Alleran
2010-10-11, 02:25 AM
Specifically, I'm trying to work out the best way to use telekinesis (like some of the Ancients, Ascended beings, and so on and so forth), along with other advanced powers (healing, telepathy, etc.). At the moment, I'm working on adapting the Telekinesis spell from the SRD for my purposes:
TELEKINESIS (Ancient)
You may move objects with your strength of will alone.
Benefit: This feat grants the character a number of telekinetic abilities. Each ability (Sustained Force, Combat Maneuver, Violent Thrust) requires a DC 20 Concentration check (a free action, but only one can be made each round) to initially activate (and then may require subsequent checks as a result).
- Sustained Force: A sustained force moves an object weighing no more than 25 pounds per character level (maximum 500 pounds at 20th level, may be increased by 100% at the cost of spending a Wound Point, can be increased multiple times) up to 20 feet per round. A creature can negate the effect on an object it possesses with a successful Reflex save. This version of the ability can last 1 round per character level, but it also ends if you cease concentrating. The weight can be moved in any direction. An object cannot be moved beyond your range. If the object is forced beyond the range of the ability, it immediately drops to the ground (or whichever direction gravity would take it, and the character loses control over the object). If you cease concentration for any reason, the object falls or stops.
- An object can be telekinetically manipulated as if with one hand. For example, a lever or rope can be pulled, a key can be turned, an object rotated, and so on, if the force required is within the weight limitation provided above. You might even be able to untie simple knots, though delicate activities such as these require Intelligence checks (the exact DC is left to the DM's discretion). If you spend at least 5 rounds concentrating on an unattended object, you can attempt to break or burst it as if making a Strength check, except that you apply your Wisdom modifier to the check instead of your Strength modifier.
- A sustained shield of telekinetic force (providing damage reduction and energy resistance equal to character level) can be called into existence. However, it must be maintained from round to round, and no other actions besides movement at one-half speed may be taken. It does not protect the user from the vacuum of space, a lack of air, or similar environmental hazards. It does, however, absorb half the damage sustained in a fall of any kind and can repel molten lava (though not the heat itself) and other hazards of that type (including other weather effects, such as lightning). The shield can be extended to cover other characters or objects, but at a cost of expending vitality points equal to the wound point total of all the other characters to be shielded (vitality point loss continues through subsequent rounds that the shield is maintained), and a successful DC 25 Concentration check must be made to expand it (no action may be taken at all while the expanded shield is being maintained).
- A character or creature may be suffocated with a DC 30 Concentration check (a new check must be made each round to continue the action). A character who has no air to breathe can hold his breath for 2 rounds per point of Constitution that he possesses. After this period of time, the character must make a DC 10 Constitution check in order to continue holding his breath. The save must be repeated each round, with the DC increasing by +1 for each previous success. When the character fails one of these Constitution checks, he begins to suffocate. In the first round, he falls unconscious. In the following round, he drops to –1 Wound Points and is dying. In the third round, he suffocates and is dead. Additional characters may be choked at the same time, but the DC increases exponentially (a single additional character increases the DC by +2, two additional characters increases the DC by +4 each and three characters by +8 each, continuing onward and upward). This is one of the most difficult aspects of telekinesis, owing to the pinpoint concentration required.
- Combat Maneuver: Alternatively, you can use telekinesis to perform a bull rush, disarm, grapple (including pin), or trip within a 50-foot range. Resolve these attempts as normal, except that they don’t provoke attacks of opportunity. You use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Strength or Dexterity modifier, and a failed attempt doesn’t allow a reactive attempt by the target (such as for disarm or trip). No save is allowed against these attempts.
- This variant of the ability may be used to amplify a character's physical abilities to perform amazing feats of dexterity. With a successful Concentration check (a free action), the result of the check divided by 10 rounded down (e.g. a roll of 21/10 would result in 2.1, rounding down to 2) may be added to the character's Dexterity score for 1 round.
- Violent Thrust: Alternatively, the telekinetic energy gathered by concentrating can be spent in a single burst. You can hurl one object or creature per two character levels (maximum 10) that are within range (50 feet) and all within 10 feet of each other toward any target within 10 feet per level of all the objects. You can hurl up to a total weight of 25 pounds per character level (maximum 500 pounds at 20th level).
- You must succeed on attack rolls (one per creature or object thrown) to hit the target with the items, using your base attack bonus + your Wisdom modifier. Weapons cause standard damage (with no Strength bonus; note that arrows, bullets and bolts deal damage as small knives of their size when used in this manner). Other objects cause damage ranging from 1 point per 25 pounds (for less dangerous objects) to 1d6 points of damage per 25 pounds (for hard, dense objects). Creatures who fall within the weight capacity of the assault can be hurled, but they are allowed Reflex saves to negate the effect, as are those whose held possessions are targeted by the spell. If a telekinesed creature is hurled against a solid surface, it takes damage as if it had fallen 10 feet (1d6 points), the damage increasing with each 10 feet it has "fallen" by.
It's still in early stages as far as adaption goes. I'm wondering if anybody else has tried to represent the various "superhuman" powers like this (or even entirely differently), or just gone with DM fiat?
I've poked through the Spycraft Shadowforce Archer book as well, but I'm not quite sure how much of it I want to use. Though the System Lords book does recommend using some of those classes when representing the powers that Anubis has, so I'm not opposed to the idea.
TELEKINESIS (Ancient)
You may move objects with your strength of will alone.
Benefit: This feat grants the character a number of telekinetic abilities. Each ability (Sustained Force, Combat Maneuver, Violent Thrust) requires a DC 20 Concentration check (a free action, but only one can be made each round) to initially activate (and then may require subsequent checks as a result).
- Sustained Force: A sustained force moves an object weighing no more than 25 pounds per character level (maximum 500 pounds at 20th level, may be increased by 100% at the cost of spending a Wound Point, can be increased multiple times) up to 20 feet per round. A creature can negate the effect on an object it possesses with a successful Reflex save. This version of the ability can last 1 round per character level, but it also ends if you cease concentrating. The weight can be moved in any direction. An object cannot be moved beyond your range. If the object is forced beyond the range of the ability, it immediately drops to the ground (or whichever direction gravity would take it, and the character loses control over the object). If you cease concentration for any reason, the object falls or stops.
- An object can be telekinetically manipulated as if with one hand. For example, a lever or rope can be pulled, a key can be turned, an object rotated, and so on, if the force required is within the weight limitation provided above. You might even be able to untie simple knots, though delicate activities such as these require Intelligence checks (the exact DC is left to the DM's discretion). If you spend at least 5 rounds concentrating on an unattended object, you can attempt to break or burst it as if making a Strength check, except that you apply your Wisdom modifier to the check instead of your Strength modifier.
- A sustained shield of telekinetic force (providing damage reduction and energy resistance equal to character level) can be called into existence. However, it must be maintained from round to round, and no other actions besides movement at one-half speed may be taken. It does not protect the user from the vacuum of space, a lack of air, or similar environmental hazards. It does, however, absorb half the damage sustained in a fall of any kind and can repel molten lava (though not the heat itself) and other hazards of that type (including other weather effects, such as lightning). The shield can be extended to cover other characters or objects, but at a cost of expending vitality points equal to the wound point total of all the other characters to be shielded (vitality point loss continues through subsequent rounds that the shield is maintained), and a successful DC 25 Concentration check must be made to expand it (no action may be taken at all while the expanded shield is being maintained).
- A character or creature may be suffocated with a DC 30 Concentration check (a new check must be made each round to continue the action). A character who has no air to breathe can hold his breath for 2 rounds per point of Constitution that he possesses. After this period of time, the character must make a DC 10 Constitution check in order to continue holding his breath. The save must be repeated each round, with the DC increasing by +1 for each previous success. When the character fails one of these Constitution checks, he begins to suffocate. In the first round, he falls unconscious. In the following round, he drops to –1 Wound Points and is dying. In the third round, he suffocates and is dead. Additional characters may be choked at the same time, but the DC increases exponentially (a single additional character increases the DC by +2, two additional characters increases the DC by +4 each and three characters by +8 each, continuing onward and upward). This is one of the most difficult aspects of telekinesis, owing to the pinpoint concentration required.
- Combat Maneuver: Alternatively, you can use telekinesis to perform a bull rush, disarm, grapple (including pin), or trip within a 50-foot range. Resolve these attempts as normal, except that they don’t provoke attacks of opportunity. You use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Strength or Dexterity modifier, and a failed attempt doesn’t allow a reactive attempt by the target (such as for disarm or trip). No save is allowed against these attempts.
- This variant of the ability may be used to amplify a character's physical abilities to perform amazing feats of dexterity. With a successful Concentration check (a free action), the result of the check divided by 10 rounded down (e.g. a roll of 21/10 would result in 2.1, rounding down to 2) may be added to the character's Dexterity score for 1 round.
- Violent Thrust: Alternatively, the telekinetic energy gathered by concentrating can be spent in a single burst. You can hurl one object or creature per two character levels (maximum 10) that are within range (50 feet) and all within 10 feet of each other toward any target within 10 feet per level of all the objects. You can hurl up to a total weight of 25 pounds per character level (maximum 500 pounds at 20th level).
- You must succeed on attack rolls (one per creature or object thrown) to hit the target with the items, using your base attack bonus + your Wisdom modifier. Weapons cause standard damage (with no Strength bonus; note that arrows, bullets and bolts deal damage as small knives of their size when used in this manner). Other objects cause damage ranging from 1 point per 25 pounds (for less dangerous objects) to 1d6 points of damage per 25 pounds (for hard, dense objects). Creatures who fall within the weight capacity of the assault can be hurled, but they are allowed Reflex saves to negate the effect, as are those whose held possessions are targeted by the spell. If a telekinesed creature is hurled against a solid surface, it takes damage as if it had fallen 10 feet (1d6 points), the damage increasing with each 10 feet it has "fallen" by.
It's still in early stages as far as adaption goes. I'm wondering if anybody else has tried to represent the various "superhuman" powers like this (or even entirely differently), or just gone with DM fiat?
I've poked through the Spycraft Shadowforce Archer book as well, but I'm not quite sure how much of it I want to use. Though the System Lords book does recommend using some of those classes when representing the powers that Anubis has, so I'm not opposed to the idea.