1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime

[Garryl]

Detect Ongoing Effects
Divination
Level 0 for all the spellcasters that I can't be bothered to type out even though it's less text than this, so bah humbug!

Detects ongoing effects that are still operational, much like Detect Magic does for magic. Picks up any effect with a non-instantaneous duration that hasn't ended, such as spells, a Barbarian's rage, magic items (treat them as if they had a permanent duration, unless they're explicitly temporary), etc. Concentration duration effects pick up as however long they'd last after concentration ends.

Picks up the remaining duration in a band:
Fading: 1 round or less
Short: 1 round to 1 minute
Medium: 1 minute to 1 hour
Long: 1 hour to 1 day
Very Long: 1 day or more
Permanent: Permanent duration

[Bronzebeard]

switch the bonus to trained in a skill to penalty in untrained skill - however, instead of a flat numerical, pick the lowest out of two rolls (2 x d20 and pick lowest).

[Amechra]

I've just been reading through Better Angels, and one thing struck me.

OK, so Angel Hosts in Better Angels are massively powerful as long as they don't break the Angelic Code of Conduct. To be more specific, they get two traits: Angelic Perfection, and Angelic Beauty +3.

Breaking the Code removes Angelic Perfection; code breaking after that reduces your bonus from Angelic Beauty by 1. Hitting 0 kills the angel. You can rebuild the Angelic Beauty bonus through virtuous acts, but you can never regain Angelic Perfection.

Totally make a Paladin fix that incorporates a progressive fall. Do it.

[Amechra]

Since I'm on an ORE kick, I've been drooling over the one-roll character creation for REIGN, where you can generate a pretty solid character by rolling 11d10 and looking up some tables. Each die gives you 5pts worth of stuff, so you get a 55pt character any way you cut it.

So I've been thinking about how you'd apply this kind of thing to D&D...

Here's an overview of how it works.

[Garryl]

Iajutsu Focus-related martial school.

A lot of maneuvers allow and/or require you to draw and/or sheathe your weapon as part of them.
Many of the weapon draw strikes also make your target flat-footed so Iajutsu focus applies. Their damage will be a little less than normal, since they assume you've been keeping up with Iajutsu Focus ranks to boost the attack.

Level 3 - Invisible Butterfly Cut: Strike - Draw your weapon, attack, then sheathe it again. Target is flat-footed. Target doesn't take the damage until 1 minute later, or until it next takes damage, whichever comes first. Requires a Spot check (DC = your Iajutsu Focus check) to notice that you've even made an attack.

Level 4-6 - Duel of Blades: Counter - Draw a sheathed weapon and replace AC with an Iajutsu Focus check against an attack. If this makes the attack miss, your first attack before the end of your turn deals bonus damage according to your Iajutsu Focus check and treats your target as flat-footed if you direct it against your attacker and use the weapon you drew (doesn't apply if you attack someone else first, doesn't stack with another Iajutsu Focus check).

Level 1 - Idle Hands: Stance - Draw and sheathe weapons as a free action.

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Idle Hands
... (Stance)
Level: ... 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
While you are in this stance, you can draw a weapon as a free action instead of as a move action. You can draw a hidden weapon (see the Sleight of Hand skill) as a move action. This allows you to throw weapons at your full normal rate of attacks (much like with a bow).

Additionally, as you begin your turn, you can sheathe any weapons you are holding as a free action.

[Nanshork]

What about the martial school replaces the skill entirely?

[Amechra]

Spells for everyone!

Namely, you have up to Int Mod spells "in memory" like a Wizard, Cha mod spells known as a Sorcerer, and Wisdom spells prayed for like a Cleric. You have a maximum spell limit equal to your highest mental modifier, and a number of spells per day equal to your second highest mental ability score.

Replace spellcasting classes with stuff that interacts with this new system.


OK, this has some problems with it; I think the way to solve them is to give each mental ability score something magical it's good at.

Like, for example:

Charisma gives you some quick 'n' cheap spells.
Wisdom focuses on expensive but strong spells.
Intelligence sacrifices power for flavor speed for power.

EDIT: New thought - you just pick two at character creation and base it off of those. One and done.

[Amechra]

Smoother scaling for weapons:

• The minimum damage you deal before DR is 1 (this is already part of the rules, but hey, let's bring it up.)
• The absolute weakest weapon deals 0 damage (in other words, it deals damage equal to your Strength modifier.) This only happens in ridiculous situations (like trying to figure out damage for a pixie's knife, or whatever.)
• The minimum you are likely to see is 1d4.
• Each upgrade to size or harmfulness increases that die by one step, to a maximum of 1d8.
• An increase past that adds 1d6 to the weapon's damage, and resets the die to 1d4.

So:

1d4+0d6:  1 min,  2.5 avg, 4.0 max
1d6+0d6:  1 min,  3.5 avg, 6.0 max
1d8+0d6:  1 min,  4.5 avg, 8.0 max
1d4+1d6:  2 min,  6.0 avg, 10.0 max
1d6+1d6:  2 min,  7.0 avg, 12.0 max
1d8+1d6:  2 min,  8.0 avg, 14.0 max
1d4+2d6:  3 min,  9.5 avg, 16.0 max
1d6+2d6:  3 min, 10.5 avg, 18.0 max

One idea for handling weapon scaling based off size is adding/removing d6s. So maybe Colossal creatures aren't actually tougher than smaller creatures, it's just that most mortals are losing 4d6 off their weapons and the Colossal creature has +4d6 damage.

Hmm... this is making me think that maybe altering size categories so they don't massively alter your ability scores might be an idea...

[Garryl]

It would be easier to go up to 1d10 or 1d12, with the minimum side of the scaling being 1d6 or 1d8. I just find that d4s are the hardest normal die to roll (they always hop off the table or something, and they never feel right in my hand). Also, how were you planning to handle the higher end of command damage die sizes (1d10, 1d12, 2d6, 2d8)? They don't all match average damages neatly with the standard progression you wrote out there.

If you wanted to add in some more changes to size scaling, I'd be in favor. You mentioned ability scores, but you could also adjust things like the bonus to rolls for Hide checks, on Strength checks for breaking down doors, and for trip, grapple, and the other special combat maneuvers. PF probably went too far in dropping it to +1 per size category, but +2 or +3 would probably be right.

I'd also be interested in adjusting the other exponential effects of size while you're at it. Instead of doubling space every 2 categories, if it was a flat +5' per size category above Medium. Similarly, adjusting the attack and AC modifiers to a fixed +1 per size category.

[Amechra]

I'd translate them into this system, rather than dealing with them - if you're going to do something, do it whole hog.

You could go with 1d4-1d6-1d8-1d10, then reset to d6 and add 1d6, if you don't like d4s. That gives you a similarly smooth progression (I didn't go with it because using the d4 once and never again doesn't feel aesthetically pleasing).


For size categories, I just whipped up the following:

[Size Diff] is how many size categories larger/smaller than you your opponent is.

• You deal [Size Diff]d6 bonus weapon damage vs. smaller opponents, but suffer a -2*[Size Diff-1] penalty to attack rolls against them. You get a +2*[Size Diff] bonus on all Strength-based checks made against smaller creatures.
• You get a +2*[Size Diff] bonus to your attack rolls against larger opponents, but lose [Size Diff-1] dice of weapon damage against them. d6s are always lost first. You get a +2*[Size Diff] bonus on all Dexterity-based checks made against larger creatures.
• Treat objects as "creatures" of a similar size - rather than gaining bonuses to certain checks, however, they apply that bonus as a penalty to such rolls made against them.

So...

An Ogre attacks a human. The Ogre deals +1d6 damage to the human, but the human gets a +2 bonus on attack rolls against the Ogre.
That same Ogre wants to smash a door sized for humans - it gets a +2 bonus to the roll. If it tried to pick the lock, it would suffer a -2 penalty instead.


Maybe something like...

Code: [Select]

Fine:       2½'x2½'x1¼' space, 0ft reach, x1/16 weight and carrying capacity
Diminutive: 2½'x2½'x2½' space, 0ft reach, x1/8 weight and carrying capacity
Tiny:       5'x2½'x2½' space, 0ft reach, x1/4 weight and carrying capacity
Small:      5'x5'x2½' space, 5ft reach, x1/2 weight and carrying capacity
Medium:     5'x5'x5' space, 5ft reach, x1 weight and carrying capacity
Large:      10'x5'x5' space, 5ft reach, x2 weight and carrying capacity
Huge:       10'x10'x5' space, 10ft reach, x4 weight and carrying capacity
Gargantuan: 10'x10'x10' space, 10ft reach, x8 weight and carrying capacity
Colossal:   20'x10'x10' space, 10ft reach, x16 weight and carrying capacity

Numbers and such could stand for tweaking - I like the neat symmetry of "+1d6 damage and +2 Strength checks per size category, and a -2 to hit per category past the first" for large creatures, and "+2 to hit and Dexterity checks per size category, and lose a die of damage per category past the first" for small creatures.

And a general rule of thumb for the table above: each size increase doubles your weight, carrying capacity, and the shortest side of your space. Your reach is just the "middle" dimension of your space, rounded down.

[Amechra]

Alternate idea:

Fold all of those feats that have effects based off of relative size into the base system.

Yes, this does mean you can just grab really small creatures or smack them hard enough to send them flying.


Unrelated:

I wonder if you could bake special attacks into the rules a bit better. I mean, you could probably fold, say, charging, overruns, and bull rushes into one thing. Or tripping and grappling.

[Garryl]

• You deal [Size Diff]d6 bonus weapon damage vs. smaller opponents, but suffer a -2*[Size Diff-1] penalty to attack rolls against them. You get a +2*[Size Diff] bonus on all Strength-based checks made against smaller creatures.
• You get a +2*[Size Diff] bonus to your attack rolls against larger opponents, but lose [Size Diff-1] dice of weapon damage against them. d6s are always lost first. You get a +2*[Size Diff] bonus on all Dexterity-based checks made against larger creatures.
• Treat objects as "creatures" of a similar size - rather than gaining bonuses to certain checks, however, they apply that bonus as a penalty to such rolls made against them.

So...

An Ogre attacks a human. The Ogre deals +1d6 damage to the human, but the human gets a +2 bonus on attack rolls against the Ogre.
That same Ogre wants to smash a door sized for humans - it gets a +2 bonus to the roll. If it tried to pick the lock, it would suffer a -2 penalty instead.

Don't do this. You're already adjusting damage for larger and smaller creatures once (twice if size increases still increase Strength). Don't add in yet another type of size-based damage scaling that's also dynamic.

[Amechra]

Size doesn't increase Strength with this hack. And that damage bonus replaces the normal scaling due to size.

So a Large club would deal 2d6 damage; a Huge club would deal 3d6, and so on.


Basically, the idea is to throw away as many of the static bonuses for size as possible, and handle everything in a relative sense.

[Garryl]

Rewriting Born of the Three Thunders so it actually takes into account using it on more than just Lighting Bolt. Seriously, even Call Lightning in core is confusing with it, and other spells outside of core, or even in core once you consider that Energy Substitution not only exists but is a prerequisite, can be even worse. Also, do prepared casters get to add it on the fly? The wording leans that way, and it's the way it's frequently interpreted, but it's contrary to how every other metamagic feat works and it's not perfectly clear.

Born of the Three Thunders [Metamagic]
Prerequisites: Energy Substitution (electricity), Knowledge (nature) 4 ranks
Benefits: Half of any electricity or sonic damage dealt by a three thunders spell is dealt as electricity damage, with the other half dealt as sonic damage. The spell gains both the electricity and sonic descriptors.

In addition, the spell concludes with a mighty thunderclap as it strikes. Each creature takes any electricity or sonic damage from the spell immediately as it is cast is stunned for 1 round unless it succeeds on a Fortitude save. A creature that is stunned this way is also knocked prone unless it succeeds on a Reflex save. Both saves are against the spell, and thus use the spell's normal save DC (even if the spell doesn't normally allow a save against its effects).

Channeling the three thunders is costly, though. You are dazed for 1 round after casting a three thunders spell.

You can apply this metamagic feat to any spell with either the electricity or sonic descriptors that deals electricity or sonic damage. A three thunders spell uses a spell slot of the spell's normal level.

[Amechra]

Random idea:

Replace the Sorcerer's Spells Known table with the Wizard's spells per day. The wizard can now have a maximum of X spells of each level recorded, where X is determined by looking at the Sorcerer's spells per day.

[Garryl]

Concept: A martial discipline whose maneuvers have passive effects while readied. Some are a bit weaker than normal but give small passive bonuses as long as you have them readied and unexpended. Others are stronger than normal, but penalize you until you recover them.

[littha]

Concept: A martial discipline whose maneuvers have passive effects while readied. Some are a bit weaker than normal but give small passive bonuses as long as you have them readied and unexpended. Others are stronger than normal, but penalize you until you recover them.

I was trying to do something similar at one point by having my maneuvers trigger stance changes into stances that you couldn't activate normally.

It also had those stances as prerequisites for further maneuvers for a sort of combo chain idea.

Tangent:

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Based on Ragnarok Online:

Setup Stance > Raging Trifecta Blow> Rage Stance > Dragon Combo > Dragon Stance > Fallen Empire > Falling Stance > Gates of Hell > Setup Stance.

But there were also going to branch, Dragon Stance for example could lead to Fallen Empire or Sky Blow

I had the whole framework done for it but I fail completely at writing stances/Maneuvers and didnt get much further than that.

[Amechra]

Modular Ultimate Magus

Basically, a bunch of ACFs that let you use Ultimate Magus as a Theurge for any two casting classes.

Maybe expand it to 15 levels, too, so you can get to 20th level as X 3/Y 2/Ultimate Magus 15.

[Garryl]

Elementals for the four nuclear forces:
- Gravity: Slowing aura, can do like an air elemental's whirlwind transformation, turning into a cylinder of reversed gravity.
- Electromagnetism: Pushes/pulls opponents away/towards it. Bonuses against opponents wearing ferrous armor, and against attacks with ferrous weapons.
- Strong: Explosions and disintegration. Atoms stop holding together in whatever it hits. Maybe even something like the Chaos Beast's Corporeal Instability as the effect spreads through the opponent's body.
- Weak: Transmutation. Changes the flavor of quarks, changes the substance/materials of what it attacks and of its environment.

[Garryl]

Because Arcane Consumption is a cringe-worthy feat.

Sudden Heighten Spell [Metamagic]
Prerequisite: Any metamagic feat.
Benefit: Once per day, you can apply the effect of the Heighten Spell feat to any spell you cast, increasing it's effective spell level by 4, without increasing the level of the spell's slot or specially preparing it ahead of time. You can still use Empower Spell normally if you have it. This does not count as the ability to cast higher levels spells for the purpose of meeting prerequisites and other options.