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41
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Last post by Garryl on March 30, 2024, 02:39:40 PM »
ToB maneuvers to buff:
- Trying to buff up the maneuvers that are generally considered the weakest of the bunch and either don't have any practical use cases or are just so weak as to be traps to use.
- Not trying to make them as powerful as the strongest maneuvers. Just trying to bring them up to a level where they feel like they should be okay to use.
- Not trying to buff up maneuvers that are great for certain builds but poor for others. We're not trying for mass appeal.
- Not trying to buff up maneuvers that are highly situational, but very good in their situation. Depending on how specific the situation is, I might try to expand the range of situations a maneuver is useful in, but I'll try not to increase its power in situations it's already good in.


Desert Wind
1
- Blistering Flourish: Initiating this maneuver also grants you concealment for 1 round as lingering sparks and embers dance around you. You can't use this concealment to hide.
- Wind Stride: Also removes the -5 penalty on Tumble checks to move at full speed.
2
- Fire Riposte: Base damage reduced to 3d6. Add +1 damage per initiator level.
- Hatchling's Flame: Add +1 damage per initiator level.
3
- Fan the Flames: Base damage reduced to 5d6. Add +1 damage per initiator level. Range increased to 60 ft.
- Holocaust Cloak: Instead deals 3 damage + 1/2 IL to attacker. Also renders you and your equipment immune to damage from being set on fire.
4
- Firesnake: Add +1 damage per initiator level.
- Searing Blade: On crit, set target on fire if they're not already, making them take an extra 1d6 fire damage immediately and again every round until they put themself out.
5
- Dragon's Flame: Add +1 damage per initiator level.
- Lingering Inferno: The lingering flames amplify damage taken from fire. The creature takes +2d6 damage from other sources of fire damage, up to a maximum of 100% of the source's original fire damage.
6
- Ring of Fire: Base damage reduced to 10d6. Add +1 damage per initiator level. Your movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity for leaving threatened spaces. If you don't close the area, project a line with a length up to your movement speed in any direction. If that would close the area, the flames still ignite, albeit with reduced intensity, dealing half damage (Reflex negates).
- Fiery Assault: Add +1/2 damage per initiator level.
7
- Inferno Blade: On crit, set target on fire if they're not already, making them take an extra 1d6 fire damage immediately and again every round until they put themself out. If they're already on fire, fan the flames, dealing an extra 1d6 fire damage immediately, increasing the fire damage they take each round by 1d6, and increasing the Reflex DC to put themself out by 1 (up to a maximum of 17 + Wis modifier + any modifiers to this maneuver's save DC if it had one).
- Salamander Charge: Add +1/2 damage per initiator level to the damage for crossing or starting a turn in the wall of fire.
8
- Wyrm's Flame: Add +1 damage per initiator level.
- Rising Phoenix: Can fly at any altitude without ending the stance. At more than 10 feet above the ground, maneuverability drops to poor and the fire damage doesn't trigger from a full attack.
9
- Inferno Blast: Base damage reduced to 90. Add +1 damage per initiator level. Creatures that fail their Reflex saves must also make a Fortitude save or be knocked prone due to the concussive force of the blast wave. Save DC is 19 + Wis modifier (previously unlisted). The nature of this maneuver is to release a hellish blast of wild, uncontrolled flames, but you can exert some influence on it; if you wish, you may choose a cone in which the burst does not apply.
Rationale
- The community agrees that most Desert Wind maneuvers are subpar. A lot of them are pure blasting with no scaling, which is already a poor strategy. The theme of relying purely on fire damage, the most resisted damage type, makes them inflexible and often weaker than they look. I can't do anything about the fire lock without sweeping changes, but scaling up the damage to match what blasters can pull off when the maneuvers are first accessible and tapering off more slowly should help a bit.
- Blistering Flourish does basically nothing. It's a Bane spell, but with point blank range a worse save type, and no penalty on saves vs. fear. Even if it works, it only has a 1/20 chance of making a given attack miss. It probably still needs a buff, but at least the round of concealment gives a little more viable momentary defense and makes it less bad.
- Wind Stride is at the edge of fine, but poor, depending on who you ask.
- Hatchling's Flame compares poorly to Burning Hands, itself a poor blasting spell. It's behind by 0.5 damage at the level you get it and falls further behind as you go.
- Fan the Flames is actually okay, but it's mostly just outdone by Shadow Garrote in Shadow Hand, which trades 1d6 damage for double range, a minor debuff, and an unresistible damage type.
- Searing Blade and Inferno Blade aren't bad, they just don't add enough over the 1st-level Burning Blade to ever be worth trading up for.
- Lingering Inferno SUCKS. It adds 8d6 damage at best which is barely par for a pure damage 5th-level strike. You have to wait 3 rounds to get that damage, and any amount of fire resistance just neuters it due to being split over 4 instances. Hopefully, making it a debuff that amplifies other fire damage works.
- Dragon's Flame tries to pretend than a CL 6 Fireball's damage is relevant at level 9. At least it's a CL 9's worth of damage at level 9 now.
- Fiery Assault is 1d6 extra damage. Punishing Stance has been doing that since level 1, albeit with a -2 AC penalty, but also in a form that doesn't stack up against an entirely new defense (fire resistance). Burning Blade added 1d6 fire damage since level 1, and also added your IL, all at the cost of being a boost; by level 11 when you can get Fiery Assault, it's adding 1d6+11, more than four times what Fiery Assault gives. With these numbers, it's now a permanent half-strength Searing Blade, which doesn't seem too out of line for a stance.
- Ring of Fire does decent damage, it's just implausible to use. A base 30-foot movement speed covers an area barely larger than a 15-foot diameter, so this is really a single-target attack masquerading as an AoE. It's even smaller if you're moving at a lower speed (hitting a single 5-foot square requires at least 30 feet of movement), or have to take a strange path to move around creatures or obstacles. Also, any creature standing by a wall is basically not a viable target unless you can hit the DC 25 Tumble check reliably (not unreasonable at this level, but still worth mentioning as a further inconvenience). The extra bit of extended path lets you increase the area a bit, and gives you a better failure state if your movement is interrupted or blocked. Avoiding AoEs is vital to not taking more damage yourself than you deal to your enemies, and I don't know how the writers didn't think to put that in originally.
- Salamander Charge: Honestly, this one's pretty okay and I mostly felt the need to add more damage just because I was doing it for everything else. The fire wall has similar limitations to Lingering Inferno's damage, but the damage is in larger chunks and cover an area instead of a single target.
- Wyrm's Flame brings it up to just about the 1d6/level benchmark when you get it. It's still underperforming, but I can't be arsed to tweak the numbers even more.
- Rising Phoenix gives you flight but only where you don't need it. You're at least 15th level. Just take the damn flight!
- Inferno Blast does really good damage. That's all it does. It also has an annoying tendency of friendly fire. It didn't need the damage scaling buff, but everything else got it so why not.

Devoted Spirit
1
2
3
4
5
6
- Aura of Tyranny: You can also deal this damage to unwilling creatures that you dealt damage to with a melee attack within the last round. If you deal damage to at least 2 willing allies, you get a +2 bonus on attack rolls and saving throws for 1 round. If you deal damage to at least 2 unwilling creatures, you get a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls and to AC for 1 round.
7
- Castigating Strike
8
9
Rationale
- Devoted Spirit is pretty good, overall. Very few maneuvers are off curve.
- Aura of Tyranny just doesn't do much unless you're cheesing a million summons for tons of free healing or something.

Diamond Mind
1
- Stance of Clarity
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Rationale
- Diamond Mind is pretty good, overall.

Iron Heart
1
2
3
4
5
6
- Manticore Parry: You can also choose to deflect the attack harmlessly instead of into another creature.
7
- Scything Blade: Dropped to a level 6 maneuver. Initiate after you hit with a melee attack to make another melee attack at the same attack bonus against a different creature you threaten. (This lets you trigger it off of more than just your first attack in the round, and doesn't force you to commit expending the maneuver preemptively before you even know if the normal attack will hit to trigger the extra one.)
8
- Supreme Blade Parry
9
Rationale
- Iron Heart is pretty good, overall.
- Scything Blade is a strictly worse Dancing Mongoose, but Dancing Mongoose is very good so just closing the gap might be okay.

Setting Sun
1
2
- Clever Positioning: Neither you nor the target provoke attacks of opportunity for this movement.
3
- Giant Killing Style: (Errata) Remove that nonsensical final sentence about it applying to all attacks for the rest of the turn. I think that's an editing fail from it possibly having been a boost instead of a stance in an earlier draft.
4
5
- Stalking Shadow: Dropped to a level 4 maneuver. Initiation action is 1 free action instead of 1 immediate action.
- Shifting Defense: (Errata) As per the table's description and the first non-italicized paragraph's flavor-like text, this only triggers on missed attacks, not all attacks.
6
- Scorpion Parry: You can also choose to deflect the attack harmlessly instead of into another creature.
7
- Hydra Slaying Strike: Add +4d6 damage. Effect changed to match what I think the designers were trying to accomplish, and so that it actually works against its namesake: The creature cannot make more than one attack during its next turn.
8
- Ghostly Defense: Also triggers when you make an attack miss due to a counter.
9
Rationale
- Setting Sun is a little weak and many of its maneuvers really want to be used by a dedicated tripper, but for the most part it's perfectly serviceable. Most of the changes listed here are just adjusting inconsistencies in the text and quirks of operation that feel unintended. Strictly speaking, those should be in a separate document.
- Stalking Shadow is strictly worse than Mirrored Pursuit in the same discipline at the same level. Since it only gives you a 5-foot step, maybe being a free action counter might be alright.
- Hydra Slaying Strike just doesn't do anything against most opponents. It's okay against random beatstick monsters, but even then you're just trading your attacks beyond the first (or other more useful maneuver effects) for their attacks beyond the first. Any spellcaster or martial adept doesn't care at all. White Raven Hammer is only one level higher and offers a stronger no save disable, and has bonus damage to boot.
- Ghostly Defense is just too narrow. The effect is good, but there are a whopping two maneuvers that let you get concealment or otherwise force miss chances on your own, and they're both in Shadow Hand. Child of Shadow would be a third, but it's a stance and so is mutually exclusive with this. Setting Sun, however, is the counter discipline, so why not lean into that?

Shadow Hand
1
2
3
- Shadow Garrote: Base damage reduced to 4d6. Add +1 damage per initiator level.
4
5
- Step of the Dancing Moth
6
- Ghost Blade: In addition to rendering the target flat-footed (as normal), roll two attacks and choose one (as Shadow Blade Technique). Taking the lower roll adds an extra 5d6 cold damage.
- Shadow Noose: Base damage reduced to 6d6. Add +1 damage per initiator level. Does not require target to be flat-footed, but if it isn't, a failed save renders it flat-footed until its next turn (as Shadow Garrote) instead of stunned for 1 round.
7
- Death in the Dark: In addition to functioning against a flat-footed opponent, also functions if the foe is denied Dex to AC and you have concealment from it.
8
9
Rationale
- Shadow Garrote is fine. Just giving it the same scaling I did for Fan the Flames in Desert Wind.
- Shadow Noose should be Shadow Garrote's older brother, but requiring a flat-footed foe makes it far more situational. This change makes it into that better, higher-level Shadow Garrote, since it now does the same thing with +2d6 damage against non-flat-footed creatures.
- Ghost Blade just doesn't do enough. Sapphire Nightmare Blade has been doing the same thing with an extra 1d6 damage since level 1, albeit with less reliability. The fluff describes it similarly to Shadow Blade Technique, so now it's Shadow Blade Technique's older brother.
- Death in the Dark is perfectly fine, just a little too narrow.


Stone Dragon
General
- Maneuvers can be initiated if you were in contact with the ground at any point since the beginning of your last turn. (This allows you to, for example, leap up and bat a flying foe down to the ground.)
- Stances that end when you move more than 5 feet are instead suppressed until your next turn (so you don't need to spend the swift action to reenter it). You can still reinitiate them while they're suppressed this way to get them back immediately.
1
- Charging Minotaur: This damage bypasses damage reduction and other defenses as though it was dealt through your unarmed strike (for example, if you wore an amulet of mighty fists +1, it would bypass DR/magic and would potentially be able to damage incorporeal creatures, if you could somehow bull rush them). Movement with this maneuver does not disable your Stone Dragon stances.
- Stonefoot Stance: Stance is suppressed until your next turn if you move more than 5 feet instead of ending (so you don't need to spend the swift action to reenter it).
2
- Stone Vice: Fort save is tagged object. If you hit a creature not on the ground, it must make the Fort save or be knocked to the ground, falling up to 30 feet (no AoO for this movement). If this causes it to land on the ground, it is affected by the speed reduction effect.
3
- Stone Dragon's Fury: Deals bonus damage to all creatures, not just constructs. If it hits a construct or object, it must make a Fortitude save (object, DC 13 + your Str modifier) or have any damage reduction or hardness reduced to half its normal value (rounded down) for 1 round.
- Roots of the Mountain: Stance is suppressed until your next turn if you move more than 5 feet instead of ending (so you don't need to spend the swift action to reenter it). Also causes non-teleportation forced movement to which you are unwilling to move you half the distance.
4
- Boulder Roll: Is a strike instead of a boost. Effect is instead: You move up to your speed. During this movement, you can make any number of overrun attacks, as a free action, once per target. If a target chooses to avoid you, you still make an opposed Strength check to knock it prone as though it had not, and you can continue your movement even if you fail to knock it prone. If a target blocks you, you gain a +4 bonus on your Strength check made to overrun, and if you fail your check, your target can't knock you prone. You simply stop moving in the last legal space you occupied. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity for the movement or the overrun attempts. Movement with this maneuver does not disable your Stone Dragon stances.
- Overwhelming Mountain Strike: Fort save is tagged object. Effect changed to match what I think the designers were trying to accomplish. On a failed save, the creature's normal allotment of actions during its turn is reduced. Instead of being allowed a standard action and a move action, two move actions, or one full-round action, the creature is allowed only a single standard or move action. The creature can otherwise act normally; this does not impact its swift action or free actions, nor does it affect any extra actions it may gain (such as from the quicksilver motion maneuver).
5
- Mountain Avalanche: Replace text with that of Crushing Advance, except with a base damage of 6d6. Movement with this maneuver does not disable your Stone Dragon stances. (I would've just written up the differences, except that the original version is a mess. It contradicts itself about whether you deal damage to any creature whose space you fully occupy (first paragraph) or if covering only part of its space is good enough (second paragraph). It's also even more vulnerable to AoOs than the basic trample monster ability. Not worth the effort when I already have some perfectly valid text to reference.)
- Giant's Stance: Stance is suppressed until your next turn if you move more than 5 feet instead of ending (so you don't need to spend the swift action to reenter it). Instead of increasing your effective weapon size, adds 1d6 damage and lets you add an additional 1/2 your Str bonus to weapon damage rolls that already add your Str bonus.
6
- Crushing Vice: If you hit a creature not on the ground, it must make a Fort save (object, DC 16 + Str) or be knocked to the ground, falling up to 30 feet (no AoO for this movement). If this causes it to land on the ground, it is affected by the speed reduction effect.
- Iron Bones: Add +4d6 damage.
- Irresistible Mountain Strike: Fort save is tagged object. Effect changed to match what I think the designers were trying to accomplish. On a failed save, the creature's normal allotment of actions during its turn is reduced. Instead of being allowed a standard action and a move action, two move actions, or one full-round action, the creature is allowed only a single move action. The creature can otherwise act normally; this does not impact its swift action or free actions, nor does it affect any extra actions it may gain (such as from the quicksilver motion maneuver).
7
- Colossus Strike: Can also target and affect objects. If an obstacle prevents the completion of the target's move, the obstacle takes 6d6 points of damage.
8
- Adamantine Bones: Add +8d6 damage.
- Earthstrike Quake: Duration 5 rounds. The ground continues to shake and rumble, forcing creatures that attempt to move through it to make a Balance check (DC 20 + your Str modifier). Each of the subsequent rounds after you initiate the maneuver, you can trigger an aftershock around the same point, forcing a Reflex save and Concentration check.
- Strength of Stone: Stance is suppressed until your next turn if you move more than 5 feet instead of ending (so you don't need to spend the swift action to reenter it). Also grants immunity to any effect that allows a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
9
Rationale
- Oh boy, Stone Dragon. There's a lot of variance here. The Mountain Hammer maneuvers are ToB staples, but so much else is so flawed.
- Being usable only on the ground is thematic, but overly restrictive at higher levels. At least now you can jump up and swat someone out of the sky to bring them down to the ground where you want to fight them.
- Most of the Stone Dragon Stances end if you move more than 5 feet. I'm not going to try for a sweeping change that just edits that out, but at least this way (suppression for 1 round instead of ending), movement and Stone Dragon stances play better with boosts and counters. That said, most of them are on the weak side even without that limitation, although not horrendously so, so most of them got buffs.
- Charging Minotaur got the ability to bypass DR in a limited way, like I wrote into similar maneuvers for my Crushing Juggernaut homebrew discipline. It's less of an intended buff and more of a basic effect that I feel should be there in some manner, and I'm doing the same thing along the way as part of Mountain Avalanche's changes.
- For Stone Vice and Crushing Vice, these changes go hand in hand with the "jump up and swat someone out of the sky" thing I mentioned above.
- Stone Dragon's Fury is just too narrow, and the effect when it is applicable isn't enough.
- Roots of the Mountain is probably fine, but if it's going to protect you from the more "normal" forced movement, why not the special stuff as well?
- Boulder Roll was poorly written from day one. Even assuming the full-round action initiation for a boost is a typo, it just doesn't do much of anything. Overrun has two purposes for which you're spending your standard action: knock a foe prone, and move past the space the foe is occupying. Without preventing the target from avoiding you, which Improved Overrun does but Boulder Roll doesn't, the opponent chooses which of those two is more important to them and thus how to contest you. I would be hesitant to select that original Boulder Roll as even a 1st- or 2nd-level boost. This is basically a complete rework of the maneuver, which I don't want to do much of if I don't have to, but I feel like this trample-style multiple overrun fits the original theme much better.
- For Overwhelming and Irresistible Mountain Strike, I just made them work the way I think the designers intended (removing some of the target's actions, like the staggered or nauseated conditions). Also tagged them for objects so they can affect constructs and undead.
- Mountain Avalanche is a bad version of the trample monster ability, and its damage does not keep up with what is expected at this level. It was like Firesnake, but weaker, and with making you provoke AoOs, and with movement (which could be good, but could also disable your Stone Dragon stances).
- The Bones line of maneuvers provide a reasonable enough defense with their DR/adamantine to deal with the smaller hitters, although they don't scale up quite well enough to deal with big threats. A little extra damage on the higher-level ones lets you keep up that mix of offense and defense at higher levels.
- Giant's Stance's absolute best-case scenario is a +4 average damage bonus with a medium greataxe (going from 1d12 to 3d6). Punishing Stance has been doing +3.5 since level 1, albeit with a -2 AC penalty. Most of the rationale for the need for a buff is similar to what I wrote for Fiery Assault in Desert Wind. The implementation should wind up comparable, if a bit weaker.
- Colossus Strike is one of those maneuvers that feels like it should be good but doesn't quite stand up. The damage to the impactee is basically copying Setting Sun's Comet Throw and Ballista Throw. Also, now you can hit baseballs (and constructs and undead) with it. Batter up!
- Earthstrike Quake is most comparable to a Grease spell with a larger area and a scaled up save DC, but lots of downsides. It has no duration, hitting only once and not even obstructing the area. It's point-blank, not ranged, although honestly that's par for the course for spell-comparable maneuvers just from the basic paradigm. Hitting through walls is cool. Hitting creatures on the ground only it shares with Grease, but it's a limitation that doesn't hold up as well at 15th level as it did at 1st. It probably still needs a buff beyond this, but that would require a more substantial rework to it.
- Strength of Stone is heavy fortification. It's great against crit fishers and sneak attackers, but most monsters only have a 20/x2 crit, which means in terms of average damage taken, it's less effective than +1 AC against them. One can't knock the benefits of smoothing out damage spikes, but at this level things are throwing out multiple attacks and hp pools are large enough to absorb an extra singular hit now and again, so it's not as important as at lower levels. Plus, anyone can get this for 36000 gp and a -1 attack roll penalty by strapping a +1 Heavy Fortification buckler to your arm if you really want crit protection, which seems a bit cheaper than what I'd hope the equivalent value of an 8th-level stance would be.


Tiger Claw
1
2
- Claw at the Moon: If Jump check succeeds and attack hits, target must make a Will save (DC 12 + Str) or flinch, taking a -2 penalty on attack rolls for 1 round.
3
- Flesh Ripper: Add +2d6 damage. A successful save negates the attack roll penalty, but not the AC penalty.
- Wolverine Stance: You do not suffer the normal -4 penalties on attack rolls and to AC while prone or squeezing. When you hit a creature grappling you with a melee attack, you can make a grapple check as a free action to escape the grapple.
4
- Fountain of Blood: Can use after you reduce a living opponent's hp with a melee attack during your turn, regardless of the creature's hp. If it has more than half its hp, you only deal the extra 1d6 damage. If it has half its hp or less, it still deals the 1d6 damage but only the creature struck makes the Will save to avoid being shaken. If it has -1 or fewer hp, the maneuver functions as originally written.
5
6
7
- Prey on the Weak
8
- Wolf Pack Tactics
9
Rationale
- Claw at the Moon is basically Sapphire Nightmare Blade, but with an extra 1d6 damage and better crit confirmation in exchange for 1 higher level and not making foes flat-footed. Also, the Jump skill is harder to get to comfortable levels for hitting DC 20 or so (what lower-level enemies usually have) reliably compared to Concentration; Strength won't be meaningfully higher than Constitution, Jump is hit by your ACP, and it often eats a massive -6 penalty for having 20 ft. speed.
- Flesh Ripper's AC penalty is matched by Leading the Attack, a 1st-level White Raven maneuver with no save.
- Fountain of Blood is useless against single foes, and doesn't really do enough even against larger groups. By the time you start dropping foes, often it's after the party's spellcasters have already thrown down a bunch of disabling effects, so adding one more weak-ish debuff isn't going to add much.

White Raven
1
2
3
- Lion's Roar: Can use after you reduce an opponent's hp, regardless of the creature's hp. If it has more than half its hp, you only grant a +1 damage bonus. If it has half its hp or less, you only grant a +3 damage bonus. If it has -1 or fewer hp, the maneuver functions as originally written.
4
5
6
7
8
9
Rationale
- Lion's Roar is useless against single foes. Now it at least has a lesser effect.
42
Uncle Kittie's Unnecessary Revisions / Re: 5E Barbarian Path Variants
« Last post by bhu on March 29, 2024, 08:51:06 PM »
GHOST PARROT

"Where's yer gold?"

"I ain't talkin'.  (beep) you and your (beep)in' parrot.  What kind of man keeps a berd as a pet?"

"AWK! BILLEH JEAN IS NOT MAH LUVAH!  AWK!"

"Brother, if you only knew."

You're a warlord of some kind.  A pirate captain.  A reclusive nobleman.  Something to that effect.  Whatever the flavor, you also have this weird little pet.  It says random things at random times (usually the worst possible time), and is always skulking somewhere.  People hate it, and they disrespect you for it.  Not when either of you are nearby though.  Your temper is legendary.  You once had a man impaled on a brick for referring to your parrot as 'unmanly'.  But there's a secret people don't know.  That parrot is possessed by the ghost of a dead Pirate Lord.  Named something unlikely, like Axehugger Firebeard.  And as long as he's in your life, he controls you too.  Lord knows, you've tried getting rid of him multiple times.  Exorcists.  Black magic.  Bribes.  Dancing naked in the jungle while swinging a dead pig over your head by the light of the moon.  You've even sued him in the Court of the Afterlife, but he remains a stubborn bastard.  You've no idea what he's up to, but you fear he means you no good.  He tells you things at night.  Sometimes he shows you things.  You once woke up in a pile of bodies, which he assured you that he made in defense of your person.  He left out that you're now a wanted man, but no worries, you found that out quickly enough.

GHOST FAMILIAR
At 3rd Level you gain a freaky little pet that looks...off.  Some might even say Evil.  Mostly it's just dead.  This is effectively a Familiar, with the following changes:

It's Type is Undead.
It can speak in a halting, copycat manner, much like a parrot.
It can, and frequently does, attack, using your Proficiency Bonus plus your Str modifier to hit, with a range of 5 feet, doing (1d6+your PB) necrotic damage on a successful hit.
It only pretends to obey you, and even then only in front of others to carry on the charade that it's your servant instead of the other way round.
It knows what you know.
It cannot be dismissed.
It is immune to the following conditions:  Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained
It is immune to the following damage types: Cold, Necrotic, Poison.
If 'killed', it merely disappears, returning 24 hours later.

The Familiar is the spirit of a dead person who has some unfinished business, and it has "adopted" you, figuring you won't mind it occasionally possessing you in exchange for the 'good karma' you'll get for helping it.  Clearly the ghost's perspective of Buddhism is flawed.

GHOST RAGE
At 6th Level, whenever you fall unconscious or become Incapacitated, your Ghost Familiar merges with, and becomes in charge of, your body and tries to viciously murder your way to safety if it's necessary.  This works exactly like the Ghost's Possession ability (see Monster Manual), except that your Familiar DOES have access to your knowledge, class features, and proficiencies (and you can't get temporary immunity to this possession as you get no saving throw).  Effectively you don't sleep, as one of you is always in charge of the body.

GHOSTLY AURA
At 10th Level when you Rage, you take on a terrifying appearance, shimmering with necrotic power.  Any creature within 10 feet of you takes 2 points of necrotic and psychic damage each round it's within the area of effect.  You are also resistant to Cold, Necrotic and Poison damage while Raging, or when your Familiar is in charge of your body.

UNEARTHLY TERROR
At 14th Level, when Raging, you are immune to the following Conditions: Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Poisoned, Prone or Restrained.
43
Uncle Kittie's Unnecessary Revisions / Re: 5E Barbarian Path Variants
« Last post by bhu on March 29, 2024, 07:24:46 PM »
THE RAGEICIAN
Some people study magic, some people are born with it.  Some had to sell themselves, or swear an oath to get access to it.  Some play snuggles with beings of fell powers.  You came about magic in a slightly more different manner.  You're just so scary you can intimidate reality into obeying you.  At least, that's everyone's working theory.  I mean, in general, you are a scary person with a reputation.  Especially since you used a dead Mindflayer to put on a puppet show.  Not saying you were wrong, just saying there may have been some unforeseen side effects on your social calendar.  But who needs friends when you can tell the world "He didn't hit me.", and the world agrees.

RAGE MAGIC
At 3rd Level you gain 4 Rage Dice, which are d8s. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended Rage Dice when you finish a short or long rest. You gain another Rage Die at 6th level and one more at 14th level.  You may use a Rage Die after you see the result of any roll (this does not take an Action).  If you choose to expend a Rage Die, you may roll it and add it to the result of the roll you wish to modify.  This can turn a missed roll into a success, or boost rolls like Initiative or damage rolls that you wish to make higher.  You can only expend one Rage Die per roll.  Editor's Note: Except for rolling for hit points when you go up a Level, this can literally be ANYTHING you have to roll a die for.

IMPROVED RAGE MAGIC
At 6th Level you gain three new uses for your Rage Dice.  The first is a Reaction used when you are successfully attacked.  When you expend the die, roll it and subtract the result from your attackers attack roll.  If this lowers it's roll enough that it would miss, it misses.  The second is a Bonus Action used when you have made a successful attack roll.  That attack is now a Critical hit.  The third is that you can expend a Rage Die as a Bonus Action if your Rage would end because you haven't taken damage or attacked anyone, your Rage continues instead.

TERRIFYING GAZE
At 10th Level you fix your gaze on one creature you can see within 10 feet of you as an Action. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against this magic or become frightened for 1 minute (Save DC is 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + Strength modifier). The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to your gaze for the next 24 hours.

I REFUSE
At 14th Level you can refuse death if you have at least 3 Rage Dice.  If something occurs that would normally result in your death, you Rage at the Gawds while expending 3 Rage Dice.  They promptly decide they don't want to deal with you, and you wake up fully resurrected with 1 hit point.
44
September 1776 / Re: Chapter 2: Haxan
« Last post by RobbyPants on March 29, 2024, 09:01:37 AM »
OOC: She has Craft and not Profession. Do you just want three straight Wisdom checks?

Can Elizabeth learn Regeneration? It adds five weeks to the downtime, but I'm not super worried about it.

Are the max ranks we can have in a spell the same as skill ranks? There are some I'd like to get up to 10 ranks, but I'm assuming I have to be level 7 for that.
45
September 1776 / Re: Chapter 2: Haxan
« Last post by bhu on March 28, 2024, 07:32:44 PM »
we'll go ahead and level you now.  Presumably you've been getting paid during some of this, so gimme three profession checks.
46
[Arhosa] Arhosa PbP / Re: The Slaves of Easternham
« Last post by the bluez on March 28, 2024, 10:09:53 AM »
Rhedeg looks around to see whatever the others are doing.
As most of his companions remain idle, he chooses to hide himself (whether in tall grass, bushes or behind trees nearby), hopefully to intervene unseen keeping himself within 20 feet of the others (and of their source of light). If they decide to move towards the other caravan he will follow them always in hiding, not breaking its pace thanks to his training (Plainsdweller feat allows to make Stealth check with no penalty while moving at full speed), so that he doesn't compromise its hiding spot by making too much noise.

(click to show/hide)
47
[Arhosa] Arhosa PbP / Re: Anti Nowhere League [OOC]
« Last post by the bluez on March 28, 2024, 10:06:50 AM »
Rhedeg looks around to see whatever the others are doing.
As most of his companions remain idle, he chooses to hide himself (whether in tall grass, bushes or behind trees nearby), hopefully to intervene unseen (Stealth result: 20) keeping himself within 20 feet of the others (and of their source of light). If they decide to move towards the other caravan he will follow them always in hiding, not breaking its pace thanks to his training (Plainsdweller feat allows to make Stealth check with no penalty while moving at full speed), so that he doesn't compromise its hiding spot by making too much noise.
48
[Arhosa] Arhosa PbP / Re: Fasnachu's Curses [Dice]
« Last post by the bluez on March 28, 2024, 10:02:13 AM »
Stealth check
Rolled 1d20+12 : 8 + 12, total 20
49
Uncle Kittie's Unnecessary Revisions / Re: 5E Barbarian Path Variants
« Last post by bhu on March 28, 2024, 01:03:02 AM »
INVOLUNTARY PROPHET
All Gawds need a Prophet.  Prophets deliver their pronouncements to mortalkind as cryptic, indecipherable bull(beep) that lets the Gawds wreak incalculable havoc.  Some think the Gawds find these shenanigans amusing, some think they themselves are forced  to follow rules they don't understand.  At any rate they tend to pick madman loners who live in a hut back in the deep woods.  You know who that all too often describes?  Barbarians!  So despite your being an emotionally unstable death machine, you're constantly followed, kidnapped or harassed by would be conquerors, apocalyptic religious cults, and kooks of every shape and size.  They regularly threaten people close to you, poison your food, kiss your ass, etc.  This has led you to be far less stable than even other Barbarians, and people who don't know what you are give you a wide berth.  The ones who do know what you are stay even further away, because it lessens the chance they'll be choked out by your 'fans.'

SO YOU'RE A PROPHET...
At 3rd Level when you adopt this path, you gain the ability to cast the Gift of Alacrity and Augury spells, but only as rituals.  The duration of Gift of Alacrity is limited to 10 Minutes, however.  Additionally, purely at random, a Gawd will speak through you.  When this happens you may rise and hover in the air, have weird lights shine from your eyes, or speak in an inhuman voice, depending on the Gawd possessing you.  You then spit Prophecy anywhere from a round to an hour.  You are Incapacitated, but invulnerable to all damage, conditions or effects during this time.  Then you will be endlessly grilled by Concerned Parties, sometimes for years afterwards.  It's pointless of course.  You have no more insight into your utterings than they do.  Even worse, there's a chance it's a False Prophecy, which everyone will blame on you.  Your relationship with religion is...well, we'll politely call it strained.  Note to DM's: This is to introduce Campaign story  elements, not to randomly incapacitate your PC.  Be good.

A MADMAN'S RAGE
At 3rd Level, when Raging, you have Advantage on Wisdom checks and Wisdom Saving Throws.  You also add your Wisdom modifier to your Armor Class and damage rolls.

WISDOM
At 6th Level your Wisdom score increases by +2.  You're still a madman, you're just one who's developed a bit of self awareness after having an epiphany.  For example, you'll still accept a Gawd's challenge to a wrasslin' match, you just have enough common sense to plan to cheat like hell.  You'll still party with the Devils, you just need to make sure you hide your soul first.

CUSSIN' AT THE GAWDS
At 10th Level you can cast the Commune spell, but only as a ritual.  You usually use it to tell the Gawds exactly what part of your anatomy they can kiss.

FORESIGHT
At 14th Level while Raging, you can’t be surprised and have advantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.
50
Uncle Kittie's Hopefully Humorous Guide to Abominations / Re: Cinematica
« Last post by bhu on March 27, 2024, 09:45:01 PM »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvY30GZfPjI

Atomic Zombie

Atomic Zombie is an Acquired Template that can be applied to the corpse of any Humanoid.  A mobster hellbent on revenge meets an ex Nazi scientist who has learned to replace the brains of dead men with nuclear powered machines that make the bodies animated, durable and superhumanly strong.  Unfortunately, they only last for several days before they disintegrate (though it's also shown that one lasts almost a month).  He also appears to have installed cameras and a microphone, as he can see and hear what they do, and speak through them.  Fortunately he only seems to be able to pilot one at a time, though he can unleash the mindless horde, as they will defend themselves if attacked as best they can.  Editors note: The film describes the zombies as 'mindless' and 'unaware', yet clearly has them doing things that make this unlikely.  Hence, I have taken some artistic license.
.
"This animal looks content, doesn't it? You'd never suspect it had 18 electrodes implanted in its brain!"

Size and Type: Type changes to Construct.

Hit Dice: All current Hit Dice become d12's.

Speed: Unchanged, but can no longer take the Run Action..

Armor Class: Natural Armor Bonus to AC improves by +8.

Attacks: If the base creature has no Slam attack, it gains one. 

Damage: Slam damage depends on the base creatures size: Small (1d3 plus one and a half times Str modifier), Medium (1d4 plus one and a half times Str modifier) or Large (1d6 plus one and a half times Str modifier).

Special Attacks: Retains none of the Special Attacks of the base creature, but gains the following:

Improved Grapple (Ex): The Atomic Zombie can initiate a Grapple without provoking an Attack of Opportunity.

Constrict (Ex): The Atomic Zombies doe double it's Slam damage plus one and a half times it's Strength Modifier with a successful Grapple Check.

Throw (Ex): The Atomic Zombie can bodyslam a creature it has Grappled with a unsuccessful Grapple Check.  This does 2d6, ends the Grapple, and the opponent lands Prone.

Sunder (Ex): The Atomic Zombie's Slam attack ignores an object's Hardness.

Radioactive (Ex): The zombie is highly radioactive, and anything it touches glows in the dark.  Touching one is dangerous.  Getting it's blood on you even moreso.  This Radiation Sickness sort of works like a disease, and the effects depend on whether a creature has fought with the Atomic Zombie, or been exposed to it's 'blood'.  If an attacked uses a Piercing or Slashing weapon on the Zombie it must make a Reflex Save (DC is 10 plus the damage dealt), or be exposed.  Just Fighting it requires a DC 18 Fortitude Save, has an incubation period of 3d6 hours, with damage being 1d6-1 Con (minimum damage 1).  If exposed to the 'blood', the Fortitude Save DC is 21, with an incubation period of 2d6 hours, with damage done being 1d6 Con.

Special Qualities: Retains all Exceptional Special Qualities based on it's physical form, plus gains the following:

Damage Reduction 10/-

Homing Sense (Ex): If sent on a mission, and not given orders, or damaged enough that it can't be remote controlled, it will automatically return home when it's power gets low.  They can contain a charge allowing them to operate for up to 16 hours, and will start to return if left to their own devices when at half that.  If the charge runs out, they are effectively dead until they're recharged.  There is a cumulative 10% chance per day it goes without a charge that it becomes unchargeable, and simply falls apart.

Remote Controlled (Ex): The doctor who animates the corpses (or someone of his choice) can use a machine to see and hear what the zombie sees and hears via a video feed, and can speak through it's mouth (Initially the Zombie uses the operators voice, but by the end of the film the doctor has found a way to let the Zombie use it's own voice.).  It also grants the zombie some of it's skills and feats.  The zombie cannot resist the operators orders, though there is a chance that the zombie misunderstands the operators orders.  Roll 1d20+ the Zombie's Wisdom Modifier against a DC 15 if it has less than 50% hit points, is given complicated orders (DM's discretion on how complicated the order must be), or the signal controlling it is cut off (presumable a strong electromagnetic field would work).  If the Zombie fails, it is Confused, as per the spell, for 1 round.  It should be noted that uncontrolled Zombies will attack others on sight, including their creator.  If the machine that broadcasts the signal that animates them is turned off or destroyed, the Zombies fall to the ground unconscious (dead if the machine is destroyed).  The machine is a Medium sized object weighing 200 pounds, with a Hardness of 5 and 30 hit points.

Semi-Mindless: The Atomic Zombie has an Intelligence score of 2, and immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).  It still loses all Feats and skil ranks.

Saves: Unchanged.

Abilities: +8 Str, -4 Wis, -6 Cha.  Int resets to 2, and it has no Con score.

Skills: If given orders by the operator, the Atomic Zombie has access to his skills.  It has half the ranks of the operator in any skills he or she has, plus it's own ability score modifiers.

Feats: The Atomic Zombie has some of the Feats possessed by it's operator.  It has any Weapon or Armor Proficiencies, and any Feats that are based purely on skill or mental ability.

Environment:
Any

Organization: Solitary or Group (2-10)

Challenge Rating: +2

Treasure: None

Alignment: Always Neutral

Advancement: ---

Level Adjustment: ---

Example of creature using template here:

Willard Pierce (Human Expert 6/Atomic Zombie)
                      Medium Construct
Hit Dice:             6d12 (39 hp)
Initiative:           +2
Speed:                30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class:         20 (+2 Dex, +8 Natural), touch 12, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple:  +4/+10
Attack:               Slam +10 melee (1d4+9) or Grapple +10 melee touch (Grapple)
Full Attack:          Slam +10 melee (1d4+9) or Grapple +10 melee touch (Grapple)
Space/Reach:          5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks:      Improved Grapple, Constrict, Throw, Sunder, Radioactive
Special Qualities:    DR 10/-, Homing Sense, Remote Controlled, Semi-Mindless
Saves:                Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4
Abilities:            Str 23, Dex 14, Con -, Int 2, Wis 8, Cha 8
Skills:               ---
Feats:                ---
Challenge Rating:     8
Treasure:             None
Alignment:            Neutral
Advancement:          ---
Level Adjustment:     ---

Willard Pierce was an aging criminal with tuberculosis whose body was stolen from the morgue to be used as an instrument of vengeance.  He doesn't last more than a month.

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