Setting and system variants 3.5

[Coplantor]

So, I'm picking up a project I had for a 3.5 setting, I called it project awesome because it started as a joke to get pirates, ninjas, steampunk, cthulhu, gothic fantasy, samurais, cowboys, etc... on one seting, but then it turned into something good that can even work for a serious campaign.

This (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103316) was the original thread.

In order to keep developing this little setting of mine, I decided to work on each region of the world, one by one, and at the same time, I want to experiment a little by making huge variant rules for the DnD system. I want to keep the d20 system, but try to make it more customizable by players. It will be classless, I will turn class features into feats, much like the generic classes of Unearthed Arcana.

I was thinking about something like a point buy system for HD, skill points per level, saves and BAB. Also, BAB is divided into melee BAB and ranged BAB.
Weapon proficiencies are feats, spellcasting is also aquired by feats (and you will need a lot) and it involves certain RPing requisites, characters start with three feats and gain another one at every level. Most characters wont be of higher level than 6 because most of this setting is low level.

The "basic" character uses a d4 as HD, gets 2 skill points per level, has bad saves and bad BABs. Then they have seven character points to distribute among those stats, each CP improves said stat by one category, d4 into d6, then to d8, d10 and d12, the same goes for skills, BABs and saves.
Some races have particular traits that allow them to surpass this limits, dwarves are particulary resilent and can have a d12+d4 for HD, gnomes are skillfull little characters so they can have a maximum of 10 skill points per level. On the other hand, some races inccur into penalties, for example, orcs are clumsy and they can have their skill points per level reduced to 1 + int modifier, halflings are phissically weak, so they can have a d3 for DH.
BAB and saves have their normal maximum and minimum.

Right now I'm working on the NFC if you checked the link, from the core classes, the most common ones up there would be the fighter, the cleric, the rogue and the bard. so those are the classes I'm trying to turn their features into feats.

Opinions? Comments?

[Fostire]

Well for fighters, you can't turn their class feature into feats as their only class feature is bonus feats. So here's two ideas:
1- Divide fighter feats into several groups that you feel fit together, and turn those group of feats into single feats that scale with level. For example turning the two-weapon fighting line of feats into a single feat that gives you the benefit of each individual feat as you reach the appropriate level. This should have a bonus feats effect as they give you several feats for the price of one.

2- Use tome of battle classes instead and turn their class features into feats.

BTW you didn't mention weapon proficiencies, how are you handling those?

[Ichneumon]

True20 works mostly like that, somewhat.

[Coplantor]

Well for fighters, you can't turn their class feature into feats as their only class feature is bonus feats. So here's two ideas:
1- Divide fighter feats into several groups that you feel fit together, and turn those group of feats into single feats that scale with level. For example turning the two-weapon fighting line of feats into a single feat that gives you the benefit of each individual feat as you reach the appropriate level. This should have a bonus feats effect as they give you several feats for the price of one.

OK, yeah that could work, I should write that on my to do list.


2- Use tome of battle classes instead and turn their class features into feats.

I'm only adaptating core classes right now, I will check other books as I advance on this project.


BTW you didn't mention weapon proficiencies, how are you handling those?

Pretty much like 2nd edition DnD, one feat = one prof, so most characters will be unproficient with most weapons, although, I will consider similarity, divide the different kind of weapons into different groups, so once you are proficient with a weapon, your attack penalty with unproficient weapons belonging to the same group halves. Probably, once you are proficient with half of those weapons, you get free proficiency with the whole group.

Regarding races:

Humans are the same plus, one extra character point, a +2 bonus to any one ability score and a free weapon prof.

The +2 felt right because I want to keep the point buy for abilities rather low, or in the case of dice rolling, 3d6. That way, abilities will be ussually mediocre but characters will excel at one of them chosen by the player.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

You may want to take a look at Buy the Numbers, a d20 system book that explains how to strip D&D down to a pay-for-everything-with-xp, classless, level-less game.
It's not a finished fix - you'll still have plenty of work to do, but it goes a log way to doing what you seem to be after, and the core concept is very sound.

I think Paizo have it as a pdf, and it's quite cheap.

[Coplantor]

You may want to take a look at Buy the Numbers, a d20 system book that explains how to strip D&D down to a pay-for-everything-with-xp, classless, level-less game.
It's not a finished fix - you'll still have plenty of work to do, but it goes a log way to doing what you seem to be after, and the core concept is very sound.

I think Paizo have it as a pdf, and it's quite cheap.

Ok, I apreciate this. I will check this.

Manwhile, feats for divine casting:

Clerical training
Preqs: Profession (Priest) 4 ranks
Benefit: Add Knowledge (religion) and Spellcraft to your known skills.
If they were already known skills, you get a +2 bonus.
You can also cast 0 level spells if your wisdom score allows for it, 0 level spells are cast spontaneously, but you must follow the daily limit according to your character level.

Divine blessing
Preqs: Clerical training, Profession (priest) 4 ranks, wisdom 13+
Benefits: You may cast a number of divine spells from level 1-3 defined by your character level. Your caster level is equal to character level.

Spell progression is the same as given in the PHB table Cleric Spells per day.

Greater Divine Blessing
Preqs: Divine blessing, wisdom 16+, Profession (Priest) 10 ranks, Perform (Prayer) 4 ranks
Benefits: The maximum level of the spells you can cast rises to 6, but you are still limited by your character level regarding spells per day.

Spell progression is the same as given in the PHB table Cleric Spells per day.

Supreme Divine Blessing
Preqs: Greater Divine Blessing, wisdom 19+, Prof (Priest) 16 ranks, Perform (Prayer) 10 ranks, must have never ofended his god/patron/deity.
Benefits:The maximum spell level you can cast rises to nine, your spells per day are still limited to your character level.

Spell progression is the same as given in the PHB table Cleric Spells per day.

Follow deity
Preqs Divine blessing, alignment matching or one step away from the chosen deity.
Benefits You gain acces to one domain spells
Special: You can take this feat multiple times, getting acces to a different domain each time you take it.

Deity's favour
Preqs Follow deity
BenefitYou gain the granted power of a domain you have access
Special you can take this feat multiple time, gaining the granted power of a different domain you have access to each time you take it.

Turn undead
Preqs Clerical training, knowledge (religion) 4 ranks
Benefit You gain the turn undead class feature


New skill uses

Profession (priest)
Preparing spells:
Whenever you want to prepare your spells, you must contact your deity through special rituals, you must make a check per each spell level you are preparing, the DC of said check is 20 + spell level*1.5. Once you fail a check, the ritual is over and you can't prepare anymore spells for that day.
When preparing spells, 1st level spells are prepared first, then 2nd, 3rd and so on. To prepare spells of 4th level or higher, the priest must be on a divine focus


Perform (prayer)
Divine focus
Some tasks require the priest to be on a higher state of concentration than those achievable by the concentration skill, this state can only be reached through intense mediation and prayer.
Under the effect of the divine focus, the priest domain spells of his main deity have a an increased DC of +1, the cleric can end his focus to automatically save a will save.
The divine focus can only be achieved once per day and if the priest is on well terms with his deity.
The DC of the skill check to achieve divine focus is 20.

[Coplantor]

Some decitions about skills, after checking the CoC d20 book, I decided to add research as a skill, as well as drive, because I will have steam powered flying machines, cars, boats, balloons, etc....

After checking the UA again, I noticed that uncanny dodge combines uncanny dodge and improved uncanny dodge, maybe I'll make them two different feats, or have it have dodge as preq, dodge will provide a + dodge bonus to armor class per every 4 character levels by the way, it just needed to be changed.

My next post will contain the races, humans I have them done, dwarves wont suffer a lot of changes, since their fluff will be pretty much the same, although, instead of huge mines, they live in gigantic castle cities, true masterpieces of stone and metal architecture. Gnomes, they will have a +2 int bonus and a -2 wis penalty, I liked 2nd ed gnomes much more.

I will also need a robotic race, something between a warforged and a modron, I'm all ears for those who might have any good idea, or even bad ideas, any aidea at all will be good!

[Coplantor]

Bump and update! What a beautiful post!

So, I have Clerics covered, rogues covered, fighters kinda covered.

So it is the turn of the bards!

Bardic Feats
Obscure Knowledge
Preqs: Any two knowledge skills with 4 ranks
Benefit You gain the bardic nowledge class feature

Amazing Performance
Preqs: Any perform with 4 ranks
Benefit You gain the bardic music class feature plus fascinate

Disturbing Performance
Preqs: Any perform with 4 ranks, Amazing Performance
Benefit You get the counter song class feature

Inspire Courage
Preqs: Any perform with 4 ranks, Amazing Performance
Benefit You gain the Inspire courage class feature

Inspire Competence
Preqs: Any perform with 6 ranks, Amazing Performance
Benefit You gain the Inspire competence class feature

Suggestion
Preqs: Any perform with 9 ranks, Amazing Performance
Benefit You gain the suggestion class feature

Inspire Greatness
Preqs: Any perform with 12 ranks, Amazing Performance
Benefit You gain the Inspire Greatness class feature

Freedom of Art
Preqs: Any perform with 15 ranks, Amazing Performance
Benefit You gain the Song of Freedom class feature

Inspire Heroics
Preqs: Any perform with 18 ranks, Amazing Performance
Benefit You gain the Inspire Heroics class feature

MAss Sugestion
Preqs: Any perform with 21 ranks, Amazing Performance, sugestion
Benefit You gain the Mass Sugestion class feature

Next post, I will try to come up witrh something for the races.

[Fostire]

The clerics are a lot weaker than a regular 3.5 cleric, which isn't all that bad considering that 3.5 clerics are considered overpowered, so I like it.

Also I noticed that there is no bardic casting, was that on purpose?

[Coplantor]

Yes, it was on purpose. Arcane casting will be dealed similary to divine. The first feat will give you access to the universal school of magic and you can cast up to 3rd level spells, another feat for 4 - 6th level and a last one for 7th to 9th. Each other school of magic you want to cast spells from requires a feat, and evey different school of magic will be tied to a different skill, so wizards will need a lot of skill points.

[Fostire]

Yes, it was on purpose. Arcane casting will be dealed similary to divine. The first feat will give you access to the universal school of magic and you can cast up to 3rd level spells, another feat for 4 - 6th level and a last one for 7th to 9th. Each other school of magic you want to cast spells from requires a feat, and evey different school of magic will be tied to a different skill, so wizards will need a lot of skill points.

They still get bonus skill points from high intelligence, right? if so then that probably won't be a problem.

[Coplantor]

yes, high int will give them bonus skill points, but they will nedd about 8 skill points per level at least in order to cast spells from every school, and that will leave them without other skills, and remember that stats will be average or slightly above average, a character who wants to be a mage will be really lucky to have a 15 on their int score when they are 1st level characters. Yeah, at higher levels they will get higher int scores, but they need to raise their school tied skills at every level, I want to make arcane casting somewhat more difficult than divine.