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Messages - Samwise

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1
Min/Max 3.x / Re: Fun Finds v7.0 - Now with +15% more reposts!
« on: January 11, 2022, 01:12:50 PM »
This is probably not that awe-inspiring, but I was rummaging through some things and wound up at the Exalted Arcanist and looked at the wording of the class abilities.

First, their access to the Exalted spell list. It is written for sorcerers, so the spells are added to their list, but they do not get "access" to them, they can only select them. As warmages, beguilers, and the like did not yet exist, it was not written with them in mind, so it contradicts itself for them.
But let us say they get the whole spell list outright the way they should.

Second, and better, is the other 1st level class ability they get. They lose a caster level advancement, but they add 2 spells to their list of known spells. For warmages and such, this is 2 free advanced learnings, with no limits.

So yes, the prestige class requires two less than spectacular metamagic feats, but for certain peculiar builds coming online at 7th level, like a beguiler with back-up blasting, it would work.

Oh, and as a bonus, just to get books thrown at you and you thrown out a window, I checked dread necromancer. They do not have an "ex-dread necromancer" section. So with some extreme chicanery, one could "give up their evil ways", become an exalted arcanist, get all the extra spells, and consecrate and purify his vampiric touch spells all day long. Just to be warped and twisted!

2
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: "Tier 3" System Revisions
« on: September 15, 2021, 11:02:53 AM »
I am slowly coming to that conclusion. And trying to rebuild the rules that way.

The thing is, there really is a lot of the D20 system I like, as it does simplify a lot of the fringe cases from AD&D. So I would like to keep as much as works, particularly before the power creep started overtaking the splat books.

3
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: "Tier 3" System Revisions
« on: September 14, 2021, 05:35:08 PM »
Regarding the armor styles, the revised versions look better, but they're still fairly hesitant to hand out anything worthwhile.

Since the trend you're going with here is "When in doubt, do what AD&D did," I'd say the bare minimum the base specialization should do is to remove ACP, Max Dex, and speed penalties entirely so fighters can do cartwheels in full plate, and then go up from there.  AC bonuses and DR are always nice, but +1 and 2/-- are kinda lackluster; even if you specialize in heavy armor at 1st level before you can even afford any heavy armor, you're getting DR 2/-- at 5th level when anything less than DR 5 ends up being a rounding error.

I was strongly tempted to, but thought it would look like too much.
As it goes, the +1 and 2/- are on par with the best feats out there!
And . . .

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Personally, even if you added every single one of those benefits to the first level of every martial so see if you can come up with more qualitative benefits like the Uncanny Dodge benefit or applying the AC boost to touch AC.

I did that with shields, though it is Improved Uncanny Dodge, and the touch AC for light armor.

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Regarding the weapon styles, the feat-consolidating ones are on the right track (though the overlap with e.g. three of them getting Improved Precise Shot instead of different benefits for each isn't great), but the others are underwhelming.
 

Three of them are variations on missile combat, so pretty much Improved Precise Shot is all there is after a certain point. It is mostly the lower level benefits that will vary.

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Not only is it mostly numerical boosts again, but the Two-Handed specialization just hands out "Power Attack, but worse" and the One-Handed specialization's AC bonus is strictly worse than Combat Expertise at the normal and improved level.

Well, Power Attack does need to be toned down. Though I slipped in a variation of Reckless Offensive as slight compensation.
The Combat Expertise variation is more giving the benefits of Fighting Defensively and Total Defense and then easing off the penalties.

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Again, I'd suggest going through these and balancing them all to the level of the strongest ones (at a glance, probably the Combat Expertise and Power Attack Specializations), otherwise players are going to largely ignore all the weaker ones.

Yes, I know I feel short on that even as I was writing it up. I just kept blanking on balancing options beyond filing the serial numbers off of existing feats.

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Regarding the metamagic stuff...I'mma be honest, the changes are bad across the board.

They are supposed to be bad. The biggest issue is dragging casters way back in power, and metamagic is part of that. As I noted, in AD&D metamagic was effectively a two-round casting time, two spell slot cost. Anything less than that is a major boost in the power level. Eliminating any cost to metamagic just compounds the problem.

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What is the specific problem you're trying to solve by changing metamagic, beyond "casters don't need more cool toys"?  Is it the action economy benefit of quickened spells and persistent buffs?  The high damage potential of a maximized empowered energy-admixed ... fireball?  Something else?

Primarily to forestall the nonsense of RAW non-FAQ Arcane Thesis stacking and DMM absurdity.
A maximized, empowered, energy-admixed fireball is fine - as a 12th level spell. As a 4th level spell, not so much. The same with quickened spells and persistent buffs. (And remember, the extra casting time is functionally irrelevant for a persistent buff, and I let quicken actually work, even for sorcerers as written.) Casters not needing more cool toys should rather speak for itself. I did not coin the term CoDzilla, I just stare at it in every class power discussion.

And while I would like to just ignore it and let warmages and blaster sorcerers incinerate everything with glee - or fail to as saves actually better over time, note the examples given by Stratovarious - Fell Animate and Greenbound Summoning. I am less concerned with the metamagic in the PHB than I am with the metamagic outside the PHB, and rather than just blanket ban it (other than DMM), I would rather cut the feet out from under it at the starting point. If that means the PHB metamagic becomes obsolete, then they are a casualty. I think the rather underwhelming effects of metamagic in AD&D is why they gave it such a power up in the first place, but when power creep hit that power up it went bad fast, so any pull back is going to look ugly.

4
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: "Tier 3" System Revisions
« on: September 13, 2021, 01:18:41 PM »
And a revision of the Armor and Shield Specialization to grant high levels of ability after gaining a few levels. That obviously favors full BAB types, but Rogues should lag a bit behind them.
If this looks more functional I will do the same for the weapon styles, with some additional tweaks.

Armor Proficiency
As per the PHB.
(Note: I think all the exotic armors they introduced later on should be dropped or rolled into the core proficiencies. I do not see them as particularly unique.
Also, AD&D broke up armor proficiency by material - Leather, Chain, or Plate. I think that might be a better breakdown, though it would modify some of the bonuses below for Medium Armor.)

Armor Specialization (Light)
When you specialize in light armor, treat light armor as half its weight for the purposes of encumbrance.
When you have gained +2 BAB after specializing in light armor, your armor bonus now applies to touch attacks and you reduce the ACP by 1.
When you have gained +4 BAB after specializing in light armor, you increase the armor bonus by +1 and reduce the ASF by 5%.

Armor Specialization (Medium)
When you specialize in medium armor, treat medium armor as half its weight for the purposes of encumbrance.
When you have gained +2 BAB after specializing in medium armor, treat medium armor as light for the purpose of speed. Reduce the ACP by 1.
When you have gained +4 BAB after specializing in medium armor, you increase the armor bonus by +1 and gain DR 2/–.

Armor Specialization (Heavy)
When you specialize in heavy armor, treat heavy armor as half its weight for the purposes of encumbrance.
When you have gained +2 BAB after specializing in heavy armor, treat heavy armor as medium for the purpose of speed. Increase the armor bonus by +1 and reduce the ACP by 1.
When you have gained +2 BAB after specializing in heavy armor, treat heavy armor as light for the purpose of speed. Increase the armor bonus by +1, reduce the ACP by 1, and gain DR 2/–.

Shield Proficiency
As per the PHB but includes Extreme Shield and Tower Shield.
(Note: All shields may be used for shield bashing and similar special uses. I am not sure why they thought you cannot break someone's teeth with a buckler or tower shield, or why extreme shields (from Races of Stone) or tower shields are so peculiar as to require a separate proficiencies. They get rolled into one.)

Shield Specialization
When you specialize in shields, improve the shield bonus by +1, and reduce the bonus enemies gain from flanking by -1.
When you have gained +2 BAB after specializing in shields, your shield bonus now applies to touch attacks, you reduce the ACP by 1, reduce the ASF by 5%, and reduce the bonus enemies gain from flanking by -2.
When you have gained +4 BAB after specializing in shield, you cannot be flanked unless the attacker has four more rogue levels than you have class levels.

5
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: "Tier 3" System Revisions
« on: September 13, 2021, 12:27:33 PM »
Metamagic . . . yes. That is its own can of worms I need to address. While working on the combat feat revisions, consider this for metamagic.


Metamagic

Add/alter the following:

When using a metamagic feat, the casting time of the spell becomes 1 round. (Exception: Quicken and Rapid do not increase the casting time.)
(Option: The casting time becomes 2 standard actions. No other actions, including Swift, Immediate, and Free actions, may be taken between these actions.)

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When applying a metamagic feat, the caster must be able to cast a spell of the adjusted level.
All feats and prestige class abilities that reduce the level adjustment of a metamagic spell are removed from the game.

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Eschew Materials is a metamagic effect with a level adjustment of +1. (Exception: Dragons and nagas still gain the benefit of the feat without a level adjustment of their spells.)

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Metamagic Feats are revised to the following feat chain:

Metamagic Focus
You know how to enhance your spells beyond their normal limits.
Benefit: You may apply a specific metamagic effect, chosen at the time you take this feat, to spells of a specific school of magic. You may do this three times per day.
Special: You may take this feat more than once. Each time you do it applies to a different metamagic effect.

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Expanded Metamagic
You can apply your metamagic to more of your spells.
Prerequisite: Metamagic Focus.
Benefit: You may apply the metamagic effect you chose with Metamagic Focus to spells of two additional schools of magic.
Special: You may take this feat more than once. Each time you do it applies to a different metamagic effect you have taken with Metamagic Focus or it allows you to apply the same metamagic effect to spells of two additional schools of magic.

Extra Metamagic
You can use your metamagic more frequently.
Prerequisite: Metamagic Focus.
Benefit: You may apply the metamagic effect you chose with Metamagic Focus to three additional spells per day.
Special: You may take this feat more than once. Each time you do it applies to a different metamagic effect you have taken with Metamagic Focus or it allows you to apply the same metamagic effect to three additional spells per day.

Sudden Metamagic
You can use your metamagic spontaneously.
Prerequisite: Metamagic Focus, Expanded Metamagic, Extra Metamagic.
Benefit: You may apply a metamagic feat to a spell without increasing the spell level or casting time. You must still be able to cast a spell of the level the spell would be if its spell level had been increased by the metamagic effect.
Special: You may take this feat more than once. Each time you do it applies to a different metamagic effect you have taken with Metamagic Focus or it allows you to spontaneously apply the same metamagic effect to two additional spells per day.

6
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: "Tier 3" System Revisions
« on: September 12, 2021, 05:05:24 PM »
I tried to update the AD&D fighting styles and expand them to a 3-level system like the Ranger fighting styles.
I then extended that to armor, shield, and a bunch of the existing feats, as well as doing the overhaul of specialization.
As an extra, a change to weapon finesse.

Rather than a Feat tax, this is altered to an Equipment tax, like composite bows and adding Strength to damage.
Weapon Finesse: Deleted. A light weapon or a one-handed weapon that can be used with Weapon Finesse may be purchased as an Agile Weapon. This costs 100 gp per point of Dexterity bonus that may be applied to the attack roll.


Armor Styles
Armor and shields have a number of feats available to improve them. This simplifies a bunch of them.

Armor Proficiency: As per the PHB.
Armor Specialization (by armor type): Treat the armor as half its weight for the purposes of encumbrance.
Improved Armor Specialization (Light): Apply the armor bonus to touch attacks.
Improved Armor Specialization (Medium/Heavy): Treat the armor as light/medium for the purpose of speed. Reduce the ACP by 1.
Greater Armor Specialization (Heavy): Treat the armor as light for the purpose of speed. Gain DR 2/–.

Shield Proficiency: As per the PHB but includes Extreme Shield and Tower Shield.
Shield Specialization: Improve shield bonus by +1. Reduce flanking bonus by -1.
Improved Shield Specialization: Apply shield bonus to touch AC. Reduce ACP by 1. Reduce ASF by 5%. Reduce flanking bonus by -1
Greater Shield Specialization: Eliminate flanking bonus.

Note: All shields may be used to make shield slams.

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Weapon Fighting Styles
These are the basic weapon combinations as styles. The listed classes have "proficiency" with them. Other classes would need to spend a feat on proficiency first.
They are presented as feats. They could be added to Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, and Rogues as standard class features similar to how Rangers have them now.
They replace a number of base feats for feat chains, tying those feats directly to styles, and trying to smooth out the advancement.

(Clerics, Druids, Fighters, Paladins, Rangers)
Weapon and Shield Style Specialization: Retain AC bonus when using a shield as an off-hand weapon. Trade -2 BAB for +1 to shield bonus to AC, max +4 to shield bonus.
Improved Weapon and Shield Style Specialization: Reduce off-hand penalty to -2. Trade -1 BAB for +1 to shield bonus AC, max +6 to shield bonus.
Greater Weapon and Shield Style Specialization: Eliminate TWF fighting penalty. Apply shield bonus to touch attacks. Trade -1 BAB for +2 to shield bonus AC, max +8 to shield bonus.

(All classes)
One-Handed Weapon Style Specialization: Gain +2 dodge bonus when fighting with a weapon in one hand and the other hand empty. Trade -2 BAB for +1 dodge bonus AC, max +4 AC.
Improved One-Handed Weapon Style Specialization: Trade -1 BAB for +1 dodge bonus to AC, max +6 AC. Free parry or feint each round.
Greater One-Handed Weapon Style Specialization: Trade -1 BAB for +2 dodge bonus to AC, max +8 AC. Parry at will.

(Clerics, Druids, Fighter, Paladins, Rangers, Wizards)
Two-Handed Weapon Style Specialization: No initiative penalty for weapon. (A two-handed weapon normally applies a -4 penalty to initiative.) +1 damage when using a one-handed weapon with two hands. Trade -1 BAB and -1 AC for +1 damage, max +4 damage.
Improved Two-Handed Weapon Style Specialization: Trade -1 BAB for +1 damage, max +8 damage.
Greater Two-Handed Weapon Style Specialization: Trade -1 BAB for +2 damage, max +12 damage.

(Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, Rogues)
Two-Weapon Fighting Style Specialization: Reduce penalties to 0/-2.
Improved Two-Weapon Fighting Style Specialization: Use two one-handed weapons.
Greater Two-Weapon Fighting Style Specialization: Eliminate penalties for fighting with two weapons.

(Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, Rogues)
Archery Style Specialization: May single move and fire one less arrow. May full move and fire one arrow.
Archery Style Specialization: As per Shot on the Run and Precise Shot.
Archery Style Specialization: As per Improved Precise Shot.

(Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, Rogues)
Mounted Archery Style Specialization: As per Mounted Archery.
Improved Mounted Archery Style Specialization: As per Precise Shot.
Greater Mounted Style Specialization: As per Improved Precise Shot. As per Improved Mounted Archery.

(All classes)
Thrown Missile Style Specialization: May single move and fire one less arrow. May full move and fire one arrow.
Improved Thrown Missile Style Specialization: As per Shot on the Run and Precise Shot.
Greater Thrown Missile Style Specialization: As per Improved Precise Shot.

(All classes)
Unarmed Style Specialization: As per Improved Unarmed Strike and Snap Kick.
Improved Unarmed Style Specialization: As per Deflect Arrows and Stunning Fist.
Greater Unarmed Style Specialization: As per Extra Stunning, Superior Unarmed Strike, and Versatile Unarmed Strike.


Tactical Fighting Styles
These replace some of the additional effects of feats in Feat chains, combining multiple feats into higher levels of specialization.

Combat Expertise Style Specialization: As per Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, and Improved Trip.
Improved Combat Expertise Style Specialization: As per Snatch Weapon, Surprising Riposte, Knock-Down (with no required Strength).
Greater Combat Expertise Style Specialization: As per Allied Defense (requires Weapon and Shield Style or One-Handed Style Specialization to use), Deft Strike (with no required Sneak Attack), and feint as a swift action.

Dodge Style Specialization: As per Dodge but the bonus applies to all enemies and increases by +1 at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level.
Improved Dodge Style Specialization: As per Mobility, Sidestep Charge (XPH), and Spring Attack.
Improved Dodge Style Specialization: As per Whirlwind Attack

Mounted Combat Style: As per Mounted Combat.
Improved Mounted Combat Style: As per Ride-By Attack and Trample.
Greater Mounted Combat Style: As per Mounted Mobility, Spirited Charge, and Cavalry Charge.

Power Attack Style: As per Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, and Improved Sunder.
Improved Power Attack Style: As per Pushback and Resounding Blow.
Greater Power Attack Style: As per Combat Brute and Shock Trooper.


Weapon Specialization
The revision for specialization. This is a Fighter "thing" - something special for just them. Other classes can take the reduced versions listed first, with Wizards getting hit with an extra Feat tax to remind them to cast spells and not try and try to out hack-and-slash the mundane murderhobos.

Martial Wizard (Wizards only: Requires BAB +1. Required for a wizard to take Weapon Focus.
Weapon Focus (Non-Fighters): Requires BAB +1. Gain a +1 to hit with a specific weapon.
Weapon Expertise (Rogue, Cleric, Arcane Caster): Requires BAB +5. Gain an iterative attack with a specific weapon.
Weapon Expertise (Ranger, Paladin): Requires BAB +10. Gain an additional iterative attack.

Weapon Specialization (Melee): Requires BAB +3. +1 to hit, +2 to damage. Gain an additional iterative attack.
Weapon Specialization (Missile): Requires BAB +3. +1 to hit at all ranges. +2 to damage at point blank range (30 ft. for bows, 60 ft. for crossbows). Gain an additional iterative attack.
Improved Weapon Specialization (Melee): Requires BAB +5. +3 to hit, +3 to damage.
Improved Weapon Specialization (Missile): Requires BAB +5. +2 to hit at all ranges. +3 to hit, +3 to damage at point-blank range.
Greater Weapon Specialization: Requires BAB +7. Improved Initiative, Improved Critical with weapon. Far Shot with missile weapons.
Supreme Weapon Specialization: Requires BAB +9. Additional iterative attack. Improved Weapon Attack (as per Improved Natural Attack but applying to a specific weapon).


I still need to contemplate turning Berserking into a style chain.

7
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: "Tier 3" System Revisions
« on: September 09, 2021, 09:55:35 PM »
I'm not a fan of locking certain classes into certain fighting styles, and going by players' reactions to 4e hard-coding the ranger as the archery/TWF guy, the fighter as the exotic weapon guy, the rogue as the light weapon guy, and so on, I'd best most other folks wouldn't be big fans of that either.

Huh. I always thought the hard coded fighting style stuff, which showed up in AD&D 2nd ed with the ranger getting TWF, was pretty out of nowhere. I did not know about the hate on 4E extending that.

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If you must make ranger fighting styles a thing for all martial classes, I'd at least give each class two or three choices instead of locking them into one, and the ranger should get more than that as the fighting style class.  For reference, Dragon Magazine 326 already added grappling, mounted combat, gladiator, 2HF, and throwing combat styles to the ranger, and Unearthed Arcana has 8 different monk fighting styles, so 7-8 styles would be a good number.

Well, I think offering anything for free to non-casters would be welcome. If locking them down is not happy, then I would just throw it open wholesale. While a Rogue going two-hander might be peculiar, if that is what he wants to do then that is what he wants to do. And as it happens, I did a bit more checking on TWFing. Back in the day, Dex bonus reduced the penalty for TWFing. With a high enough Dex you got the effects of TWF for free. And it could be reduced all the way to 0 penalty. Using that, a Rogue could go high Strength and middling Dexterity, pay feats for TWFing, and switch between going Conan and switching to paired daggers or the like.

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Hot take: Barbarian shouldn't be a class, Rage should be an ACF for Fighters and/or Rangers.  Possibly with some totem-themed ACFs for rangers if you really want to bring those in, but the existing Totem stuff is basically just ranger fighting styles with a fancy coat of paint anyway.

I would go there, but I was worried that might be a bridge too far like my proposed Roguesage.
But if it would work, then sure. Even as you say, make it a fighting style/ACF.
I will have to contemplate that. (On the comfy chair - screw that tree of woe.)

8
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: "Tier 3" System Revisions
« on: September 09, 2021, 11:42:23 AM »
Mentioning the weapon styles, here are quick adaptations of them.

Sword and Board
Is effectively a combo of the feats that allow you to shield bash and retain the AC bonus plus gain TWF fighting with the shield. The TWF can be used for a shield bash, bull rush, and two other maneuvers:
Block: Replace AC with an attack roll as an Immediate action. (There is a ToB Maneuver that does this IIRC)
Trap: "Grapple" the opponents weapon as an Immediate action. (And yes, the grapple persists from round to round.)

One-Hander
The usual option to make an unarmed strike or the like with the off-hand though no free TWF effect. And the Feat/Class ability effect of getting +1 AC if the off-hand remains empty. (The old version had "double specialization" granting +2 AC. This should just scale up naturally every 5th level as a class ability, similar to the Swashbuckler Dodge.)

Two-Hander
The primary ability is effectively akin to Improved Initiative but only with a two-handed weapon. This seems a bit too much, especially if allowed to stack, so maybe just the Quick to Act class ability of Swordsages to keep it under control.
The secondary ability was a damage bonus with one-handed weapons that could be used two-handed. Not that spectacular, but it suggests making all bastard-type weapons martial weapons for specialists. (Bastard sword, dwarven waraxe, warmace, and whatever else I am not bothering to look up at the moment.)
Both of those would seem to be a useful class boost to barbarians.

TWF
The standard 3X feat, with double specialization giving Oversized TWF (use two one-handed weapons without penalty) rather that extra attacks. Rangers got the first level for free, this or One-Hander as a freebie choice for Rogues would be reasonable.

Missile or Throw
Effectively Shot on the Run and Mounted Archery. Plus a bonus of 1 to AC against missile attacks when using your missile weapon.

Local Style
An open-ended DM design category. There are numerous 3X feats that replicate this, from the Style feats that exist, Snap Kick, and anything else that gives extra benefit. That are not really as powerful as the basic Style Specializations, but they are there for customization.


Something to note from looking at that: A lot of those specializations, as well as basic weapon specialization, were broken up into multiple feats in 3X. Likewise a bunch of maneuvers, like disarm, were subjected to AoOs in 3X. So let me also summarize the levels and effects of specialization old school:

Expertise
This is what allows non-Full BAB types to get iterative attacks at all.

Specialization
Melee Weapons: +1 to hit, +2 to damage, extra attack. So Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, and a pseudo-Flurry feat rolled into one.
Missile Weapons: +1 to hit, +2 to damage at point blank range, extra attack, free attack if "covering" an enemy. A combo of Point Blank Shot and Weapon Specialization, Rapid Shot with no penalty, and an a sort of special Readied Action. Also, Point Blank for crossbows is 60 ft. rather than 30 ft.

Mastery
+3 to hit, +3 damage. Missile weapons gain that at Point Blank range, and +2 to hit at other ranges. This combos Greater Weapon Focus and Greater Weapon Specialization.

High Mastery
Improved Initiative and Improved Critical with that weapon. Missile weapons also gain Far Shot. (It was add another 5 range multiples with attendant penalties, but Far Shot works just as well.

Grand Mastery
Extra attack and weapon damage increased 1 size category. There are no direct feat equivalents of these, but indirectly (like Monkey Grip) this is effectively two feats in one.


Overall, I would summarize it as "a whole lot of Fighter bonus feats should be combined - that or give fighters a bonus feat every level."
And, as I suggested, spread some of this around for the other non-caster classes as standard class abilities.

9
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: "Tier 3" System Revisions
« on: September 09, 2021, 10:55:18 AM »
I had a thought overnight of hardwiring something like the Ranger fighting styles into some other classes - making a paladin really sword and board, a rogue really two-weapon, and the barbarian getting two-hander. The extra attacks from super-specialization should remain a fighter (or warblade) exclusive.

Beyond that, I was also thinking that a *barbarian* should have some of the Ranger or Scout wilderness/environment class abilities to make them a bit more than a frothing whacko with some incidental class abilities that do not matter because nobody cares unless they are frothing at the mouth and unleashing the murderhobo.

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Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: Tier 3 Rogue
« on: September 08, 2021, 10:18:59 PM »
Hmmm.
Ah well, looks like I will have to drop this one then, as I am not sure I am up to that much design work to make it work.
Clearly there are a few maneuvers that could be refluffed into some of those - the Diamond Mind maneuvers that are touch attacks or do multiples of damage as Sneak Attack proxies, the Stone Dragon maneuvers that ignore hardness as trap breakers, and a bunch of the movement options, but I do not think there are enough for more than 1 patchwork school.

Thanks for the feedback.

11
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: "Tier 3" System Revisions
« on: September 08, 2021, 10:13:09 PM »
Looks like you forgot Barbarian & Monk & Bard from your classes list? Or was that intentional?

Just lack of thought on the matter.
I have been focusing on the casters, and have not really considered the other classes much.

For Monks, they have always been an issue, from their d4 HD (but they got 2 at 1st level!), MAD (yes, even back then), the ever popular fight to advance past 8th level (shared with druid), and theme (they were "officially" moved to Oriental Adventures in AD&D, and dropped as a core class in 2nd edition).
I think the one thing semi-missing in 3X is they received a bonus to damage when using weapons, changed into letting them replacing it with their unarmed damage.
Given the unarmed swordsage as an accepted variant, I would think the most change I would consider is replacing a bunch of the swordsage class abilities with monk class abilities. Or, from the other side of things, just grafting the swordsage maneuver progression onto the monk class.

Barbarians in 3X have always seemed to me to just be misnamed. There is little "barbarian" about them except the illiteracy thing. What they really are is berserkers, as that is the focus of their class abilities. They would get skills and extra attacks like rangers and paladins.
I would note that the signature elements of the AD&D barbarian was one of those obnoxious role-play limitations that drove them to destroy any and magic items they came across, a background restriction that made them more obnoxious than Awful Good paladins. That is something that can be left in the revision bin.

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Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / "Tier 3" System Revisions
« on: September 07, 2021, 02:14:15 PM »
On to hacking the system itself.

Ability Scores
Reduce all positive modifiers by 2, minimum +0.
An ability of 12 or 14 is a +0, a 16 a +1, and so on.

Halve the modifier for attack bonuses but not for damage bonuses.
Strength 16 is +0 to hit, +1 to damage, Strength 18 is +1 to hit, +2 to damage.

Ability boosts at every 4th level grant +2 to an Ability Score.

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Saves
All Base Save Bonuses advance at a rate +1 per 2 levels.
Good category saving throws gain a +3 bonus for that save at 1st level.
This pairs with the saving throw for all spells being a set DC 20, with no modifiers for spell level or ability score.

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Attack Bonuses
Only Fighters, Rangers, and Paladins get iterative attacks normally. They gain one additional attack at 11th level.
Fighters with Weapon Specialization gain an additional iterative attack at 6th level.
Fighters with Weapon Supremacy gain an additional iterative attack at 16th level.
Other classes may take an ACF to gain a single iterative attack at 11th level with a cost. Clerics must have the War Domain to gain this benefit. Wizards lose access to a school of spells to gain this benefit. Rogues must use a Rogue Talent selection to gain this benefit. Rangers must give up a Favored Enemy selection to gain this benefit. Paladins I am not sure, probably 2 levels of Turn Undead or Lay on Hands advancement. Other classes would have to use a similar class feature.

There is no iterative attack penalty. All attacks are made at the same bonus.
As an optional rule, a 5 initiative count penalty could be applied to iterative attacks instead. This gets quite complex to track, and requires tweaking the movement rules as well.

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Hit Dice and Hit Points
As noted under the classes, Hit Dice top out at 10. After that it is a set number based on the size of the HD with no Con bonus applying.
This applies to monsters as well with the exception of dragons and dinosaurs, both of which gain 1 HD for every 2 listed HD over 10.

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Skills
You gain a bonus equal to your class level with a Trained skill.
As normal, you may attempt skills that are not Trained Only, though with no special bonus.
Fighters, Paladins, and Rangers receive 3 Trained skills at 1st level and 1 additional Trained skill every 3rd level.
Rogues receive 3 Trained skills at 1st level and 1 additional trained skill every 4th level. In addition, Rogues are automatically Trained in Climb, Disable Device, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Open Locks, Search, and Sleight of Hand. They are Trained in Decipher Script at 4th level, and Trained in Use Magic Device at 10th level.
Clerics and Wizards receive 4 Trained skills at 1st level and 1 additional trained skill every 3rd level.
All classes receive bonus Trained skills equal to their Intelligence modifier.
Humans receive 1 bonus Trained skill at 1st level.

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And that is it for the general changes.
I would add in shifting to getting feats every odd-numbered level as well, but that is not an essential change.
And I would add in cutting out a large number of Feat Prerequisites, but that would be a post of its own I think.

So how horrible does this all sound?

13
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: Tier 3 Rogue
« on: September 07, 2021, 12:55:25 PM »
So then drop the Discipline Focus for Uncanny Dodge and Trap Sense.
And if that is still not enough, drop 5-10 (every 4th level or every even level) maneuvers for Rogue Talents.

Or perhaps Sneak Attack is what needs to drop heavily in favor of those other abilities.

That is why this one is mostly theory. What is it that makes a Rogue a Rogue as opposed to a Monk (unarmed Swordsage) or Fighter (Warblade with Heavy Armor Proficiency)?
For the most part, Trapfinding and some hint of Sneak Attack. There are a number of maneuvers that directly work with the Sneak Attacking, leaving only the Trapfinding as a special ability. Scouts (who are still not up to Tier 3 level) and Beguilers (who make it that far) get it, but Scouts verge into the realm of Rangers (hey, quick idea - give Scouts Ranger Spell Progression. Maybe no Tier 3, but pushing to the high end of Tier 4 I would think) and Beguilers are just specialist Sorcerers. So what would the required special abilities be for a Tome of Battle "Rogue"? (Which would clearly be a Swordsage variant.)
And without creating a dozen maneuvers and stances to replicate Uncanny Dodge and all the Rogue talents. Or perhaps doing so.

14
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Tier 3 Rogue
« on: September 06, 2021, 11:38:24 PM »
Going the other direction from my previous two theoretical revisions, an upgrade.

This one is more theoretical musings than any big changes. The core of it is simple:
Unarmed Swordsage is a functional monk?
Okay, Swordsage with sneak attack and trapfinding is a functional rogue!

As for the changes:

Reduce HD to D6.
Restrict proficiency with martial weapons to light and one-handed weapons only.
Lose AC Bonus.
Gain Trapfinding at 1st level.
Gain Rogue Sneak Attack progression.
Raise skills to 8/level and add Bluff, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Open Locks, and Sleight of Hands to Class Skills.

And . . . done.

I was contemplating removing Discipline Focus and adding Uncanny Dodge and Trap Sense back in, but those do not seem really necessary.
As for not taking them out for the Sneak Attack, consider that the unarmed variant trades a single feat - light armor proficiency, for improved unarmed strike and superior unarmed strike. (Virtually. Superior Unarmed Strike nearly replicates monk unarmed strike progression.) Which might mean that progression is really that catastrophically bad, profoundly worse than Sneak Attack. Otherwise not getting proficiency with two-handed martial weapons and losing the AC bonus should be enough to pick up the SA progression.

15
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: Tier 3 Wizard
« on: September 02, 2021, 04:08:03 PM »
Given that there are scaling saves, how does a flat DC work? By higher levels, many monsters will have a 5% chance of failing a save, meaning that casters just use the strongest of the no save options.

Theoretically, quite true.
Functionally in AD&D, Magic Resistance was more of an issue than saves, as monsters with more than 10 HD were quite rare. For example:

A balor (Type VI demon back then) had 8+8 HD and saved as a 9th level fighter. Its save versus spells was 11 or better. However, it had 75% Magic Resistance, though that also worked a bit differently, and was keyed to an 11th level caster. So it was 100% resistant to casters of 6th level or lower, 75% resistant to 11th level casters, 50% resistant to 16th level casters, and so forth.
So an 11th level wizard fighting a balor back then (inconceivable today) had more to worry about from the 75% magic resistance than the 25% chance of making a save.

As it goes, these were the 9th level spells in the AD&D PHB:
Astral Spell - no save, non-combat
Bigby's Crushing Hand - no save
Gate - no save
Imprisonment - no save
Meteor Swarm - 40-160 fire damage, save for 1/2
Monster Summoning VII - no save
Power Word, Kill - no save (60 hp limit, which could kill all but the most powerful of Type VI/balors)
Prismatic Sphere - limited saves to negate
Shape Change - no save
Temporal Stasis - no save
Time Stop - no save
Wish - "special" (meaning "save vs DM evilness" more than "monster gets a save")

So high level spells were pretty heavily no save to begin with back then.

Going from these class revisions to a system hack, I would shift all saves to a simple +1/2 levels with a +3 bonus for any current Good saves. So while a 20 HD balor would still only fail on a 1, and default to "that is what no save 9th level spells are supposed to be for". Below that, monsters still remain at least somewhat vulnerable.

Of course, optimization seems to stress no-save buffs, debuffs, and battlefield control already, so it is also pretty much no change there as well.

Ultimately, recalling game play back then, I think the overall effect will be to place wizards back to "your 1-3 highest level spell slots almost always auto-win an encounter, but you should expect 2-3 times as many encounters per day as highest level spell slots you have, so choose wisely, and do not tease the fighter anymore".

16
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Tier 3 Wizard
« on: September 02, 2021, 03:06:45 PM »
On to taking down the wizard!

Like the cleric, HD stop at 10. They get 1 hp with no Con bonus after that.

New spell levels also get delayed like the cleric:
12th class level = 6th level spells
14th class level = 7th level spells
16th class level = 8th level spells
18th class level = 9th level spells

Wizards do not get bonus spells for high Intelligence.

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Spells Known and Spell List
Wizards may know a number of spells of each level equal to their Intelligence score.
The Wizard spell lists consists of 4 spells of each school for levels 1-3, 3 or each school for levels 4-6, and 2 of each school for levels 7-9. Additional spells may be added to those lists only through spell research or the Extra Spell feat.
Specialist wizards gain 2 additional spells of their school for their list per spell level.
These are the only spells the wizard may use via spell completion and spell trigger. All others require the Use Magical Device skill.

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Spell Books and Wealth By Level
The cost of a spell book is part of a wizard's Wealth By Level.
The Boccob's Blessed Book now costs the standard amount of gp to add spells to it. The benefits it provides are holding 1,000 pages worth of spells in one book, plus being a magic item for saving throws.

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Spell DCs
The base DC for all spells is 20. No modifier for spell level, no modifier for Intelligence.
Spells with an innate penalty to saves or that do not ally saves do not have those traits changed.

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And that should be it. I think I have the feelings of wizards enough with those changes.
Does it bring them down to Tier 3?
Go too far?
Not really relevant because there are still those select few spells of every level that let them auto-win?

17
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: Tier 3 Cleric
« on: August 31, 2021, 11:57:08 PM »
Hitting PC HD doesn't really hurt a fullcaster unless it also prevents them from gaining spell levels. Full casters can already pretty much ignore HP, AC, Saves, etc just by setting aside a few of their spell slots. If anything this kind of thing does far more to hurt martial characters since they actually care about the "compare numbers and see which is higher" part of combat.

It means martials can hack bad guys up faster. To the point that those few set aside spell slots might not get a chance to be used as the caster is already hacked and gone. That is more dramatic for wizards than clerics of course, but it still favors martials more, especially with the limit on bonus from Con.
Of course that is class vs class. Things are a bit different for monsters, but the limit on hp and Con bonus will also affect them as well. (At least it would with a full system overhaul.)

18
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Re: Tier 3 Cleric
« on: August 31, 2021, 08:07:38 PM »
My assumption on reading is that you stop getting hit dice at all after tenth level. This is more the first bite of a complete rebalance rather than a totally standalone class.

Correct - 10 HD is the limit for anyone, be they from classes or prestige classes. (Or, theoretically, racial HD, but that would be a more generic revision of "no racial HD when playing a "monster".)

And yes, but I figured I would start with the cleric. And that "general revision" is rather relevant to the overall intent so I included it.

19
Homebrew and House Rules (D&D) / Tier 3 Cleric
« on: August 31, 2021, 05:17:20 PM »
"Are you insane?!?!?!"

Yes.

Now that we have that out of the way, I will proceed.

Well, first I will answer "Why?"
Because I want the game to be a bit more stable above 10th level but I do not want to play E6.
And I want to "test" my concepts of power rollback to AD&D levels.

So now to the class.
Unless noted, everything remains the same.

HD
Clerics gain new HD up to 10th level.
After 10th level they gain a static 2 hp per level with no bonus for a high Constitution.
(If you play into epic levels, no class gains hp after 20th level at all.)

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Spells
Clerics gain access to new spell levels every odd level up to 9th class level and 5th spell level.
After that they gain access to new spell levels every at a class level of twice the spell level.
12th class level = 6th level spells
14th class level = 7th level spells
16th class level = 8th level spells
18th class level = 9th level spells
Spells per day progression for those levels remains the same, just starting at the new level.

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A cleric's spell list is composed of every spell on the domains his deity grants, plus the spells on an appropriate Planar spell list (found in the Spell Compendium) plus a number of freely chosen spells to a maximum of 12 spells per level for 1st-3rd, 10 spells per level for 4th-6th, and 8 spells per level for 7th-9th.
If Initiate feats are used (and created for other deities), the spells they grant are required choices as well.

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Caster Stat
A cleric requires a minimum Wisdom of 8 to cast spells. That allows the cleric to cast spells up to 5th level. For spell above 5th level, the cleric must have a Wisdom modifier equal to the level of the spell. Thus:
Wisdom 22 = 6th level spells
Wisdom 24 = 7th level spells
Wisdom 26 = 8th level spells
Wisdom 28 = 9th level spells

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Metamagic
Divine Metamagic does not exist. Period.
Metamagic cost reducers do not exist. Period.
Metamagic rods and similar effects may not increase the effective level of a spell to a level higher than the character can normally cast.

And . . . I think that is pretty much it.
So other than me being out of my mind for wanting to roll back the power level so much, how close does this come to being about Tier 3 power level?

20
D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder / Re: Monster Sorting
« on: July 17, 2021, 12:59:03 PM »
The archived WotC index sorts alphabetically, by source, type, and CR, and can effectively sort by subtype and size with a few quirks.
It is not awesome, but it has a few more options.
http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/lists/monsters

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