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View Full Version : SHH! It's a Secret! New Magic System And Base Class [3.5]



Human Paragon 3
2009-02-24, 02:53 AM
Link to original brain-storming thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101424&highlight=equilibrium)


New Casting System: Equilibrium

Under the equilibrium system there is no limit to the number of times spells can be cast per day. Instead, the limiting factor is action economy. Equilibrium classes gain access to specialized spell lists from which they can cast all the live long day. It uses spell points as well as a unique reset mechanic. Compared to other casting classes, the equilibrium classes have less raw power, but the ability to refill their spell points at will give them more stamina. They also make up for their shortcomings in other ways. The first equilibrium class I designed, the Monk of Secrets, has a great skill list and a great deal of skill points as well as a variety of unique tricks that can be used at will.

Base Class:

Monk of Secrets

Monks of Secrets serve the God of Secrets, whose name is a mystery lost to the ages, and whose sole aim is to protect the secrets of the gods and keep mortals away from knowledge they should not dare to learn. As agents of this powerful and mysterious god, monks of secrets must be devout, clever, and completely dedicated to their mission. As monks of secrets protect the secrets of the gods themselves, they are repaid for their service with the very knowledge they are charged to protect so as to better enable them to serve their master.

There are six secrets that these strange servants will eventually learn during their lifetime. The first is the secret of the fifth element, dark matter, which unlike Air, Earth, Fire and Water is invisible and omnipresent. Unimaginable energy is locked away in this invisible element, and it is through harnessing this energy that the monks of secrets power their potent spell-like abilities.

The other 5 secrets are as follows:

I. Names Hold Power. By learning the names of gods, demons, and even mortals, a monk of secrets is able to gain mastery over even the most powerful creatures.
II. Centers of Power Must Be Protected. By keeping the world’s centers of power secure, monks of secrets become privy to this power.
III. Words Hold Power. Some hold the power to create, others to destroy. These are some of the gods most closely guarded secrets, and it is imperative they are kept. The meager words of power monks of secrets learn are potent indeed, yet pale in comparison to the gods’ true language.
IV. Knowledge Flows. By protecting the secrets of the gods, the secrets of man become obvious and easy to detect. A monk that understands this holds the key to unlimited knowledge.
V. Time Is Not Constant. It can be slowed, sped, reversed, stopped, chopped and reformed. Once this is understood, there is no limit to a monk of secrets’ potential power.

HP: d4
Skill Points/level: 6+Int
Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Forgery, Knowledge (Any), Perception, Perform (Any), Profession, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Speak Language, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Proficiencies: Monks of Secrets are proficient with light armor, but not with shields. Monks of secrets are proficient with all simple weapons, plus one martial weapon.

Secret of Dark Energy: A monk of secrets draws power from a secret element called dark matter. This energy allows him to power a variety of spell-like abilities, called mysteries, which vary based upon which secrets he knows. In addition, starting at level 1, all monks of secrets gain the ability to harness this power into a dark energy blast. As a standard action, a monk of secrets can unleash a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 60 feet. It deals damage equal to the monk’s elemental dice plus his charisma modifier (see equilibrium).

Secrets and Mysteries: At first level and at every 5th level thereafter, monks gain access to one of 5 secrets. These five secrets can be learned in any order, and each contains a number of mysteries that the monk can learn as they gain levels. At each new level, the monk learns one new mystery, which can be from any secret the monk has access to, provided he meets the prerequisites for that mystery. In addition, each secret has a power associated with it that the monk learns when he gains access to that secret. A monk’s mysteries have a save DC equal to 10+ half his class level + intelligence modifier.

Equilibrium: There is no limit to the number of mysteries a monk of secrets can use each day. Instead, each mystery has a cost in spell points which must be paid at casting time. If a monk does anything other than fight or meditate for a minute or more, his spell pool automatically resets to equilibrium. By spending a standard action to draw dark energy, the monk rolls his elemental dice (see table) and temporarily adds the result in spell points to his pool. A monk’s spell pool can never increase to more than twice his equilibrium score. The monk of secrets’ base equilibrium score increases as he levels up, and he gains a bonus to his equilibrium score based on his intelligence modifier and level(see table).

Monk Of Secrets
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Base Equilibrium|ED

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Secret of Dark Energy, 1st Secret|1|1d4

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3| |2|1d4

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3| |3|1d6

4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4| |4|1d6

5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|2nd Secret|5|1d6

6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5| |8|2d6

7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5| |10|2d6

8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6| |13|2d6

9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|3rd Secret|16|3d6

10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7| |22|3d6

11th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7| |26|4d6

12th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8| |30|4d6

13th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8|4th Secret|34|5d6

14th|
+7/+2|
+4|
+4|
+9| |43|6d6

15th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+9| |44|7d6

16th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10| |48|8d6

17th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10|5th Secret|52|8d6

18th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11| |58|9d6

19th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11| |60|9d6

20th|
+10/+5|
+6|
+6|
+12| |70|10d6|[/table]

Secrets:


Notes on Secrets and Mysteries:

The Mysteries are mostly spells taken from the PHB and Spell Compendium. A few are psionic powers and some I made up. For example, Summon Minor Demon and Summon Magic Familiar let the monk summon a familiar like a wizard. The Demon serves the master but doesn’t grant any of the abilities a familiar does. Instead, it is a more powerful form.

Mysteries have a title, prerequisites, text (which appears in the book they were originally printed) and a SP cost, which is how many spell points they take to cast. If (Special) appears in a spell point entry, the ability is free to cast, or never needs to be cast, but instead permanently decreases the monk’s equilibrium by the number indicated. Because of this decrease, monks of secrets never have to pay XP costs associated with their mysteries.


Names Hold Power


A lot of these are made up. Most of the Demon Summoning and Elemental Conjuring etc. are like the Summon Monster line but with a home brewed list.

Secret Power: Summon Magic Familiar or Minor Demon

Summon Minor Demon
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 0 (Special)

Summon Magic Familiar
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 0 (Special)

Protection From Good/Evil/Law/Chaos
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Demon Summoning, Least
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1, Summon Minor Demon
SP: 1

Conjure Elemental
Prerequisites: Monk Level 3, Summon Magic Familiar
SP: 3

Demonic Swarm
Prerequisites: Monk Level 3, Demon Summoning
SP: 3

Summon Shadow
Prerequisites: Monk Level 4, Summon Minor Demon
SP: 3

Magic Circle Against Good/Evil/Law/Chaos
Prerequisites: Monk Level 5
SP: 5

Demon Summoning, Lesser
Prerequisites: Monk Level 5, 3 Name Secrets
SP: 5

Suggestion
Prerequisites: Monk Level 6
SP: 5

Sending
Prerequisites: Monk Level 8, Summon Minor Demon
SP: 7

Planar Ally, Lesser
Prerequisites: Monk Level 8, 5 Name Secrets
SP: 2 (Special)

Demon Summoning, Greater
Prerequisites: Monk Level 9, 5 Name Secrets
SP: 9

Planar Binding, Lesser
Prerequisites: Monk Level 9, 5 Name Secrets
SP: 9

Planar Ally
Prerequisites: Monk Level 11, 6 Name Secrets
SP: 3 (Special)

Planar Binding
Prerequisites: Monk Level 11, 6 Name Secrets
SP: 11

Demand
Prerequisites: Monk Level 13, Sending
SP: 13

Planar Ally, Greater
Prerequisites: Monk Level 13, 6 Name Secrets
SP: 4 (Special)

Planar Binding, Greater
Prerequisites: Monk Level 13, 6 Name Secrets
SP: 13

Demon Summoning, Dark
Prerequisites: Monk Level 15, Demand
SP: 15

Gate
Prerequisites: Monk Level 17, 9 Name Secrets
SP: 17



Time Is Not Constant.


Secret Power: Your need for sleep is reduced by 75%, and you heal HP at 2x normal rate.

Corrosive Grasp
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Expeditious Retreat, Swift
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Inhibit
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Déjà vu
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Precognitive Defense
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Blur
Prerequisites: Monk Level 2, Expeditious Retreat, Swift
SP: 1

Snake’s Swiftness
Prerequisites: Monk Level 3, Two Time Secrets
SP: 3

Haste
Prerequisites: Monk Level 5, Three Time Secrets
SP: 5

Slow
Prerequisites: Monk Level 5, Three Time Secrets
SP: 5

Displacement
Prerequisites: Monk Level 6, Precognitive Defense
SP: 5

Dimension Door
Prerequisites: Monk Level 8, Expeditious Retreat, Swift
SP: 9

Waves of Fatigue
Monk Level 9, Haste
SP: 9

Temporal Acceleration
Monk Level 11, Five Time Secrets
SP: 11

Waves of Exhaustion
Monk Level 13, Waves of Fatigue
SP: 13

Moment of Prescience
Monk Level 13
SP: 13

(Age Creature) Finger of Death
Monk Level 13, Waves of Fatigue
SP: 13

Timeless Body
Monk Level 15, Six Time Secrets
SP: 15

Time Stop
Monk Level 17, Nine Time Secrets

Foresight
Monk Level 17, Precognitive Defense



Centers of Power Must Be Protected.

Secret Power: Arcane Mark at Will, Instant Summons 1/day.

Locate a Center of Power
SP: 0(Special)


Instead of gaining a mystery, A monk with the Locations secret can choose to learn the location of a specific person, place or thing. If he does so, he gives up a mystery known in exchange for a special in-story bonus which can be an appropriately powerful magic item, advice or aid from an epic person (which can be represented by skill bonuses, bonus feats, ability score boosts etc), or similar increase in power. The DM should balance this with the power the monk would normally gain. See the Loremaster class from the DMG for more examples.

Geas
Prerequisites: Three Epic Secrets
SP: 9

Legend Lore
Prerequisites: Monk Level 11, Three Epic Secrets
SP: 11



Words Hold Power

Secret Power: Dark Energy Blast Increases 1 Die Type

Sleep
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Silence
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Forget
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Command
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Blindness/Deafness
Prerequisites: Monk Level 3, Silence
SP: 3

Deep Slumber
Prerequisites: Monk Level 5, Two Word Secrets
SP: 5

Hypnotism
Prerequisites: Monk Level 5, Two Word Secrets
SP: 5

Minor Creation
Prerequisites: Monk Level 7, Three Word Secrets
SP: 7

Major Creation
Prerequisites: Monk Level 9, Minor Creation
SP: 9

PW Blind
Prerequisites: Monk Level 11
SP: 11

PW Deafen
Prerequisites: Monk Level 11
SP: 11

PW Stun
Prerequisites: Monk Level 13
SP: 13

Symbol of…(Pick Any One)
Prerequisites: Monk Level 13
SP: 13
This mystery can be chosen multiple times. Each time you choose this mystery, you pick a new symbol.

PW Kill
Prerequisites: Monk Level 15
SP: 17

Holy Word
Prerequisites: Monk Level 15
SP: 15


Knowledge Flows

Secret Power: Bardic Knowledge Ability

Identify
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Comprehend Languages
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Detect Magic/Read Magic
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Detect Good/Evil/Law/Chaos
Prerequisites: Monk Level 1
SP: 1

Detect Thoughts
Prerequisites: Monk Level 3
SP: 3

Locate Object
Prerequisites: Monk Level 3
SP: 3

Know Vulnerabilities
Prerequisites: Monk Level 5, Identify
SP: 5

Clairaudiance/Clairevoyance
Prerequisites: Monk Level 5, Two Knowledge Secrets
SP: 5

Dispel Magic
Prerequisites: Monk Level 5, Detect Magic
SP: 5

Tongues
Prerequisites: Monk Level 5, Two Knowledge Secrets
SP: 5

Discern Lies
Prerequisites: Monk Level 7, Three Knowledge Secrets
SP: 7

True Seeing
Prerequisites: Monk Level 9, Four Knowledge Secrets
SP: 9

Probe Thoughts
Prerequisites: Monk Level 11, Detect Thoughts
SP: 11

Find the Path
Prerequisites: Monk Level 11, Four Knowledge Secrets
SP: 11

Discern Location
Prerequisites: Monk Level 15, Six Knowledge Secrets
SP: 15

Programmed Amnesia
Prerequisites: Monk Level 15, Probe Thoughts
SP: 15

Reaving Dispel
Prerequisites: Monk Level 15, Nine Knowledge Secrets
SP: 17




Bonus Spell Points By Intelligence Table Coming Soon

Human Paragon 3
2009-02-24, 10:05 PM
Space Reserved For Future Posts

Human Paragon 3
2009-02-25, 10:52 PM
Space reserved

Baron Corm
2009-02-26, 04:59 PM
Not really a new magic system if you're just using spell points eh? I like how you got rid of XP costs by reducing max spell points though... I might adapt that to spell slots in the regular system.

MeklorIlavator
2009-02-26, 05:09 PM
Nothing major, but what kind of damage is the dark energy blast? How does it effect objects, etc.

Human Paragon 3
2009-02-27, 11:16 AM
I admit that the system isn't totally new, but there are some new mechanics in there.

Dark Energy is Dark Energy Damage, a new energy type like fire or cold. It affects objects just like the other energy types. Few monsters have resistance to it (in fact, only home brewed monsters do) because it is a secret energy type that only the MoS have access to. If DMs are worried about balance they can add dark energy resistance to their monsters and/or give dark energy attacks to monsters or NPCs.

MeklorIlavator
2009-02-27, 12:54 PM
What do you mean "It affects objects just like the other energy types"? There's no hard or fast rule: Sonic and Acid act like they always do, fire and electricity are halved, and cold is quartered. Not too worried about balance, but the distinction is important to make, especially as what you said isn't clear from the text. I would either add that clarification to the ability or add another section on Dark Energy.

Also, you say it has a "range increment of 60ft". Does it work like a spell or a Bow? Or a throw weapon? If like a Bow or throw weapon, can feats apply to it?

Is the ability Spell-Like, Supernatural, or extraordinary in nature? What about spell resistance? If the ability is spell-like, what spell level does it count as? This is important, as some spells block lower level spells.

Can people choose dark energy for spells like protection from energy?

You might want to look at the Warlock entry for Eldritch blast, as it seems similar. In fact, at the moment this seems much like a more versatile warlock.