Author Topic: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime  (Read 308633 times)

Offline Garryl

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #820 on: July 14, 2017, 10:32:54 PM »
Note:: Completed at http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=19950.0.

Twilight Adept base class
In the time before the fall of the Temple of the Nine Swords, the House of the Fallen Sun was nothing more than an underworld information network. The organization's services, like those of many others, were purchased in service of the Shadow Tiger horde. After the horde's disastrous assault on the Temple of the Nine Swords, many of the martial adepts that fought within its ranks found themselves bereft of purpose. Turning to any sense of the familiar, some of them found themselves in the employ of the very groups that they had purchased the services of just months prior, including the House of the Fallen Sun. The information network was more than willing to bring these skilled assassins, infiltrators, and warriors under its sway. Over time, these martial adepts adapted the techniques they had learned under the tutelage of Reshar and his students to better suit their new activities. These new twilight adepts combined their knowledge of the nine martial disciplines with the mundane and magical techniques employed by other agents of the House.

Martial adept rogue/ninja/beguiler-type.
Has access to Diamond Mind, Setting Sun, Shadow Hand, Revealing Light (new), Phantom Battlefield (new), and Unnamed Shadow Illusion Discipline (new).
Leads conceptually in to the twilight mystic PrC.
d6 HD, 3/4 BAB, good Ref and Will saves, 8+Int skill points/level.

  • Trapfinding: 1st level
  • Elusive Strike: When an opponent attacks and misses you due to concealment or targets an illusion of you instead of you with an attack or ability, they are vulnerable to your elusive strike for 1 round. Elusive strike also applies against opponents denied Dex to AC. Elusive strike gives +1d6 precision damage at 1st level, +1d6 per 4 levels thereafter. Elusive strike adds 1 to the save DC of your maneuvers at 3rd level, +1 per 4 levels thereafter.
  • Elusive Dodge: Starting at 2nd level, all attacks and targeted effects have a chance to fail to affect you. This is separate from concealment. Elusive dodge does not apply while you are flanked, denied Dex to AC, immobilized, helpless, or unaware of the attack/effect. Elusive dodge applies only as long as you wear light or no armor, are unencumbered, and do not use a shield. Misses/failed effects due to elusive dodge trigger elusive strike. The percentage chance equals 10% at 2nd level and increases by 5% every 6 levels thereafter, to a maximum of 25% at 20th level.
  • Uncanny Dodge: 6th level
  • Elusive Evasion: Gain evasion at 8th level. Negating a Ref half effect triggers elusive strike against the effect's producer. Increases to improved evasion at 16th level.
  • Elusive Mind: Gain slippery mind at 12th level. Succeeding on the initial saving throw against an effect elusive mind could give an extra save against triggers elusive strike against the effect's producer.
« Last Edit: May 23, 2022, 01:23:04 PM by Garryl »

Offline Garryl

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #821 on: July 16, 2017, 06:12:22 PM »
Note: Completed at http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=18074.

(click to show/hide)

Phantom Battlefield martial discipline
In the time before the fall of the Temple of the Nine Swords, the House of the Fallen Sun was nothing more than an underworld information network. The organization's services, like those of many others, were purchased in service of the Shadow Tiger horde. After the horde's disastrous assault on the Temple of the Nine Swords, many of the martial adepts that fought within its ranks found themselves bereft of purpose. Turning to any sense of the familiar, some of them found themselves in the employ of the very groups that they had purchased the services of just months prior, including the House of the Fallen Sun. The information network was more than willing to bring these skilled assassins, infiltrators, and warriors under its sway. Over time, these martial adepts adapted the techniques they had learned under the tutelage of Reshar and his students to better suit their new activities. These new twilight adepts combined their knowledge of the nine martial disciplines with the mundane and magical techniques employed by other agents of the House.

Among the many results of this merger of disciplines was the Phantom Battlefield martial discipline. It combines the illusory magics of beguilers and illusionists with the stealth and deception of Shadow Hand and Setting Sun.

Discipline Access
Twilight adepts have access to Phantom Battlefield, allowing them to learn and use its maneuvers. Swordsages can train in the ways of Phantom Battlefield by selecting it in place of one of the Desert Wind, Diamond Mind, Stone Dragon, or Tiger Claw disciplines, allowing them to learn and use its maneuvers instead. Like all martial disciplines, any character can dabble in Phantom Battlefield's techniques with the Martial Study and Martial Stance feats.

Discipline Key Skill: Disguise

Discipline Favored Weapons: Dagger, kukri, rapier, unarmed strike, ...

Sidebar: Mirror Images and Projected Images
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Maneuvers by Level
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Maneuver Descriptions
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« Last Edit: May 03, 2020, 01:57:15 PM by Garryl »

Offline Garryl

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #822 on: July 18, 2017, 07:03:46 PM »
Reactive Style [General]
Prerequisite: Adaptive Style.
Benefit: Once per encounter, you can use Adaptive Style to change your readied maneuvers as a free action. You can only use this ability if you haven't yet initiated or expended any maneuvers.

Offline Versatility_Nut

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #823 on: July 19, 2017, 07:02:54 PM »
1-Incarnum crafter class that does crafting by turning Soulmelds into permanent magical items, own Soulmeld list being heavy on magic item duplication and overlapping effects, some Construct abilities. By duplication, referring to duplication of common/basic magic item effects. By overlapping effects, referring to Soulmelds effecting items and categories of Soulmeld effect, with Bindings creating items and effects to apply. More spell/item creation method than typical Soulmeld setup.

2-Undead-based Incarnum class that can focus on Necrocarnum Undead or Natural Attack through gameplay choices outside of build resources, likely multiple new types of Necrocarnum Undead included in class thread. Central mechanic of increased Essentia supply at cost of lowered Con and additional Essentia having reduced effect with normal Soulmelds, Natural Attack focus reliant on Con-reducing extra Essentia. Gradual increase in Undead traits throughout leveling.

3-Work out design philosophy for Soulmeld patters based on creature type, use as guide for Incarnum classes of each creature type. Design to allow for compartmentalizing of effects, use competing slots to avert inherently imbalanced combinations. Keep in mind above crafter's heavy overlapping of effects, rely on correcting critique to ensure compartmentalizing properly results in conflicting Chakra use. Retain balance attempts of conflicting slot use due to existence of Split Chakra.

Offline Jackinthegreen

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #824 on: October 26, 2017, 05:35:49 PM »
Soulknife feat:

Mind Dagger Subtlety
Prereqs:
Mind Daggers (see http://therafimrpg.wikidot.com/mind-daggers)
Flick of the Wrist (Complete Warrior, Races of the Wild)
BAB+X (somewhere 8 to 11)
Quick Draw feat

Benefit: Your training with mind daggers has allowed you to freely form and unform them as you attack, allowing you to catch your enemies by surprise.  You may form your mind dagger as many times per round as you have attacks available and at any time, including as you are attacking.  Forming a mind dagger more than once in a round no longer accrues the enhancement bonus penalty from Mind Daggers.  Forming a mind dagger while attacking counts as drawing a hidden weapon for the purposes of effects such as Flick of the Wrist and Iaijutsu Focus.  You may also unform your mind dagger at any time.



Probably needs the wording cleaned up like usual on my first cut homebrew feats.

Offline Jackinthegreen

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #825 on: October 26, 2017, 08:43:20 PM »
Shiba Protector in Oriental Adventures can be refluffed into Clan Protector, with the requirement that the clan you belong to has sworn some sort of oath or allegiance to another clan.  Also works for tribes, maybe organizations, etc.

Aside from the fluff redo, the things I'd change about it are:

Aid Shugenja changed to Aid Cleric, or whichever spellcaster type the given clans prefer.  Could stand to be made 1/encounter instead of limited per day.
One With Nothing changed to once per encounter instead of three times a day.
Diamond Soul should allow the Protector to be affected by beneficial spells cast by members of the clan they serve to ignore their SR.

Offline Versatility_Nut

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #826 on: October 26, 2017, 09:14:09 PM »
4. Apparatus of the Crab based mecha system, using the action economy as fuel. FML, that takes way too long, but I want it, because it can model realistic vehicles.

5. An implementation of a race with highly-atypical sexual dimorphism(socialogical/magical, instead of biological) using a race entry, a bloodline and racial substitution levels.

6. Conversion of featureless classes, like Fighter and Wizard, into classes that lean on class-external things, like feats and spells, but rely on features, with AFCs replacing infamous flat upgrade PRCs.

Offline Eldritch_Lord

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #827 on: October 27, 2017, 01:58:44 PM »
4. Apparatus of the Crab based mecha system, using the action economy as fuel. FML, that takes way too long, but I want it, because it can model realistic vehicles.

If you want to expand upon the apparatus of the crab/apparatus of Kwalish, you might want to take a look at the Artificer of Kwalish homebrew PrC over on GitP for inspiration (or just a laugh).

Offline Braininthejar

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #828 on: October 28, 2017, 03:43:59 PM »
A chess-themed martial discipline based around battlefield positioning, with things like a 'castling move' counter to pull an ally behind you and take his place, or a "checkmate" that forces the target to make a 5' move as an immediate action, and allows you to hit for massive damage if he can't use it to get out of your reach.

Offline Versatility_Nut

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #829 on: October 30, 2017, 11:04:01 PM »
7. Bloodborne-based blood magic themed Martial Discipline, with available weapons including firearms and throwing daggers. Mostly because of justifying Con to damage three times over...

8. Bloodborne-based transforming weapons, using the transformation attack of Trick Weapons as an excuse to shove in Maneuvers on items. Mix with 7 for Bloodtinge weapons and HP as ammo.

9. "Mental item" system to provide a variety of things, themed after Caryll Runes from Bloodborne, using Truenaming as a medium. Yes, Truenaming item crafting by way of memorized phrases.

---

Edited in quote:
A chess-themed martial discipline based around battlefield positioning, with things like a 'castling move' counter to pull an ally behind you and take his place, or a "checkmate" that forces the target to make a 5' move as an immediate action, and allows you to hit for massive damage if he can't use it to get out of your reach.
Hmm... "Bishop's Gambit" Boost that lets you Charge and land the attack against an enemy on a diagonal of your actual path? "King's Call" Counter to take a 5' step and give an ally a Move Action to intercept the attack?
« Last Edit: October 30, 2017, 11:06:56 PM by Versatility_Nut »

Offline Jackinthegreen

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #830 on: November 06, 2017, 11:57:31 PM »
En Passant: A charging enemy that is not attacking you provokes an AoO from you when it moves into one of your threatened squares instead of when leaving. And/or if an enemy is charging an ally you may make use an immediate action to take a 5 foot step to intercept the charge.

Offline Braininthejar

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #831 on: November 08, 2017, 06:34:57 PM »
En Passant: A charging enemy that is not attacking you provokes an AoO from you when it moves into one of your threatened squares instead of when leaving. And/or if an enemy is charging an ally you may make use an immediate action to take a 5 foot step to intercept the charge.

Knight's pincer move: You can make a move action, turning as you like, ignoring attacks of opportunity from one opponent, as long as you end your move flanking him.

Offline Braininthejar

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #832 on: November 08, 2017, 06:44:05 PM »
Bishop's blindside: (strike) Make a charge action. Your damage is doubled for the first strike (so, no accounting for pounce effects)
During the charge, you ignore attacks of opportunity - and if you pass through threatened squares of at least two opponents, your target will be caught flat-footed against this charge, as you suddenly emerge from between his allies.

Offline Jackinthegreen

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #833 on: January 25, 2018, 03:31:26 AM »
Order of the Serene Mind:

An affiliation that focuses on the Wisdom stat with emphasis on spellcasters, psionics, and so on.  Increasing one's affiliation score in it grants them bonus appropriate feats or feat-equivalent effects keyed towards Wisdom provided they otherwise qualify.  Alternately, the affiliation can make entering a Prestige Class easier by lowering or removing certain requirements.

A feat-equivalent effect might be something like the Shifter Ranger sub level where wisdom replaces charisma for Wild Empathy checks.  Switching one or several skill checks that rely on Int over to Wis instead is also fitting a la Ancestral Knowledge.  Treating your Wisdom as X higher for certain purposes like spells is another option.


Perhaps have affiliations for each of the stats.

Offline Jackinthegreen

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #834 on: May 02, 2018, 11:55:12 PM »
Premise:  Things attacking other things will use the appendage that's closest to whatever they're attacking.  Humanoids attacking other humanoids will tend to use their arms.  A humanoid attacking a tiny or smaller spider will tend to stomp instead.

Enter flying creatures.  Hitting something on the ground.  Why are they using handheld weapons when stuff attached to the feet or legs would likely end up better like the spider example?

To-do homebrew:  Lots of weapons meant specifically for flying creatures (mainly humanoids) to attack ground creatures.

Offline Garryl

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #835 on: October 31, 2018, 11:28:29 PM »
Premise: A more active spellcastery system. Not quite at-will, but not encounter resources like ToB/Spellshapers. Rapid casting, with multiple spellcasts per round, and different spells leading into each other.

Mechanics:
- Cast a spell for each attack in a full attack. Levels in these classes either are or count as full BaB for spellcasts as part of a full attack.
- Cantrip-level spells as a swift action.
- Conditional immediate action spells commonly available.
- All spells are at will.
- Most spells generate "charges", which are spent to empower other spells or to be able to cast certain more powerful spell. Spells are of equivalent level equal to the number of charges spent to cast them.
- Some special types of charges can be generated only by more powerful spells that spend other charges. These can be used to cast particularly potent spells or to empower normal spells in special ways.
- Spellcasters can only hold on to a limited number of charges based on level. Normal charges can be maintained and generated out of combat. Special charges dissipate if unused and can only be generated under certain conditions. Typically, a spellcaster can have up to 1 charge per caster level, but no more than 1 of each type of charge per odd-numbered level.

Example spells:
- Channel Flame (cantrip): Swift action. For 1 round, any time a creature hits you with a melee attack, you deal 2 fire damage to them. You generate 1 flame charge.
- Channel Frost (cantrip): Swift action. You gain DR 2/- for 1 round. You generate 1 frost charge.
- Ice Shard (basic): Ranged touch attack deals 2d6 cold damage. You generate 1 frost charge.
- Ice Spear (basic): Spend 2 frost charges to cast this spell. Ranged touch attack deals 4d6 cold damage. If the target is more than 30' away, this is a ranged attack, not a ranged touch attack, but the critical threat range is quadrupled (to 17-20). You generate 3 frost charges. Empower: If you spend an ice charge, Ice Spear automatically threatens and confirms a critical hit if it hits at distances greater than 30'.
- Frost Nova (basic): Deal 1d6 cold damage to all creatures other than yourself within a 10' radius burst (Reflex half). Empower: For every 1 frost charge you spend, increase the damage by 1d6. For every 2 frost charges spent this way, increase the radius by 5'.
- Consume Heat (basic): Spend 4 frost charges to cast. Deals 5d6 cold damage to a creature and causes them to be exhausted for 1 round. A successful Fort save halves the damage and negates the exhaustion. You generate 2 flame charges. Empower: For every 2 additional frost charges you spend, increase the damage dealt by 2d6, the duration of the exhaustion by 1 round, and the number of flame charges generated by 1.
- Pillar of Frost (basic): Spend 5 frost charges to cast. Creates a pillar of ice in a 5' radius column up to 30' tall. Creatures within the column are allowed a Reflex save to move into the nearest open space adjacent to the pillar without provoking an attack of opportunity, rather than be pushed up by the pillar. If the pillar pushes a creature into the ceiling or otherwise crushes it, the creature takes 6d6 points of bludgeoning damage, is pushed into a space adjacent to the pillar (without provoking an attack of opportunity), takes falling damage appropriate to the height at the top of the pillar, and falls prone when it lands. The pillar lasts for 3 rounds before melting and disappearing. Empower: For every 1 additional frost charge you spend, increase the maximum height of the pillar by 10', and the damage it deals to creatures it crushes by 1d6. If you spend 2 ice charges, huge size and smaller creatures crushed by the pillar are not pushed away, but are instead grappled and pinned by it. Treat the pillar as a huge creature with a Strength score of 26 and a Base Attack Bonus equal to your caster level (for a total grapple bonus of 20 + your caster level). Creatures pinned this way take 2d6 points of bludgeoning and 1d6 points of cold damage each round they remain grappled.
- Thermal Balance (counter): Immediate action. Choose fire or cold. Spend any number of flame or frost charges. Until your next turn, gain cold resistance 5 for each flame charge spent (if you chose cold), or fire resistance 5 for each frost charge spent (if you chose fire). For every 5 damage prevented this way, gain a frost charge (if you chose cold) or a flame charge (if you chose fire), up to a maximum of the number of charges you spent.
- Implosive Burst (basic): Spend 3 flame charges to cast. Deals 5d6 fire damage in a 10' radius burst (Reflex half).  You generate 1 plasma charge. Empower: For every 1 additional flame charge you spend, increase the damage dealt by 2d6. For every 3 additional flame charges spent this way, increase the radius by 5' and you generate 1 additional plasma charge.
- Pyrrhic Defeat (counter): Immediate action. Cast this spell when you are hit by a damaging attack. Spend any number of flame charges. Reduce the damage you take form the attack by 1d6 per flame charge spent, up to a maximum of the amount of hit points you would otherwise lose from the attack's damage. You release a burst of flame in a 10' radius around you, dealing that much fire damage to all other creatures in the area. Your attacker receives no saving throw, but other creatures are allowed a Reflex save to halve the damage.
- Ice Barrier (advanced): Immediate action. Spend 2 ice charges to cast. Choose a physical (bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing) or energy (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) damage type. You are immune to that type of damage until your next turn. Empower: For every 2 additional ice charges you spend, choose an additional damage type to become immune to.
- Channel Plasma (advanced): Swift action. Spend 2 plasma charges to cast. You gain an additional move action. Empower: If you spend 5 plasma charges instead, you instead gain an additional standard action. If you spend 8 plasma charges instead, you instead gain an additional full-round action.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #836 on: November 01, 2018, 12:15:03 AM »
Iiinteresting.

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #837 on: November 01, 2018, 07:06:15 AM »
This I want to see fleshed out...

Offline SorO_Lost

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #838 on: November 01, 2018, 10:32:43 AM »
Premise: A more active spellcastery system. Not quite at-will, but not encounter resources like ToB/Spellshapers. Rapid casting, with multiple spellcasts per round, and different spells leading into each other.
There are a few official options for stuff this but none like your Homebrew goes on to do.

You could adept the idea of the system using a single ACF.
Evocationist
Prerequisite: Sorcerer 1st.
Benefit: You use the Spellpoint System out of Unearthed Arcana and casting any non-Evocation Spell costs twice as many spell points. However when ever you deal damage to an enemy during a combat encounter using a cantrip you gain your 1/4 your spellcasting level in spell points. After the 10th level, you can also generate spell points off of 1st level spells.
A step up from there could be generating unique charges & cherry picking Spells (like electric loop) per Descriptors which prevents picking fights to spam other Spells which is how I'd probably do it. While the full Monty is as you purposed but requires the most effort to write and limits you to exactly what's wrote and a single author's ideas of how magic should work instead of drawing off D&D's supplements (this can be a good or bad thing depending on the player/DM wants).
« Last Edit: November 01, 2018, 10:37:18 AM by SorO_Lost »

Offline RedWarlock

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Re: 1001 Homebrew Ideas to Flesh Out Sometime
« Reply #839 on: November 01, 2018, 10:52:35 PM »
I've got a concept for a similar system I was planning to build into my personal heartbreaker. My inspiration was the magic-charges system that WoW uses for the Mage class recently. Simpler spells build up charges while dealing incidental-but-useful damage (often to secondary minions), while a finisher detonation spell expends those charges to greater effect as more charges have built up. The simpler spells are either low cost or at-will, while the charges expire when out of combat, meaning the mage can't store them for an early blast. No alpha-striking, and it gives the tanky melee guys something to do, keeping the enemies off the mage while he builds charges.
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