RACES:
Dwarves- lose their hatred and dodge bonus vs giants. Size is small with powerful build. Dwarf is considered small or medium where favorable. Dwarves can now be encumbered by a heavy load.
Elves- can choose to receive a bonus to Wis instead of Int
Gnomes- can choose to receive a bonus to Int instead of Cha
Halflings- speed is 30ft
CLASSES:
HP- three tiers of hp, meaning barbarians lose d12 for d10. PCs and bosses (and sub-bosses) get max hp/level for favored class and PrCs. No extra skill option for favored class, racial favored class options only.
Skills- three tiers here as well.
Barbarian: 6
Bard: 8
Cleric: 4
Druid: 4
Fighter: 4
Monk: 6
Paladin: 4
Ranger: 6
Rogue: 8
Sorcerer: 6
Wizard: 4
FEATS:
Weapon Finesse- all creatures are considered to be able to fight with their higher str or dex. The weapon finesse feat may be taken and applied to a weapon that is not usually finessable. Min Str req: 13.
That's all I have for now. As far as balance, I don't mind a slight increase or decrease in power, I just don't want to totally break or nerf any one race/class.
As it stands, I am allowing racial tweaks on a strict case by case basis.
I see this as a MAJOR hit to Dwarfs while being a buff to the other races.
Expand on the Weapon Finesse... just to hit or hit and damage? I am guessing just to hit.
Seems like an awful lot of skills, but that's just me. Not sure it matters.
One thing that stands out is you're robbing the Rogue of his only advantage (good skill points) by giving it away for free to everyone. I guess free Weapon Finesse gives the Rogue a little love, but I would give him something else as well to balance it.
The dwarf actually gets the biggest benefit. +1 to hit and ac vs everything, and they can wield medium weapons and don't suffer a penalty to cmd/cmb. Flavor wise, this is how I have always seen dwarves. They calculate their encumber acne as a med creature as well.
As far as weapon finesse goes, you use dex only to hit unless you have and agile weapon. That is a weapon that the agile bonus can be applied to, or a weapon in which you take weapon finesse.
One thing that stands out is you're robbing the Rogue of his only advantage (good skill points) by giving it away for free to everyone. I guess free Weapon Finesse gives the Rogue a little love, but I would give him something else as well to balance it.
It's an acceptable loss. Just like taking weapon finesse greatsword, and making it agile is an acceptable gain for my campaign.
How bout being able to take combat trick more than once?
Honestly I would just give them a bonus feat at first level. They're already one of the weakest classes and these rules make them, comparatively, weaker than ever.
Yeah, I kind of think this overpowers Dwarves, which are already one of the stronger races. Rogues were already obsoleted by Bards, so giving Bards 2 more skill points doesn't matter in that regard. Something can't be "more obsolete" just as something can't be "more unique."
The finesse thing is fine, but I imagine you'll now see only two-handed weapon users with any Strength, since they're the only ones that benefit from it after agile weapons show up.
Personally, I'd probably just straight up remove Rogues and give Fighters 6+ skill points...
Give rogues a second good save. I would recommend will. Their poor saves are anomalous as they are a 3/4 base attack class. I would also suggest an attack advantage when flanking that stacks with normal flanking bonuses. Half your int modifier seems appropriate.
Just need to bump up the rogue combat effectiveness slightly to accommodate their lack of skill superiority.
Rogue: imminent threat
At 5th level, a rogue is considered to be flanking any creature he threatens that is threatened by another ally.
At 10th level the rogue receives an additional +2 to hot while flanking.
At 15th level, a rogue adds his intelligence modifier to damage while flanking. This bonus damage is multiplied on a critical hit.
Side Note: I like the idea of another good save, but we could keep the base rogue as they are (maybe let them get combat trick an extra couple of times) and give them all three good saves. This certainly won't make them on par with the monk, but should more than compensate for what everyone else has against rogues. (Personally I like them just fine)
Or a variant sneak attack where the rogue must move 10ft to get the bonus damage.
The Scout archetype gets that.
Not at lvl 1... Any one of these suggested boons. Let it be voted.
A) three good saves
B) imminent threat
C) variant sneak attack
The ability to take combat trick multiple times will be added.
The issue with rogues at higher levels is the lack of hit chance, not damage.
A second good save was just a suggestion because rogues are actually inconsistent with the rules. A D8 hit die, 3/4 BaB class is supposed to have two good saves. I am not certain what they thought they needed a second poor save for...
I don't see how they are lacking behind any other 3/4 bab class. Rogues are about maneuvering into position and getting off 1 decent attack that bypasses some bonuses to armor and does high damage to make up for the lack of iterations. They have other class features and skills to make them viable outside of combat as well.
I agree that their to hit isn't the greatest, which is why I never buy TWF past the first feat if I do at all.
I don't see how they are lacking behind any other 3/4 bab class. Rogues are about maneuvering into position and getting off 1 decent attack that bypasses some bonuses to armor and does high damage to make up for the lack of iterations. They have other class features and skills to make them viable outside of combat as well.
I agree that their to hit isn't the greatest, which is why I never buy TWF past the first feat if I do at all.
They are not about getting 1 decent attack--if they were, Sneak Attack wouldn't do such weak damage. Rogues need as many attacks as possible to make their damage valuable. Generally, you cannot hit with enough attacks to make it worth while. And out of combat, Bards and Rangers totally obsolete them. Rogues are not terrible, just strictly weaker than other choices.
So if rogues had full bab they would be ok?
So if rogues had full bab they would be ok?
Sort of--maybe? If Rogues had full BAB, though, what would separate them, conceptually from a Fighter? That's why I'd rather just merge them with Fighters.
This isn't helping.
I don't see how they are lacking behind any other 3/4 bab class. Rogues are about maneuvering into position and getting off 1 decent attack that bypasses some bonuses to armor and does high damage to make up for the lack of iterations. They have other class features and skills to make them viable outside of combat as well.
I agree that their to hit isn't the greatest, which is why I never buy TWF past the first feat if I do at all.
Actually, its kind of funny, rogues are one of the only classes(along with monks) that do not have a way to improve their to hit chance baked into the class mechanics. Its not really a surprise that neither class really excels in that department.
I think that applying half their int modifier to hit when flanking, and a good will save progression would be all the improvement necessary to make them competitive with other 3/4 classes combat potential.
Half int isn't really that much... Especially when a 12-14 int would keep a rogue from MADness.
Alright, rogues will get 3 good saves, and the ability to flank while threatening an ally who threatens the same creature. This will give them a better chance at getting that plus two to hit and their sneak attack off more.
Here are some additional thoughts for an archetype. Giving up rogue talents will net an arcane school of magic.
Lvl 2: cantrips
4: 1 spell slot
6: 2 spell slots (1lvl 2, or 2 lvl 1s)
8: 3 spell slots (1lvl 3, or 1 lvl 2 + 1lvl 1 and so on)
10: 4 spell slots
12: 5 spell slots
So on down the line... All spells must be of the same school of magic and can be cast in light armor. You must have a high enough int to cast the spell lvl as with a wiz, but you don't receive bonus spells for a high int.
The second is flurry of blows as a monk, only with light peirce or slash weapons and saps.
Bards will be able to choose three schools of magic from the wiz/ sorc school as a variant to regular bard spells.
Forget the bard part. Maybe give them an expanded arcana ability when they would be able to retrain spells. They can retrain, but pick from any spell on the sorc/ wiz list. And they ad heal at lvl 6.