Quick-fix races and classes

[RobbyPants]

Note: These rules are meant to be used in combination with my other house rules.


Character Creation

Ability Scores

If using point buy, apply any racial penalties before spending points and apply racial bonuses after spending points. It costs two points to raise a 6 to an 8.
For example: an elf would start with a base 6 Constitution and an 8 in every other score. After the points are spent, the Dexterity is increased by two points.

All ability score adjustments listed in a race or monster’s entry are considered to be Racial bonuses and penalties for purposes of stacking. Ability scores modified by a template are untyped, unless noted otherwise.


Background Skills

Characters start with two background skills. These skills must be a specific instance of Craft, Knowledge, Perform, or Profession (such as Craft (Alchemy), Knowledge (Local), or Perform (Singing)). The character starts with four ranks in each of these two skills and these skills are considered to be class skills every level.


Races

Below are changes made to existing races. The racial ability score adjustments listed are to be used instead of the printed adjustments, not in addition to them.

Aasimar

• Type is Humanoid (Extraplanar)
• +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma, -2 to any two ability score (which may include Wisdom and/or Charisma, canceling out the bonuses).
• Remove level adjustment.

Drow

• +2 Dexterity, Intelligence, or Charisma, -2 to any other ability score.
• Remove spell resistance.
• Reduce darkvision to 60 feet.
• Gain +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities.
• Reduce Level Adjustment to 0.

Dwarf

• +2 Constitution, -2 to any other ability score.

Elf

• +2 Dexterity, -2 to any other ability score.

Gnome

• +2 Constitution, -2 to any other ability score.

Goblin

• +2 Dexterity, -2 to any other ability score.

Half elf

• Gain bonus skill points as a human.

Half orc

• +2 Strength, -2 to any other ability score.
• Gain a +2 racial bonus to Fortitude saves.

Hobgoblin

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 to any two ability score (which may include Dexterity and/or Constitution, canceling out the bonuses).
• Gain a +2 racial bonus to Knowledge (History).
• Reduce Level Adjustment to 0.

Kobold

• +2 Dexterity, -2 to any other two other ability scores (or -4 to any one other ability score).
• Gain Slight Build: kobolds are treated as if they were one size category smaller whenever he is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as Hide) and doing so is advantageous to him. A kobold is also considered to be one size smaller when "squeezing" through a restrictive space. A kobold can use weapons designed for a creature one size smaller without penalty. However, the space and reach of a kobold remain those of a creature of their actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category.
• Gain Natural Weapons: Kobolds have two primary claw attacks that deal 1d3 points of slashing damage plus Strength bonus, and a secondary bite attack that deals 1d3 points of piercing damage plus 1/2 Strength bonus. Despite possibly being the weakest reptilian humanoid, kobolds retain a connection to their feral nature.
• Gain Weapon Proficiency: Kobolds receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the heavy pick and light pick as bonus feats. Kobolds are born and bred miners, regardless of their actual profession, allowing them to easily wield these weapons.
• Gain Weapon Familiarity: Kobolds may treat greatpicks as martial weapons, rather than exotic weapons.

Orc

• +4 Strength, -2 to any other two other ability scores (or -4 to any one other ability score).
• Gain a +2 racial bonus to Fortitude saves.

Tiefling

• Type is Humanoid (Extraplanar).
• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 to any two ability score (which may include Dexterity and/or Intelligence, canceling out the bonuses).
• Remove level adjustment.

[RobbyPants]

Classes

Core classes

Barbarian

• When raging, the barbarian gains Fast Healing, healing a number of points per round equal to his class level.
• At 3rd level, a barbarian does not automatically fail a saving throw on a natural 1 while raging.
• At 6th level, the barbarian may gain benefits of Haste while raging, as an Extraordinary ability. When the rage ends, the barbarian is exhausted instead of fatigued for the remainder of the encounter.
• At 9th level, the barbarian may ignore hardness and damage reduction while raging.
• At 15th level, the barbarian may gain benefits of Mind Blank while raging, as an Extraordinary ability.
• At 18th level, the barbarian may start and end his rage as a free action. There is no limit to the number of times per day he can enter rage.

Cleric

• Use the universal 9th level casting progression (see below).
  
• May swap any one spell (even of the highest level known) for another of equal level from your class list every even level.
• Still gain one bonus spell slot per spell level to use for domain spells.
• Casts spontaneously, still uses Wisdom.
• Increase skill points to 4 per level.

Druid

• Use the universal 9th level casting progression (see below).
  
• May swap any one spell (even of the highest level known) for another of equal level from your class list every even level.
• Casts spontaneously, still uses Wisdom.
• Use Shapeshift variant in PHB II (also, lose Animal Companion and Wildshape).
• Modify Shapeshift as follows:
• All enhancement bonuses granted are untyped.
• All equipment melds into the new form. Any magical items that require manipulation to use (such as wands or weapons) cannot be used. Any magical items that provide a passive benefit or require a command word but no manipulation (such as Boots of Speed or a Ring of Invisibility) may still be used. Melded armor and shields do not provide their Armor or Shield bonus to AC, but they do provide their enhancement bonuses, if the druid is a high enough level. These enhancement bonuses are added to the character's natural armor bonus and are typless.

Fighter

• Do not take more than two levels of this class.
• Increase skill points to 4 per level.
• Add the following skills as class skills: Balance, Knowledge (History, Local, and Nobility), and Tumble.
• Otherwise, use Warblade (see below).

Monk

• Do not take more than two levels of this class.
• Otherwise, use the unarmed Swordsage (see below) variant.

Paladin

• Do not take more than three levels of this class.
• Increase skill points to 4 per level.
• Otherwise, use Crusader.

Ranger

• Gain animal companion at 1st level instead of 4th level. The ranger’s effective druid level is his class level for this ability.
• Gain Animal Affinity at 4th level as a bonus feat.
  
• Replace Combat Style with a bonus feat from the following list: Far Shot, Greater Two Weapon Fighting, Improved Two Weapon Fighting, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Two Weapon Defense, and Two Weapon Fighting. The ranger must meet the prerequisites for any feat he takes. The ranger gains this ability at 2nd, 6th, 11th, and 16th levels.

Rogue

• Increase Hit Die to d8.
• Gain Opportunity Points. A rogue has a number of Opportunity Points equal to her Int mod or class level, whichever is lower (minimum 1). She gains an additional point at 4th level and every four levels thereafter. The rogue regains her points once she has been in a "non stressful" situation for at least a minute (any time she could normally take 10 on skills). Unless otherwise noted, each use of opportunity abilities takes one point and uses a swift action. The opportunity abilities are:
• Opportunistic Opening: A single opponent is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC against your next attack, if the attack is taken this round.
  
• Greater Opportunistic Opening: A single opponent is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC against all of your attacks until the beginning of your next turn. This uses two points.
  
• Opportunistic Weakness: You may make sneak attacks against a single creature as if it were not immune to critical hits. This lasts until the beginning of your next turn.
  
• Opportunistic Speed: You may take a move action.
  
• Opportunistic Dodge: As an immediate action, you gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves and Improved Evasion. This lasts until the beginning of your next turn.
  
• See changes to Trapfinding (in New/Modified Class Features, below).
• Gains Improved Trapfinding at level 6.

Sorcerer

• Increase Hit Die to d6.
• Use the universal 9th level casting progression (see below).
  
• May swap any one spell (even of the highest level known) for another of equal level from your class list every even level.
• Gain either Eschew Materials or one heritage feat at 1st level.
  
• Gain a bonus feat at 5th level and every five levels thereafter. If the 1st level feat was Eschew Materials, these bonus feats must be Metamagic feats. If it was a heritage feat, these feats must be heritage feats of the same type.
• Increase skill points per level to 4.
• Gain the following skills as class skills: Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (The Planes), and Sense Motive.

Wizard

• Increase Hit Die to d6.
• Use the universal 9th level casting progression (see below).
  
• May swap any one spell (even of the highest level known) for another of equal level from your class list every even level.
• Casts spontaneously, still uses Intelligence.
• Uses new Wizard spell list (see below).
  
• Each level, the wizard gains Advanced Learning as a class feature. Each time, he may choose an Evocation spell or Conjuration spell from the Sorcerer/Wizard list and at it to his list of spells known. He may not pick Calling or Summoning Conjuration spells with this ability. These spells are subject to the DM’s approval.
• Replace Scribe Scroll with a metamagic feat, Skill Focus (Concentration), Spell Focus, or any wizard bonus feat (listed in the special section of the feat).
• Spellbook rules:
• Every spell the wizard knows is added to the Spellbook.
• No spell can be added that the wizard does not know.
• The wizard can cast a spell directly from the book. If the casting time is one minute or more, the casting time is doubled, otherwise it is increased to one minute. The wizard can add one of the following metamagic feats to the spell without increasing the level of the slot used: Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Maximize Spell, Widen Spell. The wizard does not have to have the metamagic feat to use this ability.

[RobbyPants]

Non-core classes

Crusader

• Learns new stances at the following levels:

Initiator Level   Stances Known
_______________________________
1                 1
3                 2
7                 3
15                4

Swordsage

• Increase Base Attack progression to full (+1 per level).
• Wisdom bonus to AC works in light or no armor. This does not stack with other class features that add the Wisdom bonus to AC.
• Learns new stances at the following levels:

Initiator Level   Stances Known
_______________________________
1                 2
3                 3
5                 4
9                 5
12                6
15                7
20                8

Warblade

• Learns new stances at the following levels:

Initiator Level   Stances Known
_______________________________
1                 1
5                 2
9                 3
15                4

Warlock

• Gain an invocation known at every level instead of using the progression in Complete Arcane.
• Eldritch blast damage increases 1d6 points at every level not divisible by three (1, 2, 4, 5, 7… etc).
• Gain a new blast shape or eldritch essence invocation every level divisible by three (3, 6, 9… etc).
• The energy resistance class feature is gained at 1st level and grants an amount of resistance to your chosen energy types equal to your class level.

Alternate Class Features

Druid (Beastmaster)

• Lose Shapeshifting.
• Gain Animal Companion per the PHB.
• When casting a Summon Nature’s Ally spell to summon an animal or magical beast, you may reduce the casting time to one standard action. If you do, the summoned creature may only take a standard action on the round it is summoned. The duration of the spell is doubled.

Swordsage (Swashbuckler)

• All class features that reference Wisdom use either Intelligence or Charisma instead (this choice must be made at 1st level and cannot be changed). All Wisdom-based saving throw DCs from maneuvers use the chosen ability score as well.
• Lose good Will save progression.
• Lose access to Desert Wind and Stone Dragon.
• Gain access to Iron Heart.
• Gain a new recovery method: any time you successfully use Balance, Jump, or Tumble as part of your movement, you recover one maneuver. You cannot recover a maneuver you used this round and you cannot use the maneuver you recovered until the start of your next turn. You may only recover one maneuver this way per round.

Modified Class Features

Trapfinding
In addition to the normal abilities, a character with Trapfinding may make a Disable Device check in place of an Open Locks check.

Improved Trapfinding
A character with this ability is considered to be taking 20 on their Search check to find traps within ten feet of them so long as they move at half speed or slower.

[RobbyPants]

Casting

Universal 9th level casting progression

Spells per day:

____________________________________________
Level  0   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9
1      ∞   2   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
2      ∞   3   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
3      ∞   3   2   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
4      ∞   4   3   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
5      ∞   4   3   2   -   -   -   -   -   -
6      ∞   4   4   3   -   -   -   -   -   -
7      ∞   4   4   3   2   -   -   -   -   -
8      ∞   4   4   4   3   -   -   -   -   -
9      ∞   4   4   4   3   2   -   -   -   -
10     ∞   4   4   4   4   3   -   -   -   -
11     ∞   4   4   4   4   3   2   -   -   -
12     ∞   4   4   4   4   4   3   -   -   -
13     ∞   4   4   4   4   4   3   2   -   -
14     ∞   4   4   4   4   4   4   3   -   -
15     ∞   4   4   4   4   4   4   3   2   -
16     ∞   4   4   4   4   4   4   4   3   -
17     ∞   4   4   4   4   4   4   4   3   2
18     ∞   4   4   4   4   4   4   4   4   3
19     ∞   4   4   4   4   4   4   4   4   4
20     ∞   4   4   4   4   4   4   4   4   4

Spells known:
____________________________________________

Level  0   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9
1      5   3   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
2      6   4   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
3      6   4   2   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
4      7   5   3   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
5      7   5   3   2   -   -   -   -   -   -
6      8   6   4   3   -   -   -   -   -   -
7      8   6   4   3   2   -   -   -   -   -
8      9   6   5   4   3   -   -   -   -   -
9      9   6   5   4   3   2   -   -   -   -
10     9   6   6   5   4   3   -   -   -   -
11     9   6   6   5   4   3   2   -   -   -
12     9   6   6   6   5   4   3   -   -   -
13     9   6   6   6   5   4   3   2   -   -
14     9   6   6   6   6   5   4   3   -   -
15     9   6   6   6   6   5   4   3   2   -
16     9   6   6   6   6   6   5   4   3   -
17     9   6   6   6   6   6   5   4   3   2
18     9   6   6   6   6   6   6   5   4   3
19     9   6   6   6   6   6   6   5   4   3
20     9   6   6   6   6   6   6   6   5   4

Wizard Spell List

Level 0:
Acid Splash, Arcane Mark, Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Finger of Fire*, Force Bolt*, Light, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Prestidigitation, Read Magic, Ray of Frost, Resistance, Sonic Snap*, Zap*

Level 1:
Alarm, Burning Hands, Comprehend Languages, Endure Elements, Erase, Expeditious Retreat, Floating Disk, Grease, Identify, Mage Armor, Magic Aura, Magic Missile, Magic Weapon, Obscuring Mist, Shocking Grasp, Shield, Sleep, Unseen Servant

Level 2:
Acid Arrow, Arcane Lock, Continual Flame, Darkness, Fog Cloud, Glitterdust, Invisibility, Knock, Levitate, Magic Mouth, Pyrotechnics, Resist Energy, Scorching Ray, Shatter, Touch of Idiocy, Web, Whispering Wind

Level 3:
Arcane Sight, Daylight, Deep Slumber, Dispel Magic, Explosive Runes, Fireball, Fly, Greater Magic Weapon, Hold Person, Illusory Script, Lightning Bolt, Sepia Snake Sigil, Sleet Storm, Stinking Cloud

Level 4:
Arcane Eye, Black Tentacles, Dimensional Anchor, Dimension Door, Fire Shield, Fire Trap, Greater Invisibility, Ice Storm, Minor Creation, Resilient Sphere, Solid Fog, Stoneskin, Wall of Fire, Wall of Ice

Level 5:
Baleful Polymorph, Break Enchantment, Cloudkill, Cone of Cold, Hold Monster, Interposing Hand, Major Creation, Overland Flight, Permanency, Sending, Symbol of Sleep, Telekinesis, Teleport, Wall of Force, Wall of Stone

Level 6:
Acid Fog, Analyze Dweomer, Chain Lightning, Contingency, Disintegrate, Flesh to Stone, Forceful Hand, Freezing Sphere, Greater Dispel Magic, Mislead, Stone to Flesh, True Seeing, Wall of Iron

Level 7:
Delayed Blast Fireball, Forcecage, Grasping Hand, Greater Arcane Sight, Greater Teleport, Limited Wish, Mage’s Sword, Mass Hold Person, Mass Invisibility, Phase Door, Plane Shift, Teleport Object

Level 8:
Clenched Fist, Dimensional Lock, Incendiary Cloud, Maze, Polar Ray, Sunburst, Telekinetic Sphere

Level 9:
Crushing Hand, Gate (Planar Travel version only), Mage’s Disjunction, Mass Hold Monster, Meteor Swarm, Teleportation Circle, Time Stop, Wish


* New spell

[dman11235]

First off, I like it.  Great job for quick fixes on most of these, especially the Barbarian.

Issues: I don't like the Monk, Paladin, and Fighter for obvious reasons.

Rogue: just make the opportunity points equal to class level.  Overall, it roughly ends up just being this (you might have 5 at level 4, and 18 at 20), so why not make it simple?  In addition, while they are fine for the most part, the opportunities need some work.  The Dodge to AC one especially.  Why not roll Improved Evasion into that (so we can get rid of that as a class feature)?  Finally, you didn't add a capstone, although this isn't a "quick fix thing".

Sorcerer: I'd give them Eschew Materials at 1 and then a Heritage ability (either the feats or a new mechanic).  So both of them, not a choice.  As they level, at levels that they don't gain a new spell level, they gain a heritage ability (either the feats or something new) or a MM/item creation.whatever feat, alternating which one they get.  Also allow multiple heritages, even if they don't have that heritage, so you can combine Angel and Demon heritage for instance, without having blood of either.  This would allow you to have the powerful feats (MM/Item Creation/etc.) at relatively few levels, while the bulk of them are heritage.

Finally, on templates: I have an idea.  Why not make templates ability score bonuses not stack?  Why not make them racial bonuses (and thus not stack), only letting you take the biggest one?  I think this might go a long ways towards balancing high LA-races and templates, because you can then reduce the LA of the more powerful but over-priced templates to compensate.

[RobbyPants]

First off, I like it.  Great job for quick fixes on most of these, especially the Barbarian.

Thanks. It basically came from wanting to fill those crappy levels with Trap Sense and plugging a few holes in the class.

Issues: I don't like the Monk, Paladin, and Fighter for obvious reasons.

Obviously.

This all comes from a quick and dirty approach. I was looking for a way to use a bunch of existing material.

Rogue: just make the opportunity points equal to class level.  Overall, it roughly ends up just being this (you might have 5 at level 4, and 18 at 20), so why not make it simple?  In addition, while they are fine for the most part, the opportunities need some work.  The Dodge to AC one especially.  Why not roll Improved Evasion into that (so we can get rid of that as a class feature)?  Finally, you didn't add a capstone, although this isn't a "quick fix thing".

Class level might be fine. I was looking for a tie-in for Int synergy, but I don't know why I'd need that. Even with 12 uses at level 12, the combat likely won't last long enough to take advantage of them, anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter much either way.

I like the Improved Evasion idea.

Sorcerer: I'd give them Eschew Materials at 1 and then a Heritage ability (either the feats or a new mechanic).  So both of them, not a choice.  As they level, at levels that they don't gain a new spell level, they gain a heritage ability (either the feats or something new) or a MM/item creation.whatever feat, alternating which one they get.  Also allow multiple heritages, even if they don't have that heritage, so you can combine Angel and Demon heritage for instance, without having blood of either.  This would allow you to have the powerful feats (MM/Item Creation/etc.) at relatively few levels, while the bulk of them are heritage.

I think it might be too much to dole them all out. I haven't posted them yet, but I've reworked the heritage feats to be more in line with other feats I've fixed earlier, so they're more powerful. Also, I didn't want to force every sorcerer to have a heritage. So, the Eschew Materials/metamagic track was intended to be used by those sorcerers.

Also, I left out item creation feats from the description because I'm making it so everyone can craft items and the feats aren't necessary.

Finally, on templates: I have an idea.  Why not make templates ability score bonuses not stack?  Why not make them racial bonuses (and thus not stack), only letting you take the biggest one?  I think this might go a long ways towards balancing high LA-races and templates, because you can then reduce the LA of the more powerful but over-priced templates to compensate.

In general, I'd like to anything with LA to die in a fire. I'd rather replace them with RHD at a minimum. I've been gradually fixes a few races/monsters that I personally like, but I'm not going to attempt to tackle the bulk of the problem.

That being said, I'm not sure removing stacking would fix too much. You'd simply throw it on a race that has penalties to shore them up or throw them on human and get the extra bonus feat. All not stacking would do is limit optimal race-template combinations.

[dman11235]

On Item Creation feats: right, sorry, I forgot about that.  But you get my gist?  On the heritage feats: then do the other aspect, where you get small heritage bonuses.  Actually, if you're making the heritage feats more worth while, then you can just give heritage feats, and then at the other levels (2/3rd these, 1/3 feats) give small bonuses to the heritage feats.  Are you having a mechanic where he power of the feats are based on the number of them?  If so, a class feature that counts you as having an extra feat or so.  Allow extra heritages, so you can be both good and evil heritage.  Make it so you control your heritage rather than heritage control you.  That sort of thing.  Then again, this might be going away from "quick fix".

On racial bonuses stacking: The way I'm thinking (and we might want to move this out of this thread), is that templates will mostly grant new racial abilities, and not be used to stack ability scores to insane degrees.  Anything with an "LA*" will have a good sized racial ability (so a +1 LA would have at least a +6 to an ability score or something), and you take the largest boost, regardless of + or -.  So a +0/+2/+0/+0/-2/+0 base race and a +2/-2/+0/+0/+6/+2 template would end up being +2/+2/+0/+0/+6/+2 overall.  Make sense?  Ideally, this would make it so that you don't have as many races with LAs, and those that currently have them will become more attractive, since you are getting rid of some LA.

*LA here refers to any level adjustment method, including LA, racial HD, or some other thing.

[RobbyPants]

On Item Creation feats: right, sorry, I forgot about that. 

No problem. I didn't mention it specifically. That's the problem about me posting this all piecemeal like.

But you get my gist?  On the heritage feats: then do the other aspect, where you get small heritage bonuses.  Actually, if you're making the heritage feats more worth while, then you can just give heritage feats, and then at the other levels (2/3rd these, 1/3 feats) give small bonuses to the heritage feats. 

I picked the progression I did to match the wizard's progression. It was more to put the two classes on par with each other.

Although, given the new wizard spell list, I wonder if the sorcerers will now be the superior caster. Way to run too far with the ball, Rob. 

Are you having a mechanic where he power of the feats are based on the number of them?  If so, a class feature that counts you as having an extra feat or so.  Allow extra heritages, so you can be both good and evil heritage.  Make it so you control your heritage rather than heritage control you.  That sort of thing.  Then again, this might be going away from "quick fix".

Well, I sort of have both. Some of them were quick ports over referencing the number of heritage feats you have and others reference Hit Dice. Also, some are based on the level of the spell slot used to fuel them.

I'd like to lean away from having multiple heritages, if for not other reason than simplicity. Several of the heritages would overlap in weird ways and it's a lot easier for me to make five or six feats and balance accordingly than to make thirty and try to balance them all.

On racial bonuses stacking: The way I'm thinking (and we might want to move this out of this thread), is that templates will mostly grant new racial abilities, and not be used to stack ability scores to insane degrees.  Anything with an "LA*" will have a good sized racial ability (so a +1 LA would have at least a +6 to an ability score or something), and you take the largest boost, regardless of + or -.  So a +0/+2/+0/+0/-2/+0 base race and a +2/-2/+0/+0/+6/+2 template would end up being +2/+2/+0/+0/+6/+2 overall.  Make sense?  Ideally, this would make it so that you don't have as many races with LAs, and those that currently have them will become more attractive, since you are getting rid of some LA.

*LA here refers to any level adjustment method, including LA, racial HD, or some other thing.

If I were making a more comprehensive fix, I'd tackle this in more depth. Right now, it seems the easiest thing to do is grab the ones I like and make a quick, unique fix. It works better in practice than coming up with a universal rule that gets abused in new and creative ways.

[dman11235]

I'd like to lean away from having multiple heritages, if for not other reason than simplicity. Several of the heritages would overlap in weird ways and it's a lot easier for me to make five or six feats and balance accordingly than to make thirty and try to balance them all.

So basically you'll have around 6 heritage feats that govern every heritage?  So you don't have "abyssal heritage" or "angelic heritage" or "axiomatic heritage" or anything, you have "heritage"?  How will they be different...or will they be?

EDIT:

If I were making a more comprehensive fix, I'd tackle this in more depth. Right now, it seems the easiest thing to do is grab the ones I like and make a quick, unique fix.

Yeah, hence why I suggested I take it out of this thread.  It's way more in depth than just "all racial bonuses now don't stack".  I was trying to convey that you gave me an idea on how to tackle that problem of templates making insane ability scores while still not being worth it overall (you have 923853958 templates that grant you a +29385349562795629346 to str, but a +94869726462264 LA makes it useless cause you die in one hit, for a hyperbolic example).  With this idea, it should work out that you can take a bunch of +0 LAs that normally would be a +1 or +2, just because of the ability modifiers, and end up with a moderate boost to ability, if any, and then you've got all those templates so you CAN play that half-dragon aasimar tiefling gelatinous awakened construct or whatever.  Anyways, I'll make a new thread for this.  Well, eventually.

[RobbyPants]

So basically you'll have around 6 heritage feats that govern every heritage?  So you don't have "abyssal heritage" or "angelic heritage" or "axiomatic heritage" or anything, you have "heritage"?  How will they be different...or will they be?

The ones I have so far are:

• Celestial (reskin of PHB2 Celestial Sorcerer feats)
• Draconic
• Elemental
• Fey (reskin of CM Fey feats)
• Fiendish (reskin of PHB2 Infernal Sorcerer and CM Fiendish feats)

I have about five or six feats in each group. I can probably post them tonight if I remember.

Yeah, hence why I suggested I take it out of this thread.  It's way more in depth than just "all racial bonuses now don't stack".

What's funny is I don't even remember why I put that in there. I can't remember what problem I was trying to fix!

[dman11235]

But you aren't going to customize them to the heritage?  If you are, then why not let the sorcerer (and only the sorcerer) have multiple ones?  you know what?  Forget it.  This is getting away from "quick fix".  Your thing does work for a quick fix.  Mine is going towards a more wholesale fix to the whole class.

[RobbyPants]

Yeah, I keep alternating between how much work I want to put into this. I actually think I'm pretty close now on "fixes", although I have some new home brew I'd like to add in along side the project as well. Particularly, more casters that are like the beguiler/dread necromancer.

That being said, here are the heritage feats.


(All this copy-pasta and manual addition of bbcode formatting seems like a lot more work when slightly inebriated.)

[Tarkisflux]

I'm going to agree with dman without reservation - these look like a pretty good set of quick fixes and his suggestions are spot on. I'd use these in any game where people wanted a less complexity than I normally prefer without a second thought.

I'm wondering what the reasoning for letting Wizards cast spontaneously and cast anything from their book all day on top of that is though. It seems like they could get away with being a prep caster if they could still do all of their utility stuff from the book.

And one thing could stand to be clearer. Everyone now has a limited number of spells known based on class level right? And the advanced learning of the wizard adds to their class list, but not their spells known (and thus not their spellbook unless they swap)? It's just a bit odd to think of clerics and druids and wizards as having limited spells known when it's not called out explicitly.

[RobbyPants]

Yeah, that's the problem with me jotting down notes in bulleted lists. Until I have someone else read it, I can't tell what's clear and what's not. The idea is this is all added on top of what the classes already do.

So, I made divine casters cast like sorcerers, although I gave them all more spells known and they get new spell levels at odd numbered levels instead of even numbered levels. I made the wizard like a beguiler/dread necromancer/war mage. My reasoning for changing the big three was as follows:

• As it stands, clerics and druids know every spell published that the DM allows. That's just plain ridiculous. Even without the power creep of new spells, they can do about anything given one day to prepare spells. I wanted to limit how many they knew.
• While wizards don't know every spell out there, they can still learn a lot of spells, and it doesn't take them long to build up an answer to pretty much any problem they'll run into. Again, they're only a day away from having the right answer at worst.
• At the game table, players of clerics, druids, and wizards need to prep spells each day which potentially eats into play time.
• I wanted to give everyone a set list of spells they know so both the players and the DM know what to expect, and it won't vary by day.

As for the wizard itself, I made it different enough from the sorcerer so I could justify having both classes. Otherwise, I was going to roll them into a single class and let the player choose Int or Cha for the casting stat at creation. Personally, I like the spell list I created for the wizard. Going back to my 2E days, I feel the list is somewhat iconic and captures the feel of a wizard who can do a lot of things, but it's still way more predictable than wizards currently.

As for the spellbook, the wording on the first two bullets is kind of wonky. The idea is that the wizard simply has a spellbook with all of his spells in it (just for flavor at this point), and he can use it to enhance the spells. If the wizard loses or forgets his spell book, he can still cast normally with no penalty; he just can't apply those metamagic feats for free.



I'll try to reword some of the more confusing stuff and add in Improved Evasion to Opportunistic Dodge.

Thanks for the input so far!

[RobbyPants]

I've updated the racial ability scores.

I'll likely make a note later about removing the cleric, druid, and sorcerer. I'm looking to replace everything with fixed spontaneous casters like the beguiler.