PDA

View Full Version : 3.5 Tweaks For My Campaign



Patsy
2012-04-30, 07:02 AM
I love 3.5, but for my upcoming campaign I've been making a list of small changes to mention to the players before character creation. These aren't general system fixes or anything as sweeping as that, but I've played one campaign with the same players already, and I'm trying to tailor my approach.
Just wanted the community's expert opinion on whether any of this stuff is likely to cause problems in the game- many heads are better than one, after all.


Class Changes:

swashbucklers have good reflex saves

Sorcerers have Eschew Materials as a bonus feat at level 1

Monks have full Base Attack Bonus, and can use Abundant Step once per day per point of Wis Bonus (minimum 1)

Fighters have four skill points/ level and profession is a class skill

Rules Changes:

profession ranks add three associated skills to class skills- e.g. profession: sailor would add swim, use rope and balance, or profession: city watchman would add spot, listen and diplomacy.

A move action costs two attacks from a full attack, including attacks from Flurry Of Blows/Two-weapon fighting- so a character with four attacks can move their speed and attack twice. Only works with iterative attacks, not natural weapons.

Tower shields do not impose an attack roll penalty with one-handed thrusting weapons such as spears or short swords.

Concentration checks (DC 10+damage taken) are required if the character is damaged earlier in the same round, not just if interrupted.

Spell Tweaks:

Rope Trick, Tiny Cottage, Secure Shelter and Magnificent Mansion are all one spell level lower, and create a physical, optionally invisible structure on the same plane.

Teleportation only works between two flat, stable surfaces that the caster has visited before.



New Feats:

Greater disarm (BAB +8, improved disarm)
The player can attempt to disarm as a free action on a successful melee attack.

Greater Overrun (Str 15 BAB+6, Improved overrun)
The player receives a single extra unarmed attack at full BAB on a sucessful overrun.

Shield Mastery (Shield Proficiency, BAB+4)
The player may add one quarter of her Base Attack Bonus to her Shield Bonus while using a shield. Armour check penalties of shields are halved.

Aimed Shot (Dex 15, Precise Shot, Point Blank Shot)
The player may sacrifice points of Base Attack bonus in return for points of damage when using a ranged weapon closer than 30ft. Only works on creatures with discernible anatomy, or objects with specific weak points.


New Spell:

Firedamp
Conjuration (creation)
Level: Drd 2, Fire 2
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium
Effect: Flammable gas spreads in 20ft- radius, 20ft high
Duration: Max 10 min/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

A cloud of invisible, flammable gas spreads out from the point you designate. Any flame (magical or non magical) within the area will cause the gas cloud to ignite, causing 3d6 fire damage to anyone within it. Anyone entering the area may make a Wisdom check in order to notice the gas. Knowledge: nature and Profession: Miner ranks may be added to this check. Any creature with Scent ability notices the gas immediately.

Hyudra
2012-04-30, 08:35 AM
Tweak is a good word for these houserules. They're not going to fix any overarching problems with the game, but they will help. Only one that gets a raised eyebrow from me is the first spell tweak. Can I ask what the intent was, there?

Yitzi
2012-04-30, 08:48 AM
Presumably because an extraplanar structure is too powerful, but an on-plane structure doesn't justify that spell level.

Patsy
2012-04-30, 01:23 PM
Mostly it's a flavour thing- I didn't like the idea of lowish-level adventurers being able to step out of whatever location I've designed - be it a sewer, an undercity cavern or a blistering desert- and hang out for a bit in some featureless 'save point' zone. It breaks immersion. Besides, making a giant mansion appear out of thin air is so much cooler if your new neighbours can see it too.

That's the idea with a lot of this- As I say, I like 3.5 a lot, and I've never really had any major 'balance' problems with the rules. I'm just trying to make the rules a little more friendly to the way my group works. I just post it here to confirm that there aren't any glaring problems.