Mechanics from DDO

[Prime32]

Dungeons & Dragons Online gets a few things more balanced than the system it was based on. Some of this is just engine restrictions (no walking through walls, etc) but there's plenty of mechanics that are worth looking at. I'll be posting some "translations"; if an ability can be improved by level-up enhancements, I'll fold them into the ability itself and rejig the formula.

SorO has already taken a look at the monk here.

[SorO_Lost]

AC grants a scaling reduction in damage and the system has dodge chances.

IE, load up on armor to take less damage if they hit or toss it and run around like a female and go for all or none dodging. Of course you can try to obtain both but meh. Kind of a nice contrast between the two and I like it.

I don't like the total item dependency and yet I loved the guaranteed gain element and scaling properties of the Greensteels so much I wrote an adaptation for another MMO and have loose notes for such in D&D that look like copypasta from WoL.

I'm torn on the concept that the Cleric should toss Quickened Mass Cures in between Mass Heals because the 800HP meleers will die in a few seconds. Healing in combat is useful which is a nice change, but everyone gets locked into a grind of repeating the same actions. Melee spams attack. Healers spam cures. Oddballs spam their key trait. You know, that's the problem with MMOs in general...

As far as adapting AP, you'll end up looking like Pathfinder. Choice of minor bonuses at every level on top of a fully loaded 3.5 Class. Which means you'll get into the Pathfinder Syndrome, simply using the system makes you a power hungry mongrel.

[Prime32]

As far as adapting AP, you'll end up looking like Pathfinder. Choice of minor bonuses at every level on top of a fully loaded 3.5 Class. Which means you'll get into the Pathfinder Syndrome, simply using the system makes you a power hungry mongrel.

As I said, I'll be stripping AP out of anything I post. For instance, the Toughness feat below includes the approximate effects of Class Toughness and Racial Toughness. Prestige and Capstone enhancements will become class features, with ACFs to trade them out.


Every PC gains maximum hit points per Hit Die, and +20 hit points at 1st level.

The Total Defense action grants a +2 bonus to AC and saves, and DR/- equal to your base Fortitude save + your shield bonus to AC (if any). You gain the benefits of Evasion and Mettle, and whenever you would be subjected to a spell effect which does not require an attack roll or allow a save, you are entitled to a Reflex save to negate the effect. These bonuses do not apply if you are denied your Dex bonus to AC.

Touch attacks do not exist; all touch spells strike normal AC.

Shield Mastery [Fighter, General]
Prerequisites: Proficiency with shields
Benefit: The critical threat range of your shield bash attacks increases by 1. You gain DR/- equal to one-third your level when wielding a light shield or buckler, half your level when wielding a heavy shield, or your level when wielding a tower shield.

Improved Shield Mastery [Fighter, General]
Prerequisites: Shield Mastery, BAB +8
Benefit: The benefits of your Shield Mastery feat are doubled.

Toughness [General]
Benefit: You gain additional hit points equal to 2x (your character level + your BAB).

[SorO_Lost]

Oh that. Yeah I like that. All effects should scale

[Prime32]

Geez this thing is a murder machine...

The Will save bonuses averaged out to "good Will save +1", so I just had it replace your Will save instead.


BARBARIAN

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Rage
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Action Boost, Fast movement, Rage 2/day	+4 Str/Con, -2 AC
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	DR 1/-, Trap Sense +1	+4 Str/Con, -2 AC
3rd	+3	+4	+1	+1	Trap Sense +2	+4 Str/Con, -2 AC
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	DR 2/-, Rage 3/day, Uncanny Dodge	+4 Str/Con, -2 AC
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Berserker, Trap Sense +3	+6 Str/Con, -4 AC
6th	+6/+11	+5	+2	+2	DR 3/-, Trap Sense +4	+6 Str/Con, -4 AC
7th	+7/+12	+5	+2	+2	Frenzy, Rage 4/day	+6 Str/Con, -4 AC
8th	+8/+13	+6	+2	+2	DR 4/-, Improved Uncanny Dodge, Trap Sense +5	+6 Str/Con, -4 AC
9th	+9/+14	+6	+3	+3	Rampage, Trap Sense +6	+6 Str/Con, -4 AC
10th	+10/+15	+7	+3	+3	Ability Boost (Con +2), DR 5/-, Rage 5/day	+6 Str/Con, -4 AC
11th	+11/+16/+21	+7	+3	+3	Trap Sense +7	+8 Str/Con, -4 AC
12th	+12/+17/+22	+8	+4	+4	DR 6/-, Trap Sense +8	+8 Str/Con, -4 AC
13th	+13/+18/+23	+8	+4	+4	Rage 6/day	+8 Str/Con, -4 AC
14th	+14/+19/+24	+9	+4	+4	DR 7/-, Indomitable Will, Trap Sense +9	+8 Str/Con, -4 AC
15th	+15/+20/+25	+9	+5	+5	Greater Rampage, Trap Sense +10	+10 Str/Con, -6 AC
16th	+16/+21/+26/+31	+10	+5	+5	DR 8/-, Rage 7/day	+10 Str/Con, -6 AC
17th	+17/+22/+27/+32	+10	+5	+5	Tireless Rage, Trap Sense +11	+10 Str/Con, -6 AC
18th	+18/+23/+28/+33	+11	+6	+6	DR 9/-, Trap Sense +12	+10 Str/Con, -6 AC
19th	+19/+24/+29/+34	+11	+6	+6	Death Frenzy, Rage 8/day	+10 Str/Con, -6 AC
20th	+20/+25/+30/+35	+12	+6	+6	Ability Boost (Str +2), DR 10/-, Trap Sense +13	+12 Str/Con, -6 AC

Action Boost (Ex): As a swift action, a barbarian can gain one of the following bonuses for 1 round:

• Gain a bonus to damage rolls equal to half his barbarian level, rounded up.
• Gain a bonus to his speed in all movement modes equal to 5ft x his barbarian level.
• Double his Damage Reduction from barbarian levels (or gain DR 1/- if he is a 1st level barbarian).

After using this ability, he must wait 1d4+1 rounds before using it again.

Rage (Ex): In addition to the listed bonuses, a barbarian's base Will saves follow the Good progression (2 + half your character level) while raging.

Damage Reduction (Ex): You also gain energy resistance equal to half your Damage Reduction.

Berserker (Ex): At 5th level a barbarian gains Diehard as a bonus feat. His hit points cannot drop below 1 as a result of losing the bonus hit points from raging; if his hit points are already below 1 then he does not lose hit points for ending a rage.

Frenzy (Ex): At 7th level a barbarian can enter a frenzy. While in a frenzy, he gains +2 Str (stacking with rage) and his attacks gain the vicious enchantment. Entering a frenzy is a free action which inflicts 10 damage to the barbarian. The frenzy lasts for 1 minute, after which he cannot enter another frenzy for 1 minute.

Ability Boost: At 10th level a barbarian gains a +2 bonus to his Constitution score. At 20th level he gains a +2 bonus to his Strength score.

Rampage (Ex): At 9th level, whenever a barbarian rolls a 19 or 20 on an attack roll, he may make another attack as a free action. This attack is made at the same bonuses, and must be made against the same target. Attacks made as a result of Rampage cannot threaten critical hits or trigger the effects of Rampage, but ignore the effects of damage reduction and hardness.

Supreme Cleave (Ex): At 13th level, whenever a barbarian makes a melee attack he may choose for it to affect two adjacent squares within reach.

Greater Rampage (Ex): At 15th level, a barbarian may make two extra attacks as part of Rampage rather than one.

Death Frenzy (Ex): At 19th level a barbarian can enter a death frenzy. While in a death frenzy, he gains +4 Str (stacking with rage and frenzy) and his attacks deal +4d6 damage (but also 1d6 damage to himself). Entering a death frenzy is a free action which inflicts 20 damage to the barbarian. The death frenzy lasts for 1 minute, after which he cannot enter another death frenzy for 1 minute.

[Unbeliever]

Having never played DDO I don't have much to add, but what I've read above is intriguing.  I think it might be best to consider the core mechanics changes, such as the DR and AC changes, before delving into particular classes.

[Tarkisflux]

Prime, are those BAB numbers right? Iterative attacks go up in bonus instead of down in DDO? 

[Garryl]

Prime, are those BAB numbers right? Iterative attacks go up in bonus instead of down in DDO? 

Maybe and yes.

DDO BAB goes up instead of down. However, DDO attack sequences are funky and based on realtime, so they don't quite map well into pen and paper. You get an "attack sequence" of two attacks at full BAB right off the bat, with a 3rd at +5 on the attack roll at BAB +1, and a 4th at +10 on the roll at BAB +3. These are just for attack bonuses (assuming you're standing still). For the number of attacks you get in a given time frame, you attack at some fixed speed, which increases at BAB +1, +5, +10, +15, and +20.

[Prime32]

A few re-interpretations here. The benefits of the original Elven Arcanum were closer to a wizard-only Spellcasting Prodigy, but this is more applicable for other classes. Elven Finesse is based on racial "+X attack/damage with weapon" enhancements. Half-drow aren't a thing in DDO, but I included the option because why not.

Most of the Dilettante options were tweaked to give better support for characters who multiclass into their Dilettante class (originally if you had, say, Sneak Attack from both rogue levels and Rogue Dilettante then you just used the higher of the two). Dilettante options for non-DDO classes are in grey.


Elf

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  
• Elf base land speed is 30 feet.
• Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
• Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
  
• Arcane Fluidity: The Arcane Spell Failure chance of any armor or shield you wear is reduced by -1% per character level. If you wear both armor and a shield, this reduction is applied only once.
  
• Elven Arcanum: Choose one 0th-level wizard spell; the elf may cast that spell 1/day as a wizard of his character level. At 4th level and every 3rd character level thereafter he may select another spell of one level higher, gaining the ability to cast that spell 1/day. The elf need not prepare these spells before use; if he has wizard levels then he can prepare these spells in his wizard slots from memory, as if he had the Spell Mastery feat.
  
• Elven Finesse: While wielding a weapon listed in their Weapon Familiarity ability, an elf may apply his Dexterity modifier to damage rolls in place of his Strength modifier.
  
• Weapon Familiarity: Elves are proficient with the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow). They may treat any exotic weapon with "elven" in its name as a martial weapon. An elf from Valenar gains proficiency with the scimitar and falchion in place of the longsword and rapier, and treats double scimitars and great falchions as martial weapons in place of elven lightblades, thinblades and courtblades.
  
• Keen Senses: Whenever an elf comes within 5ft of something which could be detected with a Search check, and the DC is equal to his Search modifier +10 or lower, he automatically notices it.
  
• Skills: Elves gain a +2 racial bonus to Search, Spot and Listen checks, and treat these skills as class skills for all classes.
  

Elf, Drow

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution. Drow receive 4 fewer points than normal in Point Buy ability score generation.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, drow have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  
• Drow base land speed is 30 feet.
• Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial bonus on Will saves against spells and spell-like abilities.
• Darkvision out to 120 feet.
• Spell Resistance 10 + character level
• Arcane Fluidity: The Arcane Spell Failure chance of any armor or shield you wear is reduced by -1% per character level. If you wear both armor and a shield, this reduction is applied only once.
  
• Drow Magic: A drow with levels in a spellcasting class adds dancing lights, darkness and faerie fire to his spells known (learning dancing lights as a 1st-level spell if that class does not have access to 0th-level spells). If he has levels in a prepared spellcasting class, he may cast those spells spontaneously in the same way a cleric spontaneously casts cure spells.
  
• Elven Finesse: While wielding a weapon listed in their Weapon Familiarity ability, a drow may apply his Dexterity modifier to damage rolls in place of his Strength modifier.
  
• Weapon Familiarity: Drow are proficient with the hand crossbow, rapier, shortsword and shuriken. They may treat any exotic weapon with "drow" in its name as a martial weapon.
  
• Keen Senses: Whenever an drow comes within 5ft of something which could be detected with a Search check, and the DC is equal to his Search modifier +10 or lower, he automatically notices it.
  
• Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as sunlight or a daylight spell) blinds drow for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area. A drow who spends at least one continuous week above ground loses this ability, but in exchange the range of his darkvision is halved; this effect may be reversed by spending one continuous week underground.
  
• Skills: Drow gain a +2 racial bonus to Search, Spot and Listen checks, and treat these skills as class skills for all classes.
  

Half-elf

• Medium: As Medium creatures, half-elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
  
• Half-elf base land speed is 30 feet.
• Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects, and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells or effects.
  
• Low-Light Vision: A half-elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. Half-drow instead receive darkvision 60ft.
  
• Mixed Blood: Half-elves are treated as both elves and humans. Beneficial effects treat the half-elf as whichever would be most convenient, and negative effects treat the half-elf as whichever would be least convenient.
  
• Arcane Fluidity: The Arcane Spell Failure chance of any armor or shield you wear is reduced by -1% per character level. If you wear both armor and a shield, this reduction is applied only once.
  
• Social Grace: Half-elves may make attempts to feint or demoralise in combat as a move action (a half-elf with the Improved Feint feat may feint as a swift action). A half-elf may make a Diplomacy or Intimidate check to change a creature's attitude as a full-round action without taking the normal penalty for rushing.
  
• Dilettante: Choose one character class. You gain some of the abilities of that class, based on your character level; levels in the class itself are not counted for this purpose, nor are levels which directly advance that class's abilities (eg. a wizard 10/archmage 2/fighter 6 who selected Wizard Dilettante would be treated as a 3rd-level character for this ability). The half-elf may change the class chosen for this ability whenever he gains a character level. For more details, see the Dilettante Options section below.
  
• Skills: Half-elves gain a +2 racial bonus to Diplomacy and Gather Information checks, and treat Search, Spot and Listen as class skills for all classes.

Dilettante Options

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• Artificer: Use Magic Device is always a class skill for you, and you gain proficiency with crossbows and repeating crossbows (light and heavy). You are considered an artificer of half your character level for using magic items (minimum lv1). If you have levels in artificer, you gain a bonus to your artificer caster level equal to half your character level.
  
• Bard: Perform is always a class skill for you, and you gain the Fascinate bardic music ability. You are considered a bard of half your character level for using magic items (minimum lv1). If you have levels in bard, you gain a bonus to your bard caster level equal to half your character level.
  
• Barbarian: Intimidate is always a class skill for you. You gain additional hit points equal to your character level, and damage reduction 1/-, +1 per five character levels.
  
• Binder: Diplomacy is always a class skill for you. You gain Bind Vestige as a bonus feat, except that you may only bind one vestige, chosen when you gain this ability (you may change the vestige whenever you gain a character level). You gain the Pact Augmentation class feature as a binder of your character level (stacking with any existing binder levels), and add half your character level to your Effective Binder level.
  
• Cleric: Knowledge (religion) is always a class skill for you. You are considered a cleric of half your character level for using magic items (minimum lv1). If you have levels in cleric, you gain a bonus to your effective cleric level equal to half your character level for determining your caster level and the strength of your Turn Undead class feature.
  
• Druid: Knowledge (nature) is always a class skill for you. You are considered a druid of half your character level for using magic items (minimum lv1). If you have levels in druid, you gain a bonus to your effective druid level equal to half your character level for determining your caster level and the duration of your Wild Shape class feature.
  
• Favored Soul: Knowledge (religion) is always a class skill for you. You are considered a favored soul of half your character level for using magic items (minimum lv1). If you have levels in favored soul, you gain a bonus to your favored soul caster level equal to half your character level.
  
• Fighter: Knowledge (history) is always a class skill for you. You gain the Weapon Familiarity ability as an elf (or a drow, if you are half-drow), and the Armor Training class feature as a Pathfinder fighter of your character level.
  
• Monk: Concentration is always a class skill for you. You gain proficiency with all weapons with which a monk is proficient, and the AC Bonus class feature as a monk of your character level (stacking with any existing monk levels); if you possess no levels in monk then you lose the AC bonus while wielding a weapon which could not be used for a Flurry of Blows.
  
• Ninja: Jump is always a class skill for you. You gain the AC Bonus and Ki Power class features as a ninja of your character level (stacking with any existing ninja levels), except that your Wisdom score is considered to be 10 for determining your AC bonus. While you possess a ki pool, you do not gain any way to spend ki unless you have levels in ninja. In addition, you gain the Sudden Strike class feature as a ninja of half your character level (minimum 1st), stacking with any existing ninja levels.
  
• Paladin: Knowledge (religion) is always a class skill for you. You gain the Divine Grace class feature as a paladin, except that your effective Charisma bonus is halved for determining its effects; if you already possess Divine Grace then its bonus instead increases by +1. You are considered a paladin of your character level for using magic items. If you have levels in paladin, you may treat all your levels as paladin levels for determining your paladin caster level, the strength of your Turn Undead, and the damage bonus of Smite Evil.
  
• Psion: Knowledge (psionics) is always a class skill for you. You are considered a psion of half your character level for using magic/universal items (minimum lv1). If you have levels in psion, you gain a bonus to your effective psion level equal to half your character level for determining your manifester level.
  
• Ranger: Survival is always a class skill for you, and you gain the Weapon Familiarity ability as an elf (or a drow, if you are half-drow). You are considered a ranger of your character level for using magic items. If you have levels in ranger, you may treat all your levels as ranger levels for determining your ranger caster level and the abilities of your animal companion (if you have one).
  
• Rogue: Disable Device is always a class skill for you, and you gain the Sneak Attack and Trap Sense class features as a rogue of half your character level (minimum 1st).
  
• Samurai (CW): Intimidate is always a class skill for you. You gain proficiency with the katana (bastard sword) and wakizashi (shortsword), and calculate the penalties for Two-Weapon Fighting with this pair of weapons as if you were wielding two light weapons. You may ignore the Dexterity prerequisites of the Two-Weapon Fighting feat chain, but unless you meet the prerequisites you gain their benefit only while wielding a katana in one hand and a wakizashi in the other.
  
• Samurai (OA): Iaijutsu Focus is always a class skill for you. You gain proficiency with the katana (bastard sword) and wakizashi (shortsword), and receive a unique pair of these weapons which gain a +1 enhancement bonus per four character levels (stacking with any enchantments applied to them normally); this enhancement bonus cannot be spent on enchantments, and cannot allow the weapon's total enhancement bonus to exceed +5 before epic level.
  
• Scout: Tumble is always a class skill for you, and you gain the Skirmish class feature as a scout of half your character level (minimum 1st), stacking with any existing scout levels. In addition you gain the Battle Fortitude class feature as a scout of your character level (stacking with any existing scout levels), except that it applies only to initiative checks.
  
• Soulknife: Autohypnosis is always a class skill for you. You gain the [Psionic] subtype, and the following class features as a soulknife of your character level (stacking with any existing soulknife levels): Mind Blade, Throw Mind Blade, Free Draw, Shape Mind Blade, Mind Blade Enhancement. Any weapon magically or psionically conjured by you gains the enchantments of your mind blade as long as you remain psionically focused, which overlap with its existing enchantments if any.
  
• Sorcerer: Knowledge (arcana) is always a class skill for you. You are considered a sorcerer of half your character level for using magic items (minimum lv1). If you have levels in sorcerer, you gain a bonus to your effective sorcerer level equal to half your character level for determining your caster level and the abilities of your familiar.
  
• Spellthief: Use Magic Device is always a class skill for you. You gain the Steal Spell and Steal Spell Effect class features as a spellthief of your character level, stacking with any existing spellthief levels (note that you must possess Sneak Attack from another source in order to use these abilities). In addition, you are considered a spellthief of your character level for using magic items. If you have levels in spellthief, you may treat all your levels as spellthief levels for determining your spellthief caster level.
  
• Warlock: Use Magic Device is always a class skill for you. You gain the Eldritch Blast class feature as a warlock of your character level (stacking with any existing warlock levels). You are considered a warlock of your character level for using magic items. If you have levels in warlock, you may treat all your levels as warlock levels for determining your caster level for invocations.
  
• Warmage: Spellcraft is always a class skill for you. You gain the Warmage Edge class feature, except that any spell which appears on the warmage list is considered a warmage spell for determining its benefits. You are considered a warmage of half your character level for using magic items (minimum lv1). If you have levels in warmage, you gain a bonus to your warmage caster level equal to half your character level.
  
• Wilder: Knowledge (psionics) is always a class skill for you. You are considered a wilder of half of your character level for using magic/universal items (minimum lv1). If you have levels in wilder, you gain a bonus to your effective wilder level equal to half your character level for determining your manifester level and the strength of your Wild Surge and Surging Euphoria class features.
  
• Wizard: Knowledge (arcana) is always a class skill for you. You are considered a wizard of half your character level for using magic items (minimum lv1). If you have levels in wizard, you gain a bonus to your effective wizard level equal to half your character level for determining your caster level and the abilities of your familiar.
  

[oslecamo]

Drow seems outright better than elf, with SR, darkvision 120 feet (light blindness irrelevant because you can literally cover your path in darkness spamming the SLA every minute, and/or just keep it over yourself all the time), extra stats (as long as you focus on Dex/Int/Cha, it will be worth more than 4 points in stat buy), 3 useful SLAs right away every minute instead of one cantrip 1/day.

How does Dilettante interact with prestige classes?

[Prime32]

Drow seems outright better than elf, with SR, darkvision 120 feet (light blindness irrelevant because you can literally cover your path in darkness spamming the SLA every minute, and/or just keep it over yourself all the time), extra stats (as long as you focus on Dex/Int/Cha, it will be worth more than 4 points in stat buy), 3 useful SLAs right away every minute instead of one cantrip 1/day.

True. I guess that's why it's one of the races you have to pay to unlock. DDO has no lighting rules, and didn't give drow SLAs or access to Arcane Archer. The SLAs are iconic though, so they should be in there in some form...

How does Dilettante interact with prestige classes?

That's... tricky, since DDO doesn't have PrCs. Restricting spellcasters is easy enough, but there are still ways to partially double up on, say, sneak attack progression. Mind, you could do that in DDO already, since rogue wasn't the only way to get sneak attack, and it doesn't seem too overpowered.

*edits*

[SorO_Lost]

In DDO none of the helf's Dilettantes stack with Class Features of the same type.
IE Rogue Dilettante II (+3d6) will stack with Sneak Attack +5 (+5 att & +8 dmg) & Monk's Ninja Spy II (+3d6), which is a very nice combo btw, but Rogue 10 (5d6) and Rogue Dilettante II (+3d6) deals 5d6 Sneak Attack.

Damage Reduction (Ex): You also gain energy resistance equal to half your Damage Reduction.

Infinite loop, your computer has crashed.

Also I think you're better off adapting the entire system rather than pure level by level remakes. You already have the goal to do all the Classes & Races, so really create an Enhancement adaptation and package the entire thing as a system. Plus using the AP adaptation you'll be able to handle Epic Destines as well.

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Ability Enhancements
You have four Ability Points per level which can be spent in any way on various Class and Racial Features. While you can freely "spend" these points they never go away. You invest them in an Enhancement and any time you do not have an Abiltiy Point invested in an Enhancement you regain the point back.

These Enhancements may require more than one Ability Point and require other Enhancements taken before it. Unless otherwise noted the cost is always one Ability Point. IF an Enhancement requires another Enhancement to be taken multiple it's it'll note such using Roman numerals, example Elemental Damage III. Additionally you may need to have a certain Class level and your Race may grant you a number of Race specific Enhancements. If you are unable to meet the requirements of any given Enhancement you lose it's benefit and any Enhancement that would also require it as if you never had it. However you do not gain your Ability Points back as they remain invested until you retrain your Enhancements. Unless otherwise noted, you cannot select an Enhancement more than once and you may only have one Prestigious Enhancement line from a given Class at a time through you may have one from each Class if you are a multiclass character.

Retraining your Enhancements and invested Ability Points takes a week of preparation and training. During this time you cannot participate in combat and must spend at least eight hours a day learning your new set up. At the end of the week all your Ability Points are returned to you and every Enhancement is untrained. Un-invested Ability Points can be spent in an Enhancement as a Free Action, allowing you to obtain various enhancements as part of leveling up.

Epic levels also grant Ability Points but they are referred to as Destiny Points. You cannot spend Destiny Points on Enhancements that consume Ability Points or vice-versa.


Below are common examples found in Classes.

Elemental Damage
Requirement: Spellcaster 1st.
An enhancement of this type requires you to choose one type of Energy (acid, cold, electricity, fire), through some spellcasters such as the Artificer may choose additional types such as force. Any Spell you cast whose damage matches your choosen energy deals an addition 10% damage. You can invest in this Enhancement multiple times, either increasing your last choice by +10% or choosing a new type of energy. However you cannot receive more than a +100% bonus from this Enhancement.

Deadly Elements
Cost: 2 AP.
Prerequisite: Elemental Damage III (or VI if taking a second time)
Choose an energy type to which you have chosen with an Elemental Damage Enhancement. Spells that do not require an Attack Roll may still perform a Critical Hit. Roll 1d20 with such spells and on a natural 20 your spell deals double damage. You may take this enhancement a second time, if you do you need to roll a 19 or above to critically hit. In addition this effect applies to spells that require an Attack roll as if you have taken Improved Critical(rays) except this effect does not stack with that Feat.

Ability Increase
Cost: 2 AP, 4 AP, 6 AP.
Requirement: Character level 6th, 12th, 16th.
Each Class's primary Ability Score can be increased by investing Ability Points. Your Racial benefits may also allow you to increase an Ability Score as well. These options are binary in nature, either you can or cannot invest you a certain Ability, your Class & Racial choices do not stack and and do not allow you to apply Ability Increase twice to any Ability score. By spending 2 AP you increase the designated Ability Score by one point, for an additional 4 AP you can increase it by +1 again (total +2) if you are 12th level or above. Up to a maximum of +3 for investing 12 Ability Points if you are 16th level or higher.

Skill Increase
Cost: 1 AP, 2 AP, 3 AP, 4 AP.
Requirement: Character level 1st, 4th, 8th, 12th.
Choose one skill as limited by your Class's list of Enhancements. you gain a +1 bonus to Skill Checks that involve that skill. You can invest additional Ability Points as noted in the descriptor to increase this bonus or take this Enhancement as an entirely separate benefit to another skill. For example Tumble II & Jump I costs 3 Ability Points.

Ninja Spy [monk prestigious enhancement]
Cost: 2 AP
Requirements: Jump II, Tumble II, Dodge.
Requirements: Monk 6th, Monk 12th.
You treat shortswords as special monk weapons, gain +1d6 Sneak Attack and a +2 bonus to Move Silently and Hide. You can also expend 15 Ki to go Invisible for one Round. You can take this enhancement a second time if you have 12 levels in Monk, the bonuses to Skills doubles (+4) and you have a total +3d6 Sneak Attack form this Enhancement. In addition you can expend 20 Ki to walk on Water for one minute.
Special: You cannot have another Monk based Prestigious Enhancement.

Draconic Heritage [dragon incarnate epic destiny]
Cost: 1 AP.
Prerequisite: 8 Destiny Points spent in Dragon Incarnate.
You deal an additional +10% damage with spells that share the same type as your draconic heritage. You may take this enhancement up to three times. This Enhancement functions just like Elemental Damage except it stacks with it.

etc.

If I wasn't so backlogged, I'd post an adaptation of the Artificer. It was my next little project after the Monk but never finished it.

[Prime32]

In DDO none of the helf's Dilettantes stack with Class Features of the same type.
IE Rogue Dilettante II (+3d6) will stack with Sneak Attack +5 (+5 att & +8 dmg) & Monk's Ninja Spy II (+3d6), which is a very nice combo btw, but Rogue 10 (5d6) and Rogue Dilettante II (+3d6) deals 5d6 Sneak Attack.

Yeah I know. I just wanted to simplify things and make them a little less counter-intuitive.

On Enhancements, I hear there's an overhaul coming up anyway.

[SorO_Lost]

Yeah, layout will change to match the ED screen. It's easier to read at a glance.

[SorO_Lost]

Bladeforged Iconic

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What is it?
Turbine's new f*ck you. Instead of the tedious coding and all those additions it takes to support a new race or class, Turbine is creating the Iconics. It's a certain race/class combo that in all ways counts as the specified race/class but gets a couple extra bonuses so you'll spend money on them. Bladeforged Paladin was just released last Wednesday, and I have to admit they look frigging awesome. Plus Warforged Paladins were a big no-no, Cha penalty, Cure Wounds sucks on Warforged, and so on. WotC's WF ACF tries to help some by allowing full Lay on Hands healing but repalces Cha to Saves with Con to Will only. You just can't operate as a Warforged Paladin without sawing your leg off so a "paladin fix' for Warforged is more than welcome. Anyway, here is a quick write up for D&D.

Bladeforged Paladin
The Lord of Blades used the creation forge to create the next generation of Warforged protectors. These Forged beings, aptly named Bladeforged, have a studier stockier frame that makes them tougher than the standard Warforged model. Perhaps the greatest improvement is their force of will and personality is stronger than before allowing them to more easily channel their Lord of Blades faith based powers.
Prerequisites: Warforged Paladin 1st.
Benefits:
* Bladeforged have a stronger will and personality built into a more bulky frame, replace your -2 Charisma penalty with a -2 penalty to Dexterity.
* This stronger frame is also resistant to sharp blades, you gain DR X/Bludgeoning or Piercing where X is 1/2 your effective Paladin level with Smite Evil.
* Unfortunately this more mechanical frame does have draw backs, Spells from the Healing Subschool are treated as if their caster level was four levels lower when affecting you.
* As part of the Lord of Blades religion a Bladeforged Paladin can innately channel repair magic, add the Repair line of Spells up to the 4th level to your Paladin Spell List.
* And finally The Lord of Blades him self empowers your Aura of Good, it now additionally grants you and allies within 10ft gain a +2 Sacred bonus to AC and a +1 Sacred bonus to Saves.
Evil Bladeforged Paladin Variant: your Aura of Evil grants the same bonuses but they are Profane based, additionally your damage reduction is based on your effective Paladin level with Smite Good.

Enjoy.

[Prime32]

You could also add a note that warforged juggernauts get armor blades instead of armor spikes.

[SorO_Lost]

Sadly the blades are purely cosmetic

I'd be awesome if even +1d4 slashing damage was granted on Unarmed Attacks.

[Prime32]

Sadly the blades are purely cosmetic

IIRC there were some standard warforged with cosmetic spikes too? And DDO doesn't have warforged juggernauts anyway (at least, not right now). I know there was an ability in some splat or Dragon mag which let WJs upgrade their spikes to deal 1d8 slashing damage.

[SorO_Lost]

Yes/No.

The spikes you see on the Bladeforged are Cosmetic Armors. Bladeforged get two kits Bound-to-Character. Without the Cosmetic Armor Kit applied they have a smooth body that is trumped by the default appearance of their armor.

And in the default appearances none are overtly spiky.

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vs


Like I said, they look badassed.

Also you may be thinking of Armor Razors, from Underdark.

[Prime32]

Also you may be thinking of Armor Razors, from Underdark.

Nah, it wasn't an item. I think it was an additional Blade Communion Ritual (Faiths of Eberron p113) from a Dragon article.

As for Iconics, if this really makes it easier for them to add races then I'm just hoping they take the opportunity to release kalashtar as human/monks.

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+2 Bluff/Diplomacy/Intimidate
+2 on saves vs mind-affecting effects
Martial Weapon Proficiency: Shortsword
Mindlink: A kalashtar grants +1% dodge to all characters within range.
Naturally Psionic: The kalashtar's maximum spell points increase by +3 per level. Thus it grants a total maximum of +60 spell points at level 20.
Psionic Focus (feat): While in this stance, a character gains +4 Concentration, a +2 bonus on saving throws, and a +2 increase to the save DCs of his spells. These are psionic bonuses. This stance ends after you cast a spell, and has a 10 second cooldown.
Mind Blade: A kalashtar can expend 5 spell points to summon a shortsword of mental energy that does force damage instead of slashing damage, and uses the wielder's Wisdom instead of Strength for determining attack and damage bonuses. The user can chose to summon a single shortsword or two for dual wielding. The swords are automatically equipped when created. At level 1, it has a +1 enhancement bonus. Every five levels the summoned swords improve by another +1. Because it is an extension of the manifester's will, monks may use these weapons without becoming uncentered. The mind blade is not a physical weapon, but rather pure ectoplasm shaped by the manifester's will; because of this, it is snuffed out if unequipped.

Flexible Mind Blade I      Mind Blade Damage I, Kalashtar lv3
Choose one weapon. This ability functions as Mind Blade, except that it creates the chosen weapon instead. You do not automatically gain proficiency with this weapon.
(1) Flexible Mind Blade II-V   Kalashtar lv6/9/12/15
Choose one weapon. This ability functions as Mind Blade, except that it creates the chosen weapon instead. You do not automatically gain proficiency with this weapon.
 
(1) Fiery Mind Blade I      Kalashtar lv4
While in this stance, your mind blade becomes a flaming weapon. You can only be in one mind blade stance at a time.
(1) Fiery Mind Blade II      Fiery Mind Blade I, Kalashtar lv8
While in this stance, your mind blade becomes a flaming burst weapon. You can only be in one mind blade stance at a time.
(1) Fiery Mind Blade III      Fiery Mind Blade II, Kalashtar lv12
While in this stance, your mind blade becomes a flaming burst flaming blast weapon. You can only be in one mind blade stance at a time.
(1) Fiery Mind Blade IV      Fiery Mind Blade III, Kalashtar lv16
While in this stance, your mind blade becomes a flaming burst flaming blast blinding embers weapon. You can only be in one mind blade stance at a time.
(1) Fiery Mind Blade V      Fiery Mind Blade IV, Kalashtar lv20
While in this stance, your mind blade becomes a flaming burst flaming blast blinding embers incineration weapon. You can only be in one mind blade stance at a time.
(plus additional thematic chains, including one with evil outsider bane + mental protection)
 
Tashalatora I            Kalashtar lv1, Still Mind, Artificer/Wizard Intelligence I
You may use your Intelligence modifier in place of your Wisdom modifier for determining your ki pool, monk AC bonus and the save DC of the Stunning Fist feat. In addition, you may expend 10 spell points to instantly gain X ki (30 second cooldown).
Tashalatora II         Tashalatora I, Artificer/Wizard Intelligence II
You may expend 20 spell points to instantly gain X ki, as well as a +X bonus to AC and saves for 10 seconds (30 second cooldown).
Tashalatora III         Tashalatora II, Artificer/Wizard Intelligence III
You may expend 30 spell points to instantly gain X ki, a +X bonus to AC and saves, and a +X% dodge chance for 10 seconds (30 second cooldown).
 
Dancing With Shadows I      Kalashtar lv1, Combat Expertise
Grants a +1 bonus to your Perform and Tumble skills while centred.
 
Kalashtar Mind Blade Attack I-II      Kalashtar lv4/10
Gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls with a mind blade.
Kalashtar Mind Blade Damage I-II   Kalashtar lv1/7
Gain a +1 bonus on damage rolls with a mind blade.
 
Kalashtar Soulknife I      Mind Blade Attack II, Mind Blade Damage II, Weapon Focus: Slashing
You gain 10 extra spell points. While wielding your mind blade and in Psionic Focus stance you may expend 10 spell points to perform a Psychic Strike, gaining a bonus on the attack roll equal to your Charisma modifier and dealing additional damage equal to [(2x character level) +8]. This ends your psionic focus as if you had cast a spell.
Kalashtar Soulknife II      Kalashtar Soulknife I
You gain a 5% bonus to run speed. While wielding your mind blade you may expend 10 spell points to perform Bladewind, attacking all enemies in a 360 degree arc around your character and dealing +4[W] damage (5 second cooldown).
Kalashtar Soulknife III      Kalashtar Soulknife II
You gain a 5% bonus to run speed. While wielding your mind blade you may expend 20 spell points to perform Knife to the Soul, inflicting X damage to the target's Int, Wis and Cha.
 
Kalashtar Psychic Casting I-IV   Kalashtar lv4/6/10/14
As Elven Arcane Fluidity.

(2) Kalashtar Wisdom I      Kalashtar lv2
Grants an additional +1 to Wisdom score
(4) Kalashtar Wisdom II      Kalashtar Wisdom I, Kalashtar lv6
Grants an additional +1 to Wisdom score
(6) Kalashtar Wisdom III      Kalashtar Wisdom II, Kalashtar lv10
Grants an additional +1 to Wisdom score