feats Penetrating Strike and Greater Penetrating Strike will no longer be fighter only. However fighter may take these feats at Fighter 7 and Fighter 11 without meeting the BAB requirements.
Maximum DC modifier for attribute score is +5. Recalculate all monster DC's with this in mind. Generally lowers DC's of the high CR monsters abilities and spell like effects but means that bonus spells for exceptionally high stats are still intact.
QUESTION: Do monster saving throws also need to be lowered? My gut says yes but I haven’t crunched the numbers yet.
MAGIC WEAPONS: the actual plus to hit and damage is based off of character level
1-4: +1
5-8: +2
9-12: +3
13-15: +4
16-20 +5
Properties such as keen, bane and the like increase the effective “Plus” for costs as normal. Multiply the cost for magic weapons by 1.5 for both creation and pricing purposes after determining effective “Plus”.
Relics and artifact weapons will have a set plus to hit and damage not based off character level.
QUESTION: Should this apply to Magic Armor as well?
PASSIVE AC BONUS:
This is a Dodge based AC bonus is based on B.A.B. I THINK dodge AC pumps stack in PF
1-3: 0
4-6: +1
7-9: +2
10-12: +3
13-15: +4
16-18: +5
19-20: +6
Spellcasting:
My proposition is magic is fickle, unless you dedicate extra time and attention it may not go off.
When casting any spell make a modified concentration check DC = 12+double spell level. IF YOU FAIL THIS CHECK THE SPELL (OR SLOT) IS NOT EXPENDED. Of course other concentration checks for damage, weather, etc. can cause you to lose the spell and must still be made.
If a caster decides to increase the casting time there is a +4 bonus to the concentration check per increment (below). Spending even more time beyond what is required to make the check succeed on a 1 or better can increase the DC of the spell(max of +3).
swift
standard
1 round
1 minute
10 minutes
1 hr
2 hr
4 hr
8 hr(max)
So a magic missile cast by a sorcerer at 1st level with a +3-4 stat mod, will succeed 50-55% of the time. If he fails he DOES NOT lose the spell. If he makes it a full round action he will get the spell off 70-75% of the time. To me, this makes having non-summoned physical types around useful.
Of course as the caster progresses the checks for lower end spells become so easy that there is no need to cast them at an increased time frame except to boost DC's to make sure the effect sticks. But more advanced magic’s still run the risk.
ANOTHER OPTION: would be to modify spell casting by requiring a check based off of amount of movement a caster takes in a round. A “5ft Step” would not require a check. Moving 1/3, 2/3, full base movement would create a spell craft check based on the vigorous, violent, and extremely violent motion Spellcasting checks currently in the game. IF YOU FAIL THIS CHECK THE SPELL (OR SLOT) IS NOT EXPENDED.
To address casters with a current movement speed of 20.
5' no check
10' Vigorous motion
15' Violent motion
20' Extremely Violent motion
I am thinking more and more about the base check for each movement category adding "2*spell level" rather than the current "+ spell level.” This is what the chart looks like for a wizard/cleric trying to cast for the highest level he can cast and each motion break(if I skip a level it’s because the DC remains static.) spontaneous casters will adjust the chart up to the next even number (4, 6, 8, etc.)
level___________________full_______2/3_______1/3
1______________________22 _______17 _______ 12
3______________________24 _______19 _______ 14
5______________________26 _______21 _______ 16
7______________________28 _______23 _______ 18
9______________________30 _______25 _______ 20
11_____________________32 _______27 _______ 22
13_____________________34 _______29 _______ 24
15_____________________36 _______31 _______ 26
17+____________________38 _______33 _______28
High fantasy, low magic? Sounds like a certain presidental administration.
Seriously, though, I like where you are going with this but I am concerned about nerfing the magic users. Have you thought about limiting spell selection rather than tackling mechanics? Or moving the spell lists up a level so that cantrips are now first level spells and first level spells are now second level, and so on and so forth.
I am still a fan of increasing the time it takes to prepare spells to 5 or 10 minutes per level of the spell (0 level spells are 1/2 a level). Keep in mind that you can keep a spell from one day to the next without having to re-prepare it. This cause casters to think twice about using their high level spells. Spontaneous casters take this time to regains spell slots.
High fantasy, low magic? Sounds like a certain presidental administration.
Seriously, though, I like where you are going with this but I am concerned about nerfing the magic users. Have you thought about limiting spell selection rather than tackling mechanics? Or moving the spell lists up a level so that cantrips are now first level spells and first level spells are now second level, and so on and so forth.
I had not actually it is certainly an idea worth pondering. Thanks
We do something vaguely similar in the game I run. I had each player pick 4 magic items the want (without enhancements), and copies of their characters (without equipment) at level 20 (despite us starting at 2nd level).
Basically, I give them their magic items, but as innate powers and bonuses rather than items. The items they start with at 2nd level just become part of their characters, no changing of items or anything throughout the game. No magic item feats, no buying magic items, no making of potions, etc, etc, etc.
Ie: Our Paladin put that by 20th level he wanted to be a 9th level Paladin, a 1st level Sorcerer (Dragon Blood/Fire), and a 10th level Dragon Disciple (He's an offspring of a Golden Dragon). (2nd level, he's a level 1 Sorcerer, level 1 Paladin) His 4 items were Full Plate, Holy Avenger, Fortified Shield, and a Phylactery of Positive Channeling. His development so far has been that he's lost his Armour and his skin has started to become scale-like. He's going to eventually turn into a Dragon, and his Platemail is actually his own scales (but still with all the negatives of wearing his Platemail, just I've added "Glamoured" to it because he can shift back into full-human mode. His starting Cold Iron Longsword will become a Holy Avenger. His shield I will let be magical just because he can't really make that an innate power. and his Phylactery will just be innate, all "bought" with levels as per the rules for starting at higher levels.
The Druid with her Wild Leather, Amulet of the Mighty Fists (She wants to only fight in Wolf Form), Vestment Druid, and Ring of Free Movement is pretty simple, all as pure innate.
So, no magic items, VERY limited Gold, but still cool characters that are a lot tougher to meta-game with.
I am still a fan of increasing the time it takes to prepare spells to 5 or 10 minutes per level of the spell (0 level spells are 1/2 a level). Keep in mind that you can keep a spell from one day to the next without having to re-prepare it. This cause casters to think twice about using their high level spells. Spontaneous casters take this time to regains spell slots.
Me Likes!
I am still a fan of increasing the time it takes to prepare spells to 5 or 10 minutes per level of the spell (0 level spells are 1/2 a level). Keep in mind that you can keep a spell from one day to the next without having to re-prepare it. This cause casters to think twice about using their high level spells. Spontaneous casters take this time to regains spell slots.Me Likes!
It's reminicent of 1-2 ed AD&D which I like. I do think an increased prep time might also be worth looking at.
I want casters to still be scary but I want them to be more like an artillery piece. If they have to move they become less effective at thier job. Which is where I was going with my first concepts. I alos like the idea of taking extra time to "ritualize" a spell to make it more potent.
If the "plus" is based off of character level why would there be a price scale? Wouldn't it be better to convert the "plus" special abilities to fixed prices?
I probably should but was trying to short cut by using as much of the extant rules as I could
This is a better direction, however lose the fractions and tying it to motion checks. Go with a DC 10 + Spell Level +2 for every 5' beyond the first.+2 if you move 10'
+4 if you move 15'
+6 if you move 20'
+8 if you move 25'
etc.
Ohh thats a much more simplified and elegant solution thank you. *yoink*
These sort of mechanics ALSO actually make Combat Casting as a feat worthwhile...
I can see that as well.
Is there anything else i should be preparing for as far as adjustments.