PDA

View Full Version : Presitge Class campaign: Good idea?



Corporate M
2010-03-31, 08:00 PM
A campaign centered around replacing base classes with prestige. It'd function just as a normal game, only you pick a prestige class instead of a base. There would be some minor differences...

Prestige classes automaticaly gain any feats asscosiated with prequisites for their class.
Prestige classes DON'T get the x4 at first level for skillpoints. (Thus, skillchecks become more challenging)
Full casters are rare if not non-existant. For such a campaign to even permit spellcasting, it would have to change to being more like incantations with complicated skillchecks.

For example: The Mystic Theurge would be one of the few fullcasters. Gaining 2 caster levels every class level, and could learn two spells of any level. (But no greater then his class level) Every round.


Spellcasting:
Should be a combonation of complex skillchecks with the possibility of not only failure, but preventing you from using spells of that level for the rest of the day. Essentially being a much less forgiving spells per day variant.

Mystic Theurge would have more verstaility then some other spellcasting classes getting to choose either wisdom or charisma for his spell DC and max spell level he can cast. Typically it would depend on the kind of spells he wants to learn. Dragon Disciple on the other hand, only gains one spell every other level as described in the class, of any level he can cast (which would be his class level or lower), and seeing as his mental stat for DC is not listed, he gets to choose.

Spellcasting would be done by making spellcraft skillchecks, but in the complex form from unearthed arcana.

In general, there would be less spellcasting and more excersising special abilities. I'm not sure how that would effect gameplay, but hey... why not?

Psionics:
Psionics have an entirely different problem to worry about. Powerpoints are a limited enough resource, let alone here. So instead, manifesting a psionic power will only have the POSSIBILITY of expending powerpoints! Make a d100 check equal to or greater then the total number of powerpoints you'd have to pay. (Say you use mind thrust, augment it by three. 4 powerpoints equals 4%) If you fail your d100 check. You must expend a number of powerpoints equal to the power's level.

Psionic Focus no longer costs 1pp either. It merely can only be implemented once, untill expended, then used again. And only psionic classes/those with the wild talent feat can psionic focus. Psionics now has it's own unique playstyle compared to casting. With random skill vancian vs random percentile mana.



What do you think? It's alot of arbitary gameplay with making stuff up as you go along. But wouldn't it be nice not having to wait to play a blackguard or frenzied beserker? Or making insane combos?

If complex skillchecks were increased across the board, and not just with spellcasting... that could make it into a gritty campaign seeing as skillpoints are a scarce resource like powerpoints. (Healthpoints too. Infact, pretty much any word with "points" in it... LOL!)

Melayl
2010-03-31, 08:55 PM
Spellcasting:
Should be a combonation of complex skillchecks with the possibility of not only failure, but preventing you from using spells of that level for the rest of the day. Essentially being a much less forgiving spells per day variant.

Spellcasting would be done by making spellcraft skillchecks, but in the complex form from unearthed arcana.

In general, there would be less spellcasting and more excersising special abilities. I'm not sure how that would effect gameplay, but hey... why not?

Psionics:
Psionics have an entirely different problem to worry about. Powerpoints are a limited enough resource, let alone here. So instead, manifesting a psionic power will only have the POSSIBILITY of expending powerpoints! Make a d100 check equal to or greater then the total number of powerpoints you'd have to pay. (Say you use mind thrust, augment it by three. 4 powerpoints equals 4%) If you fail your d100 check. You must expend a number of powerpoints equal to the power's level.

Psionic Focus no longer costs 1pp either. It merely can only be implemented once, untill expended, then used again. And only psionic classes/those with the wild talent feat can psionic focus. Psionics now has it's own unique playstyle compared to casting. With random skill vancian vs random percentile mana.


I have a (in my opinion) fairly good Skill-based casting/manifesting system, if you're interested. It's in my Sig.

On-topic, it seems like an interesting campaign world. I'd certainly give it a go.